Book a Week 2020 - BW10: 52 Books Bingo - Creative

[Robin M]

Good morning! Did you remember to set your clock ahead one hour? 

 

Bridge to Nowhere

 by

 Robin

 On a bridge to Nowhere
To see No One,
Who could be any one,
 has traveled,
happy and safe,
everywhere and somewhere.
Music leads him
from near to far
across the bridge
to Nowhere.
The sky is full of light
sparkling and clear.
The air is full of love,
plenty and dear.
There, they sing and
dance and play,
Making up lines as they
have plenty to say.
Past the bridge that
leads to Nowhere,
They live to the rhythm
Of bass, cymbals, and drums
And maybe
A horn or flute or two.
Feet stamp, hands clap
And hips sway
To the beat.
Who laughs, What sings
and Baby laughs with joy.
How do you do?
Welcome to Nowhere.

Our next 52 Books Bingo category is creative which can be interpreted a number of ways. Granted the majority of books are the product of creative writing so you could just read any book.  However... What does it mean to be creative? What if you think you aren't a creative person, and are wondering how to be more creative. What can you do to inspire or improve upon your creativity? 

There are books a plenty to inspire and nourish your creative soul, unleash your creativity or unleash your creative potential. You may want to get creative with Art, or read historical fiction about artists, main characters who are artists or about what makes a great artist tick. 

 Your creativity may lean towards being creative in the kitchen, decorating your house, landscape design or Arts and Crafts. Perhaps you enjoy Creative Writing, enjoy writing poetry or songs or comedy. You can also decide to go off the beaten path with Popular creative literature books. 

Have fun following rabbit trails or as Dr. Seuss would say: 

 

“You’re off to Great Places! Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So… get on your way!”

 

Are you ready to be creative? What would you like to create this week?

Link to Week 9

Visit  52 Books in 52 Weeks where you can find all the information on the annual, mini and perpetual challenges, as well as share your book reviews if you like.

[Robin M]

I'm currently reading Patricia Brigg's Dragon Bones from her Hurog Duology.

"Most everyone thinks Ward of Hurog is a simple-minded fool—and that’s just fine by him. But few people know that his foolishness is (very convincingly) feigned. And that it’s the only thing that’s saved him from death.   
When his abusive father dies, Ward becomes the new lord of Hurog...until a nobleman declares that he is too dim-witted to rule. Ward knows he cannot play the fool any longer. To regain his kingdom, he must prove himself worthy—and quickly. 
Riding into a war that’s heating up on the border, Ward is sure he’s on the fast track to glory. But soon his mission takes a deadly serious turn. For he has seen a pile of magical dragon bones hidden deep beneath Hurog Keep. The bones can be dangerous in the wrong hands, and Ward is certain his enemies will stop at nothing to possess them..."

 

[mumto2]

I will post later as we are on the way out the door to celebrate the last day my baby boy is a teenager!  Going for a meal at his favorite seafood restaurant and a drive along the coast........

[Kareni]

What a lovely poem, Robin! Thanks for sharing it with us.

Enjoy your son's birthday, mumto2, and celebrate...

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts ~

Poppy Post: Awesome Non-Human Sidekicks in Books

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2020/03/poppy-post-awesome-non-human-sidekicks-in-books/

And similarly ~ Five SFF Books With Dogs (and Dog-Adjacent Individuals) as Key Characters

https://www.tor.com/2020/03/05/five-sff-books-with-dogs-and-dog-adjacent-individuals-as-key-characters/

Jo Walton’s Reading List: February 2020

https://www.tor.com/2020/03/04/jo-waltons-reading-list-february-2020/#comment-857516

From the Word Wenches, an interview with author Sulari Gentill

https://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2020/03/sulari-gentill.html#comments

Regards,

Kareni

[Negin]

Beautiful poem, Robin!

Mumto2, Happy Birthday to your ds!

[Junie]

Books I read this week:

Books 2 and 3 of the American Girl Luciana series -- These were both pretty good.  My girls got the Luciana doll last year or a few years ago.  Luciana (who is Chilean American) looks so very much like one of dd12's best friends.  Her mother is Chilean, so apparently AG was right on with facial structure and hair texture.  :)  In book 3, Luciana learns how the astronauts can grow space lettuce on the ISS.  Then this week there was a news story about growing space lettuce on the ISS, so I was able to show my girls that the details in the book were correct.

I Will Not Fear by Melba Pattillo Beals -- I was disappointed with this book.  Melba was one of the Little Rock Nine, so I expected her story to be about that.  Apparently she wrote about her high school experience in another book.  This book, instead, contained a few chapters about high school and then other situations from her life in which she was discriminated against, both for being black and for being female.  It was ok, but not as good as I had hoped.

Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident -- I read the first book in this series a week or so ago.  I liked this book a lot better because this book could focus more on plot instead of explaining every detail of how the fairy world works.

  

Edited March 8, 2020 by Junie

[Liz CA]

Completely forgot about the time change until I glanced at my phone...

Still reading "Dark Ambition" by Hannon. I said this before - there is some comfort in predictability.

Audiobooks:

Patricia Wentworth's "The Woman in the Water."

I need some wind under my reading wings. I am still exhausted from this respiratory thing we had (no, it wasn't Coronavirus or the flu) but it hung on for a long time and sucked me dry. Unfortunately, tomorrow is Monday and another work week begins AN HOUR EARLIER. 

Edited March 9, 2020 by Liz CA

[Violet Crown]

Great Expectations should be finished tomorrow. I paused earlier this week to read (in translation) Jean Anouilh's Antigone, his 1944 allegory for occupied Vichy France. It hadn't been on the reading plan but Middle Girl was assigned it (in French) for her French Lit class, simultaneous to reading Sophocles' original in her Greek class, and, for good measure, Irish poet Seamus Heaney's version. Better her than me.

 

Edited March 9, 2020 by Violet Crown

[Kareni]

This evening I finished Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds by Brandon Sanderson which is a collection of three linked novellas; it was an unusual read that I enjoyed.

 "Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds, is #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson's novella collection of science fiction thrillers that will make you question reality--including a never-before-published story.

Stephen Leeds is perfectly sane. It's his hallucinations who are mad.

A genius of unrivaled aptitude, Stephen can learn any new skill, vocation, or art in a matter of hours. However, to contain all of this, his mind creates hallucinatory people—Stephen calls them aspects—to hold and manifest the information. Wherever he goes, he is joined by a team of imaginary experts to give advice, interpretation, and explanation. He uses them to solve problems . . . for a price.

His brain is getting a little crowded and the aspects have a tendency of taking on lives of their own. When a company hires him to recover stolen property—a camera that can allegedly take pictures of the past—Stephen finds himself in an adventure crossing oceans and fighting terrorists. What he discovers may upend the foundation of three major world religions—and, perhaps, give him a vital clue into the true nature of his aspects. "

Regards,

Kareni

[Pen]

Now reading / listening:

The Crossing Places: a Ruth Galloway mystery by Elly Griffiths

 

Title seems to fit with the poem in first post for this week, not sure about relationships to theme of creativity.  Hope to find a Creative theme book later in Week

[Carol in Cal.]

7 hours ago, Junie said:

Books I read this week:

 

I Will Not Fear by Melba Pattillo Beals -- I was disappointed with this book.  Melba was one of the Little Rock Nine, so I expected her story to be about that.  Apparently she wrote about her high school experience in another book.  This book, instead, contained a few chapters about high school and then other situations from her life in which she was discriminated against, both for being black and for being female.  It was ok, but not as good as I had hoped.

 

I love her earlier book and highly recommend it.  HIGHLY.

I had read a fictionalized book about the Little Rock Nine when I was a kid.  I realized after I read Melba's book how fictionalized it really was.  The novel made it sound kind of like, this was strange to us and we were frightened but the good people protected us from the bad ones.  Melba's book was much darker and more realistic than that.  HIGH SCHOOL KIDS HAD TO LEAVE THEIR STATE FOR FEAR OF THEIR LIVES.  

However, that was not why I liked it.   I liked it because it was very well written and true.

[Junie]

7 hours ago, Carol in Cal. said:

I love her earlier book and highly recommend it.  HIGHLY.

I had read a fictionalized book about the Little Rock Nine when I was a kid.  I realized after I read Melba's book how fictionalized it really was.  The novel made it sound kind of like, this was strange to us and we were frightened but the good people protected us from the bad ones.  Melba's book was much darker and more realistic than that.  HIGH SCHOOL KIDS HAD TO LEAVE THEIR STATE FOR FEAR OF THEIR LIVES.  

However, that was not why I liked it.   I liked it because it was very well written and true.

Thank you.  I will look forward to reading her account of what really happened in Little Rock during that time.

[Junie]

Last night I read Mama Maggie: The Untold Story of One Woman's Mission to Love the Forgotten Children of Egypt's Garbage Slums.  I had a hard time putting this down and finished it in just a few hours.  A few months ago christianbook was having a 99 cent sale and dd15 chose this as a book that she would be interested in.  I am so glad she did!

I had never heard of Mama Maggie before, but I found myself wondering how I can be more like her.  Her love for people is astounding.  And she reaches out to those whom everyone else has either forgotten or shunned.

[Teaching3bears]

I finished Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe which I thought was quite good.

I read We Are Okay by Nina Lacour which was a quick read.

I just started Into Thin Air. By Jon Krakauer. is this a story or a book of information? Will I enjoy it?

For homeschooling, we are halfway through Hoot by Carl Hiaasen. It's a kids' book but I'm really enjoying it.

Creativity: As I get older I hav such a strong desire to express this partvof myself. It's very frustrating because time, bad and stressed eyes and the restraints of taking care of everyone in a family with two special needs kids have made this so difficult. Still, that desire is there and growing stronger. Maybe it's part of becoming older as a woman?

[mumto2]

I finished listening to Golden in Death last night.  The story was great but the voices for the characters drive me nuts because they sound nothing remotely like how the characters should sound in my opinion.  But the story was solid and the characters entertaining, Quite an accomplishment for number 50 in a series that I don’t think ever really slumped with a few less than stellar books as most long running series do.

No longer sure what is up on audio next........I seem to have a stack to plow through.

Still reading Running with Sherman which is wonderful.  A reporter and his wife give up big city living to move an isolated farm deep in the Amish area of Pennsylvania.  While living there they adopt quite a menagerie including the star of this book Sherman.  The book is full of interesting stories but the ones featuring Sherman are my favorites.........Sherman seems to feature every other chapter which makes it easy to read a section and put it down which has been great for an extra book.

I am reading my Deborah Crombie A Finer End which i can’t say I am loving........it has too much of spooky ghostly Glastonbury going on to make me like it and at 14% Duncan and Gemma are not at the scene yet.  I am going to keep reading because I know it will eventually be good.

Because I needed something that would catch my attention I started my reread of Faith Hunter’s Blood of the Earth last night.  It’s the first in the Soulwood series and if we didn’t have plans for today I could easily of spent the entire night reading it!

[Junie]

32 minutes ago, mumto2 said:

I finished listening to Golden in Death last night.  The story was great but the voices for the characters drive me nuts because they sound nothing remotely like how the characters should sound in my opinion.  But the story was solid and the characters entertaining, Quite an accomplishment for number 50 in a series that I don’t think ever really slumped with a few less than stellar books as most long running series do.

No longer sure what is up on audio next........I seem to have a stack to plow through.

Still reading Running with Sherman which is wonderful.  A reporter and his wife give up big city living to move an isolated farm deep in the Amish area of Pennsylvania.  While living there they adopt quite a menagerie including the star of this book Sherman.  The book is full of interesting stories but the ones featuring Sherman are my favorites.........Sherman seems to feature every other chapter which makes it easy to read a section and put it down which has been great for an extra book.

I am reading my Deborah Crombie A Finer End which i can’t say I am loving........it has too much of spooky ghostly Glastonbury going on to make me like it and at 14% Duncan and Gemma are not at the scene yet.  I am going to keep reading because I know it will eventually be good.

Because I needed something that would catch my attention I started my reread of Faith Hunter’s Blood of the Earth last night.  It’s the first in the Soulwood series and if we didn’t have plans for today I could easily of spent the entire night reading it!

I just looked up this book.  And I looked up where the author lives.  I grew up not far from where this book takes place.  :)

 

[Miss Tick]

4 hours ago, Teaching3bears said:

I just started Into Thin Air. By Jon Krakauer. is this a story or a book of information? Will I enjoy it?

I don't know if you will enjoy it, but I did. Mr. Krakauer does a good job of dramatizing real stories. I first read this book years ago and on a recommendation paired it with the book Annapurna: A Woman's Place, by Arlene Bloom. It was interesting to see the similarities and differences - particularly in the decision making process.

I finished Unseen World this week and was deeply dissatisfied with it. It plodded and the exposition struck me as uneven. The ending was disappointingly a non-event and the main character never seemed to perceptibly grow. As a palate cleanser I quickly started a different book (Trust No One - appropriate to how I'm feeling about authors and internet reviews at the moment) and I keep reminding myself that I also finished the Odyssey this weekend, the foundation for many, many good stories. I'll still be bitter until I return that other book to the library, though. 😉

Edited March 9, 2020 by SusanC

[Carol in Cal.]

3 hours ago, Teaching3bears said:

I finished Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe which I thought was quite good.


I just started Into Thin Air. By Jon Krakauer. is this a story or a book of information? Will I enjoy it?

 

I liked both of these.

[Kareni]

A currently free Kindle book ~

A Canticle of Two Souls (Aria of Steel Book 1) 

Regards,

Kareni

[Violet Crown]

9 hours ago, Teaching3bears said:

I just started Into Thin Air. By Jon Krakauer. is this a story or a book of information? Will I enjoy it?

I haven't read the book, but a few weeks ago I saw the opera. No, really! It was great. The book will probably be good, too, if with fewer arias. It's an eyewitness account of the 1996 Everest disaster, from a travel journalist who was part of one of the expeditions.

[JennW in SoCal]

4 hours ago, Violet Crown said:

I haven't read the book, but a few weeks ago I saw the opera. No, really! It was great. The book will probably be good, too, if with fewer arias. It's an eyewitness account of the 1996 Everest disaster, from a travel journalist who was part of one of the expeditions.

 

Into Thin Air, the opera?!! In googling I see the opera is titled Everest, but it is based on that book, isn't it? I watched a few youtube clips and it looks like an incredible production, and goodness but the story totally lends itself to opera. The music sounds accessible, too, not too weirdly dissonant or modern.  

My reading this week, other than reading obsessively to keep up to date on all things Corona Virus:

The Plague -- haven't continued with it in a few days, but really want to. I laugh at myself when reading classics like this, sometimes, because I find myself thinking, "Say, this is really good!" As if nobody else has ever noticed. 

Absolutely on Music, by Haruki Murakami. This slim volume is a series of conversations Murakami, a music buff and avid album collector, has with the great maestro Seiji Ozawa. It isn't necessarily a book a for the non-classical music lover, but I could be wrong. I'm reading it through the lens of a freelance musician. 

And a PD James mystery. Which one? Good question. I'll get back to you on that! Suffice it to say that mysteries are my go-to comfort read and I'm chewing through them at a fast rate this year!

[Pen]

 

17 minutes ago, JennW in SoCal said:

And a PD James mystery. Which one? Good question. I'll get back to you on that! Suffice it to say that mysteries are my go-to comfort read and I'm chewing through them at a fast rate this year!

 

🙃 I’m with you on that! 

[Violet Crown]

8 hours ago, JennW in SoCal said:

Into Thin Air, the opera?!! In googling I see the opera is titled Everest, but it is based on that book, isn't it? I watched a few youtube clips and it looks like an incredible production, and goodness but the story totally lends itself to opera. The music sounds accessible, too, not too weirdly dissonant or modern.  

We ended up going to Everest because we had tickets to Rigoletto ("La donna e mobile! Qual' pium' al vento!") and suddenly had a conflict; we couldn't get a refund but got them transferred to the next opera (which was not very crowded, being so unfamiliar). It's all one act so the suspense and drama just build and build. I found it the more intense because I remember the events and the names were familiar, but the girls really enjoyed it too. Middle Girl thought perhaps it went to too much trouble to make the plot clear -- she's used to Italian operas which make the plot secondary to the point of obscurity -- but was quite satisfied. Our production here had the entire orchestra on stage, which a violist friend said he found very trying; he's used to having his coffee on the floor on one side, his water on the other, and not worrying about everyone staring at him.

[Emba]

I have been reading lots of cozy mysteries- brain potato chips, i call them.

Sunday I finished up The Cat Who Could Read Backwards, by Lillian Jackson Brain. I like that series, or most of them, and i enjoyed it. It fits the ‘creative ‘ theme in that many of the characters were artists and it dealt with murders in the art world.

Yesterday i read Funerals are Fatal by Agatha Christie. I got caught up on the story and finished it in one day (not a very long book), but I don’t know... DH and I have lately enjoyed watching some Hercule Poirot shows, but Christie as a writer I just don’t really enjoy most of the time. She has what seems like an overly negative view of human nature or something.

eta: that is to say, no one cares about anyone else very much, and when she says they do I don’t see enough of it in their behavior to be truly convinced.

Edited March 10, 2020 by emba56

[Kareni]

I finished a novella last night ~ 12:23 by Patrick F. Johnson. It was a pleasant read that had a Twilight Zone vibe.

 "It's not every day you see your main character in the flesh.
Two writers meet and discover they've written the same story.
But they are each other's main character.
What does it all mean?
And why do they feel compelled to look to the sky at the same time every day?

“Your ending is a bit troubling.”"

 Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Today only, free for Kindle readers ~

Jacques Futrelle's  The Thinking Machine on the Case

"America’s smartest sleuth solves his most puzzling cases yet

Professor Augustus S. F. X. Van Dusen may look and sound like an egghead scientist—because he is one—but there is no detective in the world villains fear more. With the help of his friend and sidekick, newspaper reporter Hutchison Hatch, the criminologist known as “The Thinking Machine” applies cold, hard logic to the most bizarre of mysteries—and always finds the solution.
 
In this comprehensive collection, Van Dusen investigates the enigmas of “The Midnight Message,” “The Gap in the Trail,” “A Fool of Good Intention,” “The Woman in the Case,” and many others. No matter how twisted the trail of clues—or diabolical the evildoer—the Thinking Machine knows that “two and two make four, not some times, but all the time.” In other words, take heed, crooks—your cleverest schemes are not match for this genius detective."

 About the Author:

Jacques Futrelle (1875–1912) was an American journalist and mystery author best known for creating the remarkable detective Augustus S. F. X. Van Dusen. He published the first story starring Van Dusen, whose sleuthing brilliance earned him the nickname “The Thinking Machine,” in 1905, and went on to publish many more stories in the series before his life was cut short in the sinking of the RMS Titanic.

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

On 3/8/2020 at 11:45 AM, Robin M said:

What if you think you aren't a creative person, and are wondering how to be more creative....

The book I just finished works well to address this question.

How to Draw without Talent  by Danny Gregory

This was an enjoyable and approachable book; it cites a couple of books that I've read in the past -- Mona Brookes'  Drawing With Children and Betty Edwards' Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. Here's the blurb:

"Want to draw but don't think you have the talent? This book is for you--no experience or formal training required! Danny Gregory, co-founder of the popular online Sketchbook Skool, shows you how to get started making art for pleasure with fun, easy lessons. Get started fast with just a pen and paper, learn to see your subject with new eyes, and enjoy the creative process."

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Today only, free for Kindle readers ~

The Ballad of the White Horse: An Epic Poem by G. K. Chesterton

Also free ~

Breakaway (Verdant String Book 1) by Michelle Diener

Building Forever (This Time Forever Book 1) by Kelly Jensen

Regards,

Kareni

[Excelsior! Academy]

I shelved Circe.  Too many f-bombs in the first chapter.  I'm not up for finishing it right now.

I finished Modern Etiquette Made Easy by Myka Meier.  The book's topics cover much more than table settings and how to hold one's fork.  There are chapters ranging from networking to how to converse at an event.  It is a short, but easy read while being packed with information. 

Edited March 11, 2020 by Excelsior! Academy

[Matryoshka]

I have fallen down the coronavirus wormhole and haven't been reading books as much... over the past two weeks (forgot to update last week!) I've finished 3 books:

22. The Other Americans by Laila Lalami (audiobook) - A story told from many points of view: the members of a family that immigrated from Morocco, one of whom narrates posthumously after being the victim of a hit-and-run, which drives much of the plot, a former classmate of one of the daughters, who served in the Marines and who's been carrying a torch for said daughter all these years, the owner and son of the bowling alley next to the family's diner, who may know more about the accident than they're letting one, an undocumented Latino immigrant who witnessed the accident and is reluctant to come forward, and the African-American female detective who's leading the investigation into the accident.  I listened to the audio, which had different narrators for each point of view; I liked them all except the Marine's, so generally quite well done.  4 stars.

23. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones (ebook) - Yet another story told from many points of view, this time mostly a couple who's been married just a year when he is unjustly accused of rape and sentenced to years in prison.  Also a lot of epistolary narrative.  Like a fictionalized version of some of the true stories told in Just Mercy.  4 stars.

24. Say Say Say by Lila Savage (audiobook) - picked this off my Overdrive TR list because my on-hold audio hadn't come in, and this was available and short.  About a caregiver to a woman with a brain injury and her relationships - with the client, her husband, and her partner.  3 stars.

Currently re-reading La casa de los espíritus / House of the Spirits - that's the one I'm not getting to much.  Need to prioritize it.  On audio I'm listening to the hold that finally came in - The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee, and my ebook hold on Drive Your Plow... also came in, so I'm reading and quite enjoying that.

•  

[Matryoshka]

3 hours ago, Excelsior! Academy said:

I shelved Circe.  Too many f-bombs in the first chapter.  I'm not up for finishing it right now.

Wait, what?  Circe by Miller?  I don't remember a single swear word in that book, no less a bunch of f-bombs.  I just looked back at the first chapter on Amazon and can't find any there either.  Is there another Circe?

[Excelsior! Academy]

2 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

Wait, what?  Circe by Miller?  I don't remember a single swear word in that book, no less a bunch of f-bombs.  I just looked back at the first chapter on Amazon and can't find any there either.  Is there another Circe?

 

The one by Madeline Miller.  I just quickly scanned the first chapter again.  One example is on page 12 where it says, "My sister's perfect mink face.  'That he f**** them of course. That's how he makes new ones.  He turns into a bull and sires their calves....' "  I didn't see the other ones scanning just now, but I know there were at least one or two more.  In all fairness, I just finished The Testaments and there quite a bit of cursing in there.  Much more than my liking.  I'm just not in the mood for another book with it.  It's good to hear that you don't remember them, as that likely means there aren't many more of them throughout the book.

[mumto2]

I just finished my reread of Blood of the Earth by Faith Hunter ..........this is the first in her Soulwood series, cross over with Jane Yellowrock is actually quite minimal if anyone decides the want to read it without reading all her books.  I have to admit I had forgotten where Nell started and loved the slow build of her character from almost hiding off the grid to strong and independent ......spoiler although obvious......supernatural too but she didn’t know it at the start of the book!  
 

Really enjoying listening to Anne Bronte’s Agnes Grey.  I never got around to reading this one when Dd was devouring the Bronte’s because she told me not to bother.  I think the narrator is why I like it......Emilia Fox.  Plan to look for more audio’s with her.

[Kareni]

A free American historical romance for Kindle readers ~

Runabout (Territory Trysts Book 2) by Pamela Morsi

Regards,

Kareni

[Matryoshka]

21 hours ago, Excelsior! Academy said:

 

The one by Madeline Miller.  I just quickly scanned the first chapter again.  One example is on page 12 where it says, "My sister's perfect mink face.  'That he f**** them of course. That's how he makes new ones.  He turns into a bull and sires their calves....' "  I didn't see the other ones scanning just now, but I know there were at least one or two more.  In all fairness, I just finished The Testaments and there quite a bit of cursing in there.  Much more than my liking.  I'm just not in the mood for another book with it.  It's good to hear that you don't remember them, as that likely means there aren't many more of them throughout the book.

Ah, found it.  No, the book is not full of f-bombs.  I'm pretty sensitive to lots of swearing in books, and it didn't stand out to me.  Notice that this isn't actual swearing, though, but using a very crude word in its original meaning - I mean, for what she's talking about, it's either crude, euphemism, or scientific, pick one - 'makes love to' or 'copulates with' don't seem like what that character she'd say here.  It's not f'ing this and f'ing that.  I think contextually the author was highlighting the crude nature of Circe's sister, especially in comparison to Circe, who she was trying to embarrass in this scene (the next line is 'they howled, pointing at my reddened cheeks', so was going straight for the crude.  

But that kind of thing must have been few and far between, because I didn't remember any profanity in that book at all...

[Robin M]

How is everyone doing?   Here's an interesting article I came across today since I wanted to know the origin of the Corona Virus.  I've talked to my dad twice (turning 89 in a couple weeks) who is still crossing the river to Laughlin, NV to the casinos, attending shows and not too overly concerned about getting the virus. The only concession is he is now wearing a glove to play the slots.  *facepalm*.   

 Book wise, I'm reading Shadow of Night, #2 in Deborah Harkness All Souls Trilogy with a bunch of fictional characters mixed in with historical characters who interact with vampires, witches, and humans. Quite good.  

"Picking up from A Discovery of Witches’ cliffhanger ending, Shadow of Night takes Diana and Matthew on a trip through time to Elizabethan London, where they are plunged into a world of spies, magic, and a coterie of Matthew’s old friends, the School of Night. As the search for Ashmole 782 deepens and Diana seeks out a witch to tutor her in magic, the net of Matthew’s past tightens around them, and they embark."   

Another interesting article, thanks to SWB, Five signs of a mentally strong person.  

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2020 Must read and Best Crime Books

Best historical fiction of 2020 so far

[mumto2]

@Robin M   We are all fine here.  Like the rest of the world we are in shock and rethinking our supplies a bit.  We now have enough dental floss to last til August.  😉 My kids  are on spring break right now and it really hasn’t gone according to plan. They seem to be rather entertained by the parents planning.....All classes after spring break will be online, sporting events etc cancelled .  

I finished reading A Finer End by Deborah Crombie.  It was not my favorite in the series by any means but after it finally started centering on Gemma and Duncan it improved greatly.  The story centered around Glastonbury Abbey so Somerset for anyone Brit Tripping.  I do like the characters and plan to read the next book sometime soon.

[Kareni]

I finished a book which I quite enjoyed. As a bonus, this book happens to be currently free for Kindle readers. I would definitely like to read on in the series. This book would be fine for teen readers as well.

Mindtouch (The Dreamhealers Book 1) by M.C.A. Hogarth

 "Seersana University is worlds-renowned for its xenopsychology program, producing the Alliance's finest therapists, psychiatric nurses and alien researchers. When Jahir, one of the rare and reclusive Eldritch espers, arrives on campus, he's unprepared for the challenges of a vast and multicultural society... but fortunately, second-year student Vasiht'h is willing to take him under his wing. Will the two win past their troubles and doubts and see the potential for a once-in-a-lifetime partnership?"

 Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Today only, free for Kindle readers ~

The Pursuit of the House-Boat by John Kendrick Bangs

Also currently free:

The Fifth Place (3 book series) by Set Sytes

Letters from a Shipwreck in the Sea of Suns and Moons by Raymond St. Elmo.

Regards,

Kareni

[tuesdayschild]

Posting, to say hello to you all, and so that I can come back and find this thread easily and see what your doing, and how each one of you are.  

I just finished listening to a title @mumto2 recommended during our Brit Tripping  (thank you! I did enjoy it):   

Death at Bishop's Keep (Kathryn Ardleigh, #1) Robin Paige, Helen Johns (Narrator) (4+)

Unplanned, this is the second suffragette themed book I've read this month, the other was The Burning Issue of the Day, I prefer Death at Bishop's Keep so much more for these reasons: the characters are better drawn and well developed - I care about them, especially those young female servants;  the mystery is engaging and interesting;  there is a romance happening quietly (!) In the back ground.   My full review is on Goodreads, which also notes sensitive topics and any cursing content.  I didn't quote all of it here as it has spoilers. )

 

[mumto2]

1 minute ago, tuesdayschild said:

Posting, to say hello to you all, and so that I can come back and find this thread easily and see what your doing, and how each one of you are.  

I just finished listening to a title @mumto2 recommended during our Brit Tripping  (thank you! I did enjoy it):   

Death at Bishop's Keep (Kathryn Ardleigh, #1) Robin Paige, Helen Johns (Narrator) (4+)

Unplanned, this is the second suffragette themed book I've read this month, the other was The Burning Issue of the Day, I prefer Death at Bishop's Keep so much more for these reasons: the characters are better drawn and well developed - I care about them, especially those young female servants;  the mystery is engaging and interesting;  there is a romance happening quietly (!) In the back ground.   My full review is on Goodreads, which also notes sensitive topics and any cursing content.  I didn't quote all of it here as it has spoilers. )

 

I love that series!  I have been thinking of you as I read  Marsh’s Overture to Death.  The death finally happened so it should start getting more interesting!
 

Our library closed rather suddenly this afternoon.  I had been planning run in and drop off a bag of returns, many that would no longer renew without being seen.  The good news, I guess is when I checked my account everything is renewed until April 16th .   .      

[Carol in Cal.]

This week I finished two books--

"Little Gods" by Meng Jin.  Set in communist China and in the US, this is a very complicated book, the first one that I have seen that incorporates and is actually somewhat built around the Tianammen Square massecre.  (Apparently I can't spell. Not worrying about it currently.)  I have thought about this a fair bit.  The writing is uneven, the characters having internal contradictions that didn't entirely work for me.  I felt like although it was pretty engaging, the suspension of disbelief did not hold well enough.  

Gai jin by Clavell, of course.  What a tome, and although I have read it before, it has been quite a long time and I really could hardly put it down despite its 1100 or so pages.  On to the next one (The Noble House).  I'm glad I read this again.  It's only flaw, and it's mostly a quibble, is that it's kind of more transitional between Shogun and The Noble House than a stand alone work.  However, thankfully Shogun is seared into my brain by being read during the formative college days and enjoyed with a man that I was madly in love with at the time, a rarity as for reasons I entirely fail to understand I don't seem to ever end up with men who like to read, despite my obsessive readerness.  So I remembered the highlights of it well enough to be able to navigate this book with pleasure.  And I'm undoubtedly want to read it again sometime.

And last week I finished "Lost Children Archive" by Valerie Luiselli.  This is the first book I have read by this particular author, and based on it I will be seeking out some more.  It is about ... what is it about? It's about the third culture experience, the displaced person experience, refugee experience, and associating one's own culture with such things though not experiencing them personally.  It has a hint of magical realism in it, and it's structured in way that is unique--moving between documentation and narrative, using the device of inventories of moving boxes to add content and expand on ideas that are only hinted at in the narrative.  Well done!

Edited March 15, 2020 by Carol in Cal.

[tuesdayschild]

5 hours ago, mumto2 said:

I love that series!  I have been thinking of you as I read  Marsh’s Overture to Death.  The death finally happened so it should start getting more interesting!
 

Our library closed rather suddenly this afternoon.  I had been planning run in and drop off a bag of returns, many that would no longer renew without being seen.  The good news, I guess is when I checked my account everything is renewed until April 16th .   .      

I'm about to start listening to the second book in the  Paige's Kathryn Ardleigh series. 

 Interested to read what you think of that book, it's definitely a different styled story with those two 'old spinisters' ...

😞  That will be hard for your aged community? (But necessary).   I know it will be tough for you, or will you switch to ebook reading?

[wintermom]

I'm nearly finished Kipling's, Kim. (second time through). I still feel like I only understand 1 out of 3 words, and make lots of guesses. I need more footnotes. 😉 Anyone know how to access the 1950 movie on-line? I'd love to see some of the scenery and clothing. 

[mumto2]

7 hours ago, tuesdayschild said:

I'm about to start listening to the second book in the  Paige's Kathryn Ardleigh series. 

 Interested to read what you think of that book, it's definitely a different styled story with those two 'old spinisters' ...

😞  That will be hard for your aged community? (But necessary).   I know it will be tough for you, or will you switch to ebook reading?

I am probably 70% reading on ebook now because of my hands.  Ebooks save them for sewing. 😉 I sort of ration my paper book reading to what I can’t get online........the automatic library date extension means a few books that I put in the returns can be read if I want to try them again.   There are couple books Dd did not get around to that I enjoyed so being left with a bag full is a positive thing.  My Dd much prefers real books so is a bit sad........she may find herself with more free time although her Uni has switched to online...she was already in the online composite because of conflicts.

[Carol in Cal.]

1 hour ago, wintermom said:

I'm nearly finished Kipling's, Kim. (second time through). I still feel like I only understand 1 out of 3 words, and make lots of guesses. I need more footnotes. 😉 Anyone know how to access the 1950 movie on-line? I'd love to see some of the scenery and clothing. 

Oh that book!

My uncle gave it to me when I was a teenager or middle schooler.  I ploughed through it, hardly understanding any of it, but the references served me very well later on when I studied world history as a homeschooler.  The Great Game, training in remembering multiple objects observed only briefly, the Hindu begging customs, the sacred cows--all 'pegs' for later understanding.  I am so glad you mentioned this.  I should probably read it again now.  I'd probably really enjoy it.

[Matryoshka]

7 minutes ago, Carol in Cal. said:

Oh that book!

My uncle gave it to me when I was a teenager or middle schooler.  I ploughed through it, hardly understanding any of it, but the references served me very well later on when I studied world history as a homeschooler.  The Great Game, training in remembering multiple objects observed only briefly, the Hindu begging customs, the sacred cows--all 'pegs' for later understanding.  I am so glad you mentioned this.  I should probably read it again now.  I'd probably really enjoy it.

What makes it so hard to understand?  Is it a problem of vocabulary, or unfamiliarity with the culture, or some combination thereof?

[wintermom]

34 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

What makes it so hard to understand?  Is it a problem of vocabulary, or unfamiliarity with the culture, or some combination thereof?

Lots of references/use of vocabulary (from different languages), place names, and customs from a multitude of different cultures. It would probably be a great book to study in parallel with history, religious and cultural studies of the vast regions it covers. 

It's a fascinating book, though. 

Edited March 15, 2020 by wintermom

[Carol in Cal.]

49 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

What makes it so hard to understand?  Is it a problem of vocabulary, or unfamiliarity with the culture, or some combination thereof?

It is about the British rule in India and surrounding areas.  That was something I was completely unfamiliar with when I first read it.  It makes tons of allusions to assumed familiar things about that and also about India and Hinduism that were just not part of my experience at that time.  That's why I think it would be interesting to read it now--because I know so much more about the area and history now, and the cultures as well.  (It's got to be around somewhere.  But where?)