Hi,

Bones earned his name the hard way. He was the runt of the litter and I expect that the owners didn't try and make sure he had feeding opportunities without the rest of the litter. He was so thin all his bones stuck out, even the ridge on his little head. He weighed about 8 oz.when he was 4 months old. The owner gave him to my FiL because he expected him to die. (He's a purebreed) My FiL gave him to us because he didn't want a puppy but he couldn't let him in that place anymore. Bones had bowel problems for about a month and vomited constantly. He shook and couldn't play for long. That was 4 years ago and now he is a typical Jack Russell Terrior. He's a demon but we love him.

Talk to you later,
Carrie

posted by cal8769 at 8:26 am (EST) on Jul 23, 2008

whatever. i love your three dogs. that's what i'm used to. smaller dogs who show their appreciation better than larger ones, i think. believe me, when you have constant pain in the vertical position, the floor is WONDERFUL.

posted by andyray at 9:28 am (EST) on Jul 21, 2008

Answers!

Why can't you join the Early Reviewers you can only 'watch' it?
Early Reviewers is a 'standing group' - like Recommend Site Improvements, or Bug Collectors. These groups you can only watch, not join.

Is there a list of publishers that you have sent letters to to ask them if they would participate in this?
The members who have started sending letters are keeping a list here

Do they have to be smaller publishers or can you (I mean me) send them to bigger companies like Scholastic or Scribner?
They can be big, sure! I'd try to find someone in a marketing or publicity department if you're aiming for a bigger publisher.

Abby

posted by ablachly at 4:45 pm (EST) on Jul 17, 2008

By the way, your little family is adorable!! Where did their names come from?

Carrie

posted by cal8769 at 7:05 pm (EST) on Jul 16, 2008

Everyone at my house thinks I'm nuts for reading anything.

I just finished The Extra Large Medium by Helen Slavin. I liked it. I wasn't too sure about it at first. It's about a lady who sees dead people (the wear chocolate brown clothes) and how her life is changed by what the dead people, and the living for that matter, want from her. I also just finished Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs. I usually love her books but I didn't care for this one. It was too Da Vinci Code-ish. Don't get me wrong, I liked the DaVinci Code but not enough to read a 'copy' of it.

How about you? Anything good?

Carrie

posted by cal8769 at 7:03 pm (EST) on Jul 16, 2008

Hi, beckylynn. Thanks for your comment, the first I've received here that wasn't from one of the staff. The book (Say Goodbye by Lisa Gardner) went fast; I finished it within a day of starting, and posted my review today. In summary, it was fun to read and I liked it. Give it a shot.

Thanks again for your post!

posted by raydulany at 3:40 pm (EST) on Jul 15, 2008

Sorry Becky,
I haven't read that one. I use the library for most of my books so I haven't read any of hers in probably 2 years. (hangs head in shame) My library gets her books in sporadically. I also have a mile high TBR pile that just gets bigger and bigger. I was trying to get caught up and then the library started their summer reading program.... AAAAHHH.
If it's part of a series I would try to read them in order because I hate to read a later book and then read an earlier book. Drives me crazy!

I love your selection of books! Lots that I will add to my never ending list of need to read books.

Carrie

posted by cal8769 at 9:36 am (EST) on Jul 14, 2008

Hi, Sure, ask away. I haven't read any of her books in a little while but I will do my best to help you out.

Carrie

posted by cal8769 at 5:58 pm (EST) on Jul 13, 2008

Hi Becky,

Well, I loved Edgar Sawtelle, but I don't think everyone would. Some people think its way too long. I noticed that you have 3 dogs. Being a dog-lover would certainly increase your enjoyment of the book. I know Stephen King gave it a good plug, but it doesn't really remind me of his books. I suggest you get it from the library or at least pick it up in a bookstore and read a few pages to see if it grabs you. I liked it from the beginning. Also, I bought it on Amazon for 40% off so it wasn't too expensive. Let me know if you read it and what you think. From a fellow Missourian....Donna

posted by Donna828 at 11:45 am (EST) on Jul 13, 2008

I read pretty much everything, but lately it's been a lot of nonfiction. I joined the 888 challenge which pushed me in that direction a bit, but I also started getting interested in finding out more about foreign relations and humanitarian aid, which has led to some fairly interesting reading. I also read a lot of suspense, the classics, and some fantasy (I love Jacqueline Carey). I've been teaching contemporary lit. though, so I've been reading more recent work the last few few years, comparatively. I'll be teaching freshman comp. each fall and a literature class each spring in my new program, but I don't know what lit. yet, so we'll see.

The book My Cat Spit McGee is nonfiction, but it reads like a novel (minus an occasional ten dollar word that I'll at some point have to go back and look up). My fiance's been laughing his way through it, and he's more of a doglover as well, too.

Meanwhile, no worries about the questions! I'd love to know your reading preferences too, though I may disappear for a while (I move Monday, and I'm not sure when I'll have internet set up--I'm sure I'll be in LT withdrawal by the time I do though!).

posted by whitewavedarling at 8:53 am (EST) on Jul 12, 2008

Neither have I. "Deception Point" is one of five books I choose for my July and August reading as I bounce about the country. I suggest having read two of an author's four books might qualify you as an expert. :)

posted by andyray at 6:25 am (EST) on Jul 11, 2008

I've got a BA and MA in English, though as an undergrad it took a few majors for me to figure out the direction :) Now though, I'm completely addicted to teaching and writing--as well as of course reading--so the PhD will be in English as well, focus contemporary.

Next time you're at a bookstore, you might pick up My Cat Spit McGee by Willie Morris. It's the focused memoir of a man who Hated cats but loved dogs...and he reluctantly starts enjoying the company of cats as well. I think any doglover or catlover would enjoy it, and it just might give him a push... And yep, I'm an animal lover too who's often offered pets, but as of right now we've just got a hamster and a cat--I've already told my boyfriend though, if we find homes for the kittens, we're adopting the mother kitty. In any case, if you pick up that book, let me know what ya'll think :) I found myself reading humorous passages outloud to my mom while on vacation, to the point where she borrowed it as soon as I was done; that might be a strategy too...

posted by whitewavedarling at 12:09 am (EST) on Jul 9, 2008

I wish you lived closer! We have three stray kittens on our porch that we've been desperately seeking homes for. We're the opposite though--we've got plans to get a dog in the next couple years when we have more of a yard to allow for one :)

posted by whitewavedarling at 8:16 pm (EST) on Jul 8, 2008

Great picture of your puppies :)

posted by whitewavedarling at 12:04 am (EST) on Jul 8, 2008

Congrats! You got Wizard and Glass in the guessing game. Your turn to post one!

Kami

posted by klarsenmd at 5:08 pm (EST) on Jul 6, 2008

Abby usually sends an email out when the new list is up and I think that the new home pages might show something too. There's usually about two weeks to sign up for the books though, so it's not a first come, first get kind of programme. That's good because it means you don't have to be waiting and watching for the very instant the list pops up. When the request period ends it can take about a week to hear if you have won a book or not. It took me about seven months to decide to sign up, first from not even realising the programme existed and then from being in the UK and the books not being available here.

I'm going to have to check my Dark Tower books now to look at the design on Roland's gun. I think it is a great idea for a tattoo, much more unusual that most people's tattoos. I am thinking about having a couple more stars added with Elisabeth's name, one each for her and Ally. I'm not sure if I explained to you or if you have seen that I have spoken about it in a couple of the groups, but Ally was a stillborn baby born in January 2007 and Elisabeth was premature following a road accident and died very shortly after her birth in December 2007. When I think of them now, I like to picture them as my stars in the sky, so having two more added to the ones I already had seems like the right thing to do. My tattoos are a way of carrying them with me. I like the idea of a full back tattoo but don't think I would have the patience or the nerve to sit for one that was so big. What design are you thinking of having?

posted by Jodyreadseverything at 7:47 am (EST) on Jul 6, 2008

Also, I just saw your Stephen King tattoo. I like it but how does it means Dark Tower 7? I have three tattoos and am going to get my fourth soon. I had two shooting stars with three small stars around them first, then a crescent moon with a tiny sun inside the crescent, then my sons name. Next I will be having my daughters name. I really like yours though.

posted by Jodyreadseverything at 5:22 pm (EST) on Jul 4, 2008

The Early Reviewer group is a lot of fun really. I have requested books six times now and been chosen for two of the six, which seems fair really. It is free and all you have to do in return for your free book is read it quickly and write a review on here. You are also welcome to post it on any other sites you use to review (I think).

It doesn't matter if you give the book a good or a bad review, just so long as you write one. Sometimes the book is an uncorrected proof so not in a proper cover. The two I have been sent have been very good. The programme is good because it is quite exciting waiting for the new list, choosing a book to request, waiting to see if you have won one or not, even before the reading and reviewing.

I had a long wait for my first book, I won it in February and it didn't arrive until late May, but my second book took one week from winning it to receiving it. I would recommend joining the programme, I've enjoyed being a part of it.

posted by Jodyreadseverything at 5:17 pm (EST) on Jul 4, 2008

I'm so glad it worked for you--looks cute! Hopefully we're all resources for each other here. :) Happy reading.

posted by Medellia12 at 8:01 am (EST) on Jul 3, 2008

Thanks for that! Yes, back to good 'ole Greece again. I get withdrawal symptoms if I'm not there at least once a year. The packing etc starts in earnest today so I doubt I'll be around much from now but I'll no doubt be thinking of LT from time to time and missing all the folks here.

I ordered 20th C Ghosts from Waterstones for £15 - more than I would have liked to pay but hey, when it's the King family, I'm willing to make exceptions! That's the cheapest I've found yet.

That's it - I'm off! Will be back in touch once I've unpacked. Bye for now!

posted by Booksloth at 6:25 am (EST) on Jul 3, 2008

Thank you so much! I am in desperate need of broadening my King reading. But my mom owns/has read everything he's ever written so I wanted opinions about his son to see if she'd enjoy it. So thank you!

posted by Hollister5320 at 12:59 am (EST) on Jul 3, 2008

Hey - totally forgiven! Although I love getting these messages there are times when I come on site thinking 'I hope everyone's forgotten me today, then I'll be able to get some housework done.' Not that I wouldn't much rather chat to nice booky people than do the housework any day but, just now and then, I feel I should try and make the place look a bit less like Miss Havisham's boudoir.

We go on holiday at the weekend so I'll be disappearing from the scene for a couple of weeks - don't think it's because you've offended me! I've just been in town to get holiday underwear and 'just happened' to pass Waterstones (our big book chain over here). And those voices 'just happened' to be yelling 'Come and buy me', so I've come home with another four. I'm starting to panic 'cos my TBR pile has now crept over the 1oo mark and I still can't stop buying. I wonder why there are no support groups for this? Unless you count LT which is less of a support group and more of a place to make you feel better 'cos other people are even worse. I know I'm going to have to buy more at the airpost too (well, you do, don't you?) I was immensely cheered up on the way home though, by the sight of the most enormous mastiff in a car just in front of me - hanging his head out of the window and slobbering over every car that dared to pass him! Lovely sight!

You are right about the Anne Rice books - that was the one I gave up on. So bad, compared to the first two, I could hardly believe it was the same writer. I've only just discovered Joe Hill (Stephen King's son) and am about 3/4 of the way through Heart-Shaped Box. I'm absolutely loving that one - a real joy to discover there's someone to take over when the 'old man' decides to quit (though I can't see that happening yet).

posted by Booksloth at 7:48 am (EST) on Jul 1, 2008

I'm really sorry I didn't answer you sooner, but I've been very busy at work!
In the States I've been to New York, Chicago, Atlanta and Miami. Where do you live exactly in Missouri?
Savona, the town where I live, is by the sea but it is also near the Alps, so during the summer I can go to the beach every day and in the winter I can reach a sky resort in less than two hours.

Unfortunately I couldn't find The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon because, probably, I lent it but I can't remember to whom! Anyway I ordered it on Amazon and I can't wait to receive it!

federica

posted by sandburg at 3:20 pm (EST) on Jun 24, 2008

So glad to hear Chili's doing well. I think she's entitled to milk it a bit - she has just had her tummy cut open, after all. Skeelo sends get well soon wishes.

Did I give the impression that I have another dog? I didn't mean to. Skeelo is an only child right now and likely to stay that way I think. I was probably referring to other dogs we've had in the past. Before Skeelo we had three bearded collies (Mum, son and daughter) who were all much adored but I'm thoroughly enjoying being able to focus all my attention on just one dog these days. There are many advantages and disadvantages to either situation but Skeelo has so many other doggy friends he meets on his walks that I don't think he lacks canine company and, unlike when we had the beardies, I am now at home all day with him so he's never on his own.

That book was wonderful. It grieves so many of us over here to know that Blair seems to be considerd a bit of a hero on your side of the pond. After many years of a Conservative (more or less equivalent to your Republican) government, most people were thrilled when Labour (Democrats) were first voted in and we thought he was a pretty good guy then. That lasted for about a month. I think at the time he left office he must have been the most loathed PM we've had for a long time. I won't go into too many details as there isn't enough time in the world but suffice to say the words 'shifty little creep' will almost always lead you to Blair. Unfortunately Brown, his successor, isn't turning out to be any better at the job. Anyway, I started off pretty convinced that Kelly's death was not suicide and am now even more so. The book is by a member of parliament and (as with so many conspiracy theorists) I would be keeping a very sharp eye out these days if I were him. I was absolutely gripped by the whole thing and haven't had much sleep lately for reading into the early hours of the morning. What are you reading right now? And how are you getting on with the Vampire Chronicals? I love Interview - not only a creepy book but, I thought, a very lyrical one too. Then I read Lestat (I think it was Lestat anyway - is that the next one?) but that was the end of it for me. I tried the third one but it seemed as if the magic had just dropped right away. I couldn't get into it at all. Are you doing any better.?

I see you are planning to teach after uni. What sort of age group are you planning to go for? I love the way you say you are reading a lot of YA stuff in preparation for teaching, then go on to say you are partway through the Vampire Chronicles! Personally, I don't think you can start too young on scary books and I had my son reading those and all Stephen King books as soon as he was old enough to understand them, but I can just visualise you scaring the bejeesus out of a reception class with Salem's Lot!

My 'kids' are now somewhat beyond being kids. Ben is now 31 and a technician at the local hospital and Leah is 28 and a self-employed copy editor. They both live nearby now, after several years away from home (Ben working in Liverpool and Leah at Uni, then London) and it is good to know we can pop round and see them whenever we feel like it. Leah lives with her boyfriend Jon and their two cats (Mogwai and Bagheera - aka Moggy and Baggy) and Ben is single (but looking for Mr Right) at the moment.

Are you still living close to your family? You and your boyfriend must have been quite young when you got together. Just goes to prove that when it's right, it's right.

posted by Booksloth at 6:29 am (EST) on Jun 15, 2008

Skeelo sends Chili all best wishes. I'm sure everything will be fine. The problem is usually keeping them quiet while their stitches are in. Lots of good luck to her - tell her she's a very brave girl.

Skeelo is suffering from the heat at the moment. It is considerably cooler here today but the past week or so has been very hot indeed (for us) and I've never had another dog who feels the heat as much as he does so we've had to cut out his afternoon walk, open all the windows and turn on all the fans.

The trip to Athens was just our first time in the capital, by the way. Our first ever time in Greece was a week we spent in Crete after 19 years of not going abroad while the children were growing up (just couldn't afford it). We stepped off the plane and it felt like coming home. If I believed in reincarnation, I'd be convinced I had been a Minoan in another life!

I do so hope you make it over there some day. Do you have a date for that honeymoon (or haven't you asked him yet?) I think you need to make it very clear that you wouldn't dream of marrying someone who wouldn't grant such a lifetime wish!

The book I'm reading at the moment is a non-fiction one and it has got me completely gripped. It is called The Strange Death of David Kelly by Norman Baker MP. Please excuse the little lecture here on political history but I'm never quite sure whether any of our news makes it as far as the US. At the time when our 'beloved' PM Tony Blair was sliming his way around your President and trying to put up a good argument for slaughtering thousands of innocent Iraqis (not to mention countless American and British soldiers), he produced a document stating that Saddam had weapons that could be deployed within 45 minutes, and he hinted very strongly that the ones that weren't aimed at the US were aimed at the UK. This was the document that swayed everyone who was going to be swayed and convinced many people that war with Iraq was vital (though the majority of us were still very much against it). It was Doctor David Kelly , a top weapons inspector and a man of great integrity, who challenged this idea and accused Blair of having 'sexed up' the document to make things look much worse than they really were. At the height of all this controversy Doctor Kelly's body was found in woodland near his home, apparently having committed suicide. The circumstances were highly suspicious to say the least and many of us remain convinced that Kelly was 'removed'. The book produces a great deal of evidence to support this view. I'm loving every minute of it.

A couple of other goodies in the past few days have been Helpless, by Barbara Gowdy and The Reluctant Fundamentalist (Mohsin Hamid). If I were you I'd ditch that Koontz one. Life is too short to waste it reading rubbish. Just think of all the good stuff you could be reading. For many years I would never have dreamt of starting a book then not finishing it but I've finally come round to the conclusion that not every book deserves to be finished. 50 pages usually does it for me nowadays and looking back on the books I have read this year I see that I generally abandon about one a month. The occasional few I keep to try again another time as it's sometimes just that I'm not in the right mood, but most of them go straight in the charity bag.

posted by Booksloth at 7:42 am (EST) on Jun 12, 2008

Hi Becky!
You surely didn't turn me off, I like science fiction too!
But i think I'll take your advice and read The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. Actually I bought this book a few years ago but I left it on my bookshelf. (There is always a pile of books on my nightstand that I want to read...I wish I was a faster reader!).

I live in Savona, a small town by the sea near Genoa (Cristoforo Columbus' birthplace), in the North-West of Italy. I've never been in Greece, but I've been in the United Sates a few times. Never in Missouri though. I imagine it as a beautiful State with a lot of lakes, parks and hugh forests.

federica

posted by sandburg at 3:01 pm (EST) on Jun 6, 2008

thank you so much for your gracious and welcome thanks. you are most welcome.

posted by andyray at 9:31 pm (EST) on Jun 4, 2008

Yes, I bet you're right about the cost of getting there. We are so fortunate to have Europe on our doorstep. Italy is lovely too.

The great thing about Greece, as far as ruins are concerned, is that you can barely move for tripping over another lot. Everybody knows about the famous places like the Acropolis and Knossos, but what a lot of people don't realise is that there is barely an island or chunk of masinland that doesn't have something of interest and most of them are not only free to enter but they are completely un-commercialised. Beautiful old ruined towns that, in England or America would have been turned into tourist traps or theme parks with souvenir shops and a MacDonalds' are just . . . there. You can wander in and prowl around for hours and rarely even see another person. As mentioned above, the Acropolis and Knossos draw the crowds and do charge an entry fee but it's not much and they are well worth it.

Several years ago we went to Athens. Our plan was to spend a couple of days there and then tour around through Delphi (more ruins) and the northern Peloponnese. We had booked a couple of nights in the cheapest hotel we could find, knowing that it is very rare in Greece for a hotel to be dirty or unpleasant, and we figured we didn't need anything that special just for two nights. We got a taxi from the airport and started driving through the windy back streets. When you are in Athens it is hard to ignore the Acropolis as it can be seen from most parts of the city and draws the eye constantly. Eventually our taxi drove into a little square, more or less opposite the ruins and, because we had paid next to nothing, we clambered out expecting our hotel to be tucked away down a side street. It wasn't. It was right on the square. We then decided that our room must be round the back overlooking the bins.

Anyway, we went in and were shown upstairs. The lift upstairs was terrifying - a bit like a cupboard on a string. When we got to our room everything was dark as the shutters are always kept closed in the daytime because of the heat. I went over and opened them and stepped out, to my amazement, onto a little balcny that looked right out over the blossom-filled square below, straight at one of the most famous landmarks in the world. It was absolutely stunning and I don't think I'll forget it as long as I live.

What kind of projects have you managed to centre around Greece? That sounds very crafty of you indeed!

Don't worry about how much you read for Book of the Month. I usually do well just because I have lots of time for reading, others manage varyng numbers. One person last month only read one book - all of that is fine.

posted by Booksloth at 10:47 am (EST) on Jun 4, 2008

One of the problems as readers we have with each other is that we all have a separate reality. I have a housemate that cannot stand Ernest Hemingway, but I love his writing. Thus to "Strangers." Look at my review of it on my LT library page and it will probably be truer than what I'm about to say, to-wit: This is one of the few books DK has tried for the epic approach. l Each one of the characters herein starts from a different POV or place of time, but all come together in the end of the story. I'd keep going, Becky, but this is a intimate, intricate judgement. I find if I haven't been rewarded by a book at a third of the way through, I quit it and put it in my "rejection" lists to come back to later. On that list now are some "important" and well-liked titles, such as "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" by Ken Kesey. I simply think Jackson is a poor writer, and the movie ruined Kesey's usage of the Indian's POV in the book. I was all ready (expecting) to have the story from McMurphy's POV and the first chapter threw me. Final statement: I'd lay DK's "Strangers" down and come back toit later, because you can not fight your own feelings. It's that simple.

posted by andyray at 9:39 am (EST) on Jun 4, 2008

Hi Becky!

Besides Bag of Bones I read It (my second favorite!), Dolores Claiborne, Gerald's Game and Pet Sematary.
I know nothing about The Dark Tower series, what do you think, should I read it?
Thanks

Federica

posted by sandburg at 7:47 am (EST) on Jun 4, 2008

Oh, also I saw your comment to Booksloth about reading Strangers by Dean Koontz. It's possibly the best book he ever wrote (in my opinion) and I love it. I had no idea about what was going on either and raced through it. I don't know how many times I have reread it since then (lots) but it never gets boring, I love it every time I read it.

And it might be fun to read all the childrens books. I still buy a lot of them for me to read and the standard just gets higher all the time. I just bought The Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale recently because I misleading review made me think it was for adults. I was disappointed when it arrived in the post and I realised it was for children but on reading it, it was very, very good, so I was glad that I ordered it even thought it wasn't what I expected.

posted by Jodyreadseverything at 6:58 am (EST) on Jun 4, 2008

He is wonderful (mostly/sometimes) but he is absolutely not a book hound. He reads instuctions on how to take apart engines and things to do with radio waves but not really much else at all. But he knows that I love my books and he likes to make me happy, which is really all anyone can ask for in a man. I would like to be able to talk books with him but I am not sure I would like to share books (or precious shelf space) with him, so this works well really. I know exactly what you mean about keeping books for 'reference' and being proved a nerd. I can often be heard to say something along the lines of "I don't know why it's true I just read it somewhere. Right, get me the eleventh book along on the third shelf down on the second bookcase in the spare room and I'll prove it."

There really aren't any poorly written Stephen King characters that I can think of offhand, he always seems to get them spot on for me. Randall Flagg was a terrible villain in The Stand and also in The Eyes of the Dragon and the Dark Tower series but I still liked him. He had charm or the X factor or something that made him bad but good. But Patrick Hocksetter and Greg Stilson, evil through and through with not one likable feature between them. I guess I can forgive anything in a character except cruelty to a dog. If it turns out now that Randall Flagg harmed one I will feel very betrayed by him. Gordy Verril - why can I not remember which book he was in? Was he the boy in The Body?

Three dogs must be a lot of fun. I just have one, my scottie called Scottie, and she is a handful all on her own. I imagine that three dogs exercise each other.

The lemur was a big surprize. I was wearing green boots because of the wet weather and the keepers at the zoo also wear them. The lemur is just a baby (called Ruby) and she must have thought I was coming to feed her. She sat on my boot and when I leaned over to look at her she used my hair to swing herself onto my arm and then my shoulder. She sat there and groomed me very carefully but (thankfully) didn't find anything to eat in my hair, so she got down again.

posted by Jodyreadseverything at 6:53 am (EST) on Jun 4, 2008

I think you mean Randel Flagg from the Stand. He's the demon-like one and yes he is a villain but I love him. He's one to get fond of rather than one to hate forever.

Thank you for adding me to your interesting libraries list too. It's just had a very expensive boost to it, I travelled to Portsmouth at the weekend and took full advantage of being in a town 250 miles away to browse the local bookshops - then on the drive back home I made my poor husband detour to Oxford so I could look for secondhand Virago Modern Classics (I knew Oxford wouldn't let me down). Then when we got home my early reviewer book and four books I had ordered from the internet had arrived.

When I popped in to leave this I saw the message that started "Ah, Greece" and I knew it would be Booksloth even before I got to the bit that mentioned her dog. I love the picture of your dogs too, they look like trouble (but fun trouble).

posted by Jodyreadseverything at 1:08 pm (EST) on Jun 3, 2008

Ah, Greece! I don't mean to be a pain, but I could bleat on about it forever. Next to my dog and my family it is the love of my life. I do so hope you manage to get there sometime. We've so far been to Crete, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Athens to Delphi and that area generally and most of the Peloponnese. All are gorgeous but it's mainly Crete and the Peloponnese that keep calling us back. We plan to go back to Athens again sometime too as we both loved it but it really does have to be an out of season visit. As neither of us is prepared to give up our main summer holiday, it has to wait until one of those years when we can afford two holidays. A truly beautiful country with some of the friendliest people I have ever met. Good luck for that honeymoon!

I love your doggy stories. There's nothing quite like being in at the birth, is there? Of the thrre beardies we used to have, one was mum and the other two were her babies. We 'delivered' them both ourselves (well, to be honest, she did most of the work) and it was the most wonderful experience.

Poor darling Tizzy. I suppose I should be used to it by now but I never cease to marvel and be horrified by the way people treat blameless animals. Let's face it, nobody is forced to own a dog. Why they would choose to have them and then do these things to them is something I will never understand. Thank god you were around to take her on.

Yes, you're right - most of the hard work had been done with Skeelo - most importantly his lead work. There were a few things we had to chage - eg. being a show dog, he'd been taught not to sit. That took a few rugby tackles from my husband, backed up with bikkies, and he still doesn't do that lovely neat, obedience-class sit but sprawls around like some kind of lounge lizard. The truth is, though, that he is so anxious to please that he more or less trains himself - bless him.

Currently reading - I'm being a bit naughty at the moment as I should be reading my ER book The Collector of Worlds but I can't seem to get into it at all, so I've abandoned it for the moment and gone on to a nice light read - Dandelion Soup, by Babs Horton, who is actually a local writer living in the same town as me, though I didn't discover that until I'd read a couple of her books. She writes very much in the style of Joanne Harris (Chocolat etc) and is a good antidote to some of the weightier things I've read lately.

If you can be bothered to keep a note of everything you read, you should come and join us in the Book of the Month Club (see Groups) where we list all our reads for the past month and recommend our favourites. At the end of the year we're going to have a massive vote on what we've enjoyed most in the past year. We have people with all kind of tastes so come over and have a browse sometime.

posted by Booksloth at 7:04 am (EST) on Jun 3, 2008

Hi beckylynn!

I just read your comment about Photobucket. An account is free and entitles you to 1GB of storage. You can increase your storage by upgrading to a paid account; however I have been using it for about a year, currently have 207 photos, and am using only 24MB. Photobucket recently introduced some nice photo-editing features that I use often. Flickr is another photo-sharing site that's also free. I haven't looked into it ... but you could probably create a free account on each and see which you like best. Good luck!

Laura

posted by lindsacl at 8:07 pm (EST) on May 31, 2008

Hey there. To answer your questions, I worked for two animal shelters in Washington DC for a total of about seven years. The bulk of my time was spent at the Washington Humane Society, the organization that handles cruelty investigations for the city. After I left there, I moved to the Washington Animal Rescue League, a private shelter that did did a lot of outreach through a program where they went all over the country to overpopulated shelters and brought animals back to DC.

I stopped working there about two years ago for financial reasons; I couldn't survive on the non profit salary anymore. But I miss it every single day.

posted by bibliophool at 3:35 pm (EST) on May 31, 2008

Re our health service, it's what they call 'free at the point of provision', which means nobody will come up to you while you're lying on a stretcher and demand either your money or your insurance details. Instead, you pay into the scheme compulsorily all your working life. On the whole, that's a good thing as it means nobody gets turned away when they need emergency treatment, and once you get into a hospital the treatment you get (if you're lucky enough not to catch a 'superbug') is second to none. Unfortunately, it also means that chronic conditions tend to get sidelined. Anyway, I had to take my car to the garage for minor repairs this morning, which meant a long, painful climb back on foot up a very steep hill, so I was in a foul mood by the time I got home - hence the long rant; sorry about that.

You're dead right about Skeelo. He IS a teddy bear and so gorgeous it still takes my breath away. I absolutely love him to bits. The name is Greek for 'dog'. We have been going to Greece for our holidays every year for around 15 years now and are crazy about the country, the people and all things Greek so it was more or less inevitable he would end up with something like that. He was brought on for showing by his breeders and doing quite well by my standards (which is to say he had a handful of firsts and some seconds and thirds thrown in) but they were the kind of owners whose walls are covered with red ribbons and who consider second place to be a disappointment, Lucky for us really, because they decided to sell him when he was 14 months old and we were lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. We'd been dogless for about 18 months at the time, still getting over the death of another very special dog. Neither of us believed we could ever love another dog half as much: Skeelo proved us wrong. He's now coming up to his 6th birthday and is the centre of my life. (Incidentally, he's not a child-subtitute, as many people think - we have two grown-up children. He just counts as the third!)

I'd love to hear all about your babies too - there's never been a dog story that I didn't love.

posted by Booksloth at 2:45 pm (EST) on May 31, 2008

There are a few hints on my profile page about things you can do to liven your page up.

posted by Noisy at 7:34 am (EST) on May 31, 2008

I'm over in England - the south-west, which is the bit renowned for pasties, cream teas, thatched cottages etc. though, as always, the truth is some way from the fantasy.

No, I still haven't got as far as surgery, though it's a possibility in the future. The wonderful National Health Service we have over here is more about saving money (usually to spend on doing up the consultants' offices) than about making people better. If you actually want to get anything done you have to beg and threaten for years until someone takes pity on you. It took me three years of pleading and another year on the waiting list just to get my first MRI scan. I've been unable to work for around eight years now and would not be able to walk at all were it not for a wonderful osteopath (private) who keeps me more or less mobile. Anyway - enough of that.

Your dogs are gorgeous - I love the new photo. I really must get round to putting one of Skeelo on my profile page, but I've really grown quite fond of that tapir.

It's interesting that you compare Lisey's Story to some of my least favourite King books. By the way, when I say 'least favourite' I mean by his usual standards. I consider a bad book by King to be on a level with a good book by almost anyone else. I still love his work. I think that's why I'm so upset to have 'failed' at that particular one. I'm going to crack it one day. I can only assume I must have been in a peculiar mood at the time. Looking forward to Duma Key though.

posted by Booksloth at 7:01 am (EST) on May 31, 2008

Hi Friend! It's nice when people want to be your friend on this thing, isn't it? I'm always really flattered to be asked. One thing we definitely have in common is Stephen King. I actually remember reading a review of Carrie when it was first published. I dashed out and bought it and haven't looked back since. I do generally prefer his earlier stuff (faves are The Dead Zone and The Stand) but some of his later ones still do it for me when I least expect it - eg Hearts in Atlantis = soooooo great!

I'm a bit behind everyone else as I have a back injury which means I do most of my reading lying down and find it very hard to cope with heavy hardbacks, so I have finally given up trying and wait for the paperback these days. That's why I haven't got round to Duma Key yet.

My only failure (and it really bugs me) is Lisey's Story, which I tried to read on holiday (usually the ideal situation for a King book) and couldn't get into at all. I never dreamt I would ever abandon one of his books and I don't know what went wrong. Jody assures me that I will get there in the end though, so it's back on my TBR pile to try again.

I definitely love your Boo - lab x boxer! What a fantastic combination! Is the other one in the pic Tizzy or Chilli? And what make is your third one? We are down from 3 to 1 dog right now (Skeelo - hope you managed to find his pics) but we used to have 3 bearded collies so I do know all the fun of the multi-dog household!

posted by Booksloth at 5:40 am (EST) on May 29, 2008

Can't believe I only just noticed your two darlin's at the top of the page. Gorgeous, gorgeous! Having one of my own I have a very soft spot for black labs especially (I can't tell from the photo if yours is a young, crossed or complete lab but who cares? He/she is still gorgeous!

posted by Booksloth at 6:01 am (EST) on May 28, 2008

I'm crazy about Oy. I spent an awful lot of time as I read those books, getting very nervous about what was going to happen to him. I always imagined him to be a lot like my baby (see LTers With Dogs - 'pictures of our dogs' original thread, nos. 75/76) They don't have to be real dogs, you're right - one of my favourite all-time characters is Wolf, from The Talisman - even just a slight resemblance to dogs does it for me. (But then I was the little girl who always cried at the end of Beauty and The Beast when the lovely cuddly beast turned into a nasty, boring prince, so you can see I'm probably not entirely normal!)

posted by Booksloth at 5:58 am (EST) on May 28, 2008

Hi Becky,

Thanks for the compliments. The pictures on my profile are posted using an using HTML code. I'm not an expert, but I'll give try to give you an explanation:

The command I use to post pictures is below, but replace these "()" with carrots. (If I can post it correctly, carrots are these "< or > ")

Command:
(img style="border:1px solid black; height:140px;" src="http://some_image_location.jpg"/)

The image must already exist on a webpage. To find the image location, if you use Firefox, a right click on the picture offers "Copy image location". Select this and paste into your command (in place of "some_image_location.jpb). If the picture is a link, then right-click, choose properties, and then copy the location.

Hope that helps.

Cheers,
d

posted by dchaikin at 10:42 pm (EST) on May 27, 2008

Hi there. Hope you don't mind me butting in on your conversations. I was just writing to Jodyreadseverything and I saw your comment about Stephen King and his dog scenes. You are so right. Every time a dog appears in his books I start getting nervous. I think that's probably one reason I so love The Stand as Kojak (aka Big Steve) not only survives but is quite a hero with his own major strand in the story. I haven't read Duma Key yet and I'm now scared to start because of what you said to Jody about it. At least I think I'll know where to start skimming now!

posted by Booksloth at 5:42 pm (EST) on May 26, 2008

Hi, I'd forgotten about that comment I made, but it's true, I hate the bits where something bad happens to the dog (and if he writes about a dog something bad nearly always does happen to it.)

I've just been talking on the Meanest Character In Literature Thread and we have Greg Stilson from The Dead Zone and Patrick Hocksetter from IT both on their for their cruelty to dogs in the stories.

I am a big fan of his and think that he is possibly the most commanding storyteller I have come across. I'm also liking how his son Joe Hill is shaping up as a very good author in his own right.

I have read Duma Key and I did enjoy it, it put me in mind of Lisey's Story in it's style and strangeness. I don't think it is a book that every SK fan will love or even like right away but I think it is one of his books that will sneak up on you as you re-read it and if you didn't like it at first then soon you will.

posted by Jodyreadseverything at 5:22 pm (EST) on May 26, 2008

Hi Becky,
If you like Anne Rice you should read her Mayfair witch chronicles. I really enjoyed them. I just finished reading Twilight, the first book in Stepanie Meyers vampire series. It was a fair read, if you like teen vampire love stories. I think there are four books in the series. Did you start KingRocks? I am sending this from my Iphone and it doesnt support all programs so I can't check it out until this evening. Thanks for contacting me. I just joined this site a few days ago. Happy Reading!

posted by budrfly9 at 11:02 am (EST) on Mar 24, 2008

Hello Becky,

Thank you for having an interest in my book. There are currently 2 stores in CT that holds my book. However, there are 3 places on the internet that sell it.
1. http://www.lulu.com/content/1932132
2. www.plu-artist.com (Site is being upgraded)
3. Amazon
I hope you enjoy it. Stay in touch:)

MP

posted by SWIVALLER at 12:45 pm (EST) on Mar 22, 2008

Hi Becky, just saying hello as I am now the second member of the King Rocks group which I guess you started, since you are the first member.

Hope to have some good talks and also hope a few more people join the group. Take care, Jody

posted by Jodyreadseverything at 9:08 pm (EST) on Jan 21, 2008

Hi Becky,

I noticed you were from Mid-Missouri and thought I'd ask if you are a writer as well as a reader? We have an active writer's group in Jefferson City and I'd like to invite you to join. If you are interested, you can check out our Meetup page here:

http://writers.meetup.com/825/

Welcome to LT!

posted by dgbryant at 3:38 pm (EST) on Jan 10, 2008