Book a Week 2019 - BW26: Summertime Fun

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday and welcome to week twenty-six 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. 

 The summer solstice arrived June 21st bringing summer to the Northern Hemisphere and I have Ella Fitzgerald's Summertime running through my brain.

 

Summertime, and the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high
Oh, your daddy's rich and your ma is good-lookin'
So hush, little baby, don't you cry

 One of these mornings you're gonna rise up singing
And you'll spread your wings and you'll take to the sky
But till that morning, there ain't nothin' can harm you
With daddy and mammy standin' by

 One of these mornings you're gonna rise up singing
And you'll spread your wings and you'll take to the sky
But till that morning, there ain't nothin' can harm you
With daddy and mammy standin' by

 Summertime, and the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high
Oh, your daddy's rich and your ma is good-lookin'
So hush, little baby, don't you cry

If you are in the Southern Hemisphere, you'd probably prefer to listen to Ella's Winter Wonderland as you cozy up to the fire. I love Ella. So what are you going to do to jazz up your summertime or wintertime reading? 

If you are a music fan, Penguin Random house offers 40 Books That Every Music Lover Should Read, or Amanda Palmer's Top 10 Reads. 

GQ has a few suggestions with 31 Best Books to Read According to your favorite Writers. Thrillist offers 33 Books We Can't Wait to Read this Summer, and She Reads takes a look at the Most Anticipated Books of the Summer 2019. 

Dip back into the past with Simon and Schuster's 11 Classics You Should Read This Summer or Southern Living's Classic Books to Reread this Summer. Don't forget to check out Goodreads Summer Classics Reading List too. 

What are your favorite celebrities or Bill Gates reading this summer? JP Morgan has released their 2019 Summer essential non fiction books everyone should read. 

And just in time for some poetical summer reading, The Library of Congress has announced their new Poet Laureate - Joy Harjo

Have fun following rabbit trails.

What are you reading?

 

Link to Week 25

Edited June 23, 2019 by Robin M

[Robin M]

Good morning or afternoon as the case may be.  We watched Fellowship of the Rings last night which was excellent.  Both my guys who are open nerves and talkative during most movies were quiet and enthralled for most of it, which meant I was able to totally enjoy it without distraction.  I remember the first time I watched with John way back when it came out on DVD, he didn't know the movie was a one of three parts and his reaction at the ending was a hilarious rant. 

I'm immersed in the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood and currently on Book 9 Lover Unleashed.  

[Pen]

Maybe reading snowy setting books when it’s hot and hot setting books when it’s cold would help for balance 

[Pen]

I love this poem:

 

https://poets.org/poem/calling-spirit-back-wandering-earth-its-human-feet

[Negin]

I haven't had much time to work on vacation photos, but hope to in the next few weeks. 

I read Lilac Girls - 1 Star - I really wanted to like this book. I’m old enough to know not to judge a book by its cover, but boy, this cover is pretty for sure. The genre and glowing reviews appealed to me. It started off well and drew me in right away with good character development, but then it just fizzled out. I didn’t connect with any of the three main characters, nor did I care for the storytelling. It was a tedious book to get through, contrived and overdone; and yet it seemed full of promise at the start.

Although I didn’t care for this book at all, I have one favorite quote:

“Don’t waste your energy on the hate. That will kill you sure as anything. Focus on keeping your strength. You’re resourceful. Find a way to outsmart them.”

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.

Edited June 23, 2019 by Negin

[Robin M]

27 minutes ago, Negin said:

I haven't had much time to work on vacation photos, but hope to in the next few weeks. My daughter and I are flying to NY for most of this coming week. We leave tomorrow. My oldest brother has stage 4 cancer and he and his family live there. We're going to not only see him, but to mainly be there for my parents. It's so hard for them. They live near us, but are there just to be with him.  

Hugs, Sweetie. Prayers and strength winging your way for you and your family.  

[mumto2]

This week my focus was on spelling Guido Brunelli but I was sidetracked a couple of times.....😁 Hubby and I are in the midst of a major junk clean out and basic stuff reduction.  Cannot believe how much we have accumulated over the years.  We haven’t gotten to books yet but I have started pulling favorite patterns out of 12 years of a favorite monthly Knitting magazine.  Hubby plans to scan them for me......not sure how I feel about that other than I think I want to keep my hard copy. 

I listened to Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs and Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft and totally enjoyed both.  I already have the next book in each series in my stack.....so will continue those stories so.  

I read When a Duchess Says I Do by Grace Burrowes for the I in desperation.  It wasn’t one of her better stories and normally her books are favorites.

Upon a Winter’s Night by Karen Harper was an Amish suspense story that I enjoyed.  It’s part of a series but I read it happily as a stand alone.

Finally The Liar’s Girl by Catherine Ryan Howardhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36036244-the-liar-s-girl?ac=1&from_search=truewhich was really quite good!  I started it because the Ilona Andrews I am reading wasn’t on the old Kindle Fire I had with me and was captivated.  I read it in a day.  Set in mainly in Dublin this book is the story of a young woman who as a freshman in University who suffers a double horror......her childhood best friend is murdered by a serial killer and her boyfriend confesses to the murders.  Now 10 years later the murders have started again and her former boyfriend will only talk the Garda via her.  This book had me hooked and probably got downgraded to 4 star wise because the ending was a bit too........not sure what but not what I wanted it to be!

Currently listening to The Cat Who Wasn’t There which I remember as a good one.  I hope I am right!  Reading Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews for my I.  This is one of the series I sort of planned to finish at the start of the year when I created my Last Book in 10 category.  Enjoying it but not captivated at a quarter in......I may not finish this series this year. 🤔

@Negin Hugs

[Miss Tick]

16 minutes ago, mumto2 said:

I have started pulling favorite patterns out of 12 years of a favorite monthly Knitting magazine.

Oooh, I did that last Christmas Break. I started by going through each one and marking patterns I was interested in. Then I went through and tore out the ones I thought I might actually ever knit. This significantly reduced the space they were talking up!! I stapled the pages for each pattern together along with any pictures. Recently, when my lys closed, I took five patterns in and found yarn for three of them. I couldn't have done that if I still had only the magazines, so hang in there!

I was on vacation last week and finished the library copy of A Conspiracy of Faith that I had brought along, so I stopped in Tucson's excellent used book chain and picked up Hornblower #7 (Ship of the Line) to start on the trip back home. This is another lazy summer week, so I'm happily plugging away, no to-do list having over me today.

[Kareni]

Negin, thinking of you and your family and sending positive thoughts your way.

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts ~

It was quite surprising to see this post since I lived in Livermore for fifteen years:  Remembering My Literary Landmarks In Livermore, California

MY BEST-LOVED BOOK: THE FAIRY CARAVAN

16 FABULOUSLY BOOKISH LITERARY SCARVES

Modern Library Launches New Series, Modern Library Torchbearers, Featuring Classics Written by Women

https://www.themarysue.com/modern-library-modern-library-torchbearers-classics-women/

7 Mothers, Mentors, and Matriarchs of SFF Who Are Probably Very Disappointed With Us Right Now

https://www.tor.com/2019/06/14/7-mothers-mentors-and-matriarchs-of-sff-who-are-probably-very-disappointed-with-us-right-now/

The Art of Book Covers (1820–1914)

Regards,

Kareni

[Mothersweets]

Hello friends! I read three books this week.

Past Imperfect by Julian Fellowes - Story about the differing classes in England of the last century and how things have changed. I liked Snobs and this story is in the same vein but it really needed an editor. It could have been cut down by half and been much more enjoyable.

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett - The Queen becomes a reader. Very charming and a quick read.

Before the Fact by Francis Iles - this is the book that Alfred Hitchcock based his movie Suspicion on. My 14yo and I watched it a couple weeks ago and I decided to read the book as the ending is different. I've always thought the movie ending something of a cop out. Anyway, the book was definitely worth reading and I realized that Hitchcock really cleaned up the characters so they were clean enough for Hollywood (of that time).

Robin and Kareni, can't wait to look through all the links!

[Violet Crown]

On 6/19/2019 at 9:13 AM, brehon said:

Oh! I loved that book!! In some ways, reading it was like reading with an anti-Herriot twist. 

Some years back <coughdecadescough> I was on a Texas History (capitalized because history in this context is definitely a proper noun ~ heh) kick. I enjoyed it so much. I should see if I still have some of those books because several of the kids would probably enjoy them. 

Do list them! I have more J. Frank Dobie and Roy Bedichek lined up for my 10x10 "Don't Mess With Texas" category, and some non-Texas cowboy things, but I can always use more titles. My favorite is an adult/child pair: Cabeza de Vaca's Chronicle of the Narvaez Expedition (older readers), and Walk the World's Rim (younger).

Anti-Herriot is right! You remember the part where the tourist asks the gas station attendant how this can be cow country, when there's no grass? And the guy says, Moss grows on the undersides of the rocks, and the cows lick it off. So the gullible tourist turns over a couple rocks and says There's no moss under these. And the guy tells him he needs to head up into the mountains to turn over rocks 'cause the ones down here have already been licked clean.

On 6/16/2019 at 2:37 PM, Negin said:

Here's a picture of a beautiful concert hall in Barcelona - the Palau de la Musica Catalana - if any of you visit Barcelona, this place is gorgeous. Pictures cannot do it justice. What's even better, is to try to also go to a concert, which we did. The concert (four incredible guitarists) was amazing!

On our last evening in Barcelona, we had a night tour of Casa Mila (La Pedrera) - one of the Gaudi homes. The day visit was lovely, but the night visit was spectacular. This is a picture that we took on the rooftop. They had a lovely light show. 

 

. 

Gorgeous pictures, Negin! Dh got to see those on a business trip to Madrid, oh the agonies of the working world.

Prayers for your family at this difficult time. How good that you all can be together.

On 6/17/2019 at 9:39 PM, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

Hi Everyone! I took an internet break for a couple of months and now I'm back catching up on all of the BaW threads! I can't remember what I was reading when I last posted, but I think these are what I've covered in the meantime. I've missed you guys and hope all is well with everyone!

Now that you're back, time to cough up some opinions on Texas reading.

On 6/18/2019 at 7:25 PM, Pen said:

For a question like “what were your favorite books so far in 2019” —do you have a way of keeping track of what you read when?

Oh yes. A folder, with lined notebook paper, with "2019" (or whichever) at the top and a numbered list of books written in number 2 pencil. And an old SonLight spiral-bound timeline, cannibalized for writing each book into its appropriate year. That way if I ever read a book written after 1970, I'll definitely notice.

On 6/19/2019 at 8:10 PM, Junie said:

I just finished Mary Shelley: The Strange True Tale of Frankenstein's Creator.  It is a YA biography (although my library currently has it as a juvenile book -- um, no).  I enjoyed the book, but I think it is misnamed.  It isn't really a strange true tale so much as it is a story of her affair with a married man (Shelley), a glimpse into her grief at the deaths of her children, her strained relationship with her family (especially her father and her father-in-law).  It wasn't strange so much as scandalous, especially for the time.

The book told me a lot about Mary Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley (and their friend Lord Byron) that I didn't already know.  Unfortunately, it was also information that most people really don't want to know. 

Have you read The Last Man? It's a pretty powerful book about grief, disguised as a post-apocalyptic novel, and really sad when you realize she wrote it after everyone she cared about had died.

On 6/20/2019 at 8:41 PM, Junie said:

I did not know that I have a birth defect until I was in my 30s.  The diagnosis actually helped me to understand why I always felt "different".  It's because I am different, but not too different.  Part of me wants to go back to my high school and tell everyone off.  "Look at how you treated the girl with the birth defect!"  But, actually, it doesn't really matter if I have a birth defect or not.  "Look at how you treated a human being!"  No one deserves to be bullied.  I do wonder, though, if I would have been treated differently if I were "normal".  Probably not.

(((Junie))). High school, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing.

On 6/21/2019 at 5:24 PM, JennW in SoCal said:

Hello everyone!! 

I've been AWOL, but have a good explanation.

Everyone does. Having a good time on vacation with your husband hardly counts as a reason to neglect your interweb friends, does it? 😄

Edited June 24, 2019 by Violet Crown

[tuesdayschild]

Posting first, and coming back to read and chat later/ another time ( I must not get distracted here, yet 😉 )

I pushed the Little Grey Men to one side and devoured Kareni’s Linesman suggestion, which means I’ve now completed reading the spelling challenge for this month:

D=  Earthly Remains:  Commissario Guido Brunetti Bk26 ~ Donna Leon, narrated by David Rintoul (4)

O=  Six Weeks of Blenheim Summer: One Pilot’s Extraordinary Account of the Battle of France ~ Alastair Dyson Panton   (4) 

N=  Surfeit of Lampreys ~ Ngaio Marsh, narrated by Philip Franks (4)

N=  Anxious for Nothing:  Finding Calm in a Chaotic World ~ Max Lucado (cc) (4+) goodreads review  

A=  The Wilhelm Conspiracy:  Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James Bk2 ~ Charles Veley and Anna Elliott narrated by Edward Petherbridge  (3)

L=  Linesman, Bk1 ~ S. K. Dunstall, narrated by Brian Hutchison (4+)  goodreads review  

E=  The Luminaries ~  Eleanor Catton (4-)  (started with audio switched to  ebook 848pgs)

O= The Other Woman ~ Daniel Silva , narrated by George Guidall (4)

N= Spies of No Country:  Secret Lives at the Birth of Israel ~ Matti Friedman (3++) N/F

The collection of books I am currently reading/listening to looks like a real lolly scramble. I enjoy reading this way over winter, it keeps things interesting and encourages me to hop around amongst  the “library shelves” and not just comfort read. Going at this slower pace over this many books all at once will also gift me a few letters I want for next months spelling challenge "DAVID SMALL".

• The Little Grey Men ~ ‘BB’  juvenile fiction  (Carneige winner)
• The Last Year of the War ~ Susan Meissner   WWII (Christian fict:  a genre that is challenging for me to find authors/ characters/situations that interest me enough to want to continuing reading.)
• The Moonstone ~ Wilkie Collins, narrated by Peter Jeffrey  Classic (excellent narration) 
• Elon Musk ~ Ashlee Vance  N/F   DS recommendation.  There quite a few f-bombs in this book, grits teeth and perseveres as it is a very interesting, informative read!
• The Problem of Pain ~ C.S. Lewis, narrated by Simon Vance (cc)  NF continuing with my ongoing read through Lewis works.

 

[Violet Crown]

Meanwhile, this week I finished nothing, but got about 2/3 of the way through Dostoevski's The Idiot, which I'm finding frankly incomprehensible. Fortunately I have a book of Critical Essays on Dostoevsky of the 20th Century and I'm going to read the article on The Idiot when I'm done and maybe All Will Be Explained.

Hard week in general has led to insufficient reading: bearing up under difficult family news, and at the same time a Small But Noisy faction of my worship community decided to shame us all in front of the wider church community, which unseemly incident needs no details because the Clique of the Pure is probably familiar to anyone who has a church. Sigh. I really prefer my drama in novels.

Also reading some of J. H. Newman's Parochial and Plain Sermons, an underappreciated book which I was gratified to find specifically mentioned in Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 (it's one of the books kept in a safe by Head Bad Guy, if I remember right). I'm going to see if I can get a Newman's Sermons reading group going at church. Can't help noticing that none of The Pure are avid readers.

[Violet Crown]

4 minutes ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

I'm going to have to add these to my list! They sound great!

Well, I added the West TX vet to my To-Read. 🙂 I'm going to have to work on a list to offer opinions beyond Larry McMurtry books! 

That's good enough. I read Horseman, Pass By (aka Hud) and quite liked it. Which else?

[Junie]

18 minutes ago, Violet Crown said:

 

Have you read The Last Man? It's a pretty powerful book about grief, disguised as a post-apocalyptic novel, and really sad when you realize she wrote it after everyone she cared about had died.

(((Junie))). High school, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing.

 

I haven't read The Last Man.  It will probably have to wait for awhile.  My TBR shelves are overflowing...

High school was good for drama.  (Literally.  I enjoyed working behind the scenes of the school musical.)  Other than that, nope.

[Kareni]

1 hour ago, Violet Crown said:

Hard week in general has led to insufficient reading: bearing up under difficult family news, and at the same time a Small But Noisy faction of my worship community decided to shame us all in front of the wider church community...

Here's hoping for brighter days to come.

1 hour ago, Violet Crown said:

... A folder, with lined notebook paper, with "2019" (or whichever) at the top and a numbered list of books written in number 2 pencil. And an old SonLight spiral-bound timeline, cannibalized for writing each book into its appropriate year. That way if I ever read a book written after 1970, I'll definitely notice.

And now I can't help wondering what fiction you've read that was written after 1970. Something by McMurtry and ...?

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

@Pen, you asked last week, "For a question like “what were your favorite books so far in 2019” —do you have a way of keeping track of what you read when?"

The Book a Week thread is my way of keeping track of what I read.

I've been pondering the subject of favorite books of 2019 and realizing that I don't have any. My definition of a favorite is a book I reread and reread such as Dunstall's Linesman series, Addison's The Goblin Emperor, Bishop's The Others, Weir's The Martian, and .... Thus far in 2019, I've enjoyed many books but none have ascended to favorite status.

Regards,

Kareni

[Violet Crown]

1 hour ago, Kareni said:

Here's hoping for brighter days to come.

And now I can't help wondering what fiction you've read that was written after 1970. Something by McMurtry and ...?

Regards,

Kareni

Actually 1980 seems to be the key boundary. Post-1980 fiction I've read since 2013: Tove Jansson, The True Deceiver (1982), Graham Greene, Monsignor Quixote (1982); The Stories of Breece D'J Pancake (1983, but published posthumously; Pancake died in 1979); George Mackay Brown, Andrina & Other Stories (1983); John Irving, A Prayer for Owen Meany (1989); Jose Saramago, Blindness (1995). I liked the Jansson, the Pancake, and the Mackay Brown.

The only post-2000 books I've read at all since 2013 are Jonathan Rose, The Intellectual Life of the British Working Classes (2001) and Phil Lawler, The Smoke of Satan (2018). The Rose was good.

[brehon]

3 hours ago, Violet Crown said:

Do list them! I have more J. Frank Dobie and Roy Bedichek lined up for my 10x10 "Don't Mess With Texas" category, and some non-Texas cowboy things, but I can always use more titles. My favorite is an adult/child pair: Cabeza de Vaca's Chronicle of the Narvaez Expedition (older readers), and Walk the World's Rim (younger).

Anti-Herriot is right! You remember the part where the tourist asks the gas station attendant how this can be cow country, when there's no grass? And the guy says, Moss grows on the undersides of the rocks, and the cows lick it off. So the gullible tourist turns over a couple rocks and says There's no moss under these. And the guy tells him he needs to head up into the mountains to turn over rocks 'cause the ones down here have already been licked clean.

I'll see if I can find them. It's been so long and I think they're scattered in a few boxes. Oh, I had forgotten about that little episode. Too funny. It's like he knew some of my relatives. 

3 hours ago, Violet Crown said:

Meanwhile, this week I finished nothing, but got about 2/3 of the way through Dostoevski's The Idiot, which I'm finding frankly incomprehensible. Fortunately I have a book of Critical Essays on Dostoevsky of the 20th Century and I'm going to read the article on The Idiot when I'm done and maybe All Will Be Explained.

Hard week in general has led to insufficient reading: bearing up under difficult family news, and at the same time a Small But Noisy faction of my worship community decided to shame us all in front of the wider church community, which unseemly incident needs no details because the Clique of the Pure is probably familiar to anyone who has a church. Sigh. I really prefer my drama in novels.

Also reading some of J. H. Newman's Parochial and Plain Sermons, an underappreciated book which I was gratified to find specifically mentioned in Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 (it's one of the books kept in a safe by Head Bad Guy, if I remember right). I'm going to see if I can get a Newman's Sermons reading group going at church. Can't help noticing that none of The Pure are avid readers.

I'm sorry to hear about your difficult family news. I hope things improve soon.

I imagine the CoP (which acronym seems rather morbidly funny to me for some reason) shamed themselves, not the community, even if they perhaps don't recognize that fact. I wholeheartedly agree with you about where drama belongs. I hope your worship was drama free on this of all days.

[tuesdayschild]

10 hours ago, Kareni said:

The Art of Book Covers (1820–1914)

Beautiful!

Thinking of you and yours @Negin 🙏

8 hours ago, Violet Crown said:

Hard week in general

Hoping you can find some leverage up, or around those issues, along with the support you need. 

7 hours ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

Lonesome Dove

This showed up in quite a few of the links @Robin M shared.

6 hours ago, Kareni said:

My definition of a favorite is a book I reread and reread such as Dunstall's Linesman series, Addison's The Goblin Emperor, Bishop's The Others, Weir's The Martian, and ....

That's a solid reason for a favourite 🙂 I have The Goblin Emperor downloaded & lined up to read later this year, hoping I love it too.

@mumto2  I feel your pain!  I started on some hard copy tossing awhile back.  Looking forward to see your completed spelling challenge list, when your done.  

4 hours ago, brehon said:

  I hope your worship was drama free on this of all days.

Love this sentiment, and wholeheartedly second it!

[Negin]

13 hours ago, Robin M said:

Hugs, Sweetie. Prayers and strength winging your way for you and your family.  

 

11 hours ago, Kareni said:

Negin, thinking of you and your family and sending positive thoughts your way.

Regards,

Kareni

Thank you all so much. I deleted that part about my brother in my OP.  I wasn't thinking clearly, but it's perfectly fine. His illness is no longer a secret. We leave later this morning and it's going to be a very difficult trip. Talking to him yesterday, my goodness, I broke down completely. We haven't been particularly close for the past two decades and in fact, we were estranged for a while. Life is too short for all that. I wish that I had been a better person. I'm crying as I type this. 

7 hours ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

Lonesome Dove is in my Top 10 all time favorites.

I tried so hard to read this while we were on vacation. I tried twice and forced myself to get to 20%. I gave it my all and was so looking forward to reading it. The reviews are amazing and I usually love sagas and books like that. I guess the Western genre is not for me, although I love Western movies. I really wanted to like it. 

[mumto2]

8 hours ago, Violet Crown said:

 

Oh yes. A folder, with lined notebook paper, with "2019" (or whichever) at the top and a numbered list of books written in number 2 pencil. And an old SonLight spiral-bound timeline, cannibalized for writing each book into its appropriate year. That way if I ever read a book written after 1970, I'll definitely notice.

 

That Sonlight timeline book was something we never enjoyed.  I have our’s somewhere and it really doesn’t have that much in it.......Maybe when this major tidy coughs up the timeline I will take it over for my books, the only problem is I rarely read books from before the 1970’s.  I definitely would need to do settings not publishing dates...........It was odd because we were very prolific on the rolled white paper spread the length of the living room timeline that we pulled out and updated most weeks.  My family didn’t do the formal well.

10 hours ago, Mothersweets said:

Hello friends! I read three books this week.

Past Imperfect by Julian Fellowes - Story about the differing classes in England of the last century and how things have changed. I liked Snobs and this story is in the same vein but it really needed an editor. It could have been cut down by half and been much more enjoyable.

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett - The Queen becomes a reader. Very charming and a quick read.

Before the Fact by Francis Iles - this is the book that Alfred Hitchcock based his movie Suspicion on. My 14yo and I watched it a couple weeks ago and I decided to read the book as the ending is different. I've always thought the movie ending something of a cop out. Anyway, the book was definitely worth reading and I realized that Hitchcock really cleaned up the characters so they were clean enough for Hollywood (of that time).

Robin and Kareni, can't wait to look through all the links!

I enjoyed The Uncommon Reader............Hitchcock movie books was one of my contemplated 10 x10 categories this year.  

8 hours ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

I'm going to have to add these to my list! They sound great!

Well, I added the West TX vet to my To-Read. 🙂 I'm going to have to work on a list to offer opinions beyond Larry McMurtry books! 

Re. The Karen Harper books......she has written several set in Amish country and I have enjoyed all of the ones I have read.  Don’t worry if you can’t find a particular book.  Remember I am one the series in order people. Dark Road Home is a favorite that I have reread a few times (not recently) and should be in a box someplace https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/373455.Dark_Road_Home?from_search=true.

8 hours ago, Violet Crown said:

 

Hard week in general has led to insufficient reading

Hugs,  I hope things are shall I say stabilizing........... CoP’s (giggle) are the people in the congregation I always wonder about the most............such effort,. why bother?  

6 hours ago, Kareni said:

@Pen, you asked last week, "For a question like “what were your favorite books so far in 2019” —do you have a way of keeping track of what you read when?"

The Book a Week thread is my way of keeping track of what I read.

I've been pondering the subject of favorite books of 2019 and realizing that I don't have any. My definition of a favorite is a book I reread and reread such as Dunstall's Linesman series, Addison's The Goblin Emperor, Bishop's The Others, Weir's The Martian, and .... Thus far in 2019, I've enjoyed many books but none have ascended to favorite status.

Regards,

Kareni

Can’t resist pointing out that Goodreads now allows you to list your rereads......😉🤣  btw, Dd is reading the Martian currently per your recommendation.

 

 

[mumto2]

10 hours ago, tuesdayschild said:

Posting first, and coming back to read and chat later/ another time ( I must not get distracted here, yet 😉 )

I pushed the Little Grey Men to one side and devoured Kareni’s Linesman suggestion, which means I’ve now completed reading the spelling challenge for this month:

D=  Earthly Remains:  Commissario Guido Brunetti Bk26 ~ Donna Leon, narrated by David Rintoul (4)

O=  Six Weeks of Blenheim Summer: One Pilot’s Extraordinary Account of the Battle of France ~ Alastair Dyson Panton   (4) 

N=  Surfeit of Lampreys ~ Ngaio Marsh, narrated by Philip Franks (4)

N=  Anxious for Nothing:  Finding Calm in a Chaotic World ~ Max Lucado (cc) (4+) goodreads review  

A=  The Wilhelm Conspiracy:  Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James Bk2 ~ Charles Veley and Anna Elliott narrated by Edward Petherbridge  (3)

L=  Linesman, Bk1 ~ S. K. Dunstall, narrated by Brian Hutchison (4+)  goodreads review  

E=  The Luminaries ~  Eleanor Catton (4-)  (started with audio switched to  ebook 848pgs)

O= The Other Woman ~ Daniel Silva , narrated by George Guidall (4)

N= Spies of No Country:  Secret Lives at the Birth of Israel ~ Matti Friedman (3++) N/F

The collection of books I am currently reading/listening to looks like a real lolly scramble. I enjoy reading this way over winter, it keeps things interesting and encourages me to hop around amongst  the “library shelves” and not just comfort read. Going at this slower pace over this many books all at once will also gift me a few letters I want for next months spelling challenge "DAVID SMALL".

• The Little Grey Men ~ ‘BB’  juvenile fiction  (Carneige winner)
• The Last Year of the War ~ Susan Meissner   WWII (Christian fict:  a genre that is challenging for me to find authors/ characters/situations that interest me enough to want to continuing reading.)
• The Moonstone ~ Wilkie Collins, narrated by Peter Jeffrey  Classic (excellent narration) 
• Elon Musk ~ Ashlee Vance  N/F   DS recommendation.  There quite a few f-bombs in this book, grits teeth and perseveres as it is a very interesting, informative read!
• The Problem of Pain ~ C.S. Lewis, narrated by Simon Vance (cc)  NF continuing with my ongoing read through Lewis works.

 

Great list!  I really enjoyed The Moonstone a couple of years ago.  Still plugging away at my I.

I don’t think Ds has read the book but certainly is well informed on Tesla.  Out of curiosity........Do you see many(any) Tesla’s on the road where you are?  Ds and Dh actively search for them and have only seen one since returning to the UK.  The were not that unusual in the US....as in maybe 1 in an hour of driving if we were someplace moderately traffic heavy.

15 hours ago, Robin M said:

Good morning or afternoon as the case may be.  We watched Fellowship of the Rings last night which was excellent.  Both my guys who are open nerves and talkative during most movies were quiet and enthralled for most of it, which meant I was able to totally enjoy it without distraction.  I remember the first time I watched with John way back when it came out on DVD, he didn't know the movie was a one of three parts and his reaction at the ending was a hilarious rant. 

I'm immersed in the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood and currently on Book 9 Lover Unleashed.  

I remember when Fellowship was first released and my friend's hubby was obsessed by the movie.  I hadn’t seen the movie but knew one needed The Hobbit first for maximum enjoyment  and no way could a 3 hour movie tell the story............I turned the guy into a reader.  He gave me the dvd.  🤣........he was also pretty happy that he could read ahead!

@Negin Sending Prayers for a safe and easy journey today.  Hugs.....

Edited June 24, 2019 by mumto2

[Junie]

(((Negin)))

[SKL]

I finished The Mahabharata!  Whew.  Now I'm not sure what I want to read next.  I have many choices, but right now I'm working on a big deadline and should probably "shelve" the book question until the final reports go out.  (I do have a couple of nonfiction parenting books going in the mean time.)

 

We are roughly 85% done with To Kill a Mockingbird (audiobook).

I have successfully forced the kids to sit through some read-alouds that have been on my "to-do" pile for a long time.  Yay!  Now we can pass them down to the nieces.  I still have at least 100 books to go, LOL.

 

[tuesdayschild]

15 hours ago, mumto2 said:

Great list!  I really enjoyed The Moonstone a couple of years ago.  Still plugging away at my I.

I don’t think Ds has read the book but certainly is well informed on Tesla.  Out of curiosity........Do you see many(any) Tesla’s on the road where you are?  Ds and Dh actively search for them and have only seen one since returning to the UK.  The were not that unusual in the US....as in maybe 1 in an hour of driving if we were someplace moderately traffic heavy.

I remembered you saying you enjoyed it, I had a failed attempt years back, so decided to revisit it: enjoying it now as an audiobook..... I think my reading palate may have 'grown up'  since 2007😉   

You'll achieve it, keep plugging.  With so many interesting books available, it's hard not to get distracted by other titles - well, for me it can be😋    I asked for recommendations last week and my download/hold list has received a lovely boost.  Thank you BaWs! 

The book is a very interesting read.  There is no attempt to gloss over Musk's personality issues/psyche, failures, or his habitual use of the f-word, nor to downplay his machine like drive, genius - he really is - or the achievements.    We do have Tesla's here (they are one brand of, around, the 10,000 electric vehicles currently in NZ).  I haven't seen one myself - haven't been looking. Trivial extra: we have a charging station about an hours highway driving from us, time I paid attention. 

@Negin  ❤️🙏

6 hours ago, SKL said:

We are roughly 85% done with To Kill a Mockingbird (audiobook).

I have successfully forced the kids to sit through some read-alouds that have been on my "to-do" pile for a long time.  Yay!  Now we can pass them down to the nieces.  I still have at least 100 books to go, LOL.

Dd was amazed at how much she enjoyed TKaMB, how are your dc doing with it?  (Some loath it).   "Successfully forced" 😄 Hope you keep posting that 100 books to-go list, as you get to them.   I like @Junie challenge term for reading books she missed out, published too late (?),  and read children's/ Y/A titles that I've missed, on occasion, too.

Edited June 25, 2019 by tuesdayschild
link

[SKL]

12 minutes ago, tuesdayschild said:

 

Dd was amazed at how much she enjoyed TKaMB, how are you dc doing with it?  (Some loath it).   "Successfully forced" 😄 Hope you keep posting that 100 books to-go list, as you get to them.  

Honestly, I'm finding TKAM a hard book to listen to with kids (mine are 12yo).  It is so in your face brutal, and yet deals with so many important things.  I wonder if being "people of color" is a factor in reading it also.  My kids are not black, but they identify with black people in some ways.  I'm not sure I could listen to it with black children, at least not until a certain age.

One of my kids looks forward to hearing the book, and asks for it.  The other is not a fan.

That said, I'd never want them to do this book at school without me.

This reminds me of thoughts I've had about kid book recommendations.  I see lists and often think, why would anyone ask a __-year-old to read this?  A recent example is the Kite Runner.  What an awful story to saddle a kid with.

[Junie]

40 minutes ago, tuesdayschild said:

I remembered you saying you enjoyed it, I had a failed attempt years back, so decided to revisit it: enjoying it now as an audiobook..... I think my reading palate may have 'grown up'  since 2007😉   

You'll achieve it, keep plugging.  With so many interesting books available, it's hard not to get distracted by other titles - well, for me it can be😋    I asked for recommendations last week and my download/hold list has received a lovely boost.  Thank you BaWs! 

The book is a very interesting read.  There is no attempt to gloss over Musk's personality issues/psyche, failures, or his habitual use of the f-word, nor to downplay his machine like drive, genius - he really is - or the achievements.    We do have Tesla's here (they are one brand of, around, the 10,000 electric vehicles currently in NZ).  I haven't seen one myself - haven't been looking. Trivial extra: we have a charging station about an hours highway driving from us, time I paid attention. 

@Negin ( ❤️🙏

Dd was amazed at how much she enjoyed TKaMB, how are you dc doing with it?  (Some loath it).   "Successfully forced" 😄 Hope you keep posting that 100 books to-go list, as you get to them.   I like @Junie challenge term for reading books she missed out, published too late (?),  and read children's/ Y/A titles that I've missed, on occasion, too.

I call it Written Too Late.  Children's and YA literature gives me a break from all of the classics that I'm trying to plow through.

I'm still not finished with Oliver Twist.

[tuesdayschild]

@SKL  TKaM would have been on the 'cannot' cope yet list for my Dd at 12  (some dc are ready, others aren't.)  She was absolutely ready at 17 though.  We have an, extended, inter-racial family and some topics are just very tough.

Wowa!  Kite Runner as a kids book?!  (gobsmacked)    Nodding in agreement at Æthelthryth's comments.

1 hour ago, Junie said:

I call it Written Too Late. 

That's it. Perfect !   

 Oliver Twist .....    Over exposure to that book ruined it for me.

 

Edited June 25, 2019 by tuesdayschild

[Kareni]

Violet Crown, thanks for sharing your 

On 6/23/2019 at 8:09 PM, Violet Crown said:

Post-1980 fiction

I'm not TOO surprised that we have no overlap!

**

18 hours ago, mumto2 said:

Can’t resist pointing out that Goodreads now allows you to list your rereads......😉🤣  btw, Dd is reading the Martian currently per your recommendation.

While I have a Goodreads account, I use it solely to enter giveaways (likely not what they'd prefer!).

I'll look forward to hearing your daughter's impression of The Martian.

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Yesterday I finishedThe Bride Test by Helen Hoang which I enjoyed despite some quibbles. (Adult content)

 "Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or contentment when ledgers balance down to the penny, but not big, important emotions—like grief. And love. He thinks he's defective. His family knows better—that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. When he steadfastly avoids relationships, his mother takes matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride. 

As a mixed-race girl living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, Esme Tran has always felt out of place. When the opportunity arises to come to America and meet a potential husband, she can't turn it down, thinking this could be the break her family needs. Seducing Khai, however, doesn't go as planned. Esme's lessons in love seem to be working...but only on herself. She's hopelessly smitten with a man who's convinced he can never return her affection.

With Esme's time in the United States dwindling, Khai is forced to understand he's been wrong all along. And there's more than one way to love. "

**

Today I started reading a book that I won in a Goodreads giveaway. In its defense, I'll say that it's vocabulary enriching as one of the characters is a logophile who carries around a dictionary. That is one of the few things I can say in its defense; I'll not be finishing it.

Solipsism by Noel Luis Nuñez

"They’re the last two people on the planet. And sworn enemies.

Teens Jack Higgins and Skylar Williams are polar opposites. Jack is a word nerd who has a better chance of winning a spelling bee than surviving an apocalypse. Skylar is a tough tomboy with a potentially deadly secret who longs for a life of her own away from her overprotective father.

Then the world goes dark and the mysterious creatures appear. Now the only thing left to do is survive . . . at any cost. It’s every man for himself, and anyone who gets in the way is expendable.

But as a blizzard rages outside, supplies are running out, and one thing is clear—no one’s coming to rescue them. They’re going to starve or freeze . . . if they don’t kill each other first. The two form a tentative alliance, but before long, they realize that they’re not alone after all, and the most dangerous monsters may not be the aliens.

It’s a treacherous game of betrayal and survival as the fate of humanity hangs in the balance."

 Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

5 hours ago, Kareni said:

Yesterday I finishedThe Bride Test by Helen Hoang which I enjoyed despite some quibbles. (Adult content)

 "Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or contentment when ledgers balance down to the penny, but not big, important emotions—like grief. And love. He thinks he's defective. His family knows better—that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. When he steadfastly avoids relationships, his mother takes matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride. 

As a mixed-race girl living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, Esme Tran has always felt out of place. When the opportunity arises to come to America and meet a potential husband, she can't turn it down, thinking this could be the break her family needs. Seducing Khai, however, doesn't go as planned. Esme's lessons in love seem to be working...but only on herself. She's hopelessly smitten with a man who's convinced he can never return her affection.

With Esme's time in the United States dwindling, Khai is forced to understand he's been wrong all along. And there's more than one way to love. "

**

Today I started reading a book that I won in a Goodreads giveaway. In its defense, I'll say that it's vocabulary enriching as one of the characters is a logophile who carries around a dictionary. That is one of the few things I can say in its defense; I'll not be finishing it.

Solipsism by Noel Luis Nuñez

"They’re the last two people on the planet. And sworn enemies.

Teens Jack Higgins and Skylar Williams are polar opposites. Jack is a word nerd who has a better chance of winning a spelling bee than surviving an apocalypse. Skylar is a tough tomboy with a potentially deadly secret who longs for a life of her own away from her overprotective father.

Then the world goes dark and the mysterious creatures appear. Now the only thing left to do is survive . . . at any cost. It’s every man for himself, and anyone who gets in the way is expendable.

But as a blizzard rages outside, supplies are running out, and one thing is clear—no one’s coming to rescue them. They’re going to starve or freeze . . . if they don’t kill each other first. The two form a tentative alliance, but before long, they realize that they’re not alone after all, and the most dangerous monsters may not be the aliens.

It’s a treacherous game of betrayal and survival as the fate of humanity hangs in the balance."

 Regards,

Kareni

The Bride Test just arrived in my stack and I haven’t had a chance to look at it yet.  Glad you enjoyed it.......I just went to put it in the Goodreads stack and discovered it is second in a series.  Not sure what I want to do about it now other than put the first book in the series on hold.  Have you read The Kiss Quotient?

I finished my spelling challenge.  I love doing these because sometimes they force😉 me to read books that I might abandon easily.  They also give me an excuse to read my comfort reads.........

G.......Past Due For Murder by Victoria Gilbert

U.......Unspeakable by Laura Griffin

I.........When a Duchess Says I Do by Grace Burrowes   I was hard this month 😉

D........Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon

O.......My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwai  ........ this book was quite good, different and quick...adult content

 

B.......The Forgotten by David Balducci

R......Persepolis Rising by James Corey

U ......A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe by Alex White

N.......Upon a Winter’s Night by Karen Harper

E........Why Did’t they ask Evans? By Agatha Christie

T.........Twisted by Laura Griffin

T........No Exit by Taylor Adams

I.........Magic Breaks by Ilona Adams...enjoyed the ending and am going to finish the series. Magic Tests, an enjoyable novella, was included.

 

 

 

[Kareni]

9 hours ago, mumto2 said:

The Bride Test just arrived in my stack and I haven’t had a chance to look at it yet.  Glad you enjoyed it.......I just went to put it in the Goodreads stack and discovered it is second in a series.  Not sure what I want to do about it now other than put the first book in the series on hold.  Have you read The Kiss Quotient?

I have indeed read The Kiss Quotient, and I liked it, too. While one of the main leads of this book was introduced in The Kiss Quotient, The Bride Test can be read as a stand alone.

Regards,

Kareni

[tuesdayschild]

11 hours ago, mumto2 said:

I finished my spelling challenge.  I love doing these because sometimes they force😉 me to read books that I might abandon easily.  They also give me an excuse to read my comfort reads.........

Well done!  Agreeing with your abandon comment: letters 'i' and 'e'  and 'v' are challenging to find books and keep reading letters for me.  How about you?  I'd be counting that letter 'i' read too 😄

 

[Kareni]

Some currently free romances for Kindle readers:

• Whiskey and Gumdrops: A Blueberry Springs Sweet Romance

• The Major's Welcome Home
• Off the Edge (Undercover Associates Book 2)
• Shrewd Angel 
• The Foxhole Court (All for the Game Book 1)

Other genres:

• The Comet Clement Series Collection: Books 1-4
• Warrior Mage: Chains of Honor, Book 1
•  
• Rookie Privateer (Privateer Tales Book 1)
• The Emperor's Edge
• Breaking Gravity

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

10 minutes ago, tuesdayschild said:

Well done!  Agreeing with your abandon comment: letters 'i' and 'e'  and 'v' are challenging to find books and keep reading letters for me.  How about you?  I'd be counting that letter 'i' read too 😄

 

Agreeing with ‘I’, ‘E’, and ‘V’.......which I am already working on for next month.  Lately ‘N’ and ‘R’ are hard..........Totally going sideways but I am planning an ‘animal alphabet’ quilt and have came to a ‘surprising to me’ discovery.......not many animals have names that start with ‘n’.  I think I am going with narwhale.  These letter exercises have me thinking that ‘N’ is a little used letter.🤔

I started reading Crazy Rich Asians today.  So far it’s fun and follows the movie well.......I loved the movie.  I already have the second book......I put all three on hold at the same time and have waited for a really long time.

[JennW in SoCal]

Ugh! I made it all the way through cold and flu season with nary a sniffle, but woke up Sunday with a nasty bronchial virus. I'm a useless blob, lying in bed, binge watching the first season of Outlander on Netflix (I had read the first book in the series) and re=listening to favorite audio books. I finished Bear and the Nightingale last night around 3am. Why does insomnia come with being sick?!!

Has anyone read the next two books that follow Bear and the NIghtingale? 

[Kareni]

I hope you'll soon feel better, Jenn.

**

Last night I finished Fluency (Confluence Book 1) by Jennifer Foehner Wells.  It was a pleasant read but not a book I expect to reread. I don't intend to continue with the series at this time.

The book has been recommended by Nalini Singh: "Just read FLUENCY by Jennifer Foehner Wells and loved it. Wonderful space opera. Looking forward to the next book." 

Interestingly, I see there is also an all ages version available here.

 "NASA discovered the alien ship lurking in the asteroid belt in the 1960s. They kept the Target under intense surveillance for decades, letting the public believe they were exploring the solar system, while they worked feverishly to refine the technology needed to reach it.

The ship itself remained silent, drifting.

Dr. Jane Holloway is content documenting nearly-extinct languages and had never contemplated becoming an astronaut. But when NASA recruits her to join a team of military scientists for an expedition to the Target, it’s an adventure she can’t refuse.

The ship isn’t vacant, as they presumed.

A disembodied voice rumbles inside Jane’s head, "You are home." 

Jane fights the growing doubts of her colleagues as she attempts to decipher what the alien wants from her. As the derelict ship devolves into chaos and the crew gets cut off from their escape route, Jane must decide if she can trust the alien’s help to survive."

Regards,

Kareni

[Pen]

I’ve been relistening to

 

louise Penny: A Great Reckoning 

someone Horowitz: Why Can’t I Get Better : Lyme ...

PJ O’Rourke: All the Trouble in the World...

 

circling around them  depending on my mood and attention available

Edited June 26, 2019 by Pen

[Mothersweets]

2 hours ago, JennW in SoCal said:

Ugh! I made it all the way through cold and flu season with nary a sniffle, but woke up Sunday with a nasty bronchial virus. I'm a useless blob, lying in bed, binge watching the first season of Outlander on Netflix (I had read the first book in the series) and re=listening to favorite audio books. I finished Bear and the Nightingale last night around 3am. Why does insomnia come with being sick?!!

Has anyone read the next two books that follow Bear and the NIghtingale? 

I loved the Bear and the Nightingale and haven't read the next two yet BUT I hear they are good! Hope you feel better soon. 🙂

[tuesdayschild]

12 hours ago, mumto2 said:

Agreeing with ‘I’, ‘E’, and ‘V’.......which I am already working on for next month.  Lately ‘N’ and ‘R’ are hard..........Totally going sideways but I am planning an ‘animal alphabet’ quilt and have came to a ‘surprising to me’ discovery.......not many animals have names that start with ‘n’.  I think I am going with narwhale.  These letter exercises have me thinking that ‘N’ is a little used letter.🤔

 Your quilt sounds amazing!  I hope we get to see the end result of your skill.    If you stretched the rules would one of the 176 mammals starting with n ...  off here work?

I'm trying to focus on whodunits , mostly, sort of, for the spelling challenge.  Both 'n' and 'r' are more of a challenge for me this year too (due to lack of interest in titles available...)    Ngaio Marsh was a good go-to for letter “n”, for me: I refuse to read her though, it has to be an audio with either Philip Franks, Benedict Cumberbatch, o,r Anton Lester narrating.   For some of the letter ‘i’s  I've put aside a few in the DC Smith,  police procedural, series, as I've enjoyed the ones I’ve read to date.    'V' is being covered, mostly by the series my Dd has recommended to me,  Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James by Charles Veley and Anna Elliott, They are all, so far 3-4 * (not quite a 4).

@JennW in SoCal  wishing you a quick return to health - the benefit of comfort listening doesn't make up for the 'ugh' you are feeling.

 

[mumto2]

@JennW in SoCal  I hope you start feeling better soon!  I haven’t read the Bear and the Nightingale but @Æthelthryth the Texan, @Penguin@Matryoshka All rated it highly on Goodreads if that helps.   Senlin Ascends was great on audio if you wand something different.

1 hour ago, tuesdayschild said:

 Your quilt sounds amazing!  I hope we get to see the end result of your skill.    If you stretched the rules would one of the 176 mammals starting with n ...  off here work?

I'm trying to focus on whodunits , mostly, sort of, for the spelling challenge.  Both 'n' and 'r' are more of a challenge for me this year too (due to lack of interest in titles available...)    Ngaio Marsh was a good go-to for letter “n”, for me: I refuse to read her though, it has to be an audio with either Philip Franks, Benedict Cumberbatch, o,r Anton Lester narrating.   For some of the letter ‘i’s  I've put aside a few in the DC Smith,  police procedural, series, as I've enjoyed the ones I’ve read to date.    'V' is being covered, mostly by the series my Dd has recommended to me,  Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James by Charles Veley and Anna Elliott, They are all, so far 3-4 * (not quite a 4).

@JennW in SoCal  wishing you a quick return to health - the benefit of comfort listening doesn't make up for the 'ugh' you are feeling.

 

That website is so great!  So Newt, Nautilus, and night crawlers are now possibilities.   This quilt is a long term project.........finishing it too quickly will make my kids nervous.  😉 I have collected several fun animal patterns that I want to try and this is a good way to put an alligator on the same quilt as a pink pig.  I have patterns for about 90%of the animals already.

Thanks for the James Veley idea......I saw them the other night while hunting for V’s for next month’s Rabbi David Small.  I am going to just read what is due for a few days I think........

[Liz CA]

Didn't get all the context but sorry that something not so good is happening in Negin's life. HUGS!

I was still reading through "21 Days" by Perry when I unpacked yet another bag and found "The Hour of the Heirs" by Charlotte Link.  Now I am reading both but definitely more concentrating on "Hour of the Heirs" at the moment. I never have enough time  to read. Work is always getting in the way...

Audio:

Finished "Private Justice" by Blackstock. The story is set in the south and the narrator had the southern thing down perfectly so I had to pay attention and rewind occasionally.  🙂

Don't know what my next audio will be and I need one quick because of the long commute every day.

[Pen]

I finally got a China Bayles  set in summer.

@mumto2

we have newts and nutria in our local creeks

 

[Pen]

Or Newfoundland dog

[mumto2]

39 minutes ago, Pen said:

Or Newfoundland dog

The Newfy would be highly appropriate as my best friend always has one and a few chihuahua’s.  I made her a chihuahua quilt for her birthday this year so I need to do newf’s for this Christmas.  Still looking for a pattern I like.

Glad you are enjoying China Bayles...I haven’t read the most recent ones.  Maybe I will read one as part of next month’s spelling challenge.

I’ve been reading a new to me cozy today called By Cook or by Crook by Maya Corrigan which is quite good,  as in I still don’t know who did it. 😉

[Pen]

Just started — also relevant to summer fun (in a way) —

Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons https://www.amazon.com/dp/006289627X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_R79eDb8F6M901

 

[Pen]

 

3 hours ago, mumto2 said:

Glad you are enjoying China Bayles...I haven’t read the most recent ones.  Maybe I will read one as part of next month’s spelling challenge.

 

I’m way back in series still 

3 hours ago, mumto2 said:

I’ve been reading a new to me cozy today called By Cook or by Crook by Maya Corrigan which is quite good,  as in I still don’t know who did it. 😉

 

Cute title — esp the subtitle..  the kindle sample is downloading now 

[Penguin]

Hi, all. I have been on the road more often than not, and I have hardly read anything 😞

Hugs to all who need them, especially @Negin

@JennW in SoCal I hope you feel better soon! I have indeed read the first two of the trilogy. I have heard good things about #3. 

In the beginning of the year, I asked for recommendations for my next Faulkner, and @Violet Crown mentioned Absalom, Absalom. Great rec, VC. 

Absalom, Absalom was fantastic. I took a long break at about the 75% mark, and that somewhat ruined the reading experience for me. That is not the fault of the book, though. I really loved the way the story was told - people sitting around telling a story over and over. But each time a little differently or told by someone else or with an added detail. Each perspective is a little different. And there is conjecture about what really happened, because the people sitting around talking were not actually present for the events. This is the way I have learned my family stories. Sometimes, decades later, I find out a detail that rocks my perception or that makes all of my previous knowledge fit together.

And I am still in Moomin Valley, finishing up Book #3 Troldekarlens Hat (The Hobgoblin's Hat). 

If I liked audiobooks better, it would help me through this reading drought. But I don't generally care for them. That being said, I am currently listening to and enjoying a YA novel read by Lin-Manuel Miranda: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. We are getting serious now about renovating the house in North Carolina, and I have been deep cleaning this week. It has been good to have an easy audiobook to listen to. But in general, I prefer to use my listening time for podcasts and/or foreign language instruction.