Book a Week 2018 - BW2: Miyuki Miyabe and Haruki Murakami

[mumto2]

I just finished my reading of the first Murakami novella, Hear the Wind Sing. First I have to say I hope no one decided to start with this one because of me because this is so not a great introduction to Murakami. I have read several Murakami books so I wanted to start at the beginning this year, plus I want to read what is known as the Rat trilogy and Wind is the first. I have to say it was interesting because if you had handed it to me without giving me the author I suspect I would have been able to guess. Even his first book managed to fill a few Murakami Bingo Squares! Lol. http://www.incidentalcomics.com/2012/06/haruki-murakami-bingo.html.

[JennyD]

 

 

This week I am reading My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout.   And Plainsong by Kent Haruf.   

 

I also have 2 audiobooks on hold and won't have time to read them both, so will have to pick one.   Either The American Heiress or The Circle.   Any votes on which one I should pick?  

 

I have been meaning to read Plainsong for ages.

 

I haven't read The American Heiress but I thought that the first two-thirds of The Circle was just fantastic, incredibly compelling.  The last third, not so much.  Still, it was a memorable read.

[Robin M]

 

My first finished book of the year was a Christmas gift from my oldest ds who picked one of his favorite Star Trek novels to share with me. Captain to Captain was an entertaining romp through that universe with some very clever winks to details that only fans would get. I hated that the device used to move the plot forward was stupid decisions by a character who was supposed to be extra smart, but darn it if I'm not curious how it all ends as this was the first book in a trilogy. Kareni and Robin, and anyone else who enjoys Star Trek fiction, I think you'd really enjoy this one.

 

My other Christmas book from him was one of my Goodreads TBR books, Cutting Back: My Apprenticeship in the Gardens of Kyoto. It is the memoir of a woman who owned her own tree pruning business in the Bay Area, but took a year off at age 35 to study with a master gardener in Kyoto. I highly recommend this book (after only reading about a 1/3 of it) if you love to garden or have an interest in Japanese gardens or an interest in Japanese business and work culture. 

 

Trying to decide which book I want to download for my next audiobook. Do I dive into Kristin Lavransdatter (perhaps too much of a chunkster for now) or True Grit? Or perhaps I should finally listen to West with the Night. Three really good choices, but what to choose?!!

 

Hoping the promised rain materializes in the next few days --- I'd like it to be cozy and wintery (in a SoCal kind of way) so I can sit and read! Murakami's Wind up Bird Chronicles is waiting patiently for me to finish it!

 

Great, will look into getting Captain to Captain.  Have you gotten the rain yet? It's been pouring for two days here. 

[PeacefulChaos]

I just finished "A Scone to Die For" by H. Y. Hanna.  It was fine, just a cozy mystery.  

I am currently reading "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" by Lisa See.  It is set in China and I am reading it for the January Blossom Bookology challenge.

I am also reading "Quiet" by Susan Cain which was mentioned on the non-fiction thread.  I am an introvert so it is an interesting read.

 

 

The fact that there is a book called 'A Scone to Die For' is hysterical to me.  Idk why, other than I keep thinking Wow that must be an amazing scone. :lol: 

 

Well, luckily I got into the chiropractor today and he worked out a lot of the problem I was having - and then the problems compounded onto it by me subconsciously trying to accommodate for it myself  (you know how it is - you hurt your lower back but like everything needs adjusting).  Luckily I don't have to go back for two weeks - it's lucky because the cost today was more than it usually is!  I'm hoping it's just because of all the work he had to do and not because their rates went up.   :scared:

 

 

We also hit up the library and I picked up Never Let Me Go, Year One, The Artist's Way, and The Secret Keeper.  Started Never Let Me Go today... it's taken a little getting used to the writing style, but interesting enough so far.  

[mumto2]

I have totally enjoyed Agatha Christie's book. They are more police procedurals and who done's it versus action packed murder which is a nice break from some books. I love the twists and turns and sometimes I know right away who done it and enjoy seeing how the detective figures it out and other times I'm totally clueless so it's always a grand surprise. As with every author, there are going to be some clunkers. I really liked The Murder of Roger Ackroyd as well as The Mysterious Affair at Styles. I joined a perpetual challenge a few years back and read two or three a year.

 

I multi quoted to bring Robin's post over from last week because she started something. I have been on such a rabbit trail trying to decide what I want to do about Agatha Christie. I had planned on a Marple reread as part of 2018. Now I'm thinking about doing them all but not in 2018. Naturally I found a list that is pages long including the shorts. Somehow I went from that to Dorothy Sayers and managed to find a list for her works too! I still don't want to commit but I did put the first accessible (to me) on hold for both lists. There are so many books I want to read or perhaps I should say reread!

 

http://www.leftfield.org/~rawdon/books/mystery/sayers.html

http://www.agathachristie.com/stories Downloaded the reading list......the complete one naturally. ;). The Marple one is the one I should have been concentrating on.

Edited January 9, 2018 by mumto2

[LuvToRead]

The fact that there is a book called 'A Scone to Die For' is hysterical to me.  Idk why, other than I keep thinking Wow that must be an amazing scone.  :lol:

 

Well, luckily I got into the chiropractor today and he worked out a lot of the problem I was having - and then the problems compounded onto it by me subconsciously trying to accommodate for it myself  (you know how it is - you hurt your lower back but like everything needs adjusting).  Luckily I don't have to go back for two weeks - it's lucky because the cost today was more than it usually is!  I'm hoping it's just because of all the work he had to do and not because their rates went up.   :scared:

 

 

We also hit up the library and I picked up Never Let Me Go, Year One, The Artist's Way, and The Secret Keeper.  Started Never Let Me Go today... it's taken a little getting used to the writing style, but interesting enough so far.  

 

It does include a scone recipe at the end! I probably won't try it, although I do love a good scone.  

[marbel]

Speaking of Agatha Christie... yesterday I finished Closed Casket, which is a Hercule Poirot mystery not by Christie but Sophie Hanna.  I read her book The Monogram Murders in December.  I have to say, I've enjoyed them more than any of Christie's Poirot books.  Christie's characters are all so unpleasant, which I know is part of the point, but, I don't know, there's just something I don't like. I'll be looking for more by Sophie Hannah; she has some non-Poirot mysteries as well.

 

Somewhere in the recent past I saw a blog post about reading War and Peace in a year by reading just one chapter a day (approx 363 chapters, I think).  So, I started that. I've been reading more than one chapter each day so far, but I like the idea that if I get in a dull spot, or just tire of it, if I read just one chapter a day I'll still finish.

 

It's the same way I've started reading the Bible this year - one chapter a day, instead of trying to read it all in one year.  I've also read more than one chapter per day so far, but I'm reading it more effectively and not as a check-the-box kind of thing.  And I know when I get to some of the tough spots, one chapter is good.

 

Also started No Wind of Blame by Georgette Heyer for my light bedtime reading, and Bernd Heinrich's story of his family, The Snoring Bird. I love Heinrich's writing and have been wanting to read this for a long time.

[mumto2]

Speaking of Agatha Christie... yesterday I finished Closed Casket, which is a Hercule Poirot mystery not by Christie but Sophie Hanna. I read her book The Monogram Murders in December. I have to say, I've enjoyed them more than any of Christie's Poirot books. Christie's characters are all so unpleasant, which I know is part of the point, but, I don't know, there's just something I don't like. I'll be looking for more by Sophie Hannah; she has some non-Poirot mysteries as well.

.

I was wondering about Sophie Hanna so very timely. These came to my attention this morning as I was looking at different websites and lists. Maybe I will try one.

 

I started my first Georgette Heyer mystery this afternoon, Footsteps in the Dark. I’m not very far but have to say I really like it so far. They are worried the house is haunted.....I’m hoping it is for Bingo! ;).

Edited January 9, 2018 by mumto2

[Lady Florida.]

I finally finished A Gentleman in Moscow. I started this, put it aside, and started it again (around mid-December). The only reason I didn't finish it the first time was because I wanted to save it until it was my turn to choose a book for book club. I couldn't wait any longer for book club to get back on track and decided to just go ahead and read it. I'm so glad I did.

 

I loved this book! It's my first 5 star read in quite some time. The prose is wonderful and I loved, loved, loved the main character, Count Rostov. Most of the time I avoid best sellers or books that get repeatedly praised. In this case the praise is warranted. If you like literary fiction I highly recommend A Gentleman in Moscow.

 

This week I'm continuing Prairie Fires (the LIW bio). I received notice this morning that my loan ended, so I can't turn on my Paperwhite's wifi until I finish it. I'm also reading The Taming of the Shrew as part of Shakespeare in a Year, and Pitch Perfect. That last one just isn't holding my attention so I might abandon it and stick to the corny movies it inspired. I'll give it another chapter or two and then decide. Still listening to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

[JennW in SoCal]

Great, will look into getting Captain to Captain.  Have you gotten the rain yet? It's been pouring for two days here. 

 

The rain finally came last night, and it is currently dumping outside. We needed it, but the mudslides up near Santa Barbara are just heartbreaking.

 

I multi quoted to bring Robin's post over from last week because she started something. I have been on such a rabbit trail trying to decide what I want to do about Agatha Christie. I had planned on a Marple reread as part of 2018. Now I'm thinking about doing them all but not in 2018. Naturally I found a list that is pages long including the shorts. Somehow I went from that to Dorothy Sayers and managed to find a list for her works too! I still don't want to commit but I did put the first accessible (to me) on hold for both lists. There are so many books I want to read or perhaps I should say reread!

 

http://www.leftfield.org/~rawdon/books/mystery/sayers.html

http://www.agathachristie.com/stories Downloaded the reading list......the complete one naturally. ;). The Marple one is the one I should have been concentrating on.

 

At the end of the recent Murder on the Orient Express movie, Poirot is called away to another case due to a death on the Nile. So naturally I had to pick up that book as I've never read it. So, sitting here, next to me is Death on the Nile. I really love the Dorothy Sayers mysteries. I think I've read them all. 

 

Mumto2 -- did you have a Goodreads page or a link to a page with your British mysteries all mapped out?  I feel like there was a link I should have bookmarked...

 

Mothersweets -- I did indeed download True Grit!! 

[Pink and Green Mom]

I finished The Aviator's Wife, by Melanie Benjamin (historical fiction about Anne Morrow Lindbergh).  I really enjoyed it.  I wasn't expecting to like it because my mom recommended it and everything she recommends is usally awful  :lol: .  I liked it so much I went out and finished an actual book by Anne Morrow Lindbergh that was mentioned often in The Aviator's Wife, called Gifts from the Sea.  That one was just ok.  I think if I were in a different frame of mind at the moment I might have gotten more out of it, but for right now I just wasn't in the right place (the book compares each phase of a woman's life to a different type of seashell).

 

Up next - I have to read The Importance of Being Earnest (DS16 is no English student and that is his next novel for school), and I've started on one of the books from my 100 Greatest Books Ever Written collection - Tom Jones, by Henry Fielding.  I have a feeling this one is going to take a while.  LOL.  I also just picked up Britt Marie Was Here, by Fredrik Backman.  I loved A Man Called Ove, but did not care for My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry.  I'm not sure where on the spectrum this will fall.

 

I love seeing what you all are reading and making a TBR pile!

Edited January 10, 2018 by Pink and Green Mom

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I just finished my reading of the first Murakami novella, Hear the Wind Sing. First I have to say I hope no one decided to start with this one because of me because this is so not a great introduction to Murakami. I have read several Murakami books so I wanted to start at the beginning this year, plus I want to read what is known as the Rat trilogy and Wind is the first. I have to say it was interesting because if you had handed it to me without giving me the author I suspect I would have been able to guess. Even his first book managed to fill a few Murakami Bingo Squares! Lol. http://www.incidentalcomics.com/2012/06/haruki-murakami-bingo.html.

Uh oh, I began with The Strange Library  - now that is one I wouldn't recommend as an introduction to Murakami. It is a bit odd. I"m glad it was a quick read. Unfortunately, the next one I have and began this afternoon is Hear the Wind Sing. I checked out a book with both Wind and Pinball and thought I would be able to read through both this week.-

 

--

I have finished reading:

Starship Troopers - R.A. Heinlein ***3/4

A Wrinkle in Time - M. L'Engle ***** - This was an audiobook, read by the author, and was quite entertaining. Now that I've listened to the story and know, as best as one can with the author reading, how the characters should sound and 'be', I am a bit concerned about the trailers I've seen for the movie. The trailers just don't jive with the book. I hope I am incorrect and it's just bad editing with the trailers.

The Strange Library by H. Murakami - I don't know what to rate this book because I'm still in a state of "What did I just read?"

[tuesdayschild]

I finished The Aviator's Wife, by Melanie Benjamin (historical fiction about Anne Morrow Lindbergh).  I really enjoyed it.  I wasn't expecting to like it because my mom recommended it and everything she recommends is usally awful  :lol: .  I liked it so much I went out and finished an actual book by Anne Morrow Lindbergh that was mentioned often in The Aviator's Wife, called Gifts from the Sea.  That one was just ok.  I think if I were in a different frame of mind at the moment I might have gotten more out of it, but for right now I just wasn't in the right place (the book compares each phase of a woman's life to a different type of seashell).

 

Up next - I have to read The Importance of Being Earnest (DS16 is no English student and that is his next novel for school), and I've started on one of the books from my 100 Greatest Books Ever Written collection - Tom Jones, by Henry Fielding.  I have a feeling this one is going to take a while.  LOL.  I also just picked up Britt Marie Was Here, by Fredrik Backman.  I loved A Man Called Ove, but did not care for My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry.  I'm not sure where on the spectrum this will fall.

 

I love seeing what you all are reading and making a TBR pile!

That's encouraging as I have The Aviator's Wife on my to read next list.

And, Gifts from the Sea is one of my sip- reads.  I do need to be in the 'right frame of mind' for this book and then find I want to pause n ponder before I absorb the next bit  :tongue_smilie:

 

Agreeing 100% with your comment (put it in bold).

[Robin M]

I multi quoted to bring Robin's post over from last week because she started something. I have been on such a rabbit trail trying to decide what I want to do about Agatha Christie. I had planned on a Marple reread as part of 2018. Now I'm thinking about doing them all but not in 2018. Naturally I found a list that is pages long including the shorts. Somehow I went from that to Dorothy Sayers and managed to find a list for her works too! I still don't want to commit but I did put the first accessible (to me) on hold for both lists. There are so many books I want to read or perhaps I should say reread!

 

http://www.leftfield.org/~rawdon/books/mystery/sayers.html

http://www.agathachristie.com/stories Downloaded the reading list......the complete one naturally. ;). The Marple one is the one I should have been concentrating on.

Great links!  Bookriot did a piece on Agatha Christie today breaking down the different detectives and a reading list.   I'm beginning to think we should have reading Agatha as perpetual challenge with a list of her books or links to her books on 52 books. 

 

I haven't gotten much reading done today as in between lessons with James I've been organizing to do a complete rewrite of one of my stories, plus getting blog posts written. I went through my notes and didn't realize had already done a lot of the work with various notes.  Now I just need to outline, organize scenes on storyboard, and get to writing.  I take that back.  James and I finished reading The Boy on the Wooden Box today   We had the last chapter and the Epilogue to finish.  Such a good story and got choked up at the end.  

 

Timer just went off so have to finish getting dinner on the table.  TTFN!

[eternalsummer]

I started and abandoned Black Coffee by Agatha Christie last night.  I found it in the back of the bookshelf and thought, "yay, one I haven't read!"  After about a page and a half, I said to myself, "This one reads kind of modern.  Must be one of her latest works.  I'll just check the copyright date."

 

Earliest copyright date was 1998.  "Hmm," I thought, "didn't she die in the 70s?"

 

Turns out it was ghostwritten from a play; Christie did write the play but she did not write the book.  All the blurbs on the back (which I try not to read beforehand so I don't have any ideas going in) said things like, oh, this book sounds just like Christie!  Seamless adaptation!  Etc.

 

Nope, read nothing like her.  She is such a restrained writer that I think she must be hard to imitate convincingly.

 

 

Bummer :(

 

Also a hilarious note: I started reading Carve the Mark online (a newish YA book by the lady who wrote the Divergent series).  She's not great but I figured it would be readable and pass the time while I did some computer work.

 

After a few pages I thought I recognized one of the names, Thuhve.  I was sure I'd heard that (made up) name before, maybe in Le Guin's works somewhere?  I spent an hour researching - I read every character list of every Le Guin work I could find a character list for, then place name lists, then scanned books I have, etc.  Finally emailed my mom, who is a librarian, to ask her where I'd heard this name before.

 

Then I went back to reading the book.  After 2 more pages, I realized I'd in fact already read Carve the Mark several months ago.  It was sufficiently boring that I'd not only forgotten I read it, but even forgotten where I'd heard Thuhve.  Jeez.

 

[melmichigan]

I started the year with the Elizabeth Hunter Elemental Mysteries.  I enjoyed Giovanni and Beatrice very much, so I also read the first book in the spin off Elemental World series, Building from Ashes. I'm not sure how I feel about the spin-ff so I'm going to detour and listen to the new J.R. Ward audiobook Blood Fury next.  I am passing on the January author challenges. :)

Edited January 10, 2018 by melmichigan

[mumto2]

The rain finally came last night, and it is currently dumping outside. We needed it, but the mudslides up near Santa Barbara are just heartbreaking.

 

 

 

At the end of the recent Murder on the Orient Express movie, Poirot is called away to another case due to a death on the Nile. So naturally I had to pick up that book as I've never read it. So, sitting here, next to me is Death on the Nile. I really love the Dorothy Sayers mysteries. I think I've read them all. 

 

Mumto2 -- did you have a Goodreads page or a link to a page with your British mysteries all mapped out?  I feel like there was a link I should have bookmarked...

 

Mothersweets -- I did indeed download True Grit!!

 

  

 

At this point the SYKM location list is probably the best out there in terms of comprehensive

http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/LocationCats/England/index.html for Brit Tripping and cozy type mysteries. I am working on finding more to go along the roads with some degree of success. :lol: Authors seem to love fictitious villages and they are all irritating me greatly right now. The real point is going to be to have fun reading some great books! BTW, we will start as we move out of Asia into England so February.

 

 

 

Uh oh, I began with The Strange Library  - now that is one I wouldn't recommend as an introduction to Murakami. It is a bit odd. I"m glad it was a quick read. Unfortunately, the next one I have and began this afternoon is Hear the Wind Sing. I checked out a book with both Wind and Pinball and thought I would be able to read through both this week.-

 

--

I have finished reading:

Starship Troopers - R.A. Heinlein ***3/4

A Wrinkle in Time - M. L'Engle ***** - This was an audiobook, read by the author, and was quite entertaining. Now that I've listened to the story and know, as best as one can with the author reading, how the characters should sound and 'be', I am a bit concerned about the trailers I've seen for the movie. The trailers just don't jive with the book. I hope I am incorrect and it's just bad editing with the trailers.

The Strange Library by H. Murakami - I don't know what to rate this book because I'm still in a state of "What did I just read?"

 

 

I have to agree that The Strange Library was really odd. Many people really enjoy it but I have never made up my mind beyond odd. Give Hear the Wind a try, I hope you like it. For me it was a scattering of bits from other books of his and I kept a constant dialogue in my mind trying to match with all those books. I may have really over thought the whole experience. I do think there are easier firsts in terms of Murakami but it is short.

 

I started with 1Q84 and thought one was a duplicate when my librarian handed my two really chunky books....part one and two, but I thought I had ordered two copies of the same book. :lol: After I started they went quick.

 

I need to move on to Pinball but have a couple of other books to read first because of returns and Overdrive. My purpose with Wind\Pinball is to finally read A Wild Sheep Chase https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27224887-a-wild-sheep-chase which I have wanted to read for years. It's the third in the Rat trilogy so I am doing Wind and Pinball first.

 

 

Great links!  Bookriot did a piece on Agatha Christie today breaking down the different detectives and a reading list.   I'm beginning to think we should have reading Agatha as perpetual challenge with a list of her books or links to her books on 52 books. 

 

I haven't gotten much reading done today as in between lessons with James I've been organizing to do a complete rewrite of one of my stories, plus getting blog posts written. I went through my notes and didn't realize had already done a lot of the work with various notes.  Now I just need to outline, organize scenes on storyboard, and get to writing.  I take that back.  James and I finished reading The Boy on the Wooden Box today   We had the last chapter and the Epilogue to finish.  Such a good story and got choked up at the end.  

 

Timer just went off so have to finish getting dinner on the table.  TTFN!

I have to agree that Agatha Christie would make a great perpetual challenge on 52 books. Your book riot link convinced me that I should probably do it "right" and do the whole list. So it is going to be a perpetual challenge for me, I guess. They say reading in publication order is wonderful. Since I had no order last time and missed a few I will try it this way. At least the best will be first ...... ;)

[Ausmumof3]

Uh oh, I began with The Strange Library - now that is one I wouldn't recommend as an introduction to Murakami. It is a bit odd. I"m glad it was a quick read. Unfortunately, the next one I have and began this afternoon is Hear the Wind Sing. I checked out a book with both Wind and Pinball and thought I would be able to read through both this week.-

 

--

I have finished reading:

Starship Troopers - R.A. Heinlein ***3/4

A Wrinkle in Time - M. L'Engle ***** - This was an audiobook, read by the author, and was quite entertaining. Now that I've listened to the story and know, as best as one can with the author reading, how the characters should sound and 'be', I am a bit concerned about the trailers I've seen for the movie. The trailers just don't jive with the book. I hope I am incorrect and it's just bad editing with the trailers.

The Strange Library by H. Murakami - I don't know what to rate this book because I'm still in a state of "What did I just read?"

That seem to be my reaction to everything murakami 😂

[tuesdayschild]

Great links!  Bookriot did a piece on Agatha Christie today breaking down the different detectives and a reading list.   I'm beginning to think we should have reading Agatha as perpetual challenge with a list of her books or links to her books on 52 books. 

 

This!

 

(adding.... Boy on the Wooden Box is such a good book!)

[aggieamy]

 

I finished reading The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery to the kids.  They both enjoyed it, much to my relief, since it's one of my all time favourites.  They took the first revelation about the identity of one of the main characters in stride but were completely gobsmacked and a bit upset about the second revelation.  Overall it was a lovely way to start reading aloud in the new year (although I think we started it shortly before 2018).  I think we're going to read Wonder next as our read aloud.  I've heard mixed things.

 

I always have to comment when someone reads The Blue Castle. One of my all time favorites too. Isn't it funny how we worry about our kids loving books we loved? Somehow all feels right with the world when you can shared loved books with loved ones.

 

Finished 4:50 to Paddington by Agatha Christie. I think I have seen part of the PBS movie of this story, but I hadn't read it before. Also, I couldn't remember who the bad guy was. Quick, fun read.

 

I missed last weeks Christie discussion. To me her books are some of the ultimate cozy mysteries. You know whoever got killed deserved it and the young people in love will get together and the bad guy will be caught. There's no depth but to me they are delightful.

 

I multi quoted to bring Robin's post over from last week because she started something. I have been on such a rabbit trail trying to decide what I want to do about Agatha Christie. I had planned on a Marple reread as part of 2018. Now I'm thinking about doing them all but not in 2018. Naturally I found a list that is pages long including the shorts. Somehow I went from that to Dorothy Sayers and managed to find a list for her works too! I still don't want to commit but I did put the first accessible (to me) on hold for both lists. There are so many books I want to read or perhaps I should say reread!

 

http://www.leftfield.org/~rawdon/books/mystery/sayers.html

http://www.agathachristie.com/stories Downloaded the reading list......the complete one naturally. ;). The Marple one is the one I should have been concentrating on.

 

Reading all the AC books in a year would be a challenge. She wrote so many. I do them only as audiobooks now because the story doesn't stick with me as long and when I re-listen to them they seem new again.

 

The rain finally came last night, and it is currently dumping outside. We needed it, but the mudslides up near Santa Barbara are just heartbreaking.

 

 

At the end of the recent Murder on the Orient Express movie, Poirot is called away to another case due to a death on the Nile. So naturally I had to pick up that book as I've never read it. So, sitting here, next to me is Death on the Nile. I really love the Dorothy Sayers mysteries. I think I've read them all. 

 

It's like BaW this week is just talking about all of Amy's favorite books! That's a great AC mystery. Can't wait to see what you think of it.

 

And how are things in your part of California? Does it seem to be getting back to normal now?

[aggieamy]

This week I've finished two books:

 

An unpublished one for a friend that was splendid. Beta reading can really be fun.

 

Winderdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod by Gary Paulsen. This was exciting to read. It made me want to race the Iditarod and think that there is something wrong with people who race it at the same time.

[JennW in SoCal]

 

 

It's like BaW this week is just talking about all of Amy's favorite books! That's a great AC mystery. Can't wait to see what you think of it.

 

And how are things in your part of California? Does it seem to be getting back to normal now?

 

I'll be starting the Death on the Nile soon but first want to finish the Murakami that I started last spring, Wind Up Bird Chronicles. It's pretty amazing that I could pick it up after several months and start reading without reviewing any of the plot points. 

 

Rain has stopped -- don't know why we had to get half of our yearly rainfall in a 24 hour period. Life won't be back to normal for a while up north in Montecito. The major freeway there is covered in mud and closed through tomorrow, and I know they are still rescuing folk who are trapped and are still searching for missing people. 

[Critterfixer]

I finished Conflict and Suspense by James Scott Bell. It was okay. I liked his book on Plot better. There was a lot of overlap. I also got a new book, Exploring Watercolor by Elizabeth Groves and read it last night. Wonderful book on watercolor technique. I'm already trying some of the things I learned today.

 

[Butter]

I read Utopia by Thomas More.  It rambled as old books tend to do.  I found it quite interesting that what we refer to as Utopia today doesn't really resemble the society invented by More.

[Penguin]

Yay, I finished my first 2018 book.

 

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante lived up to its hype. Maybe because I have a friendship that is as lengthy and complicated as the one between the two main characters, but the writing style is what really captivated me.

 

Next up is The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia McKillip. This was a childhood favorite, but I remember nothing about it. I hope I still like it :)

[marbel]

I'm so happy today.  My phone died on Christmas Eve and I had to send it out for service (warranty issue).  I finally got it back last night.  Mostly it was fine being without it, but I missed my Overdrive app and listening to audio books.  One of the first things I did last night was search for a book to listen to, and today I listened to 1.5 hours of The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri.  Heaven!  

 

(I do have the Overdrive app on the Kindle, but I don't sit and listen to audio books, but have my phone in my pocket and listen while I work, not easy with the big Kindle!)

Edited January 11, 2018 by marbel

[ErinE]

This week I've finished two books:

 

An unpublished one for a friend that was splendid. Beta reading can really be fun.

 

Winderdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod by Gary Paulsen. This was exciting to read. It made me want to race the Iditarod and think that there is something wrong with people who race it at the same time.

 

We know a man that races the Iditarod. From a young age, he knew he wanted to race it so he chose hotel and resort management as his degree so he could run a business that involved his dogs, but also allowed him to set his own schedule. He has so many cool stories.

 

ETA: He's featured on an Amazon series called 12 Adventures: Mush

Edited January 11, 2018 by ErinE

[Matryoshka]

Winderdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod by Gary Paulsen. This was exciting to read. It made me want to race the Iditarod and think that there is something wrong with people who race it at the same time.

 

I read that over a decade ago - I think my kids were 6 and we did an Iditarod unit, so of course I ended up reading a book about it myself.  I think most of my adult reading while homeschooling was books about things the kids were learning that I wanted to know even more about. ;)  Anyhow, that was a really fun book.  I seem to recall a good bit of humor, too.

 

I'll be starting the Death on the Nile soon but first want to finish the Murakami that I started last spring, Wind Up Bird Chronicles. It's pretty amazing that I could pick it up after several months and start reading without reviewing any of the plot points. 

 

I haven't read all the Agatha Christies by far, but read a ton the summer I was 15 in Mexico City (the people I was staying with had a collection and I ate them.  And Dracula).  The titles that stuck with me, though, were Death on the Nile, Murder on the Orient Express, and the Murder of Roger Ackroyd.

 

I've only read one Murakami book, a collection of short stories (After the Quake).  That didn't seem like a bad starting point.  I'm not sure which to pick next, though.

 

Next up is The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia McKillip. This was a childhood favorite, but I remember nothing about it. I hope I still like it :)

 

You guys are just bringing me down memory lane today. :lol:  I think I read that one as a teen, and remember liking it, but couldn't give much detail now.  I'll be interested to hear if you still like it. :)

 

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante lived up to its hype. Maybe because I have a friendship that is as lengthy and complicated as the one between the two main characters, but the writing style is what really captivated me.

 

 

This has been on my TR list since last year.  It just showed up in Overdrive in Spanish; I think I might give it a go that way... ;)

Edited January 11, 2018 by Matryoshka

[ErinE]

I'm so happy today.  My phone died on Christmas Eve and I had to send it out for service (warranty issue).  I finally got it back last night.  Mostly it was fine being without it, but I missed my Overdrive app and listening to audio books.  One of the first things I did last night was search for a book to listen to, and today I listened to 1.5 hours of The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri.  Heaven!  

 

(I do have the Overdrive app on the Kindle, but I don't sit and listen to audio books, but have my phone in my pocket and listen while I work, not easy with the big Kindle!)

 

I do the same thing! I went on a road trip last weekend and thought I had an audio book on my phone. Nope. So I ended up listening to a very long, very technical Biology: The Science of Life, which helped me to finish, but I really wanted a good audio book to entertain me during the driving.

[Robin M]

I'll be starting the Death on the Nile soon but first want to finish the Murakami that I started last spring, Wind Up Bird Chronicles. It's pretty amazing that I could pick it up after several months and start reading without reviewing any of the plot points. 

 

Rain has stopped -- don't know why we had to get half of our yearly rainfall in a 24 hour period. Life won't be back to normal for a while up north in Montecito. The major freeway there is covered in mud and closed through tomorrow, and I know they are still rescuing folk who are trapped and are still searching for missing people. 

 

So sad and it will take a while to recover. This comes right after the major fires which wiped out a lot of houses and land.  Montecito

 

  

We know a man that races the Iditarod. From a young age, he knew he wanted to race it so he chose hotel and resort management as his degree so he could run a business that involved his dogs, but also allowed him to set his own schedule. He has so many cool stories.

 

ETA: He's featured on an Amazon series called 12 Adventures: Mush

Cool, looks like a great series to watch

 

I read that over a decade ago - I think my kids were 6 and we did an Iditarod unit, so of course I ended up reading a book about it myself.  I think most of my adult reading while homeschooling was books about things the kids were learning that I wanted to know even more about. ;)  Anyhow, that was a really fun book.  I seem to recall a good bit of humor, too.

 

 

I haven't read all the Agatha Christies by far, but read a ton the summer I was 15 in Mexico City (the people I was staying with had a collection and I ate them.  And Dracula).  The titles that stuck with me, though, were Death on the Nile, Murder on the Orient Express, and the Murder of Roger Ackroyd.

 

I've only read one Murakami book, a collection of short stories (After the Quake).  That didn't seem like a bad starting point.  I'm not sure which to pick next, though.

 

 

 

 

Iditarods have always been fascinating to me.  Something I wanted to do way back when I was younger.  Which book did you read?

 

For Murakami - I would recommend 1Q84.  It was my first introduction to his style and really like it.  

[xixstar]

I tried to join last year and flopped. So back again, but I'm not joining this time, just ignore me. :)


Currently reading listening to, thanks to this thread, Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the Year. I have enjoyed the story despite feeling rather lost - I probably should have looked at what it was about before starting it. I was so lost that I even restarted the recording after almost an hour, assuming I had been distracted by cleaning and missed some really crucial details that would unlock some key element I was missing, turns out I hadn't missed anything. But now, I've read the short blurb about the book and am far less confused and can continue enjoying the story. 

Also reading Anne of Green Gables for the second time. It's part of family reading time, hoping my kids can fall in love with the story but I'm noticing that they're struggling a little with the floral language and the long descriptions of everything. So, we'll see. I hope to continue the series.

And The Connected Child: Bring hope and healing to your adopted family - though we are not an adoptive family but some elements of this book were recommended here and I feel like it could address my underlying hunch that one of my children struggles with connection.

And The Whole Brained Child, this was also recommended and I think I have read before, but a refresher  read will hopefully help me also focus this year on building strong family communication, empathy and connection. 

And Push Not the River (The Poland Trilogy Book 1) by James Conroyd Martin because it was a free kindle book.  It's caught my attention but I'm not jumping to read more every free second I find. In fact, I'm opting to read the non-fiction books instead, even when I meant to sit and read this one. 

I got a Kindle for Christmas and this challenge is the motivation to force me to use it and even *gasp* buy books from time to time. I am reluctant to buy books (and I do use services from the library) but I'm hoping to ease myself out of that habit, lol. I'm getting weary of never ending library fines.

[Robin M]

I'll work on putting together the Agatha Christie perpetual challenge which will be a good compliment to Sandy and Amy's England Road trip.  

 

More books to add to your wishlists:

 

Killer Books - It's time to get cozy 

 

The Millions massive preview of Most Anticipated books of 2018 

 

Big Others Most Anticipated Small Press Books of 2018.

 

Unbound world's 52 in 2018: A Sci-Fi Fantasy Reading Challenge.  Quite a few authors I'm not familiar with

 

and when you have a few minutes here and there: Practically could consider a book -   Brainpicking's The Best of Brainpickings 2017.  Lots to read and contemplate and ponder, plus links to books to read. 

 

[ErinE]

To all the newbies, repeats, and next-timers:

 

Please keep coming back. I found this group almost two years ago and feel it has expanded my reading scope and interests. I'm so glad for its existence.

 

You cannot fail at Book-A-Week. If you read one book a year, you're a BAW success. If you write one post, you've contributed.  Intermittent posts are welcome. If you find you don't have much to say, like a few posts, add to your to-be-read list, and come back in a few weeks to share what you enjoyed. Tell us the authors you love and the books you escape in. This isn't a competition; it's a community. Come on in. Pull up a chair. Tell us your story.

 

I'll repeat myself, but it bears repeating: you cannot fail at BAW.

Edited January 11, 2018 by ErinE

[SEGway]

Started SWB's Rethinking School. I listened to the two podcasts she did about it with Kern, too.

Helpful reminders as I think through future direction/plan purchases for next year.

I really like "Flex the system before the child" advice.

[Matryoshka]

Iditarods have always been fascinating to me. Something I wanted to do way back when I was younger. Which book did you read?

The same Paulsen one Aggieamy read. I really liked it. :)

Edited January 11, 2018 by Matryoshka

[mumto2]

Another person fascinated by the Iditarod. You guys made me remember a cozy series I used to love by Sue Henry https://www.goodreads.com/series/40987-alex-jensen-jessie-arnold. I read the first few years ago and remember loving them. I found a later one on my Overdrive and have added it to my wish list.

 

Robin, Thank you! Looking forward to an Agatha Christie perpetual challenge. As Amy said all in one year is too much but I would love to reread them in some sort of a logical order. I have read most but in no order whatsoever.

[Robin M]

Happy Birthday, Melmichigan!!!!!

 

ðŸŽðŸŽ‰ðŸŽŠðŸŒ·ðŸ¾ðŸŽ‚â¤ï¸

[Robin M]

Welcome back Xixstar.

 

 

To all the newbies, repeats, and next-timers:

 

Please keep coming back. I found this group almost two years ago and feel it has expanded my reading scope and interests. I'm so glad for its existence.

 

You cannot fail at Book-A-Week. If you read one book a year, you're a BAW success. If you write one post, you've contributed. Intermittent posts are welcome. If you find you don't have much to say, like a few posts, add to your to-be-read list, and come back in a few weeks to share what you enjoyed. Tell us the authors you love and the books you escape in. This isn't a competition; it's a community. Come on in. Pull up a chair. Tell us your story.

 

I'll repeat myself, but it bears repeating: you cannot fail at BAW.

Yes, this! Thank you Erin!

[Dicentra]

To all the newbies, repeats, and next-timers:

 

Please keep coming back. I found this group almost two years ago and feel it has expanded my reading scope and interests. I'm so glad for its existence.

 

You cannot fail at Book-A-Week. If you read one book a year, you're a BAW success. If you write one post, you've contributed.  Intermittent posts are welcome. If you find you don't have much to say, like a few posts, add to your to-be-read list, and come back in a few weeks to share what you enjoyed. Tell us the authors you love and the books you escape in. This isn't a competition; it's a community. Come on in. Pull up a chair. Tell us your story.

 

I'll repeat myself, but it bears repeating: you cannot fail at BAW.

 

You made me breathe a sigh of relief. :)  I tried BaW back in 2015 and "dropped out" after a few weeks.  I come and lurk on the threads quite often.  I read a ton of books but don't often keep track of them.  For as organized as I am in everyday life, I tend to be a somewhat disorganized reader. :)

 

Reading these threads always gives me a sense of coming home, even if I'm not actively participating.  A community of readers is the best kind of community. :)

[Ausmumof3]

Started SWB's Rethinking School. I listened to the two podcasts she did about it with Kern, too.

Helpful reminders as I think through future direction/plan purchases for next year.

I really like "Flex the system before the child" advice.

I'm listening to this on audible. I wasn't sure how helpful it would be given that we already are homeschooling but it is. It's good to think about ways to make things work for is without completely unschooling.

[Cascadia]

I tried to participate in BAW two or three years ago, but wasn't getting any reading done because of kids and moving. But I really miss reading, and I'm going to participate as much as I can this year.

 

I started off 2018 being sick, so I had time to read while I was huddled up on the couch. Completed so far in 2018:

 

1. A Wind in the Door

2. A Swiftly Tilting Planet

3. Many Waters

4. An Acceptable Time

5. A House Like a Lotus

6. The Last Archer, by S.D. Smith

 

(1-5 by Madeleine L'Engle)

 

I tend to have several hard reads going on at the same time, and am slow to finish them. I am going to work on reminding myself that even though I have a stack of self-education books that I want to read, I need to take time to enjoy some easier reads more often.

 

In Progress:

 

Why Gender Matters, by Leonard Sax (almost done)

The Noonday Devil: Acedia, the Unnamed Evil of Our Times, by Jean-Charles Nault (in slow bites)

How to Read Literature Like a Professor, by Thomas Foster (just starting)

Climbing Parnassus, by Tracy Lee Simmons (just starting)

Kristin Lavransdatter, by Sigrid Undset (slow due to lack of focus, hope to pick up the pace)

 

I also have a course on Ancient Rome from the Great Courses going, if I can ever stop coughing and get back on the treadmill.

[eternalsummer]

I tried to participate in BAW two or three years ago, but wasn't getting any reading done because of kids and moving. But I really miss reading, and I'm going to participate as much as I can this year.

 

I started off 2018 being sick, so I had time to read while I was huddled up on the couch. Completed so far in 2018:

 

1. A Wind in the Door

2. A Swiftly Tilting Planet

3. Many Waters

4. An Acceptable Time

5. A House Like a Lotus

6. The Last Archer, by S.D. Smith

 

(1-5 by Madeleine L'Engle)

 

I tend to have several hard reads going on at the same time, and am slow to finish them. I am going to work on reminding myself that even though I have a stack of self-education books that I want to read, I need to take time to enjoy some easier reads more often.

 

In Progress:

 

Why Gender Matters, by Leonard Sax (almost done)

The Noonday Devil: Acedia, the Unnamed Evil of Our Times, by Jean-Charles Nault (in slow bites)

How to Read Literature Like a Professor, by Thomas Foster (just starting)

Climbing Parnassus, by Tracy Lee Simmons (just starting)

Kristin Lavransdatter, by Sigrid Undset (slow due to lack of focus, hope to pick up the pace)

 

I also have a course on Ancient Rome from the Great Courses going, if I can ever stop coughing and get back on the treadmill.

 

 

What did you think of Many Waters?  On rereading it very recently for the first time since childhood I was annoyed by it, and pretty much none of the online reviews really echoed/clarified why I was so annoyed. (normally if a book irks me I go read negative reviews until I read someone else saying the same thing, and then I feel better).

[TravelingChris]

I finished my first book of the year.  It is a mystery as I almost always just read mysteries.  Susan Wittig Albert "The Last Chance Olive Ranch" and I liked it very much- I give it four stars.   Not sure what mystery I will read next. 

[aggieamy]

Writer Gals - I have a recommendation.

 

Editor-Proof Your Writing by Don McNair. Basically this is all stuff you've seen scattered through dozens of books but this book combines it all in one place. And it's super easy to follow with lots of examples. I'm pretty impressed with it.

 

Now can I be a bit catty? Some of the examples he uses are good to illustrate the point he's trying to make but just seem like bad writing. Not technically bad just soulless and mediocre. The author claimed that they were from books he's written but I thought he just made the examples up to be silly. They seemed so over the top. Well. I was wrong. They actually are from books he had written. I won't post that on Goodreads because I wouldn't want to hurt his feelings but I had to tell someone! So keep that in mind if you read it. 

 

Still it was a five star book. Great information!

[aggieamy]

 

 

Rain has stopped -- don't know why we had to get half of our yearly rainfall in a 24 hour period. Life won't be back to normal for a while up north in Montecito. The major freeway there is covered in mud and closed through tomorrow, and I know they are still rescuing folk who are trapped and are still searching for missing people. 

 

 

:crying:

 

I think of you guys every time I see a south Cali news report. 

Edited January 12, 2018 by aggieamy

[Robin M]

Poem of the Week by Muriel Stuart

 

Here in a quiet and dusty room they lie, 
Faded as crumbled stone or shifting sand, 
Forlorn as ashes, shrivelled, scentless, dry - 
Meadows and gardens running through my hand. 

In this brown husk a dale of hawthorn dreams; 
A cedar in this narrow cell is thrust 
That will drink deeply of a century's streams; 
These lilies shall make summer on my dust. 

Here in their safe and simple house of death, 
Sealed in their shells, a million roses leap; 
Here I can blow a garden with my breath, 
And in my hand a forest lies asleep.

[Negin]

Kindle book on sale today

 

[mumto2]

I just found this. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/crime-fiction-around-the-world-in-80-sleuths-873660.html Around the World in 80 Sleuths, that is so very me!

 

Totally my next project when I finish books for Brit Tripping.

[Alice]

For all the mystery readers, a book I read last year and really enjoyed was The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards. It tells the story of the creation of the Detection club which was a group that started in the 1920s/1930s of mystery writers in Britain. Lots of info about Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers among others. He also talks about a lot of real crimes that inspired them or that they were interested in. 

 

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Alice

[mumto2]

For all the mystery readers, a book I read last year and really enjoyed was The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards. It tells the story of the creation of the Detection club which was a group that started in the 1920s/1930s of mystery writers in Britain. Lots of info about Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers among others. He also talks about a lot of real crimes that inspired them or that they were interested in.

I was just looking through his books yesterday for the northern parts of Brit tripping. I saw this but skipped over it because I was hunting for locations.

 

I actually have on hold The Floating Admiral which was the first collaborative effort by the club. I'm looking forward to it hugely. Apparently all the members wrote a chapter and an ending. Christie's was apparently gossip worthy which made the book sell......https://www.theguardian.com/global/2011/may/07/floating-admiral-detection-club-christie