SqueakyChu is "bugged" - page 4
Conversazioni75 Books Challenge for 2015
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1SqueakyChu
From here, I'm continuing my "bug" theme into the fourth quarter for 2015. This is the Race of the Ladybugs.
I'm having a tough time keeping up with my reading this year as grandmotherly duties call. However, I am trying to move ahead...
Anyway, here are the ladybug races so far...
My 75 Books Challenge - (77% COMPLETED as of 12/31/15) the most important challenge of all!
My 16,000 page challenge - (79% COMPLETED as of 12/31/15) which is also up a bit from last year.
My BookCrossing challenge - - (25% COMPLETED as of 12/31/15) which I've increased a bit this year
My ROOT challenge (100% COMPLETED as of 11/25/15): - I've increased my count for this year, but not by much!
My 2015 Calendar - - (100% COMPLETED as of 12/31/15) which has the same number of days as last year. Leap year will be different, though!
The finish line seems to be coming up quickly for this year!
I'm having a tough time keeping up with my reading this year as grandmotherly duties call. However, I am trying to move ahead...
Anyway, here are the ladybug races so far...
My 75 Books Challenge - (77% COMPLETED as of 12/31/15) the most important challenge of all!
My 16,000 page challenge - (79% COMPLETED as of 12/31/15) which is also up a bit from last year.
My BookCrossing challenge - - (25% COMPLETED as of 12/31/15) which I've increased a bit this year
My ROOT challenge (100% COMPLETED as of 11/25/15): - I've increased my count for this year, but not by much!
My 2015 Calendar - - (100% COMPLETED as of 12/31/15) which has the same number of days as last year. Leap year will be different, though!
The finish line seems to be coming up quickly for this year!
2SqueakyChu
OCTOBER:
Photo credit: Umberto Salvagnin - Flickr, CC-A
BOOKISH PLANS:
1. A BookCrossing meetup
COMPLETED:
37. Storm Rider - Akira Yoshimura - TIOLI: Read a book whose author's last name contains a three-letter combination which is an English word if spelled backward (rum) - 367 pages
38. S. - Slavenka Drakulic - TIOLI: Read a book whose title contains no repeated letters - 201 pages
39. The Accidental Admiral - Adm. James Stavridis , USN (Ret.) - TIOLI: Read a book with ambiguous language for a title - 246 pages
KEY TO ASTERISKS:
*BookCrossing ABC TBR Challenge eligible
**ROOT Challenge eligible!
***Shared TIOLI read
****LT ER book
*****Promised to someone
Photo credit: Umberto Salvagnin - Flickr, CC-A
BOOKISH PLANS:
1. A BookCrossing meetup
COMPLETED:
37. Storm Rider - Akira Yoshimura - TIOLI: Read a book whose author's last name contains a three-letter combination which is an English word if spelled backward (rum) - 367 pages
38. S. - Slavenka Drakulic - TIOLI: Read a book whose title contains no repeated letters - 201 pages
39. The Accidental Admiral - Adm. James Stavridis , USN (Ret.) - TIOLI: Read a book with ambiguous language for a title - 246 pages
KEY TO ASTERISKS:
*BookCrossing ABC TBR Challenge eligible
**ROOT Challenge eligible!
***Shared TIOLI read
****LT ER book
*****Promised to someone
3SqueakyChu
NOVEMBER:
Photo credit: Thomas Quine, CC-A)
BOOKISH PLANS:
1. A BookCrossing meetup - November 7th at 1pm at Birdie's Café in Westminster, Maryland.
COMPLETED:
40. **/***The South - Colm Tóibín - TIOLI: Read a book whose author's name contains a mark other than plain English letters - 238 pages
41. The Book of Evidence - John Banville - TIOLI: Read a book by an author whose name contains no repeating vowels - 220 pages
42. Diary of a Spider - Doreen Cronin - TIOLI: Read a book with red on the cover - 37 pages
43. It's Mine - Leo Lionni - TIOLI: Read a work with some connection to the visual arts (author is an artist, designer, and sculptor) - 32 pages
44. **Memoirs of a Muse - Lara Vapnyar - TIOLI: Read a book with red on the cover - 212 pages
45. Quicksand - Jun'ichirō Tanizaki - TIOLI: Read a book whose author's name contains a mark other than plain English letters - 224 pages
46. **Man's Search for Meaning: An Introduction to Logotherapy - Viktor E. Frankl - TIOLI: Read a book containing the phrase "Don't be afraid" or "Have no fear" - 189 pages
47. Frederick - Leo Lionni - TIOLI: Read a work with some connection to the visual arts - 26 pages
48. The Night Buffalo - Guillermo Arriaga - TIOLI: - Read a book that was first published at the end of a war (Lebanon War, 2006) - 228 pages
49. Golbo the Spider's Amazing Vacuum Cleaner Adventure - Faiz Kermani - TIOLI: Read a book with red on the cover - 55 pages
KEY TO ASTERISKS:
*BookCrossing ABC TBR Challenge eligible
**ROOT Challenge eligible!
***Shared TIOLI read
****LT ER book
*****Promised to someone
Photo credit: Thomas Quine, CC-A)
BOOKISH PLANS:
1. A BookCrossing meetup - November 7th at 1pm at Birdie's Café in Westminster, Maryland.
COMPLETED:
40. **/***The South - Colm Tóibín - TIOLI: Read a book whose author's name contains a mark other than plain English letters - 238 pages
41. The Book of Evidence - John Banville - TIOLI: Read a book by an author whose name contains no repeating vowels - 220 pages
42. Diary of a Spider - Doreen Cronin - TIOLI: Read a book with red on the cover - 37 pages
43. It's Mine - Leo Lionni - TIOLI: Read a work with some connection to the visual arts (author is an artist, designer, and sculptor) - 32 pages
44. **Memoirs of a Muse - Lara Vapnyar - TIOLI: Read a book with red on the cover - 212 pages
45. Quicksand - Jun'ichirō Tanizaki - TIOLI: Read a book whose author's name contains a mark other than plain English letters - 224 pages
46. **Man's Search for Meaning: An Introduction to Logotherapy - Viktor E. Frankl - TIOLI: Read a book containing the phrase "Don't be afraid" or "Have no fear" - 189 pages
47. Frederick - Leo Lionni - TIOLI: Read a work with some connection to the visual arts - 26 pages
48. The Night Buffalo - Guillermo Arriaga - TIOLI: - Read a book that was first published at the end of a war (Lebanon War, 2006) - 228 pages
49. Golbo the Spider's Amazing Vacuum Cleaner Adventure - Faiz Kermani - TIOLI: Read a book with red on the cover - 55 pages
KEY TO ASTERISKS:
*BookCrossing ABC TBR Challenge eligible
**ROOT Challenge eligible!
***Shared TIOLI read
****LT ER book
*****Promised to someone
4SqueakyChu
DECEMBER:
Photo credit: William Warby, CC-A
BOOKISH PLANS:
A BookCrossing meetup - our annual holiday party
COMPLETED
50. Not Me - Michael Lavigne - TIOLI: Read a book with a title starting with the next letter in Santa Claus (N) 315 pages
51. Moth Smoke - Mohsin Hamid - TIOLI: Read a book with the color blue on the cover or the word blue somewhere in the title - 247 pages
52. Stranger in the Woods - Carl R. Sams II & Jean Stoick - TIOLI: Read a book with the word “adventure” somewhere on the outside of the book - 48 pages
53. Swimmy - Leo Lionni - TIOLI: Read a book with the color blue on the cover or the word blue somewhere in the title - 32 pages
54. **Confessions of a Mask - Yukio Mishima - TIOLI: Read a book that that has no red or green whatsoever on the front cover - 254 pages
55. The Saggy Baggy Elephant - K. & B. Jackson - 24 pages
56. **Love and Other Impossible Pursuits - Ayelet Waldman - TIOLI: Read a book with a title starting with the next letter in Santa Claus (L) - 340 pages
57. Run With the Wind - Caroline Pitcher - TIOLI: Read a book with the color blue on the cover or the word blue somewhere in the title -24 pages
58. There Once Was a Man Named Michael Finnegan - Mary Ann Hoberman - TIOLI: Read a book with the color blue on the cover or the word blue somewhere in the title - 24 pages
KEY TO ASTERISKS:
*BookCrossing ABC TBR Challenge eligible
**ROOT Challenge eligible!
***Shared TIOLI read
****LT ER book
*****Promised to someone
Photo credit: William Warby, CC-A
BOOKISH PLANS:
A BookCrossing meetup - our annual holiday party
COMPLETED
50. Not Me - Michael Lavigne - TIOLI: Read a book with a title starting with the next letter in Santa Claus (N) 315 pages
51. Moth Smoke - Mohsin Hamid - TIOLI: Read a book with the color blue on the cover or the word blue somewhere in the title - 247 pages
52. Stranger in the Woods - Carl R. Sams II & Jean Stoick - TIOLI: Read a book with the word “adventure” somewhere on the outside of the book - 48 pages
53. Swimmy - Leo Lionni - TIOLI: Read a book with the color blue on the cover or the word blue somewhere in the title - 32 pages
54. **Confessions of a Mask - Yukio Mishima - TIOLI: Read a book that that has no red or green whatsoever on the front cover - 254 pages
55. The Saggy Baggy Elephant - K. & B. Jackson - 24 pages
56. **Love and Other Impossible Pursuits - Ayelet Waldman - TIOLI: Read a book with a title starting with the next letter in Santa Claus (L) - 340 pages
57. Run With the Wind - Caroline Pitcher - TIOLI: Read a book with the color blue on the cover or the word blue somewhere in the title -24 pages
58. There Once Was a Man Named Michael Finnegan - Mary Ann Hoberman - TIOLI: Read a book with the color blue on the cover or the word blue somewhere in the title - 24 pages
KEY TO ASTERISKS:
*BookCrossing ABC TBR Challenge eligible
**ROOT Challenge eligible!
***Shared TIOLI read
****LT ER book
*****Promised to someone
5SqueakyChu
I decided not to read Black Swan Green. I once started it on CD and couldn't get into it. Now I just don't want to read anything in this adolescent's voice although I've liked other writing by David Mitchell. I have too many books here at home to just hang onto this book for the future.
6SqueakyChu
37. Storm Rider - Akira Yoshimura
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October 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book whose author's last name contains a three-letter combination which is an English word if spelled backward (rum)
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I loved reading this book although I must admit it's not a book for everyone. I rarely like historical novels although this book captivated me. I have read three other novels by Akira Yoshimura and have been enchanted by his writing. How he made this novel, replete with historical facts and countless names of cities, people, and Japanese years so fascinating is due to his quiet way of telling one man's story. I was astounded to find out during my reading of this book that it is based on many actual historical facts and people.
In fact, the protagonist, Joseph Heco was a real person who started his traveling as a castaway aboard a Japanese ship in the mid 1800's. His travels took him to many places, including China and the United States at a time when Japan excluded foreigners completely. Hikamoto (Joseph Heco) faced the problem of how to re-enter his native county of Japan after becoming pretty well incorporated into American culture. His story is fascinating.
Rating 4.5 stars
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October 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book whose author's last name contains a three-letter combination which is an English word if spelled backward (rum)
---------------------------------------------------------------
I loved reading this book although I must admit it's not a book for everyone. I rarely like historical novels although this book captivated me. I have read three other novels by Akira Yoshimura and have been enchanted by his writing. How he made this novel, replete with historical facts and countless names of cities, people, and Japanese years so fascinating is due to his quiet way of telling one man's story. I was astounded to find out during my reading of this book that it is based on many actual historical facts and people.
In fact, the protagonist, Joseph Heco was a real person who started his traveling as a castaway aboard a Japanese ship in the mid 1800's. His travels took him to many places, including China and the United States at a time when Japan excluded foreigners completely. Hikamoto (Joseph Heco) faced the problem of how to re-enter his native county of Japan after becoming pretty well incorporated into American culture. His story is fascinating.
Rating 4.5 stars
7SqueakyChu
38. S. - Slavenka Drakulic
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October 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book whose title contains no repeated letters
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Maybe it's because I've read several books about war back-to-back, but now after finishing the last pages of this story, I am completely drained. I know that this book is a novel so the story is fiction. Yet it is not fiction. What happened to S. in this novel did happen to Muslim women during the war in Bosnia. The way the author writes about S., her imprisonment, and her physical and psychological trauma, it is impossible to believe that she was not a real person and that she did not fully experience everything in this story.
The story is of S., a young woman who is a victim of rape and other brutality during the Bosnian war. Oddly, both she and all of the characters in this novel are referred to only by the first initial of their names. The story is so bleak and depressing that it's almost a relief not to know the real name of the main character as well as the others in the novel. This technique of writing emphasizes the loss of humanity and individuality experienced by many people who suffer deep trauma during wartime. This horrifying exploration of one aspect of war should be read by everyone if only to try to understand more of what wartime victims experience but can no longer express.
Rating - 5 stars
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October 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book whose title contains no repeated letters
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Maybe it's because I've read several books about war back-to-back, but now after finishing the last pages of this story, I am completely drained. I know that this book is a novel so the story is fiction. Yet it is not fiction. What happened to S. in this novel did happen to Muslim women during the war in Bosnia. The way the author writes about S., her imprisonment, and her physical and psychological trauma, it is impossible to believe that she was not a real person and that she did not fully experience everything in this story.
The story is of S., a young woman who is a victim of rape and other brutality during the Bosnian war. Oddly, both she and all of the characters in this novel are referred to only by the first initial of their names. The story is so bleak and depressing that it's almost a relief not to know the real name of the main character as well as the others in the novel. This technique of writing emphasizes the loss of humanity and individuality experienced by many people who suffer deep trauma during wartime. This horrifying exploration of one aspect of war should be read by everyone if only to try to understand more of what wartime victims experience but can no longer express.
Rating - 5 stars
8SqueakyChu
I'm losing all my challenges big time! :(
9SqueakyChu
39. The Accidental Admiral - Adm. James Stavridis , USN (Ret.)
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October 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book with ambiguous language for a title
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I very much enjoyed reading about the thoughts and experiences of Admiral Stavridis in his role as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO for four years. I most liked the chapters about Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, the Balkans, Israel, and Russia. Those chapters gave me a deeper insight into those problematic areas of the world. I was less interested in reading through the text of the North Atlantic Treaty and the NATO Lisbon Summit Declaration, and I only skimmed through those appendices.
Rating - 4 stars
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October 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book with ambiguous language for a title
---------------------------------------------------------------
I very much enjoyed reading about the thoughts and experiences of Admiral Stavridis in his role as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO for four years. I most liked the chapters about Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, the Balkans, Israel, and Russia. Those chapters gave me a deeper insight into those problematic areas of the world. I was less interested in reading through the text of the North Atlantic Treaty and the NATO Lisbon Summit Declaration, and I only skimmed through those appendices.
Rating - 4 stars
10SqueakyChu
40. The South - Colm Tóibín
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November 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book whose author's name contains a mark other than plain English letters
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This is a truly beautiful story on so many levels. The writing is tight and exquisite. The characters are full-bodied with all of their mysteries and faults. The setting is varied and full, at the end of the book driving me to my own computer to have a look at pictures of many of the seaside venues in Wexford, Ireland. Political (Catalonia under Franco in Spain) and religious controversy (the Church of Ireland versus Roman Catholicism) inserted themselves into this novel's pages but never completely took over the immediate story of the characters as they related to each other.
I was intrigued that this was the debut novel of Colm Tóibín and appreciated what a talent he has for writing about an individual's experience. I have read two other of his novels and plan to read more. It's an exhilarating experience to be under the influence of this author's words.
The South tells the story of Katherine, a young woman, who left her husband Tom and son Richard in Enniscorthy, Ireland, and came to live in Barcelona with a Miguel, a known rebel against the Franco rule. Miguel takes great interest in his fellow rebel Carlos Puig. Both Katherine and Miguel develop a deep friendship with Michael Graves, a man also from Enniscorthy. Katherine, Miguel and Michael Graves are artists who developed their painting skill in an art school in Barcelona under the guidance of Ramon Rogent.
Don't worry too much about the story itself. Just let Katherine's tale carry you along at will. Enjoy the ride!
Rating - 5 stars
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November 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book whose author's name contains a mark other than plain English letters
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This is a truly beautiful story on so many levels. The writing is tight and exquisite. The characters are full-bodied with all of their mysteries and faults. The setting is varied and full, at the end of the book driving me to my own computer to have a look at pictures of many of the seaside venues in Wexford, Ireland. Political (Catalonia under Franco in Spain) and religious controversy (the Church of Ireland versus Roman Catholicism) inserted themselves into this novel's pages but never completely took over the immediate story of the characters as they related to each other.
I was intrigued that this was the debut novel of Colm Tóibín and appreciated what a talent he has for writing about an individual's experience. I have read two other of his novels and plan to read more. It's an exhilarating experience to be under the influence of this author's words.
The South tells the story of Katherine, a young woman, who left her husband Tom and son Richard in Enniscorthy, Ireland, and came to live in Barcelona with a Miguel, a known rebel against the Franco rule. Miguel takes great interest in his fellow rebel Carlos Puig. Both Katherine and Miguel develop a deep friendship with Michael Graves, a man also from Enniscorthy. Katherine, Miguel and Michael Graves are artists who developed their painting skill in an art school in Barcelona under the guidance of Ramon Rogent.
Don't worry too much about the story itself. Just let Katherine's tale carry you along at will. Enjoy the ride!
Rating - 5 stars
11SqueakyChu
41. The Book of Evidence - John Banville
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November 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book by an author whose name contains no repeating vowels
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I'm really baffled by this story. As I was reading it, I was mesmerized by its dense prose and the author's prolific vocabulary. When I finished reading the story, I felt as if I had missed something along the way. What? Was what I read what actually happened, or was it something else entirely? I'm not sure. I thought I understood it, but did I?
Either way, I enjoyed reading about Freddie Montgomery's "evidence" or what brought him into prison. His troubles began with a debt to a drug dealer and grew larger with his plans to use his mother's art collection to pay his way out of his financial obligation. It wasn't quite that easy, and this story tells why...if you believe what the narrator says. There's the rub.
I'd call this story enjoyable and challenging. I'm certainly geared up to read more works by Banville, a noted Irish author...but I first need a break for some lighter reading. I'll get back to Banville book later. You betcha!
Rating - 4 stars
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November 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book by an author whose name contains no repeating vowels
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I'm really baffled by this story. As I was reading it, I was mesmerized by its dense prose and the author's prolific vocabulary. When I finished reading the story, I felt as if I had missed something along the way. What? Was what I read what actually happened, or was it something else entirely? I'm not sure. I thought I understood it, but did I?
Either way, I enjoyed reading about Freddie Montgomery's "evidence" or what brought him into prison. His troubles began with a debt to a drug dealer and grew larger with his plans to use his mother's art collection to pay his way out of his financial obligation. It wasn't quite that easy, and this story tells why...if you believe what the narrator says. There's the rub.
I'd call this story enjoyable and challenging. I'm certainly geared up to read more works by Banville, a noted Irish author...but I first need a break for some lighter reading. I'll get back to Banville book later. You betcha!
Rating - 4 stars
12SqueakyChu
42. Diary of a Spider - Doreen Cronin
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November 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book with red on the cover
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I have no idea why my two-year-old grandson loves this book so much. He asks me to read it repeatedly. I would think that much of this book's humor would be over my toddler's head, but he sees a lot to love on its pages. We often talk about the pictures as well as read the story line. This is a book that I, at age 68 years, also enjoy reading. I guess I now need to look for Scholastic's other book entitled Diary of a Worm. Ha!
Rating - 4.5 stars
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November 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book with red on the cover
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I have no idea why my two-year-old grandson loves this book so much. He asks me to read it repeatedly. I would think that much of this book's humor would be over my toddler's head, but he sees a lot to love on its pages. We often talk about the pictures as well as read the story line. This is a book that I, at age 68 years, also enjoy reading. I guess I now need to look for Scholastic's other book entitled Diary of a Worm. Ha!
Rating - 4.5 stars
14SqueakyChu
43. It's Mine - Leo Lionni
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November 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a work with some connection to the visual arts (author is an artist, designer, and sculptor)
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First of all, I love kids' books about frogs. I save those for Passover use. Heh! Next, I love the illustrations that look like colorful collages. Finally, I love the not too long story lines on each page which make this a perfect read-aloud book for toddlers.
This book has a surprise ending to a story which teaches the lesson of sharing. Very cute! I also like reading books again by this author whose book Swimmy I read to my own children when they were little.
Rating - 4.5 stars
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November 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a work with some connection to the visual arts (author is an artist, designer, and sculptor)
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First of all, I love kids' books about frogs. I save those for Passover use. Heh! Next, I love the illustrations that look like colorful collages. Finally, I love the not too long story lines on each page which make this a perfect read-aloud book for toddlers.
This book has a surprise ending to a story which teaches the lesson of sharing. Very cute! I also like reading books again by this author whose book Swimmy I read to my own children when they were little.
Rating - 4.5 stars
15SqueakyChu
44. Memoirs of a Muse - Lara Vapnyar
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November 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book with red on the cover
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Tanya is an immigrant to the United States from Russia. She came as a young woman to improve her life at her mother's desire. Her family in the United States was her uncle, her aunt, her cousin, her cousin's husband and their young son. All her life, Tanya was engrossed in learning about the life and women of of the great Russian writer Dostoyevsky.
Considering Polina to be Dostoyevsky's greatest love and muse, Tanya decided that she, too, wanted to be come a muse. She finds a man who reminds her of Dostoyevsky, and she attempts to be come that man's muse. Tanya turned out to be a muse two times over, but not in the way that she would have predicted.
I liked this novel although I was puzzled by what it was trying to tell me. I could see the protagonist struggling in her new American life, but I could not figure out where the relationship with her boyfriend would take her.
I liked the ending of the novel the best because it made the most sense. It showed how she did become a muse and how her life resolved after an odd relationship with her Dostoyevsky-like boyfriend.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars
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November 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book with red on the cover
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Tanya is an immigrant to the United States from Russia. She came as a young woman to improve her life at her mother's desire. Her family in the United States was her uncle, her aunt, her cousin, her cousin's husband and their young son. All her life, Tanya was engrossed in learning about the life and women of of the great Russian writer Dostoyevsky.
Considering Polina to be Dostoyevsky's greatest love and muse, Tanya decided that she, too, wanted to be come a muse. She finds a man who reminds her of Dostoyevsky, and she attempts to be come that man's muse. Tanya turned out to be a muse two times over, but not in the way that she would have predicted.
I liked this novel although I was puzzled by what it was trying to tell me. I could see the protagonist struggling in her new American life, but I could not figure out where the relationship with her boyfriend would take her.
I liked the ending of the novel the best because it made the most sense. It showed how she did become a muse and how her life resolved after an odd relationship with her Dostoyevsky-like boyfriend.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars
16SqueakyChu
45. Quicksand - Jun'ichirō Tanizaki
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November 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book whose author's name contains a mark other than plain English letters
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This is a mind-blowing novel and one I found mesmerizing. It's the story of the love relationship between Sonoko Kakiuchi, a married woman, and Mitsuko, a beautiful young woman in Sonoko's art class. As the plot develops, things get very complicated as the women try to hide their love from their families and from the handsome man who is in love with Mitsuko.
The beauty of this novel is in its psychological suspense as one does not know the motives of the characters in the story from moment to moment, other than those of Sonoko the narrator. There is love, dependence, humiliation, jealousy, anger, eroticism, secrecy, and more! All the chapters are short with breaks during which you'll need to ponder what just happened.
I love novels like this! This was the first novel I read by this famous Japanese author who died in 1965. I'm looking for more of his works right away. I hope they're all as good as this novel was!
Rating - 5 stars
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November 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book whose author's name contains a mark other than plain English letters
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This is a mind-blowing novel and one I found mesmerizing. It's the story of the love relationship between Sonoko Kakiuchi, a married woman, and Mitsuko, a beautiful young woman in Sonoko's art class. As the plot develops, things get very complicated as the women try to hide their love from their families and from the handsome man who is in love with Mitsuko.
The beauty of this novel is in its psychological suspense as one does not know the motives of the characters in the story from moment to moment, other than those of Sonoko the narrator. There is love, dependence, humiliation, jealousy, anger, eroticism, secrecy, and more! All the chapters are short with breaks during which you'll need to ponder what just happened.
I love novels like this! This was the first novel I read by this famous Japanese author who died in 1965. I'm looking for more of his works right away. I hope they're all as good as this novel was!
Rating - 5 stars
17SqueakyChu
46. Man's Search for Meaning: An Introduction to Logotherapy - \\Viktor E. Frankl
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November 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book containing the phrase "Don't be afraid" or "Have no fear"
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I have heard of this book for a long, long time. I'm not sure why it took me so long to read it. Perhaps that was because the first part of the book talks about the author's personal experience in Auschwitz, a Polish concentration camp that I have a hard time revisiting in books since I know that my maternal grandparents died in its crematoria.
The author presents his own experiences in Auschwitz as a precursor to an explanation of logotherapy, the type of psychiatry he developed and practiced. Some of the information related to his theory was a bit difficult for me to understand, yet I found reading about it worthwhile. It is a very different approach to psychiatry than the psychoanalysis of Sigmund Fried. In a way, it seems much gentler. I also liked Frankl's approach to how to find meaning in life despite his unbearable treatment as a prisoner at Auschwitz.
Rating - 4 stars
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November 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book containing the phrase "Don't be afraid" or "Have no fear"
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I have heard of this book for a long, long time. I'm not sure why it took me so long to read it. Perhaps that was because the first part of the book talks about the author's personal experience in Auschwitz, a Polish concentration camp that I have a hard time revisiting in books since I know that my maternal grandparents died in its crematoria.
The author presents his own experiences in Auschwitz as a precursor to an explanation of logotherapy, the type of psychiatry he developed and practiced. Some of the information related to his theory was a bit difficult for me to understand, yet I found reading about it worthwhile. It is a very different approach to psychiatry than the psychoanalysis of Sigmund Fried. In a way, it seems much gentler. I also liked Frankl's approach to how to find meaning in life despite his unbearable treatment as a prisoner at Auschwitz.
Rating - 4 stars
18SqueakyChu
47. Frederick - Leo Lionni
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November 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a work with some connection to the visual arts
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This is a sweet book, and yet it leaves something to be desired for me. It's the story of five mice. Four of them work to save food for the winter, but Frederick, the fifth mouse, doesn't help. When the winter stores of food are gone, Frederick brings color and poetry into the lives of the other hungry mice. What?! I don't get that this is a good message, although I love the illustrations and the cute pictures of the mice.
Rating - 3 stars
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November 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a work with some connection to the visual arts
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This is a sweet book, and yet it leaves something to be desired for me. It's the story of five mice. Four of them work to save food for the winter, but Frederick, the fifth mouse, doesn't help. When the winter stores of food are gone, Frederick brings color and poetry into the lives of the other hungry mice. What?! I don't get that this is a good message, although I love the illustrations and the cute pictures of the mice.
Rating - 3 stars
19SqueakyChu
48. The Night Buffalo - Guillermo Arriaga
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November 2015 TIOLI Challenge: -
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Arriaga writes a very intriguing story of Manuel, a shiftless Mexican college student who was sleeping with three women, still living with his parents, and always I need of cash. The story opens with Manuel coming to visit Gregorio, his best friend. We see that their relationship is strained, and soon learn that Gregorio has committed suicide. Later, we realize that a love triangle existed between Gregorio and Manuel and that their mutual love was Tania, a woman for whom Manuel permanently rented a hotel room for their secret trysts. Gregorio wasn't quite as available as Manuel since he had episodic psychiatric hospitalization. So whom did Tania really love?
I was intrigued by this story. I wanted to know what really drove Gregorio into madness and despair. I liked the Mexico City setting (I once also ate at Sanborn's!) , the abbreviated chapter sections, the ease of the writing, the story's flow, and its underlying suspense. I was less enthralled by the story's ending. I don't like when new characters are introduced at the bitter end, nor do I like loose ends that seem to want another story written to explain them.
Rating - 4 stars
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November 2015 TIOLI Challenge: -
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Arriaga writes a very intriguing story of Manuel, a shiftless Mexican college student who was sleeping with three women, still living with his parents, and always I need of cash. The story opens with Manuel coming to visit Gregorio, his best friend. We see that their relationship is strained, and soon learn that Gregorio has committed suicide. Later, we realize that a love triangle existed between Gregorio and Manuel and that their mutual love was Tania, a woman for whom Manuel permanently rented a hotel room for their secret trysts. Gregorio wasn't quite as available as Manuel since he had episodic psychiatric hospitalization. So whom did Tania really love?
I was intrigued by this story. I wanted to know what really drove Gregorio into madness and despair. I liked the Mexico City setting (I once also ate at Sanborn's!) , the abbreviated chapter sections, the ease of the writing, the story's flow, and its underlying suspense. I was less enthralled by the story's ending. I don't like when new characters are introduced at the bitter end, nor do I like loose ends that seem to want another story written to explain them.
Rating - 4 stars
20SqueakyChu
49. Golbo the Spider's Amazing Vacuum Cleaner Adventure - Faiz Kermani
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November 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book with red on the cover
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This children's book is cute and very funny. My favorite line in the story is this one: "...when you are being whacked with a broom every few seconds, it is in advisable to stick around for a lengthy discussion." Haha! I like the vocabulary used to tell this story. I love the funny character names of the spiders: Golbo, Spognot, and Uncle Snotkrunch.
One thing did drive me crazy, though, was that the spiders were pictured with six legs. Spiders are arachnids and have eight legs. I know they also have eight eyes, but all those eyes don't need to be drawn. In future editions, do have illustrator Korey Scott add an additional pair of legs to each spider. Thanks! :)
Rating - 4 stars
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November 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book with red on the cover
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This children's book is cute and very funny. My favorite line in the story is this one: "...when you are being whacked with a broom every few seconds, it is in advisable to stick around for a lengthy discussion." Haha! I like the vocabulary used to tell this story. I love the funny character names of the spiders: Golbo, Spognot, and Uncle Snotkrunch.
One thing did drive me crazy, though, was that the spiders were pictured with six legs. Spiders are arachnids and have eight legs. I know they also have eight eyes, but all those eyes don't need to be drawn. In future editions, do have illustrator Korey Scott add an additional pair of legs to each spider. Thanks! :)
Rating - 4 stars
21SqueakyChu
I won't get anywhere close to 75 books this year, but at least I reached 50 books. I'll try again in 2016.
22SqueakyChu
50. Not Me - Michael Lavigne
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December 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book with a title starting with the next letter in Santa Claus (N)
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This was an excellent debut novel! I was not previously familiar with this author, and I only came across this novel by chance, but I would sure like to read more of his work.
The story is of Heschel Rosenhem, a survivor of the Majdenek concentration camp during WWII, who is elderly and now in a nursing home in Florida where he is mentally declining due to Alzheimer's disease. His son Michael comes into possession of a journal of his dad's which was written during the war years. Michael is divorced, far away from his ex-wife Ella in San Francisco, and conflicted about his relationship with his own son Josh who lives with Ella. Michael slowly reads his dad's journal while visiting him in Florida and is horrified by what he learns.
The pace of this novel is great. It is written with Michael as the narrator. Michael tells his own story. Then he switches from time to time to parts of his dad's journal and reacts to what he learns. The story sort of turns into a morbid mystery, but one that is easy to read and well written. I found it very touching. I hope others do, too.
Rating - 4.5 stars
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December 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book with a title starting with the next letter in Santa Claus (N)
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This was an excellent debut novel! I was not previously familiar with this author, and I only came across this novel by chance, but I would sure like to read more of his work.
The story is of Heschel Rosenhem, a survivor of the Majdenek concentration camp during WWII, who is elderly and now in a nursing home in Florida where he is mentally declining due to Alzheimer's disease. His son Michael comes into possession of a journal of his dad's which was written during the war years. Michael is divorced, far away from his ex-wife Ella in San Francisco, and conflicted about his relationship with his own son Josh who lives with Ella. Michael slowly reads his dad's journal while visiting him in Florida and is horrified by what he learns.
The pace of this novel is great. It is written with Michael as the narrator. Michael tells his own story. Then he switches from time to time to parts of his dad's journal and reacts to what he learns. The story sort of turns into a morbid mystery, but one that is easy to read and well written. I found it very touching. I hope others do, too.
Rating - 4.5 stars
23Oberon
>18 SqueakyChu: So are you suggesting that Frederick should have starved?
We have that one on the bookshelf too - and I suppose you are right that Frederick is a bit of a freeloader.
We have that one on the bookshelf too - and I suppose you are right that Frederick is a bit of a freeloader.
24SqueakyChu
> 23 I certainly wouldn't have wanted Frederick to starve, but he could have recited poetry while collecting acorns! LOL!
25SqueakyChu
I quit reading Wild Thorns by Sahar Khalifeh. I originally wanted to read it because it was written by a Palestinian woman from the West Bank of Israel. However, I found the early-in-the-novel portrayal of Israeli Jews so negative that I no longer want to read or finish this book. I need to find something to read that is more hopeful and less depressing. I get so upset by news from the Middle East these days.
26SqueakyChu
Deleted repeat post. Sorry.
27Whisper1
>22 SqueakyChu: This looks like a great book. It is now on the tbr pile.
28SqueakyChu
>27 Whisper1:. That story was fascinating. I was wondering if it had been based on a true story. The problem with reading excellent books back to back is that afterward I can never seem to find a book that merits my reading it. I just, over the past three days, gave up midway on three other books. I'm still undecided about Al Gore's book, An Inconvenient Truth as to whether or not to finish it.
29SqueakyChu
52. Stranger in the Woods - Carl R. Sams II & Jean Stoick
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December 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book with the word “adventure” somewhere on the outside of the book
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This is really a lovely book in many ways. It introduces youngsters to the winter season, to the animals that are out in the woods, and to the kindness of children. The story is a cute one of animals noticing a stranger in their midst and discovering the stranger to be a source of treats and food. The photographs are fabulous.
My 2 1/2-year-old grandson and I find lots to talk about when looking through the pages of this book. We always laugh when we see the deer eat the snowman's carrot nose. This is a book which delights me when he selects it for our story time together.
Rating - 5 stars
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December 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book with the word “adventure” somewhere on the outside of the book
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This is really a lovely book in many ways. It introduces youngsters to the winter season, to the animals that are out in the woods, and to the kindness of children. The story is a cute one of animals noticing a stranger in their midst and discovering the stranger to be a source of treats and food. The photographs are fabulous.
My 2 1/2-year-old grandson and I find lots to talk about when looking through the pages of this book. We always laugh when we see the deer eat the snowman's carrot nose. This is a book which delights me when he selects it for our story time together.
Rating - 5 stars
30SqueakyChu
53. Swimmy - Leo Lionni
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December 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book with the color blue on the cover or the word blue somewhere in the title
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I like this book very much. It is a cute story of how a small fish creatively learns how to face danger successfully. The illustrations are the colorful collages of Leo Lionni. They make a beautiful background for the sea life of this story. I like that there are sea creatures that can be shown to toddlers and a message for them to learn.
Rating - 4 stars
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December 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book with the color blue on the cover or the word blue somewhere in the title
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I like this book very much. It is a cute story of how a small fish creatively learns how to face danger successfully. The illustrations are the colorful collages of Leo Lionni. They make a beautiful background for the sea life of this story. I like that there are sea creatures that can be shown to toddlers and a message for them to learn.
Rating - 4 stars
31SqueakyChu
54. Confessions of a Mask - Yukio Mishima
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December 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book that that has no red or green whatsoever on the front cover
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This was a truly mesmerizing, but sad story. I can't believe that I've had this book for nine years without having read it before. Nevertheless, I found the story very powerful. It is narrated by a young boy who is enchanted by the bodies of other young men and is also obsessed by bloody, violent death. As this thin, weak boy grows up, he knows that his sexual proclivity is not for women and yet he does not know how to deal with this fact throughout his school years. He has a hard time making friends, but does become close to a classmate Kusano and his sister Sokoro. Thinking that he can live what he considers a "normal" life, he decides to approach Sokoro to test out his theory.
This was Mishima's debut novel. At its beginning, it seemed like an autobiography so I had to go back to read information about Mishima's life. If he were a homosexual, that fact was denied by his wife with whom he had two children.
There were many reasons that I found this book touching. One was the psychological explanations of the narrator's feelings. They started from when he did not know what he was experiencing through the time he had to make conscious decisions about how he would act in social situations. The second reason I liked this book was because i felt that this lonely man found true friendship with Sokoro, but because of social expectations, this friendship was not one that could endure. Last, I love the way Mishima could describe everything from emotions to settings to physical descriptions.
"In the pupils of her eyes I discovered a beauty I had never seen before. They were deep, unblinking, fatalistic pupils, like fountains constantly singing with an outpouring of emotions."
I've read this author's works before and will sincerely love to read more in the future.
Rating - 5 stars
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December 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book that that has no red or green whatsoever on the front cover
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This was a truly mesmerizing, but sad story. I can't believe that I've had this book for nine years without having read it before. Nevertheless, I found the story very powerful. It is narrated by a young boy who is enchanted by the bodies of other young men and is also obsessed by bloody, violent death. As this thin, weak boy grows up, he knows that his sexual proclivity is not for women and yet he does not know how to deal with this fact throughout his school years. He has a hard time making friends, but does become close to a classmate Kusano and his sister Sokoro. Thinking that he can live what he considers a "normal" life, he decides to approach Sokoro to test out his theory.
This was Mishima's debut novel. At its beginning, it seemed like an autobiography so I had to go back to read information about Mishima's life. If he were a homosexual, that fact was denied by his wife with whom he had two children.
There were many reasons that I found this book touching. One was the psychological explanations of the narrator's feelings. They started from when he did not know what he was experiencing through the time he had to make conscious decisions about how he would act in social situations. The second reason I liked this book was because i felt that this lonely man found true friendship with Sokoro, but because of social expectations, this friendship was not one that could endure. Last, I love the way Mishima could describe everything from emotions to settings to physical descriptions.
"In the pupils of her eyes I discovered a beauty I had never seen before. They were deep, unblinking, fatalistic pupils, like fountains constantly singing with an outpouring of emotions."
I've read this author's works before and will sincerely love to read more in the future.
Rating - 5 stars
32SqueakyChu
55. The Saggy Baggy Elephant - K. & B. Jackson
My 2 1/2-year-old grandson enjoyed this story. I like that it is a children's book with an older copyright (1947). I also like that it tells the story of an animal who isn't sure that he is comfortable about his own appearance, but that he learns he is fine the way he is...and, in fact, looks very much like other elephants! :)
Rating - 4 stars
My 2 1/2-year-old grandson enjoyed this story. I like that it is a children's book with an older copyright (1947). I also like that it tells the story of an animal who isn't sure that he is comfortable about his own appearance, but that he learns he is fine the way he is...and, in fact, looks very much like other elephants! :)
Rating - 4 stars
33SqueakyChu
I'm having a lot of fun with kids' books this year. It's been so long since I've read them. I love remembering my own kids' toddler years when I re-read books now to my grandson. Swimmy was one of those books. Newer children's books are also fun to explore.
I select toddlers' books for reading by those that I want to read. If I dislike them, I slip them out the door ... back into my own Little Free Library. The last one I shipped out was The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein which I found too depressing and The Cat in the Hat which my grandson would not let me read to him, but when I read it to myself, I found that it was too long!
I think my grandson has pretty good taste in books. We tend to agree which ones are the best, although he tends to favor books about construction machines, and I tend to favor those about animals. :)
I select toddlers' books for reading by those that I want to read. If I dislike them, I slip them out the door ... back into my own Little Free Library. The last one I shipped out was The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein which I found too depressing and The Cat in the Hat which my grandson would not let me read to him, but when I read it to myself, I found that it was too long!
I think my grandson has pretty good taste in books. We tend to agree which ones are the best, although he tends to favor books about construction machines, and I tend to favor those about animals. :)
34Oberon
>33 SqueakyChu: Good to hear that a corporate shill like Elmo or Thomas the Train hasn't taken over your reading yet!
35ronincats
For my Christmas/Hanukkah/Solstice/Holiday image this year (we are so diverse!), I've chosen this photograph by local photographer Mark Lenoce of the pier at Pacific Beach to express my holiday wishes to you: Peace on Earth and Good Will toward All!
36SqueakyChu
>35 ronincats: Beautiful! Have a lovely holiday season, Roni.
37SqueakyChu
>34 Oberon: What I really love is that my daughter-in-law also hates that licensed stuff so our reading is pure and simple animals, trains, machines, etc. The Sesame Street and Thomas the Train books from donors go straight out into my Little Free Library. My grandson never sees them.
One interesting donation came in this week. Among the kids' books was a copy of The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Well, we have three billy goats we use to act out the story, but we also have another book (by a different author) of that same story. I'm going to read the new book to my grandson and see which book/author he likes the best. At age two and a half, he can also become a book reviewer. Ha!
One interesting donation came in this week. Among the kids' books was a copy of The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Well, we have three billy goats we use to act out the story, but we also have another book (by a different author) of that same story. I'm going to read the new book to my grandson and see which book/author he likes the best. At age two and a half, he can also become a book reviewer. Ha!
38Oberon
>37 SqueakyChu: Looking forward to his opinion about the best goats!
I have been kicking around the idea of setting up a LFL for the new house. I am just not sure I am ready to start downsizing my book collection (besides my wife might use it as an opportunity to thin my collection).
I have been kicking around the idea of setting up a LFL for the new house. I am just not sure I am ready to start downsizing my book collection (besides my wife might use it as an opportunity to thin my collection).
39SqueakyChu
>38 Oberon:
besides my wife might use it as an opportunity to thin my collection
Haha!
You would absolutely LOVE having a Little Free Library. Other LTers such as qebo and petrini1 are also Little Free Library stewards.
One of the best thing about mine is that I've met so many lovely neighbors that otherwise I'd never have known. These are the readers in my neighborhood!!
Tell your wife that you're building it to downsize your own collection. She may not help you do this, though! The funny thing is (and this is true for those who give away books and accept book donations), with a LFL, you have to be very careful not to start letting your own collection grow while picking amongst the donated books those you wish to keep for yourself!
If you have a very large book collection, you can then think of the LFL as an opportunity to improve your book collection. You give away those you least want to keep and add those you are eager to read.
If you would start a LFL, I would be among your most ardent supporters!
There is a LFL Facebook page (a private Facebook group) for those who become charter members of the littlefreelibrary.org website. It is a wonderful source of support and a chance to meet other LFL stewards near where you live.
If I sound overly enthusiastic about this enterprise, I am. It is what kept me sane during my sadness about my job loss two years ago. It is an activity I enjoy every single day.
besides my wife might use it as an opportunity to thin my collection
Haha!
You would absolutely LOVE having a Little Free Library. Other LTers such as qebo and petrini1 are also Little Free Library stewards.
One of the best thing about mine is that I've met so many lovely neighbors that otherwise I'd never have known. These are the readers in my neighborhood!!
Tell your wife that you're building it to downsize your own collection. She may not help you do this, though! The funny thing is (and this is true for those who give away books and accept book donations), with a LFL, you have to be very careful not to start letting your own collection grow while picking amongst the donated books those you wish to keep for yourself!
If you have a very large book collection, you can then think of the LFL as an opportunity to improve your book collection. You give away those you least want to keep and add those you are eager to read.
If you would start a LFL, I would be among your most ardent supporters!
There is a LFL Facebook page (a private Facebook group) for those who become charter members of the littlefreelibrary.org website. It is a wonderful source of support and a chance to meet other LFL stewards near where you live.
If I sound overly enthusiastic about this enterprise, I am. It is what kept me sane during my sadness about my job loss two years ago. It is an activity I enjoy every single day.
40PaulCranswick
Have a lovely holiday, Madeline
42SqueakyChu
>40 PaulCranswick: >41 lyzard:. Thank you both so much. Happy holidays!
43SqueakyChu
56. Love and Other Impossible Pursuits - Ayelet Waldman
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December 2016 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book with a title starting with the next letter in Santa Claus
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Ayelet Waldman is so on the money. She's top notch with this book. This book is a hands-down winner for anyone who has ever tried to worm one's way into a young child's heart and is not that child's parent. As a babysitting grandmother who also picks up a young boy from school as well as one who has also innocently tripped and caused her own young charge to fall down suddenly and violently, I empathized immensely with Emelia, the wife of Jack who is five-year-old William's dad. I, too, once had been the object of resistance in my early babysitting days when my grandson told his mom he didn't want to have fun with me on his babysitting days.
I don't approve of Emelia's affair with Jack but that was already a given part of this novel which I couldn't change. All I can say is that I totally loved reading about what hard work it is to earn that deep love a young child has to offer a non-parent adult. Once it's there, it will never go away. What a great book!
He is so smart, we say wordlessly. And such a little know-it-all.
Rating - 4.5 stars
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December 2016 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book with a title starting with the next letter in Santa Claus
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Ayelet Waldman is so on the money. She's top notch with this book. This book is a hands-down winner for anyone who has ever tried to worm one's way into a young child's heart and is not that child's parent. As a babysitting grandmother who also picks up a young boy from school as well as one who has also innocently tripped and caused her own young charge to fall down suddenly and violently, I empathized immensely with Emelia, the wife of Jack who is five-year-old William's dad. I, too, once had been the object of resistance in my early babysitting days when my grandson told his mom he didn't want to have fun with me on his babysitting days.
I don't approve of Emelia's affair with Jack but that was already a given part of this novel which I couldn't change. All I can say is that I totally loved reading about what hard work it is to earn that deep love a young child has to offer a non-parent adult. Once it's there, it will never go away. What a great book!
He is so smart, we say wordlessly. And such a little know-it-all.
Rating - 4.5 stars
44Oberon
>39 SqueakyChu: That is a ringing endorsement of LFL. Meeting the readers in the area would be a lot of fun. I will talk to my wood working father in law and see what it would take to make a box.
45SqueakyChu
>44 Oberon: Hurray!
46SqueakyChu
44. Run With the Wind - Caroline Pitcher
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December 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book with the color blue on the cover or the word blue somewhere in the title
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This is a beautiful book. It has lovely pictures of horses - a mare and her foal, plus a few other horses. It has a sweet message: A youngster will grow up and be unafraid when the mom will leave for work because the mom will later return. It is a simple metaphor for a child's growing independence. It's lovely to read as well because the foal asks real questions which can be very important to a child: Where was his mother? What's that noise? Will you be there with me? I liked reading this book to my 2 1/2-year old grandson who has been entrusted to my care while his own mom is at work. I think my grandson and I were both reassured by this story.
Rating - 5 stars
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December 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book with the color blue on the cover or the word blue somewhere in the title
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This is a beautiful book. It has lovely pictures of horses - a mare and her foal, plus a few other horses. It has a sweet message: A youngster will grow up and be unafraid when the mom will leave for work because the mom will later return. It is a simple metaphor for a child's growing independence. It's lovely to read as well because the foal asks real questions which can be very important to a child: Where was his mother? What's that noise? Will you be there with me? I liked reading this book to my 2 1/2-year old grandson who has been entrusted to my care while his own mom is at work. I think my grandson and I were both reassured by this story.
Rating - 5 stars
47SqueakyChu
58. There Once Was a Man Named Michael Finnegan - Mary Ann Hoberman
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December 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book with the color blue on the cover or the word blue somewhere in the title
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What a fun book! I learned the song and sang it to my grandson. It quickly became his favorite book. Not only is it fun to sing, but it also has terrific and silly pictures that are chock full of things to talk about.
Rating - 5 stars
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December 2015 TIOLI Challenge: Read a book with the color blue on the cover or the word blue somewhere in the title
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What a fun book! I learned the song and sang it to my grandson. It quickly became his favorite book. Not only is it fun to sing, but it also has terrific and silly pictures that are chock full of things to talk about.
Rating - 5 stars
48SqueakyChu
I reached 58/75 or 77% of my main goal. I'd call that just FAIR to MIDDLIN'. I hope to do better in 2016.
