Saturday, July 26, 2008

Belated Weekly Geeking (#12)


I'm quite far behind the rest of the blog world on this because I had misled myself into thinking I was totally caught up on blog reviews. And, then I finished a book. And, I realized that . . . oh, yeah . . . I skipped over quite a few because of limited internet access during the time I was working on cleaning out my mother's house.
You've heard them before. Here are the rules:

1. In your blog, list any books you've read but haven't reviewed yet. If you're all caught up on reviews, maybe you could try this with whatever books you finish this week.
2. Ask your readers to ask you questions about any of the books in your comments. Most likely, people who will ask questions will be people who have read one of the books or know something about it because they want to read it.
3. Later, take whichever questions you want from these comments and use them in a post about each book. (Dewey suggested an "interview-review"). Link to each blogger whose question you used.
4. Visit other Weekly Geeks and ask them questions.

Here is my list of un-reviewed books. Ask away!

Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior - Ori & Rom Brafman

Eat, Pray Love - Elizabeth Gilbert

Overcoming Hurts & Anger - Dwight L. Carson, M.D.

Facts the Historians Leave Out: A Confederate Primer - John S. Tilley

In the Land of Dreamy Dreams - Ellen Gilchrist

Return from Tomorrow - George Ritchie

The Queen of Sleepy Eye - Patti Hill

The Book of Dahlia - Elisa Albert

Human Voices - Penelope Fitzgerald

Sermons & Soda Water III: We're Friends Again - John O'Hara

In the Clearing - Robert Frost

At Home in Mitford - Jan Karon

Queen of Babble - Meg Cabot

Apropos of nothing . . . really, just because I love adding a photo to each post . . . I give you my grandmother's art class at Weslyan University in Lincoln, Nebraska. Wild guess which one is my grandma?



Grandma is the teacher, on the far right, standing, with her head ducked slightly.

Isn't that a cool photo?

Off to read . . . happy weekend!

22 comments:

  1. This reminds me that I have books to review.

    I love the picture. So cool that you still have pictures of your grandparents like this.

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  2. Anonymous7:07 AM

    Yes - cool photo! (I have ties to Nebraska so this caught my eye.)

    Now, Qs abt books! I am interested in the Tilley book - I don't know a thing about it so, do tell. Did you learn a LOT? was the tone condescending? What prompted you to read this?

    Re: EatPrayLove - which side did you end up on? (love it or not) Did you have any expectations about loving it or not? Which section did you like best and would you read more from MsGilbert?

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  3. And I thought I was behind in reviews!

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  4. Nikki,

    I don't actually own a print of that photo. While I was in my mother's house, I rephotographed some photographs because I have this sneaking suspicion my sister is going to want the cool ones. I've got a really terrific photo of my grandfather's senior law class, too -- I'll post that, another time. :)

    Bkclubcare,

    Oooh, good questions! I'm going to have fun answering those, thanks!

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  5. Jenclair,

    The funny thing is that I was convinced I wasn't behind at all! Ha! Oops.

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  6. Anonymous3:15 PM

    The one with her nose in a book.

    Hmmm. The Tilley book. Do the facts left out change the political outlook? What was the most interesting fact you learned from the book? Did you know any of the facts he included before reading the book?

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  7. Carrie,

    LOL She was a reader -- no surprise there! Would you be at all surprised to find out that when my grandmother died, I ended up with several of her art books? And, that I was the only person who even noticed the pretty little bookshelf at the bottom of the stairs (which it turned out my grandfather built)?

    Oh, goodness, you ask questions that require actual engagement of neurons. I'll work on them, thanks!

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  8. I've heard mixed reviews on Eat, Pray, Love. What did you think of the author? Love her or lose her?

    I love that photo!

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  9. Chris,

    That's a fun question. I'll post on the geek questions in a couple of days.

    Thank you! I love that photo, too!! I found a few real treasures when I was cleaning my mother's house. So glad I had my camera with me. :)

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  10. Since I write my reviews as soon as I finish the books, I didn't have much to add to this particular Weekly Geek theme. I do have quite a stack of books I need to read and then review though!

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  11. Wendy,

    I usually write up my reviews immediately, too. June was weird because I went home for 3 weeks and my internet access was limited to a couple of hours in Burger King, every few days. Even on that limited schedule, they got to know me really well in BK and several of the employees came over to chat with me. LOL It was kinda fun. But, I read a lot and just didn't have enough time to keep up with reviews (one a day, for the first week -- too much, too much). Good luck with your stacks!

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  12. Anonymous10:10 PM

    Ha. Someone needs to think around here. It's not going to be me. :)

    I knew it! And no, I'm not surprised at all. Score! However in my family, there would probably be an unseemly rush to the bookshelves, discreet elbowing and the occasional tug of war.

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  13. Carrie,

    You just can't help yourself. You're a thinking woman.

    That's funny. My parents were both big readers but even they didn't noticed the bookshelf until I pointed it out. It's a pretty little thing, made of pine rubbed a lovely golden brown. When my parents emptied it and took it upstairs, then the aunt and uncle suddenly took notice. Too late; I already had dibs.

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  14. That's a wonderful photograph! And, I was going to guess the slightly shy woman on the far right!

    Everyone's asking the question I had in mind. What did you think of Eat, Pray, Love??

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  15. Les,

    She looks slightly shy in that photo, but she was really quite an extrovert and still had a large circle of friends when she died, at 88.

    I think I'll answer the geek questions tomorrow. Thanks for asking!! Stay tuned! :)

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  16. Glad you didn't have a more "appropriate" photo, because I'm thrilled to see this one! That truly is one awesome picture! Any idea when it was taken? And your grandma was an art teacher...how totally cool is that?!!

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  17. Debi,

    Isn't it wonderful? There was no date on the back, but I'm guessing 1925 or '26. She stopped teaching after my father's birth in 1927 and stayed home with her children (my dad was the eldest), although she continued to paint prolifically. My all-time favorite of her paintings is a watercolor of a lighthouse that she painted when she was 10 years old. You would never guess it was painted by a child; it's gorgeous.

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  18. Thanks, Trish, I think so, too!

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  19. That is such a cool picture! I adore old photos - there is just something about them that captivates me.

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  20. Me, too, April! I love peeking into history. :)

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  21. Anonymous3:14 PM

    Would a nonreligous person enjoy At Home in Mitford? I really love the real-life town that the series is based on, and am intrigued by it, but not sure if Christianity is such a big part of it that I'd be put off.

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