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Use this thread to tell us about the new books you have just acquired.

What interesting books did you pick up from the library, online or book store?

We'd like to hear all about it!

Today I went out in the gently falling snow, only about 2 inches, to go to the library to pick up Radio Free Vermont: A Fable of Resistance by Bill McKibben

This is our January 2018 Group Read. We only do these group reads sporadically and the book is slender so I hope Book Nook Cafe members will join in.

Remember if you know anyone who loves to read, tell them about Book Nook Cafe. We are always looking for active posters. Thanks !

Looking forward to the book. Enjoy your snow!

Since I started this library book on 12/31, and nowhere near finished, I suppose it deserves mention here: Majestie: The King Behind the King James Bible. Some may scoff that it's "lowbrow American" (Mary Queen of Scots and Darnley are referred to as his "mom and dad"), but that works for me.

Amusing about "mom and dad"...not even "mum and da"...or similar

Today I just picked up Sing, Unburied, Sing from the library. It the book selected by the PBS & NY Times Book Club.

Great that you could get it, Alias. I hope you enjoy it.

I just picked up my hold from the library of , its been on my list to read for a while now

Ran my nightstand TBR pile down to nothing for the first time in a long time, so I went on an Amazon spree.

Danielle wrote: "I just picked up my hold from the library of , its been on my list to read for a while now"

Enjoy ! And let us know your thoughts on it.

Anita wrote: "Ran my nightstand TBR pile down to nothing for the first time in a long time, so I went on an Amazon spree.

[b..."

I will have to live to 356 years old to get to the bottom of of the books I own but have not yet read !

Danielle, i hope the wait was worth it for you.

Anita, you have plenty to read now. Most are part of a series, which is good because you already know you like the author's work. I hope it all rewards you.

I just checked out The Vegetarian by Korean Han Kang. Apparently it was first published in '07 but only recently translated into English. I heard of it late last year.

Does your e-library do this? There was an unassigned copy of the book when i went to the website to locate the book. Usually they just let me "borrow" it but in this case i was put in the holding list. Within a couple of hours i got an email saying it was available for check out--well, technically, i think the "time" had already started. It was annoying because when i got the email i was on a different device. Why couldn't they just allow me to download it when i requested it? This has happened with this particularly library once previously, at which time i thought it was just a fluke.

Truly, it's not a big whoop, just a small bugging. :-)

madrano wrote: "I just checked out The Vegetarian by Korean Han Kang. Apparently it was first published in '07 but only recently translated into English. I heard of it late last ye..."

I have The Vegetarian on my maybe TBR list. It made a lot of best of lists as I recall. I'll be interested in your thoughts.

If you have Amazon Prime you can get for free this month

Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World by Mark Williams

The Life-Changing International Bestseller

Mindfulness reveals a set of simple yet powerful practices that you can incorporate into daily life to help break the cycle of anxiety, stress, unhappiness, and exhaustion. It promotes the kind of happiness and peace that gets into your bones. It seeps into everything you do and helps you meet the worst that life throws at you with new courage.

The book is based on Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). MBCT revolves around a straightforward form of mindfulness meditation which takes just a few minutes a day for the full benefits to be revealed. MBCT has been clinically proven to be at least as effective as drugs for depression and is widely recommended by US physicians and the UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence—in other words, it works. More importantly it also works for people who are not depressed but who are struggling to keep up with the constant demands of the modern world.

MBCT was developed by the book's author, Oxford professor Mark Williams, and his colleagues at the Universities of Cambridge and Toronto. By investing just 10 to 20 minutes each day, you can learn the simple mindfulness meditations at the heart of MBCT and fully reap their benefits. The book includes links to audio meditations to help guide you through the process. You'll be surprised by how quickly these techniques will have you enjoying life again.

Alias, i'll let you know my thoughts on Vegetarian when i finish. I'm looking forward to it. This week's New Yorker had an article about it. (Our daughter gave us a subscription to the magazine, part of a buy one give one free ad.)

I read the above-mentioned The Vegetarian by Han Kang in fairly short order. The author has stated that the book, originally published in 2007, was about South Korea. Indeed, she's quoted as stating, “I was thinking about the spectrum of human behavior, from sublimity to horror, and wondered, is it really possible for humans to live a perfectly innocent life in this violent world, and what would happen if someone tried to achieve that?�

I begin that way because i am unfamiliar with the politics in SK, so cannot evaluate the book in that way. Because i learned after reading the book about this intent, i must say i didn't see politics at all, but can see how it may be true. She knows her purpose but i know that in the US, where we know little about their politics, do not mention that in comments.

Apparently this was written as three novellas which have been combined into one novel. I could see that, as the storyteller changes with each new section. First we hear from her husband, who, he admits, married her because she was very ordinary, not likely to cause problems to a man with some ambition. This story is first-person.

The second section is from the point of view of her brother-in-law, an artist whose wife (sister of the Vegetarian) supports him. And the final section is related from the story of that wife/sister. These two stories are third person narration.

And this is why it seems to me, that this book explores the difference between one person's actions/expression and another person's reception of said act. This is not a book about Vegetarianism per se. The woman who decides to become one had a dream as the catalyst for her action.

It is brutal in a place or two but it seems necessary to explore those reactions to her acts. I might even liken it to a sort of horror story, as the reactions are strong. I don't want to share much more because it's clear to me that people disagree about what the book is/means, if i judge by Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ comments.

South Korea has a rich film industry and some of the most fascinating films i've seen come from there. To me, this novella reflect that sort of storytellling. I like it, too. I think i would mostly say that the first section is the best and most gripping. The next is odd in that it almost seems separate, although the Vegetarian is a part of it, too. It seems many people disliked the final segment but i liked it, as it gave us more background.

Do i recommend it? Well, i rarely do that because i don't want to waste another person's time. It will give you much to think about your own life and the question of sanity. And, as i mentioned upthread our reactions to the actions of others is important here. This link is to the NY Times review of the book.

madrano wrote: "I read the above-mentioned The Vegetarian by Han Kang in fairly short order. The author has stated that the book, originally published in 2007, was about South Kore..."

What an intriguing review, deb. I will have to check it out. Though I usually don't like very violent or disturbing reads.

Alias, the book itself moves forward in time--each segment is at least a year after the previous one. However, in recalling events i was confused a time or two. It's not exactly time-jumping but, probably due to translation, it was a tad confusing. Or maybe i was so wrapped up in the words i lost track of the timing.

I'll be interested in your thoughts on it after you've read it.

While picking up our book group novel not long ago, i saw a nonfiction which grabbed attention. These Schools Belong to You and Me: Why We Can't Afford to Abandon Our Public Schools is about schools which are truly democratic. Authors Deborah Meier and Emily Gasoi alternate chapters explaining their ideas and experiences in creating democratic schools. Together they helped create Boston's Mission Hill School and give some good examples of problems they faced in living up to that goal while also pointing out how their ideas differ from what most of us see in public education. Meier helped create Central Park East schools in NYC before being called to Boston, where she ended her career. She's worked in the poorer areas of Chicago as well, so has seen many sides of education.

ANYway, i'm liking the book. Anyone interested in education would find it instructive, if their politics don't interfere with reading with an open eye. These women are definitely not fans of the present leader in the White House but nor are they fans of the way politicians have tried to run education via testing.

I was worried that, though a slim volume, it would be tough to read. It is not. In fact, i'm pleased to say it's been a pleasure to read. There is a bit of history of U.S. education interspersed, it is mostly about their philosophy (with examples) and practices as they developed the Boston school.

Madrano wrote: "While picking up our book group novel not long ago, i saw a nonfiction which grabbed attention. These Schools Belong to You and Me: Why We Can't Afford to Abandon Our Public Schools..."

Thanks, deb. I've added it to my TBR notebook. I also mentioned it to 3 of my relatives who are public school teachers.

Alias, glad to have been of help. I've never been an educator but was interested in the schooling system as my children grew up. Often i compared my own education to theirs and felt progress had been made.

I just got A Dog's Purpose from my library. We'll se how it goes.

Please let us know your impressions when you finish, Fawn. It seems to be a popular book.

I'm still working on the education book but am reading another nonfiction on my iPad. I don't usually read two nonfiction books at once but this has been easy, as they are quite opposite one another.

Spy Who Couldn't Spell, The : A Dyslexic Traitor, an Unbreakable Code, and the FBI's Hunt for America's Stolen Secrets by Yudhijit Bhattacharjee is about a kid who grew up in New York and how he became a spy against the US. It was often sad because the guy was bullied in school but even as an adult working in the US government co-workers made fun of him. To be fair, i understood their problems with him and it's possible they felt their humor was the best way to point out to him the problems they felt he had (body washing, for instance). It just seems to me going to the supervisor might have been kinder.

ANYway, the guy could have been a success story but went the other way. Clever with codes, he created them to help conceal the papers he stole from his agency. In the process i learned much about codes and agencies within the US defensive umbrella. I'm liking it but there might be a bit too much about decoding.

Apparently, this book is only available as an audio in the UK; American rights for that have never been established: The Fires of Vesuvius: Pompeii Lost and Found. In looking through my new library book this afternoon, I suppose it's better to be able to refer to the illustrations, although it's a bit of a heavy, bulky tome. My motivation was that I recently read the second in the Marcus Didius Falco mystery series set in the Pompeii area (before eruption).

Neat idea, John. It's frustrating sometimes that fiction doesn't include art or photos but this is a way around the problem.

I finished reading the long-awaited (by me, that is) The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Make Your Loved Ones� Lives Easier and Your Own Life More Pleasant by Margareta Magnusson. I've read a number of decluttering books in the last decade or so, which probably colored my impression of it. The title draws one in and the approach of purging your home in order to save your family the task after your death is unique. However, if you've read any books on the subject, you will find little new here. Indeed, it almost feels as though this was an opportunity for Magnusson to share interesting bits about her life. Frankly, it wasn't worth it.

On the recipe thread i shared one of three recipes she offered. Frankly, i'm not sure why she included them but it's her book, right? The one tip which interested me is her "Throw Away" box, which she suggested be no bigger than a shoebox. Into it are a few special love letters, a shell which is special to you & no one else, a description of yourself which continues to bring you joy. It's called "Throw Away" because your family has been instructed they can just trash it after your death. Of course, she admits she hopes they would open it & look inside but this is her way to help them use their time wisely by giving them permission to throw it away immediately.

It's a short book with drawings (she is an artist) so it's not a massive waste of time just not full of valuable info if you really want to get rid of stuff.

Madrano wrote: "I finished reading the long-awaited (by me, that is) The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Make Your Loved Ones� Lives Easier and Your Own Life More Pleasant by [author:M..."

I didn't realize people wrote books about this topic until this one came out. It seems morbid, to prepare for your death by decluttering. I don't think everyone can do it (or even most people).

I think it's a question of what one is getting rid of. If you have items that are bringing you happiness (your china, books, knickknacks whatever) I say keep them! Enjoy your life up to the very last second.

However, you have closets, a garage or basement filled with things that you never look at, will never use or are broken then no matter your age, get rid of it. Stuff like that weighs you down, causes stress, anxiety and is depressing.

I see no reason for a person who is elderly to feel the need to give up items they love even if ones relatives may not want or need them.

I think it's the wrong attitude and very selfish to say your old, so your feelings, wants and needs are less important then the young who I guess would be tasked with getting rid of your possessions. Heck, that's an easier job then the poor person who had to face death ! I see no reason for a elderly person to live the last quarter or so of their life like a monk and edit their possessions down to the essential just so others won't have to spend a few days putting the stuff out for the sanitation collectors or taking the stuff to good will. Good grief ! Is that too much to ask of family?

I appreciate the comments on the book & idea of "death cleaning". I'll bet many of us have done it in some way without calling it that. The federal government used to pay for our moves, so i kept collecting items without a thought of non-gov. moves. When Dan retired from Maryland, i purged tons of stuff in order to put all our goods in one U-Haul truck. That was my first "death cleaning", in a way. (Is there another word for this?) Then, when we sold our Texas home to travel, i again shed boxes of stuff, this time mostly craft items, as i'd proven to myself i was not going to pick up the knitting needles, for example, again.

Now that both our fathers have died, i realize that those items i thought "will be worth something" aren't going to be so & are energy-draining to sell, it's time to weed yet again. To be fair, we haven't had a bed we've liked in over a decade, nor sofa or stuffed chairs. So, i am talking about the boxable items.

Author Magnusson was moving from her home of 20 some years to an apartment. In the process, she remembered the amount of time she had to take to get rid of things her mother & father had amassed. So she decided to use this moving opportunity to clear out most of her items. I want to add that it was clear to me that she also likes uncluttered furnishings--few knickknacks on flat surfaces and much open space in room decor. Several times she mentions how refreshing it is to have cleared table, desk and bedside tables--easy to dust and clean to look at.

One reason i find this topic so interesting is because i come from a line of would-be entrepreneurs who specialized in collectibles. As a result my parent's home had all sorts of vintage items purchased for eventual resale. Then the Internet (more specifically eBay) ended up making those items less valuable because they were readily available. It is a weird phenomena because the initial flurry of buying such items helped give eBay its name. Nowadays it's much harder to sell such things.

Ergo, my dad's house. And my own junk, amassed from auctions in the Dakotas. My mother-in-law liked what was promoted as "Country Farmhouse Decor", meaning themed rooms. She had a chicken-themed kitchen, for instance. When they moved from their home of 15 years, clearing things out was monumental but she was relieved when it was winnowed down to only what she wanted to live with. And on.

Living as we do now, without a permanent home/apt, i've learned that we can live with much less. More important, i am seeing that i boxed many items i will not want for decorating any future home. I just wasn't ready to give them up until now. And so it goes.

I feel as though i'm apologizing for Magnusson but there is a reason i read her book. I generally agree with all that others here have said. My sentimentality easily gets the better of me. In South Dakota i watched a family member go to the dump to rid her mother's home of their collected good that the auction house wouldn't sell. It broke my heart to see all her father's genealogical research abandoned there. LOL!

Besides, this gives me "one more chance" to treasure my items before giving them to charity or loved ones. I like that aspect, too. Incidentally, this book also mentions that angle.

Woo! I suspect i'm still processing my own weeding, what do you think?

I understand totally, deb. I just felt that there might be pressure for older people to do this and they don't want to. If their possessions make them happy, they should be able to have them without guilt.

If living minimally is something that appeals, than they should go for that.

What I objected to was the guilt heaped on those that enjoy their possessions and don't want or need to get rid of them due to moving or other reasons. It just felt like it was being advocated that they should only possess the bare necessities so when they die it will be easier for those that need to dispose of their stuff. If it is such a burden there are people that can be hired to do the task.

In my mind I just pictured an elderly person sitting in a empty room bored, depressed and waiting to die.

Yikes. Why has this topic struck such a nerve. :) Where is that armchair psychiatrist when we need them.

When my grandma died a couple years ago, we found unopened containers of spices that appeared to be from the 60's or 70's. Seriously.

I live with a man who does not like to get rid of stuff (I think it is genetic-see below) and I like to get rid of stuff (my mom did too) so I am loving this topic. I feel better with less clutter and he feels pain to get rid of stuff. I know our kids will not want this stuff when we are gone but I have to give my husband his rights to have the stuff he wants to keep.

To the other Julie- when my mother in law went to assisted living, I found free samples of medication I had given to her 20+ years before in her bathroom that had turned to brown. She just had a horribly hard time when we were moving her into assisted living and we would pack her stuff up and come back the next day and everything was put back. We finally moved her in and then cleaned out her house cause she was not able to deal with it.

Alias Reader wrote: "What I objected to was the guilt heaped on those that enjoy their possessions and don't want or need to get rid of them due to moving or other reasons. ..."

To be honest with you, there was a taint of this in the beginning. The idea seemed to be to encourage those people with a two pronged approach--first, free your descendents from the burden of tossing things they know you loved and second, enjoy the items you've stored for so long, then free yourself of them. So, i don't think your interpretation is off.

Unopened spice Julie, when i went to auctions in South Dakota i would see a number of homes with spice bottles from as long ago as the '50s. I wondered if they felt they lost their oomph or if they just forget whether they had some or not. LOL!

The mother-in-law mover Julie, what a frustrating experience to have to repack after she moved things back. Sorry to say it's also kinda funny, which i'm sure you can see now.

I too wonder about the genetic aspect of saving/collecting stuff. My great-grandmother was one who collected string because it was pricey when she was young. The family legend was that she even had a box labeled, "String too short to save." Whether that's true or not, her immediate family saved very, very little, a direct result of having to go through their mother's estate.

Does it travel gene-wise? Maybe not, but i loved that my g-gmother saved all sorts of thing that i became quite the collector myself. So, not exactly genes but family lines, at least. Of my siblings, i'm the only one who really knew my g-gmother & the only one who saved stuff like old letters, bookmarks, small toys given me as a child, etc. Hmmmm.

Madrano wrote: "I too wonder about the genetic aspect of saving/collecting stuff. My great-grandmother was one who collected string because it was pricey when she was young. ..."

My mom said that she thought my grandma never threw anything out because she grew up during the great depression. Also the reason that she preferred keeping a bunch of cash in the house instead of the bank....a habit that ended up being very bad when she got robbed.

Good point about the Depression. Dad would occasionally point out things he did that began during that period. He hid cash in the house too, but not too much. The weird thing is that it was really hidden outside, with access through a hall closet. Looking into it you could see the ground, as well as the box holding the money. It's sad your mom was robbed, though. My folks's neighborhood experienced quite a number of robberies throughout one decade but they were lucky.

When dad died we found a belt that he'd outgrown at some point. He "repaired" it by stapling parts of another belt onto the back of the outgrown one (the other was just worn out, but he'd saved it, of course). Indeed, he jerry-rigged a number of repairs and "fresh" furniture & appliances. The creativity factor was high, the finished product often looked awkward.

My mother, on the other hand, didn't experience the depression the way he did, so wasn't as thrifty. She was still fiscally tight (coupons, particularly). You are right, though, Julie, the Great Depression can account for much of this.

Looking at the New Nonfiction Books Shelf at the library i found two interesting books. The first, which i didn't check out, is A Prairie Girl's Faith: The Spiritual Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder which i found odd. I don't recall there was much about God or even churches in the books of Laura Ingalls Wilder so guessed that author Stephen W. Hines filled the book with suppositions. From reviews i've read, both off and on GR, it seems many agree with me. Of course any book about Laura sells--we love her and the story.

The one i did check out is Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks: A Librarian's Love Letters and Breakup Notes to the Books in Her Life author Annie Spence writes about books she's read and how she feels about them. The contents indicate she'll address letters to Anna Karenina, The Complete Miss Marple Collection series, Fifty Shades Trilogy, Misery, Cannery Row, Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West and many more, including Fahrenheit 451. I'll keep you posted as i go.

Re Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks: A Librarian's Love Letters and Breakup Notes to the Books in Her Life-- I intended to read it, but have to return it to the library tomorrow. I will re-request it, but I don't know when I'll get it back again.

Shomeret, i'm looking forward to reading it, although it's third in line, so it may be awhile for me, too. It'll probably give spoilers but if i haven't read the book yet intend to do so, i may well skip the "letter". It'll be fun to see if Spence & i see things differently on the others, though.

I suppose a Kindle Lending Library book counts as "gotten online"? I'm working on Ubered: My Life As A Rideshare Driver as this month's choice. A bit sensational on the stories he's related so far, but he gives a good picture of being a driver. Looking forward to hearing more about his experience.

Thanks for sharing, John.

I don't have the Kindle library.

But I do look at the Prime monthly Kindle books that you can select one for free. Unfortunately, most months they don't appeal to me even for free.

Kindle Lending Library is for all Prime members, one free book per month. Different from the new book offering. You should be able to get this one.

Prime members certainly get some good perks, i must say. We don't belong to any aspect of Amazon but can see it in our future when we "finally settle down", whenever that is.

John wrote: "Kindle Lending Library is for all Prime members, one free book per month. Different from the new book offering. You should be able to get this one."

I didn't know about that. I just know the one where they give you 5 or so books to pick from each month. And then you own the book. Also the unlimited for $10.

Thanks !!

Edit--- I just checked and see now that you can borrow certain books.

I really appreciate the tip, John !

Kindle Lending Library is a pain to search! I stumble across free titles like Ubered: My Life As A Rideshare Driver, seeing they are touted as Kindle Unlimited, which I don't have, but checking on my Fire to see if it might say Free for Prime Members - download now?

Kindle Lending Library only works on official Amazon devices like Fire tablets and phones!

I have a Kindle Fire, so it will work for me.

Yes. I see they mix the titles in with unlimited. Still it's good to know and I'll keep an eye out for that when I am looking for a specific book.

Hoping to recapture my interest in topics covered in our group read, The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus, i have been reading Pandemic: Tracking Contagions, from Cholera to Ebola and Beyond.

Author Sonia Shah breaks the chapters down in addressing the topic, including the way diseases travel ("Locomotion"), "Filth", "Crowds" and "Corruption". It shows how breakdowns in any of these areas can make an outbreak worse. I can't take a walk in a field now without wondering about the straw upon which i tread or the horse poop i see. LOL! At least i'm not scratching myself raw.

madrano wrote: Author Sonia Shah breaks the chapters down in addressing the topic, including the way diseases travel ("Locomotion"), "Filth", "Crowds" and "Corruption"..."

There used to be an advertisement on the subway that caused an uproar. I forget the product, probably a hand sanitizer. Anyway, the signs in the subway would say something like 2680 people touched that poll today and 138 of them had a cold or flu. It was totally grossing people out. LOL.

Anyway I am the queen of the 24 hour hand sanitizer, Nano Pure

LOL--i can see why folks were grossed out. I don't use hand sanitizer as much now as when we travel but i head straight to the basin for hand washing after touching new mail, unloading groceries and reading the newspaper.

I am awaiting two new political books from my library. As it happens i learned about both on the same night, so it may take some hustling to finish both if they arrive together. The first is Gaslighting America: Why We Love It When Trump Lies to Us by Amanda Carpenter. Of course i'm still trying to figure out definitions of "fake news" but the deeper question is why are we being lied to and why do so many see this as acceptable. I'm hoping this book will give me some assistance on that front.

The other book is by retired general Michael V. Hayden, The Assault on Intelligence: American National Security in an Age of Lies. I haven't read his previous books but this one, again about lies, caught my eye. The book actually won't be released until next week, so maybe my dilemma about reading both books will solve itself.