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Book a Week 2017 - BW51: Winter Solstice

Robin M

By Robin M,
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Kareni

Kareni

Posted
Posted

Regarding A Regency Christmas Quiz 2:

 

That quiz was hilarious! Hot Cockles?!  :lol:  :lol:

 

I know.  That was indeed crazy!

 

Show of hands from the BaW group ... who here is has at least ten books wrapped under the tree for family members? Are there any your really excited about giving?

 

My daughter is the one who will be getting the most books.  Since she's in South Korea, we use Book Depository (with its free worldwide shipping) to send her paper books ... also known as packages to open.  And then we send a number of Kindle books (no wrapping).

 

She'll be receiving:

 

From Book Depository ~ Artemis, Rhett and Link’s Book of Mythicality, The Last Magician, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, 2018 Daily Jumble Calendar (not a book but a fun surprise gift).

 

Kindle order ~ Linesman, Written in Red, Assassin’s Apprentice plus The Girl from Everywhere

 

And a copy of a Patricia Briggs book that I packed in a Christmas box that she took to Korea when she left here in April. 

 

 

I'll be giving my husband the book What If?

 

Regards,

Kareni

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aggieamy

aggieamy

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Regarding A Regency Christmas Quiz 2:

 

 

I know.  That was indeed crazy!

 

 

My daughter is the one who will be getting the most books.  Since she's in South Korea, we use Book Depository (with its free worldwide shipping) to send her paper books ... also known as packages to open.  And then we send a number of Kindle books (no wrapping).

 

She'll be receiving:

 

From Book Depository ~ Artemis, Rhett and Link’s Book of Mythicality, The Last Magician, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, 2018 Daily Jumble Calendar (not a book but a fun surprise gift).

 

Kindle order ~ Linesman, Written in Red, Assassin’s Apprentice plus The Girl from Everywhere

 

And a copy of a Patricia Briggs book that I packed in a Christmas box that she took to Korea when she left here in April. 

 

 

I'll be giving my husband the book What If?

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

When will she be home again?

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Kareni

Kareni

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When will she be home again?

 

Her contract ends in March, but we're not sure yet of her plans beyond then.  She may continue full time or part time teaching in South Korea or begin a new course of study or ....  Stay tuned for details as they become available.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

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Negin

Negin

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Our priest once said, sometimes there are no answers for why.  Instead of asking why you are or were afflicted, ask how you can use it  -  to grow, to seek outside yourself, how it can help you and how you can help others  benefit from it. 

Beautiful words, Robin. Your priest is a wise man, which I'm sure you knew already. I'm keeping these words. Thank you for sharing. 

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Mom-ninja.

Mom-ninja.

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 I read the OP as saying more of avoiding the "why me?' that people get caught in -- which pretty much stops all forward movement IME (as vs. asking why/how as a way to avoid past mistakes and/or move forward)

 

 

Regarding Gaiman -- I agree with the rec's for The Graveyard Book and Odd and the Frost Giants.     Coraline might be ok IF creepy/scary is ok  (the Graveyard Book has a tiny bit of creepy scary mixed in with rest-- Coraline is all creepy scary).    

 

I agree that sometimes one can get stuck in the why me and fall into a depression. However, I think why me can also be useful when turned into a learning or growing experience like Robin's priest stated above. This only applies when one is ready to for it though and has gone through the grieving stage. 

 

 

I have not read Coraline, but I'd like to. I might make that my next October spooky read. 

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mumto2

mumto2

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Did anyone see the Harry Potter fan fiction that was AI generated? We read it aloud, and were in tears by the end :lol: !

 

Enjoy!

 

http://botnik.org/content/harry-potter.html

How funny!!! Also a bit frightening if one thinks about it too much. Totally explains predictive text mess ups. Sort of predictive text gone mad.

 

I am still on my quest to finish the challenges. I am currently reading Death of a Red Heroine by Xiaolong for my X author. It's really good. :) I "just" have F, U, and Z after that. I have the books but need to read them! I am close on Turquoise, think I need another U and either an E or I. I will have an R from the Dark is Rising.

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Raifta

Raifta

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Posted

 

 

Show of hands from the BaW group ... who here is has at least ten books wrapped under the tree for family members? Are there any your really excited about giving?

 

We don't buy for many people due to tiny family and all of the grandparents are quite insistent about wanting nothing so this limits my book buying since I'm really only buying for DD, DS and DH.  However I counted and there are 9 books under the tree -  I think I'm most excited about giving the latest Phoebe and Her Unicorn collection to DS because I can't wait to read them myself!

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Kareni

Kareni

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A one day only classic that is currently free for Kindle readers ~

 

Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

 

Also currently free ~

 

The Dead of August  by Panayotis Cacoyannis

 

"A sophisticated, comic novel that brilliantly captures the triumph and folly of art, media, and publishing." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

 

Another Backwards Christmas by Brooke Williams

 

Regards,

Kareni

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Robin M

Robin M

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The spelling challenge is up now.  Rather than doing official flowers of the month, used the flower that went with each country in our armchair travel itinerary for the year.  Link is on the 52 books linkbar for future reference.  All main and mini challenges are posted now, except for English read which will be available when Sandy and Amy are ready.  

 

Blossom Bookology
 
Like flowers, books have a language all their own and fill up our senses, each with their own essence.  Our Blossom Bookology reading challenge will take you around the world and engage your senses in a variety of ways.  Read a book with one or more of the following (but not limited too) and have fun exploring a variety of places and topics:  
 
 
 
One book per letter in the flower's name
 
Name of the flower in the title
 
Color of the flower in the title
 
Color of the flower on the cover 
 
Takes place in flower's country of origin.
 
Plot includes cultural significance and/or symbolism 
 
 
****************************************
 
Flowers of the Month
 
 
January --- Chrysanthemum
 
February -- Rose
 
March -- Clover 
 
April -- Mountain Aven
 
May -- Lily
 
June -- Tulip
 
July -- Edelweiss
 
August -- Jasmine 
 
September -- Lotus 
 
October -- Marigold 
 
November -- Daisy 
 
December -- Holly 
 
 
 
 
:wub:
Edited by Robin M
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Kareni

Kareni

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Posted

Late last night I finished Nora Roberts' Year One: Chronicles of the One.  It was quite readable but not what I would call an uplifting story.  Nor was it a romance though it featured several love stories within.  I'll happily read the next book when it comes out (I'm wondering if it will be titled Year Thirteen), but I don't believe I'll be re-reading this book anytime soon.

 

"It began on New Year’s Eve.

 

The sickness came on suddenly, and spread quickly. The fear spread even faster. Within weeks, everything people counted on began to fail them. The electrical grid sputtered; law and government collapsed—and more than half of the world’s population was decimated.

 

Where there had been order, there was now chaos. And as the power of science and technology receded, magick rose up in its place. Some of it is good, like the witchcraft worked by Lana Bingham, practicing in the loft apartment she shares with her lover, Max. Some of it is unimaginably evil, and it can lurk anywhere, around a corner, in fetid tunnels beneath the river—or in the ones you know and love the most.

 

As word spreads that neither the immune nor the gifted are safe from the authorities who patrol the ravaged streets, and with nothing left to count on but each other, Lana and Max make their way out of a wrecked New York City. At the same time, other travelers are heading west too, into a new frontier. Chuck, a tech genius trying to hack his way through a world gone offline. Arlys, a journalist who has lost her audience but uses pen and paper to record the truth. Fred, her young colleague, possessed of burgeoning abilities and an optimism that seems out of place in this bleak landscape. And Rachel and Jonah, a resourceful doctor and a paramedic who fend off despair with their determination to keep a young mother and three infants in their care alive.

 

In a world of survivors where every stranger encountered could be either a savage or a savior, none of them knows exactly where they are heading, or why. But a purpose awaits them that will shape their lives and the lives of all those who remain.

 

The end has come.  The beginning comes next."

 

Regards,

Kareni

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mumto2

mumto2

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mumto2, if you are around...I have read Parts 1 and 2 of The Dark is Rising, but the next two days are incredibly busy for me. It will probably be Friday before I can string a coherent sentence together about the book! Are you listening to it?

Friday sounds perfect!!!!!

 

I haven't had a chance because I still have a tiny bit of my other audio books and my kids are on break. I've had a great day but haven't read a thing (or listened). Amy and I have been working on Brit tripping so the little bit of free time has been on that. On Friday I will be done with parts 1_and 2.

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Kareni

Kareni

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I know several here have read and enjoyed books by Seanan McGuire; here's a post of hers from Tor.com ~

 

Learning to Write Fluffy, Glittery Violence from My Little Pony  by Seanan McGuire

 

Also from Tor.com ~

 

Christmas Trees, Toys, and An Epic Battle Between Good and Evil: The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus  by Leah Schnelbach

 

The SFF Toys That Stole Our Hearts  by Emily Asher-Perrin

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

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Loesje22000

Loesje22000

Posted
Posted

 

The spelling challenge is up now. Rather than doing official flowers of the month, used the flower that went with each country in our armchair travel itinerary for the year. Link is on the 52 books linkbar for future reference. All main and mini challenges are posted now, except for English read which will be available when Sandy and Amy are ready.

 

Blossom Bookology

 

Like flowers, books have a language all their own and fill up our senses, each with their own essence. Our Blossom Bookology reading challenge will take you around the world and engage your senses in a variety of ways. Read a book with one or more of the following (but not limited too) and have fun exploring a variety of places and topics:

 

 

 

One book per letter in the flower's name

 

Name of the flower in the title

 

Color of the flower in the title

 

Color of the flower on the cover

 

Takes place in flower's country of origin.

 

Plot includes cultural significance and/or symbolism

 

 

****************************************

 

Flowers of the Month

 

 

January --- Chrysanthemum

 

February -- Rose

 

March -- Clover

 

April -- Mountain Aven

 

May -- Lily

 

June -- Tulip

 

July -- Edelweiss

 

August -- Jasmine

 

September -- Lotus

 

October -- Marigold

 

November -- Daisy

 

December -- Holly

 

 

 

 

:wub:

Sounds fun!

Now I just have to discover how all these flowers are called in Dutch... (I hardly recognize flowers so this will take some work :) )

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Mom-ninja.

Mom-ninja.

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Robin, where did you get the flowers for each month? I would love to see a new/different list. I have always been under the impression that February's flower is the violet. Each list I looked up had a few flowers different than what you posted. Wiki was fun as it listed the British version vs US version. Curious to see your list source. I don't know why but I like looking at birth flower months, birthstones, anniversary lists, meaning of flowers, and so forth.  

 

 

I finished bingo! Finally! I was rushing to get it done this week now that Nutcracker is over. 

 

B

Prime Number: 3 Men in a Boat

Flufferton: Faro's Daughter

Eastern Europe: The Master and Margarita

Best Seller 2001: Valhalla Rising

Steampunk: A Darker Shade of Magic

 

I

Science Fiction: I, Robot

Name in Title: Vanessa and Her Sister

Short Stories: 1001 Arabian Nights

Seaworthy: Mr. Midshipman Easy

Middle Ages: Macbeth

 

N

Western: Roughing It

Ancient: Ovid in Love

Free Space: Love Among the Chickens

Dystopian: Paper and Fire

Mystery: Stories of Sherlock Holmes

 

G

Translated: Harry Potter und Die Kammer des Schreckens

Outer Space: Zero-G

Classic: Walden

Finance: The Millionaire Next Door

1 Word Title: Farside

 

O

Picked by Friend: Born a Crime

Debut Author: To Kill a Mockingbird

500+: A Short History of Nearly Everything

Local Author: Oh, Florida

Female Adventure: Girl Waits with Gun

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Raifta

Raifta

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Mom-ninja - congratulations on Bingo!

 

I finished The Bright Hour by Nina Riggs last night.  Subtitled A Memoir of Living and Dying - it is amazing how much living still goes on while you are dying.  Riggs is almost 40 year old mother of two when she is diagnosed with cancer - this is the story of how she lived during those final years.  It was a beautifully written, evocative, and managed to elicit my participation in thinking about life - about how we make create our lives with our choices in response to choices that are not made by us.  I also now want to read Michel de Montaigne's works, as he (a philosopher during the French renaissance) is frequently referenced in the book.  That might be a project for 2018.

 

I'm hoping the library has my western available and then I need to find a steampunk.  I better devote my holiday reading time to finishing these two books!

 

In irritating news, I could not figure out what the burnt hair smell was this morning as I was getting ready for work in my bedroom, but as it has followed me to work, I have now determined that it is in fact cat pee smell and it is on my skirt.  I can't exactly take off my skirt at work so I am doomed to smell like cat pee for the day.  Grr.  Also, why have the cats elected to pee on my clothes (small pile left on my dresser) when DH leaves piles and piles of laundry, both clean and dirty, all over the house?

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mumto2

mumto2

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Posted (edited)

Mom Ninja, Congratulations on your Bingo!

 

:grouphug: Raifta, I hope you find a way to ignore the odor. Steampunk ideas in case you are desparate. Gail Carriger is my favorite. Her Soulless (adult content) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6381205-soulless and Etiquette & Espionage (YA) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10874177-etiquette-espionage are both th first in a series.

Edited by mumto2
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AppleGreen

AppleGreen

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Posted (edited)

I am here! It has been a bit since I posted in one of these threads. I took a class at the university this past semester, so much of my reading time was consumed by school both at home and for me! I did read some lovely journal articles.  :laugh:

 

What I can rememeber reading since my last post:

 

Song of Achilles (Definitely adult content, but really good! It tells the story of Achilles, Patroclus, and ultimately the Trojan War. Very satisfying read.)

 

Moon Over Manifest (read outloud to my 14 year old. I love, love, love this book! We both did!)

 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (with my now 9 year old. I love this one, so fun to revisit)

 

Henry Reed, Inc. (read aloud with the 9 year old)

 

Little Women (the 11 year old and I are so close to finishing! My goal is to wrap it up before 2018. I have never read it and am enjoying it. My child has been a trooper, but is definitely ready to finish. That is all we have managed to read aloud this whole semester.  :crying: )

 

It's All a Game (I am one chapter away from wrapping this one up. It is the history of board games and the various social implications of games. It is so my type of reading. I love well written, fact filled gems and this one has fit the bill!)

 

Wild Things! Actos of Mischief in Children's Literature (I have just started this one, but I am going to puffy heart it, I am certain. I adore children's lit, so it is great fun to read about the subversiveness that has underscored the genre.)

 

Simply Clean: The Proven Method for Keeping Your Home Clean, Organized, and Beautiful in Just 10 Minutes a Day (Snort. Yeah, right. Clearly Becky's never been to my house.)

 

I am certainly missing some reads (because, hello...summer! I read several books on vacay and over the course of summer, but my brain cannot remember them now).

 

I need to find the BINGO square to see how close I have come to completing it. I do not think I will manage 52  :sad: , but I did read more this year! Taking a class definitely impacts your leisure reading. 

 

Edited by AppleGreen
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Robin M

Robin M

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Robin, where did you get the flowers for each month? I would love to see a new/different list. I have always been under the impression that February's flower is the violet. Each list I looked up had a few flowers different than what you posted. Wiki was fun as it listed the British version vs US version. Curious to see your list source. I don't know why but I like looking at birth flower months, birthstones, anniversary lists, meaning of flowers, and so forth.  

 

 

I finished bingo! Finally! I was rushing to get it done this week now that Nutcracker is over. 

 

B

Prime Number: 3 Men in a Boat

Flufferton: Faro's Daughter

Eastern Europe: The Master and Margarita

Best Seller 2001: Valhalla Rising

Steampunk: A Darker Shade of Magic

 

I

Science Fiction: I, Robot

Name in Title: Vanessa and Her Sister

Short Stories: 1001 Arabian Nights

Seaworthy: Mr. Midshipman Easy

Middle Ages: Macbeth

 

N

Western: Roughing It

Ancient: Ovid in Love

Free Space: Love Among the Chickens

Dystopian: Paper and Fire

Mystery: Stories of Sherlock Holmes

 

G

Translated: Harry Potter und Die Kammer des Schreckens

Outer Space: Zero-G

Classic: Walden

Finance: The Millionaire Next Door

1 Word Title: Farside

 

O

Picked by Friend: Born a Crime

Debut Author: To Kill a Mockingbird

500+: A Short History of Nearly Everything

Local Author: Oh, Florida

Female Adventure: Girl Waits with Gun

:hurray:  Congratulations on completing 52 books bingo. I loved the title - Girl waits with Gun. Just read the excerpt on Amazon and downloaded it.   Thanks!   I'll send out your prize prezzie in a few days!   Please PM your address and email.  

 

For the Blossom Bookology challenge I wanted the flowers to line up with the regions we'll be armchair traveling in.  I used National Flowers by Country  except for December for which I used flower of the month.  Since we are going by region, I had several countries to choose from on some months.   Florists.co.uk has a good list of all the meanings and colors.  

Edited by Robin M
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mumto2

mumto2

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Posted

mumto2, if you are around...I have read Parts 1 and 2 of The Dark is Rising, but the next two days are incredibly busy for me. It will probably be Friday before I can string a coherent sentence together about the book! Are you listening to it?

 

Quoting, Just in case you have a minute to stop by.......I now know there is a part two and a part two continued. I am now in part two and will keep going through part two continued unless you tell me to stop. It’s very good! 🙂

 

 

 

 

I am here! It has been a bit since I posted in one of these threads. I took a class at the university this past semester, so much of my reading time was consumed by school both at home and for me! I did read some lovely journal articles.  :laugh:

 

What I can rememeber reading since my last post:

 

Song of Achilles (Definitely adult content, but really good! It tells the story of Achilles, Patroclus, and ultimately the Trojan War. Very satisfying read.)

 

Moon Over Manifest (read outloud to my 14 year old. I love, love, love this book! We both did!)

 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (with my now 9 year old. I love this one, so fun to revisit)

 

Henry Reed, Inc. (read aloud with the 9 year old)

 

Little Women (the 11 year old and I are so close to finishing! My goal is to wrap it up before 2018. I have never read it and am enjoying it. My child has been a trooper, but is definitely ready to finish. That is all we have managed to read aloud this whole semester.  :crying: )

 

It's All a Game (I am one chapter away from wrapping this one up. It is the history of board games and the various social implications of games. It is so my type of reading. I love well written, fact filled gems and this one has fit the bill!)

 

Wild Things! Actos of Mischief in Children's Literature (I have just started this one, but I am going to puffy heart it, I am certain. I adore children's lit, so it is great fun to read about the subversiveness that has underscored the genre.)

 

Simply Clean: The Proven Method for Keeping Your Home Clean, Organized, and Beautiful in Just 10 Minutes a Day (Snort. Yeah, right. Clearly Becky's never been to my house.)

 

I am certainly missing some reads (because, hello...summer! I read several books on vacay and over the course of summer, but my brain cannot remember them now).

 

I need to find the BINGO square to see how close I have come to completing it. I do not think I will manage 52  :sad: , but I did read more this year! Taking a class definitely impacts your leisure reading.

 

Glad to see you back! Looks like you have read some great books! I am intrigued by the It’s All a Game and plan to go looking for that one.

 

  

:hurray:  Congratulations on completing 52 books bingo.  I'll send out your prize prezzie in a few days!   Please PM your address and email.   

 

For the Blossom Bookology challenge I wanted the flowers to line up with the regions we'll be armchair traveling in.  I used National Flowers by Country  except for December for which I used flower of the month.  Since we are going by region, I had several countries to choose from on some months.   Florists.co.uk has a good list of all the meanings and colors.

 

The flower challenge looks like fun! The British have lots of flower beliefs and superstitions. You can’t give sick people red and white flowers for instance. For some it doesn’t matter if you add yellow for instance. Fortunately I learned that one via a friendly warning not by doing. My garden overflows with red dahlias and glads in the summer so the odds of my committing that one was huge. Church flowers when dd was on that committee were a challenge at times too.

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Kareni

Kareni

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Posted

 Steampunk ideas in case you are desparate. Gail Derringer is my favorite. Her Soulless (adult content) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6381205-soulless and Etiquette & Espionage (YA) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10874177-etiquette-espionage are both th first in a series.

 

I thought this was a wonderful typo, mumto2.  (The name is actually Carriger.)

**

 

An intriguing article from Tor. com ~

 

Five Fantastical Contraceptives (and Why We Need More) by Sean Connolly

**

 

A one day only classic that is currently free for Kindle readers ~

 

The Titan by Theodore Dreiser

 

Also currently free ~

 

Seer of Souls  by Susan Faw

 

Te Quiero (Falling for You, Book 1)  by Suki Fleet  (LGBT)

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

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aggieamy

aggieamy

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Posted

Did anyone see the Harry Potter fan fiction that was AI generated?   We read it aloud, and were in tears by the end  :lol:  !  

 

Enjoy!

 

http://botnik.org/content/harry-potter.html

 

That is so horrible and yet so wonderful.

 

 

'“Death Eaters are on top of the castle!†Ron bleated, quivering. Ron was going to be spiders. He just was.'

 

Hahahah. That sounds like Ron.

 

Counting to 21december, the shortest day here. This is such a dark december.

Glad the days are almost longer again.

 

It's been very grey here too. I'll be happy for sunshine. I'm a bit jealous of all the Florida gals right now.

 

 
January --- Chrysanthemum
 

 

January starts with a challenge. If you do one letter per book that's 14 books!

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Kareni

Kareni

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Posted

I don't think this has been posted here previously, but some of these titles are quite amusing ~

 

50 Hilariously Honest New Titles For Your Favourite Books

 

"Have you ever picked up a book after reading the title and thought that sounds interesting, only to read the story and think that title really doesn’t do the book justice? We decided to take a brutally honest look at the most popular books, and as a result we’ve changed their original titles to reflect what the essence of the story is about.

 

We have created 50 hilariously honest alternate titles for some of your favourite books. To show you what we came up with and make the titles seem more authentic, we redesigned their book covers using the original 1930s classic Penguin book cover designs.

 

Have a look at the full list of book covers below and see if you can guess which stories the new titles are about. We’ve grouped them by genre so there’s a little something for everyone. If you are struggling, we’ve included the real title below, but we’ve also changed the penguin design on each cover to give you a little hint. If you’re like us and a bit of a bookworm, this game is quite fun so see if you can resist checking out the actual title.

 

Please note, you will find spoilers in our new titles, but these books are the most popular novels read anyway so chances are you’ll already know what the stories are about. ..."

 

Regards,

Kareni

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Robin M

Robin M

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Can someone give me an assist? Can you link me to the 2017 BINGO board? I cannot find it on Robin's lovely site, although I did have great fun poking around again. :)

 

A million thank yous! 

Good to see you Apple.  What class did you take?  So sorry...I jumped the gun and took 2017 bingo down while updating the site for 2018.  :blush: I'll put it back up until the end of the year.  Here's the link.   

Edited by Robin M
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Robin M

Robin M

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I  also now want to read Michel de Montaigne's works, as he (a philosopher during the French renaissance) is frequently referenced in the book.  That might be a project for 2018.

 

In irritating news, I could not figure out what the burnt hair smell was this morning as I was getting ready for work in my bedroom, but as it has followed me to work, I have now determined that it is in fact cat pee smell and it is on my skirt.  I can't exactly take off my skirt at work so I am doomed to smell like cat pee for the day.  Grr.  Also, why have the cats elected to pee on my clothes (small pile left on my dresser) when DH leaves piles and piles of laundry, both clean and dirty, all over the house?

 

I do too! I have Essays in my stacks to read this year.  Montaigne would be good for 16th Century or Philosophical categories for Bingo.    Sorry about your skirt. The only thing I can think of is that the clothes were put on a spot they think of as theirs.  Mine haven't ever peed on clothes but Gracie immediately makes herself comfortable on any laundry I place on the bed to sort out before putting away.   

 

 

 

   

The flower challenge looks like fun! The British have lots of flower beliefs and superstitions. You can’t give sick people red and white flowers for instance. For some it doesn’t matter if you add yellow for instance. Fortunately I learned that one via a friendly warning not by doing. My garden overflows with red dahlias and glads in the summer so the odds of my committing that one was huge. Church flowers when dd was on that committee were a challenge at times too.

Wow, I never knew that and my late mother in law was English.  Now I'm trying to remember if I ever gave her the wrong color flowers when she was sick.   :001_unsure:

 

 

January starts with a challenge. If you do one letter per book that's 14 books!

Yes, but February is only four!  :laugh:

 

Robin, thank you for the lovely and literary gift! Now I have no excuse for not keeping in touch with BaW friends.

You are quite welcome. 

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Robin M

Robin M

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Are you ready for a round of best of 2017... Here we go!

 

Bill Gates 5 amazing reads

 

New York Public Library's 10 best books of 2017

 

Economist's Best books of the year

 

Esquire ups the ante with 50 Best books of 2017

 

Guardian's Best books of 2017: the hits and misses of the publishers’ year

 

Outside Online - Best books in recreation and natural world

 

Forbes The 10 Best Astronomy, Physics And Mathematics Books of 2017

 

Syfywire 10 best sci-fi and fantasy for 2017

 

Bookbub blog's 27 biggest Thriller books 2017

 

and last but not least -----

 

Buzzfeeds Hot List: The 35 Best Romance books of 2017      :drool5:    

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Mom-ninja.

Mom-ninja.

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:hurray:  Congratulations on completing 52 books bingo. I loved the title - Girl waits with Gun. Just read the excerpt on Amazon and downloaded it.   Thanks!   I'll send out your prize prezzie in a few days!   Please PM your address and email.  

 

For the Blossom Bookology challenge I wanted the flowers to line up with the regions we'll be armchair traveling in.  I used National Flowers by Country  except for December for which I used flower of the month.  Since we are going by region, I had several countries to choose from on some months.   Florists.co.uk has a good list of all the meanings and colors.  

Very cool list. Thank you so much. I fear I will lose some time studying it. It won't be a waste of time though. 

 

 

 

  

The flower challenge looks like fun! The British have lots of flower beliefs and superstitions. You can’t give sick people red and white flowers for instance. For some it doesn’t matter if you add yellow for instance. Fortunately I learned that one via a friendly warning not by doing. My garden overflows with red dahlias and glads in the summer so the odds of my committing that one was huge. Church flowers when dd was on that committee were a challenge at times too.

 

Very interesting. Do you know the reason behind the superstition? 

 

 

Boy, I will be very busy with all these links!

Edited by Mom-ninja.
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mumto2

mumto2

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Very interesting. Do you know the reason behind the superstition?

 

 

 

Referencing red and white flowers together in and arrangement. Here is way more then you wanted to know. ;)

 

It has to do with blood definitely, maybe sorrow......bad omens.

 

I learned of this because an expat friend had a job at a florist for a short time. She was by herself and got an order for a hospital delivery that was along the lines of x cost flowers. She looked at what they had and make an awesome red and white arrangement. Then her boss arrived and completely freaked. No red and white to the sick....... Ever is safest.

 

When we started with Church flowers and dd got beyond being supervised, ie handed her flowers, we were quietly warned about my red bounty. I used to donate loads of flowers to the Church. At that point it became a no white for dd pedestal so she could do her own thing without the red\white worry. Her arrangement was separate physically from the rest, the largest so dahlia's were perfect. I really have very little white in the garden, totally accidental. The Church rules were imposed by a long ago vicar's wife. No one really knew why but generally followed still. Sort of blindly followed like holly only in December. The problem with that is greenery which always comes from people's gardens is hard to find in the winter. Loads of holly and it's color variations. Can't even go through twelfth night with the holly. Christmas service then pull it.

 

For Remembrance Sunday the Church is decorated with white flowers with the red paper poppies that are sold all over. So red and white.

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Penguin

Penguin

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Quoting, Just in case you have a minute to stop by.......I now know there is a part two and a part two continued. I am now in part two and will keep going through part two continued unless you tell me to stop. It’s very good! 🙂

 

 

Whew. I'm back :) I should be able to check the thread daily now - don't feel like you have to quote me for me to notice your comments. 

 

One of my children was born on Midwinter Day / Winter Solstice - just like Will! So I was in the midst of a birthday celebration this week as well as the regular holiday madness. Ever since he was born, the winter solstice has been special to me. :001_wub: It flat-out amazes me that I am reading this book for the first time. But I really, truly do believe that the right book finds me at the right time.

 

In a nutshell, I love the book. I am still on Chapter 9: The Coming of the The Cold, which is marked as the beginning of Part Three in my copy. Just by chance, I am reading another book that has an 11-year old boy as a narrator (Kunsten at grøde i kor). I would describe the Danish book as a tragicomedy. And IIRC Harry Potter was 11 at the beginning of the series. All of which has me thinking about what it means to be an 11 year old boy. Will does strike me as an "old soul," which is my way of saying that I think Susan Cooper did a good job writing his character. 

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Penguin

Penguin

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Congratulations Mothersweets on 75 books!

 

Congratulations to Laughing Cat for finishing the Bingo! 

 

 

So DS just finished Stardust and he loved it.  It's quite possibly the first book he has chosen and enjoyed so much that he's hoping to find other books by the same author or in the same vein.  Having not read Stardust or any Neil Gaiman myself, if you have any ideas for books that are similar to this and suitable for a 10 year old, I'm all ears.  (Obviously we are not too fussed about language in books.)

 

First, I want to echo your congrats to Mothersweets and Laughing Cat. Woot!!!!!!!

ETA: Adding congrats to Mom-ninja for Bingo completion!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Second, your son might like The Dark Is Rising, which is the book mumto2 and I are currently reading.

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mumto2

mumto2

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Penguin, What a neat day for a birthday! I suspect when you were living in Denmark he had lots of comments about the darkest day of the year. People's moods always lift when we start getting a few more moments of light every single day!

 

It's definitely the first time I have read this book also. All I remember from my Susan Cooper reading with the dc's is I am sure pigs were involved. No pigs so it definitely is new to me. :lol: Really enjoying it. I had forgotten how much I enjoy reading that level of children's fiction. I need to pick a couple more out for 2018.

 

I think the 11 yo boy is done perfectly. I also like the old soul parts. Charles Bone https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9475.Midnight_for_Charlie_Bone?ac=1&from_search=true is another roughly 11yo magical boy, that series was one of my kids all time favorites. I think that 11 is such an interesting age. On one hand they are grown up, off to secondary education if you don't homeschool. I think in protest my kids and their friends bought a herd of My Little Pony's and played for a year at that point. It was apparently very cool but none of us knew at the time. :lol:

 

Did you do Kareni's Regency Christmas quiz? The link is in post 51, I can't seem to copy. There is a question about the Yule log. That quiz has made me very aware of the Yule root in this book. Very interesting that it needs to be a root to last throughout the season. Not a tradition that is still followed where I am. People are far more apt to buy a bag of coal and treat themselves to a coal fire.....really warm and cozy.

 

I did try and look at the twitter questions the first day. They are going by chapter. One was comparing it to Lucas's work, which I took to be the Star Wars movies. No idea where to start with that other than young boy........

 

Raifta, seconding the Dark is Rising suggestion. Dd actually suggested Charlie Bone for him also. It's marketed to the same age Harry Potter was originally.

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Kareni

Kareni

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Are you ready for a round of best of 2017... Here we go!

 

...

Buzzfeeds Hot List: The 35 Best Romance books of 2017      :drool5:    

 

As someone who reads a lot of romances, I was surprised to find that I'd read none of the romances on that list.  (I'll also say that male navels feature prominently in the cover art of the list maker's favorites!)

 

Regards,

Kareni

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Kareni

Kareni

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Bookish posts ~

 

Electric Literature’s 15 Best Nonfiction Books of 2017

 

5 Long(ish) Comics to Read During the Christmas Holidays  by Hattie Kennedy

 

9 (Mostly) Free Gifts Readers Can Give Over The Holidays  by A.J. O'Connell

**

 

A one day only classic work that is currently free for Kindle readers ~

 

Uncle Abner: Master of Mysteries by Melville Davisson Post

 

"The adventures of a true American original—a detective who puts equal faith in his Bible and his brains

In the backwoods of West Virginia, years before the Civil War, a man arrives with gold in his purse and evil on his mind. His land too barren for farming, Doomdorf builds a still and grows rich selling high-proof moonshine to anyone with a bit of change in his pocket. As drunkenness and debauchery run rampant across the countryside, the locals turn against him. They are preparing to exact frontier justice when the bootlegger is found dead, shot through the heart in a room locked from the inside.
 
At the scene is Uncle Abner, a folksy sleuth who uses a keen eye and steadfast beliefs to solve the mysteries of Appalachia. In this landmark story collection, Abner contends with hunchbacks and drunkards, killers and thieves. In a time and a place beyond the rule of law, justice belongs to the Lord—and Uncle Abner is His instrument."

**

 

Also currently free for Kindle readers ~

 

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Granny_Weatherwax

Granny_Weatherwax

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Mom-ninja - congratulations on Bingo!

 

I finished The Bright Hour by Nina Riggs last night.  Subtitled A Memoir of Living and Dying - it is amazing how much living still goes on while you are dying.  Riggs is almost 40 year old mother of two when she is diagnosed with cancer - this is the story of how she lived during those final years.  It was a beautifully written, evocative, and managed to elicit my participation in thinking about life - about how we make create our lives with our choices in response to choices that are not made by us.  I also now want to read Michel de Montaigne's works, as he (a philosopher during the French renaissance) is frequently referenced in the book.  That might be a project for 2018.

<snip>

I only gave two books 5 stars this year - The Bright Hour was one of the two. I recommend this book to everyone who asks.  I often find myself reflecting on this book and am seriously thinking about buying it for my library. I,too, want to read Montaigne and have him on my TBR list.

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mumto2

mumto2

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I have started reading Year One just because I want to! :lol: It was a present and I could not resist. So far I love it! The very first chapter was very reminiscent of The Dark is Rising with both rooks and an ancient prophecy all set in a Scottish wood. Now it reminds me of one of my all time dystopian favorites, The Passage. A bit more magical so far. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34311452-year-one.

 

 

I also finished the Death of a Red Heroine

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/126606.Death_of_a_Red_Heroine by Xiaoping for my A to Z author challenge. It was really well done and the first in the series. I read the second book in the series previously and liked it well enough. (3*) I am not sure if it is just my preference for starting at the beginning of a series shining through but I loved this one.(5*) I am planning to read the third in the series when BaW visits Asia next month. Can't wait to find out what happens next! :)

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Robin M

Robin M

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Happy Saturday, my lovelies.  We are heading out, braving the traffic to have dinner with John's family in the bay area, then back home tomorrow for our own Christmas Eve jólabókaflód reading feast.   Have fun with your last minute  Christmas shopping.  The new thread will be posted sometime tomorrow morning. 

 

Around the narrow circuit of the room
Breast-high the books I love range file on file;
And when, day-weary, I would rest awhile,
As once again slow falls the gathering gloom
Upon the world, I love to pass my hand
Along their serried ranks, and silent stand
In breathless heark'ning to their silent speech.
With rev'rent hand I touch the back of each
Of these my books. How much of their dear selves—
The hand that held the pen, the brain that wrought
The subtle fancies on these pages caught—
Have men immortal left upon my shelves!
~Charles Washington Coleman (1862–1932), "Of My Books," c.1893
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Kareni

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Safe travels to you, Robin, and to any others who are en route to see family and/or friends.

**

 

Some recent reads here ~

 

I just re-read Lisa Kleypas' historical romance novella "Surrender" which is a story from an old Avon collection, Christmas Love Stories.  It's one of the author's earlier works; her writing has become more refined with time.  (How's that for an elegant way of saying that this is an early work and it shows?)

 

"In Surrender, Lisa Kleypas has a beautiful, aristocratic Bostonian discover the true meaning of giving when she falls tenderly and passionately in love with a troubled stranger: her husband."

**

Twinkle, Twinkle  by Josephine Myles

 

This is a short holiday novella featuring two men; it was a pleasant read.  (Adult content)

 

"When old schoolmates meet again, sparks fly!

It’s Christmas Eve, and down in Accident and Emergency Dr. Tom Berriman really hasn’t got into the festive spirit. Newly returned to his home town, he’s missing the big city he left behind and can’t get enthusiastic about a holiday he’ll be spending on his own. That is until he catches sight of the attractive electrician fixing the lights—who promptly crashes down out of the ceiling and becomes Tom’s patient. Tom can’t believe his luck...until he realises he knows the man already.

Electrician Vince has changed out of all recognition since they were at school together, where Vince was the butt of all the bullies’ jibes—and worse—while nursing a hopeless crush on Tom.

If the newly-hunky Vince can forgive his former tormentor, and Tom can get over his lingering guilt, maybe their Christmases won’t be quite so lonely after all."

**

 

I also read Special Delivery by Heidi Cullinan which is a male/male romance.  The story dealt to a large extent with a young man becoming independent.  It was a pleasant story, but I don't think I'll be re-reading it soon.  (Significant adult content)

 

"Sam Keller knows he’ll never find the excitement he craves in Middleton, Iowa—not while he’s busting his ass in nursing school and paying rent by slaving away in a pharmacy stockroom. Then Sam meets Mitch Tedsoe, an independent, long-haul trucker who makes a delivery to a shop across the alley. Innocent flirting quickly leads to a fling, and when Mitch offers to take him on a road trip west, Sam jumps at the chance for adventure. Mitch is sexy, funny and friendly, but once they embark on their journey, something changes. One minute he’s the star of Sam’s every x-rated fantasy, the next he’s almost too much a perfect gentleman. And when they hit the Las Vegas city limit, Sam has a name to pin on Mitch’s malady: Randy.

For better or for worse, Sam grapples with the meaning of friendship, letting go, growing up—even the meaning of love—because no matter how far he travels, eventually all roads lead home."

 

Regards,

Kareni

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