Chrysalis Academy Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 Checked off my Crimean War square: The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline, a YA mystery starring Sherlock Holmes's younger sister Enola. She's a scrappy heroine, it was a cute book. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 This afternoon, I read and enjoyed this currently free short story by Jamie Sedgwick ~ Worlds Apart "Sarah knows better than to talk to the "crazies" at the mall, but there seems to be something familiar about the old man who often sits nearby, talking to himself. He seems nice enough, even if he does believe he’s talking to the ghost of his dead wife. Sarah can’t help but think that the old man is completely harmless. Then he invites her to lunch, and what Sarah learns may not only change her understanding of the nature of reality, but even her very destiny."The author also has this currently free full length steampunk work ~ The Tinkerer's Daughter "Breeze is an outcast, a half-breed orphan born into a world torn apart by a thousand years of war. Breeze never knew her elven mother, and when her human father is recalled to the war, he leaves her in the safest place he knows: in the care of a reclusive tinker.The Tinkerman's inventions are frightening at first -noisy, smelly, dangerous machines with no practical use- but when the war comes home, Breeze sees an opportunity. If she can pull it off, she'll change the world forever. If she fails, she'll be considered a traitor by both lands and will be hunted to her death." ** Also currently free is this male/male romance: City Boy (Hot Off the Ice Book 1) by A. E. Wasp It received a very good review today which you can see here: Review: City Boy by A.E. Wasp Regards,Kareni 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Checked off my Crimean War square: The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline, a YA mystery starring Sherlock Holmes's younger sister Enola. She's a scrappy heroine, it was a cute book. Laura - Have we suggested this series for your DD? It was another one much listened to in my house. The audiobooks are great also. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 I started a new book and I don't know if I can finish. I like historical fiction, but there's a reason I usually avoid recent historical fiction. By page 50, I've found three errors that reinforce the author's point, but are wrong - one's minor, but two are major and easily googled. Yes, I checked because I found them so buggy. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 (edited) . Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Loesje & Jenn, so glad you got to meet. Love the photo! Jenn, glad you got to experience some of the wonderful things Belgium has to offer! It's really a lovely place with many wonderful people (& delicious food too). P.S. What is the building??? The building is the MAS museum, or Museum aan de Stroom which we did not visit, so I'll simply have to go back one day. We toured a museum about immigration, specifically about the thousands of European emigrants to North and South America who funneled out of Antwerp on the Red Star Line in the late 1800s thru early 1900s. It was in the actual building, so it was like visiting the European side of Ellis Island. I don't have ancestors that would have come that way, but if you do, there are databases of the emigrants. I spent most of my day yesterday in the air conditioning, hiding from the 106 degree heat and reading. I'm just past the half way mark on The Magpie Murders, Anthony Horowitz's mystery within a mystery. Really good so far, and I would have stayed up to finish but jet lag finally got the best of me by 8pm. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Laura - Have we suggested this series for your DD? It was another one much listened to in my house. The audiobooks are great also. I saw Rose's post about it yesterday and immediately added it to my list of books to check out. :) thanks! 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raifta Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 ErinE - Congrats on finishing your Bingo! It's inspiring to see what others have done. Kareni - The scratch off books and film cards look terrific; thank you so much for posting them. I sense they are perfect for several family members as Christmas gifts. Very cool to see BaW meet ups! This week I finished Mister God, This is Anna by Fynn. This is one of those books that I've had for ages and have read several times. It was the next book on my Shelf Project. No idea where it came from or why I picked it up in the first place. It's an interesting (for me) take on religion and god from the perspective of a 6-8 year old girl in pre WWII England. My disclaimer is that I'm not religious, but I really appreciate and enjoy the thoughts about religion and god in this book and find it a refreshing take on things. One day I'd like for my kids to read it as I think it would be an interesting entry point into religious thought for them. I've settled on Wild Strawberries by Angela Thirkell as my Flufferton read for Bingo. I think that qualifies but if anyone would like to weigh in and confirm that would be great. I started it last night in bed but had a late night volleyball game so I was pretty tired and did not get far before falling asleep. Still need to read the Prime Number square but I'm inspired to at least go find a book that qualifies now! 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 (edited) I ordered the film poster :thumbup1: I checked out prices for dry mounting plus a poster frame and decided to go with just buying the framed version. I think I will use it as a family gift since we are "family movie night" people. ETA and youngest is almost 17 so we can probably watch everything on the poster. I thought about giving it to my film buff son, but (unlike his mom!) he is not really a list-checker. Edited October 25, 2017 by Penguin 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 This week I finished Mister God, This is Anna by Fynn. This is one of those books that I've had for ages and have read several times. It was the next book on my Shelf Project. No idea where it came from or why I picked it up in the first place. It's an interesting (for me) take on religion and god from the perspective of a 6-8 year old girl in pre WWII England. My disclaimer is that I'm not religious, but I really appreciate and enjoy the thoughts about religion and god in this book and find it a refreshing take on things. One day I'd like for my kids to read it as I think it would be an interesting entry point into religious thought for them. How neat to hear mention of Mister God, This is Anna! I carted that book around through years of moves; now I'm tempted to reread it again. ** A one day only currently free work for Kindle readers ~ The Exploits of Juve (The Fantômas Novels Book 2) by Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre About the Authors Marcel Allain (1885–1969) and Pierre Souvestre (1874–1914) were French authors of crime fiction best known for creating the sinister master criminal Fantômas. Introduced in 1911, the archvillain was an immediate sensation, popular in pulp magazines, books, and silent serials. Allain and Souvestre wrote thirty-two books in the series together. After his cocreator’s death, Allain continued the exploits of Fantômas in eleven more novels. "The scourge of Paris commits his most ingenious crime yet The second installment in this groundbreaking series opens with a crime that even Inspector Juve, dedicated hunter of the archvillain Fantômas, finds impossible to believe: A woman has been murdered in the very same room the inspector was staking out not an hour before. Only an evil genius such as Fantômas could commit a crime so astonishing. But the master of disguise is dead—or is he? As Inspector Juve investigates, he encounters a host of nefarious characters, including the criminal ringleader Loupart, alias “the Squareâ€; his charming and seductive lover, Josephine; and Doctor Chaleck, who is either an innocent man or a cunning player in a diabolical scheme." ** Also currently free ~ One Wish Away (Djinn Empire Book 1) by Ingrid Seymour Tales Untold by Narcissismus Decimus Maximus Between a Rock and a Hot Mess (The Sinclair Brides Book 1) by Phyllis Bourne Regards, Kareni 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Some bookish posts from Tor.com ~ Necessary Whimsy: Vampire Bunnies and Other Weird-But-Fun Halloween Reads by Lish McBride Stacia, you'll recognize a title mentioned in the above post. ** The Horror of the Suburbs by Melissa F. Olson Regards, Kareni 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Some bookish posts from Tor.com ~ Necessary Whimsy: Vampire Bunnies and Other Weird-But-Fun Halloween Reads by Lish McBride Stacia, you'll recognize a title mentioned in the above post. ** The Horror of the Suburbs by Melissa F. Olson Regards, Kareni Well, now I feel like reading Bunnicula again. Those books were so much fun! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 (edited) . Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 (edited) . Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Re: Hunting Prince Dracula and Bunnicula ... just reserved both at the my library. And then I had to laugh because my kids are at such different extremes of the reading spectrum. I love this place. There's something for everybody. I've settled on Wild Strawberries by Angela Thirkell as my Flufferton read for Bingo. I think that qualifies but if anyone would like to weigh in and confirm that would be great. I started it last night in bed but had a late night volleyball game so I was pretty tired and did not get far before falling asleep. Excellent choice. This Flufferton lady approves. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Finished two more books. Still behind on my goal of 101 books for the year but not too bad. I'm five books behind. One Upon A Dream by Mary Balogh and Grace Burrowes. Picking this up was a mistake because it's two novellas written about secondary characters in other series. Basically I had no idea who anybody was and really should have. Ah well. I wanted to read it because I love regency romance novellas and thought this would fit the bill. Regardless of not knowing any backstory I was able to really enjoy the Mary Balogh one. Her writing is captivating. The other one I was almost not able to finish ... historical innacuracies galore. Boo. I finished another of DP Lyle books about forensics for mystery writers. I'm sleeping with the lights on from here on out people. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 :thumbup1: I finished the YA spooky book I was reading: Hunting Prince Dracula (the second book in a series) by Kerri Maniscalco I am a little surprised to admit how much I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Right book, right time. Great popcorn reading & lots of fun (as long as you don't mind some blood & gore with your popcorn). I liked the characters, I liked the setting (late 1800s Romania/Bran Castle & plenty of vampire lore), & I liked the flirtatious innuendo between Audrey Rose Wadsworth & Thomas Cresswell. Imo, quite a good YA book in the gothic/(barely) romance genre & it's well-written (vs. some YA books I've read which leave something to be desired in the writing arena). It's almost more of a mystery than straight-up gothic horror, though there are more than a few creepy touches in there. (It is related to Dracula & Vlad the Impaler after all....) Thumbs up from me. (And even though I'm not really into Jack the Ripper stories, I just requested the first book of this series, Stalking Jack the Ripper.) I'm going to say that mumto2 would enjoy this one immensely & will even branch out to say that I think Angel would get a kick out of it too. (For parents of teens wondering re: the romance.... Most of it is verbal flirting/innuendo/banter, a couple of kisses -- only at the end -- & there is a lesbian couple, but again fairly chaste with 'getting caught' embracing/kissing being about the most descriptive thing.) These books appear to be very popular! I think I will have the Ripper one quite soon but the wait on Dracula appears to be long. Amy, I forgot to quote. If you haven't figured it out Grace Burrowes is another author you would probably like, slightly more descriptive than Balogh but good stories. Turn pages quickly as needed. Her characters aged all intertwined so I don't try too hard to figure out who is who beyond the main ones! Lol Just so you know there are lots of Bunnicula's. Blushing, I just sourced them all (little letters) for me. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 (edited) . Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 Congratulations Stacia on 52! 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 For the first time this week, I have a little reading time, and I need to pick a book for the occasional break from Athanasius. Since I need an R for Alphabetical Authors, and it's been a long time since Rabelais, I'm going to re-read Gargantua and Pantagruel. Many years ago I read the Norton edition translated by Burton Raffel. This time I'm reading an old Penguin (because it's handy), translated by J. M. Coffen. Unfortunately it's been too long for me to really compare the translations. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 Stacia, Congratulations on reading 52! I just finished Bunnicula. Amy, this is for you just in case. Remember I am the one whose child was terrified by Underdog so I feel the need to give you a heads up before you share these with Chews. It's been at least ten years so it was fun to revisit this one and it is very cute. My DS must have been at least 6 when Bf showed up with this series because he remembers reading them to himself. Dh made me pre read them because of the obvious vampire connection.... I would have anyway :) I let them go through simply because they were children of a woman who read an occasional paranormal with slightly scary covers so they knew the basics already. I suspect your guy does because of living with your dd but.... The vampire word is mentioned but things are humorous, they pound at the bunny with a meat steak for instance. Overall it's just a bunny that likes it's vegetables juiced. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 Just now sitting down to actually read, rather than skim, the thread. I first want to thank all of you for prereading Donna Tartt's books for me, and saving me the trouble. I thought Rose and Kathy's take on the audio version --one pro and one con -- was interesting. Then I clicked on the link in Mothersweets' post about the audio version of True Grit and I had to laugh... just wanted to add - Strawberry, I'm agreeing with everyone else in recommending True Grit for your western read. It's a great story! and the reader for the audio is perfect. https://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/True-Grit-Audiobook/B002V5GORK/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1508706137&sr=1-1 SaveSave SaveSave Donna Tartt is the narrator of this particular audio version of True Grit!!! :lol: 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 Stacia, I enjoyed perusing your book list, you read such interesting stuff! We definitely have an overlap in the Venn diagram of our reading interests, but you are more adventurous than I am when it comes to writing style. You've turned me on to some interesting and some great books over the past few years. And you saved me the trouble of writing a review for Snow Crash: "34. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson, pub. by Bantam Books. 3 stars. North America: USA. (Cyber-punk sci-fi that merges virtual reality, a dystopian future, & a link to ancient linguistics. Interesting topics to ponder; enjoyed concept more than the book itself.)" I agree. Reading this in the context of my Utopian/Dystopian project, I can say that while this book is full of ideas, they are more linguistics/programming/VR type of ideas rather than social organization/dystopian type ideas, although his extrapolation of a future US based on current trends is darkly funny. Sounds like Shannon might like the vampire book you just read . . . although I think she needs to read the original first! How have we made it this far without her reading Dracula! I'll have to pull that out for her at some point, though she just finished Brave New World and 1984 and is now coming up for air with a digression into her umpteenth David Eddings re-read. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 A one day only currently free collection of short stories for Kindle readers ~ Sixes and Sevens by O. Henry "From America’s favorite storyteller: A rich selection of twenty-five tales by the author of “The Gift of the Magi.†Writing under the pseudonym O. Henry, William Sydney Porter was an incredibly prolific and popular master of the short story in the early twentieth century. His stories are known for being witty, playful, full of plot twists, and marked by surprise endings. The author had a special fondness for New York City and a deep interest and appreciation for the ordinary folk who populate his timeless tales. First published in 1911, his eleventh collection features such classics as “The Duplicity of the Hargraves,†about a destitute Confederate major and his spinster daughter in Washington, DC, and their encounter with a vaudeville actor; as well as “Makes the Whole World Kin,†about a thief and a sick old man who form a surprising bond. Once entered, O. Henry’s world becomes an unforgettable destination, and over a century later, readers continue to return—again and again. Sixes and Sevens includes “The Duplicity of Hargraves,†“Makes the Whole World Kin,†“The Last of the Troubadours,†“Witches’ Loaves,†“The Adventures of Shamrock Jolnes,†“A Ghost of a Chance,†“New York by Camp Fire Light,†“Ulysses and the Dogman,†and more." ** Also currently free ~ Wyvern by A. A. Attanasio From Publishers WeeklyFans of adventure yarns may relish this blend of fantasy and historical fiction if they take to the author's baroque, tinted prose and lush imagination. Jaki Gefjon, son of a native Borneo woman and a Dutch sea captain, starts life as witch-doctor's slave and apprentice. Later kidnapped by pirates, he befriends his captor, Trevor Pym, famed for his dreaded man-of-war, the Wyvern. Jaki falls for Lucinda, the headstrong daughter of Pym's arch-rival, Captain William Quarles. Crammed with intrigue, pirates' battles, curses and visions, this seafaring saga takes Lucinda and Jaki from the South Seas to India to the New World. Various plot strands interweavethe encroachment of colonialism on the world of spirits, Jaki's hard-won self-acceptance after abandoning the role of European gentleman, the clash of duty versus romance as Lucinda defies her father. But the cardboard characters defeat the book's epic and historical pretensions. Attanasio's previous novels include Radix , a Nebula Award nominee, and Arc of the Dream.Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. An Ace and A Pair: A Dead Cold Mystery (Dead Cold Mysteries Book 1) by Blake Banner Unmasking Miss Appleby by Emily Larkin Regards, Kareni 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 (edited) . Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 I've recently finished some books ~ Keepsake (True North Book 3) by Sarina Bowen ~ This book happens to be on sale for 99 cents currently. I enjoyed this contemporary romance; it's a book I'll be re-reading. Though it's third in the series, it easily stands alone. (Adult content) "There's a first time for everything. Lark Wainright used to be fearless. Her life was a series of adventures, each one more exhilarating than the last. But her recent overseas adventure was one too many. Now she's home and in one piece. Mostly. But her nights are filled with terror.When her best friend offers her a stay at the orchard in exchange for help at the farmers' markets, Lark jumps at the chance to spend fall in Vermont. But her nightmares don't stop. Desperate to keep her fragile state a secret, she relies on the most soft-spoken resident of the Shipley Farm to soothe her when her dreams prove too much.Zachariah is a survivor, too. It's been four years since he was tossed aside by the polygamist cult where he grew up. He's found a peaceful existence on the Shipley's farm, picking apples and fixing machinery. But getting thrown away by your own people at nineteen leaves a mark on a guy. He doesn't always know what to make of a world where movie quotes are the primary means of communication. Before hitchhiking to Vermont, he'd never watched TV or spoken on the phone.Actually, there are a lot of things he's never done.Zach and Lark slowly grow to trust one another. One night they become even closer than they'd planned. But Lark may still be too broken to trust anyone. When she pushes Zach away, he will have to prove to himself that he's good for much more than farm labor." ** I then went on to read the next book in the series which I also enjoyed. Bountiful (True North Book 4) by Sarina Bowen (Adult content) "No last names. No life stories. Those were the rules. Once upon a time a cocky, copper-haired tourist sauntered into Zara’s bar. And even though she knew better, Zara indulged in a cure for the small-town blues. It was supposed to be an uncomplicated fling—a few sizzling weeks before he went back to his life, and she moved on.Until an accidental pregnancy changed her life.Two years later, she’s made peace with the notion that Dave From Brooklyn will never be found. Until one summer day when he walks into her coffee shop, leveling her with the same hot smile that always renders her defenseless.Hockey star Dave Beringer has never forgotten the intense month he spent with prickly Zara. Their nights together were the first true intimacy he’d ever experienced. But the discovery of his child is the shock of a lifetime, and his ugly past puts relationships and family out of reach.Or does it? Vermont’s countryside has a way of nurturing even tortured souls. The fields and the orchards—and hard won love—are Bountiful." ** Then I re-read another book by the author. My copy is titled In Front of God and Everyone by Nealy Wagner, but it's since been reissued as Goodbye Paradise by Sarina Bowen (Adult content) "Most people called it a cult. But for twenty years, Josh and Caleb called it home.In Paradise, there is no television. No fast food. Just long hours of farm work and prayer on a dusty Wyoming ranch, and nights in a crowded bunkhouse. The boys of the Compound are kept far from the sinners’ world.But Joshua doesn’t need temptation to sin. His whole life, he’s wanted his best friend, Caleb. By day they work side by side. Only when Josh closes his eyes at night can they be together the way he craves.It can never be. And his survival depends on keeping his terrible desires secret.Caleb has always protected Josh against the worst of the bullying at the Compound. But he has secrets of his own, and a plan to get away — until it all backfires.Josh finds himself homeless in a world that doesn’t want him. Can Caleb find him in time? And will they find a place of safety, where he can admit to Josh how he really feels?" ** I also recently read the alien romance ThunderClaw (Alien Warrior Book 2) by Penelope Fletcher. This was an okay read, but I doubt I'll be re-reading it. (Adult content) "'Truth, I am who females like best.' ~King Beowyn, Great Alpha, House of ThunderClaw'My wife and husband do not get along.' ~ High Commander Éorik, Royal Defender, House of SnowBlade'Like my ancestors before me, I fight to the death for freedom.' ~ Sìne of Clan Grae'Want binky.' ~ Fergie of Clan GraeA King, his commander, an Earthling and her kin.Trekking through outer space to distant galaxies.Feasts, a storm, annihilation and rebirth.This tale is about the bonds between family and friends. A saga of the love between a woman and two aliens." Regards, Kareni 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 A couple of bookish posts ~ I recall reading Andre Norton books back in the seventies. 10 Andre Norton Books Everyone Should Read Get to know the woman who changed science fiction and fantasy. "Born “Alice†and choosing to write under a pen name, Andre Norton is one of science fiction and fantasy's most prolific authors, having written over 100 published works throughout her 70-year career. Fans of the genre are likely aware of her ultra popular Witch World saga, which introduced a revolutionary blend of science fiction and sword and sorcery. First published in 1963, the series has lasted beyond North's death in 2005, with new authors taking up the Witch World mantle and continuing her legacy...." ** Rachel Ignotofsky on Celebrating Overlooked Women in Science "Growing up, Rachel Ignotofsky struggled with vision issues that made reading physically painful and frustrating. Today, the author and illustrator creates books and educational materials that make reading and science accessible for young people, with the aim of helping others embrace their individual learning style and find the same entry point into loving reading that she did. At New York Comic Con earlier this month, The Portalist spoke to Ignotofsky about her books Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World and Women in Sports: 50 Fearless Athletes Who Played to Win, and the power of celebrating women whose accomplishments have been obscured...." Regards, Kareni 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 Thanks to all who offered outer space and sci-fi suggestions. Matryoshka, that's a good list. Stacia, I had forgotten about The Sparrow. I think it was discussed early in the year when a lot of us were talking about books for the different bingo squares. Amy, I chose 107 (because I'm weird and don't like the number 101 :D) and am also five books behind schedule. Actually as soon as I add my two recent books that will drop down to three. I finished London Under and Mrs. Sherlock Holmes. London Under was short but interesting. At times the writing was a bit like a newspaper report but I still liked it. Reading about tunnels that are >200 feet underground was especially interesting to me. Where I live you can barely get six feet down without hitting the water table. Recently the city replaced some drain pipes in my neighborhood and had to have a pump running constantly to get the water out of the way in order to lay the pipes. Mrs. Sherlock Holmes was quite good too. The woman in the title, Grace Quackenbos Humiston (the newspapers gave her the nickname) is someone we don't learn about, but she was the first female U.S. Attorney. She solved a number of cases and saved people from death row by proving their innocence and rose to prominence by solving the murder of a missing girl that the police blew off as a runaway. At times she went a bit overboard in what she thought was happening, but she spent her life fighting for those who couldn't fight for themselves. She was especially interested in missing women/girls, and criticized police for their attitude and their tendency to automatically believe the woman/girl ran away with a suitor. A quote from near the end of the book, "Grace's point, as always, was simple and practical but it still sounded radical. 'Just because girls bob their hair, wear short skirts, dance crazy dances, and look a little more sophisticated than girls of the last two generations looked, does not indicate with absolute certainty - as many of our public figures have announced in bold print - that the younger generation is on the road to ruin," she said." I'm saddened by how little progress in such attitudes has been made since the early 20th century. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 (edited) Yesterday and today, I did some housekeeping on Goodreads and added a heap of books that I read before 2016. I tried to remember to uncheck "Add this to your feed" but I probably forgot to do that occasionally. Sorry if I bombarded your feed! I peeked around at some of your shelves and got some ideas for rearrangement and then had some fun organizing:) One thing that made me happy was that I cleared all my star ratings for books entered long after they were read, unless they were a 5-star-all-time-fave or a 1-star-will-never-forget-the-loathing. Edited October 26, 2017 by Penguin 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 I am still working my way through the Honor Harrington books. My life has shifted so I don't have a lot of time to read these days. I have lots of time travelling, so I have listened to a wild mix of audiobooks. I hope everyone is doing ok. : ) Nan 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 I forgot to post what I'm currently reading - I'm listening to Little Dorrit. It's been a while since I listened to a Dickens' novel and this one was available at my library from Overdrive. Reading, all on my Kindle - Johnstown Flood, David McCullough Just One Look, Harlan Coben - I've read all the Myron Bolitar novels and one or two of the Mickey Bolitar series (didn't like them) but have been meaning to read one of his stand-alone novels for years. Death and Judgment, Donna Leon - an Inspector Brunetti novel Last Plane Out of Saigon, Richard Pena, John Hogan The first three are library loans so naturally I started with the fourth one. :D Yesterday and today, I did some housekeeping on Goodreads and added a heap of books that I read before 2016. I tried to remember to uncheck "Add this to your feed" but I probably forgot to do that occasionally. Sorry if I bombarded your feed!I peeked around at some of your shelves and got some ideas for rearrangement and then had some fun organizing:)One thing that made me happy was that I cleared all my star ratings for books entered long after they were read, unless they were a 5-star-all-time-fave or a 1-star-will-never-forget-the-loathing. I do that type of housekeeping on occasion too. I always try to remember to uncheck both post to facebook and add to my feed. I wish I could come up with a shelf system I really like, but I never was good at categorizing even for paper files. Maybe I'll do what you did and stalk some Goodreads friends for ideas. I rarely rate books unless they're really good or really bad. I used to give a lot of 3-star ratings until a friend from bookclub mentioned that she decided against a book because I only gave it 3 stars. I told her that to me 3 stars is worth reading, but apparently that's not how most people see it. Very few books get 1 or 2 stars from me because I stop reading any books I'm not enjoying. The exception is if I want to finish a classic I'm not liking, to try and understand why it's considered a classic. Even those are rare though. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 (edited) . Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 I know we've discussed this previously & you & I are in agreement. I think 3 stars is a perfectly good rating. It means it did what I expected or wanted it to do as a book w/in its particular category. It means I liked it. There are lots of books I like, fewer that I really love. 4 & 5 stars I reserve for the really outstanding books (for whatever reason -- heavy topics I like thinking about or a really well-done/fun popcorn read). Books that struck my fancy & left a good feeling in my heart &/or mind. And, like you, I rarely reward 1 or 2 stars because I usually stop reading long before then! Lol. This is how I use the ratings too. If you hover over the stars at Goodreads, 3 stars is "I liked it", 4 stars is "I really liked it" and 5 stars is "it was amazing". I looked back at my stats the other day, and I think my most-used rating was 3 stars, then 4 stars, then 5. I do have a very few 2 stars, mostly things I felt I had to stick with for some reason (like book club). I think my only one-star review is the one where I had to find a book with my name in the title, and the pickings were virtually nonexistent, so I toughed out the one thing I could find. What a slog. But I think 3 stars is a decent rating. That means I liked it. 2 stars is for 'meh'. Yesterday and today, I did some housekeeping on Goodreads and added a heap of books that I read before 2016. I tried to remember to uncheck "Add this to your feed" but I probably forgot to do that occasionally. Sorry if I bombarded your feed! I peeked around at some of your shelves and got some ideas for rearrangement and then had some fun organizing:) One thing that made me happy was that I cleared all my star ratings for books entered long after they were read, unless they were a 5-star-all-time-fave or a 1-star-will-never-forget-the-loathing. Don't apologize to me. :) I kind of get a kick out of seeing what people read. I get lots of TR ideas from my Goodreads feed, and what does it matter when you read it for me to see it and get inspired? Besides, I have it coming. When I got on Goodreads I must have added a couple hundred books I'd read all at once, and I didn't even really realize that they'd show up on others' feeds, or that there was a way to turn that off... :blushing: So, sorry guys... 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 Johnstown Flood, David McCullough My great-great-grandparents' house was destroyed in the Johnstown Flood. They lived in Williamsport quite a ways downstream. My great-great-grandmother was pregnant with my great-grandfather at the time. He was born August 17th, so she was *very* pregnant. Great-great-grandfather was at work, so my great-great-grandmother escaped out an upstairs window into a boat along with her two-year-old daughter and Margie, their pig who was more like a pet than a farm animal. Margie was lost in the confusion. A couple months later, they got word that a pig farmer was counting his pigs and had one too many so they wondered if the extra pig might be the lost Margie. My great-great-grandfather went to the farm, had the farmer give the pigs some food and then, as the pigs ate and the farmer insisted there was no way it would work, he called Margie's name. One pig popped her head up, looked over, and came trotting right up to my great-great-grandfather. Margie had been found and returned home to her very happy (and, by then, larger by one baby boy) family. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 My great-great-grandparents' house was destroyed in the Johnstown Flood. They lived in Williamsport quite a ways downstream. My great-great-grandmother was pregnant with my great-grandfather at the time. He was born August 17th, so she was *very* pregnant. Great-great-grandfather was at work, so my great-great-grandmother escaped out an upstairs window into a boat along with her two-year-old daughter and Margie, their pig who was more like a pet than a farm animal. Margie was lost in the confusion. A couple months later, they got word that a pig farmer was counting his pigs and had one too many so they wondered if the extra pig might be the lost Margie. My great-great-grandfather went to the farm, had the farmer give the pigs some food and then, as the pigs ate and the farmer insisted there was no way it would work, he called Margie's name. One pig popped her head up, looked over, and came trotting right up to my great-great-grandfather. Margie had been found and returned home to her very happy (and, by then, larger by one baby boy) family. Wow, that's quite a family story to be able to pass down. I'm glad it had a happy ending. Well, somewhat happy not counting the house. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted October 26, 2017 Author Share Posted October 26, 2017 (edited) Erin -- Woot! Woot! What a great selection of books. Well done and I'll be sending your bingo prize within the next couple weeks. Jane - Love the pictures and would have loved to see Monarch migration. We have watched nat geo specials about it and quite fascinating. To get to see it in person must have been really awesome. Mum& Karen - I totally enjoyed Illona Andrews Kate Daniel's series. Hidden Legacy was good. I couldn't get into the Innkeeper chronicles or Edge series. I read the first books in each and just didn't keep me interested. Don't remember why now. Probably should try again at some point. Jenn - so glad you and Loesje enjoyed your visit and love the picture. You two are adorable. Karen - Thank you for all the wonderful links. Amy - I love James Scott Bell. Have most of his writing books. I'm not so great with editing myself and decided I needed to change my mindframe and look upon it as an exciting discovery process. Will let you know if and when it works. I'm coming off a couple months dry spell in which I haven't written anything. Spent way too much time the past two years doing non fiction flash courses. Time to get my butt back in the chair and brainstorming for fiction. K.M. Weiland's Outlining Your Novel and Structuring Your Novel are both good and come with workbooks. I recently picked up Steven James Troubleshooting Your Novel and Story Trumps Structure. Also have in my stacks Self Editing for Fiction Writers by Brown as well as the whole Writer's Digest Write Great Fiction series which includes Bell's Plot and Structure. Erin:One of my manuscripts has a mystery sub-plot. While writing it, I googled a few things then grew concerned if someone was tracking me. I promise it was only research for the novel! Amy: I worry about that too. The things we do for accuracy. This weekend DD is going to help me move a "body" with a wheelbarrow and a hand cart to see if it's doable as research for a subplot. DH has refused to be the body so we're still looking for volunteers. Love it Amy. Yep, I'm sure all my internet searches about how to smuggle something across borders and various methods to poison someone raised a few eyebrows. Reading wise - I just finished rereading the first seven books in Faith Hunter's Jane Yellowrock series. Lots of scary vampires so will count that as my spooktacular read for the month. Finally finished WOT's #9 Winter's Heart which was a slog. Too many characters to keep track off and it dragged and dragged, saving all the excitement for the last few pages. Need something light to read so diving back into October Daye series with #8 The Winter Long. Edited October 26, 2017 by Robin M 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 I ran out of likes somewhere in the 2nd page of this week's thread. Consider yourself well liked! On the reading front, I'm enjoying one book and abandoning another. Grand Hotel is a whole lot of fun with many quotable passages, and a host of delightful characters, and I hope to find the movie for a treat when I'm finished. I'd love to read Vicki Baum's memoir, too. I'm reading the copy our own V. Crown pressed into my hands at our meeting last May. The book I'm abandoning, I'm sorry to say, is Rebecca. Perhaps I would have loved it if I'd read it when I was a lot younger, but this curmudgeon of an old lady just can't stand it. I went on Wikipedia to read the synopsis, and discovered that everything I've predicted is coming to pass. Blech. No. Gothic romance is clearly not the genre for me. :leaving: 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 (edited) On Goodreads ratings: I think three star books are good books! I often have a hard time deciding between four and five. That’s why I wiped out almost all the ratings for my read-years-ago books. All I can really remember is loved, liked, or hated. My one star books are mostly something I suffered through for either a book club book or a book that I did as a read-along of one of my boy’s assignments. When I redid the shelves, I added a classics shelf. And then deleted it. Then added it back. And deleted it again! In the end, I decided that I didn’t want to fret over defining classic. Edited October 27, 2017 by Penguin 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 Congratulations, Stacia, on 52 books! I absolutely positively plan to read Head in Flames in 2018. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 (edited) . Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 And congrats to Erin on Bingo blackout and Stacia on 52! It's always neat to see what selection of books everyone has chosen. Erin -- Woot! Woot! What a great selection of books. Well done and I'll be sending your bingo prize within the next couple weeks. Waiiiit - there's a prize for BaW bingo? :biggrinjester: I may or may not have blacked-out. I've been trying to keep books in the same categories for BaW bingo and BigBingo (except for one square that doesn't repeat) - so for example when I moved Invisible Library from Steampunk to another category for BigBingo, I read another Steampunk book for BaW. My hang up is the Middle Ages square. I could use The Man Who Spoke Snakish for BaW, but I'm using it for something else in BigBingo. So I've been meaning to read another Middle Ages book, but I'd planned Sunne in Splendor, and I think it's too huge if I want to finish more of those BigBingo rows. But I might still read it, or read another interesting book I just came across that's only 300something instead of 900something pages. So I haven't announced blackout in case I get to one of those instead of the Snakish book. :ph34r: I guess I'll just have to decide at the last minute... 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 On Goodreads ratings: I think three star books are good books! I often have a hard time deciding between four and five. That’s why I wiped out almost all the ratings for my read-years-ago books. All I can really remember is loved, liked, or hated. My one star books are mostly something I suffered through for either a book club book or a book that I did as a read-along of one of my boy’s assignments. When I redid the shelves, I added a classics shelf. And then deleted it. Then added it back. And deleted it again! In the end, I decided that I didn’t want to fret over defining classic. Yeah, I didn't rate a lot of my old books unless I remember it as one of my favorites. Or a really hated one (I'm looking at you, Catcher in the Rye). I made a bunch of shelves which I use, but then there's a huge bunch of 'other' - probably the majority of books - that don't fit on any shelf I've made. Which means I probably need more shelves, but I haven't decided what they should be... 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 (edited) . Edited November 2, 2017 by Stacia 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 More currently free books for Kindle readers ~ I read and enjoyed another romance by this author: We Were Here by Daisy Prescott The Purr-fect Crime by Samantha Silver Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid Daughter of the Red Dawn by Alicia Michaels Regards, Kareni 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 I ran out of likes somewhere in the 2nd page of this week's thread. Consider yourself well liked! On the reading front, I'm enjoying one book and abandoning another. Grand Hotel is a whole lot of fun with many quotable passages, and a host of delightful characters, and I hope to find the movie for a treat when I'm finished. I'd love to read Vicki Baum's memoir, too. I'm reading the copy our own V. Crown pressed into my hands at our meeting last May. The book I'm abandoning, I'm sorry to say, is Rebecca. Perhaps I would have loved it if I'd read it when I was a lot younger, but this curmudgeon of an old lady just can't stand it. I went on Wikipedia to read the synopsis, and discovered that everything I've predicted is coming to pass. Blech. No. Gothic romance is clearly not the genre for me. :leaving: Good to hear that Grand Hotel is continuing to please. I share your feelings about Rebecca; if Hitchcock hadn't made a movie better than the book, I wonder if it'd have lasted so long. Middle Girl didn't care for it either, so youth probably wouldn't have saved it for you. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 Good to hear that Grand Hotel is continuing to please. So am I! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 Here's a list of fiction books on the Middle Ages: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/301.Best_Middle_Ages_Books I've read a few, like The Sunne in Splendour, The Name of the Rose, and Pillars of the Earth, but they're long books. Michael Crichton's Timeline is shorter, but not as good as the the thicker books. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 So am I! Yes, credit where credit is due! Say, why didn't we sign the inside cover? We could see how many BaW signatures we could collect. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 Yes, credit where credit is due! Say, why didn't we sign the inside cover? We could see how many BaW signatures we could collect. Indeed! The book is well traveled. A friend from Michigan gave it to me in Savannah, GA. I then mailed it from NC to TX and now it is in CA. Where to next? 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 (edited) It's like Flat Stanley. Except literary. ETA: We all ought to have posted selfies of reading War & Peace in front of local landmarks. Oh why do the best ideas come too late? Edited October 27, 2017 by Violet Crown 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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