February 12th-February 18th, 2023
The Sunday Post
The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly or for a monthly wrap up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme
#20 Timewasters
Lately I've been drawn to timewaster games, that is games on Android like BitLife or even Altlife. No idea why. The week has definitely felt exhaustive for some odd reason. Because of the timing of Pinewood Derby as well as the day (Saturday!), my son and I decided to forego the race and instead went to synagogue where he had fun I think. Then at six thirty PM he went to his first hockey game with his aunt (my sister) tomorrow will be library day. Oh yes, so far my son seems to be enjoying the Gifted and Talented program.
Last Week On The Blog
N/A
This Week On The Blog: The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten and the sapphire altar by david dalglish. (i'll see if i can review both of them tomorrow...)
New Arrivals At svetlana's reads and views :
It's Monday! What Are You Reading?
(From The Book Date)
Top Ten Tuesday
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
How it works:
I assign each Tuesday a topic and then post my top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join me and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.
You’ll find the schedule of upcoming TTT topics below so you can plan ahead. I’ll post a Linky here on the blog each week so you can link up your post (if you want). If you don’t have a blog, post your picks in the comment section below! Have tons of fun talking books and getting to know your fellow bloggers!
NOTE: If a weekly topic is listed as a “freebie”, you are invited to come up with your own topic. Sometimes I will give your topic a theme, such as “love”, a season, or an upcoming holiday. That just means that you can come up with any topic you want that fits under that umbrella.
You’re more than welcome to use the Top Ten Tuesday image I designed above (or any of my older/seasonal ones), or make your own that fits your site’s theme.
February 14: Love/Valentine’s Day Freebie
The Anti-Love List: If you are looking for fuzzy heartwarming stories of happily ever after, it won't be on list! If you are looking for heartbreaking love stories, then you've come to the right place! MAJOR SPOILERS! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
1. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: So which relationship do I pick? There are two ultimate relationships: that of Scarlett's love towards Ashley Wilkes and that of Scarlett and Rhett Butler who is way too much like her. Either way, there is no happily ever after for our anti-heroine.
2. Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu: Okay, I apologize for ickiness in advance, but yeah, major gross out alert! So Genji's mother died when he was a mere baby, and his father the emperor married a woman who looked just like her. The woman, named Fujitsubo, raised Genji, but Genji developed more than motherly feelings for her. She did end up rebuffing him, but damage was done. In fact, none of Genji's relationships end up with a happily ever after. Ultimately, death was the great divider or jealousy or something else.
3. Dream of the Red Chamber by Xueqin Cao: From beginning of time Bao-yu's spirit has a unique connection to Dai-yu and Bao-chai. However he and Dai-yu are in love but cannot marry despite their desires. Instead Bao-you is forced to be with Bao-chai, and Dai-yu dies as a result.
4. The Legends Trilogy by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman: Crysania Taurinius (spelling?) a cleric, becomes drawn to the evil mage Raistlin Majere and she does whatever she can to get him to fall in love with her. He, however, does whatever he can to use her into doing his bidding, ultimately abandoning her when she needed him the most.
5. Ghost Season by Fatin Abbas: According to this novel, Nilotic and nomadic people aren't allowed to be together, thus what happens when a man of Nilotic origins falls in love with a Muslim woman? Although not a very major inclusion, its still important enough to pay attention to.
6. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte: Definitely a sort of Romeo and Juliet retelling, except it lasts longer and crosses generations. One night Catherine's father brings back a foundling boy who happens to be of indterminate origins (Roma or African or Indian or East Asian? None know) and as time passes both fall madly in love with each other. However, Catherine, who has ambitious plans for herself, ends up marrying another man and breaking Heathcliff's heart completely. Heathcliff returns with wealth and after Catherine dies from childbirth, Heathcliff begins on a quest for revenge.
7. Journey Under the Midnight Sun by Keigo Higashino: I honestly have no idea if they ever had romantic inclinations, although the drama seriously hinted at them. Possibly at the start of the book and drama Ryo and Yukiho had crushes on each other, but due to the fact that Ryo's father had sex with Yukiho which resulted in father's death and that is followed by Yukiho's mother's death (FIRST EPISODE OF THE DRAMA) the two could no longer be together and their attraction has faded into friendship.
8. If You Leave Me by Crystal Hana Kim: It is the Korean War and Haemi is in love with Kyunghwan. The two want to be together, but then Haemi has no choice but to end up marrying his cousin Jisoo. However, Haemi's and Jisoo's marriage is mainly for show and Haemi continues to pine and desire Kyunnghwan throughout the years.
9. Stop Me If You've Heard This One before by David Yoo: Albert Kim is forced by his parents to work at a hotel where he meets Mia Stone, a popular girl who is an ex-girlfriend of a footballer Ryan Stackhouse. However, Ryan becomes sick with cancer, putting Mia in a tough spot as she tries to navigate between her new relationsship to Albert and her relationship to Ryan. The ending may or may not be ambiguous.
10. You Will Remember Me by Hannah Mary McKinnon: Maya Scott and Asher are step-siblings, but Maya has more than sisterly feelings for Asher. Asher, however, sees her as a sister instead of a woman, therefore Maya will do whatever she can to make sure that Asher will begin to see her as a woman.
Shelf Control
Welcome to Shelf Control — an original feature created and hosted by Bookshelf Fantasies.
Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up! For more info on what Shelf Control is all about, check out my introductory post, here.
Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. See the guidelines at the bottom of the post, and jump on board!
Title: Journey To the West Volume III
Author: Wu Cheng'en Volume III
Published: 1997
Length: 646 (Chapters 67-100)
What it’s about (synopsis via Goodreads):
Journey to the West is a classic Chinese mythological novel. It was written during the Ming Dynasty based on traditional folktales. Consisting of 100 chapters, this fantasy relates the adventures of a Tang Dynasty (618-907) priest Sanzang and his three disciples, Monkey, Pig and Friar Sand, as they travel west in search of Buddhist Sutra. The first seven chapters recount the birth of the Monkey King and his rebellion against Heaven. Then in chapters eight to twelve, we learn how Sanzang was born and why he is searching for the scriptures, as well as his preparations for the journey. The rest of the story describes how they vanquish demons and monsters, tramp over the Fiery Mountain, cross the Milky Way, and after overcoming many dangers, finally arrive at their destination - the Thunder Monastery in the Western Heaven - and find the Sutra.
Attached are a number of illustrations drawn during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
How and when I got it: I got it in a collectible volume along with previous two volumes
Why I want to read it: Because its continuing the tale.
What do you think? Would you read this book? And if you’ve read it, do you recommend it?
Please share your thoughts!
Books from Backlog
Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks.
If you would like to join in, please feel free to enter your link, link back to this post, and then spend some time visiting some of the other posts.
This week’s neglected book
Book Title: Great Russian Short Stories Norris Houghton
Series: N/A
Publisher: Dell
Genres: Classic, Russian stories, romance, drama, anthology, famous author
Pages: 346
Format: Print
Source: I am pretty sure I bought it in half price books on November 5th, 2008
Summary:
From romanticism to realism, nineteenth-century Russian fiction gave the world masterworlds of the imagination from such authors as Pushkin, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Gorky, and Turgenev. This outstanding collection now allows readers to experience their themes, styles, and characters in thirteen carefully selected short stories—tales that fully reveal the quintessential nature of the Russian writers creating under the tsars. From Pushkin at the beginning of the period, whose work contains the essence of what Russian realism would become, to Gorky, who bridged the days of the 1917 Revolution in his brilliant writings, they were artists moved by the spirit of their land, new political ideas and ideals, and the ancient, dark soul of the Slavic people. Passionate or violent, tormented, humorous, cynical, or shining with unparalleled lyricism, these are magnificent stories created by some of the greatest authors of all time.
Why did I add Great Russian Short Stories to my bookshelf? Because I want to get closer to stories of my former homeland.
What are your thoughts? Have you read this book? Would you recommend it?
Let's Talk Bookish
February 17: Valentine’s Freebie
Prompts: For this week’s LTB, pick your own Valentine’s Day related LTB topic: you can talk about whether or not you like reading romance, or you can list some of your favorite romance tropes! You can also check out the LTB archives on my blog and on Rukky’s for more ideas.
I definitely don't like to read romance. It's not that I think badly of it, it's just that I have never had a happy ending when it comes to romance. Pretty much all of my romances ended with 'unhappily ever after'. I attempted to read romance in the past, but I just felt too sad because its a sharp reminder that no happiness awaited me. (37 going on 38, never been married and my emotions were pretty much spurned or taken advantage of.) So yeah, romance doesn't give me fuzzies but just makes me roll my eyes and causes me to be frustrated in a reminder that happily ever after is as elusive as a flying pig.
Stacking the Shelves
Book Titles I got this week: (if available)
Planned Reviews: (If available. Use pictures)
If You Leave Me sounds so poignant. I love all your book choices.
ReplyDeleteI had a hard time with the Valentine's freebie too. I don't read romance! I'm glad your son is doing well with the Gifted and Talented program!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read Legends in ages!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read Legends in sooooo long
ReplyDeleteI don't like reading romance either. The one I read that was a "romance" was done as an after thought.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week.
Ghost Season sounds good. I rarely read romance either.
ReplyDeleteMy post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-books-i-liked-about-asexual-characters/
I did a similar "Anti-Love" list a few years back and we managed to come up with completely different lists! I'm not a big romance reader either so I always find the Valentine's lists a little tricky.
ReplyDeleteMy TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2023/02/14/top-ten-tuesday-407/