Book a Week 2017 - BW29: First Hugo Award - Alfred Bester for Demolished Man

[Mom-ninja.]

Ali, feel better soon.

 

Stacia, congrats to your ds. 

 

Rose, hope all the testing goes as smoothly as possible and you get some good answers. (Psst, my gf dinner I made tonight consists of: sweet potato fritters, deviled eggs, and minestrone soup with (healthy made from dates, coconut flour, and no added sugar) brownies for dessert. 

 

Matryoshka, I have Menschen im Hotel on my tbr list. Did you buy it through an Amazon seller? Where do you like to buy your German books? 

 

 

 

I'm almost through Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil DeGrasse Tyson (Rose, I think you have the wrong author). I chuckled a lot through this book and had to read chunks out loud to my kids.
 

This is on my tbr list. I'm actually excited to read it. 

 

I started to write that I finished The Bridge of San Luis Rey last night until I realized I actually finished it this morning thanks to my mom-fear going awry. Ds works at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and last night he was scheduled to work a special event* until midnight. Also, dh was working midnight to 8 am (his usual Saturday-night-technically-Sunday shift), so I was alone from 11pm on. I woke up around 2am to go potty and something made me think ds wasn't home yet. I checked his room, and looked out the window for the car and my suspicion was confirmed. I texted him and called him and got no response. Now, I know that at the Saturn V Center the cell phone reception is bad so I kept telling myself that they probably had a lot of cleaning up and closing up work to do. An hour went by. Then a half hour. Finally at 3:30 he called (because he saw all my texts and knew I'd still be up worrying) and said his phone died in his pocket, they were one person short. and had finally just finished. My rational brain had been telling me for the past hour and a half that it was something along those lines, but the road from KSC to civilization (the space center is actually in the middle of a wildlife refuge) is long and dark and sparsely traveled except for KSC police occasionally patrolling it. So, my mom-brain had him overturned in a ditch with no one to drive by and find him. Sigh.

 

 

 

What a stressful night (early morning) for you. I'm glad your worry was for nothing. I always remind myself of that saying: "Who says worrying doesn't help? The majority of things I worry about don't happen." 

  :D

 

Here's something only this group can appreciate. An aunt gave my DD The Color Purple by Alice Walker to read. :scared:  Confiscated! You had a whole bookstore to choose from and you chose the Color Purple for a young sheltered 13 yo. Really? Were they all out of Flowers in the Attic and Lolita?

 

:smilielol5:  Ok, you made me laugh loudly. I'm sorry she received an inappropriate book though. Hand her a lovely L.M. Montgomery book instead. 

 

 

 

I finished  Four Queens: the Provencal Sisters Who Ruled Europe  earlier today. What a fascinating bit of history. 

 

I leave for vacation in 2 weeks and instead of thinking of what I will pack to wear I am planning on what to pack to read. You may be a book nerd if....

And. no, I haven't decided. I was going to take Menschen im Hotel but when I tried to order it the delivery date was after I leave. I'm sure I have books here, but it's not the same than getting a new-to-you book to take on a plane.  

[Violet Crown]

Still reading War and Peace, and expecting to finish this week. I successfully talked some friends at church into reading it, and gave them my extra copy. Evangelizing for Tolstoy!

[Butter]

Last night I finished reading My Name Used to Be Muhammad by Tito Momen.  The author was born in Nigeria to fundamentalist Muslim parents.  His father wanted him to become an imam and sent him to Damascus and Cairo for training.  He had some questions about Islam and, eventually, he ended up joining the Mormon church.  A Muslim converting to Christianity is illegal according to Sharia Law.  He spent several years in jail in Egypt.  His story is fascinating (he goes out of his way to not be offensive about Islam and states very matter-of-factly that he had questions and what some of those were and also makes it clear than the fundamentalist Islam he experienced is not the experience of most Muslims).  I really liked the writing style, too.  It's our book club book for this month.

 

On a side note, movie talk for a minute. Ds & I went to see Baby Driver on Friday. I knew nothing about it ahead of time other than ds said he had heard good reviews & it had Kevin Spacey in it. We loved it. I looked it up afterward & read some different info on it. (It's got something like an 8.+ rating on imdb & ratings in the 90th% on rottentomatoes.) If you like movies with car chases & great stunt driving, this is one to see. Fyi, it does have an R-rating.

 

What's it rated R for.  F-bombs?  Gratuitous violence?  (Seems like sex gets PG-13, violence and the F-word gets R.)  I don't usually see R rated movies, but I've heard from so many people that they didn't even realize Baby Driver was R until after.

 

I have a... thing... for Ansel Elgort... (which is seriously weird because he's only 23, but he's so incredibly adorable and I love him)

 

Speaking of movies, Ani, a friend, and I went to see Wonder Woman this morning.  The only superhero movies I've ever seen before were the Toby Maguire Spider-Man ones.  They just aren't my thing.  But I LOVED Wonder Woman.  So well done.

 

The Driscoll Theory: this was fascinating and timely for me, I'm on a very steep learning curve about POTS/EDS and related disorders. Driscoll's theory is that hypermobile EDS is often associated with high intracranial pressure, reduced cranial blood & CSF flow (due to the weakness of ligaments/musculature in the neck/brain/spinal cord area) and vascular abnormalities which affect vagus nerve function. Of course the vagus nerve enervates both the cardiovascular system and the GI tract, so potentially both sets of symptoms can be attributed to this.  I'm trying to fit this into other things I'm reading and learning, but I really appreciate her approach, as a medical researcher, patient, and mother of two patients she had a lot of perspective to share from all sides. She also talks about pros and cons of existing therapies and suggests other potentially useful things, both medicines and supplements. I'd be interested to know what you, Heather, and others who are more knowledgeable think about this, but I think it's definitely worth a read. And yes, I read it on my Kindle.

 

It sounds interesting so I bought it.  What you wrote sounds pretty accurate for Ani.  We know that a lot of her current issues stem from the weak neck which is caused by the EDS which exacerbates the POTS.  It's a vicious cycle and why she's in physical therapy.  Ani has Celiac (diagnosed via blood test), but we have noticed her GI symptoms act up when she's having an extra bad POTS/EDS day even without gluten.  Also, she can withstand cross contamination without really getting sick (no overt gluten, of course) when she's had several good days in a row.

[Violet Crown]

Rose, best wishes for your dd, and may the testing prove helpful.

 

Ali, hoping recovery is swift.

 

Stacia, well done mom!

[Matryoshka]

Matryoshka, I have Menschen im Hotel on my tbr list. Did you buy it through an Amazon seller? Where do you like to buy your German books? 

 

Do you want me to pass it on to you?  

 

I have been having pretty good luck lately on Amazon, getting them used.  Our German exchange student is coming back for a visit in a few weeks, and I may have her bring some that are not as easy to get. :D  I have, in the past, ordered from Amazon.de, but of course the shipping is $$$.  Amazon.com seems to have much more of a selection lately, which is awesome.

[Mom-ninja.]

Following on from last week's Jane quiz…another one. This time courtesy of the BBC. I did rubbish again - I only got 4/10. Have fun!

 

http://play.bbc.co.uk/play/pen/gjj8ygsbg4

I got 5/10. 

 

Do you want me to pass it on to you?  

 

I have been having pretty good luck lately on Amazon, getting them used.  Our German exchange student is coming back for a visit in a few weeks, and I may have her bring some that are not as easy to get. :D  I have, in the past, ordered from Amazon.de, but of course the shipping is $$$.  Amazon.com seems to have much more of a selection lately, which is awesome.

Sure! That would be great.

[mumto2]

I just discovered one of my favourite paranormal authors also writes horror under a different pen name. Seanan McGuire is Mira Grant https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3153776.Mira_Grant. The only reason that this matters to me is I finished Down Among the Sticks and Bones which was an odd experience compared to what I was expecting. I kept stumbling in my mind with describing it as Gothic which did not fit. Some on Goodreads have it on their horror shelf which is probably a bit much but it sort of is a bit more than anticipated.....it was a good read ;) but ramped up significantly from the first in the series I thought. Did enjoy it but we will see how much sleep I get. Imohttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31450908-down-among-the-sticks-and-bones

 

For our newer members Whitby is a place BaW has had a few conversations about in the past thanks to Dracula and Steampunk so this actually goes with some old conversations but everyone might enjoy viewing ;) I live about 2 hours away....no direct route essentially but in the summer it tends to be close to places we go. We drove through Whitby unexpectedly today on our way home from fossil hunting. When we stopped at a stoplight I saw this, a Gothic B and B, https://www.yelp.co.uk/biz_photos/bats-and-broomsticks-whitby and begged for a camera. No one had one :( accessible and my wise children told me to find the website since I wanted to post a picture here. Lots of pictures beyond what I saw. I just saw the sign and the Dracula mannequin out front. I don't think I could handle this place without nightmares after seeing all the black in the photos. Plus the rest of my family were all very clear with No Way ringing out promptly when I showed an interest, this was before they knew I just wanted to share with you guys! The reviews are great....:lol:

[ErinE]

What's it rated R for.  F-bombs?  Gratuitous violence?  (Seems like sex gets PG-13, violence and the F-word gets R.)  I don't usually see R rated movies, but I've heard from so many people that they didn't even realize Baby Driver was R until after.

 

I have a... thing... for Ansel Elgort... (which is seriously weird because he's only 23, but he's so incredibly adorable and I love him)

 

Speaking of movies, Ani, a friend, and I went to see Wonder Woman this morning.  The only superhero movies I've ever seen before were the Toby Maguire Spider-Man ones.  They just aren't my thing.  But I LOVED Wonder Woman.  So well done.

 

 

 

I like Common Sense Media, because it breaks the movies down into several categories (s*x, violence, language, etc.). The description provides details on the scenes that trigger the ratings.

 

For Baby Driver, it looks like violence and language:

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/baby-driver

 

We just saw Spiderman: Homecoming. I was a little nervous about the movie as I didn't think the character had enough presence in the last Avenger movie. How can an actor who looks and acts like a teen carry the weight of a feature film? Well, he did an excellent job. It was a teen movie, but still mature. How can a superhero save the world when everyone still treats him like a kid? There wasn't much backstory (thank goodness), but it had a believable villain and wonderful supporting cast. My current personal favorite actor Donald Glover makes an appearance, and I kept thinking the Michelle character needs a movie of her own. 

Edited July 17, 2017 by ErinE

[aggieamy]

Quick help from Terry Pratchett fans!

 

Is Mort appropriate for a 13 yo? Some language is okay but I really try to keep the s*x and violence to a minimum. 

[Lady Florida.]

Stacia - Congrats to your ds. I'm glad you have some happy news to share. You all needed something like that.

 

Ali - feel better

 

Mom-ninja - have a nice vacation.

 

 

 

 

my favorite:  Jane Austen is completely wasted on teenagers

 

I didn't do well on that one either, though the ones I got right were about the books and not about Austen.

 

I love that article. I hate when people think Jane Austen is all romance and love and happy endings. Of course the tv adaptations have perpetuated that notion.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Quick help from Terry Pratchett fans!

 

Is Mort appropriate for a 13 yo? Some language is okay but I really try to keep the s*x and violence to a minimum. 

 

Dd says she thinks it's fine - not much violence, no sex, maybe a little kissing.  She doesn't like explicitness in her books, either.

[Mothersweets]

Following on from last week's Jane quiz…another one. This time courtesy of the BBC. I did rubbish again - I only got 4/10. Have fun!

 

http://play.bbc.co.uk/play/pen/gjj8ygsbg4

 

I got 7/10!!

 

I totally guessed on a couple of those AND I'm sure it helped that I just watched a Lucy Worsley special about Jane - 

Edited July 17, 2017 by Mothersweets

[aggieamy]

Dd says she thinks it's fine - not much violence, no sex, maybe a little kissing.  She doesn't like explicitness in her books, either.

 

Thank you much!

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Kareni]

I finished a book today that I really enjoyed.  I read the first book in the series last week and re-read it before beginning the second.  They are Lyn Gala's Claimings, Tails, and Other Alien Artifacts  and  Assimilation, Love, and Other Human Oddities.

 

I'm eager to read on in the series as I found the second book even better than the first.  One of the things that makes these books so interesting is the focus on linguistics and cultural differences between the two main characters one of whom is from Earth while the other is from a different planet.  (Adult content)

 

Here's the blurb again from the first book; these should definitely be read in order.

 

"Liam loves his life as a linguist and trader on the Rownt homeworld, but he has ignored his heart and sexual needs for years. He won't risk letting anyone come too close because he won't risk letting anyone see his deeply submissive nature. For him, submission comes with pain. Life burned that lesson into his soul from a young age. This fear keeps him from noticing that the Rownt trader Ondry cares for him.

Ondry may not understand humans, but he recognizes a wounded soul, and his need to protect Liam is quickly outpacing his common sense. They may have laws, culture, and incompatible genitalia in their way, but Ondry knows that he can find a way to overcome all that if he can just overcome the ghosts of Liam's past. Only then can he take possession of a man he has grown to love."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Carol in Cal.]

I gave up on "Snow".  I hardly ever do that, but ugh.  So boring and meandering.

 

I'm currently reading Janesville, and for some reason it is just killing me.  Maybe because I worked for 20 years for a big older company that didn't generally lay people off, and maybe because of the good writing, I am deeply empathizing with pretty much everyone in the book.  To the extent that every time I start to tell DH a little insight from it, or an example of something important, I choke up.  This is so embarrassing.  I'm liking it but it's a very difficult read for me.

 

I just finished Bridget Jones' Baby (cute and lightish, but I like the series), and Mary Coin, a novelized story of the iconic portrait of a migrant worker mother during the Dust Bowl/Depression era photographed by Dorothea Lange.  I enjoyed it.

 

I AM STILL HOPING THAT SOMEONE WILL EXPLAIN TO ME WHY I SHOULD LIKE KINDRED.  Work with me, here.  I have really tried, but I just don't get the draw.

Edited July 18, 2017 by Carol in Cal.

[Butter]

If you like Ansel Elgort, this is a must see. He is adorable & does a great, great job in this role. He is so cute with his love interest in Baby Driver. Go watch him on the big screen, Heather!

 

Having seen it last night I can honestly say the violence is actually less than in Wonder Woman (which I saw yesterday morning) and the F-word is said 52 times (I'm a counter lol).  Jamie and I took my 15yo son with us.  He gave it a 10/10 and said he'd definitely see it again.  Also, about the language, he said "That really wasn't so bad.  Have you ever heard a Markiplier video?" (youtuber all my kids love)  Anyway, Ansel was amazing.  The editing was amazing.  I'm glad we saw it.

[Mom-ninja.]

I started listening to Hitch-22 and I had to stop. I could not understand a word being said. I will have to read this book. It will be my "Yellow is Predominate Color of Cover" book.

 

Four Queens  is my "royalty" square.

 

 

 

 

[Kareni]

A one day only currently free classic for Kindle readers ~

 

Indiana by George Sand

 

"A noblewoman travels from colonial Africa to revolutionary France in search of love in this nineteenth-century romantic classic.

On the ÃŽle Bourbon off the coast of Madagascar, Indiana is miserable in her marriage to the cold Colonel Delmare. Although she has a friendly companion in the ever-present Englishman Sir Ralph, she yearns to feel passion and desire.
 
When she catches the interest of the handsome young Raymon de Ramiere, Indiana is willing to take any risk, including running away to France as the July Revolution rages in Paris. But after she falls ill, she will begin a transformation that could bring about her happiness—or her downfall.
 
The first novel Amantine Aurore Dupin published under the pseudonym George Sand, Indiana was an auspicious debut from one of the most fascinating and daring women of the early nineteenth century, a rebellious artist who defied societal expectations and went on to become one of the major names in French literature."

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

[Penguin]

Thank you Stacia, JennW, and Butter (and anyone I missed) for the good Baby Driver reviews. Mom and I went to see it today, and loved it. There hasn't been much in the theaters lately that I wanted to see, so I had not been paying attention much to what has come out recently.

 

Our family has been on a vintage sci-fi movie kick for home viewing. Recently, we have watched:

 

Blade Runner

Logan's Run

Dark City

Soylent Green

 

Each movie was new to at least one person in the room. Very fun. Dark City was my favorite new-to-me film.

Edited July 18, 2017 by Penguin

[JennW in SoCal]

Thank you Stacia, JennW, and Butter (and anyone I missed) for the good Baby Driver reviews. Mom and I went to see it today, and loved it. There hasn't been much in the theaters lately that I wanted to see, so I had not been paying attention much to what has come out recently.

 

Our family has been on a vintage sci-fi movie kick for home viewing. Recently, we have watched:

 

Blade Runner

Logan's Run

Dark City

Soylent Green

 

Each movie was new to at least one person in the room. Very fun. Dark City was my favorite new-to-me film.

 

LOL -- my definition of vintage is a little different from yours as I saw both Blade Runner and Logan's Run in the theaters, and I'm not old enough to have seen a vintage movie in its first run!!! :toetap05:  :laugh:  (Or am I? :scared:)

 

When we went on a vintage sci fi movie kick with one of our teens, we went back to the 50s and early 60s -- Forbidden Planet, War of the Worlds, The Day the Earth Stood Still.  

 

If you want a good laugh, pop some popcorn and revel in the worst movie ever made, Plan 9 From Outer Space. Bela Lugosi died part way through filming it, so they had someone lurking about in an overcoat with his face covered. The flying saucers are pie tins pulled with visible string. 

[Penguin]

LOL -- my definition of vintage is a little different from yours as I saw both Blade Runner and Logan's Run in the theaters, and I'm not old enough to have seen a vintage movie in its first run!!! :toetap05: :laugh: (Or am I? :scared:)

 

When we went on a vintage sci fi movie kick with one of our teens, we went back to the 50s and early 60s -- Forbidden Planet, War of the Worlds, The Day the Earth Stood Still.

 

If you want a good laugh, pop some popcorn and revel in the worst movie ever made, Plan 9 From Outer Space. Bela Lugosi died part way through filming it, so they had someone lurking about in an overcoat with his face covered. The flying saucers are pie tins pulled with visible string.

Ha ha. I am 53, and had a huge crush on Michael York when Logan's Run came out. But they still somehow seem like vintage sci fi to me. Maybe because we are watching them with DS16 and DS23. We'll be working our way back and your suggestions are warmly welcomed! Edited July 18, 2017 by Penguin

[Kareni]

I just finished the mystery that my book group will be discussing on Thursday.  I enjoyed it even though it's not a typical pick for my book group.  And, no, I didn't figure out the culprit; I had a different person picked out as the killer.  This is not the first book in the series, but I found it fine as a stand alone story.

 

Clear and Convincing Proof (Barbara Holloway Novels)  by Kate Wilhelm 

 

"The Kelso/McIvey rehab center is a place of hope and healing for its patients--and for the dedicated staff who volunteer there. But David McIvey, a brilliant surgeon whose ego rivals his skill with a scalpel, wants to change all that. His plan to close the clinic and replace it with a massive new surgery center--with himself at the helm--means that the rehab center will be forced to close its doors.

 

Since he is poised to desecrate the dreams of so many, it's not surprising to anyone, especially Oregon lawyer Barbara Holloway, that somebody dares to stop him in cold blood. When David McIvey is murdered outside the clinic's doors early one morning, Barbara once again uses her razor-sharp instincts and take-no-prisoners attitude to create a defense for the two members of the clinic who stand accused. And in her most perplexing case yet, Barbara is forced to explore the darkest places where people can hide--the soul beneath the skin."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[6packofun]

I'm having one of those moments where I'm reading a book and it seems SO familiar to me but I can't quite remember if I read it already!  Another occasion where I'm bemoaning the fact that I haven't kept a written record of every book I've read.  Grrr.

 

(The book is The Dinosaur Feather by S.J. Gazan, btw.)

[Kareni]

The first three books of one of my favorite series are currently free to Kindle readers ~

 

Marie Force The Fatal Series Volume 1: Fatal Affair\Fatal Justice: Book Two of the Fatal Series\Fatal Consequences: Book Three of the Fatal Series

 

Also currently free:

 

The Gray and Guilty Sea  by Scott William Carter

 

Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes   by Denise Grover Swank

 

The Dirty Parts of the Bible -- A Novel  by Sam Torode

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Kareni]

Sherman Alexie Cancelled His Book Tour Because Of Depression

 

What a heartfelt letter from the author.  I wish him well.  Thanks for sharing the link, Stacia.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

I'm having one of those moments where I'm reading a book and it seems SO familiar to me but I can't quite remember if I read it already!  Another occasion where I'm bemoaning the fact that I haven't kept a written record of every book I've read.  Grrr.

 

(The book is The Dinosaur Feather by S.J. Gazan, btw.)

This is probably no help but I read it in March of 2014. I know I read it because of someone here reading it and liking it. I know exactly what you mean about reading something very familiar......even worse not being able to locate a series that you vaguely remember reading one or two of. I worry it might have been on telly so being very quiet.

 

We recently rewatched Logan's Run and Planet of the Apes. The dubbed Godzilla movies were great fun. As Jenn said the Sci Fi from the 50's is fun, Amazon Prime had some at one point. We recently were able to see many of the Dr. Who costumes and props from way back. Dr. Who started in 1963 and we have seen most of what we could buy on video and dvd. They lost many episodes. :( it was fun matching the costume to the episode but possibly a bit geeky that we were pretty good at it!

[Butter]

I finished two books last night.

 

Nightshade City by Hilary Wagner.  That's the first in a series.  I read it to my boys for their bedtime story.  The chapters were entirely too long.  We're talking 10% of a 250+ page book for a single chapter.  The violence was extreme and graphic.  This book is aimed at middle graders.  I've noticed that middle grade books about animals, particularly rats as this one is, tend to have a lot of graphic violence they'd never put in a book with human characters.  Never mind the rats are anthropomorphic.  We won't be reading any more of that series.

 

Withhold by Andrea Pearson.  This one is the 9th in the Mosaic Chronicles and the 4th (and last) in an arc that brought in the characters from the Kilenya series.  It was so incredibly good.  It just went non-stop and ended perfectly.  I'm a little sad because that is the complete end of the Kilenya characters and I'll miss them after reading their entire series plus this arc.

 

That makes 100 books for the year so far.

[Violet Crown]

Congratulations Heather on 100 books!

 

This morning I got to Tolstoy's allegory of the beehive, a beautiful and touching piece of writing.

[Mom-ninja.]

I finished two books last night.

 

Nightshade City by Hilary Wagner.  That's the first in a series.  I read it to my boys for their bedtime story.  The chapters were entirely too long.  We're talking 10% of a 250+ page book for a single chapter.  The violence was extreme and graphic.  This book is aimed at middle graders.  I've noticed that middle grade books about animals, particularly rats as this one is, tend to have a lot of graphic violence they'd never put in a book with human characters.  Never mind the rats are anthropomorphic.  We won't be reading any more of that series.

 

Withhold by Andrea Pearson.  This one is the 9th in the Mosaic Chronicles and the 4th (and last) in an arc that brought in the characters from the Kilenya series.  It was so incredibly good.  It just went non-stop and ended perfectly.  I'm a little sad because that is the complete end of the Kilenya characters and I'll miss them after reading their entire series plus this arc.

 

That makes 100 books for the year so far.

 

Congrats on 100 books. Wow! 

 

Yes, it does seem that there is more graphic violence in books with animal characters. That happened to me with the Gregor the Overlander series on audio. First couple books were ok for my then 6 yr old but then holy moly I had to scramble to shut it off at an unexpected very graphic mass murder scene. My older boys finished the series but my youngest did not. He was not happy with me, but I'm the one who ends up with a little boy sleeping wrapped around my neck all night when he has nightmares. 

 

 

 

This morning I got to Tolstoy's allegory of the beehive, a beautiful and touching piece of writing.

I'm only half way down my cup of coffee, and I thought you wrote Tolstoy's allergy of the beehive. I thought, "Huh, so he was allergic to bees?"  

 

 

 

I have started Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution by deGrasse Tyson. Riveting confusion so far. ;)

[Kareni]

Heather, congratulations on having read one hundred books.

 

And, Stacia, yay for your son's SAT scores.

 

**

A one day only currently free classic for Kindle readers ~

 

East Lynne by Mrs. Henry Wood  

 

 

"A married aristocratic woman succumbs to desire in this nineteenth-century English novel.
 
Lady Isabel Vane married for all the wrong reasons—only to one day find her lawyer husband neglecting her for another woman. Seething with jealousy, she leaves behind her husband and their child for the flirtatious Francis Levison. It’s a risk she takes willingly, but it comes with a heavy price that will lead her to the depths of despair and a quest for redemption.
 
A classic page-turner from the “sensation novel†trend in England, East Lynne plays upon the Victorian fears of infidelity, promiscuity, and divorce. A tale of disaster, disguise, and adultery, it continues to surprise readers today."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Penguin]

Butter, 

 

Congratulations on the 100 books. I stand in awe!

[Lady Florida.]

Congratulations on 100 books Heather!

 

I didn't expect to enjoy The HIstories as much as I am. I thought it would be interesting in an academic, never too old to learn, keep my brain active kind of interesting. But Herodotus is quite the story teller, just like his fellow Greeks. Except in his mind he's not telling stories but giving historical accounts of events and people. 

 

I didn't realize how much the people of the time were trying to figure out. Things like which peoples are the oldest on the planet, why does the Nile flood and where does it begin. 

 

He uses sarcasm and humor but is also unintentionally funny. Sometimes he says he knows something is true because someone told him so. He says he knows one particular pyramid is smaller than another because he measured both of them himself. He also often gives his opinion on certain events saying (paraphrased of course), "I don't think this is how it happened, but hey, I'm just telling you what I heard".

 

His musings on the flooding of the Nile are chuckle worthy. Some say it floods due to melting snow from inside Africa. That can't be true he says, because everyone knows Africa is the hottest place on earth so there can't possibly be snow there. There's a theory that it comes from the ocean, which is said to go all the way around the world. Well, he never heard of a river called ocean and it's probably just something Homer or one of the earlier poets made up. Nope. It's more likely caused by winds from the desert and the sun sucking up moisture then dropping down into the Nile once a year.

 

I'm glad I chose the audio book version though. I'm pretty sure it's the narrator making some of this stuff both interesting and humorous.

[Kareni]

Books currently free to Kindle readers ~

 

American historical fiction:

 

FREE MEN and DREAMERS Vol 4: Oh, Say Can You See?  by L. C. Lewis

 

 

Drawing instruction: 

 

How to Draw Cool Stuff: A Drawing Guide for Teachers and Students   by Catherine Holmes

 

and

 

How to Draw Cool Stuff: Shading, Textures and Optical Illusions  by Catherine Holmes

 

Regards,

Kareni

[samba]

Haven't posted in a LONG time. I am halfway through The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper and enjoying it. It sort of reminds me of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, which I liked (but it had a few too many cliched moments). 

 

We've been in more of a movie-mode the past few weeks for different reasons (most recently babysitting newborn twins...a little hard to hold a book but easier to watch a movie. We watched Lion and A Man Called Ove, and now I want to read both of the books these movies were based on. Best movies we have seen in a long time.

 

Next up is The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope.

[Kareni]

I've finished a couple of books recently both of which I enjoyed.

 

The First Word  by Isley Robson was a pleasant read, but it's likely not a book I'll be re-reading.  (Adult content)

 

"To stay sane, Andie Tilly must keep her mind on her work. Her job as a pediatric occupational therapist is the perfect distraction from the unspeakable tragedy she experienced as a child. But when she meets alternative-energy magnate Rhys Griffiths and his autistic toddler, Will, she quickly realizes her heart will never be the same. Especially when her name becomes Will’s first word.

 

After accepting a position as a live-in therapist for Will, Andie steels herself against the appeal of the disconcertingly attractive—and attracted—Rhys. But their chemistry can no longer be denied, and their heated affair seems destined for happily ever after. A destiny Andie’s terrified to embrace.

 

When Andie’s guilt, Rhys’s awkwardness, and the abrupt appearance of an erratic ex threaten to dismantle their delicately blooming relationship, they must decide if love is worth the challenge. Can Andie and Rhys find their way back to each other? Or will the demons of the past simply prove too strong?"

**

 

I also read Lyn Gala's Affiliations, Aliens & Other Profitable Pursuits.  This is third in a series that I will definitely be re-reading.  I hope that there is a book four on the horizon, as I'd like to read more about these characters.  Here's what I wrote previously:

 

I finished a book today that I really enjoyed.  I read the first book in the series last week and re-read it before beginning the second.  They are Lyn Gala's Claimings, Tails, and Other Alien Artifacts  and  Assimilation, Love, and Other Human Oddities.

 

I'm eager to read on in the series as I found the second book even better than the first.  One of the things that makes these books so interesting is the focus on linguistics and cultural differences between the two main characters one of whom is from Earth while the other is from a different planet.  (Adult content)

 

Here's the blurb again from the first book; these should definitely be read in order.

 

"Liam loves his life as a linguist and trader on the Rownt homeworld, but he has ignored his heart and sexual needs for years. He won't risk letting anyone come too close because he won't risk letting anyone see his deeply submissive nature. For him, submission comes with pain. Life burned that lesson into his soul from a young age. This fear keeps him from noticing that the Rownt trader Ondry cares for him.

Ondry may not understand humans, but he recognizes a wounded soul, and his need to protect Liam is quickly outpacing his common sense. They may have laws, culture, and incompatible genitalia in their way, but Ondry knows that he can find a way to overcome all that if he can just overcome the ghosts of Liam's past. Only then can he take possession of a man he has grown to love."

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

About a year ago someone here (Nan or Ethel maybe?) Wrote about how much they loved Charlotte MacLeod. At the time I didn't have easy access to her books and really thought I must have read them when they were being written. I spent a great deal of time reading mysteries before kids and went to 4 different library systems for my books back then. It didn't seem possible that I could have missed them, I quietly figured they must not have made an impression on me! ;) :lol:

 

My Overdrive library recently added most if not all of her books. I dutifully picked a series and added myself to the holds list for the first book in the series. I just started reading Family Vault https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17976079-the-family-vault and there is no way I read and forgot this book or series. It's wonderful! I want to abandon my quilts and read all day but I can't. It's finally cool enough to work on the larger one because I have to be under part of it while I work. But tonight I plan to finish my book....also plan to read every time I get a chance today!

 

I finished the Cat Who Sniffed Glue. Loved that one too but I remember reading that one the first time!

 

Heather, Congratulations on a 100 books this year!

[Kareni]

A one day only currently free classic mystery for Kindle readers ~

 

The Unique Hamlet: A Hitherto Unchronicled Adventure of Mr. Sherlock Holmes by Vincent Starrett 

 

About the Author

Vincent Starrett (1886–1974) was a Chicago journalist who become one of the world’s foremost experts on Sherlock Holmes. A books columnist for the Chicago Tribune, he also wrote biographies of authors such as Robert Louis Stevenson and Ambrose Bierce. A founding member of the Baker Street Irregulars, Starrett is best known for writing The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1933), an imaginative biography of the famous sleuth.

 

 

 

"In this brilliant pastiche, Sherlock Holmes investigates a mystery involving one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays

An agitated, portly gentleman waddles down Baker Street toward 221B, his pockets sagging and his eyes wide with panic. From his window Sherlock Holmes diagnoses the man as a collector of rare books, on his way to ask for help finding a missing volume. The brilliant detective is correct, of course, but even he is taken aback when the nature of the work in question—a first folio of Hamlet, inscribed in Shakespeare’s own hand—is revealed. As Holmes and his steadfast companion, Dr. Watson, investigate, they discover that rare-book collectors can be just as cunning and diabolical as any villain ever dreamed up by the Bard of Avon."

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

If you are interested in reading a ghost story that is not scary, I'll recommend the book I finished earlier today.  I'm eager to read the next book in the series which comes out in October ~

 

Ghost Gifts (A Ghost Gifts Novel Book 1)  by Laura Spinella

 

"An Audie Award winner, Paranormal Fiction.

A RITA Award finalist, Paranormal Romance.

 

All Aubrey Ellis wants is a normal life, one that doesn’t include desperate pleas from the dead. Her remarkable gift may help others rest in peace, but it also made for an unsettling childhood and destroyed her marriage. Finally content as the real estate writer for a local newspaper, Aubrey keeps her extraordinary ability hidden—until she is unexpectedly assigned the story of a decades-old murder.

 

Rocked by the discovery of a young woman’s skeletal remains, the New England town of Surrey wants answers. Hard-nosed investigative reporter Levi St John is determined to get them. Aubrey has no choice but to get involved, even at the terrifying risk of stirring spirits connected to a dead woman’s demise and piquing her new reporting partner’s suspicions.

 

As Aubrey and Levi delve further into the mystery, secrets are revealed and passion ignites. It seems that Aubrey’s ghost gifts are poised to deliver everything but a normal life."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[aggieamy]

Slowly working through a few fluff and stuff books:

 

Miss Silver Deals in Death by Patricia Wentworth - Not much of a mystery but a charming little slice of life in an era long past. Probably one that never really existed. But that's the fun of reading, isn't it?

[Maus]

28.  "Guitar Zero: the New Musician and the Science of Learning" by Gary Marcus.  The author challenges the idea that you have to start young to learn to play a musical instrument.  He read the "10,000 hours" theory, and decided, at age 38, to learn to play guitar.  The book combines that journey with interviews with various experts about how the brain works.

 

27.  "Life Skills 101: A Practical Guide to Leaving Home and Living on Your Own" by Tina Pestalozzi. 

26.  "Utah Curiousities:  Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Offbeat Fun" by Brandon Griggs.

25.  "Songs of the Gorilla Nation: My Journey Through Autism" by Dawn Prince-Hughes.

24.  "Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor" by Jon Scieszka.

23.  "Counseling with Our Councils" by M. Russell Ballard (LDS).

22. "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle" by Avi

21. "Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, & the Prison of Belief" by Lawrence Wright.

20. "QB: My Life Behind the Spiral" by Steve Young.

19. "Batneezer: The Creature from my Closet" by Obert Skye.

18. "Lord of the Hat: The Creature from my Closet" by Obert Skye.

17.  "Beyond Belief" by Jenna Miscavige Hill.

16. "Ruthless" by Ron Miscavige.

15. "Katfish: The Creature from my Closet" by Obert Skye.

14. "Pinocula: The Creature from my Closet" by Obert Skye.

13. "Potterwookiee: The Creature from my Closet" by Obert Skye.

12. "Worth the Wrestle" by Sheri Dew (LDS).

11.  "Wonkenstein: The Creature from my Closet" by Obert Skye.

10. "Cub Scout Wolf Handbook". 

9. "A Little Princess" by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

8. "A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy" by Sue Klebold

7. "Columbine" by Dave Cullen.

6. "Changed through His Grace" by Brad Wilcox (LDS)>

5. "The Reason I Jump" by Naoki Higashida.

4. "No Doubt About It" by Sheri Dew.

3. "Amazed by Grace" by Sheri Dew.

2. "The Gifts of Imperfection" by Brene Brown.

1. "Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake" by Frank W. Abagnale.

[Kareni]

A one day only currently free classic for Kindle readers ~

 

On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin

 

"Darwin’s most famous work formed the bedrock of evolutionary biology

In one of the most important contributions to scientific knowledge, Charles Darwin puts forth the theory that species evolve over time through the process of natural selection. When he first established this hypothesis, many ideas about evolution had already been proposed and were receiving public acclaim, but none could fully explain the course of human evolution as elegantly as Darwin’s did. Drawn from extensive research performed on various creatures living in the Galápagos Islands, his research suggests that “one species does change into another.†This revolutionary notion has become a landmark of scientific theory."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Butter]

Yesterday I finished My Story: The Great Plague by Pamela Oldfield.  I really liked it.  I was pre-reading it for Fritz for next school year.  It's written in diary form and covers 1665 and the plague and 1666 and the great fire.

 

Today I read Who in the World Was the Unready King? by Connie Clark.  This one is a short kid's book so it doesn't count toward my total for the year.  I was pre-reading it for Adrian for next year.  It was very interesting and quite engaging.  I think he'll like it a lot (which is saying something for my ADHD "why do I have to read" boy).

[Butter]

Yesterday I finished My Story: The Great Plague by Pamela Oldfield.  I really liked it.  I was pre-reading it for Fritz for next school year.  It's written in diary form and covers 1665 and the plague and 1666 and the great fire.

 

Today I read Who in the World Was the Unready King? by Connie Clark.  This one is a short kid's book so it doesn't count toward my total for the year.  I was pre-reading it for Adrian for next year.  It was very interesting and quite engaging.  I think he'll like it a lot (which is saying something for my ADHD "why do I have to read" boy).

[Kareni]

NOT FREE

 

 

A book I read and enjoyed is now on sale for 99 cents ~  Wolfsong  by TJ Klune

 

 

A book others here have enjoyed is now on sale for $2.99 ~  Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch Book 1)  by Ann Leckie

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Lady Florida.]

I just realized that two of my current reads are rereads - War and Peace and Persuasion. My IRL book club choice this month is The Joy Luck Club which I've already read. It's been a few years so I do plan to read it again, but when I start that means I'll be rereading three books. I didn't plan it this way. 

[fastweedpuller]

Svetlana Alexievich, from Belarus, won the Nobel prize for literature in 2015, and so last year I attempted to read her oral history compilation of the end of the Soviet Union called Secondhand Time.  Maybe it was me, maybe it was the format (unlike the oral histories of, say, Studs Terkel, there is no introduction/softball question; you don't know who is speaking and can only intuit from the words themselves) but I admit feeling more guilt about throwing it over into the half-read, abandoned pile.  "Maybe again," I said to myself.

 

As so often happens with those life-overlaps-art-or-at-least-BaW things, I learned this week that a book of hers about Russian and European women in WW2 has been translated to English...by our friends Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky!  The Unwomanly Face of War

 

So maybe it wasn't me, I think; maybe it was the translation.  P/V's translation of W&P was, after all, my favorite...

 

Here is a review of it, if you are curious.  ETA:  A Guardian review of the author.

Edited July 21, 2017 by fastweedpuller

[Matryoshka]

Svetlana Alexievich, from Belarus, won the Nobel prize for literature in 2015, and so last year I attempted to read her oral history compilation of the end of the Soviet Union called Secondhand Time.  Maybe it was me, maybe it was the format (unlike the oral histories of, say, Studs Terkel, there is no introduction/softball question; you don't know who is speaking and can only intuit from the words themselves) but I admit feeling more guilt about throwing it over into the half-read, abandoned pile.  "Maybe again," I said to myself.

 

I 'read' this book this year, but I listened to the audio.  I highly recommend it.  They had different actors reading the different oral accounts.  Since they were just transcribed oral histories, listening to it was just like listening to someone tell their stories. I do think I would have had a hard time reading this book as text.  The audio is very well done.

Edited July 21, 2017 by Matryoshka

[Guest]

28. "Guitar Zero: the New Musician and the Science of Learning" by Gary Marcus. The author challenges the idea that you have to start young to learn to play a musical instrument. He read the "10,000 hours" theory, and decided, at age 38, to learn to play guitar. The book combines that journey with interviews with various experts about how the brain works.

27. "Life Skills 101: A Practical Guide to Leaving Home and Living on Your Own" by Tina Pestalozzi.

26. "Utah Curiousities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Offbeat Fun" by Brandon Griggs.

25. "Songs of the Gorilla Nation: My Journey Through Autism" by Dawn Prince-Hughes.

24. "Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor" by Jon Scieszka.

23. "Counseling with Our Councils" by M. Russell Ballard (LDS).

22. "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle" by Avi

21. "Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, & the Prison of Belief" by Lawrence Wright.

20. "QB: My Life Behind the Spiral" by Steve Young.

19. "Batneezer: The Creature from my Closet" by Obert Skye.

18. "Lord of the Hat: The Creature from my Closet" by Obert Skye.

17. "Beyond Belief" by Jenna Miscavige Hill.

16. "Ruthless" by Ron Miscavige.

15. "Katfish: The Creature from my Closet" by Obert Skye.

14. "Pinocula: The Creature from my Closet" by Obert Skye.

13. "Potterwookiee: The Creature from my Closet" by Obert Skye.

12. "Worth the Wrestle" by Sheri Dew (LDS).

11. "Wonkenstein: The Creature from my Closet" by Obert Skye.

10. "Cub Scout Wolf Handbook".

9. "A Little Princess" by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

8. "A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy" by Sue Klebold

7. "Columbine" by Dave Cullen.

6. "Changed through His Grace" by Brad Wilcox (LDS)>

5. "The Reason I Jump" by Naoki Higashida.

4. "No Doubt About It" by Sheri Dew.

3. "Amazed by Grace" by Sheri Dew.

2. "The Gifts of Imperfection" by Brene Brown.

1. "Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake" by Frank W. Abagnale.

This is cool! My DH is not much of a reader, but he has been learning guitar very diligently for the past few years. (He did play a little in college, but didn't touch it for decades.)

 

I am reading a "learning" book right now, too, "A Mind for Numbers" by Barbara Oakley. The author described herself as a language/literature person for her youth and college years, but came somewhat late to the table of the STEM world. Ended up earning a doctorate in electrical engineering and is a professor of engineering. That is my kid of story! So far, there is never any hint anywhere in the book that learning if for the young or you have to go with your aptitude or any of those other limitations we dupe ourselves into believing sometimes. It's very inspiring!