JennW in SoCal Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 (edited) 3 hours ago, SusanC said: I am learning a lot as I teach my children, although I think I could teach them more effectively if I already knew everything. I always felt that learning alongside my kids was a good thing as I was demonstrating the joy of discovery, the love of learning and of sharing books. Learning doesn't have to mean a young sponge absorbing everything spewed forth from a font-of-knowledge, kwim? I agree with LoriD -- just talk about what you are reading, what strikes you and why. That alone is more valuable than you realize! My now-adult kids still trade books with me and the family still has lively discussions, mostly about movies, but still. Alright, enough of my educational philosophy and back to the topic of books! Hooray to @aggieamy for finishing a book and having actual Beta-readers. And cheers to @Robin M for the Four Corners theme. I happened to have decided late last week to re-read all the Tony Hillerman mysteries set in the Navajo Nation which straddles the Four Corners region of the southwestern USA. I grew up in Albuquerque and the landscape is imprinted deep upon me, almost at a cellular level! I always loved how well Hillerman captured the area. The first book in the series, The Blessing Way, is good, and he does indeed capture the people and the land. It may not be the best place to start the series, though I'll reserve judgement on that as I continue my reading. Another book that I finished recently, and highly recommend, is Birding Without Borders by Noah Strycker. It is the perfect armchair travel book, with effortless prose that draws you in and a delightful, energetic and intelligent guide who takes all over the world as he finds over 6000 birds in his Big Year quest. @Violet Crown I'm not planning as yet to read any more Dickens this year, but who knows? The Crown family might inspire me! I've still got 8 hours to go in David Copperfield. I know I mentioned it before, but just another big plug to this version read by the actor Richard Armitage. It is just brilliant. Edited January 21, 2020 by JennW in SoCal 9 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 1 hour ago, mumto2 said: I have been keeping a secret........and just convinced my friend to let me share it. Over the weekend I had the privilege of being a Beta reader for a duel timeline mystery called Where Rivers Meet. Now for the secret .......The author is Amy, yes @Aggieamy finished her book! I hate to write a description because I am confident Amy probably has one all ready to share. Being a Beta Reader is a new experience for me and I am afraid I enjoyed the book so much that I read it faster than I probably should have. Dh wanted to know if I was reading Amy’s book still......”yes dear, it’s good, leave me alone!” She managed to do a great job intertwining the midwestern US at the close of WWII with a British boys school in 1956. So yes, one might say she Brit Tripped!😉 Congratulations @aggieamy! What a great accomplishment!! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 1 hour ago, Matryoshka said: Checking in late this week! Finished 3 books: 6. Good Morning Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton (ebook) - reminded me of Station Eleven, in a good way - even the cover is similar, so maybe it's just not me. The apocalypse has come, but who knows why. Our protagonists are an old man at a polar research station who did not evacuate with everyone else and a young girl who seems to have been left behind by accident, and 6 astronauts on their way back from a manned expedition to the Jovian moons. There has been radio silence for over a year. It's not hopeful in the sense that if everyone else on the planet is in fact gone rather than just for some reason have lost, say, electricity (though the guy in the Arctic's electricity and radio work fine), these people cannot repopulate the planet, but it's still somehow got that vibe. The ending is very open-ended, in that we are still left with no idea what happened to everyone, and there's even some extra ambiguity thrown in at the last minute. 4.5 stars. 7. Was man von hier aus sehen kann by Mariana Leky - I really enjoyed this one, maybe more because finally a German novel that's just a nice story and not full of its own Importance. It reminded me a lot of those British novels set in small towns full of quirky characters, where that's kind of the whole story (or similar ones set in small Southern or Maine towns...). Kinda like Cranford. Nothing all that earth-shattering happens, the characters don't even change that much, but it was nice visiting with them. A teeny tiny bit of magic realism. 4 stars. 8. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer (audio) - Loved this. Read by the author, who does a great job. Just maybe this will inspire me to garden this year, for the first time in ages. Definitely makes you want to spend more time paying attention to nature. Also a lot of Native American history, folklore, and botanic wisdom. Will be wanting to read her other book as well. 5 stars. I've started Cien años de soledad / One Hundred Years of Solitude, my nemesis read for the year - figured I'd get it out of the way! It really helps to have a larger edition (from the library) than the one that's been staring at me from the shelf, which is small, with small print and also a zillion footnotes in even tinier type. Ahhh, readable type and white space. I may or may not go back and look at some of them after I've just plain old read the book. Per usual with García Márquez, I'm looking up way more words than usual, and most of them don't have straightforward translations; I'm very happy that Google Translate added a Spanish/Spanish dictionary so if the English word isn't in their database, or has a stupid/wrong base translation, there's usually a Spanish definition. Also reading Citizen: An American Lyric, Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, and A Diamond in the Window, a children's book that I'd never heard of but someone here said it was their favorite and it's set in nearby Concord, so I decided to take a look. I'm probably not going to join in on The Hobbit readalong, though I'm still very much enjoying Lori's commentary! I'm another that struggles with detailed commentary, which is why I probably end up gravitating to star reviews - book good, book bad. LOL. I am still strongly considering joining in when you all get to LOTR! One Hundred Years of Solitude is a book that I abandoned. I wonder if it would go better for me in Spanish since I would only be able to understand about 10 percent of it. Less to hate! 6 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 14 minutes ago, Junie said: One Hundred Years of Solitude is a book that I abandoned. I wonder if it would go better for me in Spanish since I would only be able to understand about 10 percent of it. Less to hate! We'd have to say then that you read Ten Years of Solitude! Regards, Kareni 2 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 I recently finished Strange Love: An Alien Abduction romance by Ann Aguirre which I found quite unlike other books I've read by the author. It was entertaining; after all, who can resist a talking dog? (Adult content) "He's awkward. He's adorable. He's alien as hell. Zylar of Kith B'alak is a four-time loser in the annual Choosing. If he fails to find a nest guardian this time, he'll lose his chance to have a mate for all time. Desperation drives him to try a matching service but due to a freak solar flare and a severely malfunctioning ship AI, things go way off course. This 'human being' is not the Tiralan match he was looking for. She's frazzled. She's fierce. She's from St. Louis. Beryl Bowman's mother always said she'd never get married. She should have added a rider about the husband being human. Who would have ever thought that working at the Sunshine Angel daycare center would offer such interstellar prestige? She doesn't know what the hell's going on, but a new life awaits on Barath Colony, where she can have any alien bachelor she wants.They agree to join the Choosing together, but love is about to get seriously strange." Regards, Kareni 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 3 hours ago, mumto2 said: I have been keeping a secret........and just convinced my friend to let me share it. Over the weekend I had the privilege of being a Beta reader for a duel timeline mystery called Where Rivers Meet. Now for the secret .......The author is Amy, yes @Aggieamy finished her book! I hate to write a description because I am confident Amy probably has one all ready to share. Being a Beta Reader is a new experience for me and I am afraid I enjoyed the book so much that I read it faster than I probably should have. Dh wanted to know if I was reading Amy’s book still......”yes dear, it’s good, leave me alone!” She managed to do a great job intertwining the midwestern US at the close of WWII with a British boys school in 1956. So yes, one might say she Brit Tripped!😉 Awww. I gotta say it's pretty awesome even seeing my book's title on a thread with Tolkien, Dickens, and Pratchett. My book has got some polishing I still have to do but it's getting much much closer. Here's the working description for anyone interested: 27-year-old Frances McArthur has just taken a teaching position abroad in Shrewsbury, England, and is shocked to see a face from her past at the school: Max Fahey. Ten years earlier (and on the other side of the Atlantic in Atchison, Kansas) Max had been her classmate, neighbor, rival, and the only son of the wealthiest family in their small town. When Max’s beautiful but temperamental girlfriend was murdered all eyes turned to him. Then Max and his family disappeared and haven’t been seen since. Frances’ time in England is limited, she only has until the end of the term. Despite the realization he is a man wanted for murder back home, Frances is falling for Max. Now Frances must decide if she should trust the facts of the cold case and report Max’s whereabouts to the police or trust her own heart which tells her Max couldn’t possibly be a murderer. 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted January 22, 2020 Author Share Posted January 22, 2020 19 hours ago, Kareni said: A bookish post from the New York Times ~ The Book That Changed My Life Do you have a book that changed your life? Regards, Kareni I love all the comments about Dr. Seuss. I'd have to say the book that changed my life was Upside Down Brilliance: The visual spatial leaner. One of those books that you suddenly recognize yourself in all the details, an aha moment that has stuck with me ever since. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 I've come to be a Terry Pratchett fan late in life but I'm quickly becoming a devoted fan. I finished Reaper Man and am amazed at the serious themes in it, intertwined with some incredible humor. I had to back the audiobook up a dozen times to re-listen to a funny line. 3 hours ago, SusanC said: We have a Terry Pratchett book going as our read-aloud (The Wintersmith) and some of the names he chooses really make us giggle, Miss Tick (mystic) is one of the witches and the pictsies are hilarious - Wee Billy Bigchin, Not-as-big-as-Medium-Sized-Jock-but-bigger-than-Wee-Jock-Jock, or Rob Anybody. Mr. Pratchett strikes me as someone who devoted a fair amount of attention to language. I think he must have been rather brilliant in so many way. His names are hilarious and his quirky humor is unmatched. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 23 minutes ago, Robin M said: I love all the comments about Dr. Seuss. I'd have to say the book that changed my life was Upside Down Brilliance: The visual spatial leaner. One of those books that you suddenly recognize yourself in all the details, an aha moment that has stuck with me ever since. Ds19 and I are both visual spatial learners. I read (at least parts of ) the book several years ago when ds19 checked it out of the library. I may want to read it again... 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted January 22, 2020 Author Share Posted January 22, 2020 I finished my chunky read Knife of Dreams which was excellent. Story lines came together and character progress was made which makes me want to dive into the next book, but I'll hold off for a while. Rand is still battling for control with Lews, Perrin finally found Faile, and Matt, bless him, finally Tuon saw the man through the eyes of his faithful warriors, and pledged herself to him. He's not sure if it was a good idea or not, but the dice quite tumbling in his head for a while. We still have a lot of braid pulling, aes sedai plotting against each other and with each other, and lots of gate time traveling. I still don't see how they could move thousands of men so fast even with the gate. Also finished reread of Dark Horse so now I'm ready to dive into The Hobbit and give it my undivided attention. @Lori D. I can just see you now with the toe tapping and appreciate the nudge. I'm only 20 pages in, but poor Bilbo. I'm an introvert so was imagining his face and his anxiety at the dwarves eating up all his food and taking up so much space. And if it had happened to me, I'd be tempted to throw the lot of them out and bury my head under my pillow. I'm starting from the beginning again because I didn't get a good start as I had too many books going at one time. I'll have more to say soon. Thank you for your thoughts and love the questions, keep them coming, which I'll answer as I go along. Give me a couple days to catch up. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 27 minutes ago, aggieamy said: Awww. I gotta say it's pretty awesome even seeing my book's title on a thread with Tolkien, Dickens, and Pratchett. My book has got some polishing I still have to do but it's getting much much closer. Here's the working description for anyone interested: 27-year-old Frances McArthur has just taken a teaching position abroad in Shrewsbury, England, and is shocked to see a face from her past at the school: Max Fahey. Ten years earlier (and on the other side of the Atlantic in Atchison, Kansas) Max had been her classmate, neighbor, rival, and the only son of the wealthiest family in their small town. When Max’s beautiful but temperamental girlfriend was murdered all eyes turned to him. Then Max and his family disappeared and haven’t been seen since. Frances’ time in England is limited, she only has until the end of the term. Despite the realization he is a man wanted for murder back home, Frances is falling for Max. Now Frances must decide if she should trust the facts of the cold case and report Max’s whereabouts to the police or trust her own heart which tells her Max couldn’t possibly be a murderer. I want to read your book!!! 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 (edited) 9 minutes ago, Robin M said: ... I'm only 20 pages in, but poor Bilbo. I'm an introvert so was imagining his face and his anxiety at the dwarves eating up all his food and taking up so much space. And if it had happened to me, I'd be tempted to throw the lot of them out and bury my head under my pillow... Oh my goodness yes! Another big time introvert here, who does NOT appreciate surprises (or adventures) inviting themselves in and sitting right down into my living room (LOL)! I'm an "armchair adventurer" for sure. 😉 Edited January 22, 2020 by Lori D. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted January 22, 2020 Author Share Posted January 22, 2020 @tuesdayschild Love the pictures and the Hobbit influenced names. Lovely property! @Seasider too No need to start a new thread. Process away and tell us your thoughts about The Last Romantics. It may entice a few to read the book. Perhaps reads a light fluffy book before you dive back into Disappearing Earth. When I read books like that, I need a palate cleanser while my brain processes the former story. @Dicentra " Book. Good. Elevenses. And then I go to find a snack." Love it. Elevenses! ~cheers @Penguin Usually if you preorder, the book comes the day it is released. Some times it doesn't always work. @JennW in SoCal Thank you! Synchronicity! Do you have a recommendation for which Tony Hillerman to read if don't need to start with #1? @mumto2 Yeah, glad you got a chance to read it. @aggieamy Congratulations on finishing your story! Can't wait to read it! Sounds very interesting! 5 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 @Lori D.The Hobbit is one of the books I loved sharing as a read aloud with my kids. As I remember school took a bit of a backseat and we read for a couple hours each day. They loved the songs and they made up tunes and sang them for me as we moved through the book which was how we read books always. My kids did not enjoy The Fellowship of the Ring as much.....we left the story with Bilbo and Rivendell. Dd read on and I was so disappointed that my read aloud failed. I have started making a Hobbit quilt, or pillow, or mug rug.........now idea how far I will get but I am happily highlighting descriptions as I read. The free patterns can be found here http://www.fandominstitches.com/2011/05/hobbitlotr.html. I started with the road and am not finished. @loesje22000 My family calls your kind of cow an Oreo cow, they make the best chocolate and ice cream............😉 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicentra Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 10 hours ago, loesje22000 said: Love your cows! When I was a child the only cows I knew were like this: (photo) It has taken a while before I believed that other cows were cows too... That is a Belted Galloway, I believe, or yes - an Oreo cookie cow (as my daughter used to call them). 🙂 We had some just down the road from us for awhile. We also live not too far from an elk farm so sometimes on drives, I see this in the fields: 9 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicentra Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 I'm still working away at trying to get some reading done. I've only finished two books so far this year 😞 but have The Hobbit, a historical fiction novel, and a few non-fiction books on the go. I need to settle and finish something. So far I've finished: 1. The Love Knot by Elizabeth Chadwick *Historical fiction/romance - 3 stars 2. The Case of the Chocolate Cream Killer: The Poisonous Passion of Christiana Edmunds by Kaye Jones *Nonfiction (history) - 4 stars We have an old paperback copy of The Hobbit but I treated myself to the enhanced ebook version and it's so much fun - you get to hear Tolkien sing. 🙂 https://www.amazon.ca/Hobbit-Enhanced-J-R-Tolkien-ebook/dp/B005IH0MAI/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=the+hobbit&qid=1579668745&s=digital-text&sr=1-2 For the longest time, I couldn't read from an e-reader. I felt like I couldn't get "into" the book somehow - like the glass screen was a barrier or something. I did get used to it, though, and while I don't read everything on my Kindle, stuff like the enhanced version of The Hobbit makes it fun. 🙂 (Note: I do have a regular Kindle and a Kindle Fire - the enhanced stuff like the audio files only work on the Kindle Fire.) 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 1 hour ago, mumto2 said: I have started making a Hobbit quilt, or pillow, or mug rug.........now idea how far I will get but I am happily highlighting descriptions as I read. The free patterns can be found here http://www.fandominstitches.com/2011/05/hobbitlotr.html. I started with the road and am not finished. WOW! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vmsurbat1 Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 14 hours ago, loesje22000 said: When I was a child the only cows I knew were like this: (photo) It has taken a while before I believed that other cows were cows too... This reminds me of the time we took the children to a petting zoo while visiting England. Our youngest, 3 at the time, had always declared pigs her favorite animal. Of course, the only "pigs" she had known up til then were the cute little piggies saying "oink" in her picture books. Imagine her shock when encountering a real, fat, muddy, black, snorting Berkshire pig. From that day forward, her favorite animals were guinea pigs! 🙂 4 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 14 hours ago, aggieamy said: Awww. I gotta say it's pretty awesome even seeing my book's title on a thread with Tolkien, Dickens, and Pratchett. My book has got some polishing I still have to do but it's getting much much closer. Here's the working description for anyone interested: 27-year-old Frances McArthur has just taken a teaching position abroad in Shrewsbury, England, and is shocked to see a face from her past at the school: Max Fahey. Ten years earlier (and on the other side of the Atlantic in Atchison, Kansas) Max had been her classmate, neighbor, rival, and the only son of the wealthiest family in their small town. When Max’s beautiful but temperamental girlfriend was murdered all eyes turned to him. Then Max and his family disappeared and haven’t been seen since. Frances’ time in England is limited, she only has until the end of the term. Despite the realization he is a man wanted for murder back home, Frances is falling for Max. Now Frances must decide if she should trust the facts of the cold case and report Max’s whereabouts to the police or trust her own heart which tells her Max couldn’t possibly be a murderer. Congratulations Amy! and I'm looking forward to reading it! 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excelsior! Academy Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 I seem to have lost the link to the Pick Your Poison sheet. Would someone please share it? 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted January 23, 2020 Author Share Posted January 23, 2020 (edited) Hmm! Not sure if this is good news or not: Instead of killing off Jack Reacher, Jack Reacher series author Lee Child 'quits and lets brother step in' Sad news: Christopher Tolkien, 'Middle-earth's First Scholar,' Dies At 95 and Terry Jones from Monty Python has passed away. My brother loved Monty Python and used to go around the house reciting whole scripts keeping us in stitches. Cultural: The inheritance of flaws: What Indian bildungsromans tell us about our nation Bookriot's How to find free mystery books online Modern Ms Darcy is sort of taking a Brit Trip Edited January 23, 2020 by Robin M 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted January 23, 2020 Author Share Posted January 23, 2020 (edited) 58 minutes ago, Excelsior! Academy said: I seem to have lost the link to the Pick Your Poison sheet. Would someone please share it? Is this it? Pick your poison Edited January 23, 2020 by Robin M 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SereneHome Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 Note to self: Life is too short to read books that make you all pissy. Also, trust your instinct on books. So....Color me in was NOT a book I would recommend to anyone. Moving on! 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excelsior! Academy Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 17 hours ago, Robin M said: Is this it? Pick your poison It is! Thank you!! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 I finished my 4 Corners book ... seems like another good dog mystery series good for cleaning to so I’ve started another . Also listening to (and highly recommend): http://Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter https://www.amazon.com/dp/1603589082/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_bDEkEb6JEVB3N I’m ready to join the beaver enthusiast cult ! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excelsior! Academy Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 I finished Whiskey in a Teacup this weekend. It is a lovely, easy read coffee table book. I'm not sure whether to classify it as Inspirational or Quick Decisions. I was able to visit my mother in California over Thanksgiving and she slipped this book in my daughters suitcase to give to me on my birthday in early December. It wasn't one I chose, but am glad to own. The photographs are beautiful and I love Reese's down to earth, conversational tone. You can tell she likely didn't use a ghost writer. Amazon video has a miniseries called And Then There Were None created in 2016. The characters and setting are true to the book, but they did throw in a little s @ x as true to Amazon. I wish I had been forewarned before watching it with my teen daughters. Nothing too graphic, but there nonetheless. 1. Below Stairs by Margaret Powell (Selfie, Pick Your Poison) 2. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (Soldier, Bingo) 3. 6 Day Body Makeover by Michael Thurmond (Making Stuff up, Pick Your Poison) 4. Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon (Inspirational or Quick Decisions, Pick Your Poison) 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 I just finished reading The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. It really wasn't my kind of book. Thankfully it was short. I am not really a lover of ghost stories. I kept hoping that the story would end well. I'm still not sure if it did, but I didn't like it. I will say, though, that I thought the book was well written. I'll have to see what else I can find by James and give him another chance. I am making good progress on La Telarana de Carlota (Charlotte's Web in Spanish). I'm hoping to be finished with it by the end of the week so that I can begin El Hobbit. :) 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 2 minutes ago, Junie said: I just finished reading The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. It really wasn't my kind of book. Thankfully it was short. I am not really a lover of ghost stories. I kept hoping that the story would end well. I'm still not sure if it did, but I didn't like it. I will say, though, that I thought the book was well written. I'll have to see what else I can find by James and give him another chance. I like James, but not turned of the screw Try the Audible sample of The Americans and see what you think. (Jim someone narrator is not great, but at least can be followed imo) Thinking of it as something that can play while folding laundry etc Or try the Audible samples of A Portrait of a Lady narrated by Juliet Stevenson, and comparing narrations by Alice Johnson and John ? James? Someone Wood.. the different readings can make book seem quite different. I think Juliet Stevenson is good on the humor and satirical aspect which helps the book imo. Though I like the more mellow voices of the other two. 6 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 1 hour ago, Pen said: I like James, but not turned of the screw Try the Audible sample of The Americans and see what you think. (Jim someone narrator is not great, but at least can be followed imo) Thinking of it as something that can play while folding laundry etc Or try the Audible samples of A Portrait of a Lady narrated by Juliet Stevenson, and comparing narrations by Alice Johnson and John ? James? Someone Wood.. the different readings can make book seem quite different. I think Juliet Stevenson is good on the humor and satirical aspect which helps the book imo. Though I like the more mellow voices of the other two. Thanks! I'll take a look at these two. I don't do audiobooks (and I don't fold laundry!), but I'll see if my library has either of them. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted January 24, 2020 Share Posted January 24, 2020 I just finished a post apocalyptic thriller called One Second After https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40192873-one-second-after and have to say this one sort of upset me......maybe too realistic. Over the past three years or so I have grown rather attached to books like The Passage https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6690798-the-passage?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=7RzoPTu0U1&rank=1 which gives us the apocalypse with zombies etc. I have definitely decided I only like obviously fictional apocalypse stories. In this book the US is hit by an EMP and literally the world as we know it is over. All the things we take for granted cease to be. Sobering, scary, and frankly not sure how many of us could prepare for such an event even if we wanted to. I will so not be reading the rest in this series! On a more positive note I selected it for it’s O for the Ladies of Lit challenge but think I will also be using it for the Off the Grid Bingo space......can’t get more off the grid than nothing with electrical components working! 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted January 24, 2020 Share Posted January 24, 2020 Nothing new finished lately but I wanted to pop in for a wave and an update. @Robin M- The pick your own poison challenge is super interesting! This thread is always so much fun. Thank you for putting so much time and effort into giving us such a lovely virtual hang out. @mumto2 and @Lady Florida. Have either one of your read any of the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series? I've seen him compared to the Bo Tully series. I'm about halfway through the first Bo Tully book and I'm loving it. Lots of really hysterical characters! And to all the BaW ladies ... thank you for your encouragement on my book. I've got another round of edits to do to fix a few plot holes and then it might be ready. 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted January 24, 2020 Share Posted January 24, 2020 (edited) 52 minutes ago, Junie said: Thanks! I'll take a look at these two. I don't do audiobooks (and I don't fold laundry!), but I'll see if my library has either of them. Even if you don’t personally use audiobooks you could possibly use whatever tech you are reading Wtm on right now just to listen to audio samples. It could give you and idea of potential tones of a few different readers. And be a different approach to deciding what you might like to read in paper and ink. James tends to be lengthy and if not studying for a lit class lends itself to listening and doing something else is what I meant by during laundry. But (if not ghost story) also can be a soothing type of reading for a chapter each night at bedtime. Edited January 24, 2020 by Pen 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted January 24, 2020 Share Posted January 24, 2020 36 minutes ago, mumto2 said: I just finished a post apocalyptic thriller called One Second After https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40192873-one-second-after and have to say this one sort of upset me......maybe too realistic. Over the past three years or so I have grown rather attached to books like The Passage https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6690798-the-passage?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=7RzoPTu0U1&rank=1 which gives us the apocalypse with zombies etc. I have definitely decided I only like obviously fictional apocalypse stories. In this book the US is hit by an EMP and literally the world as we know it is over. All the things we take for granted cease to be. Sobering, scary, and frankly not sure how many of us could prepare for such an event even if we wanted to. I will so not be reading the rest in this series! On a more positive note I selected it for it’s O for the Ladies of Lit challenge but think I will also be using it for the Off the Grid Bingo space......can’t get more off the grid than nothing with electrical components working! I read the Fortschen book and thought it was excellent. There is also a second book that comes after iirc. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted January 24, 2020 Share Posted January 24, 2020 35 minutes ago, aggieamy said: Nothing new finished lately but I wanted to pop in for a wave and an update. @Robin M- The pick your own poison challenge is super interesting! This thread is always so much fun. Thank you for putting so much time and effort into giving us such a lovely virtual hang out. @mumto2 and @Lady Florida. Have either one of your read any of the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series? I've seen him compared to the Bo Tully series. I'm about halfway through the first Bo Tully book and I'm loving it. Lots of really hysterical characters! And to all the BaW ladies ... thank you for your encouragement on my book. I've got another round of edits to do to fix a few plot holes and then it might be ready. I read more than one Sheriff Dan Rhodes many years ago........marked them to try again! 10 minutes ago, Pen said: I read the Fortschen book and thought it was excellent. There is also a second book that comes after iirc. There is even a third book in that series. Done for now....I like where that book ended and don’t care for the book descriptions for the remaining. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted January 24, 2020 Share Posted January 24, 2020 48 minutes ago, mumto2 said: I just finished a post apocalyptic thriller called One Second After https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40192873-one-second-after and have to say this one sort of upset me......maybe too realistic. My husband and I listened to this while on a car trip. (Well, more accurately, my husband listened to it while I listened to portions between dozes.) I agree that it was scarily realistic. There was still audio left when we returned home; however, my husband continued listening until he finished the book. I believe he went on to read the sequel that @Penmentioned. Regards, Kareni 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted January 24, 2020 Share Posted January 24, 2020 A free book for Kindle readers, today only ~ The Ballad of the White Horse: An Epic Poem by G. K. Chesterton "A rousing ballad based on the true story of legendary Saxon king Alfred the GreatIn the dark times before a unified England, warring tribes roved and sparred for territory across the British Isles. The Ballad of the White Horse records the deeds and military accomplishments of Alfred the Great as he defeats the invading Danes at the Battle of Ethandun. Published in 1911, this poem follows the battle—from the gathering of the chiefs to the last war cry—with a care to rhythm, sound, and language that makes it a magnificent work of art as well as a vital piece of English history. A significant influence on the structure of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, The Ballad of the White Horse transforms the thrilling exploits of a courageous leader into an inspirational Christian allegory." ** and a bookish post ~ 10 Adventure-Filled Books Like Lord of the Rings to Explore by Keith Rice Regards, Kareni 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted January 25, 2020 Share Posted January 25, 2020 Yesterday I finished the contemporary romance The Inside Track: A License to Love Novel by Tamsen Parker which I quite enjoyed. The hero has ADD and the heroine is agoraphobic; the point of view alternates from chapter to chapter. (Significant adult content) "Love might mean coming as you are, but staying is a different matter.Nick Fischer is a screw-up; everyone knows it and they’re not afraid to tell him so. The only thing he’s got going for him is that he plays a reliable rhythm guitar for License to Game, and his big fat bulldog, Princess Fiona, is so ugly she’s cute.Dempsey Lawrence is a former child star turned financial advisor, and while she’s curious about the hot mess of a man who’s her co-panelist for a presentation on financial literacy, she has no intention of pursuing anything with him. Too loud, too crass, too wild, Nick is altogether too much. Plus, he’s famous, and she is so over stardom and everything that comes with it.Except that when Dempsey gives Nick an inch, he takes a mile, and she finds that she doesn’t mind so much. Until Nick brings the pitfalls of stardom to Dempsey’s doorstep, then all the attraction in the world might not be enough to promise a happily ever after." Regards, Kareni 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted January 25, 2020 Share Posted January 25, 2020 I have started reading my Banana Yoshimoto for this month’s Ladies of Lit. I picked Moshi, Moshi and am finding it a bit of a surprise in how much it reminds me of a Murakami. The suicide theme is definitely there but somewhat unique.......at this point the daughter is questioning her father’s odd(tp her) suicide with an previously unknown woman. I don’t think I have read any other Japanese literature beyond some mysteries No cats.....lol. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuesdayschild Posted January 25, 2020 Share Posted January 25, 2020 On 1/22/2020 at 2:00 PM, aggieamy said: Here's the working description for anyone interested: 27-year-old Frances McArthur has just taken a teaching position abroad in Shrewsbury, England, and is shocked to see a face from her past at the school: Max Fahey. Ten years earlier (and on the other side of the Atlantic in Atchison, Kansas) Max had been her classmate, neighbor, rival, and the only son of the wealthiest family in their small town. When Max’s beautiful but temperamental girlfriend was murdered all eyes turned to him. Then Max and his family disappeared and haven’t been seen since. Frances’ time in England is limited, she only has until the end of the term. Despite the realization he is a man wanted for murder back home, Frances is falling for Max. Now Frances must decide if she should trust the facts of the cold case and report Max’s whereabouts to the police or trust her own heart which tells her Max couldn’t possibly be a murderer. Your BaW buddies are definitely 'interested' 😄🥰 Well done Amy, looking forward to seeing your book with a cover, and, available for us to purchase and read. On 1/22/2020 at 4:39 PM, mumto2 said: I have started making a Hobbit quilt, or pillow, or mug rug.........now idea how far I will get but I am happily highlighting descriptions as I read. The free patterns can be found here http://www.fandominstitches.com/2011/05/hobbitlotr.html. I started with the road and am not finished. Such clever hands Sandy! Flat out admire your crafting skill .... hoping we get to peek at your finished creation. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted January 25, 2020 Author Share Posted January 25, 2020 Since we're reading The Hobbit - Exploring the People of Middle-earth: Gandalf, Kindler of Hearts Virginia Woolf on Why We Read and What Great Works of Art Have in Common Why essay collections matter 10 Very Long, Very Captivating Books to Hunker Down with on Winter Nights Questions of the week: Invite four famous people to dinner, who would you choose and why? I know I've asked this question before but figured our newbies would have fun with it and our regulars can come up with four different from before. What would you serve for dessert? 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuesdayschild Posted January 25, 2020 Share Posted January 25, 2020 On 1/20/2020 at 6:23 PM, Lori D. said: My next installment of thoughts while reading The Hobbit -- and -- *ahem* -- [insert toe-tapping emoji ] -- waiting to hear OTHER people's thoughts as you all read The Hobbit... My quoting ability has digressed ..... so responding in purple (apologising to those to whom reading in coloured text is difficult). I haven't even started the Hobbit yet, and tend to be like others here, one final comment at the end; and, I am in awe of those here, yourself included, who can correlate your thoughts for every chapter into profound, eloquent, sentences. I'd be trying to entice the cows to eat my homework just to get out of needing to submit a piece 🙂 On 1/21/2020 at 6:20 PM, Kareni said: Do you have a book that changed your life? I'm going to go back through so many of the links shared and read them more slowly: that is definitely one of them. A book that changed my life was Diana Waring's homeschool book Beyond Survival: I went from being a not/ can't/ aint gonna be a 'weird' home educator to embracing it 'my way' hook line and sinker. My DD has just officially graduated, this week , so the effect of that book has been long reaching. On 1/22/2020 at 4:25 AM, Violet Crown said: Lovely critters. Idle curiosity question: what are those fence posts made from? Around here they'd be mountain cedar (mesquite further west) for posts or stays. Those lovely critters are beyond naughty! But we love them, well .....most days. The fence posts are all treated pine (wow! cedar is a wood only used for finishing here!) A book Q: If you've read Emily Eden's The Semi-Detached House, am I going to have to prepare for a 'drowning in the Floss' moment? On 1/22/2020 at 6:57 AM, loesje22000 said: When I was a child the only cows I knew were like this: (photo) It has taken a while before I believed that other cows were cows too... Those Belted Galloways (Belties) are a breed we'd covet to have - their imprint is too big for our property though and the cost of a miniature beltie put's them out of our price range. On 1/22/2020 at 10:39 AM, Matryoshka said: I'm still very much enjoying Lori's commentary! I'm another that struggles with detailed commentary, which is why I probably end up gravitating to star reviews - book good, book bad. LOL. I am still strongly considering joining in when you all get to LOTR! I enjoy whatever you do have to share, and have ended up reading so many of the non-fiction books you've added detail to here. On 1/21/2020 at 5:17 AM, Penguin said: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. I thought is was as charming as everyone said it was. That comment has me re-adding this to my library holds. On 1/21/2020 at 11:23 AM, vmsurbat1 said: So, in a completely different vein, I'll be starting The Book of the Dun Cow. Looking forward to seeing what your thoughts on this one are; it's on my do-I-want-to-read-it-or-not list. @Robin M thank you for all the work you put in to crafting these threads for us! 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuesdayschild Posted January 25, 2020 Share Posted January 25, 2020 (edited) I've completed two audio books this week and still sip read through my printed books selection. The Lord God Made Them All (James Herriot, narrated by Christopher Timothy) I gave this audio book 4.5 /5 as Christopher Timothy’s narration made this an enjoyable listen. While my husband and I had read James Herriot's Treasury for Children: Warm and Joyful Tales by the Author of All Creatures Great and Small to our children when they were young, it became a repeat-read favourite thanks in part to the gorgeous illustrations by Ruth Brown, I’d never been through any of James’ adult novels and kept meaning to each year: this summer felt like a good time to rectify that. So glad I did. I’ve recommended this to my husband to listen to too. I was laughing at the story of the imbibing barber – some of the other stories are fun, but that one topped the lot for me. Some very sad tales in this mix, and for anyone who has just lost a beloved dog ….. it may pay to skip this audiobook for a wee while. I’m definitely going to back up and listened to the first audiobook now, All Creatures Great and Small , as quite a few reviewers rated it the better of the two. Extra: some expletives, no f.bombs. The next book was a Retro Reads challenge for 2020 and was a repeat listen for me, When the Clock Strikes Twelve: Miss Silver Bk 7 (Patricia Wentworth, narrated by Diana Bishop (4+) Because it's summertime and I'm in the frame of mind to enjoy lighter listening this book garnered itself a plus ...... winter time listens have to work harder for bonus points 🙂 . The mother by adoption in this book sure is a piece of work and Wentworth has purposely crafted her to be despised, she is possessive, jealous, manipulative, and a class act narcissist. That portion of the story reminded me of the surrogate mother in Nemesis by Agatha Christie, this listen through especially, and I could clearly see the opening for Wentworth to have the scenario of ‘love killed her’ brought about (not going to say more and generate a spoiler in either book for those who have not read them, yet. I prefer to listen to Wentworth’s stories narrated by Diana Bishop as opposed to reading them and I think this audiobook makes for a great retro/vintage era whodunit; but, it could easily offend those who imagine that a retro read is going to reflect or uphold many of the social norms expected or accepted in Western Culture now. Edited January 25, 2020 by tuesdayschild 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted January 25, 2020 Share Posted January 25, 2020 1 hour ago, tuesdayschild said: A book that changed my life was Diana Waring's homeschool book Beyond Survival: I went from being a not/ can't/ aint gonna be a 'weird' home educator to embracing it 'my way' hook line and sinker. My DD has just officially graduated, this week , so the effect of that book has been long reaching. While the Well-Trained Mind had a greater overall impact on my homeschooling, the book that made me feel like I was capable to homeschool was Ruth Beechick's You Can Teach Your Child Successfully: Grades 4-8. Congratulations to both you and your daughter on her graduation! Regards, Kareni 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted January 25, 2020 Share Posted January 25, 2020 @tuesdayschild May I wish your Dd a Happy Graduation! Also Congratulations to both you and your husband for a job well done. Like Kareni I would have to give the Well Trained Mind my vote for having the greatest impact on my homeschool journey. That said my childhood neighbor was already homeschooling and gave me a Rainbow Resource Catalog. Knowing there was 700 pages of stuff to chose from was pretty confidence boosting too.🙃 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicentra Posted January 25, 2020 Share Posted January 25, 2020 2 hours ago, Robin M said: Questions of the week: Invite four famous people to dinner, who would you choose and why? I know I've asked this question before but figured our newbies would have fun with it and our regulars can come up with four different from before. What would you serve for dessert? Fictional? Nonfictional? Living? Deceased? Any restrictions? 🙂 I'll give you my immediate without-thinking-about-it answers and then I might come back to change my mind and give you my thought-out choices. 😉 Immediately after I read the question, I thought: Jane Austen (probably because I just purchased the recent adaptation of Sanditon and am looking forward to (hopefully) watching it this weekend) J.S. Bach (probably because I have a "Bach for working" playlist that I've been listening to a lot lately to try to get my brain to settle and get some work done) Marie Curie (because... well... we can talk chemistry :)) Mycroft Holmes (because the character fascinates me - Sherlock sees the trees (SO many trees) and can put them into position in the forest but I think Mycroft sees the trees, the forest, understands the purpose of the forest, can envision what the forest will look like a year from now, can see the possibilities of what the forest might become if it was razed to the ground and turned into something else and he just seems unfazed by it all) And for dessert? A selection of nuts and cheeses. Bits of really good dark chocolate to nibble. Oloroso sherry. 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted January 25, 2020 Share Posted January 25, 2020 27 minutes ago, mumto2 said: Rainbow Resource Catalog I loved that catalog! I would spend hour upon hour reading it. And 700 pages is quite accurate; it was larger than many phone books. Regards, Kareni 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted January 25, 2020 Share Posted January 25, 2020 13 minutes ago, Kareni said: I loved that catalog! I would spend hour upon hour reading it. And 700 pages is quite accurate; it was larger than many phone books. Regards, Kareni My husband put my old copy in the family van each year so I would always have a “favorite book”(for me) available on trips! I believe the catalog was over 1200 pages the last time I saw one. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted January 25, 2020 Share Posted January 25, 2020 2 minutes ago, mumto2 said: My husband put my old copy in the family van each year so I would always have a “favorite book”(for me) available on trips! That is charming! 3 minutes ago, mumto2 said: I believe the catalog was over 1200 pages the last time I saw one. Whoa! Do they still print it, I wonder, or must one shop online? Regards, Kareni 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted January 25, 2020 Share Posted January 25, 2020 21 minutes ago, Kareni said: That is charming! Whoa! Do they still print it, I wonder, or must one shop online? Regards, Kareni It looks like you can still request one! https://www.rainbowresource.com/catalogRequest.jhtm?pid=11679 The sad thing is I glanced at the photo and recognize the page without being able to read it.....Saxon math. 😂 1 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted January 25, 2020 Share Posted January 25, 2020 I don't know how long this book will be free. Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children Book 1) by Seanan McGuire....2017 Hugo award winner Regards, Kareni 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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