Posted: 2019/06/03 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: audio book, E-Books, Fiction, Graphic Novel, NonFiction | Tags: Anthony Trollope, bears, boats, bookis, childrens book, E Nesbit, Earlene Fowler, Ellis Peters, Fiction, Fridtjof Nansen, graphic novel, historical, lists, magical realism, marriage, mystery, NonFiction, north pole, ocean, Patrick O'Brian, Rafi Zabor, Raymond Briggs, religion, series, Sloan Wilson |
I can’t even begin to describe May. My first time to the Southwest. My first time traveling with family. Many different firsts. But, enough of that. Here are the books:
Fiction:
- The Man in Gray Flannel by Sloan Wilson
- Mariner’s Compass by Earlene Fowler
- Bear Comes Home by Rafi Zabor
- Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian
- Five Children and It by E. Nesbit
Nonfiction:
- Ethel and Ernest by Raymond Briggs
- Farthest North by Dr. Fridtjof Nansen
Series Continuation:
- Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope
- Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters
Posted: 2019/05/01 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: audio books, E-Books, Fiction, Graphic Novel, NonFiction | Tags: animals, Anythony Trollope, bears, boats, books, childrens book, E Nesbit, e-books, Earlene Fowler, Ellis Peters, exploration, Fiction, Fridtjof Nansen, graphic novel, Isaac Asimov, lists, marriage, murder, Music, mystery, NonFiction, north pole, ocean, Patrick O'Brian, Rafi Zabor, Raymond Briggs, religion, science fiction, series, Sloan Wilson, travel |
I will be traveling for part of May so who knows how many books I’ll be able to read for this month. Here is the list I will attempt:
Fiction:
- Man in the Gray Flannel Suit by Sloan Wilson – in honor of May being Wilson’s birth month.
- Ethel and Ernest by Raymond Briggs – in honor of Graphic Novel month being in May.
- Mariner’s Compass by Earlene Fowler – in honor of May is Museum Month.
- Bear Comes Home by Rafi Zabor- in honor of May being Music Month.
- Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters – in honor of the first Thursday in May being Prayer Week.
- Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian – in honor of my father’s birth month. As a kid he read this book.
- Five Children and It by E. Nesbit – in honor of May being Nesbit’s birth month.
Nonfiction:
- Farthest North by Fridtjof Nansen – in honor of Peary’s birth month being in May. From one explorer to another.
Series continuations:
- Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov – to continue the series started in January in honor of Asimov’s birth month.
- Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope – to continue the series started in honor of Trollope’s birth month in April.
Posted: 2018/01/11 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: Book Reviews, BookLust I, Fiction | Tags: 2018, book lust ii, book review, childrens book, family, Fiction, january, marriage, Patricia MacLachlan |
MacLachlan, Patricia. Sarah, Plain and Tall. New York: Harper & Row, 1985.
Reason read: for the fun of it (because I wanted something super quick to read).
Book summary (taken from inside cover):When their father invites a mail-order bride to come live with them in their prairie home, Caleb and Anna are captivated by her and hope that she will stay.” Not exactly. Widower dad places and advertisement for a wife and Sarah answers. One of the first things she tells them is that she is “plain and tall.” What follows is delightful story about the lengths people will go to in order to banish loneliness. Anna and Caleb are hungry for a new mother and want to see their father happy again so they welcome a stranger with open arms. But, probably the most heartbreaking sacrifice is made by Sarah herself. She gives up the coast of Maine and the ocean for the prairies of the Midwest. I have no idea how she does it.
As an aside, I was glad to learn this is the first book in the Witting Family series. When I finished Sarah, Plain and Tall I didn’t want to leave them, especially Sarah.
Edited to add quote: “There is something to miss no matter where you are” (p 42). How could I forget putting this in the review? I love this!
Author fact: MacLachlan won a Newbery Medal for Sarah, Plain and Tall.
Book trivia: Sarah, Plain and Tall was made into a movie starring Glenn Close and Christopher Walken.
Nancy said: Nancy said Sarah, Plain and Tall was good for both boys and girls.
BookLust Twist: from More Book Lust in the chapter called “Best for Boys and Girls” (p 22).
Posted: 2018/01/03 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: Early Review, Fiction, NonFiction | Tags: audio books, autobiography, Barbara Tuchman, David Laskin, Dorothy Gilman, Early Review, Emmanuel Jal, essays, Fiction, Freya Stark, Grant Faulkner, librarything, Lisa Mosconi, marriage, memoir, mystery, Nevil Shute, NonFiction, Pat Cadigan, Richard Wright, science, science fiction, series, travel, war, writing |
This year, more than ever, I am struck by time’s marching; the relentless footfalls of days and weeks passing by. I know that is mortality speaking, but it rings eerie in my mind nonetheless. Not helping the doom and gloom is the first book on my list, On The Beach by Nevil Shute. I wanted a different book from Shute but there isn’t a library local enough to loan it to me.
Here are the planned books for January 2018:
Fiction:
- On The Beach (AB) by Nevil Shute (previously mentioned) – in honor of Shute’s birth month.
- Clara Callan by Richard Wright – in honor of Sisters Week being in January.
- Tea From an Empty Cup by Pat Cadigan – in honor of January being Science Fiction Month.
Nonfiction:
- Partisans: Marriage, Politics and Betrayal Among the New York Intellectuals by David Laskin – in honor of January 26th being Spouses’s Day.
- War Child: a Child Soldier’s Story by Emmanuel Jal – in honor of the end of the Sudan civil war.
- Travellers’ Prelude: Autobiography 1893-1927 by Freya Stark – in honor of Freya Stark’s birth month.
- Practicing History by Barbara Tuchman (AB) – in honor of Tuchman’s birth month.
Series Continuations:
- Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle by Dorothy Gilman – started in September in honor of Grandparents’ Day.
For the Early Review program for LibraryThing:
- Brain Food: The Surprising Science of Eating for Cognitive Power by Lisa Mosconi, PhD (finishing).
- Pep Talk for Writers: 52 Insights and Actions to Boost Your Creative Mojo by Grant Faulkner (also finishing).
Posted: 2017/04/28 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: Early Review, Fiction, NonFiction | Tags: alaska, Ann Cleeves, art, audio books, biography, books, Dan Simmons, Early Review, Elsie Lee, epistolary, Fiction, france, Guillermo Martinez, henry james, John McPhee, Kenneth Clark, Leon Edel, librarything, marriage, memoir, murder, mystery, NonFiction, Pamela Paul, romance, science fiction, Shetland, Sue Grafton, travel, WS Merwin |
What to say about April? I ran my fastest 10k while ill (go figure). I met two new runners and may have convinced someone to at least try. I don’t know where this acceptance to run with others is coming from. To share a conversation I had with someone: I asked where she runs. She replied she doesn’t have my pace, “nowhere near it” were her exact words. I answered I don’t have that pace all the time either. Me & my pace visit from time to time but we don’t make it a thing. She laughed and I saw myself ten years ago talking to someone who face-times with friends while running. I worried about her relationship with pace. But, this blog is turning into a thing different from reading.
So, without further ado, here are the finished books:
Fiction:
- Diplomatic Lover by Elsie Lee – read in one day
- Oxford Murders by Guillermo Martinez – read in two days
- Celibate Season by Carol Shields and Blanche Howard – read in four days (this book annoyed me and I kept having to put it down)
Nonfiction:
- Lost Upland: stories of the Dordogne Region by W.S. Merwin – confessional: DNF (bored, bored, bored)
- Coming into the Country by John McPhee
- Henry James: the Untried Years by Leon Edel
- Another Part of the Wood by Kenneth Clark – this was cheeky!
Series continuations:
- “F” is for Fugitive by Sue Grafton (I’m calling this a continuation even though I read “A” a long time ago.)
- Rise of Endymion by Dan Simmons (AB + print so I could finish on time – today!)
- Blue Lightning by Ann Cleeves – another quick read (finished in four days)
Early Review for LibraryThing:
- My Life with Bob by Pamela Paul
Posted: 2016/05/03 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: Book Reviews, NonFiction | Tags: book review, John Gottman, leisure, marriage, Nan Silver, NonFiction |
Gottman, John M. and Nan Silver. The Seven Principles of Making Marriage Work. New York: Harmony Books, 2015.
Reason read: I have no idea.
I was hoping to be struck by lightning with this book. My marriage is pretty solid but I could always use improving in the relationship department (who couldn’t?). So I was a little worried when the first piece of advice sounded something like this, and I’m paraphrasing: if you can accommodate each other’s “crazy” side and handle it with caring, affection and respect, your marriage can thrive. Talk about a duh moment. Of course ANY relationship is going to benefit from caring, affection and respect. The advice gets better and as a result I do see my relationship differently. If I had had more time with the book I would have tried some of the quizzes and exercises. Maybe next time.
Posted: 2016/03/31 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: books, Fiction, Graphic Novel, NonFiction | Tags: Barbara Kingsolver, Bernard Malamud, biography, books, Bryan Talbot, Eleanor Perenyi, Fiction, Food, france, gardening, graphic novel, Jayne Krentz, Joihn Gottman, Juliet Barker, list, Marilynne Robinson, marriage, mfk fisher, Morgan Spurlock, Neil White, NonFiction, Robert Caro, Tim Moore, William Burroughs |
I don’t know where March went. I’ve looked under calendars and in date books and I still can’t figure it out. The month went by so fast! Here are the books finished for March:
- Naked Lunch by William Burroughs
- The Assistant by Bernard Malamud
- Family Man by Jayne Krentz
- Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
- Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (AB)
- The Brontes by Juliet Barker (DNF)
- Means of Ascent by Robert Caro (DNF)
- Center of the World by Jacqueline Sheehan (Fun)
- In the Sanctuary of Outcasts by Neil White (would have been an Early Review book a long time ago)
On tap for April (besides a little Noodle 5k run):
- A Considerable Town by MFK Fisher ~ in honor of April being the best time to visit France
- The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John Gottman ~ for fun
- Green Thoughts by Eleanor Perenyi ~ in honor of gardening month
- Alice in Sunderland by Bryan Talbot ~ in honor of April Fools
- Don’t Eat This Book by Morgan Spurlock ~ in honor of April being Food Month (AB)
- The Grand Tour by Tim Moore ~ in honor of Harvey Ball passing in April
