Robin M Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 (edited) Happy Sunday and welcome to week 42 in our 2017 adventurous prime reading year. Greetings to all our readers and those following our progress. Mister Linky is available weekly on 52 Books in 52 Weeks to share a link to your book reviews. Happy Birthday to poet Robert Pinsky, who is turning 77 on October 20th Samurai Song When I had no roof I made Audacity my roof. When I had No supper my eyes dined. When I had no eyes I listened. When I had no ears I thought. When I had no thought I waited. When I had no father I made Care my father. When I had No mother I embraced order. When I had no friend I made Quiet my friend. When I had no Enemy I opposed my body. When I had no temple I made My voice my temple. I have No priest, my tongue is my choir. When I have no means fortune Is my means. When I have Nothing, death will be my fortune. Need is my tactic, detachment Is my strategy. When I had No lover I courted my sleep. Learn more about Robert Pinsky who is the founder of the Favorite Poem Project as well created the MOOC course The Art of Poetry offered through Boston University and EDX. ***************************************************************** War and Peace: Read Epilogue – Part Two Congratulations on completing War and Peace! **************************** What are you reading this week? Link to Week 41 Edited October 15, 2017 by Robin M 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted October 15, 2017 Author Share Posted October 15, 2017 Nothing else is sticking with me so finally dove into Winter's Heart, #9 in Jordan's Wheel of time series. Also listening to Faith Hunter's first book in her Jane Yellowrock series, Skinwalker. 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 First review of this week. John and I both loved Mr. Putter and Tabby! 42 weeks. Are we sure about that? How are there only 10 weeks left in this year? 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 A one day only currently free classic for Kindle readers ~ Venus in Furs by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch "Obsession, infatuation, and sexual deviance fill this controversial psychodramaTitillating and taboo, Venus in Furs tells the story of one nineteenth-century gentleman of means, Severin von Kusiemski, and his voracious lover, Wanda von Dunajew. Severin falls so deeply in love with his mistress that he asks the bemused paramour to enslave him. Severin gets his wish: The beautiful Wanda, who has “a real talent for despotism,†takes to her role with unsettling aplomb. Days pass, and as she debases and brutalizes Severin, Wanda transforms into the whip-cracking dominatrix of his dreams. But even while Severin settles into his fantasy, events are unfolding that threaten to disrupt the power balance. This classic tale of sexual domination is as thrilling today as it was when it was originally published more than a century ago." ** Also currently free ~ All I Want for Christmas is You by Lisa Mondello How to Capture a Duke (Matchmaking for Wallflowers Book 1) by Bianca Blythe Defying the Odds (Battered Hearts Book 1) by Kele Moon Regards, Kareni 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted October 15, 2017 Author Share Posted October 15, 2017 First review of this week. John and I both loved Mr. Putter and Tabby! 42 weeks. Are we sure about that? How are there only 10 weeks left in this year? Yes, my dear. 11 weeks actually counting this week. I counted three times. :lol: This year has gone by way too quickly. 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 Drum roll, please. I have finished reading War and Peace. Thank you to all who participated on this journey with me. Very glad that I read this book. That said, I am constantly amazed and amused by the trivial: This, during a difficult time, which Pierre remembered ever after, when Natasha had given birth to a first weak child, and they had had to change wet nurses three times, and Natasha had become sick with despair, Pierre had told her of Rousseau's thoughts, with which he was in complete agreement, about the unnaturalness and harmfulness of wet nurses. With the next child, despite the opposition of her mother, the doctors, and the husband himself, who rose up against her nursing as a then unheard-of and harmful thing, she had stood her ground, and from then on had nursed all of her children herself. Ah, the life of the aristocracy. As often noted on these threads, series can be great fun--and also an eventual disappointment if the author cannot sustain the characters/plots. It seems that too often I am disappointed. This summer I revisited Inspector Montalbano and continued to be pleased. Thus when I needed a book for the car, I borrowed one of the few Montalbano mysteries available on disk, The Track of Sand. Out of order in the series but oh well. To be honest, I think that I should fill in the gap and then perhaps actually read a paper copy of the book. The Italian names got out of hand for me toward the end of the audio version as the inspector wrapped up the case among a large cast of characters. During the summer of '13, several of us read Poe's novel The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket followed by Mat Johnson's Pym that was inspired by the former. This put Johnson on my radar. When his novel Loving Day came out in '15, I added it to my library list. My very long library list... Yesterday I borrowed the book and immediately read the first chapter. Oh Stacia....on the basis of a single chapter, I am seeing your name all over this one. Stay tuned. (NPR review of Loving Day.) My library does not have all of the Garry Disher Inspector Challis mysteries nor all of the Colin Cotterill books featuring Dr Siri Paiboun, the reluctant coroner of the People's Republic of Laos. Skipping what they lacked, I borrowed the next available in the respective series. My sleeping has been a bit erratic lately so an easy reading mystery is my idea of a good book upon waking (and tossing and turning) at 1 AM. 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 Oooh! Checking in early. Not much time for anything here, including reading, but I did FINISH WAR AND PEACE! What an accomplishment! (she says as she pats her own back). Loved it. Great experience. Love Tolstoy. Would have recommended cutting the second epilogue. That's it. I'm picking up lots of little sub jobs, trying to get established and earn some XMAS money, so I'm not on here as much right now. That's why I'm checking in early so I only need to read 5 posts first! But I'll try to catch up more later. 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 (edited) . Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 (edited) I read The Gifts of Reading - 4 Stars - My daughter picked up this short and sweet essay when we visited the “Shakespeare and Company†bookstore in Paris. It’s a small booklet that was sold near the cashier, the sort of booklet that you pick up on a whim. The beautiful cover artwork caught our eye as well. This touching book is something that almost any booklover already knows: how lovely it is to give books as gifts and to receive them also. and The New Rules of Lifting for Women - 3 Stars - I wish I’d taken the time to realize that this book is rather dated and the authors have come out with a newer book. “The New Rules of Lifting†was their first book for women and they have since updated their research. The older I get, the more I realize the importance of strength training. Although the book is written in an engaging way, I would have preferred it if the workouts were less complicated and better organized. I have to say that reading this has motivated me to take weight training more seriously from now on. Although I’m not much of a paper workout person and definitely prefer videos, I wouldn’t mind getting their newer book. Some of my favorite quotes: “Protein is to diets what black is to fashion: it makes everyone thinner.†“If the weights are unchallenging, your muscles won’t grow.†“Doing traditional ab exercises on your back on the floor, with your legs bent at the knees and hips, isn’t a good use of your time and energy.†MY RATING SYSTEM 5 Stars Fantastic, couldn't put it down 4 Stars Really Good 3 Stars Enjoyable 2 Stars Just Okay – nothing to write home about 1 Star Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad. Edited October 15, 2017 by Negin 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 (edited) So after asking opinions this morning, I ended up read/skimming the 2nd W&P Epilogue - meaning I didn't purely skim it - as he introduced and idea I'd read more closely for a few paragraphs, but then as he ran off with an extended metaphor to explain the idea (often the 2nd or 3rd extended metaphor for the same idea, or sometimes retreading a metaphor he'd already used for it before), I'd skim it to get the gist. And then I read the Appendix. And now I am DONE. :D So, if we include that, finished three books this week: 111. Dragon Dawn by Deborah O'Neill Cordes - Weird alien on Mars, time-travel and sentient dinosaurs. In the end not completely explained, but I think there are sequels. There were quotes from other writers at the beginning of each chapter which I have to say may have emphasized to me ways in which the writing of this book came up short. It wasn't bad writing, just not great writing. For the Dinosaur square. 2.5 stars. 112. Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See (audiobook) - This one started out as okay for me, but it went in directions I did not expect, and handled the two narratives better than I thought it might, and I ended up liking it more as it went on. I also got to learn a lot about tea. For the Set in Asia square. 4 stars. 113. War and Peace! - Hard to rate this one. I really liked parts, and then there were the overly long sloggy parts. Not that I don't find Tolstoy's musings interesting at all, it's just that he kept repeating them over and over and over in slightly different ways. I liked Anna Karenina better. :) But I am very glad I read it, and it was way more fun doing it with all of you! Overall, I guess 3.5 stars. And I get to use it for the Opera square. :) Currently reading: - El capitán Alatriste by Arturo and Carlota Pérez-Reverte - This one is growing on me. I had heard 'meh' things about this book in comparison to his others, but I needed a book for the "En garde!" square, and what could be better. The book went up in my estimation when I read that he had started the series as he was disappointed with the lack of treatment of the history of the Spanish Golden Age in the school textbook of his teenage daughter Carlota. He commissioned Carlota to gather documentation for him (hence, she is billed as co-author of the first novel) and developed the stories. The homeschooler in me can't help but love that. :001_wub: I am glad I am reading this in the original Spanish - he's using a lot of period-appropriate language, and I'm not sure how that would translate. Someone mentioned that in English there was some cursing that seemed jarring; that is definitely a translation problem, as it doesn't come off that way at all in Spanish. It is also helping me to know there's an educational purpose behind this book - the incorporation of 17th century poetry, a real poet as the central character's friend, lots of name-dropping of other artists of the age, all in addition to the central historical event which I heretofore knew pretty much nothing about. - Into Thin Air (ebook) - quite enjoying it, but reading slowly as other books need to be finished by the end of October. - Something Wicked This Way Comes (audio) - My 2nd Spooky read. I have been looking forward to listening to this in October all year, and I have to say I'm a bit disappointed in the narrator. He seems to be my only audio option other than an audio drama version, which I had been planning on listening to until I realized it was just that - a dramatized version without any actual reading of the book (1 hour vs. 8-something). As I listen to it more he's annoying me a bit less. At least he does voices okay. - The Imitation of Christ - technically I've been 'reading' this for ages, but I suspended it until it was the last book in the Bingo row, and now that I've finished "Set in Asia", it is, so I'll try to finish this this week. Coming up: Empress of Mars is the 2nd book for my SciFi book club, and I'm planning on Agatha Christie's Seven Dials Mystery for Opal (I hope it actually has an opal in it as one blurb suggested...) if not, it'll still be my Agatha Christie square. And Die Verwandlung/The Metamorphosis for one more spooky-ish? Hm, those are all hard-copy, and all are fiction. My next audio will be either Of Mice and Men or Love Among the Chickens. Not sure about an ebook or a non-fiction... For BigBingo, I've got 9 rows done, 8 more with one book left, 3 with 2 books left. If I finish those plus another 4 rows that have 3 books left, I'll be at 24 rows, which is half the rows, and that would be nice. Don't think I'll manage more than that! Edited October 15, 2017 by Matryoshka 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 I'm not really getting any reading done. When I walk the dog, I'm listening to Stoker's Manuscript and enjoying it. The books I brought with me are Snow Crash, Sunshine, A Brief History of the Dead, and Death With Interruptions. I'm enjoying them all but not really having either the time or headspace to read. The horrible winds weren't as horrible as predicted, so they've been able to hold the line on the fire to the north (the Pocket fire). The fire to the southeast could still pose a risk if the winds changed, but that's not in the forecast, so I'm thinking we will head home tomorrow. Dh says air quality is pretty good. 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 I'm not really getting any reading done. When I walk the dog, I'm listening to Stoker's Manuscript and enjoying it. The books I brought with me are Snow Crash, Sunshine, A Brief History of the Dead, and Death With Interruptions. I'm enjoying them all but not really having either the time or headspace to read. The horrible winds weren't as horrible as predicted, so they've been able to hold the line on the fire to the north (the Pocket fire). The fire to the southeast could still pose a risk if the winds changed, but that's not in the forecast, so I'm thinking we will head home tomorrow. Dh says air quality is pretty good. Great news, Rose. Please give your girls hugs from their BaW "aunties". 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 :grouphug: Rose, Safe travels if you decide to return home tomorrow. I ended up finishing listening to Sunshine today. It is a somewhat different than normal vampire story and I loved it for that alone. ;) 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethel Mertz Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 Just popping in to say "Hi!" I am swamped with getting ready for our mid-December move. We have so much stuff to get rid of first! I am occasionally reading a bit in W&P, along with Hillary Clinton's What Happened for my IRL book group. I'm also reading some mindless fare. I'll be popping in now and then, but hope to be back in a more regular way in January. Hope all are well! Thanks, Robin, for the postcard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 Another W&P note: my husband asked me to pass the book to him when I was finished. I did with two bookmarks (one to mark where reading is left off, another for the notes in the back of the book) and an index tab for the dramatis personae which I told him I consulted religiously for the first two hundred pages or so, until I had the diminutives down. I suspect that he'll see more in the slog war scenes than I did. 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 First review of this week. John and I both loved Mr. Putter and Tabby! Gotta love a book discussion that runs the gamut from Mr. Putter & Tabby to War & Peace! 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 Another W&P note: my husband asked me to pass the book to him when I was finished. I did with two bookmarks (one to mark where reading is left off, another for the notes in the back of the book) and an index tab for the dramatis personae which I told him I consulted religiously for the first two hundred pages or so, until I had the diminutives down. I suspect that he'll see more in the slog war scenes than I did. :lol: The only way my dh would make it through is if he could just skip between the war scenes! I will admit that I didn't mind all of the war scenes thanks to many lectures from dh....he taught military history for several years. If we visit a battle site, even inadvertently the kid's and I receive a lesson! I did find the second epilogue to be too long winded. We have had a couple of days of warm weather and my hedgehog just came to visit. I can't believe I finally have a hedgehog hanging out where I can watch! Until recently ten years in England had netted me six live hedgehog encounters which was highly disappointing so I am thrilled. In the past two weeks I have seen him that many times. I have no idea what he is actually eating beyond apple peels because he is eating the rabbit's leftovers. The rabbit seems to have quit eating apple peels which he used to adore. Picky bunny but the hedgehog seems happy! 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 Some bookish posts ~ From Tor.com: 5 Books About Folk Horror by Cullen Bunn AND Make Mini-Swords From Nails For All Your Favorite Redwall Characters by Emily Asher-Perrin From the Word Wenches site: Which Jane Austen? From Fantasy Book Cafe: Review of The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip From Dear Author: REVIEW: Mrs. Mike by Benedict Freedman and Nancy Freedman Regards, Kareni 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 Colleen - any news from Ranger school yet today? 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 Colleen - any news from Ranger school yet today? Anxiously awaiting a call. Apparently they haven't yet been released to use the phones ~ of which there are only a handful, so it takes a while for everyone to get a chance. So nerve-wracking. Thank you for asking! 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 Rose, I'm glad to hear things are looking a little better for you. Still sending you good thoughts, and safe travels if you decide to go home. The only book I finished was Den of Thieves which I mentioned in last week's thread. I'm still reading Nicholas and Alexandra and Mrs. Sherlock Holmes, and listening to The Rose Rent (Brother Cadfael). Both of the books I'm reading (as opposed to audio) are non-fiction and I wanted to read fiction for relaxation, so today I started reading One of Ours. Besides it being one of my books for the October birthstone challenge, it's been a while since I read Willa Cather and I've been wanting to get back to reading her novels. This will be #4, and so far My Antonia is still my favorite. Gotta love a book discussion that runs the gamut from Mr. Putter & Tabby to War & Peace! That's what I love about these threads. We read fluff, great literature both classic and contemporary, fiction and non-fiction, and all books in between. We read many different genres. And the best part is there's no judgment. We don't always agree on whether we like an author or book but we don't judge others who do (or don't). Also, if you stick around long enough you'll find your to-read list growing and growing and growing. ;) 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 (edited) Ethel M, glad to hear the update on your move. Rose, I talked to my friend in Santa Rosa today and she is also reporting improved air quality. Her house should be out of danger now, but her daughter's home is still only a block away from an evacuation zone. Good thoughts are appreciated. -- I started reading Something Wicked This Way Comes this morning because I was scouting around for a new spooky read and I saw it on Matryoshka's Goodreads update :) I love it so far. But I have the library version on my kindle and there are super-annoying typos. Dandelion Wine turned me into a R. Bradbury fan. When I read Fahrenheit 451 in the mid-2000s, I didn't care for it for reasons I can no longer remember. I should probably read it again. Yesterday, I did a quick and delightful read-through of a childhood favorite: The Witch Family by Eleanor Estes. I really really want to own a vintage copy of this book with the original cover illustration, but I haven't found one yet at my price point. Might use this for ESL. Started Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez as an AP Lang read-along with my son. Edited October 15, 2017 by Penguin 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 The holiday season just ended and I am readjusting myself to the rhythms of regular life again. I did finish a lot of books last week: Three activist-y books (all by non-US authors!): The Great Derangement by Amitav Ghosh: This isn't my favorite climate change related book (that would be Great Tide Rising which I read the week before), but it is one of the few I've read my a non-Western author and his questions about the intersection of the style of our current literary fiction and the failure of imagination to face catastrophic climate change at all, let alone envision a different future are fascinating and ones I know I will be coming back to and reflecting on. Utopia for Realists: I enjoyed this very much and his utopia and mine overlap in quite a number of ways, but this isn't about deeper thinking, it is a popular nonfiction work (from a Dutch writer, recently translated) that makes a good pitch for things that I see as common sense, but are often written off as pie-in-the-sky-idealist. The part that I will be digging into more relates to housing, especially a study from England which showed amazing results from giving money to folks experiencing homelessness for the things they saw as paths to a better future rather than trying to squish people into existing aid models, with all their gatekeepers and hoops. (And it saved insane amounts of money...) Women Writing Resistance: Essays on Latin America and Caribbean: This anthology pulls together a wide range of voices and styles and I enjoyed it very much. I realized as I was reading it that a really disbalanced percent of the Latin American reading I've done has been by men. Bringing all of these women's voices together expanded my horizons in ways I am still processing. (A personal side note: I was surprised, and moved, to find so many contributions by Jewish writers and thinkers. I hadn't quite noticed how accustomed I am to being invisible.) Two Sci-Fi novels: Provenance by Ann Leckie: Leckie's Ancillary Justice (and, to a lesser degree its sequels) are amazing and I anticipate rereading them for many years to come and reflecting on the questions they explore... and feeling my own story mirrored there - how do we find our place in the work to build a better world? How do we make peace with our own brokeness and imperfections and believe we have value to offer? How to we keep believing in a better world without blinding ourselves to scale of the challenges we face? How do we learn to see the immense power of *how* we do things, or *how* we speak and act and treat others? ...but this book was merely an enjoyable story with a some interesting world building. I took pleasure in it, and I imagine I will likely reread it someday.... but it didn't demand anything of me, or cause me to look at myself or my life through another lens. The Dispossessed: I read lots of LeGuin as a teen, but never loved her books... until I read Lavinia a few years ago and then one of her collected essays books a little more recently... and since then I have wondered: did she just develop into a writer who was a better fit for me? Or did I grow as a reader and become more able to appreciate her voice? I suspected the latter.. and it has proven mostly true - though this didn't grab my heart the way Lavinia did. It is fascinating rereading this as an adult, but also as an activist involved in non-hierarchical organizing. My work as a teen spanned a bit of a range of organizing flavors, but most of it was non-hierarchical... but teenage me wasn't as interested in the process and didn't help launch any of the organizations, or hold the same level of responsibility as I have been lately.... I'm wondering if I can convince my reading group that is working on Hegemony How to: A Roadmap for Radicals to fritter a little time on this and how it intersects with our other reading.... One play, one poetry book, & 2 mysteries: Danton's Death by Buchner - interesting, but didn't quite click for me The Letter C: a few of these were powerful, but most didn't quite reach me (which could be my reading mood, not their quality) the 13th & 14th Commissario Brunetti: I might be getting close to done with these... we'll see Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 Yesterday, I did a quick and delightful read-through of a childhood favorite: The Witch Family by Eleanor Estes. I really really want to own a vintage copy of this book with the original cover illustration, but I haven't found one yet at my price point. Might use this for ESL. Oh, yes. I have fond memories both of reading it as a child and of reading it to my children, but my childhood copy disintegrated and I have to avert my eyes when I look at the current copy. That's what I love about these threads. We read fluff, great literature both classic and contemporary, fiction and non-fiction, and all books in between. We read many different genres. And the best part is there's no judgment. We don't always agree on whether we like an author or book but we don't judge others who do (or don't). Also, if you stick around long enough you'll find your to-read list growing and growing and growing. ;) Gotta love a book discussion that runs the gamut from Mr. Putter & Tabby to War & Peace! :iagree: I think it is the variety that I love most - not just of what we read, but how we read and how we relate to our reading. I think the genuineness of our friendships and our conversations grow out of that space for each of us to have our own reading life and loves. I'm not really getting any reading done. When I walk the dog, I'm listening to Stoker's Manuscript and enjoying it. The books I brought with me are Snow Crash, Sunshine, A Brief History of the Dead, and Death With Interruptions. I'm enjoying them all but not really having either the time or headspace to read. The horrible winds weren't as horrible as predicted, so they've been able to hold the line on the fire to the north (the Pocket fire). The fire to the southeast could still pose a risk if the winds changed, but that's not in the forecast, so I'm thinking we will head home tomorrow. Dh says air quality is pretty good. Oh, love! I do hope you can go home! ...though I am glad you have had this respite with your friends and clean air. Still working on Sarah Sentilles' Draw Your Weapons. Loving it. Needed it. Not quite halfway through, but I think this one definitely will be recommended for Eliana, Ellesmere, ErinE, fastweedpuller, & Jane, possibly others. Pam in CT, if you ever pop in, you would be on this list too. Oh! Yes. I have placed a hold a my library. Thank you, love. First review of this week. John and I both loved Mr. Putter and Tabby! I have some recommendations for you and John. If I don't get back to you this week, will you remind me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 This week I read a collection of John Updike's short stories, The Maples Stories, originally published between 1956 and 1979. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed them, having not liked Updike in college. Still reading Athanasius; and I must get through the last four volumes of Hakluyt before the year ends. But also reading the Ibsen play Peer Gynt. Jenn, any ideas for musical accompaniment? ;) 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 Rose, glad to hear it. Breathe easy. 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 That's what I love about these threads. We read fluff, great literature both classic and contemporary, fiction and non-fiction, and all books in between. We read many different genres. And the best part is there's no judgment. We don't always agree on whether we like an author or book but we don't judge others who do (or don't). Also, if you stick around long enough you'll find your to-read list growing and growing and growing. ;) Had to quote because liking wasn't enough. 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 (edited) Rose, so glad to hear that you might be able to head home soon. Hope those fires are out as soon (or sooner!) than they are anticipating. I started reading Something Wicked This Way Comes this morning because I was scouting around for a new spooky read and I saw it on Matryoshka's Goodreads update :) I love it so far. But I have the library version on my kindle and there are super-annoying typos. Dandelion Wine turned me into a R. Bradbury fan. When I read Fahrenheit 451 in the mid-2000s, I didn't care for it for reasons I can no longer remember. I should probably read it again. I loved both Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles, but for some reason couldn't get into Dandelion Wine or Something Wicked, which is why I thought I'd try it on audio. Hope to do the same later with Dandelion Wine. Hope it has a different narrator, though.. Yesterday, I did a quick and delightful read-through of a childhood favorite: The Witch Family by Eleanor Estes. I really really want to own a vintage copy of this book with the original cover illustration, but I haven't found one yet at my price point. Might use this for ESL. The Witch Family was one of my absolute favorite books I read as a kid. But I took it out of the library, and spent years and years and years trying to figure out what book it was that I remembered so fondly, based just on the bits of plot I could recall - I didn't have a title or author. I finally figured it out when my kids were little, and I read it aloud to them. So happy I found it! But because of all that my original copy is the newer one... you're making me want to give it another re-read just because (it's been almost 15 years since I read it to my littles - where does the time go???!) Hmmm... maybe I'll suggest reading this aloud to my 16yo, who was practically a baby when I read this to them... (heck, since she refuses to read anything at all to herself...) Speaking of favorite books that I've seen mentioned here lately, Beauty by Robin McKinley is another all-time favorite. I also really liked her Deerskin. I am adding Sunshine to my TR list; maybe for next October, since my dance card for this month is already full... ;) Started Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez as an AP Lang read-along with my son. I went and read some of the reviews on Goodreads. I think I might also end up being offended by this book, as many reviewers were. I gather one of his main theses is that immigrants should not learn to read or write in their native language and should just assimilate. I'll be interested in hearing your/your son's thoughts. The holiday season just ended and I am readjusting myself to the rhythms of regular life again. I did finish a lot of books last week: Three activist-y books (all by non-US authors!): The Great Derangement by Amitav Ghosh: This isn't my favorite climate change related book (that would be Great Tide Rising which I read the week before), but it is one of the few I've read my a non-Western author and his questions about the intersection of the style of our current literary fiction and the failure of imagination to face catastrophic climate change at all, let alone envision a different future are fascinating and ones I know I will be coming back to and reflecting on. Utopia for Realists: I enjoyed this very much and his utopia and mine overlap in quite a number of ways, but this isn't about deeper thinking, it is a popular nonfiction work (from a Dutch writer, recently translated) that makes a good pitch for things that I see as common sense, but are often written off as pie-in-the-sky-idealist. The part that I will be digging into more relates to housing, especially a study from England which showed amazing results from giving money to folks experiencing homelessness for the things they saw as paths to a better future rather than trying to squish people into existing aid models, with all their gatekeepers and hoops. (And it saved insane amounts of money...) Women Writing Resistance: Essays on Latin America and Caribbean: This anthology pulls together a wide range of voices and styles and I enjoyed it very much. I realized as I was reading it that a really disbalanced percent of the Latin American reading I've done has been by men. Bringing all of these women's voices together expanded my horizons in ways I am still processing. (A personal side note: I was surprised, and moved, to find so many contributions by Jewish writers and thinkers. I hadn't quite noticed how accustomed I am to being invisible.) You read such interesting books (and so many!!) Going to check all of these out... Two Sci-Fi novels: Provenance by Ann Leckie: Leckie's Ancillary Justice (and, to a lesser degree its sequels) are amazing and I anticipate rereading them for many years to come and reflecting on the questions they explore... and feeling my own story mirrored there - how do we find our place in the work to build a better world? How do we make peace with our own brokeness and imperfections and believe we have value to offer? How to we keep believing in a better world without blinding ourselves to scale of the challenges we face? How do we learn to see the immense power of *how* we do things, or *how* we speak and act and treat others? ...but this book was merely an enjoyable story with a some interesting world building. I took pleasure in it, and I imagine I will likely reread it someday.... but it didn't demand anything of me, or cause me to look at myself or my life through another lens. The Dispossessed: I read lots of LeGuin as a teen, but never loved her books... until I read Lavinia a few years ago and then one of her collected essays books a little more recently... and since then I have wondered: did she just develop into a writer who was a better fit for me? Or did I grow as a reader and become more able to appreciate her voice? I suspected the latter.. and it has proven mostly true - though this didn't grab my heart the way Lavinia did. It is fascinating rereading this as an adult, but also as an activist involved in non-hierarchical organizing. My work as a teen spanned a bit of a range of organizing flavors, but most of it was non-hierarchical... but teenage me wasn't as interested in the process and didn't help launch any of the organizations, or hold the same level of responsibility as I have been lately.... I'm wondering if I can convince my reading group that is working on Hegemony How to: A Roadmap for Radicals to fritter a little time on this and how it intersects with our other reading.... I loved the Ancillary Justice trilogy, but based on what you and I think Rose said about Provenance, I'm feeling like I can hold off on that one... Glad to hear you enjoyed The Dispossessed this time around. Le Guin is my absolute favorite author. :wub: I hadn't read anything of hers in a while, but just reread The Dispossessed earlier this year. That's what I love about these threads. We read fluff, great literature both classic and contemporary, fiction and non-fiction, and all books in between. We read many different genres. And the best part is there's no judgment. We don't always agree on whether we like an author or book but we don't judge others who do (or don't). Also, if you stick around long enough you'll find your to-read list growing and growing and growing. ;) Wanted to nod on this too. I love the diversity of reading and thought on this list!! :wub: And yeah, let's not talk about how long my to-read list is getting... let's just say I'll never be bored again... Edited October 16, 2017 by Matryoshka 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-M- Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 (edited) Hello, BaWers! The image above is from "Coveting Nature" at the Krannert Art Museum. Nature, art, old books. Yes, I enjoyed the exhibit. As I mentioned last time, I chose to read Stacy Schiff's The Witches in anticipation of seeing Steppenwolf's production of The Crucible (after which we saw Frances Guinan and John Mahoney in The Rembrandt -- both shows are fantastic; get there, if you can). A feverish introduction promises more than Schiff's thorough but pedestrian narrative can deliver. That's 24 non-fiction books (and 130 books total), so I am optimistic about hitting my goal of at least 26 non-fiction titles. This week, I am reading The Skin of Our Teeth (Wilder) in anticipation of seeing Remy-Bumppo's production and (re)reading The Space Merchants (Pohl). Off to catch up on this week's and last week's posts. Edited to add: I want to like more posts, but nothing happens when I press "like." I *always* have this problem. Chuckle. Please consider your posts liked, BaWers. As always, I am glad to "see" everyone and grateful for the thoughtful conversation, and I am sending good thoughts to you. Edited October 16, 2017 by Melissa M 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 (edited) . Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 I talked to my friend in Santa Rosa today and she is also reporting improved air quality. Her house should be out of danger now, but her daughter's home is still only a block away from an evacuation zone. Good thoughts are appreciated. Sending good thoughts for your friend, Penguin. Rose, I hope you'll soon be happily back home. ** I've read several books over the past few days. These are all alien romances by author M.K. Eidem and were pleasant reads (despite their shortcomings in the grammar arena). I'd read the first book in the series previously. A Grim Holiday (Tornians Book 1.5) Wray (Tornians Book 2) Ynyr (Tornians Book 3) Oryon (Tornians Book 3.5) Regards, Kareni 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 That's what I love about these threads. We read fluff, great literature both classic and contemporary, fiction and non-fiction, and all books in between. We read many different genres. And the best part is there's no judgment. We don't always agree on whether we like an author or book but we don't judge others who do (or don't). Also, if you stick around long enough you'll find your to-read list growing and growing and growing. ;) Yes, it's a great vibe. Fortunately for all of you, I'm primarily gleaning so won't be adding exponentially to your own lists. :p Yesterday, I did a quick and delightful read-through of a childhood favorite: The Witch Family by Eleanor Estes. Such a fun read! Eleanor Estes was a favorite of mine, too. I'm low on time ~ need to make travel arrangements & hopefully fly out Tuesday night. Yes, my guy got the "go" and graduates Friday! I was honestly a bit taken by surprise since going straight through is rather rare. Super impressed & amazed, but from a logistical standpoint...ack! Thanks for the good thoughts, all. 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 Congratulations to Colleen's son! Books by Estes were often in our library bag but somehow I missed The Witch Family. Need to correct that. Thanks Penguin! 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 Congratulations to Colleen's Ds! Have a great trip Colleen! 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 (edited) I've only read Pinsky's translation of Dante's Inferno, as recommended by SWB. It's beautifully done, but I ultimately ended up re-reading Inferno and finishing Divine Comedy using the Hollanders' translations, which I highly recommend. It was easier to read the three parts when translated by the same "voice". Books read last week: Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough. Thriller. A single mother finds herself attracted to her married boss and befriending his gorgeous wife. I really enjoyed the story, but the style calls to mind Dean Koontz, an author I've enjoyed in the past, combined with Girl on the Train and Gone Girl. It's billed as a mystery/thriller yet there's supernatural elements, which I think disappointed some reviewers. I liked it. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. Literature. An aged butler travels to visit a retired housekeeper while reflecting on their shared past. I had big plans for this book, a personal favorite for many years. I was going to write out a review with quotes in the hopes that someone here would pick it up and try it. I failed as it's a tough book to quote. Ishiguro is often described as a quiet writer, and I think the difficulty in finding pull quotes reflects his style. There's few showy bits of prose where you can sit back and bask in the beauty of his language. But the in-depth look at the main character, the small moments when he reveals himself to the reader are so touching. In my re-read, I really paid attention to the atmospheric mood Ishiguro creates, the intentional use of sunlight and shadow and descriptions of the countryside to enhance the reader's experience. A lovely, lovely book. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend giving it a try. Joyce's Ulysses from The Teaching Company. Lecture-Literature. A literature professor's course on James Joyce's Ulysses. Like other Teaching Company literature courses, this one is taught by a lecturer passionate about his subject. If you haven't read Ulysses and want to, I highly recommend this course as a listen-along. Heffernan summarizes the referenced Odyssey episode, outlines the action within Joyce's corresponding section, and presents the relevant background to understand the characters and story. The lectures helped me realize something about my self as a reader. Once I understand an author's voice, I tend to read faster because I've grown used to the style and can "translate" the book's text to my brain easier. I found something similar with choreographers when I danced; it was much easier to learn dances from familiar choreographers than those I'd never worked with before. Joyce's shifting prose and structure never let me settle, forcing me to stretch myself and really think about what I was reading. I read the book too quickly and finishing this course makes me contemplate a re-read. Maybe next year. Speaking of growing used to an author's voice, I'm reading Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson, an author I've sometimes had a tough time starting. Seveneves was the only Stephenson book I've been able to finish at one attempt, but he blows up the moon on the first page so that drew my interest. I'm also reading Ishiguro's When We Were Orphans and trying to decide if I want to read something from my stack of spooky reads. I'm just not feeling drawn to horror right now. I'm trying to finish up The Myth of the Eternal Return, but it was an academic book written in the fifties and certain phrases are jarring sixty years later. Edited October 16, 2017 by ErinE 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 I'm low on time ~ need to make travel arrangements & hopefully fly out Tuesday night. Yes, my guy got the "go" and graduates Friday! I was honestly a bit taken by surprise since going straight through is rather rare. Super impressed & amazed, but from a logistical standpoint...ack! Thanks for the good thoughts, all. Congratulations to your son! 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 (edited) Pulitzer prize winning poet Richard WIlbur has died at the age of 96. He was also well known for his translations of Molière. I love his translation of Tartuffe which Susan recommended in her books. The obituary from the Washington Post. Edited October 16, 2017 by Jane in NC 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 Congratulations to your son, Colleen! 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 (edited) Mega congrats to you and yours, Colleen! Edited October 16, 2017 by Penguin 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Robyn Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 Hi there! It's been a few weeks. Here's where I'm at. We moved to a new house, which is great, but took some time, so not much reading going on. Plus I've been in the middle of a writing project. And it's been Book Festival week here, so I've been attending panel discussions and workshops. I have not finished a single book since I last posted. I am currently reading Million Dollar Outlines by David Farland, which talks about what kinds of stories sell to what audiences, plotting tools/strategies, and... whatever I haven't read yet. And a children's book--Lemons by Melissa Savage, about a girl whose mother (died? is quite ill? It hasn't said.) and who is living with her grandfather and spending a lot of time with a boy who is a Bigfoot detective. This is to be the first of several Bigfoot-related children's books. 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 I think my cold is turning into bronchitis like I tend to do with upper respiratory infections. I have a doctor's appointment scheduled for Wednesday morning. I've finished three books since I last checked in. Last Shot by Mike Faricy. It was okay. I like the Dev Haskell books, but they are getting extremely repetitive. I pick them up when they are offered free on Kindle. That's about what they are worth. That completes OPAL for October's birthstone. Outcry Prejudice Meets Pride Appaloosa Summer Last Shot Don't You Know Who I Am by Tony James Slater. It was excellent. It was about his time before he started traveling when he tried to become an actor. He did a lot of extra work. Some of the stories he told me directly when he and Roo visited last year so that was fun. His chapter on Doctor Who, though, made me cringe repeatedly since he spelled Dalek the way a Brit says it phonetically (Darlek). Forsake by Andrea Pearson. This one isn't out yet. It'll be out later this week. It's a prequel to her Mosaic Chronicles series and sets up the Koven Chronicles series she's about to start (some of the same characters as Mosaic, but focusing on a different main character). It was excellent. I barely could put it down. 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 Colleen, Congrats to your son, and Penguin, best wishes to your friend. As of yesterday many evacuation advisories have been lifted, including ours, but we decided to spend one more day at the beach, as it's supposed to be 90 at home and the lack of winds, although excellent news for the firefight, means that the air quality will not be good. It's supposed to cool off each day and may even be raining by Thursday, so we'll plan to go home tomorrow, I think. I really, really appreciate The Dispossessed, but I don't love it the way I do Left Hand of Darkness. I'm eager to read more LeGuin, I think I am finally mature enough to really appreciate her! Yes, I can't remember if I posted my thoughts after finishing Provenance. I ended up liking it very much, but not finding it completely mindblowing the way I did the Imperial Radch series. With the Ancillaries, I turned around and re-read the trilogy as soon as all 3 books were out. This one was a perfectly enjoyable book, but not one I'll feel the need to re-read in the near future. I may take my books and go lay on the beach and read today. :) 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loesje22000 Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 I have to admit I skipped the second epilogue of W&P and considered the book as finished :blush: I also finished 'Cecilia and Elsa' a biography about 2 noble sisters who were part of the ducth feminist scene in the late 1800s and early 1900s. One married the dutch composer van Diepenbrock, the other married (and divorced) a man who posessed large areas of the Hague at the time. Cecilia wrote also the first dutch feminist roman and I am trying to find a copy of it. I learned a lot during the book an would like to reread the book again. My fever has been gone finally, but the cold is still part of me. *** 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 ... need to make travel arrangements & hopefully fly out Tuesday night. Yes, my guy got the "go" and graduates Friday! ... Congratulations to your son, Colleen. Safe travels! I think my cold is turning into bronchitis like I tend to do with upper respiratory infections. ... Sending good healthy thoughts your way, Heather. My fever has been gone finally, but the cold is still part of me. And to you also, Loesje. ** A one day only currently free classic for Kindle readers ~ A Honeymoon in Space by George Griffith "One of the first novels about interplanetary travel, A Honeymoon in Space takes readers on a journey across the solar system Lenox, the Earl of Redgrave, has made the greatest scientific discovery in the history of the world: a flying ship with the power to break free of Earth’s gravity and take to the stars. But before he uses it to expand humanity’s understanding of the universe, he has some personal business to attend to—namely, wooing an old flame. The lady in question is Zaidie, the daughter of Lenox’s colleague Professor Rennick. With Zaidie about to be forced into a loveless marriage, Lenox knows he must do something drastic. He steals her away and takes her out of this world—literally. Griffith’s accounts of other planets are spectacularly engaging—from subterranean civilizations on the moon to the warlike Martians to the musical inhabitants of Venus. This remarkable adventure makes for a memorable honeymoon indeed." ** Also currently free ~ Caught In Time (Alysian Universe, Book 1) by Sheron Wood McCartha Unlikely Soldiers Book One (Civvy to Squaddie) by Deb McEwan The Untethered by S.W. Southwick Regards, Kareni 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raifta Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 I think I stopped posting in the BaW threads in April/May some time - between working and homeschooling and the summer garden season, I didn't have much time to get on the board. But I still did a lot of reading and I missed hearing about what everyone else was reading! I'm glad to be catching up with everyone's reading and lives outside reading. I'm now working even more and also homeschooling but work is slow so I have time to post while at work (but much less time to read). At any rate, I'm still working on the bingo - 6 squares left to go. Also still working on The Shelf project from F to G - about 10 books left there - I was hoping to finish it this year but I'm not sure that's going to happen. Some highlights in the last few months were finding a book with my name in the title for bingo (it's a weird and unusual name but there's a biography of a countess out there and it existed in our library system so I read it). The book itself was not that great as the author's ability to actually imagine life for the countess seemed extremely limited but I have learned that my life is not nearly as exciting as my namesake's. Also read recently: All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai – a time traveling book with a bit of romance featuring an imagined version of 2016 that seems better than toda's but maybe isn’t. It got rather confusing in the last third but I did enjoy the first parts. I read it for the Debut Novel square in Bingo. Miracles on the Water by Tom Nagorski – A retelling of the events leading up to and following the torpedoing and sinking of The City of Benares, a British ship carrying paying passengers and evacuated children to Canada during WWII. The author did an amazing job of making you believe that he’d been there and seen it all and the actual facts of what happened are just as miraculous as the title claims. Ended up using this as the seaworthy bingo square. The Prairie Bridesmaid by Daria Salamon - used this for the local author square - she lives a block away from me, so really local! The book is also set very locally and while it was cute to run into all these places and stores and situations that I know very well, the book itself was little on the light side with a lot of caricatures rather than characters IMO. The Nix by Nathan Hill – this was our first book club book pick for this year and it’s a doozy at over 600 pages. I romped through the first 150 and then slowed down as the book widened its scope and more and more narrators came into play. On the one hand, I wished it had not been so very wide a lens, but on the other, the varying perspectives on the times and events were pretty interesting, even if they hardly ever overlapped exactly. This was a dense, complex book with a lot of history that I’ve never covered, so that was also interesting. The Tesseract by Alex Garland - this was my most recent shelf book that I just finished today. It was a very quick read, which was good, because I kept on wondering why I was continuing to read it, since I hated the first 50 pages (not that interested in the characters, didn't like the violence) but then couldn't put it down. In the end, the unfolding of the dimensions into a tesseract like book was an interesting concept and I did like that it was set somewhere (Philippines) that I rarely encounter in books and that the setting was an integral part of the book. 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 Congrats to all who have finished W&P!!! *standing ovation* I have loved eavesdropping on all the W&P conversations and Jenn's musical accompaniments. Just popping in to say "Hi!" I am swamped with getting ready for our mid-December move. We have so much stuff to get rid of first! I am occasionally reading a bit in W&P, along with Hillary Clinton's What Happened for my IRL book group. I'm also reading some mindless fare. I'll be popping in now and then, but hope to be back in a more regular way in January. Hope all are well! Thanks, Robin, for the postcard! Good luck on your move. Pop in when you can with updates. That's what I love about these threads. We read fluff, great literature both classic and contemporary, fiction and non-fiction, and all books in between. We read many different genres. And the best part is there's no judgment. We don't always agree on whether we like an author or book but we don't judge others who do (or don't). Also, if you stick around long enough you'll find your to-read list growing and growing and growing. ;) Ditto all of this. I am amazed at how we can gentle push each other to discover new beloved books. I think our little group here has introduced me to most of my favorite books over the last five (more than that even?) years. I have some recommendations for you and John. If I don't get back to you this week, will you remind me? Don't worry ... I won't let you forget. You have been a great source of beloved read alouds in my house. I'm low on time ~ need to make travel arrangements & hopefully fly out Tuesday night. Yes, my guy got the "go" and graduates Friday! I was honestly a bit taken by surprise since going straight through is rather rare. Super impressed & amazed, but from a logistical standpoint...ack! Thanks for the good thoughts, all. Hurrah! That's so exciting. I think my cold is turning into bronchitis like I tend to do with upper respiratory infections. I have a doctor's appointment scheduled for Wednesday morning. Hope you get feeling better very soon. 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 (edited) Hi everyone! So glad to hear you and your family are safe and able to go home, Rose :grouphug: Colleen, congratulations to your son! :hurray: A big thank you to Kareni for talking about The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R. A. Dick. Loved this! I've seen the movie many times and always enjoyed it and after Kareni mentioned it I decided I just HAD to read the book. So glad I did! The banter between the Captain and Lucy was good and I liked having the extra characters there, too. How Not to Run a B & B by Bobby Hutchinson. This was a mostly entertaining look at running a B&B. I read it early in the morning when I was having trouble sleeping. I started a spooky read - In the Grip of It - and have about a quarter of it left to read. I would have read it during my sleepless nights but it was starting to freak me out a bit. Not so much the story but the style of writing is what is getting into my head. I'll finish it during the daytime. :) Can I get a few suggestions from everyone? I'm trying to find some good books for my 10yo and 17yo daughters. Their birthdays are almost here and they both asked for books! It's hard to find stuff that they will like, haven't already read, and is quality and yet will not upset their dad. He is NOT a reader and tends to be very conservative in what he thinks the girls should read. sigh My 10yo is a voracious reader and has asked for long books - over 300 pages.She's read so much that is appropriate for her age and it's really hard to find books that are long enough without being too adult. In the past she has enjoyed The Warrior series, the Little House books, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, the Hunger Games (yeah, I know - she's the youngest and everyone else had read it so I let her read it, too), and the All Creatures Great and Small series. My 17yo hasn't been much of a reader in the past so I am anxious to find her some books that she will enjoy. She's read much of the same as my younger dd with the addition of manga like the Naruto series, Death Note, and My Love Story. She doesn't want romances and leans toward science fiction. Historical fiction is ok as long as it isn't centered on a girl who wants to meet a boy and get married, lol. So far I've gotten her Code Name Verity https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/1423152883/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1and Redshirts https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/0765334798/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1. eta - Congratulations to everyone who has finished War and Peace :thumbup: - I'm still working on it. :) SaveSave SaveSave Edited October 16, 2017 by Mothersweets 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 My 10yo is a voracious reader and has asked for long books - over 300 pages.She's read so much that is appropriate for her age and it's really hard to find books that are long enough without being too adult. In the past she has enjoyed The Warrior series, the Little House books, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, the Hunger Games (yeah, I know - she's the youngest and everyone else had read it so I let her read it, too), and the All Creatures Great and Small series. Have you seen the illustrated HP books? Even though she'd read them all a dozen times my 13 yo gets the latest release of the illustrated books for Christmas because they are lovely and a favorite to reread. A few other favorites with DD at that age: The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall Alcatraz Vs the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson Finishing School series by Gail Carriger Princess Academy by Shannon Hale Heist Society by Ally Carter Mr Terupt series by Rob Buyea Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George We tend towards the conservative side with reading material for our children so these should all get the stamp of approval from your DH. 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 A big thank you to Kareni for talking about The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R. A. Dick. Loved this! I've seen the movie many times and always enjoyed it and after Kareni mentioned it I decided I just HAD to read the book. So glad I did! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the book! Can I get a few suggestions from everyone? I'm trying to find some good books for my 10yo and 17yo daughters. Their birthdays are almost here and they both asked for books! It's hard to find stuff that they will like, haven't already read, and is quality and yet will not upset their dad. He is NOT a reader and tends to be very conservative in what he thinks the girls should read. sigh My 10yo is a voracious reader and has asked for long books - over 300 pages.She's read so much that is appropriate for her age and it's really hard to find books that are long enough without being too adult. In the past she has enjoyed The Warrior series, the Little House books, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, the Hunger Games (yeah, I know - she's the youngest and everyone else had read it so I let her read it, too), and the All Creatures Great and Small series. Thinking of your younger daugher, I'll mention a couple of books my daughter enjoyed ~ almost 500 pages: Un Lun Dun by China Miéville "What is Un Lun Dun? It is London through the looking glass, an urban Wonderland of strange delights where all the lost and broken things of London end up . . . and some of its lost and broken people, too–including Brokkenbroll, boss of the broken umbrellas; Obaday Fing, a tailor whose head is an enormous pin-cushion, and an empty milk carton called Curdle. Un Lun Dun is a place where words are alive, a jungle lurks behind the door of an ordinary house, carnivorous giraffes stalk the streets, and a dark cloud dreams of burning the world. It is a city awaiting its hero, whose coming was prophesied long ago, set down for all time in the pages of a talking book. When twelve-year-old Zanna and her friend Deeba find a secret entrance leading out of London and into this strange city, it seems that the ancient prophecy is coming true at last. But then things begin to go shockingly wrong." How about non-fiction? The cover art is repellent but everyone in my family (teen to husband) paged through this with fascination. 224 pages: Oh, Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty by Joy Masoff and also at 320 pages: Oh, Yikes!: History's Grossest Wackiest Moments by Joy Masoff Regards, Kareni 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 Congratulations to your son, Colleen! Heather, hope you feel better soon. Bronchitis is miserable. Wee Girl, whose reading is really picking up, just started The Witch Family. Good timing. 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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