Book a Week 2019 - BW3: 52 Books Bingo - Something Old

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday and welcome to week three in our 52 Books rambling roads reading adventure. Greetings to all our readers, welcome to all who are joining in for the first time,  and everyone following our progress. Visit  52 Books in 52 Weeks where you can find all the information on the annual, mini and perpetual challenges, as well as the central spot to share links to your book reviews. 

 

Old books smell of dust and the literary smoke of history,
of writer soul and the ink of eternity. ~Terri Guillemets

 

I have something old on my mind, but what may be old to me may be different for you, depending on your age. It's hilarious when I read of young characters who think of their parents or friends as ancient in a story and turns out they are in their fifties and sixties.  

 One of our 52 Books Bingo categories is Something Old and there are a variety of ways to go with this. If you look at synonyms and words related to old, you will find - aged, ancient, vintage, old fashioned, traditional, antique, ramshackled, enduring, maternal or paternal, lasting, gothic or dusty to name a few. 

So, your mission is to read a book with something old which could be, but are not limited to:

 ·        Takes place prior to or is written prior to the 10th century. 

·         Takes place in the olden days (a period of time you feel some affection for).

·         Takes place in the Old West. 

·         Takes place in Old Hollywood.

·         Takes place in the old future.

·         In which the character is an old fogie or old maid.

·         In which the character is searching for something old.

·         In which a character has old fashioned ideas.

·         A book with a word that rhymes with old on the cover.

·         A book with old in the title 

·         A book with something old on the cover 

·         A book published by Knopf Doubleday Vintage Books or Penguin's Vintage, Poetry, Classics or collections

·         Spell out old by reading three books that have a word on the cover that starts with O,L,D.

·         A dusty, antique, or vintage book which has been on your shelves for quite a while.

·         Or pick a synonym and read a book with that word in the title.

 

Have fun, be creative, follow rabbit trails and see where they lead you. 

 What are you reading?

 Link to Week two

[Robin M]

For my something old, I'm reading James Michener's The Source.  It's been sitting on my shelves for quite a while, is an author I enjoyed reading back in the 80's, plus it is in two time periods, the present and the past in the holy land. 

"In the grand storytelling style that is his signature, James Michener sweeps us back through time to the very beginnings of the Jewish faith, thousands of years ago. Through the predecessors of four modern men and women, we experience the entire colorful history of the Jews, including the life of the early Hebrews and their persecutions, the impact of Christianity, the Crusades, and the Spanish Inquisition, all the way to the founding of present-day Israel and the Middle-East conflict.
"A sweeping chronology filled with excitement."

Sip read:  Neil Gaiman's The View from the Cheap Seats.  In the section Some People I have Known, I'm learning about all kinds of people I've never heard of, plus some amusing and interesting stories about those I have.  Loved his essay on Stephen King which makes me want to reading On Writing all over again.  And sooner, rather than later. 

Theologica Read:  The Benedict Option.  Quite fascinating and dipping into the Rules of St Benedict online.

Edited January 13, 2019 by Robin M

[Negin]

1 hour ago, Robin M said:

For my something old, I'm reading James Michener's The Source.  It's been sitting on my shelves for quite a while, is an author I enjoyed reading back in the 80's, plus it is in two time periods, the present and the past in the holy land. 

Robin, that's one of my favorites. I've read it twice and am sure that I'll read it again at some point. 

[Kareni]

Late last night I finished Nora Roberts' Of Blood and Bone: Chronicles of The One, Book 2.  I found this less dark than the first book in the trilogy, but it's still not my favourite series by the author. I do intend to read the next volume when it's released.

"Nora Roberts, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the epic Year One returns with Of Blood and Bone, a new tale of terror and magick in a brand new world.

They look like an everyday family living an ordinary life. But beyond the edges of this peaceful farm, unimaginable forces of light and dark have been unleashed.

Fallon Swift, approaching her thirteenth birthday, barely knows the world that existed before—the city where her parents lived, now in ruins and reclaimed by nature since the Doom sickened and killed billions. Traveling anywhere is a danger, as vicious gangs of Raiders and fanatics called Purity Warriors search for their next victim. Those like Fallon, in possession of gifts, are hunted—and the time is coming when her true nature, her identity as The One, can no longer be hidden.

In a mysterious shelter in the forest, her training is about to begin under the guidance of Mallick, whose skills have been honed over centuries. She will learn the old ways of healing; study and spar; encounter faeries and elves and shifters; and find powers within herself she never imagined. And when the time is right, she will take up the sword, and fight. For until she grows into the woman she was born to be, the world outside will never be whole again. "

**

I also enjoyed a reread of the historical romance novella The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan.

Regards,

Kareni

[KathyBC]

I just finished Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. The characters are much concerned with the Old West, so it should count. 😊
While hubby and I ate lunch at a pub yesterday, I thought one of the diners looked like he would have made an excellent Jape Waltzer, the villain of the book. This novel is going to stay with me for a bit.

[ErinE]

.

Edited December 3, 2023 by ErinE

[Kareni]

8 minutes ago, ErinE said:

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. Romance-Chick Lit. The personal assistants to co-CEOs, bound by mutually loathing, compete for an important promotion, a contest only one of them can win. @Kareni, when I finished this, I immediately thought of you. The characters acted more YA than adult, but it was a fun read.

I read that some time ago and did find it enjoyable.

10 minutes ago, ErinE said:

• The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. Chick Lit. A data analyst runs the numbers and decides she needs help from an escort to improve the odds of succeeding in love. I loved this book and will pick up Hoang's next novel. I celebrate a book written about a main character who is on the autism spectrum who wants a romantic partner. Highly recommended. 

I liked this one, too, and look forward to her next book.

11 minutes ago, ErinE said:

• Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson. Fantasy - Second World. In a world filled with soul-consuming gods, a young princess suddenly finds herself married to the God King and must navigate the perils of his court. I think this might be my favorite Sanderson novel. ...

This sounds good, Erin; I'm adding it to my list.

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

I finished The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (called 7 1/2 in US, I grabbed the wrong cover on Goodreads) and it was great!  I actually gave up on this book after a few pages when it first came out which is an example of why trying again can be worthwhile because this could end up as one of my top books of the year.  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36337550-the-7-deaths-of-evelyn-hardcastle This book is different and it doesn’t get boring like I expected.......Evelyn Hardcastle dies at 11pm at a rather flufferton house party in the middle of a forest somewhere in England.  The party is to celebrate her return to the country after 19 years in Paris where she was sent after the murder exactly 19 years ago of her little brother.  The main character has 8 lives to solve the murder, all in a different guests body.  The day alters each time.......the book was so fun in that I loved seeing it through his eyes in the different body’s.  Some were elderly,  some grossly overweight,  some young.......

I started my reread/listen to Still Life by Louise Penny.  It has been so long since I read this one that I remember none of it.  Three Pines seems empty without Gamache there.  It is so strange to have these beloved characters and have them seem rather incomplete.

Still reading The Hanging Tree in my Rivers of London read and I started a chic lit titled Mr. Hotshot CEO by Jackie Lau. It’s a nice light read for riding in cars or reading while others are watching TV. 😉

[Kareni]

A currently free book for Kindle readers ~

Olde Robin Hood   by Kate Danley 

"This epic fantasy retelling of a classic story delivers characters both new and familiar.  Danley's (A Spirited Manor, 2018, etc.) tale has a mythic bent from the beginning, as the corrupt sheriff of Nottingham murders Robin Hood's father and burns their family farm to the ground. This episode invokes the idea of the monomyth (and a call to action, especially for the farm boy). From there, the story hits familiar beats but keeps them fresh with information from folktales and oral traditions apparently pre-dating the Robin Hood mythos of modern popular culture. Exiled, Robin escapes to Sherwood Forest, where he meets Little John (fleeing the sheriff's service). The two become friends and join forces with others, adopting a moral code even as they turn to highway robbery to survive. Interestingly, this code is less contingent on their targets' wealth than their honesty, as Robin and his companions visit justice on only those who lie when asked if they have money. Rather than resorting to violent acts, they have a strict rule against killing and, in fact, invite some weary travelers to join them in their feasts. Further, Robin renounces Christianity early in the story, seeing clergymen as another aspect of the corrupt state, preying on the downtrodden and coveting riches beyond their needs. This stance--as well as the fact that Robin is neither a nobleman nor a loyalist to an absent king, as in some adaptations--sets Danley's protagonist apart from the simplicity of the morality plays the character often stars in and introduces pagan religion and a philosophy akin to political anarchism, with its strong opposition to unjust hierarchies. Some readers may find that these elements fail to breathe new life into the tale's well-trod ground, especially as the plot proceeds. Robin (now beloved by the poor) is pitted against an increasingly irate sheriff, forcing the hero to use only his wits and skills to save his friend and lady love. The bones of the narrative are familiar (Little John says of Robin: "He gets one taste of treating folks with kindness, and it is like a thirst that is never quenched"). But the classic story endures for a reason, and many readers will likely find themselves intrigued and entertained by the novel's rich prose, intense action, historical and mythological depth, and captivating innovations.  A tried-and-true heroic tale made fresh with novelty and well-researched details."  -KIRKUS REVIEWS

Regards,

Kareni

[Matryoshka]

Finished two books this week:

3. Tomorrow's Kin by Nancy Kress - Really liked this book that ostensibly is about first contact with a spacefaring people, but is also very much about family.  The protagonist is an older woman scientist with three grown children; she has a bit of a prickly relationship with two of them and all three of them with each other.  Some people seem upset that much of the story was focused on that, but I liked it. I'm going to be interested to read the next two books in the series even though they don't appear to continue with the same characters, as it seems there's much more to the alien part of the story than is hinted at in the first book. 4 stars.

4. Hogfather by Terry Pratchett (audiobook) - this was fun and silly.  3.5 stars.

Currently reading:

- Fräulein Smillas Gespür für Schnee / Smilla's Sense of Snow by Peter H¢eg 

- Orhan's Inheritance by Aline Ohnaesian (audiobook)

- God: A Human History by Reza Aslan (ebook)

And A Gentleman in Moscow just came in on Overdrive - I had my other stuff on hold so I could finish what I've got out now, but I had, I thought, been way down the list for this one!  So, surprise!  Guess I have to hurry up and finish my other audiobook...

[Ali in OR]

I am also reading Smilla's Sense of Snow, and this counts as something old because it's my mom's old book. I took many books from her house when she passed away 11 years ago, and this is one of many I still haven't gotten to. It's copyright date is 1992 I believe and my copy has browning pages. It's weird because part of my brain still thinks this is a "newer" release, simply because I remember hearing about it when it came out. I guess that just makes me something old too.

I'll be reading this for the next couple of weeks.

[mumto2]

3 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

 

And A Gentleman in Moscow just came in on Overdrive - I had my other stuff on hold so I could finish what I've got out now, but I had, I thought, been way down the list for this one!  So, surprise!  Guess I have to hurry up and finish my other audiobook...

I hate it when that happens!  Not sure if you noticed but for a couple of days Overdrive was predicting how long the holds list would take but forgot to take into account the number of copies.  I had laugh because I am #4 on 4 copies for Melmoth by Sarah Perry which I am looking forward to but don’t have room for until I get through one of my current books.  To me that says could appear any day better finish something......their formula said 12 weeks!  Uhm,  three weeks at the most. 😉

[Violet Crown]

7 hours ago, Robin M said:

   Takes place prior to or is written prior to the 10th century. 

One of the books I just started this week, as it happens, is The Wanderer: Elegies, Epics, Riddles: Poems from England's ancient origins. This is part of my extra-categorical challenge to keep up with Middle Girl's reading, and the Anglo-Saxon poems "The Dream of the Rood" and "The Battle of Maldon" (in translation) are her first reading assignment for her British Literature course this semester. I'm reading through the whole book though, as most of these are familiar, and a couple I even read in A-S back in the day, when my brain hadn't dissolved yet.

Here's a beautiful Anglo-Saxon elegy, text partially destroyed, called "The Ruin." It's a meditation on the remains of a Roman city, probably Bath, which the Angles and Saxons found three centuries after the Romans had left, and which these Germanics credited to the efforts of "giants." (Note: "wierd," which the editor leaves untranslated throughout, meant (roughly) a Fate, like the Norns or Shakespeare's "weird sisters.")
 

Quote

 

Well-wrought this wall: Wierds broke it.
The stronghold burst . . . .

Snapped rooftrees, towers fallen,
the work of the Giants, the stonesmiths,
mouldereth.

Rime scoureth gatetowers
rime on mortar.

Shattered the showershields, roofs ruined,
age under-ate them.

And the wielders and wrights?
Earthgrip holds them--gone, long gone,
fast in gravesgrasp while fifty fathers
and sons have passed.

Wall stood,
grey lichen, red stone, kings fell often,
stood under storms, high arch crashed--
stands yet the wallstone, hacked by weapons,
by files grim-ground . . .
. . . shone the old skilled work
. . . sank to loam-crust.

Mood quickened mind, and a man of wit,
cunning in rings, bound bravely the wallbase
with iron, a wonder.

Bright were the buildings, halls where springs ran,
high, horngabled, much throng-noise;
these many mead-halls men filled
with loud cheerfulness: Wierd changed that.

Came days of pestilence, on all sides men fell dead,
death fetched off the flower of the people;
where they stood to fight, waste places
and on the acropolis, ruins.

Hosts who would build again
shrank to the earth. Therefore are these courts dreary
and that red arch twisteth tiles,
wryeth from roof-ridge, reacheth groundwards. . . .
Broken blocks. . . .

There once many a man
mood-glad, goldbright, of gleams garnished,
flushed with wine-pride, flashing war-gear,
gazed on wrought gemstones, on gold, on silver,
on wealth held and hoarded, on light-filled amber,
on this bright burg of broad dominion.

Stood stone houses; wide streams welled
hot from source, and a wall all caught
in its bright bosom, that the baths were
hot at hall's hearth; that was fitting . . .
. . . . . . . . .
Thence hot streams, loosed, ran over hoar stone
unto the ring-tank . . . .
. . . It is a kingly thing
. . . city . . . .

 

 

[NewIma]

This challenge is so fun! I keep reading posts and thinking, "I want to read that too!" 

I finished I'll be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara this week. It was a really well written true crime book, but they found the killer after it was published and have released very little information about him. I have so many questions now and no answers!

 

Now I'm reading Space Opera by Valente and Sapiens.

[Violet Crown]

And speaking of poetry, this week I finished E. E. Cummings' 1940 collection, 50 Poems. Here's "46", possibly not his most accessible poem:
 

Quote

 

grEEn's d

an
cing on hollow was

young Up
floatingly clothes tumbledish
oID(with

sprouts o
ver and)a-
live
wanders remembe

r
ing per
F
ectl
y

crumb
ling eye
-holes oUt of whe
reful whom(leas

tly)
smiles the
infinite nothing

of
M

an

 

Anglo-Saxon was definitely easier. Anyway, that was for my 10x10 Dramatic, Lyric & Epic category.

Also this week, finished:
Owen Wister, The Virginian
Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People
James Hadley Chase, No Orchids for Miss Blandish
Christopher Marlowe, Edward II

There's much to say about these books--they were all great reads, but in utterly different ways--but that will have to wait for another break in the homeschooling.

[Kareni]

I just finished the book that my book group will discuss later this week;  it was a sad read, but I imagine we'll have a lively discussion

As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl by John Colapinto

"In 1967, after a twin baby boy suffered a botched circumcision, his family agreed to a radical treatment that would alter his gender. The case would become one of the most famous in modern medicine—and a total failure. As Nature Made Him tells the extraordinary story of David Reimer, who, when finally informed of his medical history, made the decision to live as a male. A macabre tale of medical arrogance, it is first and foremost a human drama of one man's—and one family's—amazing survival in the face of terrible odds."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Lady Florida.]

I finished three books over the weekend.

To Marry an English Lord - This was my last holdover from 2018, not counting sip reads  (I love that we have that term now) or books I put aside for another day. It was interesting but the only reason I read it was because it tied in with The Heir Apparent, which I had recently finished (or I might have been still reading) when I found this one at the library. I imagine others knew but I didn't realize Winston Churchill had an American mother, as did apparently quite a few important people in the UK in the early 20th century thanks to the American heiresses. I knew a little about that aspect from reading a few things online about Downton Abbey and how it was common for cash poor British nobles to marry rich American girls (yes, girls because they were so young when they were married off).

Becoming - MIchelle Obama's memoir. I loved this, and listening to Mrs. Obama herself read the audio book made it even better. Tonight is book club and I look forward to hearing what the others thought. I'm sure they all loved it too, but it will be interesting to hear what parts stuck with us or really spoke to us. I'll never know what it's like to be black, a black woman, a politician's wife, the First Lady, the wife of the first black U.S. president, or even a mother of girls. But what comes through in this book is what we all have in common. As much as she and I are different, I found myself nodding and relating to her more often than I expected. This was especially true when she talked about motherhood but it came through in other areas as well. This was in good part, her point. We all have more in common than we have differences.

Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup - I read this one quickly because I couldn't put it down. The repeated audacity and arrogance of Elizabeth Holmes (the woman who started Theranos) just floored me. I had no idea so many high level former military personnel and political figures were involved but they came from both sides of the aisle and were all equally hoodwinked by this woman. James Mattis, George Schultz, Henry Kissinger, Chelsea Clinton, President Obama are just a few. 

It's taking me longer than a day to read One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich even though it's a short book that could easily be read in a day. I think it has to do with how it's written. Everything keeps going, there's no real breaks in the story, and that's kind of exhausting. I have to keep giving myself breaks. It's a fascinating look inside a Stalin era prison camp. 

I'm also still reading Edward III, using the Shakespeare in a Year schedule for how much to read each day.

Finally, I started Vinegar Girl yesterday. 

[ErinE]

.

Edited December 3, 2023 by ErinE

[Lady Florida.]

23 minutes ago, ErinE said:

When I was on a Jeffrey Eugenides kick several years ago, I enjoyed his novel Middlesex - about a male with a similar condition raised as a girl and choosing to live as a man in adulthood. Well done and thoughtful, but uncomfortable as Eugenides can sometimes be.

I thought of that book too when I read Karen's post. I read Middlesex for book club a few years ago and though I knew of hermaphrodites the book had me looking up a lot about it. It's one thing though to be born a hermaphrodite, another to go through what Reimer experienced. How awful and sad. 

[JennW in SoCal]

Still a slow start to the reading year. I did finish a book, The Space Between the Stars by Anne Corlett. It is a hopeful, quasi dystopian sci fi which was very engaging, but not terribly memorable. 

I'm listening to the first in a series recommended by my brother in law who is a long time sci-fi reader. He loves the politics in two series written by David Weber, and I decided to start with the Honor Harrington series. On Basilisk Station is ok, though the reader leaves a bit to be desired. I'm not inspired by politics, but do appreciate the strong female lead who is based on Horatio Hornblower, and I like the conceit of the British Navy in space. This may be a series I continue in print (or see if the narrator eventually changes).

About audio books. Anyone else find American women in general to be the worst narrators?  I can think of exceptions, of course, but I've had a recent run of annoying female readers, all American.

I'm dipping in and out of the beautiful and delightful The Writer's Map: An Atlas of Imaginary Lands. Each essay is filled with rough sketches drawn by authors as they create book, and of course there are lots of illustrations and maps from books. Some essays are written by authors, some by illustrators. I just love it. 

 

[Violet Crown]

1 hour ago, Lady Florida. said:

I'm also still reading Edward III, using the Shakespeare in a Year schedule for how much to read each day.

Oooo! My next read from The Hollow Crown category! I've already met him as a parricidal tyke in Marlowe's play.

The first book finished last week was The Virginian, for my Don't Mess With Texas cowboy category (no Texans actually in this one though). Much better than I thought it might be. Wister was a friend of Henry James (and even had some criticism of James' style...), and took his writing seriously. If the plot to The Virginian seems hackneyed now, it's because it was the model for so many later "penny dreadful" westerns and movies, which recycled its basic elements: the gentleman cowboy with his rough code of honor; the school-marm from Back East who steals his heart as she discerns him as a diamond in the rough; the mortal enmity with the cattle-rustling villain of no honor who shoots people in the back; the show-down gunfight on the main street of town. Famous quote: "When you call me that, smile!"

Next up in this category: J. Frank Dobie's The Voice of the Coyote.

.

[JennW in SoCal]

@Violet Crown  Loved the Anglo-Saxon elegy. Thank you for sharing it! And The Virginian sounds like a fun a read. 

I'm ready to pay attention and take notes on your list of recommended Scottish reads. Poetry, novels. Favorite Edinburgh bookstores and anything else you think I should know. 

[Miss Tick]

20 hours ago, ErinE said:

The Hollow City by Dan Wells. Horror. A paranoid schizophrenic believes They are out to get him and his delusions might not be fantasy. A well done main character - it was difficult to distinguish between delusion and reality.

I found that one by accident when I was looking for the sequel to the first Miss Peregrine book, which is also called The Hollow City. I read them both. 😁 I agree with you that Wells' protagonist was very convincing!

[Violet Crown]

1 minute ago, JennW in SoCal said:

@Violet Crown  Loved the Anglo-Saxon elegy. Thank you for sharing it! And The Virginian sounds like a fun a read. 

I'm ready to pay attention and take notes on your list of recommended Scottish reads. Poetry, novels. Favorite Edinburgh bookstores and anything else you think I should know. 

Armchair Books. Set aside a good long time for browsing. Walkable from the tourist area, though I wouldn't linger in the neighborhood after dark (Edinburgh can be pretty sketchy just a short distance out of the Tourist Zones ... though traveling with children of course makes one more paranoid.)

Somewhere I posted a list of Scottish writers and books, though I can't quite find it now. I realized later I forgot a great Scottish read, The House With the Green Shutters by George Douglas Brown, revolutionary for bringing an end to the "Kailyard School" of sentimentalist Scottish fiction that reigned from Scott to Barrie. A very good read.

[Lady Florida.]

I want to find a non-fiction book to read but I don't want one that's too long. I'll have to look over my to-read list and see if there's anything there that might fit. The other day I put Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, The Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America on hold on Overdrive and I don't want to be in the middle of a different non-fiction if it comes in. I planned to read it this year but then Friday it was announced that the new governor and clemency board posthumously pardoned the four men and it made me decide to read it sooner rather than later. I didn't vote for this governor but pardoning them was one of his campaign promises and I applaud him for doing it so quickly after taking office.

 

19 minutes ago, Violet Crown said:

Oooo! My next read from The Hollow Crown category! I've already met him as a parricidal tyke in Marlowe's play.

 

Reading these history plays makes me want to watch the entire Hollow Crown plays again. 

[JennW in SoCal]

12 minutes ago, Violet Crown said:

Armchair Books. Set aside a good long time for browsing. Walkable from the tourist area, though I wouldn't linger in the neighborhood after dark (Edinburgh can be pretty sketchy just a short distance out of the Tourist Zones ... though traveling with children of course makes one more paranoid.)

Somewhere I posted a list of Scottish writers and books, though I can't quite find it now. I realized later I forgot a great Scottish read, The House With the Green Shutters by George Douglas Brown, revolutionary for bringing an end to the "Kailyard School" of sentimentalist Scottish fiction that reigned from Scott to Barrie. A very good read.

 

You posted it toward the end of last year, which is why I was asking again, lol. I'll search for it and will add House with Green Shutters to my list. I read Ivanhoe in the last 3 years or so...

I may spend a day or two by myself in Edinburgh, so fully appreciate the need for being paranoid!!

[aggieamy]

On 1/10/2019 at 1:35 PM, moonflower said:

I logged in for the first time in I think a week just to post in this thread - I kept wanting to and just couldn't resist any longer!

Poirot is my favorite Agatha Christie character by far.  We discovered Christie about a year ago and have read through all the Poirots.  I've also watched the entire series of Suchet's Poirot episodes.  I liked the books before watching the series but Suchet's portrayal of him really rounds out the character for me.  I think Suchet likes Poirot more than Christie liked him, and so he gives him a bit more gravitas and soul.

Also, Lonesome Dove was my dad's favorite book.  He tried to get me to read it a zillion times and I always sort of brushed him off.  He loved the miniseries too, but it just looked like a bunch of dusty horses to me.  I wasn't interested and I wasn't interested in being interested.  

Then in 2012 he died, and that summer I read his copy of Lonesome Dove.  I wish, wish, wish, wish I'd read it while he was alive.  I think it's a magnificent book, and, like with Poirot, I think the miniseries improves the experience of the book.  Mostly I don't like TV/movies made from books as it interferes with or underwhelms the book, but the Lonesome Dove miniseries is a masterpiece, imo.  ("Gus, you'd argue with a possum.")  (Spoiler in white text) If I'd read it, I would have understood my dad's death better, I think.  He died of pneumonia as complications of COPD, partially because he was just too tired to keep going.  I was angry for a while that he didn't just try harder - be willing to live with a feeding tube and supplemental oxygen and maybe a wheelchair.  But I realized after reading Gus's death in Lonesome Dove that for him, just being alive wasn't enough.  He was tired. “You don't get the pint, Woodrow, I've walked the earth in my pride all these years. If that's lost, then let the rest be lost with it. There's certain things my vanity won't abide.” 

He also took a lot of his idiomatic language from Gus, and had since I was a child, and I never knew.  Reading Lonesome Dove was like reading Shakespeare - I'd read something in Shakespeare's plays like "all that glitters is not gold" or "dead as a doornail" and my first reaction would be wow, why'd he resort to such cliched language here? and then of course realize he came up with it in the first place.  I had the same experience reading Lonesome Dove; it was like Dad talking to me although he was gone.  

He was born and raised in central and south Texas.

Your story brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for sharing it. ((HUGS))

On 1/10/2019 at 10:48 PM, mumto2 said:

 

@aggieamy my audiobook is not a classic Flufferton but it is good.  It  is a mash up of Groudhog Day and a classic Flufferton complete with a house party.  There is going to be a murder at the end of the day and the main character is reliving the day in different bodies until he solves it is a very uncomplicated description.  I have passed the half way point and can’t wait to start quilting tomorrow so I can listen to more.  The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is one of the best of’s at my Overdrive on audio which appears to mean unlimited copies are available.  I suspect you would like it and so would your Dh.

I'm 55 out of 18 in line for this at the library. Might be awhile ...

On 1/12/2019 at 4:49 PM, tuesdayschild said:

Chelle's son Jay here,  I came here to answer an email someone sent Mum and found your notes.  Just letting you know she is recovering from some pretty major surgery so will be out of online activities for a while.  

Thank you for letting us know. We all think the world of her and would appreciate any updates you can give us. 

21 hours ago, ErinE said:

 

• The Hollow City by Dan Wells. Horror. A paranoid schizophrenic believes They are out to get him and his delusions might not be fantasy. A well done main character - it was difficult to distinguish between delusion and reality.

 

I read this one or two years ago and remembered LOVING the first three quarters of the book. The line between real and imaginary was so hard to figure out and I couldn't put it down. Then the ending was super bizarre to me and I was really disappointed. I remember thinking that it started out like on awesome episode of the X-Files but the ending was like a different episode and they didn't go together. 

Spoiler-y comments in white: Didn't it end up being aliens in some sort of commune or something like that?

[aggieamy]

On 1/10/2019 at 1:35 PM, moonflower said:

I logged in for the first time in I think a week just to post in this thread - I kept wanting to and just couldn't resist any longer!

Poirot is my favorite Agatha Christie character by far.  We discovered Christie about a year ago and have read through all the Poirots.  I've also watched the entire series of Suchet's Poirot episodes.  I liked the books before watching the series but Suchet's portrayal of him really rounds out the character for me.  I think Suchet likes Poirot more than Christie liked him, and so he gives him a bit more gravitas and soul.

Also, Lonesome Dove was my dad's favorite book.  He tried to get me to read it a zillion times and I always sort of brushed him off.  He loved the miniseries too, but it just looked like a bunch of dusty horses to me.  I wasn't interested and I wasn't interested in being interested.  

Then in 2012 he died, and that summer I read his copy of Lonesome Dove.  I wish, wish, wish, wish I'd read it while he was alive.  I think it's a magnificent book, and, like with Poirot, I think the miniseries improves the experience of the book.  Mostly I don't like TV/movies made from books as it interferes with or underwhelms the book, but the Lonesome Dove miniseries is a masterpiece, imo.  ("Gus, you'd argue with a possum.")  (Spoiler in white text) If I'd read it, I would have understood my dad's death better, I think.  He died of pneumonia as complications of COPD, partially because he was just too tired to keep going.  I was angry for a while that he didn't just try harder - be willing to live with a feeding tube and supplemental oxygen and maybe a wheelchair.  But I realized after reading Gus's death in Lonesome Dove that for him, just being alive wasn't enough.  He was tired. “You don't get the pint, Woodrow, I've walked the earth in my pride all these years. If that's lost, then let the rest be lost with it. There's certain things my vanity won't abide.” 

He also took a lot of his idiomatic language from Gus, and had since I was a child, and I never knew.  Reading Lonesome Dove was like reading Shakespeare - I'd read something in Shakespeare's plays like "all that glitters is not gold" or "dead as a doornail" and my first reaction would be wow, why'd he resort to such cliched language here? and then of course realize he came up with it in the first place.  I had the same experience reading Lonesome Dove; it was like Dad talking to me although he was gone.  

He was born and raised in central and south Texas.

Your story brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for sharing it. ((HUGS))

On 1/10/2019 at 10:48 PM, mumto2 said:

 

@aggieamy my audiobook is not a classic Flufferton but it is good.  It  is a mash up of Groudhog Day and a classic Flufferton complete with a house party.  There is going to be a murder at the end of the day and the main character is reliving the day in different bodies until he solves it is a very uncomplicated description.  I have passed the half way point and can’t wait to start quilting tomorrow so I can listen to more.  The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is one of the best of’s at my Overdrive on audio which appears to mean unlimited copies are available.  I suspect you would like it and so would your Dh.

I'm 55 out of 18 in line for this at the library. Might be awhile ...

On 1/12/2019 at 4:49 PM, tuesdayschild said:

Chelle's son Jay here,  I came here to answer an email someone sent Mum and found your notes.  Just letting you know she is recovering from some pretty major surgery so will be out of online activities for a while.  

Thank you for letting us know. We all think the world of her and would appreciate any updates you can give us. 

21 hours ago, ErinE said:

 

• The Hollow City by Dan Wells. Horror. A paranoid schizophrenic believes They are out to get him and his delusions might not be fantasy. A well done main character - it was difficult to distinguish between delusion and reality.

 

I read this one or two years ago and remembered LOVING the first three quarters of the book. The line between real and imaginary was so hard to figure out and I couldn't put it down. Then the ending was super bizarre to me and I was really disappointed. I remember thinking that it started out like on awesome episode of the X-Files but the ending was like a different episode and they didn't go together. 

Spoiler-y comments in white: Didn't it end up being aliens in some sort of commune or something like that?

[ErinE]

. 

Edited December 3, 2023 by ErinE

[Lady Florida.]

My granddaughter Emma had her pre-op appointment this morning. Unlike last month, she's good and healthy now. She was cleared for surgery on Thursday. We'll all breathe a sigh of relief when it's over.

[Kareni]

5 hours ago, aggieamy said:

I'm 55 out of 18 in line for this at the library. t end up being aliens in some sort of commune or something like tha@

I have to admit that I'm wondering how this can be.....

Regards,

Kareni

[Junie]

I have a goal to read 52 +52 books this year.  52 books to (possibly) add to my older kids' bookshelves and 52 children's books to add to my younger kids' bookshelves.  A lot of the children's books especially I could probably give to them without pre-reading, but one of my littles is extra-sensitive and with girls 2 years apart I have to know which girls the books are appropriate for.

Finished last week (or today):

Wuthering Heights -- Emily Bronte

Notes from the Underground -- Dostoyevsky

Luciana -- American Girl book

 

Slowly reading through:

The Bible

Story of the World Volume 3 -- SWB -- I read books 1 and 2 last year.  I've actually never read them before.  I'm learning a lot.

Speak Love -- Annie F. Downs -- devotional book that I'm doing with my teen/pre-teen girls

 

New books for this week:

The Red Badge of Courage -- Stephen Crane -- This book is my "purse book" which will take me a while to finish.  I like to keep a lightweight book in my purse for when I'm waiting for grocery pickup or waiting for dd16 to finish work.  I've never read this before.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn -- Mark Twain -- I have not read this book in a very long time.

Kennedy's Last Days -- Bill O'Reilly -- This is a pre-reading for my oldest two girls.  We are working through the 20th century decade by decade.  This month we are learning about the groovy 60s.

Speak: the Graphic Novel -- Laurie Halse Anderson -- I read this and the original book last year.  Surprisingly, I much preferred the graphic novel.  I checked this out of the library for an easy and enjoyable read.

 

 

 

Edited January 15, 2019 by Junie

[Kareni]

7 hours ago, JennW in SoCal said:

I'm listening to the first in a series recommended by my brother in law who is a long time sci-fi reader. He loves the politics in two series written by David Weber, and I decided to start with the Honor Harrington series. On Basilisk Station is ok, though the reader leaves a bit to be desired. I'm not inspired by politics, but do appreciate the strong female lead who is based on Horatio Hornblower, and I like the conceit of the British Navy in space. This may be a series I continue in print (or see if the narrator eventually changes).

I'm not one for politics in my reading (or at all to be honest); however, I read the first eleven books in the Honor Harrington series late last year. I'm taking a break in order to read other things. As the series progresses, the books get longer -- for example, book ten is 880 pages compared to On Basilisk Station's 422. Incidentally, I began the series because @Nan in Masshad mentioned them.

Regards,

Kareni

[ErinE]

.

Edited December 3, 2023 by ErinE

[JennW in SoCal]

12 minutes ago, Kareni said:

I'm not one for politics in my reading (or at all to be honest); however, I read the first eleven books in the Honor Harrington series late last year. I'm taking a break in order to read other things. As the series progresses, the books get longer -- for example, book ten is 880 pages compared to On Basilisk Station's 422. Incidentally, I began the series because @Nan in Masshad mentioned them.

Regards,

Kareni

 

I'm finishing Basilisk Station on my kindle, and as I expected, it is much, much better reading it in print than listening to the mono-toned narrator. I thought I had heard of these before, and it was you AND Nan! What better recommendation could there be?

That other book I mentioned, The Space Between the Stars is one I think you'd enjoy and anyone else who would like a more hopeful dystopian book. A friend put it into my hands saying it was her favorite book of last year. 

[Kareni]

1 hour ago, JennW in SoCal said:

That other book I mentioned, The Space Between the Stars is one I think you'd enjoy and anyone else who would like a more hopeful dystopian book. A friend put it into my hands saying it was her favorite book of last year. 

Thanks for the recommendation, Jenn; I've downloaded a sample of the book.

Regards,

Kareni

[NewIma]

Fun Honor Harrington/David Weber story! My dad LOVES David Weber and has read the whole Honor Harrington series several times on his own, and once aloud with my mom (it took them a few years!). Two years ago David Weber came to a conference in my town and I was able to get my dad and I tickets. My dad drove 20 hours to come visit and he and I spent the weekend going to talks by David. My dad's excitement was contagious and adorable! When my dad went to get David's autograph he got to shake his hand and get his picture taken with him. My dad is pretty reserved and the whole thing ended up being a wonderful bonding experience for us that I am so thankful for. 

[Kareni]

1 minute ago, NewIma said:

Fun Honor Harrington/David Weber story! My dad LOVES David Weber and has read the whole Honor Harrington series several times on his own, and once aloud with my mom (it took them a few years!). ....My dad is pretty reserved and the whole thing ended up being a wonderful bonding experience for us that I am so thankful for. 

What a wonderful experience for your father and for you, Newlma! Thanks for sharing.  

Regards,

Kareni

[KathyBC]

7 hours ago, aggieamy said:

I'm 55 out of 18 in line for this at the library. Might be awhile ...t it end up being aliens in some sort of commune or something like that?

 

2 hours ago, Kareni said:

I have to admit that I'm wondering how this can be.....

Regards,

Kareni

I believe she is 55th in line for 18 copies. 

[Kareni]

7 minutes ago, KathyBC said:

I believe she is 55th in line for 18 copies. 

Ahh, that makes sense!  Thank you, Kathy.

Regards,

Kareni

[JennW in SoCal]

59 minutes ago, NewIma said:

Fun Honor Harrington/David Weber story! My dad LOVES David Weber and has read the whole Honor Harrington series several times on his own, and once aloud with my mom (it took them a few years!). Two years ago David Weber came to a conference in my town and I was able to get my dad and I tickets. My dad drove 20 hours to come visit and he and I spent the weekend going to talks by David. My dad's excitement was contagious and adorable! When my dad went to get David's autograph he got to shake his hand and get his picture taken with him. My dad is pretty reserved and the whole thing ended up being a wonderful bonding experience for us that I am so thankful for. 

Yes -- thank you for sharing this story! What a wonderful weekend to have shared with your dad.

How was David Weber in person? Sometimes I get smitten by an author just based on hearing them talk at events and I wind up reading books which I might not otherwise pick up. 

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts ~

The Willow Pattern

https://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2019/01/the-willow-pattern.html

**

THE 5 BEST BOOKISH EPISODES OF M*A*S*H
CASSANDRA NEACE 

https://bookriot.com/2019/01/12/the-5-best-bookish-episodes-of-mash/

**

Five Fascinating Works of Israeli Speculative Fiction By Eyal Kless

Five Books About the Magical Post-Apocalypse  By Shaun Barger

Regards,

Kareni

[Robin M]

8 hours ago, Lady Florida. said:

My granddaughter Emma had her pre-op appointment this morning. Unlike last month, she's good and healthy now. She was cleared for surgery on Thursday. We'll all breathe a sigh of relief when it's over.

We all be holding you and the family and Emma in our thoughts on Thursday.  Hugs! 

[Robin M]

Here you go @JennW in SoCal

On 12/11/2018 at 6:45 PM, Violet Crown said:

Some Scottish writers dh and I have enjoyed reading (and who are neither Robert Louis Stevenson nor Sir Walter Scott) with some of their books:

John Buchan
Catherine Carswell, The Life of Robert Burns
Elspeth Davie
Arthur Conan Doyle
Elizabeth Grant, Memoirs of a Highland Lady
Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Sunset Song
Alasdair Gray, Lanark
James Hogg, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner
Robin Jenkins, The Cone Gatherers
David Lindsay, Voyage to Arcturus
Eric Linklater, Magnus Merriman
J. MacDougall Hay, Gillespie
Nancy Morrison, The Gowk Storm
Margaret Oliphant
John Prebble, The Highland Clearances
Muriel Spark
Orkneyinga Saga

Of these, my favorite obscure Scottish fiction books were Margaret Oliphant's very strange Calvinist ghost stories, the gothic Gillespie, and Hogg's lesser-known novel The Three Perils of Man. The Cone Gatherers and Sunset Song are the books most people seem to like best.

And Scottish poets other than Burns:

Robert Fergusson
Iain Crichton Smith
David Lindsay
George Mackay Brown
Edwin Muir
Hugh MacDiarmid
William Soutar
Norman MacCaig

ETA: Dh would like all to know that Lanark is a cult classic, and that he also liked James Kelman's How Late It Was, How Late, which won the 1994 Booker Prize. So now you know.

 

 

On 12/11/2018 at 8:47 PM, Robin M said:

More books set in Scotland or contemporary scottish authors

Diana Galbaldon's Outlander Series

Alexander Mc Call Smith's 44 Scotland Street series 

Iain Banks - The Crow Road (Bildungsroman)

Alistair Maclean - wrote Ice Station Zebra 

Val McDermid - Crime Writer for Dr Tony Hill series

Cozy Mysteries with Scottish theme

 

 

 

 

[JennW in SoCal]

Awwww, thank you @Robin M!!! 

I'm copying this, and saving it where I can find it. I love reading about a place and reading literature from or of that place before I visit. 

[Liz CA]

So, I am a total rebel and read whatever comes to mind or over whatever I trip on Overdrive.

So far in January: 

Rod Dreher: The Benedict Option (currently also being discussed at the Theologica Reads Club

Catherine Coulter:

• The Cove
• Hemlock Bay
• Final Cut (in progress)

These are crime fiction and pure entertainment.

Non-Fiction & "old" as it happened in 1983:

Lost at Sea by Patrick Dillon

The true (and therefore non-fiction) story of the two fishing vessels that left Anacortes WA in February of 1983 and were both lost in the Bering Sea with 14 crew members and the ensuing investigation as well as current rules and policies that resulted from this tragedy. A sad but also interesting recounting of how scientists recreated the most likely scenario.

For another "old" book and non-fiction (very loosely trying to fit into the categories), I will try:

Trace Evidence - The Hunt for the I 5 Killer by Bruce Henderson

This is dealing with a series of murders that occurred in my neck of the woods between 1958 and 1975. It is (supposedly) not just written as an investigative procedure but also sheds light on how the police officers dealt with what they found, how tenacious they were and never gave up in the face of hopelessness and budget cuts.

I have on hold the Coffeehouse Mysteries in Audiobook format. 

Edited January 15, 2019 by Liz CA

[aggieamy]

e that?

Edited January 15, 2019 by aggieamy

[mumto2]

@Lady Florida. I will be thinking of your family tomorrow.  Do the grandparents have their duty schedules worked out for the boys again?

Several years ago I did a reading challenge where I tracked the countries I visited in my reading.  I think I managed 38....my version allowed me to count multiple countries per book.  Anyway I just spent a really long time finding the website I used and thought I would share a link https://bighugelabs.com/map.php.  I enjoyed looking at my map!  If there is something better now please let me know! 😉

[Robin M]

15 hours ago, Kareni said:

Some bookish posts ~

The Willow Pattern

https://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2019/01/the-willow-pattern.html

**

THE 5 BEST BOOKISH EPISODES OF M*A*S*H
CASSANDRA NEACE 

https://bookriot.com/2019/01/12/the-5-best-bookish-episodes-of-mash/

**

Five Fascinating Works of Israeli Speculative Fiction By Eyal Kless

Five Books About the Magical Post-Apocalypse  By Shaun Barger

Regards,

Kareni

Thank you for the great links.  Enjoyed reading about Israeli speculative fiction and added Sisters of the Winter Woods to my wishlist.  The Five Books about the Magical Post Apocalypse --- I'm still working my way through the Wheels of Time series and currently on book 11.  I remember devouring all of the Dragonlance Chronicles back in the 80's. Weis and Hickman were two of my favorite authors along with Charles De Lint and Tom Dietz and Mercedes Lackey. Pretty sure I still have them all and wonder how I'd enjoy them now.  Hmm! 

 

 

[Robin M]

Speaking of Science Fiction - Check out Telling the China Story: The Rise and Rise of Chinese Science Fiction

8 Riveting Sci-Fi Reads for People Who Don’t Like Sci-Fi - They all look interesting

and seguing to memoirs with 8 year long stunt memoirs to inspire your new year.  Love A.J. Jacobs.  Added Jane Christmas's And Then There Were Nuns to my wishlist. 

😘