Book a Week 2017 - BW41: Bookish Notes and Birthdays

[Colleen]

 

Although I appreciated works that were 'about' the region, I felt strongly that I should not make that requirement.  

 

 

Feeling rather dense because as many times as I read this, I'm not sure what you mean. I  absolutely don't see this list/challenge (or any other) as a means of box checking, and I hold loosely any notions of what does or doesn't count for this or that. But of course a book has to have some connection in some way to the given place. Sorry to be thick, but I'm not sure I understand you...? : )

Edited October 10, 2017 by Colleen

[Jane in NC]

Regarding the world reading challenge...

 

Today's political boundaries do not reflect those of yesterday.  Frankly I don't think one can be too rigid in assigning authors to places of origin given the number of political refuges in the literary landscape. My eyes were really opened to this when I was reading some stories by Krzhizhanovsky who was born in Kiev (Ukraine) in a Polish family.  But he is considered a Soviet author.  By today's political boundaries, we might consider him Ukrainian--his stories introduced me to a post WWI Ukrainian world in which political alliances produced an almost uncountable number of governments within a 24 month period.  But he is ultimately Soviet.  Does that mean he is Russian?

 

And what about Maja Hadelap? Her novel Angel of Oblivion is translated from the German; she is Austrian.  But her ethnic heritage is Carinthian Slovenian. This is an ethnic minority that was systematically removed from Austria by the Nazis for extermination; those who fled joined Tito's partisans. Yeah, she is Austrian but I feel that she needs to be considered Carinthian Slovenian because she and her family SURVIVED. 

 

What about the Kurds?  I don't know any Kurdish authors but I wonder if they want to be considered Iraqi, Turkish or what they are--Kurdish. But are they?

 

Genetic testing reveals we are marvelous conglomerations because as human beings we are on the move.  I'm not suggesting that it is a waste of time to read your way around the world.  I am thinking though that I wouldn't sweat too much over labels about who fits into what box.

 

That said--I have had a few hissy fits over authors appropriating a place when they clearly don't know much about said place.  Or time.

 

No rigid answers here.

[Ali in OR]

Do you see legacy admissions as positive?  And if so, in what way?  I have been concerned about the inequities I see stemming from it, but believe that as schools try to form a learning community there are, and should be, many factors that go into that process.

 

I certainly don't view them as negatively as he does. I see positives in families sharing traditions--living in Oregon there are "Duck" families and "Beaver" families (and plenty of mixed families too), and I think it can be a special thing for different generations to experience the same school at different times. In the case of public institutions, many have just grown in the last few decades. A "legacy" getting in does not mean another student doesn't get in. I wish that I could share my college experience with my kids, but my alma mater, Stanford, is ridiculously hard to get into. The acceptance rate for a regular applicant is 5% and for a legacy it is 15%. Reeves sees that as 3 times as many legacies get in as regular applicants, but I see that as 85% of legacy applicants don't get in. I have no doubt that those who do get in are as qualified as anyone else--I don't think Stanford is letting some people buy their way in. Same with athletics--the football players and others have to meet the same incredibly high standard as anyone else--they just have a better chance at actually getting in while meeting that standard. Stanford also aggressively seeks students who are first generation college students, minorities, etc. They aren't serving an entrenched establishment. So I guess because the one institution I'm familiar with doesn't have a legacy problem to my way of thinking, I don't react viscerally to legacies as Reeves does.

[Jane in NC]

Hey everyone--we need to hold Rose in our thoughts.  In the fire thread she wrote:

 

 

Crap, the wind is picking up again and supposed to be gusting heavily the next couple of nights. This is not what we need. That fire northeast of us is just in such a bad place if the winds get heavy.

 

I was stuck in a torrential rain today with minimal visibility, forcing me to park and wait for the rain to pass.  I kept thinking--can't I send this rain vibe to Sonoma? 

 

Be well Rose!  Thinking of you.

Jane

[Guest]

Feeling rather dense because as many times as I read this, I'm not sure what you mean. I  absolutely don't see this list/challenge (or any other) as a means of box checking, and I hold loosely any notions of what does or doesn't count for this or that. But of course a book has to have some connection in some way to the given place. Sorry to be thick, but I'm not sure I understand you...? : )

 

I'm sorry!  I'm posting here in between other tasks (or, right now, when I should be finishing typing up a committee report) and not being very clear.

 

I'll try to unpack and see if that makes any more sense!

 

Our Lady of Nile is by a Rwandan author (well, she lives in France now and has for many years) *and* it is set in Rwanda and deals with matters of Rwandan history and culture.

 

Our Sister Killjoy is by a Ghanian author, but is set in Europe.  The viewpoint character is from Ghana and the cultural differences are an enormous part of the narrative.

 

Gonz's play A Hungarian Medea is loosely set behind the Iron Curtain, but only doesn't show one anything directly about the country or period or culture.

 

Wolf's Medea isn't set in Eastern Germany at all, but, as with all the Medea versions I've read, her origin shapes the stories she tells.

 

Sanchez's poems in Shake Loose My Skin offer no specific settings, but gave me the most insight I've gotten in to what it is to be a black woman in this country.

 

Nigerians in Space, despite the titular Nigerians is a South African work.

 

Kalpa Imperial is fantasy written by an Argentinian and as connected to its roots as Heinlein is to his very American ones (or better or worse).

 

None of these felt more worthy than another of representing their country in my around the world reading.  I loved learning more explicitly about each region, but I gained as much from the less direct learning.

 

I don't know if that makes any more sense!  I'm heading out to a meeting - wish me luck, I'm heading up an affinity group for our next action and I'm more than a little nervous.  (here's the video call to action, if you're curious)  I'll try to check back afterwards to see if I've cleared things up or only muddled the waters more. 

[Chrysalis Academy]

It's been a bit of a roller coaster this afternoon: The sky has cleared some, we even see a little blue and everything is a less eerie color. I was thinking we were out of the woods (so to speak) but then got two messages in quick succession about expansions of both fires - the southeast one, heading north, and the northeast one, heading south. Gulp.  

 

But the fire crews are all over it. Really, I could just cry with gratitude thinking about what all the first responders are going through - 12 hour shifts, in harm's way constantly, while I sit here and obsess over fire maps. They've had a massive crew of dozers and helicopters fighting in the north, and the southern "expansion" was apparently a controlled burn by firefighters in anticipation of heavier wind tonight - they're trying to clear brush in the county parks adjacent to towns. Healdsburg's website says no evacuations anticipated and people should stay home. Hopefully it stays that way.

 

Think still, calm thoughts at us tonight. No wind, high humidity is what we need. Maybe some of that rain in your forecast from up north? Channel that our way. 

[Kareni]

Sending still and calm thoughts your way, Rose.

 

And sending good healthy vibes to those who are ill.

**

 

And here's a book that might interest some who are crafty ~

 

Feminist Icon Cross-Stitch: 30 Daring Designs to Celebrate Strong Women by Anna Fleiss and Lauren Mancuso

 

"Feminism is back in the spotlight, and powerful women, from Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Malala Yousafzai to Gloria Steinem and Michelle Obama, have inspired a whole new generation to smash the patriarchy.

With an introduction on the rise of modern feminism, and instructions on the basics of cross-stitch, this book features patterns for embroidering twenty iconic women -- like suffragette Susan B. Anthony, author Virginia Woolf, political icon Hillary Rodham Clinton, and pop superstar Beyoncé -- and ten empowering feminist sayings. This charming book gives today's nasty women everything they need to begin crafting hip, feminist works of art."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Penguin]

This is one of the reasons I don't use setting as a criterion for around the world reading challenges.  (Not Dinensen in particular)

 

Forster's Passage to India is a classic of English literature, and is set in India.

Fitzgerald's Beginning of Spring is set in Russia

Woolf's Voyage Out is set on a boat heading to South America

Ford's The Good Soldier is set in continental Europe

 

Lowry's Under the Volcano is set in Mexico

Heller's Catch 22 is set in the waters off Italy

Vonnegut's Mother Night doesn't (as I recall) every enter the US

Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises is set in Spain

 

...but if you read the first four you are unquestionably absorbing an English perspective and for the second four an American one.

 

It feels almost condescending to require a work of Nigerian or Mexican or Korean literature to only 'count' if it is set in the author's country.  I think it is the different perspective which enriches my reading more than the different setting or the historical or cultural information overtly shared... which is why I don't "count" books written by an outsider (and why I feel uncomfortable 'counting' someone such as Alvarez or Adichie, though I do)

 

ymmv :)

I appreciate the variety of thought on the world reading challenge! 

 

Since everyone gets to select individual rules for this one, it is of course wide open. Setting definitely matters to me for this challenge. Speaking only about this particular challenge, I would count neither an American's book about Mexico nor a Mexican's book about the USA.

 

Of course, that doesn't mean I don't want to read those books and it doesn't mean that I don't value them. It just isn't what I am after with this particular list.

Edited October 11, 2017 by Penguin

[Shawneinfl]

Oh Rose, If I could send some of our unseasonable humidity your way I would do it in a sec. Thoughts and prayers to you.

[Shawneinfl]

 

I finished a "new" Michael Crichton book called Dragon Teeth. It was just the kind of quick read I was looking for. Apparently it was one of his early manuscripts that was finished and published after his death.  It definitely had all the elements of a big screen adventure movie. 4 stars

 

The year is 1876. Warring Indian tribes still populate America’s western territories even as lawless gold-rush towns begin to mark the landscape. In much of the country it is still illegal to espouse evolution. Against this backdrop two monomaniacal paleontologists pillage the Wild West, hunting for dinosaur fossils, while surveilling, deceiving and sabotaging each other in a rivalry that will come to be known as the Bone Wars.

Into this treacherous territory plunges the arrogant and entitled William Johnson, a Yale student with more privilege than sense. Determined to survive a summer in the west to win a bet against his arch-rival, William has joined world-renowned paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh on his latest expedition.  But when the paranoid and secretive Marsh becomes convinced that William is spying for his nemesis, Edwin Drinker Cope, he abandons him in Cheyenne, Wyoming, a locus of crime and vice. William is forced to join forces with Cope and soon stumbles upon a discovery of historic proportions.  With this extraordinary treasure, however, comes exceptional danger, and William’s newfound resilience will be tested in his struggle to protect his cache, which pits him against some of the West’s most notorious characters.

A page-turner that draws on both meticulously researched history and an exuberant imagination, Dragon Teeth is based on the rivalry between real-life paleontologists Cope and Marsh; in William Johnson readers will find an inspiring hero only Michael Crichton could have imagined. Perfectly paced and brilliantly plotted, this enormously winning adventure is destined to become another Crichton classic.

 

Edited October 11, 2017 by Shawneinfl

[aggieamy]

Thank you Jane for the great knitting articles. I wondered about the how of those socks could be done while listening but didn't have time in my quilting frenzy (panic) to try and figure it out. Plus we both know I am not a sock knitter so suspected I was missing something fundamental that might explain it. The link to the Knitter magazine within the second article explains it beautifully in colour. I now understand but doubt I will ever attempt it because of the double point needles.

 

Amy, I think there is a cozy website that has books broken down by county. This was a project I considered at one point. Maybe I will join you!

 

I hope you do. I've already started a tentative list. I'm trying to hold off on the list-making fun until Christmas break though.

 

Hey everyone--we need to hold Rose in our thoughts.  In the fire thread she wrote:

 

 

I was stuck in a torrential rain today with minimal visibility, forcing me to park and wait for the rain to pass.  I kept thinking--can't I send this rain vibe to Sonoma? 

 

Be well Rose!  Thinking of you.

Jane

 

Ditto ditto. A rainy day here. Wish I could send it to you Rose!

[Kareni]

Some currently free Kindle books ~

 

This travel memoir looks intriguing:  

The Best Way: El Camino de Santiago  by Bill Walker

 

"Since the times of Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, Americans have headed off to Europe on odysseys of self-improvement. But until recently, Americans have not chosen 'the best way'—El Camino de Santiago. Bill Walker ("Skywalker") decided to undertake this 500 mile trek, that stretches from the Pyrenees in southern France to Santiago in Northwest Spain. Better yet, he did it in the ‘Holy Year’ of 2010. Fully 200,000 pilgrims were struggling on foot to make it to the Great Gothic Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. The Camino is supposed to be a religious-spiritual pilgrimage. But Walker had also been told that it was “The European Divorcee Trail.†At Walker's side was his 18 year-old nephew, Gavin, who thrives with his special brand of Fonzie-like charm. The towel-snapping banter between the two of them is reminiscent of the frat-boy dialogue between Bill Bryson and Katz. Better yet, the two of them learn just how delightful the French really can be (except, of course, when they’re being impossible), why the Germans are almost all model pilgrims, and the tragi-glorious roots of the Spanish national character."

 

More free books from the same author:

 

Getting High: The Annapurna Circuit in Nepal

Skywalker: Highs and Lows on the Pacific Crest Trail

 

Skywalker--Close Encounters on the Appalachian trail

**

 

And free young adult books from author, Jesikah Sundin ~

 

Legacy (The Biodome Chronicles series Book 1)

Elements (The Biodome Chronicles series Book 2)

 

Transitions: Novella Collection (The Biodome Chronicles series Book 2.5)

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Colleen]

Bother. I just multi-quoted & responded to a number of comments, only to have the post rejected by The System. For sake of ease, I'll skip the quoting and just offer up my tidbits:

 

~ Eliana, hope your meeting went well, and thanks for the clarification. I hear you, don't disagree, but am thinking more along Penguin's line. That being, for this particular challenge, setting matters to me. (I don't like referring to it as a challenge, but can't think of another, better word. Venture? Endeavor?)

 

~ Sidebar re Krzhizhanovsky: I don't agree that he's ultimately Soviet. That's a political term, and our application of it to individuals was/is political in nature. I think I'd say he was Russian, though the Kiev birthplace can present a challenge, you have a point there, Jane. 

 

~ I read some of Walker's book when I was in my El Camino de Santiago phase. When our (intact) family was last in Europe, in 2012, I declared that I'd do the pilgrimage the year I turn 50 (2019). I then immersed myself in the subject for a time. Despite my own penchant for humor & sarcasm, Walker's tone wore on me. Came across as trying too hard, or somewhat immature; I can't recall what it was exactly. At any rate, I'm less certain now of the walk, through no fault of Walker's. Maybe I will, maybe I won't. Maybe I'll do another marathon instead. Although Hawaii 5-0 sounds appealing, too. ;-D

 

~ thinking of you, Rose!!! ~

Edited October 11, 2017 by Colleen

[Negin]

The Kindle version of The Nightingale is on sale today. 

 

[Loesje22000]

Tress is tackled by Migraines for the moment.

After the funeral of her mom she took some time off, and had to start the new homeschool year after that.

 

The new dutch parliament finally made an agreement. And hopefully homeschool will become legal in the Netherlands although under some restrictions.

 

I will notify her she has been missed :)

[mumto2]

Thinking of Rose, hope all is well.

 

Loesje, please tell Tress that I her migraines improve. Great news about home education in NL. Does that mean a move in your future?

 

I have been hunting for the list that I know I saw dividing mysteries set in England by county. No luck and I may try and give up for today. Notice I say try! I may just have to start my own! Amy, since obsession seems to be kicking in I am probably joining you.....book settings as a criteria? This sort ability is the most useful thing I have found so far for locations.

https://www.librarything.com/place/Derbyshire%2C+England%2C+UK.

 

I did run into this list of 80 award winning books set\from around the world https://www.librarything.com/bookaward/Around+the+world+in+80+books that I suspect was already linked but is something I might (might over a decade or so!) be able to work through.

Edited October 11, 2017 by mumto2

[Loesje22000]

With the job of DH we will move every 5-10 years.

Our average is around 7-8 years.

Within 3 years dd will be graduaded and hopefully studying at an university.

So I think we will stick homeschooling to a Belgic diploma.

 

We moved for job reasons to Belgium, and after a few years of B&M schools we started homeschooling.

('School' starts at 2,5yo in Belgium)

[Jane in NC]

 

~ Sidebar re Krzhizhanovsky: I don't agree that he's ultimately Soviet. That's a political term, and our application of it to individuals was/is political in nature. I think I'd say he was Russian, though the Kiev birthplace can present a challenge, you have a point there, Jane. 

 

 

It is not my intention to play devil's advocate but, given my interest in Eastern Europe, this is one of those things that I think about.

 

The land we call Ukraine was controlled by Poland, the Hapsburgs, Russia prior to the time it became a concept as a nation.  When it was swept into the USSR in 1922, people like Krzhizhanovsky moved to Moscow where he joined the artistic community. 

 

The question I have though is whether he would have moved to Moscow if the USSR had not taken over Ukraine.  The Soviets encouraged movement of people throughout their states in part to plant Russian residents in Latvia, Ukraine, etc.  We saw ramifications of this in recent years in Crimea. Yeah, there are more Russians than Ukrainians there now but what about the hundreds of thousands of Tatars who were deported by the Soviets?  Some have returned but not everyone goes back to what was once home turf a couple of generations ago.

 

I think people are complicated. So are political line drawings which seem to change before the ink dries on the map.

 

Ultimately I am in favor of reading broadly.  Choose your lists as you wish!

[Butter]

I read two books yesterday.  Or rather finished one and read the other.  Being sick has its advantages.

 

Outcry by Manny Steinberg - It's the author's memories of the six years first in a ghetto in Poland and then in concentration camps.  He was determined to stay alive so he could be a witness to the atrocities committed by the Nazis.  I read a lot of books of people's Holocaust memories and they just amaze me.  The strength of a human is incredible.  I always ask myself how they lived.  How did they not give up.  There is usually something that anchors them such as keeping a younger sibling alive or the intense desire to live to tell the story.  But then there are the kind people risking their own lives to give them an extra few crumbs or stop them from getting beaten that last time that would've surely killed them.  There is always a kind German.  I think that might be the most important takeaway from these stories.  Be that kind German.

 

I found it interesting that the author of this one learned in the concentration camps that Hitler picked Poland first because there was already an undercurrent of anti-semitism in that country.  Hitler's leadership allowed that anti-semitism to come out in the open.  Some of the other countries, particularly the Scandinavian countries where that wasn't the case and so the Nazis had a little bit harder of a time getting into there (and many Christians ended up in the Concentration Camps from those countries because they protected Jews).  I just couldn't help but draw some similarities to today in the US and white supremacists.  They've always been there.  They're just a little more willing to be out in the open now.

 

The other book I read is Turtles All the Way Down by John Green.  I've been looking forward to that one since he announced it several months ago.  It wasn't as heart in a blendery as most John Green novels, but it was so real.  The main character (a lot of it takes place in her head) has OCD with most of that aimed at health and bacteria growth.  John Green has OCD and I really don't think he could have written the book so authentically if he didn't.  My best friend gets into thought spirals, generally about health issues.  I have a lot of practice in talking her down/out of the spiral, but they come right back and we have the same conversation again and again (she knows it's irrational - for example have literally no symptoms and so being terrified she has pancreatic cancer because it usually has no symptoms).  She went on medication a few months ago and the difference is amazing.  Her doctor asked her what she does when she gets into those thought spirals and she said, "Call Heather."  The doctor told her that's not a good way to manage it.  She still has some issues, but it's easily manageable and I don't get freaked out panicked texts at 2 am anymore.  The possibility of having breast cancer can wait until morning and usually by morning she doesn't think she has it anymore anyway. So, anyway, because of my best friend I related so much to the main character's best friend and understood the main character.  Given what I've seen in my best friend I think those thought spirals were written so spot on.

 

I highlighted this:

"...What I want to say to you, Holmesy, is that yes, you are exhausting, and yes, being your friend is work. But you are also the most fascinating person I have ever known, and you are not like mustard. You are like pizza, which is the highest compliment I can pay a person.â€

and sent it to my best friend because that's how I feel.  It's a lot of work to be the friend of someone with mental health issues, but it's worth it.

 

[Jane in NC]

The MacArthur Genius Grants have been announced.  I am delighted to see Rhiannon Giddens on the list--we adore her.  Writer Viet Thanh Nguyen is also a recipient as well as 22 other amazing people.

 

https://www.macfound.org/programs/fellows/

[Chrysalis Academy]

Good morning, everyone. We're fine this morning. There were evacuations in Geyserville (north of us) due to the Pocket Fire last night, and people were pretty on edge. That fire is a scary wildland fire, and is threatening homes and ranches, but is unlikely to threaten us here in Healdsburg. Geyserville is under an evacuation watch.

 

The Tubbs fire is still going strong to the southeast. There is fire on the outskirts of Windsor (town to the south, where Dh works) but it is not currently threatening residences.

 

The big challenge is the winds, which are slated to pick up to Red Flag levels again today and tomorrow. That adds a lot of uncertainty and danger to the whole situation.

[Jane in NC]

Hard to "like" your post, Rose, but you know that we are sending you hugs.

Edited October 11, 2017 by Jane in NC

[Chrysalis Academy]

Believe me, I'm feeling incredibly lucky. It was a scary night for a lot of people, but we slept well and are feeling relatively secure where we are. So like away.

 

It's hard to imagine how difficult the cleanup and rebuilding will be in so many areas. But that's a worry for the future, at this point, we've just got to get these fires OUT!

[Kareni]

 

...   My best friend gets into thought spirals, generally about health issues.  I have a lot of practice in talking her down/out of the spiral, but they come right back and we have the same conversation again and again (she knows it's irrational - for example have literally no symptoms and so being terrified she has pancreatic cancer because it usually has no symptoms).  She went on medication a few months ago and the difference is amazing.  Her doctor asked her what she does when she gets into those thought spirals and she said, "Call Heather." ...

 

I highlighted this:

"...What I want to say to you, Holmesy, is that yes, you are exhausting, and yes, being your friend is work. But you are also the most fascinating person I have ever known, and you are not like mustard. You are like pizza, which is the highest compliment I can pay a person.â€

and sent it to my best friend because that's how I feel.  It's a lot of work to be the friend of someone with mental health issues, but it's worth it.

 

Your friend is fortunate to have you in her life, Heather.

 

If or when you retire from homeschooling, you might consider counseling as a profession.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[aggieamy]

 

In a way, it's a bit weird re: Catch-22. First, from very early on in the book, I kept picturing M*A*S*H. Yossarian = Klinger; Major Major = (sort-of) Frank; Col. Cathcart = Henry; Chaplain Tappman = Father Mulcahy. Etc. If you knew how little, & I mean little, I watch tv, I find it extraordinary that I played a tv reel in my head alongside this book. I mentioned also that I felt it was a bit too long; and, you are correct, there's not a lot of plot. It was more like separate, loosely connected scenarios (separate tv episodes?) for each chapter. Because it was longer than it needed to be (imo), I almost, not quite, but almost feel the quotes are more memorable than the book as a whole. I guess that's why I say it is so quotable. I guess I (as supreme editor, of course) would keep all the quotes & nix all the remaining filler, reducing it by about 100 pages. :lol:  Still, though, I think it's amazing, & heartbreaking, & funny at the same time, even if the whole didn't mesh as well as I would have liked it to.

 

 

 

 

 

We loved My Father's Dragon (actually the book Three Tales of My Father's Dragon) too. A big favorite here & one I gifted to both my niece & nephew when they were the right ages. (Amy, have you guys read the Mr. Putter & Tabby books? They are so sweet & adorable; huge favorites here.)

 

 

M*A*S*H was one of the few shows I watched as a kid and now that you make that connection I can see it in my head too. We had read it for book club and it was a heated debate - people either loved it or hated it. Both groups were vocal about their opinions too. Perhaps Catch-22 will go on my reread list next year. Now that I'm much older and more mature than I was in 2016, I'll be able to appreciate it more.   :lol:

 

Going to the library today and picking up some Mr. Putter and Tabby books.

 

I have been hunting for the list that I know I saw dividing mysteries set in England by county. No luck and I may try and give up for today. Notice I say try! I may just have to start my own! Amy, since obsession seems to be kicking in I am probably joining you.....book settings as a criteria? This sort ability is the most useful thing I have found so far for locations.

https://www.librarything.com/place/Derbyshire%2C+England%2C+UK.

 

 

I've been looking too and can't find it. I even have Kevin looking for us now. Seems like something that should exist.

 

What are you thinking about rules for the challenge? My free range personality and general laziness leans towards flexible rules. I'm thinking book set in that county because author per county would be much harder to track/find. Possibly with a bonus add in of a book from Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.

[aggieamy]

 

The other book I read is Turtles All the Way Down by John Green.  I've been looking forward to that one since he announced it several months ago.  It wasn't as heart in a blendery as most John Green novels, but it was so real.  The main character (a lot of it takes place in her head) has OCD with most of that aimed at health and bacteria growth.  John Green has OCD and I really don't think he could have written the book so authentically if he didn't.  My best friend gets into thought spirals, generally about health issues.  I have a lot of practice in talking her down/out of the spiral, but they come right back and we have the same conversation again and again (she knows it's irrational - for example have literally no symptoms and so being terrified she has pancreatic cancer because it usually has no symptoms).  She went on medication a few months ago and the difference is amazing.  Her doctor asked her what she does when she gets into those thought spirals and she said, "Call Heather."  The doctor told her that's not a good way to manage it.  She still has some issues, but it's easily manageable and I don't get freaked out panicked texts at 2 am anymore.  The possibility of having breast cancer can wait until morning and usually by morning she doesn't think she has it anymore anyway. So, anyway, because of my best friend I related so much to the main character's best friend and understood the main character.  Given what I've seen in my best friend I think those thought spirals were written so spot on.

 

I highlighted this:

"...What I want to say to you, Holmesy, is that yes, you are exhausting, and yes, being your friend is work. But you are also the most fascinating person I have ever known, and you are not like mustard. You are like pizza, which is the highest compliment I can pay a person.â€

and sent it to my best friend because that's how I feel.  It's a lot of work to be the friend of someone with mental health issues, but it's worth it.

 

 

((HUGS)) You are a great friend.

 

Chews on Books came up as I was messing about on the computer and not paying attention to him and saw your avatar. He would like to know the name of your puppy. :laugh:

 

 

Jane - He also wanted to know the name of your owl. That got into a long discussion on your volunteer work and wild birds in general. A lot of it went over his head. So I ended up telling him the owl was named Jane.

[aggieamy]

The MacArthur Genius Grants have been announced.  I am delighted to see Rhiannon Giddens on the list--we adore her.  Writer Viet Thanh Nguyen is also a recipient as well as 22 other amazing people.

 

https://www.macfound.org/programs/fellows/

 

I was happy to see Jessmyn Ward on the list. Has anyone else read This Fire This Time? It's different essays and short stories on race and for this girl from the midwest it was eye opening. Highly recommend.

[aggieamy]

SANDY!!! I FOUND A PAGE!!! SUCCESS!!!

 

Mysteries in England:

 

http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/LocationCats/England/index.html

 

Mysteries in London:

 

http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/LocationCats/England/London.html

 

Now we're making progress!

[Kareni]

A one day only currently free work for Kindle readers; this is a book I've posted previously ~

 

The Silent Bullet  by Arthur Reeve

 

"America’s Sherlock Holmes makes his thrilling debut in this classic volume of mind-boggling mysteries

Craig Kennedy is a Columbia University chemistry professor by day and New York’s premier sleuth by night. With the help of his roommate and partner in detection, newspaper reporter Walter Jameson, Kennedy uses his mastery of technology to solve the most puzzling of mysteries. In “The Deadly Tube,†he investigates a case of murder by X-ray, and in “The Terror in the Air,†he applies the scientific method to a rash of airplane accidents blamed on gyroscopes.
 
First appearing in the pages of Cosmopolitan magazine, Craig Kennedy was one of the most popular detectives of the early twentieth century, and Arthur B. Reeve’s stories featuring the scientific sleuth were the first mysteries by an American author to gain wide readership in Great Britain."

 

Also currently free ~

 

fantasy for children/young adults:  Shifters Alliance (CHANGING TIMES Book 1) by Shaun L Griffiths

 

The Gondola Maker: A Novel of 16th Century Venice) by Laura Morelli

 

historical romance with spying: A Heartless Design (Secrets of the Zodiac, Book 1) by Elizabeth Cole

 

this sounds heart wrenching: Stars in the Grass  by Ann Marie Stewart

 

contemporary romance:  Set Free: Second Chance Series Book  by Kelly Collins

 

fantasy (not for children): Embers (The Guild of the Cowry Catchers Book 1) ALSO Secret Things - Short Stories from Panamindorah by Abigail Hilton

 

Regards,

Kareni

[JennW in SoCal]

 

What are you thinking about rules for the challenge? My free range personality and general laziness leans towards flexible rules. I'm thinking book set in that county because author per county would be much harder to track/find. Possibly with a bonus add in of a book from Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.

 

Well, you'd have to add all the islands, too. Shetland is obviously easy with the Ann Cleeves series by that name, but are there mysteries set in the Orkneys or Hebrides? Isle of Man? It sounds like a whole lot of fun no matter how flexible your rules.

 

I think I'm going to steal the phrase "free range personality" and use it to describe myself instead of "rebellious non-conformist".  Your set of words is much kinder. 

 

Jane -- I was pleasantly surprised to see my library has some of the Garry Disher mysteries. I even checked one out, though I have no business in adding another book to my reading pile this week!

 

Rose --  Glad you checked in this morning as I heard about the new evacuations last night. It is utterly exhausting being on constant alert, coping with uncertainties for yet another day. How are your girls coping with it emotionally? 

 

Oh and I almost forgot. I came here to post a link, another Tolstoy link. We've had War and Peace music and knitting, how about some Russian cooking?  It [the book] is only available for Kindle, but here is an article with a few recipes about the Tolstoy Family Recipe Book 

Edited October 11, 2017 by JennW in SoCal

[mumto2]

SANDY!!! I FOUND A PAGE!!! SUCCESS!!!

 

Mysteries in England:

 

http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/LocationCats/England/index.html

 

Mysteries in London:

 

http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/LocationCats/England/London.html

 

Now we're making progress!

 

Yeah Amy!!!! Totally irritated with myself because I actually subscribe to their monthly email. I didn't look there because I "knew" it wasn't there.

 

M*A*S*H was one of the few shows I watched as a kid and now that you make that connection I can see it in my head too. We had read it for book club and it was a heated debate - people either loved it or hated it. Both groups were vocal about their opinions too. Perhaps Catch-22 will go on my reread list next year. Now that I'm much older and more mature than I was in 2016, I'll be able to appreciate it more. :lol:

 

Going to the library today and picking up some Mr. Putter and Tabby books.

 

 

 

I've been looking too and can't find it. I even have Kevin looking for us now. Seems like something that should exist.

 

What are you thinking about rules for the challenge? My free range personality and general laziness leans towards flexible rules. I'm thinking book set in that county because author per county would be much harder to track/find. Possibly with a bonus add in of a book from Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.

I am thinking settings too. Flexible totally because this should be fun! There are good ones from Ireland (recently found and marked I hope), Scotland, and Wales but I don't think we can handle the County divisions and stick to cozies maybe a few Fluffertons.

 

Eta....Jenn, someplace I have a freebie set of the Isle of Man. Actually read an Orkney series in the past.

 

I can't remember if I said here or not already but I lost my entire bookmark history on my computer a couple weeks ago so I suspect I will be hunting for things for months to come.

 

BTW, Mr. Putter and Tabby books are fabulous. We also liked Poppleton https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poppleton_(book_series) hugely too. Little Bear is good too. I loved the books for that age range.

Edited October 11, 2017 by mumto2

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Ellesmere]

 

 

The other book I read is Turtles All the Way Down by John Green.  I've been looking forward to that one since he announced it several months ago.  It wasn't as heart in a blendery as most John Green novels, but it was so real.  The main character (a lot of it takes place in her head) has OCD with most of that aimed at health and bacteria growth.  John Green has OCD and I really don't think he could have written the book so authentically if he didn't.  My best friend gets into thought spirals, generally about health issues.  I have a lot of practice in talking her down/out of the spiral, but they come right back and we have the same conversation again and again (she knows it's irrational - for example have literally no symptoms and so being terrified she has pancreatic cancer because it usually has no symptoms).  She went on medication a few months ago and the difference is amazing.  Her doctor asked her what she does when she gets into those thought spirals and she said, "Call Heather."  The doctor told her that's not a good way to manage it.  She still has some issues, but it's easily manageable and I don't get freaked out panicked texts at 2 am anymore.  The possibility of having breast cancer can wait until morning and usually by morning she doesn't think she has it anymore anyway. So, anyway, because of my best friend I related so much to the main character's best friend and understood the main character.  Given what I've seen in my best friend I think those thought spirals were written so spot on.

 

I highlighted this:

"...What I want to say to you, Holmesy, is that yes, you are exhausting, and yes, being your friend is work. But you are also the most fascinating person I have ever known, and you are not like mustard. You are like pizza, which is the highest compliment I can pay a person.â€

and sent it to my best friend because that's how I feel.  It's a lot of work to be the friend of someone with mental health issues, but it's worth it.

 

 

I think I might have water trying to escape from my eyes.

 

The other day I was thinking of someone who struggles with those sorts of issues and I can't think of anything more that someone like that needs than what you said -- it's work, that kind of friendship, but worth it. I have avoided John Green books (not out of dislike, but out of avoiding  heart-in-a-blendery content after a spin with one of his books) but thank you for sharing that quote. 

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[Ellesmere]

M*A*S*H -- I hadn't thought about that show or movie in awhile but I grew up watching the TV re-runs on all the time, probably way too young (definitely too young with the movie) but I never got around to the book. But looking back at all that explains a lot about my book/entertainment tastes.

 

 

Almost done with the Margaret Drabble short story collection. I think I should stick to short stories for the rest of the year! I got through some thick books and with craziness going on IRL, I should probably work with the attention span I have, not the one I want.

[Loesje22000]

All grouphugs for Tress delivered!

[idnib]

I forgot to add yesterday that we are listening to Stuff Matters, which is excellent. (It's a leftover audio book from when we did chemistry last year.) I really enjoy the narrator and the topic of materials science has made all of us look at things like stainless steel and paper differently. 

 

 

Rose, I'm also hoping the winds are not going to be as high as they say. I'm glad you're safe where you are. The sky here is smoky and our CO detector picked a heck of a day to decide to start its "end of useful life" chirping.  :svengo:

[Butter]

I'm sorry you're still under the weather too. :grouphug:  How's Ani these days? How are your sons?

 

Ani's been in a fibro flare up for a few weeks now so she's in a lot of pain.  Not eating well often causes flare ups and the Diamox she's on messes with her appetite so it's a vicious cycle.  She absolutely needs to Diamox since it relieves so many of her symptoms so we're having to really pay attention to how much she eats.  It makes it so she just doesn't get hungry.  She's on her third cold since school started.  She works with kids at taekwondo and then nannies so she gets exposed to everything.  She's on antibiotics right now for a sinus infection.  She gets sinus infections about twice a year, but I didn't think that was very often because Fritz used to get one every other month when he was little.  She also has severe menstrual cramps right now so she's feeling pretty pathetic.  We think her fibro pain gets worse for the second two weeks of her cycle.  We're going to pay close attention to see for the next month or two.  I'd hate for her to have to go on yet another medication (or get the implant), but if hormones are making her pain worse, we'll have to.

 

The boys are doing pretty good.  Fritz held on to that cold for a solid two weeks.  He's downright healthy compared to Ani, but he's quite sickly compared to his brothers.  Cameron and Adrian seem to be getting over their colds, too.  Cameron started working at the new taekwondo school last week.  He's head instructor three days a week.  His first day (the second day it opened) was his 16th birthday.  He's loving it.  He plans to make a career out of instructing.

[Colleen]

I did run into this list of 80 award winning books set\from around the world https://www.librarything.com/bookaward/Around+the+world+in+80+books that I suspect was already linked but is something I might (might over a decade or so!) be able to work through.

 

I clicked on the link with trepidation ("Just what I need; another list!") and am happy to report that it doesn't work for me ~ the list, not the link, lol. As compelling as I found Krakauer's Into Thin Air and Piers Paul Read's Alive, I wouldn't read them "for" Nepal or Uganda. Ann Patchett's Bel Canto for Peru? No. I wonder what awards some of these received? ("You're all winners in my book!" (pun intended).) 

 

It is not my intention to play devil's advocate but, given my interest in Eastern Europe, this is one of those things that I think about.

 

Yep, I'm with you, having studied Russian language & history. And like you, I wonder, too, if he would have moved were it not for the circumstances. Just saying that I wouldn't describe him (or anyone) as "Soviet". 

 

I highlighted this:

"...What I want to say to you, Holmesy, is that yes, you are exhausting, and yes, being your friend is work. But you are also the most fascinating person I have ever known, and you are not like mustard. You are like pizza, which is the highest compliment I can pay a person.â€

and sent it to my best friend because that's how I feel.  It's a lot of work to be the friend of someone with mental health issues, but it's worth it.

 

What great lines ~ both from the author and from you, Heather. 

 

I think I'm going to steal the phrase "free range personality" and use it to describe myself instead of "rebellious non-conformist".  

 

How have I gone all these years and without identifying myself as a "free range personality"? Ha! Love it. Fits well with "I am large, I contain multitudes." 

 

I think I might have water trying to escape from my eyes.

 

I'm picking up all manner of good quotes here today!

 

Does anyone who's read Carson McCullers have a recommendation as to where I should start? I was so sure I'd read some of her work, but upon perusal, it's not ringing a bell. So which to delve into first: The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, or The Member of the Wedding? 

Edited October 11, 2017 by Colleen

[Lady Florida.]

Now that I'm much older and more mature than I was in 2016, I'll be able to appreciate it more.   :lol:

 

 

:lol:  We're never too old to grow and mature, right? 

 

And only after I thought about adding Catch-22 to my reread list for next year did I read the M*A*S*H comparison. Now if I do reread it I can imagine I'll have the characters in my head. :D

 

 

SANDY!!! I FOUND A PAGE!!! SUCCESS!!!

 

Mysteries in England:

 

http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/LocationCats/England/index.html

 

Mysteries in London:

 

http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/LocationCats/England/London.html

 

Now we're making progress!

 

 

I found that site years ago but completely forgot about it. Thanks for bringing it up. 

Edited October 11, 2017 by Lady Florida.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Conditions deteriorating, heavy wind. The girls and I are getting out of Dodge, heading south to stay with friends in Half Moon Bay. I'll check in when I can.

[Lady Florida.]

Conditions deteriorating, heavy wind. The girls and I are getting out of Dodge, heading south to stay with friends in Half Moon Bay. I'll check in when I can.

 

:grouphug:  I know it's hard but at least you'll be safe. I'll be thinking of you.

[Matryoshka]

Conditions deteriorating, heavy wind. The girls and I are getting out of Dodge, heading south to stay with friends in Half Moon Bay. I'll check in when I can.

 

Safe travels!!  :grouphug:

[ErinE]

Rose :grouphug: stay safe

[Stacia]

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Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia

[mumto2]

Rose :grouphug: Safe travels.

[Penguin]

Conditions deteriorating, heavy wind. The girls and I are getting out of Dodge, heading south to stay with friends in Half Moon Bay. I'll check in when I can.

Hugs, Rose. Thanks for the update.

[Colleen]

Thinking of you, Rose. Tough call, I'm sure, but best to seek shelter elsewhere. 

[Jane in NC]

Checking in with us should be your lowest priority, Rose, but you know that we'll be thinking of you.  Be safe!