Because I'm walking more, I'm always searching for a good walking companion. This was as good as it gets: not too involved, never boring, enjoyable, aBecause I'm walking more, I'm always searching for a good walking companion. This was as good as it gets: not too involved, never boring, enjoyable, and helpful.
While many authors are not the best narrators, Mignon's mellifluous voice was perfect. I imagined that it would be hard to project some points audibly, but I always got the gist of what she was saying. ...more
I was surprised how much I enjoyed Nanette Savard's narration. The timbre of her voice isn't usually my favorite, but she was The cover is a homerun.
I was surprised how much I enjoyed Nanette Savard's narration. The timbre of her voice isn't usually my favorite, but she was precise and easy to follow, and has many linguistic abilities.
I haven't read anything else by Francine Prose, and I'm not inclined to. (But never say never!) I read — somewhere — that her fitting last name was a lucky accident: her mother shortened the name to make it easier to pronounce in America, not realizing that 'Prose' was a name to which any writer would aspire.
I got the sense that this was a commonplace journal with a few notes added. Many authors whose work she used are not in my repertoire of reading.
Although her favorite, by far — the great Chekhov — is. I loved that she nudged me to Read. More. Chekhov.
And, to my joy and delight, Prose quotes from my "masterpiece of 2023," Rebecca West's, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon. I delight in reading intersections; to find a recently discovered friend in an unexpected location is always a joy.
I'm glad I read it, but I don't imagine re-reading it in the future.
Every great writer is a mystery, if only in that some aspect of his or her talent remains forever ineffable, inexplicable, and astonishing.
I seldom nap, but a sore throat took me down. I went to sleep listening to this book on my phone without ear buds. My husband camVery personal review:
I seldom nap, but a sore throat took me down. I went to sleep listening to this book on my phone without ear buds. My husband came into the bedroom and chuckled at the juxtaposition: A voice saying --Work harder, work faster, rah, rah, rah... -- while I was serenely sleeping.
There were good reminders, but nothing earth-shaking....more
I used the audio of this book to soothe me to sleep. Written in 1887, it weighs heavy on the didactic and moralistic scale, as many nineteenth-centuryI used the audio of this book to soothe me to sleep. Written in 1887, it weighs heavy on the didactic and moralistic scale, as many nineteenth-century books do. About the third time I heard "we must be brave" the eyes started rolling.
But I sat up and paid attention to Pansies, a story about the girls' reading lives, debating the question of reading for pleasure vs. reading for purpose.
Here are parts of a conversation that I relished:
"I've finished my book, and now what can I do till this tiresome rain is over?" exclaimed Carrie, as she lay back on the couch with a yawn of weariness.
"We should read to improve our minds, and that rubbish is only a waste of time," began Alice, in a warning tone, as she looked up from "Romola," over which she had been poring with the delight one feels in meeting an old friend.
"I don't wish to improve my mind, thank you: I read for amusement in vacation time, and don't want to see any moral works till next autumn. I get enough of them in school."
"I hate George Eliot,—so awfully wise and preachy and dismal! I really couldn't wade through 'Daniel Deronda,' though 'The Mill on the Floss' wasn't bad," answered Carrie, with another yawn, as she recalled the Jew Mordecai's long speeches, and Daniel's meditations.
"I love dear Miss Yonge, with her nice, large families, and their trials, and their pious ways, and pleasant homes full of brothers and sisters, and good fathers and mothers."
"I don't want to be a priggish Ellen, or a moral Fleda, and I do detest bothering about self-improvement all the time. I know I ought, but I'd rather wait another year or two, and enjoy my vanities in peace just a little longer."
Sweet old lady joins conversation "Now let us talk a little, if you are tired of reading, and if you like to let me share the discussion. Comparing tastes in literature is always a pleasure, and I used to enjoy talking over books with my girl friends more than anything else."
..."Only don't be greedy, and read too much; cramming and smattering is as bad as promiscuous novel-reading, or no reading at all. Choose carefully, read intelligently, and digest thoroughly each book, and then you make it your own," answered Mrs. Warburton, quite in her element now, for she loved to give advice, as most old ladies do.
"Some book-loving lassies have a mania for trying to read everything, and dip into works far beyond their powers, or try too many different kinds of self-improvement at once. So they get a muddle of useless things into their heads, instead of well-assorted ideas and real knowledge. They must learn to wait and select; for each age has its proper class of books, and what is Greek to us at eighteen may be just what we need at thirty. One can get mental dyspepsia on meat and wine as well as on ice-cream and frosted cake, you know."
What a marvel Blaise Pascal was! He reminds me of Benjamin Franklin in the scope of his inventions and imagination; Pascal's faith and practice, howevWhat a marvel Blaise Pascal was! He reminds me of Benjamin Franklin in the scope of his inventions and imagination; Pascal's faith and practice, however, was markedly different from Franklin's. When his father took over young Pascal's education, he gave the world an enormous gift.
Pascal's life motto was Talentum Deo Soli (My talent for God alone.)
I'm certain that if I read this in the late 1990's (and was on Goodreads!) I would have given it five stars. I don't like saying this, but the book reads to me like propaganda. (I'm in the same camp, theologically speaking, as the author.)
I seldom comment on a book cover unless it particularly draws me in or particularly repels me. I'll let you guess which response it is. (Yikes!)
The best thing, I think, about reading this book is that it motivates me to read Pascal's Pensées, which has been sitting on my shelf for thirty years.
Never have I described a book as both delightful and didactic.
The book was charming, but the author's agenda was too amplified. Wendell Berry's Port Never have I described a book as both delightful and didactic.
The book was charming, but the author's agenda was too amplified. Wendell Berry's Port William novels also have an agenda, but it is flowing underground, invisible unless you dig.
As always, my thoughts need an incubation period. I'll be back....more
I'd give this a 3.5. Three girls in this story: Wanda, a poor immigrant who wears the same dress every day to school; Peggy, who pounces on Wanda (figI'd give this a 3.5. Three girls in this story: Wanda, a poor immigrant who wears the same dress every day to school; Peggy, who pounces on Wanda (figuratively speaking) and pummels her with mock politeness; Maddie, who is friends with Peggy but uncomfortable with everyone laughing at Wanda.
The best part of the book, and the main point, is Maddie's perspective. She knows the targeting is wrong, she doesn't like to watch it, but isn't willing to confront Peggy for fear she will become the next target. Haven't we all been there? Maddie recognizes her own cowardice and intends to change. But Wanda is gone. Life can be messy; a clean resolution isn't always offered to us.
Not a fan of Miss Mason's response when the bullying is exposed. "I'm sure you wouldn't purposely and deliberately hurt anyone's feelings..." Yes, that is exactly what Peggy did. On purpose.
It is a sad book, and a bit heavy-handed, but it is an opportunity to talk about the price of kindness.
A half-Asian girl (Hanna) and her father try to settle into a prairie town in 1880. She is beset by prejudice and rejecI have mixed feelings on this.
A half-Asian girl (Hanna) and her father try to settle into a prairie town in 1880. She is beset by prejudice and rejection. Linda Sue Park grew up loving Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books. This book is her contribution to a minority experience in the same setting.
Hanna's father opens a dress-goods shop. Hanna's Asian mother taught her to be a seamstress before her untimely death. The dressmaker details were a delightful subtext.
I enjoyed this story (as much as you can enjoy overcoming ugly racism) but I also felt like it was weighed down by her multicultural agenda. Like Sunday School stories where preaching is the point, the agenda overshadowed the story. ...more
Why did I read this book? It came up as a daily deal on Chirp audiobooks; I am a church musician and I remember that season of my life where I owned eWhy did I read this book? It came up as a daily deal on Chirp audiobooks; I am a church musician and I remember that season of my life where I owned every GLAD (Christian a capella singing group) cassette. And Bob Kauflin is an amazing keyboardist, composer and arranger.
I'm not giving stars because if I were honest it was just OK. I come from such a different paradigm than Kauflin, where worship does not involve a praise band or amplification, where the loss of electricity would not mean an interruption in worship. Some parts were really good, but others made me giggle. Occasionally they have corporate confession? Sometimes they corporately read scripture? Oh. Practicing spontaneous interjections?! And when I heard the phrase "production values," I almost bowed out.
What I appreciated the most was the section at the end about healthy tensions.
My favorite quote, copied into my commonplace: And remember, the goal of practice isn't doing something until you get it right. It's doing it until you can't get it wrong.
Perhaps my differences with Kauflin's writing fall into the category of sibling rivalry. We share so much more in common than the points of our differences. My living author question (Would I want this author to come share a meal with my family?) is a resounding yes. ...more
I think this deserves five stars for the breadth and depth of information. But did I love listening to an encyclopedia? Not so much. I was rapt when hI think this deserves five stars for the breadth and depth of information. But did I love listening to an encyclopedia? Not so much. I was rapt when he covered kombucha and kefir, but distracted when he explored edible molds, sorghum beer, and saki. Towards the end of the 20 hours I wanted to be done. The length of it helped me get more walking done.
I firmly believe that our modern trend of eliminating fermented foods from our diets has been detrimental. I've brewed kombucha, but after listening to Katz, I switched to kefir to decrease my sugar intake. Next step: learn to make kimchi and sourdough bread.
The title includes from Around the World. Wow. This would be a great resource for supplementing studies of various cultures.
For a book published in 2012, this book has held its $25 value. If I found it at a thrift store, I would snag it. Katz himself reminded me that Nourishing Traditions is another great resource, and it is already on my shelf. ...more
Business Motivation is not a genre I typically read. Yet, The No Complaining Rule contained plenty of good reminders. My favorite was: complaining is Business Motivation is not a genre I typically read. Yet, The No Complaining Rule contained plenty of good reminders. My favorite was: complaining is an adult form of crying. But the writing was bottom shelf and the whole thing had a didactic tinge that I've been allergic to since I was a young reader.
Biblical parables often make one ponder and work to tease out a meaning. The moral of this parable was, in a sense, underlined, emboldened, and repeated in case you missed it....more
3 or 4 stars? I liked this book, and yet it lingered on my "Currently Reading" shelf for six months. I think that was because it was on Kindle. This b3 or 4 stars? I liked this book, and yet it lingered on my "Currently Reading" shelf for six months. I think that was because it was on Kindle. This book of devotional essays reminded me of flannel graph lessons from my youth.
Boreham often looks at an everyday item, say onions, and extracts lessons from it. Or begins with a sentence like We get over things. and expands on that thought.
His piece on "margins" in life (and books) made me wonder if Richard Swenson, the author of Margin got the idea from this book.
Boreham includes many literary references, and they are not all classical. I was surprised to recognize Myrtle Reed and Gene Stratton Porter, authors of vintage fiction I used to read in my twenties.
I think I have four more Kindle books by Boreham. They seem better to me if you read them occasionally. ...more
Carol Bakker
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Books:
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