Book a Week 2017 - BW34: Solar Eclipse

[Kareni]

Some recent reads here ~

 

I've been enjoying some works by a new to me author, Christie Meierz, in her Tales of Tolari series. (These do not contain material that would offend.)

 

I began with Into Tolari Space (Tales of Tolari Space)  which is a FREE collection of two stories.

 

"Two short stories from the award-winning author of The Marann and Daughters of Suralia.

First Contact
 Earth's Ambassador to Tolar, Smithton Adler Russell, gets a call in the middle of the night.

Field Work
 The ruler of Monralar is ambitious, ruthless, and out to unseat the Sural. Can one laborer put a stop to the Monral's scheme before Tolar's advanced technology is exposed to the Trade Alliance?"

 

I then read The Marann (Tales of Tolari Space Book 1)

 

"A story that will appeal to fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley and Zenna Henderson, The Marann recounts one woman’s journey through loneliness, shattering revelations, and attempted assassination on a world where everyone can read her emotions.

Marianne Woolsey is a high school Spanish teacher in rural Iowa, when Earth Central Command decides her linguistic talents would be better exercised if she spent 26 years teaching the daughter and heir of an alien ruler on a planet 24 light years from Earth. Now she’s alone on a planet of aliens so humanlike that she has to keep telling herself her student’s noble father is just her boss.

Handsome – and deadly – the Sural has ruled his province and led his planet far longer than he can admit to his daughter’s human tutor. He hides much more from the space-faring races of the Trade Alliance than he is willing to reveal. What he doesn’t want Central Command to know, he has to conceal from Marianne, but Marianne is concealing her own secrets from him – and as an empath, he knows it.

This first novel in the Tales of Tolari Space series explores what could happen when you put an unsuspecting human on a planet full of empaths."

 

 

and followed that with Daughters of Suralia (Tales of Tolari Space Book 2)"

 

"Three women, two planets, and a whale.

For Marianne Woolsey, linguist and tutor, being empathically bonded to the leader of the Tolari turns out to be a bed of roses – complete with thorns. Especially thorns.

With diplomatic relations severed and humans kicked out of Tolari space, the Earth Fleet ship Alexander is gone … for now … but Earth Central Command hasn’t given up trying to get Marianne back. As she struggles with surprises, nightmares, and a bond-partner who can’t be tamed, she just wants to figure out where she fits in a society that isn’t quite human.

Laura Howard, the Admiral’s widow, only desires to be left in peace to gather the fragments of a shattered heart, but Central Command has plans for her, too.

Meanwhile, the Sural’s apothecary is a serene and gifted healer who knows what – and who – she wants. Circumstances have conspired to deny her the man she’s always loved, but in the pursuit of his heart, she has an unexpected ally – in the depths of Tolar’s oceans."

 

I'm looking forward to reading more by the author.

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I also recently read Simon's Cat vs. the World  by Simon Tofield which entertained me for a bus ride.  (It's a VERY quick read!)

 

"The world’s favorite cat faces his biggest series of challenges yet, as he takes on the whole globe!

With over 360 million hits on YouTube, Simon’s Cat is a genuine word-of-mouth phenomenon. Fans from all over the world have fallen for this adorable but anarchic feline who will do just about anything to be fed. Simon Tofield’s beautiful drawings and warm humor come alive on the page in this irresistibly charming book—an outgrowth of the enormously popular short films featured on YouTube.

 

Simon’s Cat proved his authority in the house. He returned victorious from his adventures beyond the garden fence. He prevailed after the chaotic arrival of a new kitten in Simon’s Cat in Kitten Chaos. Now he takes on the world! Illustrated in glorious full color, this volume explodes from the page with mesmerizing levels of detail."

 

AND 

 

Lora Leigh's  Wake a Sleeping Tiger (A Novel of the Breeds)  which was a pleasant read.  I don't recommend reading this though unless you're already familiar with the series .  (Adult content)  Anyone else read this series?  The early books in this series concentrated more on their two main characters; as the series has continued, the books have become more about the entire society and less about the couple.  I find that to be the case with Nalini Singh's series as well.

 

"When readers of dark romance and unbridled desire want to be satisfied, they turn to #1 New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh and her “powerful and highly erotic†(Fresh Fiction) Breed novels. Now a Breed hides in the world of man—until a woman arouses the amused and wildly carnal animal within...
 
Once, he was Judd—Bengal Breed and brother to the notorious fugitive Gideon.
After Gideon disappeared, Judd was experimented on until his tortured body knew nothing but agony.
 
Now he is Cullen Maverick, serving as the commander of the Navajo Covert Law Enforcement Agency in the small community of Window Rock, Arizona. Despite his genetics, Cullen is able to pass as human because his Bengal traits are recessed. He lacks the ability to smell the emotions, bonds and fears that other Breeds take for granted. And he remains tormented that he wasn’t able to mate the woman he loved—at the cost of her life.
 
He’s no longer a Breed, merely a man. . . or so he thinks. But his tiger is about to be awakened by the one woman destined to be his—Chelsea Martinez. And their world will never be the same..."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Robin M]

Quick fly bye and waving hello! Currently reading Illona Andrews White Hot.

 

Our 20th Anniversary yesterday and John's birthday tomorrow, plus busily planning 12th grade which starts next week. We went to Ruth Chris yesterday. John gifted me with a platinum spark plug which just happened to have a platinum wedding band on it. Melted my heart. He's a keeper.

 

Edited August 25, 2017 by Robin M

[Kareni]

Happy belated anniversary, Robin!  What a lovely ring; your husband clearly knows how to celebrate!

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

Happy Anniversary Robin! What a beautiful ring. Yum, to Ruth Chris.

[Chrysalis Academy]

What I am reading this week:

 

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

 

Middle Son loves this book. Middle Son is also an avid sci fi reader (and writer :001_wub: ).  I am a wannabe sci fi reader who is glad that Middle Son was around to help me sort out the first few chapters. I told him that leaving me to figure this out would be akin to handing a Charles Dickens tome to someone who has only read light fluff before. I am on page 165/600 and able to manage on my own, now  :lol: Every other chapter has spiders as the main characters and I love these chapters. Did I just say that?! I pretty much loathe creepy crawlies.

 

 

 

I'm glad you're enjoying this! And glad that MS approves  :) . I loved this book. I especially loved the spider storyline, I thought that the author did so many interesting things with gender and power with those characters, particularly. And I'm glad you are persisting, it was a little hard to get started with but definitely worth it.

 

Guys, I miss reading for fun! I'm reading two different books about Lyme and a book about Craniosacral and a book about gut health. I miss reading something I actually enjoy. I hope to get back to that at some point soon . . . 

[Kareni]

A one day only currently free classic for Kindle readers ~

 

R. Holmes & Co. by John Kendrick Bangs 

 

"Raffles Holmes possesses all of the detection skills of his father, Sherlock—with none of the responsibility

Raffles Holmes comes from impressive stock, with both larceny and detection in his blood in equal measure. He’s the son of the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes, and the grandson of gentleman criminal A. J. Raffles. No wonder he’s so conflicted between the desire to solve crimes and the urge to make sure the rich get their deserved comeuppance. Yet there is one ambition that is consistent in both sides of Holmes: making money. What’s the easiest way for him to make that cash? Selling the stories of his exploits, of course. And what tales they are! Holmes is as smooth an operator as his grandfather, and he finds himself the culprit of cases nearly as often as he is the detective. Whether burglarizing for the greater good, fighting a desire to steal priceless jewelry, or playing the part of a bandit in order to save someone, Holmes is a rakish hero worthy of his name."

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

[Mom-ninja.]

I'm listening to Catch 22 and absolutely loving it. This is a classic that I understand why it is one. The problem is I only have an hour left before overdrive whisks it away so I will have to go back on the waitlist. 

 

 

[Kareni]

This is an intriguing list of recommendations.  (It's not new; it's from about a year ago.)

 

Dallying With The Gods: 16 Books About Gods And Mythology  by Nikki VanRy

 

"We mortal folk love dallying with the gods. From the time of Homer and the Odyssey to the Mahabharata and The Superhuman Life of Gesar of Ling, we’ve been telling stories about humans interacting with the gods for a very (very) long time. And this hasn’t changed. Modern authors love writing books about gods and mythology.

 

And, thank the gods, because I love to read them. I eat up books about gods and mythology–whether they’re based on existing mythologies or new systems the author created, whether they’re set in the past or right on our own streets, whether the gods are on the periphery or in the sheets, or whether the authors stick with one pantheon or mix them all up.

 

Books about gods and mythology are just deeply satisfying to read. They nurture a need we have for epic stories told from the bystander’s point of view. Because, in that way, the bystander becomes god-like too...."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Mom-ninja.]

This is an intriguing list of recommendations.  (It's not new; it's from about a year ago.)

 

Dallying With The Gods: 16 Books About Gods And Mythology  by Nikki VanRy

 

"We mortal folk love dallying with the gods. From the time of Homer and the Odyssey to the Mahabharata and The Superhuman Life of Gesar of Ling, we’ve been telling stories about humans interacting with the gods for a very (very) long time. And this hasn’t changed. Modern authors love writing books about gods and mythology.

 

And, thank the gods, because I love to read them. I eat up books about gods and mythology–whether they’re based on existing mythologies or new systems the author created, whether they’re set in the past or right on our own streets, whether the gods are on the periphery or in the sheets, or whether the authors stick with one pantheon or mix them all up.

 

Books about gods and mythology are just deeply satisfying to read. They nurture a need we have for epic stories told from the bystander’s point of view. Because, in that way, the bystander becomes god-like too...."

 

Regards,

Kareni

I was happy to see the Iron Druid series listed. Love that series. Waiting for the latest book to be released. 

 

Also, is it an indication that I have a 'too many books' problem when I go to put one of the books on my tbr list and Amazon tells me I purchased it several months ago? 

[Kareni]

Also, is it an indication that I have a 'too many books' problem when I go to put one of the books on my tbr list and Amazon tells me I purchased it several months ago? 

 

I don't think that's a problem; I'd say it's your lucky day!  (And what is the title of the book in question?)

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Butter]

I finished reading Wulf the Saxon by GA Henty.  I pre-read it for Cameron for next school year.  I. HATED. IT.  So incredibly much.  Boring.  Long, drawn out speeches in the conversations.  It even made the battles dreadfully boring.  I hated it so much I would quit reading so I could clean instead.  So horrible.

[Karen A]

Just read a very good book, so thought I'd share here--The Last Bus to Wisdom, by Ivan Doig.

 

A librarian introduced me to Doig after I told her how much I liked author Wallace Stegner, and this is my favorite of his books so far.  His writing is SO GOOD, and lyrical, and the book was a delight to read.

 

From his website: "Donal Cameron is being raised by his grandmother, the cook at the legendary Double W ranch in Ivan Doig’s beloved Two Medicine Country of the Montana Rockies, a landscape that gives full rein to an eleven-year-old’s imagination. But when Gram has to have surgery for “female trouble†in the summer of 1951, all she can think to do is to ship Donal off to her sister in faraway Manitowoc, Wisconsin. There Donal is in for a rude surprise: Aunt Kate–bossy, opinionated, argumentative, and tyrannical—is nothing like her sister. She henpecks her good-natured husband, Herman the German, and Donal can’t seem to get on her good side either. After one contretemps too many, Kate packs him back to the authorities in Montana on the next Greyhound. But as it turns out, Donal isn’t traveling solo: Herman the German has decided to fly the coop with him. In the immortal American tradition, the pair light out for the territory together, meeting a classic Doigian ensemble of characters and having rollicking misadventures along the way."

 

 

[Kareni]

A one day only currently free classic for Kindle readers ~

 

The Exploits of Elaine by Arthur B. Reeve

 

"The scientific detective known as the “American Sherlock Holmes†pursues a ruthless arch villain in this high-stakes suspense novel

Professor Craig Kennedy and his loyal sidekick, newspaper reporter Walter Jameson, first learn of the Clutching Hand and his gang when they investigate a string of murders involving the policyholders of Taylor Dodge’s insurance company. After receiving a threatening note signed by the arch criminal, Dodge himself is robbed and killed, and his daughter, Elaine, turns to Kennedy for help. Using the latest advances in forensic science, the professor uncovers the exotic and deadly scheme behind the murders. But when the Clutching Hand and his band of evildoers kidnap Elaine, Kennedy must shed his lab coat and leap into action before it’s too late.
 
First appearing in the pages of Cosmopolitan magazine, Craig Kennedy was one of the most popular detectives of the early twentieth century. Arthur B. Reeve also wrote the screenplay for the serial version of The Exploits of Elaine, which starred popular silent film actress Pearl White."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

I finally finished The Rise and Fall of DODO by Neil Stephenson https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33392521-the-rise-and-fall-of-d-o-d-o. I ended up giving it five stars because I suspect it dragged for me more because I had no time to read than because it was boring. It was clever.

 

This book reminded me of the series Time Tunnel https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Time_Tunnel if anyone else watched it. I probably would say Time Tunnel with witches. The concept behind the book is basically a worldwide race to be able to travel back to a time before magic disappeared from the world. Lots of entertaining trips back and forth. Someone does get stuck in the past..... overall goodstuff if you like time travel. The ending was a bit disappointing because this must be the first in a series.....prettysure I read it was.

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Butter]

Last night I finished reading Zak and Zoe and the Yogi's Curse by Lars Guignard to the boys.  It's a really cute book.  I got it free at some point and it's the second book in the series so there were a few things that were referred to from the first book that we had no idea what it was talking about, but other than that we all loved it.  Adrian wants me to read more Zak and Zoe books to them.

[mumto2]

I decided to give up on Ray Bradbury's collection of short stories, S is for Space.

 

I have gotten totally sucked into the book I started this morning:

 

 

Starred review from Kirkus:

 

mumto2, I am glad to hear about The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. I started it a couple of weeks ago & found it interesting, but I just wasn't in a place/time to devote to such a long book. The first few chapters I read did seem interesting, so it's something I'll definitely plan to read in the future.

:lol: That's the book (Library at Mount Char) that I liked best from Kareni's list too. Glad to hear it's good. I found it in Overdrive but am still in kindle reader shut down. I'm starting to wonder if I will ever be able to turn it on again!

 

I thought of you when reading DODO. I actually think all of our kids might like it. As a note to others, Stacia and I have older teens and I know what her kids read to some extent. There was one s#x scene in particular that would make me hesitate before handing it to someone like Amy's dd for instance, a young teen who loves books but prefers them non blush worthy. ;) It wasn't really that explicit but it did change my opinion of the adult book that is OK for most teens opinion I think I hinted at while reading earlier in the week. The second half of the book had less swearing.

[Robin M]

Karen: Does the author's last name make this count for this week's challenge, Robin?!

Yes ma'am!

 

 

Matryoshka:  I read Annihilation earlier this year, felt decidedly 'meh' about it, and decided not to bother continuing even though the book ended in the middle of things, which was also annoying.  I felt like it was 1/3 of a story and the publisher decided to publish the whole thing as three books cut up in random parts for more $.  I'll be curious to know what you think of the whole work once you've had time to process...  I have to say if I'd read 2x more and still not gotten a satisfying ending/explanation for all the random oddness, I'd be even more annoyed...

  

Idnib: I was in the same place when I finished which was one of the reasons I wanted to see what you think! I still haven't decided and I read it more than a year ago.

I have more questions, than answers and feel like I should go back and read the last few chapters to see if if will help clarify. I got a bit confused with the 4 or 5 different timelines near the end. And I'm sure I missed a few things.  Spoilers abound for those who haven't read so skim past if you haven't read and might possibly want to.    I get how the alien was found in the lighthouse beacon.  So it leads me to thinking about the refraction of the multiple pieces of glass and how that could possibly result in the different time frames since time was either altered by the aliens or because of the refraction of  the light.  Are Henry and Suzanne aliens and why did they feel the need to find the landing or perhaps infiltration site?  What was the purpose of the clones?  Especially given that they didn't act the same and had a limited life span.  I'm still not sure who Central is - government entities and aliens? Is Lowry Central?   What was with the phone that kept following Control around.  Why didn't the biologist clone kill her and how did the clone retain some independence when others hadn't?  Did it depend on whether they breathed in or were infected by the alien spores?    The ending was a bit ambiguous because the reader is left with the two characters, walking back without knowing what time period or what the state of the world.  Plus Control walking into the light. We don't know if he'll step out as a clone, end up on another world, be transformed into the crawler, replacing Saul or what.  

 

Fascinating story and no one was who they seemed to be.  I think it will be worth a second slower read at some point, looking more at the symbolism, the flowers, the lighthouse,  knowing more about the hypnosis, etc.   There is an ongoing discussion on goodreads that started back in 2014 by a couple people into semiotics (signs, symbols, etc) and being added to as more folks read. I'm still reading through gleaning as much as I can. 

 

All in all, I'm glad I read it and to me, its the sign of a well done book when it leaves you pondering, wanting to know more.  

[Chrysalis Academy]

I decided to give up on Ray Bradbury's collection of short stories, S is for Space.

 

I have gotten totally sucked into the book I started this morning:

 

 

Starred review from Kirkus:

 

mumto2, I am glad to hear about The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. I started it a couple of weeks ago & found it interesting, but I just wasn't in a place/time to devote to such a long book. The first few chapters I read did seem interesting, so it's something I'll definitely plan to read in the future.

 

I really liked that book. It definitely strikes me as the kind of book you'd like.

[Robin M]

Link to week 35 - please continue conversation in new thread