Random books from brenzi's library

The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan

The Bean Trees: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver

Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan

Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi J.D.

My Sister's Keeper: A Novel by Jodi Picoult

White Noise (Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century) by Don DeLillo

The Good Earth (Enriched Classics) by Pearl S. Buck

Members with brenzi's books

Member connections

Friends: Griff, msf59, nodressrehersal, womansheart

Interesting libraries: amanaceerdh, barb302, bonniebooks, cabegley, coppers, Donna828, emaestra, Griff, hcpv7, jhowell, jmjchria, lindsacl, Liza_K, Louanne, mpmills, mrstreme, msf59, nannybebette, nodressrehersal, nsande, starfishian, teelgee, Whisper1, womansheart, writestuff, yourotherleft

LibraryThing authors: Colum McCann (ColumMcCann), David Ebershoff (Debershoff), Hannah Tinti (HannahTinti), Jamie Ford (JamieFord), Luis Alberto Urrea (LuisAlbertoUrrea), Tatiana de Rosnay (TatianaDerosnay), Adriana Trigiani (bigcherryholler), Cathy Marie Buchanan (cathymbuchanan), Dan Chaon (danchaon), David Mitchell (davidmitchell), Lisa See (lisasee), Richard Price (rixsal), Hillary Jordan (scribblegirl)

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brenzi's reviews

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Member: brenzi

CollectionsYour library (507), To read (54), Favorites (29), Currently reading (1), All collections (507)

Reviews60 reviews

Tagsfiction (139), TBR (97), literary fiction (57), historical fiction (44), Book Lover (30), mystery (24), murder (24), WWII (17), humor (16), Great Britain (16) — see all tags

Cloudstag cloud, author cloud

Groups50 Book Challenge, 50-Something Library Thingers, 75 Books Challenge for 2009, Historical Fiction, Literary Snobs, Reading Globally, The Prizes, What Are You Reading Now?

Favorite authorsAndrea Barrett, Benjamin Black, Amy Bloom, William Boyd, David Sedaris, Louise Erdrich, Khaled Hosseini, Wayne Johnston, Richard Russo, Marianne Wiggins (Shared favorites)

About meI am an elementary school principal looking forward to retirement sometime in the next few years so that I can have much more time to read. Previously, I was a teacher and encouraged my students to love reading. There's nothing quite as fulfilling as seeing a child wrapped up in a good book and transformed to another world/time/galaxy.

About my libraryMy favorite genre is historical fiction, especially Andrea Barrett, Andrea Levy, Isabel Allende, Geraldine Brooks, William Boyd and Marianne Wiggins. Other favorite authors include Richard Russo, Barbara Kingsolver, Khaled Husseini, Amy Bloom, Ian McEwan, Louise Erdrich, Marilynne Robinson, David Sedaris, Wayne Johnston, Elizabeth Strout and Benjamin Black, Vladimir Nabokov and Kate Grenville.

A good book should leave you... slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading it. ~William Styron, interview, Writers at Work, 1958

Up Next:

Pale Fire - Vladimir Nabokov
Sea of Poppies - Amitav Ghosh

Favorite books of 2009

1. A Thread of Grace - Mary Doria Russell
2. The Colony of Unrequited Dreams - Wayne Johnston
3. The Help - Kathryn Stockett
4. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - Steig Larsson
5. Elegance of the Hedgehog - Muriel Barbery
6. The Plague of Doves - Louise Erdrich
7. Small Island - Andrea Levy
8. Shadow Country - Peter Matthiessen
9. The Idea of Perfection - Kate Grenville
10. The Girl Who Played With Fire - Stieg Larsson
11.The Deptford Trilogy - Robertson Davies
12.Zeitoun by Dave Eggers
13. The Cellist of Sarajevo - Steven Galloway
14. The Lacuna - Barbara Kingsolver

My 50 Book Challenge for 2009 can be found here
http://www.librarything.com/topic/64576&...

My 75 Book Challenge can be found here http://www.librarything.com/topic/75210

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.Book Snob Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm Literate Good Citizen Non-Reader Fad Reader What Kind of Reader Are You?Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

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Membership LibraryThing Early Reviewers/Member Giveaway

Real nameBonnie

LocationBuffalo, NY

Emailbonnie.renziyahoo.com

Account typepublic, lifetime

Connection NewsConnection News

URLs http://www.librarything.com/profile/brenzi (profile)
http://www.librarything.com/catalog/brenzi (library)

Common KnowledgeSeries (48), Awards (332), Characters (2566), Places (561)

Member sinceFeb 21, 2009

Currently readingWolf Hall: A Novel by Hilary Mantel

Most recent activity

brenzi added:
Chowringhee by Sankar

brenzi rated:
Lark and Termite by Jayne Anne Phillips

brenzi reviewed, rated:
The Lacuna: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver

(read review)

brenzi added:
Stitches: A Memoir by David Small

brenzi added:
Blame: A Novel by Michelle Huneven

brenzi added:
The Liars' Club: A Memoir by Mary Karr

It truly is the thought that counts!

Thanks for thinking of me!

posted by Whisper1 at 3:37 pm (EST) on Nov 10, 2009

Hi Bonnie - I'm so sorry to see that 84, Charing didn't appeal to you. Oh well - at least it was short! :) We certainly did agree on Cellist and Housekeeper though! Have a great night - Joanne

posted by coppers at 10:30 pm (EST) on Nov 9, 2009

Thanks, Bonnie! You'll like Cellist of Sarajevo. I finally found [Small Island] again. I've really enjoyed it so far, but didn't get that far into it before misplacing it. Today is a much better day for reading it anyway. B.

posted by bonniebooks at 11:44 am (EST) on Oct 31, 2009

You are most welcome. It sounds like such a powerful book and one that will leave you thinking long after you have out it away.

Happy reading!!

posted by TrishNYC at 10:30 pm (EST) on Oct 30, 2009

Wow Bonnie, another HOT REVIEW!~!~! This time for "Black Swan Green". Way to go and good on you!~! You are just a "hottie"!
I am going to have to read this one. I have heard too many wonderful things about this book.
Again, congrats my friend!~!
luv n hugs,
belva

posted by nannybebette at 12:25 am (EST) on Oct 28, 2009

Hi - thanks for the reply. The group is really a subspecialty topic so it will likely stay quite a quiet one.

Thanks re the photo - Italy is a wonderful place to travel and the Amalfi Coast is just to die for!!

I did read The Tennis Partner a few months ago - I was interested because of the subject matter - Doctors, friendship, etc. I did enjoy it - he has a nice writing style.

Hope you are enjoying LT!

Cheers,

Karen

posted by kiwidoc at 2:13 pm (EST) on Oct 26, 2009

Bonnie;
I am flattered that you added me to your interesting libraries. It always makes me feel good when some cares to take a look at my books. I think I shall do the same with yours, thank you very much.
Will see you on the threads my dear.
hugs,
belva

posted by nannybebette at 2:29 pm (EST) on Oct 20, 2009

Hi Bonnie;
You share a name with my baby sister. She was blond also. (just an aside)

I wanted to pop over and congratulate you for your HOT REVIEW of "Still Alice"!~! Makes me want to read the book so I would say you did very well!
I love you profile pic. It speaks of you and that is something very nice to see.
I wish you a happy day and again congratulations!~!
hugs,
belva

posted by nannybebette at 12:07 pm (EST) on Oct 20, 2009

Stopping by to say Hi! I keep seeing your name pop up, so I thought I'd come check out your library. I have only read one (A Thread of Grace) of your top books for 2009, and I loved that one, so I'll have to look at your other faves. I look forward to seeing more of you.

Happy reading!

posted by Berly at 1:23 am (EST) on Oct 20, 2009

Brenda

You might want to cut and paste your information to the 75 challenge group for 2009. Someone just pointed out that you joined the 75 challenge group for 2008.

Thanks....

I'm so looking forward to reading your posts.

posted by Whisper1 at 8:55 am (EST) on Oct 17, 2009

Brenzi

Regarding our 75 challenge group, truly, no one will chastise you if you don't reach the goal. It would be wonderful to have you with us!

posted by Whisper1 at 8:13 pm (EST) on Oct 16, 2009

In my opinion, 1 Dead In Attic is the best book I read regarding Katrina.

posted by Whisper1 at 10:36 am (EST) on Oct 14, 2009

I enjoyed your review of Zeitoun. Like you, I've read a lot about New Orleans and Katrina. This book was a wonderful addition to that list.

posted by Whisper1 at 8:49 am (EST) on Oct 14, 2009

Hi There Bonnie

I'm simply stopping by to congratulate you on your excellent "hot" review, listed on today's home page.

posted by Whisper1 at 7:00 pm (EST) on Oct 6, 2009

Hi Bonnie- I saw that you added "Every Man Dies Alone" and had to send you a message. This is a great book! It is battling it out for the top spot of the year, against "Olive Kitteridge" and "Lark & Termite". It may have been written 60 years ago but it packs a wallop! I also saw "Voyage of the Narwhal", as a favorite choice from last year. I loved that book. I just received "The Air We Breathe", the other day and snagged "Ship Fever", a few weeks ago. I need to fit these in somewhere! Friend, I could go on forever with our common interests! Take care!
Mark

posted by msf59 at 7:43 pm (EST) on Oct 5, 2009

Bonnie:

I hope that you enjoy The Earth Hums in B Flat.

I would be interested in what you experience as you read it. I believe the author really captured the feelings that a young person experiences very well.

With love,

Ruth

posted by womansheart at 5:30 pm (EST) on Sep 27, 2009

Hi
Congratulations on your hot review found on today's LT home page!

Linda

posted by Whisper1 at 8:57 pm (EST) on Sep 24, 2009

Ok, so I started clicking into all the libraries of the local LibraryThing members who had at least 100 books logged, and then looked at how many shared books we had. I then compiled a list of just over a dozen who shared anywhere from 8 to 31 books with me. I have no idea what exactly we'd do in a WNY group on LibraryThing, but it seems that it might be something worth establishing and then figure out what to do with ourselves from there. I sent this same message to Griff.

We'd need a group name and description.
Options for group parameters with my choices in ()
(Local) or not local?
Who can view? (members only) or everyone
Who can join? (special people) or anyone
Include group discussion forum? (yes) or no
Who can post to the forum? (members only) or anyone

posted by nodressrehersal at 8:52 am (EST) on Sep 23, 2009

I had a few glitches, but I think I got them worked out. The system didn't recognize "Western NY" as a place, so I changed it to "Williamsville, NY" and that worked, although it seems to keep reverting. I'll play with it tomorrow.

So. I clicked on a few people with a kazillion books in their libraries and got "you have no books in common" which was a bit unsettling, and then there were quite a few with less than ten books listed, so I don't know... this is all very new territory for me.

posted by nodressrehersal at 8:06 pm (EST) on Sep 22, 2009

Hi.

Thanks for your message left on my home page. I see that you and I do have a lot of books in common. I look forward to checking your thread and learning more about the books you read.

Linda

posted by Whisper1 at 8:41 pm (EST) on Sep 21, 2009

How about these options?

1. Go to http://www.librarything.com/local and click "Local Members."
2. You can start a new group for where you live, perhaps starting by inviting local members from 1.

Best,
Tim

posted by timspalding at 12:37 pm (EST) on Sep 21, 2009

Bonnie, did you see Cathy Buchanan? I ended up seeing her at Talking leaves on Main Street Wednesday evening - as I had a conflict with the B&N appearance because of a Thursday evening dinner meeting. I thoroughly enjoyed her presentation and demeanor.

I saw your note to nodressrehersal - and the comment about is there a group for WNY Library Thing members. One of the more frustrating things about LibraryThing is the messaging feature. I don't believe there is a way to send a note to You and nodresrehersal at the same time, same note, single copy. It would be interesting to have a bit of a WNY reading circle through LibraryThing. I'll also send this portion of the message to nodressrehersal.

Griff

posted by Griff at 1:38 pm (EST) on Sep 20, 2009

Boy, months and months of silence in LibraryThing and then bam - two fun comments, and from local folks to boot! Thanks for noodling around.

So, I've never done the "interesting library" thing. Apparently that's different than adding someone as a LibraryThing friend, so I have a two-part question:
1) How do you find interesting libraries? and
2) How do you add them?

Ok, right now you can color me curious with an overshadowing of lazy, but I'm thinking you can save me some exploration time since you just did this.

posted by nodressrehersal at 10:50 am (EST) on Sep 17, 2009

Hi Bonnie: This is only my second visit to LT so I am only beginning to learn my way around it. My list of books only includes the books that I remember as particularly liking, as far as I could remember at the moment I was compiling the list. I am sure that there are many, many more. Anyway, I noticed that 31 of my 48 were on your list and that is how I reached this point. So it seems that our tastes coincide to a certain extent. If you haven't read Still Alice by Genova, consider it. It's about early Alzheimer's onset for a Harvard psych professor and it's riveting, scary (I'm a senior), and perhaps you'd like it. Have a great day and read.

posted by hcpv7 at 10:21 am (EST) on Sep 7, 2009

Hi,
Yes, we have read a lot of the same books. Thanks for the message and adding me to your interesting libraries. I'm hoping to read The Secret River soon.

posted by mpmills at 8:09 am (EST) on Sep 7, 2009

P.S. We share a lot of favourite authors!

posted by cathymbuchanan at 9:25 am (EST) on Sep 3, 2009

Hello,

I read yout review on your blog and decided to track you down here.

Thank you for posting your lovely review. I do like hearing about local people reading The Day the Falls Stood Still.

I am making a couple of appearances in Buffalo and Brocton if you are interested. I will be giving a talk about the writing life and some of the history behind The Day the Falls Stood Still. More here: http://cathymariebuchanan.com/2009/08/ev...

Thanks again,
Cathy

posted by cathymbuchanan at 9:24 am (EST) on Sep 3, 2009

Hi Bonnie- How are you? Thanks for the message! Isn't LT great?? To find so many people that share the same books, it's incredible. Yes, we have been reading very similar books and most of them are excellent. I have "The Colony of Unrequited Dreams", "The Help", "The Plague of Doves" and "Day the Falls Stood Still", all wishlisted. I've heard good things about "Mudbound" also. I'm going to stop by and star your challenge and you can find mine on the 50 Book Challenge. It's called Mark's 50 Book Challenge. (pretty creative, right?). See you on the threads!
Mark

posted by msf59 at 9:59 pm (EST) on Sep 1, 2009

Noticed you liked The Glass Castle, and I was wondering if you'd be interested in reviewing my new novel and posting your comments here as well as a few other book-related sites. Thought you might like my book since it's also about a dysfunctional family (and also a bit dark). I could e-mail you the novel in an e-book format if you'd like (I'm out of physical copies at the moment). Let me know if you're interested. Here's a link to a summary in case you're interested:

http://christophertusa.com/

Thanks,

Chris

posted by cmtusa at 11:09 am (EST) on Aug 31, 2009

Being in Canada I never get a satisfactory shot at the Early Reviewers' list. So many books aren't available to mail here. But I think this is abook I may like, so I'll be looking for a copy. I need to get better at reviewing books again, so I will defintiely share my ideas if I can land a copy somewhere.

Nice to chat with you - see you around the site!

S.

posted by starfishian at 9:37 pm (EST) on Aug 20, 2009

Hi Brenzi,

I just stumbled over your library - we have a lot of books in common, and we seem to have pretty similar opinions of them, too. Just wanted to say hi, and that I've added you to my interesting libraries.

starfishian

posted by starfishian at 8:54 pm (EST) on Aug 20, 2009

Just noticed that I made your interesting libraries list. I find your library quite interesting, too! =D Looks like we have a bunch of books in common and a lot of the ones that we don't I wish that we did. (Don't mind me while I ogle and covet your bookshelf for a few minutes). Not only that, but we seem to *really* like a lot of the same books from what I can tell (like Small Island and Water for Elephants and Lonesome Dove - some of my favorites!), so if you've ever got a book you're dying to recommend to somebody, do stop by my shelf and let me know! I'm sure I'd appreciate it! =)

posted by yourotherleft at 10:17 am (EST) on Aug 15, 2009

i dont know if i can say atlas was worth the effort or not :) it gets better, but it does go on and on and on. it was a good book, but it depends on how serious you are about reading it! as an english major turned librarian i felt obligated to read it! we do have alot of other great books in common! let me know if you finish atlas and what you thought if you do!

posted by amanaceerdh at 6:52 pm (EST) on Aug 4, 2009

Yes, yes, yes to what you said about encouraging children to read. When I taught 4th and 5th graders that was my mission. I am now involved in Adult Literacy and, sadly, motivation is still my biggest challenge.

We have lots of books in common. Thanks for adding me to your interesting libraries, and I'll certainly do the same. Enjoy the rest of the summer, although as a principal, your summers are pretty short as I recall.

posted by Donna828 at 3:46 pm (EST) on Aug 4, 2009

Hi Bonnie,
Just wanted to let you know Olive arrived today. Thank you so much! I'll be reading it in the next week or two and am really looking forward to it. Do you want me to return it when finished, or send it on to another reader?
Thanks
Laura

posted by lindsacl at 8:05 pm (EST) on Aug 3, 2009

"I also loved Shadow Country and now know more than I need to about sugar cane." LOL! Yeah, I was surprised at how gripping this story was, considering how dark the main character was, but the author made the history of Florida so interesting, didn't he.

I really don't like SF either. I would say that the few I've read are sort of anomalies (Time Travelers Wife, To Say Nothing of the Dog, The Bellwether, Doomsday, Passage, The Sparrow, Kindred). They are legally SF in that they have time-travel, but not much else that would put them in that genre. To Say Nothing of the Dog was a hoot--so British comedy!

posted by bonniebooks at 11:11 pm (EST) on Aug 1, 2009

Hi Bonnie! Nice to meet another Bonnie. There aren't that many of us out there. Thanks for noticing my library. It looks like we have quite a few favorite authors in common, even if we haven't always read the same titles. I really like historical fiction too. Wasn't A Thread of Grace a good book? I've actually read it twice. Have you read her book, The Sparrow? A very different book from A Thread of Grace, but so good. Shadow Country too! The history of how Florida was developed, though disturbing, was so fascinating, and all new to me. Of the books you've yet to read, I've read about six. I can't compare them to the ones I haven't read, but enjoyed them all, especially The Cellist of Sarejevo and The Yiddish Policemen's Union. Lush Life was good too, considering it's not the kind of book I usually read. Happy reading!

posted by bonniebooks at 2:56 am (EST) on Aug 1, 2009

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