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description= Books, book lists, and bookish thoughts from Rose City Reader.;
description= Books, book lists, and bookish thoughts from Rose City Reader.;
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Text of the page (random words):
steadily builds to a satisfying conclusion it s exactly the sort of shaggy adventure i love mona s eyes by thomas schlesser i made it through the first third then gave up i only wish i hit the dnf button earlier mona s eyes is the contemporary story of 10 year old mona who may or may not go blind following a medical scare her grandfather decides to teach her about art so if she goes blind she will have good images in her mind under the pretense of taking her to a child shrink he takes her once a week to a museum to study one piece of art and discuss it with him every chapter is their viewing and discussing one work of art it s like sitting through art history 101 but without the slides and the laser pointer reading about someone else looking at art is as boring as it sounds unlike plot dense calamity club mona s eyes has no plot at least not in the first third that i read there are little scenes interspersed between art lessons mona at school or with her friends mom worrying about mona s health dad drinking and running his vintage collectibles business into the ground but those are just scenes not story maybe they will tie together to suggest a plot at some point there s a glimmer of something involving mona finding a secret stash of valuable figurines in her father s storeroom maybe he can sell them and save his business but that is two short scenes out of 150 pages otherwise i feel like i m sitting in class notes have you read either of these what did you think my book club is reading mona s eyes for our next meeting i am dying to know what the other ladies think although i won t be surprised if they loved it several of them are really into art and may love it just because it is a book about art i like art as much as the next person but if i want to learn about art i ll read an art book or watch an art appreciation class on youtube i want my fiction to tell a story not educate me posted by gilion at rose city reader at 9 00 am 3 comments labels 2026 book club book review historical fiction new books review wednesday june 24 2026 birdbrains a lyrical guide to washington state birds edited by susan rich book review birdbrains a lyrical guide to washington state birds by susan rich editor stephanie delaney author bird notes and hiroko seki artist raven chronicles press 2025 book review birdbrains captivated me immediately both in concept and execution it s not like any other bird guide or poetry collection you ve ever seen the birdbrained brainchild of editor susan rich seattle poet and novice birdwatcher birdbrains combines notes on 107 birds accompanied by poems short fiction and memoir from 98 poets and writers illustrated with ink sumi e paintings by hiroko seki for each bird there is space left to note the dates and locations of your own sightings stephanie delaney s bird notes are aimed at the beginner birder which i appreciate i knew from the first entry on the bufflehead duck that i would love this book because delaney s style is casual and friendly north america s smallest diving duck the bufflehead is an eye catcher with a black and white body and white head their face appears iridescent green and purple in sunlight black under clouds with a small size and a plump body the bufflehead is a truly cute duck the notes all include a description of the bird its voice and its habitat along with an intriguing tidbit about the bird such as the diminutive brown creeper only burns 4 10 calories a day thus one spider can fuel 200 feet of climbing the poems and short prose pieces including those by four washington state poet laureates celebrate each bird and make us reflect more thoughtfully on each one a particular favorite of mine by katy t ellis honors the least sandpiper to say the least is to say the smallest is to say there s no twitch of the eye it s like saying there exists in the world of peeps some greater faster shoreline speedwalker to spot the leasts time lapse stitchers of the strand to hear their pin piped preet is to count the least among us hiroko seki s ethereal ink drawings many done outdoors beautifully illustrate each bird a visual aid is necessary for any kind of bird guide and seki s monochromatic images are perfect for this one although birdbrains is called a lyrical guide to washington state birds it is a delight for bird and poetry lovers anywhere these birds are common in the rest of the pacific northwest and most also live further afield as dr ursula valdez wrote in her foreword you don t need to be an ornithologist or bird watcher to appreciate this book it is for bird and art lovers of all forms who want their curious eyes hearts and souls filled notes i was happy to receive a review copy of this book through raven chronicle press because i truly love it the four washington state poet laureates featured in the book are elizabeth austen claudia castro luna kathleen flenniken and derek sheffield three pulitzer prize winners also included poems ray armentrout ted kooster and diane seuss posted by gilion at rose city reader at 4 30 pm 2 comments labels 2026 book review nature writing poetry review thursday june 18 2026 the impossible fortune by richard osman book beginnings book beginnings on fridays the impossible fortune by richard osman thank you for joining me this week for book beginnings on fridays where participants share the opening sentence or two from the book they are reading you can also share from a book you want to feature even if you are not reading it at the moment my book beginning it s been a while since i wrote i know that i m ever so sorry from the impossible fortune by richard osman the fifth and latest thursday murder club book it starts with an excerpt from joyce s diary which i think they all do although i can t remember for sure i m almost finished with the audiobook from the library and love it the narrator fiona shaw is excellent now that the movie came out i see the actors in the characters of course but that makes it all the more fun your book beginning please add the link to your book beginning post in the linky box below if you participate or share on social media please use the hashtag bookbeginnings so other people can find your post mister linky s magical widgets thumb linky widget will appear right here this preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site if this widget does not appear click here to display it the friday 56 the friday 56 asks participants to share a two sentence teaser from their book of the week if your book is an ebook or audiobook pick a teaser from the 56 point anna at my head is full of books hosts the friday 56 a natural tie in with book beginnings on fridays please visit my head is full of books to leave the link to your post my friday 56 from the impossible fortune i mean you never know with life do you one minute you re sitting there looking at tanning machines online the next you re being forced out of your own home at gunpoint from the publisher s description it s been a quiet year for the thursday murder club joyce is busy with table plans and first dances elizabeth is grieving ron is dealing with family troubles and ibrahim is still providing therapy to his favorite criminal but when elizabeth meets nick a wedding guest asking for her help she finds the thrill of the chase is ignited once again and when nick disappears without a trace his cagey business partner becomes the gang s next stop it seems the duo have something valuable something worth killing for joyce s daughter joanna jumps into the fray to help the gang as they seek answers has someone kidnapped nick and what s this uncrackable code they keep hearing about plunged back into action once more can the four friends solve the puzzle and a murder in time posted by gilion at rose city reader at 3 05 pm 2 comments labels book beginnings friday 56 mystery opening sentence thursday june 11 2026 20 000 leagues under the sea by jules verne book beginnings book beginnings on fridays 20 000 leagues under the sea by jules verne thank you for joining me this week for book beginnings on fridays where participants share the opening sentence or two from the book they are reading you can also share from a book you want to feature even if you are not reading it at the moment my book beginning the year 1866 was marked by a bizarre incident an unexplained and unexplainable phenomenon which without a doubt no one has forgotten from 20 000 leagues under the sea by jules verne translated by william butcher for oxford world s classics 1998 the original 1873 english translation by mercier lewis was horribly clunky but remained unchanged despite criticism for over 100 years the year 1866 was signalised by a remarkable incident a mysterious and puzzling phenomenon which doubtless no one has yet forgotten signalized doubtless no one has yet forgotten that awkward and made up word no matter the translation 20 000 leagues is a corker and i m loving every page i read junior versions of verne s classic tales when i was a kid and am finally reading the full versions now as an adult i started with around the world in 80 days which was terrific so exciting now i am having an undersea adventure with captain nemo and it s just as wonderful your book beginning please add the link to your book beginning post in the linky box below if you participate or share on social media please use the hashtag bookbeginnings so other people can find your post mister linky s magical widgets thumb linky widget will appear right here this preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site if this widget does not appear click here to display it the friday 56 the friday 56 asks participants to share a two sentence teaser from their book of the week if your book is an ebook or audiobook pick a teaser from the 56 point anna at my head is full of books hosts the friday 56 a natural tie in with book beginnings on fridays please visit my head is full of books to leave the link to your post my friday 56 from 20 000 leagues under the sea i was stretched on the ground just under the shelter of a bush of algae when raising my head i saw some enormous mass casting phosphorescent gleams pass blusteringly by my blood froze in my veins as i recognized two formidable sharks which threatened us from the publisher s description 20 000 leagues under the sea by jules verne is a pioneering science fiction novel that takes readers on an extraordinary underwater adventure the story follows professor aronnax his servant conseil and the canadian harpooner ned land as they are captured by captain nemo aboard the technologically advanced submarine the nautilus as they journey across the world s oceans they encounter exotic sea life lost civilizations and mysterious underwater wonders the novel explores themes of isolation the boundaries of human knowledge and mankind s relationship with nature captain nemo a complex and enigmatic character embodies a mix of scientific genius and tragic defiance verne s vivid descriptions of marine exploration and futuristic technology captivated audiences establishing the book as a cornerstone of the science fiction genre posted by gilion at rose city reader at 5 00 pm 2 comments labels book beginnings classic friday 56 opening sentence saturday june 6 2026 may 2026 monthly wrap up book thoughts book thoughts february 2026 monthly wrap up when it comes to vacation books i m team fluffy all the way when i go out of town like i did in may i pack hen lit comfort reads and mysteries many of the books i read in may are not in this picture because i left them behind when i finished do you do that here s a list of the books i read in may see any favorites the last detective by peter lovesey set in bath england where i started my vacation this is the first of his peter diamond mysteries and i thought it was terrific i have most of the series in soho crime editions and look forward to reading all of it the art of making memories by meik wiking author of the little book of hygge danish secrets to happy living which has so much more going for it he followed hygge with the little book of lykke secrets of the world s happiest people this is the weakest of the three it was interesting enough but felt like he overworked scant material regeneration by pat barker the first book in her regeneration trilogy about psychological injuries caused by and closeted gay life during wwi the eye in the door by pat barker the second book in the trilogy the ghost road by pat barker the last book and the 1995 winner of the booker prize the trees by conrad richter the first novel of his awakening land trilogy about american pioneers in the late 1700s left behind the royal secret by lucinda riley i greatly enjoyed this thriller involving a fictional royal family even through its highly improbably spots fellowship of fear by aaron elkins his first gideon oliver mystery i read a later book from this series last summer and loved it so wanted to start at the beginning this one didn t do much for me the plot just never made sense but i will continue because i try to not judge a series from its first book and i know from the other one i read that these get better the season of second chances by diane meier this one was just my cup of tea it s a campus novel featuring a woman of a certain age who moves from new york city to to be a professor at amhurst where she renovates a big old house and tries her luck at romance they did it with love by kate morgenroth is a domestic thriller set in ritzy greenwich connecticut it was very clever but without giving anything away i didn t like the ending bookish people by susa coll a cute story set in a washington d c bookshop this one came full circle for me because i bought it while on vacation in alaska a couple of years ago and read it on vacation this year audiobooks what i ate in one year and related thoughts by stanley tucci entertaining but not as good as taste my life through food it s easy to understand why taste was the story of his whole life so he had a lot of material to draw on it was also charmingly self deprecating and he played down his life as a famous movie star this one is limited to one year so he had to make a little go a long way as a result it s mostly about his life as a movie star and there s a lot of name dropping the engine house by rhys dylan the first in a mystery series set in wales where i went on vacation after bath one of my book club friends recommended the series to me when i told her i like to read books set in the places where i travel i plan to continue with the series because this first one was quite good and most all are available as audiobooks from my library i love a take one leave one shelf in a hotel i love searching for some gem that will then be a souvenir of my trip and i m more than happy to leave behind any books i finish but i never leave a book in an airplane seatback if i finish it on the plane i think those just get thrown away eith...
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