So, Watcha Readin’ These Days?
Saturday Afternoon Book Group in Front; Naps in Back.
Saturday Afternoon Café Hosted by Maryb.
Coffee & Tea Available.
Coffee & Tea Available.
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Birthday Cupcakes and Punch on the table near the door
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Please recommend (and unrecommend the Cafe/Lounge from earlier)
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A Book Review 4 is Appreciated by All.
Nap mats are rolled up in the back; comfy chairs are in the front. Lots of snacks left over from Cali’s birthday party over on the side.
So what’s everybody reading this week?
I went out and bought the Harper’s “Impeach Him” edition. That’s about the strongest language I’ve seen yet in print on that topic.
Looks like some other interesting articles in that one too.
I’m reading a powerful novel called “Storming Heaven” by Denise Giardina. It is a fictionalized acount of the lives of mine workers and their struggles to found the UMW.
I really like her book “Fallam’s Secret” which is a very different kind of book from the one you are reading.
I just finished Sarah Dunant’s “In the Company of the Courtesan” which is an excellent piece of historical fiction. Dunant had written dark contemporary fiction but has switched to historical fiction in her last two books and she does it very well.
I’ve seen that in the bookstore. I read Mapping the Edge a couple of months ago which I enjoyed in an odd kind of way. I have Birth of Venus but I haven’t gotten to it yet.
I liked Mapping the Edge and the much darker Transgressions quite a lot. I’d say to read ‘Birth of Venus’ before Courtesan. If you like it, I think you’ll the new book too but I found Courtesan a more demanding read.
more demanding how?
There’s a lot more going on beneath the surface, the plot is much more involved as are the characters, the narrator telling the story is fascinating and you need to think about why he is saying what he is saying. I hadn’t thought about till just now but the layering of truths and reality plays role here similar to the way it did in Mapping the Edge (though not through the same mechanism).
the more demanding a novel the more likely I am to stick with it these days.
If you like demanding reads and historical fiction, I have four recommendations for you:
. Afterimage, Helen Humphreys
. Clara by Janice Galloway
. Versailles by Kathryn Davis
. Book of Splendor by Frances Sherwood
thanks, I’m writing them all in my little READ ME notebook.
sort of an Alice in Wonderland kind of thing
got some recs for me?
not to get crumbs in the binding…
I normally don’t order from Amazon, but they have a sponsorship link from our church’s website, so I’m spreading my online bookbuying between there and Powell’s.
Got four Madeleine L’Engle books to read:
Bright Evening Star: Mystery of the Incarnation
The Rock That Is Higher: Story as Truth
Madeleine L’Engle Herself: Reflections on a Writer’s Life
The Ordering of Love: New and Collected Poems
And I have her Genesis Trilogy (And It Was Good, A Stone for a Pillow, Sold Into Egypt) on order from a used book dealer that Amazon works with; should be here shortly.
Call the books a birthday present for moi… 🙂
Have you read the new ones already (and just wanted to own them) or will they be new reads for you?
Herself and The Rock — wanted to own (and read) them again. The other two are new discoveries; I’d had a couple of her poetry collections before, but all of them are in this book along with some new ones.
She wrote a series of sonnets in 1998 after her husband, Hugh Franklin, died of cancer; extremely heartbreaking yet moving…
Looks like I missed out on the early party, but:
(yes, that is in fact a Happy Birthday cheesecake)
You are multi talented — because you of course made and decorated this yourself didn’t you?
Ha. Multi talented, yes. But making cheesecake is not one of my talents.
Family Man would probably like this but I think he’s taking a nap.
He was at the birthday bash and he obviously doesn’t know the rule
always avoid the punch 😉
You call it punch, I call it jungle juice. Same diff, right?
yep
I’m here, but under the table.
Who ya down there with? 😀
You came late to the party and NDD snuck in everclear. I’m lucky I can see right now.
I’m sorry I missed that. Everclear can’t be sold in Michigan (or Ohio). I have to drive all the way to Indiana to buy it.
At last, a reason for people to come visit me.
Andi any reason is a good enough reason to visit you.
I don’t even know if it’s sold here.
Is that black (licorice) icing?? Surely not!!
I don’t think so…
I thought it was just chocolate. But you’ll have ask ej — he brought it.
But happy birthday even if it is licorice.
Note: There is licorice flavored Everclear. And no, it isn’t black. Still Clear, still brain-killing strong.
They ought to calll it Never Clear.
You never cease to amaze me
and your personal experience of this is . . .
I just got my copy of Crashing the Gate. I’ve only just started it though…
me too
I’m having trouble getting into it
My first impression : this is the smallest book I have ever paid $25.00 for (or whatever it cost).
I expected it to be bigger too.
My first impression — I know all of this already. Maybe I should just skip to chapter 2.
Yeah, I was going to say that too, but I figured that since not everyone who buys the book (in theory) reads the blogs every day like us, I’d give them a couple of chapters to get into meatier things.
that’s why I thought I should jump chapters. I don’t normally do that but (like you) I think the first chapter is meant for the “others”.
Yes, we call them ‘normies’.
I must be there too, since I brought the Everclear! Hence maryb’s warning on the punch.
obviously drunk since I posted in the wrong place.
Thank God I’m not the only one.
At least you’re talking to the right person (or in the right direction, anyway).
It’s easy to do that when you’re under a table. Nobody knows where you’re voice is coming from.
This is why only ask ej to produce beer at our late night parties. I’m too smart to ask for anything he can put Everclear in.
I thought you boys were old enough to know better.
Just a child at heart and head apparently.
This is the only way that I’ll ever drink the koolaid.
Geez now it’s between koolaid and jello. 🙂
I didn’t even notice when I posted that, but notice how lustfully the koolaid pitcher is gazing at the everclear.
They’re clearly meant to be together. At least for tonight.
first — this is the classy part of my day when I try to redeem my party girl reputation. Whatcha think you’re doin?
second — it ain’t gonna work. With you, I’m sticking to beer 😉
That may not be the safe course either since we used to spike the beer, Schiltz Malt Liquor, 16 oz, with a shot of Everclear. They were called “depth charges” for good reason.
I have memories of my next youngest brother and a friend and buckets… but we won’t go any further than that…
that’s why I insist on my own freshly tapped keg
You split your day up into ‘classy’ and ‘not classy’ parts? I’m impressed. My days are usually a mish-mash of alternating classiness. You’re obviously far more organized than I.
But fine. Have a beer.
Poor maryb. Trying to discuss books with drunks all around.
Yea that’s a normal cafe.
that must be what the women call, multitasking
I’m glad I’m getting some sympathy.
Keep it coming.
Please. It’s Saturday. You expect too much.
I’ll make sure that the lounge is suitable to the mood tonight.
let’s move left.
I’m continuously collecting, reading and rereading Jorge Amado. He’s got great characters and he’s obviously pulling for the little guys and skewering the cocoa barons and the politicians.
For the island scenario his works would be my pick.
A few of my favorites are;
Tereza Batista: Home from the Wars
Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon
The Two Deaths of Quincas Wateryell I found particularly hilarious.
I’ve only read ‘Dona Flor and her two husbands’ which I enjoyed.
You ever see the play, on that one? I haven’t yet… wonder if that might be on a DVD somewhere.
I’ve seen the movie with Sonia Braga. This was years ago but I remember liking it.
Also, almost every used book store I’ve been in has a few copies of Amado, and usually at very reasonable prices.
A friend just lent me two (more) books today:
3 Nights in August
Zorro (by Isabel Allende)
My “to read” list is getting ridiculous
I have two books open:
Transcendent by Stephen Baxter
The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman.
Has anybody seen that movie that portrays a world in which the Confederate states won the war? Did you like it? I’m supposed to see it tomorrow.
I just remembered that you never said whether I would want to toss the Baxter book across the room or not.
I’m not sure. I’m liking it, and I think he’s really smart and inventive, but he’s also very polemical, and that can sure stop a story. His “cause,” at least in this book, is the environment.
Well depending on how one does causes (like you doing capital punishment versus a writer like sherri tepper who often resorts to bludgeoning), I don’t mind that.
but does he do stick figure women characters, just leave them out altogether, or are his women actually human beings?
I’m not finding anything objectionable about his women characters. In fact, they’re pretty cool. When he really gets going on his “cause,” all of the characters suffer a bit from stick-itess, not just the female ones. I’ll let you know how I rate it once I finish it.
(And thanks.)
No, but my favorite Family Guy episode ever touches on a similar plot…
I watch Family Guy from time to time, but haven’t seen that one. Did you see the one South Park did?
I think it’s called To Live and Die in Dixie. From the 2nd season, IIRC. Totally hilarious. The Griffins get relocated to the deep south. Hijincks ensue.
Now that you mention it, I do remember seeing it. It was funny.
What’s the name of the movie?
“C.S.A.–The Confederate States of America.” A promo poster shows that famous shot of an astronaut on the moon, and the flag behind him is the Confederate flag.
I’ve never much gotten into alternative history — let us know how it is.
If it’s realistic it will include the naming of sweet tea as the national beverage and mayonnaise as a required condiment on everything from cheese sandwiches to jello salad.
Hair spray will be subsidized for all women, and each wedding must include a minimum of 16 bridesmaids.
Neighborhood bars will be shut down and replaced with churches.
No more solemn church services either. They must include a Power Point presentation and stadium seating.
* Note: no offense meant. Just my humble observation as a new Southerner™
Maybe YOU should write a novel
I’ll let you know how many of those you got right.
It sounds like morbid and side splitting fun.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseni
It is about friendship and betrayal. The books starts off in Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy until now. Even though the book is fiction, it does give a little insight to the Afghani culture. So far so good.
You haven’t finished it yet? Then I won’t spoil it. 🙂
Not yet. I am half way done.
I’ll be interested in what you think about how he tied up all the loose ends.
Cool, I should be done soon.
“Bum Steer” by our own Kansas
The Mystery Girl Movie has been solved. The little girl adores Wesley but has some serious delays. Her Mom was called out of town on biz. The phone # she gave was her big sisters. Her Dad came and picked her up and sis and dad (divorced) couldn’t understand why she was upset. I found that my son is her only friend and the CDs he’s burned for her are her treasures. Wesley taking her out “ON A DATE” next weekend. His whole “this isn’t a date” stance has changed – he was pretty worried that the little girl was maybe mad at him and that’s why she didn’t comeb.. So all is well 🙂
Took this at Horsetail Falls in Oregon today
Happy Happy Janet. I’m for Happy for Wesley.
I like happy endings.
Yeah 🙂 Alls well that ends well. Things got frantic here last night. Later on Wesley said he had to talk to me and dad in the bedroom (no sister around) and it was “serious”… So we sat down on the bed and he said he had something very serious to tell us.
Basically the gist was this:
Alot of girls like him. Too many maybe. Some girls are getting mad if he doesn’t sit with them. He feels bad cause he likes all kinds of girls. He likes to sit with them, listen to them talk cause they have nice voices, girls smell better than boys… etc etc 🙂
He said this girl said this week that she loved him and this kinda blew his mind. He said he doesn’t want to “get married” and he doesn’t want to get the other girls mad. But that this girl is special and he knows he’s her only friend.
We said that it’s okay that she loves him. He needed something to SAY to her. So we all thought that him saying “I care for you, too – we’re good friends”
He also said he thinks this girl would be happy if we made a DATE, but a friend date. The Big Sister of the girl thought the movies would be great as then neither would have to worry about conversation 🙂
I’m proud of my son. This was hard on him… but he did know one thing… This girl is special and he doesn’t want to ever make her sad. 🙂
How long before he grows up?
oops
sorry mom
there’s some sort of strange mist in my eyes as the screen is getting blurry…
I’ve got to run an errand.
See ya later.
Gone to pass out
Yup. Time to bring this out, I think.
you might want to make sure he’s laying on his side.
Late night sure started early today.
I give up — I’m opening the Lounge but anyone who wants to stay here may.