Book a Week 2017 - BW35: Random Prime Number Reading challenge

[Mothersweets]

I loved Daughter of Time which is the first Tey I read. Not sure how I ended up out of order because that is not my usual. But I loved DoT, it might even go on my top ten mysteries list. The Man in the Queue sort of ended my enthusiasm for Josephine Tey. It wasn't great so I totally get your lack of enthusiasm. Simply an OK cozy mystery that was nowhere close to Daughter of Time imo. Perhaps if I had reversed the order I might have liked Man in the Queue better. My expectations were high! :lol: I haven't continued the series beyond those two but someday plan to.

 

I did read Brat Farrar on someone's recommendation (Jane or Eliana I think) and enjoyed it. It's a stand alone I believe.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/243397.Brat_Farrar

 

 

Seconding Brat Farrar -  the audible version is good, too. 

[Kareni]

A one day only currently free classic for Kindle readers.  I've posted this one before ~

 

The Red Record by Ida B. Wells 

 

"A shocking and powerful account of lynching written by activist, journalist, and former slave Ida B. Wells

In the postbellum American South, lynching was a frightfully common occurrence, perpetrated so frequently that most Southern politicians and leaders turned a blind eye to the practice. This vicious form of vigilante “justice†was in truth a thinly veiled racist justification for murderous violence. In 1892 alone, more than two hundred African Americans were lynched, with alleged offenses ranging from “attempted stock poisoning†to “insulting whites.â€
 
The Red Record tabulates these scenes of brutality in clear, objective statistics, allowing the horrifying facts to speak for themselves. Alongside the tally, author Ida B. Wells describes actual occurrences of lynching, and enumerates the standard rationalizations for these extrajudicial killings, her original intent for the pamphlet to shame and shock the apathetic public—and spark change."

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts ~

 

Five Books Set in the Pacific Northwest  by Beth Cato

 

Not quite bookish but fun ~

 

23 School Supplies For People Who Pretty Much Live In The Library

 

24 Products Any Creative Person Would Love

 

 

With the following posts, there are ads mid-page so it appears that the article is finished before it actually is.

 

10 Female SF/F Authors and the Stories Behind Their Pen Names

 

8 Books Like "Harry Potter"

 

15 Unique Steampunk Books from the Past 35 Years

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

 

[Robin M]

Another week long heat wave rolling through.   :zombiechase:   Totally enjoying Department 19 mixture of  past with present, with the history of Van Helsing and company to the present with Frankenstein's monster who has named himself Frankenstein in honer of the Dr. The 3 brothers of Dracula are still making vampires and our hero, Jamie is learning how to fight Vampires. 

 

Rose - I second The Thirteenth Tale.  MM (melissa) read and recommended several years ago and it was an excellent story.

 

Sandy - Thanks! Added Two Nights to my wishlist. 

 

Negin  -  cool picture of monet's dining room! 

 

Fastweedpuller - congrats on 52!

 

Onceuponatime -  Aw, thanks for taking in Oscar and giving him a home.  Yes, kitties are a handful. I remember when Luna's kittens started roaming the house, I got down on hands and knees and got a kitty eyed view of things.  Duct tape came in handy those days for taping off tempting holes under cabinetry.  

 

Idnib: Thanks. Yes I also was left with more questions than answers. It does need a re-read for me but I somehow found the second book very aggravating to read, which I think may have been intentional. It definitely gives the ready the feeling of being completely lost and while tied up in an opaque and political bureaucracy. I did enjoy the first book much more, and the third was a relief because it explained some of the things from the second. All in all a confounding piece of work. Thank you very much for the goodreads link; there's some good stuff to think about in there! Do you think you'll read any more by him?

 

 

Yes, most likely. Finch and his other books sound interesting. I do have Wonderbook and BookLife ( writing books) on my shelves and dip in periodically.  

 

 

Erin - Sounds like a wonderful reunion and bday party for your grandmother.  Yes, we'll keep Houston folks in our thoughts and prayers. 

 

Karen - Thanks for all the great links.  Art subscription box and  passion planner are so tempting. 

[Kareni]

Those of you with an interest in Iceland (Jane?) or in historical sagas might find this book review appealing ~

 

The Half-Drowned King by Linnea Hartsuyker by Redheadedgirl

 

"The Half-Drowned King is the first in a planned trilogy that is a heavily fictionalized retelling of the Saga of Harald Fairhair, which is one of the parts of the Heimskringla, an Icelandic Saga written in the 13th Century by Snorri Sturluson.

 

The trilogy charts the rise of Harald and how he became the first king of Norway in the 9th century. It’s told from the point of view of one of Harald’s dudes, Ragnvald, and his sister, Svanhild. It’s a Viking saga of revenge, politics, and nation building. Basically, I loved it.

 

It’s decidedly dark in comparison to the Viking romances that wax and wane in popularity. The book opens with Ragnvald coming home from raiding and nearly getting killed by the captain of his ship (on orders from Ragnvald’s stepfather). Ragnvald’s father was killed when he was but a kid, and while by law he should have the petty kingdom his father ruled, he and his sister have been living mostly by sufferance with their stepfather. Obviously, Ragnvald survives this assassination attempt (otherwise this would be a short book), and ends up with a young Harald Fairhair as he begins to consolidate power...."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Negin]

I loved Daughter of Time which is the first Tey I read.

Good to know. Adding it to my list. 

[mumto2]

I finished listening to my latest Inspector Gamache mystery last night, The Long Way Home. Loved it!!! I was so enthusiastic that I immediately checked the next audiobook out on overdrive and was shocked when Louise Penny personally introduced The Nature of the Beast with the sad news that Ralph Cosham, Gamache's voice in the audiobooks had died. :( New narrator. Actually new narrator from Downton Abbey. I just turned it off because I was so sad but will start listening today. I hope I like them still. I have discovered Ralph Cosham/Geoffrey Howard recorded many audiobooks. I suspect those will now be my go to audio books when I need one immediately, many classics.

 

I am close to the end of my Gamache listening binge. I did this last year with Julia Spencer Fleming also...I need a new series! Suggestions?

[JennW in SoCal]

Here are a couple of links to Terry Pratchett-related stories, and both are cases of good news/bad news.

 

Terry Pratchett's unpublished works crushed by steamroller.    On the one hand, sure I get an author not wanting anyone else to touch his work, but on the other hand I'm dying to know what other stories he had planned for his characters!

 

Tennant and Sheen to star in adaptation of Good Omens.  David Tennant as Crowley is of course brilliant, but what if the tv adaptation stinks? I wasn't a fan of the Jonathan Strange mini-series.   

[Kareni]

A one day only currently free classic for Kindle readers ~

 

A Crystal Age by W. H. Hudson  About the Author

William Henry Hudson was born in Argentina, the son of American settlers from New England. He spent his youth studying the local flora and fauna, and, as a young man, travelled widely on horseback, visiting Brazil, Uruguay, and Patagonia.In 1869, at the age of 28, he settled in England, and began a new life as a wanderer and field naturalist.

 

 

 

"W. H. Hudson’s trailblazing story of a pastoral utopia that harbors a dark secret

After a landslide, Smith awakens groggy and confused. The landscape around him has changed dramatically. He wanders through the countryside, searching for any semblance of civilization, until a family takes him in. As he recounts what happened to him and where he came from, it dawns on Smith that he has somehow left his own world behind and awoken somewhere entirely new.
 
What Smith finds is a gorgeous utopian vision of a peaceful world made real. Humans live in accordance with nature, respectful of the land and animals, untethered by technology. The cause of this new order is an alternate hierarchy of humanity that Smith must learn to adhere to—or face the consequences.
 
As he integrates into this foreign society, Smith finds himself falling for the daughter of the house. But when he tries to tell her, he realizes the most important difference between his former world and his new one: Romantic love no longer exists."

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

[Butter]

I read Doom of the Three Stones by Josh Kilen to the boys.  It was SOOO weird.  Like Yo Gabba Gabba level weird.  My 11yo said he thought the author started writing while he was drunk (my husband suggests perhaps it was something a little more illegal than alcohol) and then decided to just roll with it.  But aside for the weirdness (pizza crust army led by a cat for example), it was actually really well written.  Perfect grammar.  A real plot.  Things that many kid's books don't really have.  We liked it, strange as it was.

[mumto2]

Here are a couple of links to Terry Pratchett-related stories, and both are cases of good news/bad news.

 

Terry Pratchett's unpublished works crushed by steamroller. On the one hand, sure I get an author not wanting anyone else to touch his work, but on the other hand I'm dying to know what other stories he had planned for his characters!

 

Tennant and Sheen to star in adaptation of Good Omens. David Tennant as Crowley is of course brilliant, but what if the tv adaptation stinks? I wasn't a fan of the Jonathan Strange mini-series.

I guess I have to finally read Good Omens before this airs! It's been in the stack but has never made it to the top. I think both dc's have read it so it will definitely be watched here, at least the first episode.

 

I tried so hard to watch Jonathan Strange but I always found myself doing something else. After lots of attempts I finally deleted it from the recorder. I love the book and loved the filming locations but it just was not right.

 

Thanks to Kareni's links my wish list has expanded. I actually found one series on audio that I think I will like!

Edited August 30, 2017 by mumto2

[mumto2]

I read Doom of the Three Stones by Josh Kilen to the boys. It was SOOO weird. Like Yo Gabba Gabba level weird. My 11yo said he thought the author started writing while he was drunk (my husband suggests perhaps it was something a little more illegal than alcohol) and then decided to just roll with it. But aside for the weirdness (pizza crust army led by a cat for example), it was actually really well written. Perfect grammar. A real plot. Things that many kid's books don't really have. We liked it, strange as it was.

A pizza crust army! :lol: Definitely something else I suspect. As someone who has been hosting a pizza night this summer (tonight's is the last one :( ). I immediately wondered if the crust was stuffed. We've tried many many pizzas......we were actually able to get Papa John's, Dominos, and Pizza Hut as part of the experience. I still can't believe they are all available here. Dominos isn't quite right (from memory) but othrwise. Fyi, I think Papa John won the overall award from the kids.

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts:

 

Because we can all use a laugh ~ 50 of the Funniest Books Ever Written

 

And from Tor.com ~ Five Books Where the Hero Doesn’t Save the Day  by Curtis Craddock

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

And yet another bookish post, this time from the Word Wenches ~

 

What We're Reading in August

 

and some currently free books for Kindle readers ~

 

I've enjoyed some of this collection:  Lost and Found Series Box Set  by J.M. Madden

 

The Royal Treatment: A Crown Jewels Romantic Comedy, Book 1  by Melanie Summers

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Angelaboord]

Oh, what a day it has been. This morning two of our chickens got out and when the boys tried to drag one of our 11 month old former puppies away -- after it had killed one of the chickens -- the dog turned on them, knocked my 7 year old down, and bit him (not badly, but still) in the stomach. It got me in the hand. So... we spent the afternoon at the animal shelter, giving the dog away and filing bite reports. [emoji45] This puppy was born in our garage so it was quite a blow to us, but we can't have a dog that will attack the kids and kill chickens.

 

While we were at the shelter, my dd at college texted to tell us she was getting sick and later my oldest texted to say his depression was returning. When I got up this morning, I did not expect the day to go like this.

 

So... a couple of bright spots... Nan! I finally received your post card! It had apparently come while we were out of town and the girl who was getting our mail forgot it in her mother's car. It was actually excellent timing to receive it today, as it made me smile. [emoji846]

 

Kareni -- thank you for the historical romance rec and that post you linked about the book covers. The cover with the babies on it brought tears to my eyes. [emoji23]!

 

I'm about halfway done with The Spymaster's Lady. I must say that there was a bit of a surprise there I didn't see coming! I had to flip back through the previous chapters to see if she had slipped anywhere. But no, she hadn't. Impressive. I still keep thinking, though, that this series would be better if she didn't have to throw in all the romance genre conventions. (I know, why are you reading a romance, Angela, if you don't really want to be reading a romance? It is what it is, I guess. ). Anyway, I like the characters for the most part, except that I find many of the power issues in this book a little disturbing. I can't figure out why Annique likes this guy so much. But Hawker is a great character, and I'm glad I read The Forbidden Rose first. Maybe she should have written the series about him!

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Edited August 31, 2017 by Angelaboord

[Kareni]

Kareni -- thank you for the historical romance rec and that post you linked about the book covers. The cover with the babies on it brought tears to my eyes. [emoji23]!

 

You are quite welcome!  And I'm sorry your day was so trying.

 

I'm about halfway done with The Spymaster's Lady. I must say that there was a bit of a surprise there I didn't see coming! ...

 

Pun intended?!  I'd made mention of something this author did that left me in awe and clearly you had a similar response.  I too immediately went back to re-read the book up to that point.

 

.... But Hawker is a great character, and I'm glad I read The Forbidden Rose first. Maybe she should have written the series about him!

 

If you read more by Joanna Bourne, I suspect you'll enjoy The Black Hawk which is Hawker's story.  Hawker is present to some extent or another in all of the Spymaster books.  The author's first book, published in 1983, also featured Hawker ~ Her Ladyship's Companion.  Unlike her more recent books, this one is more of a gothic romance.

 

ETA: You might enjoy this interview with the author ~ Must-read historical romance: ‘Beauty Like the Night’ by Joanna Bourne (plus interview!)

 

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

Angela :grouphug: What a day!

 

This blog post has been my morning's entertainment. For all of our Doctor Who fans..... I am pretty sure Angela is a Doctor Who fan (we have several) although I don't see how she could possibly have time to knit! But I think she could use some distraction. http://knittingfornerds.com/free-doctor-who-knitting-patterns/

 

This was discovered because I want to make an infinity scarf like thishttp://www.shareapattern.com/knitting/my-favourite-things-infinity-scarf/ and was thinking something Dr. Who might be great for my ds. He used to like nerdy vests with fair isle. I think he still would if any actually fit him... 6'4". Might make him one for Christmas....

 

I finished a book! More Scarlett Bernard https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34181876-blood-gamble by Melissa F. Olson. I really like this paranormal serieswith a null. It makes me smile every time a mean character loses their powers! :)

[Kareni]

A one day only currently free classic for Kindle readers  ~

 

The Seven Secrets by William Le Queux 

 

"A timeless whodunit about the unusual murder of one of London’s elite and the twisting and treacherous investigation to find the true killer 

Despite wealthy old Mr. Henry Courtenay’s steadily declining health, his death comes as a shock to those around him. It was murder, Courtenay’s prim manservant exclaims, and he implores Dr. Ralph Boyd to find the culprit. The list of suspects appears to be short: Only someone who lives in Courtenay’s suburban London home could have gone into his room unnoticed. Could the murderer be one of the servants? Or perhaps Courtenay’s young wife—or her beautiful sister, with whom Boyd has fallen in love? Boyd is beginning to realize that in the Courtenay home, secrets abound at every turn and, as with all great mysteries, nothing is as simple as it seems."

**

 

Also currently free for an unknown amount of time ~

 

The Time Traders (The Time Traders Series)  by Andre Norton

 

"The first novel in the classic series, in which wars are no longer fought on land, in the air, or on the sea—but throughout time and space itself . . .

The never-ending tension between Russia and the United States has been escalated by a stunning new variable: time travel. While the Americans can roughly utilize the technology, the Russians have learned the secret of space travel—and that makes the US vulnerable. What they need is someone expendable to send through time to obtain the same secret.
 
Ross Murdock doesn’t consider himself expendable. He’s just a smart guy who made some bad choices that led him to a life of crime. But when he’s given a choice between medical “rehabilitation†and joining the mysterious Operation Retrograde, he decides to go along with the military option and hope for a chance to get away.
 
And he is going to get away—farther away than he ever imagined . . ."

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

[Mothersweets]

Angela :grouphug: What a day!

 

This blog post has been my morning's entertainment. For all of our Doctor Who fans..... I am pretty sure Angela is a Doctor Who fan (we have several) although I don't see how she could possibly have time to knit! But I think she could use some distraction. http://knittingfornerds.com/free-doctor-who-knitting-patterns/

 

This was discovered because I want to make an infinity scarf like thishttp://www.shareapattern.com/knitting/my-favourite-things-infinity-scarf/ and was thinking something Dr. Who might be great for my ds. He used to like nerdy vests with fair isle. I think he still would if any actually fit him... 6'4". Might make him one for Christmas....

 

I finished a book! More Scarlett Bernard https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34181876-blood-gamble by Melissa F. Olson. I really like this paranormal serieswith a null. It makes me smile every time a mean character loses their powers! :)

 

I've knit the Insulate Hat - it's a good pattern and my daughters like the hat. :) 

 

and the My Favorite Things scarf - what a neat pattern! http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/my-favourite-things-infinity-scarf It's so fun to see what people have done with it to make it their own. If you make one, you'll have to share a pic with us! 

[Kareni]

I just finished a book that I enjoyed.  The main character was blind, deaf, and also unable to speak; I honestly cannot begin to imagine how challenging life is under those circumstances.  I'd classify the book as a mystery with a smattering of romance and an element of the supernatural/extra-sensory.

 

Winter Wind  by J.R. Rain

 

"Five years ago, Lee Jordan was nearly killed on the job. Now deaf, blind, and mute, he's recovered enough to live a routine but silent life.

However, now, the LAPD needs him back...

When the cases of many missing persons are tied together with the same M.O., Lee Jordan is called in to help locate people who seemingly walked away from their everyday lives. But did they? Lee's only assets are his guide dog, fourteen years of experience as a homicide detective--and an intriguing American Sign Language translator named Rachel.

Just as Lee begins to discover something remarkable about himself, he must engage in a battle of wits with a murderer he can't see or hear. With no weapons but his own mind--and a guide dog with a heart of gold--he sets off alone in Los Angeles to investigate the disappearances.

It's only a matter of time before more people may die under nefarious circumstances. And the manner of death could put the entire city at risk from...something even more dangerous.

Lee Jordan knows there is more to fighting crime than meets the eye, or ear, or voice. But will he survive his courageous solo pursuit of a twisted killer on the mean streets of L.A.? And can he really stop a madman by himself?"

 

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

I've knit the Insulate Hat - it's a good pattern and my daughters like the hat. :)

 

and the My Favorite Things scarf - what a neat pattern! http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/my-favourite-things-infinity-scarf It's so fun to see what people have done with it to make it their own. If you make one, you'll have to share a pic with us!

It's good to know the pattern actually works. It's one of several I downloaded but a favourite. I am starting to think a vest for ds and the scarf for me. Dr. Who for him but other stuff for me. I may make some Tardis mittens for Christmas presents. I need to finish the quilts first. One week to go and it's going to be close! Two completely done and two to go......

 

 

Kareni, I have to say that Winter Wind sounds unusual. A blind and deaf detective is not something I have ever encountered. I looked in my Overdrive but need to do a better search later.

[aggieamy]

August has been insane. Everytime I think life is going to calm down it just whacks me in the head again.

 

We went six months without being paid for work (we're self-employed and people don't like to pay their invoices) so that was stressful. Then Jenna died. Now we've been paid (YAY!) and are slammed with work (YAY!). Life is on the upswing. My parents visit for a week and we all have such a great time. The Monday they leave we get a call from the school that DD 13 yo is having chest pains. The doctor can't figure out what it is so we've been recommended to see a pediatric cardiologist. Oh and DS has a bald spot on the back of his head and we can't figure out what it could be - neither can the doctor. We're falling apart.

 

Howdy all. Life has been super-busy and I haven't read threads for the last couple of weeks. Great Girl has moved out and her sisters, mourning and weeping, have divvied up her remaining stuff and re-done their newly separate rooms. Actually Wee Girl is taking it pretty hard.
 

 

Poor little dear. Will she be close enough to visit frequently?

 

I read: The Man in the Queue - 2 Stars - This started out quite interesting. Once the investigation started however, it became thoroughly boring and dull.

 

Oh my goodness – the gorgeous yellow dining room! Sorry if I go on a bit here, but I love all these fascinating details!

"This large sunny room provided an elegant setting in which Monet and Alice, who were great connoisseurs of food and wine, enjoyed dining with family and friends.

Meals in the Monet household were timed to the minute. Since Monet did much of his painting from life in the open air, every moment of daylight was precious to him, and he had his breakfast soon after dawn, usually alone … He would eat roasted meat, broiled chitterling sausages, some Stilton (the most Gallic of British cheeses), French bread, and Normandy butter with marmalade, accompanied by both china tea and a glass of milk. Lunch followed punctually at 11:30 A.M., and dinner at 7 P.M. A gong was struck twice to summon everybody, and lateness was not tolerated.

Lunch and dinner usually consisted of at least three courses, including a salad, but desserts in the evening tended to be less elaborate affairs than those made for lunch. Paul, the butler, served the dishes in rapid succession since Monet did not like to wait too long between courses.

As an early riser, Monet hated going to bed late and preferred to entertain guests at lunchtime.â€

 

 

 

Ditto everything you said about Man in the Queue. I couldn't even finish it. Everything seemed so dated and I'm a person that loves it when it's dated.

 

Wow. Monet was such a cool guy!

 

Brat Farrar is the one I read and didn't care for. I keep hearing I should try DoT but I've read so much recent stuff on Richard III, both non-fiction and historical fiction, and I don't know if I'd react well to older stuff. :)

 

DoT is the book that made me a Richard III fan. It's such a different type mystery that it has a certain charm that really unique. I recommend it!

 

I finished listening to my latest Inspector Gamache mystery last night, The Long Way Home. Loved it!!! I was so enthusiastic that I immediately checked the next audiobook out on overdrive and was shocked when Louise Penny personally introduced The Nature of the Beast with the sad news that Ralph Cosham, Gamache's voice in the audiobooks had died. :( New narrator. Actually new narrator from Downton Abbey. I just turned it off because I was so sad but will start listening today. I hope I like them still. I have discovered Ralph Cosham/Geoffrey Howard recorded many audiobooks. I suspect those will now be my go to audio books when I need one immediately, many classics.

I am close to the end of my Gamache listening binge. I did this last year with Julia Spencer Fleming also...I need a new series! Suggestions?

 

I'm probably going to strike out with this suggestion since you are our reigning expert in cozy mysteries and have likely already listened to them all but ... Brother Cadfael mysteries? Great characters. Fantastic narrator. Fun listens.

 

 

Oh, what a day it has been. This morning two of our chickens got out and when the boys tried to drag one of our 11 month old former puppies away -- after it had killed one of the chickens -- the dog turned on them, knocked my 7 year old down, and bit him (not badly, but still) in the stomach. It got me in the hand. So... we spent the afternoon at the animal shelter, giving the dog away and filing bite reports. [emoji45] This puppy was born in our garage so it was quite a blow to us, but we can't have a dog that will attack the kids and kill chickens.

While we were at the shelter, my dd at college texted to tell us she was getting sick and later my oldest texted to say his depression was returning. When I got up this morning, I did not expect the day to go like this.
 

 

Why did it all have to happen on one day?!?! What a cruddy day. ((HUGS))

[aggieamy]

If I can get to bed before 1 am then I fully intend on finishing a book today. The only thing I've read in the last week was The Cat who went Underground. Comfort book.

[fastweedpuller]

Quick note to lean in and give big hugs to Angela and Amy!  ((smoochies))  May September be gentler on you both

[mumto2]

Amy :grouphug: to you. I hope you get an early night and a good book! Give them both a hug from me.

 

I listened to Cadfeal many years ago. They were actually my first audio books back when they came as cassettes. :lol: Definitely a great idea for a reread or should I say relisten.

 

I finished another Louise Penny audio book this evening. The Nature of the Beast was great and fascinating. I was amazed to learn that what had seemed fictional was basically true. Only one more to go while I wait for the new one, Glass Houses, which was released today. Number 17 on the holds list so I am hoping for more copies to be added to Overdrive!

[aggieamy]

Amy :grouphug: to you. I hope you get an early night and a good book! Give them both a hug from me.

 

I listened to Cadfeal many years ago. They were actually my first audio books back when they came as cassettes. :lol: Definitely a great idea for a reread or should I say relisten.

 

I finished another Louise Penny audio book this evening. The Nature of the Beast was great and fascinating. I was amazed to learn that what had seemed fictional was basically true. Only one more to go while I wait for the new one, Glass Houses, which was released today. Number 17 on the holds list so I am hoping for more copies to be added to Overdrive!

 

Was the new narrator just as good as Cosham then?

[mumto2]

Was the new narrator just as good as Cosham then?

Honestly probably not. Robert Bathurst was just fine but it wasn't really right. The story was so good that it didn't really matter but it would have been better with Cosham. ;)

[Chrysalis Academy]

Amy & Angela,  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

[Violet Crown]

Angela - I hope today went better. It would almost have to, right?

 

Amy - prayers for dd; chest pains are alarming. I hope they turn out to be completely innocuous. Thanks for asking about Wee Girl. We had the sense to make her 10th birthday present a pair of guinea pigs, which are comforting to hold in your lap when you're missing your big sister. We won't really be able to visit, but she'll be home for Christmas.

 

I finished two books this week: Stevie Smith's Novel on Yellow Paper (actually printed on yellow paper), and Larry McMurtry's Horseman, Pass By (made into the great Texas movie Hud).

 

We all remember Stevie Smith and "Not Waving But Drowning" from high school, right? This is her one novel, which she wrote when she first tried to get her poems published in 1935, and the publisher told her to "go away and write a novel." So she did. It's hard to say what it's about; mostly about the narrator's failed love affair, with lots of fabulous musings on love, art, sex, literature, theater, and politics.

 

On the media-driven desperation of young women to get married:

They ought to be drowned, they are so silly and make so much lamentation, and are wet, and are a burden. And are the public on whom we rely to buy and read our two-penny weeklies. And they do, they do. And that, Sir, is why we are able to pay a 15 per cent dividend on our ordinary shares and 10 per cent on the 2nd prefs. But you are too late too late at this time to try and get in on a good thing, because we are not selling, no we are holding on. And the only good thing these female half-wits ever did was to buy our publications and swell our dividends.

 

God loves a cheerful buyer of twopenny weeklies, and so do we. These are the girls who believe everything our contributors tell them. They put a spot of scent behind the ear, they encourage their young men to talk about football, they are Good Listeners, they are Good Pals, they are Feminine, they Let him Know they Sew their own Frocks, they sometimes even go so far as to Pay Attention To Personal Hygiene.

 

 

 

This novel made me happy. But I much like Smith's poetry, and this is more like a novel-length Smith poem than a proper novel.

[Nan in Mass]

Did everyone survive Harvey ok?

 

Nan

[Violet Crown]

All's well in Central Texas, though we have an artificial panic-induced gas shortage now. And there are swarms of mosquitoes. But those are small nuisances compared to what East Texas got.

Edited September 1, 2017 by Violet Crown

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Kareni]

August has been insane....

 

Sending good thoughts for better days to come.

**

 

I just finished a short and pleasant read which also happens to be currently free for Kindle readers ~ 

Crossing Realms - Part One (The Crossing Realms Series Book 1)  by Shannon Ahn

 

"A strange flash of light. Vivid dreams of another life. A revelation that will change everything.

 

When Nina Adler begins to have intense, action-packed dreams about being an FBI agent, she dismisses them as nothing more than fun distractions from her mundane life in upstate New York.

But when Nina falls in love with a man in her dreams and he appears in her real life, she wonders if her dreams contain deeper meaning than she first thought. And when shocking events unfold in her dreams that feel unusually real, she's forced to confront the possibility that she may possess powers far beyond her understanding. Could Nina’s dreams be a window to another world?

 

Crossing Realms is a fast-paced sci-fi puzzle wrapped in mystery and stuffed with a satisfying romance. If you like stories with strong female protagonists and extraordinary people, you'll love this page-turning series. Join Nina on her adventure today!"

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Some enjoyable BookRiot posts by Nicole Mulhausen  (who hasn't posted on the board in a while, but who still has friends here) ~

 

In Praise of Narrator Dads

 

Pinterest Wants You To Pimp Your Bible

 

Books By Women About Partition for the 70th anniversary

 

3 Bad Audiobooks I Listened to During Home Improvement Projects

 

Regards,

Kareni

   

[Chrysalis Academy]

I'm glad our Texas friends are ok, and hoping that Irma gives the South a pass.  If I may whinge for a moment, it's supposed to be 112 here for the next 3 days. And, yep, we have no AC. And Shannon's illness makes her extremely sensitive to heat. I'm not actually sure what we will do to cope, but I'm not looking forward to it.

 

Still mostly reading medical stuff, but I did finish Dinosaur Teeth by Michael Crichton. I enjoyed it. It wasn't what I expected, but it was entertaining - a Yale student comes of age after being stranded in the West during a dig, during the Sioux Indian wars, in the time of Wild Bill and the Earp brothers.  It would be a good Western for anyone still looking. I read it for the Big Bingo Dinosaur square.

 

I started reading Jar City last night, because I needed something different. I don't read a ton of detective/police procedural type novels, other than PD James, but I do like my gritty, disturbed detective who wrestles with his own demons while trying to solve a case, so I think I'll like this.

 

I'm really enjoying State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. She's one of those popular novelists I've always avoided, for some reason, but after enjoying Commonwealth I decided to give some of her other stuff a shot. This one is excellent - set in the Brazilian Amazon, main character a half-Indian-from-India doctor who is revisiting some of her old demons.  I'm also listening to The Thirteenth Tale, which is delicious, as promised.

[Kareni]

A one day only currently free classic for Kindle readers.  I've posted this one before ~

 

A Book of Remarkable Criminals by H. B. Irving  

 

"This classic study profiles serial killers, gentleman murderers, and every stripe of madman in between

Benjamin Pitezel should never have trusted H. H. Holmes. In 1894, the two men conspired to fake Pitezel’s death for the sake of a $10,000 insurance settlement. But Holmes decided murder would be simpler. He killed his partner, kidnapped three of his children, and tried to claim the insurance money as his own. The scheme unraveled and Holmes killed the children as well. When he was caught, the police had no idea they had captured one of the vilest murderers in American history. The Pitezel murders were only the tip of a very bloody iceberg.
 
The chilling case of H. H. Holmes—famously recounted in Erik Larson’s award-winning bestseller, The Devil in the White City—is but one of the true crime tales contained in this remarkable work. Author H. B. Irving understood the public’s lurid fascination with murder, and in this seminal study he shows readers the many faces of evil."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

Rose :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

 

I hope you find your answers soon. I also hope you find a good way to deal with those temperatures.

[Lady Florida.]

Hugs to Angela, Amy, Rose (and Sharon) and anyone I might have missed.  :grouphug:

 

Yesterday I finished listening to Dear Committee Members, which I really enjoyed. I know a lot of people don't like epistolary novels (I don't mind them) but this one is worth it.  

 

Then earlier today I finished The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors. I enjoy Dan Jones books. His style makes me forget I'm reading non-fiction.

 

I haven't made any progress in War and Peace but I was ahead anyway. 

 

Today I made a bookshelf on Goodreads for audio books. I don't know why I hadn't already done that but now that I did I'm slowly going through my books read list and adding the audio books to that shelf.

[Lady Florida.]

Non-book stuff-
 
Ds left yesterday on his first ever road trip and I'm doing my best to not be nervous. He's going to DragonCon in Atlanta, with several other stops before and after. He'll be 20 on Sunday and I did so much more at his age (and even a few years younger) but his moderate ADHD (although he takes medication) is what always makes me worry about him. He's also much more naive than he thinks he is. Fortunately the other young men he's with are good kids. Originally he and two other friends from here were supposed to meet up with their four gamer friends who attend Georgia Southern in Statesboro GA, but the two local friends backed out. Ds was determined to still go. After all, he gave up attending Orlando's MegaCon in order to be able to afford this bigger con. So he left yesterday for Statesboro - about a 4-1/2 hour drive from here - on his own. Of course he made it safely. Today they went to one kid's family home in Warner Robbins and tomorrow they're going up to Atlanta. They can only afford one day at DragonCon, so they'll drive back to Warner Robbins at the end of the day. Sunday they go back to the college and Monday he heads home. I know he'll be fine and will be home safely on Monday but that doesn't stop me from worrying. He does have the name and contact info of a friend of mine who lives in Atlanta so that makes me feel a bit better. Also, at least two of the friends he's with have been to DragonCon before plus they're familiar with Atlanta. It's all the driving that worries me - both when he's the driver and when someone else is. I remember how easily distracted a young driver can get, especially when the car is full of your peers.
 
To help hide from my irrational worries I've started reading The Ring of Solomon - a Bartimaeus novel prequel. I'm enjoying it so far. In addition to being the perfect type of story in which to get lost, it's my recommended by a friend book for BaW bingo. 

[Mom-ninja.]

Hugs to everyone having a rough time. 

 

 

 

 

I started reading Jar City last night, because I needed something different. I don't read a ton of detective/police procedural type novels, other than PD James, but I do like my gritty, disturbed detective who wrestles with his own demons while trying to solve a case, so I think I'll like this.

 

 

Have you read Carl Haissen's Skinny Dip ? There's a gritty, disturbed detective in the book. I liked it. When are you supposed to get results from the lyme test? 

 

 

 

I've got several books on hold including Born a Crime. I've been on hold at two libraries for several months now. I'm #70 on 10 copies and #30 on 2 copies. 

 

Edited to fix #s.

 

 

Edited September 2, 2017 by Mom-ninja.

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Chrysalis Academy]

Hugs to everyone having a rough time. 

 

 

 

Have you read Carl Haissen's Skinny Dip ? There's a gritty, disturbed detective in the book. I liked it. When are you supposed to get results from the lyme test? 

 

You sent me Jar City, right? Thanks, I am enjoying it. I'll try Skinny Dip next time I'm in the mood.

 

We got results from the Lyme Western Blot. They are listed as equivocal because one of the measures is strongly positive and one is not. But after further research, the result is considered by LLMDs to be positive. Unequivocally. She also tested positive for Mycoplasma, which is a common Lyme co-infection. Or means nothing, depending on which doctor you talk to.  :glare: Coming up this week is a phone consult with an ND who specializes in treating neurological issues and Lyme, I'm hoping he'll be our new guy. We also have a phone consult with the Kaiser pediatric infectious diseases specialist down in SF, but I don't have too high of hopes from that one - apparently Kaiser doctors aren't allowed to believe in Lyme unless you walk in the door with a fever and a bulls-eye rash.  Later in the month we have an appt. with a new family medicine doctor at Kaiser, we fired our ped. This new doctor was suggested by our ND, she is a DO and apparently is open to thinking outside the box and has worked with the ND in the past to give more holistic care to her patients. So I'm hopeful that will be an improvement too.  And then in October we have an appointment at a Pediatric Autonomic Disorders clinic.  So we have hopes of getting some answers in the next two months, but no real changes yet. We're doing a lot of supplements and trying to get an exercise program set up that she can handle. The PT gave us a program, but she can only do one or two reps on some of the exercises. It's literally like we are starting at the very beginning to try and strengthen her muscles from zero. Looking back over the last year, I still am not sure exactly how it has come to this point. But hopefully this is rock bottom and we start steadily improving from here.

 

And, it's hot. 112 yesterday, and only cooled down to 72, which means we're starting out 10 deg warmer than yesterday. This is the crisis day today - 113, they are saying - and it cools down to 102 tomorrow.  Wish us luck.

[ErinE]

Rose, I can't like your post but you and yours are in my thoughts. I hope the new doctor can give you some clarity on your DD's illness and the temps cool down soon for you. If I could, I'd send our unseasonably cool weather your way.

[JennW in SoCal]

Rose -- it was a balmy 105 here yesterday, and to add insult to injury it is humid, too!  I've been playing a show at an outdoor venue -- an evening show so it is maybe in the low 80s, and the pit is just miserable. We're making the life of the poor sound guy a little crazier with our electric fans and the weather is wreaking havoc on the instruments -- they don't stay in tune with the change in the weather. (It had been unseasonably cool up until mid week.) We close tonight just before the rain comes from our own little baby-sized tropical cyclone.

 

By the way, if you like your moody detectives, look for the Aurelio Zen mysteries by Michael Dibden. I'll send the one I just finished once the cellist finishes it!

 

And Kathy, aka Lady Florida, I feel your worry! I hope they have a marvelous time at Dragon Con!  I loved the Bartimaeus books.

 

My ds teaching in Japan reports that his students got in trouble for using inappropriate English phrases like "going bananas" or "going nuts"!  It was the result of an assignment he had given them to research idiomatic English phrases. 

 

I had a little fist pumping celebration in my car, while listening to War and Peace, all to celebrate the start of the year 1813!! 1812 was the longest year ever. 

 

[Mom-ninja.]

Rose, I didn't send you Jar City. I haven't read that book. The thanks belongs to someone else here. :) 

 

I really hope you get some answers sooner than later. I can't imagine how frustrating it must be to not know what ails your child. It was bad enough when I was sick for three years before getting my celiac/hashimoto's diagnosis. I thought I would go crazy not knowing what was wrong with me. That stress is even worse when it's your child.  :sad:  

 

Lady FL, Hope you are able to take your mind off your worry. I'm sure your ds will have a great time. 

 

I'm listening to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and enjoying the imaginary world. Rowling created such a fun world. I will watch the movie when I'm done. My middle ds is going to start a Harry Potter class at co-op so he's reading his way through the books. He's seen all but the last movie and listened to the audio books when he was younger. He doesn't remember much from the audio books because it has been several years. It's fun to watch him become pulled into the world of Hogwarts now that he's older and really gets into the story. I'm so excited for the class. 

 

Can someone please tell me why all the books I want to read or listen to have a wait list? It's not like I'm reading the current NYT best sellers. Who knew Catch-22, Through the Looking Glass, and Death by Black Hole are such popular books? Those aren't the only books I have on hold but they are the ones I'm surprised to have a wait list. 

[Mom-ninja.]

 

My ds teaching in Japan reports that his students got in trouble for using inappropriate English phrases like "going bananas" or "going nuts"!  It was the result of an assignment he had given them to research idiomatic English phrases. 

 

 

 

How/why did they get in trouble? I was expecting you to say something much worse when you mentioned inappropriate English phrases. If "going nuts" is inappropriate then I have the mouth of a sailor!

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Kareni]

A one day only currently free classic for Kindle readers ~

 

The Marble Faun: Or the Romance of Monte Beni by Nathaniel Hawthorne

 

"From the author of The Scarlet Letter: The thrilling tale of three American artists whose search for artistic inspiration leads to romance and murder.
 
The sculpture galleries and classical architecture of nineteenth-century Rome set the stage for Nathaniel Hawthorne’s gothic romance The Marble Faun. While touring the Eternal City in search of inspiration and authentic beauty, American artists Miriam, Hilda, and Kenyon soon discover that their Italian companion, Donatello—charming and in love with Miriam—bears a striking resemblance to the marble Faun of Praxiteles. But for Miriam, their carefree pursuit is also an escape from a dark past. And when a mysterious man appears, trailing the friends’ path and tormenting Miriam, the group’s travels take a sinister turn.
 
The first novel to explore the effects of European sensibilities on American values, The Marble Faun anticipated the genre of travel novels later exemplified by The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James and The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain. Vividly evoking the great works of art and architecture in Rome, it also found favor as an unlikely guidebook for many Victorian tourists. James Russell Lowell said: “The nineteenth century has produced no more purely original writer than Mr. Hawthorne.†Here, the author of The House of the Seven Gables offers an unforgettable and suspenseful tale."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Mom-ninja.]

Mom-ninja, maybe there's a waiting list because some may be on the required reading lists for the nearby schools?

Excellent observation. Didn't think of that. In any case, I'm glad such books are in high demand.