October 2022 book of the month club - 3 year anniversary - Choose Your Own Book

[Mia6]

rubysmama Rubes,

Spoiler

I wish Katniss would have ended up wit Gale

 

[rubysmama]

You know, I can't really remember the ending,

Spoiler

but I think I thought so too, at the time

 

[pearl99]

What book did you read?
"Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Standalone book.
Brief Synopsis: The author is a botanist and a Potawatomie Native American. She gives knowledge, information, teachings of both Native Americans and from a science point of view about nature, plants, animals and what teachings they have for us, our responsibilities to the natural world, the gifts to us from the natural world, how we need to have a reciprocal relationship and gratitude and give and take with the rest of the living world.

Why did you choose it?
I chose it as a book I'd been wanting to read.

Were you pleased with your choice?
Was it as good as you expected or a disappointment? It was as expected, and as good.
Was it a fast read or a challenge to get to the end? Not a fast read, not really a challenge but there were a lot of repeated ideas and teachings with different examples, so I skimmed some.
Would you recommend it to other readers? Yes, I'd definitely recommend it. With the state of our natural world and therefore to humans themselves the ways in here to undo some damage and get on a path of treating the natural world as vital to us (which it is) and show respect and appreciation of how it supports us this is sorely needed.
If part of a series, do you plan to read the next one? NA
If standalone, would you read another book by the author? Yes, I would read another book by this author.

What was the format of the book?
E-book

How did you acquire the book?
Borrowed from library

What did you think of choosing your own book to read this month?
Would you like to do this again, on occasion? Oh yes!!
Or do you prefer to have the choice announced, and everyone read the same book? This too, with choosing our own at times.

Write a review of the book you read
The writing was beautiful, the idea of respecting nature and always having gratitude for its gifts to us is an essential part of life as humans. The treatment of land by Native Americans was emphasized, as the way forward for us to get through the damage brought on by modernization. Not a total return to pre-industrialized ways, but to use our knowledge to stop the pace of the damage we are doing. She included her views of the natural world as equal beings to us humans, not us at the top and more valuable than alll the other living things.
It is a very spiritual view of nature and what nature does for us and enriches us.
She drove it home page after page in a gentle way.
Loved the book!

 

[pearl99]

My final book for October:
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Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
A stand-alone satirical comedy - some have called it historical fiction in which case I am also past history!

Why did you choose it?
There are not too many books in English in my local bookshop - perhaps the cover took my attention! The German translation was among the best-sellers.

Were you pleased with your choice?
Well, I couldn't take it too seriously. Romped through it - can't remember if I actually laughed out loud or if the humour made me cringe at any point. I wasn't displeased.

It was an easy, quick read - a fairy-story featuring Elizabeth Zott, a self-taught chemist who is extremely attractive, has plenty of energy and a huge amount of self-confidence to survive working at the Hastings Research Institute at a time when women were expected to stay at home and have babies. She falls in love with the brilliant scientist, Nobel-Prize nominated Calvin Evans. They are inseparable and become the subject of gossip eagerly spread by colleagues, both men and women alike. A tragic accident finds her on her own, and pregnant. Of course she is fired immediately losing her salary and her identity - her new one being unmarried-mother and her child illegitimate.!

Fortunately, she had co-ownership of Evans' house and her first task was to convert the kitchen into a laboratory. But helping other scientists did not pay the bills so she accepts a job at the local television studios presenting a cookery show "Supper at Six". She continually upsets her producer by ignoring his instructions, wearing trousers, encouraging women to change their lives "fearlessness in the kitchen translates to fearlessness in your lives!" and teaching them chemical formulae and reactions which take place during cooking. The show is a success but the sponsors are nor happy and Elizabeth starts to fall into depression.

In this book you will meet Mad(elaine) Zott, her very precocious daughter and Six-Thirty, the extremely, intelligent and faithful dog. Neither of them are convincing but it's a fairy tale and ......... as a fairy-story should - it does end happily.

What was the format of the book?
Paperback

How did you acquire the book?
Bought new

What did you think of choosing your own book to read this month?
Would you like to do this again, on occasion?
Yes, certainly, though I'm sure I'll never again manage to read 6 books in one month!

This is on my list, a friend of mine is a friend of the author so I thought I have to read it! (my friend was in the publishing business in the past.)

 

[verna davies]

pearl99 . That sounds an interesting book but not a fast read. Did it get technical and require a lot of concentration or was it simplistically written.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Mamanyt1953 I haven't seen any of those boojs and just checked my library and they dont have any. Next time I call in I will ask if they can get one in for me. Any book in particular I should start with.

Well, since you ask:

CALLAHAN’S CROSSTIME SALOON

1 Callahan’s Crosstime Saloon

2 Time Travelers Strictly Cash

3 Callahan’s Secret

4 Callahan’s Lady

5 Lady Slings the Booze

6 The Callahan Touch

7 Callahan’s Legacy

8 Callahan’s Key

9 Callahan’s Con

10 The Callahan Chronicles

11 Off the Wall at Callahan’s

LOL, this is one of the reasons I have all those files by author (and then series, where appropriate) saved on my computer! If you want a full list of books by an author, or a series by an author, that I collect, I can have it for you in a couple of minutes!

 

[Boris Diamond]

How's "Wilmington's Lie" coming along. Or have you read something else you can review?

Well, I think I bit off more than I can chew here. This a very difficult book and I can only read so much at once. I won't finish it this month for sure. The other books I have read this month are not worth reviewing. I will try to put together a review of a book I read a few months ago.

 

[verna davies]

Boris Diamond . You can always write your review later than 28th especially if you think your choice will interest other readers .

 

[rubysmama]

What book did you read?
"Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Standalone book.

pearl99 : That sounds like it should be required reading for every human on earth, as too many people, particularly those with money and power, just don't care what happens to our precious planet. Course the deniers wouldn't believe anything they read. But whether they believe or not, that doesn't change the fragile state of our planet, or what we need to do to try to save it. I just, in fact, saw this headline today: Brazil's presidential election may determine the fate of the Amazon rainforest — and the entire planet's climate

My library has the e-book, so I may put it on my "to-read-someday" list.

tarasgirl06 : I know this book would totally resonate with you. Have you read it?
.

Well, I think I bit off more than I can chew here. This a very difficult book and I can only read so much at once. I won't finish it this month for sure. The other books I have read this month are not worth reviewing. I will try to put together a review of a book I read a few months ago.

Boris Diamond : Oh, that's too bad that the book is a difficult read. But if you want to write a "part-way" review that would be fine. Or wait till you finish. Whichever works best for you.

As for the other books you read, you don't have to review them, but you could list them, you know as a warning to others to avoid.

 

[pearl99]

pearl99 . That sounds an interesting book but not a fast read. Did it get technical and require a lot of concentration or was it simplistically written.

Not technical at all, written for us everyday people. I wouldn't say it was a fast read, but one to savor the thoughts she presents. Her beliefs- actually I think they are not just beliefs but urgent actions needed to save the planet and nature and humans- are driven home over and over, she repeats them with different examples of what we need to do and how we are destroying nature.

 

[pearl99]

pearl99 : That sounds like it should be required reading for every human on earth, as too many people, particularly those with money and power, just don't care what happens to our precious planet. Course the deniers wouldn't believe anything they read. But whether they believe or not, that doesn't change the fragile state of our planet, or what we need to do to try to save it. I just, in fact, saw this headline today: Brazil's presidential election may determine the fate of the Amazon rainforest — and the entire planet's climate

My library has the e-book, so I may put it on my "to-read-someday" list.

tarasgirl06 : I know this book would totally resonate with you. Have you read it?

I agree wholeheartedly, rubysmama ! I'm a nature lover, actually have to have nature to stay sane and happy, as well as cats, and I get really down seeing what's happening.
I will have to read about Brazil's election.

 

[tarasgirl06]

pearl99 : That sounds like it should be required reading for every human on earth, as too many people, particularly those with money and power, just don't care what happens to our precious planet. Course the deniers wouldn't believe anything they read. But whether they believe or not, that doesn't change the fragile state of our planet, or what we need to do to try to save it. I just, in fact, saw this headline today: Brazil's presidential election may determine the fate of the Amazon rainforest — and the entire planet's climate

My library has the e-book, so I may put it on my "to-read-someday" list.

tarasgirl06 : I know this book would totally resonate with you. Have you read it?
.


Boris Diamond : Oh, that's too bad that the book is a difficult read. But if you want to write a "part-way" review that would be fine. Or wait till you finish. Whichever works best for you.

As for the other books you read, you don't have to review them, but you could list them, you know as a warning to others to avoid.

No. Thank you for the thought, but I have very little time to read and when I do, I stay away from these types of books as they just bring me down. I'm well aware of climate change, overpopulation, human carelessness, greed, and ignorance in these matters, unfortuantely.

 

[verna davies]

Thanks for the list Mamanyt1953 , I'll hot foot it down to my library in the week to see if they can order one.

 

[Mia6]

I'll hot foot it down to my library

ha!!!!

 

[Lari]

Made it!

What book did you read?
How To Talk So Little Kids Will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life With Children Ages 2-7, by Joanna Faber and Julie King, standalone, but spiritual successor to "How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk"

Why did you choose it?
I'm drowning with a headstrong toddler and I've seen it thrown around as a good resource and been wanting to read it.

Were you pleased with your choice?
Overall yes. It was about as good as I was expecting. It was a fairly fast read, and the ideas were summarized nicely at the ends of the chapters with bullet points, examples, and little comics.

I'd recommend it to other readers that corral tiny humans on a regular basis, so probably not most of you.

I might read from the authors again if I'd find the subject matter relevant to me.

What was the format of the book?
Hardcover

How did you acquire the book?
Borrowed from library

What did you think of choosing your own book to read this month?
It's an opportunity to sort of force me to read a book I've been wanting to. So I do like participating, but it's fun to read the same book as everyone else, too, if it looks good.

Write a review of the book you read
Lol, it's a parenting book troubleshooting a lot of scenarios you get with young children such as hitting, fighting bedtime, sibling rivalry, and running away in the parking lot, and helping diffuse situations by acknowledging feelings, problem solving together, and using playfulness and fantasy. There were also some ideas of what to do when you're the one getting angry. I've tried out a few things on J (some of it she doesn't have the language skills for yet) and sometimes it works better than others (acknowledging her feelings and trying to offer a fantasy did not diffuse her tantrum when she wanted to watch Elmo right now - it took taking her outside to get her to calm down), but I'm going to try and use these tools over the next years. It also made me a little sad, because while a lot of it seems really intuitive, talking to your child like you would a spouse or friend, my parents (most parents of my generation) didn't talk to me like this, and I wonder if I'd have a better inner voice, better self esteem, and better emotional regulation if my feelings had been validated more often and more working together to problem solve had occurred. IDK. Anyway, glad I read it. I think it was useful and will help me in my parenting journey.

 

[verna davies]

Lari It sounds like you have acquired quite a bit of useful knowledge from that book that can be used now and in the future. Whilst not a book read for escapism, a very good book for you to have read that wasn't slow and tedious.

 

[rubysmama]

Lari : Congrats on finishing the book. I'm sure a lot of the tips suggested will be helpful as J gets older.

Since I don't "corral tiny humans on a regular basis", I probably won't put it on my to-read list.

BTW, have you seen this book?
So You're Going to be a Big Sister: Richmond, Marianne: 9781402261725: Amazon.com: Books

 

[Mia6]

Lari Mary Kubica is an excellent author. Her novel, Pretty Baby, takes place in Chicago.

 

[Lari]

Lari : Congrats on finishing the book. I'm sure a lot of the tips suggested will be helpful as J gets older.

Since I don't "corral tiny humans on a regular basis", I probably won't put it on my to-read list.

BTW, have you seen this book?
So You're Going to be a Big Sister: Richmond, Marianne: 9781402261725: Amazon.com: Books

I have not, but I should add it to J's Christmas/birthday list!

 

[rubysmama]

It's October 31st, so that means the end of our "3 Year Anniversary - Choose Your Own Book" month.

Thanks to all of you who read books and posted reviews. Without you, it would have been a pretty short thread.

It was fascinating seeing what books were read, and we read a lot of books!

Here they all are, in alphabetical order.

Since it was a success, we are planning to start doing "choose your own" periodically throughout the year. So sometime early in 2023, we'll be doing it again.

But next month we're back to everyone reading the same book, which is "The Girls in the Stilt House".
NOVEMBER 2022 BOOK OF THE MONTH---- THE GIRLS IN THE STILT HOUSE

And in December we're going to do Christmas Short Stories, all of which can be read for free online. That thread will be started in the next couple of days.

Thanks again everyone for making this a great month!