Book a Week 2017 - BW37: Happy Birthday Mary Oliver

[Kareni]

... send good thoughts towards cyclone Talim in the Pacific...

 

Sending good thoughts.  Nature truly is an amazing force.

**

 

A one day only classic that is currently free for Kindle readers; I've posted this previously ~

 

Monsieur Lecoq by Émile Gaboriau  

 

"The seminal detective novel by Émile Gaboriau, who was hailed by André Gide as“the father of all current detective fictionâ€

 

Policemen patrolling the streets of Paris hear a commotion in a nearby bar. When they go inside to investigate, they find 3 men dead and 1 gravely wounded. The injured man, taken into custody by the police, claims to have murdered the others in self-defense, but he dies without giving any further information. Who was this man? His attire is that of a soldier, but his long, unkempt hair suggests he led a different kind of life. Without knowing the true identities of the murderer or his victims, how can this case be solved? It is up to the immensely perceptive Monsieur Lecoq and his uncanny powers of observation to solve this tangled homicide."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

A lovely post by Jo Walton ~

 

A Moment in a Life: Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The Day Before the Revolutionâ€

 

"I have always loved “The Day Before the Revolution,†now online to celebrate the Library of America two volume edition of Le Guin’s Hainish novels and stories.

 

I first read it in the British collection The Wind’s Twelve Quarters Volume 2, in 1979, where it is the concluding story and the best of a very very good set of stories. I had already read The Dispossessed and was thrilled to find this story set in the same world. But that’s not why I loved it.

 

If you asked me now what’s great about it, I’d say it’s because it is that unusual thing, a character story set in another world. It is a moment in a character’s life, that shows you that character’s whole life, and her whole world, and it isn’t our world. I want to say that it’s an intensely human story, which it is, but all the characters are technically aliens, and the story takes place on another planet. What Le Guin is giving us is part of an imagined and complex history of an alien planet and a moment that will change everything for the history of two worlds—and eventually more than two. But the moment is filtered through the perceptions and experience of one old woman...."

**

 

Several more free classics for Kindle readers ~

 

Upton Sinclair Ultimate Collection: 30+ Books in One Volume: Novels, Plays, Journalism Studies, Fitness & Health Guides

 

Plato: The Complete Works by Plato

The Canterbury Tales, the New Translation by Geoffrey Chaucer

The Three Musketeers - Complete Collection by Alexandre Dumas

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Penguin]

Hurricane watches get tiresome (just because I get weary of worrying about my mom being in harm's way), but I never get tired of sending out good thoughts!

 

Here's to hoping that Talim fizzles pronto.

Edited September 14, 2017 by Penguin

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Chrysalis Academy]

I just finished reading this recently, and really enjoyed it. I was also thinking about it when reading the reports of the damage in the Caribbean from Irma.

 

All the hurricanes lately have me musing on a book that I read a few years ago & really enjoyed. I think it would be one liked by quite a few here, so I'll mention it again....

 

 

The Distant Marvels by Chantel Acevedo

 

 

P.S. Looking on the Europa website, it looks like Acevedo has a new book that just came out a few days ago: The Living Infinite.

 

[Kareni]

Those of you who like romance might wish to take advantage of this offer ~

 

A $3.00 credit for select romance books for subscribers to the Amazon romance newsletter. Good for new or existing subscribers.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/f.html?C=3GTXRUAFE5NRV&K=314ZJ0X02DSXO&M=urn:rtn:msg:201709122059314bfe84122d9a44b4bf541135b670p0na&R=II6LZF7KHYYM&T=C&U=https%3A%2F%2Fsmile.amazon.com%2Fgp%2F..%2Fkindle-dbs%2FpromoLanding%2Fref%3Dpe_363270_253760680_pe_button%2F%3FpromoCode%3D4dcecbca-0643-405f-a86c-66c7621cb498%26campaignId%3D4dcecbca-0643-405f-a86c-66c7621cb498&A=DRQLQKAMRXKALAB0KQV1IDNUVHIA&H=BN07HPZ8PEY8QLY1JA7T8NHXDAWA&ref_=pe_363270_253760680_pe_button

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Kareni]

I finished a couple of books recently ~

 

A Scrying Shame (Blood Visions Paranormal Mysteries Book 1)  by Donna White Glaser   

 

This was a quick read but not a story I recommend if you have an issue about crime scenes or blood.  I purchased this yesterday with the $3.00 Amazon offer I mentioned above ~ https://smile.amazon...60680_pe_button

 

"Following a near death experience, twenty-five-year old Arie Stiles decides she might as well take the job nobody else wants: a crime scene clean-up technician. It’s good money, which she could use, and death doesn’t hold a lot of mystery for her.

 

Or so she thinks.

 

Arie isn’t on the job long before discovering she’s been “gifted†with a new psychic talent—the ability to scry. Whether she wants to or not, Arie can read the memories of the dead in their blood.

 

When she is assigned to clean the crime scene of Marissa Mason, the socialite author of the best-selling gold-diggers' bible, Arie finds herself haunted by blood visions day and night, and to her shock discovers an unexpected family connection to the victim. With her brother suffering the unwanted attention of the police as the primary suspect, can Arie face her fear of the blood visions long enough to follow the trail of clues left in the murdered woman's memories and find the real culprit?"

 

 

ALSO

 

More Than Luck (Legendary Pairs Book 2) by Casey Cameron

 

This is a May/December romance featuring two men; I enjoyed it.  (Adult content)

 

"It's never too late to play for keeps.

Drey Harper isn't looking for love; he had more than enough heartbreak after a betrayal cost him everything five years ago. Now at 40, he's the art director for the hit collectible card game Legendary Pairs. Between long hours at work and countless anonymous hookups, Drey's life seems pretty full...until the day he meets Lucas Cho.

In the world of Legendary Pairs, 24-year-old Lucas Cho is a superstar. He plays for big money and parties like a rock star, and his arrogant swagger gets him what he wants, at the gaming table or in bed. But when a chance encounter with Drey in a crowded bar leaves him wanting more, all his fortune and skills count for nothing.

The company thinks Lucas's glamorous playboy lifestyle is good for business, but it's going too far--Lucas is spinning out of control, and Drey has been sent to clean up the mess and save Lucas's sponsorship. With a major tournament coming up and Lucas's contract with Legendary Pairs on the line, it's up to Drey to keep him out of the bottle and walking that line.

For Lucas, the stakes have never been higher, but the game he's playing has nothing to do with cards and everything to do with the stoic older man who's captured his attention. Drey knows a relationship between them is out of the question--Lucas is too young, too reckless, too broken--but the more time he spends in Lucas's company, the more he wants the beautiful disaster he knows he shouldn't have."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Kareni]

Has anyone recently mentioned a variation on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein story?

 

If not, does anyone know of some variations to recommend?

 

 

Here's a list from about a year ago that has some interesting recommendations (and some annoying ads!) ~

 

13 Books Inspired by Frankenstein  Posted on September 1, 2016 by Vicki Lindem

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Jane in NC]

Whew!  I finished last week's W&P reading assignment.  I love how Volume 3, Part III, opens with a comparison between the Laws of History and the Differential Calculus.

 

But I had a real "duh" moment later in Part III when Tolstoy mentions Red Square.  In my Cold War mentality, I had assumed "Red Square" had something to do with the Kremlin which in turn I associated with Communism.  Well the the Kremlin was there before Lenin as was the name "Red Square". Red bricks, I wondered.  But no.  The all knowing Wikipedia informs me that the Russian word meaning both "red" and "beautiful" had been applied to the area, hence the translation to "Red Square" which has been a part of Moscow for hundreds of years.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Has anyone recently mentioned a variation on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein story?

 

If not, does anyone know of some variations to recommend? My book club is reading Frankenstein for our meeting next month. I have already read it (& will re-read it for book club), but I always like to read other variations on the classics for fun too.

 

Thanks!

 

ETA: I did read The Only Child recently & that had a Frankenstein-ish aspect to it. But I would love to get other recs too.

 

As you know, Frankenstein is one of my favorite books, so I'm a sucker for knock-offs. I read This Dark Endeavor and its first sequel. And The Procedure, I didn't like any of them.

 

I really liked The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein, so that's the one I'd vote for.  Here's what I wrote in my gr review:

 

I was suspicious at first; there were so many parts of this book that felt deja vu lifted straight from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein - what could possibly be the original contribution of this novel? Well. It did not disappoint. Purporting to be the "true" story of Victor Frankenstein, from which Shelley got her version, this was a very satisfying, very creepy retelling of the classic. Most impressively, it was written in the language of the time: it reads just like Frankenstein, the original.

 

Basically, smash together two of my favorites - Frankenstein and Dr Jeykyll & Mr Hyde, and you get this book. Well done!

[Butter]

Getting back into the swing of educating the boys has taken so much of my time I've barely been on-line and haven't had a whole lot of time to read.  Since last time I checked in I finished:

 

The Emerald Mile by Kevin Fedarko.  It's my best friend's favorite book and in a lot of ways it is a love story to the Colorado River.  I've never been to the Grand Canyon and I've never even seen the Colorado, but I found the imagery and words used in this book to be absolutely beautiful.

 

That finished spelling out PERIDOT (for August)

Politically Correct Holiday Stories

The Emerald Mile

Reel to Real: The Video Store Murders

Island of Fog

Detour From Normal

The Only Witness

There I Go Again

 

Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure by Matthew Algeo.  I loved it of course because I love Truman.  Whoever recommended it on here, thanks!

 

The Final Spark (Michael Vey 7) by Richard Paul Evans.  Wow.  By 75% I was pretty sure there was absolutely no way the series  could be wrapped up.  Definitely a satisfactory ending after all these years.

[Penguin]

Realizing that I need a way to note who recommended a book to me so that I can thank them later. Because realistically, it might be YEARS before I get to something. And then I won't recall that Stacia is the reason I added The Blue Line or that Butter is the reason I added Henry Truman's Excellent Adventure to my TBR list today :)

 

--

Butter, my dad was SERIOUSLY into Truman. I have yet to tackle McCullogh's book even thought it was my father's favorite book. Dad died in 1995, and there are still some things inside me that reading that book might stir up. Someday I will be ready, though.

 

I have been to the Truman house and the Truman Library in MO. The road trip book looks really neat.

 

ETA: Reworded some stuff, realizing that I know my dad was super "into" Truman, but I don't really know what he thought about him. Did he love Truman? Maybe.

2nd edit: Which of course leaves me with the all-too-common feeling of wishing I had asked. Rumination over...carry on!

Edited September 15, 2017 by Penguin

[ErinE]

Realizing that I need a way to note who recommended a book to me so that I can thank them later. Because realistically, it might be YEARS before I get to something. And then I won't recall that Stacia is the reason I added The Blue Line or that Butter is the reason I added Henry Truman's Excellent Adventure to my TBR list today :)

 

--

Butter, my dad was SERIOUSLY into Truman. I have yet to tackle McCullogh's book even thought it was my father's favorite book. Dad died in 1995, and there are still some things inside me that reading that book might stir up. Someday I will be ready, though.

 

I have been to the Truman house and the Truman Library in MO. The road trip book looks really neat.

 

ETA: Reworded some stuff, realizing that I know my dad was super "into" Truman, but I don't really know what he thought about him. Did he love Truman? Maybe.

2nd edit: Which of course leaves me with the all-too-common feeling of wishing I had asked. Rumination over...carry on!

McCullough's Truman is probably the best biography I've ever read. I don't know if I love Harry Truman so much as I feel an affinity for him. He seemed to have been a thoughtful president when it came to his official actions. That doesn't mean he couldn't get hot when it came to people talking about his wife or daughter! It's like he was a friendly neighbor who loved his country but somehow ended up in the presidency. Great book, good man.

[Robin M]

Glad to hear everyone made is safely through the hurricanes and sending out good thoughts for our BaW Kids.

 

Frankenstein reads - I thoroughly enjoyed Dean Koontz Frankenstein series although it does get a bit dark and creepy at times.  Also enjoyed Will Hill's Department 19.  

 

Congratulation on completing Bingo, Penguin.  Great selection of books.  I'll send your prize within the next couple weeks. 

 

 

Haven't made much progress with spelling out Sapphire.  My p books aren't calling my name right now.  About ready to dive back into Wheel of Time world with Winter's Heart.  Meanwhile sticking with comfort reads while getting James back into  gear with 12th grade.  James and I are reading Fighting Terrorism by Benjamin Netanyahu which is quite interesting.  He's mad at me for not reading Star Wars Aftermath so guess I'll have to read it pretty soon.  Hubby wants me to read Simon Sinek's Start With Why which he just finished and inspired him to get back into a creative mode.  

[JennW in SoCal]

Stacia, you might enjoy the graphic novel of Frankenstein that was illustrated by Bernie Wrightson. It is less of a graphic novel than a heavily illustrated novel, actually. Each illustration looks like a woodblock print, or an old magazine illustration, but it wasn't etched on a plate -- each line was inked on paper.  I'm not seeing any inexpensive editions of it on Amazon as I'm not sure it is still in print. Bernie Wrightson recently passed away and this book has been a fan favorite for years and years. You can check out some of the illustrations at this website.  Just click on Frankenstein at the right end of the top row.

[Kareni]

A one day only classic that is currently free for Kindle readers; I've posted this previously ~

 

The Financier (The Trilogy of Desire Book 1) by Theodore Dreiser

 

"The Financier is a nuanced portrait of one of the greatest characters in twentieth-century literature. Based on the life of railway tycoon Charles Tyson Yerkes, the epic narrative spans from the aftermath of the Civil War to the Great Chicago Fire and the Panic of 1873. Both a glimpse of a fascinating period in American history and a timeless portrait of the dark side of human nature, this is the compelling tale the Wall Street Journal hailed as “the greatest of all American business novels . . . [with] an amazingly intricate description of high-rolling 19th-century finance.â€"

**

 

And a bookish post ~ 

Unearthing the History Made By Well-Behaved Women by Ann Foster

 

"You have likely come across Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s well-known quote, “well-behaved women seldom make history,†on ironic cross-stitch samplers, tote bags, and fridge magnets. Removed of its original context, it has become a rallying cry for women to make history by misbehaving, suggesting that the only way to stand out is to misbehave. In context of Ulrich’s original writing, though, the quote is less a rallying cry and more a depressing truism: women born outside of royal families, who followed the rules, who stayed out of trouble, tended not to have their actions recorded. The women we best know from history did so because they stood out from the crowd: as royals, saints, murderers, murder victims, performers, artists, and more. This doesn’t mean the “well-behaved†women weren’t as interesting or worthy, only that we have few documents left to let us know who they were. The following nonfiction works use letters, diaries and other primary sources to help excavate the lives of women who — like Eliza Schuyler in Hamilton â€” found themselves removed from the narrative...."

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

[Shawneinfl]

Hello Everyone! I'm so glad to be back. What a wild ride this past week has been with Hurricane Irma. Our power just came back on tonight after going off on Sunday night at 10:00 pm. I can tell you that camping out in your own house for five days without water or ac is no picnic. But I have it so much better than many here in N. FL who lost everything in the post-storm flooding. I know at least 4 homeschool families who lost everything when their homes were flooded. There is so much devastation but in the midst of it all I have seen people really reaching out to help their neighbors. I will tell more when I get a chance  including the story of our 3 am evacuation and the kitty we adopted in the storm.

[Violet Crown]

Hello Everyone! I'm so glad to be back. What a wild ride this past week has been with Hurricane Irma. Our power just came back on tonight after going off on Sunday night at 10:00 pm. I can tell you that camping out in your own house for five days without water or ac is no picnic. But I have it so much better than many here in N. FL who lost everything in the post-storm flooding. I know at least 4 homeschool families who lost everything when their homes were flooded. There is so much devastation but in the midst of it all I have seen people really reaching out to help their neighbors. I will tell more when I get a chance including the story of our 3 am evacuation and the kitty we adopted in the storm.

So glad to hear from you, and that you've gotten through it safely. I want to hear more about the evacuation and kitty. (I have a hurricane rescue kitty, accordingly named Rita.)

[Jane in NC]

Hello Everyone! I'm so glad to be back. What a wild ride this past week has been with Hurricane Irma. Our power just came back on tonight after going off on Sunday night at 10:00 pm. I can tell you that camping out in your own house for five days without water or ac is no picnic. But I have it so much better than many here in N. FL who lost everything in the post-storm flooding. I know at least 4 homeschool families who lost everything when their homes were flooded. There is so much devastation but in the midst of it all I have seen people really reaching out to help their neighbors. I will tell more when I get a chance including the story of our 3 am evacuation and the kitty we adopted in the storm.

Shawne, so good to hear from you! We have been worried about you. Please let us know more about your situation and your community when you have the opportunity.

 

Hugs,

Jane

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Kareni]

I finished two books both of which I enjoyed.

 

The first is a young adult novel which has an intriguing premise. Anyone who is to die receives a phone call between midnight and three of that day with the news; they are not told when or how they will die.  The story centers around two young men (17 and 18) who connect through an app called Last Friend and details their Last Day.

 

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

 

"On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today. Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day."

 

 

PLUS I re-read a book I'd recently recommended here.  Once again, it had me crying.  It's really a lovely story that I believe more here might enjoy.  I do not believe it would offend any reader.

 

Making Faces by Amy Harmon

 

"Ambrose Young was beautiful. The kind of beautiful that graced the covers of romance novels, and Fern Taylor would know. She'd been reading them since she was thirteen. But maybe because he was so beautiful he was never someone Fern thought she could have...until he wasn't beautiful anymore.

 

Making Faces is the story of a small town where five young men go off to war, and only one comes back. It is the story of loss. Collective loss, individual loss, loss of beauty, loss of life, loss of identity. It is the tale of one girl's love for a broken boy, and a wounded warrior's love for an unremarkable girl. This is a story of friendship that overcomes heartache, heroism that defies the common definitions, and a modern tale of Beauty and the Beast, where we discover that there is a little beauty and a little beast in all of us."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

Shawne :grouphug:

[Mom-ninja.]

Hello fellow book junkies! Irma did no damage to our house. She knocked down some of our trees which broke a section of our fence, and she tore up the dirt road. We lost power at 8 pm Sunday night, and we got it back on last night. Like Shawne, no power = no running water. Highly uncomfortable week. However, I'm grateful that was my only suffering from Irma. It was expected to be much worse in my area so I am very grateful. I have an old cell phone with short battery life so that's why I wasn't using it to get online. Gas was difficult to get in my area because everyone needed it for generators. It's getting back to a more normal supply/demand now that more and more people are getting power. 

 

I didn't listen to any audiobooks (refer to my very limited phone battery), but I did read Mr. Midshipman Easy.  It was a lovely light diversion to help keep me in a good mood. And this is why I will never lose my love of physical books, there is no reliance on charging batteries with electricity. 

 

The night of the storm I read aloud to my kids to help distract them. They were quite scared with all the loud noise and heavy wind/rain and couldn't sleep. I pulled out my copy of One Thousand and One Arabian Nights and helped distract them by entering the world of Ali Baba instead of focusing on what was happening outside. Even my dh got sucked into the stories. The power of books is priceless. 

 

 

 

I finished Skinny Dip this morning. It was thoroughly entertaining.

 

 

Glad you enjoyed it. 

 

 

Penguin, congrats on finishing bingo. 

 

Now everyone, the next time you use the bathroom, take a moment to appreciate the flushing toilet with a mere push of a small lever. This is a very underappreciated convenience. 

 

[mumto2]

So glad both Mom Ninja and Shawne have checked in!!! 😃

 

Now I am ready for books....

 

I started reading White Hot by Ilona Andrews

https://www.goodreads.com/series/122173-hidden-legacy. It is the second in a trilogy and I am enjoying it immensely now that I have gone back and figured out what happened in the first book. These are paranormal romances if anyone is looking for something good in that genre for romance month.

 

I also finished listening to A Great Reckoning https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28220985-a-great-reckoning by Louise Penny. I gave most of her books five stars so this probably deserves six. I am glad the next just got released because this book could be a very satisfying conclusion to a great series! The mystery of Three Pines not being on maps is finally solved. That alone makes it a must read! So many little relevant details about village life struck me....what happens to a Church building when the congregation is gone for instance. I see that frequently here.....sold and turned into homes or businesses generally. I loved that in this book the building was used and enjoyed by the community.

 

I now start waiting in earnest for Glass Houses.....I put myself on the wait list for both the audio and the book form. So we shall see which arrives first. I am roughly at the same place on both lists.

 

BTW Amy, I am now officially used to the new narrator and still love listening to the Inspector Gamache books.

[Lady Florida.]

Shawne and Mom-ninja I'm glad to hear from both of you. 

 

I finished The Ring of Solomon which was my Recommended by a Friend book for BaW bingo. The friend who recommended it was our own Mom-ninja, so thank you for that. I really enjoyed it and would not have discovered it on my own.

 

I'm making progress in W&P now that I don't have to think about hurricane stuff.

 

Add me to the list of those reading Truman because someone here recommended it. I started it last night and it's quite good so far (Harry S hasn't even been born yet where I am in it). 

[Kareni]

A one day only classic that is currently free for Kindle readers; I've posted this previously ~

 

 

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave by Frederick Douglass   

 

"A dramatic autobiography and powerful firsthand account of slavery, written by America’s most influential abolitionist.

 

First published in 1845, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is an eye-opening depiction of American slavery. Part autobiography, part human-rights treatise, it describes the everyday horrors inflicted on captive laborers, as well as the strength and courage needed to survive.

 

Born into slavery on a Maryland plantation in 1818, Frederick Douglass spent years secretly teaching himself to read and write—a crime for which he risked life and limb. After two failed escapes, Douglass finally, blessedly boarded a train in 1838 that would eventually lead him to New York City, and freedom.

 

Few books have done more to change America’s notion of African Americans than this seminal work. Beyond its historical and social relevancy, it is admired today for its gripping stories, intensity of spirit, and heartfelt humanity."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Jane in NC]

So good to hear from you Ninja! I had been worried. And thanks for the postcard!

 

I finished the first Sister Pelagia book by Boris Akunin, Sister Pelagia and the White Bulldog. This would be improved with a dramatis personae. Oh those Russian names...no wonder that when I listened to an audio version of one of Akunin's Fandorin books I had to backtrack on more than one occasion.

 

Fun mystery set in late 19th century Russia. Sister Pelagia is armed with knitting needles--beware! Akunin said that he chose an Orthodox nun for his detective so he'd be off the hook for writing sex scenes. Clearly a Russian nod to Father Brown here.

[Nan in Mass]

Jenn, how is your son doing with Talim? Mine is through the worst of it now and all ok.

 

Nan

[Nan in Mass]

I finished listening to Wicked while reading Mercedes Lackey's Beauty Sleeping (might not be quite the title), and then listened to Hope Was Here (or something like that) (food and Quaker politics) while reading gritty space opera. The extreme contrast of the second two made up for the first two being the same story. Except they weren't. The ML version is very funny and twisted, Wicked picks up where the yraditional Sleeping Beauty leaves off. All this while impatiently waiting for a replacement copy of my nephew's Honor Harrington 5 to show up. The original is buried in boxes of youngest son's school stuff, which he can't bear to deal with yet. Of course, he should have unpacked it right away, but he was working ten hour days seven days a week on top of a killer commute within a day of graduation so that wasn't practical.

 

Nan

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[JennW in SoCal]

Jenn, how is your son doing with Talim? Mine is through the worst of it now and all ok.

 

Nan

 

Awww, thanks for asking.

 

Talim is supposed to pass through later today, but as a tropical storm, so lots of rain, but the winds are less dangerous than they had been.  I'll probably check in with him later tonight, which will be mid-afternoon, peak storm time for him. 

[Penguin]

Mom-ninja, glad you checked in. I have thanked my toilet today for working well. :laugh: (And I seriously do appreciate it. I'm a gal who can appreciate the modern conveniences like running water, A/C, & electricity. My motto is if it can't go into the dishwasher or washing machine, I don't want to own it.)

 

Nan, glad your ds is safe from Talim's path. Jenn, any news from your ds?

 

Sending hopes for NO Jose for our northern coastal pals.

 

Penguin, I have to lol a little about you adding The Blue Line to your reading list because of me. It was so stressful for me that I had nightmares & you added it right to your list! ;) It is an important topic, though, & has some observations that will have you mentally revisiting it for a long time to come, I think. I have Kamchatka by Marcelo Figueras sitting on my shelf to read (well, it's been here awhile :blushing: ) on the same topic. And, a few years ago, I read two books by Osvaldo Soriano about that same time period: A Funny Dirty Little War and Winter Quarters: A Novel of Argentina. Mentioning them in case you want some additional fiction books in a similar time/place/setting/topic....

I am drawn to books that freak me out. The one on my Bingo list about the Syrian refugee gave me nightmares last week.

 

Mom-ninja and Shawne, thanks for checking in.

 

I spent a chunk of time today at the flagship location of Busboys and Poets, a very awesome DC bookstore. It was my first time there, and I nearly hyperventilated from excitement. Not kidding.

http://www.busboysandpoets.com/about/

Edited September 17, 2017 by Penguin

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Robin M]

Link to week 38 - please continue conversation in new thread