Book a Week 2020 - BW39: Banned Book Week - Freedom to Read

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday, my lovelies. This week we celebrate the freedom to read. Beginning in 210bc with Chinese emperor Shih Huang Ti through to the present, books have been challenged, outright banned and even burned for the thoughts and ideas written in their pages.  Challengers have many reasons, afraid their children will be exposed to differences they choose not to acknowledge, afraid they will be exposed to people or language or ideas they don't agree with. 

 The fear of words, ones that teach and reach right into your very soul and expose you to new ideas as well as old, is a powerful thing. Letters on a page. One word, two, a sentence, a paragraph, one building upon another, to a book full of words that motivate, illuminate, educate, and open our eyes, our minds, our hearts and souls to different people, cultures, and worlds, both real and imaginary.  Books that lift us up, fill us with joy as well as sorrow and  teach us to analyze, debate and think about what if.   

Banned Books Week was created in 1982 by the American Library Association Office of Intellectual Freedom, in response to challenges and requests to ban books from libraries and bookstores due to their content.  Eight out of the top ten most challenged books for 2019 were for LGBTQIA+ content. The last two, the Harry Potter series for exposing children to magic and witchcraft and nefarious characters, and The Handmaid's Tale for vulgarity and sexual overtones.  Every year, the ALA receives complaints and requests to remove classic books from the library and/or the curriculum. 

 

How Banning Books Marginalizes Children

 Why Your Kid Should Read Banned Books

Parental fear and cultural erasure: The logic behind banning books.

California School District considers ban on classic books.

Who Should Decide What Books Are Allowed In Prison?

Kuwait relaxes book censorship laws after banning thousands of titles

Editorial on Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board Banning books part I and Part II

Around the globe - A Map of Forbidden Books in 2019 

 Access a database of 70,000 books banned around the world going back to 1575

Celebrate your freedom to read a banned or challenged book this week! 

 

 Link to week 38  

 

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]

I perused my shelves, both physical and electronic and realized I have quite a few challenged books.  I thought about Harry Potter again.  James and I have been watching youtuber Harry Potter Theory which expands upon the books and makes me want to read them again. Decided a reread of the whole series may be in order which is something for next year.  I'm drawn to Pullman's Golden Compass and well as Card's Enders Game.  Grapes of Wrath can wait until next year too.

In the midst of Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson's  fantasy series The Gathering Storm  and the latest book in the Roxanne St. Claire's contemporary romance Dogmother series, Man's Best Friend.   

[Kareni]

Some currently free genre books for Kindle readers ~

Scorch Road (Scorch Series Romance Thriller Book 1)

Deadline (Blood Trails Book 1)

The Amplifier Protocol (Amplifier Series - Book 0)

Southern Spirits (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries Book 1)

Murder on the Sugarland Express (Southern Ghost Hunter Book 6)

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts ~

Once a Bookseller, Always a Bookseller by Garth Nix

https://www.tor.com/2020/09/21/garth-nix-once-a-bookseller-always-a-bookseller/

Five Asian SFF Authors Who Write About Asia

https://www.tor.com/2020/09/17/five-asian-sff-authors-who-write-about-asia/

The Cats of Science Fiction and Fantasy

https://thewertzone.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-cats-of-science-fiction-and-fantasy.html

FIVE CRIME AND MYSTERY NOVELS FEATURING DEAF CHARACTERS

https://crimereads.com/five-crime-and-mystery-novels-featuring-deaf-characters/

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

Robin, Thanks for the thread and all the links!

I have been busy sewing again so listening more than reading.  I finished another Psy Changling on audio which are currently my go to when I am waiting for hold’s. I started the second in the Locke Lamora series which is over 25 hours long........Red Seas Under Red Skies https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40604556-red-seas-under-red-skies     has a slow start and now that I know what happens to Locke next I am questioning the 25 hours spent listening to that book (even the 13 hours at 2x speed).   
 

 I am almost done with the latest in a favorite series by Tasha Alexander on audio.  I am reading In the Shadow of Vesuvius https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43263432-in-the-shadow-of-vesuvius on audio because that is the only way it is availiable.......I am not fond of the narration on this one.  This installment takes Lady Emily and her entourage to Pompeii where a murder occurs.  I am enjoying the setting and it seems to be an easy listening book for crafting which is a plus. 

I just finished Voodoo River (Thank you @Pen) and overall liked the book.  I plan to continue reading through the series for now at least until I reach The Promise and Maggie the awesome K9 reappears.  On a side note, I have been reading so many “dog” books that the recommendation algorithm is now giving me books with dogs on the cover!😂

I also finished An Old, Cold Grave https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34696033-an-old-cold-grave which was the third in the Lane Winslow series.  I wasn’t as interested in the bit of history highlighted in this particular mystery and that probably affected my love of this particular book....which was simply better than average.  Looking forward to the 4th in the series. 

I have no idea what is next beyond the fact that Overdrive will be taking the next Timber Creek K9 book away if I don’t read it soon!

Edited September 27, 2020 by mumto2

[Negin]

I read The Estrogen Fix : The Breakthrough Guide to Being Healthy, Energized, and Hormonally Balanced - 4 Stars - 

This book had lots of helpful information. I wish that I had known about it sooner. I’m still in a state of shock and disappointment that the small island that I live on doesn’t even cater to menopause. The basic, extremely basic care that ob-gyns do, is focused primarily on pregnancy. After that, you’re on your own. I shouldn’t be surprised. The overall health care here is appalling.

As mentioned in another menopause book review, I highly recommend watching Menopause Taylor’s videos. Her videos need to be watched in order. If you don’t have time to watch them all, she also offers consultations. She has a book as well, which I plan on ordering soon.

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

The health risks of falling estrogen levels

“Falling estrogen levels also increase a woman’s risk of heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and other cognitive issues, and osteoporosis and resulting bone fractures. These dangerous conditions come with the risk of two unpleasant side effects: lower quality of life and premature death.”

“Heart disease—not breast or any other cancer—is the number-one killer of women over age 65 and the second leading cause of death among women aged 45 to 64. Women account for 52 percent of the 80 million Americans who have heart disease and who die from heart disease and heart attacks.”

“Estrogen is believed to play a role in keeping calcium deposits from building up in arteries, which may explain why the rate of heart attacks increases in women 10 years after menopause.”

“After menopause, especially after early menopause, lowered estrogen levels translate into a lower and less-oxygen-rich blood supply to the brain, and as you can imagine, this can have some pretty serious side effects, including an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Yet you can create an estrogen fix and reduce this risk back to normal by taking supplemental estrogen during your estrogen window.”

“Menopausal women have three times the number of falls as men of a comparable age. Taking estrogen decreased the risk of falling by up to 60 percent over a group of women who didn’t take it, according to one study. Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries among aging adults. Combine this with lower estrogen levels and its contribution to osteoporosis and you begin to understand why the benefits of estrogen on both balance and reaction time in the brain are so important.”

“Without estrogen women tend to have greater muscle loss, larger amounts of fat, thinner bones, and weight gain with aging, it’s clear that unless women eat healthfully, exercise, and possibly use estrogen, the end result is overweight women with sarcopenic obesity. You cannot sit this one out.”

The Estrogen Window

“In general, the estrogen window is a decade-long time frame between the ages of 50 and 60, or 10 years from the time of menopause.”

“It’s not your age but rather how many years since you went through menopause that determines whether estrogen will be protective or harmful. The longer you go without estrogen, the more plaque there will be in your arteries and the greater the risk of heart attack and blood clots. Starting estrogen close to the time of menopause results in fewer deaths from heart disease.”

“My findings show that women who take estrogen for at least 5 years within their estrogen window benefit from long-term reduced risk of heart disease and heart failure, with no additional risk of blood clots. It’s important to remember that these excellent results only happen when women take the hormone for an appropriate length of time and during their estrogen window.”

“A study found that women who took estrogen within 5 years of menopause (a finding that dovetails neatly with The Estrogen Fix) had a 30 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s. On the other hand, women who waited and took estrogen at age 65 or later, once their estrogen window had passed, had a 70 percent greater risk of developing the disease. So once again, timing really is everything when it comes to estrogen replacement and the long-term health of your brain and cognitive functioning.”

Options

“Bioidentical is not a scientific term. Dr. Wulf Utian, founder of the North American Menopause Society, advocates that the correct term should be compounded hormone therapy (C-HT) if it is provided from a compounded pharmacy and government-approved hormone therapy if it is FDA approved from a traditional pharmacy. C-HT is not FDA approved.”

“Transdermal patch: … the transdermal approach has lower risk of blood clots. Bioidentical creams, gels, or pellets can also be used for the same reasons, though they are much less studied. Taking oral conjugated estrogen at dosages of ≤ 0.45 milligram or estradiol at dosages of ≤ 1 milligram may also lower the risk of blood clots.”

Estrone and Obesity

“Too much estrone is also a major reason why women who are significantly overweight have a higher risk of uterine cancer—three times higher if they are 25 to 50 pounds overweight and nine times higher if they are more than 50 pounds overweight. At the opposite extreme, women who are too thin and who have too little fat on their bodies may stop having periods altogether because their bodies don’t produce enough estrogen. Estradiol is the major estrogen produced by the ovaries before menopause. It is also the most potent—12 times more than estrone and 80 times more than estriol. After menopause, estradiol levels drop by as much as 90 percent because almost all of it comes from the ovaries, and they stop making it. Estrone levels drop by as much as one-third as the ovaries stop making it. But estrone does continue to be made in the body’s fat tissue, and obese women (more than 20 percent over ideal body weight) can make up to 40 percent more estrone than non-obese women. Other organs, including the brain, muscles, lungs, skin, and bone marrow can also convert androgens (male hormones) into estrone.”

Bone Density Tests

“Some doctors recommend waiting until age 60 to 65 to get a bone density test, but I strongly disagree. By then the horse is out of the gate, and it’s too late to take measures to prevent the problem. I tell most of my patients to get a baseline bone density test at age 50 and then have a second one 1 or 2 years later to see if any more bone has been lost in that amount of time. It takes two dots to make a line and see if it is angled up (bone more dense), down (bone loss), or level (no change). If there is bone loss during those 12 to 24 months, then a density test should be done every year. If there is no bone loss, then bone density tests can typically be done every 5 years. Women who at are high risk of osteoporosis (smokers, those with a family history of fractures and osteoporosis, and those who take steroid, thyroid, and other medications that can contribute to bone loss) should have their first bone density test at age 40 and every year after. If bone thinning is found early, it can be treated and bone fractures can be prevented.”

Falling

“If you have less core strength, it’s harder to avoid falling. If your arms and legs aren’t as strong as they once were, it’s harder to get up when you do fall. The things that once seemed so easy—lifting children, now grandchildren, or carrying grocery bags—are more difficult and challenging than they were. My friend and colleague Suzanne Andrews, star of the PBS TV show Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews, tells me that an increasing number of women, as they age, are losing their core strength and compromising their ability to remain independent and vibrant. Menopause and estrogen have a lot to do with sarcopenia and the loss of core strength associated with aging. The good news is that it is preventable.”

Weight Gain

“Not exercising and not taking estrogen cause muscle loss and increase fat, making you weaker and heavier. Exercise alone definitely helps prevent this. EPT alone helps prevent it even more, and combining the two keeps you leaner and stronger for longer. That’s another important estrogen fix. I don’t want you to think you must take estrogen to control your belly fat. You can still make an impact by eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly.”

I also read Lady Rose and Mrs. Menmary - 4 Stars - This book, although quite dated, has a charming fairy-tale quality about it. Someone else mentioned that reading it felt like watching an old black and white movie. That sums it up perfectly.

The story takes place in Scotland during the Victorian years. I have always had a place in my heart for Scotland, although I have yet to visit there. The book has been described as a love letter to Scotland.

The protagonist, Lady Rose, is a delight. She loves life and all that it has to offer. Although the story has a dreamy, magical quality about it, we soon see the constraints that were placed upon women, especially women of a higher class, during that time. Although I didn’t care too much for some parts of the ending, which I predicted fairly early on, I am so happy that I read it. Finally, I do want to add that my used copy from the 1950’s smells wonderful. I love smelling books, new books, old books, anything really!

Here are my favorite quotes:

“I’m terrified of children. I never know what to do with them. You can’t scruff them up like puppies and admire their ears and teeth; and if you talk to them like intelligent human beings they only greet you with most disconcerting stares.”

“In our day … there was such a thing as noblesse oblige. People had respect for tradition. People of position would rather have died than reveal to the common public that there was anything wrong in their domestic relations. The way that titled people, even those of old families, today are not ashamed to appear in the divorce court is scandalous; it is the end of breeding and nobility. When I was young there were great ladies, today there are none.”

   

 

 

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.

[Pen]

 

16 minutes ago, mumto2 said:

I just finished Voodoo River (Thank you @Pen) and overall liked the book.  I plan to continue reading through the series for now at least until I reach The Promise and Maggie the awesome K9 reappears.  On a side note, I have been reading so many “dog” books that the recommendation algorithm is now giving me books with dogs on the cover!😂

 

If you come to more good “dog” books please tag me and let me know!

I had a book of dog short stories, some of which I didn’t like, but others were wonderful.  Though also some were quite sad which even if wonderful I don’t want sad currently. 

 

[Kareni]

For a limited time:  A FREE picture book for children; this is for Kindle readers ~

Candlewick Press is pleased to be providing the e-book of Rain Before Rainbows free for a limited time in order to raise awareness for Save the Children’s work in bringing resources to the most vulnerable children in rural America, now so disproportionally affected by coronavirus-related school closures.

In this heartfelt story about courage, change, and moving on, a girl and her companion fox travel together away from a sorrowful past, through challenging and stormy times, toward color and light and life. Along the way they find friends to guide and support them, and when the new day dawns, it is full of promise. With gorgeous, richly realized illustrations and immense hope at its heart, Rain Before Rainbows holds out a ray of sunshine for anyone looking for light.

Rain Before Rainbows by Smriti Prasadam-Halls with illustrations by David Litchfield

Regards,

Kareni

[Kidlit]

I hoped to have two books to add to my “read” list this week, but alas, unless I sit and read for a while this afternoon, it will only be one.  It is Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep. I listened to it via audiobook, and I found it very compelling, almost suspenseful.  The first 2/3 (?) of the book is about a famous rash of murders that took place in Alabama in the 1970s.  The last 1/3 focuses on Harper Lee and how she intended to write a book about the whole confounding situation.  There’s a lot to this work of nonfiction, and I was quite involved in the whole thing, from beginning to end.  (I note this because a friend tried to listen to it but got lost in the political stuff, but it wasn’t too much for me.). My only complaint is that the narrator didn’t do justice to some Alabama place-names, but as a native Alabamian (Alabaman?), I’ll give her a pass as some of the place names’ pronunciations make no sense. 🤣. 4.5/5 stars, and it makes me want to give In Cold Blood by Truman Capote a try. 

[Little Green Leaves]

I just googled "banned books" and found that Maurice Sendak's "In the Night Kitchen" was banned by various library systems, apparently because of the little boy being naked in one scene. That was one of my kids' favorite picture books.

I've finished no books this week. Still reading Le Pere Goriot, very slowly but with a lot of delight. I started reading Robinson Crusoe to my kids, which is really refreshing. I had gotten used to hearing it described as a book about capitalism, which may well be true, but reading it with kids makes me realize that it's also a book about adventure, danger, dealing with emotions, and so much more.

Edited September 27, 2020 by Little Green Leaves

[Violet Crown]

Still working on The Ambassadors. And Gatsby still on my must-read-now plate, together with Swift's A Modest Proposal. I sneaked in a re-read of Thomas Day's 1990 classic (in certain circles) Why Catholics Can't Sing, which I last read when it came out and was raising eyebrows by saying the things that everybody thought but wasn't saying. 

From last week: I'm in awe of you ladies tackling books in French. I can fight my way through French literature, but a quick subtraction of my age from my probable life-span convinces me to stick to translations. @Little Green Leaves, are you planning on reading much of the Comédie humaine in French? I keep meaning to read through more of it -- I've read some of the novels in a desultory way -- but haven't yet. 

 

[Little Green Leaves]

1 hour ago, Violet Crown said:

Still working on The Ambassadors. And Gatsby still on my must-read-now plate, together with Swift's A Modest Proposal. I sneaked in a re-read of Thomas Day's 1990 classic (in certain circles) Why Catholics Can't Sing, which I last read when it came out and was raising eyebrows by saying the things that everybody thought but wasn't saying. 

From last week: I'm in awe of you ladies tackling books in French. I can fight my way through French literature, but a quick subtraction of my age from my probable life-span convinces me to stick to translations. @Little Green Leaves, are you planning on reading much of the Comédie humaine in French? I keep meaning to read through more of it -- I've read some of the novels in a desultory way -- but haven't yet. 

 

Good question. I'll probably read more, and if so, it'll definitely be in French. After all, I did spend years studying the language, and I have French family, so I feel obliged. But it'll be out of order and with long gaps in between books. I've read  La Cousine Bette, and then years went by before I picked up Le Pere Goriot. I'm curious to read Eugenie Grandet, but I'm in no rush. 

Editing to add -- which of the novels have you read? Is there one you'd recommend?

Edited September 27, 2020 by Little Green Leaves

[Little Green Leaves]

9 minutes ago, Dreamergal said:

Happy Sunday that is almost over ! 

Thanks Robin for this thread.

Well, my reading week has been interesting. I felt like I climbed a never ending mountain by foolishly choosing to read two books and listen to one, that too in Spanish, a language I do not have much of a grasp. But surprisingly as often happens I found unexpected parallels between two unrelated books which made me take a whole new look at things.

First up

Pakistani take on Pride and Prejudice. 

Short version: Absolutely wonderful book , faithful to the original but with unique takes. Many cultural references of food, fashion, weddings and sprinkled with Urdu and Hindi words with a hefty glossary. The characterization has much of the original yet unique elements like both Lizzy (Alys for short) and Jena (Jane) work in an "English medium" school teaching English literature. Darsee (Darcy) a clever take on the tendency of the subcontinent to have last names of family professions, in this case tailors.  Darcy and Bngley in this case are younger than the girls and most of all both Lizzie and Jane of this version are in their 30s and unmarried. 

 Personally though and unexpectedly what hit me on a deeply personal level had nothing to do with the book but a character.

I have always looked for books in English that have people who look like me, experiences I could identify with and that is why I read Desi (India, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Srilankan mainly) lit a lot. While I have always found commonality in food, ritual, culture and customs, what I have never found is someone who matched my life experience in books. 

Alys (Lizzie) is a bibliophile who teaches English literature in a girls only school and the way she begins each school year is the ask the girls to personalize the first line of Pride and Prejudice to get to know them better. The book is set in 2000 and thus there are so many references to books and magazines I read growing up like Reader's Digest, Enid Blyton, Daphne Du Maurier. She discovers them just like I did in various libraries and I just about cried when the book referenced the British Council library which was such an influential one for me and which I had lovely memories of. 

Alys and Darzee also have book discussions throughout the book, the famous dining room scene for instance when Jane was injured has a book discussion. Alys does this thing called Analogous literature which I do too but did not know it had a name where you pair books by western and eastern authors of a similar feel for instance Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh and Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck. There is a whole bunch of them like that, some which I discovered and some unexpected which will set me up for a nice re-read of books I have already read, but in a new light.

An absolutely lovely read, highly recommended.

Thank you for this review! I love the idea of analogous literature.

[Little Green Leaves]

Double post

Edited September 27, 2020 by Little Green Leaves

[Little Green Leaves]

19 minutes ago, Dreamergal said:

The second book I read is

Now this came with a lot of recommendation, hype and controversy.

https://www.vulture.com/article/american-dirt-book-controversy-explained.html

Relevant topic as in an undocumented mother and son displaced by violence and escaping the cartels after the father a journalist is killed. They are solidly middle class so they leave for safety not economic reasons. The author is sincere but her researched vs lived experiences comes across clearly. It is not personal at all and it is clearly seen even with of the very light and fluffy Pride and Prejudice Pakistani version I read. But that voice of the author has an authenticity this book lacks.

It is like the author went through a checklist of things train jumping, sexual assault, the middleman and eventually reaching the US. I've read more personal stories told by the reporters of CNN that followed the migrant caravans. 

I also listened to 

 which is a true story of a boy's journey from Honduras to find his mother. I heard it in Spanish and because it is very weak I double checked my comprehension with this news story

https://www.latimes.com/nation/immigration/la-fg-enriques-journey-sg-storygallery.html

Even with my weak Spanish what rang true was the authenticity of the experience. I had to pause and listen to many times, but this touched me on a different level, American Dirt did not.

This whole week and the three books I read in e-book and audio form threw up interesting questions and made me reflect that I want to write a little more about.

I remember the controversy around American Dirt. It's really interesting that the book's limitations come through so clearly.

[Kidlit]

1 hour ago, Dreamergal said:

Happy Sunday that is almost over ! 

Thanks Robin for this thread.

Well, my reading week has been interesting. I felt like I climbed a never ending mountain by foolishly choosing to read two books and listen to one, that too in Spanish, a language I do not have much of a grasp. But surprisingly as often happens I found unexpected parallels between two unrelated books which made me take a whole new look at things.

First up

Pakistani take on Pride and Prejudice. 

Short version: Absolutely wonderful book , faithful to the original but with unique takes. Many cultural references of food, fashion, weddings and sprinkled with Urdu and Hindi words with a hefty glossary. The characterization has much of the original yet unique elements like both Lizzy (Alys for short) and Jena (Jane) work in an "English medium" school teaching English literature. Darsee (Darcy) a clever take on the tendency of the subcontinent to have last names of family professions, in this case tailors.  Darcy and Bngley in this case are younger than the girls and most of all both Lizzie and Jane of this version are in their 30s and unmarried. 

 Personally though and unexpectedly what hit me on a deeply personal level had nothing to do with the book but a character.

I have always looked for books in English that have people who look like me, experiences I could identify with and that is why I read Desi (India, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Srilankan mainly) lit a lot. While I have always found commonality in food, ritual, culture and customs, what I have never found is someone who matched my life experience in books. 

Alys (Lizzie) is a bibliophile who teaches English literature in a girls only school and the way she begins each school year is the ask the girls to personalize the first line of Pride and Prejudice to get to know them better. The book is set in 2000 and thus there are so many references to books and magazines I read growing up like Reader's Digest, Enid Blyton, Daphne Du Maurier. She discovers them just like I did in various libraries and I just about cried when the book referenced the British Council library which was such an influential one for me and which I had lovely memories of. 

Alys and Darzee also have book discussions throughout the book, the famous dining room scene for instance when Jane was injured has a book discussion. Alys does this thing called Analogous literature which I do too but did not know it had a name where you pair books by western and eastern authors of a similar feel for instance Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh and Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck. There is a whole bunch of them like that, some which I discovered and some unexpected which will set me up for a nice re-read of books I have already read, but in a new light.

An absolutely lovely read, highly recommended.

Adding to my list and putting it right at the top! Thanks!

[Pen]

 

3 hours ago, Dreamergal said:

I also listened to 

 which is a true story of a boy's journey from

 

I read that in English version. I thought it was excellent. 

 

[Violet Crown]

6 hours ago, Little Green Leaves said:

Good question. I'll probably read more, and if so, it'll definitely be in French. After all, I did spend years studying the language, and I have French family, so I feel obliged. But it'll be out of order and with long gaps in between books. I've read  La Cousine Bette, and then years went by before I picked up Le Pere Goriot. I'm curious to read Eugenie Grandet, but I'm in no rush. 

Editing to add -- which of the novels have you read? Is there one you'd recommend?

I've read Cousine Bette, Père Goriot; and La Rabouilleuse (The Black Sheep). I feel that there's one more that I'm not recalling.

Texas features obliquely in La Rabouilleuse via the Champ d'Asile, a failed Bonapartist colony on the Trinity River, where one of the characters is a colonist. It's less well-known but I enjoyed it.

Have you read Les Contes drolatiques?

[Little Green Leaves]

9 hours ago, Violet Crown said:

I've read Cousine Bette, Père Goriot; and La Rabouilleuse (The Black Sheep). I feel that there's one more that I'm not recalling.

Texas features obliquely in La Rabouilleuse via the Champ d'Asile, a failed Bonapartist colony on the Trinity River, where one of the characters is a colonist. It's less well-known but I enjoyed it.

Have you read Les Contes drolatiques?

I did not know that he had written about Texas! Do you remember that there's a subplot about Algeria in Cousine Bette? I found that fascinating. He was one of the very first to put Algeria into fiction. 

I have not read contes drolatiques, no.

[Penguin]

@hopeistheword Furious Hours looks like a book I would like. Added to the TBR. I'm still trying to get up the courage to read In Cold Blood. 

@Dreamergal I co-moderated a book club discussion of Enrique's Journey with a group of ESL (English Second Language) learners. It was so great to read that book with a group of people from so many different cultures and with so many different immigration experiences. I forget most of the book now, but the shared reading experience is a great memory.

@Violet Crown As a liker of contemporary mass music, it is probably not a book for me...but the title Why Catholics Can't Sing cracks me up.

Edited September 28, 2020 by Penguin

[Violet Crown]

5 hours ago, Little Green Leaves said:

I did not know that he had written about Texas! Do you remember that there's a subplot about Algeria in Cousine Bette? I found that fascinating. He was one of the very first to put Algeria into fiction. 

I didn't remember that at all! Now I'm wondering if I should re-read Said and see if he had anything interesting to say about this. Or does North Africa count as "Oriental"?

Texas is surprisingly present in 19th-century French consciousness. As well as Champ d'Asile, there was a Fourierist commune on the Trinity (briefly: they soon discovered that Texas Plains weather consists of alternating blizzards and droughts). The French were the first to recognize the Republic as a nation, and the French Legation is one of our city's most prominent historical buildings. The Republic maintained an embassy in Paris from 1836. Even today we have a substantial French ex-pat presence, which made hiring a French tutor very easy.

Edited September 28, 2020 by Violet Crown

[Little Green Leaves]

4 hours ago, Violet Crown said:

I didn't remember that at all! Now I'm wondering if I should re-read Said and see if he had anything interesting to say about this. Or does North Africa count as "Oriental"?

Texas is surprisingly present in 19th-century French consciousness. As well as Champ d'Asile, there was a Fourierist commune on the Trinity (briefly: they soon discovered that Texas Plains weather consists of alternating blizzards and droughts). The French were the first to recognize the Republic as a nation, and the French Legation is one of our city's most prominent historical buildings. The Republic maintained an embassy in Paris from 1836. Even today we have a substantial French ex-pat presence, which made hiring a French tutor very easy.

I had no idea about the French-Texas connection! that's really fascinating. I want to learn more. Maybe my next Balzac will be La Rabouilleuse.

Algeria in Cousine Bette is basically treated as a cash cow -- Hulot sends one of his relatives there to try and embezzle money from the (French) war department. It doesn't end well. So it felt really weird -- the country is not orientalized, it's just treated as an extension of French bureaucracy. Zero local color. Not a single scene is actually set in the country.  (In general, I'd say North Africa counts as "oriental." Delacroix had already painted his Femmes d'Alger when Cousine Bette was written. I should get a copy of Said.) 

Edited September 28, 2020 by Little Green Leaves

[Little Green Leaves]

3 hours ago, Dreamergal said:

If you don't mind graphic novels, Manga (Japanese comics) is one of the best forms of reading French. I did not know until recently. It is apparently the biggest market in Europe for Manga. I plan to do so as it involves two things I love.

The Bible for some reason is difficult in French for me even with English right beside, I am thinking there is a subtle message from God here. 😂

I definitely don't mind graphic novels. I grew up reading old French comics like Asterix and Lucky Luke, but I'd love some more modern suggestions. Maybe I can get my kids interested in them too.

I love your project of reading the Bible in French, and I also see how difficult it must be : ) Do you ever listen to French? Sometimes when I'm cooking I put on French radio -- rfi.fr/fr and I don't stress over every word, I just soak in what I can. They also have podcasts.

[Violet Crown]

2 hours ago, Little Green Leaves said:

I had no idea about the French-Texas connection! that's really fascinating. I want to learn more. Maybe my next Balzac will be La Rabouilleuse.

Algeria in Cousine Bette is basically treated as a cash cow -- Hulot sends one of his relatives there to try and embezzle money from the (French) war department. It doesn't end well. So it felt really weird -- the country is not orientalized, it's just treated as an extension of French bureaucracy. Zero local color. Not a single scene is actually set in the country.  (In general, I'd say North Africa counts as "oriental." Delacroix had already painted his Femmes d'Alger when Cousine Bette was written. I should get a copy of Said.) 

Texas is just background in La Rabouilleuse; one character comes back from the Bonapartist colony, that's it. Like Algeria in Cousine Bette, which I remember now with your prompt. 

I got rid of Said in the great "not returning to grad school" purge. I remember when I read it, feeling guilty as I realized how much I unapologetically loved 'Arabian Nights' sorts of literature and art. But I really should track down a copy and re-read it. If only the library at Big State U. would reopen.

[Little Green Leaves]

12 hours ago, Violet Crown said:

Texas is just background in La Rabouilleuse; one character comes back from the Bonapartist colony, that's it. Like Algeria in Cousine Bette, which I remember now with your prompt. 

I got rid of Said in the great "not returning to grad school" purge. I remember when I read it, feeling guilty as I realized how much I unapologetically loved 'Arabian Nights' sorts of literature and art. But I really should track down a copy and re-read it. If only the library at Big State U. would reopen.

Yes. I remember feeling guilty over how much I loved Baudelaire. 

I sometimes think I'd do better at grad school now that I'm older and a little steadier, but who knows 🙂 

[Little Green Leaves]

13 hours ago, Dreamergal said:

Astrix ?? In French or English ? I grew up reading them in English too. Whatever little "Latin" I know is thanks to Astrix..😊

Oh I do, diligently. I discovered my french understanding of spoken language was at tragic levels in Paris  after confidently assuming I could understand, just not speak.🙄.  I can laugh now but then I was mortified.

I learned a lot from Asterix too! I had some in English and then for the rest I had to read my father's old French copies. I'm sure I missed out on most of the jokes and all of the puns,  but those books were so good.

I am totally misguided about my French because for years now, I've only used it to speak with people who know me very very well. They understand even my most incoherent phrasing, and they don't mind when I shift into English. It's been nice working a bit harder on my French lately!

[Kareni]

Today only, a free classic for Kindle readers ~

Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens

 

Also free:

The Temptation of Dragons  by Chrys Cymri

Regards,

Kareni

[Penguin]

I read a play this weekend:  The Trial of the Catonsville Nine by Daniel Berrigan. The Catonsville Nine were a group of Catholic Vietnam War activists. In 1968, they forced their way into a Selective Service draft board office just outside of Baltimore. They stole draft cards and burned them in the parking lot with homemade napalm. It was broad daylight, and they waited around for the police to show up. Berrigan's play is of course a work of art, not a recitation of a court record. But it was a good piece of art. I really liked reading it. Here is a link to Maryland's Public Library resource on The Catonsville Nine if anyone is interested in the straight-up history. 

The Berrigan brothers (Daniel and Philip) were well known Catholic activists back in their day, and I have been curious about them for a long time.  I knew of them but not about them. I have a slew of books lined up by and about Fr. Daniel Berrigan, but the play he wrote was my entry point. Daniel Berrigan was a priest, an activist, and a prolific author.  Philip Berrigan (also one of the C. Nine) was also a priest, but he left the priesthood in 1969 to marry a nun and fellow activist. I am also discovering that the other members of the Catonsville Nine have interesting stories. 

Rabbit trails led me to find out that Philip Berrigan's widow, Elizabeth McAlister, participated in a 2018 anti-nuclear action at King's Bay, GA. Now in her 80s, She was sentenced this summer to time served plus probation. From what I can tell, several of the defendants, including Dorothy Day's granddaughter Martha Hennessy, have sentencing dates coming up in early October. Current events make The Trial of the Catonsville Nine feel not like a footnote to history but more like one piece of a much bigger historical narrative - admittedly a niche one.  @Little Green Leaves You might be interested to know that about D. Day's granddaughter, if you didn't already. Were her granddaughters part of the biography you read? It is a different granddaughter (Kate Hennessy) who wrote the fairly recent book about her.

 

Edited September 29, 2020 by Penguin

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts ~

8 of Our Favorite Twists on Classic Gothic Stories

https://www.tor.com/2020/07/21/8-of-our-favorite-gothic-subversions/

DEATH AT THE FAIR: A COZY MYSTERY TRADITION

https://crimereads.com/death-at-the-fair-a-cozy-mystery-tradition/

Five Fantasy Novels Starring Self-Taught Protagonists

https://www.tor.com/2020/09/25/five-fantasy-novels-starring-self-taught-protagonists/

Regards,

Kareni

[Lady Florida.]

I don't generally choose a banned or challenged book during Banned Books Week because I tend to read them all year round anyway. However, it turns out I'm actually listening to and reading a few this year. I started listening to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix last week. I usually listen to an HP book when I either can't decide what to listen to next or am waiting for an audiobook to become available at the library. Then, a friend had been reading Lady Chatterly's Lover and talking about it. Several years ago I read Madame Bovary and planned to read Lady Chatterly but never got around to it. This week seemed like a good time to start it. 

I'm also working my way through Queen isabella by Allison Weir, The Romanovs by Simon Sebag Montefiore, and The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich.

[mumto2]

I finished listening to The Last Runaway which is my antebellum bingo square and have to say I am a bit disappointed in it while at the same time loving it.  A strange mix of emotions......Tracy Chevalier is such a respected author that I never expected to have a bone to pick with accuracy but a couple of scenes were rather bizarre.  Goodreads is all over these lapses so I won’t risk spoiling the book for someone here who might enjoy it for it’s marvelous quilting descriptions and its glimpse into immigration in the mid 1800’s.....Many of my ancestors passed through Ohio in that time period so I found the descriptions of the settlers simply stopping to rest there for a year or two to be especially interesting.  The book centers on Honor’s desire to help slaves at a time the Quakers were turning their backs upon them.......the Underground Railroad.  That part was very interesting and well done.  There are adult scenes......
 

I simply loved reading her quilting descriptions.......Honor preferred the accuracy of English Paper Piecing, respected the American styles like the Ohio Star, but looked down upon whole cloth and appliqué as being incredibly lazy.  That part cracked me up because I dislike the work involved in appliqué but adore EPP.

[Liz CA]

The Kill Artist by Silva  (Reading)

Trauma & Recovery by Herman  (Audio)

Murder in Little Italy by Thompson (Audio)

I am bit all over the map right now.  :)

[Ottakee]

I just finished reading this book last night.  It was excellent.  A great reminder that our faith does not lie in a political party or a candidate.

The Politically Homeless Christian

It is not pro one side or the other but rather talks about how a Christian should evaluate the issues, candidates and parties.   Quick read, but I wanted to quote just about everything.

Edited September 30, 2020 by Ottakee

[Little Green Leaves]

17 hours ago, Penguin said:

I read a play this weekend:  The Trial of the Catonsville Nine by Daniel Berrigan. The Catonsville Nine were a group of Catholic Vietnam War activists. In 1968, they forced their way into a Selective Service draft board office just outside of Baltimore. They stole draft cards and burned them in the parking lot with homemade napalm. It was broad daylight, and they waited around for the police to show up. Berrigan's play is of course a work of art, not a recitation of a court record. But it was a good piece of art. I really liked reading it. Here is a link to Maryland's Public Library resource on The Catonsville Nine if anyone is interested in the straight-up history. 

The Berrigan brothers (Daniel and Philip) were well known Catholic activists back in their day, and I have been curious about them for a long time.  I knew of them but not about them. I have a slew of books lined up by and about Fr. Daniel Berrigan, but the play he wrote was my entry point. Daniel Berrigan was a priest, an activist, and a prolific author.  Philip Berrigan (also one of the C. Nine) was also a priest, but he left the priesthood in 1969 to marry a nun and fellow activist. I am also discovering that the other members of the Catonsville Nine have interesting stories. 

Rabbit trails led me to find out that Philip Berrigan's widow, Elizabeth McAlister, participated in a 2018 anti-nuclear action at King's Bay, GA. Now in her 80s, She was sentenced this summer to time served plus probation. From what I can tell, several of the defendants, including Dorothy Day's granddaughter Martha Hennessy, have sentencing dates coming up in early October. Current events make The Trial of the Catonsville Nine feel not like a footnote to history but more like one piece of a much bigger historical narrative - admittedly a niche one.  @Little Green Leaves You might be interested to know that about D. Day's granddaughter, if you didn't already. Were her granddaughters part of the biography you read? It is a different granddaughter (Kate Hennessy) who wrote the fairly recent book about her.

 

Daniel Berrigan came up in the Dorothy Day biography a lot! I think she disapproved of some of his methods but obviously agreed with his beliefs? I completely missed that he was also a writer. 

Her granddaughters were part of the biography, yes, Tamar and her whole family were. There was a lot of tragedy there and I found that part of the book pretty painful, honestly. But possibly that particular biography played up the problems in the family.

[Violet Crown]

Thinking I might set Henry James aside for a day and read the Lincoln-Douglas debates. And fantasize.

[Lady Florida.]

I forgot to mention what I actually finished. I don't remember when I last posted an update so I hope I'm not repeating myself.

I recently read Girl Woman Other, last year's Booker prize co-winner. I loved it, gave it 5 stars, and added it to my top 100 list on GR. At the same time I was listening to The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane. While both books are very different, I realized after I finished them that both books had an underlying theme of the relationship betewen mothers and daughters. 

A few weeks ago someone - can't remember who - posted about the Gaslight Mysteries and said she was reading Murder on Washington Square. For some reason I thought that was the first book and borrowed it from the library. I quickly realized it wasn't (it's the 4th) so I sent it back and borrowed the first one, Murder on Astor Place. I've since read two more and am now actually ready for that 4th book. 🙂 I'm enjoying this series as my comfort bedtime reading. I generally save non fiction and serious literature for the day and read things like historical mysteries before bed. 

[Lady Florida.]

1 hour ago, Violet Crown said:

Thinking I might set Henry James aside for a day and read the Lincoln-Douglas debates. And fantasize.

I saw something last night about how Lincoln and Douglas found each other in their graves (or heaven or something) and looked at each other, horrified. 😂

[Robin M]

1 hour ago, Violet Crown said:

Thinking I might set Henry James aside for a day and read the Lincoln-Douglas debates. And fantasize.

Have you seen this  -  1984 video of a reproduction of Lincoln Douglas Ottawa Debate 

[Penguin]

I read the middle grades novel, George by Alex Gino. The main character is a 4th grader who is transgender. It is a sweet and mostly gentle book. There is some bullying and the main character experiences emotional pain. But it is really a rather hopeful book. I almost wish that the author had made the main character a wee bit older because 5th and 6th graders often don't like to read about 4th graders, but many 5th and 6th graders are still kids not tweens. On their website, the author talks about the title of the book, and expresses some regret: "... I have now landed in a position where I have effectively deadnamed my main character. Deadnaming is using someone’s birth name when another name, often a name with different gender markers, has been offered." George chooses the name Melissa - that's not a spoiler. It comes up in the first chapter.

Now back to Pirey, a Macedonian novel by Petre Andreevski which is relentlessly grim.  Very good, but very grim.

[mumto2]

I started listening to Angel of the Crows today and am enjoying the unusual Sherlock Holmes retelling.  This book is nothing like the story told in Goblin Emperor so far except that the characters are vivid to me.   I am actually giving up my nightly Monk episodes to continue listening, so it’s good!😉

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52378874-the-angel-of-the-crows?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=DmyxtJ2Vcv&rank=2

[Lady Florida.]

10 minutes ago, mumto2 said:

I started listening to Angel of the Crows today and am enjoying the unusual Sherlock Holmes retelling.  This book is nothing like the story told in Goblin Emperor so far except that the characters are vivid to me.   I am actually giving up my nightly Monk episodes to continue listening, so it’s good!😉

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52378874-the-angel-of-the-crows?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=DmyxtJ2Vcv&rank=2

I really enjoyed The Goblin Emperor and I heard that about Angel of the Crows - that it was very different.

I recently heard the same thing about Yaa Gyasi's latest novel, Transcendent Kingdom. Two different reviewers said not to go into it expecting anything like Homegoing. 

[Kareni]

This is the final week of the challenge I've been participating in on a different site. This week's challenge was to read a book you've owned for more than a year. I read several.

The first four Claiming series books that feature Liam and Ondry are amongst my favorites, so I was interested in reading more by author Lyn Gala. I began Tap-Dancing the Minefields (on TBR since 2019) soon after getting it but did not read on; I'm glad to have completed it but have mixed feelings. I was thinking 'just one more chapter' until well after midnight, so the story grabbed me; on the other hand, some aspects seemed foolish and characters magically knew information without having been informed. One surprise was that the alien ship in this story bears marked similarities to the ship in the author's fifth Claimings book. I don't know if there is supposed to be a connection or whether the author simply reused some fine world building.
**

I'd enjoyed several of the Christmas Angel series so decided to read Shrewd Angel by Anyta Sunday (on TBR since 2019). It's a modern day retelling of the Taming of the Shrew thus the clever title. Sadly, I gave up after reading more than a quarter of the book as it was too silly for my current mood.
**

I enjoyed the story Haunted by Irene Preston and Liz Rancourt (on TBR since 2018) which featured a detective turned insurance investigator plus a historian starring in a show about hoaxes. It's FREE for Kindle readers. I would happily read more by these authors; this story is a standalone in the Hours of the Night series.
**

False Engagement (Marrying Men Book 1) by Hollis Shiloh (on TBR since 2018) was a short work in an alternate regency setting where marriages between men and with multiple spouses was the norm. It featured two men who had been childhood friends then lovers and who had parted after a fight. It was an okay read. Currently FREE for Kindle readers.
**

I quite liked N.R. Walker's Imago (on TBR since 2017) which was set in Tasmania and featured a bowtie wearing nerdy butterfly specialist on the hunt for a new specimen and a park ranger.
**

Soothsayer by Cari Z. (on TBR since 2017) was my favorite of this week's books. The main characters were Cillian, for whom the book is named, Sören, and an Icelandic land spirit who is possessing Sören's body. It's a complicated story but an interesting one. It makes me want to reread J. Fally's Bonerider which has some similarities.
**

I also enjoyed Blue Notes by Shira Anthony (on my TBR since 2014!) which featured a lot of music and good food. Jason, NYC lawyer, flies to Paris when he discovers his fiancee has been unfaithful. He soon encounters Jules, a talented and struggling violinist, and feelings develop.

Many of the above books have adult content.

Regards,

Kareni

[Negin]

Kindle book on sale today. 

[mumto2]

39 minutes ago, Negin said:

Kindle book on sale today. 

Thank you!  I just put the audio on hold.

Btw, I am now halfway through The Angel of the Crows.  I am still enjoying it and as a bonus it can count for my Steampunk 10x10.  

[Kareni]

I am happy to be back.   (I initially tried unsuccessfully to log on 15 times which caused the WTM board to send me an email. I then followed their directions and ultimately reset my password.)

**

I just finished a book which I won in a Goodreads giveaway, Once Dishonored: An Empowering & Thrilling Historical Regency Romance Book (Rogues Redeemed 5) by Mary Jo Putney. I enjoyed the book, but I will say that it strained credulity a time or two.

"A man who has lost his honor has nothing . . .
 
London, 1816. As a Royal Navy officer, Lucas Mandeville, Lord Foxton, has fought his share of battles on the high seas, followed by long years of imprisonment. But on this night, he’d rather be on the burning deck of a ship than in a ballroom, where it is just a matter of time before someone challenges him because of what happened on the Continent.
 
A woman who has lost her reputation is nothing . . .
 
When dark-haired beauty Kendra Douglas arrives, a whisper of scandal ripples through the ton. The disgraced divorcee’s entrance is an act of daring. Which is exactly why Lucas asks her to dance . . .
 
A couple who stands together has everything . . .
 
Unexpectedly, Lucas offers Kendra his aid in finding the evidence to regain her good name—and her beloved young son. Together they investigate the wicked conspiracy that destroyed her life, and in the midst of danger, find a deep love that will redeem them both—if only they can live long enough to build a future together."

Regards,

Kareni

[Negin]

Kindle book on sale today. 

[vmsurbat1]

I'm back, too!  I think I accidentally posted on last week's thread--an old username was resurrected when resetting the password--but then this last time getting on the forum, I've been checked back in under my most recent username.  SO strange.  To repost some of my recent readings:

Finished: 

Becoming by Michelle Obama, which I found very helpful as we were already living in MNE when Obama made his appearance on the national scene.

a Retirement book for those in their 50s+ (title forgotten) by Suze Orman, also found very helpful.  We are playing catch-up (pastoral salary, not debt) and this book didn't depress me like so many others.....

The Simple Art of Murder, by Chandler--a collection of short stories, hard-boiled detective genre, suitable for small reading windows

A Marriage Under the Terror by Wentworth--quite different from her Miss Silver series.  Less predictable than I expected, so I finished it, but not one I'd particularly recommend or ever reread.

Currently Reading:

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett.  I have to say, that my reading of The Warmth of Other Suns has greatly contributed to my understanding and appreciation of books like Becoming and The Vanishing Half.

[Robin M]

Hello, I made it after resetting my password. Had to clear my cache in order to get to the reset password screen. Whew!

I've given up on Golden Compass as my banned book read. Issues with the writing style more than anything else and can't get into it. Maybe I'll reread Harry Potter. 

Currently rereading Nora Roberts Night Shadow in her Night tales series for the moment.  About all my brain can handle right now. 

[Kareni]

And today, yesterday's new password was rejected, and I logged in with my regular password...go figure!

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Some currently free books for Kindle readers ~

Brunch at Ruby’s by DL White

Christmas On Main Street: A Sweet Small Town Christmas Romance by Leeanna Morgan

Only for Tonight by Kendall Ryan

What Dead Women Want

The Trilisk Ruins (Parker Interstellar Travels Book 1)

Regards,

Kareni