Book a Week 2018 - BW20: Happy Mother's Day

[Robin M]

 

Happy Sunday and Welcome to week twenty in our Open Roads Reading Adventure. Greetings to all our readers and everyone following our progress. Mister Linky is available weekly on 52 Books in 52 Weeks  to share a link to your book reviews.

 

My Mother Kept A Garden

 

(anonymous author)

 

My Mother kept a garden,

A garden of the heart.

She planted all the good things

That gave my life it's start.

She turned me to the sunshine

And encouraged me to dream.

Fostering and nurturing

The seeds of self-esteem.

And when the winds and rain came,

She protected me enough.

But not too much because she knew

I'd need to stand up strong and tough.

Her constant good example

Always taught me right from wrong.

Markers for my pathway

That will last a lifetime long.

I am my Mother's garden.

I am her legacy.

And I hope today she feels the love

Reflected back from me.

 

Happy Mother's Day!

 

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

For our Brit Trippers currently on Ichnield Way on the way to Hampshire.

 

We now are entering the largest county in England by population and size. Famous birthplace of novelists Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air force, and for the train enthusiasts among us, Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

 

Rabbit trails: Jane Austen’s Home,  Charles Dicken’s Birthplace,   Horrible Histories sketch on transportation

 

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

 

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

Link to week 19

[Robin M]

Don't know what's up with the bold and can't change it so have a bold Mother's day, my lovelies!  :)

I'm currently reading Anne Bishop's Lake Silence and Laura Kinsale's Flowers from the Storm for my LILY read.  Finished Dark Queen and still processing. Want to read it again and again. 

[Guest]

Happy Mother’s Day back to you. My stack of to-be-reads is growing and my number of halfway-reads and abandoned books is increasing. I am something like four books behind the BAW goal. My partial and abandoned books are at least part of the reason, plus I have spent a good bit of moments loom-knitting a baby blanket for my niece. (It is complete now, but my nephew’s wife is also pregnant, so I am starting another.) 

I am currently reading the non-fiction Amish Grace, about the extraordinary forgiveness which was part of the culture most noticeable after the Nickel Mines school shooting. I also recently finished the non-fiction Unoffendable. 

I recently finished my IRL book club book Eligible, which is (one of many) modern retellings of Pride & Prejudice. It was pretty good. My next book for book club is Gilead, which I have not yet begun. 

I am partially finished The Brain the Changes Itself, which is very interesting, but has some tedious and dragging parts, too. It feels as though this book will never end. I am also partially finished Flaneur, which is about the “art” and practice of wandering the streets of Paris without a particular goal. I don’t love this book as much as I expected to. It is a short book and I think sometimes I should just crank out the rest of it, but I am distracted by the other books I want to read more. 

At church this morning, I bought the little book Letters from a Modern Mystic. This is a compilation of journal entries from Frank C. Laubach. Interesting, I once did an experiment following Laubach’s original experiement of striving to always bring his mind back to God, always, throughout the day. I did do this little experiment and had one very remarkable and somewhat mystical experience. It is strange that I soon ceased the experiment. But the speaker at church today spoke of this same experiement, so I wish to resume it. We’ll see how that goes. It dovetails with something I was already doing in my meditation practice, as I have been meditating upon Gratitude. I endeavor to catch myself as I say or think, “I want...” or “I wish...” because those expressions generally do not come from a place of gratitude but rather, come from the always-something-better idealist within me. It would be good to train my brain to express gratitude for what I have and not habitually look for what would be better, what else I want, what I wish could be different. 

[Violet Crown]

This week I finished the Strugatsky Brothers' Monday Starts on Saturday, a satire on Soviet research institutions that actually works pretty well for research institutions everywhere. Much lighter in tone than Roadside Picnic, which is more popular in the U.S., Monday Starts on Saturday is apparently their most popular book in Russia. The title is meant to ambiguously refer to Institutions' unreasonable work expectations but also the avid work habits of dedicated scientists. This is the first English translation of the uncensored book.

Also, quite accidentally, I completed my Berkshire BritTrip read with The Merry Wives of Windsor, which I actually read because we're about to go see the city's summer Shakespeare production. It's like a test for the dedicated: will you sit for hours in the heat, humidity, and mosquitoes for free Shakespeare? Why yes, yes we will.

Still reading Malory: on to volume 2 this week. The many, many, many jousts are all running together. Please, can't somebody just get to where he's going without running straight into a couple of knights at a fountain whom he then has to fight with?

[Miss Tick]

I have been thinking about doing The Crossover as part of a middle grade lit co-op class and I finally picked it up this morning and just finished it. I can see why it has won awards and I will definitely be using it in class! Now, what was I reading yesterday, and where did I leave it? I have some laundry to fold....

[mumto2]

My C S Harris re-read continues.......2 more to go!  I need to speed up because Overdrive will be returning the new book in the series in 2 days.   This time I have been enjoying the historical elements far more than I did the first time through which was all about the action and romance of my favourite hero.  ;). These books have surprised me by being really interesting from the historical perspective, occasionally the author changes something to fit her storyline but does a good job explaining why in the author's notes.  The Enclosure Laws featured in When Falcons Fall.  Also Napoleon's time in England during the war........The one before had Jane Austen as a character..........

My audiobook  is The Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo.  This time I am in Thailand after a short visit to Oslo.  I am so glad I read The Bat first, required background for me at least.  I am maybe a quarter of the way through and things seem to be referred to but not really explained which drives me a bit nuts.  The Bat is a book that most of you might like,  calling it an adult police procedural is probably fair.  I have a feeling The Cockroaches is going to prove to be much darker with adult and child prostitutes at the centre of the crimes.  Only mentioning because I think a few are contemplating reading these.....

[Kareni]

1 hour ago, Quill said:

 Frank C. Laubach

I did adult literacy tutoring for some ten plus years ago back in the last century.  Some of the materials we used were Laubach Literacy publications.  Your mention of the name above had me searching, and now I see the connection.  I've learned something today.

Regards,
Kareni

[Kareni]

I read a very quick book yesterday that had me chuckling at times.  Then my daughter (who is visiting from Korea ... yay!) read it, too.

Big Mushy Happy Lump: A Sarah's Scribbles Collection  by Sarah Andersen

"Sarah's Scribbles,  Goodreads Choice Award for 2016:  Best Graphic Novels & Comics

Sarah Andersen's hugely popular, world-famous Sarah's Scribbles comics are for those of us who boast bookstore-ready bodies and Netflix-ready hair, who are always down for all-night reading-in-bed parties and extremely exclusive after-hour one-person music festivals. 

In addition to the most recent Sarah's Scribbles fan favorites and dozens of all-new comics, this volume contains illustrated personal essays on Sarah's real-life experiences with anxiety, career, relationships and other adulthood challenges that will remind readers of Allie Brosh's Hyperbole and a Half and Jenny Lawson's Let's Pretend This Never Happened. The same uniquely frank, real, yet humorous and uplifting tone that makes Sarah's Scribbles so relatable blooms beautifully in this new longer form."

Regards,
Kareni

[Guest]

10 minutes ago, Kareni said:

I did adult literacy tutoring for some ten plus years ago back in the last century.  Some of the materials we used were Laubach Literacy publications.  Your mention of the name above had me searching, and now I see the connection.  I've learned something today.

Regards,
Kareni

He was quite a remarkable man. I want to learn more about his literacy program. 

[Loesje22000]

I did not finish any books last week ?

dd is better now. But will attempt English Oral Friday so we will have some work to do...

[Loesje22000]

But I did enroll myself for a musical summerproject, to study this during summer and perform before school starts:

 

I have never sung something like this ?

[mumto2]

48 minutes ago, loesje22000 said:

But I did enroll myself for a musical summerproject, to study this during summer and perform before school starts:

 

I have never sung something like this ?

Beautiful!!!!!

[tuesdayschild]

I think it was V.C asking for Buckinghamshire suggestions last week…       Wondering if there are any chunkster or classic reads others can suggest that have Buckinghamshire as one of it's settings?

Here’s what I’ve read on the Rebel Bus that had Buckinghamshire visits in them:

• 40:  Landmarks of Britain ~ Amy Williams   Revised ed.  (3)  N/F    Multiple
• 83:  First Lady: The Life and Wars of Clementine Churchill ~ Sonia Purnell   N/F (4.5)     Isle of Wight/ Oxfordshire/ Norfolk/ Surrey/ Essex/ London/ Kent/  Buckinghamshire 
•  84:  Three Men in a Boat ~ Jerome St. Jerome  (3)  (classic)     London/ Chesire/ Buckinghamshire/ Surrey/ Berkshire/ Dorset/ Oxfordshire
• 89:  The Foundling ~ Georgette Heyer (4) (cosy historical mystery)     “Sale Park” "wild card" location / London / /Hertfordshire/ Bedfordshire/ Lancashire / Buckinghamshire/ Somerset/ Gloucestershire
• 90:  A Fine Summer’s Day: Ian Rutledge Bk17 ~  Charles Todd  (3) (historical mystery)      London/ Kent/ Surrey/ Wiltshire/ Dorset /Cumbria /Yorkshire/ York/ Somerset/ Buckinghamshire/Devon/ “wildcard” = Beecham

And,  How the Heather Looks ~ Joan Bodger       This is a lovely read, recommended by another BaW, which is in my sip reading pile.

[tuesdayschild]

I know if I don’t get here and post something during my Monday, it becomes more and more challenging for me to get back to post or chat. I’ll be following along via email updates, so please, do, share LOTS of good books (-:

One of Dds English courses, as expected, has morphed into a subject area that she wants mum involved in – a silver lining to that, clunky English course,  is Dd and I are getting to spend time together discussing Fahrenheit 451 ~ Ray Bradbury this week.

My current Brit Trip reads:

• The Silent Pool: Miss Silver Bk24 ~ Patricia Wentworth  (audio)  Herefordshire.    Even though we don’t need to go via that county anymore ( grinning) I’m still carrying on with this one.
• The Confession: Ian Rutledge Bk14 ~ Charles Todd   epukapuka

Sip Reads that I’m making slow n steady progress in:

• How the Heather Looks ~ Joan Bodger    
• The Book of Psalms  (KJV)  
• Elizabeth the Queen ~ Sally Bedell Smith  N/F    London/Scotland/Norfolk/Berkshire   (just started)

Completed (Brit Trip rebel bus):

• 92:  The Case is Closed:  Miss Silver Bk2 ~ Patricia Wentworth  (4)  Bedfordshire 
• 93:  Tom Brown’s School Days ~ Thomas Hughes   (book & audio) (5)  Warwickshire/  Oxfordshire/ Berkshire/ Wiltshire.       The narrator, Jamie Parker made this an absolute joy to listen to.     If you find it hard to navigate through books that reflect a Victorian era, and Christian-based, worldview you may want to skip this one.  For those that might be interested, I’ve posted a fuller review on my book blog
• 94: A Cold Treachery: Ian Rutledge Bk7 ~ Charles Todd  (4.5)    Cumbria      (Including a  sensitive-issue heads up:  this story centres around the tragic shooting of a family, parents and their young daughter and new born twins.  The oldest child, a son seems to have escaped being shot and the solving of the case brings to light the traumatic events surrounding the mass killing. )    I thought the story ended rather abruptly.
• 95: North and South ~ Elizabeth Gaskell  (5) Manchester/ Cornwall/ London.      (a few pages too short to count as a chunkster.. switched between audio & e.book)  Juliet Stevenson’s narration is a work of art. This book was a restart as I laid it aside for other reading in 2016, I’m glad and I picked it back up to re-wrestle with this year.  It feels rather satisfying to have completed this particular sip read, especially since I ended up enjoying it:  the themes in N & S seem to be similar to those found in Pride and Prejudice… though Thornton ‘voices’ his feelings for Margaret with panting passion; something Darcy would never do ?       It was nice to find the same portion from one of Michael Drayton’s sonnets,   Idea 61: [Since There’s No Help]   that I’d first encountered in a Georgette Heyer book - she gifted it to Lord Damarel to quote in Venetia - which Elizabeth Gaskell uses in part 3 of N&S:      Since there’s no help, come let us kiss and part.   Nay, I have done, you get no more of me;

 

[Violet Crown]

6 hours ago, Kareni said:

I did adult literacy tutoring for some ten plus years ago back in the last century.  Some of the materials we used were Laubach Literacy publications.  Your mention of the name above had me searching, and now I see the connection.  I've learned something today.

Regards,
Kareni

Yes! I did, too! I was wondering why the name "Laubach" sounded so familiar. Thank you!

Btw, celebrity close encounters department -- adult literacy tutoring in Austin was how I got to meet (briefly) Barbara Bush.

tuesdayschild -- thanks for the Buckinghamshire suggestions. I did consider Three Men in a Boat, but I read it not that long ago. I think I may go for the Rebecca West. If I ever get out of Camelot.

[Teaching3bears]

I did not not finish Hold On To Your Kids.  I had to return it to the library and there is a waiting list if I want it again.  I was really struggling with it as a parent.  I know I attached to my peers growing up.  My youngest does not seem attached to peers but he is more and more disrespectful.  I ask myself:  Is there something I could be doing better?  I found what I read of the book so far a bit vague though it made sense.

I read Persepolis 2  by Marjane Satrapi because I liked the first book a lot.  It was also good.  

I am now enjoying The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  It takes place in Hedestad Sweden which I googled and found that the town is fictional. 

 

[Mothersweets]

Happy Mother's Day! 

This Side of Murder by Anna Lee Huber - Murder mystery with espionage leanings. Set just after WW2 in London, Dorset, and an island in the English Channel - Umbersea Island - is that a real place? The writing was good and I felt like I really got to know the main characters. The mystery had me guessing, too! I'd like to read the next in the series. I think Amy recommend this one - thanks!

[mumto2]

9 hours ago, Teaching3bears said:

I did not not finish Hold On To Your Kids.  I had to return it to the library and there is a waiting list if I want it again.  I was really struggling with it as a parent.  I know I attached to my peers growing up.  My youngest does not seem attached to peers but he is more and more disrespectful.  I ask myself:  Is there something I could be doing better?  I found what I read of the book so far a bit vague though it made sense.

I read Persepolis 2  by Marjane Satrapi because I liked the first book a lot.  It was also good.  

I am now enjoying The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  It takes place in Hedestad Sweden which I googled and found that the town is fictional. 

 

Looking forward to hearing your opinion on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  It’s on my list of books to listen to.

8 hours ago, Mothersweets said:

Happy Mother's Day! 

This Side of Murder by Anna Lee Huber - Murder mystery with espionage leanings. Set just after WW2 in London, Dorset, and an island in the English Channel - Umbersea Island - is that a real place? The writing was good and I felt like I really got to know the main characters. The mystery had me guessing, too! I'd like to read the next in the series. I think Amy recommend this one - thanks!

I read it a few months ago and think the island is in Poole Harbour.  At the time I came to the conclusion she is using one of the real islands with a different name.  Most likely the one owned by the National Trust is the fictional  Umbersea.  https://britishcoast.wordpress.com/2016/04/20/islands-of-poole-harbour/

I get Huber’s email because I love Lady Darcy and now her Verity series and think the latest email said roughly 3 months until the new book is released!

 

Edited May 14, 2018 by mumto2
Added link

[Mothersweets]

Thanks Mum! I had tried looking up Umbersea Island after I posted and realized then that it was fictional but couldn't find any more info. Super interesting site to poke around in! 

[Matryoshka]

Well, if I include the book I finished today, I managed to finish two books this week:

36. Middlemarch (audiobook) - really enjoyed this, though it did take me a while to get through!  4 stars.

37. Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat - a collection of semi-connected short stories set in Ville Rose, Haiti, framed by the story of 7-year-old Claire.  I read some reviews that were frustrated that the stories were non-sequential and didn't always include the same characters, but that didn't bother me at all.  I like collections like this, and I actually thought the end came together nicely.  3.5 stars.

Currently reading:

- The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis - for my SciFi book group.  I am enjoying the story, but wow is it distracting that it's 2054 and they've invented time travel, but there are no cell phones, or anything even remotely like them!  The characters spend half their time looking for landlines and public phones (there's an emergency over a holiday so everyone's not where they usually are and everyone keeps trying to get in touch and failing).  Also, no texting, and apparently they haven't invented voice mail either, so no leaving messages - but the lines are constantly busy anyway (are busy signals even a thing anymore?).  This was written in 1992.  Was cell phone technology not even a glimmer in someone's eye by then that the concept of being able to be reached by a device not plugged into a wall 60 years into the future could have even been imagined?  Oh, and in the medieval storyline it mentions that malaria was never endemic to England.  Uh, it most certainly was, although a different and less deadly strain than the African one.  The British colonists brought it to Jamestown and even to Massachusetts, where that strain also killed plenty of people.  It probably wasn't as far north as Oxford, though - it was mostly around the marshes in the south.  So I quibble... and if I ignore all of that, the story is fun... (and may I add, since I am only joining the Rebel bus sporadically and not paying attention to where it may take me; I have not racked up many counties at all, but this is now my second book set in Oxford.  Ah well...).

- Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue (audiobook) - about two families in NYC whose lives become intertwined, one a Cameroonian immigrant family trying to figure out a way to stay in the US, and a family headed by a Lehman Brothers executive who hires the father of the other family as his family's chauffeur, right around the time of the financial crisis and just as Obama is voted in to office the first time.  Liking it, not sure where the story's headed yet.

- Kalpa Imperial - still reading, just a couple of stories left.

Coming up:

Just downloaded The Language of Thorns on Overdrive because neither of the books I've had on hold and am first in line for (Notes on a Foreign Country and Heart Berries) seem to want to be released to me... my next audio will be Exit West, because that did finally arrive. I also just requested the next Bobiverse book, and I think my next German read will be Sommerhaus, Später by Judith Hermann, which I'm pretty sure I found because someone here read it in English and liked it.

I need to pick up the reading pace again - I was 4 books 'ahead' of GR challenge goal (which was already almost 30% less than what I read last year), and until I finished Claire of the Sea Light today I was one behind! Whoopsie.  I'm back on track, but I like having a cushion...

[Violet Crown]

38 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

- The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis - for my SciFi book group.  I am enjoying the story, but wow is it distracting that it's 2054 and they've invented time travel, but there are no cell phones, or anything even remotely like them!  The characters spend half their time looking for landlines and public phones (there's an emergency over a holiday so everyone's not where they usually are and everyone keeps trying to get in touch and failing).  Also, no texting, and apparently they haven't invented voice mail either, so no leaving messages - but the lines are constantly busy anyway (are busy signals even a thing anymore?).  This was written in 1992.  Was cell phone technology not even a glimmer in someone's eye by then that the concept of being able to be reached by a device not plugged into a wall 60 years into the future could have even been imagined? 

 

Dh likes to watch Star Trek re-runs; I love when they're trying to get information about somebody and the captain says, "Is there anything at all in the Starfleet Database?" "I don't know, Captain, give me a few hours to look." How I want someone to say "Do you want his Facebook page or the Wikipedia article on him?" They do however all seem to wear Bluetooths on their chests, so that's something.

[mumto2]

1 hour ago, Matryoshka said:

Well, if I include the book I finished today, I managed to finish two books this week:

36. Middlemarch (audiobook) - really enjoyed this, though it did take me a while to get through!  4 stars.

37. Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat - a collection of semi-connected short stories set in Ville Rose, Haiti, framed by the story of 7-year-old Claire.  I read some reviews that were frustrated that the stories were non-sequential and didn't always include the same characters, but that didn't bother me at all.  I like collections like this, and I actually thought the end came together nicely.  3.5 stars.

Currently reading:

- The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis - for my SciFi book group.  I am enjoying the story, but wow is it distracting that it's 2054 and they've invented time travel, but there are no cell phones, or anything even remotely like them!  The characters spend half their time looking for landlines and public phones (there's an emergency over a holiday so everyone's not where they usually are and everyone keeps trying to get in touch and failing).  Also, no texting, and apparently they haven't invented voice mail either, so no leaving messages - but the lines are constantly busy anyway (are busy signals even a thing anymore?).  This was written in 1992.  Was cell phone technology not even a glimmer in someone's eye by then that the concept of being able to be reached by a device not plugged into a wall 60 years into the future could have even been imagined?  Oh, and in the medieval storyline it mentions that malaria was never endemic to England.  Uh, it most certainly was, although a different and less deadly strain than the African one.  The British colonists brought it to Jamestown and even to Massachusetts, where that strain also killed plenty of people.  It probably wasn't as far north as Oxford, though - it was mostly around the marshes in the south.  So I quibble... and if I ignore all of that, the story is fun... (and may I add, since I am only joining the Rebel bus sporadically and not paying attention to where it may take me; I have not racked up many counties at all, but this is now my second book set in Oxford.  Ah well...).

- Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue (audiobook) - about two families in NYC whose lives become intertwined, one a Cameroonian immigrant family trying to figure out a way to stay in the US, and a family headed by a Lehman Brothers executive who hires the father of the other family as his family's chauffeur, right around the time of the financial crisis and just as Obama is voted in to office the first time.  Liking it, not sure where the story's headed yet.

- Kalpa Imperial - still reading, just a couple of stories left.

Coming up:

Just downloaded The Language of Thorns on Overdrive because neither of the books I've had on hold and am first in line for (Notes on a Foreign Country and Heart Berries) seem to want to be released to me... my next audio will be Exit West, because that did finally arrive. I also just requested the next Bobiverse book, and I think my next German read will be Sommerhaus, Später by Judith Hermann, which I'm pretty sure I found because someone here read it in English and liked it.

I need to pick up the reading pace again - I was 4 books 'ahead' of GR challenge goal (which was already almost 30% less than what I read last year), and until I finished Claire of the Sea Light today I was one behind! Whoopsie.  I'm back on track, but I like having a cushion...

Well, I know car phones were becoming somewhat common but super expensive in 1988.  Dh had one installed in his car when we married and proceeded to get a new company car so I got the car with the phone.  Most of my calls were his clients!  Lol. I worked for a techy company in accounting and I was the only one other than our CEO with the telltale antenna.

[Matryoshka]

1 hour ago, Violet Crown said:

 

Dh likes to watch Star Trek re-runs; I love when they're trying to get information about somebody and the captain says, "Is there anything at all in the Starfleet Database?" "I don't know, Captain, give me a few hours to look." How I want someone to say "Do you want his Facebook page or the Wikipedia article on him?" They do however all seem to wear Bluetooths on their chests, so that's something.

 

21 minutes ago, mumto2 said:

Well, I know car phones were becoming somewhat common but super expensive in 1988.  Dh had one installed in his car when we married and proceeded to get a new company car so I got the car with the phone.  Most of my calls were his clients!  Lol. I worked for a techy company in accounting and I was the only one other than our CEO with the telltale antenna.

Yeah, this makes it even more head-scratchy that this book can't imagine some kind of technology that would allow you to be in touch when not in proximity to a wall phone, no less having a personal communication device of some kind.  This kind of stuff had not only been imagined for literally decades before the book was written, but real-life devices, albeit clunky ones, had already been invented.

A major, major plot point is that the dean of the school has gone fishing over Christmas break.  No one can reach him.  His secretary is on vacation, and no one can reach her.  His wife is visiting somewhere, and so no one can reach her.  There also appears to be nothing like email or internet or anything. No one is available at all as soon as they step away from their landline at the home or office.  The entire plot centers around this lack of ability to communicate.  Currently one of the characters is waiting for a 'trunk call' which I think must be put together by old-fashioned operators or something?  And has to get to his secretary to be left a message because of course he can't sit next to the phone all day.  Yes, there are still secretaries that give you your phone messages when you get back to the office (mayhap still on those little pink slips?)  But time travel, totally figured that out.

[Kareni]

Today only, free download ~  Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche

"Friedrich Nietzsche’s trailblazing, incendiary book sets dogmatic philosophy and traditional morality alight

One of the most important works in philosophical history, Beyond Good and Evil consists of 296 sections and a final “aftersong.” Therein, Nietzsche articulates his views on philosophy, philosophers, morality, religion, society, people, and culture. As challenging as it is rewarding, Beyond Good and Evil will command you, confront you, and provoke you into reconsidering your perception of the modern world."
**

Also free to Kindle readers ~

young adult paranormal featuring selkies:  THE SEA CHILD: SELKIE KING MYSTERIES BOOK ONE  by CAROL NICOLAS

I like the title!:  The Maltese Pigeon (A Matt Kile Mystery Book 5)  by David Bishop
**

And an author interview:  Sherrilyn Kenyon Talks Coloring Outside the Lines

Regards,
Kareni

[aggieamy]

3 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

- The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis - for my SciFi book group.  I am enjoying the story, but wow is it distracting that it's 2054 and they've invented time travel, but there are no cell phones, or anything even remotely like them!  The characters spend half their time looking for landlines and public phones (there's an emergency over a holiday so everyone's not where they usually are and everyone keeps trying to get in touch and failing).  Also, no texting, and apparently they haven't invented voice mail either, so no leaving messages - but the lines are constantly busy anyway (are busy signals even a thing anymore?).  This was written in 1992.  Was cell phone technology not even a glimmer in someone's eye by then that the concept of being able to be reached by a device not plugged into a wall 60 years into the future could have even been imagined?  Oh, and in the medieval storyline it mentions that malaria was never endemic to England.  Uh, it most certainly was, although a different and less deadly strain than the African one.  The British colonists brought it to Jamestown and even to Massachusetts, where that strain also killed plenty of people.  It probably wasn't as far north as Oxford, though - it was mostly around the marshes in the south.  So I quibble... and if I ignore all of that, the story is fun... (and may I add, since I am only joining the Rebel bus sporadically and not paying attention to where it may take me; I have not racked up many counties at all, but this is now my second book set in Oxford.  Ah well...).

 

This is on my to-read list for the Book Bingo time travel book. It gets great reviews but I think that would really bother me too. Hmm. Might need to find a plan B.

And speaking of book Bingo ... any recommendations for Graphic Novel? I read a ton last year so maybe something new and hip and fresh this year? @Jenn in CA or anyone else with a good recommendation?

I just got gifted The Emotional Craft of Writing by Donald Maass. @ErinE @Robin M Have either of you read it?

[Mothersweets]

4 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

Well, if I include the book I finished today, I managed to finish two books this week:

36. Middlemarch (audiobook) - really enjoyed this, though it did take me a while to get through!  4 stars.

37. Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat - a collection of semi-connected short stories set in Ville Rose, Haiti, framed by the story of 7-year-old Claire.  I read some reviews that were frustrated that the stories were non-sequential and didn't always include the same characters, but that didn't bother me at all.  I like collections like this, and I actually thought the end came together nicely.  3.5 stars.

Currently reading:

- The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis - for my SciFi book group.  I am enjoying the story, but wow is it distracting that it's 2054 and they've invented time travel, but there are no cell phones, or anything even remotely like them!  The characters spend half their time looking for landlines and public phones (there's an emergency over a holiday so everyone's not where they usually are and everyone keeps trying to get in touch and failing).  Also, no texting, and apparently they haven't invented voice mail either, so no leaving messages - but the lines are constantly busy anyway (are busy signals even a thing anymore?).  This was written in 1992.  Was cell phone technology not even a glimmer in someone's eye by then that the concept of being able to be reached by a device not plugged into a wall 60 years into the future could have even been imagined?  Oh, and in the medieval storyline it mentions that malaria was never endemic to England.  Uh, it most certainly was, although a different and less deadly strain than the African one.  The British colonists brought it to Jamestown and even to Massachusetts, where that strain also killed plenty of people.  It probably wasn't as far north as Oxford, though - it was mostly around the marshes in the south.  So I quibble... and if I ignore all of that, the story is fun... (and may I add, since I am only joining the Rebel bus sporadically and not paying attention to where it may take me; I have not racked up many counties at all, but this is now my second book set in Oxford.  Ah well...).

 

I'm so glad you liked Middlemarch! 

2 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

 

Yeah, this makes it even more head-scratchy that this book can't imagine some kind of technology that would allow you to be in touch when not in proximity to a wall phone, no less having a personal communication device of some kind.  This kind of stuff had not only been imagined for literally decades before the book was written, but real-life devices, albeit clunky ones, had already been invented.

A major, major plot point is that the dean of the school has gone fishing over Christmas break.  No one can reach him.  His secretary is on vacation, and no one can reach her.  His wife is visiting somewhere, and so no one can reach her.  There also appears to be nothing like email or internet or anything. No one is available at all as soon as they step away from their landline at the home or office.  The entire plot centers around this lack of ability to communicate.  Currently one of the characters is waiting for a 'trunk call' which I think must be put together by old-fashioned operators or something?  And has to get to his secretary to be left a message because of course he can't sit next to the phone all day.  Yes, there are still secretaries that give you your phone messages when you get back to the office (mayhap still on those little pink slips?)  But time travel, totally figured that out.

I read The Doomsday Book several years ago and the exact same thing bothered me! How could the author not even consider the cellphone thing? My dh had a car phone in 92 and most definitely had a pager at that time, too.  I found the whole "we can't get in touch with anyone but we can travel through time" thing irritating. 

 A time travel book that I thought was well done was Time and Again by Jack Finney but it looks like you've already read it, Amy!

[marbel]

31 minutes ago, Mothersweets said:

<snip>

I read The Doomsday Book several years ago and the exact same thing bothered me! How could the author not even consider the cellphone thing? My dh had a car phone in 92 and most definitely had a pager at that time, too.  I found the whole "we can't get in touch with anyone but we can travel through time" thing irritating. 

<snip>

Yep, same here.  I also thought the book just got too long.  It's been a while, so I don't remember exactly, but it just seemed to go from one perilous situation to another. I ran into peril fatigue.  My kids and I experienced the same thing when we listened to Inkheart years ago.  Of course some peril is needed but at some point there is just too much. 

I finished Henrietta's War which was sweet fun; thanks for the recommendation, Amy!  Now I'm about halfway through Dracula and enjoying it. I am surprised that I don't know more of the story.  Even though the Dracula legend seems so familiar it's all new.  I'm doing a combination of reading and listening.  In the audio, the Van Helsing character is coming off almost comic. I generally love Simon Vance as a narrator but Van Helsing's voice is really bothering me.   But it won't stop me from continuing!  

I'm still all over the place with my Rebel Bus reading but I've created a planning list and am trying to make my way to being on the bus at the right time. I'm not too far behind though I did skip 4 counties (so far) due to not finding anything I wanted in them.

Whoops, I just tried to paste my list in here and messed it up and now can't get rid one empty row.  Huh.  Maybe it won't show up once I hit submit.

ETA: Well, there is is, the little ghost of a spreadsheet row.  I've been collecting ideas for other counties and am plugging them in for future reference.  I plugged Jude the Obscure in for the week 29 Dorset (July 15) but if anyone has another T. Hardy suggestion and/or wants to read something together, I'm open to others (except Far From the Madding Crowd which I just finished).

ETA2: I see people being tagged (if that is the correct word) in posts but I haven't figured out how to do that. Can someone enlighten me?

[Lady Florida.]

I finished The Enchanted April and loved it. It was such a sweet story and sprinkled with hidden humor throughout the novel. I'm waiting to start anything new just yet. Amira's book group to discuss A River in Darkness starts tomorrow and my book club meeting is tonight (our book was Little Fires Everywhere). I'm continuing my reread of Emma because I know the story so well it won't interfere with my recollection of the other books. I'm still slowly working through the non-fiction books Enlightenment Now and Before the Dawn. Both are good but not exactly page-turners. 

I'm waffling on audio books between Alan Rickman's narration of The Return of the Native (mentioned here last week) and I'll Be Gone in the Dark. I started listening to the latter but after the West Cork podcast I'm a little burned out on true crime. 

[Mothersweets]

17 minutes ago, Lady Florida. said:

I finished The Enchanted April and loved it. It was such a sweet story and sprinkled with hidden humor throughout the novel. I'm waiting to start anything new just yet. Amira's book group to discuss A River in Darkness starts tomorrow and my book club meeting is tonight (our book was Little Fires Everywhere). I'm continuing my reread of Emma because I know the story so well it won't interfere with my recollection of the other books. I'm still slowly working through the non-fiction books Enlightenment Now and Before the Dawn. Both are good but not exactly page-turners. 

I'm waffling on audio books between Alan Rickman's narration of The Return of the Native (mentioned here last week) and I'll Be Gone in the Dark. I started listening to the latter but after the West Cork podcast I'm a little burned out on true crime. 

I just watched the movie version of Enchanted April yesterday! I've read the book and I think this is one of those rare instances where the book and the movie are equally good. 

[mumto2]

Before I forget I watched JennW's recommendation for Bollywood last night.  Bride and Prejudice was so much fun!!!  It was also in English which made it very accessible Bollywood and it had the big dance scenes that I love.  Members of my family even watched bits of it as they walked in and out of the room and commented that it wasn't too bad, lol !  ?

[Kareni]

3 hours ago, marbel said:

ETA2: I see people being tagged (if that is the correct word) in posts but I haven't figured out how to do that. Can someone enlighten me?

I think (let's see if it's true) that you simply type an @ sign and then begin typing their name.  You'll be offered choices,  @marbel

Regards,
Kareni

[JennyD]

I barely read anything this week.  There is a lot going on in our house these days (all good stuff, thankfully) and I am so preoccupied that I just cannot concentrate on anything.  For my own sanity, though, I am going to make a concerted effort this week to carve back out some dedicated reading time before bed each night.

 

 

[marbel]

37 minutes ago, Kareni said:

I think (let's see if it's true) that you simply type an @ sign and then begin typing their name.  You'll be offered choices,  @marbel

Regards,
Kareni

 

Ah, OK, Thanks @Kareni!

[Loesje22000]

21 hours ago, aggieamy said:

This is on my to-read list for the Book Bingo time travel book. It gets great reviews but I think that would really bother me too. Hmm. Might need to find a plan B.

And speaking of book Bingo ... any recommendations for Graphic Novel? I read a ton last year so maybe something new and hip and fresh this year? @Jenn in CA or anyone else with a good recommendation?

I just got gifted The Emotional Craft of Writing by Donald Maass. @ErinE @Robin M Have either of you read it?

 

We own Mause.

Rosa is good but sometimes explicit in graphics, we needed several post its...

For this year An inspector calls has been planned. (Is a pretty popular play here to chose for required high school readings)

[Kareni]

From Tor.com:

"The Tor.com [FREE] eBook Club Selection for May 2018 is...
The Quantum Thief  (Jean le Flambeur #1) by Hannu Rajaniemi!

Jean le Flambeur is a post-human criminal, mind burglar, con artist, and trickster. His origins are shrouded in mystery, but his exploits are known throughout the Heterarchy—from breaking into the vast Zeusbrains of the Inner System to stealing rare Earth antiques from the aristocrats of Mars.

Now he’s confined inside the Dilemma Prison, where every day he has to get up and kill himself before his other self can kill him.

The Quantum Thief is a crazy joyride through the solar system several centuries hence, a world of marching cities, ubiquitous public-key encryption, people communicating by sharing memories, and a race of hyper-advanced humans who originated as MMORPG guild members. But for all its wonders, it is also a story powered by very human motives of betrayal, revenge, and jealousy.

Available from May 15th to May 18th. Download before 11:59 PM ET May 18th, 2018."
**

Another free download, today only:

Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau

"Thoreau advocates for nonviolent protest in his classic manifesto

Motivated by his disgust with the US government, Henry David Thoreau’s seminal philosophical essay enjoins individuals to stand against the ruling forces that seek to erase their free will. It is the duty of a good citizen, he argues, not only to disobey a bad law, but also to protest an unjust government. His message of nonviolence and appeal to value one’s own conscience over political legislation have resonated throughout American and world history. Peppered with the author’s poetry and social commentary, Civil Disobedience has become a manifesto for civil dissidents, revolutionaries, and protestors everywhere. Indeed, originally so unpopular with readers that Thoreau was forced to buy back over half of the books from his publisher, this work has gone on to inspire the likes of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr."

Regards,
Kareni

[Violet Crown]

Change of plans for Buckinghamshire: the book I had thought was set in South Bucks -- The Return of the Soldier -- turns out to be set just a little further off, in Harrow Weald. And it was boring me. So it's Robert Louis Stevenson and his walks through the Chilterns instead.

[mumto2]

My CS  Harris re-read is complete with hours to spare, reading for a large chunk of the night helped!  The latest Why Kill the Innocent was a well done addition to the series which happens to set the stage for something huge for one of the characters in the future if I am right.  A couple other potential storyline ideas are set up also.  Can't wait!  The historical event in this one was Princess Charlotte who I never knew much about beyond the fact that she died in childbirth.  At some point I will revisit this book and perhaps something else on this Princess..........

Now for my Dorothy Sayers books.........I am going to log the short stories into my Goodreads individually because I want them to be listed to correspond to the list found here  http://www.leftfield.org/~rawdon/books/mystery/sayers.html.  I have a separate shelf for shorts and I will combine them for my final book count.  Some of you might notice my book count growing quickly in the next week and I want you to know why.  The shorts I am reading are all found in Lord Peter Views the Body.  I read the first this morning......"The Abominable..............Copper Fingers" and rather enjoyed it which surprised me as I wasn't looking forward to it from the short blurb I read at the start of this project.

[TravelingChris]

Tom Wolfe has died.  I really liked the books of his I read.  Need to go back and read the others I haven't read.

I finished The Honorable Schoolboy Last Week by John Le Carre.  Interesting book.  Made me think how much has changed and how some things have not changed.

Still reading the Faulkner book but temporarily misplaced it.  Also reading a cozy set on Bainbridge Island but don't remember the name of it right now.

[Lady Florida.]

1 hour ago, TravelingChris said:

Tom Wolfe has died. 

I saw that this morning. Last night at book club the other Thomas Wolfe came up (Look Homeward Angel, You Can't Go Home Again) and when I saw the news my first thought was wait, he couldn't have possibly still been alive :D. Then it hit me.

Of this Tom Wolfe, I wonder how some of his books would hold up. Has anyone read them in recent years? They seem like they'd be really dated.

[Violet Crown]

59 minutes ago, Lady Florida. said:

I saw that this morning. Last night at book club the other Thomas Wolfe came up (Look Homeward Angel, You Can't Go Home Again) and when I saw the news my first thought was wait, he couldn't have possibly still been alive :D. Then it hit me.

Of this Tom Wolfe, I wonder how some of his books would hold up. Has anyone read them in recent years? They seem like they'd be really dated.

I've been meaning to get around to reading Wolfe for at least a quarter century. 

[marbel]

1 hour ago, Lady Florida. said:

I saw that this morning. Last night at book club the other Thomas Wolfe came up (Look Homeward Angel, You Can't Go Home Again) and when I saw the news my first thought was wait, he couldn't have possibly still been alive :D. Then it hit me.

Of this Tom Wolfe, I wonder how some of his books would hold up. Has anyone read them in recent years? They seem like they'd be really dated.

A couple years ago I tried to get rid of Bonfire of the Vanities because I didn't think it would do well as a re-read. My husband said "Oh, no, I want to read that...." so it stayed. He hasn't read it yet!  

[Robin M]

My computer is fixed. Woot! Woot!   Wonderful hubby replaced memory and hard drive. Loading programs and files has been a bit time consuming, however I'm back in business.  James graduation has been moved up a week so we are scrambling to finish some things and get all his grades up to date.   I approached the special education department months ago about having a private graduation with just us and his team  since he can't handle all the hoopla of the big graduation.   The director agreed but has recently decided to do it May 30th, the morning of the regular graduation instead of the week after.  Ack!  They thanked me because they hadn't thought of doing so before for their special needs kids. A couple other parents heard about it so James will be joined by two other seniors.  

Book wise, I'm jumped ahead on the bus and currently in Buckinghamshire with Flowers from the Storm. 

On 5/14/2018 at 11:02 AM, aggieamy said:

I just got gifted The Emotional Craft of Writing by Donald Maass. @ErinE @Robin M Have either of you read it?

Awesome. No I haven't read it yet.  

[Kareni]

Today only, free download ~ 

Typhoon by Joseph Conrad

"Joseph Conrad’s classic oceanic adventure pits the will of man against the sheer destructive force of nature

The decks of the Nan-Shan boast young and imaginative first mate Jukes and no-nonsense captain MacWhirr. But when the ocean turns violent and the skies darken ominously, will the captain’s skepticism and the crew’s foolhardiness be the Nan-Shan’s undoing?
 
Based on Conrad’s experiences as a sailor aboard a turn-of-the-century freighter, this thrilling adventure has at its center the titular typhoon—a force threatening untold death and destruction, and humbling even the greatest of men."
**

Also free to Kindle readers ~

These are short works; part one of serials:

A Long Cold Winter (The Witch Who Came In From The Cold Season 1 Episode 1)   by  Lindsay Smith, Max Gladstone, Cassandra Rose Clarke, Ian Tregillis, Fran Wilde

Badge, Book, and Candle (Bookburners Season 1 Episode 1)  by Max Gladstone, Margaret Dunlap, Mur Lafferty, Brian Francis Slattery

Regards,
Kareni

[mumto2]

18 hours ago, Robin M said:

My computer is fixed. Woot! Woot!   Wonderful hubby replaced memory and hard drive. Loading programs and files has been a bit time consuming, however I'm back in business.  James graduation has been moved up a week so we are scrambling to finish some things and get all his grades up to date.   I approached the special education department months ago about having a private graduation with just us and his team  since he can't handle all the hoopla of the big graduation.   The director agreed but has recently decided to do it May 30th, the morning of the regular graduation instead of the week after.  Ack!  They thanked me because they hadn't thought of doing so before for their special needs kids. A couple other parents heard about it so James will be joined by two other seniors.  

Book wise, I'm jumped ahead on the bus and currently in Buckinghamshire with Flowers from the Storm. 

Awesome. No I haven't read it yet.  

Yeah!  Glad your computer is working again.  It made me really happy to know that your school district was willing to work with you to ensure James has a graduation he can enjoy.........which means mom and dad can enjoy it too!

How is the new contractor going?

1 hour ago, Kareni said:

Today only, free download ~ 

Typhoon by Joseph Conrad

"Joseph Conrad’s classic oceanic adventure pits the will of man against the sheer destructive force of nature

The decks of the Nan-Shan boast young and imaginative first mate Jukes and no-nonsense captain MacWhirr. But when the ocean turns violent and the skies darken ominously, will the captain’s skepticism and the crew’s foolhardiness be the Nan-Shan’s undoing?
 
Based on Conrad’s experiences as a sailor aboard a turn-of-the-century freighter, this thrilling adventure has at its center the titular typhoon—a force threatening untold death and destruction, and humbling even the greatest of men."
**

Also free to Kindle readers ~

These are short works; part one of serials:

A Long Cold Winter (The Witch Who Came In From The Cold Season 1 Episode 1)   by  Lindsay Smith, Max Gladstone, Cassandra Rose Clarke, Ian Tregillis, Fran Wilde

Badge, Book, and Candle (Bookburners Season 1 Episode 1)  by Max Gladstone, Margaret Dunlap, Mur Lafferty, Brian Francis Slattery

Regards,
Kareni

My science fiction loving Dd really enjoyed The Witch Who Came in from the Cold series but hasn't read the Bookburners yet.  Thank you!

 

 

[mumto2]

An update on the Flower challenge for April.  I finally finished Mountain Aven and because I was able to spell Mountain out of my books I decided to record the non required mountain also.

M.   Why Mermaids Sing by CS Harris

O.    A Rougue of Her Own   by Grace Burrows

U.    Unnatural Death by Dorothy Sayers 

N.    The Bat by by Jo Nesbo   

T      Tricks for Free by Seanan McGuire

A.     Aunt Dimity Beats the Devil by Nancy Atherton 

I.      Why Kill the Innocent by CS Harris 

N.      Cockroach by Jo Nesbo

 

A        Face Down Among the Winchester Geese by Kathy Lynn Emerson

V        The Virgin Widow by Anne O’Brien

E        Face Down Under the Wycherley Elm  by Kathy Lynn Emerson 

N         Borrower of the Night by Elizabeth Peters

 

Now I can start working on Lily!

 

[PeacefulChaos]

I'm back!

So truthfully, we got internet hooked up at the new house right around the end of April, but I hadn't had a chance to hop on here.  I've been trying to continue logging my progress with Goodreads, though I haven't read a ton since moving... busy unpacking and all, plus Pink turned 9 the beginning of May.

I know there's no way I'll be able to go back through all the older posts (I did go through this thread) so I'm just going to pick up here!

I think I've added these since I was last on here:

The Progeny by Tosca Lee - ugh.  I couldn't get past the fact that for some reason, this entire book is based off of people wanting to kill someone because their ancestor was a serial killer.  That just didn't make sense to begin with, and then the story was just meh.  The dialogue was a little painful.  I've read other Tosca Lee but don't remember it being this bad.  I only stuck it out because I borrowed it from my SIL, who really liked it.  

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh - I just loved this one.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson - This was really good, too.  It had me thinking about 'what if this were really possible?' which is always fun.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman - I liked this more than I expected to.  Eleanor grows a lot, and though in the beginning I found her character off-putting, in the end I understood her better.

Currently, I'm reading The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde, which is fun so far.  I also checked out Candide, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and The Red House Mystery from the library recently, so they're all in the TBR pile!

 

Glad to be back!  :)

 

[JennW in SoCal]

Good grief -- here it is Wednesday and I haven't posted yet, though I did stop by a couple of times in the last few days.

Got to spend some time with one of my kiddos on Mother's Day -- the first time in several years. The weather was glorious and we had a great table overlooking the beach. It is always nice when we get to enjoy the perks of living in Southern California, rather than just always cursing the traffic and cost of living, lol!  Ds gave me the follow up book to one he had given me at Christmas, a Star Trek audio book!  His dad and I introduced him to Trek as a baby -- shoot we dressed him as Captain Kirk for Halloween when he was only 9 months old, but we didn't realize we would create such a die hard fan boy! It isn't a book I would seek out on my own, but it is certainly a pleasant diversion, and I know my ds thinks this is one of the better series.

Last night I finished listening to A Gentleman in Moscow. I loved this book and didn't want it to ever end! It is such a gentle book, smart and funny, too, and sweet without being cloying or formulaic. Highly recommended. (Especially to those of you who read War and Peace and/or Grand Hotel.)

Now to catch up with everyone. 

Mumto2:  Yay!! You watched and enjoyed Bride and Prejudice!!  Isn't it fun?  And finally, FINALLY, I have the first Sebastian St Cyr on my kindle, ready to go. 

Loesje: Your summer music project is beautiful. I know you will enjoy it!

Robin: Other than the surprise change in date of the graduation, I'm so glad you are able to have a ceremony that "fits". And congratulations!! You did it!!!

Amy:  Graphic novels. Hmmmm.  I have a couple of older titles to suggest, older as in from the late 70s/early 80s. Elfquest by the husband and wife team Richard and Wendy Pini was a series my dh introduced me to back in our dating days. I liked because it is bascially epic fantasy. I also got a kick out of Rocketeer by Dave Stevens which had a great art deco style.  

Maus is amazing. I had my very sensitive ds read it during high school as I couldn't think of a better way to introduce the Holocaust to him. It is set in Germany in WWII -- the mice are the Jews and the cats are the Nazis. It sounds dumb, but it is very powerful.

If you want something superhero that my dh worked on, there is the Batman graphic novel, Hush. (Which I haven't read, ahem.) But there is also a shorter Batman graphic novel that Neil Gaiman wrote and my husband worked on called Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader. (I did read that one.)  Neil Gaiman's Sandman series (which dh did NOT do) is hugely, wildly popular in geekdom. Apparently the art gets better as the series progresses -- I've only read the first graphic novel. Someone has kidnapped and imprisoned the Sandman, and chaos ensues.

[Matryoshka]

I'm having serial Mother's Days, apparently... one dd19 was planning to visit a friend in NJ Mother's Day weekend, so she asked me to come up to see her at school and have dinner with her.  It was lovely.  On actual Mother's Day dd17 was cramming Accounting homework all day before a deadline Sunday night (yes, bad planning), but other dd19 made dinner and we watched Stargate Origins together, followed by the original (kinda awful but dd hadn't seen it yet) Stargate movie.  Then dd17 and I went out last night to see Life of the Party together (her idea, and she gets us in free 'cause she works at the theater).  Not a film I'd normally bother going to see, but I did laugh a lot, even if the humor was a squidge raunchier than I'd have preferred.  As for my own mom, we're going out to lunch at a botanical garden next week.  I have to say I'm liking this one-on-one Mother's Day idea, even if it wasn't quite intentional... 

[Soror]

I haven't popped in forever. Life was kind of crazy for awhile, fil had been in hospice and past away. I only read 2 books in March and 1 in April. This month I've already read 3 but they were all quick reads- In May I've read- A Man Called Ove, A River of Darkness, and A Year of Pleasures. Having read 2 books about widows in the last 2 weeks so soon after my fil has passed has made me appreciate and adore dh all the more. 

I picked up Earthsea and The Tombs of Atuan by Le Guin, I've never read any of her books and have been thinking since she passed it was about time.

I'm at 18 books for the year so not far behind 1 a week, hopefully I'll catch up this month, my goal was just to read 2 a month but I was hoping to hit 52.

[Kareni]

18 hours ago, JennW in SoCal said:

Elfquest by the husband and wife team Richard and Wendy Pini was a series my dh introduced me to back in our dating days. I liked because it is bascially epic fantasy.

How funny to see mention of Elfquest.  My college roommate (the reason I read comic books for a healthy number of years) was a big Elfquest fan.

18 hours ago, PeacefulChaos said:

I'm back!

Welcome back!  I hope that the unpacking goes well and that you'll soon feel settled in.

18 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

I'm having serial Mother's Days,

That does sound like fun!

16 hours ago, soror said:

I haven't popped in forever. Life was kind of crazy for awhile, fil had been in hospice ...

Welcome back!  My sympathies on the death of your father-in-law.  And, yes, I can recognize how that would make you appreciate your husband all the more.

Happy reading as you go forward.

On 5/15/2018 at 5:38 PM, Robin M said:

My computer is fixed. Woot! Woot!   ...

 James graduation has been moved up a week...

Yay for the computer fix.

And happy graduation to James and to you.  Time flies .... 

Regards,
Kareni