Book a Week 2020 - BW20: 52 Books Bingo - Renaissance

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday, dear hearts. Are you ready to do some more armchair traveling?   Our next 52 Books Bingo category is taking us back in time to the Renaissance during the 14th to 17th centuries and began in Italy with a humanism revolution which brought  changes to art, literature, music, philosophy, religion and more. 

Famous writers during that period includes William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes, Niccolo Machiavelli, Francesco Petrarch, Dante Alighieri, and Geoffrey Chaucer to name a few.  Now would be a perfect time to continue my Dante's Divine Comedy read as I still haven't read Purgatorio yet and it's been glaring at me from my shelves. *grin*

 Let's not forget the ladies with Shakespeare’s Sisters: A Celebration of Renaissance Women Writers

Renaissance writers who shaped the modern world

Biographies and history books on the Renaissance

Reading the Renaissance: the guilty pleasures of historical fiction

Sarah Dunant's top 10 books on the Renaissance

Popular 14th Century Novels, 15th Century, and 16th Century and popular Renaissance books.

While we are time traveling, let’s not forget the 1920's and the Renaissance Women: 12 Female Writers of the Harlem Renaissance.

I currently have several Renaissance books in my shelves including Dante's Purgatorio, Machiavelli's The Prince as well as historical fiction authors Sarah Dunant's Sacred Hearts and Stephanie Storey's Oil and Marble in my book shelves which I'm looking forward to reading soon.

Have fun armchair traveling through the Renaissance. 

  

Link to Week 19

 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 with other readers  around the globe.

[Robin M]

It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring.  Literally!  Hee Hee!   I'm between books at the moment as I have a book hangover after finishing The Priory of the Orange Tree. Delightful book.   Stopping sipping on Berry's Venetian Betrayal  and have yet to start sipping on When Christ and Her Saint's Slept.  I do believe I need a short cozy to reset my reading palate before I dive into Penman's book.  

We watched The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe last night. James first time and he was full of questions, while enjoying the movie.  I saw Andrew Lloyd Weber's special youtube stream of CATS and enjoyed it immensely.  Even John who hates musicals ended up sitting down part way through and watching the rest with me.  James for all of about 5 minutes. LOL!  I've always wanted to see the play so am very happy.  I want to see the new movie now that I know what the story is about and see what people hated about it. James does too surprisingly.

[Ottakee]

I just finished One Light Still Shines:  My Life Beyond the Shadow of the Amish Schoolhouse Shooting by Marie Monville.

A friend was reading it earlier this week and suggested that I read it.  She thought that I might really relate to Marie and her fears, thoughts, experiences as she dealt with the aftermath of her husband shooting and killing several Amish school girls, wounding several others, and then killing himself.  While my  (now ex) husband did not murder anyone or kill himself, he was arrested on federal sex offense charges and it hit the media and my life was turned upside down.

I like how she offered hope throughout.  I am not as spiritual as her and I seemed to have struggled a lot more (and maybe she did but wanted to focus on the hope).  Still, I read the book, nodding my head, and shedding tears on almost every page as I knew how she felt, what she was going through, etc.  I remember trying to sneak into my media surrounded house just as she did.  It is surreal.

It is a very good story and lots of hope.  The forgiveness and support of the Amish community is overwhelming.

[Kareni]

That sounds like an intense book, @Ottakee. How wonderful to have a friend who knows what books will prove meaningful to you.

Regards,

Kareni

[Ottakee]

Just now, Kareni said:

That sounds like an intense book, @Ottakee. How wonderful to have a friend who knows what books will prove meaningful to you.

Regards,

Kareni

It is actually light and quick reading.   It just hit me so much more deeply.

[Kareni]

Today only, free for Kindle readers ~

The Terrible Old Man by H.P. Lovecraft

 "The first story set in the fishing village of Kingsport, which is featured in the later works of the one of the greatest horror writers of all time.
 
It is rumored that the mysterious old man who lives alone in the small New England town was once a sea captain. It is also rumored that he is hoarding a treasure. When three robbers decide to steal it, they will encounter a bloodthirsty evil unlike any they ever imagined . . .
 
“The Terrible Old Man is the story of three career criminals looking to rob the eponymous character, an eccentric retired mariner so ancient that no one alive remembers his youth. . . . This is also the first story set in the fictional New England geography that Lovecraft will detail over the course of future writing. . . . So, what we see in these stories is Lovecraft beginning to construct the alternate world which will be the home to his most famous works, at least as much a unifying element of the author’s oeuvre as those details subsequent writers and critics have defined as the ‘Cthulhu Mythos.’ As such, The Terrible Old Man is not only an effective piece of eerie storytelling, it is also an important stepping stone in the development of a bigger Lovecraftian world.” —The Blood-Shed
 
“A piece of minimalist brushwork, with most of the narrative suggested by negative space . . . In sharp contrast to the central Mythos tales, the horror is allusive and oblique, the violence kept off-stage.” —Tor.com"

Regards,

Kareni

[Violet Crown]

Chaucer = Renaissance?  More, Bacon, Sidney, Jonson, Beaumont & Fletcher, Spenser, or Milton spring to mind, rather, as representative of the English Renaissance. Chaucer epitomizes medieval England. 

This week I finished Colette's My Mother's House (for the Mother's Day challenge). It's Colette's childhood memoirs in a series of long anecdotes, and even in translation they're polished jewels of fin-de-siècle French rural memories. This is a book that ought to be more read; I think it must be Colette's reputation for raciness that's kept it hidden. These are earthy sometimes, but not risqué. Strongly recommended, friends.

Currently reading Kafka's Amerika, randomly chosen by Middle Girl. If you've felt you should read Kafka but he just seems too dark, this is his "comic masterpiece." It's the misadventures of a German Czech in New York. Now Kafka had never been to America, or much of anywhere else, so everything is a little "off" from the start (in the first paragraph, the protagonist Karl Rossmann sees the Statue of Liberty, holding her sword aloft). And from there it's an exercise in the picaresque absurd, with the well-meaning Karl blundering through a sort of dream-fugue American landscape of giant houses with endless inescapable corridors, confusing and inextricable conversations where social blunders mount and multiply, and futile circular introspections. The atmosphere of the book is paranoid, claustrophobic, and neurotic. But funny!

Off to sift through Renaissance poets and playwrights....

[Junie]

This week's reading:

Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile -- Another old book! -- I was able to predict this one, but it was still enjoyable.  I might have had enough murder mysteries for a while, though.

The Mark of Zorro by Johnson McCulley -- This was a quick, fun book.  I'm not usually a fan of audiobooks, but this would be a great candidate if you could find the right reader.  

 

 

  

[Violet Crown]

Movies: Our family movie this week was another Jacques Tati film, Jour de Fête. Tati (a sort of French Chaplin or Keaton) is a postman in a sleepy rural village when a carnival comes to town. One tent features a film on the American postal service and its amazing techniques for rapid mail delivery, and Tati takes it as a challenge. Very funny. French with subtitles.

Dh and I watched a strange gangster film, Mikey and Nicky, from 1976, with Peter Falk, John Cassavetes, and Ned Beatty. Some violence (by 1970s standards) and language. Entirely character-driven; the plot is minimal and you know exactly what's going to happen--so do the characters, which drives the movie forward until by the end, the tension is almost unbearable, even though not much has actually happened. Recommended, for those who like this kind of thing.

[Violet Crown]

Great vintage cover, @Junie! Is that a photo of your personal copy?

[Mothersweets]

1 hour ago, Robin M said:

It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring.  

He went to bed and bumped his head and he couldn't get up in the morning. 😊 I love the old childhood rhymes!

Daughter of the Saints: Growing Up in Polygamy by Dorothy Allred Solomon. Well-written and heartfelt, this is one of the best books on the subject that I've read.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I know I'm super late to this party but am loving this story. I'm almost done with it so wanted to include it in this week's post. 

 

[mumto2]

Robin just sent me off on Renaissance rabbit trails while I was trying to figure out what I wanted to read for the category on bingo and then it dawned on me that I technically have the square covered with my reading of Kathy Lynn Emerson’s Face Down books earlier this year.       https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/612301.Face_Down_in_the_Marrow_Bone_Pie?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=zGhigawve9&rank=1. I do have “Henry and his Kin” as a 10 category and have only read the Face Down books so far this year so put my next book in the Ursula Blanchard series on hold.  This series is very similar to the Face Downs. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/388674.To_Shield_the_Queen?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=OdVMPWeqvT&rank=1   

I am still working on Ben Aaronovitch’s False Value but I can’t concentrate on it when Dh has the tv on in the same room so have started something lighter by Sharon Sala also.  Last night he watched The Godfather while I tried to read.  Finally gave up and got out my hand quilting.   https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46273747-false-value.  
 

I have to laugh and admit due to my obvious lack of attention span right now I seem to be switching between Kim Harrison and her demon filled Hollows and Julia Spencer Fleming and her lady vicar for my audiobooks choices.  

 

Edited May 17, 2020 by mumto2

[Negin]

9 minutes ago, Mothersweets said:

He went to bed and bumped his head and he couldn't get up in the morning. 😊 I love the old childhood rhymes!

 

Me too! Once I hear a little bit of one, off I go. Love them all. 

[Negin]

I read My Life - 4 Stars - Back in my college days, I remember reading a quote by Golda Meir. During the late 1950’s there was a wave of violent rapes in Israel. Cabinet members suggested a curfew for women. Golda Meir’s response? “Men are attacking women, not the other way around. If there is going to be a curfew, let the men stay home.” I loved Golda from that moment on and have been wanting to read about her for years.

I was excited to start this book, but I kept holding back. There isn’t a Kindle version and my paperback copy has the tiniest font, which made reading it quite challenging. Nonetheless, I persisted, and my eyes got used to it after a while. I have to say that I believe that Meir is one of the few people truly worthy of writing an autobiography.

Golda writes in a very open and genuine style. Reading this book almost feels like listening to an audio version, like having a conversation with an aunt or grandmother. The first half of the book read very well, but it did start to slow down a bit. Since it covers about 75 years or so, it’s obviously a lengthy book.

It starts from her early poverty-stricken days in Kiev and her childhood in Milwaukie. In the 1920s, Jews, including Golda Meir, started to arrive in what was then called Palestine in large numbers. Golda and her husband lived and worked on a kibbutz. The Jews started to develop the desert and built towns. No, they did not drive people out. They bought the land legally, and settled in with permission from the British Mandate, who were then the governing body. Here is what she says:

“Come to think of it, I am more than a little tired of hearing about how the Jews ‘stole’ land from Arabs in Palestine. The facts are quite different. A lot of good money changed hands, and a lot of Arabs became very rich indeed.”

Golda was one of the founding members of the state of Israel. She was one of the leaders who helped to raise money to build Israel from its formative, kibbutz days to what it is now. When Golda was elected Prime Minister in 1969, she became the world's second elected female leader in modern times. The book ends in 1974, following the Yom Kippur War, and Golda’s resignation as Prime Minister. It was moving to read how she regretted not having spent enough time with her family, which goes to prove how it's impossible for any person to have it all. Again, she is open and honest throughout.

I was aware of many of the obstacles that were encountered when Israel was about to be formed, but not to such an extent. Pretty much most countries and leaders were against them. Much of the world has had, and still has, an irrational hatred for Jews. The Brits were sadly the worst when it came to their lack of humanity towards the Jews trying to immigrate after the Holocaust. They barred millions from entering Israel. The Germans were obviously against them, as well as the Russians, Poles, and so on. She mentions the Chinese who always shunned them despite all their efforts.

‘The one Asian nation with which we have, alas, made no headway whatsoever is China. … The Chinese government, in fact, is totally committed to the Arab war against Israel, and Mr. Arafat and his comrades are constantly given arms, money, and moral support by Peking, though I, for one, have never understood why, and for years, lived under the illusion that if we could only talk to the Chinese, we might get through to them.

Two pictures come to my mind when I mention China. The first is the horror with which I picked up a mine manufactured in China – so far away and remote from us – which had put an end to the life of a six-year-old girl in a border settlement in Israel. I stood there near that small coffin, surrounded by weeping, enraged relatives. ‘What on earth can the Chinese have against us?’ I kept thinking. ‘They don’t even know us.’ Then I remember, at the celebration of Kenya’s independence, sitting at a table near that of the Chinese delegation. It was a very relaxed, festive occasion, and I thought to myself, ‘Perhaps if I go over and sit down with them, we can talk a bit.’ So I asked Ehud to introduce himself to the Chinese. He walked over, held out his hand to the head of the delegation and said, ‘My foreign minister is here and would like to meet you.’ The Chinese just averted their gaze. They didn’t even bother to say, ‘No, thank you, we don’t want to meet her.’”

The goal of the Arab nations has always been to eliminate Israel and the Jewish people. Most countries have always bent over backwards towards them because of oil and money, as is mentioned in the book, those leaders whose throats are choked with oil. She talks about the Catholic church not being exactly friendly towards Israel, which was no surprise, given their neutral stance during the Holocaust. She had kind words to say about Nixon. She liked Kennedy a lot. All in all, most countries have shown a hatred that is venomous towards tiny, democratic Israel – the only liberal democracy in the Middle East.

I got teary-eyed at her description of Rosh Hashanah in Moscow. It was 1948 and she was then the Israeli Ambassador to the Soviet Union and is seen surrounded here by more than 50,000 Jews.

If you are interested in learning about the establishment of Israel with a personal feel, this may be of interest to you. What an amazing woman. She dedicated more than 50 years of her life to public service – to creating a home for her people.

Here’s a quote from one of my favorites, the late Charles Krauthammer:

“Israel is not just any small country. It is the only small country, period – whose neighbors publicly declare its very existence and affront to law, morality and religion, and make its extinction an explicit, paramount national goal. Iran, Libya, and Iraq, conduct foreign policies designed for the killing of Israelis and the destruction of their state. They choose their allies (Hamas, Hezbollah) and develop their weapons (suicide bombs, poison gas, anthrax, nuclear missiles) accordingly. Countries as far away as Malaysia will not allow a representative of Israel on their soil or even permit the showing of ‘Schindler’s List’ lest it engender sympathy for Zion.”

– Charles Krauthammer, "Things That Matter: Three Decades of Passions, Pastimes, and Politics"

As for this book, I have so many favorite quotes.

“Let me at this juncture deal also with the ridiculous accusation that I have heard for so many years to the effect that we ignored the Arabs of Palestine and set about developing the country as though it had no Arab population at all. When the instigators of the Arab disturbances of the late 1930s claimed, as they did, that the Arabs were attacking us because they had been ‘dispossessed’, I did not have to look up British census figures to know that the Arab population of Palestine had doubled since the start of the Jewish settlement there. I had seen for myself the rate of growth of the Arab population ever since I had first come to Palestine. Not only did the living standard of the Arabs of Palestine far exceed that of Arabs anywhere else in the Middle East, but, attracted by the new opportunities, hordes of Arabs were immigrating to Palestine from Syria and other neighboring countries all through those years. Whenever some kindly representative of the British government sought to shut off Jewish immigration by declaring that there was not enough room in Palestine, I remember making speeches about Palestine’s larger absorptive capacity, complete with statistical references which I dutifully took from British sources, but which were based on what I had actually witnessed with my own eyes.

And let me add, there was no time during the thirties that I did not hope that eventually the Arabs of Palestine would live with us in peace and equally as citizens of a Jewish homeland – just as I kept on hoping that Jews who live in Arab countries would be allowed to live there in peace and equality.”

“The Arabs flatly turned down the partition plan – had they accepted it, they could have had a ‘Palestinian’ state forty years ago. The guiding principle behind the attitude of the Arabs in 1936 and 1837, however, was exactly what it has been ever since: decisions are made not on the basis of what is good for them but on the basis of what is bad for us.”

“Between the Mediterranean and the borders of Iraq, in what was once Palestine, there are now two countries, one Jewish and one Arab, and there is no room for a third. The Palestinians must find the solution to their problem together with that Arab country, Jordan, because a ‘Palestinian state’ between us and Jordan can only become a base from which it will be more convenient to attack and destroy Israel.”

“The British went on fighting like lions against the Germans, the Italians, and the Japanese, but they couldn’t or wouldn’t stand up to the Arabs at all – though much of the Arab world was openly pro-Nazi.”

“It has never ceased to astonish me that the Arab states have been so eager to go to war against us. Almost from the very beginning of Zionist settlement until today, they have been consumed by hatred for us.”

The Right Side of History: How Reason and Moral Purpose Made the West Great - 4 Stars - This was the first book that I have read by Ben Shapiro. I enjoy listening to him when I have the time. He’s intelligent, spot on, and speaks with reason. This did not disappoint. Much of it is historical. Despite it not being a lengthy book, it gives a thorough look from the Greeks until modern time. He explains that the twin philosophies of Athens (reason) and Jerusalem (monotheism) gave rise to Western civilization. Ideally, everyone should know this in order to appreciate how good we have it. So many people today, young people especially, are unaware of how blessed they are to live in such a great country. I don’t live in the U.S., but it will always remain one of my favorite countries on earth. As Pamela Geller said, “America is not the only good thing in the world, but it is the best thing in the world.” 

It also reminded me of another book that I read, a book by Michael Medved, America is not perfect, but after reading this, I realized that it’s a country that’s incredibly blessed with an exceptional history.

The other is his reminder that although God has intervened in American history, Americans should act nobly and have an attitude of gratitude and humility. In other words, they should not forget how blessed they are, what a truly exceptional and unique country they have, and finally, they should remember to honor Him. I wish that books like these would be required reading in high schools and colleges. It would be such an inspiring and refreshing change when compared to all the negativity these days.

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

“Facts have been buried to make way for feelings; a society of essential oils and self-esteem has replaced a society of logic.”

“Politics isn’t the root of happiness for me. Politics is about working to build the framework for the pursuit of happiness, not the achievement of it; politics helps us establish the preconditions necessary for happiness, but can’t provide happiness in and of itself. The Founding Fathers knew that. That’s why Thomas Jefferson didn’t write that the government was granted power to grant you happiness: it was there to protect your pursuit of happiness. The government existed to protect your rights, to prevent those rights from being infringed upon. The government was there to stop someone from stealing your horse, from butchering you in your sleep, from letting his cow graze on your land. At no point did Jefferson suggest that government could achieve happiness. None of the Founders thought it could. Yet more and more Americans are investing their happiness in politics. Instead of looking inward to find ways to better their lives, we’ve decided that the chief obstacle to our happiness is outside forces, even in the freest, richest country in the history of the world. This desire to silence—or subdue—those who disagree with us has been reaching new, terrifying heights.”

“Lasting happiness can only be achieved through cultivation of soul and mind. And cultivating our souls and minds requires us to live with moral purpose.”

“We don’t live in a perfect world, but we do live in the best world that has ever existed.”

“The best countries—and the best societies—are those where citizens are virtuous enough to sacrifice for the common good but unwilling to be forced to sacrifice for the ‘greater’ good. Flourishing societies require a functional social fabric, created by citizens working together—and yes, separately—toward a meaningful life.”

“The USSR rejected Judeo-Christian values and Greek natural law, substituting the values of the collective and a new utopian vision of ‘social justice’—and they starved and slaughtered tens of millions of human beings.”

“Happiness isn’t rolling around in the mud at Woodstock, nor is it a nice golf game after a rough week at work. Happiness is the pursuit of purpose in our lives. If we have lived with moral purpose, even death becomes less painful.”

“We’re continually drawn to false gods. We proselytize endlessly for everything from intersectionality to consumerism, from Instagram to organic food, from political protest to essential oils. How many of us truly feel that lifelong purpose is to be found in those transitory distractions?”

“We must believe that even in the direst circumstances, we have the capacity to better ourselves. As Frankl wrote about living through the Holocaust, ‘Every day, every hour, offered the opportunity to make a decision, a decision which determined whether you would or would not submit to those powers which threatened to rob you of your very self, your inner freedom; which determined whether or not you would become the plaything of circumstance, renouncing freedom and dignity to become molded into the form of the typical inmate.’”

“Western civilization has freed more people than any other, by a long shot; it has reduced poverty, conquered disease, and minimized war. Western civilization is responsible for the economic betterment of the global population, and for the rise in human rights and democracy.”

“Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt of New York University points out that the most effective type of therapy for distorted thinking is cognitive behavioral therapy, in which people are taught to break chains of thought by using reason and evaluation — precisely the opposite of what our modern universities have been doing. ‘The recent collegiate trend of uncovering allegedly racist, sexist, classist, or otherwise discriminatory microaggressions doesn’t incidentally teach students to focus on small or accidental slights,’ he writes. ‘Its purpose is to get students to focus on them and then relabel the people who have made such remarks as aggressors.’ This, Haidt concludes, makes society more censorious, and makes students more psychologically unstable: ‘The new protectiveness may be teaching students to think pathologically.’ Even worse, people who perceive themselves as victims are also more likely to become aggressors; as social psychologist Roy Baumeister explains, ‘Many violent people believe that their actions were justified by the offensive acts of the person who became their victim.’ Which is precisely what we’ve seen from campus rioters and social media malcontents and the movement to use government force to shut down particular types of disapproved speech. But, we are told, at least this new awareness of our intersectional problems will bring about a more aware world, and thus perhaps a better one. Not so. Focusing on right-able wrongs is worthwhile; blaming all disparities on discrimination leads to more political polarization and individual failure.”

“As Ronald Reagan put it, ‘Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.’”

     

[Liz CA]

Reading: Still finishing up "Hanover Square Affair" by Ashley Gardner. I will be looking for more books by this author.

Next is "Dare to Lead" by Brene Brown. I may have another book by her on my waitlist. 

Audiobook :  "Double Blind" by Brandilyn Collins - creepy in an interesting way. 

[Liz CA]

@Negin, have you seen the movie "A Woman called Golda" - I think Ingrid Bergman played the title role. Your summary of the book makes me want to see the movie again and read the book!

Edited May 18, 2020 by Liz CA

[Junie]

53 minutes ago, Violet Crown said:

Great vintage cover, @Junie! Is that a photo of your personal copy?

Not mine; I had to search around quite a while to find the right one.

I'll try to post a picture of mine later.  :)

[mumto2]

The renaissance theme has made me spend quite a bit of time trying to remember the title of a book that I remember checking out from Overdrive during Brit Tripping.  I had to return it because I needed to move on thru the counties!   I finally pulled up the massive Brit Tripping bookshelf and discovered that it the is by Rory Clement’s https://www.goodreads.com/series/166777-john-shakespeare-chronological-order.  During my search I ran into a blog post with a wide variety of books set in Yorkshire that has some titles I plan to search for         https://helenafairfax.com/2018/05/26/old-and-new-13-brilliant-books-set-in-yorkshire-in-the-north-of-england/. 
 

I just read several of her blog posts and want to make sure @aggieamy takes a look at the blog.  Several interesting posts for our aspiring Authors including her trip th the London book fair which you might find interesting.

Edited May 17, 2020 by mumto2

[Raymond876]

3 hours ago, Liz CA said:

 

Next is "Dare to Lead" by Brene Brown. I may have another book by her on my waitlist. 

 

It's great reading!

[Kareni]

Also free for Kindle readers ~

For young adults ~ The Agency: A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee

 "Rescued from the gallows in 1850s London, young orphan (and thief) Mary Quinn is surprised to be offered a singular education, instruction in fine manners -- and an unusual vocation. Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls is a cover for an all-female investigative unit called The Agency, and at seventeen, Mary is about to put her training to the test. Assuming the guise of a lady’s companion, she must infiltrate a rich merchant’s home in hopes of tracing his missing cargo ships. But the household is full of dangerous deceptions, and there is no one to trust -- or is there? Packed with action and suspense, banter and romance, and evoking the gritty backstreets of Victorian London, this breezy mystery debuts a daring young detective who lives by her wits while uncovering secrets -- including those of her own past."

**

Also The Man of the Forest by Zane Grey

And The Dress of the Season by Kate Noble

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts ~

From author Joanna Bourne on the Word Wenches: Cut Like a Dog (read the comments, too)

https://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2020/05/cut-like-a-dog.htmlcomments

Charles Portis’s Celebration of the Absurd

https://www.theringer.com/2020/4/28/21239287/ringer-reads-charles-portis-norwood-true-grit

Must-Read Speculative Short Fiction: April 2020

https://www.tor.com/2020/05/15/must-read-speculative-short-fiction-april-2020/

From reddit: Your top ten romance/romance-adjacent titles

https://www.reddit.com/r/romancebooks/comments/gk19rf/your_top_ten_romanceromanceadjacent_titles/

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

This free book looks like it might interest some here ~

And Both Were Young - Madeleine I'Engle 

"In the late 1940s, Connecticut teenager Philippa "Flip" Hunter is sent to boarding school in Switzerland after recovering from a knee injury sustained in an automobile accident that also killed her mother. Her father Philip Hunter, an illustrator of children's books, is planning to travel around Europe making sketches for a book on lost children, and he is also being romantically pursued by the beautiful Eunice Jackman, whom Flip dislikes. At the boarding school, Flip resorts to going for illicit walks off the school grounds and discovers that Paul lives nearby with his father, and the two make friends and begin to meet regularly. She learns that Paul is a war orphan who was rescued by Madame Perceval's brother-in-law and that he has lost his memory of his past due to trauma he suffered in a concentration camp. Will Flip and Paul learn to overcome their respective pasts? Will the two lost souls end up falling in love? Read on! "

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

1 hour ago, Kareni said:

From reddit: Your top ten romance/romance-adjacent titles

https://www.reddit.com/r/romancebooks/comments/gk19rf/your_top_ten_romanceromanceadjacent_titles/

Just wanted to say Thank You for some great freebies today and the top ten romance lists were particularly fun.  I found some new books to try, no great surprise!  I did find the variety on the lists somewhat amazing as they really spanned the genre .........

[Kareni]

You are quite welcome, mumto2. I thought you might like that particular reddit list. (And, yes, I also added a few titles to my list!)

Regards,

Kareni

[Junie]

Here are my personal copies of two Agatha Christie books I've read recently.  I bought them used, so they are not family heirlooms.

The Body in the Library is from 1946 and Death on the Nile is from 1937.

 

[Mothersweets]

2 hours ago, Kareni said:

This free book looks like it might interest some here ~

And Both Were Young - Madeleine I'Engle 

"In the late 1940s, Connecticut teenager Philippa "Flip" Hunter is sent to boarding school in Switzerland after recovering from a knee injury sustained in an automobile accident that also killed her mother. Her father Philip Hunter, an illustrator of children's books, is planning to travel around Europe making sketches for a book on lost children, and he is also being romantically pursued by the beautiful Eunice Jackman, whom Flip dislikes. At the boarding school, Flip resorts to going for illicit walks off the school grounds and discovers that Paul lives nearby with his father, and the two make friends and begin to meet regularly. She learns that Paul is a war orphan who was rescued by Madame Perceval's brother-in-law and that he has lost his memory of his past due to trauma he suffered in a concentration camp. Will Flip and Paul learn to overcome their respective pasts? Will the two lost souls end up falling in love? Read on! "

Regards,

Kareni

I read this last year (I think) - sweet, gentle coming of age read. I really liked it. 

[Negin]

10 hours ago, Liz CA said:

@Negin, have you seen the movie "A Woman called Golda" - I think Ingrid Bergman played the title role. Your summary of the book makes me want to see the movie again and read the book!

Liz, I haven't seen it and had never heard of it. Thank you for mentioning it! I'm going to see if I can find it. 

[Penguin]

Hello, BaW friends. I have not checked in for a long time. Sorry. I hope everyone is doing well.

But I also have not had a whole lot of reading to report, thanks to the pandemic. I'll go back through my Goodreads account and see what is worth mentioning. 

@Robin M I also watched CATS over the weekend. Even though I am a bit of a Broadway nerd, I had never seen CATS and I enjoyed it immensely. It seemed very 80s to me.

[Kareni]

I have fond memories of CATS; my daughter was a big fan of the soundtrack, and it was the first professional production we ever took her to see. She was seven or so and the performance was in San Francisco. It was a good day!

**

Yesterday I finished  An American Marriage  by Tayari Jones which my book group will be discussing this Thursday on Zoom. I found it to be a depressing read. (It seems that my book group reads predominantly depressing books! How about yours?)

 "Newlyweds Celestial and Roy are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. He is a young executive, and she is an artist on the brink of an exciting career. But as they settle into the routine of their life together, they are ripped apart by circumstances neither could have imagined. Roy is arrested and sentenced to twelve years for a crime Celestial knows he didn’t commit. Though fiercely independent, Celestial finds herself bereft and unmoored, taking comfort in Andre, her childhood friend, and best man at their wedding. As Roy’s time in prison passes, she is unable to hold on to the love that has been her center. After five years, Roy’s conviction is suddenly overturned, and he returns to Atlanta ready to resume their life together.
 
This stirring love story is a profoundly insightful look into the hearts and minds of three people who are at once bound and separated by forces beyond their control. An American Marriage is a masterpiece of storytelling, an intimate look deep into the souls of people who must reckon with the past while moving forward—with hope and pain—into the future. "

**

I also recently read and enjoyed Top Secret by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy. I expect this is a book I'll reread as I liked both of the leads. This is a male/male romance. (Adult content)

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Some free books for Kindle readers ~

The Renegade Wife (Children of Empire Book 1) by Caroline Warfield 

The Forgiving Hour: A Novel by Robin Lee Hatcher 

Where Sleeping Dragons Lie (Dragon Shifters of Elysia Book 1)

Baking Me Crazy: A Friends to Lovers Small Town Romantic Comedy (Donner Bakery Book 1) Karla Sorensen

And, today only:

The Diamond Master by Jacques Futrelle

Regards,

Kareni

[JennW in SoCal]

I'm going to do this in backwards order and post first then read the thread. Some weeks I start reading the thread with the intention of posting afterwards, but get pulled away and never come back. Last week was one of those weeks. It wasn't like I was doing anything with my time. Just felt the need for naps almost everyday, lol!

My armchair travel is taking me to Ireland this week, thanks to some good finds on Kindle. Last summer I visited County Sligo, Ireland, a part of Ireland near and dear to the heart of WB Yeats. In honor of that visit, I'm reading a collection of his, Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry. A good collection of short entries, the sort you can pick up and put down as needed.

I've also downloaded another Kindle freebie, The Tour: A feel-good Irish Springtime Read about a tour bus driver in Ireland and the American tourists he is transporting around the country. I adored our Irish tour bus driver and guides, and based on the good reviews, am hoping to vicariously enjoy another visit!

Last week's read was another in the Peter Grainger British police procedural mysteries featuring DC Smith. I really like these -- the police detective is NOT a brooding, psychologically damaged renegade! And, even better, they are NOT gruesome, either. I haven't noted it on Goodreads, but it was Luck and Judgement. These will work as stand alones, but as with most mystery series it is better in order.

Can't remember if I raved sufficiently about the cozy Sicilian mystery Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions. This was utterly delightful with lots of food, Mt. Etna and all sorts of colorful characters. Definitely will look for the others in the series. 

In my ear buds is Inland by Tea Obreht and BBC radio dramatizations of three Lord Peter mysteries. The first dramatization is of Murder Must Advertise, which I've only read once, a few years ago. It wasn't a favorite, but the dramatization is entertaining.

[Violet Crown]

On 5/17/2020 at 10:12 PM, Junie said:

The Body in the Library is from 1946 and Death on the Nile is from 1937.

Some of those mid-century paperback covers are wild. I saw a stack of old Faulkner paperbacks at a garage sale once, and thought how one could get a very odd idea of Faulkner's novels, going by the bodice-ripper covers.

Edited May 19, 2020 by Violet Crown

[Kareni]

Currently free for Kindle readers ~

Tempting Hymn by Jennifer Hallock

"A Missionary and a Sinner

Jonas Vanderburg volunteered his family for mission work in the Philippines, only to lose his wife and daughters in the 1902 cholera epidemic. He wishes his nurse would let him die, too.

Rosa Ramos wants nothing more to do with American men. Her previous Yankee lover left her with a ruined reputation and a child to raise alone. A talented nurse at a provincial hospital, she must now care for another American, this time a missionary whose friends believe her beyond redemption."

Review

"If you're looking for a meaty historical romance that will transport you somewhere you've never been, Jennifer Hallock's books...are must-reads." (Courtney Milan on Under the Sugar Sun) 

 Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Also free ~

Summer in New York Collection (A Timeless Romance Anthology Book 8)

Several of us liked this one: The Last Wolf (The Legend of All Wolves Book 1) Maria Vale.

I Am Justice (Black Ops Confidential Book 1) Diana Muñoz Stewart

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

This Week’s Tor.com Ebook Club Selection is...

TOOTH AND CLAW
by Jo Walton
 

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE COPY

 

Tooth and Claw is a fantasy tale of a family dealing with the death of their father, of a son who goes to law for his inheritance, a son who agonizes over his father’s deathbed confession, a daughter who falls in love, a daughter who becomes involved in the abolition movement, and a daughter sacrificing herself for her husband.

And everyone in the story is a dragon, red in tooth and claw.
 

---

 

Download before 11:59 PM ET, May 22nd, 2020.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Penguin]

@Junie The Agatha Christie cover makes me think of Harold and the Purple Crayon.

[Robin M]

On 5/18/2020 at 9:08 AM, Penguin said:

Hello, BaW friends. I have not checked in for a long time. Sorry. I hope everyone is doing well.

But I also have not had a whole lot of reading to report, thanks to the pandemic. I'll go back through my Goodreads account and see what is worth mentioning. 

@Robin M I also watched CATS over the weekend. Even though I am a bit of a Broadway nerd, I had never seen CATS and I enjoyed it immensely. It seemed very 80s to me.

Hey, great to see you.  Yes, Cats is very 80's.

[Violet Crown]

On 5/18/2020 at 11:08 AM, Penguin said:

Hello, BaW friends. I have not checked in for a long time. Sorry. I hope everyone is doing well.

But I also have not had a whole lot of reading to report, thanks to the pandemic. I'll go back through my Goodreads account and see what is worth mentioning. 

@Robin M I also watched CATS over the weekend. Even though I am a bit of a Broadway nerd, I had never seen CATS and I enjoyed it immensely. It seemed very 80s to me.

Good to see you here! Looking forward to seeing your book report.

I've never seen or heard the musical, but I've read the book. Actually it's a favorite for dramatic readings around here. Our class was required to memorize "Macavity the Mystery Cat". Didn't quite prepare me for The Waste Land though.

Edited May 20, 2020 by Violet Crown

[Robin M]

I'm communing with dragons this week.  Finished Keri Arthur's Cursed, the 2nd book in her Kingdom of Air and Earth series. Now reading # 3 Burn.  All three books in the series are standalone but set within the same time frame and magical world. 

 

**********************

A few interesting reads on the webosphere:

These Book Covers Are So Terrible You Won’t Believe They’re Real

Bill Gates Summer reading recommendations

Legendary Paris bookshop reveals reading habits of illustrious clientele

Paris review: Feminize your canon

[Mothersweets]

13 hours ago, Robin M said:

**********************

A few interesting reads on the webosphere:

These Book Covers Are So Terrible You Won’t Believe They’re Real

 

😂😂  these are horrifyingly bad. Thanks for the laugh!

[mumto2]

On 5/18/2020 at 12:57 PM, Kareni said:

I have fond memories of CATS; my daughter was a big fan of the soundtrack, and it was the first professional production we ever took her to see. She was seven or so and the performance was in San Francisco. It was a good day!

Sounds like a great adventure!  I am  fan of Cats and have seen it live a few times.  I missed watching it last weekend unfortunately.

My funny Cats related story is about the soundtrack..........when I brought newborn Dd home from the hospital I was handed a bag of samples that included a CD that was labeled in a way that implied that the music on it made your baby smart.  She was born in the middle of a house move so Dh went in search of a boom box for me and popped the cd in before putting the boom box on a shelf where I could just reach the buttons.  I faithfully serenaded my baby a couple times each day!  I was living in such a haze that it took me about a week to realize that music by Andrew Lloyd Weber really wasa surprising choice for creating smart babies..............when I investigated I discover that Dh put the “smart” cd on top of a Cats soundtrack and we had been listening to Cats for Dds first week!  Yes, the real cd was classical music.😂

[Penguin]

14 hours ago, Violet Crown said:

Good to see you here! Looking forward to seeing your book report.

I've never seen or heard the musical, but I've read the book. Actually it's a favorite for dramatic readings around here. Our class was required to memorize "Macavity the Mystery Cat". Didn't quite prepare me for The Waste Land though.

Do you by chance have the same edition that I have? lol 

I haven't read it since my son was in middle school, but now I'd like to give it another go. The version that aired on You-tube was filmed in 1998 and is available on DVD if anyone is interested.

 

 

[Junie]

46 minutes ago, Penguin said:

Do you by chance have the same edition that I have? lol 

I haven't read it since my son was in middle school, but now I'd like to give it another go. The version that aired on You-tube was filmed in 1998 and is available on DVD if anyone is interested.

 

 

Yes, I found out that it is available on dvd and it is now on my birthday wish list.

I've also been looking for a copy of the poems.  Is your copy illustrated?  I think my little girls would like that.

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts ~

From reddit --

For the writers here: 

Brandon Sanderson has released his 2020 lectures on creative writing completely free on YouTube!!! These are the best lectures on creative writing and they are completely free!

Also

AMA! I'm fantasy author Rowenna Miller, ask away!

Regards,

Kareni

[Penguin]

24 minutes ago, Junie said:

Yes, I found out that it is available on dvd and it is now on my birthday wish list.

I've also been looking for a copy of the poems.  Is your copy illustrated?  I think my little girls would like that.

Indeed it does! It is delightfully illustrated by Edward Gorey.

ISBN 0-571-20746-4

 

[Violet Crown]

1 hour ago, Penguin said:

Do you by chance have the same edition that I have? lol 

I haven't read it since my son was in middle school, but now I'd like to give it another go. The version that aired on You-tube was filmed in 1998 and is available on DVD if anyone is interested.

It wasn't exactly that cover, but the one we have chez Crown does have the Gorey art. Off to check YouTube!

[Penguin]

14 minutes ago, Violet Crown said:

It wasn't exactly that cover, but the one we have chez Crown does have the Gorey art. Off to check YouTube!

Alas, CATS was only on YouTube for the weekend. But hey, we still have Peter Ustinov doing a version of "The Naming of Cats" in Logan's Run (1976).

For those not familiar with Logan's Run, it is a Sci-Fi film where everyone over 30 must die. These two, played by Michael York and Jenny Agutter, are on the run from the domed city and encounter Peter Ustinov living in the ruins of DC.

 

 

Edited May 20, 2020 by Penguin

[Violet Crown]

Just now, Penguin said:

Alas, CATS was only on YouTube for the weekend. But hey, we still have Peter Ustinov doing a version of The Naming of Cats in Logan's Run (1976).

For those not familiar with Logan's Run, it is a Sci-Fi film where everyone over 30 must die. These two, played by Michael York and Jenny Agutter, are on the run from the domed city and encounter Peter Ustinov living in the ruins of DC.

Oh the memories! My older brother sneaked me into that -- neither of us looked remotely old enough, but hey it was the 70s, who cared? -- and neither of us were bothered by the premise. Decades away. 

Remember the tv series? With Gregory Harrison? 

[Kareni]

A free science fiction anthology ~

Read This Free Astrobiology Anthology From the European Astrobiology Institute

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

28 minutes ago, Kareni said:

Excuse the quote box!

Also free:

I liked this one ~ Carla Kelly's Christmas Collection

My Loving Vigil Keeping- Carla Kelly

Sapphire Magic (Fearless Women Historical Romance Series Book 1)

The Lord of Stariel

The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer

Blaze (The Firefighters of Darling Bay Book 1) by Rachael Herron

The Lacemaker (Silver Linings Mysteries Book 2) by Mary Kingswood 

Regards,

Kareni