Book Nook Cafe discussion
Books
>
What books did you get from the library, bookstore, or online? ~ 2023
Kiki (Formerly TheGirlByTheSeaOfCortez) wrote: "David Vann is one of my favorite authors. His lyrical prose is just gorgeous, but he writes about the darkest subjects. I just finished Goat Mountain and my reread ..."You are really reading this month, Kiki. It's fun to see what you've read & thought of it. Andrew Sean Greer's book should be quite a different change of pace.
madrano wrote: "Kiki (Formerly TheGirlByTheSeaOfCortez) wrote: "David Vann is one of my favorite authors. His lyrical prose is just gorgeous, but he writes about the darkest subjects. I just finished Goat Mo..."</i>I needed a break from all the dark books I've been reading, Madrano,
[book:Less is perfect for that. The main character is absolutely charming.
madrano wrote: "Sweet!"So far, I'm loving the book! Arthur Less is a wonderful character.
Riyaz wrote: "I got Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind and I am almost half way through.Interesting book. I disagree with the author on the 8th chapter of the book but I am enjoying it so far."
I read that awhile ago so I don't recall enough to discuss it. However I know I enjoyed it very much. So much so, that I purchased a hardcover copy.
I also read his other books
Homo Deus: A History of Tomorrow
and
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Riyaz wrote: "I got Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind and I am almost half way through.Interesting book. I disagree with the author on the 8th chapter of the book but I am enjoying it so far."
Anything specific, Riyaz? I looked here-- https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Sapien... -- and saw some interesting bits. I recall when Alias read it, i found the write up informative.
Today I bought the Kindle edition of A Left-Handed Woman: Essays with some leftover Amazon credit. I'll probably be reading it for the challenge later in the year.
I only know Judith Thurman from her biographies (not that i've read them). Essays should be nice. Enjoy, John.
John wrote: "Today I bought the Kindle edition of A Left-Handed Woman: Essays with some leftover Amazon credit. I'll probably be reading it for the challenge later in the year."I do enjoy essays. I look forward to your review.
Today I purchased the eBook Meditations by Marcus Aurelius .Due to promotions I got an 80 cent credit for the purchase. So I used that to purchase another eBook.
Lives of the Stoics: The Art of Living from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius by Ryan Holiday
Congratulations! I hope both are rewarding, Alias.
Last night i finished the second novel i've read this year by Brandon Hobson. The first, Deep Ellum was set in Dallas but there was no sense of ethnicity, yet Hobson is Cherokee, not that this bothered me, as i didn't realize he was tribal as i read. In the latest, Where the Dead Sit Talking, readers know from the beginning the narrator is Sequoyah, a Cherokee man looking back at his time in foster care.Both books are similar in that young men have a strong need to be free enough to take walks and do so, good weather or not. The cold Dallas weather actually played a part of Deep Ellum, providing a fitting ending for the book. Inclement Oklahoma weather doesn't play a part but rain is present quite a bit, whether characters are walking or not. To me, it indicated how much these people had a need to be in the elements.
Overall, both books cover the most ordinary of things--purchases at stores, days spent at work or school, relationships with peripheral characters, all almost to the point of boring me. However, having been rewarded in Ellum, i stayed with Dead and am glad i did.
Most of the story is about how Sequoyah settled into a foster home (of several), where the death of a 17 year old will occur. Not only are we told this on the first page but readers also learn she died right in front of him. He tells the story through the eyes of 15 year-old Sequoyah. Some thoughts begin benignly, then graduate to some violent ideations. It is exceedingly well written and seems natural.
All three foster children in the home have problems with which they are wrestling. Our narrator's seems more acute because it's possible his mother will be released from prison so they could be together. So, he wants to fit in the home but also wants to be able to leave easily.
Did i like it overall? Yes but i will not be reading another by him any time soon. While the presentation was good, i tired of it when i was halfway finished. Yet, just like the first book, it's lingering in my mind. Foster care is such a problem and this novel showed ways it can be handled so it works. And not. :-)
Sounds like a mixed bag, deb. Still, I think it sounds like you benefited from finishing it.
Yes, i am glad i did so. And i am not averse to reading another by him. Just not very soon. :-)
I needed to spend $10 to get 200 points on Amazon with their Kindle Rewards program and their Kindle Punch Card. Anyway, I purchased:
How to Meditate: A Guide to Self-Discovery by Lawrence LeShan
This was a Kiki recommendation . Thanks, Kiki !
Then I got 2 short books for my Presidential challenge:
Martin Van Buren: A Captivating Guide to the Man Who Served as the Eighth President of the United States by Captivating History
The Life of Andrew Johnson by David Fisher
I got The Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk and kind of wonder what it is I'm reading, and it's more than 900 pages on my iPad. LOL
Alias Reader wrote: "Martin Van Buren: A Captivating Guide to the Man Who Served as the Eighth President of the United States by Captivating History ..."
I've not heard of the "Captivating History books, Alias. Have you read any previously? They look like a clever idea but i'm wondering why Van Buren rated one. I look forward to hearing more.
Congrats to both you & Kiki for your new possessions.
madrano wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "Martin Van Buren: A Captivating Guide to the Man Who Served as the Eighth President of the United States by Captivating History ..."
I've not heard of the "Captivating Histor..."
Thank you, Madrano. I have yet to figure out what mine's about. So far, I know a Polish priest in the 18th century is trying to trade books with a Jewish merchant. That's about it so far.
If anyone has read this book, The Books of Jacob is it worth it? I flipped through it on my iPad and saw page after page after page of description but no dialogue. Oh, my goodness! And I've been looking forward to reading this book. Glad I'm a fast reader.
madrano wrote: "I've not heard of the "Captivating History books, Alias. Have you read any previously? They look like a clever idea but i'm wondering why Van Buren rated one. I look forward to hearing more."No, I've not read one before.
So far there are 6 books in the U.S. President series that Amazon lists. Though there seems to be more when I look at the website. (James Madison and Jefferson to name two) . The website also links Matt Clayton and lists his books. I'm not sure of the connection.
Here are the 6 Amazon shows
Teddy Roosevelt
Van Buren
JFK
FDR
Andrew Jackson
Grant
Here is the website which has their full catalogue.
https://www.captivatinghistory.com/
Riyaz wrote: "I got Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind and I am almost half way through.Interesting book. I disagree with the author on the 8th chapter of the book but I am enjoying it so far."
Like Alias, I enjoyed the book a lot. I don't recall specifics of each chapter, so can't comment on Chapter 8 (or any other individual chapter). Overall, I found the book informative.
This year has started out busy and my reading has slowed down considerably. I did finish American Dirt, which I picked up at the library. I didn't enjoy it. The subject matter is important, yet the author managed to sensationalize it and kept the topic light, not delving into it at all.
Alias Reader wrote: "Here is the website which has their full catalogue.https://www.captivatinghistory.com..."
Interesting offerings. It almost looks as though a cattle call for authors was given--"Write about what ever you want!" Las Vegas, Greek Mythology, Kitos War, Battle of Chickamaunga--all over the place, not even counting biographies. Fascinating. Thanks for the link, Alias.
Kiki (Formerly TheGirlByTheSeaOfCortez) wrote: "If anyone has read this book, The Books of Jacob is it worth it? ..."I haven't read it. The first time i heard of it was earlier this month from Michele. Here's a link to that page, you'll need to scroll down. She liked it but it was work for her.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Petra wrote: "This year has started out busy and my reading has slowed down considerably. I did finish American Dirt, which I picked up at the library. I didn't enjoy it. The subject matter is ..."
What a disappointment, Petra. As you noted, the subject is important. Have you read anything else by Jeanine Cummins? Her titles don't call to me but this one seems to have upset quite a number of the most recent Goodreads reviewers. I had no idea!
I hope your next book is a winner, Petra. You deserve it!
I read American Dirt back in April of 2020. As a work of fiction, I thought it brought to light the plight of some people trying to escape the drug cartels in Mexico. Deb, when I went back to see my review, I see your daughter also read it.
Sorry you didn't care for the book, Petra. Sometimes the press build up with a controversial book can lead to a let down.
It's a book that people feel strongly about one way or another. Because of that, I think it would make it an excellent book club selection. When I was part of a F2F book group the best discussions were always when we had different opinions on the book or topic. This often brought up points that I didn't think about. For me, that's a big part of what reading is all about.
madrano wrote: "Kiki (Formerly TheGirlByTheSeaOfCortez) wrote: "If anyone has read this book, The Books of Jacob is it worth it? ..."I haven't read it. The first time i heard of it was earlier this month from Mi..."
Thank you, Madrano. I think I'll like it once I get to the middle section where it concentrates on the Messianic figure. But the beginning is just introducing characters, and make me kind of tired. LOL
Alias Reader wrote: "I read American Dirt back in April of 2020. As a work of fiction, I thought it brought to light the plight of some people trying to escape the drug cartels in Mexico. Deb, when I went back to see my review, I see your daughter also read it ..."
Funny, i didn't even remember Autumn read it, Alias. You are good!
I agree with you about some disagreement being good for book discussions. It's been my experience that if you all agree, the group kinda peters out, unless you are good friends already. This book looks as though it would keep people talking!
Kiki (Formerly TheGirlByTheSeaOfCortez) wrote: "Thank you, Madrano. I think I'll like it once I get to the middle section where it concentrates on the Messianic figure. But the beginning is just introducing characters, and make me kind of tired...."I'm reading a book right now where all the introductions to characters seems eternal. And, really, it's only two characters! One can only hope the rest of the book is worth that annoyance.
madrano wrote: "Kiki (Formerly TheGirlByTheSeaOfCortez) wrote: "Thank you, Madrano. I think I'll like it once I get to the middle section where it concentrates on the Messianic figure. But the beginning is just in..."Mine has a lot of characters, all with unpronounceable (to me) Polish names. I've read the middle section makes up for it, so I'm carrying on.
You are a trooper, Kiki. I hope it pays off big time.
Last week Alias posted a list of book offerings, as she does on another thread. One caught my eye for our prompt on Romance, a genre i really do not like. And so i read The Rodeo Queen--Marcella Bell.It is the second in the "Closed Circuit Series" by Bell. (https://www.goodreads.com/series/3185...) The books are about rodeo competitions for pay television, a reality show, if you will. In this second installment rodeo queen Sierra the TV host meets rodeo competitor and lawyer Diablo, who learned bullriding in his teens as part of a program for at-risk youth. Indeed, it is at the request of the head of that program that Diablo agreed to return to rodeo events to advertise that same program. So, for the first time in 14 years he performs with Sierra narrating events. There are a number of competitors but the most important in the book are 41 Jose, who is returning for the $1 million prize to help his ailing daughter, and fairly newcomer Dillon. It's important to the story to note that Diablo is black and Latine-background US citizen, Jose is from Mexico, Dillon is white US citizen and Sierra's father is from Cuba.
This is the setting for the book, which offers a unique perspective on competitive rodeo. Romance & rodeos--what could miss? I liked learning about the events, the notion behind closed circuit programs, the aches, the travel and the contestants. I learned way too much about Rodeo Queens but i'm sure fans would love that.
What i didn't like was what is probably a Big Feature of Romance novels today--the inner dilemmas present in deciding whether or not to pursue the attractions of the main characters. Oh my achin' butt, stop it, already. You are in a Romance Novel, of course you are going to get together!
Oops. Sorry, i forgot myself.
One aspect i found intriguing was one of racial injustice. What? In rodeo world? Why, yes. (view spoiler) I liked this angle and felt it was well presented.
It was only in the Author's Note, that i fully understood what i read. Bell noted that the book's outline had been completed when COVID-19 arrived. Then, the murder of George Floyd. As a black woman who "grew up deeply and thoroughly immersed in the 'nice racism' of the Pacific Northwest", she began to feel uneasy, particularly as she'd just given birth to her second child. So, in the midst of writing the book, she & her family made the decision to move away from Oregon, where their children are 3rd generation Northwesterners. She didn't say where they moved.
THIS is the book i want to read. I hope she writes it.
ANYway, the story has plenty (ok, way too much) of prose while each of the Couple evaluate their own & their opposite's physics. Really. And lovemaking. Ok, ok, it's a romance. Apparently rodeo has no flab. And learning the rules about being a Rodeo Queen was interesting. They are not dissimilar to Miss America crown holders, in case you are interested. And Sierra has bigger plans within the rodeo industry, which was interesting to see.
Oh My Gosh, look how long this review is! Bottom Line, the author's note redeemed my indifference to this Romance. I still do not like the genre, i still do not like rodeos (my goodness, i felt i could smell the dust and sweat from my two rodeos as i read) and i still do not like beauty pageants. But i understand them better and how they may still work in this new generation.
Ok, making a separate post for this. I was just writing up my notes and forgot the single most irritating thing about this Romance. The Queen's wardrobe. Good grief! There is a description of every outfit she wore for her camera time for each episode of the show! Sequins! Crystals! Rhinestones! Chaps! Colors! Leather! Embroidery! Boots--golden, white, black and more colors! Oh!So, why notes? Well, it turns out "Chaps" are pronounced "Shaps", which most people don't know. I didn't. They also help thighs grip the leather of a saddle, creating more friction than jeans or chinos could. How about that?
madrano wrote: Bottom Line, the author's note redeemed my indifference to this Romance. I still do not like the genre, i still do not like rodeos (my goodness, i felt i could smell the dust and sweat from my two rodeos as i read) and i still do not like beauty pageants. But i understand them better and how they may still work in this new generation.You're a good sport, deb. I'm sure your happy to get that romance prompt checked off so early in the year. Well done!
madrano wrote: " Well, it turns out "Chaps" are pronounced "Shaps", which most people don't know. I didn't. They also help thighs grip the leather of a saddle, creating more friction than jeans or chinos could. How about that?"
Interesting. I thought the Ralph Lauren cologne was pronounced chaps. Who knew?
I also didn't know about the grip while riding. I thought it was to stop the wear and tear of the jeans.
Being a city gal I don't know when I will use this info, but it's interesting. Maybe it will help with Jeopardy.
Alias Reader wrote: "madrano wrote: " Well, it turns out "Chaps" are pronounced "Shaps", which most people don't know. I didn't. They also help thighs grip the leather of a saddle, creating more friction than jeans or ..."My uncle raised show horses, so that's one area I'm knowledgeable about. I'm not knowledgeable about too many, but I spent a lot of time with my aunt and uncle. Loved them dearly and miss them both.
I think I posted about an ebook I purchased today in the wrong thread, but I can't find it now! I apologize to all.I was saying I purchased I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai, and it will be delivered to my iPad when it's released on February 21st. I think it will be a book I love, and it will fulfill a prompt, the one about a teacher and a student. So it's a win-win for me, but first I want to finish The Books of Jacob, and though I'm liking it, one can't read that one fast. It requires intense concentration.
(Again, I apologize for posting on the wrong thread. If you see my wrongly placed post, please delete it.)
No, problem, Kiki. You posted twice in the same thread. I deleted one.
Since I loved her first book, Becoming. I downloaded her latest book The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times by Michelle ObamaI started it last night and I'm enjoying it a lot. I love the way she writes. It feels like a friend is talking to you.
Alias Reader wrote: "You're a good sport, deb. I'm sure your happy to get that romance prompt checked off so early in the year. Well done..."Thank you, Alias. Regarding the pronunciation of "chaps". I am taking the author at her word. Therefore, with your comment about the cologne, i looked further & this makes sense. "It comes from the Spanish word "chaparreras" which were designed to protect the legs of cowboys who rode through chaparral, a thick, thorny brush." I know "chaparreras" is pronounced "sh", so i guess she's on the money!
Both sides of my family raised horses but not show horses. Theirs were mostly work, other than ones for their children. It's been sweet watching the youngsters learn to ride. Quite a number have moved on to rodeos and, as i mentioned elsewhere, there were rodeo queens on each side. While i knew they had to perform also (barrel rounding was the most frequent) in order to be queen, i was unaware of all the glitz, requirements and such, even at local levels.
Kiki (Formerly TheGirlByTheSeaOfCortez) wrote: "I think I posted about an ebook I purchased today in the wrong thread, but I can't find it now! I apologize to all.I was saying I purchased I Have Some Questions for You by [autho..."
I suspect most of us have posted in error at least once. It keeps our brain cells active, right, readers? ;-)
The book sounds intriguing, so i look forward to learning what you think of it, Kiki. Last year for my "school/student" prompt i read [book:Reading with Patrick: A Teacher, a Student, and a Life-Changing Friendship|30900796]--Michelle Kuo. It's nonfiction but also features a student who is accused of killing another person. I can see why authors would find the topic worth exploration.
I hope it's a winner for you, Kiki.
Alias Reader wrote: "Since I loved her first book, Becoming. I downloaded her latest book The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times by Michelle Obama..."
Oh, i hope it's good, Alias. Like you, i found Becoming a comfortable "talk" with a friend. This new one sounds perfect for this era. Eager to read your thoughts on it & the writing.
Alias Reader wrote: "No, problem, Kiki. You posted twice in the same thread. I deleted one."I'm sorry, Alias, and thank you for deleting one. No wonder I couldn't find it! LOL
madrano wrote: "Kiki (Formerly TheGirlByTheSeaOfCortez) wrote: "I think I posted about an ebook I purchased today in the wrong thread, but I can't find it now! I apologize to all.I was saying I purchased [book:I..."
Thank you, Madrano.
madrano wrote: " I know "chaparreras" is pronounced "sh", so i guess she's on the money!.."I'm from Brooklyn. I'm the last person to ask how something should be pronounced. Fuhgeddaboudit ! :)
Alias Reader wrote: "madrano wrote: " I know "chaparreras" is pronounced "sh", so i guess she's on the money!.."I'm from Brooklyn. I'm the last person to ask how something should be pronounced. Fuhgeddaboudit ! :)"
I think it comes from the word, "chaparral," as in that old show, "The High Chaparral." But I'm not one to ask, either, as I'm Italian and in Italian ch is pronounced as k.
LOL, true, Kiki.As i mention in my note, when i saw that they were named for the plant, i realized why the word is pronounced as it is, unbeknownst to most of us. Duh.
I downloaded Words On Candy Hearts to my Kindle last night with hopes that I can get into it. I haven't read anything since the first part of January and I'm really wanting to get back into the swing of things. This looks like a light fun read.
~*Kim*~ wrote: "I downloaded Words On Candy Hearts to my Kindle last night with hopes that I can get into it. I haven't read anything since the first part of January and I'm really wanting to get b..."It sounds like light-hearted fun, Kim. Enjoy!
Book Nook Cafe
Books mentioned in this topic
Independent People (other topics)Ali and Nino (other topics)
Understandable Economics: Because Understanding Our Economy Is Easier Than You Think and More Important Than You Know (other topics)
Why Empires Fall: Rome, America and the Future of the West (other topics)
The Asylum (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Halldór Laxness (other topics)Howard Yaruss (other topics)
Peter Heather (other topics)
John Harwood (other topics)
Peter Heather (other topics)
More...
I can imagine. What a challenge for teachers, unless a student is motivated on her own.