Tag: books

Teaser Tuesday: Empire of Sin

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

Teaser TuesdayJust 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."

Empire of Sin cover

In Retrospect

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.

Teaser Tuesday: The Bluest Eye

The turning pages of the calendar indicates Fall is in the air and Oktober just days away.

And so, the turning Wheel of Time has brought ’round not one but two events:

That’s right: Teaser Tuesday and Banned Books Week!

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.

I put quite a dent in my TBR, enough that I’m actually 2 books ahead of schedule. I wonder how long that will last?

Anyhow, with this being Banned Books Week and with this year’s focus on YA Literature, I searched through my summer stack of acquisitions and found The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. Coincidentally – or not – The Bluest Eye is also on the list of Most Challenged Books of 2014 – remember, 2015 isn’t yet over.

The Truly Random Number Generator sends us to page 86:

The cat will always know he is first in her
affections. Even after she bears a child.

The Bluest Eye cover

In Retrospect

The Man Who Touched His Own Heart: True Tales of Science, Surgery, and Mystery earned only two stars. Read my review here.

My library actually ordered a new book! Kunal Nayyar’s Yes, My Accent Is Real: And Some Other Things I Haven’t Told You  is a fun evening read. I read it mainly because I like the character Nayyar plays on TVs The Big Bang Theory (he plays Raj) and didn’t know much about the actor. 4 stars for sheer fun.

I won an advance copy of Doodlers Anonymous Epic Coloring Book: An Extraordinary Mashup of Doodles and Drawings Begging to be Filled in with Color. It’s a great adult coloring book; I’d highly recommend it when available at your local shop. One major caveat: the publishers have crammed twice the usual number of pictures in the book by printing images on both sides of the page. This may be a turn off for some colorists. 4 stars.

Continuing my streak, I gave Dr. Mütter’s Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine three stars for failing to live up to the promises found in the title. Read my full review here.

Who knows what next week will bring??

 

 

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.

Banned Books Week Proclamation 2015

banned books coasterI painted this Banned Books Week coaster two years ago.

 

Banned Books Week Proclamation

 

WHEREAS, the freedom to read is essential to our democracy, and reading is among our greatest freedoms; and

 

WHEREAS, privacy is essential to the exercise of that freedom, and the right to privacy is the right to open inquiry without having the subject of one’s interest examined or scrutinized by others; and

 

WHEREAS, the freedom to read is protected by our Constitution; and

 

WHEREAS some individuals, groups, and public authorities work to remove or limit access to reading materials, to censor content in schools, to label “controversial” views, to distribute lists of “objectionable” books or authors, and to purge libraries of materials reflecting the diversity of society; and

 

WHEREAS, both governmental intimidation and the fear of censorship cause authors who seek to avoid controversy to practice self-censorship, thus limiting our access to new ideas; and

 

WHEREAS, every silencing of a heresy, every enforcement of an orthodoxy, diminishes the toughness and resilience of American society and leaves it less able to deal with controversy and difference; and

 

WHEREAS, Americans still favor free enterprise in ideas and expression, and can be trusted to exercise critical judgment, to recognize propaganda and misinformation, and to make their own decisions about what they read and believe, and to exercise the responsibilities that accompany this freedom; and

 

WHEREAS, intellectual freedom is essential to the preservation of a free society and a creative culture; and

 

WHEREAS, conformity limits the range and variety of inquiry and expression on which our democracy and our culture depend; and

 

WHEREAS, the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read is observed during the last week of September each year as a reminder to Americans not to take their precious freedom for granted; and

 

WHEREAS, Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them; now, therefore, be it

 

RESOLVED, that I celebrate the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week, 27 September – 3 October 2015, and be it further

 

RESOLVED, that I encourage all libraries and bookstores to acquire and make available materials representative of all the people in our society; and be it further

 

RESOLVED, that I encourage free people to read freely, now and forever.

 

Adopted by Me this 27th Day of September, 2015

Teaser Tuesday: The Man Who Touched His Own Heart

Like being stuck behind a log truck when I’m already late for an appointment, I find myself continually one book behind on my Goodreads challenge.

Be that as it may, the Wheel of Time has turned in its course to

Teaser TuesdayJust 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.

As you might have guessed, I’m still reading Death in Florence: The Medici, Savonarola, and the Battle for the Soul of a Renaissance City by Paul Strathern.

So, what can I look forward to once this particular drama plays out?

I’ve taken a different tack and veered into the realm of medicine with The Man Who Touched His Own Heart by Rob Dunn.

The Truly Random Number Generator sends us to page 15:

The surgical team wanted the hundreds of thousands 
of blue daughters and sons to live. But a dog heart 
is not a human heart, and so the truth was that the 
team had no real idea whether their new procedure 
would work.

the man who touched his own heart cover

In Retrospect

I really need to get a handle on finishing what I’ve started.

 

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.

A Conversation Over Saturday Morning Coffee

morning coffeeThe following is the result of a free write exercise after grading forty-some-odd history assignments and consuming ten cups of coffee – at least, what my coffee maker indicates as a “cup”; measured using my actual coffee mug, it’s only three cups – with Smokey on my lap and House Season 6 on Netflix.

According to my schedule, I’m supposed to write something.

Blue Book ExamToday, it feels like a Blue Book Exam for which I haven’t studied – or worse, one for which I studied the completely wrong material. Like the exam which cost me an A in History of England I because I studied the wrong material and tried verbosity over substance and ended up with a 93.9 in a class with a six-point grading scale and a teacher who didn’t round and whose law was that of the Medes and Persians. She also wore military-style jackets [military circa the turn of the last century] and reminded most of us of Napoleon. She was great!

Seriously, I sat down and did the math – I only needed one more point anywhere else on any assignment over the course of the semester and I’d have my A. Now, I use this tale of woe as an academic morality tale for my students – especially the freshman.

And you know what? I, too, follow the law of the Medes and Persians. By that I mean I cannot change my own class policy, not that you’ll lose your hand if you cheat. Was that a law of the Medes and Persians? I’m not sure, but it sounds like it could be. You’d think I’d know this, being a history teach and all.

Persepolis Relief Medes and Persians

Students think being a teacher is fun because you can make the rules. Being a teacher is extremely enjoyable, but enforcing the rules isn’t always fun, like when a top student completes the wrong assignment or fails to completely follow the directions. I suppose that’s what discourages me sometimes: as a teacher I provide direction, but if my students cannot follow simple written directions, does this reflect badly on them or on me? Who is to blame in this scenario?

I suppose reading comprehension must enter the equation somewhere, and if teachers are being honest, we’d have to admit that most students don’t read as much as they should. Thankfully, that’s beginning to change with the recent surge in YA Literature.

Banned Books Poster 2015YA Literature – a definite misnomer if there ever was one. It’s very label implies it shouldn’t be taken seriously or that adults shouldn’t enjoy it. Hogwash. There’s excellent YA Literature and there’s trash Adult Literature because – shocker – it’s all literature. Let’s forget the labels and focus on a well-written story, shall we?

Now’s a perfect time to start a new reading habit, what with Banned Books Week starting in a week or so. I’m already working on some special posts, so stay tuned. You may even get to hear me read from some of my favorite banned/challenged books!

 

So, what’s new with you?

 

Do you 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.

Teaser Tuesday: Death in Florence

I am still one book behind on my Goodreads’ challenge, but I’m making progress. I vowed to finish both Chaucer’s Tale and Rubicon by today; that did not happen. However, at least I’m not spiraling out of control.

Like students returning from a field trip, the Wheel of Time has returned to

Teaser TuesdayJust 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.

Along with Rubicon by Tom Holland, I’m reading Death in Florence: The Medici, Savonarola, and the Battle for the Soul of a Renaissance City by Paul Strathern.

The Truly Random Number Generator sends us to page 15:

This last was a mission of the utmost importance, 
for Lorenzo was expected to persuade Pope Paul II
to grant to the Medici bank the monopoly on 
operating and distribution rights for the highly 
lucrative Tolfa alum mines owned by the papacy.

At the time alum was the mineral salt used to fix 
dyes on cloth, making it an essential ingredient in 
the thriving textile industries of Florence and 
Venice, as well as those in the Low Countries and 
England.

death in florence cover

In Retrospect

I gave Chaucer’s Tale: 1386 and the Road to Canterbury by Paul Strohm 4 stars. It was good, but not great. The first half offered a decent look at Chaucer’s London, but not Chaucer himself.

 

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.

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