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message 1701:
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Karen Michele
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Jul 20, 2020 05:21AM
Impressive!
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Ok!! My goal is 9 books read for the 30.1 task. I've read 7. I'm putting it out here so that I can feel accountable to my RwS team. As a slight aside, I just finished a book for Belize which I think is book #2 for the country. I'm challenging my fellow RwSers to find a Belize book on their shelf to finish off what should be an 'easy' country!
I love seeing this, Valerie. I'm falling down on the Group Project this summer. I had some plans, but sadly they've fallen by the wayside.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "I love seeing this, Valerie. I'm falling down on the Group Project this summer. I had some plans, but sadly they've fallen by the wayside."Ah well, that's the way it goes. I had really hoped to read one of those 3 books that qualify for 'Asia' that I've had since the '80s. I just have to think about the very small type and suddenly 'just have to' read for another task.
it's the Zola biography that changed everything for me. In the fall I'm going to reread two of his series in new translations with a couple of other people. I had abandoned the biography after only 50 pages back in 2014, but this just seemed the right season with so little pressure to read for tasks, so I went back to the beginning to refresh my memory. Not that the Zola won't fit a task. Me? Read something that doesn't fit a RwS task? Not on your life!
In the Mysteries Authors thread Valerie wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Oooh, Valerie! Nice find! Unfortunately neither Kindle edition is available in the US just now. I did notice others by her are available for 99 cents. I guess it's no use trying to whittle down my number of books on hand.""Yes, well.... there's that. ha, ha....
I guess the benefit of the kindle is the books on hand are 'hidden'. Less obvious to the partner who questions the piles on the floor in front of the book shelves!"
I'm feeling a bit lucky this week. I apologized for spending some more money on books, but he acknowledged that he'd just spent a bundle on plastic and glue this week. The relative pittance I spent on books this week goes under the wire!
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "In the Mysteries Authors thread Valerie wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Oooh, Valerie! Nice find! Unfortunately neither Kindle edition is available in the US just now. I did notice others by her..."Ha, ha.... as long as there is a trade off!
Amazon US has a deal going, through the 10th, I believe. Buy $30 in Kindle books get an $8 Kindle credit. You have to click on the message at the top of the book page to activate. I would hope the equivalent is in other countries, but I don't know.I managed to splurge yesterday ...
The offer they're showing me is "Buy $10 in ebooks, get $3 in credit," That's almost the same as buy $30/get $8 credit, assuming one is willing to spend $30. I don't understand why Amazon is so inconsistent in their offers. Anyway, thanks for pointing this out, Elizabeth. I don't think I can pass it up, and will splurge today!
Gosh, that IS a difference. I do wonder why they do that! But I'm glad you got a deal anyway.
Hah. Mine is buy $15, get $4.
That's three different offers. It makes me wonder what they base it on, or is it random? Anyway I am glad I got one where I don't have to spend much. It will be fun choosing.
It must be a US offer. I didn't see anything when I looked earlier on amazon.caHowever, that's probably good - since a good deal would damage my progress with owned books read! lol
Valerie wrote: "since a good deal would damage my progress with owned books read!"I wasn't sure if just US or not. Let's just say I've purchased enough this summer that it's just a good thing I had a list before we started the season. Sort of like Santa - making a list, checking it twice.
I see on Anika's last post in the Completed thread that she owes some fines to her library. My library (City of San Diego) changed its system last year. No more fines....but patrons can't do any other library transactions until the overdue books are returned. They also make renewals automatic for 3 weeks at a time for up to 5 times...as long as nobody is waiting for the book. I think these were good improvements.
Ed wrote: "I see on Anika's last post in the Completed thread that she owes some fines to her library. My library (City of San Diego) changed its system last year. No more fines....but patrons can't do any ot..."That sounds FANTASTIC! At my library, you're allowed to renew your loan up to three weeks in one-week increments but if you forget and are a day late you're locked out of the ability to renew at all. I would KILL for automatic renewals! I always remember the day after I'm set to renew. Ah well.
I use two separate library systems in two different states. I live in SC about 15 minutes from GA and about 15 minutes from the nearest SC city. The SC library allows 1 renewal but each checkout is for 3 weeks at a time. Total time allowed for any book is 6 weeks, providing no one else wants it or it isn't a NEW book which has a shorter time span.
The GA library allows 2 renewals but each checkout is for 2 weeks. Same amount of total time, though.
No automatic renewals. Occasionally I forget but the GA library sends emails to remind me and the SC library makes robo calls.
Bea wrote: "I use two separate library systems in two different states. I live in SC about 15 minutes from GA and about 15 minutes from the nearest SC city. The SC library allows 1 renewal but each checkout ..."
Wow.....San Diego's system is very generous. Unless someone else has the book on order, I can keep my copy for up to 18 weeks.
Ed wrote: "Bea wrote: "I use two separate library systems in two different states. I live in SC about 15 minutes from GA and about 15 minutes from the nearest SC city. The SC library allows 1 renewal but ea..."
18 weeks is amazing and kind of crazy! It would be good if you were reading War and Peace or Gravity's Rainbow!
Valerie wrote: "Ed wrote: "Bea wrote: "I use two separate library systems in two different states. I live in SC about 15 minutes from GA and about 15 minutes from the nearest SC city. The SC library allows 1 ren..."
I love it because I have unusual reading habits, I know, ..... I always have several...sometimes even a dozen or so books going at the same time....so, for those chunksters.... this is good for me. By the way.... I like my method because if a book is really good...it draws out the enjoyment...but if I'm hating on the book I just have to read a chapter at a time. (side note.... I almost always force myself to finish books that I hate....like Ulysses!)
Books I hate, I just set aside and move on. Life is to short too spend time with something I hate. For the chunksters, I'd rather read on my kindle as it's kinder to the hands.
My plan for the last quarter of this year is to read Our Mutual Friend. I did pick it up either free or very cheaply for the kindle, but I still will borrow the book from the library. If necessary, I should be able to borrow it for a total of nine weeks. I like to have a paper copy for books like this so I can keep track of large numbers of characters. However, I can still read it in bed (if I like) on the kindle.Like Ed, I almost always finish books I hate. I understand and kind of agree with your approach, Elizabeth; but for me the real deal breaker is really bad writing. If it is an 'acknowledged classic' I like to see if there is a pay off after reading the whole thing! For On the Road or The Wings of the Dove - the answer for me was no. I won't ever read Kerouac again, but there is a slight possibility of reading a James again. If it is a contemporary book, and I think it's awful (or the writing is bad) I have no problem quitting (yes, I'm referring to Wideacre).
Valerie wrote: "My plan for the last quarter of this year is to read Our Mutual Friend. "This is one of my favorite novels by Dickens and I rated it 5-stars. Although nothing is set in stone, I'm more than 95% certain there will be a task for this next season.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Valerie wrote: "My plan for the last quarter of this year is to read Our Mutual Friend. "This is one of my favorite novels by Dickens and I rated it 5-stars. Although nothing is set ..."
Oh, good! (here's hoping!)....
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Valerie wrote: "My plan for the last quarter of this year is to read Our Mutual Friend. "This is one of my favorite novels by Dickens and I rated it 5-stars. Although nothing is set ..."
I'm reading Dickens in chronological order. I'll be posting Barnaby Rudge for this season. Next up...Martin Chuzzlewit.
I'm planning on reading Little Dorrit during the next season. I'm crossing my fingers and toes for a task that fits it :-)
Ed, I really like the idea of reading Dickens in chronological order. I have a long term goal of reading (or re-reading) all of Thomas Hardy’s novels and that’s just made me consider reading in chronological order.I’m also in the rarely abandoning a book camp. The only exception I make is when I find a book upsetting or offensive. I think the last time I didn’t finish a book I’d started was when I ill advisedly decided to try a romance novel that lots of my GR friends were raving about. I lasted about 50 pages before deciding I couldn’t be bothered reading any more gratuitous, poorly written and excessively graphic sex scenes.
Bryony wrote: "Ed, I really like the idea of reading Dickens in chronological order. I have a long term goal of reading (or re-reading) all of Thomas Hardy’s novels and that’s just made me consider..."I love Hardy.... I don't have too many of his novels left to read.
I'm also reading John Steinbeck in chronological order. Read To A God Unknown this season .....although I'm skipping those I've previously read....so, next up would have been Tortilla Flat...but since I've already read that a few years ago, next up will be In Dubious Battle.
As for finishing books I'm not enjoying.... a large part of it I wrack up to my self-diagnosed OCD...but also, I feel like I can't fairly rate the book unless I finish it. Also.... I'm working on Boxall's 1001 Books list.....and boy, there are some real clunkers on there....but I want to read as many of them as I can. I'm only at 335 so far.
Oh my, yes Ed - there are some clunkers on the Boxall list (at least to my taste). I guess the reward is the ones that are amazing. I won't be a completist for the list though. Never mind the ones I just can't get a hold of, there are some that I have no desire to read.
I rarely abandon a book...although I have a couple of times. For me, it was that the book made no sense. One book was even a translated Nobel Prize winner, so I tried. I really did. Another was supposed to be a cozy mystery written by a celebrity. I must admit to not trying so very hard with that one. I hated it! It was so self-serving as to be nauseous.But, generally, I slog my way through even bad books.
Sometimes a hard to read book is just not being read at the right time. Those that I am having terrible trouble reading, but think I might like them another time, go on my "to finish reading" shelf. Currently it has 5 books, 4 of which I own.
Valerie wrote: "Oh my, yes Ed - there are some clunkers on the Boxall list (at least to my taste). I guess the reward is the ones that are amazing. I won't be a completist for the list though. Never mind the ones I just can't get a hold of, there are some that I have no desire to read."This was it for me for the 1001 list. I have to admit when I realized I was never going to read them, it was very freeing. I love that there is this list, however. It is how I found some of my now favorite authors.
Bea wrote: "Sometimes a hard to read book is just not being read at the right time. Those that I am having terrible trouble reading, but think I might like them another time, go on my "to finish reading" shelf. Currently it has 5 books, 4 of which I own."
This, this, this. The Zola biography I just finished had been languishing on such a shelf since 2014.
Hello. I have been really absent for about a month. There are two reasons for that: clothing needs and work.1 My size changed a good bit (down six sizes) since Christmas 2019. My diabetes had gotten bad and getting the blood sugar under control allowed the weight to drop. Ever try to replace an entire wardrobe when you cannot try on clothes? So I spent several weeks sewing/altering the things I had plus I ordered a few things.
2. School has resumed! Yea!! but it is exhausting. We had a special Covid funded week of technology training in July. Student had a choice of being completely online or coming into the building. We are on a "hybrid" schedule. That means of my 98 students (spread across five class periods) we have some that attend through Google Meet (which is like Zoom) and of those "in-person" students 1/2 come on Mon and Wed and 1/2 come on Tues and Thurs. No one comes on Fri except teachers who do online teaching on Friday.
It's a lot. We are all exhausted. We post a new lesson every day. School starts here on August 2nd so we've had two weeks. A typical class is me teaching to the dozen or so that are sitting in my room. I bought with my own money, a second computer for the room - a chromebook - that sits on a rolling cart and as I am talking I also talk to people on the screen on the chromebook and show them the board etc. They will raise their hands and contribute just like students in the room do. Our first story was "The Tell-Tale Heart" which the kids like, so that was a lot of fun.
The difficulty has been the emails. We are all teaching all day then coming home and answering emails until we fall asleep and get up and do it again. Not exaggerating....on Wed. I actually got 54 emails in a single hour. But it is still early in the year, so hopefully we all hit a happy routine.
I am so glad school has started again. The students are so grateful and happy to be able to come in. We sit "domino dot" style in the room all spaced out wearing masks. I have a bleach - water spray bottle that I use regularly on the desks and door handles. Friday I sprayed the front of every locker for the 8th Grade.
I really like this group, but I do not think I will be reading much or participating much. See you again when there is more time.
Wow! 6 sizes is a LOT! Good job on getting the diabetes under control.School will be an adventure for everyone. So glad the students are looking forward to it.
Lynn wrote: "Hello. I have been really absent for about a month. There are two reasons for that: clothing needs and work.1 My size changed a good bit (down six sizes) since Christmas 2019. My diabetes had got..."
Good for you for getting your blood sugar under control. That takes discipline and work - so well done! Although it does make the clothing a challenge! :)
It is nice to hear the students are happy to be back. As you say, hopefully once everyone is used the new system, the work load will ease off. It's a big learning curve for everyone.
Lynn wrote: "Hello. I have been really absent for about a month. There are two reasons for that: clothing needs and work.1 My size changed a good bit (down six sizes) since Christmas 2019. My diabetes had got..."
You did a great job working on your diabetes! I have to do the same thing.... I'm not going to be obsessed with my reading during the Fall season..... I got the treadmill out of storage. Also.... I just have so many errands and odds and end that deserve attention..... Hope I do as well as you did Lynn! Congrats!
Good luck, Lynn! I have some cousins that are veteran teachers, and they say they have never felt so exhausted and challenged. All the teachers are real heroes trying to teach while keeping everyone safe.
In another group I learned of a book for Somalia. The Orchard of Lost Souls which is beautiful. Set in Somalia in the late 1980's, three women's lives are intertwined in the run-up to an attack on Hargeisa. Really loved it.Not my comments, by the way - just passing them along. The Readers Also Enjoyed section might have others for our needed African countries. I'm going to lose some time perusing I think.
Valerie wrote: "The Volcano, Montserrat and Me: Twenty years with an active volcano by Lally BrownHow was it Valerie?.... I have this one on my list too.
Answering Ed's question here:
I feel slightly harsh sa..."
Hi Valerie.... I haven't rated this one yet..... I'm hovering between 2 and 3 stars. I generally like books that bring me into some micro-culture. And the author did that adequately. But the book needed serious editing.... yes, I got the point about how tedious the everyday worries about the volcano were...but that also made for tedious reading. I didn't hate the book...but I was glad when I was finished.
Ed wrote: "Valerie wrote: "The Volcano, Montserrat and Me: Twenty years with an active volcano by Lally BrownHow was it Valerie?.... I have this one on my list too.
Answering Ed's question here:
I feel s..."
Ah yes..... an editor - that would have been good.
I have left a couple of notes in the Plans section of Power of 9 for Norma and for Connie where the plans will fall apart. There is still time to recover.Also, see the Questions thread where I have discovered I can generate a list from the database of books at least one member has read with applicable page count endings. Please ask over there if you have a number you're wanting.
In the Power of 9 Plans thread, Joanna wrote: "Could you add tabs to that with the other page counts from the database? I'm finding looking up page counts really laborious."Done. These are the page counts as we carry them in the database at the time the books were read by members. Unless someone reports a change, we're unlikely to update them.
And here is the link to the spreadsheet.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
For 30.1:Please be advised that colors are being updated from posts this season. The list in this thread still applies through August 31 should you have questions about countries and scoring.
Ooo!! We've done well! I am reading a book right now that will turn another country green. There's still 10 days, I'm sure we'll make more progress.
Yes, you all have done well. Only 5 countries left that have no entries!
Valerie just posted a book for Sri Lanka, which turns that country green! Yay! Double Yay!What is just as good for everyone, is that as the country list for next season has already been posted, Sri Lanka is still in play for Fall. But don't put off reading for that country - it will be gone come winter. This is true for all Go for the Green posts between now and end of season.
I have Zambia planned for fall, but I also had Zimbabwe and when I looked, it seemed to be done. Is that just the timing of the spreadsheets or in other words, does Zimbabwe work for fall?
Karen Michele wrote: "I have Zambia planned for fall, but I also had Zimbabwe and when I looked, it seemed to be done. Is that just the timing of the spreadsheets or in other words, does Zimbabwe work for fall?"LOL It means I didn't edit the list correctly. As it's been posted, you may read for Zimbabwe this fall.
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