Book a Week 2020 - BW38: September Equinox

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday, dear hearts. Time for the changing of the seasonal guard with Autumn marching into view in the Northern Hemisphere and Spring in the Southern Hemisphere. What's the first thing to comes to mind when you think about Autumn or Spring?  Either the leaves are changing colors or flowers are beginning to bloom - nature's  circle of life.  Which brings us to our Fall/Spring Reading Mini Challenge.  

Read a book with Fall or Spring in the title

Read a book with seasons or weather in the title

Read a book with woods, forests, leaves, or trees on the cover

Read a book with a color in the title

Read a book about colors 

Read a book about color guards

Pick a color and pick a book with the color on the cover. 

Read a book with a colorful character. 

Read a book with a character with color in their name.

Settle in to read one of the New Books for Fall, Oprah's picks for Fall, 12 books to keep you occupied for the rest of 2020 or Books set in the Southern Hemisphere

Challenge yourself to spell out Equinox, Autumn, Fall, or Spring, using one book for each letter from the title. 

Happy trails!  ~Cheers~ 

 

Link to week 37

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]

Currently reading James Rollins latest in his Sigma Force series - The Last Odyssey.

Eyeing for our Fall Reading - continuing my Wheel of Time reading with The Gathering Storm or perhaps The Green Mile but I should probably save it for an October Spooktacular read.  Lots of books with colors in the title on my shelves.

Continuing our MCU adventures, we watched Guardians of the Galaxy 2 which was really good and had hubby crying at the end. Such a sentimental guy. 

Edited September 20, 2020 by Robin M

[Violet Crown]

Still reading Henry James's The Ambassadors. And soon need to read The Great Gatsby together with Middle Girl -- better late than never. So a convenient time to throw Robin's challenge onto the book pile! I wonder if I can get Evelyn Waugh's Decline and Fall read quick?

13 minutes ago, Robin M said:

Read a book with Fall or Spring in the title

Book/Movie challenge update: We saw The Phantom Tollbooth. Skip it. Plodding, dull, altogether lacking Juster's wittiness, and adding didactic sequences about Character Building as the reason for education, rather than being educated as the reason for education: a complete betrayal of the book.

[mumto2]

@Æthelthryth the Texan I finished The Lies of Locke Lamora yesterday and totally enjoyed it as an audiobook.  In the second half all the bits from the really slow first half came together making the second half was quite good...... I gave it a 4* simply because of the first half. 😉 I never would have made it to the second half in book form but enjoyed this audio enough that I am waiting for the second installment on audio.  I sort of need to find out what happens to Locke .....😂. For those who didn’t see my previous Locke Lamora post this trilogy consistently appears on lists of best fantasy trilogies.......I think it was recently on a “if you enjoyed Goblin Emperor you will enjoy these books” list.   I have had a hold on it since the first part of 2020 so it’s popular too!   https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29588376-the-lies-of-locke-lamora 

I have abandoned a couple of books this weekend.  The latest Harlan Coben (The Boy From the Woods) had a bit of a planning error......the book started at the end of April 2020 and life was normal.  Oops!!!  I didn’t abandon it for that reason although I did find it sort of irritating, jealousy perhaps.  😉 It just wasn’t good enough to continue.......I normally read his stand alones after setting this one down because life interrupted found I didn’t feel like continuing.  Kindles make it so easy to move to a different book when one is ambivalent.

@Robin M I thought Nora Roberts(JD Robb’s) latest Shadows in Death was excellent.  I loved learning more about Rouke’s history.  I also loved the little shows of genuine affection between Sommerset and Eve.  The format was interesting as the murder was solved and wrapped up so early in the book.  The one disappointment was Mavis was only mentioned once.....I ❤️Mavis!

I have the next Lane Winslow Mystery ready to read sometime soon and will probably  consider it my Fall challenge as COLD is in the title.  An Old, Cold Grave https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34696033-an-old-cold-grave?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=9AMb0oaSBM&rank=2.    @aggieamyHave you had a chance to read the first one in this series?

I started listening to the next in the Psy Changling series yesterday.  I have Burning Ridge.....a Timber Creek K9 in progress and will probably finish that before starting anything else.

 

Edited September 20, 2020 by mumto2

[Little Green Leaves]

Inspired by the language learning thread, I've started reading Le Pere Goriot, by Balzac. It's been sitting on my shelf for a looooong time so I'm happy to finally get to it.

@Violet CrownI love The Great Gatsby -- I also appreciate that Fitzgerald has his characters visit Long Island City, not a part of NY that usually gets a lot of play in literature.

 

[Violet Crown]

1 minute ago, Little Green Leaves said:

 

@Violet CrownI love The Great Gatsby -- I also appreciate that Fitzgerald has his characters visit Long Island City, not a part of NY that usually gets a lot of play in literature.

I didn't catch that at all! I thought maybe that was just what they called Long Island back in the early 20th. Of course, when we read it in high school in Texas, most of us weren't all that clear where New York was in the first place. Why are these people acting this way? Is that what New Yorkers are like? Huh.

[Little Green Leaves]

16 minutes ago, Violet Crown said:

I didn't catch that at all! I thought maybe that was just what they called Long Island back in the early 20th. Of course, when we read it in high school in Texas, most of us weren't all that clear where New York was in the first place. Why are these people acting this way? Is that what New Yorkers are like? Huh.

 

Long Island City is the part of Queens just across the river from Manhattan. Queens is part of the same land mass as Long Island, where Gatsby and the others all live, but Queens is part of NYC while Long Island is not.... 

When Fitzgerald wrote, the Queensboro Bridge between Queens and Manhattan was relatively new, which might be why he is so rhapsodic about it.

[Negin]

I read Thinner Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Female Body - 2 Stars - I am not the intended audience for this book. Nonetheless, I felt motivated when I started reading it. Of course, I’d love to be thinner, leaner, and stronger! Once he started going into detail about the diet, and how one must count every single calorie and gram of fat, protein, and whatever, my eyes started to glaze over. Nope, not happening. I also am not suited for workout books. I prefer DVDs and YouTube videos. Don’t get me wrong. The book had some interesting and helpful info which I’m sharing below. It’s not the book. It’s me.

“If a woman is overweight and starts weightlifting without addressing her diet and reducing her body fat percentage, what’s going to happen when she adds muscle? Yup—she’ll just look a little bigger.”

“The claims that certain forms of strength training will make ‘long, lean’ muscles like a dancer’s while others will result in ‘bulky, ugly’ muscles like a bodybuilder are bogus. Whether you do Pilates, yoga, or weight training to strengthen and build your muscles, their shape will come out the same, with the difference being that weight training will grow your muscles faster than Pilates or yoga.”

“Eat as frequently or infrequently as you like, because when you eat has little bearing on your ability to lose fat. Use meal timing as a tool to make your dieting as enjoyable and convenient as possible. This way, you can stick to your diet, which is what matters in the end. Now, if you’re wondering where to start—with more or fewer meals per day—I recommend that you eat several smaller meals per day (four to six meals per day works well).”

“Increasing or decreasing meal frequency doesn’t help or hinder weight loss or muscle growth. Eat on a schedule that works best for you.”

“… the next time you face a willpower challenge, deliberately slow your breathing down to about 10 to 15 seconds per breath, or four to six breaths per minute. An easy way to do this is to exhale through your mouth slowly and fully with your lips pursed as if you were blowing lightly through a straw.”

“A simple rule of thumb for putting this into use is to wait 10 minutes before acting on a craving or other impulsive urge to do something you know you shouldn’t. This not only gives you time to pause and reflect on the matter, but it also takes away the power of immediate gratification and future discounting. By pushing the reward just 10 minutes into the future, you can take away its most effective weapon against your willpower.”

The Wit & Wisdom of Winston Churchill - 5 Stars - Lovely little book of some of Churchill’s best quotes and anecdotes. Churchill was an amazing man. He wrote all his own speeches.

Here is my favorite anecdote:

“At a formal banquet in London, the attending dignitaries asked the question, ‘If you could not be who you are, who would you like to be?’ Naturally everyone was curious as to what Churchill, who was seated next to his beloved Clemmie, would say. Would Churchill say Julius Caesar or Napoleon? When it finally came Churchill’s turn, the old man, who was the dinner’s last respondent to the question, rose and give his answer.

‘If I could not be who I am, I would most like to be …’ and here he paused to take his wife’s hand, ‘Mrs. Churchill’s second husband.’”

Here's my review with all my favorite quotes. 

   

MY RATING SYSTEM

5 Stars

The book is fantastic. It’s not perfect, since no book is, but it’s definitely a favorite of mine.

4 Stars

Really Good

3 Stars

Enjoyable

2 Stars

Just Okay – nothing to write home about

1 Star

Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

[Kareni]

Today only, free for Kindle readers ~

Heart of the West: Stories by O. Henry

"America’s most popular short story writer saddles up and heads west in nineteen frontier-themed tales, including “The Caballero’s Way.”
 
Known for his surprise endings, O. Henry turns his attention to the American West in tales of lawmen and outlaws, cowboys and prairie princesses—running the gamut from laugh-out-loud humor to tear-jerking pathos."
 
“The most memorable stories from this collection are both a bit different from the rest. ‘The Sphinx Apple’ is the one story that does not seem pat or easy; here the last few paragraphs put a dead end to the fanciful flights of the rest of the story, and silences all the characters with delicate irony. ‘The Caballero’s Way’ is grand-opera tragedy, complete with love, betrayal, and revenge. . . . They are all written with wit, love, and that little bit of wisdom that makes you love the vagaries of humanity . . . even the most sentimental ones.” —Vintage Novels

 

ETA: Also free ~ The Demigod’s Legacy (Masters of Maria Book 1) by Holley Trent

Regards,

Kareni

[Violet Crown]

52 minutes ago, Little Green Leaves said:

 

Long Island City is the part of Queens just across the river from Manhattan. Queens is part of the same land mass as Long Island, where Gatsby and the others all live, but Queens is part of NYC while Long Island is not.... 

When Fitzgerald wrote, the Queensboro Bridge between Queens and Manhattan was relatively new, which might be why he is so rhapsodic about it.

We would have been well served in high school to have been given some sort of map. As it is, I constructed a hazy geography of a kind of suburban New York City, shaped somehow like a double egg, that featured at least one dock and several ash heaps.

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts, all from Reddit ~

Yes, I see that spelling error!:

Weird, bizarre, and meta books. What do you recomend from that sort of thing?

https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/iw0bba/weird_bizarre_and_meta_books_what_do_you_recomend/

 

Seeing as Covid-19 has pooped all over what was meant to be the best Halloween ever, I've decided to have a Halloween Readathon instead! May I have some recommendations, please?

https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/iu5jkb/seeing_as_covid19_has_pooped_all_over_what_was/

 

Funny detective or police series

https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/ivxnpr/funny_detective_or_police_series/

 

Please suggest to me some of your favorite memoirs/biographies!

https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/ivhcue/please_suggest_to_me_some_of_your_favorite/

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Liz CA]

Reading: Portrait of a Spy by Silva. I read the series as much in order as Overdrive would allow with making books available. This is one is a later book but the same players so not a problem. 

Operator by Gretchen Berg is still in the pipeline as well and I am trying to read this one fast but there is unfortunately only so much time for me.

Audio:  The Confessor also by Silva. 

[mumto2]

1 hour ago, Kareni said:

Seeing as Covid-19 has pooped all over what was meant to be the best Halloween ever, I've decided to have a Halloween Readathon instead! May I have some recommendations, please?

https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/iu5jkb/seeing_as_covid19_has_pooped_all_over_what_was/

I definitely need to start working on my October Spooky reads.  I already have American Demon and We Ride Upon Sticks (both in the reddit thread) already on hold but may not get them in October. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50215350-we-ride-upon-sticks?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=rhV8MJbMBM&rank=1 

The Witch of Willow Hall was also mentioned and is availiable.  It might just be my spooky read........https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37007910-the-witch-of-willow-hall?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=leJnhoS37t&rank=1

 

[Pen]

 

I Highly recommend: 

• 

[Kidlit]

This week I finished The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys in audiobook format.  It was a 5 star read/listen for me.  Sepetys writes mostly YA historical fiction, but I’ve loved everything by her I’ve read. This novel is set in Spain during Franco’s rule, but one of the main characters is an American whose mother is Spanish. I loved the sweet romance in this story, and I’m not really a fan of romance.  All in all, just a great story about a little known (to me) time and place in history.

 

I have a few more in the works, but that’s all I finished last week. 
 

Happy reading!

[Penguin]

I'll be focusing on two books this week:

FICTION:

Pirey (1980) by Petre M. Andreevski. This Macedonian novel is very engaging, and I look forward to picking it up each day.  The back cover describes it as "...one of the most celebrated novels of modern Macedonian literature. Set during the Balkan Wars, the First World War and the years soon after, the story follows the major political shifts in the Balkans at the end of the Ottoman Empire and their catastrophic impact on a Macedonian village and a married couple, Ion and Velika."

NON-FICTION

Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez. I need to read one chapter per day in order to finish it before the library takes back its digital copy. I appreciate the book, and find it enlightening. I keep reading snippets out to my husband. But I find reading it a chore. It is a constant stream of statistics, and I much preferred Biased: Uncovering the Secret Prejudice that Shapes What We See, Think, and Do by Jennifer Eberhardt. Biased mixed statistics with relevant personal story, and kept me more engaged. They are a good pairing, though. Invisible Women focuses more on things like product design, clinical trial design, and the appalling lack of gender-segregated data in nearly every sphere. Biased focuses more on the criminal justice system. 

 

[Matryoshka]

2 hours ago, Penguin said:

I'll be focusing on two books this week:

FICTION:

Pirey (1980) by Petre M. Andreevski. This Macedonian novel is very engaging, and I look forward to picking it up each day.  The back cover describes it as "...one of the most celebrated novels of modern Macedonian literature. Set during the Balkan Wars, the First World War and the years soon after, the story follows the major political shifts in the Balkans at the end of the Ottoman Empire and their catastrophic impact on a Macedonian village and a married couple, Ion and Velika."

NON-FICTION

Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez. I need to read one chapter per day in order to finish it before the library takes back its digital copy. I appreciate the book, and find it enlightening. I keep reading snippets out to my husband. But I find reading it a chore. It is a constant stream of statistics, and I much preferred Biased: Uncovering the Secret Prejudice that Shapes What We See, Think, and Do by Jennifer Eberhardt. Biased mixed statistics with relevant personal story, and kept me more engaged. They are a good pairing, though. Invisible Women focuses more on things like product design, clinical trial design, and the appalling lack of gender-segregated data in nearly every sphere. Biased focuses more on the criminal justice system. 

 

Thanks for the Macedonian reading suggestion, didn't have a book for Macedonia on my RtW challenge yet! 🤓

I listened to the audio of Invisible Women, read by the author, and I highly recommend that form of consumption to anyone who's interested in the book.  I found it quite engaging (as well as enlightening) and the stream of stats seemed transparent, and its likely because it was more like just listening to someone tell you about these things.

[Kareni]

Today only, free for Kindle readers ~

Roughing It by Mark Twain

"The Wild West as Mark Twain lived it

In 1861, Mark Twain joined his older brother Orion, the newly appointed secretary of the Nevada Territory, on a stagecoach journey from Missouri to Carson City, Nevada. Planning to be gone for three months, Twain spent the next “six or seven years” exploring the great American frontier, from the monumental vistas of the Rocky Mountains to the lush landscapes of Hawaii. Along the way, he made and lost a theoretical fortune, danced like a kangaroo in the finest hotels of San Francisco, and came to terms with freezing to death in a snow bank—only to discover, in the light of morning, that he was fifteen steps from a comfortable inn.
 
As a record of the “variegated vagabondizing” that characterized his early years—before he became a national treasure—Roughing It is an indispensable chapter in the biography of Mark Twain. It is also, a century and a half after it was first published, both a fascinating history of the American West and a laugh-out-loud good time."

Regards,

Kareni

[Little Green Leaves]

21 hours ago, Violet Crown said:

We would have been well served in high school to have been given some sort of map. As it is, I constructed a hazy geography of a kind of suburban New York City, shaped somehow like a double egg, that featured at least one dock and several ash 

It's strange to realize that we (NYC kids) didnt read a single book set in Texas all the way through high school. And I think most of what we read was set in the north east, unless it was British. I'm sure we missed out on a lot. I'd love to know what kids read in other parts of the country. 

[Violet Crown]

4 hours ago, Little Green Leaves said:

It's strange to realize that we (NYC kids) didnt read a single book set in Texas all the way through high school. And I think most of what we read was set in the north east, unless it was British. I'm sure we missed out on a lot. I'd love to know what kids read in other parts of the country. 

There's not a lot of Texas literature. That's why we all idolize Larry McMurtry. Mostly we were given the same books off the AP lists that everyone else had to read. Mostly Yankees and Californians. 🙂

Edited September 21, 2020 by Violet Crown
removing judge-y non-sequitur

[Pen]

 

I borrowed “How to be an Anti-racist” which has color in a sense. 

 

Indigo Slam

and 

Leave the Grave Green

 from series I was reading

 

Fall colors on cover:

[mumto2]

5 hours ago, Pen said:

 

I borrowed “How to be an Anti-racist” which has color in a sense. 

 

Indigo Slam

and 

Leave the Grave Green

 from series I was reading

 

Fall colors on cover:

Burning Ridge is the book I am currently trying to finish! 😂

[mumto2]

Just now, mumto2 said:

Nm

Edited September 22, 2020 by mumto2

[Little Green Leaves]

15 hours ago, Violet Crown said:

There's not a lot of Texas literature. That's why we all idolize Larry McMurtry. Mostly we were given the same books off the AP lists that everyone else had to read. Mostly Yankees and Californians. 🙂

Thinking it over, I wish that our high school English classes had been more about analysis ( I don't mean identifying symbols, I mean looking at how the book works) rather than about personal response to the literature. I think actually that approach would make it easier to read more broadly.

I've only read The Last Picture Show by McMurtry. Which I can see would be hard to teach to a class of high school kids...

 

[Kareni]

Today only, free for Kindle readers ~

The Captain of the Pole-Star: And Other Stories by Arthur Conan Doyle

"The master of classic crime fiction and creator of Sherlock Holmes explores the weird and supernatural in this collection of mysterious tales.

Arthur Conan Doyle is best known for his stories featuring Sherlock Holmes, the sharp detective who tracks down brilliant criminals through his devotion to logic and reason. But in The Captain of the Pole-Star and Other Stories, Doyle sets his sights beyond the bounds of reason and ventures into the shadowy realm of the unexplained.

This collection ranges from fantasy to horror, peculiar fairy tales to high seas adventures. In the title story, the intrepid captain of a whaling ship navigates his way into dangerous ice floes—only to face an unsettling apparition in the distance that will change the lives of everyone aboard."

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I'm participating in a challenge on another site. This week we were asked to read something from the past or future.

Ten thousand years ago, 'the earth went dark' and people from its colonies went in search of a new home. After three thousand years, they settled on Albion. Some things are familiar - politicians and the military, inches and feet, death (TW for so much) and taxes, Latin in religious ceremonies, homophobia, and size 13 shoes, but much is different - primarily the Maess with whom Albion has been at war for over a hundred years.

Gyrfalcon (Taking Shield book 1) by Anna Butler -

(FREE for Kindle readers) I first read this futuristic military science fiction in the 2018 challenge.

Shield Captain Bennet is in an open and tense relationship with his partner, Joss, who is unhappy with his frequent absences. While on assignment, Bennet meets Flynn (a pilot), and they connect on many levels. It’s clear that their relationship will develop as the series progresses.

Heart Scarab -I was impressed at the author's ability to make me care for a character who I'd found unsympathetic in book one. This book had me pondering the difficulties of caring for someone with a dangerous profession and considering how relationships can change with time. It made me cry but left me eager to read on.

Makepeace -this book, set several years after the first, revolves around Bennet's mission to the planet Makepeace in Maess space.

The Chains Of Their Sins -this book deals with the ugly aftereffects of the Makepeace mission. Bennet and Flynn are on the same ship but not together due to regulations. This was another book that had me crying.

Day of Wrath - the final book in the series went somewhere that I never expected.

This was an excellent series, and I'm glad the challenge had me read it. I recommend it highly to those who might like military science fiction with a side of romance. (Adult content)
 

Regards,

Kareni

[aggieamy]

On 9/20/2020 at 12:06 PM, Violet Crown said:

Still reading Henry James's The Ambassadors. And soon need to read The Great Gatsby together with Middle Girl -- better late than never. So a convenient time to throw Robin's challenge onto the book pile! I wonder if I can get Evelyn Waugh's Decline and Fall read quick?

 

Super interested to hear your opinions on Gatsby as an adult rereading it ... Will this be your first reread since high school?

On 9/20/2020 at 2:15 PM, Negin said:

 

The Wit & Wisdom of Winston Churchill - 5 Stars - Lovely little book of some of Churchill’s best quotes and anecdotes. Churchill was an amazing man. He wrote all his own speeches.

Here is my favorite anecdote:

“At a formal banquet in London, the attending dignitaries asked the question, ‘If you could not be who you are, who would you like to be?’ Naturally everyone was curious as to what Churchill, who was seated next to his beloved Clemmie, would say. Would Churchill say Julius Caesar or Napoleon? When it finally came Churchill’s turn, the old man, who was the dinner’s last respondent to the question, rose and give his answer.

‘If I could not be who I am, I would most like to be …’ and here he paused to take his wife’s hand, ‘Mrs. Churchill’s second husband.’”

Here's my review with all my favorite quotes. 

 

I think it might be one of those days because I read this quote and got all teary eyed. Whew. I'm going to need more coffee!

On 9/20/2020 at 2:42 PM, Kareni said:

 

Funny detective or police series

https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/ivxnpr/funny_detective_or_police_series/

 

Great link. Thanks!

[aggieamy]

On 9/20/2020 at 1:06 PM, mumto2 said:

I have the next Lane Winslow Mystery ready to read sometime soon and will probably  consider it my Fall challenge as COLD is in the title.  An Old, Cold Grave https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34696033-an-old-cold-grave?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=9AMb0oaSBM&rank=2.    @aggieamyHave you had a chance to read the first one in this series?

 

Reading the first one now ... standby for report in the next day or two depending on how life goes. 🙂

[Junie]

I finally finished another book.  This one was so much fun!

[Penguin]

We talked about Banned Books Week not too long ago. Well, it is next week!

Banned Books Week 2020: September 27th through October 3rd. Sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA), it is "an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. It brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular."

In honor of Banned Books Week, I am going to read the middle grades novel George by Alex Gino. The ALA calls it the most challenged book of both 2018 and 2019. "When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl."

[Violet Crown]

4 hours ago, aggieamy said:

Super interested to hear your opinions on Gatsby as an adult rereading it ... Will this be your first reread since high school?

No, I've taught it before.

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts ~

Let’s Celebrate Tolkien Week (By Force of Hobbit)!

How Much Alcohol Does it Take to Get a Hobbit Drunk? by Emmet Asher-Perrin

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Today only, free for Kindle readers ~

Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Into Deep Waters by Kaje Harper -- (FREE for Kindle readers) was a lovely tale of Jacob and Daniel beginning in world war 2, when they meet while serving in the Navy, and following their life together for some sixty years. (Adult content)

"For Jacob and Daniel, two young gay men aboard a Navy ship in WWII, the risks were high. Not just the risks of injury and death from Japanese planes and submarines, but the risk of discovery, of discharge, imprisonment or worse. Only a special kind of love was worth taking that chance. But from the moment Daniel met Jacob's eyes across a battle-scarred deck, he knew he had to try.

Being together required figuring out what it meant to be gay and in love with another man, in an era when they could be jailed or committed for admitting the desires of their hearts. On a ship at war, their relationship was measured in stolen moments and rare days of precious leave, with no guarantees there would be a tomorrow. And if they survived the war, they would need even more luck to keep their love alive through all the years to come."

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

36 minutes ago, Æthelthryth the Stormy said:

I read this one last year. I couldn't stick with Matthews plan long term. Waaaaay too much time and effort for me at this life stage, but I still do like listening to him on his podcast sometimes. I will say though that his men's plan as well as his supplement line worked really well for dh. I just can't really be that into weight lifting and macros, lol, to rotate so much around it. 

I am in the final stretch of The Evening and the Morning (Kingsbridge #4). Again, not wanting it to end, and it's been a super fast read. I have no idea what I'm going to read next now. I am not ready to leave Kingsbridge and Uhtred is still weeks away. 

Going to throw another favorite historical series out there as an idea for your next book.......Matthew Shardlake,  my favorite hunchback lawyer  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/138685.Dissolution?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=pkgx1cu0No&rank=1.  I love this series.  If you are in the mood to immerse yourself in odd bits of Tudor history this is the series for you........start with Dissolution.

 

[Kareni]

Currently free for Kindle readers ~

Always With Me (Whisper Lake Book 1) by Barbara Freethy

Feel The Heat (Rockford Fire Department Book 1) by Kathryn Shay

Run to You: A 100 Series Standalone Romance Lara Adrian

Heart of Dust (Death's Embrace Book 1)

Maverick Gambit (Maverick Series Book 1) Wanderer's Odyssey - Books 1 to 3: The Epic Space Opera Series Begins

Regards,
Kareni

[Junie]

I just finished reading Night by Elie Wiesel.

I knew nothing about this going in other than a vague idea from somewhere that it was "violent".

I didn't know that it was about the Holocaust.  I didn't know that it was a true story.

I didn't know that my heart would break for a teenage boy who was forced to face horrors that no one should ever have to face.

 

[Violet Crown]

Night is indeed powerful. However it's quietly admitted to be quasi-fictional.

ETA: One wants to tread carefully here, so as to avoid giving aid and comfort to people of ill intent. But I read Night at a young age and was haunted for years by a particularly dreadful passage, one that it turns out Wiesel almost certainly invented. With all due sympathy, I believe it was irresponsible of him to allow his novel -- even if greatly informed by his personal experiences -- to be presented as autobiography.

Edited September 24, 2020 by Violet Crown

[Kareni]

Slippery Creatures  (The Will Darling Adventures Book 1) by KJ Charles -

- was set in London after the Great War featuring a bookseller, Will Darling, and Kim Secretan, a well-to -do young man. There are thugs, spies, various weapons, lies, many books, and a mystery. There is danger that didn't feel too real to me. I enjoyed this and look forward to reading on in the series. (Adult content)

"Will Darling came back from the Great War with a few scars, a lot of medals, and no idea what to do next. Inheriting his uncle’s chaotic second-hand bookshop is a blessing...until strange visitors start making threats. First a criminal gang, then the War Office, both telling Will to give them the information they want, or else.

Will has no idea what that information is, and nobody to turn to, until Kim Secretan—charming, cultured, oddly attractive—steps in to offer help. As Kim and Will try to find answers and outrun trouble, mutual desire grows along with the danger.

And then Will discovers the truth about Kim. His identity, his past, his real intentions. Enraged and betrayed, Will never wants to see him again.

But Will possesses knowledge that could cost thousands of lives. Enemies are closing in on him from all sides—and Kim is the only man who can help."

Regards,

Kareni

[Junie]

2 hours ago, Violet Crown said:

Night is indeed powerful. However it's quietly admitted to be quasi-fictional.

ETA: One wants to tread carefully here, so as to avoid giving aid and comfort to people of ill intent. But I read Night at a young age and was haunted for years by a particularly dreadful passage, one that it turns out Wiesel almost certainly invented. With all due sympathy, I believe it was irresponsible of him to allow his novel -- even if greatly informed by his personal experiences -- to be presented as autobiography.

I saw (after I read the book) that there is an edition that was updated by his wife and "corrects important details" according to the synopsis on goodreads.  I wonder if those passages were taken out.

[Robin M]

My body clock has decided its time to be a morning lark once again. Which has its advantages because I get more writing done in the quiet hours before the guys get up. Funny thing. James and I trade off. There are periods of time he is getting up at 5:30, while I sleep in. We seem to be on alternating schedules. LOL.

The cats are confused. One of them usually wakes me up to go out around this time. Now I'm the one waking them up. What you don't want to go out? Nope, I want to be feed. Sorry, charlie, too early. Extra feedings means extra pounds. Off Gracie goes to pout. Of course this means I want to take a two hour nap in the afternoon which I can't on my work days. Powering through. Hello Pepsi, you are my friend today.

Fell asleep on the couch last night while rubbing hubby's feet. Usually its the other way around. Honey, wake up, time to go to bed. I even fell asleep in the middle of Saturday's movie night watching Gamera. It ain't Toho that's for sure. Horrible B movies. I think it was in self defense.

At least I didn't zonk out this afternoon and I would have been here sooner but I got distracted by Quill's thread and that's a book in itself, fascinating,  but time consuming.  LOL!

I've started The Gathering Storm which is the first WOT book that Brandon Sanderson took over. I like his writing so far.  It's a chunkster at over 1000 pages so it will take me a while.  

I finished Seanan McGuire's A Killing Frost, #14 and the latest in her October Daye series.  So good! Learned much more about the characters. 

"When October is informed that Simon Torquill—legally her father, due to Faerie's archaic marriage traditions—must be invited to her wedding or risk the ceremony throwing the Kingdom in the Mists into political turmoil, she finds herself setting out on a quest she was not yet prepared to undertake for the sake of her future.... and the man who represents her family's past"

[Robin M]

On 9/20/2020 at 11:06 AM, mumto2 said:

I thought Nora Roberts(JD Robb’s) latest Shadows in Death was excellent.  I loved learning more about Raurke’s history.  I also loved the little shows of genuine affection between Sommerset and Eve.  The format was interesting as the murder was solved and wrapped up so early in the book.  The one disappointment was Mavis was only mentioned once.....I ❤️Mavis!

Yes to all of this.  Thoroughly enjoyed it.

On 9/20/2020 at 1:59 PM, Dreamergal said:

Thanks Robin for the mini challenge. Your choose books by the cover sent me down a road to discover new books, so I will probably do all of it

Love all the covers you shared. 

 

On 9/20/2020 at 7:48 PM, hopeistheword said:

This week I finished The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys in audiobook format.  It was a 5 star read/listen for me.  Sepetys writes mostly YA historical fiction, but I’ve loved everything by her I’ve read. This novel is set in Spain during Franco’s rule, but one of the main characters is an American whose mother is Spanish. I loved the sweet romance in this story, and I’m not really a fan of romance.  All in all, just a great story about a little known (to me) time and place in history.

 

Sounds interesting. I'll have to check it out.

 

On 9/21/2020 at 3:45 PM, Pen said:

Fall colors on cover:

Pretty! 

 

On 9/22/2020 at 12:04 PM, Penguin said:

We talked about Banned Books Week not too long ago. Well, it is next week!

Yes, I'll be highlighting it on the next thread. Trying to decide if what to read. 

 

On 9/23/2020 at 1:52 PM, Æthelthryth the Stormy said:

I finished!  Four one-thousand page books in a row throw a wrench in the book count! 

Congratulations and way to go.  We have a couple of his books on our shelves. Maybe next year.

 

6 hours ago, Violet Crown said:

Night is indeed powerful. However it's quietly admitted to be quasi-fictional.

This is what put me off of reading the rest of his books even though I have Day and Dawn.  It was powerful but The Boy on the Wooden Box was much more so and I appreciated it more. Very poignant. 

[Robin M]

Web Wanderings:

Bilbo Baggins Is the Ultimate Icon of Self-Care

10 Book Club Books We Recommend Leafing Through This Fall

David Baldacci’s Memory Man Books in Order

Six 2020 Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books and Audiobooks to Read Before the Year Ends

The Art VS the Artist

RIP:  'Guess How Much I Love You' Author Sam McBratney Dies At 77  One of our favorite books to read when James was little.

 

[Kareni]

This afternoon I reread three children's books that were family favorites when my daughter was young. It was fun to revisit them!

George and Martha, George and Martha Encore, and 

George and Martha Round and Round all by James Marshall

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Free for Kindle readers ~

Stone Devil Duke: A Hold Your Breath Novel

Save the City (Save the Humans Book 1)

The Downside of Dachshunds (The Love & Pets Romantic Comedy Series Book 3) by A.G. Henley 

The Earl Behind the Mask: A Clean & Sweet Regency Historical Romance - Abby Ayles

Regards,

Kareni

[Laurel-in-CA]

@Negin - I am a bit late getting back on the topic of Iran, but that information about # of expats certainly rings true. My dad was there for a year on his own, more or less, and then my mom and younger sister joined him for about 6 months before their sudden return. Most of their friends there were expats, and my dad especially liked the Brits they met. They left the 20-something "kid" crew in charge of their house (brave!) and then when they returned w/24 hours notice AND my mom was ill, well, it was a bit of a fire drill!

I harvested basil today, so much to cut that I had to wrap it in a bath towel to bring it in, then rinse it all thoroughly to remove the last remnants of smoke and ash from the fires. We can't make actual pesto due to oldest dd's allergies, so we are going to try something with white beans in lieu of nuts. The recipe dd wants to try is a strawberry basil cocktail....I wish.

I have been on a John Ringo kick...military SF stuff, the latest series with a so-called zombie plague, eerily reminiscent of early pandemic fears. And my husband wonders why I know so much about weapons, LOL! I like the books he writes himself much better than the ones that are sharing his "world" with other co-creators. Next, I am reading a couple of Liaden books in anticipation of the release of the new book, Trader's Leap by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller.

Thanks to all the language discussions, I just ordered a new testament in French/English...that will be SUCH a stretch since I haven't used the language much since I lived on a "French-only" dorm in college. But sil is French Canadian and she and  my bro are now living in Montreal. Maybe I can use the enticement of visiting them to keep me reading!

You guys help me keep my brain awake! In between way-too-many resume submissions -- dh and I are tracking our resume # in a bit of a competition. Gotta do something to keep the months of job-hunting from dragging.

[LaughingCat]

Just finished "A Memory of Empire" which was very good,  It also won the Hugo Award for Best Novel (which is not always a recommendation for my personal reading tastes 😄 )

Read The Great Gatsby last year with older DD for my first time -- must admit I was not all that impressed.  Yet another depressing classic.

And read Night with older DD when she was in middle school for a class she took -- I also had little idea what it was going to be about and it is NOT a book I would have picked for middle schoolers.  Then she had to read it again last year in High School   (although she likes reading books a 2nd time for a class due to her dyslexia -- even when she doesn't like the book itself)

 

[Little Green Leaves]

I am still reading Le Pere Goriot and I won't be done with it for a while, probably. My French is not what it should be. I found an English translation of the book, free online, and  I look at it pretty often just to back myself up and to make sure that I'm not missing anything. I think the translator also tried to simplify the book a little bit -- they added paragraph breaks and spelled out the action here and there ("he took a vacation" as opposed to "during his vacation"). 

It's kind of a pleasure to read slowly like this. I feel silly saying that I love the writing, since I'm obviously missing a lot of it, but still, I really love the writing.

[Kareni]

Today only, free for Kindle readers ~

Anton Chekhov's The Bet: And Other Stories

"A classic collection of tales by the acclaimed Russian playwright and author universally recognized as a master of the modern short story.

In “The Bet,” partygoers strike up a debate regarding the humanity of capital punishment versus life imprisonment, which causes a two-million-ruble wager to be struck between a lawyer and a banker. The lawyer, arguing in favor of life imprisonment, agrees to spend fifteen years in total isolation in a guest room on the banker’s property. Granted only basic necessities, he staves off loneliness and depression by reading, studying, playing piano, and drinking wine. Meanwhile, the banker experiences the follies of fortune, leading him to a desperate and dastardly decision . . .
 
Other stories in this volume include “A Tedious Story,” “The Fit,” “Misfortune,” “After the Theatre,” “That Wretched Boy,” “Enemies,” “A Trifling Occurrence,” “A Gentleman Friend,” “Overwhelming Sensations,” “Expensive Lessons,” “A Living Calendar,” and “Old Age.”"

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

34 minutes ago, Dreamergal said:

In other news, still climbing Mt. I-have-foolishly-chosen-to-read-too-many-books-at-one-go with no end in sight 😫

It's nice to have company! I am climbing nearby.

Regards,

Kareni