rantings & ramblings
Like the cycling of thousands of heating and a/c units in the South during winter, the Wheel of Time has spun ’round to Teaser Tuesday. Continue reading “Teaser Tuesday: Henri Matisse: Rooms with a View”
Like a baseball card snapping in the spokes of a bicycle wheel, the Wheel of Time has spun ’round to Teaser Tuesday. Continue reading “Teaser Tuesday: Disciples”
The school year and basketball season have hit their stride and should remain there until sometime in mid-March.
With that in mind, the Wheel of Time has turned to
Just in case you don’t know, Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! All you have to do is grab the book you’re currently reading, open to a random page and share a few sentences from that page. But make sure you don’t share any spoilers!*
*I wish I could take credit for this introduction, but I shamelessly stole it from Heather over at bitsnbooks. To help me make amends, you should go check out her blog.
This week’s book is Jacksonland: President Andrew Jackson, Cherokee Chief John Ross. and A Great American Land Grab written by NPR’s Steve Inskeep. For those that listen to him on a daily basis, one can’t help but hear him narrate his own words.
The Truly Random Number Generator send us to page 199:
But in the summer of 1829, Evarts was exactly what
Ross needed: a genuine ally who was willing to fight
alongside him as an equal. Evarts was different than
Henry Clay, who supported Indian rights but also
thought Indians were doomed. While Clay thought
Indians' "disappearance from the human family would
be no great loss to the world," Evarts placed them
on the same level as white men.
Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation
Author: Joseph J. Ellis.
Although this book adds little new (if anything at all) to the historical record, it is both enjoyable and mostly readable – two qualities which may have helped it win the Pulitzer Prize.
My only fault is the author’s overuse of adjectives and certain phrases – after some time it felt I was reading a fluffed-up report.
4 Stars
Author: Terry Pratchett
This is both the first published Discworld novel & the first novel in the “Rincewind Cycle” – the series of Discworld books detailing the misadventures of the “wizzard” Rincewind.
If you picked up this book after seeing the film The Color of Magic, be aware that this book only covers the first part of the film; for the complete story, you’ll also want The Light Fantastic.
As this is the first book in the series, Pratchett spends a good deal more time (comparatively) discussing the actual mechanics of the Disc. Some may find this dull, while the more science-and-math minded may find such discussion downright enjoyable.
I personally find the Discworld series both witty and funny, but such accolades depend greatly on the individual. Much of Pratchett’s humor is dry and his wit relies on the readers’ knowledge of Earth’s workings and/or mythology.
The Color of Magic is fun as pure fantasy, but also contains splendid nuggets of joy for the more cerebral-minded.
5 Stars
Disciples: The World War II Missions of the CIA Directors Who Fought for Wild Bill Donovan by Douglas C. Waller
What have you been reading?
Have a suggestion for a poem, photograph, or future post?
Drop a note in the prompt box!
Don’t forget to follow me on:
Facebook – where I share news stories, articles from other blogs, and various and sundry miscellany that happens to catch my eye. It’s stuff you won’t see here! Well, mostly.
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Twitter – where you can see my thoughts in 140 characters or less. Also, funny retweets.
Mother Nature knew I needed to catch up on my TBR.
Just as Hurricane Joaquin has turned out into the Atlantic – creating “a hurricane without the hurricane” as Krystal call it – so the turning Wheel of Time has brought
Just in case you don’t know, Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! All you have to do is grab the book you’re currently reading, open to a random page and share a few sentences from that page. But make sure you don’t share any spoilers!*
*I wish I could take credit for this introduction, but I shamelessly stole it from Heather over at bitsnbooks. To help me make amends, you should go check out her blog.
Somehow I continue to keep ahead of my Goodreads challenge – 5 books ahead of schedule! – which is just as well since NaNoWriMo lurks just around the corner.
Last night I started reading Empire of Sin: A Story of Sex, Jazz, Murder, and the Battle for Modern New Orleans by Gary Krist. I found the book while wandering the stacks and became intrigued by both the title and the font. Perusing the chapter titles and reading the introduction, I know “the Axeman” will make an appearance or two (maybe more?) – you might be familiar with his character from American Horror Story: Coven; speaking of which, AHS: Freak Show comes to Netflix today – should school be cancelled, I know what I’ll be doing!
But, since you came for a Teaser, the Truly Random Number Generator sends us to page 133:
Joseph La Menthe . . . was a Creole pianist who
affected a casual disdain for the music of what he
called "Uptown Negroes." A musician of stunning
individuality himself, he was busily developing his
own unique blend of piano-based ragtime, dance
music, and blues - a "Spanish-tinged" style that
would eventually have its own claim as the prototype
for the kind of music still a decade away from being
known as "jazz."
You might recall Banned Books Week 2015 focused on YA Literature; you might also remember I read The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison as part of that observance. Perhaps the books was shocking once; in my opinion, no more. It has some value in portraying life in a bygone era, but little in the way of actual literary value. 2 stars.
I also read Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty. It found it at times to be enjoyable, philosophical, entertaining, and preachy. It made me ponder what I want for my earthly remains. Losing steam halfway through, this memoir fell to 3 stars.
Favorite Line:
Ignorance is not bliss, only a deeper kind of terror.
For the first time since college I listened to an audiobook – at least, something listed as an audiobook on Goodreads. I won a copy of The Best of Pop Culture Happy Hour from NPR. It contains ten of the best or most popular episodes of the show chosen from the over 200 episodes in the show’s history. I have never listened to the actual podcast before; that may change after listening to this audiobook. While I generally care little for pop culture “news”, I would highly recommend the podcast based on these ten episodes. 5 stars.
Finally, As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes proved a fun, lighthearted anecdotal recounting of how The Princess Bride was made. Although Elwes (Westley/The Man in Black/The Dread Pirate Roberts) is listed as author, there are many sidebar recollections from surviving members of the cast. Some of the tales have already been passed around the internet, while others may be new – at least, they were new to me. Highly recommend to any fan of the movie! 5 stars.
What have you been reading?
Have a suggestion for a poem, photograph, or future post?
Drop a note in the prompt box!
Don’t forget to follow me on:
Facebook – where I share news stories, articles from other blogs, and various and sundry miscellany that happens to catch my eye. It’s stuff you won’t see here! Well, mostly.
Instagram – where I show you my Life in Motion and share quotes and such. The widget only shows my last three photographs – don’t you want to see them all?
Twitter – where you can see my thoughts in 140 characters or less. Also, funny retweets.
Being sick means that there’s little to do but curl up and feel sorry for oneself while alternating between Netflix and the TBR.
In addition to an awful summer cold, the Wheel of Time has brought around
Just in case you don’t know, Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! All you have to do is grab the book you’re currently reading, open to a random page and share a few sentences from that page. But make sure you don’t share any spoilers!*
*I wish I could take credit for this introduction, but I shamelessly stole it from Heather over at bitsnbooks. To help me make amends, you should go check out her blog.
This week I’m reading The Greatest Knight: The Remarkable Life of William Marshal, The Power Behind Five English Thrones by Thomas Asbridge.
The Truly Random Number Generator sends us to page 357:
Earl William now had to find a way to force entry
into Lincoln. The royalists had not come equipped
with heavy siege machinery; nor could the afford to
settle in for a prolonged investment of the town
walls, as the resultant delay might allow Prince
Louis time to march north and bolster the
English-French position.
Since it’s been a while since I posted any reviews [due to time or scheduling], I guess it’s about time to rectify my negligence.
I looked forward to reading J.K. Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy with a kind of curiosity. How would the writing compare to that of Harry Potter? Could she write a novel aimed directly at adults? I almost said “a novel for adults,” but quite a few adults enjoy and identify with Harry Potter.
Yes. Yes she can. Delving into small-town politics and prejudices, The Casual Vacancy is anything but casual. However riveting it may be, I found a few things a bit far-fetched, especially at the conclusion. It left me wondering if Rowling understands how small towns work or if small-town America is that vastly different from small-town England.
Favorite Line:
Choice was dangerous: you had to forgo all other possibilities when you chose.
Rating: 4 stars
Bingo Square: Longer Than 500 Pages
Full Disclosure: I won an autographed copy of this novel from the author’s blog.
That said, Last Will isn’t my typical reading fare in that it’s a romance. However, it’s more a study in human psychology than anything else. It is not a bodice-ripper in any way, shape or form.
The plot was well thought out, but I found the structure a bit lacking. I’m not adverse to shifting perspective, but shifting perspective in the middle of a conversation can be of-putting at times.
Thankfully, most of these shifts were indicated by page breaks denoting who, exactly, was speaking.
Favorite Line:
nothing stood out; but I’m sure I’d find a few in a second reading
Rating: 4 stars
Bingo Square: Author’s Debut Novel
The Last Hero by Terry Pratchett was a delight to read. The “Discworld Fable” brought back many favorite characters and gave Cohen and the Silver Horde a fitting send-off.
Illustrated by the incomparable Paul Kidby, Last Hero is truly a work of art and the imagination. I was delighted to find many of the characters remarkable similar to the way I’d envisioned them in my head.
Favorite Lines:
Some people are confident because they are fools. Leonard had the look of someone who was confident because, so far, he’d never found reason not to be.
Rating: 5 stars
Bingo Square: A Protagonist over the age of 50
A Blink of the Screen – also by Terry Pratchett – was my first introduction to his short stories. They did not disappoint.
My favorite non-Discworld selection was “Mind the Monoliths” as it appealed to the historian and social studies teacher in me.
My favorite Discworld selection would be “The Sea and Little Fishes” as it contained Mistress Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg.
I shall have to seek out any other collections of Pratchett’s shorter works.
Favorite Line:
AND YOU ARE AWARE OF THE THEORY THAT THE STATE OF SOME TINY PARTICLES IS INDETERMINATE UNTIL THE MOMENT THEY ARE OBSERVED? A CAT IN A BOX IS OFTEN MENTIONED.
Rating: 5 stars
Bingo Square: A Collection of Essays
Now, before you start accusing me of cheating, I checked on the definition of essay:
Essays are generally scholarly pieces of writing giving the author’s own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of an article, a pamphlet and a short story.
What have you been reading?
Have a suggestion for a poem, photograph, or future post?
Drop a note in the prompt box!
Don’t forget to follow me on:
Facebook – where I share news stories, articles from other blogs, and various and sundry miscellany that happens to catch my eye. It’s stuff you won’t see here! Well, mostly.
Instagram – where I show you my Life in Motion and share quotes and such. The widget only shows my last three photographs – don’t you want to see them all?
Twitter – where you can see my thoughts in 140 characters or less. Also, funny retweets.
After long, hot days of shrubbing, I found some time to read.
Also, the heat wave broke, humidity reached 100%, and rain came down.
Oh, and the wheel of time has turned in its course to:
Just in case you don’t know, Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! All you have to do is grab the book you’re currently reading, open to a random page and share a few sentences from that page. But make sure you don’t share any spoilers!*
*I wish I could take credit for this introduction, but I shamelessly stole it from Heather over at bitsnbooks. To help me make amends, you should go check out her blog.
This week I’m reading Living History, by Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Not my usual fare; I’m reading the book for several reasons:
1. The book was free.
2. The subject will challenge me to keep an open mind.
3. I’ll be able to mark a square off my Book Bingo card.
Which square will I use? A biography of someone you dislike.
The Truly Random Number Generator sends us to page 200.
There was nothing to hide, so why not?
The story would mushroom for a while and then die.
Which story could it be?
There are so many possibilities!
I finally finished The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova.
Bingo square: a book you started but never finished.
I gave it 3 stars for a slow start.
The ending, though . . . spectacular.
What have you been reading?
Don’t forget to follow me on:
Facebook – where I share news stories, articles from other blogs, and various and sundry miscellany that happens to catch my eye. It’s stuff you won’t see here! Well, mostly.
Instagram – where I show you my Life in Motion and share quotes and such. The widget only shows my last three photographs – don’t you want to see them all?
Twitter – where you can see my thoughts in 140 characters or less. Also, funny retweets.
Running In My Head 