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Book a Week 2019 - BW16: World Art Day


Robin M
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Welcome to week sixteen 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. 

Happy Sunday! Taxes are due on Monday and whether we are getting money back or have to pay, our souls need to be soothed and rejuvenated after slogging through all those receipts, numbers and forms. April 15th is also Patriot's Day in New EnglandRubber Eraser Day, Titanic Remembrance day and World Art Day

Let's celebrate World Art Day by reading books about artists or art styles, historical fiction and mysteries as well as how to unleash your inner artist and your creativity. 

Art History's Eight Greatest Mysteries—from Stonehenge to Banksy

Bookriot - 9 of the best historical fiction books about Artists

Brainpickings - Harriet Hosmer on Art and Ambition: The World’s First Successful Woman Sculptor on What It Takes to Be a Great Artist

Art Book - Spring 2019 Featured Contemporary & 20th Century Art

50 Inspiring Books about Art History 

Goodreads - Popular Art Mystery Books and Popular Art Inspiration

Amazon - Art Books for Artists

Buzzfeed - 37 Books Every Creative Person Should Be Reading

 

 

Art

 In placid hours well-pleased we
Of many a brave unbodied scheme.
But form to lend, pulsed life create,
What unlike things must meet and mate:
A flame to melt--a wind to freeze;
Sad patience--joyous energies;
Humility--yet pride and scorn;
Instinct and study; love and hate;
Audacity--reverence. These must mate,
And fuse with Jacob's mystic heart
To wrestle with the angel--Art.

~ Herman Melville

 

What are you reading?

Link to week fifteen

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I'm revisiting Nalini Singh's  world of the psychangeling.  Finished reread of Silver Silence and Ocean Light. Wolf Rain will be out in June.  😀 Last couple days have been immersed in Slave to Sensation. Next up Visions in Heat.   

My excitement for the day is finishing the taxes and a thorough cleaning of the litter boxes.  🤸‍♀️

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I’m in a reading slump (& a writing slump). I did finally finish The Chosen by Potok (a reread) at about 1 am this morning while waiting for the all clear during a tornado warning. 

This week, I plan to do more reading aloud (Penderwicks in Spring and Year of Impossible Goodbyes).  Also, to keep up with my girls’ lessons, Night by Wiesel for dd13’s history, and something undecided as yet for dd14’s lit. 

Sometimes all I can do is keep up with the homeschool. 

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I finished Book 6 in the Mahabharata.  Book 7 looks to be similar and similarly long.  I think maybe this was more of a guy story.  It goes on and on about gory battles.  I do realize the war is the central event, but all the details about the wounded elephants and severed heads and rivers of blood, over and over ... just not my kind of literature.

With the kids:  Still early in the read-aloud, Spy School - Secret Service.  About 5/6 done with The Long Winter on audiobook.  I really hope to finish both of them this week, before Thursday, because we are about to go travel for the following week and a half, and I don't think I will be doing any read-alouds on the trip.

We are going to Dubai and Abu Dhabi.  I did find and buy a book called "Amanda in Arabia," which is supposed to be right for my kids' age.  Not really sure what kind of book it is yet.  I know we aren't allowed to bring in any books that don't agree with Muslim religion / values, so I should probably take a look before deciding whether to pack it.

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I finished my Fatal series book by Marie Force and am now waiting for the next to become availiable.  It shouldn’t take long. 😋

While I wait I started Hush Hush by Mel Sherratt.  Going to be honest and say I am not loving it but that may be more a mood thing.  Right now curling up with fluffy romance novels is totally my thing since Hush Hush appears to be gritty police police procedural set in Staffordshire......  For anyone who did Brit Tripping last year Staffs is a hard county to find a book for and to bump into one unexpectedly sort of means I need to finish it!  I decided to update (umm start) my Brit Trip list and was pleasantly surprised to discover that I have finished 19 counties rather haphazardly.....definitely no following the roads this time through!

I took a look at my other challenges too,  I think I might need a new set of words for the Scavenger Hunt since I have only completed one book for that challenge.  The Scavenger Hunt involves picking a book out and going to page 10, then to every 10th word, for 10 words.  Then reading a book with those words in the title....my words just aren’t in enough titles that interest me to make this fun. I am avoiding it.

Most of my other challenges have 3 or 4 books completed so I believe I am on track to finish.

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I read The Academy - 3 Stars - This is a short story and an introduction/prequel to the Tracy Crosswhite series. It was a fun and light read. I look forward to reading more in the series. 

Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible: The Fascinating History of Everything in Your Closet – 4 Stars - I adore Tim Gunn, and reading this book was an absolute delight. It had two things that I love – history and fashion. As with his other books, Tim Gunn’s writing style makes it all so interesting and fun. While reading it, I could almost hear his voice narrating, which made it even more enjoyable. I cannot share images here. If you wish to see my Good Reads review with images, here's the link

Some of my favorite quotes:

ON AMERICAN FASHION DESIGNERS
“I am especially concerned that American fashion not be forgotten. Once, I met the head of a hot design school in the Netherlands, and she expressed nothing but contempt for American design – an attitude I find very offensive when espoused by Europeans and downright tragic when held by Americans. When I look through ‘Project Runway’ applications, I am always struck by how few American designers are cited in their influences section. Invariably, the only designers they name are Alexander McQueen, Christian Dior, and Coco Chanel – often misspelled ‘Channel.’ You only rarely see American designers listed. If you do, it’s usually Donna Karan. (I don’t understand why people don’t write Michael Kors – even just in their own political self-interest.)”

“American fashion designers are doing so much in spite of severe disadvantages in the global fashion world. First of all, they have always needed to make money from their work. They’re not subsidized by the textile mills, as the French are. And they haven’t enjoyed any of the design piracy protections that exist in Europe. It’s hard to be a designer in America! It takes a lot of courage and feistiness. In short: up with America; up with fashion. If I never get invited back to Europe, or to another conference on structural garment design, I can live with that.”

ON ATHLETIC WEAR
“All over America, you see women in yoga pants and men in sweatpants, even when they are not on their way to or from a yoga class or softball field. When I fly, I see so many sweat suits – even pajamas – on my fellow travelers that it’s as though the airplane were the sleeper car of a train bound for summer camp or a gym in the sky, not a public space for business people and vacationers.”

“This explosion of athletic wear and rompers is very ironic when you think about how much more sedentary we've become. As we've become less active and higher-tech, we're wearing more and more workout clothes.”

ON FASHION MODELS
“Fashion models today are so different from the women buying the clothes. That has not always been the case. If you look at issues of ‘Vogue’ or other fashion magazines from the 1950s, you’ll see models in possession of womanly (albeit spectacular) bodies and expressive, mature faces. Star models typically were over thirty, and they had curves. They just looked like extraglamorous versions of the women buying the dresses. 

It almost seems shocking now, when models are all in their teens and look as though they’re playing dress up. In 2011 there was a cover of French ‘Vogue’ featuring a ten-year-old model. Ten years old! Did she look ten? No, she looked twenty-five! What does that say to young people? I worry about the pressure this puts on teenagers and tweens.”

ON FOOTWEAR HISTORY
“… the long pointy, piked shoes (also called poulaines or crackowes) of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. An edict was passed in the 1300s banning all but the wealthiest citizens from wearing long poulaines. The clergy opposed these shoes for anyone, regardless of their station, perhaps because it was hard to kneel in prayer while wearing such pointy shoes. Also, perhaps, because they were overly phallic, especially when men wore flesh-colored ones with attached bells. The plague of 1347 was even blamed on the obscenity of the poulaine – nature’s retribution against inappropriate footwear as defined by the Church.” 

“All footwear until the middle of the nineteenth century was different from our modern shoes in one respect: they were made up of two straight shoes rather than one left and one right shoe. Shoes without distinction between the left and the right are called ‘straights,’ and would you believe that until 1900 – 1900! – many shoes were just that, such that you didn’t need to distinguish one shoe from the other?”

ON GRAPHIC TEES
“I’ll wear a graphic tee that says: ‘AIDS Walk,’ when I’m on the AIDS Walk. But generally graphic tees are for the young – and I’m not talking about the young at heart.”

ON HAREM PANTS
“Harem pants, one of the most costumey looks of the 1980s, sport a dropped crotch, which to me suggests you are wearing a diaper. Do any of us think that’s a good look?”

ON MATCHING SHOES TO DRESSES
“My advice: in so many cases, metallic hues can be your savior – in shoes, belts, and handbags. Women sometimes balk when I say that. My response: if you’re wearing jewelry, it’s probably silver, gold, or platinum. Why not do the same with your accessories?”

ON PANTS, SOCKS, AND SHOES
“So what’s the rule of thumb? Some say you should always match your socks to your shoes. Others say you should always match your socks to your pants. The correct answer is pants. And so in the case of jeans and brown shoes, I would go with navy socks.
One note on sock-and-pant etiquette: if you’re wearing socks with dress pants, you should reveal no leg skin. It’s like a bare midriff: you don’t want to see it. It’s different if you’re wearing shoes without socks, which is fine in casual settings.”

ON TRENDS
“In my typical way, I declined to respond, saying that I didn't want anyone to run to a store just because I endorsed a trend. Besides, a trend is good only if it works for you, your wardrobe, and your lifestyle.”

ON THE WRAP DRESS
“The wrap dress is a very flattering style on any body type. You just need to make sure you fit the shoulders, and the rest of the dress takes care of itself. It makes women look feminine, pulled together, and at ease in the world.
I encourage all women who are trying to update their work wardrobes to invest in a couple of flattering wrap dresses. It’s easy, one-step-dressing: it travels well, and it’s easy to care for. With a wrap dress and heels – a complete outfit that can fit in the average purse – you’re all set for a business meeting or dinner date.”

Rick Steves' Pocket Barcelona - 5 Stars - Another incredibly helpful Rick Steves Pocket Guide. I love these since they’re small, light, and convenient to travel with. I also enjoy the color photos. His books are great, his vides on You Tube also, but his online forums are the best. 

51hDzRDIlRL.jpg   9781451643855.jpg   9781631213113.jpg

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.

 

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2 hours ago, Robin M said:

What an intriguing list, Robin. I see some old favorites as well as other titles to investigate.

1 hour ago, Negin said:

Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible: The Fascinating History of Everything in Your Closet – 4 Stars - I adore Tim Gunn, and reading this book was an absolute delight. It had two things that I love – history and fashion.

I enjoyed reading your thoughts, Negin, as well as the quotes you included from the author. Is this where I admit that I do not know who Tim Gunn is?

Regards, 

Kareni

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Some bookish posts ~

This first post is several years old. Do read the pages of comments.  

Historical Mysteries: Elyse’s Recommendations

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2015/01/historical-mysteries-elyses-recommendations/male

This site was mentioned in the comments above:  Janice's Favorite Mysteries

http://www.smofbabe.net/hist-mysteries.html

A new monthly column on Tor.com: Jo Walton’s Reading List: March 2019

https://www.tor.com/2019/04/10/jo-waltons-reading-list-march-2019/

Are you a re-reader? I am.

Revisiting Old Friends, or: Why I Re-read by Jo Walton

https://www.tor.com/2017/08/04/revisiting-old-friends-or-why-i-re-read/

Regards,

Kareni

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Two pre-reads for the kids completed this past week - Aeneas (younger readers' version of Aeneid, mentioned in last week's thread) and The Golden Goblet. Both will probably go on the girls' reading list for next year.

Still working on Machen's The Virgin Birth. 

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1 hour ago, Kareni said:

I enjoyed reading your thoughts, Negin, as well as the quotes you included from the author. Is this where I admit that I do not know who Tim Gunn is?

 

Thank you, dear Kareni. Your comment made me smile. Many don't know who Tim Gunn is. He was on "Project Runway". I probably wouldn't have known him either, had it not been for my daughter. I hardly watch any TV these days and am definitely out of it when it comes to pop culture. 

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1 hour ago, Negin said:

Thank you, dear Kareni. Your comment made me smile. Many don't know who Tim Gunn is. He was on "Project Runway". I probably wouldn't have known him either, had it not been for my daughter. I hardly watch any TV these days and am definitely out of it when it comes to pop culture. 

You're in good company, Negin. I am definitely out of the loop when it comes to pop culture; 90 percent of what knowledge I do have comes from this board!

Regards,

Kareni

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2 hours ago, purpleowl said:

Two pre-reads for the kids completed this past week - Aeneas (younger readers' version of Aeneid, mentioned in last week's thread) and The Golden Goblet. Both will probably go on the girls' reading list for next year.

Still working on Machen's The Virgin Birth. 

I remember enjoying The Golden Goblet.......

 

28 minutes ago, Kareni said:

You're in good company, Negin. I am definitely out of the loop when it comes to pop culture; 90 percent of what knowledge I do have comes from this board!

Regards,

Kareni

Another one here who is out of the loop......

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I've been reading Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone trilogy. I actually read the first a year ago on spring break and didn't get back to the second and third until a year later! For a long time I was waiting for dd to finish the second, Siege and Storm, and I finally decided she isn't going to. I loved it and I am close to finishing the third, Ruin and Rising.

My other read right now is excellent: Jean Twenge's  iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy-and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood-and What That Means For the Rest of Us. I've been bothered all school year trying to figure out why there are so many more mental health issues in today's teens than when I last worked in a high school 25+ years ago. I've tried looking up articles and books on anxiety. I think this book finally explains what I'm seeing. Twenge has researched different generations during her career, also publishing a book on the defining characteristics of millenials. This book focuses on the next generation born between 1995-2012 (my kids)--the first generation to have always lived with the internet and be largely shaped by adolescence with an iPhone. This generation uses their phones 5-6 hours per day--time that used to be spent on in-person interaction with family and friends or at a job or even just getting enough sleep. All of these changes make their mental health more fragile than previous generations. And the changes have been dramatically quick--all dating from about 2012 when iPhone use became widespread. Really good book--she talks about other characteristics besides mental health (some good, some not-so-good), but the mental health aspect is the one I had already been thinking about. I think this book should be required summer reading for our staff. So I still have that one in progress too.

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Hi everyone! I only finished one book this week - Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land. This is a memoir detailing what a young single mother had to do to support herself and her daughter. She worked as a maid, did landscaping work, and also went to college all while trying to earn enough to keep a roof over their heads. Land also describes all the non-sensical hoop-jumping she had to perform in order to qualify for food stamps, etc. I admired her determination to keep going and really felt for her when she'd have to leave her daughter in a not-so-great daycare. BUT - she does spend a large part of the book complaining about all the things she isn't able to give her daughter and feeling envious of the  families whose houses she is cleaning. Land also complains several times how she felt judged by other people at the grocery  store or the park or whatever because she has tattoos and her daughter happened to be wearing a tutu for the third day in a row. ?!! She lived in the Seattle area and I really don't get how she could possibly think that people would judge her for tattoos in this day and age OR in that area! I lived in WA state and it seemed that almost everyone had a tattoo. I think her insecurities made her assume those things (or maybe she was just being judged for not brushing her daughter's hair for three days - sheesh.) I gave it 3 and a half stars on GR.

I'm still reading Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell and am just over the halfway mark. 

Negin, I love Tim Gunn! I'll look for his book at the library. 

And Kareni, I'm definitely a re-reader! I love reading old favorites - that is truly the mark of a good book.

Edited by Mothersweets
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Audiobooks

Finishing up "The Great Alone" by Kristin Hannah. 

A powerful book about a Vietnam vet who is dealing with PTSD and is in denial about how he deals with his painful memories and his family who watches him escalate seemingly helplessly - all told through the lens of his 14 year old daughter Leni who ages to 18 in the book. I listened to this on Audiobook narrated by Julia Whelan and she is fabulous in capturing all the nuances.

Reading:

Also finished up one of the Coulter / Ellison books "The Sixth Day." 

Next on my reading list is Helen Russell's "The Year of Living Danishly."

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14 hours ago, Junie said:

Last week I started reading The Hunchback of Notre Dame😞  I haven't quite decided if I'm going to finish it now or put it back on the To Be Read stack.  I think that I'll try to finish it.

The cathedral still stands.  I've decided to keep reading.  :)

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I finished this month:

Ice Princess, from a new to me scandanavian author, and I decided to want to read more.

The Skating Rink, also from a new author

An unnecessary Woman, I really liked the book, it was a long time ago I was eager to finish the book.

Some tame Gazelle by Barbar Pym, I like her books, but this one was harder with all the poem and literature quotes...

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1 hour ago, Junie said:

The cathedral still stands.  I've decided to keep reading.  🙂

I can totally understand not wanting to finish..........so glad it still stands and you get to keep reading!

25 minutes ago, loesje22000 said:

I finished this month:

Ice Princess, from a new to me scandanavian author, and I decided to want to read more.

The Skating Rink, also from a new author

An unnecessary Woman, I really liked the book, it was a long time ago I was eager to finish the book.

Some tame Gazelle by Barbar Pym, I like her books, but this one was harder with all the poem and literature quotes...

I enjoyed the Ice Princess also.  I actually read the next in the series already,  The Preacher,  it was not as good as the first but I may not have liked the investigation topic.  I am planning to read the third......I still really like the detective.😉

I finished listening to Patricia Biggs River Marked.........I guess it is a sign of a good author when something like otters turn creepy.  This is a reread and the last time I read it we visited a Wildlife Park with some South American otters who were incredibly joyful but I couldn’t stop looking at the long, sharp, teeth.  This book changed my whole perspective! 😜My view didn’t change with the reread.....those otters were so creepy!

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2 hours ago, mumto2 said:

I finished listening to Patricia Biggs River Marked.........I guess it is a sign of a good author when something like otters turn creepy.  This is a reread and the last time I read it we visited a Wildlife Park with some South American otters who were incredibly joyful but I couldn’t stop looking at the long, sharp, teeth.  This book changed my whole perspective! 😜My view didn’t change with the reread.....those otters were so creepy!

So, how do you feel about walking sticks, mumto2?! (I agree. Patricia Briggs is a good writer!)

Regards,

Kareni

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4 hours ago, mumto2 said:

I finished listening to Patricia Biggs River Marked.........I guess it is a sign of a good author when something like otters turn creepy.  This is a reread and the last time I read it we visited a Wildlife Park with some South American otters who were incredibly joyful but I couldn’t stop looking at the long, sharp, teeth.  This book changed my whole perspective! 😜My view didn’t change with the reread.....those otters were so creepy!

Patricia Briggs might be my next series to reread, it took me way to long to remember what River Marked was about. 😊

Since I last updated I finished my reread of the psy/changeling with Ocean Light, so I'm all ready for June!  I also finished Grave Destiny (Alex Craft #6) by Kalayna Price, whom I was introduced to by this group.  I wasn't sure I liked where the series was headed after the last book, I was definitively on the side of Team Death, but I was very pleasantly surprised by the twists this book took.  Ugh!  The ending.  🤐

I may have to consider revamping my reading challenge goals for this year.  It's been three years since my accident on New Year's Day 2016, and I just received the go ahead from my entire medical team for a service dog, so it sounds like we will be pretty busy for a little bit if we are to see this to fruition. 🐩

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2 hours ago, Kareni said:

So, how do you feel about walking sticks, mumto2?! (I agree. Patricia Briggs is a good writer!)

Regards,

Kareni

They are very useful!  But..........I was so glad when Coyote left with it!

58 minutes ago, melmichigan said:

Patricia Briggs might be my next series to reread, it took me way to long to remember what River Marked was about. 😊

Since I last updated I finished my reread of the psy/changeling with Ocean Light, so I'm all ready for June!  I also finished Grave Destiny (Alex Craft #6) by Kalayna Price, whom I was introduced to by this group.  I wasn't sure I liked where the series was headed after the last book, I was definitively on the side of Team Death, but I was very pleasantly surprised by the twists this book took.  Ugh!  The ending.  🤐

I may have to consider revamping my reading challenge goals for this year.  It's been three years since my accident on New Year's Day 2016, and I just received the go ahead from my entire medical team for a service dog, so it sounds like we will be pretty busy for a little bit if we are to see this to fruition. 🐩

So many people seem to be really excited about the psh/changing release that I think that might be my next new series to tackle.  I am part way through several urban fantasy series so hopefully I will finish a couple of those first!

Keep us up to date with the service dog news!  I am sure he or she will be a great addition to your life.

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Reading The Hunchback of Notre Dame with tears falling across my face.

"Every face, every stone of the venerable monument is a page not only of the history of the country, but also of the history of science and art."

"Great buildings, like great mountains, are the work of centuries.  Art is often transformed while still pending completion... They go on quietly, in harmony with the changes in the art.  The new form of art takes up the monument were it finds it, becomes a part of it, assimilates it to itself, develops it according to its fancy, and finishes it if it can....  Time is the architect, the nation is the mason."

 

 

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I just finished American by Day by Derek B. Millerwhich I read for my book group later this week. I quite enjoyed it. It's the rare book group book that had me laughing from time to time but also thinking. Several years ago, my group read and enjoyed the author's first book, Norwegian by Night; this book features a character from that book and follows it in time. I'm half tempted to go back and reread that earlier book since I only recall a fraction of its details. That said, this book can stand alone. Interestingly, my library has this labeled as a mystery while I would classify it as fiction. I'm looking forward to my group's discussion on Thursday.

 "A gripping and timely novel that follows Sigrid—the dry-witted detective from Derek B. Miller's best-selling debut Norwegian by Night—from Oslo to the United States on a quest to find her missing brother

She knew it was a weird place. She’d heard the stories, seen the movies, read the books. But now police Chief Inspector Sigrid Ødegård has to leave her native Norway and actually go there; to that land across the Atlantic where her missing brother is implicated in the mysterious death of a prominent African American academic—America.

Sigrid is plunged into a United States where race and identity, politics and promise, reverberate in every aspect of daily life. Working with—or, if necessary, against—the police, she must negotiate the local political minefields and navigate the backwoods of the Adirondacks to uncover the truth before events escalate further. "

Regards,

Kareni

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5 hours ago, Kareni said:

So, how do you feel about walking sticks, mumto2?! (I agree. Patricia Briggs is a good writer!)

Regards,

Kareni

 

Not mumto2 but I love the walking stick -- it doesn't feel creepy to me at all (although... I should LISTEN to the books and see if I maintain that view 😄 )

spoiler in whilte:

I was soooo sad when she ended the walking stick!  I guess it says something about the author when you end up mourning a mostly inanimate object

For Psy-Changlings -- must admit I do not love this series.  I like it enough to have read a bunch of them though.  But... reading the next one  --to me - not near the latest (Tangle of Need), and I just feel mostly 'eh' so far.   Not sure what it is  though that i don't care for (and its not just this one either, was feeling that way through the last couple I've read)

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10 hours ago, LaughingCat said:

Not mumto2 but I love the walking stick -- it doesn't feel creepy to me at all (although... I should LISTEN to the books and see if I maintain that view 😄 )

spoiler in whilte:

I was soooo sad when she ended the walking stick!  I guess it says something about the author when you end up mourning a mostly inanimate object

I'm rather fond of the walking stick, too.

10 hours ago, LaughingCat said:

For Psy-Changlings -- must admit I do not love this series.  I like it enough to have read a bunch of them though.  But... reading the next one  --to me - not near the latest (Tangle of Need), and I just feel mostly 'eh' so far

You're in good company, LaughingCat. I stopped reading the series a few books ago.

Regards,

Kareni

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I just finished Ben Aaronovitch's The Hanging Tree (Rivers of London Book 6) which I enjoyed. I have one more book to read and then I'll have finished the series.

 "Suspicious deaths are not usually the concern of Police Constable Peter Grant or the Folly—London’s police department for supernatural cases—even when they happen at an exclusive party in one of the flats of the most expensive apartment blocks in London. But the daughter of Lady Ty, influential goddess of the Tyburn river, was there, and Peter owes Lady Ty a favor.

Plunged into the alien world of the super-rich, where the basements are bigger than the houses, where the law is something bought and sold on the open market, a sensible young copper would keep his head down and his nose clean. 

But this is Peter Grant we’re talking about.

He’s been given an unparalleled opportunity to alienate old friends and create new enemies at the point where the world of magic and that of privilege intersect. Assuming he survives the week…"

 Regards,

Kareni

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My temperature last night was over 101, so I've bowed out of tonight's book group...too bad as I was looking forward to discussing  American by Day

Yesterday, I started but did not finish The Last Dog on Earth by Adrian J. Walker and Today I Am Carey by Martin L. Shoemakerbefore deciding to go for a comfort book. I reread SK Dunstall's  Linesman (A Linesman Novel Book 1)

Regards,

Kareni

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4 hours ago, Kareni said:

My temperature last night was over 101, so I've bowed out of tonight's book group...too bad as I was looking forward to discussing  American by Day

Yesterday, I started but did not finish The Last Dog on Earth by Adrian J. Walker and Today I Am Carey by Martin L. Shoemakerbefore deciding to go for a comfort book. I reread SK Dunstall's  Linesman (A Linesman Novel Book 1)

Regards,

Kareni

I hope you are feeling better!

I finished listening to my long awaited next book in The Expanse series.....Abbaddon’s Gate was awesome!  I am now waiting for the next book which I will hopefully have soon.  I put them all on hold several months ago and went to next in line and suspended them,  the only problem is others did the same thing I think!😜. But I should have it within the month I hope.  Trying to settle on my next audiobook.

I am reading the new Faith Hunter Soulwood book.  It is good but I wish I had done a reread first.  I need to do a reread of all of hers including the Jane Yellowrock books because I am definitely missing bits.

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Where did this week go?  Went by way too fast.   Rereading pys/changling series.  Just finished # 3 Caressed in Ice.  Funny thing. My guys never ask me what I'm reading when I'm on the ipad.  Last night, hubby asks 'whatcha reading honey.'   Urm, a book about were animals and psychics.  😉

@hopeistheword Night is excellent. May want to look at The Boy on the Wooden Box which gives from youngster's perspective who works for Schindler.   James spent a lot of time in the WWII period so we read lots of books, more nonfiction than anything else. I learned alot in the process as well.  

@SKL How awesome that you get to go to Dubai.  Look forward to hearing about your trip.  I follow Khalid Al Ameri on facebook who lives in the UAE and talks about life in the country. Fun and interesting. 

@mumto2   I ididn't have much luck with my first set of words for scavenger hunt either but haven't had time to get back into it.  Try try again.   Re: Patricia Briggs - I can imagine if your around otters at the time of reading it.  The otters, yep, creepy. The last time we went to the ocean, had this underlying thing about the otters. Now I know what was causing it.  😄   The Walking Stick - Loved it! 

@Negin Love the quotes from Tim Gunn.  However, I've never found the Wrap dress too flattering for me.  You gotta have b**bs to make it work. 😀

@Kareni  Yes, the 37 creative books list is interesting.  Hubby just finished reading Thinking Fast and Slow and when he heard it was on the list, wants me to read it now.  Urg!  Thanks for all the great links. 

@Ali in OR  Igen book sounds super fascinating and will have to read it.  My kiddo has grown up with the computer but we limit it and he really doesn't want his own iphone or social media account. He likes using mine. Guess its the accountability. 

@Mothersweets  Loved Jonathan Strange. Look forward to hearing what you think about it when you are done. 

 

 

 

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@Junie Hugs. This week was a hard week for everyone with the cathedral fire. Makes Hunchback of Notre Dame that much more special. 

@Liz CA  Love Kristin Hannah's writing. Haven't read the Great Alone yet. 

@loesje22000  Hey, doll. Great to 'see' you.  I have The Ice Princess on my shelves.  Been meaning to read it. Moving it up in the pile.

@melmichigan  Glad to hear you were approved for a service dog. Will make things easier hopefully.  Are you okay with reading books now or mainly still listening to Audiobooks?Hugs! 

@Kareni Hope you are feeling better! 

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4 hours ago, Robin M said:

@melmichigan  Glad to hear you were approved for a service dog. Will make things easier hopefully.  Are you okay with reading books now or mainly still listening to Audiobooks?Hugs! 

I am still using a combination of books and audiobooks. I usually listen to new books on audiobook, because if it's a book, I have to read it through more than once to retain it well.  So for example, I read the Circle of the Moon ARC three times in order to retain the story well and then still listened to the audiobook after it was released.  I try to keep my rereads to actual books.  I also use the Kindle app to read to me and have text to speech on all my devices, so sometimes it's a combination.  It's still a work in progress. 🙂

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I'm slacking a bit.  Every time I sit down to read lately, I end up taking an accidental nap instead.

 

20. "Silent Souls Weeping: Depression, Sharing Stories, Finding Hope" by Jane Clayson Johnson.  (LDS)  She addresses Post-Partum Depression, teen depression - which doesn't always look like "sad," how hard it is to feel spiritual feelings when you are depressed, how perfectionism contributes to depression, and other kinds of important issues, some of which are specific to our faith, but many of which are universal.

19. "Leap of Faith" by Bob Bennett. (LDS) Interesting take on apologetics, since the late Bob Bennett was one of our state's senators, and not an apologist, per se.  He wrote it in response to questions he was getting from reporters and colleagues in Washington, D.C. when Mitt Romney was running for president.

18.  "Covenant Keepers" by Wendy Watson Nelson. (LDS)

17. "Manga Classics: MacBeth" adapted by Crystal S. Chan.

16. "One Dead Spy" by Nathan Hale.

15. "Stellar Science Projects About Earth's Sky" and "Wild Science Projects About Earth's Weather" by Robert Gardner.  

14. "Stuff Matters" by Mark Miodownik.  

13. "Led by Divine Design" by Ronald A. Rasband. (LDS)

12. "Forensic Science Projects with a Crime Lab" by Robert Gardner. 

11. "Manga Classics: The Jungle Book" adapted by Crystal S. Chan

10. "Donner Dinner Party" by Nathan Hale. 

9. "Manga Classics: The Stories of Edgar Allan Poe" adapted by Stacy King. 

8. "Bodies We've Buried" by Jarrett Hallcox and Amy Welch.

7. "The Forensic Casebook" by N.E. Genge.

6. "Shaken Faith Syndrome" by MIchael R. Ash. (LDS)

5. "Fingerprints: Crime-Solving Science Experiments" by Kenneth G. Rainis.

4. "Forensic Investigations" (6) by Leela Burnscott. & ("Bones Speak" by Richard Spilsbury)

3. "A Reason for Faith" edited by Laura Harris Hales.  (LDS)

2. "Left Standing" by Mason Wells, et al. (LDS)

1.  "Camino Easy" by B. G. Preston. 

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