klobrien2 Karen O's Book-a-Rama 2020

It's so exciting starting a new year's thread! Glad to be here on LibraryThing again, reading books, reading news from friends near and far.



Welcome to the first (and only?) page of my 2020 reading thread!

I've been with the 75-bookers for several years now, and I enjoy so much the camaraderie and book talk that happens here. I'm very glad to join with you all again!

The year 2019 has been another terrific year for reading. I find myself reading pretty much as the spirit leads. I participated in the American Author Challenge, and plan to continue with them. A long-term project of mine is to accomplish reads from the "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die" book, so that may guide my reading a little. What directs my reading more are my friends here on LT, so keep those recommendations coming!

This is my eleventh year participating in the 75 Books Challenge. In 2009, I read 94 books; in 2010, I made it to 148!; 153 in 2011; 160 in 2012; 114 in 2013; 92 in 2014; 109 in 2015; 145 in 2016, 210 in 2017, 200 in 2018, 180 in 2019. I hope to be reading even more in the new year.

Here's a ticker to keep track of my 2019 reads :




Here's a ticker to keep track of my progress with "1001 Books":




Here's where I'll list the books I read, starting with (the number at the end of each line represents the post number where I placed my "review" for the book):

Books I read in January:

1. The Witches are Coming by Lindy West 13
2. On Time: A Princely Life in Funk by Morris Day 21
3. Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don't Know 24
4. Miss Julie by August Strindberg 31
5. Dog Man: Fetch-22 by Dav Pilkey 34
6. The Merchant of Venice (Graphic Novel) by Gareth Hinds 35
7. Me: Elton John Official Autobiography by Elton John 36
8. The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan 38
9. King Lear (Graphic Novel by Gareth Hinds 39
10. Making Mischief: A Maurice Sendak Appreciation by Gregory Maguire 44
11. The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle 46
12. Lumberjanes Vol 2: Friendship to the Max by Noelle Stevenson 47
13. Lumberjanes Vol 3: A Terrible Plan by Shannon Watters 48
14. Higglety Pigglety Pop!: Or There Must Be More to Life by Maurice Sendak - 49
15. The Mueller Report Illustrated: The Obstruction Investigation by The Washington Post - 50
16. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: The Illustrated Edition by J. K. Rowling, illustrated by Jim Kay - 56
17. In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak - 58
18. Brundibar by Tony Kushner and Maurice Sendak - 58
19. We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy by Maurice Sendak - 58
20. Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: A Sortabiography by Eric Idle - 59
21. The Boys Omnibus Vol. 5 by Garth Ennis - 60
22. The Lumberjanes Vol. 4: Out of Time by Shannon Watters - 61
23. The Lumberjanes Vol. 5: Band Together by by Shannon Watters - 62
24. Fly by Night by Randall Jerrell (illus. by Maurice Sendak - 63
25. The Medieval World (Great Courses) by Dorsey Armstrong - 64

Books I read in February:

26. The King David Report by Stefan Heym - 69
27. Lumberjanes, Vol. 6: Sink or Swim by Shannon Watters - 70
28. Lumberjanes, Vol. 7: A Bird's-Eye View by Shannon Watters - 71
29. Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson - 72
30. The Second Sleep by Robert Harris - 76
31. Bill Cunningham: On the Street: Five Decades of Iconic Photography by Bill Cunningham - 77
32. Firefly: Unification War, Vol. 2 by Greg Pak - 78
33. The World of the Luttrell Psalter by Michelle P. Brown - 81
34. Lumberjanes, Vol. 8: Stone Cold by Shannon Watters - 82
35. Lumberjanes, Vol. 9: On a Roll by Kat Leyh - 83
36. The Strange Case of the Moderate Extremists by Alexander McCall Smith - 86
37. Varg in Love (short story) by Alexander McCall Smith - 87
38. Altamont: The Rolling Stones, the Hell's Angels, and the Inside Story of Rock's Darkest Day by Joel Selvin - 88
39. The biblical books of I Chronicles and II Chronicles - 89
40. Lumberjanes, Vol. 10: Parents' Day by Kate Leyh - 93
41. Lumberjanes, Vol. 11: Time After Crime by Kate Leyh - 94
42. Lumberjanes, Vol. 12: Jackalope Springs Eternal by Shannon Watters - 95
43. Notre-Dame: A Short History of the Meaning of Cathedrals by Ken Follett - 99
44. Begin Again: Collected Poems by Grace Paley - 100
45. Museum Masterpieces: The Louvre (Great Courses) by Richard Brettell - 101
46. Lumberjanes/Gotham Academy by Chynna Clugston-Flores - 102
47. Lumberjanes: Bonus Tracks by Holly Black - 102
48. Lumberjanes: The Infernal Compass by Lilah Sturges - 102
49. The biblical book of Ezra - 103
50. Doctor Sleep by Stephen King - 104
51. Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson - 108
52. Pumpkinheads: A Graphic Novel by Rainbow Rowell - 109
53. The biblical book of Nehemiah - 112

Books I read in March:

54. A Stowaway on Noah's Ark by Charles Santore - 115
55. The Tale of the Firebird by Gennady Spirin - 116
56. This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Medical Resident by Adam Kay - 117
57. The biblical book of Esther - 120
58. David, Voltaire, Brutus, and the French Revolution by Robert L. Herbert - 121
59. Creation by Gennady Spirin - 126
60. 10 minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak - 127
61. Elizabeth Warren: Nevertheless, She Persisted by Susan Wood - 129
62. The Juniper Tree and Other Tales from Grimm, tr. Lore Segal and Randall Jarrell, pictures by Maurice Sendak - 130
63. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut - 131
64. A Ride to Remember: A Merry-Go-Round and Its Civil Rights Story by Sharon Langley - 134
65. A Short History of Nearly Everything: Special Illustrated Edition by Bill Bryson - 135
66. Church People: The Lutherans of Lake Wobegone by Garrison Keillor - 137
67. Board Games in 100 Moves: 8,000 Years of Play by Ian Livingstone - 138
68. The biblical book of Job - 141
69. So, Anyway by John Cleese - 142
70. The Hunting Accident: A True Story of Crime and Poetry by David L. Carlson - 146
71. The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson, illus. Charles Santore - 150
72. Nightwoods by Charles Frazier - 151
73. Big History: The Big Bang, Life on Earth, and the Rise of Humanity by David Christian - 152

Books I read in April:

74. The Photo Ark: One Man's Quest to Document the World's Animals by Joel Sartore - 154
75. Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers - 155
76. Strega Nona by Tomi DiPaolo - 158
77. The Guild Volume 1 by Felicia Day - 159
78. The Guild Volume 2 by Felicia Day - 160
79. Feynman (Graphic) by Jim Ottaviani - 163
80. Rare: Portraits of America's Endangered Species by Joel Sartore - 164
81. Magical Negro by Morgan Parker - 177
82. Lord Peter Views the Body by Dorothy L. Sayers - 179
83. Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie - 181
84. The Spire by William Golding - 182
85. Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear - 184
86. The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation by Robin Pogrebin - 185

Books I read in May:

87. The Peppermint Tea Chronicles (44 Scotland Street #13) by Alexander McCall Smith - 187
88. Talk Like a Man (Outspoken Authors) by Nisi Shawl - 188
89. Exit Strategy (Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells - 190
90. 30 Masterpieces of the Ancient World (Great Courses) by Diana K. McDonald - 194
91. The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers - 195
92. Network Effect (Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells - 201
93. Cocaine Blues (Miss Fisher #1) by Kerry Greenwood - 204
94. Philipok by Leo Tolstoy, ill. Gennady Spirin - 205

Books I read in June:

95. Hid From Our Eyes by Julia Spencer-Fleming - 209
96. You're All Just Jealous of My Jetpack: Cartoons by Tom Gauld - 211
97. Baking With Kafka by Tom Gauld - 212
98. Flying Too High (Miss Fisher #2) by Kerry Greenwood - 213
99. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo - 214
100. History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration (Great Courses) by Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius - 215
101. The biblical book of Psalms - 216
102. Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown by Anne Glenconner - 218
103. Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers - 219
104. Enemies, A Love Story by Isaac Bashevis Singer - 220
105. The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World: The Great Monuments and How They Were Built by Chris Scarre - 224
106. How to Babysit a Grandpa by Jean Reagan - 225
107. Murder on the Ballarat Train (Miss Fisher #3) - 226
108. How to Surprise a Dad by Jean Reagan - 227
109. How to Catch Santa by Jane Reagan - 227
110. How to Get Your Teacher Ready by Jane Reagan - 227
111. The biblical book of Proverbs - 228
112. Death at Victoria Docks (Miss Fisher #4) by Kerry Greenwood - 230
113. Where the Animals Go: Tracking Wildlife with Technology in 50 Maps and Graphics by James Cheshire - 231
114. A Field Guide to the Planets (Great Courses) by Sabine Stanley - 234
115. The Talented Mr. Varg by Alexander McCall Smith - 235

Here is where I'll list the authors selected for the 2020 American Authors Challenge, the books I will read, and if I complete them (here's hoping!)

2020 AAC

January: Charles Frazier: Nightwoods - Completed
February: Grace Paley: Begin Again - Completed
March: David McCullough:
April: Francine Prose:
May: E. Lynn Harris: What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted - Reading
June: Jean Stafford:
July: Wendell Berry
August: Robert Penn Warren - Thinking All the King's Men
September: Dawn Powell
October: Ward Just
November: Ann Petry
December: Tony Hillerman

Great Courses I have done:

The Celtic World by Jennifer Paxton -- 24 lectures, 12 hours
History of the Ancient World: A Global Perspective by Gregory S. Aldrete -- 36 lectures, 18 hours
Art Across the Ages by Ori Z. Soltes -- 48 lectures, 24 hours
King Arthur: History and Legend by Dorsey Armstrong -- 24 llectures, 12 hours
Meteorology: Introduction to the Wonders of the Weather by Robert G. Fovell -- 24 lectures, 12 hours
The Medieval World by Dorsey Armstrong -- 36 lectures, 18 hours
Museum Masterpieces: The Louvre by Richard Brettell -- 12 lectures, 6 hours
Big History: The Big Bang, Life on Earth, and the Rise of Humanity by David Christian -- 48 lectures, 24 hours
30 Masterpieces of the Ancient World by Diana K. McDonald -- 36 lectures, 18 hours
History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration by Vejas Gabriel Liulievicius -- 24 lectures, 12 hours
A Field Guide to the Planets by Sabine Stanley -- 24 lectures, 12 hours

My 2003 "Books Read" list (casually kept, and probably incomplete): http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2003-reading-list.html
My 2004 "Books Read" list (see above caveats: things get better!):
http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2004-reading-list.html
My 2005 "Books Read" list (most pathetic list yet): http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2005-reading-list.html
My 2006 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2006-reading-list.htm
My 2007 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2007-reading-list.html
My 2008 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2008-reading-list.html
My 2009 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2009-reading-list.html
My 2010 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2010-reading-list.html

Here is a link to my last thread from 2011: http://www.librarything.com/topic/122919

Here is a link to my last thread from 2012: http://www.librarything.com/topic/138897

Here is a link to my last thread from 2013:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/156012

Here is a link to my thread from 2014: http://www.librarything.com/topic/163564

Here is a link to my thread from 2015: https://www.librarything.com/topic/186139

Here is a link to my thread from 2016: http://www.librarything.com/topic/211096

Here is a link to my last thread from 2017: http://www.librarything.com/topic/268142#

Here is a link to my last thread from 2018: https://www.librarything.com/topic/298557

Here is a link to my one-and-only thread from 2019 (it's a long one!): https://www.librarything.com/topic/301738

Good reading to you!

Another resolution is to keep up in 2020 with all my friends on LT. Happy New Year!

Hi, Paul! Great to see you here! You are my first visitor this year! And I really like your New Year's Resolutions.

New Year's Day Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (yay, libraries!), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly! Karen's current reading (1/1/20):

Actively reading:

The Witches are Coming by Lindy West
A Warning by Anonymous
Me by Elton John
Mary Poppins (80th Anniversary Collection) by P. L. Travers - I finished the first book, Mary Poppins; I am still thinking that I'd like to read the other three in the collection
The King David Report by Stefan Heym
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life by Eric Idle

Books I really need to get to, sooner rather than later:

Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
Boy Erased by Garrard Conley
Sorry I'm Late I Didn't Want to Come by Jessica Pan
The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan

Current Great Courses course: "The Medieval World" by the professor who did the King Arthur course (Dorsey Armstrong).

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still:

Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (recommended reading for my "Meteorology" class!)
The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz
The Book of Joan: A Novel by Lidia Yuknavitc
The Elephant Whisperer: My Life With the Herd in the African Wild by Lawrence Anthony with Graham Spence

Books that I need to wait for again (other people waiting for, so giving up my turn):

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (ILLUSTRATED!) by J.K.Rowling, illus. by Jim Kay - 1/3 of the way through
Maid by Stephanie Land
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Swede Hollow: A Novel by Ola Larsmo
Unfollow: A Memoir of Loving and Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church by Megan Phelps-Roper
The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation (way late, but still a worthwhile read)

Welcome back!

Best wishes for 2020!

Happy reading in 2020, Karen!

Happy reading in 2020, Karen.

Thanks for the greetings, everyone! What a nice treat to come here and see your lovely faces!

Happy New Year, Kathy! I'm glad you're back with us again.

I loved those Mary Poppins books when I was young.

Hi, John! I never read them when I was young, but I really liked the first one. The character of Mary Poppins is quite a bit different from the movie version. But a quite magical person, anyway.

Thanks for stopping by!

1. The Witches are Coming by Lindy West

Wishing you 12 months of reading
52 weeks of laughter
366 days of fun (leap year!)
8,784 hours of joy
527,040 minutes of good luck
and 31,622,400 seconds of happiness!!

Happy new year Karen!

Happy New Year, Karen!

Hi Karen, and a belated Happy New Year.

Wishing you a splendid weekend, Karen.

Hope 2020 is filled with great reads!

Lovely greetings, everyone! Thank you! And I would like to wish you the best of everything in 2020 as well!

2. On Time: A Princely Life in Funk by Morris Day

>21 klobrien2: I definitely need to hear more about this book!

>22 kidzdoc: Hi, Darryl!

I really enjoyed On Time: A Princely Life in Funk, both for the recollection of days gone past, and in good reading. Day (and his cohort in writing, David Ritz) do a great job in presenting Day's life, using the "gimmick" of Day and Prince conversing throughout. Day is funny, intelligent, very moving when he must get a little more serious.

Thank you for asking for my take on the book! And thanks for visiting!

3. Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don't Know by Malcolm Gladwell

>23 klobrien2: Thanks, Karen! I'll be on the lookout for that book.

Hmm. I should watch Purple Rain again, for old times' sake.

My father in law suggested the Gladwell book when I was in Oregon for Christmas. I'm not a huge Gladwell fan, as I feel he is sloppy with his use of the word "prove." (i.e. Now that I've proved this....)

>12 klobrien2: My non-Joe name is usually "Jim", which may be related to drneutron Jim. I get that on a pretty regular basis. I haven't gotten "John" before, but maybe that's a mix-up with John Simpson? If so, I'm honored, as I am when there's a mix-up with Dr. Jim.

I like the Mary Poppins in the books better than her portrayals in the movies. She seems sharper and more dangerously unpredictable in the books? I remember the explanation in the Narnia books that "Aslan isn't a tame lion". MP doesn't seem like a tame nanny, does she. :-)

>25 kidzdoc: Definitely, see Purple Rain again. After reading this book, I looked up the Day videos from the movie, and I still love them as much as I did then. Maybe more so. Thanks for posting the clip!

>27 jnwelch: I think I've called you "John" before, haven't I? Sorry about that. I think I do that because I use "Jn" to abbreviate the Gospel of John in the Bible. I will try to call you by your correct name!

But it's kind of funny, because in >12 klobrien2: you refer to me as "Kathy" and that's my sister (I'm Karen).

And I totally agree with you about the book-Mary-Poppins vs. the movie-Mary-Poppins. Book-Mary-Poppins is a lot edgier and mysterious.

I bought my own copy of the Mary Poppins collection, and I can't wait to get it in the mail.

Thanks for visiting, JIM! :)

>26 The_Hibernator: Yeah, I know what you mean. Gladwell should probably be a little less pontifical about it.

Lots of interesting theories and studies in this one. It's not a huge tome, so you might take a Pearl-rule chance on it?

Thanks for visiting!

4. Miss Julie by August Strindberg

I picked this up because the play was featured in the latest series of "Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" and I wanted a little back story. Dark and gloomy. Don't know if I'll read more Strindberg.

Hello Karen and Happy New Year!

>21 klobrien2: I saw On Time: A Princely Life in Funk at Barnes and Noble recently and reminded me of their big hit 'Jungle Love'. I liked their sounds back in the day. El Debarge as well. Not ashamed. LOL.

>25 kidzdoc: Excellent gif, kidzdoc!

Thursday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (yay, libraries!), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly! Karen's current reading (1/9/2020):

Actively reading:

The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan
The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation (way late, but still a worthwhile read)
Me by Elton John
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (ILLUSTRATED!) by J.K.Rowling, illus. by Jim Kay - 1/3 of the way through -- Yay! I got it back!
Maid by Stephanie Land
The King David Report by Stefan Heym
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life by Eric Idle

Books I really need to get to, sooner rather than later:

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
Boy Erased by Garrard Conley
Sorry I'm Late I Didn't Want to Come by Jessica Pan

Current Great Courses course: "The Medieval World" by the professor who did the King Arthur course (Dorsey Armstrong). Made some progress here: I've finished 6 of 36 of the lessons! Really enjoying it.

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still:

Calm the F*ck Down (Sarah Night) (I hate the title of this book; may keep me from reading it)
How to Be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
A Warning by Anonymous (bought my own ebook copy!)
Mary Poppins (80th Anniversary Collection) by P. L. Travers - I finished the first book, Mary Poppins; I am still thinking that I'd like to read the other three in the collection; bought my own copy of this, too!
Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (recommended reading for my "Meteorology" class!)
The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz
The Book of Joan: A Novel by Lidia Yuknavitc
The Elephant Whisperer: My Life With the Herd in the African Wild by Lawrence Anthony with Graham Spence
Behind Closed Doors: Talking with the Legends of Country Music (Alanna Nash)
Merchant of Venice (Graphic Novel) by Gareth Hinds (want to read EVERYTHING by this guy)

Books that I need to wait for again (other people waiting for, so giving up my turn):

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Swede Hollow: A Novel by Ola Larsmo
Unfollow: A Memoir of Loving and Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church by Megan Phelps-Roper
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

5. Dog Man: Fetch-22 by Dav Pillkey

6. The Merchant of Venice (Shakespeare Classics Graphic Novels) by Gareth Hinds

7. Me: Elton John Official Autobiography by Elton John

Recently picked up some more library requests:

Making Mischief: A Maurice Sendak Appreciation by Gregory Maguire
The Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation by The Venerable Bede
The Graphic Canon: Volume 1 From the Epic of Gilgamesh to Shakespeare to Dangerous Liaisons by Russell Kick
King Lear: Graphic Novel by Gareth Hinds

Wintertime...and the reading is pretty darn good!

8. The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan

9. King Lear: Shakespeare Classics Graphic Novels by Gareth Hinds

>13 klobrien2: >21 klobrien2: >38 klobrien2: The BBs keep coming! Adding all of those to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendations, Karen!

Yay! I hope you like them as much as I did!

Great to see you here--thanks for stopping by to chat!

>41 klobrien2: I am hoping to be around the group more this year - not like in the old days when I visited every thread every day, but certainly more than last year!

>42 alcottacre: That's great to know! I've got your thread starred!

10. Making Mischief: A Maurice Sendak Appreciation by Gregory Maguire



Thanks to Whisper1 for bringing this book to my attention. I absolutely loved it, and I know I'll be revisiting it. I've also requested quite a few Sendak books; going to have me a Sendak-fest!

Thursday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (yay, libraries!), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly! Karen's current reading (1/16/2020):

Actively reading:

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (ILLUSTRATED!) by J.K.Rowling, illus. by Jim Kay - 1/2 of the way through -- illustrations are wonderful
The King David Report by Stefan Heym
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life by Eric Idle
The Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation by the Venerable Bede
The Graphic Canon (Volume 1, From the Epic of Gilgamesh to Shakespeare to Dangerous Liaisons) by Russell Kick
The Boys Omnibus, Volume 5 by Garth Ennis
The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation (way late, but still a worthwhile read)
Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (recommended reading for my "Meteorology" class!)
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

Current Great Courses course: "The Medieval World" by the professor who did the King Arthur course (Dorsey Armstrong). Real progress here: I've finished 18 of 36 of the lessons! Really enjoying it.

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still:

A Warning by Anonymous (bought my own ebook copy!)
The Peter Principle by Laurence J. Peter
Mary Poppins (80th Anniversary Collection) by P. L. Travers - I finished the first book, Mary Poppins; I am still thinking that I'd like to read the other three in the collection; bought my own copy of this, too!
The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz
The Elephant Whisperer: My Life With the Herd in the African Wild by Lawrence Anthony with Graham Spence
Behind Closed Doors: Talking with the Legends of Country Music (Alanna Nash)

Books that I need to wait for again (other people waiting for, so giving up my turn):

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Swede Hollow: A Novel by Ola Larsmo
Unfollow: A Memoir of Loving and Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church by Megan Phelps-Roper
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
Maid by Stephanie Land

11. The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle

12. Lumberjanes Vol 2: Friendship to the Max by Noelle Stevenson

13. Lumberjanes Vol 3: A Terrible Plan by Shannon Watters

14. Higglety Pigglety Pop!: Or There Must Be More to Life by Maurice Sendak



Book one of my Sendak Fest; quite charming and delightfully weird. Beautiful drawings, of course.

15. The Mueller Report Illustrated: The Obstruction Investigation by The Washington Post

>44 klobrien2: I really wish my local library had a copy of that one. Into the BlackHole it goes!

Hi Karen!

Excellent varied reading going on over here. I really should finish Mary Poppins. I started it in 2007 and abandoned it, don't even remembe why.

>51 alcottacre: Hi, Stasia! Making Mischief is worth seeking out. I don't remember--do you have InterLibrary Loan where you are? I had to get a copy from the next library system over.

Thanks for stopping by!

>52 karenmarie: Hi, Karen! Yeah, my reading is even more eclectic than usual this year. One of the positives of that is that I don't think I've ever been in a reading slump. If I don't like what I'm currently reading, I'll just switch to something else.

And, Mary Poppins--the book was SO different from the movie. As much as I like Julie Andrews, I liked the book-Mary better, I guess. More realistic, funnier? I bought my own copy of the beautiful red collection of the four Mary Poppin books, and I'm itching to read another one.

Thanks for visiting!

I've just restarted my reading through the Hebrew Bible, something I was doing back in 2017. Others in the Reading Through the Bible as Literature thread were tackling the entire Hebrew Bible and New Testament! I had dropped off a few chapters into Chronicles (not the most interesting reading, but I just stopped).

So, time passed, and in the meantime, I purchased Robert Alter's multi-volume The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary (he's my hero, and I love his writing). So, I've just jump-started my I Chronicles reading, and will continue from there! Very psyched about this!

****Model post from 2017****

Participating in the year's Reading Through the Bible as Literature thread, I've now made my way through Kings (I Kings and II Kings were, originally, one book). I'm reading Robert Alter's translation and commentary, Ancient Israel: The Former Prophets: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings, and just loving it. One reason I am enjoying the read is the simple physical setup of the book: each chapter of the Bible gets a chapter in Alter's book; lots of white space, making it easier to read; footnotes are plentiful, but they are footnotes, not ENDnotes (I hate flipping!). I've gotten really used to Alter's style and it feels very comfortable.

So, Kings. The first two chapters finish up the story of David. After that, "the Book of Kings proper exhibits an approach to politics, character, and historical causation that is quite different from the one that informs the David story." Alter identifies Kings as the most miscellaneous of all of the Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings); put together as an olio of widely disparate sources, a compilation. He also refers to the "palpable tension between the narrative of the kings and the tales of the prophets, however they intersect." The stories of the kings read (largely) historical; the narratives of the prophets abound in the supernatural.

Chapters 3-11 is the Solomon story. "...Deuteronomy's conception of historical causation, in which idolatry leads to national disaster." Solomon is my LEAST-favorite biblical king.

In I Kgs 17, Elijah the prophet springs into the picture. Probably my favorite of the non-literary prophets (who, mainly, pronounce the future). Great character; celestial fire is his prophetic medium.

In II Kgs 19, Isaiah the prophet shows up (I'll be visiting those fellas later on in my reading!).

Alter's commentary on Kings ends with this last footnote, which I just love: "The historical event with which the Book of Kings ends is of course a complete catastrophe--the utter destruction of Jerusalem, including temple and palace; the massacre of the royal line and the military and priestly elite; and the exile of a large part of the population. This concluding image (Jehoiachin, the last king, is treated kindly in Babylonia), however, seeks to intimate a hopeful possibility of future restoration: a Davidic king is recognized as king, even in captivity, and is given a daily provision appropriate to his royal status. As he sits on his throne elevated above the thrones of the other captive kings, the audience of the story is invited to imagine a scion of David again sitting on his throne in Jerusalem."

16. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: The Illustrated Edition by J.K. Rowling, illustrated by Jim Kay



Wonderful treat to read through the book again, this time with the beautiful illustrations by Jim Kay! My only difficulty is that the book is so big and so heavy--it almost must be read at a table. We are talking serious poundage here. So worth the reread!

Thursday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (yay, libraries!), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly! Quite a few of my long-time requests have just come in: decisions to be made here! Karen's current reading (1/23/2020):

Actively reading:

The King David Report by Stefan Heym - has become even more interesting because of where I am in my Bible reading!
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life by Eric Idle - almost done
The Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation by the Venerable Bede
The Graphic Canon (Volume 1, From the Epic of Gilgamesh to Shakespeare to Dangerous Liaisons) by Russell Kick
The Boys Omnibus, Volume 5 by Garth Ennis - good start made

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World (elif Shafak)
America (the Book) by Jon Stewart
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation (way late, but still a worthwhile read)
Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (recommended reading for my "Meteorology" class!)

Current Great Courses course: "The Medieval World" by the professor who did the King Arthur course (Dorsey Armstrong). Real progress here: I've finished 24 of 36 (2/3!) of the lessons! Really enjoying it.

NEW! Reading through the Hebrew Bible: Currently on CHRONICLES (often split into I and II Chronicles)

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still:

A Warning by Anonymous (bought my own ebook copy!)
The Peter Principle by Laurence J. Peter
The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz
The Elephant Whisperer: My Life With the Herd in the African Wild by Lawrence Anthony with Graham Spence
Behind Closed Doors: Talking with the Legends of Country Music (Alanna Nash)

Books that I need to wait for again (other people waiting for, so giving up my turn):

Swede Hollow: A Novel by Ola Larsmo
Unfollow: A Memoir of Loving and Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church by Megan Phelps-Roper
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
Maid by Stephanie Land

And, now for my Maurice Sendak Fest, continued:



17. In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak



Lovely classic, with the three night bakers who look like Oliver Hardy. A fun and silly adventure.



18. Brundibar by Tony Kushner, illus. by Maurice Sendak

From the book cover: This book is based on a Czech opera of the same name ("Brundibar' is Czech slang for "bumblebee"), with libretto by Adolf Hoffmeister, set to music by Has Krasa. Completed in 1938, the opera was performed fifty-five times by the children of Terezin, the Nazi concentration camp. Erasa, who was Jewish, was also imprisoned in Terezin. He was killed in Auschwitz in 1944.

What a story! Beautiful illustrations (of course!), gorgeous candy colors that belie the ugliness of the story behind the simple, subversive children's book.





19. We are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy by Maurice Sendak



This one, too, contrasts the beauty of the story and the illustrations with the content of those illustrations--children in rags and tatters, homeless, using newspapers with headlines of tragedy and hopelessness for warmth and covering. Underlying message that we must care for each other against the enemies.

20. Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: A Sortabiography by Eric Idle

21. The Boys Omnibus Vol. 5 by Garth Ennis

22. Lumberjanes, Vol. 4: Out of Time by Shannon Watters

23. Lumberjanes Vol. 5: Band Together by Shannon Watters

Another entry in my Sendak-fest: Sendak did the illustrations for this one. Lovely story, lovely illustrations.



24. Fly By Night by Randall Jarrell

I finished my Great Course! Excellent presentation by Dr. Armstrong.



25. The Medieval World (Great Courses) by Dorsey Armstrong

Hi Karen!

>55 klobrien2: Slow and steady wins the race!

Speaking of the Bible, Hebrew and New Testament, a college friend of mine, also a Karen, sent two books to me for Christmas so we can do a bible study together. It's up to me to figure out we'll do this and I'm just now getting around to trying to set a methodology to the task - try to read them in tandem or read one then the other, whichever one makes sense to read first.

The books are What the Bible Really Says by Manfred Barthel and The Bible and the Common Reader by Mary Ellen Chase. Are you familiar with either of them and do you have a suggested way for me to set up our discussions?

Hi Karen!

I've not read or heard of either of those books--sorry! Maybe try dipping into both of them and see if you get any ideas. The first is reviewed on LT; don't think that the second is. You could Google them, I guess.

Thanks for stopping by!

>53 klobrien2: Yes, my local library does offer Interlibrary Loans, but it is a pain to use, so I generally stay away from it. Besides, I have so many books in the BlackHole that my local library already has, it seems a waste of time and energy.

Thursday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (yay, libraries!), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly! Quite a few of my long-time requests have just come in: decisions to be made here! Karen's current reading (1/30/2020):

Actively reading:

The King David Report by Stefan Heym - has become even more interesting because of where I am in my Bible reading! Almost done with this--maybe finish tomorrow?
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson -- just starting
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo -- fifty pages in
The Second Sleep by Robert Harris -- fifty pages in
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel -- I'd like to join in with the read that LTers are doing...
The Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation by the Venerable Bede
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World (elif Shafak)
The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation (way late, but still a worthwhile read)
Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (recommended reading for my "Meteorology" class!)
So, Anyway by John Cleese

Current Great Courses course: I finished "The Medieval World" by Dorsey Armstrong! Really enjoyed it, and learned a lot. Reading Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation and The World of the Luttrell Psalter as a result.

Next up for my "Great Course" is "Museum Masterpieces of the Louvre" -- ooh, la, la!

NEW! Reading through the Hebrew Bible: Currently on CHRONICLES (often split into I and II Chronicles). Almost through I Chronicles.

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still:

A Warning by Anonymous (bought my own ebook copy!)
The Peter Principle by Laurence J. Peter
The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

Books that I need to wait for again (other people waiting for, so giving up my turn):

Swede Hollow: A Novel by Ola Larsmo
Unfollow: A Memoir of Loving and Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church by Megan Phelps-Roper
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
Maid by Stephanie Land

26. The King David Report by Stefan Heym

27. Lumberjanes, Vol. 6: Sink or Swim by Shannon Watters

28. Lumberjanes, Vol. 7: A Bird's-Eye View by Shannon Watters

29. Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson

Thursday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (yay, libraries!), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly! Karen's current reading (2/6/2020):

Actively reading:

The Second Sleep by Robert Harris -- 100 pp out of 270 left
Bill Cunningham: Five Decades of Iconic Photography
Altamont: The Rolling Stones, the Hell's Angels, and the Inside Stories of Rock's Darkest Day by Joel Selvin
The Juniper Tree and Other Tales From Grimm (Maurice Sendak, illustrator!)
For this month's AAC, I plan to read Begin Again: Collected Poems by Grace Paley. And I still want to finish Nightwoods by Charles Frazier (from January's author).
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
**From library on 2/10: Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
and Shark Drunk by Morton Stroksnes

My current "Great Course" is "Museum Masterpieces of the Louvre" -- ooh, la, la! Haven't started yet, but it's a shorter course.

NEW! Reading through the Hebrew Bible: Currently on CHRONICLES (often split into I and II Chronicles). Almost through I Chronicles. Not much progress made this week (oops!)

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still:

Strange Case of the Moderate Extremists by Alexander McCall Smith (novella)
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel -- I'd like to join in with the read that LTers are doing...
The Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation by the Venerable Bede
The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation (way late, but still a worthwhile read)
Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (recommended reading for my "Meteorology" class!)
So, Anyway by John Cleese
Famine Ships: The Irish Exodus to America by Edward Laxton
Notre-Dame: A Short History of the Meaning of Cathedrals by Ken Follett
A Warning by Anonymous (bought my own ebook copy!)
The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

Books that I need to wait for again (other people waiting for, so giving up my turn):

Swede Hollow: A Novel by Ola Larsmo
Unfollow: A Memoir of Loving and Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church by Megan Phelps-Roper
Maid by Stephanie Land
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo -- fifty pages in
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World (Elif Shafak)
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Hi Karen!

The next time you can get hold of 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World, you should really try to squeeze it in. I found it fascinating and amazing.

Hi Karen...aren...aren (echo)!

I know, I read the first twenty or so pages, and the concept of the book is so fascinating. I have it coming in ebook format, and relatively soon (less than a month) so I was more willing to give it up for a short time. I'm definitely counting the days until it is back in my greedy mitts! Thanks for the rave--that just solidifies things for me!

And, as always, great to see you here!

30. The Second Sleep by Robert Harris



Excellent read! This is a genre-crossing (is it historical fiction? is it romance? is it post-apocalypse? is it all of the above?), well-written, lots of surprises and twists (which I love).

31. Bill Cunningham: On the Street: Five Decades of Iconic Photography by Bill Cunningham



Lovely book of photography by the late and mourned Bill Cunningham, whose photography column, "On the Street," was a beloved feature of the Sunday NYTimes.

This is a large book, with gorgeous photographs, curated by Tiina Loite, Cunningham's former photo editor at the Times. There are also peeks into Cunningham's life, and words from those who knew him and worked with him (and/or posed for him).

It's a feast for the eyes!

Here are a few quotes, the first from the Introduction; the second, from the back cover:

1. The idea of him taking pictures was almost a stroke of luck, like so much else that happened to Bill....when Montgomery came to visit Lopez that next year, he noticed that Bill...was furiously scribbling notes on a pad.

"I said to him, 'Why bother doing that?'" Montgomery, now in his eighties, recalled. "Here's a camera. Use that.'"

2. The best fashion show is definitely on the street. Always has been. Always will be.

32. Firefly: Unification War, Vol. 2 by Greg Pak

>76 klobrien2: I read that book in January and was blown away by it.

>78 klobrien2: I didn't know you were a Browncoat! We love the show and movie so much (well most of the movie, that is) that we've named all three of our current batch of kitties Firefly names - Wash, Zoe, and Inara.

>79 karenmarie: I'm a big fan of Firefly and Serenity. That show made a big impact on a lot of people, didn't it?! These "Unification War" graphic novels start off each chapter with quotes from the show, and it's such a treat to read the words again. I might have to do a re-watch of the show soon.

And Second Sleep really affected me, too. I'm still "reliving" parts of the book, and remembering my surprise and shock when I realized early on what the timeframe of the book really was! I LOVE twistiness like that!

Always good to see you here, Karen! Thanks for coming by!

33. The World of the Luttrell Psalter by Michelle P. Brown

34. Lumberjanes, Vol. 8: Stone Cold by Shannon Watters

35. Lumberjanes, Vol. 9: On a Roll by Kat Leyh

>83 klobrien2: Those Lumberjanes are popping up everywhere! On a roll indeed.

Hi, Paul! I had read the first Lumberjanes a while back, but then saw that Scafeia (sp?) was reading the entire series. The books are kind of like potato chips--it's hard to stop at just one more!

Thanks for stopping by!

36. The Strange Case of the Moderate Extremists by Alexander McCall Smith

37. Varg in Love (short story) by Alexander McCall Smith

38. Altamont: The Rolling Stones, the Hells Angels, and the Inside Story of Rock's Darkest Day by Joel Selvin

39. The biblical books of I Chronicles and II Chronicles

I've just restarted my reading through the Hebrew Bible, something I was doing back in 2017. Others in the Reading Through the Bible as Literature thread were tackling the entire Hebrew Bible and New Testament! I had dropped off a few chapters into Chronicles (not the most interesting reading, but I just stopped).

So, time passed, and in the meantime, I purchased Robert Alter's multi-volume The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary (he's my hero, and I love his writing). One reason I am enjoying the read is the simple physical setup of the book: each chapter of the Bible gets a chapter in Alter's book; lots of white space, making it easier to read; footnotes are plentiful, but they are footnotes, not ENDnotes (I hate flipping!). I've gotten really used to Alter's style and it feels very comfortable.So, I've just jump-started my I Chronicles reading, and will continue from there! Very psyched about this!

So, Chronicles. The book is usually split into two parts, but is really one book. It was interesting to read that, for Jewish people, the book is usually at the end of the Hebrew Bible instead of in the middle (as in Christian versions). Chronicles serves as a survey of biblical history from the creation of the world to the destruction of the first Temple and the conquest of the kingdom of Judah by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. It parallels and depends on the Pentateuch and the Former Prophets. It is made of originally independent narrative sections and lives of outstanding personalities (mostly kings). There are insertions of lists, short prophetic tales, poetic pieces of a psalmodic nature, and orations. A real mishmash!

The book centers on the Davidic dynasty and the kingdom of Judah. More than any other biblical writer, the author(s) of Chronicles profusely and ostentatiously cites otherwise unknown works.

There are two sections to Chronicles: (1) I Chr 1- 9 (pre-monarchical) compilation of various genealogical lists and episodes; (2) I Chr 11:1 - II Chr 36:21 - history of Davidic kingdom, airbrushed, with embarrassing episodes omitted (e.g., no affair with Bathsheba or murder of her husband).

I found the book exceedingly dull and transparently political. I was saved by the fact of reading The King David Report (my book #26) at the time I started up Chronicles again. Lots of synchronicity there!

Thursday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (yay, libraries!), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly! Karen's current reading (2/13/2020):

Actively reading:

The Juniper Tree and Other Tales From Grimm (Maurice Sendak, illustrator!)
For this month's AAC, I plan to read Begin Again: Collected Poems by Grace Paley. And I still want to finish Nightwoods by Charles Frazier (from January's author).
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
So, Anyway by John Cleese
Notre-Dame: A Short History of the Meaning of Cathedrals by Ken Follett
The Body by Bill Bryson

My current "Great Course" is "Museum Masterpieces of the Louvre." Four of twelve lectures in, and loving it! Almost as good as being there in real life.

NEW! Reading through the Hebrew Bible: Finished Chronicles; on to Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, ...

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still:

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel -- I'd like to join in with the read that LTers are doing...
The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation (way late, but still a worthwhile read)
Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (recommended reading for my "Meteorology" class!)
Famine Ships: The Irish Exodus to America by Edward Laxton
A Warning by Anonymous (bought my own ebook copy!)
The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
Shark Drunk by Morton Stroksnes
The Quiet Side of Passion (Isabel Dalhousie series) by Alexander McCall Smith

Books that I need to wait for again (other people waiting for, so giving up my turn):

Swede Hollow: A Novel by Ola Larsmo
Unfollow: A Memoir of Loving and Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church by Megan Phelps-Roper
Maid by Stephanie Land
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo -- fifty pages in
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World (Elif Shafak)
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

wish you a good new week

Thank you, Paul, same to you! And what a lovely picture! Thanks for stopping by!

40. Lumberjanes, Vol. 10: Parents' Day by Kat Leyh

41. Lumberjanes, Vol. 11: Time After Crime by Kat Leyh

42. Lumberjanes, Vol 12: Jackalope Springs Eternal by Shannon Watters

Those Lumberjanes books are certainly doing the rounds, Karen. Possibly the most read books in the group this year.

>96 PaulCranswick: The Lumberjanes are a lot of fun, empowering for people of the female persuasion, I guess. They are a quick-to-read little treat, and in my opinion, the plots and characters have gotten better throughout the series. I'm glad that others here at LT have brought them to my attention!

I've read through all of the numbered series (I think there is a Vol. 13, but I'll have to look around for it at other libraries). I've just requested a few standalone volumes. I am a completist, I guess!

I wonder if you have access to them where you are? I hope you get a chance to try one out. They are Juvenile level, but there is a lot of humor and a lot of action, and they're just plain fun (with, usually, a moral or two).

Thanks for stopping by to chat!

>97 klobrien2: I don't think that they are in the stores here, Karen, but I will go and have a closer look.

43. Notre-Dame: A Short History of the Meaning of Cathedrals by Ken Follett



Excellent little gem of a book, almost poetic at times, "about" so many things: grief over the damage to Notre-Dame, of course, but also a discourse on the idea of the cathedral, the history of Notre-Dame, and a little survey of the cathedral in literature.

Here's a quote (a little lengthy, but it's all so tasty!):

A journalist asked me: "Don't you hate all the tourists in their shorts with their cameras?" No. Cathedrals have always been full of tourists. In the Middle Ages they were not called tourists, they were pilgrims, but they traveled for many of the same reasons: to see the world and its marvels, to broaden their minds, to educate themselves, and perhaps to come in touch with something miraculous, otherworldly, eternal.

I believe that a novel is successful to the extent that it touches the emotions of the reader. And something similar may be true of all works of art. It is certainly true of cathedrals. Our encounters with them are emotional. When we see them we are awestruck. When we walk around we are enraptured by their grace and light. When we sit quietly we are possessed by a sense of peace.

And when one burns, we weep.

44. Begin Again: Collected Poems by Grace Paley



So grateful to the AAC for this month's selected author--Grace Paley. I really enjoyed this collection of her poetry, poems spanning 1985-2000. Themes of activism, love, family, history, aging ... Here's one for you:

"Hand-Me-Downs"

My love rests on the couch
in the sweater and bones of old age

I have stopped reading to look at him I take
his hand I am shawled in my own somewhat
wrinkled still serviceable skin

No one knows what to do with these
hand-me-downs love them I suppose

weren't they worn in and out of
dignity by our mothers and
fathers even our children in
the grip of merciless genes will
wear these garments

may their old lovers greet and
touch them then in the bare light
of that last beauty

45. Museum Masterpieces: The Louvre (Great Course) by Richard Brettell

Thursday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (yay, libraries!), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly! Karen's current reading (2/20/2020):

Actively reading:

For this month's AAC, I finished my February read but still would like to finish Nightwoods by Charles Frazier (January's author)
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King (halfway through; getting really involving!)
Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson (good start made)
So, Anyway by John Cleese
Unfollow: A Memoir of Loving and Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church by Megan Phelps-Roper

My current "Great Course" will be "Big History: The Big Bang, Life on Earth, and the Rise of Humanity." 48 lectures of 30 minutes each.

NEW! Reading through the Hebrew Bible: On Ezra, then Nehemiah, Esther, Job, ...

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still:

The Juniper Tree and Other Tales From Grimm (Maurice Sendak, illustrator!)
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel -- I'd like to join in with the read that LTers are doing...
The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation (way late, but still a worthwhile read)
Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (recommended reading for my "Meteorology" class!)
Famine Ships: The Irish Exodus to America by Edward Laxton
A Warning by Anonymous (bought my own ebook copy!)
The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
Shark Drunk by Morton Stroksnes
The Peppermint Tea Chronicles (44 Scotland St) by Alexander McCall Smith
The Scorpion God: Three Short Novels by William Golding

Books that I need to wait for again (other people waiting for, so giving up my turn):

Swede Hollow: A Novel by Ola Larsmo
Maid by Stephanie Land
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo -- fifty pages in
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World (Elif Shafak)(will soon have back!)
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

46. Lumberjanes/Gotham Academy by Chynna Clugston-Flores





47. Lumberjanes: Bonus Tracks by Holly Black





48. Lumberjanes: Infernal Compass by Lilah Sturges

49. The biblical book of Ezra

Using Robert Alter's multi-volume The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary.

The book is often considered as part of a double Ezra/Nehemiah volume, but Alter feels that there are definitely two different writers here, so combines his introductory remarks, but then treats each book separately.

The book of Ezra he describes as "third-person narrative reporting historical--at least possibly historical--events affecting returned exiles in the 5th century BCE."

It contains the only extended passage (chs. 4-6) in the Bible (outside of Daniel) written in Aramaic (which was in the process of becoming the vernacular of the peoples of Israel. It shows a new openness to formal diversity (in literature) that characterizes Late Biblical literature. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah contain historical narrative, memoir, collages of history, documents, maybe even passages from folktales.

Driven by political motive--for Ezra (scribe and priest), the motive was to restore the religious cult. (The book of Nehemiah, up next, was the work of a political leader who wanted to rebuild the city walls and confront enemies.)

Both Ezra and Nehemiah stress separatism, from "those who had stayed." Sweeping resistance to intermarriage. The book of Ruth, coming up, presents a contrasting message to these books.

50. Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

Fifty books already, Karen. Well done!

Thanks! There have been a lot of "little" books, but many more substantial. Really enjoying my reading!

Thanks for stopping by to chat!

51. Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson



She felt red at the bone--like there was something inside of her undone and bleeding.

Great writing, wonderful approach to this story of a family affected by the unintended pregnancy of the too-young Iris. But it's more than that--it's the history of the Black American family, history of several American cities, history of America itself. All told through various voices of members of the family.

52. Pumpkinheads: A Graphic Novel by Rainbow Rowell

Enjoying the heck out of listening to CD "King of the Road: A Tribute to Roger Miller"! Wonderful music, performed by performers of country music old and new. Interspersed are little snippets of banter from Roger Miller himself (I remember him as so funny and personable). Excellent CD set, lots of others waiting for a chance at it, so I'll have to request it again.

Another rave from me about my current Great Course: Big History: The Big Bang, Life on Earth, and the Rise of Humanity, taught by David Christian. Such a great course! I've gotten past the Big Bang, and now will find out how scientists think the suns and other heavenly bodies came about. David Christian, the instructor, is wonderful--brilliant, well-spoken, and humorous.

Christian refers to an early "Big History" written by H. G. Wells (The Outline of History), and I have an old copy of that! Picked it up when it caught my eye at the library book sale. Thin, thin pages; tiny, tiny print--don't think I'll be reading that as a whole anytime soon. I've gotten so many other Book Bullets from this guy, and I'm only six of 48 lectures in.

53. The biblical book of Nehemiah

Using Robert Alter's multi-volume The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary.

The book is often considered as part of a double Ezra/Nehemiah volume, but Alter feels that there are definitely two different writers here, so combines his introductory remarks, but then treats each book separately.

The book of Ezra he describes as "third-person narrative reporting historical--at least possibly historical--events affecting returned exiles in the 5th century BCE." Nehemiah was probably written a little earlier than Ezra (last quarter of the 5th century BCE). A good portion of the book is Nehemiah's memoirs, written in the first person. There is no equivalent to this form elsewhere in the Bible. The book incorporates Persian imperial documents. Nehemiah came to Jerusalem from a high position in the Persian court.

Ezra and Nehemiah show a new openness to formal diversity (in literature) that characterizes Late Biblical literature. The books contain historical narrative, memoir, collages of history, documents, maybe even passages from folktales.

Driven by political motive--for Ezra (scribe and priest), the motive was to restore the religious cult. The book of Nehemiah was the work of a political leader who wanted to rebuild the city walls and confront enemies.

Both Ezra and Nehemiah stress separatism, from "those who had stayed." Sweeping resistance to intermarriage. The book of Ruth, coming up, presents a contrasting message to these books.

Thursday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (yay, libraries!), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly! Karen's current reading (2/27/2020):

Actively reading:

Still working on January's AAC read, Nightwoods by Charles Frazier (starting to get involved)
So, Anyway by John Cleese (Cleese is a teenager now)
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak
This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor by Adam Kay (really liking this!)
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Peppermint Tea Chronicles (44 Scotland St) by Alexander McCall Smith

My current Great Course is "Big History: The Big Bang, Life on Earth, and the Rise of Humanity," which I am just loving! 8 of 48 lectures completed.

NEW! Reading through the Hebrew Bible: Finished Nehemiah. On to Esther, Job, Psalms...

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still:

The Juniper Tree and Other Tales From Grimm (Maurice Sendak, illustrator!)
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel -- I'd like to join in with the read that LTers are doing...
The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation (way late, but still a worthwhile read)
Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (recommended reading for my "Meteorology" class!)
Famine Ships: The Irish Exodus to America by Edward Laxton
A Warning by Anonymous (bought my own ebook copy!)
The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
The Scorpion God: Three Short Novels by William Golding

Books that I need to wait for again (other people waiting for, so giving up my turn):

Swede Hollow: A Novel by Ola Larsmo
Maid by Stephanie Land
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo -- fifty pages in
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Reminiscing about former reading favorites and I thought of the "Bobiverse" books. Actually requested them from my library but decided I wanted my own copies! I have all three "Bobiverse" books coming, AND a couple of others by the author that I didn't know about (Outland and The Singularity Trap. I'm calling it an early Thingaversary (I joined October 3, 2007)!

54. A Stowaway on Noah's Ark by Charles Santore



Lovely drawings and story, told from the point of view of a little mouse who is the titular stowaway.

55. The Tale of the Firebird by Gennady Spirin



Incredibly beautiful illustrations! Thank you to Whisper1 for bringing this book to my attention.

56. This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Medical Resident by Adam Kay



This book is a wondrous thing. Stephen Fry says it well: "Painfully funny. The pain and the funniness somehow add up to something entirely good, entirely noble, and entirely lovable." I enjoyed the reading of it so much that I'd actually feel resentment when I needed to leave it to, what, go to work?

I am doing 2 of the Great Courses right now, Karen: Sacred Texts of the World and The History of Ancient Egypt. I am really enjoying them and am happy to have stumbled across them.

Ooh, those sound great! I have so pleasantly surprised by the quality of the teaching. My hearing is not the best, but I am well able to understand the teachers (there aren't subtitles, which is a real shortcoming, I think.)

Thanks for stopping by!

57. The biblical book of Esther

Using Robert Alter's multi-volume The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary.

Alter states that, although there are several biblical books that test the limits of the canon, the book of Esther may be the MOST anomalous. It never mentions the name of God, its narrative world is fundamentally secular, and it seems to have been written primarily for entertainment.

It's got farce, burlesque, satire, fairy tale elements, and a "carnevalesque" narrative. Often quite funny and makes no pretense at historical reality. Additionally, the Hebrew it's written in has a peculiar style; Late Biblical Hebrew, but odd grammar, with at least a few run-on sentences.

It is, however, pretty amusing and gratifying; avid satire and a tale of national triumph.

58. David, Voltaire, Brutus, and the French Revolution by Robert L. Herbert



This book is part of the "Art in Context" series, in which each volume "discusses a famous painting or sculpture as both image and idea in its context - whether stylistic, technical, literary, psychological, religious, social or political."

The painting discussed here is "Brutus," Jacque-Louis David's depiction of Lucius Junius Brutus (not the Caesar-assassin Brutus). I first became aware of the painting in the Great Course "Museum Masterpieces of the Louvre." What I found interesting (besides the wonderful painting) was the painter David and his involvement in the French revolution, and the use that he and Voltaire made of the character of Brutus. Brutus was a legendary Roman hero who sacrificed everything (the lives of his sons) for the fight for the Roman republic. This painting shows Brutus, his wife, daughters, and servant, in juxtaposition to the bodies of his dead sons as they are brought to him for burial. It's a very moving painting.

From the inside cover: "The French Revolution is the stage for this searching study of David Voltaire, and the cult of Brutus."

There's a handy historical chart (I am a little weak on French history, I guess!), an index, a bibliography. Lots of nice illustrations, including a fold-put color plate of the painting.

>121 klobrien2: That looks an interesting book, Karen

>122 PaulCranswick: It was! I wish I could have included a photo of the actual painting, but it's huge, and there is so much going on in it. The cover photo is just a piece of it (Brutus's face).

I might read it again, but I would get a little French history and a little Roman history before I did. I am fascinated by the series, "Art in Context." I may look for others in the series.

Thanks for stopping by to chat!

Thursday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (yay, libraries!), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly! Karen's current reading (3/5/2020):

Actively reading:

Still working on January's AAC read, Nightwoods by Charles Frazier--I'm about 100 pages in.
So, Anyway by John Cleese--making progress
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak--100 pages left. It's getting so involving--I should finish tomorrow.
Brand new!! The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Brand new!! Maps of Time: An Introduction to Big History by David Christian (my Great Courses teacher)
The Peppermint Tea Chronicles (44 Scotland St) by Alexander McCall Smith
For March Murder and Mayhem, I'll be reading Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
For March AAC (David McCullough), I'll be reading The Wright Brothers.

My current Great Course is "Big History: The Big Bang, Life on Earth, and the Rise of Humanity," which I am just loving! 18 of 48 lectures completed.

NEW! Reading through the Hebrew Bible: Finished Esther; now up to Job 8.

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still:

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Tracks by Louise Erdrich (some LTers are reading this, so maybe I'll check it out)
Church People: Lutherans of Lake Wobegone by Garrison Keillor (on CD--should be a fun reminiscence)
A Short History of Almost Everything (illustrated version!) by Bill Bryson (big book, but I love his style)
The Spire by Will8iam Golding
The Lost Art of Scripture by Karen Armstrong
The Juniper Tree and Other Tales From Grimm (Maurice Sendak, illustrator!)
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel -- I'd like to join in with the read that LTers are doing...
The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation (way late, but still a worthwhile read)
Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (recommended reading for my "Meteorology" class!)
Famine Ships: The Irish Exodus to America by Edward Laxton
A Warning by Anonymous (bought my own ebook copy!)
The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

Books that I need to wait for again (other people waiting for, so giving up my turn):

Swede Hollow: A Novel by Ola Larsmo
Maid by Stephanie Land
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo -- fifty pages in
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

>121 klobrien2: My knowledge of art is sadly lacking and the Art in Context series sounds like one way to expand that. Thanks for the recommendation, Karen!

59. Creation by Gennady Spirin by Gennedy Spirin

60. 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak



So much to love about this book: its location (Istanbul), its characters, the sad but hopeful story. The primacy of friendship in this strange world.

>127 klobrien2: I haven't seen that cover of the book before, Karen - very striking!

61. Elizabeth Warren: Nevertheless, She Persisted by Susan Wood



Very nice, well-balanced look at Warren, written for youngsters.

62. The Juniper Tree and other Tales from Grimm, translated by Lore Segal and Randall Jarrell, pictures by Maurice Sendak



I read this for the Sendak illustrations, and they are wonderful. The stories are great, too, and they were "translated with fidelity--to expurgation or adaptation." (back cover). Truly enjoyable, and I'm sure to be dipping into this one again.

Thursday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (yay, libraries!), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly! Karen's current reading (3/12/2020):

Actively reading:

Still working on January's AAC read, Nightwoods by Charles Frazier--almost done, getting tense!
Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (recommended reading for my "Meteorology" class!)--fast read, almost done
So, Anyway by John Cleese--making progress
Maps of Time: An Introduction to Big History by David Christian (my Great Courses teacher)
The Peppermint Tea Chronicles (44 Scotland St) by Alexander McCall Smith
For March Murder and Mayhem, I'll be reading Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
For March AAC (David McCullough), I'll be reading The Wright Brothers.

My current Great Course is "Big History: The Big Bang, Life on Earth, and the Rise of Humanity," which I am just loving! 24 of 48 lectures completed.

NEW! Reading through the Hebrew Bible: Now up to Job 22.

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still:

Board Games in 100 Moves: 8000 Years Of Play by Ian Livingstone
Enemies, a Love Story by Isaac Bashevis Singer
Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers
The Resisters by Gish Jen
Tracks by Louise Erdrich (some LTers are reading this, so maybe I'll check it out)
Church People: Lutherans of Lake Wobegone by Garrison Keillor (on CD--should be a fun reminiscence)
A Short History of Almost Everything (illustrated version!) by Bill Bryson (big book, but I love his style)
The Spire by William Golding
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel -- I'd like to join in with the read that LTers are doing...
The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation (way late, but still a worthwhile read)
Famine Ships: The Irish Exodus to America by Edward Laxton
A Warning by Anonymous (bought my own ebook copy!)
The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

Books that I need to wait for again (other people waiting for, so giving up my turn):

Swede Hollow: A Novel by Ola Larsmo
Maid by Stephanie Land
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo -- fifty pages in
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

63. Cat's Cradle: A Novel by Kurt Vonnegut



This was a reread for me, very much enjoyed. Classic Kurt Vonnegut, kind of crazy, yet very sane, lots to think about. A breeze of a read.

Hi Karen!

>99 klobrien2: Thank you for sharing that quote – it’s absolutely beautiful and inspiring.

>127 klobrien2: :)

64. A Ride to Remember: A Merry-Go-Round and its Civil Rights Story by Sharon Langley



Beautifully drawn and written story of the desegregation of the Baltimore carousel now on display on the Washington Mall. Lots of great resources for further study.

65. A Short History of Nearly Everything: Special Illustrated Edition by Bill Bryson



Okay, so this is the illustrated version, a lovely book, but weighing about ten pounds, I think. I skimmed this copy, concentrating on the illustrations, photographs, and special headings and quotes. I have another copy on ebook, sans all the pretty pictures, and I will read that one more carefully! Looks lovely!

Thursday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (yay, libraries!), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly! A new complicating factor is the closure of my local libraries due to Covid-19 worries. The due dates of all "book" books is moved out a month! So I'll be concentrating on ebooks this week. Karen's current reading (3/19/2020):

Actively reading:

Still working on January's AAC read, Nightwoods by Charles Frazier--almost done, getting tense!
So, Anyway by John Cleese--making progress
Board Games in 100 Moves: 8000 Years Of Play by Ian Livingstone
The Spire by William Golding
Maps of Time: An Introduction to Big History by David Christian (my Great Courses teacher)
The Peppermint Tea Chronicles (44 Scotland St) by Alexander McCall Smith
For March Murder and Mayhem, I'll be reading Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
For March AAC (David McCullough), I'll be reading The Wright Brothers.

My current Great Course is "Big History: The Big Bang, Life on Earth, and the Rise of Humanity," which I am just loving! 30 of 48 lectures completed ("Early Agrarian Civilizations").

NEW! Reading through the Hebrew Bible: Now up to Job 31. Almost time for God's magnificent statement.

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still:

Enemies, a Love Story by Isaac Bashevis Singer
Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers
Tracks by Louise Erdrich (some LTers are reading this, so maybe I'll check it out)
Church People: Lutherans of Lake Wobegone by Garrison Keillor (on CD--should be a fun reminiscence)
A Short History of Almost Everything by Bill Bryson (skimmed through the huge illustrated version, now will read the ebook a lot more carefully)
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel -- I'd like to join in with the read that LTers are doing...
The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation (way late, but still a worthwhile read)
Famine Ships: The Irish Exodus to America by Edward Laxton
A Warning by Anonymous (bought my own ebook copy!)
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

Books that I need to wait for again (other people waiting for, so giving up my turn):

Swede Hollow: A Novel by Ola Larsmo
Maid by Stephanie Land
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo -- fifty pages in
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

67. Board Games in 100 Moves by Ian Livingstone

>136 klobrien2: I'm gonna try and finish McCullough's John Adams this coming weekend but it is an imposing looking tome.

>139 PaulCranswick: It sure is! Readers love it, though, and I'm sure it's well worth the read!

Nice to see you here!

68. The biblical book of Job

Using Robert Alter's multi-volume The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary.

Alter says that the book of Job is in several ways the most mysterious book of the Hebrew Bible. (1) Formally, it is a sustained debate in poetry; (2) Theologically, it's a radical challenge to the doctrine of reward for the righteous, punishment for the wicked; and (3) there is some astounding poetry here.

Nothing is known of the author, but they have a universalist perspective. No agreement on the date of the book, although the use of Aramaic might suggest the later 6th century BCE up to the early 4th century BCE. The frame of the story might be a folktale. The story invokes the pastoral world of the Patriarchs.

Highlights/lowlights: Chapter 28 "Hymn to Wisdom"' chapters 32-37, Elihu speeches (Alter calls their inclusion (lol) "lapse in judgement by an ancient editor," chapters 38-42, God speaks (my favorite!)

"Dazzling lexical abundance," "metaphoric inventiveness," "observant interest in the processes of nature," mythology a source for metaphor.

Job has been a favorite of mine but I, too, find it very mysterious. I don't have any confusion, however, about the poetry of the book, especially when God speaks of nature (Behemoth and Leviathan still give me shivers), and when Job and God have their dialogue.

69. So, Anyway by John Cleese



Fun read, lots of history, humor, and insights into Cleese's life. Probably would have benefited from a little more editing. I'd certainly recommend it, however!

Thursday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (yay, libraries!), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly! In response to Covid-19, my library has lately made a few very nice changes: they spent some funds on more ebooks, so I, all of a sudden, had ebooks that I HAD requested but hadn't been expecting anytime soon. So I sent them back so the next person could have them first. The library has also worked out a way to provide requested items to patrons in a very no-touch, social-distancey kind of way. Worked great! Our (Minnesota) governor has declared "shelter in place" for the next few weeks starting tomorrow night, so I don't know if this will change going forward. Karen's current reading (3/26/2020):

Actively reading:

Still working on January's AAC read, Nightwoods by Charles Frazier--almost done, getting tense!
The Spire by William Golding
The Peppermint Tea Chronicles (44 Scotland St) by Alexander McCall Smith
For March Murder and Mayhem, I am reading Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
For March AAC (David McCullough), I am reading The Wright Brothers.

My current Great Course is "Big History: The Big Bang, Life on Earth, and the Rise of Humanity," which I am just loving! 38 of 48 lectures completed (I'm at "The Modern Revolution"). On the home stretch with this one. I have a few other courses at home to take up next: "30 Masterpieces of the Ancient World," and "History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration."

NEW! Reading through the Hebrew Bible: Finished Job! Now on to Psalms (and I'll be busy with that book for a while!)

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still:

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger - been wanting this one for a while
Fevre Dream by George R. R. Martin - a patron recommended
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
The Hunting Accident: A True Story of Crime and Poetry by David L. Carlson - graphic novel
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
The Photo Ark: One Man's Quest to Document the World's Animals by Joel Sartore - how cool is that?!
Talk Like a Man by Nisi Shawl - little book of short stories (SF)
Enemies, a Love Story by Isaac Bashevis Singer
Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers
Tracks by Louise Erdrich (some LTers are reading this)
A Short History of Almost Everything by Bill Bryson (skimmed through the huge illustrated version, now will read the ebook a lot more carefully)
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (want to read the entire trilogy)
The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation by Robin Pogrebin
Famine Ships: The Irish Exodus to America by Edward Laxton
A Warning by Anonymous (bought my own ebook copy!)
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

Books that I need to wait for again (other people waiting for, so giving up my turn):

Swede Hollow: A Novel by Ola Larsmo
Maid by Stephanie Land
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo -- fifty pages in
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

>143 klobrien2: Hurray for the libraries responding with more e-Books!! And you are almost at 75 already. Awesome.

Hi, Kim! I'm having lots of good reading this year. And, recently, a lot more time to be reading!

Thanks for stopping by!

70. The Hunting Accident: A True Story of Crime and Poetry by David L. Carlson



An amazing graphic novel, full of history and literature, fathers and sons. Very well written, and wonderfully illustrated by Landis Blair.

Hi Karen! Oh, wow, I am deeply embarrassed that it is nearly April and I just "discovered" your thread - yikes! So... happy new year to you. I have a couple of the Lumberjane books in my library but I haven't read them. I have been hit by a couple of books here: I had never heard of Fly By Night but I loved the Jarrell/Sendak collaboration of The Bat-Poet. Also, I love everything I've read by Jacqueline Woodson, so I added Red at the Bone. Nice to see you!

>141 klobrien2: Karen, I recently read Witness: Lessons from Elie Wiesel's Classroom in which the Book of Job was also considered and its unique position in the Bible evaluated.

Have a good weekend.

>147 AMQS: I'm glad to see you here! I haven't been able to located The Bat-Poet but have added it to my TBR--sounds like just my cup o' tea! Thanks!

>148 PaulCranswick: I have Wiesel's Witness on my TBR; sounds like it was time I bumped it up the list! Thanks!

71. The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson, illus. Charles Santore



Beautiful, so-sad story (NOT the Disney version); lavish and lovely illustrations by Santore.

72. Nightwoods by Charles Frazier



Finally finished my January AAC read! I don't know why it took me so long to finish it, because it was a compelling read, and I love Frazier's writing. I guess some parts were a little shocking and scary, so I avoided reading it just before bed (when I do a lot of my reading). I'd really recommend this one--Frazier really knows how to write about places and people.

73. Big History: The Big Bang, Life on Earth, and the Rise of Humanity by David Christian



Finished! Lovely, informative, intriguing look at "Big History" from the Big Bang through eight thresholds all the way to the present and beyond! Combines many branches of science and history. David Christian (the teacher, one of the founders of Big History), is excellent--well-spoken, with such an ability to explain sometimes tough concepts to non-scientists. And he has a sweet sense of humor to boot!

Thursday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (yay, libraries!), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly! I've got a few more ebooks working their way to me, as well as some newly-requested books ready for my no-contact pick-up. Karen's current reading (4/2/2020):

Actively reading:

For April AAC (Francine Prose), I will read Mister Monkey: A Novel
The Spire by William Golding
The Peppermint Tea Chronicles (44 Scotland St) by Alexander McCall Smith
For March Murder and Mayhem, I am reading Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
For March AAC (David McCullough), I am reading The Wright Brothers
The Photo Ark: One Man's Quest to Document the World's Animals by Joel Sartore
Enemies, a Love Story by Isaac Bashevis Singer
Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers

Finished my Great Course, "Big History: The Big Bang, Life on Earth, and the Rise of Humanity," and just loved it. I will take up "30 Masterpieces of the Ancient World" next.

Reading through the Hebrew Bible: Psalms (like a breath of fresh air)!

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still:

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
Fevre Dream by George R. R. Martin - a patron recommended
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
Talk Like a Man by Nisi Shawl - little book of short stories (SF)
Tracks by Louise Erdrich (some LTers are reading this)
A Short History of Almost Everything by Bill Bryson (skimmed through the huge illustrated version, now will read the ebook a lot more carefully)
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (want to read the entire trilogy)
The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation by Robin Pogrebin
Famine Ships: The Irish Exodus to America by Edward Laxton
A Warning by Anonymous (bought my own ebook copy!)
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

Books that I need to wait for again (other people waiting for, so giving up my turn):

Swede Hollow: A Novel by Ola Larsmo
Maid by Stephanie Land
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo -- fifty pages in
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

74. The Photo Ark: One Man's Quest to Document the World's Animals by Joel Sartore



Oh my gosh! Such beautiful photographs of such interesting and photogenic critters! AND lots of small "Heroes" tidbits and zoo write-ups. Sartore's (and The National Geographic's) mission: to document endangered animals and persuade other human animals to work together to conserve and protect our great natural resources.

This book was a complete joy to read and peruse.

75. Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers



Enjoyable read, but some horrific racist and anti-semitic dialogue. I do like the Peter Wimsey character!

Have a lovely, peaceful, safe and healthy weekend, Karen.

Congratulations on reaching 75 books!

Thanks, Paul! Wishing you a lovely, peaceful, etc....week!

76. Strega Nona by Tomi DiPaolo

77. The Guild Volume 1 by Felicia Day

78. The Guild Volume 2 by Felicia Day

Congrats on blowing past the goal!

Thanks! Woohoo!

oops

>155 klobrien2: Belated congratulations on reaching 75, Karen!

>166 FAMeulstee: Thanks!

>127 klobrien2: I want to read that one, but my local library does not have a copy. Glad to see you enjoyed it so much!

>134 klobrien2: >146 klobrien2: I already have that one in the BlackHole or I would add it again.

>138 klobrien2: A book about board games and no comments? For shame! lol

>154 klobrien2: My local library has a copy of that one! Thanks for the recommendation, Karen.

I got one of Stasia's "Woo-Hoo" guys! Thank you!

I thought of you when I was reading the games book. It really is a beautiful book, with lots of interesting history. I think you would really enjoy the book if you can get a copy of it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Thursday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (yay, libraries!), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly! I've got a few more ebooks working their way to me, as well as some newly-requested books ready for my no-contact pick-up. Karen's current reading (4/9/2020):

Actively reading:

For March Murder and Mayhem, I am (still) reading Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
For March AAC (David McCullough), I am (still) reading The Wright Brothers
For April AAC (Francine Prose), I am reading Mister Monkey: A Novel
The Spire by William Golding
The Peppermint Tea Chronicles (44 Scotland St) by Alexander McCall Smith
Enemies, a Love Story by Isaac Bashevis Singer

My current Great Course, "30 Masterpieces of the Ancient World." Only a few lectures in so far.

Reading through the Hebrew Bible: Psalms. Lovely reading. Need to bump up my reading here.

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still:

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
Orphan X by Gregg Andrew Hurwitz
Lord Peter Views the Body: A Collection of Mysteries by Dorothy L Sayers
A Canticle for Liebovitz by Walter M Miller
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
Magical Negro: Poems by Morgan Parker
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
A Rough Ride to the Future by James Lovelock
Witness: Lessons from Elie Wiesel's Classroom by Ariel Burger
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
Talk Like a Man by Nisi Shawl - little book of short stories (SF)
Tracks by Louise Erdrich (some LTers are reading this)
A Short History of Almost Everything by Bill Bryson (skimmed through the huge illustrated version, now will read the ebook a lot more carefully)
The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation by Robin Pogrebin
Famine Ships: The Irish Exodus to America by Edward Laxton

Books that I need to wait for again (other people waiting for, so giving up my turn):

Swede Hollow: A Novel by Ola Larsmo
Maid by Stephanie Land
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo -- fifty pages in
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Hi, Karen.

That John Cleese book looks tempting. I've always gotten a kick out of him.

I'm glad you read the graphic Feynman and gave it 4 stars; I thought that was a particularly good graphic bio.

I hadn't remembered the racist and anti-semitic dialogue in Unnatural Death, but that's often a problem when reading older books, isn't it. My wife and I are reading the Little House on the Prairie books (first time for both of us), and they'd been blessedly free of that until the third from last (Little Town on the Prairie), when . . . arggh. I remember when I went back to Hugh Lofting's Dr. Doolittle books, thinking our kids might like them, the early ones had too much racism. I hadn't noticed when I read them as a kid.

Hi Karen!

Congrats on reaching and pasing 75.

Wow, 75 already! Nice work. And Strega Nona . So sad to lose Tomie DePaola recently.

I realized that I've read another Jarrell/Sendak collaboration: The Animal Family. Another lovely story.

I wanted my message this year to be fairly universal in a time we all should be pulling together, whatever our beliefs. Happy Celebration, Happy Sunday, Karen.

Hi, Joe...

Feynman was fine for me until it got into his lectures, and I grew a little impatient with my lack of understanding. :o I just kind of skimmed through those bits. I did really enjoy the book as a whole.

I know what you mean about the blatant racist words in older books. I remember the "Bobbsey Twins" books with love, but when I went back as an adult to read the first one, was shocked by the family's treatment of their black servant. Immediately lost all my desire to read more.

I am reading the next Lord Peter Wimsey in the series, and am thrilled to have not encountered any of the racist stuff yet.

Thanks for stopping by!

>172 karenmarie: "Hi, Karen!" back at you!

>173 AMQS: That's why I read Strega Nona--kind of a memorial. And thanks for the recommendation--I haven't heard or read of that one yet! Off to find The Animal Family!

>173 AMQS: Thank you for the lovely greeting, Paul! And we must celebrate every chance we get!

Thanks to you all for visiting and stopping to chat!

81. Magical Negro by Morgan Parker



I really wanted to like this slim book of poetry more. Although, I do believe that when a poet is able to share so clearly and forcefully, that's well-worth the writing.

LT seems to be doing something new--reposting any post that is open, creating a new, duplicative post, probably when I refresh my thread. Aarghhh!

82. Lord Peter Views the Body by Dorothy L. Sayers



Really enjoying these mysteries! Love the humor and the love of the English language. This one is a collection of short stories, which I can usually take or leave, but Sayers is really good at establishing the plot and getting things going really quickly.

There is a thread in the Categories group of people reading the Lord Peter Wimsey series--I'm in!

Thursday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (yay, libraries!), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly! I've got a few more ebooks working their way to me, and every once in a while, a new paper book. Karen's current reading (4/16/2020):

Actively reading:

For March Murder and Mayhem, I am (still) reading Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
For March AAC (David McCullough), I am (still) reading The Wright Brothers
For April AAC (Francine Prose), I am reading Mister Monkey: A Novel
The Spire by William Golding (almost done!)
The Peppermint Tea Chronicles (44 Scotland St) by Alexander McCall Smith
Enemies, a Love Story by Isaac Bashevis Singer
Talk Like a Man by Nisi Shawl - little book of short stories (SF)
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins (just got in ebook)
Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie
The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot by Robert McFarlane

My current Great Course, "30 Masterpieces of the Ancient World." 12 of 36 lectures viewed!

Reading through the Hebrew Bible: Psalms. Lovely reading. Finished Psalms 20 (but there's 150 of 'em!)

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still:

Orphan X by Gregg Andrew Hurwitz
A Canticle for Liebovitz by Walter M Miller
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
Witness: Lessons from Elie Wiesel's Classroom by Ariel Burger
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
Tracks by Louise Erdrich (some LTers are reading this)
A Short History of Almost Everything by Bill Bryson (skimmed through the huge illustrated version, now will read the ebook a lot more carefully)
The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation by Robin Pogrebin
Famine Ships: The Irish Exodus to America by Edward Laxton

Books that I need to wait for again (other people waiting for, so giving up my turn):

Swede Hollow: A Novel by Ola Larsmo
Maid by Stephanie Land
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo -- fifty pages in
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

83. Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie



Comforting little cozy of a mystery, except set in the exotic Near East. Not the most believable of plots, but M. Poirot is so much fun.

84. The Spire by William Golding



...the tower was laying a hand on the whole landscape, altering it, dominating it, enforcing a pattern that reached wherever the tower could be seen, by sheer force of its being there.

It took me a while to get through this one, even though it is not a large book. It's done in stream of consciousness, and the narrator (the dean of the cathedral) starts off unreliable and gets even worse from there. It's a very tragic plot, set in medieval times. I read it because it was mentioned in a book about the Notre Dame cathedral, and my interest was piqued. It's an interesting book, and the writing is quite good.

Thursday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (yay, libraries!), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly! I've got a few more ebooks working their way to me, and every once in a while, a new paper book. Karen's current reading (4/23/2020):

Actively reading:

For March Murder and Mayhem, I am reading Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
For March AAC (David McCullough), I am reading The Wright Brothers
For April AAC (Francine Prose), I am reading Mister Monkey: A Novel
The Peppermint Tea Chronicles (44 Scotland St) by Alexander McCall Smith
Enemies, a Love Story by Isaac Bashevis Singer
Talk Like a Man by Nisi Shawl - little book of short stories (SF)
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins (just got in ebook)
The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot by Robert McFarlane
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid (just got on ebook)

My current Great Course, "30 Masterpieces of the Ancient World." 16 of 36 lectures viewed!

Reading through the Hebrew Bible: Psalms. Lovely reading. Finished Psalms 30 (of 150)

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still:

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo -- fifty pages in (just got back on ebook)
A Canticle for Liebovitz by Walter M Miller
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
Witness: Lessons from Elie Wiesel's Classroom by Ariel Burger
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
Tracks by Louise Erdrich (some LTers are reading this)
A Short History of Almost Everything by Bill Bryson (skimmed through the huge illustrated version, now will read the ebook a lot more carefully)
The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation by Robin Pogrebin
Famine Ships: The Irish Exodus to America by Edward Laxton

Books that I need to wait for again (other people waiting for, so giving up my turn):

Swede Hollow: A Novel by Ola Larsmo
Maid by Stephanie Land
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
Orphan X by Gregg Andrew Hurwitz
Know My Name by Chanel Miller

85. Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear



Absolutely loved this book! It started slowly for me, so maybe that's why I'd never before gotten beyond the first 50 pages. But I love all of the characters, and am so looking forward to the next in the series, Birds of a Feather.

86. The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation by Robin Pogrebin



A well-researched and -written book by Robin Pogebrin and Kate Kelly.

Thursday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (yay, libraries!), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly! I've got a few more ebooks working their way to me, and every once in a while, a new paper book. Karen's current reading (4/30/2020):

Actively reading:

For March AAC (David McCullough), I am reading The Wright Brothers
For April AAC (Francine Prose), I am reading Mister Monkey: A Novel
For May AAC (E. Lynn Harris), I will read What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted (a memoir)

The Peppermint Tea Chronicles (44 Scotland St) by Alexander McCall Smith
Enemies, a Love Story by Isaac Bashevis Singer
Talk Like a Man by Nisi Shawl - little book of short stories (SF)
The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot by Robert McFarlane
We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers
Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear

My current Great Course, "30 Masterpieces of the Ancient World." 18 of 36 lectures viewed (halfway!)

Reading through the Hebrew Bible: Psalms. Lovely reading. Finished Psalms 36 of 150

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still:

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo -- fifty pages in
A Canticle for Liebovitz by Walter M Miller
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
Witness: Lessons from Elie Wiesel's Classroom by Ariel Burger
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
Tracks by Louise Erdrich (some LTers are reading this)
A Short History of Almost Everything by Bill Bryson (skimmed through the huge illustrated version, now will read the ebook a lot more carefully)
Famine Ships: The Irish Exodus to America by Edward Laxton

Books that I need to wait for again (other people waiting for, so giving up my turn):

Swede Hollow: A Novel by Ola Larsmo
Maid by Stephanie Land
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
Orphan X by Gregg Andrew Hurwitz
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

87. The Peppermint Tea Chronicles: 44 Scotland Street #13 by Alexander McCall Smith



Another sweet little entry in the prolific AMS's "44 Scotland Street" list. How can this be the 13th volume already?! So lovely to read, so calming, but so funny and smart.

88. Talk Like a Man (Outspoken Authors by Nisi Shawl



Interesting little collection of stories with a bonus interview of the author. I never really bonded with the stories (don't know how else to describe), but I'm glad I read the book anyway.

Thursday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (yay, libraries!), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly (even more so now with Covid19 running the game)! I've got a few more ebooks working their way to me, and every once in a while, a new paper book. Karen's current reading (5/7/2020):

Actively reading:

Exit Strategy by Martha Wells (reread, to freshen my recollection for: )
Network Effect by Martha Wells
Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles
The Talented Mr. Varg by Alexander McCall Smith
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (audio book, a switch for me!)
Gilgamesh: The Life of a Poem by Michael Schmidt
Enemies, a Love Story by Isaac Bashevis Singer
The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot by Robert McFarlane
We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers
Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear

For April AAC (Francine Prose), I am reading Mister Monkey: A Novel
For May AAC (E. Lynn Harris), I will read What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted (a memoir)

My current Great Course, "30 Masterpieces of the Ancient World." 28 of 36 lectures viewed (I'm pretty sure I'll finish this week)

Reading through the Hebrew Bible: Psalms. Lovely reading. Finished Psalms 50 of 150 (1/3 of the way there!)

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still:

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo -- fifty pages in
A Canticle for Liebovitz by Walter M Miller
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
Tracks by Louise Erdrich
Famine Ships: The Irish Exodus to America by Edward Laxton

Books that I need to wait for again (other people waiting for, so giving up my turn):

Swede Hollow: A Novel by Ola Larsmo
Maid by Stephanie Land
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
Orphan X by Gregg Andrew Hurwitz
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
A Short History of Almost Everything by Bill Bryson (ebook)

89. Exit Strategy (Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells



This was a reread, but it really held up well. I might have even liked it more this time. Can't wait for Network Effect, and I won't have to! Score another point for library ebooks!

>184 klobrien2: I need to get back to the Maisie Dobbs series. It is one that I got sadly behind on while I was in school. I need to play catch up!

>190 klobrien2: I love the Murderbot series!

Have a great weekend, Karen!

Wishing you a lovely weekend, Karen.

Good to see you here, Stasia and Paul! Thanks for visiting!

90. 30 Masterpieces of the Ancient World (Great Courses) by Diana K. McDonald



Finally finished this 36-lecture course. At 30 minutes per, that's eighteen hours worth of watching, let alone the reading of the course book.

Very enjoyable course--lots of items that I was familiar with, but lots of new-to-me things from Asia and the Americas.

91. The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers



The star of these books is the character of Lord Peter Wimsey, of course. So much of the framework feels dated, a little (or a lot) sexist, racist, classist, but they are still a lot of fun. I do appreciate the insight into the after-effects of war on psyches and society.

Thursday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (yay, libraries!), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly (even more so now with Covid19 running the game)! I've got a few more ebooks working their way to me, and every once in a while, a new paper book. Karen's current reading (5/14/2020):

Actively reading:

Network Effect by Martha Wells
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (audio book, a switch for me!)
Gilgamesh: The Life of a Poem by Michael Schmidt (bought this one for myself)
Enemies, a Love Story by Isaac Bashevis Singer
We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear

For April AAC (Francine Prose), I am reading Mister Monkey: A Novel
For May AAC (E. Lynn Harris), I will read What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted (a memoir)

My current Great Course: Finished "30 Masterpieces of the Ancient World"! Now up is "History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration" (only 24 lectures).

Reading through the Hebrew Bible: Psalms. Lovely reading. Finished Psalms 65 of 150.

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still:

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo -- fifty pages in
A Canticle for Liebovitz by Walter M Miller
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
Tracks by Louise Erdrich
Famine Ships: The Irish Exodus to America by Edward Laxton

Books that I need to wait for again (other people waiting for, so giving up my turn):

Swede Hollow: A Novel by Ola Larsmo
Maid by Stephanie Land
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Orphan X by Gregg Andrew Hurwitz
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles
The Talented Mr. Varg by Alexander McCall Smith
The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot by Robert McFarlane
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

Hi Karen!

>195 klobrien2: I also appreciated the insight into the after-effects of The Great War. It’s very apparent with Robert and George Fentiman, Robert potting rats in the trenches and George coming home a broken man.. Lord Peter, too, of course, has his own demons from the war.

>196 klobrien2: I’ve forgotten – are you reading the Hebrew and Christian Bibles cover-to-cover?

Hi, Karen...I’m continuing my read of the Hebrew Bible, one I started three years ago (!) with you and others. I’m currently in the middle of Psalms.

Thanks for stopping by! I’ll be by your thread soon!

Thursday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (yay, libraries!), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly (even more so now with Covid19 running the game)! I've got a few more ebooks working their way to me, and every once in a while, a new paper book. Karen's current reading (5/21/2020):

Actively reading:

Network Effect by Martha Wells - forty pages left! Love it!
Hid From Our Eyes by Julia Spencer-Fleming!
Gilgamesh: The Life of a Poem by Michael Schmidt (bought this one for myself)
Enemies, a Love Story by Isaac Bashevis Singer
We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear

For April AAC (Francine Prose), I am reading Mister Monkey: A Novel
For May AAC (E. Lynn Harris), I will read What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted (a memoir)

My current Great Course: Finished "30 Masterpieces of the Ancient World"! Now up is "History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration" (only 24 lectures).

Reading through the Hebrew Bible: Psalms. Lovely reading. Finished Psalms 65 of 150.

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still:

Know My Name by Chanel Miller
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo -- fifty pages in
A Canticle for Liebovitz by Walter M Miller
Tracks by Louise Erdrich
Famine Ships: The Irish Exodus to America by Edward Laxton

Books that I need to wait for again (other people waiting for, so giving up my turn):

Swede Hollow: A Novel by Ola Larsmo
Maid by Stephanie Land
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Orphan X by Gregg Andrew Hurwitz
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles
The Talented Mr. Varg by Alexander McCall Smith
The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot by Robert McFarlane
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

>199 klobrien2: So you have 16 books actively on the go? That beats anything I have done - I think 10 or so is my most.

92. Network Effect by Martha Wells



Loved this book, just as I've loved the somewhat shorter first books in the Murderbot series. The main character, SecUnit/Murderbot, is wonderful--smart, funny, action hero, and sometimes, quite vulnerable.

Also like the series for its light-handed but effective portrayal of gender and relationships. It's so interesting to me that there is no way to determine a character's gender by clues that the author usually provides--not behavior, not language,..because it just doesn't matter. How freeing is that?!

Great action, wonderful characters, and a very interesting world!

>200 PaulCranswick: "So you have 16 books actively on the go? That beats anything I have done - I think 10 or so is my most."

Yeah, sometimes I have four books propped open in front of me, to speed things along!

No, the books I list under "Actively Reading" are the ones that I really am reading at that point in time, plus all of the ones I've started and know that I need to get to sooner than later. The AAC books are just as likely to be abandoned as finished. The Great Course and Hebrew Bible are separate activities. The "Not-so-time-sensitive-but-still" books are those that I have every intention of getting to soon, but need to let them sit and age a little more (!)

This weekly list I do is to help me keep track of what treasures are currently available to me. The list change often, and I won't hesitate to remove books, or postpone my reading of them.

So many books, so little time!

As always, nice to have you visit!

At this time of the end of Ramadan I want to give thanks for your friendship in this wonderful group, Karen.

Enjoy the long weekend.

93. Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood



This is the first volume in the "Miss Fisher" series. My husband and I recently watched all of the Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries on Acorn, and they were a lot of lovely, easy fun, so I decided to go back to the source and read the books.

This book was a little edgier than the equivalent episode in the TV series. As usual when I read a book after having already watched the cinematic version, I "filled in the blanks" with images of the characters and the places. And, reversely, the book provided information that the shows just kind of glossed over or didn't bother with at all. For instance, Phryne's name was really meant to be Psyche, but her drunk papa got his Classical references mixed up. Who knew?

I'm going to continue with the series; although the first book wasn't a gem of writing, I can only imagine that the writing will get better.

94. Philipok by Leo Tolstoy illus. Gennady Spirin



Beautiful illustrations, charming story of a little boy who dreams of going to school.

Thursday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (yay, libraries!), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly (even more so now with Covid19 running the game)! I've got a few more ebooks working their way to me, and every once in a while, a new paper book. Karen's current reading (5/28/2020):

Actively reading:

Hid From Our Eyes by Julia Spencer-Fleming!
Gilgamesh: The Life of a Poem by Michael Schmidt (bought this one for myself)
Enemies, a Love Story by Isaac Bashevis Singer
Flying Too High by Kerry Greenwood (Miss Fisher #2)
Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton (reread because I loved it so much!)

For April AAC (Francine Prose), I am reading Mister Monkey: A Novel
For May AAC (E. Lynn Harris), I am reading What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted (a memoir)

My current Great Course: "History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration" (finished 6 of 24 lectures).

Reading through the Hebrew Bible: Psalms. Lovely reading. Finished Psalms 80 of 150 (over halfway!).

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet; these are library books):

Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
Conned Again, Watson! by Colin Bruce
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo (reread for the love of it)
Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World: The Great Monuments and How They Were Built by Christopher Scarre
Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown by Anne Glenconner
The Sacrament by Olafur Johann Olafsson
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear
Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers (June Peter Wimsey read)
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo -- fifty pages in
A Canticle for Liebovitz by Walter M Miller
Tracks by Louise Erdrich
Famine Ships: The Irish Exodus to America by Edward Laxton

Books that I need to wait for again (other people waiting for, so giving up my turn):

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
Swede Hollow: A Novel by Ola Larsmo
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Orphan X by Gregg Andrew Hurwitz
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles
The Talented Mr. Varg by Alexander McCall Smith
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

Hi, Karen.

Wasn't Network Effect great? So hotly anticipated, and she really delivered. What a series.

I read many of the Phryne Fisher mysteries and had a good time with them. We had watched the TV series, too (and now the movie), and enjoyed it very much. I of course saw Phryne in the books as Essie Davis; she's so perfect in that part.

I'm sorry Magical Negro didn't work better for you. It was one of my favorites from last year, and got the National Book Critics Circle award, but our pal Mark wasn't wowed either.

>207 jnwelch: Hi Joe! Thanks for visiting, and for your comments. Re;Network Effect, I was so happy with the book. I had been a little worried that the longer format would prove too much, but the book kept my attention and my respect. I can't wait for the next one! (there will be a next one, right?)

See you around!

95. Hid From Our Eyes by Julia Spencer-Fleming



It had been six years since the last book in the series, and I was sure impatient for it. I was amply rewarded, with a visit with all of out favorite (and not so favorite) characters, an up-to-date plot and the wonderful location. My only quibble is with the resolution of the mystery; it's a little hard to believe.

But this book was one that was hard to put down, and with fifty pages left, I was faced with the classic reader's dilemma: read fast and find out what happens? or read slowly, and savor? I think I steered a middle course.

Thursday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (yay, libraries!), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly (even more so now with Covid19 running the game)! I've got a few more ebooks working their way to me, and every once in a while, a new paper book. Karen's current reading (6/4/2020):

Actively reading:

Gilgamesh: The Life of a Poem by Michael Schmidt (bought this one for myself)
Enemies, a Love Story by Isaac Bashevis Singer
Flying Too High by Kerry Greenwood (Miss Fisher #2)
Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton (reread because I loved it so much!)

For May AAC (E. Lynn Harris), I am reading What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted (a memoir)

My current Great Course: "History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration" (finished 12 of 24 lectures).

Reading through the Hebrew Bible: Psalms. Lovely reading. Finished Psalms 102 of 150 (over two-thirds!).

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet; these are library books):

Swede Hollow: A Novel by Ola Larsmo
Orphan X by Gregg Andrew Hurwitz
The Talented Mr. Varg by Alexander McCall Smith
Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
Conned Again, Watson! by Colin Bruce
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo (reread for the love of it)
Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World: The Great Monuments and How They Were Built by Christopher Scarre
Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown by Anne Glenconner
The Sacrament by Olafur Johann Olafsson
We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear
Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers (June Peter Wimsey read)
A Canticle for Liebovitz by Walter M Miller

Books that I need to wait for again (other people waiting for, so giving up my turn):

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles

96. You're All Just Jealous of My Jetpack: Cartoons by Tom Gauld



Hilarious collection of cartoons about books, writers, and readers.

97. Baking With Kafka by Tom Gauld



More cartoons about books, writers, and readers. Very intelligent, very funny.

98. Flying Too High: Miss Fisher #2 by Kerry Greenwood



I liked this second installment better than the first. Very pleasant way to spend a few hours (the books are quite short). I'll continue on with the series, for sure!

99. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo



Gosh, I love this book although it makes me cry every time I read it. Beautifully written and illustrated, of course.

100. History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration by Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius



Excellent course (although I have few complaints of any of them). A great mix of times and places, from ancient history to future history. Liulevicius has a great teaching style and a nice sense of humor. Very much recommended.

101. The biblical book of Psalms

Using Robert Alter's multi-volume The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary. 335 pages, 150 chapters.

Alter describes the Psalms as the "most urgently, personally present of all the books." And, "As least as a set of techniques and conventions, they constitute the most original literary creation of the biblical writers."

The psalm was a common form in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Syro-Canaanite literature. There is an "imaginative and verbal affiliation of many of the Psalms with the pagan literary tradition."

The Psalms--a "fairly flexible literary tradition"--serve many purposes. There are psalms of thanksgiving, psalms of praise, supplications.

This biblical poetry is based on parallelism of meaning between two halves of a line; there is no requirement for rhyming. The parallelism can be syntactic, semantic, accentual. Very traditional in style; rarely seeks startling effects. Spiritual realized through the physical, divine purposes implemented in social, political, and even military realms.

Alter's translation is beautiful, and he is so careful with it. I read the commentary (for the most part) but it was probably more in depth than this layperson needed. It was nice to be able to drill down to deeper meaning if I felt so inclined (!)

Thursday Reading Roundup!

Why I do this "Round Up": Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (yay, libraries!), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly (even more so now with Covid19 running the game)! I've got a few more ebooks working their way to me, and every once in a while, a new paper book. Karen's current reading (6/11/2020):

Actively reading:

Gilgamesh: The Life of a Poem by Michael Schmidt (bought this one for myself)
Enemies, a Love Story by Isaac Bashevis Singer
Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown by Anne Glenconner
The Sacrament by Olafur Johann Olafsson
Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers (June Peter Wimsey read)
Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher (group read)
Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton (reread because I loved it so much!)
Murder on the Ballarat Train (Miss Fisher #2) by Kerry Greenwood

For May AAC (E. Lynn Harris), I am reading What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted (a memoir)
For June AAC (Jean Stafford), I am reading a biography, Jean Stafford: The Savage Heart, by Charlotte Margolis Goodman

My current Great Course: Finished "History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration" with Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius. I got nervous about not having a course to take next, so I went a little crazy and got four courses (nobody is waiting for these):

"Classical Mythology"
"A Field Guide to the Planets"
"The Higgs Boson and Beyond"
"The World's Greatest Paintings"

Their topics are pretty diverse, so maybe I'll watch them concurrently? Maybe I'll catch the first lecture and change my mind. We'll see!

Reading through the Hebrew Bible: Finished Psalms. On to Proverbs.

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet; these are library books):

Swede Hollow: A Novel by Ola Larsmo
Orphan X by Gregg Andrew Hurwitz
The Talented Mr. Varg by Alexander McCall Smith
Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World: The Great Monuments and How They Were Built, ed. by Christopher Scarre
Where the Animals Go: Tracking Wildlife with Technology in 50 Maps and Graphics by James Cheshire
We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear
A Canticle for Liebovitz by Walter M Miller
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Divine and Human and Other Stories by Leo Tolstoy
The Book of Rarely Imagined Beings: A 21st Century Bestiary by Casper Henderson
Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate: Discoveries from A Secret World by Peter Hohlleben

Books that I need to wait for again (other people waiting for, so giving up my turn):

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles

102. Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown by Anne Glenconner



Really good memoir, honest and well-written. When I started reading I thought that this would be a fun look at British royalty and nobility, history chronologically that of "The Crown" and perhaps there would be some interesting insights (gossip) into British culture during the mid 20th century.

But it is so much more than that. Glenconner is a fearless writer, and she tells us of her life, her spirited and sometimes-troubled husband and children. There is laughter, but there are also tears. Glenconner led a privileged life, but she is someone who served, both the crown, but her family and society as well.

Didn't want to stop reading this one!

103. Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers

104. Enemies: A Love Story by Isaac Bashevis Singer



Took me a while to get through this, mainly because it is quite dark, with only a few instances of humor of a farce-like nature. Singer is wonderful at dialogue, esp. the post-WWII Jewish refugee in New York City type of dialogue. Singer is also great at telling us about his characters in all of their complication and unreliability.

Hi Karen, terrific reading here. Now that my library is offering curbside holds pickup, I've requested the first two Murderbot novellas - they are so highly recommended here!

You also got me with Lady in Waiting.

Hi, Anne! I know you'll love both the Murderbot books and Lady and Waiting. They couldn't be more different from each other, but that's one of the things that makes reading fun, right?!

I can't figure out why my book covers are all so huge today...I have to think something changed in LT world. Yikes!

Thanks for stopping by to chat!

Thursday Reading Roundup!

Why I do this "Round Up": Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (yay, libraries!), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly (even more so now with Covid19 running the game)! I've got a few more ebooks working their way to me, and every once in a while, a new paper book. Karen's current reading (6/18/2020):

Actively reading:

Gilgamesh: The Life of a Poem by Michael Schmidt (bought this one for myself)
The Sacrament by Olafur Johann Olafsson
Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher (group read) Not so sure about this one--not feeling it yet
Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton (reread because I loved it so much!)
Murder on the Ballarat Train (Miss Fisher #2) by Kerry Greenwood
Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World: The Great Monuments and How They Were Built, ed. by Christopher Scarre

For May AAC (E. Lynn Harris), I am reading What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted (a memoir)
For June AAC (Jean Stafford), I am reading a biography, Jean Stafford: The Savage Heart, by Charlotte Margolis Goodman

My current Great Course(s): I went a little crazy and got four courses. I am cycling through them, reading/watching three lectures per day. I love the variation in topics!

"Classical Mythology" -- 6 of 24 completed
"A Field Guide to the Planets" -- 3 of 24 completed
"The World's Greatest Paintings" -- 3 of 24 completed
"The Higgs Boson and Beyond" -- 3 of 12 completed

Reading through the Hebrew Bible: About halfway through Proverbs (15 of 31 chapters)

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet; these are library books):

Swede Hollow: A Novel by Ola Larsmo: book type exceptionally small and cramped; got my own ebook, so I can adjust it and make it readable
The Talented Mr. Varg by Alexander McCall Smith
Where the Animals Go: Tracking Wildlife with Technology in 50 Maps and Graphics by James Cheshire
We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Divine and Human and Other Stories by Leo Tolstoy
Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate: Discoveries from A Secret World by Peter Hohlleben

Books that I need to wait for again (other people waiting for, so giving up my turn):

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles

105. The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World: the Great Monuments and How They Were Built by Chris Scarre

106. How to Babysit a Grandpa by Jean Reagan



Sweet and funny, beautifully illustrated. I've got the other books in the series requested.

107. Murder on the Ballarat Train (Miss Fisher #3) by Kerry Greenwood



Another fun read in the series. I was thrilled to see "Megatherium Trust" referenced, having just read about it in the Lord Peter Wimsey books. I love it when that synchronicity happens.

108. How to Surprise a Dad by Jane Reagan





109. How to Catch Santa by Jane Reagan





110. How to Get Your Teacher Ready by Jane Reagan

111. The biblical book of Proverbs

Using Robert Alter's multi-volume The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary.

Wisdom literature (such as that in Proverbs) was a fairly widespread phenomenon in the ancient Near East. International, universalist in scope. Borrowing occurred (!)

Proverbs has an anthology-like character. In fact, Alter calls it "an anthology of anthologies."

Six discrete units:

chs 1-9 General prologue to the subject of instruction in wisdom
chs 10-22 "proverbs of Solomon"
chs 23-24 "Words of the wise"
chs 25-29 Also "Proverbs of Solomon," transcribed by the court scribes of Hezekiah
chs 30-31 appendices

It's all poetry, but different kinds of poetry. Ethical, prudential, mnemonic, "vehicle of enlivening perception" = "poetry of wit."

Interesting fact: What is said in Hebrew of four words needs eight to ten words in English!

Thursday Reading Roundup!

Why I do this "Round Up": Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (yay, libraries!), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly (even more so now with Covid19 running the game)! NEWS: My library is taking another step towards normality, and using the three-week checkout again. No more basically open-ended checkouts!

Karen's current reading (6/25/2020):

Actively reading:

Murder at the Victoria Docks (Miss Fisher #3) by Kerry Greenwood
Where the Animals Go: Tracking Wildlife with Technology in 50 Maps and Graphics by James Cheshire
Gilgamesh: The Life of a Poem by Michael Schmidt (bought this one for myself)
The Sacrament by Olafur Johann Olafsson
The Talented Mr. Varg by Alexander McCall Smith
Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton (reread because I loved it so much!)
The Room Where It Happened by John Bolton (a love/hate thing)

For May AAC (E. Lynn Harris) (!), I am finishing up What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted (a memoir)

My current Great Course(s): I am cycling through four courses, reading/watching three lectures per day. I love the variation in topics! Others are waiting for the "Planets" so I'll concentrate on finishing that one first, then go back to cycling through.

***"A Field Guide to the Planets" -- 9 of 24 completed
"The Higgs Boson and Beyond" -- 9 of 12 completed
"Classical Mythology" -- 9 of 24 completed
"The World's Greatest Paintings" -- 9 of 24 completed

Reading through the Hebrew Bible: Finished Proverbs, on to Ecclesiastes (Qoholet) and Song of Solomon.

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet; these are library books):

Children's Bible: A Novel by Lydia Millet
Primal Myths: Creation Myths Around the World by Barbara C. Sproul
Thinking Inside the Box: Adventures With Crosswords and the Puzzling People Who Can't Live Without Them by Adrienne Raphel
Canticle for Liebowitz by Walter M. Miller
Earthrise: How Man First Saw the Earth by Robert K. Poole
Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L. Sayers (for July)
Swede Hollow: A Novel by Ola Larsmo: book type exceptionally small and cramped; got my own ebook, so I can adjust it and make it readable
We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear
Divine and Human and Other Stories by Leo Tolstoy
Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate: Discoveries from A Secret World by Peter Hohlleben
If It Bleeds by Stephen King

Books that I need to wait for again (other people waiting for, so giving up my turn):

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich

112. Death at Victoria Dock (Miss Fisher #4) by Kerry Greenwood

113. Where the Animals Go: Tracking Wildlife with Technology in 50 Maps and Graphics by James Cheshire



Wonderful read, with many great maps and illustrations, articles dealing with wildlife protection and understanding.

In order to understand why something happens, we often need to know where it happens.

>230 klobrien2: Interesting to see you sticking with the series, Karen. I didn't after the fairly ordinary first episode. I might revise that decision.

>232 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! I view the series as a comfort read, requiring little thinking, but with lots of humor and passion. Watching the TV series in its completeness might have helped me, too, because I can visualize the characters, plots, and locations as I'm reading. The books are candy for my brain in these strange times.

Thanks for visiting!

114. A Field Guide to the Planets (Great Courses) by Sabine Stanley



My favorite "Great Course" yet! It's a brand-new title, with a completely different format (the presenter gets to sit, and doesn't have to walk all over the studio to provide movement to the lecture. The graphics are incredible, as you might imagine. Sabine Stanley is wonderful, easy to listen to, smart and funny.

There are CAPTIONS!! Welcome to the 21st century! There are short quizzes for each lecture, a bibliography including suggestions for science fiction reading, and lots of wonderful graphics in the longer-than-usual guidebook. Top notch production!

115. The Talented Mr. Varg by Alexander McCall Smith



Second entry in AMS's series, set in Malmo, Sweden. Ulf Varg (translates to "Wolf Wolf") is a lovely character, a salt of the earth detective in the Department of Sensitive Crimes. These "crimes" are mostly non-violent, but sometimes heart-breaking. Goodness is always affirmed.

Seems like 7/1 is a good date to start my second thread. Follow me to my new thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/322010. Hope to see you there!