Book a Week 2019 - BW4: Sir Francis Bacon and Essays

[Robin M]

 Happy Sunday and welcome to week four 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. 

This week we celebrate the advent of essays as well as the birthday of Sir Francis Bacon.

Bacon was born January 22, 1561 in London, England and passed away at the age of 67 on April 9, 1626. He was a lawyer and statesman, as well as a writer. Due to his interest and work in philosophy and science, he is credited with developing the scientific method.  His literary works include Essays, The Advancement of Learning,  Novan Organum, and the The New Atlantis  as well as other philosophical, scientific and religious and juridical works.   Find out more about Sir Francis Bacon with 10 Major Accomplishments of Sir Francis Bacon and a round up of essays and articles by and about Sir Francis Bacon. 

50 Of Studies –

 "Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. Their chief use for delight, is in privateness and retiring; for ornament, is in discourse; and for ability, is in the judgment and disposition of business. For expert men can execute, and perhaps judge of particulars, one by one but the general counsels, and the plots and marshalling of affairs, come best from those that are learned. To spend too much time in studies is sloth; to use them too much for ornament, is affectation; to make judgment wholly by their rules, is the humour of a scholar.

They perfect nature, and are perfected by experience: for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need proyning[1]   by study; and studies themselves do give forth directions too much at large, except they be bounded in by experience.  Crafty men contemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use them; for they teach not their own use; but that is a wisdom without them, and above them, won by observation.

Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.

Some book also may be read by deputy, and extracts made of them by others; but that would be only in the less important arguments, and the meaner sort of books; else distilled books are like common distilled waters, flashy things.  Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man.

And therefore, if a man write little, he had need have a great memory; if he confer little, he had need have a present wit: and if he read little, he had need have much cunning, to seem to know that he doth not. Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtile; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend.  Abeunt studia in mores[2].

Nay there is no stond[3] or impediment in the wit, but may be wrought out by fit studies: like as diseases of the body may have appropriate exercises. Bowling is good for the stone and reins (kidneys) shooting for the lungs and breast; gentle walking for the stomach; riding for head; and the like. 

 So if a man's wit be wandering, let him study the mathemathics; for in demonstrations, if his wit be called away never so little, he must begin again. If his wit be not apt to distinguish or find differences, let him study the schoolmen; for they are cymini sectores[4]   If he be not apt to beat[5] over matters, and to call up one thing to prove and illustrate another, let him study the lawyers' cases. So every defect of the mind may have a special receipt."

 

Sir Francis Bacon was responsible for the first works in English to be named Essays. The essay gained its name as a literary form in the renaissance period with Michel de Montaigne, a french writer who called his written conversations essai which means "an attempt" or "to try".   Essayist Sir Richard Steele launched the first periodical dedicated to essays in "The Tatler" in the 1700's  and later on "The Spectator" which he co-authored with Joseph Addison.  

In the early 1800's, many periodicals began demanding essays to fill their pages. Soon authors began producing essays such a Charles Lamb, William Hazlitt, followed by American essayists Matthew Arnold, Thomas Henry Huxley, John Cardinal Newman and Robert Louis Stevenson to name a few.  Among the British essayists were G.K. Chesterton, Aldous Huxley and Virginia Woolf.

Susan Wise Bauer's Well Educated Mind suggests reading Michel de Montaigne Essays and in the Science section added in the 2016 revised versions,  Sir Francis Bacon's Novum Organum.  

Join me in reading Bacon, Montaigne, or the essayist of your choice during this year. 

 

 

[1] Proyning = pruning

[2] Abeunt studia in mores ⁼ studies develop into manners

[3] Stond = hindrance

[4] cymini sectores = hair splitters 

[5] Beat =  get to the bottom of

 

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Theologica Reads Club - An ecumenical group for those who want to dive a bit deeper into the discussions surrounding theological/religious reads. 

 We are currently reading and discussing The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher as well as other topics.     Let us know if you’d like to join.

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What are you reading?

 

Link to week three

[Negin]

Robin, thank you, as always, for this wonderful thread! 

I read Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman - 4 Stars - This was such an enjoyable read and I felt that I learned so much. I barely knew anything about Catherine the Great and Russian history before reading this. She was born to a minor noble German family. She married Peter, the only living grandson of Peter the Great, when she was fourteen. The story takes off from there. She was an incredible ruler and truly wanted what was best for Russia and its peoples. She improved hospitals and revised a code of laws. Her hours were intense – working from six in the morning until the late hours of the night.

Robert Massie truly has a gift for making figures in history come alive. His writing is engaging and his research is superb. Since I’m not interested in too many military and political details, those parts of the book did get a bit overly detailed at times, more towards the middle. I loved all the rest, however, am so happy that I read this, and I look forward to reading more by Massie. This book is an enjoyable read for anyone who loves history.

Finally, I was shocked to learn that the guillotine remained a form of execution in France until 1977!

My favorite quotes:

“She softened imperial presence with a sense of humor and a quick tongue; indeed, with Catherine more than any other monarch of her day, there was always a wide latitude for humor.”

“Books were her refuge. Having set herself to learn the Russian language, she read every Russian book she could find. But French was the language she preferred, and she read French books indiscriminately, picking up whatever her ladies-in-waiting happened to be reading. She always kept a book in her room and carried another in her pocket.”

“Supper was served, but Catherine never ate, and at ten she withdrew. When there was no official court reception, she entertained privately in the Hermitage. The company listened to a concert, watched a French or Russian play, or simply played games, performed charades, or played whist. During these gatherings, her long-standing rules remained in force: formality was banned; it was forbidden to rise when the empress stood; everyone talked freely; bad tempers were not tolerated; laughter was required.”

“I have had to endure much, and have only been able to endure it because I have always laughed whenever I had the chance.”

How she wished her grandchildren to be brought up:

"they are to be honest and courageous, be courteous to servants and elders", "grow their own gardens", "sufficient walks/exercise daily, bath every day".

MY RATING SYSTEM
5 Stars
The book is fantastic. It’s not perfect, since no book is, but it’s definitely a favorite of mine. 
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.

[Robin M]

I'm still reading The Source by James Michener and currently on page 373 out of 1100.  Have traveled through time from 9834 BCE to 100BCE so far and has been quite interesting and totally draws you into the life of the characters during that period of time. 

Taking a break with Cleveland Amory's Cat Who Came for Christmas which is absolutely delightful so far. Amory rescues a stray cat from a New York Alley and the result are hilarious and touching. 

Continuing with my sip read  - The View From the Cheap Seats by Neil Gaiman. Currently on the section on Comics and the People who Made Them.  Something of interest since James is so into comic books and has gotten me reading at least one series. IDW's Sonic of course, James favorite.

Edited January 20, 2019 by Robin M

[mumto2]

Yesterday I read a Finnish (translated) book calledThe Man Who Died by Antti Tuomainen that I could not put down.  It should have been depressing because at the book starts in a doctors office with the main character being told that he has been poisoned slowly and is dying,  no cure,  could be hours, days, or weeks.......he sets out to figure out who did this to him.  Along the way he discovers his nice as the owner of a mushroom company is not what he thought......it really was a page turner although I don’t think my description sounds very page turning.  😂. It was on a recent list......... As a bonus I get to use it as a 10X10 personal category of Brexit Express( books from 10 EU countries w/out UK).  Good enough that it received 5* on Goodreads from me.

I also finished the first Mrs.  Pollifax book.  I have heard about these cozies for years but never picked one up. The first one was written in 1983 and full of Cold War references which were great fun for me.  I was a bit offended that she is considered old at 65ish but as the CIA sent her on her dream spy mission.........not that old.  Anyway I used it as my something old for bingo ( as in old book series) and it also gives Hercule a U.  I need an R and I am done spelling for January!  Btw,  I gave Mrs. Pollifax a 5* and already have the second in the stack. 

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I prioritized my reading this week and chose to finish Mindset by Carol Dweck. It took longer than expected due to copious note taking (20 pages) and finding someone (usually my DH) with whom I could 'share' my newfound insights. I have purchased the book for my DD and hope she finds it as insightful as I did.

I am now back to my sip read and The Shell Seekers.

 

 

[Kareni]

I was following links yesterday and ended up at the website of (husband and wife) authors Ilona Andrews. (I know a number of us here have enjoyed their books.) While there I found a thread that was started in mid-December in which readers of the blog shared their three favorite (non IA) books of the year. The thread had hundreds and hundreds of responses, and I spent a happy couple of hours (you have been warned!) reading through them and downloading some twenty or so samples of books that piqued my interest. 

Open Thread for Author and Blog Recommendations

You'll see the acronym BDH; I learned that it stands for Book Devouring Horde.

Regards,

Kareni

[aggieamy]

1 hour ago, mumto2 said:

Yesterday I read a Finnish (translated) book calledThe Man Who Died by Antti Tuomainen that I could not put down.  It should have been depressing because at the book starts in a doctors office with the main character being told that he has been poisoned slowly and is dying,  no cure,  could be hours, days, or weeks.......he sets out to figure out who did this to him.  Along the way he discovers his nice as the owner of a mushroom company is not what he thought......it really was a page turner although I don’t think my description sounds very page turning.  😂. It was on a recent list......... As a bonus I get to use it as a 10X10 personal category of Brexit Express( books from 10 EU countries w/out UK).  Good enough that it received 5* on Goodreads from me.

I also finished the first Mrs.  Pollifax book.  I have heard about these cozies for years but never picked one up. The first one was written in 1983 and full of Cold War references which were great fun for me.  I was a bit offended that she is considered old at 65ish but as the CIA sent her on her dream spy mission.........not that old.  Anyway I used it as my something old for bingo ( as in old book series) and it also gives Hercule a U.  I need an R and I am done spelling for January!  Btw,  I gave Mrs. Pollifax a 5* and already have the second in the stack. 

I'm so surprised you haven't read her already. They're books I save to listen to as audiobooks because they're the perfect "weight" for that. 

[aggieamy]

Would you gals mind if I double brag on two people? The first is my DH who made me a reading/writing corner in my bedroom back in September for my birthday. Before that I would sit in bed at night and read/write. Not so good on the back when you're on the shady side of 37. 

Then Sandy  @mumto2) sent me the most amazing surprise and it fit perfectly in the theme of my corner. I cried tears when I opened the box. There's even a sweet message written in quilting stitch (probably not really called that but I'm not a quilter only a quilt admirer). I'll even include a couple of close ups so you can see how amazing it is. And look at the colors! She just randomly picked colors that are prefect for my bedroom. 

I also took a picture of the shelves so you can see my book titles. Because otherwise that's just a tease and nobody likes that. 

@Robin M - On the close up of the shelf you'll notice a little reading frog you sent me a couple years ago. He's my writing muse.  

Edited January 20, 2019 by aggieamy

[Negin]

4 minutes ago, aggieamy said:

Would you gals mind if I double brag on two people? The first is my DH who made me a reading/writing corner in my bedroom back in September for my birthday. Before that I would sit in bed at night and read/write. Not so good on the back when you're on the shady side of 37. 

Then Sandy  @mumto2) sent me the most amazing surprise and it fit perfectly in the theme of my corner. I cried tears when I opened the box. There's even a sweet message written in quilting stitch (probably not really called that but I'm not a quilter only a quilt admirer). I'll even include a couple of close ups so you can see how amazing it is. And look at the colors! She just randomly picked colors that are prefect for my bedroom. 

I also took a picture of the shelves so you can see my book titles. Because otherwise that's just a tease and nobody likes that. 

@Robin M - On the close up of the shelf you'll notice a little reading frog you sent me a couple years ago. He's my writing muse.  

 

 

 

 

This is all so lovely!

[Lady Florida.]

30 minutes ago, aggieamy said:

Would you gals mind if I double brag on two people? The first is my DH who made me a reading/writing corner in my bedroom back in September for my birthday. Before that I would sit in bed at night and read/write. Not so good on the back when you're on the shady side of 37. 

Then Sandy  @mumto2) sent me the most amazing surprise and it fit perfectly in the theme of my corner. I cried tears when I opened the box. There's even a sweet message written in quilting stitch (probably not really called that but I'm not a quilter only a quilt admirer). I'll even include a couple of close ups so you can see how amazing it is. And look at the colors! She just randomly picked colors that are prefect for my bedroom. 

I also took a picture of the shelves so you can see my book titles. Because otherwise that's just a tease and nobody likes that. 

@Robin M - On the close up of the shelf you'll notice a little reading frog you sent me a couple years ago. He's my writing muse.  

 

What a lovely book corner! I love that so many helped create it - your dh, Sandy, and Robin. Before I even saw the close up photos I spotted the nod to the detective genre with the Sherlock Holmes hat. 🙂 

[Liz CA]

Well...I am nowhere near Francis Bacon and it will be a while before I get there because I have so many other books in my Overdrive queue.  🙂

Currently still reading "Final Cut" by Coulter and J T Ellison and I think Ellison's influence is noticeable. Fast paced fun read.

Next is either "Maze" by Coulter or the final Poirot book which I am trying to snag. Poirot week was a few weeks ago. I feel behind somehow even though I know it does not matter. 🙂

Then there are two non-fiction books I started but I own those so I can take my time with those.

[Mothersweets]

Amy, I love  your book corner! ❤️ And the quilt is just perfect!!

I finally finished listening to 11/22/63 by Stephen King last week. I thought the beginning was really strong but by 3/4 of the way through it started to drag a bit for me. Still a good story and the reader did a great job with all the voices. 

I also read Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty. I gave it three stars and maybe that's a touch generous. I normally really enjoy her stories but this one ended up being pretty over the top.

I also read a gentle, quiet story The Lark Shall Sing by Elizabeth Cadell. This is a new-to-me author but she first published during WWII. Another book that I gave 3 stars but really should have been a 2 or 2 and a half. I didn't really feel much of anything for the characters and finished the book just to see if what I thought would happen, did happen. And it did. She has about 25 or 30 books so I'll try another one but am not sure if this an author I will continue to read. I was expecting another D. E. Stevenson type book but this didn't quite reach that level. Anyone else read her?

I have the new Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adaptation by Ari Folman on my nightstand as well as The Borden Murders: Lizzie Borden and the Trial of the Century by Sarah Miller. Neither one is very good for bedtime reading so I think I'll be on the lookout for another cozy something-or-other. 😉

 

[Kareni]

1 hour ago, aggieamy said:

Would you gals mind if I double brag on two people? The first is my DH who made me a reading/writing corner in my bedroom back in September for my birthday. ... 

Then Sandy  @mumto2) sent me the most amazing surprise and it fit perfectly in the theme of my corner. ...

What lovely gifts, Amy; brag away! What a wonderful gift from your husband.  And I hear you on the perils of reading in bed says this person who hasn't seen 37 in a looong time.

Sandy, you do nice work. I liked that rebel bus...very cute!

Regards,

Kareni

[Matryoshka]

Finished 3 books this week:

5. Fräulein Smillas Gespür für Schnee / Smilla's Sense of Snow by Peter Høeg - there were definitely some interesting bits in this book - I had never read anything that even touched on Denmark's colonialist attitudes toward Greenland and its people - but much of the plot didn't hang together that well for me.  It seemed the baddies knew who Smilla was, but somehow they just let her go about her digging.  And more than one guy seems to not be at all bothered by being badly beat up by her as they then still help her afterwards.  Why?  But this did check off a lot of boxes for the 10x10 challenge, and filled a Bingo square too.  3 stars.

6. Orhan's Inheritance by Aline Ohanesian (audiobook) - A young Turkish man is left the family business by his grandfather (skipping his father, the default heir), and then leaves the family house to a woman in a nursing home in California.  The young man goes to meet her to get her to sign the house back over and also figure out what his grandfather was up to.  The Armenian genocide figures in to the plot, which is another piece of history I knew very few details of other than it happened.  4 stars.

7. God: A Human History by Reza Aslan (ebook) - didn't think I'd finish this this week, but then suddenly the book ended at 55%.  Apparently the rest was bibliography and Notes!  I really liked Aslan's Zealot when I read it last year.  I liked this one too, but not quite as much - it's kind of an anthropological view of the human societies' thinking about gods/God.  Some of it seemed a bit obvious for anyone who's read some history, but there were some chapters that had some fresh ideas (at least for me), so I'll give it 3.5 stars.

Currently reading:

- The Cross by Sigrid Undset (Kristin Lavransdatter #3) - back to Kristin after a break.  Liking this third installment so far.

- Ghostwritten by David Mitchell - enjoying this so far.  First book in my attempted read through Mitchell's works this year.

- A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (audiobook) - will have to listen quickly, as it came through before I was ready to start it!  A bit less than an hour in so far.

- The Tangled Tree: A Radical New History of Life by David Quammen (ebook) - just started this this morning, so not a lot to say yet. 😉

[Matryoshka]

2 hours ago, aggieamy said:

Would you gals mind if I double brag on two people? The first is my DH who made me a reading/writing corner in my bedroom back in September for my birthday. Before that I would sit in bed at night and read/write. Not so good on the back when you're on the shady side of 37. 

Then Sandy  @mumto2) sent me the most amazing surprise and it fit perfectly in the theme of my corner. I cried tears when I opened the box. There's even a sweet message written in quilting stitch (probably not really called that but I'm not a quilter only a quilt admirer). I'll even include a couple of close ups so you can see how amazing it is. And look at the colors! She just randomly picked colors that are prefect for my bedroom. 

I also took a picture of the shelves so you can see my book titles. Because otherwise that's just a tease and nobody likes that. 

@Robin M - On the close up of the shelf you'll notice a little reading frog you sent me a couple years ago. He's my writing muse.  

Amy, the reading nook and the quilt are beautiful!  Kudos also to all who helped you create this cozy refuge. 

[Ali in OR]

I'm about halfway through Smilla's Sense of Snow and still enjoying it. I also have Pancakes in Paris which is our next book club pick. It's a memoir of a guy who opened an American breakfast restaurant in Paris. There's only one library copy which I stupidly got to first, so I kind of need to read it quickly and get it to someone else in our group.

[mom22es]

4 hours ago, Negin said:

Robin, thank you, as always, for this wonderful thread! 

I read Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman - 4 Stars - 

Oh, I read this years ago and loved it.  I have read several other of Massie's books.  This one and his Nicholas and Alexandra are my favorites.  Loved your take-aways from the book.

[Teaching3bears]

I read Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro and the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, both books with really well-developed characters and I strongly recommend them.  I am now reading Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden.  I have to say that all these books are very sad.

For homeschooling, we finished La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman and cannot wait until the next book comes out.  We are also reading Moby Dick.  Beautiful writing.

We are also studying the Renaissance and I wrote down Michel De Montaigne's name as someone to study more as he seemed to be such a sane voice in time when there was so much war.

 

 

 

[Negin]

8 hours ago, mom22es said:

Oh, I read this years ago and loved it.  I have read several other of Massie's books.  This one and his Nicholas and Alexandra are my favorites.  Loved your take-aways from the book.

I've read the one on Peter the Great. I can't wait to read more. 

[Negin]

9 hours ago, Mothersweets said:

I have the new Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adaptation by Ari Folman on my nightstand 

 

This reminds me of this one that we saw in the Anne Frank House when we visited Amsterdam a few years ago. 

[Negin]

Kindle books on sale today. 

The Hundred-Year House (historical fiction)

Outrage, Inc. (politics)

Why We Make Mistakes (psychology)

      

 

[mumto2]

20 hours ago, Kareni said:

I was following links yesterday and ended up at the website of (husband and wife) authors Ilona Andrews. (I know a number of us here have enjoyed their books.) While there I found a thread that was started in mid-December in which readers of the blog shared their three favorite (non IA) books of the year. The thread had hundreds and hundreds of responses, and I spent a happy couple of hours (you have been warned!) reading through them and downloading some twenty or so samples of books that piqued my interest. 

Open Thread for Author and Blog Recommendations

You'll see the acronym BDH; I learned that it stands for Book Devouring Horde.

Regards,

Kareni

That was fun,  thank you!

 

19 hours ago, aggieamy said:

I'm so surprised you haven't read her already. They're books I save to listen to as audiobooks because they're the perfect "weight" for that. 

No idea how I missed Mrs. Pollifax.  Maybe my library at the time did not have them? 😉 Doubtful,  I am wondering if the covers simply did not say pick me up and read me....yes, I am sort of serious.  For impulse reads I am all about the cover!

Also thanks everyone for the kind quilt comments. 

I finished this month’s Whodunit Challenge. My plan for this challenge is to spell first and last names of each detective but Robin has lots of ways to complete the challenge over on 52 books.  I love these challenges because I can use pretty much any book to spell with and it gives me an excuse to read fluffy books each month for a letter.  😉 If you look at my books you will see I really have a bit of lots of genres represented......Chic Lit, Urban Fantasy, Mystery, Cozy.....Some were used for other challenges.  Next week I will sit down with my stack and see which letters I already have in my to read pile for the next detective,  after that I fill in off of wish lists etc.  

H......  Mr. Hotshot CEO by Jackie Lau

E......The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

R.....Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhouse

C.....The Law of Angels by Cassandra Clark

U......The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman

L.......Still Life by Louise Penny

E........A Different Kind of Evil by Andrew Wilson

 

P......The Ice Princess by Camilla Luckbuerg

O.....The Other Miss Bridgestone by Julia Quinn

I.......Broken Ice by Matt Goldman

R......The Dead Ringer by MC Beaton

O......Death Overdue by Mary Lou Kirwin

T.......The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch

 

[Negin]

2 hours ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

The Massie book review is perfect timing @Negin. This will be helpful for filling out some reading for dd for history.  

Not sure how old your dd is, but it may not be appropriate for all audiences - nothing very graphic, that I recall - just thought to let you know. 

[Lady Florida.]

On 1/20/2019 at 2:43 PM, Negin said:

Robin, thank you, as always, for this wonderful thread! 

I read Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman - 4 Stars -

 

 

19 hours ago, mom22es said:

Oh, I read this years ago and loved it.  I have read several other of Massie's books.  This one and his Nicholas and Alexandra are my favorites.  Loved your take-aways from the book.

 

11 hours ago, Negin said:

I've read the one on Peter the Great. I can't wait to read more. 

I read Catherine the Great and NIcholas and Alexandra and thoroughly enjoyed both. I tried to read Peter the Great last year but couldn't get through it because it was a library book. I should probably buy it so I don't feel rushed trying to finish it. I do like how Massie writes. Did you know his interest in the Romanovs started because he had a child with hemophilia? 

[Robin M]

22 hours ago, aggieamy said:

Would you gals mind if I double brag on two people? The first is my DH who made me a reading/writing corner in my bedroom back in September for my birthday. Before that I would sit in bed at night and read/write. Not so good on the back when you're on the shady side of 37. 

Then Sandy  @mumto2) sent me the most amazing surprise and it fit perfectly in the theme of my corner. I cried tears when I opened the box. There's even a sweet message written in quilting stitch (probably not really called that but I'm not a quilter only a quilt admirer). I'll even include a couple of close ups so you can see how amazing it is. And look at the colors! She just randomly picked colors that are prefect for my bedroom. 

I also took a picture of the shelves so you can see my book titles. Because otherwise that's just a tease and nobody likes that. 

@Robin M - On the close up of the shelf you'll notice a little reading frog you sent me a couple years ago. He's my writing muse.  

Wow! What a wonderful hubby and you have a great reading / writing nook . Sandy continually impresses me with her creativity.  So much detail and yes the colors are beautiful.  Love the hedgehog!  So sweet that the reading frog has turned into your muse.  😘  Enjoying all the detail on the quilt, plus looking at your books.  Happy writing! 

Edited January 21, 2019 by Robin M

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts ~

From the Word Wenches:  Rhapsody in Blue—science and art!

From Dear Author:  REVIEW: Word by Word by Kory Stamper

Long-lost Jane Austen family photo discovered on eBay.

FIND THE PERFECT READING NOOK IDEAS FOR SMALL, MEDIUM, AND LARGE SPACES

Regards,

Kareni

[Robin M]

2 hours ago, Kareni said:

Some bookish posts ~

From the Word Wenches:  Rhapsody in Blue—science and art!

From Dear Author:  REVIEW: Word by Word by Kory Stamper

Long-lost Jane Austen family photo discovered on eBay.

FIND THE PERFECT READING NOOK IDEAS FOR SMALL, MEDIUM, AND LARGE SPACES

Regards,

Kareni

@KareniHey Karen, is this the link for nook ideas?  Perfect reading nook ideas

[Kareni]

28 minutes ago, Robin M said:

@KareniHey Karen, is this the link for nook ideas?  Perfect reading nook ideas

Oops!  Try this ~  https://bookriot.com/2019/01/15/reading-nook-ideas/

I'll try to correct my earlier post.

Regards,

Kareni

[Negin]

Kindle book on sale today - biography. 

[marbel]

On 1/20/2019 at 4:53 PM, aggieamy said:

Would you gals mind if I double brag on two people? The first is my DH who made me a reading/writing corner in my bedroom back in September for my birthday. Before that I would sit in bed at night and read/write. Not so good on the back when you're on the shady side of 37. 

<snip>

What a beautiful quilt!  Your reading nook looks very comfortable.

My goal of focusing on nonfiction this year is already failing... :-)  I don't seem to have the mental capacity right now.  I am stuck in chapter 3 of The Benedict Option and have all but given up on my John McPhee geology book.  

On 1/21/2019 at 10:30 AM, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

<snip>

I only finished one book in the last two weeks: In the Woods by Tana French. I gave it 3/5 stars. It started loosing me toward the end so I sped it up to 1.75 speed and finished while cleaning the house. It was a different tone than the Dervla McTiernan book The Ruin. I felt like The Ruin was much darker and woven differently, so I would still say it’s more my preference. But I will read more from French for sure. I think a difference was also the narrators. The Ruin narrator did excellent (to my US ears) accents, whereas the French book narrator was just an English accent the whole way through- regardless of character. And since it’s in Dublin, that was sort of disappointing. Not a deal breaker, but maybe impacted the book. 

<snip>

I had the opposite reaction to The Ruin vs In the Woods. I found The Ruin to be just meh but love all the Tana French novels.  In fact I picked up The Ruin in part because somewhere I saw it characterized as 'for fans of Tana French' but it didn't even come close for me. It seemed to move so slowly.  

And re: the accent:  This is so nit-picky, forgive me. But the narrator of In the Woods went to school in England.  "I have a perfect BBC accent, picked up at boarding school..."  So, yeah. That said, I didn't like the narrator of the audio when I tried it for a second run through the book, and went back to paper.   :-)

Now I am in the midst of The Citadel by A. J. Cronin, one of my mother's favorite authors. I came across it on Overdrive while searching for something else and it is delighting me so far. It's an old-fashioned sort of novel (written in 1937) about an idealistic young doctor working in a Welsh mining town in the period between the wars.  It's not great literature but it is a well-written story, at least so far. It's not fast-paced nor what most people would consider a page-turner, but I do look forward to reading on. Last night I snuck it out at midnight at work when it was very quiet... shhh don't tell on me.  :-)

[Kareni]

Some more bookish posts ~

Five SFF Books that Subvert Gender Roles  by Amy Ewing

5 Young Adult Novels That Blew Me Away  by Django Wexler

and an older one for fans of Sherlock Holmes:   The Great Pastiche Game: Notable Non-Doyle Holmes Books by Ryan Britt

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Some books that are currently free for Kindle readers:

Fantasy...Lucian Bane's The Scribbler Guardian 1: Arks Of Octava

Time travel romance... The Draig's Choice (Draig Series)

Collection of romance novels... Valentines Days & Nights

Male/male romance... Burn Me

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I've finished several books over the past few days.

I enjoyed Carla Kelly's historical romance Miss Whittier Makes a List which features a young American Quaker and a British sea captain.

 "Miss Hannah Whittier was a most proper young lady, but now she found herself in a most improper position. Not only was she the sole female on a British man-of-war, but the ship's commander, Captain Sir Daniel Spark, seemed to feel she owed him far more than gratitude for fishing her out of the sea. 

This overbearingly arrogant officer was all that Hannah found infuriating in a man--and it should have been easy to repulse his advances... if only he were not so handsome... if only he did not know how to be so charming... if only she did not find that the salt air worked a sea change on her senses... as powerful currents swept her far from familiar shores into unknown waters where the compass of conscience could not guide her on a course that was headed for the shoals of scandal and rocks of ruin..."

 **

I also read Rick R. Reed's Sky Full of Mysteries. This is a story (a romance?) that kept me guessing as to the resolution. 

"What if your first love was abducted and presumed dead—but returned twenty years later?

That’s the dilemma Cole Weston faces. Now happily married to Tommy D’Amico, he’s suddenly thrown into a surreal world when his first love, Rory Schneidmiller, unexpectedly reappears.

Where has Rory been all this time? Has he time-traveled? What happened to him two decades ago, when a strange mass appeared in the night sky and lifted him into outer space? Rory has no memory of those years. For him, it’s as though only a day or two has passed.

Rory still loves Cole with the passion unique to young first love. Cole has never forgotten Rory, yet Tommy has been his rock, by his side since Rory disappeared.

Cole is forced to choose between an idealized and passionate first love and the comfort of a long-term marriage. How can he decide? Who faces this kind of quandary, anyway? The answers might lie among the stars…."

 **

and I enjoyed rereading Anne Bishops' Written in Red once again.

Regards,

Kareni

[Penguin]

@aggieamy I loved seeing your nook. And that quilt!! What a treasure!

—

This week:

I am still reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell because it is long. I am still reading Anne Franks Dagbog because I read very slowly in Danish. 

I started watching the BBC’s Middlemarch miniseries on the plane, and I am really enjoying it.

Edited January 23, 2019 by Penguin

[Robin M]

Questions of the Week?  Would you rather...

Be invisible or be able to read minds?

Would you rather have a flying carpet or a car that can drive underwater?

Be stranded on a deserted island alone or with someone you don’t like?

Live on the beach or in a cabin in the woods?

 

😘

 

Edited January 23, 2019 by Robin M

[Kareni]

Those of you who read on a Kindle might be interested in this Limited Time Offer.

Spend $20 and Get $5

 

Get $5 back in eBook credit when you spend $20 on eBooks between Jan 22 and Jan 28, 2019

Here

 

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

A couple of weeks ago I reread the a book in one of my favorite series Ben Aaronovitch’s The Hanging Tree.  I forgot to mark the spot but Peter Grant is examine a crime scene to see if the crime could have magical links and studies the bookshelf.  He notes that the bookshelf has several titles that they watch for including The Dark is Rising series and The Weirdstone of Brisingamen.  So......A year ago a read The Dark is Rising for the first time at the urging of a group here but had never heard of this Weirdstone series so naturally I needed to read it!  It is pretty good.  It has a quest and dwarfs, goblins, and a wizard.  A mix of Welsh and Nordic folklore.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/694997.The_Weirdstone_of_Brisingamen

 

@Kareni I am sure you already know this but the next book in The Written in Red series will be released in March.

.  I am second on the list.  I need to get cracking if I am going to reread that series first,  I promised myself I would!

 

[mumto2]

5 hours ago, Robin M said:

Questions of the Week?  Would you rather...

Be invisible or be able to read minds?   I think being able to read minds would be rather horrifying.  Think of all the awful things you might learn.  Being invisible would be fun, very short term.

Would you rather have a flying carpet or a car that can drive underwater? I love the underwater bits of Bednobs and Broomsticks which is a favorite because the get to bob along at the bottom of the deep blue sea!   Driving underwater would be amazing!

Be stranded on a deserted island alone or with someone you don’t like? Do I have books?  I would probably prefer by myself unless the disliked person really had a great deal of really useful knowledge for survival.  

Live on the beach or in a cabin in the woods?  The beach.  I love the beach!

 

😘

 

 

[Junie]

5 hours ago, Robin M said:

Questions of the Week?  Would you rather...

Be invisible or be able to read minds?

Would you rather have a flying carpet or a car that can drive underwater?

Be stranded on a deserted island alone or with someone you don’t like?

Live on the beach or in a cabin in the woods?

 

😘

 

I would rather be able to read minds since everyone here assumes that I already can.

I would rather have a flying carpet because I know of a song I could sing.

I would rather be stranded with (almost) anyone on a desert island than be alone.  I guess if it got really bad I could kill the other person and then I would be alone.  Let's hope it wouldn't come to that, though.

Live on the beach (I assume in a very nice beach home).

 

 

[Kareni]

25 minutes ago, mumto2 said:

 

@Kareni I am sure you already know this but the next book in The Written in Red series will be released in March.

I am second on the list.  I need to get cracking if I am going to reread that series first,  I promised myself I would!

I do indeed know, and I'm eager to read it. I just checked, and I am also second on the library's hold list.

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

16 minutes ago, Junie said:

I would rather be stranded with (almost) anyone on a desert island than be alone.  I guess if it got really bad I could kill the other person and then I would be alone.  Let's hope it wouldn't come to that, though.

You have hidden depths, Junie, and you just made me laugh. I shared your reply with my husband who said (after laughing), "What are they going to do? Call the cops? There are no cops."

 I'm with you though in that I'd want someone else around.  But, like mumto2, I'd want books. That could be one definition of hell -- solitude and no books.

Regards,

Kareni

[Junie]

I forgot to report on last week's books.

I re-read Speak (the graphic novel) by Laurie Halse Anderson and passed it on to dd16.  She has been homeschooled since the beginning.  I told her that this book is very close to what my high school was like.  The main character's experience was not mine, but the atmosphere of the school was very similar.

I also read Kennedy's Last Days by Bill O'Reilly.  This was a really easy read with a lot of information, although I thought it read like the script of "48 Hours" or some similar program.  The very short chapters helped keep the timeline and broke the information into manageable bites, but some of them seemed too short -- almost like teasers of things to come.   If not for the seriousness of the subject matter, this book felt like it was written for 10 year olds.  I liked it, but I would have liked it more if it had gone a little deeper than the surface.  (I passed this book on to dd16 and dd14, as they are studying the 1960s this month.)

I am still chugging up and down the Mighty Mississippi with Huck and Jim.  I haven't read this since high school and there are good chunks of this book that I didn't remember.  I read Wuthering Heights last week (for the first time since high school) and I liked that book better than I thought I would.  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, though, is disappointing.  I like Huck and Jim well enough, but the rest of the characters seem surreal.  I feel that they are caricatures rather than characters.

I have not made much progress on The Red Badge of Courage, a book I've not read before.  I'm having a hard time getting into it.  I was surprised to find out that this book is written about the Civil War.  In my mind I had this book as written much earlier.  I will be interested to see what I take away from this book, considering I grew up in a northern state and now live in a southern state.  I know that my perspective would have been limited if I had read this in high school.  A summary of my high school education regarding the Civil War can be summarized in two lessons: The Battle of Gettysburg and We Won.

 

[Granny_Weatherwax]

17 hours ago, Robin M said:

Questions of the Week?  Would you rather...

Be invisible or be able to read minds?

Would you rather have a flying carpet or a car that can drive underwater?

Be stranded on a deserted island alone or with someone you don’t like?

Live on the beach or in a cabin in the woods?

😘

 

1. I hate my picture taken so having the ability to be invisible would be wonderful. I don't think I would want to be invisible all of the time though.

2.I would love a car that could drive underwater. It would have to be environmentally safe as I wouldn't want to injure the wildlife or the ecosystem. I'm not sure I would drive it underwater unless I absolutely had to.

3.I would rather be stranded with someone. I would love to be on Naked and Afraid and try my hand at survival. 

4.A cabin in the woods without a doubt. That is my dream for retirement.

[-M-]

Hello, BaWers!

Over the winter break, my younger daughter borrowed my copy of the Halperin translation of Michael Bernanos’ wonderfully creepy and unforgettable The Other Side of the Mountain. * Mischa Berlinski’s Fieldwork caught my eye when I refiled it. What a perfect “Read from the shelves” selection: I received the review copy nearly twelve years ago! The book was good as Stephen King’s EW editorial promised, and it fits neatly onto the mental shelf where I recently placed two other novels about anthropology: Euphoria by Lily King (one of the best books I read last year) and The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara (disturbing content but excellently written).

Since my last post, I also finished Upgrade Soul (Ezra Claytan Daniels; 2016), which I borrowed from the library. For those of you who are still resisting graphic works, especially those who enjoy speculative, dystopian, and/or science fiction, this would be a fabulous introduction to the graphic work form: deceptively simple art enriches a compelling and original story. Bonus: The protagonists are a vibrant, intelligent couple who have been married forty-five years.

It has been a slow reading month, but many of my bookmarks are in the last quarter of their books, so I hope to add a few more to my list before month’s end. Sure, it would be easy to blame my discovery of Parks and Recreation on Prime Video for the paucity of books read, but I have also been walking more; and my winter break concluded a few days after my last post, so I have returned to work and to music lessons and practice. ASL studies and snow removal have also nibbled on my reading time. Okay, okay. Yeah. I’ve been gleefully enjoying Parks and Recreation episodes — not binge-ing but definitely choosing the series over a book. If you’re a fan, you probably understand. Color me chagrined.

* I recently learned about another translation by Gio Clairval and have added it to my “Want to read” list.

Edited January 24, 2019 by Melissa M

[-M-]

20 hours ago, Robin M said:

Questions of the Week?  Would you rather...

Be invisible or be able to read minds?

Would you rather have a flying carpet or a car that can drive underwater?

Be stranded on a deserted island alone or with someone you don’t like?

Live on the beach or in a cabin in the woods?

 

😘

 

 

Read minds.

Carpet.

Alone.

A cabin in the woods steps from the beach. Think Maine.

 

[Kareni]

4 hours ago, Junie said:

(I passed this book on to dd16 and dd14, as they are studying the 1960s this month.)

When my daughter was studying that era, we (my husband included) enjoyed listening to a CD by Tom Lehrer. I recommend An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer (This is not for the easily offended even though many of his numbers were first recorded in the fifties and sixties.) You may already be familiar with his songs The Elements (look on Youtube) or Poisoning Pigeons in the Park. 

We have now collected several of his CDs and I frequently play them.

Regards,
Kareni

[KathyBC]

Finished our book club read, All the Light We Cannot See (Doerr). For some reason, I thought I had read this book already. I must have had it confused with other WWII France novels.
What a beautiful book, packed with such believable characters. Thought-provoking as to how each of us would live if born in a particular time and place.

[Emba]

@aggieamy I am so envious of that quilt. I made my SIL bookshelf quit a few years ago (school librarian) but have never gotten around to one for myself. Maybe someday. Or at least I could make a block or two into a tote bag. I always take a bus tote bag to the library.

[mumto2]

7 minutes ago, emba56 said:

@aggieamy I am so envious of that quilt. I made my SIL bookshelf quit a few years ago (school librarian) but have never gotten around to one for myself. Maybe someday. Or at least I could make a block or two into a tote bag. I always take a bus tote bag to the library.

So far I have made two bookshelf quilts.......and have given them both away!  I am so glad Amy loves it! 😀. Dd thinks I should make the Harry Potter themed bookshelf quilt next!

[Kareni]

This evening I finished my first reread of SK Dunstall's Stars Uncharted. I'd enjoyed the book initially, but my pleasure was dimmed because I had wanted more of the world that the authors had created in their first trilogy. I enjoyed this read more.

 "In this rip-roaring space opera, a ragtag band of explorers are out to make the biggest score in the galaxy. 

On this space jump, no one is who they seem . . . 

Captain Hammond Roystan is a simple cargo runner who has stumbled across the find of a lifetime: the Hassim, a disabled exploration ship--and its valuable record of unexplored worlds. 

His junior engineer, Josune Arriola, said her last assignment was in the uncharted rim. But she is decked out in high-level bioware that belies her humble backstory. 

A renowned body-modification artist, Nika Rik Terri has run afoul of clients who will not take no for an answer. She has to flee off-world, and she is dragging along a rookie modder, who seems all too experienced in weapons and war . . . 

Together this mismatched crew will end up on one ship, hurtling through the lawless reaches of deep space with Roystan at the helm. Trailed by nefarious company men, they will race to find the most famous lost world of all--and riches beyond their wildest dreams . . . "

Regards,

Kareni