Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[c-lando]

1. "Fangirl" - Rainbow Rowell - I think I've turned into a Rainbow Rowell fangirl. Sigh.
2. "The Overlook" - Michael Connelly - That was an abrupt ending.
3. "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" - Benjamin Alire Saenz - This was a beautiful coming of age story. Didn't hurt that I listened to the audiobook narrated by Lin-Manuel Miranda. I've enjoyed spending a week with him in my car.

4. "Martini Man: The Life of Dean Martin" - William Schoell - I'm sure that there are much better biographies than this one for Dino's life. I learned a few things, but I don't think that this author interviewed many important people in Dean's life. He seemed to put more effort into the movie reviews than anything else. Even the photos were second or third tier. Ended up skimming most of the book. Meh.

[Dan]

1. Anne McCaffrey - Dragonflight

Another from the NPR list of Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy. It was fine - felt a little bit like an airport novel version of Fantasy. It was VERY easy to read and relatively short. There appears to be about 10 more in the series - we'll see if I go into them. I'm not a big fan of things involving time-travel (it just gets too messy in my head) and this had a small element of that which kind of ruined it for me.

[MissKitty]

1. Ardennes 1944: The Battle of the Bulge - Antony Beevor
2. Krazy & Ignatz 1939-1940: A Brick Stuffed with Moom-bims - George Herriman
3. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon
4. Tit For Tat and Other Latvian Folk Tales - Retold by Mae Durham

5. Gulag to Independence: Personal Accounts of Latvian Gulag Survivors - Eugene Williams

During the 1940s, nearly 25 percent of Latvia's population was exiled/deported to Siberian labor camps, mostly as political prisoners based on groundless accusations. This book contains myriad stories, all different but similar in theme: they all lost at least 15 years of their lives, and usually all family ties, through no fault of their own. Very interesting and horrifying stories.

[daytime drinking]

1- the heart of darkness/ the secret sharer- joseph conrad
2- blacking up; the minstrel show in 19th century america- robert c toll

3- the subterraneans/ pic- jack kerouac-  always good to read a kerouac once in a while.  inside the belly of midcentury america.  like any road hungry twenty something, i took to his romance, his lawlessness, his destruction.  i can't believe (outside of cassady) could be friends with him let alone be romantically involved which is what this story was about.  quite the dick, that man.  it was a literary invention of his, this stream of conscience vomit.  all your insides coalesce in written form.  allen ginsburg coined the title, which was a troupe of young literaries in new york masquerading in san francisco (to protect the love interest).  this was about kerouac's fling with a black girl, which was taboo of course way back when.  it flowed without a stop and getting back into it after a pause was difficult.  not my favorite kerouac but there is some beautiful poetry in there

pic was about a young black boy going from the country in north carolina to nyc with his brother and then hitching to california.  i haven't read too many black novelists, but i'd wager kerouac came across as somewhat authentic, perhaps as a result of being heavily involved with the jazz scene         

[Zafer Kaya]

There appears to be about 10 more in the series - we'll see if I go into them.

10?!?  haha. There were already at least 10 when I was in high school.  Still going, too. She died a few years ago but I think her children are continuing the series.

[Dan]

Hah. Good to know. So that means it's less likely I'll read more of them if there's no end in sight.

[c-lando]

1. "Fangirl" - Rainbow Rowell - I think I've turned into a Rainbow Rowell fangirl. Sigh.
2. "The Overlook" - Michael Connelly - That was an abrupt ending.
3. "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" - Benjamin Alire Saenz - This was a beautiful coming of age story. Didn't hurt that I listened to the audiobook narrated by Lin-Manuel Miranda. I've enjoyed spending a week with him in my car.
4. "Martini Man: The Life of Dean Martin" - William Schoell - I'm sure that there are much better biographies than this one for Dino's life. I learned a few things, but I don't think that this author interviewed many important people in Dean's life. He seemed to put more effort into the movie reviews than anything else. Even the photos were second or third tier. Ended up skimming most of the book. Meh.

5. "Clever Girl" - Tessa Hadley

[trixi]

1.  Finding Audrey--Sophie Kinsella
2.  Watermelon--Marian Keyes

3.  The Treatment--Suzanne Young
4.  Jesse's Girl--Miranda Kenneally
5.  A Good Place to Hide: How One French Village Saved Thousands of Lives During World War II--Peter Grose
6.  Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children--Ransom Riggs

[daytime drinking]

1- the heart of darkness/ the secret sharer- joseph conrad
2- blacking up; the minstrel show in 19th century america- robert c toll
3- the subterraneans/ pic- jack kerouac     

4-  judgement of paris: california v france and the historic 1976 paris tasting that revolutionized wine- george m. taber-  all steven spurrier wanted to do was show france the incredible wine that was being made in california.  he was a londoner running a wine shop in paris.  he gained a reputation and made some notable friends.  after touring california, he brought back what he considered the region's best and held a friendly tasting between those wines and some some of france's old guard.  even steven spurrier didn't think california stood a chance.  and they swept.  and the echoes where heard in south america, south africa, oceania and wherever else is worldwide.  but that was only part of the story

along the way we meet some of the winemakers from the award winning california wines and the journey into the wine trade.  coming from humble origins, and some from inhospitable ones, all with the same passion, to make great wine.  family be damned.  it was quite a read and i'm only partly interested in wine.  the author was the only media representative who took a flyer for the event.  he was a times correspondent.  so the earth shattering news didn't reverberate quite as quickly even if morse code was still their primary form of communique

my best friend is a struggling winemaker with a family to feed and he lent me this book.  actually i took it.  he hadn't read it yet.  i tell him all the parallels of his life and those of people in the book and i hope that gives him some sense of shit's gonna be alright

5- tao te ching- lao tzu- since this is only a collection, an anthology of wise sayings by someone who probably never existed, i'm going to follow the translators guide to interpreting the text.  many of the passages are linked presumably because they shared a common word or phrase even if the meaning wouldn't follow.  perhaps it's also a way for the poetry to flow more beautifully.  but anyways, he links together certain passages for the reader to find.  i feel this reread this will make for good bedtime reading

[trixi]

1.  Finding Audrey--Sophie Kinsella
2.  Watermelon--Marian Keyes
3.  The Treatment--Suzanne Young
4.  Jesse's Girl--Miranda Kenneally
5.  A Good Place to Hide: How One French Village Saved Thousands of Lives During World War II--Peter Grose
6.  Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children--Ransom Riggs

7.  Winter Time: Memoirs of a German Sinto who Survived Auschwitz--Walter Winter
8.  The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B--Teresa Toten
9.  The Boy in the Black Suit--Jason Reynolds
10.  Hana's Suitcase: a true story--Karen Levine
11.  The Weight of Feathers--Anna-Marie McLemore

[Dan]

1. Anne McCaffrey - Dragonflight
2. Lori Hope - 20 Things People With Cancer Want You To Know

Could easily be re-named "A Guide to Cancer Etiquette" or something like that. Basically, be nice, be kind, be ready to listen, but don't bring it up or offer your suggestions unless it's clearly stated to do so. Help with the little things and let them bitch all they want.

Didn't need a whole book to say what she had to say but she had a word count to meet.

[c-lando]

1. "Fangirl" - Rainbow Rowell - I think I've turned into a Rainbow Rowell fangirl. Sigh.
2. "The Overlook" - Michael Connelly - That was an abrupt ending.
3. "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" - Benjamin Alire Saenz - This was a beautiful coming of age story. Didn't hurt that I listened to the audiobook narrated by Lin-Manuel Miranda. I've enjoyed spending a week with him in my car.
4. "Martini Man: The Life of Dean Martin" - William Schoell - I'm sure that there are much better biographies than this one for Dino's life. I learned a few things, but I don't think that this author interviewed many important people in Dean's life. He seemed to put more effort into the movie reviews than anything else. Even the photos were second or third tier. Ended up skimming most of the book. Meh.
5. "Clever Girl" - Tessa Hadley

6. "Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener" - M.C. Beaton (audiobook) - Thought I'd give this series one more go and I regret it. At least it was an audiobook.
7. "The Clasp" - Sloane Crosley

[daytime drinking]

1- the heart of darkness/ the secret sharer- joseph conrad
2- blacking up; the minstrel show in 19th century america- robert c toll
3- the subterraneans/ pic- jack kerouac     
4-  judgement of paris: california v france and the historic 1976 paris tasting that revolutionized wine- george m. taber
5- tao te ching- lao tzu

6- sex at dawn: the prehistoric origins of modern sexuality- christopher ryan and cadilda jetha-  there's a war on sexuality.  sex shouldn't be taken so seriously.  it's a fundamental part of life, just as necessary as shelter, clothing, food, water....  the authors, both varying types of psychologists, beautifully illustrate our primal origins within a hunter/forager lifestyle into the post agrarian landscape wherein we have you and i today.  they argue that we are promiscuous by nature and that monogamy is a post agriculture societal construct that is detrimental to our well being. 

here's a quote

might the contemporary pandemics of fracturing families, parental exhaustion, and confused, resentful children be predictable consequences of what is, in truth, a distorted and distorting family structure inappropriate for our species?

great book to read when you're expecting a child.  even better, talk to your spouse about it!  i picked this up at the library because one of the authors is always a guest on joe rogan's podcast.  very interesting guy.  but i didn't know anything about the book.  i didn't get passed the introduction before i said to myself, oh fuck.  welp...... 

it was a really good read though, albeit uncomfortable.  whether or not you agree with them, they still do open up the fascinating/taboo discussion of monogamy.  it's really interesting when they talk about males in their mid forties, 50's who turn to anti depressants and viagra to regain their vigor and ruin families in the process.  what the authors are suggesting is that sex is only one part of life, it isn't a sacred entity to be shared only in the bedroom of your special someone.  love and sex are different things.  they explore many cultures throughout the world (many contemporary) where sex isn't taboo it's encouraged.  this is my favorite. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lugu_Lake

the authors want to foremost help people in relationships understand the complexity of what it is to be human.   somewhere henry miller is smiling

[Zafer Kaya]

For my dollar, Zhuangzi>Mozi>Mencius>Confucius>Laozi>Xunzi

Laozi would probably rank higher except that Tao te Ching not very coherent for the reasons you mentioned.

[c-lando]

1. "Fangirl" - Rainbow Rowell - I think I've turned into a Rainbow Rowell fangirl. Sigh.
2. "The Overlook" - Michael Connelly - That was an abrupt ending.
3. "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" - Benjamin Alire Saenz - This was a beautiful coming of age story. Didn't hurt that I listened to the audiobook narrated by Lin-Manuel Miranda. I've enjoyed spending a week with him in my car.
4. "Martini Man: The Life of Dean Martin" - William Schoell - I'm sure that there are much better biographies than this one for Dino's life. I learned a few things, but I don't think that this author interviewed many important people in Dean's life. He seemed to put more effort into the movie reviews than anything else. Even the photos were second or third tier. Ended up skimming most of the book. Meh.
5. "Clever Girl" - Tessa Hadley
6. "Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener" - M.C. Beaton (audiobook) - Thought I'd give this series one more go and I regret it. At least it was an audiobook.
7. "The Clasp" - Sloane Crosley

8. "The Bottoms" - Joe R. Lansdale - This is my first time reading anything by Lansdale and I'm ashamed of myself. GOOD, good stuff here. This book was "To Kill a Mockingbird" with a Stephen King twist to me.
9. "Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls" - David Sedaris (audiobook) - David goes a little dark there at the end with the short essays that aren't autobiographical. I can see why this book received some harsh reviews. But, it was mostly my cup of tea.