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Book a Week 2018 - BW33: Happy Birthday Hugo Gernsback


Robin M
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Happy Sunday and welcome to week thirty-three 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.

This week, we are celebrating the anniversary of the birthday of Hugo Gernsback who was born August 16, 1884. 

Hugo Gernsbacher was born in Luxembourg and immigrated to the United States in 1904.  He was fascinated by electricity and invented a dry battery which he patented upon arriving in the United States.   He established a radio and electrical supply house called Electro Importing Company and developed a small portable radio transmitter called the Telimco Wireless Telegraph.    He went on to patent 80 inventions.

Gernsback  published a magazine for electrical experimenters called Modern Electronics which was later taken over by Popular Science.   To fill up some empty space in the magazine, he decided to write a futuristic story which ran in 12 installments. The story named Ralph 124C 41+ was later published in 1926. It was set in the 27th century and is still available today. 

He started a number of magazines including the first magazine dedicated exclusively to science fiction called  Amazing Stories in 1926.  Hugo coined the term scientifiction which later went on to be known as Science Fiction.

He unfortunately went bankrupt and lost control of Amazing Stories. He quickly bounced back and went on to publish three more magazines:  Air Wonder Stories, Science Wonder Stories and Science Wonder Quarterly.  Air Wonder and Science Wonder were merged into one magazine Wonder stories in 1930 and sold it in 1936 to Beacon Publications where it continued to be published for 20 more years.  Digital copies of Amazing Stories, Air Wonder, Science Wonder, and Wonder magazines are available to view through the Pulp Magazines Project.  

Gernsback is lauded as one of the fathers of science fiction. In 1960 he was given a special Hugo Award as The Father of Magazine Science Fiction. The award were unofficially called the Hugo's until the name was officially changed beginning in 1993.  

Hugo Gernsback died in New York on August 19, 1967 at the age 83.   

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

Our Brit Trip is continuing in Lincolnshire. Sir Issac Newton was born and educated in Lincolnshire at Woolsthorpe Manor.  Rabbit trails: Harlaxton Manor/College

 

What are you reading this week?

Link to Week 32

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I'm currently reading James Rollins latest chunkster in his Sigma force series - Demon Crown.  Also reading an ebook - Roxanne St. Clair's newest Dogfather book was just released - Double Dog Dare.  Continuing Twyla Tharp's Creative Habit which has my creativity on a roll.  Writing and editing away! 

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20 hours ago, Matryoshka said:


I'm interested!  Would you mind starting at the beginning of September (I think that might have been the earlier plan, from vague memory, but I could be wrong...)?  But I'm currently working my way through the first volume of The Story of the Stone (aka Dream of the Red Chamber) which is also a chunkster that I'm pacing out, and I'd love to get that done first.  I'll definitely be done by then.  Actually I'll probably be done in time for the last week of August, but beginning of Sept seems cleaner, and gives me a break between books - but I'd be happy with either one, if people are raring to go. ?

What kind of pace are you thinking of?

 

20 hours ago, mumto2 said:

Starting in September sounds great!  Currently I can get it on kindle from Overdrive but will try and get a hard copy.

I am definitely not the one to be in charge of pacing.  I have absolutely no idea how the book is arranged and have no room in my account to check it out tonight.  The first one, The Wreath, per goodreads is 305 pages long.  Since I am definitely reading in English ? you guys pick.......

 

19 hours ago, Matryoshka said:


I went and looked at the TOC at Amazon using the Look-inside feature.  Looks like the whole tome is a bit over 1000 pp.  As I'm sure you know, there are three books, and it looks from the TOC like each book has three parts, each somewhere from 100-150 pp.  Would a 'part' a week be good?  That would be 9 weeks.  I don't think I could go faster than that - I'd still like time to read other stuff.  

 

17 hours ago, Mothersweets said:

We would have the best time!!

 Kristin Lavransdatter is a great story! I think I've read it, oh maybe 3 or 4 times? I'd love to read along with everyone - September sounds like a good time to start. 

 

14 hours ago, Melissa M said:

 

September sounds wonderful! Your suggested reading plan for W&P was so helpful. Will you be preparing one for KL? Thanks for revisiting this readalong.

Awesome!   September is great and part a week sounds good.  I'm trying to decide between e book or physical book. Does anyone have a copy of Penguin's big book with the whole trilogy?   Is the font readable for older eyes?  I'll have to check it out in the bookstore. Always a good reason for a book excursion.  ?    I'll come up with a reading plan in the next couple weeks

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I read: I Heart Rome: Recipes and Stories from the Eternal City - 4 Stars - We visited Rome a few months ago and while there, we went on an evening food tour, something that I highly recommend if you do get the chance to visit Rome, or really any destination. Food tours are such fun. You not only get to go on a tour of places that you may not have found otherwise, but you also get to have some amazing food. 

Our tour stopped at a “biscottificio”, a biscuit shop. The people here are as sweet and lovely as their biscuits. While sampling all their delicious goodies, I asked our guide if he can recommend a good Italian cookbook. He asked the owners. They happened to have a whole stack of cookbooks piled up on a stool. After much animated Italian back-and-forth, they reached for this book and told me that this is the one that I should get. We took note of it and ordered it later. 

When the book arrived, while skimming through it, I was thrilled to see a recipe for her “Brutti Ma Buoni” (“Ugly but Good”) biscuits, which are just the best. There’s also a double-page spread on her and her shop. 

This book is nostalgic for me and it’s also gorgeous. The photos are incredible. If you’ve been to Rome or are about to go there, skimming through this book and reading the stories and quotes is an absolute delight. 

I tried out a few of the recipes, since I don’t think that I am in any position to review a cookbook if I don’t try out at least one of the recipes. 

I tried the Mascarpone Mousse. This recipe was an absolute and utter disaster. I think that it’s either missing some ingredients or some steps. 

The following evening, I tried the Cacio e Pepe (spaghetti, cheese, and pepper). I was the only one in the family that thought it was okay, not good, just okay. No one else liked it. 

Finally, I tried the Stracotto (slow-cooked Jewish beef stew) and the Pollo alla Romana (Roman-style chicken). Everyone liked both of these, much more so the latter. 

As far as cookbooks go, it’s not the most practical. Many of the recipes have ingredients that are hard to get, at least hard for me anyway. That is disappointing. For example, I cannot get cured pork cheek or calf intestines. Many other recipes have far too many steps and look quite intimidating. 

As far as attractive books go – beautiful photos, stories, quotes, layout, and recommendations for the best places to eat in Rome – I would give this book 5 stars, but since it’s a cookbook and not the best when it comes to recipes, it’s a 4-star book for me. 

I also read This is Rome - 5 Stars - My daughter and I often joke that although we love visiting museums when we travel, one of our favorite parts are the gift shops. When we were in Rome recently, I came across this book at a museum gift shop. Although this is a children’s book and my children are now young adults, I took one look and knew that I just had to have it. I wish that I had known about this series earlier. I would love to have the entire series. Yes, they are children’s books, but adults can enjoy them also. The retro illustrations are such fun. The text is superb and quite informative. I just love this delightful book. 

And finally Fatwa: Hunted in America - 4 Stars - This book is an eye-opener. The only reason that I am not giving it 5 stars is that it is quite repetitive and reading it after a certain point becomes tedious. 

I really can’t say much about it, other than sharing some of my favorite quotes. 

“America is not the only good thing in the world, but it is the best thing in the world.”

“In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man.”

“The media operate under the narcissistic assumption that if they don’t report it, it didn’t happen.”

“Freedom of speech doesn’t apply only if you like the message; it applies to everyone. And if it is gone, so is a free society.”

“The United States of America is the most charitable nation on earth.”

“While Islamic Spain is held up today as a proto-multiculturalist paradise, in reality non-Muslims there suffered under the discrimination prescribed in Islamic law for dhimmis, non-believers who were subjugated as inferiors and denied equality of rights.”

9781925418552.jpg     9780789315496.jpg     41L87vs-b9L.jpg

 

MY RATING SYSTEM
5 Stars
Fantastic, couldn't put it down
4 Stars
Really Good
3 Stars
Enjoyable 
2 Stars
Just Okay – nothing to write home about
1 Star
Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

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Hello everyone!

Limelight by Amy Poeppel  - I really enjoyed this! When my library request came up on this book, I couldn't quite remember why I had wanted to read it. It's not usually something that interests me - a contemporary New York city setting with a fluffy problem ain't my cuppa. 

Well! I started reading and was a chapter or two in and even though the writing was good, I was really starting to wonder why I ordered the book. But the character of Allison had me hooked and I decided to keep going and wouldn't you know it? I fell right into the story and was completely enjoying myself. 4 stars
 

Dracula by Bram Stoker - I finished listening to the audio version and loved it. I've been listening while following along with Heather Ordover on https://craftlit.com/Craftlit.com. I had no idea the story of Dracula would draw me in like it did. Because this was written in 1897, I wrongly assumed it would be ssllooooww and take forever to actually get going with the story and be rather dry. So glad I was wrong! 5 stars

Robin, I have a copy of Kristin Lavransdatter and will check the readability of it for you. Be right back!

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1 hour ago, Robin M said:

 

 

 

 

Awesome!   September is great and part a week sounds good.  I'm trying to decide between e book or physical book. Does anyone have a copy of Penguin's big book with the whole trilogy?   Is the font readable for older eyes?  I'll have to check it out in the bookstore. Always a good reason for a book excursion.  ?    I'll come up with a reading plan in the next couple weeks

I have this copy of KL and don't have any trouble with the size of the text. 

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35 minutes ago, Negin said:

I also read This is Rome - 5 Stars - My daughter and I often joke that although we love visiting museums when we travel, one of our favorite parts are the gift shops. When we were in Rome recently, I came across this book at a museum gift shop. Although this is a children’s book and my children are now young adults, I took one look and knew that I just had to have it. I wish that I had known about this series earlier. I would love to have the entire series. Yes, they are children’s books, but adults can enjoy them also. The retro illustrations are such fun. The text is superb and quite informative. I just love this delightful book. 

I too discovered this series of travel books at some point.  They are lovely indeed!

Regards,
Kareni

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Some bookish posts ~

Where To Buy Absolutely Beautiful Book Sleeves  by Cassandra Neace  (there are some drool-worthy choices featured)

From Dear Author:   REVIEW: The Secret Ministry of Ag. & Fish: My Life in Churchill’s School for Spies by Noreen Riols 

Guest Squee: Safe Passage by Ida Cook by Guest Reviewer, Friday 

Top Ten Books I Want My Future Children to Read

From Unbound Worlds  The Best Science Books of Summer 2018

Regards,
Kareni

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I spotted this in a book blurb yesterday when I was browsing free books on Amazon.

From  Fierce Attraction (Attraction Series Book 3) by J B Heller

"He's an ex-military alpha with one thing on his mind...

She's an introverted librarian with a dark and painful past.

Axel has never been the jealous sort.
Until he finds himself the last man standing amongst his close nit group of friends.
He's ready to change his perpetual single status."

Call me a nitpicker, but one would think a book blurb would be worthy of some close editing.

Regards,
Kareni

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18 minutes ago, Mothersweets said:

I have this copy of KL and don't have any trouble with the size of the text. 

 

That Penguin edition with the Nunnally translation looks like the one to get. I figure I'll do both print and audio, which I find the best means of tackling these chunksters. Which means, oh by the way, count me in!

Last week was a fairly quiet reading week. I read Silent Voices by Ann Cleeves, one of the Vera Stanhope mysteries. And I'm tempted to quit the stupid fantasy Black Prism, but after investing 15 hours in the audiobook already, I feel I should just plow through last 5. I've got enough driving time this week to finish, I think.  During some recent sleepless nights I've been enjoying a re-listen to The Ionian Mission, one of my favorite of the Master and Commander series.

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@Negin I love how you are trying some of the recipes as you review the cookbooks!  The children’s book series looks wonderful and I plan to search for it when I have a chance.  I love the cover you posted.

@Mothersweets I am going to have to read the third KL in hard copy because my library doesn’t have the Kindle edition.  I now know which cover to try for with my next purchase since I am afraid of tiny print myself when I have to just read the print. I bought a copy of the first part from Amazon last night.  I just bought the 1p very good used for my extra copy to go with the audio, when I have both I don’t worry so much about print size.  

As the Brit Trip bus pulls into Lincolnshire I am going to remain in Derbyshire and finish my Stephen Booth mystery.  I really haven’t let myself get caught up in it yet.....I think I am at 6% still.  I have already visited Lincolnshire with a trip to the town of Market Rasen when I read The Secret of Chimneys https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16361.The_Secret_of_Chimneys by Christie earlier this year.  

 

 

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Hello all!  We have been traveling the last couple of weeks but I also read a few books:

 Unorthodox, by Deborah Feldman.  This came out a few years ago and was one of the earliest books in what has since become a burgeoning genre of memoirs about leaving ultra-Orthodox Judaism.  It was mildly interesting but not nearly as compelling as some of the others (most notably, Shulem Deen's book).

Why We Sleep, by Matthew Walker.  Discussion of the current state of sleep science.  Utterly fascinating and for me, at least, genuinely revelatory.  I wish I had known all of this 20 years ago but better late than never.  I am recommending this book to everyone I know.

The Case of the Missing Servant,  by Tarquin Hall.  Fun, light mystery set in New Dehli, first in a series.  It was recommended to me by the proprietor of a small mystery bookshop in New England, in response to my request for a book "with a good sense of place and no dead kids." 

Rethinking School, by the one and only Susan Wise Bauer.  An inspirational read to start off the new school year!  Separately, it's so interesting to see how her thinking has evolved over the years.  

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Finished 5 books this week! 

72. La historia de mis dientes / The Story of My Teeth by Valeria Luiselli - I have a bit of hit or miss with experimental or absurdist writing - sometimes I'm just annoyed, but sometimes it works out well.  Having enjoyed this particular experiment quite a bit, and mulling over why, I think it might be that I don't need things to make sense in relation to any kind of reality, but I do need some kind of internal sense in the narrative of the book.  A dream is not a story. Don't write down your whackadoo dreams and push them off as some edgy story.  I have whackadoo dreams too, and I enjoy mine more.  This was a story, and I enjoyed all the whackadoo elements because of it.  3.5 stars.

73. White Tears by Hari Kunzru (audiobook) - this was one that went to dream territory and lost me by the end.  I think I get what the author was trying to do, but I didn't find it an effective way to to it - it ended up annoying  me a bit.  And I got the audio because the book was about music - I figured the audio would be great... but no music in the audio at.all.  Not even between chapters, as they sometimes have.  And the blues riffs were spoken, and not just that, but in a rhythm that was all wrong.  Even if you don't sing them, blues riffs have a rhythm, like poetry. The emphasis was not in the right places - it was grating.  If I'd read it, at least the rhythm would've been right in my head. 2.5 stars.

74. Wondering Sight by Melissa McShane - Regency superheroes fight Napoleon (in stays, not leotards), with a Jane Austen style proposal at the end of each book so far.  Why does this work for me?  Don't know.  It was fun.  There's a third book; I'm gonna read it.  But not right away - need to space 'em out. :)   4 stars.

75. A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers - AI from ship gets downloaded into human-shaped 'kit' body, in a future world where around 5 sentient species live together in reasonable harmony.  LOL, that doesn't do it justice.  There are a couple of human characters with fraught backstories (chapters alternate between the AI in the present and the backstory of one of the humans), and one alien tattoo artist. This is the second in the series and while I was told it could be read as a standalone, I'm a bit curious now how the AI ended up making the decision that sparked off this book - so I may go back and read it at some point.  3.5 stars.

76. The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen (ebook) - I loved, loved, loved The Sympathizer last year by this same author.  I very much liked these short stories.  It had two essays at the end, which were also really good. 4 stars.

Currently reading:

- Circe by Madeline Miller (audiobook) - Loving this.  Her other book, The Song of Achilles, is moving up my TR queue!

- The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwan (ebook) - I'll admit I picked this up because it showed up in Overdrive and looked somewhat interesting.  Just started it last night but have gotten through quite a bit already - it's an easy read, we shall see where it goes.

- The Golden Days (Story of the Stone vol. 1) by Cao Xueqin- made quite a bit of progress on this one this week (even with all that other reading...).  I'm actually enjoying it quite a bit.  There's a fair bit of humor.  A huge cast of characters, but fortunately there's a glossary and a few family trees in the back to help you keep things straight.

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5 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

Finished 5 books this week! 

72. La historia de mis dientes / The Story of My Teeth by Valeria Luiselli - I have a bit of hit or miss with experimental or absurdist writing - sometimes I'm just annoyed, but sometimes it works out well.  Having enjoyed this particular experiment quite a bit, and mulling over why, I think it might be that I don't need things to make sense in relation to any kind of reality, but I do need some kind of internal sense in the narrative of the book.  A dream is not a story. Don't write down your whackadoo dreams and push them off as some edgy story.  I have whackadoo dreams too, and I enjoy mine more.  This was a story, and I enjoyed all the whackadoo elements because of it.  3.5 stars.

73. White Tears by Hari Kunzru (audiobook) - this was one that went to dream territory and lost me by the end.  I think I get what the author was trying to do, but I didn't find it an effective way to to it - it ended up annoying  me a bit.  And I got the audio because the book was about music - I figured the audio would be great... but no music in the audio at.all.  Not even between chapters, as they sometimes have.  And the blues riffs were spoken, and not just that, but in a rhythm that was all wrong.  Even if you don't sing them, blues riffs have a rhythm, like poetry. The emphasis was not in the right places - it was grating.  If I'd read it, at least the rhythm would've been right in my head. 2.5 stars.

74. Wondering Sight by Melissa McShane - Regency superheroes fight Napoleon (in stays, not leotards), with a Jane Austen style proposal at the end of each book so far.  Why does this work for me?  Don't know.  It was fun.  There's a third book; I'm gonna read it.  But not right away - need to space 'em out. :)   4 stars.

75. A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers - AI from ship gets downloaded into human-shaped 'kit' body, in a future world where around 5 sentient species live together in reasonable harmony.  LOL, that doesn't do it justice.  There are a couple of human characters with fraught backstories (chapters alternate between the AI in the present and the backstory of one of the humans), and one alien tattoo artist. This is the second in the series and while I was told it could be read as a standalone, I'm a bit curious now how the AI ended up making the decision that sparked off this book - so I may go back and read it at some point.  3.5 stars.

76. The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen (ebook) - I loved, loved, loved The Sympathizer last year by this same author.  I very much liked these short stories.  It had two essays at the end, which were also really good. 4 stars.

Currently reading:

- Circe by Madeline Miller (audiobook) - Loving this.  Her other book, The Song of Achilles, is moving up my TR queue!

- The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwan (ebook) - I'll admit I picked this up because it showed up in Overdrive and looked somewhat interesting.  Just started it last night but have gotten through quite a bit already - it's an easy read, we shall see where it goes.

- The Golden Days (Story of the Stone vol. 1) by Cao Xueqin- made quite a bit of progress on this one this week (even with all that other reading...).  I'm actually enjoying it quite a bit.  There's a fair bit of humor.  A huge cast of characters, but fortunately there's a glossary and a few family trees in the back to help you keep things straight.

  •  

Regarding the Becky Chambers series.... I loved the first book in that series but simply liked the second.  I agree the second could be a stand alone but I think I needed to read the first in order to actually like the carryover characters in the second.  I hope that makes sense.  The third in the series, Record of a Spaceborn Few is currently sitting in my stack.  Maybe I will actually manage to read it this week, my stack is huge and I have been busy abandoning books to get the size down.  I don’t plan to abandon the Becky Chambers which actually puts it further down in the reading order.

 

33 minutes ago, JennyD said:

Hello all!  We have been traveling the last couple of weeks but I also read a few books:

 Unorthodox, by Deborah Feldman.  This came out a few years ago and was one of the earliest books in what has since become a burgeoning genre of memoirs about leaving ultra-Orthodox Judaism.  It was mildly interesting but not nearly as compelling as some of the others (most notably, Shulem Deen's book).

Why We Sleep, by Matthew Walker.  Discussion of the current state of sleep science.  Utterly fascinating and for me, at least, genuinely revelatory.  I wish I had known all of this 20 years ago but better late than never.  I am recommending this book to everyone I know.

The Case of the Missing Servant,  by Tarquin Hall.  Fun, light mystery set in New Dehli, first in a series.  It was recommended to me by the proprietor of a small mystery bookshop in New England, in response to my request for a book "with a good sense of place and no dead kids." 

Rethinking School, by the one and only Susan Wise Bauer.  An inspirational read to start off the new school year!  Separately, it's so interesting to see how her thinking has evolved over the years.  

The Tarquin Hall series has been on my list to try for quite awhile.  Glad to hear you enjoyed it!

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I just finished reading News of the World by Paulette Jiles for my book group which meets later this week.  I found this a quick and enjoyable read, and I look forward to my group's discussion.

"In the aftermath of the Civil War, an aging itinerant news reader agrees to transport a young captive of the Kiowa back to her people in this exquisitely rendered, morally complex, multilayered novel of historical fiction from the author of Enemy Women that explores the boundaries of family, responsibility, honor, and trust.

In the wake of the Civil War, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd travels through northern Texas, giving live readings from newspapers to paying audiences hungry for news of the world. An elderly widower who has lived through three wars and fought in two of them, the captain enjoys his rootless, solitary existence.

In Wichita Falls, he is offered a $50 gold piece to deliver a young orphan to her relatives in San Antonio. Four years earlier, a band of Kiowa raiders killed Johanna’s parents and sister; sparing the little girl, they raised her as one of their own. Recently rescued by the U.S. army, the ten-year-old has once again been torn away from the only home she knows.

Their 400-mile journey south through unsettled territory and unforgiving terrain proves difficult and at times dangerous. Johanna has forgotten the English language, tries to escape at every opportunity, throws away her shoes, and refuses to act “civilized.” Yet as the miles pass, the two lonely survivors tentatively begin to trust each other, forming a bond that marks the difference between life and death in this treacherous land."
**

I also re-read with pleasure Lyn Gala's Assimilation, Love, and Other Human Oddities  and  Affiliations, Aliens, and Other Profitable Pursuits (Claimings).  (Adult content)

Regards,
Kareni

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I would have been all caught up on BritTrip but three pages into Le Fanu's Uncle Silas, suddenly I couldn't bring myself to read another Victorian novel set in the English countryside. Instead, a book the polar opposite of that: Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon, set in the mean noirish streets of San Francisco--and I do mean set in the actual streets, which are so crucial to the plot that if you don't know how Bush Street and Stockton Street (for instance) intersect, you're going to have trouble. I worked some in San Francisco a lifetime ago and I kept pausing to think, Wait, Geary, that's east-west, so Spade must be... near Market?.... and getting myself lost.

San Francisco done, but unready to return to England, I started Louis-Ferdinand Celine's notorious 1936 classic Journey to the End of the Night, one of the first anti-war novels. It reminds me a great deal of the Czech classic The Good Soldier Svejk in its absurdity, vulgarity, and refusal to take horrific events of the author's lifetime with any degree of seriousness. A controversial book by an even more controversial author, and probably enough to send me back to the calm and order of Victorian England when I'm done.

Also still reading Wordsworth.

Edited by Violet Crown
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Just popping in briefly to introduce Emma Claire, born August 10th. This is a link to Amazon photos and you should be able to view them. I didn't do anything to the pictures yet, just quickly threw them up there so I can share. There are some duplicates. That's me, Bill (dh), and Uncle Dennis (ds 21-soon) with her. We're hoping she can go home tomorrow when her mommy goes home.

https://www.amazon.com/photos/share/DHndIUY8GZHNNrrkdvncA5lflbfEoLQB9rrk3lLY6Ii

 

I'll post my reading update another time.

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Some Kindle books that are free today only:

ESCAPEMENT: An Exquisite Tale of Love and Passion  by Kristen Wolf

“Tortured...emotional...passionate.”
—Kirkus Reviews

"Cristofer Vaughn's star is poised to rise. Everyone expects the dashing and gifted composer to soar to the heights of musical genius—an expectation that terrifies the young artist as much as it drives him.

Walking into the fire with Cristofer is his housekeeper, Henri, a passionate and handsome young woman. Tending to her famed employer’s domestic needs, Henri crafts a carefree life of routine and diversion behind which she hides the truth of a dark and tragic past. Possessed herself of an extraordinary musical gift, she loyally steers her employer through the tempestuous trials of his artistic and romantic pursuits—while carefully guarding his most closely-held secret.

But Henri’s deceptively simple life is ripped apart when a wealthy and ruthless patron grants Cristofer a spectacular commission, then unwittingly hires Henri—whom he believes to be male—to give piano lessons to his alluring wife, Ava.

The tension intensifies as Cristofer struggles to create music of epic proportions while Henri’s heart is swept away by a love more powerful than any she has ever known.

The ensuing entanglements rise to a dangerous pitch when Cristofer's patron catches wind of a duplicity and mobilizes his henchmen to target the threat. Soon the only hope for Cristofer and Henri’s survival depends on one publicly exposing the other’s hidden truth—an act that would defy the bonds of love and friendship and bring all their lives to ruin.

Will Henri sacrifice her heart to stop the oncoming tragedy? Or will she find a way to save both her friend—and her truest love? "

Also

The Murder at Sissingham Hall (An Angela Marchmont Mystery Book 1)  by Clara Benson

"On his return from South Africa, Charles Knox is invited to spend the weekend at the country home of Sir Neville Strickland, whose beautiful wife Rosamund was once Knox's fiancée. But in the dead of night Sir Neville is murdered. Who did it? As suspicion falls on each of the house guests in turn, Knox finds himself faced with deception and betrayal on all sides, and only the enigmatic Angela Marchmont seems to offer a solution to the mystery. This 1920s whodunit will delight all fans of traditional country house murder stories."

Regards,
Kareni

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I didn't get around to posting last week about my random book pick based on Robin's guidelines. I ended up with Remains of the Day. I smiled as it's a book I've been meaning to read for a long time. Loving it so far. 

Kareni, you always get me with links to science books!

Edited by Mom-ninja.
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Hmm, my recent reading seems to be dog themed!  I just finished a new(ish) book by M.L. Buchman which I enjoyed ~  Off the Leash (White House Protection Force, book 1).  Have you read this, Robin?  Be prepared to start craving chocolate if you read this book.  (Some adult content)

"The White House Protection Force Saves the Day! Come meet the behind-the-scenes specialists who keep our White House safe—even while they lose their hearts.

White House Chocolatier Clive Andrews takes pride in the subliminal messages hidden in his State Dinner showstoppers. But there’s more than sensual sweets at risk when his heart begins to melt.

Sergeant Linda Hamlin left the Army after a decade of service. As the newest member of the U.S. Secret Service K-9 Team she expected flak. She didn’t expect to be paired with a misfit mutt named Thor. Together they face down bombers, master spies, and a teenage genius.

All of which might be manageable, if not for the handsome chocolatier who teaches her that a little indulgence can be a very good thing."
**

I also read Most Eligible Billionaire: an enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy  by Annika Martin.  I enjoyed parts of this book (and laughed aloud at one scene), but I also had issues with some of the hero's behavior.  (Adult content)

"He's a powerful billionaire CEO who built the family business into an empire. The money doesn't matter to him, but the company is his life. And then his eccentric mother wills it all to her tiny dog.

I'm Vicky, the dog whisperer. (Not really, but that's what my elderly neighbor always says.) When she dies, she surprises everybody by leaving a corporation worth billions to her dog, Smuckers. With me as his spokesperson.

Suddenly I go from running my Etsy store to sitting in an elegant Wall Street boardroom with Smuckers in my lap. And my neighbor's son, Henry Locke, aka New York's most eligible bachelor, glaring across the table at me.

Rumor has it Henry's a business genius who's as talented in the bedroom as he is in the boardroom. Sure, he's gorgeous. Sex-in-a-seven-thousand dollar suit. But...

He's arrogant and infuriating.
He refuses to listen to me when I insist I didn't con his mother.
He thinks he can bully me, buy me off, control me, even seduce me.

Henry may have the women of Manhattan eating out of the palm of his hand, but I'm so over entitled rich guys who think they own the world.

No way will his wicked smile be charming ME out of my panties.

His wicked...devastating...impossible-to-resist smile.

Oh well, who needs panties anyway?"

Regards,
Kareni

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I finally finished my Derbyshire Brit Trip read and have to say this book by Stephen Booth was better than the first in the series but I still can’t love it.  Dancing With the Virgins https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/522367.Dancing_with_the_Virgins is set in several of my favorite places to visit and walk.  When the book talks about visiting Bakewell or the view of Mam Tor I am there.  That should be good but I think this series shatters too many of my illusions for me to ever be a huge fan.  I just do not want to think about crimes like dog fighting in picturesque barns on hillsides when I am walking on those hillsides.  I think for any other reader here who enjoys somewhat gritty mysteries these are probably a great possibility.  Maybe I will try another one someday........

I hope to finish my audiobook later today.  No dogs in that book but our neighbor has her new puppy arriving today.  We are all ridiculously excited about that little Westie’s arrival.  I spent the evening yesterday making a custom crate cover for our new neighbor ....... for anyone who has read the crate thread on the main board I just used pretty fabric, no wadding,until we learn if she chews things.

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Currently free for Kindle readers ~

Today only:  No Name by Wilkie Collins

Fantasy: Born in Fire (Fire and Ice Trilogy Book 1)  by K.F. Breene

Contemporary romance:  Heat Exchange (Boston Fire)  by Shannon Stacey

Historical young adult:  Playing with Matches: Coming of age in Hitler's Germany  by Lee Strauss

Historical fiction:  Thieving Forest  by Martha Conway  ... "An elegiac, hopeful historical novel... hypnotic." -Kirkus Reviews

Historical fiction:  Telegram For Mrs. Mooney  by Cate M. Ruane

For children:  The Green Ember (The Green Ember Series Book 1)  by S.D. Smith

Vampires!:  Samantha Moon: The First Four Vampire for Hire Novels by J.R. Rain

No reviews but this sounds intriguing:  The Dear Hunter  by Aric Davis

Regards,
Kareni

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On 8/12/2018 at 12:25 PM, Mothersweets said:

I have this copy of KL and don't have any trouble with the size of the text. 

Awesome, thanks.  

20 hours ago, Kareni said:

Hmm, my recent reading seems to be dog themed!  I just finished a new(ish) book by M.L. Buchman which I enjoyed ~  Off the Leash (White House Protection Force, book 1).  Have you read this, Robin?  Be prepared to start craving chocolate if you read this book.  (Some adult content)

No, I hadn't even seen them. Will check it out. Love Buchman's books.

On 8/12/2018 at 8:33 PM, Lady Florida. said:

Just popping in briefly to introduce Emma Claire, born August 10th. This is a link to Amazon photos and you should be able to view them. I didn't do anything to the pictures yet, just quickly threw them up there so I can share. There are some duplicates. That's me, Bill (dh), and Uncle Dennis (ds 21-soon) with her. We're hoping she can go home tomorrow when her mommy goes home.

Aw! Congratulations grandma and too your family. Emma is precious and thank you for sharing her with us.  

 

Haven't gotten much reading done this week. John and I watched the original master cut of The Big Sleep which was excellent.  Demanded all our attention with its convoluted plot.  And And James has been enticing me away from reading with Doctor Who and Godzilla.  I spent most of yesterday writing. Very creative day. ?   I did manage to finish Roxanne St. Clair's Double Dog Dare which was a fluffy enjoyable clear the palate read.  Absolutely gorgeous day today and the smoke has finally cleared out of the valley.  Off to run errands. TTFN!

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I stayed up late last night finishing Courtney Milan's historical romance After the Wedding. Overall, I enjoyed it, but I did feel as though it could have been a bit shorter. (Adult content)

"The only thing more inconvenient than Camilla's marriage at gunpoint is falling in love with her unwilling groom...

Adrian Hunter, the son of a duke's daughter and a black abolitionist, is determined to do whatever his family needs-even posing as a valet to gather information. But his mission spirals out of control when he's accused of dastardly intentions and is forced to marry a woman he's barely had time to flirt with.

Camilla Worth has always dreamed of getting married, but a marriage where a pistol substitutes for "I do" is not the relationship she hoped for. Her unwilling groom insists they need to seek an annulment, and she's not cruel enough to ruin a man's life just because she yearns for one person to care about her.

As Camilla and Adrian work to prove their marriage wasn't consensual, they become first allies, then friends. But the closer they grow, the more Camilla's heart aches. If they consummate the marriage, he'll be stuck with her forever. The only way to show that she cares is to make sure he can walk away for good…"

Regards,
Kareni

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19 hours ago, mumto2 said:

I finally finished my Derbyshire Brit Trip read and have to say this book by Stephen Booth was better than the first in the series but I still can’t love it.  Dancing With the Virgins https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/522367.Dancing_with_the_Virgins is set in several of my favorite places to visit and walk.  When the book talks about visiting Bakewell or the view of Mam Tor I am there.  That should be good but I think this series shatters too many of my illusions for me to ever be a huge fan.  I just do not want to think about crimes like dog fighting in picturesque barns on hillsides when I am walking on those hillsides.  I think for any other reader here who enjoys somewhat gritty mysteries these are probably a great possibility.  Maybe I will try another one someday........

I hope to finish my audiobook later today.  No dogs in that book but our neighbor has her new puppy arriving today.  We are all ridiculously excited about that little Westie’s arrival.  I spent the evening yesterday making a custom crate cover for our new neighbor ....... for anyone who has read the crate thread on the main board I just used pretty fabric, no wadding,until we learn if she chews things.

 

I'll have to look for another Stephen Booth title -- I think the first one I read was via kindle. 

And a Westie?!  I love Westies! My mother-in-law has the sweetest old guy, Hoku, which means star in Hawaiian. And, do you follow Casper the Wee White Dug, a Westie who goes on all sorts of adventures in Scotland? I follow him on Instagram, and stop to enjoy the blog now and again. All the blog posts are fun, but you must check out the report on their recent adventure on the Jacobite steam train, scroll down and find Casper all dressed as Harry Potter....

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1 hour ago, JennW in SoCal said:

 

And a Westie?!  I love Westies! My mother-in-law has the sweetest old guy, Hoku, which means star in Hawaiian. And, do you follow Casper the Wee White Dug, a Westie who goes on all sorts of adventures in Scotland? I follow him on Instagram, and stop to enjoy the blog now and again. All the blog posts are fun, but you must check out the report on their recent adventure on the Jacobite steam train, scroll down and find Casper all dressed as Harry Potter....

Casper is so cute dressed like Harry Potter!  Thank you for the link i will now be checking in on all the adventures!  I now want to dress Millie up!  She is definitely going to be a wonderful companion for our neighbor whose husband passed away unexpectedly last spring.

 

 

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2 hours ago, JennW in SoCal said:

 

I'll have to look for another Stephen Booth title -- I think the first one I read was via kindle. 

And a Westie?!  I love Westies! My mother-in-law has the sweetest old guy, Hoku, which means star in Hawaiian. And, do you follow Casper the Wee White Dug, a Westie who goes on all sorts of adventures in Scotland? I follow him on Instagram, and stop to enjoy the blog now and again. All the blog posts are fun, but you must check out the report on their recent adventure on the Jacobite steam train, scroll down and find Casper all dressed as Harry Potter....

That Westie is super cute! And the train and scenery were just beautiful. 

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I just finished a new suspense novel by BA Paris called Bring Me Back https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36448554-bring-me-back. It’s one of those books being recommended as like Girl on a Train (abandoned by me).  When I read the blurbs about these books I always think I will like them and end up abandoning them most of the time.  This one I kept reading......a couple pulls into a French rest area in the middle of the night, the man goes to the bathroom,  when he returns to the car his partner is missing.  Never heard from again.  That’s what we know at the start of the book.  It was a quick read, I knew the solution pretty early on so didn’t find the rather convoluted red herrings very diverting.  I gave the book three stars because I knew the solution which made some scenes rather unbelievable.  I kept reading because it was actually a pretty gentle read compared to many in the Gone Girl type genre,  I had problems sleeping last night but the book wasn’t the issue.  For Brit Trippers Devon, Cotswolds, and London.

I also finished my audiobook which I have been sip listening to for at least two months when I had nothing else.  Some Danger Involved by Will Thomas is the first in the Barker and Llewelyn series and is a pretty obvious Sherlock copycat set in Victorian London.  I ended up liking the ending far more than the first part and gave it a four.  Honestly not sure that I wouldn’t have abandoned it if I had been reading it and I did speed it up quite a bit. ?   There first case dealt with the murder of a young Jewish scholar.  My library only has these in audio format and I plan to listen to the next one soon.

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I'm still plugging along with ya'll. I am up to 31 books! I am also rocking my No Spend Reading Challenge and have only spent $1.99 on my reading material this year.

I would like to recommend The Storyteller's Secret by Sejal Badani. This was one of Amazon's First Reads this month. I am so happy I selected this book. It was a delight to read and kept me thoroughly entertained over the past couple of days; it was a nice diversion from wedding preparations and during those hours when insomnia was bothersome. The book is so good that I downloaded the author's first book, Trail of Broken Wings, as an audiobook before finishing Storyteller. I began listening to TBW while ironing table cloths for the upcoming wedding.

The books are about Indian women and their life experiences and choices. There are some common themes - family loyalty, education, childbearing, mother-daughter relationships, marriage choices - and each is quite engaging. I am enjoying learning about the Indian culture and the various perspectives therein. Also, the characters drink a lot of chai, that alone gives these books 5 stars.

<--- Nalgene filled with chai while reading and kayaking

 

Edited by The Accidental Coach
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I finally finished spelling Edelweiss for July.  I have no idea how many E books were abandoned along the way! ?

E   Murder in an English Village by Jessica Ellicott

D.   Death at Devil’s Bridge by Robin Paige

E.    A Lady’s Guide To Etiquette by Dianne Freeman

L     Death Comes to Kurland Hall by Catherine Lloyd

W.    A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear

E      Zero Hour by Megan Erickson

 i        If I Run by Terri Blackstock

S.      Revelation by CJ Sansom

S.      The Norfolk Mystery by Ian Sansom

 

I am actually nearly done with Jasmine but am in need of an N and an E. 

 

 

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Ever since I stopped homeschooling, my August seems to be filled with back-to-school frenzy meaning I don't get much chance to sit at a computer and concentrate. My middle two were accepted to a charter academy at the last minute, so I've been scrambling to get them ready. It makes me glad I waited to buy supplies as the two schools had completely different lists. I'm hoping the new school will be a better fit for our family, especially my older girl. Her prior school (only two grades) had more students than the current one (grades K-12), and she often seemed to get lost in the crowd.

Books finished:

  • The Elusive Quest for Growth: Economists Adventures and Misadventures in the Tropics by William Easterly. Economics - International. A history and analysis of various economic and monetary interventions in developing countries. The dustiest of my physical TBR reads (I think I bought the book right after college graduation), it reveals its age in many places. The author, while discussing technological innovation, discusses his Palm Pilot. When first published, this was a cutting edge look at what hasn't worked in helping developing countries. Now, there isn't much new here. It's still an important reminder that many very smart people have attempted to "fix" the world by force and/or fiat yet only made things worse. A bedside book read (BBR)
  • The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan. American History - World War II. A cursory look at the lives of women who helped in research and construction of the atomic bomb. Another BBR.
  • The Long Earth (The Long Earth #1) by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter. Once people discovered they could step to other universes and worlds, humanity begins colonizing the various Earths until a looming menace threatens the multi-verse. Brandon Sanderson has said that established authors can get away with long prologues because they've built up trust in their readership. This book is a perfect example of that premise, the entirety a prologue to the ending chapter. I felt like I'd reached the good stuff and the story was done. I'll definitely read more because the set up was well-done, but only because I trust Pratchett and hints of his voice show. Yet another BBR.
  • Nemesis Games (The Expanse #5) by James S. A. Corey. Science Fiction - Space Opera. As humans travel to distant systems in the hopes of colonizing other planets, a rebel group of space dwellers threatens Earth. Another good addition to the series.
  • The Best American Crime Fiction 2003 Edition edited by Otto Penzler. True Crime. A collection of the best mystery and crime nonfiction of 2002. I'm trying to expand my reading interests, but ugh, I feel sick reading these stories about children.

I'm currently reading Chia Mieville's Railsea, essentially Moby Dick with trains. I don't know if I mentioned it, but I listened to Moby Dick at the beginning of the summer. I found I enjoyed it, probably because the reader was so fantastic. If you've tried to read Moby Dick and failed, try the audio book instead. It made the detailed discussions of whale species, anatomy, behavior, etc., much less tedious.

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I fullfilled finally my 17th century square! I did not like the book extremely, but after 5 different attempts with different books I’m glad thissquare is done.

2 squares to go: I reserved 1 book through IBL for micro history and another has to be picked up in the backstock (magazin?) for translated book square then I will take a closer look to Britt Trip. After the loss of my list I didn’t sit down to make a new one, so have to find out how much I have already covered. May be I will take another year to complete Britt Trip

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I just finished  Darkfever by Karen Marie Morning https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/112750.Darkfever which was my random bookshelf challenge book.  It’s a series that I knew about but have avoided because while I enjoy the basic fantasy genre, I find fae to be creepy.  This book was overflowing with creepy fae and I still loved it!  I definitely plan to read more of the series and gave it a five star over on Goodreads for that reason......I can’t wait to find out what happens next!

15 minutes ago, loesje22000 said:

I fullfilled finally my 17th century square! I did not like the book extremely, but after 5 different attempts with different books I’m glad thissquare is done.

2 squares to go: I reserved 1 book through IBL for micro history and another has to be picked up in the backstock (magazin?) for translated book square then I will take a closer look to Britt Trip. After the loss of my list I didn’t sit down to make a new one, so have to find out how much I have already covered. May be I will take another year to complete Britt Trip

Great job on the Bingo!  You are really close.   I have 5 or 6 squares to go but think I have books planned for each.  I just hope I like the planned books!  Sorry to hear about the Brit Trip list, hopefully it won’t be hard to reconstruct with your Goodreads account.

 I keep my Brit Trip lists in the notes section of my iPad and Dh allowed my iPad to delete the lists while fixing a different space related problem for me.  Fortunately I discovered that they were missing and was able to restore them within the 30 day window.  I gave up and just bought extra storage for my photos which seemed to be the basis for my storage issues.  It is easier than constantly trying to pick my favorites.

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