Robin M Posted July 11, 2021 Posted July 11, 2021 Since the majority of our readers live in areas several hours ahead of me and I’m late to bed, late to rise on Sunday, I will be posting Saturday night before I go to bed. ************************** Happy Sunday! Did you know today is National Blueberry Muffins day? Plus it is the anniversary of E.B. White's birthday, and the anniversary of when Robert Bailey Thomas published the very first Farmers Almanac in 1792. So grab a muffin and come along with me on a journey of discovery as we explore with our next 52 books category - Maps. Whether you explore by foot, car, train, sailing ship or space ship, authors and characters like to explore and helpfully provide us with maps of their worlds and their journeys. Read about real life geographers, explorers and adventurers. Read about a character mapping the world or possibly uncovering new worlds. Read a book with a map on the cover or in the title. Read about the history of cartography, or even a cartographical mystery. There are many different types of maps so there are a number of ways to go with this category and you can interpret it anyway you like. 20 Literary Maps 16 Essential Literary Maps for Bookworms 77 Best Cartography Books of All Time 10 Books for Map Enthusiasts to Read at Home Bookriot's Grounds for Murder: Maps and Floor Plans in Mystery Novels. And last but not least, one of my favorite things is creative cartography which was introduced to me in a writing class and I thoroughly enjoyed exploring Maps of the Imagination: The Writer as Cartographer. Have fun following rabbit trails and see where they lead you! ********************* Count of Monte Cristo Chapter 67. The Office of the King’s Attorney Chapter 68. A Summer Ball Chapter 69. The Inquiry ********************** Link to week 27 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. 4 Quote
Robin M Posted July 11, 2021 Author Posted July 11, 2021 I finally started the 14th and last book in the Wheel of Time series, A Memory of Light. Which happens to have a beautiful map in the front of the book. Also reading ebook Cogman’s 7th book in the Invisible Library series, The Dark Archive. Waiting in the wings is Ben Aaronovitch’s 2nd book in the Rivers of London series, Moon over Soho, which has a map on the cover. 3 Quote
Kareni Posted July 11, 2021 Posted July 11, 2021 I've continued on with the science fiction series I've been reading and just finished Captain's Share (Trader's Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper Book 5) by Nathan Lowell; I enjoyed it. Regards, Kareni 3 Quote
Kareni Posted July 11, 2021 Posted July 11, 2021 Some bookish posts ~ Jo Walton’s Reading List: June 2021 https://www.tor.com/2021/07/09/jo-waltons-reading-list-june-2021/comment-page-1/#comment-916399 THE CRIME BOOKS TOP AUTHORS READ TWICE BECAUSE THEY’RE JUST THAT GOOD https://crimereads.com/the-crime-books-top-authors-read-twice-because-theyre-just-that-good/ Cruella de Vil Is the Most Magnificent Villain in Children’s Literature https://www.tor.com/2021/05/28/cruella-de-vil-is-the-most-magnificent-villain-in-childrens-literature/ Regards, Kareni 3 Quote
mumto2 Posted July 12, 2021 Posted July 12, 2021 Late to the party today. Thanks for the thread Robin. I still need to explore the links for maps. I have actually filled that square already with Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder by TA Willberg which I didn’t adore. It reminded me slightly of Rivers of London without the great parts with a Harry Potter map. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49374508-marion-lane-and-the-midnight-murder?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=LfIVximc2r&rank=1 I have been busy quilting as it’s hot and rainy which means I am busy listening to audiobooks! I have quite the stack checked out of the library and am currently listening to Christie’s The Moving Finger.......I don’t remember it at all so far but am loving it. This is part of my perpetual Christie in order Challenge where I read or listen to at least ten books by Agatha a tear in publication order.@Robin Mhas the list on her 52 books website if anyone wants one the refer to. I finished listening to a book of Ben Aaronovitch’s short stories called Tales from the Folly. I ❤️Peter Grant and love these books on audio. I have to say his shorts are great.....I rarely enjoy more than a couple of stories in a book like this and thought these were all entertaining. So glad that Robin is giving them a try! I also revisited the vampire knitting club after discovering that my library has apparently bought them all on audio. The first was a freebie that I read and thought was entertaining but was too cheap to buy the next 10 books at $3.99 each......and it would have been the next 10. That said I do enjoy Nancy Warren’s vision of Oxford England’s tunnels etc. I am sure tunnels exist there. 😉https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42073781-stitches-and-witches I also read a book for one of my bookchains, Laura Lippman’s newest Dream Girl. She calls in her first horror book, as opposed to thriller, and it was something intriguing. It is the first book compared to Gone Girl (which I disliked) that I have actually finished. Quite creepy......an author is confined to his bed is a penthouse and cared for by his assistant and his weird nurse. Throw in a hysterical ex and that equaled horror. It was quite the ride..........no other way to describe it. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55425157-dream-girl 4 Quote
Pen Posted July 12, 2021 Posted July 12, 2021 “Timothy Good Above Top Secret: The Worldwide U.F.O. Cover-Up” (other worlds sort of) 2 Quote
Granny_Weatherwax Posted July 12, 2021 Posted July 12, 2021 (edited) Hello, Fellow readers! I haven't been around for a while. Week 19 was the last time I checked in. I hope you all are doing well. Recovery from my cycling accident has been slow. My wrist was in a cast for 7 weeks and a brace for 5. I was able to remove the brace on Friday and will only need to wear it sporadically. I haven't been able to cycle, kayak, or play tennis. The only thing I have been able to do is walk, which I am grateful for. Having the two dogs has been a blessing because it forces me to walk twice, if not thrice, a day. I can no longer walk both dogs together; the puppy is too big and outpaces my Silver Muzzle, who prefers to meander and sniff all the things. The medical drama from the accident continues and I am being assessed for a possible femoral hernia from hitting the handlebar and the handlebar light. I remember, not so long ago, when injuries healed quickly and I was back into life within days. This 3-4 month stuff is awful; it will be even longer if I do indeed have a fem hern. Enjoy your health, readers! I have been reading quite a bit and have read 39/52 books. Some have been short, other quite long. I do keep up on my Goodreads page as that is how I track my reading. I also created a Storygraph account for more data. I love the data!! Our library had a summer reading program for the month of June. I read 11 books! I was quite proud of myself for my June reading. I didn't win any of the prizes, though, and was a bit disappointed; there was a book basket of non-fiction I coveted. My personal TBR Bingo is going slowly. The books I have left are Count of Monte Cristo, biography of Charles Dickens, and Haruki Murakami. What sounded like a good way to force me to read those long books at the beginning of the year has kept me from completing any bingos. I prize for a balck out is a set of book themed journal stickers and I really want those so I am reading away. July is Count month. I have a 30 day 30 min reading challenge focused on the CMC. I borrowed the book from the library again and hope to make significant progress by the time it is due for return. Since I hadn't looked at the book in over two months, I began at the beginning. I am about 230 pages in and hope to be caught up to the CMC reading challenge by the end of the month. My puppy is growing by leaps and bounds. His training is going well. He's been through STAR Puppy and basic obedience. We'll be doing intermediate obedience soon. I must admit, these dogs make me laugh and fill me with joy. My older dog (14 years) tried so hard to do what the puppy does. Here's a great example. I trained the puppy to walk through a small hula hoop. The older dog, who is definitely too big to go through the hoop, trotted over and stuck his head through and wagged his entire body in joy. He was rewarded with treats and lots of love. Whenever I train the puppy, he's right there learning new things and getting all of the rewards he is due. Edited July 12, 2021 by Granny_Weatherwax 7 Quote
mumto2 Posted July 12, 2021 Posted July 12, 2021 @Granny_WeatherwaxYour puppy is beautiful and so glad glad your senior doggy is enjoying training with the pup! I hope your injuries continue to heal and no more recovery time is needed. I just looked at storygraph........the mood graphs look interesting! Glad you are enjoying it! 3 Quote
Granny_Weatherwax Posted July 12, 2021 Posted July 12, 2021 1 hour ago, mumto2 said: @Granny_WeatherwaxYour puppy is beautiful and so glad glad your senior doggy is enjoying training with the pup! I hope your injuries continue to heal and no more recovery time is needed. I just looked at storygraph........the mood graphs look interesting! Glad you are enjoying it! Thank you. The red hair in his mane cracks me up. At times, his hair style reminds me of the Firey's from Labyrinth. Storygraph is fun. It gives you more information about your reading than you might ever want to know. 2 Quote
Kareni Posted July 12, 2021 Posted July 12, 2021 What a charming photo of your puppy, @Granny_Weatherwax I hear you on the slowness to heal as one matures (doesn't that sound better than 'ages'?!). Sending good thoughts your way as you recuperate. Regards, Kareni 3 Quote
Granny_Weatherwax Posted July 12, 2021 Posted July 12, 2021 1 minute ago, Kareni said: What a charming photo of your puppy, @Granny_Weatherwax I hear you on the slowness to heal as one matures (doesn't that sound better than 'ages'?!). Sending good thoughts your way as you recuperate. Regards, Kareni Thank you. I can move my thumb into hitch hiker/okay/thumbs up position today. I am so happy.👍 3 Quote
Pen Posted July 12, 2021 Posted July 12, 2021 (edited) @Granny_Weatherwax adorable dog- also liked the pic of the older one very much i am sorry to hear about injuries! Yikes! how did it happen? I haven’t ridden bike much but am thinking to do so to exercise my own dog(s) ... anything I should particularly know? Edited July 12, 2021 by Pen 3 Quote
Robin M Posted July 12, 2021 Author Posted July 12, 2021 Your puppy is absolutely adorable @Granny_Weatherwax Glad to hear you can do a thumbs up now. Sorry to hear your recovery has been so slow. I'm sure the dogs are loving the individual attention on your walks. 3 1 Quote
Pen Posted July 12, 2021 Posted July 12, 2021 @Granny_Weatherwax I am expecting a new puppy and was looking at speech buttons for dogs - as something that maybe older and younger could both do - have you looked at that at all? 3 Quote
Granny_Weatherwax Posted July 12, 2021 Posted July 12, 2021 4 minutes ago, Pen said: @Granny_Weatherwax adorable dog- also liked the pic of the older one very much i am sorry to hear about injuries! Yikes! how did it happen? I haven’t ridden bike much but am thinking to do so to exercise my own dog(s) ... anything I should particularly know? I was riding and received a phone call. I went to remove my phone from my riding jacket and accidently grabbed the front wheel brake. I went from about 15 mph to 0 in a split second. I have never ridden a bike with the dogs so I can't help with that advice. What I can say is that the handlebar mounted phone holders are worth their weight in gold. A $15 piece of equipment would have saved thousands in medical bills and months of pain and recovery. 3 1 Quote
Kareni Posted July 13, 2021 Posted July 13, 2021 I finished the final book in the series I've been reading, Owner's Share (Trader's Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper Book 6) by Nathan Lowell This book ended in a very clever way. I enjoyed the series and hope to read more by this author. Regards, Kareni 3 Quote
Kareni Posted July 13, 2021 Posted July 13, 2021 I've been reading portions of my next book group book over the past five days for our meeting on Thursday. I just finished State of Wonder: A Novel by Ann Patchett. What an interesting story! I suspect we will have a lively discussion. "Research scientist Dr. Marina Singh is sent to Brazil to track down her former mentor, Dr. Annick Swenson, who seems to have disappeared in the Amazon while working on an extremely valuable new drug. The last person who was sent to find her died before he could complete his mission. Plagued by trepidation, Marina embarks on an odyssey into the insect-infested jungle in hopes of finding answers to the questions about her friend's death, her company's future, and her own past. Once found, Dr. Swenson is as imperious and uncompromising as ever. But while she is as threatening as anything the jungle has to offer, the greatest sacrifices to be made are the ones Dr. Swenson asks of herself, and will ultimately ask of Marina. State of Wonder is a world unto itself, where unlikely beauty stands beside unimaginable loss. It is a tale that leads the reader into the very heart of darkness, and then shows us what lies on the other side." Regards, Kareni 2 Quote
AnneGG Posted July 15, 2021 Posted July 15, 2021 I just finished Elin Hilderbrands’s Golden Girl. All of my detective theories were wrong. Ha! 3 Quote
Kareni Posted July 15, 2021 Posted July 15, 2021 Last night I finished Upside Down by N.R. Walker. I enjoyed this contemporary romance featuring two asexual men, but I don't think I'll be quick to reread it. (Lots of profanity) "Jordan O’Neill isn’t a fan of labels, considering he has a few. Gay, geek, librarian, socially awkward, a nervous rambler, an introvert, an outsider. The last thing he needs is one more. But when he realises adding the label asexual might explain a lot, it turns his world upside down.Hennessy Lang moved to Surry Hills after splitting with his boyfriend. His being asexual had seen the end of a lot of his romances, but he’s determined to stay true to himself. Leaving his North Shore support group behind, he starts his own in Surry Hills, where he meets first-time-attendee Jordan.A little bewildered and scared, but completely adorable, Hennessy is struck by this guy who’s trying to find where he belongs. Maybe Hennessy can convince Jordan that his world hasn’t been turned upside down at all, but maybe it’s now—for the first time in his life—the right way up." Regards, Kareni 2 Quote
Kareni Posted July 15, 2021 Posted July 15, 2021 Currently FREE for Kindle readers ~ ETA: An Inconvenient Grand Tour (Victorian Grand Tour Book 1) by Lisa H. Catmull A Damsel in Distress by P. G. Wodehouse Adapted for Film (Reel Romance Book 1) by Stacey Rourke Dead Ringer: (Truth Seekers Book 1) by Susan Sleeman Regards, Kareni 1 1 Quote
Kareni Posted July 15, 2021 Posted July 15, 2021 My summer reading program challenged me to read a book about art, so I reread Making Art from Maps by Jill K. Berry; it's a fascinating book to read or browse. "Journey through the craft of Making Art with Maps.From origami to paper cutting and decoupage, love of paper crafting has soared, and with it the variety of paper types used by artists. Among these are maps - an apt choice for any crafter: they're easy to find, often free, meant to be folded, and their colorful surfaces add an allure of travel to every project.Making Art from Maps is equal parts inspiration and fun. Jill K. Berry, author of Map Art Lab returns, bringing her expertise in maps and her wide-ranging skills as an artist with her.With her cartographic connections, she takes you on a gallery tour, introducing you to the work of some of the most exciting artists creating with maps today. Designer interviews are accompanied by 25 accessible how-to projects of her own design that teach many of the techniques used by the gallery artists." Regards, Kareni 3 Quote
Laurel-in-CA Posted July 16, 2021 Posted July 16, 2021 Hello again! Weather cooler, surgery for dh tomorrow and he spends only 1 night in the hospital, so hurrah! He is surviving his fluids-only diet today with lots and lots of jello!! I am working on Who Speaks for the Damned (Sebastian St. Cyr, mystery) and enjoyed Mind Games (Eve Duncan series, a thriller). A sidenote to Kareni -- I really enjoyed that Nathan Lowell series too, and happy to see the character make Captain! I thought I had found all my old books to put on sale, but I found another box today -- a set of Spielvogel world history that I never used. I have a second group of 9 bags of too-used-to-sell books to take to the library; I may be able to reclaim my dining room table this weekend!! Two of my girls are off to camp in OR for a week, driving past those fires in Shasta and southern Oregon. I'll be happy to hear of their safe arrival! 3 Quote
melmichigan Posted July 16, 2021 Posted July 16, 2021 @Granny_WeatherwaxI love the picture, and hope you continue to improve. 🤞for no hernia. @Laurel-in-CAI hope everything goes well for your DH. I haven't picked up and Eve Duncan book in a long time, maybe it's time to revisit the series. I started A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Mass. Right now I'm glad it's a library loan, because I'm not convinced it's for me. I finished Million Dollar Demon by Kim Harrison and loved it! (I'm so glad I switched from the audible.) I was worried when this series came back. I also finished the Magical Mayhem Trilogy in the Demon Days & Vampire Nights series by K.F. Breene. While the trilogy could stand on it's own I think it's better after reading the Fire & Ice Trilogy. 3 Quote
mumto2 Posted July 16, 2021 Posted July 16, 2021 I have read (or tried to) a couple of the popular summer reads acording to my research and bookshelves at Target. Anyway I thought I would post that I found People We Meet on Vacation to be OK but sort of boring. I decided to stop reading as I had books in the stack that looked better. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54985743-people-we-meet-on-vacation The Invisable Husband of Frick Island is going to be sad I suspect but it’s a page turner of a beach read. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55760893-the-invisible-husband-of-frick-island Finally, Before the Coffee Gets Cold is awesome. One of the best books I have read lately. It’s about a coffee shop in Japan where one special seat with lots of rules allows you to travel in time until the coffee gets cold. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44421460-before-the-coffee-gets-cold 3 Quote
Kareni Posted July 16, 2021 Posted July 16, 2021 5 hours ago, Laurel-in-CA said: A sidenote to Kareni -- I really enjoyed that Nathan Lowell series too, and happy to see the character make Captain! I see that one of the author's other series continues Ishmael's story. I read a sample, and I see other familiar characters that were on the Lois McKendrick (Pip, the captain, and Cookie). Best wishes for your husband's surgery and recuperation. Regards, Kareni 3 Quote
Kareni Posted July 16, 2021 Posted July 16, 2021 For the final challenge of my summer reading program, I read the graphic novel ~ No Ivy League by Hazel Newlevant This was interesting but felt as though it was trying a bit too hard. ""No Ivy League gracefully delivers a messy truth behind the essential process of questioning and reckoning. Newlevant respects young people's awareness of how class, race, gender, and history impact our experiences, and takes readers seriously enough to give space for personal reflection and growth. Fantastic brushwork, and a great sense of natural light. Highly recommended." --Nate Powell, artist of the March trilogy "Lushly rendered and thoughtfully written, Newlevant's No Ivy League is comics autobiography at its best: self-aware, socially conscious, critical, and compassionate." —Whit Taylor, author of Ghost Stories When 17-year-old Hazel takes a summer job clearing ivy from the forest in Portland, Oregon, the only plan is to earn some extra cash to put toward concert tickets. Homeschooled, affluent, and sheltered, Hazel soon finds that working side by side with at-risk teens leaves no room for comforting illusions of equality and understanding. This uncomfortable and compelling memoir is an important story of a teen's awakening to the racial insularity of the upper class, the power of white privilege, and the hidden history of segregation in Portland." Regards, Kareni 2 Quote
Robin M Posted July 16, 2021 Author Posted July 16, 2021 7 hours ago, Laurel-in-CA said: Hello again! Weather cooler, surgery for dh tomorrow and he spends only 1 night in the hospital, so hurrah! He is surviving his fluids-only diet today with lots and lots of jello!! Two of my girls are off to camp in OR for a week, driving past those fires in Shasta and southern Oregon. I'll be happy to hear of their safe arrival! Good thought and prayers winging your way for hubby and safe travels for the girls. 3 Quote
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