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KathyWheeler

KathyWheeler

Joined May 2016

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KathyWheeler
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I‘m enjoying this book, but I sometimes get a little lost for a minute with the jumps in time. We are supposed to get a lot of rain tomorrow and then snow, so I‘m trying to get in my #audiowalk while I can!

Bookwormjillk Snow? Haven‘t I seen alligators in your pictures before? Good luck with that! 20h
KathyWheeler @Bookwormjillk Yes — you‘ve definitely seen alligators in my pics before. Snow is extremely unusual down here. It was 70° F today but is supposed to get down into the 20s. now
16 likes2 comments
review
KathyWheeler
The Martian Chronicles | Ray Bradbury
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Pickpick

Apparently my complaint about the #ClassicLSFBC books is always going to be the lack of imagination regarding race, sex, and gender roles. Here it‘s mired in the 1950s; Bradbury can‘t even imagine that Martian society might be set up differently. Some stories (Night Meeting) are beautiful, while others (Way in the Middle of the Air) are deeply disturbing. Bradbury‘s writing style is interesting — it‘s suggestive of constant movement. #audiowalk

Ruthiella Yup. I think that will be a common occurrence. It‘s also something I probably would not have even noticed if I‘d read them when I was younger and also less aware of. 2d
KathyWheeler @Ruthiella I don‘t think I would‘ve noticed when I was younger either. 2d
RamsFan1963 @Ruthiella @KathyWheeler I think it's actually an advantage to the books chosen for #ClassicLSFBC. They are very much books of their time, but it allows us to see how society has grown and matured, it makes us uncomfortable because those ideas of race, gender, or sexual orientation no longer hold true for the majority of people. I think there would be something wrong with the person who isn't disturbed by these outdated beliefs. 2d
KathyWheeler @RamsFan1963 I think it‘s interesting because I honestly don‘t think I would‘ve noticed so much if I‘d read these books when I was younger. So it‘s been eye-opening to see how my attitudes along with those of society have changed. 2d
21 likes4 comments
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KathyWheeler
The Martian Chronicles | Ray Bradbury
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This book is very different from what I thought it would be; it‘s more a series of interconnected stories than a novel. I‘m enjoying it so far. #ClassicLSFBC #audiowalk

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KathyWheeler
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Pickpick

While I did end up liking this — I liked Star and was pushing for her to get a life separate from her sister — the ending felt a little anticlimactic. I had a picture in my head of Jamie Gertz, who played Star in The Lost Boys. I also started The Martian Chronicles for #ClassicLSFBC for my new #audiowalk book.

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KathyWheeler
The Husbands | Holly Gramazio
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No walking today. We went to the samurai exhibit at the History museum downtown, and the city‘s Christmas tree is now a Mardi Gras tree. I‘m reading The Husbands in ebook format. Interesting premise: a woman‘s attic provides her with a husband she never had, then she discovers she can get a different one every time she sends the current one into the attic.

Kimzey Hooray for Mardi Gras season! 💛💜💚 6d
KathyWheeler @Kimzey 👍🏼🎉 6d
25 likes2 comments
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KathyWheeler
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I have about 3 hours left in this, so I should finish it soon. It ended up not being boring at all. I was afraid twisting my knee was going to set me back a lot, but my physical therapy went well yesterday and I had a good, long #audiowalk today with no pain.

Kimzey Glad your knee is on the mend! 7d
Bookwormjillk I‘m glad you were able to walk! 7d
KathyWheeler @Bookwormjillk @Kimzey Thank you! Me too. I really didn‘t want to start over with PT. 7d
26 likes3 comments
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KathyWheeler
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My knee allowed me to walk today but for a shorter distance than usual. I actually had to wear a coat today as it was in the high 20s. I‘m interested to see how Star‘s and Flora‘s stories converge. #audiowalk

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KathyWheeler
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Pickpick

Low pick. I liked it better than Are You My Mother? but not as much as Fun Home. Alison Bechdel takes us through her life using the sports and exercises she was into at various times. She also connects these to her psychological state. Wordsworth, Coleridge, Kerouac, and other literary figures show up occasionally, but I‘m not as sure of the reason for that except she‘s comparing her state of mind to theirs. No walk; I twisted my knee. 😞

Ruthiella Hope your knee heals soon. ❤️ 2w
KathyWheeler @Ruthiella Thank you. It‘s so annoying! 2w
26 likes2 comments
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KathyWheeler
The Cloister Walk | Kathleen Norris
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My library had this in audio, so I started listening to it for #nunlit #nunlitquarterly, only to find it‘s really not suitable for listening— at least not for me. I couldn‘t remember much of what I heard, so I returned the audiobook and got the Kindle book for $4.99. I‘m appreciating it more in print.

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KathyWheeler
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That‘s the thing about dual timeline stories— just when you get really interested in one timeline, the narrative switches to the other. Oh well, I can deal with it. This is the perfect weather for me — sunny, nice breeze, low of 40° and high of 66°. #audiowalk

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KathyWheeler
Before We Forget Kindness | Toshikazu Kawaguchi
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Pickpick

I didn‘t do any walking today — just relaxed and read these two short but very different books. This 5th book in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series may be my favorite; the stories were very touching. I also liked The Bookstore Wedding, which is the second, after The Bookstore Sisters, in an Alice Hoffman series of shorts. Missy has the cone of shame on because of a wound she won‘t stop scratching; she‘s not happy.

TheBookHippie Poor pup. 2w
Ruthiella Poor Missy! ❤️🐶 2w
KathyWheeler @TheBookHippie @Ruthiella I know! She looks so pitiful — like she‘s thinking, “How could you do this to me?” 2w
22 likes3 comments
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KathyWheeler
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Well, for a whole chapter Star has managed to live her life a little separate from CeCe. I hope that bodes well for the rest of the book. #audiowalk

kspenmoll Your walks are such a pleasure to see-beautiful! 2w
KathyWheeler @kspenmoll thank you! 2w
15 likes2 comments
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KathyWheeler
Orbital | Samantha Harvey
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This is a beautifully written book, and I do understand why it won the Booker, but if you want a plot, don‘t look here. This is simply various descriptions of the Earth as seen through the eyes of 6 astronauts as they complete 16 orbits of Earth. Harvey also provides glimpses into their minds and lives, but nothing really happens in the book.

Tamra I agree, it‘s beautiful! 3w
34 likes1 comment
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KathyWheeler
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I‘m not really sure how Riley is going to make this story interesting, as Star lives her life being dictated to by her sister, CeCe, but we‘ll see. I‘m not sure how I‘ll feel when I get to CeCe‘s book because I really don‘t like her. #audiowalk

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KathyWheeler
Long Past Dues | James J. Butcher
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I‘m not getting into this book as much as I did the first one, but I‘m not sure why. I still like the characters, but the plot seems all over the place. #audiowalk

Sace Beautiful walk! 3w
wanderinglynn Looks like you had a fantastic walk with some lovely views. 3w
KathyWheeler @wanderinglynn I did! I hadn‘t intended on going anywhere yesterday, but it was so beautiful I just had to. Lots of other people felt the same way apparently as there were a lot of people there for December. 3w
17 likes3 comments
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KathyWheeler
Blue Sisters | Coco Mellors
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Pickpick

So many bad decisions made by the Blue sisters, but this is ultimately a hopeful book about the power of sisterly bonds. I enjoyed and liked each sister individually. Beautiful day today; I could‘ve worn shorts. #audiowalk

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KathyWheeler
A Christmas Carol | Charles Dickens
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Pickpick

I didn‘t walk today. Instead, we all spent our day watching Christmas movies, playing games, and reading. I did my annual read of A Christmas Carol, while my daughter read Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich. It was a relaxing day, and I found myself, as usual, particularly struck by Dickens‘ language. This time I was amazed by how completely he can describe someone with just a few words, allowing you to picture these people fully formed.

23 likes1 stack add
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KathyWheeler
Blue Sisters | Coco Mellors
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Finally got my Christmas tree up today! It was a beautiful day to walk, so I took a short walk and then spent the rest of the day relaxing with my husband and daughter. #audiowalk

Julsmarshall Looks lovely! 4w
19 likes2 comments
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KathyWheeler
Blue Sisters | Coco Mellors
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My daughter wanted to deep clean the house, so she encouraged us to go the beach. We didn‘t need much convincing as it was a beautiful day. We didn‘t have a road trip book as we listened to Christmas music instead, but I continued with Blue Sisters on my #audiowalk. They all keep making such bad decisions, but I‘m pulling for them.

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KathyWheeler
Blue Sisters | Coco Mellors
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I had started this before but wasn‘t in the mood for it, now I am so it‘s my new #audiowalk book. So far, I‘m enjoying it. The weather was lovely, so my walks were long.

BarbaraBB 😍😍 4w
kspenmoll Such a magnificent walk! 4w
KathyWheeler @kspenmoll One of my favorite areas to walk. I just love that someone put Santa hats on those statues. 4w
24 likes3 comments
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KathyWheeler
The Doomsday Book | Connie Willis
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Well, that was one depressing and thought-provoking Christmas-adjacent book! I did like it though. It got a little repetitive and long-winded in some places; at a couple of places, I actually said out loud, “Will you just get to the point?!” Willis‘ take on pandemic behavior is absolutely right. #ClassicLSFBC #audiowalk

kspenmoll Lovely walk! 1mo
KathyWheeler @kspenmoll It‘s one of my favorite places. Five rivers converge here, so it‘s called Five Rivers Delta Center. 1mo
23 likes2 comments
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KathyWheeler
The Doomsday Book | Connie Willis
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I‘ve got about 3 hours left in this book, and I‘m holding out for a happyish ending. Probably not realistic, but I sure wouldn‘t mind one. It got up to 79° here today, so I was walking in shorts again. #ClassicLSFBC #audiowalk

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KathyWheeler
The Doomsday Book | Connie Willis
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Well, something happened in this book that I wasn‘t expecting, but when I look back, it‘s not surprising. A friend and I went on a historic homes and churches tour, and it was such a beautiful day, I went for another walk when we were done. #audiowalk #ClassicLSFBC

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KathyWheeler
The Doomsday Book | Connie Willis
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It was such a beautiful day for walking today — sunny, not too hot, not too cold, and a nice breeze. #audiowalk

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KathyWheeler
The Doomsday Book | Connie Willis
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I‘m predicting that someone Kivrin meets in the past is not who we and Kivrin are lead to think he is. I‘m not that great with figuring things out, so we‘ll see if my prediction is right. #ClassicLSFBC #audiowalk

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KathyWheeler
The Doomsday Book | Connie Willis
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I‘m glad this is the December book for #ClassicLSFBC because I‘m not sure I would‘ve picked it up again after multiple attempts to read it. I‘m about half way through and really like it. I got home before the rain started. It was 75° today; tomorrow, it‘s supposed to be in the 40s. #audiowalk

Ruthiella Nice when you give a book a second (or third) chance and it works out! 1mo
KathyWheeler @Ruthiella It is! The same thing happened to me with In Cold Blood and Moby Dick. With Moby Dick, I‘d started it off and on over 40 years and finally read it a couple of years as a Litsy buddy read. 1mo
rubyslippersreads I prefer the other books in this series. (edited) 1mo
KathyWheeler @rubyslippersreads Do they need to be read in a particular order? 1mo
rubyslippersreads @KathyWheeler I haven‘t read them in order (and haven‘t read all of the series yet), but still enjoyed them. According to Goodreads, there‘s a new one coming in 2025, 1mo
22 likes5 comments
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KathyWheeler
The Doomsday Book | Connie Willis
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William Gadsden‘s mother would drive me up a wall! I wonder if she‘s more than just comic relief. I have a feeling she is, but we‘ll see. #audiowalk

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KathyWheeler
The Doomsday Book | Connie Willis
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The Doomsday Book was published in 1992, and, boy, did Willis get the American reaction to a pandemic spot on! I thought she had one scene that dragged on far too long, but now I know why that scene was so detailed. I had a couple of nice and cool walks today. #audiowalk

DogMomIrene I‘ve eyed this book for a while. Sounds right up my alley. Stacking! 1mo
KathyWheeler @DogMomIrene Now that I‘ve gotten past chapter 1, I‘m enjoying it. There‘s nothing wrong with the first chapter, either; I just couldn‘t get past it for years. 1mo
DogMomIrene @KathyWheeler 👏🏼 Will be watching for more updates to see your final thoughts. 1mo
27 likes1 stack add3 comments
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KathyWheeler
The Doomsday Book | Connie Willis
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I‘ve tried to read this book multiple times and never got past the first chapter. I don‘t know why — it‘s totally in my wheelhouse. So I‘m listening to it for #ClassicLSFBC and as my new #audiowalk book. I‘ve already gotten past the first chapter. Yay!

BarbaraJean Ooooh, I loved this book! I hope it works for you this time! 1mo
KathyWheeler @BarbaraJean I believe I will like it. Sometimes that just happens to me, and I never really know why. 1mo
18 likes2 comments
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KathyWheeler
Queen Macbeth | Val McDermid
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Pickpick

This is a short, modern retelling of Macbeth from the point of view of Lady Macbeth or Gruoch. I loved Grouch‘s relationships with her women; they are her heart and strength as much as Macbeth. Queen Macbeth is the 5th in the Darkland Tales series in which various Scottish writers reimagine events from Scotland‘s past in new ways.

25 likes1 stack add
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KathyWheeler
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this second entry in the Seven Sisters series. There was a potential love interest that felt shoe-horned in and went nowhere, but it didn‘t have an impact on my enjoyment of the book. #audiowalk

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KathyWheeler
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I‘ve got about 4 hours left in this, so I need to pick a new #audiowalk book. I‘m not sure if it‘ll be the next in the series or something else. I like the way Riley weaves historical figures into these books. Nice walking weather today.

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KathyWheeler
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There‘s something about this part of the story where Anna moves to the big city from her home in the country that reminds me of Heidi. Beautiful day for walking today. #audiowalk

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KathyWheeler
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I usually do not have trouble with dual timelines, but with both Seven Sisters books, I have found myself annoyed when the timelines switch. I have no idea why because it‘s not clumsily done. Beautiful day walking; it was 41°F here, which, for us, is getting a tad chilly. I had to wear pants and a long-sleeved shirt. I don‘t know what I‘ll do when I have to wear a coat. ? #audiowalk

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KathyWheeler
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Not that far into this book yet, but I like Ally. She‘s stronger than she knows. It kept looking like it was going to rain out there, but it never did. #audiowalk

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KathyWheeler
Looking For Jane | Heather Marshall
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Pickpick

I finished Looking for Jane on my #audiowalk and then started The Storm Sister. I really liked the story told in LFJ, but, as the author says in an afterword, the book isn‘t just about abortion and an abortion network when the procedure was illegal in Canada. It‘s about how the lack of reproductive choice influences the rest of a woman‘s life.

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KathyWheeler
Looking For Jane | Heather Marshall
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I‘ve only got about 2 hours left in this book, so I should finish it soon. Usually I‘ve already picked my new #audiowalk book by this point, but I haven‘t really been drawn to anything yet. It warmed up a little outside. Yesterday I needed the long pants I had on; today I could have gone either way.

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KathyWheeler
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Pickpick

The tagged book is not the one I read; it‘s last year‘s Christmas book. This year‘s is Holiday Hideaway — it‘s a short story sold by itself. It‘s a cute little holiday romance, but it‘s short on a holiday atmosphere. The story could be set at any other time as well. I continued with Looking for Jane on my #audiowalk at the beach. The weather was perfect for our short trip.

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KathyWheeler
Looking For Jane | Heather Marshall
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I‘ve got 4 hours left in this book, and the lives of the three main women are beginning to meet. I thought this book would make me angry because of how much ground women have lost here in the US, but instead, it makes me sad. #audiowalk

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KathyWheeler
Looking For Jane | Heather Marshall
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Looking for Jane is my new #audiowalk book. So far, I like it. It was very windy outside; apparently, it was great for windsurfing. I saw multiple people in the bay.

kspenmoll Such a beautiful walk! 2mo
21 likes1 comment
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KathyWheeler
Ringworld | Larry Niven
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Mehso-so

So-so is the best I can do with this book; I really don‘t get the awards for it. The sexism is a major problem, some of the science seems wrong to me, the dialogue can be stilted, the plot is boring in parts, and the prose isn‘t that great. I‘m glad I read it because it‘s so influential, but I highly doubt I will read the other Ringworld books. #ClassicLSFBC #audiowalk

DogMomIrene I can relate to your review! My husband bought Stranger in a Strange Land because he wanted me to have more sci-fi books. I had to break it to him that I‘d already read that one and found it horribly sexist. Appreciated his effort, but I was like, let me buy the sci-fi from now on😉 Won‘t be buying Ringworld! 2mo
KathyWheeler @DogMomIrene I have Stranger in a Strange Land but haven‘t read it yet. If the story and writing is good, I can sometimes dismiss sexism as a product of the time, but I truly want sci-fi writers to show more imagination than that! 2mo
DogMomIrene @KathyWheeler I can ignore a sexist character but not whole worlds. Agree that sci-fi authors should have better creative chops. 2mo
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KathyWheeler @DogMomIrene I just don‘t get it. Those authors can imagine whole worlds and technology that don‘t exist, but they can‘t imagine worlds where women aren‘t subservient and aren‘t little more than sex objects? 2mo
DogMomIrene @KathyWheeler I know! I did an analysis of some sci-fi movies for a college class, specifically looking at the role of women. So much sexism. Even when my group got to Ripley from Alien, we were disappointed because the role had actually been written for a male. Like really? 2mo
KathyWheeler @DogMomIrene I bet that was an interesting paper. 2mo
DogMomIrene @KathyWheeler We did a presentation. We had fellow students asking engaging questions because we were all over it. It was actually a great example of cooperative learning. My 3 group mates were really into feminism, and I was too, but I was the sci-fi nerd so they were like, let‘s look at women in sci-fi movies. Worked out great! 2mo
KathyWheeler @DogMomIrene I love that everyone was interested in the presentation and that y‘all worked well together. 2mo
26 likes8 comments
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KathyWheeler
Ringworld | Larry Niven
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I‘ve only got a couple of hours left to this book, and I can‘t say I‘m really drawn to it yet. And that‘s outside of the problems with the depiction of women. I can see great promise in the premise, but so far it‘s just okay to me. #ClassicLSFBC #audiowalk

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KathyWheeler
Ringworld | Larry Niven
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OMG! If I‘m old enough to be someone‘s lover, I‘m old enough to be spoken to in an adult manner instead of being condescended to as if I‘m a 3 year old! I may not be able to get past the misogyny in this book although I‘ve been able to do so before. The sun was out today! I haven‘t seen it since I‘ve been back home. #ClassicLSFBC #audiowalk

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KathyWheeler
Ringworld | Larry Niven
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Some things, besides sexism, bother me in this book. Wouldn‘t a society advanced enough to build a ring around their entire world have discovered radio waves? It started to rain when I got out of the car, but I pulled out my raincoat, so it stopped. 😄 #audiowalk #ClassicLSFBC

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KathyWheeler
Ringworld | Larry Niven
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Today is the first time I‘ve gotten to walk in November! I‘m back home now and noticed that some parks have yet to take down their Halloween decorations. I‘m listening to Ringworld for #ClassicLSFBC and haven‘t yet made up my mind how I feel about it. It‘s got a similar problem to most of the classic SF that I‘ve read — a lack of imagination when it comes to women. #audiowalk

Ruthiella So true. Even LeGuin‘s protagonists (in the two novels I have read) were men. 2mo
KathyWheeler @Ruthiella That‘s true in the LeGuin novels that I‘ve read too. 2mo
20 likes2 comments
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KathyWheeler
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We are finally getting to Maia‘s story, and I‘m interested. I walked alone today, so I got to listen to my book. I‘ll miss the river walks when I go back home, but I‘ve got the bay there. #audiowalk

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KathyWheeler
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I haven‘t been listening to books while walking because my sister has been with me on my last few walks. Here‘s what I‘m reading tonight. I‘d tried to listen to it before, but it just didn‘t work for me. I think it‘s one of those books that is better read as either a print or ebook.

Kimzey I love the illustrations by her brother Billy. 3mo
KathyWheeler @Kimzey I like those too. 3mo
24 likes2 comments
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KathyWheeler
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I didn‘t know there was a new Secret Book & Scone Society book. It‘s my new nighttime book. Folly Beach and the South Carolina aquarium on today‘s walks.

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KathyWheeler
My Cousin Skinny | E.J. Copperman
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This is actually my nighttime book that I‘m listening to right now, but I didn‘t want to listen to anything on my walk around Charleston because I was with my sister.

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KathyWheeler
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This started out slow to me, but now I‘m getting into it. #audiowalk by the river.