March reading

1. In the Garden of the Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson. I could not put this book down and read it over a weekend. A great story well written.

2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I chose this one to discuss with one of my book clubs. It was better the second reading.

 3. Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides. The choice of my other book club. Wonderful writing. Themes include immigrants, gender, assimilation, so much more.

4. Sweet Judy Blue Eyes: My Life in Music by Judy Collins. Lots of sex, alcohol and more sex.

5. America and Vietnam: The Elephant and the Tiger by Albert Marrin. I retrieved this one from the bookshelf for Noach to read but I read it first. Good review. I was not so familiar with the early history of Vietnam, especially its colonial history. The French were brutal colonial masters. PRM

Yakov on Daily Forward front page

From last weekend at the JStreet conference. Here is a screenshot with Yakov and here a bigger picture. Handsome boy if I do say so myself. PRM

Shoshie on HuffPost

She has been active in Hillel at UNCA. Last weekend they had a dinner with the Muslim Student Association and this picture was taken, seen at the Huffington Post. That's my baby on the end.

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/22/faith-inspires-muslim-student-association-unc-asheville_n_1373768.html?ref=religion&ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008

PRM

February reading

1. Billy Bathgate by E.L. Doctorow. JP and I stumbled onto the movie a few months ago and I began looking for a copy of the book to read. Much better than the movie. Beautiful writing.

2. Packing for Mars by Mary Roach. This was the choice for my old book club. The first 80 pages were quite fascinating, a history of space travel, picking astronauts for their program in Japan (origami)and other topics. Have you ever heard of Roger Babson, who held a grudge against gravity after his sister drowned as a child? He established the Gravity Research Foundation to study ways to implement gravitational shielding. The last 3/4 of the book detailed body functions in space. This could have been interesting for about 50 pages maybe but not for the 250 pages alloted.

3. Swamplandia by Karen Russell

4. Tinkers by Paul Harding

5. Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy. This was my first Ebook. I am withholding judgement for now.   PRM

I saw him on Broadway

in the summer of 1964. RIP Davy Jones. PRM (Yeah, I'm that old.)

January reading

1. Middlemarch by George Eliot. Loved it and can't wait to read more Eliot.
2. The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obrecht. TWB Challenge, Balkans. This was the choice of one of my book clubs. Very rich, perhaps too rich.
3. The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley. This was my choice for my old book club.
4. A Bitter Truth: A Bess Crawford Mystery by Charles Todd. WTG Challenge, WWI.
5. The Berlin Boxing Club by Robert Sharenow. This was a pre-read for Noach. I hope he enjoys it as much as I did.
6. No Promises in the Wind by Irene Hunt. Another pre-read for Noach.
PRM
Traveling the World with Books

visited 4 states (1.77%)
Create your own visited map of The World or Like this? try: Archean

Reading Challenges

In 2008, I participated in a reading challenge, Triple 8, reading 8 books in each of 8 categories in the year 2008. I didn't quite meet the challenge. Having skipped 3 years, I am ready to take on a new challenge, perhaps several challenges, but I expect some overlap. Some of the books can be used for book club readings, also.

First, Historical Fiction Challenge 2012 at the Struggling the Addiction level, 10 books. This is a category I often delve into and it will overlap with the second challenge.

War Through the Generations, WWI is my next choice. I plan to do this one at the Wade level, 4 to 10 books. And I personally want to focus on YA literature and books for younger readers that I missed in my previous reading. There are many classics on the suggestion page that I have never read. Now is the time.

And finally, a challenge of my own creation, Traveling the World in Books 2012. I haven't created an image or button for myself yet. The goal is one book per month and each from a different part of the world.

Obviously there is a lot of overlap in these but I still think I can use them to make a fascinating year of reading. PRM

Four month follow-up

Four months since the last post and so much has happened but nothing really dramatic, just living our lives kind of stuff.

Shoshie has finished her first semester in college. She loves her school and Asheville. She is home for much of the winter break and I love having her here. We play a lot of Rummikub and watch movies.

Yakov has completed another semester at Chapel Hill and has become very active with J Street and Hillel. He was home for the weekend and has now gone to NYC to visit his Year Course friends.

Noach is doing high school work at home. He thought he might try public school next year but he has changed his mind again. However in preparation for a possible change and because he needed instruction from someone other than me, he started taking several online classes this fall. Derek Owens has provided Physical Science and Algebra 1 with online teaching and then Noach emails his homework for Mr. Owens to check. This has gone really well. We have not required a lot of personal attention but I feel it would be there if we did need it. I highly recommend these courses to anyone seeking this kind of instruction. Noach is also taking a yearlong class with Write at Home and I can see improvement in his work. The best effect has been in the improvement in our relationship; I am no longer the taskmaster for the subjects he likes least.

On Wednesday afternoons, he volunteers at the local hospital where he spends time with adults other homeschooled teens. We have continued studying Modern World History with a weekly movie, joined by a friend and her mother. And he forges ahead in Boy Scouts, enjoying monthly camping. Maybe he will be planning his Eagle project next year.

I am still trying to find my way with the changes the last few years have brought. Most Thursdays I meet a friend for a movie. I joined another book club so now I have at least 2 books to complete each month. I started Middlemarch 2 weeks ago, just reading it on my own and loving it.

That's a quick update. Have a Happy Chanukah or Merry Christmas if that's your tradition or Happy, Healthy winter if you prefer. Ruth in NC

Just saying

PRM

What we are/were doing

Here is Yakov this week in Colorado.

At the 1 minute mark, Noach assumes the role of Finn. He needs some singing lessons but he looks so comfortable in front of an audience of a hundred or more campers. PRM