Challenging historical fiction set in the Golden Age in the Ottoman Empire. Pamuk hits on the purpose of art, philosophy, the nature of storytelling, parable, women and artists in society, east v west... all with exquisite writing.

On BBC for a short time
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0008hk0

Choi captures the excruciating aspects of being a teen girl so well. Laughed aloud so often...would have underlined equally often if it wasn't a library book.
Book then becomes something quite else, which while jarring at first, was ultimately brilliant. Highly recommend.

My stack grows.
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20190902-the-best-books-of-the-year-so-far-2019

A recent translation of Ogawa's 1994 dystopian book on loss, and it doesn't seem dated at all. Dark, slow, sparse.

I loved the premise-- USA votes in a govt that literally takes away women's voices and rights. A what-if extreme Christian fundamentalism ruled.
The MC and her children were fascinating to read.
And then, the book just turns into a poorly written and unbelievable action sequence.

#bfc3 weekly check-in.
Overall, pulled off balance by short deadlines. Which, I know, I know, is when practicing healthy habits is most valuable.
Yoga... Maybe 1 or 2 out of 6. Blah.
Hikes... Moreso walks, but at least an hour each. Keeps the back from getting too stiff. Yay!
Reading... Well, that's a win.
Creative projects are completely sidelined. Boo.

@Hestapleton #bookdragons

A heartbreaking, terrifying, stress-inducing, and important tale of four (and thousands) WW2 refugees. I couldn't put it down.
Sepetys likes to end chapters with a short punchy line, which felt a bit on the nose. But that's a very minor complaint.

"Abandoned or separated from their families, they were forced to battle the beast of war on their own, left with an inheritance of heartache and responsibility for events they had no rile in causing."

Couldn't finish it.
Cold, and maybe too clever for its own good.

Last week was about making do.
Wasabi had a frightening cartwheel down the stairs, but was ok except for 2 stitches in the front leg. Hiking was out. As soon as she seemed back to her chaotics, we did some long walks.
I'll call it 2/3 hour long hikes.
Yoga... Back to being disciplined this week. 4/6 yoga's.
Finished 2 books... met my bfc goal.

And from photo above, clearly, "ironing sheets" isn't a goal....

#bookdragons @Hestapleton

A friend sent me this book, and I finally started it today.
#kickstarter

Caveat: I've not read YA fiction in ages.
As everyone is saying, John Green does an amazing job at allowing us to empathize with the MC's obsessive thoughts. How heartbreakingly sad it is.
The mystery was wrapped up quickly and really not that interesting, but I guess the book wasn't about that.
And are all YA teen characters so wonderfully articulate, funny and erudite?
Def recommend a read, and check out John's youtube channel.

Much like how watching Black Mirror can be deeply uncomfortable, but smartly so.

https://electricliterature.com/a-reading-list-of-palestinian-prose/

Very, very overlooked. A genius work of linguistics and wordplay. A coming of age tale in post apocalyptic England. I've given away so many copies of this over the years. Some folks can't get past the language... Let it sing in your inner voice, i say. Like poetry.

" The littl shynin man, the Addom he runs in the wud."

Week one of my first ever #bfc is off to a good start:
- 3 hour or more long hikes with Wasabi. Check.
- 6 yoga sessions because wtf is going on with my hip. Check.
- 1.3 books of 3 read.
- Making furniture project is started... Ordered materials , designed some cuts for experimentation.

#bfcr3 #bookdragons @Hestapleton

Really love the findings in this book (and so great to see science confirm that how ive been living is better off in the long term)
It's so close to a Pick, but I found myself skimming through all the examples. Heavily researched. You'll have tons to talk about with friends.

#internationalcatday Happy intl cat day to Zucchini, my dear little buddy.

"To better understand your strengths, weaknesses, and interests, you actually have to try stuff."

2nd of 3 hikes for the week.#bfc #bfcr3 Nice views back down to home. #bookdragons #dogsoflitsy #wasabi

Every day
I see or hear
something
that more or less

kills me
with delight,
that leaves me
like a needle

in the haystack
of light.

Mary Oliver, Mindful

"What you see, Wasabi?" I asked just as a giant teradactyl-shaped shadow passed over us.

We both stood quietly for awhile, watching two bald eagles circling over the cliffs.

1/3 hikes done for #bfc #bfcr3. (Hackensack mtn, 2hrs).
#bookdragons

#bfcr3
#bookdragons
@Exbrarian @Hufflepuffle @Ifw.lia @IndoorDame @StayCurious @Caterina @LauraJ @mhillis @Hestapleton

A pick from a book club I'm in.
I really struggled through this. I just didn't care about any of the characters, and the time spent reading teenaged banalities ... I mean, I get it, and once you realise the context , the banalities become absurd.

This review helped me with perspective, https://electricliterature.com/kazuo-ishiguros-never-let-me-go-is-a-masterpiece-...

But still. A tough read.

"if only the dominant culture could see these small moments, they would see their own human lives reflected in the other.”

Have one of those families that manage to laugh during difficult times? Yeh, read this. The audio book is really, really good-- she captures the teen voices perfectly.

in a Jezebel interview with the author, she answers why she chose a male narrator (in addition to the fact that the women are illiterate):

"August represents all men in that now it‘s his turn to sit and to listen, and the women will talk and the women will decide and the women will act. He can sit and listen and learn."

I don't understand all the internet love here. One of the most un-feminist reads. Juvenile. And the fact that using witchcraft deserved bad fate undermines the whole premise. Haven't been so disgusted by a book in awhile.

“Reality is a sound, you have to tune in to it not just keep yelling.”