Reading this was a waste of my time

Broad Strokes: 15 Women Who Made Art and Made History ~ by Bridget Quinn, illustrated by Lisa Congdon, 2017, art history, 192 pages

From Amazon:  "Historically, major women artists have been excluded from the mainstream art canon. Aligned with the resurgence of feminism in pop culture, Broad Strokes offers an entertaining corrective to that omission. Art historian Bridget Quinn delves into the lives and careers of 15 brilliant female artists in text that's smart, feisty, educational, and an enjoyable read. Replete with beautiful reproductions of the artists' works and contemporary portraits of each artist by renowned illustrator Lisa Congdon, this is art history from 1600 to the present day for the modern art lover, reader, and feminist."

That's Amazon's opinion, not mine.  I read two chapters, maybe a couple of dozen pages, and took it back to my neighbor Betty, who had handed it to me.  Nope, I don't intend to waste any more time reading that book.  My rating system below is totally subjective, and I could choose either of the bottom two (I've used both over the years since I started blogging in January 2007).  This book is one I "did not finish" and "do not recommend."  It was NOT educational, NOT enjoyable, and didn't go where I expected it to go from the description.  Betty said that was exactly her experience.

10 ~ Loved it!!  Couldn't put it down!!

9 ~ Excellent!

8 ~ Very Good

7 ~ Good

6 ~ Above Average

5 ~ Average

4 ~ Struggled to finish, but not worth it

3 ~ Annoying ~ a waste of time

2 ~ Poor

1 ~ Pitiful!

0 ~ Awful!!  Don't bother                                        

* DNF ~ Did Not Finish ~ one I abandoned

* Nah ~ I don't recommend it

Week in Review

• On Monday, I shared a book that my favorite author recommended, HERE.
• On TWOsday, I shared two words derived from Latin, HERE.
• I had a cat post on Caturday (that day after Friday), because a neighbor gave me a glass with Morris the cat on it, HERE.  Do you remember Morris?  Wikipedia can tell you more, HERE, if you are interested.

Hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz,

we bloggers gather at separate computers in different time

zones — to share what we have been doing during the week.

It's Caturday again

On Monday, one of my neighbors put this glass in the box by my

door and texted me:  "Guess what just wandered into your basket."

The words say, "Morris on glass is like sterling on silver."

Two words derived from Latin

LOQUACIOUS ~ characterized by or showing a tendency to talk a great deal → from Latin loqui (“to speak”)

MELLIFLUOUS (of sounds or utterances) ~ smooth or honeyed; sweet → from Latin mel (“honey”) + fluere (“to flow”) I subscribe to HarperCollins UK. Click HERE <www.harpercollins.co.uk> if you would like to see their weekly words.

Jodi Picoult recommends a book

Yesteryear ~ by Caro Claire Burke, 2026, satirical novel, 400 pages

This book is about a popular "tradwife" influencer, Natalie Heller Mills, who wakes up in 1855, forced to confront the harsh reality of the pioneer life she romanticized online.  And this authentic 19th-century version of her homestead is brutal.  The book explores themes of tradition, fame, and the performance of womanhood through the eyes of Natalie, its narcissistic but compelling protagonist, as she navigates a world that is both a nightmarish reality and a potential hoax or reality show.  It's a critique of modern online culture.

This is considered a major book of 2026 and has been picked as a Good Morning America Book Club selection.  Jodi Picoult is my favorite novelist, so I plan to read this book, even though 400 pages is more than I like in a book.

Banned books

The number of nonfiction books banned in schools has doubled, according to a report I read, HERE.  This quote, in my opinion, is distressing:

“Of the 1,102 nonfiction titles banned, 52% were titles with themes of activism and social movements; the most commonly banned topic within nonfiction titles.”

Week in Review

• On Monday, I mused about a book I'm still reading, HERE, but I already consider it a 10/10 book.
• On TWOsday, I shared two quotes I like, HERE.

Hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz,

we bloggers gather at separate computers in different time

zones — to share what we have been doing during the week.

Today, I'm sharing two quotes I like

Henry David Thoreau said, "It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."  That's something we need to think about to really understand.  Hundreds of people may look at exactly the same thing I am noticing today, but what we truly SEE makes a big difference.  Ponder that a bit, and tell me what you think.

I should type this one out, in case the photo ever disappears, shouldn't I?  You can also see what I wrote about Atul Gawande's Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End (published in 2014), HERE:

"We've been wrong about what our job is in medicine.  We think our job is to ensure health and survival.  But really it is larger than that.  It is to enable well-being.  And well-being is about the reasons one wishes to be alive."

Anne, who blogs at "My Head Is Full of Books" (HERE), gave me the idea for this post by quoting Erma Bombeck:  "My theory on housework is, if the item doesn't multiply, smell, catch fire, or block the refrigerator door, let it be."

I relate to this book, having lived through examples the author shares

You Just Don't Understand ~ by Deborah Tannen, 1990, interpersonal relations / social sciences, 330 pages

Women and men live in different worlds ... made of different words.  Spending nearly four years on the New York Times bestseller list, including eight months at number one, You Just Don't Understand is a true cultural and intellectual phenomenon.  This book points out gender differences in ways of speaking.  With a combination of humorous writing and scientific insight, Tannen shows why women and men can walk away from the same conversation with very different impressions of what was said.

Filled with entertaining examples of real conversations, this book gives us the tools to understand what went wrong — and to find a common language in which to strengthen relationships at work and at home.  A classic in the field of interpersonal relations, this book will change forever the way you approach conversations.  And I think both men and women ought to read it.