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Book a Week 2017 - BW43: Prime Time Reading Fun


Robin M
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Revision and Self-Editing by James Scott Bell. The writing part is good but the editing part is the real winner in this book. It's the last 20% or so. High recommend for Erin, CStarlette, Robin and the other writers on here. I'd also love any recommendations you have for other books on editing. I have five novels written and zero edited to be readable. I need major help.

 

I'm in the same boat. I'm trying to clean up one manuscript because it's so close to being finished. Then I think about the other manuscripts waited to be edited and cringe. They're actually in better shape than my current editing project, but ugh, I hate editing.

 

Writing Fiction for Dummies, despite the terrible name, has a fantastic section on editing as well as helping you create one sentence, three sentence, and back page blurbs.

 

Self Editing for Fiction Writers was another great book.

Edited by ErinE
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And with Quicksilver done it's a bingo blackout.

 

 

 

Whew. In December of last year, I decided to complete the A-Z challenge while also hitting the bingo squares and pulled together the list above. When I started the year, I thought I would finish the bingo early because most of the books were ones I wanted to read anyways. Yet as the year wore on, I found other books pulled me down rabbit trails I enjoyed following. Finishing my planned reads felt more like a chore than something enjoyable which was a marked difference from last year. This month I made it my goal to finish, but I definitely won't plan my bingo reads next year.

 

Congratulations!  :hurray:

 

I have two squares left for blackout but they're two genres I don't care for and am having trouble finding books I would like - outer space and science fiction. I go back and forth between not caring and "but it's only 2 more squares!" :D I'll probably finish blackout but for now I'm working on Opal. Fortunately it's easy to find books I want to read for that challenge.

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Congratulations!  :hurray:

 

I have two squares left for blackout but they're two genres I don't care for and am having trouble finding books I would like - outer space and science fiction. I go back and forth between not caring and "but it's only 2 more squares!" :D I'll probably finish blackout but for now I'm working on Opal. Fortunately it's easy to find books I want to read for that challenge.

 

Do you enjoy nonfiction? Packing for Mars by Mary Roach is a humorous look at how we'll get to and live on Mars (if we can).

 

You might enjoy Ready Player One by Ernest Cline for science fiction. It was an easy read, more pop culture than sci-fi. Also, my go-to recommendation for science fiction: Old Man's War by John Scalzi. It has one of my favorite book openings:

"John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First he visited his wife's grave. Then he joined the army."

Edited by ErinE
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Do you enjoy nonfiction? Packing for Mars by Mary Roach is a humorous look at how we'll get to and live on Mars (if we can).

 

You might enjoy Ready Player One by Ernest Cline for science fiction. It was an easy read, more pop culture than sci-fi. Also, my go-to recommendation for science fiction: Old Man's War by John Scalzi. It has one of my favorite book openings:

 

Thanks. I'll look into that last one. I listened to Ready Player One (narrated by Will Wheaton, who is perfect for that book) a year or two ago. I considered Packing for Mars back when I read The Martian but I read too many reviews that said it was dry. I should stop reading reviews before reading a book. 

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Do you enjoy nonfiction? Packing for Mars by Mary Roach is a humorous look at how we'll get to and live on Mars (if we can).

 

You might enjoy Ready Player One by Ernest Cline for science fiction. It was an easy read, more pop culture than sci-fi. Also, my go-to recommendation for science fiction: Old Man's War by John Scalzi. It has one of my favorite book openings:

 

My DH is reading Old Man's War right now and says that while it's not great literature it's a fun read. Normally he's not into science fiction at all either and tends towards the classic .. W&P, Dickens, Birth of Britain by Churchill. He's highbrow and I'm not.

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A one day only currently free classic locked-room mystery for Kindle readers ~

 

A Chain of Evidence (The Fleming Stone Mysteries)  by Carolyn Wells

 

"A respectable young attorney in New York City, Otis Landon has barely settled into his new living quarters when an incident occurs in a neighboring apartment that he cannot, in good conscience, ignore. Robert Pembroke, a vicious, miserly man, has been murdered behind locked doors. The only people who had access to the victim were his servant and his niece. The latter, Miss Janet Pembroke, seems the suspect most likely to have eliminated her uncle with a hatpin, but her obvious distress and gentle demeanor convince Landon she is innocent. Besides, he may be falling in love with her.
 
Obsessed with proving Miss Pembroke’s innocence, Landon follows a perplexing chain of evidence that includes a railroad schedule, a key to a safe deposit box, ticket stubs to a music hall performance, and a monogrammed handkerchief. But with time running out and no solution in sight, he must turn to Fleming Stone, the only detective smart enough to make sense of it all."

 

There are other free works by this author that you can see here.

 

Regards,

Kareni

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For what it's worth, I liked Packing for Mars. I learned things that I didn't even know I wanted to know. 

 

Erin, congrats on blackout. I doubt I will finish at this point. We'll see. I'm not going to force it. 

 

 

Please tell me The Host picks up.  I'm 15% in and I'm finding it terribly slow.  So far, it's only slightly improving my view of Stephenie Meyer.

 

It does. It's not the best thriller, but I found the plot interesting. She seems to leave the ending open for a sequel. 

 

 

 

 

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I finished a book today that I'll describe as moving.  It's the author's first novel and was published in 2012; I'd happily read more when there is more to be read.

 

Tell the Wolves I'm Home: A Novel by Carol Rifka Brunt

 

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY
The Wall Street Journal • O: The Oprah Magazine • BookPage • Kirkus Reviews • Booklist • School Library Journal
 
"1987. There’s only one person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus, and that’s her uncle, the renowned painter Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her older sister, June can only be herself in Finn’s company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend. So when he dies, far too young, of a mysterious illness her mother can barely speak about, June’s world is turned upside down. But Finn’s death brings a surprise acquaintance into June’s life—someone who will help her to heal, and to question what she thinks she knows about Finn, her family, and even her own heart.
 
At Finn’s funeral, June notices a strange man lingering just beyond the crowd. A few days later, she receives a package in the mail. Inside is a beautiful teapot she recognizes from Finn’s apartment, and a note from Toby, the stranger, asking for an opportunity to meet. As the two begin to spend time together, June realizes she’s not the only one who misses Finn, and if she can bring herself to trust this unexpected friend, he just might be the one she needs the most.
 
An emotionally charged coming-of-age novel, Tell the Wolves I’m Home is a tender story of love lost and found, an unforgettable portrait of the way compassion can make us whole again."

 

Regards,

Kareni

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Congrats on bingo blackout, ErinE!

 

Lady Florida, I also liked Packing for Mars, but I always enjoy Mary Roach. 

 

True Grit is on hold for me at the library. I'm really looking forward to it now after all your recommendations. DH has informed me that we'll be watching the movie afterward.

 

I finished Into the Water. It was okay. I liked the first half of the book, but felt like there were too many things left hanging at the end. Also, the book switches between many different characters' perspectives, and a couple of those characters were completely unnecessary. Overall not a bad quick read. 

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Just finished Scythe by Neil Shusterman and now I must wait until January for the sequel Thunderhead. Great story - seems to be a cross between The Hunger Games and The Giver. Shusterman's dystopian world where man has achieved immortality and the only death comes through random "gleaning" by the Scythedom who are charged with determining how and when someone has permanent death left me with much to ponder. I thought the ending was well played out - not a cliffhanger, but enough drama left in the story for a meaty sequel. Now I might try his Unwind series which got a lot of accolades in the YA genre.

28954189.jpg

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Thanks. I'll look into that last one. I listened to Ready Player One (narrated by Will Wheaton, who is perfect for that book) a year or two ago. I considered Packing for Mars back when I read The Martian but I read too many reviews that said it was dry. I should stop reading reviews before reading a book. 

 

I think other than scifi our reading tastes aren't too far off, so I thought maybe I could share some of my favorite scifi/outer space reads this year and maybe you'd find one or two you didn't hate?  What is it about scifi/outer space that turns you off?  That might help us in directing you.  I tend to like the more 'literary' sci fi that makes you think over whizz-bang cool science and space battles.

 

Empress of Mars that I just finished I really liked.  Colonists on Mars vs. evil corporation.  Character-driven, no space battles - more of a rivalry and corporate lawyers.  Empress of Mars is the name of a bar run by the main character.

 

The Dispossessed and The Left Hand of Darkness are my two favorites by Ursula Le Guin.  Very thinky and dealing with sociological and political questions, not science heavy, no space battles.

 

You could also count a lot of Kurt Vonnegut as scifi.

 

I used Radiance as my Outer Space square.  I did like it, but it's totally trippy and non-linear.

 

I also really liked Ancillary Justice.  That would be good for either SciFi or Outer Space.  Protagonist is an AI that inhabits both a spaceship and multiple human bodies.  There are space battles.

 

You may remember both Rose and I really liked Too Like the Lightning which is a future utopia on Earth with heaps of 18th century philosophy all mixed in.  But others really hated it.  It seems to be polarizing.

 

Yeah, and all of those are written by women except for the mention of Kurt Vonnegut.  For some unknown reason I gravitate to scifi written by women.

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Just finished Scythe by Neil Shusterman and now I must wait until January for the sequel Thunderhead. Great story - seems to be a cross between The Hunger Games and The Giver. Shusterman's dystopian world where man has achieved immortality and the only death comes through random "gleaning" by the Scythedom who are charged with determining how and when someone has permanent death left me with much to ponder. I thought the ending was well played out - not a cliffhanger, but enough drama left in the story for a meaty sequel. Now I might try his Unwind series which got a lot of accolades in the YA genre.

28954189.jpg

I love the cover! I've read the first two books in the Unwind series. They were excellent, but I must warn you they are disturbing. Not in a gruesome way, just disturbing - a reflection on the value of human life and the nature of consciousness.

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Congratulations! :hurray:

 

I have two squares left for blackout but they're two genres I don't care for and am having trouble finding books I would like - outer space and science fiction. I go back and forth between not caring and "but it's only 2 more squares!" :D I'll probably finish blackout but for now I'm working on Opal. Fortunately it's easy to find books I want to read for that challenge.

I'm considering for Outer Space Lucian of Samosata's Verae Historiae. Maybe if you want a complete change of genre...? Edited by Violet Crown
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Basement cat? (Are you meaning one of the ones that I brought prior to the hurricane & were housed temporarily at my parents' house in the finished basement?)

 

My brain is so fried I can't remember.

 

My dd got this cat during the summer, prior to hurricane season. However, she did get it when visiting my sister. My sister called me & asked how I would feel if my dd showed up at home with a kitten.... :lol:

In the Lolcats world (a glimpse here into the precise ways I squander time on the internet), Basement Cat is the opposite of Ceiling Cat. See http://lolcats.wikia.com/wiki/Basement_Cat

 

Somehow the expression in the photo struck me as perfect Basement Cat.

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Basement cat? (Are you meaning one of the ones that I brought prior to the hurricane & were housed temporarily at my parents' house in the finished basement?)

 

My brain is so fried I can't remember.

 

My dd got this cat during the summer, prior to hurricane season. However, she did get it when visiting my sister. My sister called me & asked how I would feel if my dd showed up at home with a kitten.... :lol:

Her paws look big enough for a Maine Coon!

 

I love black cats. My pet in college was a lovely black cat who hated most everyone except me. My parents watched her while I spent my last semester abroad and fell in love with her cantankerous personality. Since I was getting married and my boyfriend (now DH) is highly allergic to cats, my parents kept her. She died at 18+ years of age. She was a good kitty.

Edited by ErinE
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In the Lolcats world (a glimpse here into the precise ways I squander time on the internet), Basement Cat is the opposite of Ceiling Cat. See http://lolcats.wikia.com/wiki/Basement_Cat

 

Somehow the expression in the photo struck me as perfect Basement Cat.

 

 

That's brave of you to admit to time squandering on the internet. I lie to myself and say that I only spend time on the internet doing important research into important stuff. Like recipes and books to read and Halloween crafts that I won't get around to doing with the kids and old Calvin and Hobbes cartoons and what web pages looked like in the 90's. *ahem* Important research stuff. 

Edited by aggieamy
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Regarding which movie version of True Grit strawberries will be watching with her husband:

 

The remake. 

 

 

I never saw the original movie, but I did see the one out a few years ago. I had no idea what the story was prior to entering the movie theater & had zero expectations. I loved it.

 

I'm not a movie watcher; however, my husband is and he's always enjoyed the original version.  A few years ago, I brought home the remake.  I heard maniacal laughter several times while he was watching it.  I don't think you can go wrong with either version.

 

Regards,

Kareni

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We left Ghent, Belgium in the cold, rainy, predawn morning yesterday, and arrived home last night to an extreme heat advisory. It is supposed to be 105 here today!  

 

My husband and a colleague were guests at a Flanders comic con in Ghent, so while they two of them were meeting fans and signing books, the other wife and I went exploring. Our biggest adventure was our day in Antwerp where we spent several lovely hours with Loesje.  It was quite the trek just getting to Antwerp as something happened (a suicide attempt?) to shut down all the trains heading there from Ghent. All the announcements were in Dutch, but friendly locals kindly translated for us, one nice young man called Loesje's cell phone for me to explain that we were delayed. We took a train as far as it would take us, then paraded with all the other passengers across a small town to pack into a tram that took us into downtown Antwerp. Then with the help of Google maps, we walked the last mile and a half to get to the museum. We were an hour late, but Loesje was patiently waiting for us! 

 

We spent a lovely few hours with Loesje, learned a lot about Flanders and Belgian politics. And I tried wrapping my tongue around some Dutch! After we parted outside the Antwerp train station, my friend and I had a few more adventures trying to hunt down a book for her dh, then we had dinner in a cozy cafe and caught the last train back to Ghent. Apparently it was the only train back to Ghent that day -- we couldn't have gotten back any earlier due to the disruption. (The ticket seller in Ghent recognized me on Sunday, and asked with concern about our trip to Antwerp!)  

 

Flanders is beautiful. The medieval buildings are straight out of a fairy tale -- at least to these American eyes. And the food!! Buckets of french fries come with dinner -- I had mussels and fries and stew made with local dark beer and fries. We of course ate waffles and packed our suitcases full of chocolate. Loesje -- I should have brought you some American chocolate so you could understand why Belgian chocolate is such a treat. Both things may be called chocolate, but they are NOT the same. 

 

I'll be back to catch up and talk books, but for now here is a photo of two BaW friends outside an iconic and decidedly NOT medieval building in Antwerp.

 

                                         37643727040_e92892666f.jpg

 

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We left Ghent, Belgium in the cold, rainy, predawn morning yesterday, and arrived home last night to an extreme heat advisory. It is supposed to be 105 here today!  

 

My husband and a colleague were guests at a Flanders comic con in Ghent, so while they two of them were meeting fans and signing books, the other wife and I went exploring. Our biggest adventure was our day in Antwerp where we spent several lovely hours with Loesje.  It was quite the trek just getting to Antwerp as something happened (a suicide attempt?) to shut down all the trains heading there from Ghent. All the announcements were in Dutch, but friendly locals kindly translated for us, one nice young man called Loesje's cell phone for me to explain that we were delayed. We took a train as far as it would take us, then paraded with all the other passengers across a small town to pack into a tram that took us into downtown Antwerp. Then with the help of Google maps, we walked the last mile and a half to get to the museum. We were an hour late, but Loesje was patiently waiting for us! 

 

We spent a lovely few hours with Loesje, learned a lot about Flanders and Belgian politics. And I tried wrapping my tongue around some Dutch! After we parted outside the Antwerp train station, my friend and I had a few more adventures trying to hunt down a book for her dh, then we had dinner in a cozy cafe and caught the last train back to Ghent. Apparently it was the only train back to Ghent that day -- we couldn't have gotten back any earlier due to the disruption. (The ticket seller in Ghent recognized me on Sunday, and asked with concern about our trip to Antwerp!)  

 

Flanders is beautiful. The medieval buildings are straight out of a fairy tale -- at least to these American eyes. And the food!! Buckets of french fries come with dinner -- I had mussels and fries and stew made with local dark beer and fries. We of course ate waffles and packed our suitcases full of chocolate. Loesje -- I should have brought you some American chocolate so you could understand why Belgian chocolate is such a treat. Both things may be called chocolate, but they are NOT the same. 

 

I'll be back to catch up and talk books, but for now here is a photo of two BaW friends outside an iconic and decidedly NOT medieval building in Antwerp.

 

                                         37643727040_e92892666f.jpg

 

What a fun trip and adventure! I'm sure at the time you weren't appreciating the fact that it was an adventure and not just a simple on time train ride but after the fact it makes a fantastic story. So glad you guys got to meet up!

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I read Forsaken Prince by Andrea Pearson.  It's a significant rewrite of The Key of Kilenya I read a few months ago.  She changed it for a little bit more mature audience (YA instead of middle grades).  The framework of the story and the key plot points are all there, but it is different with a faster pace and more sophisticated vocabulary.  I thought it worked really well and even though I read Kilenya, Forsaken Prince was still really good.  (The book isn't out yet.  The whole rewritten series, all six books, releases October 31st.  I've just gotten to know the author a little bit since I'm a fan of her work so I've got the series early.)

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I finished Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and another Bingo row:

 

Voodoo – Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil – john Berendt
Free Space – Great Tales from English History Vol. 2 – Robert Lacey
Written by a blogger – Girls & Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscape – Peggy Orenstein
Free Space – The First Twenty Minutes – Gretchen Reynolds
Something silly – 1066 and All That: A Memorable History of England – WC Sellar & RJ Yeatman

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Apparently Jenn and I spent yesterday flying on separate flights across the pond, somewhat of a working holiday for everyone in our family. I did manage to watch Baby Driver on the plane and enjoyed it.

 

The picture of Jenn and Loesje is lovely. The BaW meet ups are special.

 

Stacia, what a gorgeous kitty! I have to admit I am looking forward to seeing what she looks like all grown up.

 

Erin, Congratulations on your black out. I am close but not sure I want to read what I need to in order to finish. ;) Obviously Ancients and Sarum is giving me an issue but with over 600 pages read I WILL finish it, hopefully this year. The western and the book with my name seem to be issues for me.....I read a few pages and abandon. I want to finish both the A to Z author and titles a bit more so plan to work on that when I am not doing the birthstones.

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Apparently Jenn and I spent yesterday flying on separate flights across the pond, somewhat of a working holiday for everyone in our family. I did manage to watch Baby Driver on the plane and enjoyed it.

 

The picture of Jenn and Loesje is lovely. The BaW meet ups are special.

 

 

 

If you were at Heathrow, too, between noon and 3 yesterday, it will be a shame that we didn't meet! I'll bet my flight was longer than yours, though. We had a nonstop to San Diego, 11.5 hours on the plane.  I watched Big Sick, a British movie called Their Finest, a couple of tv shows, listened to almost 2 hours of Bear and the Nightingale, slept, ate, drummed my fingers....

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I saw this on another thread; I imagine it might interest some here ~

 

100 Essential Novels Scratch-off Chart

 

"18" x 24"

  • A gorgeous scratch-off reading list of 100 literary classics, from Defoe to Austen to Orwell to Morrison and beyond
  • Scratch the foil to reveal a story-specific cover detail!

Need a book recommendation? How about 100? Scratch that literary itch with this stunning scratch-off chart of essential novels from 1605 to present. Each timeless work is represented by an evocative, hand-drawn cover design—gently scratch the gold foil off each novel you’ve read and reveal an additional, narrative-specific design detail hidden underneath!"

 

AND for film fans ~ 

 

100 Essential Films Scratch-off Chart

 

Regards,

Kareni

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Some currently free books for Kindle readers ~

 

I read and enjoyed a different book by this author, Johan Twiss:

 

**

 

Others ~

 

By the author that Heather (Button) mentioned above: Discern (Mosaic Chronicles Book 1) by Andrea Pearson

 

A View to Die For  by Richard Houston

 

Cicada Spring: A Novel  by Christian Galacar
 
Red Mountain: A Novel  by Boo Walker
 
Heartstrings (Heart & Soul)  by Kelli McCracken
 
 

Regards,

Kareni

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If you were at Heathrow, too, between noon and 3 yesterday, it will be a shame that we didn't meet! I'll bet my flight was longer than yours, though. We had a nonstop to San Diego, 11.5 hours on the plane. I watched Big Sick, a British movie called Their Finest, a couple of tv shows, listened to almost 2 hours of Bear and the Nightingale, slept, ate, drummed my fingers....

No Heathrow for us, way too much effort generally but wish we had done it yesterday. Flew out of Manchester. We only had an 8.5 hour flight because of great conditions. That's about all I can handle gracefully. We keep talking about an Australian vacation but just not sure about the flight. Movie wise, along with Baby Driver I also watched a British film called Mindhorn https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lA5njebTiZY that I really liked and a rather odd one called Collossal http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/colossal-2017. I also dosed through the new Beauty and the Beast. Not much reading this time.

 

I just remembered one comment that I have been waiting to make regarding the Cat Who books.....the first three were written several years before the bulk of the series and are a bit different than the rest of the books. The Siamese cats are acquired during these stories so not a main feature in the first book and the location is Downbelow. Back when I was first reading this series the first three were hard to find in my local libraries which was hard to believe because it was a local author. On a recent reread of the first three I was struck by how good the first ones really were. The first time I read them it was an out of order jumble for the first few. :(

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October is totally my fun reading month where I only read for pleasure, typically mysteries and thrillers and such.  However, I just finished Every Falling Star: The True Story of How I Survived and Escaped North Korea by Sunju Lee and Elizabeth McClelland and found it both fascinating and touching.  It's a teen/YA book and I plan to have my 2 teens read it.

 

Now, I am on to The Last Mrs.Parrish by Liv Constantine (pseudo. for 2 sisters).  From GoodReads: A mesmerizing debut psychological thriller full of delicious twists about a coolly manipulative woman who worms her way into the lives of a wealthy “golden couple†from Connecticut to achieve the privileged life she wants. 

Amber Patterson is fed up. She’s tired of being a nobody: a plain, invisible woman who blends into the background. She deserves more—a life of money and power like the one blond-haired, blue-eyed goddess Daphne Parrish takes for granted. To everyone in the exclusive town of Bishops Harbor, Connecticut, Daphne and her husband, Jackson—the beautiful philanthropist and the confident real estate mogul—are a golden couple straight out of a fairytale, blessed with two lovely young daughters.

Amber’s envy could eat her alive . . . if she didn't have a plan. Amber uses Daphne’s compassion and caring to insinuate herself into the family’s life—the first step in a meticulous scheme to undermine her. Before long, Amber is Daphne’s closest confidante, traveling to Europe with the Parrish family, and growing closer to Jackson. But a skeleton from her past may undermine everything that Amber has worked towards, and if it is discovered, her well-laid plan may fall to pieces. 

With shocking turns and dark secrets that will keep you guessing until the very end, The Last Mrs. Parrish is a fresh, juicy, and utterly addictive thriller from a diabolically imaginative talent.
 

 

On tap is Righteous by Joe Ide, next in the series after I.Q. which was a great debut mystery.

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Just finished a charming little book called Murder and Mayhem: A Doctor Answers Medical and Forensic Questions for Mystery Writers by DP Lyle. He's done three or four books like this and it's basically question and answer format. Interesting. Scary. Turns out good ol' arsenic and cyanide are great poisons to use to kill someone just make sure they're already drunk so they won't detect a different in taste of their beverage. 

 

*pulls the covers up a little higher*

 

There's some twisted mystery writers out there.

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I saw this on another thread; I imagine it might interest some here ~

 

100 Essential Novels Scratch-off Chart

 

"18" x 24"

  • A gorgeous scratch-off reading list of 100 literary classics, from Defoe to Austen to Orwell to Morrison and beyond
  • Scratch the foil to reveal a story-specific cover detail!

Need a book recommendation? How about 100? Scratch that literary itch with this stunning scratch-off chart of essential novels from 1605 to present. Each timeless work is represented by an evocative, hand-drawn cover design—gently scratch the gold foil off each novel you’ve read and reveal an additional, narrative-specific design detail hidden underneath!"

 

AND for film fans ~ 

 

100 Essential Films Scratch-off Chart

 

Regards,

Kareni

Thanks for these links! I think I just found some Christmas gifts...

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I saw this on another thread; I imagine it might interest some here ~

 

100 Essential Novels Scratch-off Chart

 

"18" x 24"

  • A gorgeous scratch-off reading list of 100 literary classics, from Defoe to Austen to Orwell to Morrison and beyond
  • Scratch the foil to reveal a story-specific cover detail!

Need a book recommendation? How about 100? Scratch that literary itch with this stunning scratch-off chart of essential novels from 1605 to present. Each timeless work is represented by an evocative, hand-drawn cover design—gently scratch the gold foil off each novel you’ve read and reveal an additional, narrative-specific design detail hidden underneath!"

 

AND for film fans ~ 

 

100 Essential Films Scratch-off Chart

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

I'm saving that link for my "hard to buy" for friends and family! Thanks.

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I saw this on another thread; I imagine it might interest some here ~

 

100 Essential Novels Scratch-off Chart

 

"18" x 24"

  • A gorgeous scratch-off reading list of 100 literary classics, from Defoe to Austen to Orwell to Morrison and beyond
  • Scratch the foil to reveal a story-specific cover detail!

Need a book recommendation? How about 100? Scratch that literary itch with this stunning scratch-off chart of essential novels from 1605 to present. Each timeless work is represented by an evocative, hand-drawn cover design—gently scratch the gold foil off each novel you’ve read and reveal an additional, narrative-specific design detail hidden underneath!"

 

AND for film fans ~ 

 

100 Essential Films Scratch-off Chart

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

I've always wanted one of these. For the other side of my window from the Bingo list! I'm a dork.

 

I finished Death With Interruptions. I loved it. It took an odd turn about 2/3 of the way through and I wasn't sure if I was going to be happy with how it ended, but I was. It was brilliant. That's now my favorite Saramago novel. I always like how he writes, even if the topics don't always grab me, but this one was great on both counts.

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Just finished a charming little book called Murder and Mayhem: A Doctor Answers Medical and Forensic Questions for Mystery Writers by DP Lyle. He's done three or four books like this and it's basically question and answer format. Interesting. Scary. Turns out good ol' arsenic and cyanide are great poisons to use to kill someone just make sure they're already drunk so they won't detect a different in taste of their beverage. 

 

*pulls the covers up a little higher*

 

There's some twisted mystery writers out there.

 

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!

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I'm saving that link for my "hard to buy" for friends and family! Thanks.

I am thinking about the film one as a whole-family gift. I am thinking about the framing. It is expensive to buy it framed, but you can't scratch it if you stick it in a cheap poster frame. Maybe dry mounting plus a cheap frame?

 

ETA: I registered my email address and discount coupon for my first purchase. But it expires in 48 hours - eek!

Edited by Penguin
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I've finished Beyond Heaving Bosoms a book about the romance genre. The tagline is "The Love that Dare not Speak Its Name". Recommended as a how-to guide on writing romances, I thought it more a historical overview of romance books, a discussion on the types of romance novels, the future of romance, and a look at some problems. The snark quickly grew old for me (there's only so many euphemisms for s*xual organs I can take), but the "Choose Your Own Romance Adventure" at the end was hilarious and sadly truthful. If you like reading romances, I think it's a good read for you. Would anyone be interested in my copy?

Edited by ErinE
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I saw this on another thread; I imagine it might interest some here ~

 

100 Essential Novels Scratch-off Chart

 

"18" x 24"

  • A gorgeous scratch-off reading list of 100 literary classics, from Defoe to Austen to Orwell to Morrison and beyond
  • Scratch the foil to reveal a story-specific cover detail!

Need a book recommendation? How about 100? Scratch that literary itch with this stunning scratch-off chart of essential novels from 1605 to present. Each timeless work is represented by an evocative, hand-drawn cover design—gently scratch the gold foil off each novel you’ve read and reveal an additional, narrative-specific design detail hidden underneath!"

 

AND for film fans ~ 

 

100 Essential Films Scratch-off Chart

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

And for the grammar geek:

Sentences Diagrams on Opening Lines to Notable Novels

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Rose, I have a question on Saramago novels since you are clearly a fan girl.  Have you encountered a sole translator or different translators?  I'm wondering if that matters.  Saramago is on my TBR list but there are so many potential books.  I'm wondering if the list is narrowed via translator.

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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!

 

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.

 

On an unrelated note ... I love hearing about BaW meetups. If anyone is in the KC area let me know!!!

 

I've finished Beyond Heaving Bosoms a book about the romance genre. The tagline is "The Love that Dare not Speak Its Name". Recommended as a how-to guide on writing romances, I thought it more a historical overview of romance books, a discussion on the types of romance novels, the future of romance, and a look at some problems. The snark quickly grew old for me (there's only so many euphemisms for s*xual organs I can take), but the "Choose Your Own Romance Adventure" at the end was hilarious and sadly truthful. If you like reading romances, I think it's a good read for you. Would anyone be interested in my copy?

 

Oh geez. I just purchased that to read also. I'll bump it up on my stack so we can discuss.

 

 

Awesome!

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Rose, I have a question on Saramago novels since you are clearly a fan girl.  Have you encountered a sole translator or different translators?  I'm wondering if that matters.  Saramago is on my TBR list but there are so many potential books.  I'm wondering if the list is narrowed via translator.

 

Hmm, that's not something I've paid an ounce of attention to. It looks like the translator for most of his books that I've read is Margaret Jull Costa. It looks like she's won several translation awards for both Spanish and Portuguese works. There's a different translator for Blindness.  I can't say I noticed a difference between his translation and hers. I can only imagine Saramago is not easy to translate. 

 

I guess I am a fangirl, although I've abandoned a couple of books because I didn't find the character or story compelling. I really enjoy the writing style, though it leaves me a bit breathless at times and I can't read it in distracting surroundings. When you go 5+ pages without a paragraph break it's not easy to dip in and out of. I don't read unless I know I'll have time to focus and read a whole chapter, because in his stream-of-consciousness writing, a chapter is pretty much the smallest unit that makes any sense. 

 

Of the books I've read, here's how I rank them (roughly):

Death With Interruptions

Blindness

The Gospel According to Jesus Christ

Cain

The Elephant's Journey

The Tale of the Unknown Island

 

I abandoned All the Names and Seeing and returned The Stone Raft unread (though I may pick it up again).

 

The premise of DwI is that death - the death responsible for the single, landlocked European country in which the story is set - decides to go on strike for about 7 months. Then she changes the rules. Then she has a surprising experience. I'll say no more. But I really liked it, and I'd recommend it as a good starting place.  Blindness is very dark. Gospel and Cain are great if you have a high tolerance for irreverence.  

Edited by Chrysalis Academy
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