Book a Week 2020 - BW1: Happy New Year - Our Journey Continues

[Lady Florida.]

1 hour ago, Junie said:

 

I am reading through Les Miserables (for the first time!) and I am enjoying it very much.  I already know the story (from the movie/musical), so I don't feel rushed to know what happens.  I *think* I will finish the book by the end of this year.  Maybe. 😉 I know that I would not enjoy the book as much if I felt pressured to read it in a set amount of time.

Although I read it in high school I reread Les Miserables a few years ago. It took me a little over a year to finish it but I'm really glad I did. It's one of my favorite books of all time. It's definitely a sip read. Take your time and enjoy it.

[tuesdayschild]

2 hours ago, Robin M said:

Take your time and enjoy.  We all have what we call 'sip' reads that we have ongoing throughout the year.  I think @tuesdayschild came up with the term, just as @aggieamy came up with flufferton which she wrote a guest post about a few years back. 

 

Just eking (*) out a gap to come and post and read: my, my, my, the thread for this week, and last, are very developed 🙂  

It is a term I use @Robin M  but I must give credit where it's due :  "A sip read" is a phrase gifted my way many years ago by a much older woman whose literary prowess was something I  admired, she encouraged me to have a least one sip read happening in my life, as my children were teeny tiny and reading anything that didn't have pictures in it felt like a fond memory.  Since then I've endeavoured to do just that, some are sip reads that I want to ingest slowly, others are one because they are books that I intentionally pick up and put down due to the ebb and flo of life  (a read that I've paused to come back to later is different, for me)  .....some sip reads have taken me years (!) to complete but I get there in the end sip by sip.  

While I'm on a sip read bend, update from 2019, here are the sip reads currently in my book basket, which includes a diversity of genres:

Current sip reads: 

• Life Application Study Bible KJV  Classic/ Christian  (started in Jan 2018) 
• How the Heather Looks: A Joyous Journey to the British Sources of Children's Books ~ Bodger, Joan   N/F travelogue/literary memoir   (started in Jan 2019)      I see @mumto2 has completed it and gifted it 5 stars on goodreads  - I kept getting distracted with the literary rabbit tales Joan keeps gifting the readers way
• A Year with C.S. Lewis ~ Lewis, C.S.  (started in Feb 2019 - this will take me much longer than a year to complete)
• A Blossom in the Desert: Reflections of Faith in the Art and Writings of Lilias Trotter ~ Rockness, Miriam Huffman  (started in Sept 2019)
• Nothing to Report ~ Oman, Carola  (started Nov 2019)  vintage/flufferton 
• Tales from the Perilous Realm ~ J. R. R. Tolkien (started in Dec 2019)  Juvenile Fiction

Paused during 2019,  to revisit later:   9 books

Still listening to:  (18 Nov)  The Creature from Jekyll Island:  A Second Look at the Federal Reserve ~  G. Edward Griffin, narrated by Mark Bramhall   N/F  Economics   (A BaW mention.  So well written.)

* I had to check the spelling of eking, as I had eeking ( which is apparently to lets one leg hairs (or any other hairs on your body) grow long enough so it doesn't hurt as much when you eventually shave/wax them.)    Ha. 

 

Edited January 5, 2020 by tuesdayschild

[aggieamy]

27 minutes ago, tuesdayschild said:

 

• How the Heather Looks: A Joyous Journey to the British Sources of Children's Books ~
• Bodger, Joan   N/F travelogue/literary memoir   (started in Jan 2019)      I see @mumto2 has completed it and gifted it 5 stars on goodreads  - I kept getting distracted with the literary rabbit tales Joan keeps gifting the readers way

 

Oh this sounds fascinating! 

[tuesdayschild]

Waving hello to new, returning, and regular BaWers (book a weekers).    (To those on goodreads,  I usually only follow - if your profile allows it -but don't friend anyone unless invited as I am known to read a diversity of religious books ( I like to know for myself what someone believes, not what others say they do) and that can irritate others when it shows up in my reading feed.  (Feel free to unfriend/unfollow me at any stage if you currently are - my relatives/ IRL friends who love me, but not my religious investigative habits, do 😂) 

Hoping it's still okay to wind up 2019 completed challenges here (?)  ...

Challenges completed :  

• 52 in 52 (183 books)
• Whodunit Bookology Challenge (accounts for 117 of total books read)
• Heyer books in order (a two year challenge)  ETA: completed part 1 in 2019)

My reading/listening goal was for 100 books last year then I adjusted that to 150, and completed 183 books across all challenges (Goodreads shows me as reading more than that, but I’m not counting children’s picture books or very small chapter books (6) or abandoned titles (15) in the final tally here.)

Of the 183, 152 were audiobooks and 31 were printed books  (32 including the KJV bible). I  didn’t do as well as I’d hoped with printed books, but last year was also been a bit of a curve ball so audiobooks in general was my go to, and comfort listening in particular seemed to be more needful than achieving a reading goal.

I am happy that I managed to complete 16 classic titles, and, 10 chunksters amongst my listening and reading last year.

Five Starred books from 2019:

• KJV Old Testament
• Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell ~ Clarke, Susanna    (best new author this year)
• Irena's Children: The Extraordinary Story of the Woman Who Saved 2,500 Children from the Warsaw Ghetto ~ Mazzeo, Tilar J.   (N/F)
• One Child: The Story of China's Most Radical Experiment ~ Fong, Mei   (N/F)  gritty, raw content.  Language content
• Inside Out & Back Again ~ Lai, Thanhha  (Juvenile Fict)
• Trouble at Rose Cottage (Tumtum and Nutmeg #7) ~ Bearn, Emily (Juvenile Fict)
• Suffering Is Never for Nothing ~ Elliot, Elisabeth   (N/F CC)    touched me deeply
• A Grief Observed ~ Lewis, C.S. (N/F   CC)
• Confluence (Linesman, #3) ~ Dunstall, S.K.    best new (to me) series  (thanks @Kareni )
• A Private Investigation (D.C. Smith Bk8) ~ Grainger, Peter
• Songbird: A Kings Lake Investigation ~ Grainger, Peter  (new release.  First in a new series)
• The Note Through the Wire ~ Gold, Doug   (N/F NZ)
• The Goliath Code (Book 1) ~ Leonhard, Suzanne (fict CC)
• Wives and Daughters ~ Gaskell, Elizabeth    (Classic)
• Katherine Wentworth ~ Stevenson, D.E.    (vintage/retro)
• Shoulder the Sky (Dering Family Bk3) ~ Stevenson, D.E.  (You're right @aggieamy, our reading tastes do seem to cross regularly, I think you'd enjoy this title in the series, if you haven't already read it.
• Winter and Rough Weather (Drumberley Bk3) ~ Stevenson, D.E.    vintage/Scotland
• Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster ~ Auxier, Jonathan   (Juvenile Fict)    emotive read. 
• The Canterville Ghost ~ Wilde, Oscar   (  Classic)
• The Urban Sketching Handbook: Working with Color:Techniques for Using Watercolor and Color Media on the Go (Urban Sketching Handbooks) ~ Blaukopf, Shari  (N/F)
• The Spanish Bride ~ Heyer, Georgette    (hist/fict/biographical)
• One Corpse Too Many (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, #2) ~ Peters, Ellis  (historical mystery)
• The Market Square ~ Read, Miss    (vintage)
• The Reluctant Widow ~ Heyer, Georgette   (favourite relisten)
• The Unknown Ajax ~ Heyer, Georgette   (relisten)
• The Eleventh Orphan ~ Lingard, Joan (Y/A hist fict)

Edited January 5, 2020 by tuesdayschild

[LaughingCat]

I've been trying to finish up some books that have been hanging out on my goodreads "reading" list for FAR too long -so just finished Turid Rugaas Calming Signals for Dogs (which was actually quite short and also very good -- I think it is pure dog owner guilt that kept me from reading it 😫 -- will add that I actually used something from it already and it appeared to work wonderfully for my cat chasing, bark crazy dog).

Which is interesting to me because I do NOT have the other type of guilt factor in the link Robin attached and SWB link as well (except maybe in the very last week of the year when I'm only 3 books away from goal LOL).    I didn't met my goal in 2018 (2 books a week) and did meet it last year (3 books a week).  Even in my last week crunch time, I started a boring (to me) book that was very short -- and then thought NOPE! not struggling through this book just to meet that goal.   

Looking forward to all the excellent recommendations from the BAW peeps in 2020!

ETA my goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/friend/i?feature=friend-invite-url&invite_token=NzVjZDhiMjctMzE0Ni00ZTgwLThhZjAtNGRjZmE5OTU2OGZm

Edited January 5, 2020 by LaughingCat2

[tuesdayschild]

On 1/4/2020 at 8:08 AM, Kareni said:

This one's a little different! Local library displays vintage toilet paper collection

😋

[tuesdayschild]

On 1/2/2020 at 8:50 PM, loesje22000 said:

Dd passed her exams last months and has her diploma now, which give acces to university. She will leave in september so we will have time for more relaxed homeschooling next few months.

Congratulations to your DD  (and you! good job mum).

(Like mumto2, I often wish I could translate the titles of what you're reading.)

[vmsurbat1]

13 hours ago, melmichigan said:

Here is my goodreads token: https://www.goodreads.com/friend/i?feature=friend-invite-url&invite_token=MjliMTEwODItYjJiOS00NDJhLTkyZGItMWYxNGJlODAyOGIx Just drop me a note with who you are here so I know who I'm adding please.

I clicked this but couldn't see how to add a note on GoodReads.  So, over there I'm VickiMNE. 🙂

 

[Kareni]

Today only, a free book for Kindle readers ~

Masterpieces of Mystery by Anna Katharine Green

 "Masterpieces of Mystery is a scintillating collection of suspenseful tales from pioneering author Anna Katharine Green, one of the first female writers of detective fiction.
 
Tantalizingly tangled plots and unpredictable revelations abound: A young housewife left home alone on Christmas Eve worries about the threat of robbery when a stranger knocks at her door; a daughter checks in to Three Forks Tavern with her mother, only to awaken to find her mother missing and declared dead in the nearby woods; a valuable jewel is stolen at a society ball filled with duplicitous debutantes and dashing gentlemen; and a specter that haunts the apartment of a husband and wife, which may be a good spirit or a harbinger of doom.
 
This collection includes the classic stories “Room No. 3,” “The Staircase at Heart’s Delight,” “The Grey Lady,” “The House in the Mist,” and more."

 Regards,

Kareni

[Matryoshka]

18 hours ago, Robin M said:

Did you all see SWB's facebook post commenting on the Millions article Why I'll Never Read A Book A Week again.   So glad we have all found our happy medium.  

Different Strokes... I seem to have had pretty much the opposite reaction to this challenge.  The year before I started reading along here, I had only been reading, maybe 5-10 books a year (other than books w/ the kids).  The first year I didn't even set a goal of reading 52 - I decided to make it less intimidating and set a goal of 26.  And then I read 154.  Yes, some were quick fluffy reads, but that had a lot more to do with my flirting with that 240-book Bingo that was floating around that year (which I obviously came nowhere close to completing, but I did have fun with.  But I did decide that was maybe a bit much (for me)...  Since then I've set my goal at 104, and easily met it (135 and 115 the past two years).  And in those years I've read lots of challenging nonfiction, War and Peace, Middlemarch, Moby-Dick, and at 10+ chunksters per year.  So... I'm not feeling like a number goal has decreased my joy in reading, nor led me to read more fluff or pap (though some fluff is nice sometimes!).  I've read more broadly and deeply and enjoyed my reading more, actually.  Now, it does help that I am no longer homeschooling and only working very part-time.  But 2 books a week for me is apparently doable - the key for me seems to be mixing in lots of audio and ebooks, and yes, sometimes embracing 'sip' books that might take months, and also getting back to the habit of reading rather than mindlessly watching TV or surfing the internet.  Of course there's no point in setting a goal that stresses you out, but I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing.  I think I was only a little stressed in December this year, and that wasn't with the overall number goal, it was finishing the last couple for Bingo and the 10x10s... lol. As with everything, do what works for you - we're all motivated/stressed by different things!  Just reading what everyone else is reading motivates me a lot!  I think that's a big part of my increased enjoyment in the books I do read - before, I kind of flailed around trying to figure out what to read next, now that is, shall we say, no longer a problem!

[mumto2]

1 hour ago, vmsurbat1 said:

I clicked this but couldn't see how to add a note on GoodReads.  So, over there I'm VickiMNE. 🙂

 

I think some of the programming over at Goodreads has changed because when I sent my friend request to you I wasn’t given a box to type my message into which is how it worked before.  We seem to be friends but I will admit that the process has been different.

Yesterday I finished listening to the first  A Wizard of Earthsea book and may start the second this afternoon. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59920.A_Wizard_of_Earthsea  It was quite good and I enjoyed listening.  Ursula Le Guin is one of those classic authors that I have somehow missed.  
 

I am reading the paper Face Down Across the Western Sea by Kathy Lee Emerson https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/612296.Face_Down_Across_the_Western_Sea in hopes of finishing it before needing to show it at the desk in order to renew.   Also reading Patricia Briggs Dragon Bones https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6500341-dragon-bones which I am really enjoying.

[aggieamy]

Finished:

The Case of the Famished Parson (CI Littlejohn #15) by George Bellairs (audiobook) - Meh. No character development. Overly complicated plot. A zillion different characters that were difficult to keep straight. The end was interesting but it was a struggle to get there.

Death in Captivity by Michael Gilbert - Think The Great Escape meets Lord Peter Wimsey. Wonderful. I was up until 2:30 am finishing it. (@mumto2 I could see your DH really enjoying the war and military aspect along with the mystery in this book.)

They were both books I picked up because of the The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books I'm working through. They are an interesting compare and contrast. Both were published within a few years of each other in the early 1950's. Where one read like an old fashioned book with lots of explaining and asides to the readers the other could be modern. There's a reason nobody talks much about George Bellairs books these days (my apologies to the George Bellairs official fan club) but I can't figure out why Michael Gilbert isn't recommended more often. 

@tuesdayschild and @Lady Florida. - I know you two gals like these golden age mysteries too. Have you read either author? 

[vmsurbat1]

14 minutes ago, aggieamy said:

Finished:

The Case of the Famished Parson (CI Littlejohn #15) by George Bellairs (audiobook) - Meh. No character development. Overly complicated plot. A zillion different characters that were difficult to keep straight. The end was interesting but it was a struggle to get there.

Death in Captivity by Michael Gilbert - Think The Great Escape meets Lord Peter Wimsey. Wonderful. I was up until 2:30 am finishing it. (@mumto2 I could see your DH really enjoying the war and military aspect along with the mystery in this book.)

They were both books I picked up because of the The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books I'm working through. They are an interesting compare and contrast. Both were published within a few years of each other in the early 1950's. Where one read like an old fashioned book with lots of explaining and asides to the readers the other could be modern. There's a reason nobody talks much about George Bellairs books these days (my apologies to the George Bellairs official fan club) but I can't figure out why Michael Gilbert isn't recommended more often. 

@tuesdayschild and @Lady Florida. - I know you two gals like these golden age mysteries too. Have you read either author? 

Ooh!  Another Golden Age Mystery fan (GAMf) here!  Hubby, too!  Thanks for the Gilbert recommendation.  Will be adding to my wishlist to read.

One less known author you GAMfs might like is Cyril Hare.  I've read several of his books and enjoyed them all.  You might start with  Tragedy at Law (which introduces you to Francis Pettigrew who appears in other stories) but is not necessary....

[aggieamy]

5 minutes ago, vmsurbat1 said:

Ooh!  Another Golden Age Mystery fan (GAMf) here!  Hubby, too!  Thanks for the Gilbert recommendation.  Will be adding to my wishlist to read.

One less known author you GAMfs might like is Cyril Hare.  I've read several of his books and enjoyed them all.  You might start with  Tragedy at Law (which introduces you to Francis Pettigrew who appears in other stories) but is not necessary....

Thank you for the recommendation! I added it to my Goodreads list. 

[Lori D.]

50 minutes ago, mumto2 said:

... Yesterday I finished listening to the first  A Wizard of Earthsea book and may start the second this afternoon. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59920.A_Wizard_of_Earthsea  It was quite good and I enjoyed listening.  Ursula Le Guin is one of those classic authors that I have somehow missed.  

As a side note: I just diid Wizard of Earthsea with my high school homeschool co-op class -- many of them really enjoyed it, but some felt frustrated by the more "distant" tone (I think they are more used to the close POV of a lot of the more recent YA fantasy series... 😉 )

Le Guin was *highly* influenced by anthropology/sociology, so her books develop culture like no other fantasy other I've read. She was also highly influenced by Taoist thought, which really comes through in books #1 and #3 of her Earthsea series. I really love book #2 (Tombs of Atman) as a stand-alone book with a strong female character, and, paradoxically for LeGuin's Taoist leanings -- it has some powerful Christian images and themes.

LeGuin came back to write more in the Earthsea series 20 years later, with 2 novels and some short stories. I've only read the first of the new books, Tehanu, which I am very ambivalent about. On the one hand, her writing is even stronger and more detailed/nuanced. She picks up the main female character of book #2 decades later in the character's life, and she really nails some of those middle-aged woman thoughts and ideas. But on the other hand, it is frustrating to see LeGuin "re-writing" her original culture and set-up of Earthsea to be more feminist (perhaps a bit more "anti-male"??). That's because LeGuin became more strongly feminist and more outspokenly feminist in her views in the intervening years. I guess for me, it boils down to: I don't mind if people change their opinions and views over time; I just mind if you try and "revisionist re-write" your amazing original world years later with your new view. 😉 

If you like LeGuin, you might enjoy The Left Hand of Darkness, or The Dispossessed. 
 

50 minutes ago, mumto2 said:

... am reading the paper Face Down Across the Western Sea by Kathy Lee Emerson...

I read through that mystery series a year or two ago -- very fun! Loved the "home and hearth" view of the early Renaissance world.

[Robin M]

Good Morning!  I finished my first book of the year - David Wingrove's Son of Heaven, the prequel in his Chung Kuo series.  The story is set in a alternative future dystopian world in which England and China are the only two countries, splitting the world in half. China destroys the stock market, causing a global disaster, all electricity and modernization is eliminated in England and causes a civil war between the have and have nots. 20 years goes by whole citizens learn to fend for themselves, before China then takes over globally, rounding up people and killing those they don’t believe will make perfect citizens.  Quite like Hitler's regime - culling out the old, infirm, not perfect. Scary.  Not sure want to read the rest of the series,  however it was intriguing and I have the 2nd book Daylight on Iron Mountain in my stacks. I probably should finish the Wheel of Time series before diving into another long series. At least Wingrove's books aren't chunksters.   

Started reading ebook -  The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector’s Story - last night after we finished watching The Last Starfighter. 

Haven't made much progress on WOT Knife of Dreams this week because I'd like to read it in large chunks and haven't had the time to do so.  Will make time later today while Hubby does his 10K walk.

For those who like Dr Who,  we just watched the first of a two part after Christmas special aired and the second part is today. @mumto2 Did you guys watch it yet? 

Also missing  @Violet Crown and @Nan in Mass this week.    😘  

Edited January 5, 2020 by Robin M

[Dicentra]

15 hours ago, tuesdayschild said:

Waving hello to new, returning, and regular BaWers (book a weekers).    (To those on goodreads,  I usually only follow - if your profile allows it -but don't friend anyone unless invited as I am known to read a diversity of religious books ( I like to know for myself what someone believes, not what others say they do) and that can irritate others when it shows up in my reading feed.  (Feel free to unfriend/unfollow me at any stage if you currently are - my relatives/ IRL friends who love me, but not my religious investigative habits, do 😂)

Sounds like your reading choices fits right in with mine, then!  You are more than welcome to friend me on Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/friend/i?feature=friend-invite-url&invite_token=N2NjMDQzNGUtYjJiZi00OWRkLTk5ZDctZTkxMWVjMzQzMmQ5

 

[Robin M]

16 hours ago, Dicentra said:

Online high school chemistry courses for homeschooled (or brick and mortar) students. 🙂  I've got a number of WTMers as parents of students and the people here on the forum were my spark and my encouragement to begin the courses last year.  I also teach intro chem at the local college but I've been doing those courses for about 6 years now so it's the online ones that are taking up all my time currently.

If anyone is interested in doing any chemistry-related reads, let me know! 🙂

My husband really enjoys reading science as well as political related books. He's reading Mendeleyev's Dream currently.  

15 hours ago, aggieamy said:

You had a great response! 

Overall I feel like BaW isn't really about setting goals of being purpose driven as much as deciding we're going to make reading important in our lives. The way we make something important is to DECIDE TO DO IT. 

Then again ... my life is meaningless without my goals and to-do lists. I'm a Type A' person.

So true! 

15 hours ago, tuesdayschild said:

Just eking (*) out a gap to come and post and read: my, my, my, the thread for this week, and last, are very developed 🙂  

It is a term I use @Robin M  but I must give credit where it's due :  "A sip read" is a phrase gifted my way many years ago by a much older woman whose literary prowess was something I  admired, she encouraged me to have a least one sip read happening in my life, as my children were teeny tiny and reading anything that didn't have pictures in it felt like a fond memory.  Since then I've endeavoured to do just that, some are sip reads that I want to ingest slowly, others are one because they are books that I intentionally pick up and put down due to the ebb and flo of life  (a read that I've paused to come back to later is different, for me)  .....some sip reads have taken me years (!) to complete but I get there in the end sip by sip.  

How wonderful and thank you for sharing.  I never stopped to consider having a sip read that lasted years. (except for the bible perhaps) We have a lot of books we inherited from hubby's mom which are very rich and dense and long.  Thank you for giving me something to ponder. 

15 hours ago, LaughingCat said:

I've been trying to finish up some books that have been hanging out on my goodreads "reading" list for FAR too long -so just finished Turid Rugaas Calming Signals for Dogs (which was actually quite short and also very good -- I think it is pure dog owner guilt that kept me from reading it 😫 -- will add that I actually used something from it already and it appeared to work wonderfully for my cat chasing, bark crazy dog).

Which is interesting to me because I do NOT have the other type of guilt factor in the link Robin attached and SWB link as well (except maybe in the very last week of the year when I'm only 3 books away from goal LOL).    I didn't met my goal in 2018 (2 books a week) and did meet it last year (3 books a week).  Even in my last week crunch time, I started a boring (to me) book that was very short -- and then thought NOPE! not struggling through this book just to meet that goal.   

Looking forward to all the excellent recommendations from the BAW peeps in 2020!

ETA my goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/friend/i?feature=friend-invite-url&invite_token=NzVjZDhiMjctMzE0Ni00ZTgwLThhZjAtNGRjZmE5OTU2OGZm

Waving hi! I was thinking about you last night, so glad you popped in.  

[Robin M]

15 hours ago, tuesdayschild said:

Waving hello to new, returning, and regular BaWers (book a weekers).    (To those on goodreads,  I usually only follow - if your profile allows it -but don't friend anyone unless invited as I am known to read a diversity of religious books ( I like to know for myself what someone believes, not what others say they do) and that can irritate others when it shows up in my reading feed.  (Feel free to unfriend/unfollow me at any stage if you currently are - my relatives/ IRL friends who love me, but not my religious investigative habits, do 😂) 

Awesome. I love reading and learning about different religions.  Have you ever read Thomas Merton?  

Hoping it's still okay to wind up 2019 completed challenges here (?)  ...

Yes, definitely 

Challenges completed :  

• 52 in 52 (183 books)
• Whodunit Bookology Challenge (accounts for 117 of total books read)
• Heyer books in order (a two year challenge)  ETA: completed part 1 in 2019)

So happy you enjoyed the Whodunit bookology.  I'm leaving it up on the blog as a perpetual for now. I'm still not done. 🙂

My reading/listening goal was for 100 books last year then I adjusted that to 150, and completed 183 books across all challenges (Goodreads shows me as reading more than that, but I’m not counting children’s picture books or very small chapter books (6) or abandoned titles (15) in the final tally here.)

Of the 183, 152 were audiobooks and 31 were printed books  (32 including the KJV bible). I  didn’t do as well as I’d hoped with printed books, but last year was also been a bit of a curve ball so audiobooks in general was my go to, and comfort listening in particular seemed to be more needful than achieving a reading goal.

I am happy that I managed to complete 16 classic titles, and, 10 chunksters amongst my listening and reading last year.

Wow, lots of audiobooks.  It takes James and I months to listen to just one. 

Five Starred books from 2019:

• KJV Old Testament
• Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell ~ Clarke, Susanna    (best new author this year)   
• Irena's Children: The Extraordinary Story of the Woman Who Saved 2,500 Children from the Warsaw Ghetto ~ Mazzeo, Tilar J.   (N/F)
• One Child: The Story of China's Most Radical Experiment ~ Fong, Mei   (N/F)  gritty, raw content.  Language content
• Inside Out & Back Again ~ Lai, Thanhha  (Juvenile Fict)
• Trouble at Rose Cottage (Tumtum and Nutmeg #7) ~ Bearn, Emily (Juvenile Fict)
• Suffering Is Never for Nothing ~ Elliot, Elisabeth   (N/F CC)    touched me deeply
• A Grief Observed ~ Lewis, C.S. (N/F   CC)
• Confluence (Linesman, #3) ~ Dunstall, S.K.    best new (to me) series  (thanks @Kareni )
• A Private Investigation (D.C. Smith Bk8) ~ Grainger, Peter
• Songbird: A Kings Lake Investigation ~ Grainger, Peter  (new release.  First in a new series)
• The Note Through the Wire ~ Gold, Doug   (N/F NZ)
• The Goliath Code (Book 1) ~ Leonhard, Suzanne (fict CC)
• Wives and Daughters ~ Gaskell, Elizabeth    (Classic)
• Katherine Wentworth ~ Stevenson, D.E.    (vintage/retro)
• Shoulder the Sky (Dering Family Bk3) ~ Stevenson, D.E.  (You're right @aggieamy, our reading tastes do seem to cross regularly, I think you'd enjoy this title in the series, if you haven't already read it.
• Winter and Rough Weather (Drumberley Bk3) ~ Stevenson, D.E.    vintage/Scotland
• Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster ~ Auxier, Jonathan   (Juvenile Fict)    emotive read. 
• The Canterville Ghost ~ Wilde, Oscar   (  Classic)
• The Urban Sketching Handbook: Working with Color:Techniques for Using Watercolor and Color Media on the Go (Urban Sketching Handbooks) ~ Blaukopf, Shari  (N/F)
• The Spanish Bride ~ Heyer, Georgette    (hist/fict/biographical)
• One Corpse Too Many (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, #2) ~ Peters, Ellis  (historical mystery)
• The Market Square ~ Read, Miss    (vintage)
• The Reluctant Widow ~ Heyer, Georgette   (favourite relisten)
• The Unknown Ajax ~ Heyer, Georgette   (relisten)
• The Eleventh Orphan ~ Lingard, Joan (Y/A hist fict)

All sound great.  Adding The Note Through the Wire to my want list.  Loved Jonathan Strange. Good news and someone may have already mentioned it, Susanna Clark's new book is coming out in September 2020.  I need to check out Elisabeth Eliots books. 

 

[Dicentra]

5 minutes ago, Robin M said:

My husband really enjoys reading science as well as political related books. He's reading Mendeleyev's Dream currently. 

Thank you for the book rec, Robin!  It's now on my TBR list. 🙂  The author looks like one I'd like to look into more - I love combination of nonfiction history and science.

In that line...  If anyone is interested in a good nonfiction history/cultural/science read, I read this a number of years ago and really liked it:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2715.Salt?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=bsgoPERxjz&rank=2

From Goodreads:

Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky

From the Bestselling Author of Cod and The Basque History of the World

In his fifth work of nonfiction, Mark Kurlansky turns his attention to a common household item with a long and intriguing history: salt. The only rock we eat, salt has shaped civilization from the very beginning, and its story is a glittering, often surprising part of the history of humankind. A substance so valuable it served as currency, salt has influenced the establishment of trade routes and cities, provoked and financed wars, secured empires, and inspired revolutions.  Populated by colorful characters and filled with an unending series of fascinating details, Salt by Mark Kurlansky is a supremely entertaining, multi-layered masterpiece.

[Robin M]

2 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

Different Strokes... I seem to have had pretty much the opposite reaction to this challenge.  The year before I started reading along here, I had only been reading, maybe 5-10 books a year (other than books w/ the kids).  The first year I didn't even set a goal of reading 52 - I decided to make it less intimidating and set a goal of 26.  And then I read 154.  Yes, some were quick fluffy reads, but that had a lot more to do with my flirting with that 240-book Bingo that was floating around that year (which I obviously came nowhere close to completing, but I did have fun with.  But I did decide that was maybe a bit much (for me)...  Since then I've set my goal at 104, and easily met it (135 and 115 the past two years).  And in those years I've read lots of challenging nonfiction, War and Peace, Middlemarch, Moby-Dick, and at 10+ chunksters per year.  So... I'm not feeling like a number goal has decreased my joy in reading, nor led me to read more fluff or pap (though some fluff is nice sometimes!).  I've read more broadly and deeply and enjoyed my reading more, actually.  Now, it does help that I am no longer homeschooling and only working very part-time.  But 2 books a week for me is apparently doable - the key for me seems to be mixing in lots of audio and ebooks, and yes, sometimes embracing 'sip' books that might take months, and also getting back to the habit of reading rather than mindlessly watching TV or surfing the internet.  Of course there's no point in setting a goal that stresses you out, but I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing.  I think I was only a little stressed in December this year, and that wasn't with the overall number goal, it was finishing the last couple for Bingo and the 10x10s... lol. As with everything, do what works for you - we're all motivated/stressed by different things!  Just reading what everyone else is reading motivates me a lot!  I think that's a big part of my increased enjoyment in the books I do read - before, I kind of flailed around trying to figure out what to read next, now that is, shall we say, no longer a problem!

Mindlessly surfing the internet and watching you tube videos became my issue last year, rather than reading and writing.  Determined to be more productive in 2020. 

1 hour ago, aggieamy said:

Death in Captivity by Michael Gilbert - Think The Great Escape meets Lord Peter Wimsey. Wonderful. I was up until 2:30 am finishing it. (@mumto2 I could see your DH really enjoying the war and military aspect along with the mystery in this book.)

Oh, that does look interesting. Added it to my want list. 

50 minutes ago, Lori D. said:

As a side note: I just diid Wizard of Earthsea with my high school homeschool co-op class -- many of them really enjoyed it, but some felt frustrated by the more "distant" tone (I think they are more used to the close POV of a lot of the more recent YA fantasy series... 😉 )

Le Guin was *highly* influenced by anthropology/sociology, so her books develop culture like no other fantasy other I've read. She was also highly influenced by Taoist thought, which really comes through in books #1 and #3 of her Earthsea series. I really love book #2 (Tombs of Atman) as a stand-alone book with a strong female character, and, paradoxically for LeGuin's Taoist leanings -- it has some powerful Christian images and themes.

LeGuin came back to write more in the Earthsea series 20 years later, with 2 novels and some short stories. I've only read the first of the new books, Tehanu, which I am very ambivalent about. On the one hand, her writing is even stronger and more detailed/nuanced. She picks up the main female character of book #2 decades later in the character's life, and she really nails some of those middle-aged woman thoughts and ideas. But on the other hand, it is frustrating to see LeGuin "re-writing" her original culture and set-up of Earthsea to be more feminist (perhaps a bit more "anti-male"??). That's because LeGuin became more strongly feminist and more outspokenly feminist in her views in the intervening years. I guess for me, it boils down to: I don't mind if people change their opinions and views over time; I just mind if you try and "revisionist re-write" your amazing original world years later with your new view. 😉 

If you like LeGuin, you might enjoy The Left Hand of Darkness, or The Dispossessed. 
 

I read through that mystery series a year or two ago -- very fun! Loved the "home and hearth" view of the early Renaissance world.

That can be rather annoying but it's also smart because it serves a new audience who will enjoy her books more.  But as long as she keeps her older versions available to read, rather than replacing them.  I have Left Hand of Darkness  on my nightstand as well as one of her nonfiction  books with essays on reading and writing - The Wave in the Mind in my writing books shelf.  I need to go back and revisit Earthsea. It's buried somewhere in a box in storage. 

[Lady Florida.]

1 hour ago, aggieamy said:

Finished:

The Case of the Famished Parson (CI Littlejohn #15) by George Bellairs (audiobook) - Meh. No character development. Overly complicated plot. A zillion different characters that were difficult to keep straight. The end was interesting but it was a struggle to get there.

Death in Captivity by Michael Gilbert - Think The Great Escape meets Lord Peter Wimsey. Wonderful. I was up until 2:30 am finishing it. (@mumto2 I could see your DH really enjoying the war and military aspect along with the mystery in this book.)

They were both books I picked up because of the The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books I'm working through. They are an interesting compare and contrast. Both were published within a few years of each other in the early 1950's. Where one read like an old fashioned book with lots of explaining and asides to the readers the other could be modern. There's a reason nobody talks much about George Bellairs books these days (my apologies to the George Bellairs official fan club) but I can't figure out why Michael Gilbert isn't recommended more often. 

@tuesdayschild and @Lady Florida. - I know you two gals like these golden age mysteries too. Have you read either author? 

I haven't heard of either author but now I want to look into Michael Gilbert books. The one above sounds like something I'd like. I usually end up liking pretty much any mystery you recommend. 

[Negin]

I read Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses - 3 Stars - This was a Cinderella-type Christmas read full of hope and romance. Romance is not usually my thing, but life has been quite stressful lately. I needed something light and festive, even though I knew how it was all going to end after several pages. I later realized that there is a Hallmark movie based on this book. I think that I would have preferred the movie since the book dragged on for far too long. The author has lots of summer and Christmas reads with gorgeous covers, and I was about to add those books to my wish list. I don’t think that I’ll be reading them since they look like they’re too formulaic and predictable for me. Then again, who knows? If life gets stressful once again, as it often does, I may need to resort to more of her books.

Here are some pictures from our one-night stay in Madrid. Lovely city. We didn't have time to spend more days there. Hope to revisit there someday. We flew out of Madrid and headed back to Miami the next day. I may post some pictures from Miami next week.

 

[Robin M]

Do you all like book podcasts?  @ScoutTN highlighted the Literary Life 20 for 2020 reading challenge. Lots of intriguing categories which fit right in which our reading and may be interesting simply for the podcasts alone.  

Okay, cats and kiddo want lunch, then time to grocery shop.  Later my lovelies!  

😘

Edited January 5, 2020 by Robin M

[Dainty]

I'm new to this.  I'm not going to do any challenges except #read, which for me is 45.  I lean towards current fiction, suspense and do a lot of looking for highly recommended books (past and current).   I cannot stand just an okay book or fluff.  I don't always get to read what I like since I won't buy a book and my choices for ebooks from the library feel limited at times.    I am always adding myself to a wait list. 

1/45

 Wolf by Mo Hayder 

Rating 4/5

Fairly disturbing, suspenseful, did not catch on right away to the "twist".  I'd recommend.  

Wolf

Wolf kicks off when a vagrant—the Walking Man, an enigmatic, recurring character in Hayder’s fiction—finds a dog wandering alone with a scrap of paper with the words “HELP US” attached to its collar. He’s sure it’s a desperate plea from someone in trouble and calls on Det. Inspector Jack Caffery to investigate. Caffery is reluctant to get involved—until the Walking Man promises to exchange new information regarding the childhood disappearance of Caffery’s brother. Caffery has no idea who or what he is searching for, but one thing he is sure of: it’s a race against time.
 
Meanwhile, the Anchor-Ferrers, a wealthy local family, are fighting for their lives, held hostage in their remote home ten miles away. As their ordeal becomes increasingly bizarre and humiliating, the family begins to wonder: Is this really a random crime?

 

[Lady Florida.]

I finished a book on Saturday and decided to wait for the new thread to post about it. Then I remembered this is our long week.  😄 

My first completed book for 2020 is one I started in December - The Tiger's Wife. I really enjoyed it and look forward to my book club's discussion of it tomorrow night (Tues.).

I had several non-fiction books in progress but wanted a fiction book for the times when my mood went in the direction of fiction. I decided to start with a book on my 2020 reading goals list, so I'm reading The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton. It's a dusty book, which in my definition means it's been sitting on my Kindle for more than one year.

I also started listening to Wolf Hall again for two reasons.

1. I want a refresher before the final book comes out, we hope, in March.
2. The Audible challenge @aggieamy posted about up thread. Thanks Amy. I didn't see that post on the Chat board and I haven't been to the Audible site in a while, so I don't know when I would have otherwise found out about it. I have the membership that gives a credit every other month and my next credit comes in Feb., so I had no reason to visit the site.

BTW, in case anyone is interested, I asked Audible a few questions that weren't answered in the FAQ. Yes, a re-listen counts. And yes, it counts if you started the book in 2019 but finish in 2020. 

 

Edited January 6, 2020 by Lady Florida.

[SereneHome]

I haven't finished my 1st book yet (Rebel Queen), but am hoping to do so this week.   I started Atomic Habits in December, not sure if that will be my second book or I will finally read Calligrapher's Daughter that I "only" renewed from my library about 100 times.

I am being very strong and not looking up every single book mentioned here as my TBR list is 1000 miles long as it is!

 

[Kareni]

Today only, a free book for Kindle readers ~

The Club of Queer Trades by G. K. Chesterton

"G. K. Chesterton’s masterful mystery features men who earn their livings in the most peculiar ways

The Club of Queer Trades is an incredibly exclusive society that comes with a specific conceit for entry: Its members must have a talent that is extremely unusual and use that skill to earn a living. For judge Basil Grant, the club is also a mystery that he must solve. Basil first learns of the group when his brother tells him about an army major who believes that this strange band of men is plotting to kill him. To get to the bottom of the threats against the major, Basil must track down each member of the organization one enigma at a time. Along the way, he crosses paths with a real estate agent who specializes in tree houses, a business that creates great adventures for its clients, and many other strange entities.
 
In The Club of Queer Trades, Chesterton has created a loving parody that is sure to delight any fan of Victorian mysteries. "

Regards,

Kareni

[aggieamy]

36 minutes ago, SereneHome said:

 I started Atomic Habits in December, not sure if that will be my second book or I will finally read Calligrapher's Daughter that I "only" renewed from my library about 100 times.

I am being very strong and not looking up every single book mentioned here as my TBR list is 1000 miles long as it is!

I've been seeing so much about Atomic Habits. Are you enjoying it? I have a deep abiding love of books on habits.

Well... after a week or two on this thread your TBR list will be 2k miles long. 

[Kareni]

36 minutes ago, SereneHome said:

I am being very strong and not looking up every single book mentioned here as my TBR list is 1000 miles long as it is!

Since my TBR list is equally long, I sympathize. I suspect that in the near future, simply reading the titles of my unread books could count as a book read!

Regards,

Kareni

[SereneHome]

1 hour ago, aggieamy said:

I've been seeing so much about Atomic Habits. Are you enjoying it? I have a deep abiding love of books on habits.

Well... after a week or two on this thread your TBR list will be 2k miles long. 

I am only a few chapters in but what struck me was his  idea that we shouldn't set goals but build systems. I truly loved that. So, I am willing to continue.

 

[Robin M]

21 hours ago, Truth said:

I'm new to this.  I'm not going to do any challenges except #read, which for me is 45.  I lean towards current fiction, suspense and do a lot of looking for highly recommended books (past and current).   I cannot stand just an okay book or fluff.  I don't always get to read what I like since I won't buy a book and my choices for ebooks from the library feel limited at times.    I am always adding myself to a wait list. 

1/45

 Wolf by Mo Hayder 

Rating 4/5

Fairly disturbing, suspenseful, did not catch on right away to the "twist".  I'd recommend.  

Wolf

Wolf kicks off when a vagrant—the Walking Man, an enigmatic, recurring character in Hayder’s fiction—finds a dog wandering alone with a scrap of paper with the words “HELP US” attached to its collar. He’s sure it’s a desperate plea from someone in trouble and calls on Det. Inspector Jack Caffery to investigate. Caffery is reluctant to get involved—until the Walking Man promises to exchange new information regarding the childhood disappearance of Caffery’s brother. Caffery has no idea who or what he is searching for, but one thing he is sure of: it’s a race against time.
 
Meanwhile, the Anchor-Ferrers, a wealthy local family, are fighting for their lives, held hostage in their remote home ten miles away. As their ordeal becomes increasingly bizarre and humiliating, the family begins to wonder: Is this really a random crime?

 

Hi Truth!  Welcome and glad you decided to join in. 

[Murphy101]

wrong thread

Edited January 7, 2020 by Murphy101

[mumto2]

14 minutes ago, Murphy101 said:

Today is day of my second Healthy Wager. 
I was supposed to go to the gym with husband at 5:30am but for no apparent reason I got 45 minutes of sleep last night and was way too sluggish for a treadmill.

Instead I decided to give that ddpYoga app Lanny praises a try.  I ended up hurting my thumb and getting buttsore, separate unrelated events, because I just couldn’t manage following him on my iPad and maneuvering to various positions.

So I decided to stop that and go clean out my bedroom closet, aka yarn barn, aka Santa’s workshop. I bent down to get something off the floor and bashed my forehead on a set of wooden sock blockers sticking out from a shelf.

Once I recovered from that I decided to have more coffee. Which led to the kitchen cupboards needing to be organized bc I couldn’t find any of my insulated mugs. Found my mug and started to pour a pot of hot water into my French press and it shattered everywhere.  Cleaned that up and started the process again. Finally got coffee and sat down to have the dog sleeping next to me lose his mind barking and jumping right as I’m about to take a sip and send scalding coffee all over me and my new plush Christmas gift blanket.

I called quits on any further adulting today by 8am. 
🥵🤕🥱

I hope the rest of your day is highly uneventful!

[Robin M]

19 minutes ago, Murphy101 said:

Today is day of my second Healthy Wager. 
I was supposed to go to the gym with husband at 5:30am but for no apparent reason I got 45 minutes of sleep last night and was way too sluggish for a treadmill.

Instead I decided to give that ddpYoga app Lanny praises a try.  I ended up hurting my thumb and getting buttsore, separate unrelated events, because I just couldn’t manage following him on my iPad and maneuvering to various positions.

So I decided to stop that and go clean out my bedroom closet, aka yarn barn, aka Santa’s workshop. I bent down to get something off the floor and bashed my forehead on a set of wooden sock blockers sticking out from a shelf.

Once I recovered from that I decided to have more coffee. Which led to the kitchen cupboards needing to be organized bc I couldn’t find any of my insulated mugs. Found my mug and started to pour a pot of hot water into my French press and it shattered everywhere.  Cleaned that up and started the process again. Finally got coffee and sat down to have the dog sleeping next to me lose his mind barking and jumping right as I’m about to take a sip and send scalding coffee all over me and my new plush Christmas gift blanket.

I called quits on any further adulting today by 8am. 
🥵🤕🥱

Oh my dear, you are having a bad day.  Rest, read a good book and hopefully things will improve.  I'll copy your post over to the Well Trained Bodies for you.  Hugs!

[aggieamy]

23 minutes ago, Murphy101 said:

Today is day of my second Healthy Wager. 
I was supposed to go to the gym with husband at 5:30am but for no apparent reason I got 45 minutes of sleep last night and was way too sluggish for a treadmill.

Instead I decided to give that ddpYoga app Lanny praises a try.  I ended up hurting my thumb and getting buttsore, separate unrelated events, because I just couldn’t manage following him on my iPad and maneuvering to various positions.

So I decided to stop that and go clean out my bedroom closet, aka yarn barn, aka Santa’s workshop. I bent down to get something off the floor and bashed my forehead on a set of wooden sock blockers sticking out from a shelf.

Once I recovered from that I decided to have more coffee. Which led to the kitchen cupboards needing to be organized bc I couldn’t find any of my insulated mugs. Found my mug and started to pour a pot of hot water into my French press and it shattered everywhere.  Cleaned that up and started the process again. Finally got coffee and sat down to have the dog sleeping next to me lose his mind barking and jumping right as I’m about to take a sip and send scalding coffee all over me and my new plush Christmas gift blanket.

I called quits on any further adulting today by 8am. 
🥵🤕🥱

Go back to bed with a book! If you need suggestions then we're here for you. 

[Murphy101]

And then I posted this to the wrong thread.

This should be in the January exercise thread.

UGH!

🤦‍♀️

[Lori D.]

3 hours ago, Kareni said:

The Club of Queer Trades by G. K. Chesterton

I LOVE that book! A series of about 6-7 short stories. So very clever -- and amusing, as he pokes gentle fun at Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes character! 

[Bocky]

Diving in! I think I'll read along with Tolkien, do 52 Weeks Bingo, and take the don't buy anything until the pile is reduced challenge 😁. I read flufferton and sf/fantasy for fun, but want to tackle more non-fiction and fiction outside my preferred genres.

Starting in the east, I've got Kazuo Ishiguro, An Artist of the Floating World. Hopefully I will like it better than IQ84 (sorry to those who loved it. I read it this past summer and disliked the s*xual aspects.) Also starting this week, Jennifer Ackerman, The Genius of Birds. I am teaching Frankenstein and Gulliver's travels this month, so I'll be re-reading both.

[Robin M]

Internet meanderings with lots of rabbit trails:

Kahlil Gibran on Befriending Time

Functional and Fun Bullet Journal Ideas for Tracking Reading

The Best Noir Authors according to Novel Suspects

French Books In The U.S. - The 2020 Edition

😉

[Kareni]

1 hour ago, Bocky said:

I read flufferton and sf/fantasy for fun, but want to tackle more non-fiction and fiction outside my preferred genres.

I would enjoy knowing some five or ten of your favorite sf/fantasy books/series if you are willing to share.

Regards,

Kareni

[Dainty]

3 hours ago, Robin M said:

Hi Truth!  Welcome and glad you decided to join in. 

Thank you!

[Pen]

Sounds of Silence:

has it come up that part of inspiration for song was Garfunkel’s blind friend at Columbia University, Sanford Greenberg? 

I wanted to link an article about Greenberg who is amazing in his own right, but once again can’t link today. 

[Robin M]

2 hours ago, Pen said:

Sounds of Silence:

has it come up that part of inspiration for song was Garfunkel’s blind friend at Columbia University, Sanford Greenberg? 

I wanted to link an article about Greenberg who is amazing in his own right, but once again can’t link today. 

No, I didn't know.  Found this article about them - about the story   and this  Thank you! 

Edited January 7, 2020 by Robin M

[Robin M]

5 hours ago, Bocky said:

Diving in! I think I'll read along with Tolkien, do 52 Weeks Bingo, and take the don't buy anything until the pile is reduced challenge 😁. I read flufferton and sf/fantasy for fun, but want to tackle more non-fiction and fiction outside my preferred genres.

Starting in the east, I've got Kazuo Ishiguro, An Artist of the Floating World. Hopefully I will like it better than IQ84 (sorry to those who loved it. I read it this past summer and disliked the s*xual aspects.) Also starting this week, Jennifer Ackerman, The Genius of Birds. I am teaching Frankenstein and Gulliver's travels this month, so I'll be re-reading both.

Waving Hi!  Happy you are diving in as well!  I'm attempting more nonfiction as well.  Had the idea last night I should attempt with A to Z by author and / or Title.  We'll see how that goes.  An Artist sounds really intriguing as I haven't read anything by Kazuo yet.  Enjoy and I look forward to hearing all about it.   Frankenstein totally surprised me the first time I read it as I expected it to be like the movie. How wrong I was.  Enjoyed it! 

[Lori D.]

20 hours ago, Kareni said:

I would enjoy knowing some five or ten of your favorite sf/fantasy books/series if you are willing to share.

Regards,

Kareni

Well, I'm not who you were asking, but I'm HAPPY to volunteer some of MY recent faves, lol.

recent Sci-Fi (i.e., 2000 or more recent)
- Ancillary trilogy -- also, Provence (also set in that world) -- (Leckie)
- Bobiverse trilogy (Taylor) -- fluff popcorn series, much like watching Star Trek: Next Generation shows, lol
- Lighthouse Island (Jiles) -- in the midst of this one
- Radiance (Valente) -- not a fast/easy read and not for everyone, as she is referencing a lot of obscure things, and the writing is much more poetic and NOT plot-driven
- Shades of Gray (Fforde) -- a dystopia, but not a depressing one, lol -- some humor, and extremely creative
- Ready Player One (Cline) -- a fun adventure dystopia, if that is possible (lol)
- Anathem (Stevenson) -- a great one to read after A Canticle for Leibowitz

older Sci-Fi
- Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe; Restaurant at the End of the Universe (Adams)
- A Canticle for Leibowitz (Miller)

recent fantasy
- The Goblin Emperor (Addison) -- ETA this great one!
- Spinning Silver (Novik) -- fairytale fantasy
- The Graveyard Book (Gaiman) -- YA
- Sorcery and Cecelia or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot (Wrede & Stevermer) -- super fast, light, fluffy, fun fantasy -- like Jane Austen meets Harry Potter 😄 
- Queen's Thief series (Turner) -- more like a spin on ancient Greek myth/adventure
- Hogfather; and, Thief of Time (Pratchett) -- my favorites of the Discworld novels that I've read 

speculative fiction
- Something Wicked This Way Comes (Bradbury)
- Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (Adams)

Edited January 7, 2020 by Lori D.

[mumto2]

Quotes seem to be a problem...........so......

@Robin M and others.  If you keep your Goodreads up to date the A to Z challenges are much easier.   😉    This year I plan to just read for awhile then create shelves via the sorting......in prior years I have held myself to first word in title and last names only.  This year I will be lifting that restriction which I think is self imposed and using all words and first and last names, so the book will be placed on the shelf and most likely I will also place the letter I will be using it for in the recommendation area.         
 

@Bocky  Welcome and glad you plan to join us on the LotR group read!
 

1Q84 is filled with weird scenes in general.  It was the first “out of my comfort zone” book I attempted after joining BaW.....we had a read along.  I enjoyed it far more than anticipated.....I still remember picking it up at my tiny village library from a hold request and being handed two fat volumes.  The hugeness created a bit of curiosity and the librarians were surprised that hat I actually finished it!  I have gone on to read most of his fiction.  I have become a bit of a Murakami fan girl!😂 So far I have been reading one chapter most days.....up to 6%....really hoping this kindle book proves to be easy to renew!  I remember being very confused during the first chapters the first time and so far have been amazed by how foundational they really are.

@Lori D.    well it won’t tag you either, grrrr.  Loved seeing your SCI Fi lists.  Plan to investigate a few.

[Pen]

1 hour ago, Robin M said:

No, I didn't know.  Found this article about them - about the story   and this  Thank you! 

 

Thanks for the links!

And I love that Disturbed-Sound of Silence video     - gives me chills in parts of it!

[Kareni]

1 hour ago, Lori D. said:

Well, I'm not who you were asking, but I'm HAPPY to volunteer some of MY recent faves, lol.

And I'm always happy to see one of your booklists, Lori D.!

I've read some of your choices and tried [but put aside] others. I am familiar with all the titles you listed save for Lighthouse Island. I did read and enjoy the author's News of the World some time ago but hadn't known she also writes fantasy. I look forward to learning your thoughts when you complete the book.

Regards,

Kareni

[Bocky]

48 minutes ago, mumto2 said:

      

@Bocky  Welcome and glad you plan to join us on the LotR group read!
 

1Q84 is filled with weird scenes in general.  It was the first “out of my comfort zone” book I attempted after joining BaW.....we had a read along.  I enjoyed it far more than anticipated.....I still remember picking it up at my tiny village library from a hold request and being handed two fat volumes.  The hugeness created a bit of curiosity and the librarians were surprised that hat I actually finished it!  I have gone on to read most of his fiction.  I have become a bit of a Murakami fan girl!😂 So far I have been reading one chapter most days.....up to 6%....really hoping this kindle book proves to be easy to renew!  I remember being very confused during the first chapters the first time and so far have been amazed by how foundational they really are.

Thank you!

Perhaps I will have to try another Murakami sometime. I loved the alternate world setting - climbing down from a freeway overpass to switch between worlds! and found the main character compelling, but I hated the non-consensual nature of well, I think, pretty much all of the s*x scenes. My Japanese friend who loaned me the book said "People think he has a weird attitude towards women." I was thinking, next time tell this FIRST! Ho ho.