Book a Week 2018 - BW36: Nomadic September

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday and welcome to week thirty-six 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.
 

Welcome to Nomadic September where we are going to journey through the Sahara, the world's third largest desert in search of adventure. The Sahara measures approximately 3,320,000 square miles in Northern Africa. The desert stretches from the Red Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, and runs through many countries including:  Algeria,  Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Western Sahara, Sudan and Tunisia.   From the ancients to the culture and politics of the present, there are many rabbit trails to enjoy.

  Sahara Desert 

By 

Essama Chiba 

Falling in barren plains
No traces of rain in arid lands
Only footprints of spirits
Haunting their own shadows
Begging the questions
Left unanswered
By words buried into cracks

 Under the unforgiving sun
And burning heat
Of the Sahara Desert
Even a cactus will bloom
For a day and then it's done
None escape the desolate wilderness
The undulating waves of sand

 Nothing but the echoes
Of passing storms
And the sounds of thunder
Remain above the surface
Of the vast emptiness

 

We'll also follow in the footsteps of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and/or Chinua Achebe. We'll learn more about both these fabulous authors as Chimamanda reminisces about the coincidence of growing up in Achebe's house as well as discussing Chinua Achebe at 82: “We Remember Differently”

The Blossom Bookology flower of the month is the Egyptian Lotus which is the the national flower of Egypt. You need only spell out Lotus. There are a number of directions to go for this month's challenge. Read one book per letter using either the title and/or the first or last name of the author. Yes, you can mix it up. You may read a book with the name of the flower, color of the flower in the title, or on the cover. Another possibility is a book which takes place in the time period or flower's country of origin or has some cultural significance and/or symbolism of the flower. The choices are unlimited.

For those on the Brit Trip bus, our journey on Akeman Street is taking us to Wiltshire. Wiltshire has an interesting history with canals as a method of transportation, the predecessor to trains for mass goods transportation.

Rabbit trails: Wilton Windmill.

 

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

 This week begins our Kristin Lavransdatter readalong beginning with Book One -The Wreath. Part I, Jorungaard   Chapter 1 to 7 ( 92 pages)

 Learn more about Sigrid Unset with The Art of Compassion: A Biography of Sigrid Undset by Yola Miller Sigerson or from a synopsis of fascinating facts of her biography by Sparrowfare

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

 Have fun exploring! 

 What are you reading this week?

 Link to Week 35

[Robin M]

Currently reading Melissa Olson's Scarlett Bernard series and in the middle of #3 Hunter's Trail. Light reading before I begin The Wreath.  Nora Robert's latest in her In Death series comes out of Tuesday Leverage in Death. Woot!      

[Negin]

Robin, thank you for this thread, as always. 

I read Maeve's Times - 3 Stars - I’ve been a huge fan of Maeve for many years and was looking forward to reading this compilation of short stories and articles that she had written for “The Irish Times” through a few decades. Some of the pieces were enjoyable and others not so much. I ended up skimming through those. I would only recommend this book for Maeve fans, if that. 

One of my favorite quotes:

“Last year I had a friend who was given three months to live, and I asked him to tell me what were the best things people could do and what were the worst. He said the very worst thing to do was to send Get Well card, one with bunny rabbits crying into spotted handkerchiefs and saying, ‘Sorry to hear that you are not so well.’ He used to look at those cards blankly and knew that they were the conditioned response and automatic reflex of people who meant desperately well, but who had to hide behind totally inappropriate greeting cards. He wanted to reply on another card, saying, ‘I’m trying, God damn it.’ But he didn’t. And he didn’t because he knew that the idiotic bits of card with hospital beds and sexy nurses and thermometers and bad puns hid the real message of sympathy and huge distress. He said that he really didn’t like people urging him to get another opinion and saying that it couldn’t do any harm. It would do harm, he thought, because it would waste time, the one thing there wasn’t much of left. He preferred people to call it cancer if they spoke of it at all, rather than use some euphemism, and he also wished that he didn’t have to spend so much time thanking people politely for their suggestions of healing crystals, prayers Never Known to Fail, or the laying on of hands by someone who lived half a continent away. 
Those of us who knew him well and asked him how he wanted to do it were told. He wanted to remember the good, laugh at the funny, hear all the gossip, and try to be as normal as possible. Even though he could no longer eat, he wanted to come to restaurants with us and didn’t want to see anyone wince when he told the waiter he was on a diet. 
He did love to hear from the many people he had known during his life, saying briefly that they had heard about his diagnosis and that they were sorry. Letters that then went on to say things he could hold on to, things about time well spent, marvelous places seen, and memories that would live forever. All this brought a smile to his face and made the tapestry richer and less laced with regret.”

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.

[mumto2]

31 minutes ago, Robin M said:

Currently reading Melissa Olson's Scarlett Bernard series and in the middle of #3 Hunter's Trail. Light reading before I begin The Wreath.  Nora Robert's latest in her In Death series comes out of Tuesday Leverage in Death. Woot!      

Our reading seems to be following similar paths as I am about to start the third  in Olson's Disrupted Magic series.  I am actually back to listening to Patricia Brigg 's Mercyverse with Cry Wolf only being turned off so I can coordinate my thoughts enough to post.  ;). I am on the wait list for Leverage and close enough to the top that I might actually get a copy on Tuesday!  I have The Wreath ready to go..........currently finishing Bloodfever by Karen Marie Morning on the Kindle.

This morning I finished Sophie's World for my Philosophy Bingo square.......getting close to done.  This is one of those books that I wish I had known about while my kids were still going enough for mom to read it with them.  It would have gone in the stack next to The Tao  of Pooh but I think I would just let Simon Vance read it to us!  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30122978-sophie-s-world

@Negin I just read the wonderful quote you posted and rather universally true in my limited experience.

[Negin]

Kindle books on sale.

Churchill and Orwell: The Fight for Freedom

How to Find Love in a Bookshop

The Children of Henry VIII

      

 

[Penguin]

I finished Kafka's The Trial this morning. Crime bingo square is now complete. And I now I feel like I can confidently toss the descriptor Kafkaesque into casual conversation. ?

I am currently reading Living with a Dead Language: My Romance with Latin by Ann Patty. Patty takes up the study of Latin after she retires. I am about to take my first Latin class (non-credit), so I thought this would be fun to read before the class starts. 

Also planning to start Catherynne Valente's Space Opera today.

Edited September 2, 2018 by Penguin

[ErinE]

Books finished last week:

• The Winter Long (October Daye #6) by Seanan Maguire. Urban Fantasy. A royal fae, long thought dead, returns to wreck havoc on San Francisco. I resolved I wouldn't check out any more physical library books until I'd culled my bedside book pile. My son checked out this one so I don't think I've broken my resolution. Another good addition to the series. DS has checked out additional Maguire novels so I expect more "keeping my resolution on a technicality" in the future.
• Back on the Career Track: A Guide for Stay-at-Home Moms who want to Return to Work by Carol Fishman Cohen and Vivian Steir Rabin. Self-Help. A collection of advice and anecdotes for women who make the transition from home to work. Despite its heavy focus on the Ivy League and wealthy, I found several helpful tips on networking, re-launching, and managing work/life balance.
• That Lonely Section of Hell by Lori Shehner. Nonfiction - True Crime. A policeman reflects on her time tracking down a serial killer and the police failures that led to his continued freedom and killing.
• War of the Cards (Queen of Hearts Saga #3) by Colleen Oakes. Fantasy. The Queen of Hearts fights her father to gain control of Wonderland. I thought this was a standalone when I started reading it and realized towards the end that it was the finale of a trilogy.
• The Fold by Peter Clines. Science Fiction. A team of scientists rejoice at discovering instantaneous long distance travel until the returning travelers exhibit strange behavior. Quick, engaging read until the end where the action was a little muddled. My first Clines read, I'll definitely read more.
• Greetings from Angelus: Poems  by Gershom Scholem, trans. from German by Richard Sieburth. Poetry. A collection of poems from a German-Jewish philosopher. A very quick read, my favorite poem was "The Official Abecedarium of the Faculty of Philosophy". This is an Archipelago Book, with the German poem and the English translation side-by-side that I'm willing to share if anyone's interested. A bedside book.

I'm devouring Secondhand Time by Svetlana Alexievich, my elliptical workout read. The narratives are fascinating with the author taking care not to inject herself too much into the book. I'm also finishing up The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories by H. P. Lovecraft and Half-Off Ragnarok by Seanan Maguire.

[ErinE]

3 minutes ago, Penguin said:

Also planning to start Catherynne Valente's Space Opera today.

*** insert celebrate emoji ***

I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts! My sibling is the only other Valente fan I know.

[Zebra]

@Negin I am a Maeve Binchy fan too.  That quote was very true.   People can be very dense and awkward when dealing with people who are dying.   

This week I read Alternate Side which is Anna Quindlen's latest book.    And I finished listening to Radio Girls.    They were both fine.

I also started How To Stop Time by Matt Haig.  I became interested in reading this when I heard that Benedict Cumberbatch is starring in a movie based on the book.   So far I'm enjoying it.  It's about a man who ages 15x slower than everyone else, and lives much longer than the average person.  

 

[Matryoshka]

Finished two books this week: 

85. Speak No Evil by Uzodinma Iweala (audiobook) - About a teenager in a wealthy Nigerian immigrant family's coming out to his very conservative family - the second part is from his female best friend's point of view and goes in a bit of a different direction. 3 stars.

86. Das Buch vom Meer / Shark Drunk by Morten Strøksnes - Two good friends decide to try to catch a Greenland shark in a small rubber boat in the waters of far northern Norway.  Very frequent asides into ruminations on philosophy, mythology, literature, the social history of the local islands, and lots of marine biology as they wait for calmer seas, the boat engine to be fixed, or just for the shark to maybe finally show up for the smelly chum.  I have now sorted the names of many different whale species and other rather specific marine terms in German that I didn't have as detailed a handle on before! 3.5 stars.

Currently reading:

- A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (ebook) - I'm enjoying this maybe more than the second volume that I read first (they do not have to be read in order) and I think that might be partly because I'm already familiar with the universe she's built.  I think I will follow up with her third at some point (which also has entirely new characters and points of view), but probably not right away.

- Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (ebook) - I read my first book by Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, last year, and was surprised by how much I liked it - so I decided to tackle Grapes of Wrath this year.  Meh - not really liking it at all.  I'm at 18% the audio, which is 20+ hours long, and I think might be more hours than I'm willing to spend on it...  

Coming up:

About to start on two read-a-longs.  Kristin Lavransdatter, which is something I've wanted to tackle since the heaps of good reviews I've heard hereabouts for the past two years.  My second book in a row translated from Norwegian, but I'm going for the English translation on this one, as  the new one has excellent reviews and the German translation doesn't look to have been updated in ages.  On the flip side, the one for Amira's book club, Last Train to Istanbul, I've actually decided to read in German because there were so many reviews on Goodreads saying the English translation from Turkish was stilted - and not one complaint and better reviews overall on the German translation.  I figure there must be lots of good German/Turkish translators with all the Turkish immigrants to Germany, so...  Gotta get going on that one, as I thought we were starting it on the 4th, but turns out I was supposed to have finished it by then.  Whoopsie.

[-M-]

Hello, BaWers! Robin, thanks, as always, for gathering us together.

Here are my notes since my last BaW post:

From Sy Montgomery’s The Soul of an Octopus:

p. 190
In casual Western conversation, karma is used interchangeably with destiny, kismet, luck, and fate. Bill had chosen the name while still in the grip of what felt to us all like a star-crossed tragedy of Shakespearean proportions. During the Elizabethan era, most Europeans believed each person’s fate was predetermined, hardwired by the positions of the planets and the stars. Some people still do. But the idea of karma has a deeper, more promising, meaning than that of fate. Karma can help us develop wisdom and compassion. In Hinduism, karma is a path to reaching the state of Brahman, the highest god, the Universal Self, the World Soul. Our karma is something over which, unlike fate, we do have control. “Volition is karma,” the Buddha is reported to have said. Karma is not fate, but, in fact, its opposite: Karma is choice.

—————-

I was hooked by page six, when Montgomery reminds readers of the octopus in Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues under the Sea. Synchronicity, serendipity, synthesis.

My last entry for August, The Soul of an Octopus was the ninety-fourth book I finished reading so far this year and the twenty-third title in my quest to read at least thirty non-fiction titles in 2018. Last month, I also (finally!) finished The Aeneid, and during the drive down to visit my youngest yesterday, I listened to the remaining lectures in Elizabeth Vandiver’s The Aeneid of Virgil.

I have nearly finished this week’s readalong objective: Part 1 of The Wreath (seven chapters). It was easy to become absorbed in this old-fashioned but well-told story.

I will likely finish The Children, a play by Lucy Kirkwood, this holiday weekend and The Third Hotel, a new novel by Laura van den Berg, a little later this week. Another new release, Vox (Christina Dalcher), is also on my nightstand. Derivative, flawed, and strictly plot-driven, it may be done sooner than the atmospheric and disturbing Hotel, which I find I must set aside periodically — not unlike my experience with the brilliant Things We Lost in the Fire. Perhaps I need time to think about the images and ideas the writers have presented; or maybe, more accurately, I need to look away for a bit.

 

Edited September 3, 2018 by Melissa M

[Kareni]

I'm back from a week of camping (and still need to catch up on last week's thread).  On the drive to and from the campground, my husband and I listened to 

The Oracle Year: A Novel  by Charles Soule and narrated by Charlie Thurston.  Usually I fall asleep when we listen to an audiobook in the car; however, this is the third book that I've managed to listen to in its entirety.  We had a good number of conversations about the book -- some were of the what would you do? variety, others discussed inconsistencies in the storyline, while in others we made predictions of what might happen.  The book certainly helped us pass some twelve plus hours in a pleasant way.

"Knowledge is power. So when an unassuming Manhattan bassist named Will Dando awakens from a dream one morning with 108 predictions about the future in his head, he rapidly finds himself the most powerful man in the world. Protecting his anonymity by calling himself the Oracle, he sets up a heavily guarded website with the help of his friend Hamza to selectively announce his revelations. In no time global corporations are offering him millions for exclusive access, eager to profit from his prophecies.

He's also making a lot of high-powered enemies, from the president of the United States and a nationally prominent televangelist to a warlord with a nuclear missile and an assassin grandmother. Legions of cyber spies are unleashed to hack the Site - as it's come to be called - and the best man hunters money can buy are deployed not only to unmask the Oracle but to take him out of the game entirely. With only a handful of people he can trust - including a beautiful journalist - it's all Will can do to simply survive, elude exposure, and protect those he loves long enough to use his knowledge to save the world.

Delivering fast-paced adventure on a global scale as well as sharp-witted satire on our concepts of power and faith, Marvel writer Charles Soule's audacious debut novel takes listeners on a rollicking ride where it's impossible to predict what will happen next."

While camping I read:

-- the fantasy All the Paths of Shadow  by Fred Tuttle

-- the contemporary romance  A Girl Like Her: A Small Town Romance (Ravenswood Book 1)  by Talia Hibbert (this features an autistic heroine)

-- the contemporary romance novella  Apples Should Be Red  by Penny Watson (this features a mature hero and heroine in their fifties/sixties)

and shorter romance works:

-- The Sentinel  by Eden Winters

-- First in Line by Annabeth Albert

-- Stranded with a Scotsman  by Serenity Woods 

-- Sightings  by Kari Gregg

-- Persistence of Memory  by J.M. Snyder

Regards,
Kareni

[Mothersweets]

Thanks for the Sigrid Undset links, Robin - she led an interesting, purpose-filled life!

Negin, beautiful quote ❤️ 

It's been several years since I read Kristin Lavransdatter so I am really looking forward to it!

[Negin]

Kindle book on sale today if you like history/non-fiction/tudor period.

 

[JennW in SoCal]

Thank you, Robin, for the links on Sigrid Unset. What a fascinating woman. I'm ready to start Kristin Lavransdatter now, and will alternate between an audio and print version. 

Not much reading to report from last week. I'm listening to a nonfiction science book, Storm in a Teacup, which is the physics of everyday life. It is quite good, but not the sort of book I can listen to for hours on end. 

[Kareni]

A few comments pertaining to last week's thread ~

On 8/26/2018 at 11:29 AM, Robin M said:

About 2/3rd's of the way through Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs  Slow progress lately as diverting reading time into writing time

Did you finish Burn Bright, Robin?  I think it may be my least favorite of the Alpha and Omega books but it may gain favor upon a re-read.

On 8/26/2018 at 12:32 PM, TravelingChris said:

In other news, my library system is doing a two month long bingo but one of the spaces says read a new genre and I can;'t even think of a genre I haven't read.  Could you all suggest some really esoteric genres? 

A couple of articles that may give you some ideas ~

10 Bizarre Literary Movements And Genres  (I think that Oulipo is quite intriguing.)

Obscure Book Genres You May Not Know

On 8/27/2018 at 3:45 PM, JennW in SoCal said:

I finished The Calculating Stars, the alternate history of the space program where women get to go into space much, much earlier.

Had you seen this article, Jenn? 

5 Facts About Katherine Johnson, the Groundbreaking 'Human Computer'

In honor of Johnson's 100th birthday, let's celebrate the achievements of one of NASA's most extraordinary pioneers. 

On 8/28/2018 at 10:18 AM, Violet Crown said:

Dh just wrote a book (self-published on Amazon; OUP is interested, though!). It's the genre of Self-Teaching Formal Proof Construction. Via a sort of Yu-Gi-Oh-type game. All beasts-with-attributes illustrated by Middle Girl. It's expected to sell literally tens of copies; mostly to students to whom it's assigned.

Would you be willing to share a link, Violet Crown?  Here's hoping that OUP decides to act on their interest.  Congratulations to your husband on this new publication and to Middle Girl for her (first?) published illustrations.

On 8/28/2018 at 10:23 AM, loesje22000 said:

I finished BINGO!

Congratulations!

Regards,
Kareni

[Kareni]

Some more comments ~

On 8/30/2018 at 6:28 AM, mumto2 said:

Adrift was floating around on my wish list ? for several months.

Just to let you know that your humor was noted and appreciated!

Regarding The Princess Bride:

On 8/30/2018 at 7:08 AM, HomeAgain said:

The book is so different, though if you didn't like the movie, you may not like the humor in the book.

I too found book and movie quite different.  Here's what I wrote when I read the book a few years ago:

On 11/17/2015 at 9:17 AM, Kareni said:

I did enjoy the book overall; I can also see why many readers end up believing that Florin and Guilder are real places.  The author does a good job of making Morgenstern and his world seem real.  I also believe I know which parts make others like it less than the movie -- for example, the author as narrator talking about his cold wife, ogling the starlet, and discussing his fat son.  Those parts, because they do contain some factual information as when the author/narrator talks about books and screenplays he has written, make one wonder if ALL the information is factual.  I wanted to search to see if his wife's name is the same as the one given in the text.  So, even the less than pleasant parts of the book add to the feeling of realness about the framing story. 

Back to last week's thread:

On 8/31/2018 at 12:24 AM, mumto2 said:

I didn’t manage to finish Record of a Spaceborn Few last night but woke up early this morning and made myself finish it.  For the most part the characters are straight in my mind and I understand how this book connects with the others in the trilogy which is a huge accomplishment.  ?. I think the book does have an important message at the end but it took it a really long time to get to it! I can’t say I loved it but I do wonder if I would have enjoyed it far more if I had read in closely after reading the other two in the series.

I spent a goodly amount of time trying to figure out whether I was supposed to recognize the third book's characters from the first or second book.  Of the three, I enjoyed the middle book the most.   I too might have benefited from reading the books in quick succession.

Regards,
Kareni

[Faithr]

I want to thank Violet Crown for suggesting D. E. Stevenson's books.  At least I think it was Violet Crown who did so.  If I am wrong I apologize!  I am loving her!  I read the first of the Amberwell series, but it seems Kindle only has the first one; I couldn't find the sequel.  So I started reading Anna and Her Daughters.  I'm almost done with that one.  Really lovely cozy, intelligent novels with no graphic stuff at all.  

I'm slowly working my way through Beginning to Read the Fathers by Father Boniface Ramsey (of whistle blowing fame).  The book is great!  I just have been slow to read it because I usually do my religious reading in the morning with my coffee, but with my new puppy I am busy with him, so I've really had to drop that reading time for now. Now I drink my coffee in a travel mug while walking the pup.  As the new school year starts tomorrow for us and I'll have to drive my teen hither and yon, I can read it in bits while waiting to pick her up.  Anyway, it is very accessible and well-written.  So if you are interested in Church history at all, this might be a good book to read.  I bought it because I wanted to financially support the priest who kept trying to alert the powers that be about pervert McCarrick (if you don't know what I am referring to, never mind!)

[Mothersweets]

Faithr, thanks for the Anna and Her Daughters link - I just added it to my kindle. I've read several D. E. Stevenson books and have really liked a couple, kinda liked a couple, and was sometimes bored with them. I have to go into them NOT expecting much to happen and then I'm satisfied with the story, haha. ?

[Mothersweets]

Good morning everyone! Started reading Kristin Lavransdatter this morning and have gotten to page 73 or so. I've been looking up pics of Norwegian countryside and happened upon an article about Tiina Nunnally, the translator of the Penguin edition I'm reading. Super interesting as it gives a comparison between the older version and this newer translation:

Finding the Right Words

I just thought y'all would find it as interesting as I did. ?

[Kareni]

2 hours ago, Mothersweets said:

Finding the Right Words

I just thought y'all would find it as interesting as I did. ?

I definitely found it interesting!  Thank you, Mothersweets. 

I see the piece was published in 2001. Hopefully, Nunnally no longer needs to work as an office manager for an architectural firm to get medical coverage.

Regards,
Kareni

[tuesdayschild]

Stopping briefly to post n paste.....  life has thrown us some curve balls and I'm not reading so much, but I still want to keep up with what is being read here.

Thank you to whomever ( Matryoshka?) mentioned Killers of the Flower Moon ; I'm still reading this and have to say what an amazing, riveting,  stranger than fiction read.   

D.E Stevenson's Amberwell is my current audiobook  (adding my thanks to the Baw title sharer of that too.  The Miss Abbott (eta: Miss Buncle) series is one of my gentle-listen favourites).  

I have about three titles left to read, then I'll have completed the Bit Trip challenge, I must say I am feeling rather pleased with myself!

Flower challenges achieved:

June - Tulip

• T =  Battles at Thrush Green: Bk4 ~ Miss Read  (3.5)
• U =  Unashamed:  Rahab ~ Francine Rivers (5) 
• L =  The Labour of Hercules: Hercule Poirot ~ Agatha Christie  (2.5)
• I =   Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust ~ Immaculee Ilibagiza, Steve Erwin (audio)  (4) 
• P =  A Pocket Full of Rye ~ Agatha Christie  (3+)

July -- Edelweiss

• E =  The Wicked Wit of Queen Elizabeth II ~  Karen Dolby (2)   N/F
• D = To Destroy You is No Loss ~ Joan Criddle  (5)
• E = Evelina ~ Francis Burney (4)     
• L =  Latter End: Miss Silver Bk11 ~ Patricia Wentworth (4+)
• W = The Woman in White ~ Wilkie Collins  (5)
• E = And There Was Light: The Extraordinary Memoir of a Blind Hero of the French Resistance in World War II ~ Jacques Lusseyran  (3)
• I =   Prince Philip: I Know I am Rude, But I Like It: The Royals and the Rest of Us as Seen By Prince Philip ~ Nigel Cawthorne (2)
• S = Sprig Muslin ~ Georgette Heyer  (4) 
• S = Sanditon ~ Jane Austen (audio) (2)   

August -- Jasmine 

• J =  The Scourge ~ Jennifer Nielsen  Audio (children’s fiction)  (3 ) 
• A = The Art of War ~ Sun Tzu (4 )  Classic 
• S =  Tallgrass ~ Sandra Dallas (epukapuka audiobook)   (5)
• M =  The Mountains Have a Secret: Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte Bk12 ~ Arthur W. Upfield, narrated by Peter Hosking  (3+) 
• I = Appleby & The Ospreys: Inspector Appleby #36 ~ Michael Innes (epukapuka ebook) (2)
• N =  No Shred of Evidence: Ian Rutledge Bk18 ~ Charles Todd  (3+)  Cornwall
• E =  The Last Queen of England:  Jefferson Tayte Bk3   ~ Steve Robinson,  narrated by Simon Vance  (3) 

Edited September 6, 2018 by tuesdayschild

[mumto2]

On 9/3/2018 at 11:35 PM, Faithr said:

I want to thank Violet Crown for suggesting D. E. Stevenson's books.  At least I think it was Violet Crown who did so.  If I am wrong I apologize!  I am loving her!  I read the first of the Amberwell series, but it seems Kindle only has the first one; I couldn't find the sequel.  So I started reading Anna and Her Daughters.  I'm almost done with that one.  Really lovely cozy, intelligent novels with no graphic stuff at all.  

I'm slowly working my way through Beginning to Read the Fathers by Father Boniface Ramsey (of whistle blowing fame).  The book is great!  I just have been slow to read it because I usually do my religious reading in the morning with my coffee, but with my new puppy I am busy with him, so I've really had to drop that reading time for now. Now I drink my coffee in a travel mug while walking the pup.  As the new school year starts tomorrow for us and I'll have to drive my teen hither and yon, I can read it in bits while waiting to pick her up.  Anyway, it is very accessible and well-written.  So if you are interested in Church history at all, this might be a good book to read.  I bought it because I wanted to financially support the priest who kept trying to alert the powers that be about pervert McCarrick (if you don't know what I am referring to, never mind!)

I am so glad you are enjoying D.E. Stevenson.  I loved the first Mrs.Tim Christie and at one point the Vittoria Cottage series was available on prime for free and I really enjoyed it.  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1404707.Vittoria_Cottage      Thanks for the Anna and her Daughters recommendation, it’s now on the list.  At some point this year I plan to read the first Mrs. Buncle........

On 9/4/2018 at 2:30 PM, Mothersweets said:

Good morning everyone! Started reading Kristin Lavransdatter this morning and have gotten to page 73 or so. I've been looking up pics of Norwegian countryside and happened upon an article about Tiina Nunnally, the translator of the Penguin edition I'm reading. Super interesting as it gives a comparison between the older version and this newer translation:

Finding the Right Words

I just thought y'all would find it as interesting as I did. ?

 

Great article!  I have Kristin Lavransdatter ready to go but have been waiting for a peaceful block of time to read as I wasn’t able to get the audiobook from the library. ? I did buy the book as backup so I am going with my book! ?.

This week is slightly crazy as the horticultural show is on Saturday.  I have a couple of my own craft entries to try and finish assembling for the knitting section and I need to do all the work prepping for my kids baking entries, basically I plan to have the kitchen counter set up for each recipe with exactly what they need to bake.....not cooking for them. They have no time but can’t resist the urge to submit something to the show as they love it.  Dd made several Marvel arigumi figures that I need to figure out how to attach to her foam block for her.  I bought a box of toothpicks yesterday!  

On 9/5/2018 at 1:24 AM, tuesdayschild said:

Stopping briefly to post n paste.....  life has thrown us some curve balls and I'm not reading so much, but I still want to keep up with what is being read here.

Thank you to whomever ( Matryoshka?) mentioned Killers of the Flower Moon ; I'm still reading this and have to say what an amazing, riveting,  stranger than fiction read.   

D.E Stevenson's Amberwell is my current audiobook  (adding my thanks to the Baw title sharer of that too.  The Miss Abbott series is one of my gentle-listen favourites).  

I have about three titles left to read, then I'll have completed the Bit Trip challenge, I must say I am feeling rather pleased with myself!

Flower challenges achieved:

June - Tulip

• T =  Battles at Thrush Green: Bk4 ~ Miss Read  (3.5)
• U =  Unashamed:  Rahab ~ Francine Rivers (5) 
• L =  The Labour of Hercules: Hercule Poirot ~ Agatha Christie  (2.5)
• I =   Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust ~ Immaculee Ilibagiza, Steve Erwin (audio)  (4) 
• P =  A Pocket Full of Rye ~ Agatha Christie  (3+)

July -- Edelweiss

• E =  The Wicked Wit of Queen Elizabeth II ~  Karen Dolby (2)   N/F
• D = To Destroy You is No Loss ~ Joan Criddle  (5)
• E = Evelina ~ Francis Burney (4)     
• L =  Latter End: Miss Silver Bk11 ~ Patricia Wentworth (4+)
• W = The Woman in White ~ Wilkie Collins  (5)
• E = And There Was Light: The Extraordinary Memoir of a Blind Hero of the French Resistance in World War II ~ Jacques Lusseyran  (3)
• I =   Prince Philip: I Know I am Rude, But I Like It: The Royals and the Rest of Us as Seen By Prince Philip ~ Nigel Cawthorne (2)
• S = Sprig Muslin ~ Georgette Heyer  (4) 
• S = Sanditon ~ Jane Austen (audio) (2)   

August -- Jasmine 

• J =  The Scourge ~ Jennifer Nielsen  Audio (children’s fiction)  (3 ) 
• A = The Art of War ~ Sun Tzu (4 )  Classic 
• S =  Tallgrass ~ Sandra Dallas (epukapuka audiobook)   (5)
• M =  The Mountains Have a Secret: Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte Bk12 ~ Arthur W. Upfield, narrated by Peter Hosking  (3+) 
• I = Appleby & The Ospreys: Inspector Appleby #36 ~ Michael Innes (epukapuka ebook) (2)
• N =  No Shred of Evidence: Ian Rutledge Bk18 ~ Charles Todd  (3+)  Cornwall
• E =  The Last Queen of England:  Jefferson Tayte Bk3   ~ Steve Robinson,  narrated by Simon Vance  (3) 

Yeah to Brit Tripping!!!  I think I am at about the same point.  I know I have three counties that I need to visit yet.  Also great job on the spelling challenge with a huge variety of titles.  I noticed you made it through the Michael Innes... I ended up abandoning the one I started.  One of hubby’s friends is emigrating to NZ at Christmas, when he told me the news I thought of you.

@Penguin I lost your quote but am looking forward to hearing about your Latin class.  Did you do Latin as part of home ed?  I always really enjoyed Latin with my kids and was a bit sad when I had to let Dd move on without me.  Which books are you using?  

Sorting through home ed books in the garage is another thing I am doing this week as I recently discovered a different friend of Dh and his wife are home eding and seem to be using a great deal of the same things we chose. Their oldest is just starting middle school and is a lovely girl.  I decided to cull the collection a bit but am keeping all of the different Latin curriculum I collected over the years.  You never know I might just use it myself!  Hopefully we will be visiting them in the next couple of weeks and can give them a trunk full of books!  Sadly I have a number of classes I prepped for that never were completed......AP Art History among them.  Sniff!  My daughter fell in love with French that year. ? I talked to the oldest girl and she will love doing it so I will pass that stack on!

[tuesdayschild]

@mumto2  Hoping you all have an enjoyable, and hopefully, a reward reaping time at the show!  The Michael Innes book was a struggle to get through, I thought it was just me, nice to know it could have been the writer and not just me as the reader.    I hope your DH's friend's entry into NZ goes smoothly!!   NZ at Christmas, which coincides with the onset of our summer holidays, can be a full on time of bustle and busy - I love it.   (I'm keeping our Latin Curriculum in the hopes I get to use it one day too.)

[Negin]

Kindle book on sale today -  mystery/thriller

 

[LuvToRead]

I can't believe it is September already!  I have had a busy couple of weeks with not much reading time.  I am working my way through Jasmine.  So far I have read the letter "A" - "Aunt Dimity and the King's Ransom" by Nancy Atherton.  I want to get back on the Brit Trip bus, but haven't seen to make it.  I am impressed with everyone else!!  

[mumto2]

31 minutes ago, LuvToRead said:

I can't believe it is September already!  I have had a busy couple of weeks with not much reading time.  I am working my way through Jasmine.  So far I have read the letter "A" - "Aunt Dimity and the King's Ransom" by Nancy Atherton.  I want to get back on the Brit Trip bus, but haven't seen to make it.  I am impressed with everyone else!!  

I was curious and looked,  Aunt Dimity and the King’s Ransom  is set in Rye which is in Sussex and we will be there soon!  Btw, Rye is really cute, we used to stay near there.

I really need to get back to assembling my Green Man and listening to Miss Jeffries but am having more fun online......

[LuvToRead]

19 minutes ago, mumto2 said:

I was curious and looked,  Aunt Dimity and the King’s Ransom  is set in Rye which is in Sussex and we will be there soon!  Btw, Rye is really cute, we used to stay near there.

I really need to get back to assembling my Green Man and listening to Miss Jeffries but am having more fun online......

Thank you!  I guess I am back on the bus.   She certainly made Rye sound like an interesting place in the book!  

[Kareni]

8 hours ago, mumto2 said:

... friend of Dh and his wife are home eding and seem to be using a great deal of the same things we chose. ... Hopefully we will be visiting them in the next couple of weeks and can give them a trunk full of books!

What a generous gift!  I hope they appreciate the bounty.
**

Some books for Kindle readers that are currently free ~

for one day only, this fun children's book:  My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett

a Robin Hood retelling:  Wolf's Head (The Forest Lord Book 1)  by Steven A. McKay

teen fantasy (I believe this is by a favorite author of Butter):  Kilenya Chronicles Books 1-3  by Andrea Pearson

contemporary romance: A Pinch of Salt (Three Sisters Catering Book 1)  by Bethany Lopez

historical fiction:  The Road to Newgate  by Kate Braithwaite

anthology:  Tales of Ever After: A Fellowship of Fantasy Anthology  by H. L. Burke and others

military science fiction with an LGBT component (I just read and enjoyed this): Gyrfalcon (Taking Shield Book 1)  by Anna Butler

Regards,
Kareni

[Penguin]

11 hours ago, mumto2 said:

 

@Penguin I lost your quote but am looking forward to hearing about your Latin class.  Did you do Latin as part of home ed?  I always really enjoyed Latin with my kids and was a bit sad when I had to let Dd move on without me.  Which books are you using?  

Sorting through home ed books in the garage is another thing I am doing this week as I recently discovered a different friend of Dh and his wife are home eding and seem to be using a great deal of the same things we chose. Their oldest is just starting middle school and is a lovely girl.  I decided to cull the collection a bit but am keeping all of the different Latin curriculum I collected over the years.  You never know I might just use it myself!  Hopefully we will be visiting them in the next couple of weeks and can give them a trunk full of books!  Sadly I have a number of classes I prepped for that never were completed......AP Art History among them.  Sniff!  My daughter fell in love with French that year. ? I talked to the oldest girl and she will love doing it so I will pass that stack on!

I signed up to take Latin with an online provider who instructs us 50 and older learners. The textbook is Cambridge Latin, which happens to be one of the very few Latin I textbooks that I didn't already own! Figures, right ?! I already had Wheelocks, Henle, Lingua Latina and Latin for the New Millennium. I have been fiddling around with Latin on my own for some years, but have never had a class. We outsourced Latin after giving DS a taste of it in 7th grade with Getting Started With Latin.

One thing that really appealed to me about this class is that the students perform well on the National Latin Exam. I look forward to taking the exam! My son took two levels of it, and he did well. Another thing I liked is that the course sequence keeps going through what appears to me to be fairly advanced levels.

Edited September 6, 2018 by Penguin

[mumto2]

1 hour ago, Penguin said:

I signed up to take Latin with an online provider who instructs us 50 and older learners. The textbook is Cambridge Latin, which happens to be one of the very few Latin I textbooks that I didn't already own! Figures, right ?! I already had Wheelocks, Henle, Lingua Latina and Latin for the New Millennium. I have been fiddling around with Latin on my own for some years, but have never had a class. We outsourced Latin after giving DS a taste of it in 7th grade with Getting Started With Latin.

One thing that really appealed to me about this class is that the students perform well on the National Latin Exam. I look forward to taking the exam! My son took two levels of it, and he did well. Another thing I liked is that the course sequence keeps going through what appears to me to be fairly advanced levels.

That course sounds like so much fun!   ?Cambridge Latin is good and the book has never changed.......I know people who used it decades ago and have compared their copy to the current five or so years ago.   Years ago I was able to get really cheap copies of the American edition in England and am now curious if the books have been updated at least for the US market.  The only difference I remember was one country's books were divided into 4 and the other 5 for the main coursework. 

I agree with the advanced levels as dd used our collection for review for the SAT Subject the time they lost her exams. She thought she did well but used Wheelocks for the retake review.  Both were recommended texts.

Btw,  The characters from the first book are featured in the Dr. Who Roman episode with Donna if you are a fan.

[Kareni]

I read Anna Butler's book Gyrfalcon (Taking Shield Book 1) (which is currently free for Kindle readers). I’d classify it as futuristic military science fiction. I enjoyed this book and will happily read on.  (Some adult content)

"Earth's last known colony, Albion, is fighting an alien enemy. In the first of the Taking Shield series, Shield Captain Bennet is dropped behind the lines to steal priceless intelligence. A dangerous job, and Bennet doesn't need the distractions of changing relationships with his long-term partner, Joss, or with his father-and with Flynn, the new lover who will turn his world upside-down. He expects to risk his life. He expects the data will alter the course of the war. What he doesn't expect is that it will change his life or that Flynn will be impossible to forget."
**

I also read Seasonal Sentiments: NineStar Press 2016 Holiday Stories which introduced me to many new authors. As with all anthologies, some stories appealed more than others. I particularly liked Stone and Shell by Lloyd A. Meeker, Hearts Alight by Elliot Cooper, Ibiza on Ice by Gillian St. Kevern, and A Christmas for Oscar by Alex Whitehall.  (Some adult content)
**

And I read the novella Different Names for the Same Thing by Francis Gideon. This featured a writer pre- and post-transition and his connection with a fan both in the current day and five years earlier. (Some adult content)

Regards,
Kareni

[Penguin]

1 hour ago, mumto2 said:

That course sounds like so much fun!   ?Cambridge Latin is good and the book has never changed.......I know people who used it decades ago and have compared their copy to the current five or so years ago.   Years ago I was able to get really cheap copies of the American edition in England and am now curious if the books have been updated at least for the US market.  The only difference I remember was one country's books were divided into 4 and the other 5 for the main coursework. 

I agree with the advanced levels as dd used our collection for review for the SAT Subject the time they lost her exams. She thought she did well but used Wheelocks for the retake review.  Both were recommended texts.

Btw,  The characters from the first book are featured in the Dr. Who Roman episode with Donna if you are a fan.

Lost SAT subject exams?! Just reading that gave me a shudder. 

I do think my book is marked as a North American edition. I’ll look at it later.

Edited September 6, 2018 by Penguin

[Robin M]

Where did this week go?  Not a whole lot of reading, but halfway through Leverage in Death.  ?

Mum - we are on the same reading path. I didn't know about the continuation of Scarlett's story in the Disrupted Magic series. Downloaded Midnight Curse to read on my iphone while out and about. ?

James and I are reading The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.  We are doing a homeschool bonus year since he isn't ready to go to college. John thought I'd have it all planned out by now. Nope. I'm not going crazy with my charts and timelines and schedules. I wanted James to take some initiative for what he wanted to do. Like pulling teeth, but slowly coming together.  

[Negin]

Kindle book on sale today - true crime. 

[mumto2]

8 hours ago, Robin M said:

Where did this week go?  Not a whole lot of reading, but halfway through Leverage in Death.  ?

Mum - we are on the same reading path. I didn't know about the continuation of Scarlett's story in the Disrupted Magic series. Downloaded Midnight Curse to read on my iphone while out and about. ?

James and I are reading The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.  We are doing a homeschool bonus year since he isn't ready to go to college. John thought I'd have it all planned out by now. Nope. I'm not going crazy with my charts and timelines and schedules. I wanted James to take some initiative for what he wanted to do. Like pulling teeth, but slowly coming together.  

I didn’t end up first in line for Leverage in Death but will hopefully have it soon. I like the Disrupted Magic series, might even like it more than the original.   I think I am heading back to listening to my Mercyverse ...... really loving having these read to me!  I read the short that was required this morning and it was good but I don’t remember The Star of David characters appearing elsewhere in the series.  I am looking forward to finding them in future books as they must be there somewhere. ?

I hope you and James have an enjoyable year exploring both your interests.  It’s a nice age that many miss with the off to college rush.  I love talking to the man my little boy is turning into although my understanding of his class work is really remedial.

Before I forget I want to mention my new favorite very cozy series which @tuesdayschild recommended listening to Mrs. Jeffries.  I finished the first in the series last night https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/905755.The_Inspector_and_Mrs_Jeffries and really loved it.  I will admit that it is so cozy I don’t think I could stand reading the books but as light background it was perfect.  I know my library has a few more in audiobook form and I will be listening to them in the future!  For Brit Trippers  set in London.

 

[Penguin]

I have not had much time to read this week, but I did squeeze in Macbeth. I am going to see the play this weekend at the Folger Theater in DC (hooray!). This will be second time at the Folger, and I anticipate an excellent experience. They are doing the Restoration version of Macbeth, and if you are interested in what that entails, here is a video on the Folger's channel. From the video description, Restoration Shakespeare "is a research project led by Queen’s University Belfast in partnership with the Folger Shakespeare Library. The project investigates how Shakespeare's plays were performed in the period after the Restoration of the English monarchy in 1660, and how they can be performed today."

 

[Kareni]

9 hours ago, mumto2 said:

I don’t remember The Star of David characters appearing elsewhere in the series.  I am looking forward to finding them in future books as they must be there somewhere. ?

I thought (perhaps incorrectly) that they were among the mercenaries involved when Adam and his daughter were kidnapped.  (Naturally, I can't recall in which book that occurred.)

Regards,
Kareni

[mumto2]

49 minutes ago, Kareni said:

I thought (perhaps incorrectly) that they were among the mercenaries involved when Adam and his daughter were kidnapped.  (Naturally, I can't recall in which book that occurred.)

Regards,
Kareni

That is where I am expecting them......I think the boy sorcerer appears in the one with the fae in a mountain, maybe on a bridge?????? Obviously a reread is in order!  ?. 

[Kareni]

I'm participating in a challenge on a different site that specializes in primarily male/male romances so that has dominated my reading this week.  I read the two books below for a diversity challenge.  The first book features a character dealing with blindness while the second book has Jewish leads.  (Both books have adult content.)

I read E.M. Lindsey’s Time and Tide. The story begins in 1890s Baltimore and features William, an American with an exceedingly domineering mother, and Theodore, an author and Frenchman who has almost no vision. I didn’t care for the book initially as William, a new lawyer, is bullied by his mother into marriage and into defending a wealthy criminal. Ultimately, I grew to enjoy the book though certain events strained credulity.  This book is currently FREE to Kindle readers.

""Sometimes the universe is chaos, and sometimes it’s kind. If we are meant to be together, we shall be.”

It's 1897, and fresh from Oxford University, William Owens returns to Maryland to find his mother has planned his entire future. His law practice, his home, and his wife. Unable to stand up to her, William resigns himself to living the life she's created.

Then one day the blind writer, Theodore Renard, stumbles into his life and changes everything. William must find the courage within himself to stand up to his mother and take his destiny into his own hands. But none of that comes without a price. Facing heartache and tragedy, William must learn to navigate through the chaos of time and the tide."
**

I also re-read Dev Bentham’s Learning from Isaac (Tarnished Souls Book 1) which I enjoyed once again.

"It’s hard to break out of a rut. For years, Nathan submerged himself into his job at St. Genevieve’s. He enjoys teaching, hates faculty meetings, loves his science and has committed himself to the cycle of college life. Along the way, he's become resigned to being a gay man in a straight culture, a Jew among Catholics, and single in a world of couples. Then the brilliant Isaac Wolf appears in his classroom. Isaac’s a few years older than his fellow students, gorgeous, self-composed and Jewish. ..."

Regards,
Kareni

[mumto2]

I was up late last night finishing the Green Man and waiting for bake goods to cool.  Here are a majority of my family’s entries stacked on the table waiting dropoff at 8 this morning.  I came home and took a nap!

 

Edited September 8, 2018 by mumto2

[Mothersweets]

Wow Mum! Everything is so beautifully done - best of luck to you!

[Kareni]

mumto2, what a lovely array of entries!  Wishing you all well.

Regards,
Kareni

[Robin M]

11 hours ago, mumto2 said:

I was up late last night finishing the Green Man and waiting for bake goods to cool.  Here are a majority of my family’s entries stacked on the table waiting dropoff at 8 this morning.  I came home and took a nap!

 

Wow, so creative and fun and gorgeous.  Fingers crossed!  ?

[mumto2]

We actually did really well as a  family.  My kids are great bakers and did really well in those categories.  Handicrafts went well with the big surprise being my flamingo quilt received a second place in a super competitive class - Dh and I actually have been drinking a bottle of champagne because I have never received a prize above third (which was wonderful btw, not complaining at all) in any quilt category.  The judge is a wonderful quilter and teacher with me being a total fan girl of hers,  I can’t believe she liked my quilt!  Just in case I haven’t made you guys look at it.......btw Dd’s Marvel characters received a second place and the Green Man received an Honorable Mention along with the Gargole.

[Kareni]

Congratulations, mumto2, to you and your children on your wins; enjoy your champagne!

Regards,
Kareni

[tuesdayschild]

3 hours ago, mumto2 said:

We actually did really well as a  family.  My kids are great bakers and did really well in those categories.  Handicrafts went well with the big surprise being my flamingo quilt received a second place in a super competitive class - Dh and I actually have been drinking a bottle of champagne because I have never received a prize above third (which was wonderful btw, not complaining at all) in any quilt category.  The judge is a wonderful quilter and teacher with me being a total fan girl of hers,  I can’t believe she liked my quilt!  Just in case I haven’t made you guys look at it.......btw Dd’s Marvel characters received a second place and the Green Man received an Honorable Mention along with the Gargole.

You're all so talented - backed by results.  Well done!

(Love the pictures show casing your efforts!)

[Mothersweets]

Mum, congratulations!!

[LuvToRead]

I love the flamingo quilt!  Congrats!!

[Robin M]

Love the quilt. Congratulations MUM

 

Link to week 37 - please continue conversation in new thread