Book a Week 2017 - BW40: Spooky and Spectacular October

[Colleen]

I have thought about it as a long term idea (certainly more than a year!) and my rules for myself would be a bit different. Hmmm thanks to your reminder maybe I will try to synthesize my thoughts.

 

I'd be interested in hearing how you (and others) might approach an idea like this. One thought that occurs to me is that I'd likely begin with which I'm most familiar, and what's easiest to access. Which could set the course for ultimately fading out, kwim? 

[Chrysalis Academy]

I'd be interested in hearing how you (and others) might approach an idea like this. One thought that occurs to me is that I'd likely begin with which I'm most familiar, and what's easiest to access. Which could set the course for ultimately fading out, kwim? 

 

Yes, I was thinking about this too.  I think I wouldn't want to approach it based on familiarity. I think alphabetical could work, but what would be even cooler would be to do it geographically:  List the countries for each continent, and work through the continents systematically. I think that could be especially fascinating for Africa and S America - it would be so interesting to note similarities and differences in theme, etc. across the continent or regionally within the continent. Continents with multiple countries affected by colonialism might grapple with that legacy in different ways in different countries. (I know continents don't grapple, but you know what I mean).

[Kareni]

A one day only currently free classic for Kindle readers ~

 

Tender Buttons by Gertrude Stein 

 

"A classic work of experimental poetry by a titan of modernist literature

Tender Buttons, Stein’s first published work of poetry, debuted in 1914 as a volume of powerful avant-garde expression. This meditation on ordinary living is presented in three compelling sections—“Objects,†“Food,†and “Roomsâ€â€”through which Stein delights in experiments with language. Emphasizing rhythm and sonority over traditional grammar, Stein’s wordplay has garnered praise from readers and critics alike. In “A Piece of Coffee,†for example, Stein plays with conventional language and cubist imagery to produce a stunningly original literary effect:

A single image is not splendor. Dirty is yellow. A sign of more is not mentioned. A piece of coffee is not a detainer. The resemblance to yellow is dirtier and distincter. The clean mixture is whiter and not coal color, never more coal color than altogether."

 

Also currently free ~

 

Remedial Rocket Science: A Romantic Comedy (Chemistry Lessons Book 1) by Susannah Nix

 

The Twenty-Sided Sorceress series, books 1-3 by Annie Bellet

 

Rise of a Legend  by Amy Jarecki

 

In the Wreckage: (M/M Sci-Fi Military Romance) (Metahuman Files Book 1) by Hailey Turner

 

Think and Grow Rich  by Napoleon Hill

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Matryoshka]

I don't know if you talked about it in previous years, since I only started here in 2017. But I have spent a lot of time on that site/list. I have thought about it as a long term idea (certainly more than a year!) and my rules for myself would be a bit different. Hmmm thanks to your reminder maybe I will try to synthesize my thoughts.

 

I'm not entirely clear on what her 'rules' to herself were, other than read something from each country?  How would you structure it?

 

I already read quite widely from around the world, although obviously there are many, many, many countries I've missed, mostly because there are many countries I've never seen a book from.  I think it would be cool to do this, although I'd also require more than a year.  I've been reading gangbusters this year, and while I'm over 100 now, I'm not going to get anywhere close to 196, and I've started to do some part-time work this fall that will hopefully even grow a bit, so I really don't think I'll ever be able to plan for more than 100 books a year.  I just don't read fast enough.  Two years might be doable if I read nothing else, but I'm not sure I want to be quite that focused...  maybe 3?

 

This year so far I've read books from 30 countries not including the US, if you count 5 books that are set in a country but not written by a native of that country ...  I'm not sure how I'd want to count those?  Although I have also read lots of books set in the US that are written by authors not originally native to the US; those definitely wouldn't count, I'd think?  I've read multiple books from some of those countries (Russia, Korea, Iceland, Nigeria, South Africa, Iran, Spain and Germany I think being the most common repeats so far).

 

Would a book written by an author from another country but set, say, in outer space or someplace imaginary count?  I have a couple like that on my TR list. :D

 

ErinE: I finished Radiance. My brain melted! And then I gave it four stars  :)

 

LOL.  That is a brain-melting book, although I also did quite like it.  I think I will require quite a bit of time between Catherynne Valente books to allow my brain to recover its shape.  I'm interested in that Russian folktale inspired one she wrote - I might be ready for it next year. ;)

 

ETA: Yes, I just updated the # of countries.  Realized I somehow forgot China even though I've read more than one book from there this year.  :rolleyes:  May have missed others - I just did a quick glance over my list.

Edited October 3, 2017 by Matryoshka

[Mom-ninja.]

An interesting and lofty goal to read a book from each country. If I did that I would need lots of time. I'm actually toying with the idea of not doing any lists, challenges, or bingo next year and just read from my tbr list. Of course, that will most likely not happen. It would be a challenge in itself to not participate in those things. ;) However, my tbr list is huge. So my challenge might be to simply read from my tbr list and not make detours. Maybe. Cause I like detours. I usually try to match up books from my tbr list with bingo and other challenges but it doesn't always make a match. I like reading books I might not otherwise read if they were not part of a challenge, however, my tbr list is so darn long. I really do want to read the book on the list. I feel like I am getting too distracted with all the other guides/lists. So I'm pondering what my "challenge" will be next year. 

 

I have finally started Born a Crime  by Trevor Noah. Thank you, Lady Florida for sending it to me. I'm still on the hold list at the library and would still be waiting. That is one popular book. This will most likely be a book I will have my teen listen to. 

[Jane in NC]

The international list is certainly intriguing.  About forty percent of the books I have read this year were in translation--not sure if this is a goal as much as it has become a tendency.  But then I don't read best sellers or many of the currently popular authors. (Admittedly there is an uneven distribution among the translated books I have read with a significant number being from the Icelandic.  What can I say?)

 

Speaking of books in translation:  Roseanna by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö was a page turner toward the end. Excellent police procedural translated from the Swedish.

[Penguin]

A Year of Reading the World

 

What Counts as a story? is the blog post by Ann Morgan that spells out her criteria.

 

When is a country not a country? is her blog post delineating her choices for what countries counted.

 

 

Some rambling thoughts on being inspired by the project:

 

No deadlines for me! nope nope nope

 

Since I am not on a deadline, I will be far more liberal choosing what warrants its own slot. Catalonia, Palestine, Kosovo, Greenland, Faroe Islands - all of them make my cut.

 

In addition to the genres chose by Ann Morgan, I would include plays. Maybe even non-narrative poetry. I mainly want a strong sense of place written by someone who is not an outsider. I don't want to overthink how to define an outsider. I will know it when I see it :)

 

There was another blogger that I read about doing something similar and he or she (can't remember who it was) made the rule that you had to cross a border like an overland journey, until you got stuck. So you could move directly from Poland to Slovakia but not from Poland to France, for example. I like that idea, but I am also an opportunist. Sometimes I have limited access to a book, or a book club read would fill Australia's slot and I would not enforce my border rule on myself.

 

I don't think it is always easy to figure out where to put a book. Would Voices from Chernobyl be OK for Belarus even though Chernobyl is in Ukraine? For me, yes. I think so since the author is from Belarus, and much of the impact was in Belarus. I don't think I would count Cafe Europa at all; it just ranges over too much physical territory. And since I am neither blogging nor writing a book, I see no need for me to overthink these things too much. 

 

Where is my starting line? I am thinking backing up to January 2017 because that is when I became a real reader again :) And started diligently tracking my books. I have definitely read some this year that would work.

 

One of my IRL friends and I have also talked about trying to do the 50 states (plus territories) as well. We got inspired at the National Festival of the Book to think on that one. Just a different flavor of the same idea...

 

:lurk5: Would love to hear thoughts from others on this.

 

Edited October 3, 2017 by Penguin

[Colleen]

I think I wouldn't want to approach it based on familiarity. 

 

It would be my inclination, but I'd have to resist it. I admittedly don't challenge myself lately where reading is concerned, so the "easy out" would be to first tackle that with which I'm more familiar. I tend any more to do a lot of rereading, at least insofar as novels are concerned. I seldom read fiction, and when I do, it's often comfort food. Revisiting a Willa Cather or Bronte landscape, that sort of thing. 

 

 

I have finally started Born a Crime  by Trevor Noah. Thank you, Lady Florida for sending it to me. I'm still on the hold list at the library and would still be waiting. That is one popular book. This will most likely be a book I will have my teen listen to. 

 

Oh, I'm glad for this reminder! I had this on my radar last year and lost sight of it. Still want to read it ~ and yes, sounds like one to recommend to my son(s), as well. 

 

 

Speaking of books in translation:  Roseanna by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö was a page turner toward the end. Excellent police procedural translated from the Swedish.

 

Goes without saying that any book by an author named Per must be good.  ;)  This sounds like something to read after watching Brenda Blythen ("Vera") ponder a murder against a brooding Northumberland backdrop.

[Colleen]

 

 

One of my IRL friends and I have also talked about trying to do the 50 states (plus territories) as well. We got inspired at the National Festival of the Book to think on that one. Just a different flavor of the same idea...

 

 

 

Oooh, I like this, too! Could replace my short-lived notion of running a marathon in each state. Quite a bit more realistic, albeit not as horizon-broadening. (ETA: that last bit was in reference to the reading around the world project. But at this point, reading a book from each state is more realistic than running 26.2 in each one....!)

Edited October 3, 2017 by Colleen

[fastweedpuller]

I cannot even imagine reading that total number of books in a year that the total of the countries in the world require.  Maybe I need to retire from work, homeschooling AND farming, yet retain all my marbles and money.  (Sheesh I was feeling really good with my 56 until I see that some of you have already climbed north of 100 books this year.  And yes I know this is not a competition...)  But, knowing me, I would probably alternate books by continent, not do a continental sweep, etc. because, and maybe I am not alone here, they would get too jumbled in my head.  (was that x from Mali or y from Algeria?)

 

And like Mom-Ninja, my TBR list is long and holds intrigue because they are books picked by me free from any list. So that's persuasive/a goal.  But:  I look back at the books I chose to read this year and I realize it's a retread of the stuff I usually read:  science stuff, memoirs (this year is the death memoir ick), nonfiction/sociology in the world-is-going-to-heck vein, and apocalyptic fiction.  So sheesh maybe I do need Bingo or something to keep me away from my worst impulses :banghead: 

 

Hey, weekly update has me having finished Wonderland by Steven Johnson, he of the How We Got to Now PBS series that we quite enjoyed en famille.  He really scratches my geek-girl engineer slash historian itch, and this book looked at how play is one of the more overlooked impulses behind any innovation.  Basically, we are wired for novelty, and we will pursue it for many ends (taste, hearing, clothing, etc.).  I did find it interesting that he did not put human sexuality in this innovation category.  Not sure why other than maybe the prurient factor or that he wrote it off as sex (until reliable birth control) = reproduction for most of history.  Anyway, I enjoyed this book.  And I listened to Woolf's A Room of One's Own because I cadged my aunt's Audible password and am now listening to her backlog of freebies; her taste and mine don't really gel otherwise.  And I am still trudging through the seasons with Hild.

 

 

[Loesje22000]

@ reading the world

 

My 'plan':

 

I printed the list.

So I can spend many happy evening browsing and searching for translations

I will read ad random and what is available and mark with nice colors what I have read.

Sometimes I will want to 'finish' an area or a specific letter

I don't have to wonder 'what to read next' for the next few years ;)

[Penguin]

I cannot even imagine reading that total number of books in a year that the total of the countries in the world require. Maybe I need to retire from work, homeschooling AND farming, yet retain all my marbles and money. (Sheesh I was feeling really good with my 56 until I see that some of you have already climbed north of 100 books this year. And yes I know this is not a competition...)

{snip}

 

And while it is not a competition, maybe you will be happy to know that 56 puts you ahead of my 49. And indeed I feel pretty good about my 49. Notice that my project ramblings included no deadlines :)

[Chrysalis Academy]

I've been geeking out on the list too! I rearranged it geographically and plugged in the books I've read already, including books from the past couple of years. I've hit 35 countries so far. (Morgan is at her nature class, and Shannon is too sick for school, so instead of working, I'm doing this  :rolleyes: ).  I think this will be a fun challenge (starting in ETA: 2018) but I will definitely take multiple years to do it. I will be opportunistic for sure, but may try to systematically tackle Africa next year.

 

Those blog posts were super interesting, Penguin. I was also trying to figure out whether to stick with contemporary, or whether older stuff would "count."  I'm not sure. I didn't feel right about counting Aeschylus for Greece, but what about Voltaire for France? KWIM? 

 

How fun! But must not get too sidetracked, I already have plenty o' challenge for 2016!  ETA: or 2017, as the case may be . . . I'm lucky to remember the decade these days.  :lol:

Edited October 4, 2017 by Chrysalis Academy

[ErinE]

An interesting and lofty goal to read a book from each country. If I did that I would need lots of time. I'm actually toying with the idea of not doing any lists, challenges, or bingo next year and just read from my tbr list. Of course, that will most likely not happen. It would be a challenge in itself to not participate in those things. ;) However, my tbr list is huge. So my challenge might be to simply read from my tbr list and not make detours. Maybe. Cause I like detours. I usually try to match up books from my tbr list with bingo and other challenges but it doesn't always make a match. I like reading books I might not otherwise read if they were not part of a challenge, however, my tbr list is so darn long. I really do want to read the book on the list. I feel like I am getting too distracted with all the other guides/lists. So I'm pondering what my "challenge" will be next year.

I understand what you're saying. I challenged myself this year and now I feel internal pressure - finish your list!! I'm thinking next year I might just read however I feel inspired and take a step back from a creating a specific list.

[Colleen]

I've been geeking out on the list too! I rearranged it geographically and plugged in the books I've read already, including books from the past couple of years. I've hit 35 countries so far. 

 

Same! Geeking out on the list, that is. I definitely haven't read books from 35 countries in the past couple of years (or ever, probably). 

 

So am I missing it, or does she (Ann Morgan) ever address how she went about tackling this? In terms of where she started, and where she "traveled" next, I mean. I'm so systematic, I assumed she read through the countries either alphabetically or geographically. Reading some of her book commentaries, though, I'm not seeing a particular sense of order. Maybe just whatever she could get her hands on next? 

[Penguin]

While we are on the topic of World Lit, I have a subscription to the print version of World Literature Today. It is really nicely produced, in addition to having good content.

 

And have we mentioned this book before? Novel Destinations: A Travel Guide to Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen's Bath to Ernest Hemingway's Key West. I have this out from the library right now. Another list making opportunity lol. I want to see how many I have been to. 

 

Edited October 3, 2017 by Penguin

[Violet Crown]

Now I'm wanting to do a chronological version of the International Challenge. Hmmm.

[Penguin]

Now I'm wanting to do a chronological version of the International Challenge. Hmmm.

I'd like to hear more about how that would be structured.

[Violet Crown]

I'd like to hear more about how that would be structured.

A book from each century? Work back to Gilgamesh?

 

It's the 21st that would be tricky.

[Kareni]

...

 

How fun! But must not get too sidetracked, I already have plenty o' challenge for 2016!

 

I'll admit to wondering if you posted this in all seriousness, since (surprise!) it's 2017.  Time does fly.

**

 

I'm fairly certain I posted this last year, but given that Halloween is coming and some may be searching for a book that is not too scary ...

 

Guest Squee: The Ghost and Mrs. Muir – The Movie, the Book, and Me  by Kay Layton Sisk

 

"I fell in love with the 1947 movie The Ghost and Mrs. Muir in all its black and white, Saturday-afternoon-on-the-independent-channel glory, the first time I watched it. Rex Harrison as the deceased ship captain Daniel Gregg, Gene Tierney as the lonely widow Lucy Muir, a Love That Could Never Be, what was there not to sigh over?

 

But, as Sarah pointed out to me, not everyone (really?) is familiar with The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. How can it be that not everyone has sat glued to the TV on Saturday afternoons enchanted with old movies? (This is not to dismiss the TV show of the same name from 1968-70, but it’s not part of this discussion.)..."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Chrysalis Academy]

I'll admit to wondering if you posted this in all seriousness, since (surprise!) it's 2017.  Time does fly.

**

 

 

 

LOL  :lol:  Yep, I'm at *least* a year behind.  

[Chrysalis Academy]

An interesting and lofty goal to read a book from each country. If I did that I would need lots of time. I'm actually toying with the idea of not doing any lists, challenges, or bingo next year and just read from my tbr list. Of course, that will most likely not happen. It would be a challenge in itself to not participate in those things. ;) However, my tbr list is huge. So my challenge might be to simply read from my tbr list and not make detours. Maybe. Cause I like detours. I usually try to match up books from my tbr list with bingo and other challenges but it doesn't always make a match. I like reading books I might not otherwise read if they were not part of a challenge, however, my tbr list is so darn long. I really do want to read the book on the list. I feel like I am getting too distracted with all the other guides/lists. So I'm pondering what my "challenge" will be next year. 

 

 

 

I hear you. I have 214 books on my "2018 Challenge Fiction" shelf, and just the other day I was thinking, "No more challenges! Just read those books in 2018!"  But I seem to be a sucker for a challenge.  :biggrinjester:

[Kareni]

LOL  :lol:  Yep, I'm at *least* a year behind.  

 

Sometimes I feel about a decade behind (often when I realize that I don't recognize three quarters of today's 'stars/celebrities').

**

 

I just finished The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld which was a gripping read.  Trigger warning for (highlight to see) child abuse.  Here is the blurb ~

 

""Where are you, Madison Culver? Flying with the angels, a silver speck on a wing? Are you dreaming, buried under snow? Or—is it possible—you are still alive?"

 

Three years ago, Madison Culver disappeared when her family was choosing a Christmas tree in Oregon’s Skookum National Forest. She would be eight-years-old now—if she has survived.

 

Desperate to find their beloved daughter, certain someone took her, the Culvers turn to Naomi, a private investigator with an uncanny talent for locating the lost and missing. Known to the police and a select group of parents as "the Child Finder," Naomi is their last hope.

 

Naomi’s methodical search takes her deep into the icy, mysterious forest in the Pacific Northwest, and into her own fragmented past. She understands children like Madison because once upon a time, she was a lost girl, too.

 

As Naomi relentlessly pursues and slowly uncovers the truth behind Madison’s disappearance, shards of a dark dream pierce the defenses that have protected her, reminding her of a terrible loss she feels but cannot remember. If she finds Madison, will Naomi ultimately unlock the secrets of her own life?

 

Told in the alternating voices of Naomi and a deeply imaginative child, The Child Finder is a breathtaking, exquisitely rendered literary page-turner about redemption, the line between reality and memories and dreams, and the human capacity to survive."

 

Here's a link to an interview with the author ~

How We Survive Terror": Rene Denfeld on "The Child Finder" by Erin Kodicek

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Matryoshka]

I hear you. I have 214 books on my "2018 Challenge Fiction" shelf, and just the other day I was thinking, "No more challenges! Just read those books in 2018!"  But I seem to be a sucker for a challenge.  :biggrinjester:

 

Do you separate out TR books for next year already based on anticipated challenges?

 

I just have a big honkin' TR list that's currently at 572 books, but it seems to be growing exponentially.  Whoopsie.  I try to pick bingo reads from books already on it, but then I keep adding to it as I see books the rest of y'all list on Goodreads, or from cool lists posted here and elsewhere, and from the "just added" section of Overdrive. And of course there are plenty of odd challenges that need a new book added.  Sigh.  But I have so much fun with the challenges!   :hat:

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts ~

 

30 Cozy Harry Potter Sweatshirts for Fall  by Kate Krug  (Some fun shirts here!)

 

Harry Potter Jewelry for Every Occasion (and Harry Potter Jewelry Boxes to Put It In)  by Patricia Elzie-Tuttle  (Harry Potter fans will be drooling!)

 

When a Book is Almost Too Pretty to Read  by Tara Cheesman  (We've seen the first book discussed here.)

 

39 Books That Are Actually Scary

 

10 Magical Feminist Books to Inspire Creative Resistance by Ariel Gore

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Matryoshka]

Ok, so since we're veering off into international reading territory, please recommend ONE book from somewhere that you think those of us interested in international reading should read. I know my recommendations would vary by the hour, but for right now, I will recommend:

 

 

The Book of Embraces by Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano.

 

The NY Times Review: 'There Is a Woman Stuck in My Throat'

 

FYI, I first discovered this book because I found it on a 2014 list called A Novel for Every Remaining World Cup Team.

 

See, you're not helping. :lol:

 

On the one hand I'm super-impressed that I've managed over 100 books this year.

 

On the other hand, my 'to-read' list seems to be growing at about 5x the rate of my 'read' list.  And growing, and growing... :lol:

[Chrysalis Academy]

Do you separate out TR books for next year already based on anticipated challenges?

 

I just have a big honkin' TR list that's currently at 572 books, but it seems to be growing exponentially.  Whoopsie.  I try to pick bingo reads from books already on it, but then I keep adding to it as I see books the rest of y'all list on Goodreads, or from cool lists posted here and elsewhere, and from the "just added" section of Overdrive. And of course there are plenty of odd challenges that need a new book added.  Sigh.  But I have so much fun with the challenges!   :hat:

 

No, I don't have 2018 lists for next year based on challenges, but I do have 3 shelves that I put 2018 on - one for fiction, one for nonfiction, and one for history/school reading for next year (American history). I did this because my current challenge shelf is all about Bingo, and I wanted a place to capture all the non-Bingo book recs that I want to read soon, too! But of course those lists are now so long they could be 100% of my reading for 2018, even without a challenge.

 

I started an Around the World shelf (undated) and added the Africa books I'd like to read. I think I'll work on that next year, but in a meandering & lazy way, so I'm intentionally keeping it undated.

 

Ok, so since we're veering off into international reading territory, please recommend ONE book from somewhere that you think those of us interested in international reading should read. I know my recommendations would vary by the hour, but for right now, I will recommend:

 

 

The Book of Embraces by Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano.

 

The NY Times Review: 'There Is a Woman Stuck in My Throat'

 

FYI, I first discovered this book because I found it on a 2014 list called A Novel for Every Remaining World Cup Team.

 

I added this to my list under Uruguay! And thanks for the reminder that you have country shelves, I'm going to do that too, it's a nice cross-reference. I started one for Africa, just of books I've read the last 3 years so far. 

 

Just one suggestion!!! Impossible. If I restrict it to things you haven't read (many of my great international reads were your suggestions) I will offer Homegoing or Cry the Beloved Country.

[Chrysalis Academy]

I finished Patient H.M.: A Story of Memory, Madness, and Family Secrets.  I found it completely fascinating, and profoundly disturbing and upsetting. It reminded me both why I was fascinated by and wanted to study the brain, and also why I left neuroscience. I was in Sue Corkin's lab at MIT from 1994-1998, and I tested Henry several times myself. I read Sue's book Permanent Present Tense when it came out. It was her version of Henry's story, ultimately an effort to control his story and his (and her own) legacy as tightly as she had controlled everything, her whole life. This book opened some very disturbing windows onto that control, but ultimately (sadly) I believe every word of it (particularly since he has and published audiotapes of their interviews - he's not making this stuff up.  Oh, hearing her voice again . . .it sent shivers up my spine.

 

There is nostalgia, but also pity and outrage, in these memories. For me, but for the author too: his grandfather was the surgeon who operated on Henry, and hundreds of other people. There were shocking family revelations there as well. Just a really well written, compelling story, one that dissects science, medical care, and even the class system. I think anybody would find this a fascinating read, although my personal connection to the story of course made it even more compelling for me.

[Kareni]

A one day only currently free work for Kindle readers; this one looks intriguing ~

 

Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki 

 

"Princes, princesses, goblins, ghouls, dragons, and more abound in these twenty-two Japanese fairy tales translated and retold for young Western readers.
 
Prepare to encounter action and adventure in this highly regarded collection of classic Japanese tales, in which you’ll meet a dragon king, a talking tortoise, a wily badger, princesses, knights, and mischievous monkeys!
 
Japanese Fairy Tales includes “Momotaro, or the Story of the Son of a Peach,†“The Ogre of Rashomon,†“The Adventures of Kintaro, the Golden Boy,†“The Mirror of Matsuyama,†“The Goblin of Adachigahara,†“The Sagacious Monkey and the Boar,†and more."

 

 

Also currently free ~

 

Vampire for Hire: First Three Novels by J.R. Rain

 

this features an Eliana:

The Auriga Project…  by M.G. Herron

 

Who can resist this title?: 

Finding Your Hummus:…  by Michael Kouly

 

Regards,

Kareni

[SKL]

I finished the short stories that were included in my Jeyll & Hyde book (not recommended really).  Now I have decided to try to finish that book my brother bought me for my birthday years ago - I used to complain about it on here until I too a break from it.  I guess I feel like I need to be punished for something.  :P

 

My kids and I are enjoying Jonny Tremain on audiobook.

 

We are down to the last few pages of the read-aloud that none of us have been enjoying since July.  :P  Next up I'm planning to read Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.  They are a little old for it, but they skipped this book and I think they will like it.  Plus, I'm taking them on their first trip to NYC next week.  So a little kid background about NYC.  :)

[ErinE]

I finished Patient H.M.: A Story of Memory, Madness, and Family Secrets.  I found it completely fascinating, and profoundly disturbing and upsetting. It reminded me both why I was fascinated by and wanted to study the brain, and also why I left neuroscience. I was in Sue Corkin's lab at MIT from 1994-1998, and I tested Henry several times myself. I read Sue's book Permanent Present Tense when it came out. It was her version of Henry's story, ultimately an effort to control his story and his (and her own) legacy as tightly as she had controlled everything, her whole life. This book opened some very disturbing windows onto that control, but ultimately (sadly) I believe every word of it (particularly since he has and published audiotapes of their interviews - he's not making this stuff up.  Oh, hearing her voice again . . .it sent shivers up my spine.

 

There is nostalgia, but also pity and outrage, in these memories. For me, but for the author too: his grandfather was the surgeon who operated on Henry, and hundreds of other people. There were shocking family revelations there as well. Just a really well written, compelling story, one that dissects science, medical care, and even the class system. I think anybody would find this a fascinating read, although my personal connection to the story of course made it even more compelling for me.

 

I've added this to my TBR list. I've been fascinated by the case since reading an Oliver Sacks book. H.M. also inspired the premise for the movie Memento, which was my first introduction to Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan's short story Memento Mori.

[JennW in SoCal]

 

 

Ok, so since we're veering off into international reading territory, please recommend ONE book from somewhere that you think those of us interested in international reading should read.

 

Just one?  How about if I recommend 3 books about one particular place in time?  If you'd like to learn about early modern China, a time when corrupt warlords reigned, traditions were crumbling and revolution brewing, then I have 3 really good recommendations for you, ranging from soap opera to totally depressing. I read all of these in college, one of which I read in the original Chinese -- something I couldn't do today! They have each stayed with me all these years, and I recommend them because I think they give context to any literature from modern China.

 

 

 

                       

 

 

For a soap opera, I recommend Family by Ba Jin. Don't be fooled by my soap opera description into thinking it is light and fluffy. It is about a family in the 19-teens and 20s, when children are picking up revolutionary ideas while the patriarch is wanting to maintain traditional Confucian order in his house. Hence the soap opera dynamics.

 

For downright depressing, but truly excellent, try Rickshaw Boy: A Novel by Lao She. Think of Charles Dickens writing about 1920s Beijing, or as a goodreads reviewer suggests, Grapes of Wrath set in China. 

 

And finally, you should try some of the short stories by the great 20th century author, Lu Xun whose life and writing straddled traditional and modern China. "The True Story of Ah Q" and "Diary of a Madman" are his most famous. I suggest this Penguin collection, The Real Story of Ah Q and other Tales of China. 

[Penguin]

Stacia, I recommend Laurus by Evgenij Vodolazkin. It is one of my favorite reads this year.

[Chrysalis Academy]

I've added this to my TBR list. I've been fascinated by the case since reading an Oliver Sacks book. H.M. also inspired the premise for the movie Memento, which was my first introduction to Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan's short story Memento Mori.

 

Yes, and they did a really good job in the movie depicting what anterograde amnesia is actually like (though the character is nothing like Henry!).  Their one big screwup was saying he had lost his short-term memory. It's the opposite - his short term memory was fine, he had lost the ability to make new long-term memories.  

 

I'm looking forward to watching Momento with Shannon.

[Mom-ninja.]

Do you separate out TR books for next year already based on anticipated challenges?

 

I just have a big honkin' TR list that's currently at 572 books, but it seems to be growing exponentially.  Whoopsie.  I try to pick bingo reads from books already on it, but then I keep adding to it as I see books the rest of y'all list on Goodreads, or from cool lists posted here and elsewhere, and from the "just added" section of Overdrive. And of course there are plenty of odd challenges that need a new book added.  Sigh.  But I have so much fun with the challenges!   :hat:

 

NPR gets me every time with author interviews. 

[ErinE]

I may not participate in the read around the world challenge, but I'm adding many books to my TBR list.

[Penguin]

I flipped through Novel Destinations last night. It was haphazardly arranged and ultimately disappointing. There were too many hotels and reach items: Scott and Zelda stayed HERE and so can you... And some of the sites (like the cathedrals) are to me only peripherally bookish.

 

In a box somewhere, I have The Atlas of Literature, which is a much better book in my opinion.

 

For fun, here are the places in Novel Destinations that I have been, listed in no particular order:

 

Globe Theater, London

Stratford-Upon-Avon

Jack London State Historic Park

Anne Frank House

Westminster Abbey

Notre Dame Cathedral

St Paul's Cathedral, London

St Patrick's Cathedral, NY

Hemingway's Home, Key West

Hannibal, MO ( the Twain stuff)

Beauregard-Keyes House, New Orleans

British Library

Library of Congress

National Book Festival

Bath (the Jane Austen stuff)

City Lights Bookstore and the Beat Museum, San Francisco

Steinbeck House, CA

Prague (some of the Kafka stuff)

Kronburg Castle (Hamlet's castle in Denmark)

 

To my utter shame, I have no clear memory of going to Poe's House or grave despite the fact that I have lived most of my life in MD and am a Poe fan. I feel like SURELY I have been there, but have I really?! I need to rectify that ASAP.

 

And I thought of a few I've visited that are not in Novel Destinations:

 

Karen Blixen / Isak Dinensen Home (Denmark)

Gunter Grass House and Thomas Mann Museum, Germany

Truman Library

Charring Cross Road

Fjærland (Norwegian book town)

H.C. Andersen home and museum (Denmark)

Some very memorable bookshops

Edited October 4, 2017 by Penguin

[fastweedpuller]

General and very honest question, coming from my own place of ignorance in the matter:

 

In re: these books in A Year of Reading the World, are they all fiction, as in, are they all novels?   It was my understanding that not all cultures/countries have a tradition of novel-writing.  Short stories yes, folklore & folktales definitely, but I thought "the novel" was a very recent invention. 

 

thanks

 

[Kareni]

Robin, a big thank you for the post card; it was a happy surprise!

 

I'll admit that I had to research the names Armande and Reine-Marie ~ clearly you're encouraging me to read the Chief Inspector Gamache stories.  I've put a hold on Louise Penny's Still Life (A Chief Inspector Gamache Mystery Book 1);  we'll see how much competition it has upon its arrival.

 

Thanks once again for brightening my day ~

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Penguin]

General and very honest question, coming from my own place of ignorance in the matter:

 

In re: these books in A Year of Reading the World, are they all fiction, as in, are they all novels?   It was my understanding that not all cultures/countries have a tradition of novel-writing.  Short stories yes, folklore & folktales definitely, but I thought "the novel" was a very recent invention. 

 

thanks

Ann Morgan bumped up against the same question, and ultimately allowed various non-novel genres to count. That being said, her list seems to be mostly novels.

 

She noted on her blog that "while prose fiction may be fairly ubiquitous, it’s by no means native to every culture. In fact, in places where stories tend to be passed on verbally, narrative poems may be much truer reflections of literature there."

Edited October 4, 2017 by Penguin

[Jane in NC]

I flipped through Novel Destinations last night. It was haphazardly arranged and ultimately disappointing. There were too many hotels and reach items: Scott and Zelda stayed HERE and so can you... And some of the sites (like the cathedrals) are to me only peripherally bookish.

 

In a box somewhere, I have The Atlas of Literature, which is a much better book in my opinion.

 

For fun, here are the places in Novel Destinations that I have been, listed in no particular order:

 

Globe Theater, London

Stratford-Upon-Avon

Jack London State Historic Park

Anne Frank House

Westminster Abbey

Notre Dame Cathedral

St Paul's Cathedral, London

St Patrick's Cathedral, NY

Hemingway's Home, Key West

Hannibal, MO ( the Twain stuff)

Beauregard-Keyes House, New Orleans

British Library

Library of Congress

National Book Festival

Bath (the Jane Austen stuff)

City Lights Bookstore and the Beat Museum, San Francisco

Steinbeck House, CA

Prague (some of the Kafka stuff)

Kronburg Castle (Hamlet's castle in Denmark)

 

To my utter shame, I have no clear memory of going to Poe's House or grave despite the fact that I have lived most of my life in MD and am a Poe fan. I feel like SURELY I have been there, but have I really?! I need to rectify that ASAP.

 

And I thought of a few I've visited that are not in Novel Destinations:

 

Karen Blixen / Isak Dinensen Home (Denmark)

Gunter Grass House and Thomas Mann Museum, Germany

Truman Library

Charring Cross Road

Fjærland (Norwegian book town)

H.C. Andersen home and museum (Denmark)

Some very memorable bookshops

 

My most favorite literary place is probably Lyme Regis, the setting for The French Lieutenant's Woman and part of the setting of Persuasion.  I have mentioned this before:  you can stay in a B&B above a bookshop here with the walls of the guest room lined with books.

 

Also, why does a Hemingway destination always focus on Key West?  Why not the northern woods of Michigan for those of us who love the Nick Adams stories?

 

 

[Penguin]

My most favorite literary place is probably Lyme Regis, the setting for The French Lieutenant's Woman and part of the setting of Persuasion.  I have mentioned this before:  you can stay in a B&B above a bookshop here with the walls of the guest room lined with books.

 

Also, why does a Hemingway destination always focus on Key West?  Why not the northern woods of Michigan for those of us who love the Nick Adams stories?

I just checked Novel Destinations to see if the northern woods of Michigan were in the Hemingway chapter. Nope. There is a whole chapter on Hemingway though. I just didn't list the other places (in Illinois, Idaho, Paris, and Cuba) because I have never been to them. Matter of fact, Michigan does not have a single listing. Novel Destinations is useful but certainly not comprehensive.

[aggieamy]

Ok, so since we're veering off into international reading territory, please recommend ONE book from somewhere that you think those of us interested in international reading should read.

 

Japan. I know, I know. Nobody is surprised that I choose a small island nation. Everyone is surprised it's something other than England. 

 

 

Read this a few years ago and loved it so much that I still think about it.

 

 

 

I'll admit that I had to research the names Armande and Reine-Marie ~ clearly you're encouraging me to read the Chief Inspector Gamache stories.  I've put a hold on Louise Penny's Still Life (A Chief Inspector Gamache Mystery Book 1);  we'll see how much competition it has upon its arrival.

 

 

I don't think we're allowed to boss people around on this thread but if we were then I'd assign you Still Life for homework! I think you'd love it.

 

Some bookish posts ~

 

30 Cozy Harry Potter Sweatshirts for Fall  by Kate Krug  (Some fun shirts here!)

 

Harry Potter Jewelry for Every Occasion (and Harry Potter Jewelry Boxes to Put It In)  by Patricia Elzie-Tuttle  (Harry Potter fans will be drooling!)

 

When a Book is Almost Too Pretty to Read  by Tara Cheesman  (We've seen the first book discussed here.)

 

39 Books That Are Actually Scary

 

10 Magical Feminist Books to Inspire Creative Resistance by Ariel Gore

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

That helps with the Christmas shopping - my 13 yo is getting hard to buy for but I know she'd love some HP jewelry.

 

A book from each century? Work back to Gilgamesh?

 

It's the 21st that would be tricky.

 

I'm too wimpy to join in on such a noble quest but it would be fun to follow your progress. I hope you do it!

 

 

I also read The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer. 3 and a half to 4 stars - I enjoyed it although I do wish GH would give a little more of the aftermath of the story rather than just boom! story's over. 

 

 

 

I don't enjoy her silly madcap adventures as much as some of the more "realistic" ones. I think part of that is, like you, I would have enjoyed seeing more of the aftermath. I want a few pages to revel in the happily ever after.

Edited October 4, 2017 by aggieamy

[Guest]

Hey, Jenn!  "Homeschool mom emeritus"...haha. Nice! That'd be me as well, since I stopped homeschooling after my divorce & move into town. Only then did I realize that educating my guys was truly a full-time job, a passion & career. Truth be told, I am still, two years later, fairly lost without that job. Blerg. 

 

My baby (Kai) just turned 13 and is a 7th grader. What the dickens? How is that even possible? Rafe is a sophomore and Luke is a senior, doing dual enrollment at the community college. Per has mostly worked since graduating high school last year. He spent last winter as a ski instructor in Switzerland. Wanted to travel around like all good young Europeans and Aussies, but realized even backpacking does require money. He's going to the community college and wishing always that he could exist solely on hunting & fishing ~ which I suppose he could, in a Grizzly Adams sort of fashion. Jan, my oldest, graduated from Washington State University in May. He's also Army Infantry and is currently at Ranger School. 

 

I really have to think hard to remember the days when I had this band gathered around while we read SOTW. Now it's a matter of self-education purely for my own benefit ~ takes a bit more motivation! 

 

Colleen!!! 

 

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

 

I am so happy to 'see' you here... and to hear a few updates about you and your gang of boys!

 

<3

 

Eliana

 

 

[Lady Florida.]

Since we were talking about cats not long ago, I thought I'd share pictures of our newest addition. Her name is Cookie and my cousin's granddaughter found her when they were living there. (She was a tiny thing then and is about a year old now.)Then my cousin's daughter and family moved to another town and to an apartment where they can't have pets, leaving my cousin with the cat. My cousin works all day and comes home too tired to play with a kitten. Her older cat doesn't mind but a younger cat needs more attention. We'd been thinking about getting another cat, so I said I'd take her. Our 9yo cat isn't too happy but I'm hoping eventually they can get along enough to live together. 

 

Dennis (my 20yo) had appointed himself her protector and they seem to have bonded. She stays in his room and he won't let Crookshanks (the older cat, and yes so named because of Harry Potter) in his room because it's Cookie's safe place. She sits on his bed and watches him while he's gaming on his computer. When he tries to sleep she attacks his feet under the covers. :)

 

I always have trouble uploading photos here so I'm linking to facebook photos. You should be able to see them even if you aren't on facebook or we aren't friends. 

 

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10159248277825447.1073741838.716370446&type=1&l=ddb1bfd634

 

 

[aggieamy]

Since we were talking about cats not long ago, I thought I'd share pictures of our newest addition. Her name is Cookie and my cousin's granddaughter found her when they were living there. (She was a tiny thing then and is about a year old now.)Then my cousin's daughter and family moved to another town and to an apartment where they can't have pets, leaving my cousin with the cat. My cousin works all day and comes home too tired to play with a kitten. Her older cat doesn't mind but a younger cat needs more attention. We'd been thinking about getting another cat, so I said I'd take her. Our 9yo cat isn't too happy but I'm hoping eventually they can get along enough to live together. 

 

Dennis (my 20yo) had appointed himself her protector and they seem to have bonded. She stays in his room and he won't let Crookshanks (the older cat, and yes so named because of Harry Potter) in his room because it's Cookie's safe place. She sits on his bed and watches him while he's gaming on his computer. When he tries to sleep she attacks his feet under the covers. :)

 

I always have trouble uploading photos here so I'm linking to facebook photos. You should be able to see them even if you aren't on facebook or we aren't friends. 

 

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10159248277825447.1073741838.716370446&type=1&l=ddb1bfd634

 

She's got classic cat good looks!

[Colleen]

Colleen!!! 

 

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

 

I am so happy to 'see' you here... and to hear a few updates about you and your gang of boys!

 

<3

 

Eliana

 

 

 

Eliana! You're here! You and so many others from yesteryear, all in this little snow globe world, just where I left you. *grin*  It truly warms my heart to see so many familiar names & faces ~ and new ones, as well.

[Lady Florida.]

I meant to add that both cats are black and white. While Cookie is a classic tuxedo cat, Crookshanks' markings are more cow-like. 

 

On to books - 

 

I finished this week's section of War and Peace and started the first epilogue. 

 

I finished listening to Hamilton: The Revolution. I liked it but I didn't love it. I think a print version would be nice because of the photos. as idnib pointed out, but I don't think that would have made me like it more. Listening to it did make me want to listen to the soundtrack again, which I haven't done in a while. Lin-Manuel Miranda reads the footnotes and fortunately the audio book comes with a pdf of the notes. If not for the pdf I wouldn't have been able to figure out most of the footnotes he was reading. Some were obvious as to what they referred to, but most weren't.

 

My library print copy of Den of Thieves arrived and I downloaded the library's Kindle copy of NIcholas and Alexandra, and started reading both.

 

Still reading - W&P of course, Hyperion. 

On hold until I finish at least one of the above reads - Truman, Under the Banner of Heaven

 

 

Mom-ninja, I know what you mean about not doing challenges. This is the first year I got serious about bingo and I put aside some books I've been wanting to read in order to read some bingo square books. I usually only accidentally filled a row or two in past years, and I rarely participated in any of the monthly challenges, though I did join some read-alongs. Like some other BaW members, I try to match my TBR list to a challenge. Most of the time it works. For example, I've been wanting to read Nicholas and Alexandra for at least a year and now it fits with the October birthstone challenge. Some of the bingo squares were also filled with my TBR books. In other cases I probably wouldn't have read (or even heard of) some of the books I read for the challenge but once I discover them they sound good. Den of Thieves is one. Finance books don't interest me but this one sounded interesting (and so far it is) so I chose it for the finance square.

 

I mentioned a while back that I have several books I want to reread and that I might make 2018 The Year of the Reread. If I do, I'll put those books on my priority list before adding any challenge books.

 

Many, though not all of the books on my TBR list come from these threads, so even when I don't participate in challenges, BaW increases my TBR list! :D I also get recommendations from NPR, two IRL friends with whom I share reading tastes, and Goodreads. 

 

Hello Colleen.  :seeya:  You probably don't know me but I remember you. You were becoming less active on WTM right around the time I was becoming active. Nice to see you here. Hope you'll stick around.