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Book a Week 2020 - BW23: 52 Books Bingo - Steampunk and Technology

Robin M

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Robin M

Robin M

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Happy Sunday, dear hearts. Our next two 52 Books Bingo categories are Steampunk and technology.  Within the world of science fiction, alternative histories, and dystopian worlds, we not only have steampunk, but also cyberpunk, nanopunk, dieselpunk, and biopunk.  Whereas steampunk is set in 19th century Victorian times, cyberpunk is set in a futuristic, high tech world. Nanopunk is closely related to cyberpunk but focuses on nanotechnology, dieselpunk embraces diesel technology, and biopunk focuses on the dark side of genetic engineering.

 9 novels that defined steampunk

 The best steampunk books

 Steampunk 101: From Sci-Fi Sub-genre to Cultural Phenomenon

Essential cyberpunk reading list

 io9 Talks to Kathleen Ann Goonan About Nanopunk and Jazz

 

Delve into the world of fictional or non fiction technology with 7 Books About the Interplay of Technology and Humanity, 10 books with a tech twist: Summer reads for leaders, and 20 Must-Read Dystopian Novels That Are Set In A Futuristic World.

 Have fun following rabbit trails of thought while exploring steampunk and technology.

 Link to week 22

 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.

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Robin M

Robin M

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8 minutes ago, mumto2 said:

@Robin M  You are up super early today!  The links are all taking me to a google sign in page.

Insomnia. I've been up since 4:00.    Yes, I know, fixing it now. Don't know what happened.  Grrr!  Going to ream blogger. They upgraded and now when I copy over to word it changed all my links. 

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mumto2

mumto2

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1 hour ago, Robin M said:

Insomnia. I've been up since 4:00.    Yes, I know, fixing it now. Don't know what happened.  Grrr!  Going to ream blogger. They upgraded and now when I copy over to word it changed all my links. 

Oh wow!  What a pain! I hope fixing ends up going faster than expected.   I also hope you manage to nap today!

 The links are great btw.  I already found a new to me on audio to try.....the idea of John Steed/Emma Peel with steampunk sold me on giving The Affinity Bridgehttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7103872-the-affinity-bridge a try.  Btw, the best steampunk list has a later one in the series but since the first was availiable.....By the time I get done exploring my list will be huge! 
 

I just finished Breath of Magichttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/350678.Breath_of_Magic which I found on one of the recent reddit links from Kareni.  I don’t think it will ever make my favorite romance list but it could make a most creative list.  Time travel, cyber hacking, witchcraft.......it had it all.  Half the time I was reading it I was contemplating abandoning it....in the end I will probably end up reading the sequel because I am curious.  It was an easy book to speed through.... 

My audio book is Deep in the Alaskan Woods by Karen Harper, an author I really enjoy normally.  She has actually written a couple of favorites but......It’s light and easy to follow in the background while I was doing some projects.  That said I am finding all the characters irritating.  I put it down to the narrator but after glancing at the Goodreads reviews have to say most are irritated and they were not listening.  It’s romantic suspense with a stalker and a murderer.  Because I only have two hours left and a project to work on I will let it continue and answer the “am I right?” question.😂https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49833013-deep-in-the-alaskan-woods 

 

 

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Junie

Junie

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Still reading the same books: Les Mis, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Jugando con Proposito, Watership Down, Mere Christianity.  I've got too many books going at once.  Hopefully I'll finish at least one of them this week.

A few weeks ago some of us were listing movies.  We had a Marvel movie marathon for dd17.  She is now at college (working on campus for the summer) so we watched a movie almost every night.  Many thanks to my sister for her Christmas gift of Disney+.

Movies that I've watched in the last few months -- since quarantine began (no wonder I'm not finishing many books!)

 

Captain America: The First Avenger

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Captain America: Civil War

Captain Marvel

Iron Man

Iron Man 2

Iron Man 3

Thor

Thor: The Dark World

The Avengers

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Ant-Man

Black Panther

Sight and Sound's production of Samson

Sight and Sound's production of Joseph

Sight and Sound's production of Jesus

Hello, Dolly!

Murder on the Orient Express

Cats

The Greatest Showman

Coco

Wreck-It Ralph

The Three Musketeers

West Side Story

The Rise of Skywalker

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

The Lion King

Aladdin

The Phantom of the Opera

The Little Mermaid

Frozen II

Moana

 

 

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Kareni

Kareni

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Today only, this classic is free for Kindle readers ~

The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton

 "Edith Wharton’s classic story of one woman’s quest for wealth and status after the turn of the twentieth century

Beautiful, selfish, and driven, Undine Spragg arrives in New York with all of the ambition and naiveté that her midwestern, nouveau riche upbringing afforded her. As cunning as she is lovely, Undine has but one goal in life: to ascend to the upper echelons of high society. And so with a single-minded tenacity, Undine continues to maneuver through life, finding all the while that true satisfaction remains just beyond her grasp.

Hailed by Elizabeth Hardwick as “Edith Wharton’s finest achievement,” The Custom of the Country is a riveting novel of ruthless ambition and a literary master class in the art of the antiheroine."

Regards,

Kareni

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Lori D.

Lori D.

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Queen's Man, and, Cruel as the Grave
The first 2 books in the 4-book medieval mystery series by Sharon Kay Penman. I wasn't sure I was going to "click" with this series, but after the first chapter or two, I was really absorbed in the world, and was very much enjoying the political intrigue, and the slowly developing partnership/friendship between the main character, the illegitimate Justin whose mother died at his birth and whose Archbishop father refuses to acknowledge him, and Luke, the under sheriff of a town outside of London. Set in the year 1193, during all of Prince John's machinations to grab the throne while King Richard the Lionheart is held for ransom on the continent, Justin is drawn into a mystery and court intrigue, and becomes a "queen's man" to Eleanor of Aquitaine, the powerful queen dowager.

What a woman Eleanor of Aquitaine was! Wife to 2 kings (first to Louis VII of France, then Henry II of England), and mother of 3 kings (Henry the Young King; Richard Lion-Heart; and John). She  was born in 1122, became queen at age 15 by marriage, had 10 children (2 with Louis, 8 with Henry), went on the Crusades with her first husband, survived several sieges, survived the political upheaval of 3 of her sons revolting against their father, Henry II and was placed under "castle arrest" by her husband, Henry, for 16 years. After his death, she returned to London, and was a huge political force during her son Richard's rule and as he went off on a Crusade. She survived into the 13th century, living to be 82yo.


Sharon Kay Penman has also written a number of fictional biographies: a series on Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Plantagenet dynasty, and a trilogy on the 13th century Welsh Princes. And the stand-alone book Sunne in Splendor, about the last king (Richard III) and the 15th century War of the Roses. That last book was one I read a few years ago, based on recommendations from several people on the BaW threads! 😄 

Now I'm off to hit the "buy" button on books 3 & 4 of the medieval mysteries, waiting in the Amazon cart! 

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Kareni

Kareni

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Some bookish posts ~

From the Word Wenches: Rare Indulgences!

https://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2020/06/rare-indulgences.html#comment-6a00d8341c84c753ef0263e94e9052200b

From reddit: I recently read and loved both The Song of Achilles and Circe by Madeline Miller. What other novelized retellings of antiquity's mythology are out there?

https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/geqtz7/i_recently_read_and_loved_both_the_song_of/

Beyond Cinderella: Exploring Agency Through Domestic Fantasy

https://www.tor.com/2020/03/16/beyond-cinderella-exploring-agency-through-domestic-fantasy-2/

From reddit: A non fiction book that is a good introduction to someone who reads fiction

https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/gldq16/a_non_fiction_book_that_is_a_good_introduction_to/

 

PLUS a book that is currently free for Kindle readers ~

Dangerous to Know: Jane Austen's Rakes & Gentlemen Rogues (The Quill Collective Book 2)

Regards,

Kareni

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Negin

Negin

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I read Home Work: A Memoir of my Hollywood Years - 4 Stars - I’ve always loved Julie Andrews and read her first memoir earlier this year. This one was equally delightful. She shares stories of her family and her career starting from the time that she was in “Mary Poppins” and ending in the 1980’s.

“The Sound of Music” will always be one of my favorite movies of all time. The first time that I saw it was when I must have been about five or so when we were in Iran. It was dubbed, even Julie Andrews’s singing voice was dubbed. Later while growing up in Wales, they would show it on TV almost every Christmas or Easter.

I enjoyed learning more about Julie’s family life, as well as all the struggles with step-parenting and her marriage. Gosh, her marital struggles and her husband’s mood swings were frustrating.

Both of her memoirs are among the most open and genuine that I have come across. At times, the writing is a bit dry and repetitive in this one, but I enjoyed it regardless. Those were the times where it seemed that all she was doing was flying back and forth from LA to England to Switzerland, and those parts were tiring to read. I have heard that the audio versions of her memoirs are superb, since they’re narrated by Julie Andrews herself. I’m not an audio type, so that’s that. I would only recommend this book to Julie Andrews fans. I think that’s obvious anyway. Why bother reading a memoir on someone if the person doesn’t interest you?

Here are some of my favorite quotes;

Here she talks about Walt Disney:

“Walt’s persona was that of a kindly uncle—twinkly-eyed, chivalrous, and genuinely proud of all he had created. His international empire encompassed film, television, and even a theme park, yet he was modest and gracious. Our new friend Tom Jones once said to me that you didn’t last very long at the company if you were mean-spirited or bad-tempered.”

I remember her talking about the following many years ago on a talk show. This was in Switzerland:

“Each day, I walked a full circle, up the hill from our chalet, across the fields behind it, down along the brook, and back to the chalet. It was a good stretch, and my legs grew stronger while I vocalized along the way. One day, I was practicing ‘The Sound of Music,’ which I would be performing in my act. I was rounding the last curve, singing flat out, when suddenly a group of Japanese tourists, cameras around their necks, crested the hill in front of me. They recognized me, and looked simply stunned. I dashed for home, mortified.”

“These days, I’ve come to realize that home is a feeling as much as it is a place; it is as much about loving what I do as being where I am.”

“The common denominator is human misery. The most important thing I have learned is the simplest of all: people are just people—no matter their politics, their skin color, or where they live. There is no difference in our humanity; only in our circumstances.”

These are her father’s words to her after her mother’s passing:

“’It is sad, Chick,’ he replied. ‘But that was your mum’s destiny, not yours. Yours is to live out whatever time is given to you to the fullest extent, to relish every day and make it count.’”

“When we were touring, my mum would drill into me: ‘Don’t you dare complain about anything . . . not the cigarette smoke in the theater, not having a cold, or waiting long hours. It won’t do a thing for you, and nobody cares. Don’t pull rank, or boast. There’s always someone who can do what you do better than you. Get on with it, and you’ll be respected so much more.’”

“Learn your craft. Do your homework. Opportunity will come along when you least expect it, as it did for me. You may not even recognize it at the time. Your job is to be as ready as possible when that good fortune comes your way.”

9781474602167.jpg

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Junie

Junie

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1 hour ago, Seasider too said:

I get myself in trouble if I have too many going at once. Usually I’m good if I have just one fiction and one nonfiction coinciding. My head would be spinning with what you’re doing there, junie, both in number and in complexity of works!

 

I have one extra book going at the moment and I can tell the difference.  I might abandon one if I don't make good progress on it this week.

Usually, I have:

Les Mis -- my year-long read

one book in Spanish (usually children's literature)

one Christian book (I don't read secular works on Sundays)

one other book

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Lori D.

Lori D.

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1 hour ago, Seasider too said:

I got myself in a conundrum this week. The next two books in the Linesman series came available from the library, and I eagerly started reading. It was nice to begin in an already-familiar universe, but there are lots of characters to keep track of and it’s been a while since I read the first book of the series. I noticed that the authors began the new action quite a time past when the first book ended, and I had to make some assumptions about what had happened in the unstoried interim. Well, 100+ pages in I came across a plot hole that was just too big to write off to my poor memory, and I realized I’d been reading not the second book, but the third. 🙄

 

😂  -- BTDT!!

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Kareni

Kareni

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8 hours ago, Seasider too said:

I got myself in a conundrum this week. The next two books in the Linesman series came available from the library, and I eagerly started reading....

That is funny. I'm glad that you got back on track and are now reading the books in order!

Regards,

Kareni

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Violet Crown

Violet Crown

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Last week I finished Mistress Branican by Jules Verne, featuring adventures in the Australian Desert. This week I’m out in the Chihuahuan Desert, reading V. S. Naipaul’s A Bend in the River, set in Africa. Hot weather all round. Anyone here read Naipaul before? He seems to be a ‘guy’ author.

Forgot last week to list Family movies. Watched, and highly recommend for all ages, the following:

Lamb - Ethiopian, lovely movie, touches sensitively on several serious topics. Beautiful and warm.

Mon Oncle - more Jacques Tati. Hilarious and very French.

Godzilla - stomping through Tokyo! Not scary even for the Easily Scared.

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Kareni

Kareni

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Today only, this mystery by the author of Winnie the Pooh ~

The Red House Mystery by A. A. Milne

 "A refreshing blend of wit and intrigue, A. A. Milne’s only mystery novel is a masterpiece

Mark Ablett is not really a snob—not the worst kind of snob, at least. He simply prefers artists to everyone else, and the discussion of his own creative abilities to any other talk whatsoever. His vanities are easily forgiven especially since he is generous with his money—inherited not from his clergyman father but from a neighborhood spinster who took a liking to him—and he is always willing to play the host at the Red House, his delightful country estate.

One lazy summer morning, as his guests enjoy breakfast before a round of golf, Mark opens a surprising letter. His brother Robert, the black sheep of the family, gone some fifteen years now, is back from Australia and plans to call at the Red House that very afternoon. It is the first that Mark’s friends and servants have heard of a brother, but that shock is nothing compared to what happens next: After being shown into an empty office to wait for the master of the house, Robert is shot dead. Mark is nowhere to be found, not unlike the pistol that fired the fatal bullet. It is up to Tony Gillingham, man of leisure, and his young friend Bill Beverley to assume the roles of Sherlock and Watson and solve a crime so clever that Alexander Woollcott pronounced it “one of the three best mystery stories of all time.”

Beloved children’s author A. A. Milne was a great fan of detective stories. His first and last attempt at the genre is an absolute delight—one of the most original and charming novels of the Golden Age of crime fiction."

Regards,

Kareni

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Kareni

Kareni

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Some bookish posts ~

5 Lighthearted Reads for Dreary Times

**

Talking Murderbot With 'Network Effect' Author Martha Wells

https://www.newsweek.com/network-effect-murderbot-diaries-martha-wells-novel-sanctuary-moon-1502150

EIGHT NOVELS TO MAKE YOU QUESTION REALITY

https://crimereads.com/eight-novels-to-make-you-question-reality/

Plus a free book for Kindle readers ~

The Image Seeker (Bold Women of the 20th Century Book 3) by Amanda Hughes

Regards,

Kareni

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JennW in SoCal

JennW in SoCal

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I listened to a nice bit of fluff last week, The Jane Austen Society. The only thing to rave about is the narration by Richard Armitage who has a fine voice and the acting chops to bring a wide cast of characters to life. But the book itself is just a solid ok. For me, for this fraught time, it was a nice gentle escape, with decent enough writing, and not too predictable a plot. 

I also started listening to another book by the late drummer for the band Rush, Neil Peart. This time it is Traveling Music, his musings on the musical inspirations of his life as he takes a road trip from LA to Big Bend. His description of driving out of Los Angeles on I-10 perfectly captures the land and the city - one of the best descriptions I've read. 

This week I've added another audiobook, the next installment of the Vorkosigan saga, Brothers in Arms. 

It's hard to focus on print books at the moment. With an audiobook and some kind of hand work -- knitting or embroidery or quilting -- I can get my mind off the greater world and some assorted family stuff. 

 

@mumto2  I know it isn't recorded on Goodreads, but I read Affinity Bridge a few years ago and recall enjoying it. I think I read the 2nd book too, but couldn't get my hands on the any of the subsequent titles. 

@Lori D.  So cool you are reading the Sharon Kay Penmen mysteries!! I know I read the first 2, and perhaps the 3rd? I'm thinking I'd need to reread them now before getting to the 4th.

@Negin  I appreciate the review of the newer Julie Andrews memoir! I really enjoyed the first a few years back and downloaded this one to my kindle a few weeks ago when it was on sale.

@Violet Crown Which Godzilla? The original or one of the recent Hollywood versions?

Excuse me while I free-associate...Just the mention of Godzilla and the Blue Oyster Cult song gets stuck in my head once again. Those of you of a certain age (ahem) may know it, but for those of you who don't, I must share a recent music video made for this rock and roll gem from 1977.   

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mumto2

mumto2

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29 minutes ago, JennW in SoCal said:

@Violet Crown Which Godzilla? The original or one of the recent Hollywood versions?

Excuse me while I free-associate...Just the mention of Godzilla and the Blue Oyster Cult song gets stuck in my head once again. Those of you of a certain age (ahem) may know it, but for those of you who don't, I must share a recent music video made for this rock and roll gem from 1977.   

My husband remembered the music right away......I enjoyed watching it and have absolutely no memory of that song!  My kid’s have been on a Godzilla kick for the past year so many of the different Godzilla movies have made their way into our house.  I have developed a fondness for Mothra which I had never seen before either and normally wander in to watch when he is on.  

I can’t find more in the Affinity Bridge series either..........

 

I am planning to start the new CS Harris later tonight or tomorrow. https://www.goodreads.com/series/40696-sebastian-st-cyr

3 hours ago, Shawneinfl said:

I just finished The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins. Though some have been critical of the Hunger Games prequel, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was way more philosophical than the other books and seemed to present as the first of a new series but don't quote me on that.

Good to see you!  I have been waiting for someone to read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.  Glad to know you enjoyed it!  I wondered how it would measure up after the unbelievable popularity of the first series.

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Kareni

Kareni

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Last night I finished  The Omega Objection: The San Andreas Shifters by G. L. Carriger.  It was an enjoyable read but not a book I'll be quick to reread. (Adult content) G. L. Carriger is the name that Gail Carriger uses for her titles with 'sexy queer joy.'

 "What happens when a werewolf walks into a bar and falls in love with a man he can’t smell?

Tank is working as a bouncer at a nightclub when he notices something odd about the sexy-as-sin bartender. Isaac is odorless, sublimely snarky, amazingly popular with shifters, and terrified.
 

A MAN WITHOUT A SCENT

Isaac is trying to escape his past. He hides in San Francisco because everyone knows that there are no werewolves in the Bay Area.

A WOLF WALKS INTO HIS BAR

Can a gentle werewolf with a trampled heart show a man who’s been running scared his whole life that sometimes there are monsters worth running towards?"

Regards,

Kareni

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Liz CA

Liz CA

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Reading:

Case Study on Trauma Care by Rothschild (work related but also my field of interest)

Regimental Murder by Gardner - still finishing this one up. It's my bedtime reading.

Audio:

Daring Greatly by  Brown. I just finished Dare to Lead by same author and this is very similar so whatever I missed the first time around, I am catching now.  :)

 

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Robin M

Robin M

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@Violet Crown  Which version did you watch?    Godzilla, every variation both Japanese and American made are fan favorites in our house.  And laws of physics don't apply.  😀    Plus James has a large collection of Toho movies which we watch over and over when nothing else seems to catch our interest.  Always fun comparing the Japanese version with subtitles, then the American version with subtitles. They aren't always the same.  And love the Twins in the Mothra movies.  Want to drive James crazy.  Sing Mothrraaaaa around the house. 

@JennW in SoCal Thanks Jenn for the flashback. 

Currently delving into three books right now.  Ebooks  Nalini Singh's Alpha Night  #4 in the psychangeling/Trinity series just came out, and  The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers which is very detailed with the mind building so can only read bits at a time.  Paperback Steve Berry's The Venetian Betrayal.  Hubby has declared we shouldn't be on screens after 10:00 which might help us sleep better so reading physical books in the evenings.   I gave up Pepsi, he gave up Jim Beam, but it didn't make a difference so that was short lived.  Actually found I'm more creative in the early hours of the morning while my guys are sleeping, so getting lots of writing done.  

Did I mention we watched Spider man three with Toby McGuire this weekend. Again pay no attention to the laws of physics and oh my god, don't get me started on the the acting.  Groan! 

 

In my interweb wonderings today, came across these gems:

The Pyschology of a Book Hangover

Lit Hubs 15 new books coming out today

Bay Area readers share 30+ great books to read this summer

The Rumpus -What to read when you've made it halfway through 2020

6 Books as Refreshing as an Ocean Breeze

Steampunk Explorer - Our weekly roundup of news and other happenings in the steampunk world

The Steampunk Tribune's  The Steampunk Airship Guide & 2020 Awards

😘

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Dicentra

Dicentra

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On 6/7/2020 at 9:15 AM, Robin M said:

Happy Sunday, dear hearts. Our next two 52 Books Bingo categories are Steampunk and technology.  Within the world of science fiction, alternative histories, and dystopian worlds, we not only have steampunk, but also cyberpunk, nanopunk, dieselpunk, and biopunk.  Whereas steampunk is set in 19th century Victorian times, cyberpunk is set in a futuristic, high tech world. Nanopunk is closely related to cyberpunk but focuses on nanotechnology, dieselpunk embraces diesel technology, and biopunk focuses on the dark side of genetic engineering.

I'm not that familiar with this genre but I have a good friend who has written a book (under a pseudonym) and maybe it falls under this category?  I thought I could share in case anyone was interested and also because I like to give my creative friends a little shout out when I can. 🙂

https://www.amazon.com/Flight-Byzantine-Book-One-Skykovsky-ebook/dp/B07DNGY34W/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Flight+of+the+Byzantine+Book+One%3A+Skykovsky+Returns&qid=1591754216&sr=8-1

On 6/8/2020 at 11:39 AM, Kareni said:

Today only, this mystery by the author of Winnie the Pooh ~

The Red House Mystery by A. A. Milne

 "A refreshing blend of wit and intrigue, A. A. Milne’s only mystery novel is a masterpiece

Mark Ablett is not really a snob—not the worst kind of snob, at least. He simply prefers artists to everyone else, and the discussion of his own creative abilities to any other talk whatsoever. His vanities are easily forgiven especially since he is generous with his money—inherited not from his clergyman father but from a neighborhood spinster who took a liking to him—and he is always willing to play the host at the Red House, his delightful country estate.

One lazy summer morning, as his guests enjoy breakfast before a round of golf, Mark opens a surprising letter. His brother Robert, the black sheep of the family, gone some fifteen years now, is back from Australia and plans to call at the Red House that very afternoon. It is the first that Mark’s friends and servants have heard of a brother, but that shock is nothing compared to what happens next: After being shown into an empty office to wait for the master of the house, Robert is shot dead. Mark is nowhere to be found, not unlike the pistol that fired the fatal bullet. It is up to Tony Gillingham, man of leisure, and his young friend Bill Beverley to assume the roles of Sherlock and Watson and solve a crime so clever that Alexander Woollcott pronounced it “one of the three best mystery stories of all time.”

Beloved children’s author A. A. Milne was a great fan of detective stories. His first and last attempt at the genre is an absolute delight—one of the most original and charming novels of the Golden Age of crime fiction."

Regards,

Kareni

I didn't know he had written a mystery!  Thanks, Kareni! 🙂

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Dicentra

Dicentra

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1 minute ago, Kareni said:

You are quite welcome, @Dicentra. 

I've downloaded a sample of your friend's book. (Would he/she appreciate knowing that a word is spelled incorrectly in the blurb? Mistakes of that sort make me think twice about purchasing a book.)

Regards,

Kareni

Yes, he would!  I've not read it (as it's not my usual cuppa :)) - is it a word in the Amazon blurb?

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Kareni

Kareni

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1 minute ago, Dicentra said:

Although... Now I'm picturing ways to "eek out a living".  Professional warn-er that there are spiders in the vicinity, career in letting people know when there is a mouse in their house...

😉

I would be an ABSOLUTELY STELLAR eeker! My husband would surely write a letter of recommendation to attest to my years of experience....

Regards,

Kareni

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Lori D.

Lori D.

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FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING - BOOK 2

Anyone else notice how chapters 1, 2, and 3 of Book 2 mirror chapters 1, 2, and 3 of Book 1?? For both:
- chap. 1 = exposition/intro new setting & major players/party or feast to celebrate a hobbit
- chap. 2 = history/back story of the Ring, and the decision of what to do about it
- chap. 3 = small company sets out on the quest 
 

chap. 1: “Many Meetings”
Such a lovely opening to book 2 — Frodo awakening and finding himself safe and healed in Elrond's home, with Gandalf at his bedside.
__________
Providence, again:

  • Frodo: “It is a marvel that I escaped!”
    Gandalf: “Yes, fortune or fate have helped you”

__________
LOL — irrepressibly cheerful Pippin 😂 :

  • Pippin: “Hurray! ... Here is our noble cousin! Make way for Frodo, Lord of the Ring!”
    Gandalf: “Hush!… The Lord of the Ring is not Frodo, but the master of the Dark Tower of Mordor, whose power is again stretching out over the world! We are sitting in a fortress. Outside it is getting dark.”
    Pippin: “Gandalf has been saying many cheerful things like that… He thinks I need keeping in order.”

__________
Connection with the past:
SO sweet that at the big feast, Frodo sits next to Glóin, one of the dwarves from Bilbo’s adventures in The Hobbit — and then… reunited with Bilbo! 😄  

  • “Every item of news from the Shire that Frodo could tell—aided and corrected now and again by Sam—was of the greatest interest to [Bilbo], from the felling of the least tree to the pranks of the smallest child in Hobbiton. They were so deep in the doings of the Four Farthings that they did not notice the arrival of [Aragorn].... For many minutes he stood looking down at them with a smile.

__________
More history of Middle-earth, and its connection with the present:

  • “…Arwen, daughter of Elrond, in whom it was said that the likeness of Lúthien had come on earth again; and she was called Undómiel, for she was the Evenstar of her people. Long she had been in the land of her mother's kin, in Lórien beyond the mountains… But her brothers, Elladan and Elrohir, were out upon errantry: for they rode often far afield with the Rangers of the North, forgetting never their mother's torment in the dens of the orcs.”

Explanation of above paragraph:
Elrond’s wife/Arwen’s mother is Celebrian, and Celebrian is the daughter of Galadriel and Celeborn, the rulers of Lorien, of whom we will learn more later in Book 2. (So Galadriel is Arwen’s grandmother, and Elrond’s mother-in-law.) Elrond’s realm of Rivendell is on one side of the Misty Mountains, and Galadriel’s realm of Lorien is on the other side. Once, when Elrond's wife Celebrian was traveling from her Rivendell home across the Misty Mountains to visit her mother Galadriel in Lorien, her traveling group was attacked by orcs. Celebrian was captured and tortured by orcs. Eventually her husband Elrond and their sons, the twins Elladan and Elrohir, rescued her, but Celebrian was so wounded in spirit that she left Middle-earth, taking a boat from the Grey Havens west of the Shire, across the sea to Valinor (“elf heaven”), and she dwells there.

Further connections:
A little later in the chapter, in Bilbo’s song, we hear the tale of Elrond’s parents [and Aragorn's distant ancestors], Eärendil and Elwing. While Eärendil was sailing, their home was attacked and destroyed by forces of the Dark Lord; Elwing transforms into a bird wearing a silmaril (a special gemstone) that shines like a flame, and finds her husband’s ship. She transforms back, and binds the Silmaril like a crown on her husband’s forehead, and together they to go “elf heaven” (Valinor) in the far west across the ocean to ask for help in the war against the Dark Lord from the Valar (sort of “elf angels”). To put the silmaril out of reach of the dark lord, Elbereth, Queen of the Valar ("elf angels"), has the Valar make a special boat for Eärendil, and they launch him into the heavens, where he now sails the night sky, with the silmaril shining on his forehead like a star, where it brings hope to elves and men alike.


______________________________


chap. 2: “The Council of Elrond”
Such a lovely opening to book 2 — Frodo awakening and finding himself safe and healed in Elrond's home, with Gandalf at his bedside.
__________
Elrond — with this statement, he sums up this chapter — how history is intertwined with the present, and, why are they all there in the council (and note the theme of Providence peeking in again):

  • “That is the purpose for which you are called hither. Called, I say. though I have not called you to me, strangers from distant lands. You have come and are here met, in this very nick of time, by chance as it may seem. Yet it is not so. Believe rather that it is so ordered that we, who sit here, and none others, must now find counsel for the peril of the world… the Tale of the Ring shall be told from the beginning even to this present. And I will begin that tale, though others shall end it.”

       And his statement here, that sets this epic-quest apart from traditional epic-quests, carried out by heroes/warriors:

  • Elrond: “This quest may be attempted by the weak with as much hope as the strong. Yet such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere.”

Gloin — how temptation of the enemy works:

  • “It appeared that amid the splendour of their works of hand the hearts of the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain were troubled… a shadow of disquiet fell upon our people. Whence it came we did not at first perceive. Words began to be whispered in secret: it was said that we were hemmed in a narrow place, and that greater wealth and splendour would be found in a wider world.”

Boromir — cool prophetic dream and rhyme:

  • “In that dream I thought the eastern sky grew dark and there was a growing thunder, but in the West, a pale light lingered, and out of it I heard a voice, remote but clear, crying:
    Seek for the Sword that was broken:
    In Imladris it dwells;
    There shall be counsels taken
    Stronger than Morgul-spells.
    There shall be shown a token
    That Doom is near at hand,
    For Isildur's Bane shall waken,
    And the Halfling forth shall stand.”

Aragorn — we kept getting more hints about who he is…a Ranger… the Rangers are the last descendants of the high/noble men of Westernesse, who established a kingdom north and east of the Shire… Aragorn is THE Dunedain, the leader of the Rangers and this remnant of high/noble kingdom of men, until… TA-DA! — he’s the direct descendent of the KINGS of this old kingdom!

  • “He is Aragorn son of Arathorn… and he is descended through many fathers from Isildur Elendil's son of Minas Ithil. He is the Chief of the Dúnedain in the North, and few are now left of that folk.”

Gandalf — he provides more great wisdom as they try to decide what to do about the Ring:

  • “'Despair, or folly? … it is not despair, for despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not. It is wisdom to recognize necessity, when all other courses have been weighed, though as folly it may appear to those who cling to false hope. Well, let folly be our cloak, a veil before the eyes of the Enemy! For he is very wise, and weighs all things to a nicety in the scales of his malice. But the only measure that he knows is desire, desire for power; and so he judges all hearts. Into his heart the thought will not enter that any will refuse it, that having the Ring we may seek to destroy it. If we seek this, we shall put him out of reckoning.”

and Hobbits -- who can be both pragmatic...

  • Bilbo: “I don't suppose I have the strength or luck left to deal with the Ring. It has grown, and I have not. But tell me: what do you mean by they?”
    Elrond: “The messengers who are sent with the Ring.
    Bilbo: “Exactly! And who are they to be? That seems to me what this Council has to decide, and all that it has to decide. Elves may thrive on speech alone, and Dwarves endure great weariness; but I am only an old hobbit, and I miss my meal at noon. Can't you think of some names now? Or put it off till after dinner?”

     ... and noble, as well as showing the spiritual side the "upside down kingdom of God":

  • Frodo: “I will take the Ring… though I do not know the way.”
    Elrond: "If I understand aright all that I have heard… I think that this task is appointed for you, Frodo; and that if you do not find a way, no one will. This is the hour of the Shire-folk, when they arise from their quiet fields to shake the towers and counsels of the Great. Who of all the Wise could have foreseen it? Or, if they are wise, why should they expect to know it, until the hour has struck?”

     ... and intensely loyal:

  • Elrond: "...it is a heavy burden. So heavy that none could lay it on another... But if you take it freely, I will say that your choice is right..."
    Sam: "But you won't send him off alone surely, Master?' -- unable to contain himself any longer, and jumping up from the corner where he had been quietly sitting on the floor.
    Elrond, with a smile: "No indeed! ... You at least shall go with him. It is hardly possible to separate you from him, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not."
Edited by Lori D.
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Kareni

Kareni

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I just finished Cetaganda (Vorkosigan Saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold which I enjoyed. I would not, however, recommend starting the Vorkosigan series with this book.

 "Miles Vorkosigan and his cousin Ivan are sent on a diplomatic mission to the court of the Cetagandan Empire, Barrayar's former enemy. This sophisticated, genetically advanced but in many ways alien society both fascinates and repels, and when the Cetagandan Empress and her attendant die suddenly, Miles and Ivan find themselves embroiled in intrigues that are hard to fathom. Ivan's romances and Miles' infatuation with a nobel Cetagandan lady further complicate matters in this novel by four-time Hugo Award winner Lois McMaster Bujold."

Regards,

Kareni

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mumto2

mumto2

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Today was a highly productive reading day......I managed to stay off the internet and it rained.😉  I have several books started and actually managed to finish some.

Who Speaks for the Damned is the latest by C.S  Harris with my favorite main character, St. Cyr  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49565389-who-speaks-for-the-damned.  Since there are several fans among the BaWers I will just say I wasn’t disappointed.

Visions of Heat by Nalini Singh is the second Psy Changling. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/215643.Visions_of_Heat I am enjoying the series.

I also finished listening to The Affinity Bridge for this weeks Steampunk theme.  It was quite good and had a rather unique Queen Victoria which I enjoyed.  This is one of those series that I may come back to later.........

 

 

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-M-

-M-

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*waving* Late to the party this week. I have read five more books, for a year-to-date total of 109, 88 of which are read from shelves (RFS). That puts me a dozen books from reaching my goal of one hundred read from shelves.

■ Rodham (Curtis Sittenfeld; 2020. Fiction.) ATY
A sympathetic portrait and engaging what-if. Reviews here and here.

p. 47
I liked being around other people during the day, and I was relieved to be alone late at night; it was the latter that made the former possible. In fact, setting up my nest often made me think if a Wordsworth phrase I’d learned in English class as a high school junior: emotion recollected in tranquility.

p. 165
But as a president, would he be ethically casual, irresponsibly magnanimous, vulnerable to his enemies due to weaknesses he erroneously believed he could conceal or at least be forgiven for?

p.236
I usually liked other human beings and they usually liked me. I liked their specificity, their often unfashionable clothes, their accents and enthusiasms and the things they cared about enough to seek me out and tell me about, and I liked their belief that I could help them in a measurable way. I wanted — I had always wanted this — for their belief to be accurate.

p. 355
So often, people let you down; so often, situations turn out disappointingly. But occasionally someone recognizes, acknowledges, your private and truest self.

■ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (J.K. Rowling; 2000. Fiction.) RFS *
p. 605
Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat up late in the common room once again that night, talking it all over until Harry’s mind was reeling, until he understood what Dumbledore had meant about a head becoming so full of thoughts that it would have been a relief to siphon them off.

■ Saint Joan (George Bernard Shaw; 1923. Drama.) RFS
Recommended here.

SCENE II
THE ARCHBISHOP: A miracle, my friend, is an event which creates faith. That is the purpose and nature of miracles. They may seem very wonderful to the people who witness them, and very simple to those who perform them. That does not matter: if they confirm or create faith they are true miracles.

LA TREMOUILLE: Even when they are frauds, do you mean?

THE ARCHBISHOP: Frauds deceive. An event which creates faith does not deceive: therefore it is not a fraud, but a miracle.

■ Shirley (Susan Scarf Merrell; 2014. Fiction.) RFS
Plucked this from the shelves after reading Sheila O’Malley’s review of the new film. Of course, I was delighted by the serendipity / synthesis / synchronicity at work: I read Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle last month and watched the film earlier this month.

■ King Lear (William Shakespeare; 1606. Drama.) RFS *
If pressed, I would cast my vote for this one as the best of the plays. It is certainly the one that awes me more and differently each time I read it. (The first time was in thirty-eight years ago in a graduate course at Temple University.)

—————————————
ATY Acquired this year
LIB Borrowed from library (including Hoopla and Overdrive)
OTH Other
RFS Read from shelves

* Denotes a reread

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Robin M

Robin M

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Interweb wonderings today:

A Letter From a Black Woman in Publishing on the Industry’s Cruel, Hypocritical Insistence That Words Matter

@Quill (Thank you) also started a great thread about how do I talk about race and @Pam in CT and @Stacia (Waving hi and appreciating all the info) reposted a list of books from the politics group which is growing with additional suggestions.  .  All good resources. Help add to the list if you come across a must read. I watched Trevor Noah last night on how the protests are getting results and people are reading more books on racism and learning and having those hard conversations.  

I've been following Nicole Walter's for a while and she is wise as well as hilarious and has words of wisdom for swimming through uncomfortable times together. 

Five fresh and upcoming reads from independent presses

5 High-Octane Espionage Thrillers for Fans of Jack Ryan

Neil Gaiman receives the Ray Bradbury Award for outstanding dramatic presentation for Good Omens

I'm a little late with this as Torcon has gone virtual - a conversation between Christopher Paolini and Brandon Sanderson.

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I am loving that Trevor Noah episode, @Robin M! 

Anti-Racist books SOLD OUT! Removal of Confederate statues - finally! And I have seen heaps of emails supporting racial justice and saying the words: Black Lives Matter! 

It’s awesome. 

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Kareni

Kareni

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Some bookish posts ~

Podcast ~ Alpha Night and Alpha Women With Nalini Singh

**

From the Word Wenches: The Big Stink

https://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2020/06/the-big-stink.html#comments

Horror Recommendations for Every Tolerance Level

https://www.tor.com/2020/04/10/horror-recommendations-for-every-tolerance-levels/

HOW DOGS BECOME DETECTIVES
Cadaver dogs perform a difficult, important task in law enforcement. It all begins with a tennis ball and a game by author Kylie Logan

https://crimereads.com/how-dogs-become-detectives/

Regards,

Kareni

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mumto2

mumto2

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1 hour ago, Kareni said:

HOW DOGS BECOME DETECTIVES
Cadaver dogs perform a difficult, important task in law enforcement. It all begins with a tennis ball and a game by author Kylie Logan

https://crimereads.com/how-dogs-become-detectives/

 

Interesting....I already had the first book in the series on hold!

Not much reading getting done.  Yesterday was our 32nd wedding anniversary and dh’s birthday.  So a trip to the beach and a curbside pick up was required.  What free time I had was spent trying to rebuild my files which disappeared from my iPad...I now love Etsy as I was able to download my previously purchased patterns for free.

 

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Kareni

Kareni

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Earlier today, I finished the book that my book group will be discussing next week. It was definitely an intriguing read, and I look forward to our Zoom discussion.

The House of Broken Angels  by Luis Alberto Urrea

"In this "raucous, moving, and necessary" story by a Pulitzer Prize finalist (San Francisco Chronicle), the De La Cruzes, a family on the Mexican-American border, celebrate two of their most beloved relatives during a joyous and bittersweet weekend.

"All we do, mija, is love. Love is the answer. Nothing stops it. Not borders. Not death."

In his final days, beloved and ailing patriarch Miguel Angel de La Cruz, affectionately called Big Angel, has summoned his entire clan for one last legendary birthday party. But as the party approaches, his mother, nearly one hundred, dies, transforming the weekend into a farewell doubleheader. Among the guests is Big Angel's half brother, known as Little Angel, who must reckon with the truth that although he shares a father with his siblings, he has not, as a half gringo, shared a life.

Across two bittersweet days in their San Diego neighborhood, the revelers mingle among the palm trees and cacti, celebrating the lives of Big Angel and his mother, and recounting the many inspiring tales that have passed into family lore, the acts both ordinary and heroic that brought these citizens to a fraught and sublime country and allowed them to flourish in the land they have come to call home.

Teeming with brilliance and humor, authentic at every turn, The House of Broken Angels is Luis Alberto Urrea at his best, and cements his reputation as a storyteller of the first rank. "

**

Last night I finished Borders of Infinity (3-novella collection - Vorkosigan Saga  by Lois McMaster Bujold. I'd previously read two of the three novellas, but I enjoyed the title novella which was new to me as well as the framing story.

Regards,

Kareni

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Robin M

Robin M

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20 hours ago, mumto2 said:

Interesting....I already had the first book in the series on hold!

Not much reading getting done.  Yesterday was our 32nd wedding anniversary and dh’s birthday.  So a trip to the beach and a curbside pick up was required.  What free time I had was spent trying to rebuild my files which disappeared from my iPad...I now love Etsy as I was able to download my previously purchased patterns for free.

 

Happy Anniversary and happy bday to your hubby!  ~cheers~

😘

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