JANUARY 2009

1. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

2. The Other Side of the Bridge by Mary Lawson

Message edited by its author, Apr 21, 2009, 11:07am.

FEBRUARY 2009

3.Rockbound by Frank Parker Day

4.The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton

5.The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

6.The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

Message edited by its author, Apr 21, 2009, 11:01am.

MARCH 2009

7.Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

8.Kids Fight When the Phone Rings by Sandra Aldrich

9.The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

10.Three Wishes by Barbara Delinsky

11.The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Message edited by its author, Apr 21, 2009, 11:03am.

APRIL 2009

12.The Camel Bookmobile by Masha Hamilton

13.The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright

14.A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Message edited by its author, Apr 21, 2009, 11:05am.

I have The Alchemist on my tbr. Did you like it?
--BJ

Hi billiejean...

I had such high expectations of The Alchemist, and I was a bit disappointed. It was good, but I didn't feel inspired or touched in any profound way. I think it might also depend on what is going on in your life at the time of reading. Let me know when you read it. I've seen some interesting reviews here on LT.

I was not impressed by The Alchemist. I felt like the book was hitting me over the head: "So profound! So inspiring!"

You have read some great books this year! I've enjoyed a few on your list, and a few more are on my wishlist. What did you think of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet? My stepmother recently gave it to me.

Hello AMQS...

I ADORED Hotel. I read it in 2 days. Then I passed it on to a teacher-friend of mine who stayed awake an entire night to finish it! We've been passing the book on....and everyone loves it. Put it at the top of your pile!

Wow, that's quite an endorsement! I will move it up, thanks!

APRIL 2009

12.The Camel Bookmobile by Masha Hamilton

13.The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright

14.A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

15.The Sad Truth About Happiness by Anne Giardini

Message edited by its author, Apr 21, 2009, 11:11am.

I also put Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet on my TBR list, it sounds like a great read. I have read The Kite Runner and really enjoyed it, I have not yet read A Thousand Splendid Suns, is it as good? I have either read or want to read most of your books on your list. I keep checking on your view on some of the books. Thanks!

Message edited by its author, Apr 21, 2009, 12:22pm.

Heidi,
I loved Kite Runner too. A Thousand Splendid Suns was just as good, but I found this one difficult to read. I actually had a knot in my stomach every time I picked up the book, due to extremely graphic violence towards women. It is agonizing that this is the reality of life for women of Afghanistan. Just take a look at the news! Sad.

Hotel will be one of my faves of the year.

You liked Late Nights on Air? My club is reading that shortly.

Louanne, yes I enjoyed Late Nights on Air very much, it was interesting to read becaues some of the places that are refered to in the book either I live near them(Ottawa, Almonte) or I have lived near(Manitoulin Island). I will have to read A Thousand Splendid Suns and Hotel for sure.

APRIL 2009

12.The Camel Bookmobile by Masha Hamilton

13.The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright

14.A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

15.The Sad Truth About Happiness by Anne Giardini

16. Knit Two by Kate Jacobs

Message edited by its author, Sep 2, 2009, 9:16pm.

Heidi...

Astonishing Splashes of Colour sounds interesting. Never heard of this author before.

Louanne
I have not read it yet, I saw it at the used bookstore awhile ago and then saw it on here. I read the reviews that people wrote and went back to the store and looked for it. I have a big pile of books to read! That is what I love about this site, finding great books that other people have read and loved.

APRIL CONTINUED...

17. The Boys in the Trees by Mary Swan

MAY 2009

18. A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

19. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

A funny, enjoyable book! Made me pause to seriously reflect on the day-to-day life of the Queen. In her world, time is not her own, appearances are everything, and duty comes before all else.

A fave passage:
p30: 'Few people...had seen more of the world than she had. There was scarcely a country she had not visited, a notability she had not met...why now was she intrigued by books which, whatever else they might be, were just a reflection of the world or a version of it? Books? She had seen the real thing.'

Message edited by its author, May 18, 2009, 3:33pm.

Just found, and starred, your thread. I've been reading a lot about A Reliable Wife lately, so looking forward to reading it. I usually don't want to know too much about a book before I read it, but I can tell that was a mistake with The Alchemist. After reading your review, I realize that is not a book for me and probably won't read it though I've already bought it.

Bonnie,
A Reliable Wife was wonderfully-written. Although the subject matter is 'dark' (obsession, madness, betrayal etc), the language and style of the book is magical. Goolrick knows how to write! I have many fave passages. Without revealing the plot, here are a couple:

The opening scene, p4: 'Nothing says hell has to be fire, thought Ralph Truitt, standing in his sober clothes on the platform of the tiny train station in the frozen middle of the frozen nowhere. Hell could be like this. It could be darker every minute. It could be cold enough to sear the skin from your bones.'

p.49: 'She wanted, for once in her life, to be at the center of the stage. Because what she was, standing before the mirror in a lonely farmhouse, was, in fact, all she was.'

And I saw myself in Catherine. In her passion for reading and books! p 170: 'She loved the smell of the books from the shelves, the type on the pages, the sense that the world was an infinite but knowable place. Every fact she learned seemed to open another question, and for every question there was another book.'

A very interesting novel!

Book # 20. The Cure for Death by Lightning by Gail Anderson-Dargatz

This is my book club's current selection. It's the story of a teenage girl and her farming family, during WWII. They live in a small prairie town, near a Native Indian reserve. This book covers some seriously dark issues: sexual abuse, mental illness, murder, self-mutilation, animal cruelty. Not a feel good book.

Thanks for the head's up Louanne. I think I will give this one a pass. Got enough darkness in my life right now, thank you very much.
belva

Yes, The Cure for Death by Lightning had some themes that I found extremely disturbing.

The actual novel contains the family's story through the use of the daughter's journal, and the mother's scrapbook.

'The scrapbook was my mother's way of setting down the days so they wouldn't be forgotten. This story is my way.'

Maud, the mother, leaves a record of her life and times, for her daughter Beth to discover. Sadly, it is the only way Beth can gain insight into her mother at all.

This I enjoyed about the book- the idea of leaving a record of your life, for your children. A way of saying, 'I was here. This is what I thought, and felt, and experienced.'

Book #21. Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos

A satisfying, light read. I liked the author's writing style. Right from the first page, I loved her way with words:

'My life-my real life- started when a man walked into it, a handsome stranger in a perfectly cut suit, and yes, I know how that sounds.'

The timing of the novel was good for me. After reading something quite 'dark' this was perfect.

Book #22. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

This novel comes highly recommended, and I can already see why! As soon as I started reading, I was mesmerized. I cranked Albinoni's Adagio (which I love) as loudly as my husband and kids would tolerate, and sank into this beautiful, haunting novel. Will probably finish it quickly.

Finished Book #22. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway.

My mind and my heart are still reeling from this incredible novel. Probably one of the best books I've ever read! Once I can gather my thoughts into some coherent form, I will update this thread.

I am glad that you liked it. I can't wait until my bookclub to talk about it.

Book #23. will be Alentejo Blue by Monica Ali.

It is the story of a village community in Portugal, told through the lives of men and women whose families have lived there for generations and some who are passing through.

we are at the same number of books, that is kinda funny....lol...

Alentejo Blue is just not doing it for me. I will persevere to the end as I hate leaving a book unfinished. Part of the problem may be that I still have The Cellist of Sarajevo on my brain. Maybe just bad timing for Monica Ali to compete with the brilliant writing of Cellist.

Maybe you could switch to something lighter, or completely different and then go back to Alentejo. I know that feeling. I've read so many great things about The Cellist of Sarajevo - it will be one of the books I bring to my book club when we're making our selections for next season.

Yes, I should switch to something else, but I really hate leaving a novel unfinished.

As we speak, there's a bookmark hovering around page 400 of Pillars of the Earth, which I hate to admit to the entire (LT) world that I did not complete. There, my literary secret is out! My reasons for not finishing Pillars? I have a few, but I think it was mostly bad timing. I started it at a time when I needed 'something else' from a book. (Does that make any sense?)

It has been bothering me too....seeing that book on my shelf. I'm thinking 400 pages read, I only have another 500 to go! HA!

Maybe what I need instead of a 50 Book Challenge is a NO-BOOK-LEFT-UNFINISHED challenge.

I think the entire LT community would totally support setting aside any book that is not grabbing you for any reason, whether or not you plan to try again. There are so many terrific books out there -- life is too short to plod through books you don't enjoy!

However, I identify with you -- I hate to leave a book unfinished, too, and I've also found it to be the wrong time/wrong frame of mind, etc. to enjoy a book I've picked up. Is Alentejo getting any better?

Finished Book #23 Alentejo Blue by Monica Ali a few days ago.

It was an unsatisfying read for me. I was very disappointed, as her previous novel Brick Lane is so highly regarded, and was awarded numerous literary prizes, and even shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. I'll have to read that novel at some point I suppose.

I started what will be Books #24 and #25 already.

I began reading Home by Marilynne Robinson. I got to around page 100, and then realized I should have started Gilead first. The two novels take place simultaneously, but in two different Iowa households in 1956. Gilead was published in 2004, and won the Pulitzer Prize, and I can already see why. I am enjoying her writing.

So, #24 will be Gilead. #25 will be Home.

Hi Louanne, we have many books in common. Cellist of Sarajevo, I read last year and absolutely loved. I just finished A Reliable Wife for my RL book club, dark yes but a good read. There are mixed thoughts about Gilead here on LT but I quite enjoyed it and have put Home on my TBR list. My sister in law loaned my Love walked in but I haven't gotten around to it yet, sounds like good summer reading.

re: Message 37
Anne, you said...'There are so many terrific books out there -- life is too short to plod through books you don't enjoy!'

Well, you are so right about that. I guess it's just my stubborn nature to insist on finishing a book I've started. And I always think of the time I've already 'invested' in that work! Might as well finish it. I also don't believe you can critique a novel if you haven't read it completely. Not fair to the author or anyone else who might read my poor recommendation.

Thankfully, we are all different, and what might not interest me, will just delight someone else!

Hi sydamy

Cellist of Sarajevo was AMAZING! I think it's one of those rare books that speaks to all humanity.

While we may not all have experienced the horrors of modern warfare, the writer speaks to the heart of anyone who has experienced pain or loss, sadness or heartbreak. To anyone who has ever lived through that finger-snap when everything changes: the devastating diagnosis, the police officer at the door, the middle of the night phone call, the final breath of a loved one...you can understand how these characters are trying to cope, to survive in a world where everything has changed.

I could go on and on about this book. Oops, maybe I have, but I enjoyed it so much I can't help myself.

I find Gilead to be a great read so far. I've never listened to an audio book before, I'm a printed-word-girl, but I think it might be one of those books where 'hearing' old John Ames would be quite an experience.

I hope you are loving Gilead, one of my all-time treasured books. About Monica Ali: I read Brick Lane several years ago and had the same lukewarm experience that you've had to her latest release. I can't remember why, but I do believe that there has to be some sort of chemistry with the author to fully appreciate the writing. I'm sure a more eloquent person could put that in better words!

Donna...

Oh I am SO LOVING Gilead. What could be more touching than sharing in the love of a Father for his little boy- it's beautiful! I'm willing to bet it will become a favorite of mine also.

I guess that I have another book to add to the list..lol..

Louanne, I actually did listen to the audio of Gilead and the narrator was exactly like you would expect a kind, loving, elderly preacher to sound. It was a nice story to listen to, it was almost as if he was telling "me" his life story.

Hi Louanne, I just found your thread and starred it. You've read some great books this year, some of which are favorites of mine. I'm almost halfway through The Cellist of Sarajevo and I absolutely love it!

re: msg 45

Heidi,
The beauty of LT is that for every book I read, one or two more are added to the must-read list!

sydamy...

Gilead is simply lovely. I will have to look for her other novel Housekeeping. Did you read that one?

coppers...

I have read a lot more this year than in recent years. My kids are young, and although I have always been a reader, it seems as though I read only kids books since they were born. Lots and lots of picture books! (And parenting books.) And so I have a lot of catching up to do on the multitude of great novels that were recently published.

You must let me know your feelings about Cellist once you are finished.

louanne I know what you mean about the TBR lists. I even carry a list with me in my wallet beacause there is too many books on the list.

coopers- I am glad that another person is loving Cellist. It was a great book.

I have not read Housekeeping, but I have added all of her books to my tbr pile/mountain.

I kind of miss reading those picture books (although some that I had to read over and over and over again, eh, not so much!). I still have shelves of them that I can't get rid of even though my son is almost 16 now. I don't know how old your kids are but one of our favorites here was Officer Buckle and Gloria. Have you read it? It was a great one to bring to school for Read Aloud.

Finished Book #24 - Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

I wasn't expecting to be touched personally by this book, but I was. What could I possibly have in common with a 76 year-old preacher from a small Iowa town? There's a quote that goes: Books let us into their souls and lay open to us the secrets of our own. (William Hazlitt)

Well, I found much of myself in the pages of Gilead. Like John Ames, I spent some years wishing for the blessings of children, and had resigned myself to the idea that it wasn't meant to be.

And so, my heart understood completely when John writes to his son:
'I'd never have believed I'd see a wife of mine doting on a child of mine. It still amazes me every time I think of it. ...If you ever wonder what you've done in your life, and everyone does wonder sooner or later, you have been God's grace to me, a miracle, something more than a miracle. .... it may seem to you to be no great thing to have been the good child of an old man in a shabby little town you will no doubt leave behind. If only I had the words to tell you.'

Like John, I try to find the words, and the ways with my own two little miracles, to impress upon them how precious their lives are to us. Every day with my kids is a gift I never thought we'd receive. My daughter is a first-grader, and my son, (here beside me now building an impressive Lego fortress) is 3. They are amazing.

I admired the way John bared his soul to his son, leaving an honest, accurate account of his life. He didn't omit his faults and failings, his inabilities to forgive or forget, his lack of trust, his fears and anxieties. It's all written so well by the author, that I could hear his voice so plainly.

I'll linger a while in Gilead. Book #25, which I already started, will be Home.

***touchstone does not always work for Marilynne Robinson's Home.***

Message edited by its author, Jun 13, 2009, 7:15am.

Hey coppers,

We've not read that one, but Rathmann's Ruby the Copycat is one I might know from memory. My daughter loves that one.

I loved Gilead, too. I am anxious to hear what you think of Home.

Home was an enjoyable read. I was glad I read Gilead first, and both books together.

Jack Boughton was such a complicated character. I liked seeing the way he and Glory, who really had no shared past, formed a bond as brother and sister. The voice of Reverend Boughton was so clear to me, as was John Ames' in Gilead. The author has a gift for getting inside the head of old men!

I liked reading about their family, as I enjoy reading about families in general. How we interact and communicate (or not) with our siblings, and with our parents. How we live and love, as we try to find our own way in the world. Holding on to our roots, while we test our wings.

And I enjoy reading about the meaning of home. The way in which people find or create a sense of home for themselves. The author paints such a vivid picture of the old Boughton homestead. I am certain that if I ever took a long drive through small town Iowa, I'd find the vine-covered house, with the front porch, the oak tree with the swings...I'd find that beautiful, but not necessarily peaceful place- Home for the Boughton family.

Book #26 will be Still Life by Louise Penny.

I don't usually read murder mysteries, but LT is helping me find a little variety these days!

Thank you -- what a thoughtful comment! I'm going to look for Home.

I am on book #24 Small Island by Andrea Levy and I'm about 3/4 of the way through it. What a fantastic read! Published in 2004, I don't know how I missed it but then I wasn't on LT at that time.

Finished BOOK #26 Still Life by Louise Penny.

Although I figured out whodunnit fairly early on, I found this a pleasurable mystery. The characters of Three Pines were interesting and well-written, and since this is book 1 of a series of 4, I will seek out the other novels. I believe this was the author's debut novel, so maybe it won't be as hard to figure out the villain in subsequent editions.

BOOK #27 will be Coventry by Helen Humphreys.

Heard some good things about this one:

Coventry, England, November 14, 1940 - The German Luftwaffe is approaching to unleash destruction on the city, in the most infamous bombing raid of WWII. One night, one city, three people bound by fate.

Finished BOOK #27 Coventry by Helen Humphreys.

Fascinating account of the night of terror unleashed on this English city by the Germans. A most enlightening and well-written book.

Memorable passage:

'...everyone in the city will have been touched by the bombing raid. Everyone will have lost someone or something tonight. Everyone will have to remake their lives. And the men dropping the bombs, the men in the planes slicing through the darkness, they will bear no witness to the misery and suffering they've caused.'

Currently reading Book #28 The Secret River by Kate Grenville. Shared reading with another LT member.

Completed BOOK #28 The Secret River by Kate Grenville.

An interesting look at the life of the English convicts/colonists and Aboriginal people of Australia in the 1800s.

William Thornill is sentenced for theft in London, to spend his natural life in the 'prison' of New South Wales, Australia, and tries to make a new start and a home for his family. He eventually claims 100 acres of land for himself. Land he thinks is his, by '...virtue of his foot standing on it.' But as Thornhill and the other newcomers learn, other feet were there first.

I liked her writing:

'No one had ever spoken to him of how a man might fall in love with a piece of ground...It was a piercing hunger in his guts: to own it. To say mine, in a way he had never been able to say mine of anything at all.'

Some parts of this novel were difficult to read, probably because I knew this story was primarily historical fact and not fiction. A good read.

BOOK #29 Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.

This is my 2nd time reading this one, but this time it's for my book club. I really enjoyed it last year, and look forward to seeing it through the eyes of the other book club members.

Hi, Louanne! With the exception of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, it seems like we share very similar reactions to the books we've both read--especially Gilead and Cellist of Sarajevo--so am enjoying following along on your challenge. I wish I didn't have so many new books to read; otherwise I might be tempted to reread Water for Elephants too.

BOOK #29 Water for Elephants COMPLETED.

Great novel. Read it last summer, but had different reactions this time. That's the beauty of a re-read. The book hasn't changed, but you have!

This year, I was much more captivated by the story of Jacob as a 90-year old man in the nursing home. I could see life more through his eyes, which sounds odd, I'm sure. (Me being late 30s, and female and all!) Similar to how I felt while reading about the old preacher in Gilead. My feelings have much to do with the fact that we have an older man in our family going through life with Parkinsons now.

When old Jacob looks in the mirror and remarks, 'I can't find myself anymore. When did I stop being me?' - well, let's just say, my heart broke. However, I have young Mom friends who say the same thing on those days when the challenge of kids, work, and home are overwhelming!

A book about a travelling circus during the Depression, but a book that many can relate to!

Currently Reading BOOK# 30 A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny.

This is the second book in the Three Pines Mystery Series. Enjoying it so far.

July is Tour de France time, and we go crazy watching the race every year at my house. This year is a treat since cancer-survivor, and 7-time TdF winner LANCE ARMSTRONG has come out of retirement to race again. He's a real hero, on and off the bike. The Lance Armstrong Foundation has raised millions for cancer research, and he continues to provide hope and inspiration to many people.

So, I am also reading Book #31 Every Second Counts by Lance Armstrong.

It shows how different life can be after coming close to death. It's the story of a family man, world-class athlete, and cancer survivor who is determined to get every single drop of enjoyment and excitement out of life. It's a joyous, triumphant book, a celebration of all the things that make life good. It's also, for cyclists, a detailed look at the Tour de France, as seen through the eyes of one of its top competitors. Fascinating and inspiring.

You've made me want to read Every Second Counts. I'm not a cyclist, but I am a cancer survivor and my friend and I used to watch the Tour de France every morning together (it came on really early in Seattle) and go crazy with excitement too, but haven't watched it since Armstrong won his final time. I don't have extended cable anymore so not able to watch this year. Is it more exciting with LA back in the race?

P.S. I forgot to say that it's my turn to recommend a book for my book group, so am going to recommend The Cellist of Sarajevo. It's a funny group in that we're all friends, and some of them don't read all that much, so it's been hard to find the right book that everybody will read and finish. The Cellist... is a little book, but with big ideas--and so beautiful. I'll be so disappointed if they don't like it!

Message edited by its author, Jul 14, 2009, 10:52am.

Bonnie,

Thanks for sharing. I'm not a cyclist, neither is my husband, but the Tour is just great fun, and we have a standing 'date' each night to watch together. There is a lot of public opinion about Lance, some negative, but I feel that what he is doing with his foundation, helping cancer patients and their families, and with 'livestrong' is amazing.

He rides for the unsung heroes, the people like you, who have battled cancer, and for those who are still doing battle, and he rides in memory of those who have died. Yes, cancer has taken some people who I loved, and so his title Every Second Counts seems so appropriate, for every single one of us. Every day is a gift.

He writes, 'time is limited, so I better wake up every morning fresh and know that I have just one chance to live this particular day right, and to string my days together into a life of action, and purpose.'

He says, 'Cancer made me want to do more than just live: it made me want to live in a certain way. ....Illness had left me with a clear view of the difference between real fear and mere disquiet, and of everything worth having, and doing.'

I'm willing to bet your book club will enjoy Cellist! It was fantastic.

I will definitely nominate The Cellist of Sarajevo when my book club chooses books for next season -- usually in August or September. I'll also be nominating The Help, Mudbound... I still have a month or so, I know the list will get longer!

This summer I'm travelling round the world! (I wish!) Most of the books I've read in recent years are set in N. America. So in an effort to broaden my literary horizons, I'm going to read my way around the globe.

I've selected the following regions, and will read 1 or 2 books from each area:

S.America ~ Bel Canto by Ann Patchett and/or Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Europe ~ People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks and/or Coventry by Helen Humphreys

Africa ~ Sweetness in the Belly by Camilla Gibb and/or Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese

Asia ~ Snowflower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See and/or Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri

Australia ~ The Secret River by Kate Grenville and ???

And I'll read Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days.

I've read 2 off the list so far: 1. Coventry, and 2. The Secret River. #3 from this list will be Unaccustomed Earth. Titles may change, as I tend to hear about other great books from fellow LTers. Suggestions always welcome!

>71 Anne
>69 Bonnie

Anne, I bet your club will enjoy that book. I love the way Bonnie put it: Cellist of Sarajevo is a little book with big ideas, and beautiful. So true. I'm nominating it for my book club also.

>72: I like your idea of traveling the world through books. You don't have to worry about packing, making connections, or, in my case, taking Dramamine. Enjoy your travels!

You will love seeing the world through books! I often choose books for that reason, and so does our book club. This past season we chose The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh because we had never "been" to Burma or Malaya. Great read, and great traveling!

...our book club. This past season we chose The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh because we had never "been" to Burma or Malaya...

I laughed and teared up at the same time when I read that, AMQS, because all of my traveling has been done the same way. And, yes, I know it's not the same as actually being there, but I still treasure what I've seen and learned.

>74 Donna: Dramamine! HA!

The packing alone would do me in. My kids insist on taking EVERY toy and book they possess, when we attempt to travel anywhere. I like to be 'prepared', so I tend to overpack as well. And then there's my dear husband, who packs almost nothing! Needless to say, we haven't traveled too far from home in a while....

I will enjoy being an armchair traveler this summer!

>75 Anne: The Glass Palace sounds tempting! Might have to switch titles on my list. Thanks for the suggestion.

>76 Bonnie: You said, 'yes, I know it's not the same as actually being there, but I still treasure what I've seen and learned.'

So true. I have vivid memories of Kenya (The Camel Bookmobile), and Chile (Daughter of Fortune), and India (A Fine Balance), and even Japan, (Memoirs of a Geisha)...all places I've seen through wonderful books!

I loved the book Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See, it was a great story. I have also read The Secret River which was a good story also. I am glad that you let me join you on this adventure!

So who can recommend a good novel that is set it Australia??? Or maybe New Zealand???

I loved The True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey. Of course, there's also Oscar and Lucinda. A long time ago, I read The Bone People which I really liked, but it was bit depressing/dark--not necessarily a summer read. Hmmm...those were off the top of my head--I'll have to go check out my library. Have you read The Secret River? I wasn't particularly captivated by it, but others seem to be. Let's see and there are lots of books by Tim Winton. OK, I'm gonna stop now. Happy reading!

>80 Heidi: Yes, thanks for joining me on the world tour! I am looking forward to 'visiting' China with Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.

>82 Bonnie: Thanks for the suggestions. Of the titles you mentioned, I've only read Secret River. Will look up the others. Thank you!

FINISHED BOOK #30 A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny. It's alternate title is Dead Cold.

I enjoyed this 2nd novel in the Three Pines Mystery series. This one was better than the first as far as the actual mystery was concerned. I'll eventually work my way through the series.

Also FINISHED BOOK #31 Every Second Counts by Lance Armstrong.

Surprised at how much I enjoyed this captivating book! Many factors involved I think:

1. Timing. We are in the final week of the Tour de France, and it has been exciting to read the details of bike racing, the intricacies of the team mentality, what it takes to WIN, all the while watching the race on tv, as Lance goes for win #8.

2. I loved learning about the determination of an athlete. The incredible focus, and commitment required to get to the top of your game, and stay there. This can be applied to life in general, I think. Preparation. Belief. Hard Work. And Team Support.

3. I was most moved by the experience of Lance the cancer-survivor. He says cancer was the best thing that happened to him. How can someone say that? None of us gets through life unscathed; we all face challenges of some sort. His became his motivation for everything. After he had fought cancer, and faced death, everything else settled into perspective. Nearly dying showed him how to live.

Currently reading: BOOK #32 Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri

She's the Pulitzer winning author of The Namesake, so I have high expectations already. Uh oh. Hope she can deliver.

Going to read The Namesake next, after I finish Apologize, Apologize by Elizabeth Kelly.

Just been enjoying having a quick look at what your reading.
Did you know that parts of People of the Book are set in Australia. Geraldine Brooks is Australian.
I've been trying to increase my Australian reading so on my reading log for this year there are a few novels set in Australia.
Hard to recommend any of them because they are all very different, but in saying that I found Sorry to be excellent.

>88 KimB

After checking some of the threads, yours included, I think I would really enjoy Eucalyptus by Murray Bail. Although Sorry sounds good too, I think the Bail novel might be a better 'holiday' read for me.
The True History of the Kelly Gang was also recommended to me (by Bonnie), so I will eventually read that too, and Oscar and Lucinda. Hmmm, seems I'm compiling a huge Aussie List!

I must admit always loving the girly-book The Thornbirds! It was a favorite!

I read Eucalyptus and liked it. :-)

Another vote for Eucalyptus! Great. It sounded like a nice one for reading by the lake when we go on holidays! Yes???

Yes!

I am so happy with the quantity and quality of my reading so far this year...so many great novels, new writers, and varied subjects. This is due in large part to LT recommendations. Thanks y'all.

Here are my faves so far this year:

Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
The Other Side of the Bridge by Mary Lawson
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Hi Louanne - Except for Gilead, I've read all the books on your faves list and loved them all, too! Gilead is on the TBR list.

>94 coppers: Gilead is fantastic! It's companion novel is Home which won the Orange Prize this year. I enjoyed both books.

FINISHED BOOK #32 Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri.

I had high expectations of this collection of short stories. Although the writing was good, there was no 'magic'. No sparkle. I liked the stories, but didn't find them compelling. I also didn't do my 'research' on this book, and it was not what I had expected.

FINISHED BOOK #33 On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan.

Story of a couple on their wedding night.

Hmmm, hard to review this one without spoiling the ending. It was an interesting story, but with way too many British references for me to appreciate. This novel is about that moment in your life when two paths lay before you, and a choice is made. Doing or saying nothing, is also a choice. Things can go one way, or the other, and you don't fully realize the impact of that pivotal moment, until later. It is about how our words and our actions, can echo for a lifetime.

My husband would quote one of his fave movies: Cool Hand Luke, I think, and say 'What we have here, is a failure to communicate!'

I don't know how your husband would actually say that, but I'm laughing at how I imagine he could say it!

Thanks for the review. There are so many books I want to read that I'm sort of relieved when I can take a book off my wish list. I forget--and I'm too lazy to look back on your thread or in your library--have you read Interpreter of Maladies? I'm not saying you should read it, 'cas I didn't like her novel, so I haven't been so interested in reading Unaccustomed Earth and now will put it off even longer.

I forgot to say that it's one of my all-time favorite collections of short stories by a single author.

Message edited by its author, Jul 25, 2009, 1:50pm.

>98 Bonnie: My husband says the 'What we have here...is a...failure to communicate' line with the Southern drawl accent just like the character in the movie! Pretty funny for a good ole' Canadian Boy! He has a wonderful and wicked sense of humor!

I am planning to read The Namesake, and have heard fantastic things about Interpreter of Maladies, so I would have read it eventually anyway, but thanks for the recommendation!

Back from our holiday. Didn't read as much as in previous years at the lake. Hmmm, before having kids, a day at the beach meant sitting in the sun with a book in hand. Now, well, it's still fun, but there is no sitting and relaxing involved. I still get up at 5:30 in the morning even when I am on holiday, so that's when I did my reading, before my family woke up!

So here's what I read in JULY:

29.WATER FOR ELEPHANTS by Sara Gruen
30.A FATAL GRACE by Louise Penny
31.EVERY SECOND COUNTS by Lance Armstrong
32.UNACCUSTOMED EARTH by Jhumpa Lahiri
33.ON CHESIL BEACH by Ian McEwan
34.THE SHACK by William P. Young
35.SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN by Lisa See

The Shack was placed in my hand by a friend before I left. Her description raised my level of curiosity, so I had to read it. I really enjoyed it, and I think it's one of those books that what you take away from it, will largely depend on where you are in your faith journey.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See was a wonderful read. I found it most enlightening to learn the ways of a woman's life at that time in China. This was my first Lisa See novel, and I will read more of her work.

I am currently reading Book # 36 Bel Canto by Ann Patchett and LOVING IT!

We seem to have similar reading tastes. I really loved Bel Canto but was a bit underwhelmed by On Chesil Beach.
I'll have to check out those ones that I haven't read yet from your list of favs.

I've just finished Blood of Flowers which reminded me a bit of The Lady and the unicorn and was as riviting a read as The Kite Runner.

I haven't come across A Fatal Grace as yet. Did you enjoy it?

You didn't say anything about Water for Elephants. Did you not like it?

Explaining my absence: Been really busy with my kids and summer activities, and in particular my daughter's 7th birthday party. 3 parties actually: the weekend party with her friends, the family party, and the little celebration on her actual birthday. I baked and decorated the cakes myself, and I go way too crazy with decorations and party games, and so...it took me 2 weeks to finish one book.

Finally Finished BOOK #36 Bel Canto by Ann Patchett.

I enjoyed this book. Bad timing though, as I would have finished it sooner, and more importantly, savored it more, but I must confess being extremely tired every time I picked it up. The writing/language was beautiful and expressive. I could see the grand living room, could hear the lovely opera, and came to know and love the characters.

My favorite part? Without giving away too much, there is a section where the hostages, people who have been indoors for months, are granted outdoor access. Outside. They step into the light. Feel the sun on their skin. Smell the delicious aroma of flowers, feel grass on their toes. It is such a powerful awakening. On one level, I could relate, as this is how I feel every spring after our long Canadian winters. You simply feel alive.

But on another level, these were people who could have been shot dead by their captors at any given moment, and so, every experience was savored and appreciated. If you think there won't be a tomorrow, wouldn't you embrace today? Even the terrorists are enlivened by this experience of simply going outside. Everyone dreams of second chances.

The ending? Hmmm...we are told from the outset, on page 13, what the outcome will be. And yet, I still wanted something else. However, the author does a brilliant job of it. I plan to look for more of her work. Great book!

>101 KimB:

On Chesil Beach didn't really 'wow' me either.

I've not heard of Blood of Flowers. What's it about, and what did you like most?

A Fatal Grace is Book 2 of a mystery series set in a picturesque Quebec village in Canada. This book has an alternate title in the US and UK. It's also known as Dead Cold. The author is Louise Penny.

>102 Bonnie:

I ADORED Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.

This was my 2nd time reading it. I read it last summer, recommended it to my book club, and that's why I read it again last month.

These were my thoughts, message >67, which I'll copy here:

Great novel. Read it last summer, but had different reactions this time. That's the beauty of a re-read. The book hasn't changed, but you have!

This year, I was much more captivated by the story of Jacob as a 90-year old man in the nursing home. I could see life more through his eyes, which sounds odd, I'm sure. (Me being late 30s, and female and all!) Similar to how I felt while reading about the old preacher in Gilead. My feelings have much to do with the fact that we have an older man in our family going through life with Parkinsons now.

When old Jacob looks in the mirror and remarks, 'I can't find myself anymore. When did I stop being me?' - well, let's just say, my heart broke. However, I have young Mom friends who say the same thing on those days when the challenge of kids, work, and home are overwhelming!

A book about a traveling circus during the Depression, but a book that many can relate to!

I'm reading this now and am finding I quite like it. I have heard many different things about it. Good and bad, some people liked the circus part, some the elderly part. So far I'm liking both parts. I find it a pretty easy read (maybe because I really like it) and am motoring through it.

I think I might be the last person to read this book. I don't know where I was when it was first released that I missed it, but I'm glad to read it finally.

Water for Elephants is a book I'm looking forward to reading again. I probably would have by now (that cover keeps calling to me), but since joining LT last fall have been kept busy with all new book recs.

>107 Susan

Water for Elephants was a hit with my book club. As I said, I loved it last year, and thoroughly enjoyed it again this time. Let me know your thoughts about it when you are all finished.

>108 Bonnie

Sooooo, too many books and too little time???? Yes, I can relate. I now have approximately one million books to read, all thanks to LT.

BOOK #37 will be People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks.

Bel Canto might be a tough act to follow....now that was a great book. Still, I've heard a lot of good things about this one too, so we'll see.

My book club just did this book. We all felt the same way about certain parts of the book. I will wait for you to read before I let you know how we felt. I don't want to influence you. I will tell you it was well received.

It's interesting how some book seem to make the book club rounds and other do not catch on.

>112 Susan

Hmmm, your comments about People of the Book have me intrigued. I am still at the beginning of the novel. There was a movie years ago that I enjoyed, it was called 'The Red Violin', and this is what I am picturing in my head so far.

Do you have many members in your book club? How are book titles chosen? What have been the most popular choices? Just curious. I am always interested in how other book clubs do things.

108 and 110, I can so relate to wanting to reread books but not having time due to great LT recommendations. I recently reread two books I have read years ago, my excuse was that I found out that they were part of a trilogy, and I had bought the third book....

Louanne, I'm actually in few book clubs. My whole life I wanted to be in a club, but alas nothing, then boom, within a year 3 pop up. One mostly social, food is of high importance, and of the 8 or so people only about half read the book. Choosing a book for that one is difficult. Generally the club founder pushes and everyone just agrees. I really think most of them would be happy meeting and eating and gossiping without a book. So that is really just a girls night. The two others a more traditional. One is done through my synagogue and it centres around books with a Jewish presence. (hence People of the Book). There are about 6-8 in that group and books are chosen just by suggestions being thrown out. The last club I just joined and I have only been to 2 meetings, and they are quite serious. Also 6-8 people, I'm not sure how they pick a book as they pick 3-4 books at a time and I have not been there for this. It seems like a lot but the newest one hasn't been a burden because the 2 meetings I have attended, and the next, all involve books I had already read so there was no reading pressure. I like to think of it as 2 book clubs and a fun night out.

PS I loved Water for Elephants

The book club that I am a member, we take the summer off and start back up in Sept. Our first meeting we suggest books to read and then vote for the ones we want. We have a mix of books, it is great. It is mostly a ladies but we have one man and he is great. Any suggestions on books to recommend to the club, I am going to be making a list of ones to recommend, LT members suggest the best books!!

Message edited by its author, Aug 19, 2009, 9:56am.

>114 divinenanny:

You are so right about the great LT recommendations. I feel like a kid in a candy store when I check other libraries here on LT. 'I want that, I want that, gotta get that'!!! Thankfully I support my public library, and don't buy ALL my books. We are a family of readers, so it would be quite expensive to support this crazy wonderful addiction of ours!

Who knows how much reading I could actually get done if I didn't spend all this time on LT, reading about reading????

>115 Susan:

Your description of the 1st club made me laugh: 'food is of high importance' !!! FUNNY!

2 clubs and a fun night out....sounds like you have a good mix there. Some serious reading, and some fun.

My club is a small group formed 18 months ago, and we have tried a couple different ways of choosing titles. At first we each gave suggestions then voted. Now what we do is read each person's pick. We take turns hosting the meetings at our homes, and when it is your turn to host, we read your book. We all enjoy something different in a book, and it's been good to venture out and read stuff I wouldn't normally pick for myself. A few times I've been surprised!

PS....So glad you liked Water for elephants.

Message edited by its author, Aug 20, 2009, 6:36am.

>116 Heidi:

Yes, LT members do suggest the best books!

So, there's one man in your book club? I think it would be great to get a male perspective on topics sometimes. But there are books that my club has discussed, such as one of my fave books The Birth House by Ami McKay, where the discussion got extremely personal and most definitely female. As we talked about our childbirth experiences, I think any man in the room might have been squirmy and uncomfortable!!!

Louanne, the man that is in my bookclub is great, his wife left him years ago and he raised hid children. He gets into all of our discussions and is not afriad to tell it like it is.It is great to have a mans point of view.The Birth House was a great book and also Water for Elephants.

sydamy, I checked out your libarary, great!!

Thanks Heidi, as with most people, many of my book were discovered here on LT.

FINISHED BOOK # 37 People of The Book by Geraldine Brooks.

I'm now off to Ethiopia & England. Started BOOK #38 Sweetness In The Belly by Camilla Gibb.

I truly enjoyed People of the Book. I loved the way the novel was crafted - the way each person who had possessed, or created, or helped preserve the Sarajevo Haggadah, was represented. The chapters dealing with the book's past were brilliant. I found those sections and the history of the Haggadah more compelling than Hanna's story in the present day.

This novel reminded me very much of the movie The Red Violin. I'm not a tv/movie person, but that was a beautiful film about the origins of a unique violin, and it's history and travels around the globe.

One of my fave passages: "...the haggadah came to Sarajevo for a reason. It was here to test us, to see if there were people who could see that what united us was more than what divided us. That to be a human being matters more than to be a Jew or a Muslim, Catholic or Orthodox."

Well said. I think our world would be such a different place if we tried to focus more on what we have in common, than on what our differences may be.

I am reading and loving Sweetness in the Belly by Camilla Gibb. It's about a white Muslim woman, living in England, but recalling her upbringing in Ethiopia. It's fascinating.

Without planning it, there has been a common thread running through some of my recent reading, focusing on the lives of women at various points through history. For example, A Thousand Splendid Suns, about women in Afghanistan, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, women in China, and this book about Africa. Lets just say I am fully appreciating being a woman at this time, in this place.

Bonnie started something here. I am currently on book #38. I am hoping that I'll actually make it to 50 books. My reading pace will slow dramatically the next few months as it's the busiest time of the year for me. So, I have 12 more titles to reach the 50 challenge.

I'm re-thinking the 'must-reads'. Why read something that I won't enjoy because I feel like I have to? These are the books that I WANT TO READ next, the ones that sound like they'd interest me most.

1.Run by Ann Patchett
2.The Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland
3.Still Alice by Lisa Genova
4.The Lace makers of Glenmara by Heather Barbieri
5.Deafening by Frances Itani
6.The Curious Incident of the boy in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
7.The Help by Kathryn Stockett
8.Balzac and the little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie
9.Small Island by Andrea Levy
10The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

I just bought Deafening at the library for 25 cents. I saw it at the used bookstore and thought that I would get it later. It sounds interesting. I know what you mean about slowing down, we have been busy these last few weeks and then school will begin soon. I start book club on Sept 10! I found Sweetness in the Belly at the library, I will get it and read it also.

Message edited by its author, Aug 26, 2009, 9:22am.

#126 - Quite right! Reading should be a pleasure and you should read what you feel like reading. I'm struggling with my TBR Challenge, because I don't like feeling like I have to read a certain book. Actually, the books on my list are all ones I want to read, but not necessarily by the end of the year.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is an excellent read and you'll zip through it in no time, I'm sure.

Message edited by its author, Aug 26, 2009, 9:25am.

Good list. I've read some and want to read others. The Girl in Hyacinth Blue keeps popping up. I might have to add it to my list. I thought The Girl with the Pearl Earring was beautifully written, I wonder are they similar?

I can now tell you what our book group thought of People of the Book. Loved, loved, loved the old stories of the Haggadah and its history. The modern day stuff. Not so much. The mother was just mean and we couldn't figure out why she was written that way? It added nothing really to the story. The "spy" stuff was sort of silly. We went on and on about how much the modern tale bothered us. But the love for the old stories was unanimous.

>127 Heidi

You paid 25 cents for Deafening??? You found a real bargain! I want to go back to school shopping with you!

I'll let you know how Sweetness is wrapped up. I'm almost finished. At first I was thinking it would be a serious, dark kind of read, you know, Ethiopia in those times and all. But it's written with a style that draws you in, it's interesting and enlightening at the same time. Good stuff.

>128 Rebeki

Another thumbs up for Curious Incident. Okay. That one's a definite now.

You are struggling with the TBR list even though the books are ones you willingly want to read???

It's funny. We all seem to like making and having 'THE LIST', but sometimes those lists are wearying. You should see me in the bookstore and library, all serious business with my LIST!

What would it be like to simply wander around the library or bookstore, and just pick a book, at random, just cause. Just cause the title is different, the cover is beautiful, the author's name is the same as the boy I had my first crush on....just cause.

Nahhhhhh.

>129 Susan

I've heard of, but not read The Girl with the Pearl Earring. Will check into it.

People of the Book: It was fantastic. The stories from the past were beautiful. Especially the section entitled 'A White Hair.' Can't spoil the book for those who have not yet read it, but those were without a doubt the best parts.

I am kinda idealistic sometimes, but I love the way the people in the novel put themselves on the line in order to preserve something of value to those of another faith, another culture. The humanity of it all. What a lovely book.

You've got a great list to choose from, Louanne. Happy reading, and thanks for your words of affirmation and encouragement for my new goal.

#131 -'Fraid so! With so many books on my shelves that I've yet to read (and I'm a bit slow compared with the average LTer, although in the real world people probably think I read a lot!), I view my house a bit like a bookshop and want to be able to pick up whatever I fancy at the time. Someone somewhere on LT said that there's a right time for every book and I've found that to be true for me. I dare you to go to the bookshop without your list ;)

I'm all finished BOOK # 38 Sweetness in the Belly by Camilla Gibb.

I've had 4 really good books in a row. (Snow Flower & the Secret Fan, Bel Canto, People of the Book, and this one.) Nice when that happens.

Sweetness was most enjoyable. One of those books where I learned a little, enjoyed the writing, cared about the characters....felt satisfied upon completion. The author was born in London, England, grew up here in Canada, but spent some time living/studying in Ethiopia. She's on the Orange Futures List.

Actually, I learned more than a little. I can't recall ever reading anything about the walled city of Harar, and very little even about Ethiopia. Lilly is a while Muslim nurse who lives in England, but is recalling her youth in Africa. She spends much of her life as an outsider, a ‘farenji’ (foreigner), trying to fit in, sensing her difference, wanting to belong. The novel is written around Lilly's experience and that of Muslims from Eastern Africa both in Ethiopia, and later as refugees/immigrants trying to find a sense of home in England. The novel covers themes of: Love and Loss. Family and Belonging. Religion and Politics. Home and Exile. Race and Class. And it is so well-written.

I know a young woman (white like Lilly) who just returned from living a few years in Ghana, West Africa while she worked for Engineers Without Borders. I’ve seen her amazing scrapbooks and photos, and although this novel takes place during the 1970s in East Africa, there were so many similarities in the life and culture.

I hear this novel will be developed into a film. I don’t watch much tv, and very few movies. If a book is well-written, I prefer NOT to see a movie adaptation. This book, however, might be an exception for me. Highly recommended.

>134 Rebeki

Why on earth would you compare yourself to other LTers, and find yourself SLOW???? Oh my gosh...you are reading books in English, French and German!!!! That, my dear, is a mighty impressive accomplishment from where I stand!

I agree about the 'right time for every book' statement. Books can sometimes speak to whatever is going on in your life, and it's great when the planets are in perfect alignment, and the right book presents itself at the right moment. I've read a few this year, most recently, Unaccustomed Earth, that I should have liked, but the timing, and my own stuff got in the way.

HA! You DARE ME to browse for books without THE LIST??? I'm trembling here. I'd have to release the control-freak in me....just wander around, picking up any old book, just cause, hmmm....no way, can't be done.....well, maybe, perhaps, okay.... I'll think about it.

Now that's a real challenge. Will keep you posted!

>133 Bonnie

I think you are WONDERFUL!!!

By the way, what was the title of the offending nameless horrible book you read that started this flurry of list-making activity and goal-shifting here on LT??? Maybe I missed the title if you did name it, but I'm awfully curious.

It's funny. We all seem to like making and having 'THE LIST', but sometimes those lists are wearying. You should see me in the bookstore and library, all serious business with my LIST!

What would it be like to simply wander around the library or bookstore, and just pick a book, at random, just cause. Just cause the title is different, the cover is beautiful, the author's name is the same as the boy I had my first crush on....just cause.

I so relate! My first experience with list making and taking happened just last January. I had been building a wish list since joining LT a few months before. I think I found 17 books on my list, many of them used, and used my "christmas money" to buy them up. It was weird. I felt satisfaction in finding a good deal on the books I thought I wanted to buy, but it also felt strangely flat--partly because some of the covers were ugly or boring, and also because I was a machine, methodically working my way through the stacks for a book on my list without taking the time to look at books that did appeal to me. And I didn't even read a bit of the first chapter to see if I liked the writing style; I just dropped them in my basket and bought them. I was excited at the store, but when I got home, having 17 books to choose from just sort of weighed on me. I couldn't make up my mind about what I wanted to read, especially since some of them weren't all that appealing once I started to read a few lines. (If I had just read the back covers, I probably would have left half of them back at the bookstore, but I was on this crazy book-buying mission!)

Those 17 books (or at least the half of them still unread) have continued to cause me problems, because I think of them and feel guilty every time I go into a book store. Why am I considering buying new books, when I still have all those books bought in January? But this experience did cause me to use my list differently from then on. I've happily gone back to my wandering, stopping to look at the books whose titles and/or covers catch my eye. I usually grab a handful of books and sit down to read a bit of each one before choosing one or two--not 17--to buy. But I do like having my list, to remind myself of a book that I wanted to check out, or to refer to when I'm going through books on the sale table. I always ignored those tables because I assumed they were unpopular, poorly written books, but I've found some treasures there (e.g., The Cellist of Sarajevo, Black Swan Green, 26a). And I started using the library again; with my list it's so convenient to reserve the newer titles that everyone's talking about and then just go pick them up when they come in. So, over all, I think I'm in control of my list instead of the other way around. And, oops! I forgot whose thread I was on--back to you, Louanne! ;-)

Thanks for sharing your 'book selection' wisdom and experience. What I am learning, about buying/reading books, and from Rebeki's dare, is that I have been wayyyyy too SERIOUS in all this.

Yes, I read for pleasure. I think the serious nature stems from the fact that I've come back to reading from a few years 'off'. While my kids were little, I just never had, or made the time to read. I've always been a reader, and it seemed as though there were scores of great books written recently that I missed out on. Maybe I've been trying to get caught up. I’ve fallen in love with books again, and I’m still on my honeymoon!

I also think that I've read BETTER books this year, thanks mostly to all of you smart, wonderful ladies in LT-land. I used to read 'fluffier' stuff, so it's a welcome change to read meaningful, well-written books.

I took Rebeki's dare. I chose a book WITHOUT MY LIST!!!! What a lovely feeling. Although the book in question turned out to be one I'd heard about, from LT of course, it was certainly not one on my list. Thanks Rebeki for the challenge. This is the September equivalent of a New Year's Resolution: I won't MANAGE my reading so much. I'll read what I want, when I want, if I want.

To help me feel FREE: I may look over my TBR, and delete some that I probably didn't want to read in the first place, but felt I should read. 2 books come to mind immediately. I've started and then abandoned them countless times. Why? Maybe it's like Rebeki said, 'A right time time for every book', and their time has not yet come. 1. Love in the Time of Cholera. 2. The Shipping News.

If I start getting serious and manic again.....somebody.....stop me!

Book #39 Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss

This book was witty and informative. I may never write anything ever again. Ever!

I don't know if Rebeki was serious when she dared me to "go to the bookshop without my list." This is the NON-LIST, flying-by-the-seat-of-my-pants book that I selected. The joke on the back cover goes as follows:

A panda walks into a cafe. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air.

"Why?" asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.
"I'm a panda," he says at the door. "Look it up."

The waiter turns to the relevant entry and, sure enough, finds an explanation:
"Panda. large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves."

So, punctuation really does matter, even if it is only occasionally a matter of life and death.

On the surface, this book is meant to be a clever and amusing look at punctuation and grammar. But she is serious....I mean fanatically-serious about the placement of a comma, the abuse of an apostrophe. Everything I thought I knew.....oh dear. The irony is not lost on me. Here I am, my first attempt to lighten up in my reading, and now I'll be worrying about all the grammatical errors and spelling mistakes on my LT thread! Great, just great!

I did laugh out loud several times though. Compare the following sentences:

A woman, without her man, is nothing.
A woman: without her, man is nothing.

Book#40 Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland

A beautiful painting has been kept in secret for decades. The reasons unfold in a series of stories that trace it's ownership back to World War II in Amsterdam. Each story takes us further back in the lives of all those who have owned and who have loved the painting, which may or may not be a priceless Vermeer original.

This book was exactly what I needed right now. I simply read and enjoyed it without being overly-critical or too serious. Perfect timing.

Book #41 Run by Ann Patchett

I truly enjoyed her charming novel Bel Canto, so I am looking forward to reading this one.

Louanne, I think I was half-serious, half-joking when I dared you to leave your list behind, but I'm pleased it was a positive experience! I was feeling newly liberated myself after I decided to stop worrying about my TBR challenge and wanted to spread the feeling! (Incidentally, I have two books by Gabriel Garcia Márquez on that list that I've been putting off starting for years now. I want to give them a go, but there definitely needs to be a right time in their case!)

Anyway, it looks like you bought a good book! I'm a translator, so 'correct' use of language is important in my work. A colleague lent me Eats, Shoots and Leaves a few years ago - hopefully because he thought I'd find it interesting rather than because he was hinting at anything - and I found it really interesting. However, I now think I've forgotten a lot of what I read, so it's good that you have it for reference.

Message edited by its author, Sep 2, 2009, 10:08am.

If I start getting serious and manic again.....somebody.....stop me!

LOL! Mais non, Madame! Those of us who are addicted feel great relief to see others also buying way more books than they can read. We can then say, "Well, at least I'm not as bad as she is!" ;-))

Loved the title story of Eats, Shoots and Leaves as well as the two sentences that you also noted. The rest of the book was more serious, and the tone was more officious, than I had expected, so maybe didn't love the book as much as you did. Really enjoyed Girl in Hyacinth Blue though. Loved how the author told the story (going back in time). I'll probably read that book again. OK, I'm trying to be more brief; my last posting got way too long. Those two books you have waiting are great books, but I think you're right to wait until you're in the mood. With little kids, you probably want more light reading.

Edited to stop the italics.

Message edited by its author, Sep 2, 2009, 9:44pm.

>143 Rebeki

So you have been liberated as well??? Nice feeling, isn't it?

You are a translator??? Have you read Bel Canto? I loved the character in the novel who is a translator. His name is Gen, and he spoke numerous languages. A fave line went as follows:

"Gen, in his genius for languages, was often at a loss for what to say when left with only his own words."

I really loved her writing, and am reading another Ann Patchett right now.

>144 Bonnie

Girl in Hyacinth Blue was lovely. I'll eventually have to look up Girl with a Pearl Earring as I understand they share the same general theme.

You can share as little or as much as you like on my thread.....I love book-chatting with all of you!

And Happy Birthday again....hope you had a special day.

Message edited by its author, Sep 2, 2009, 9:27pm.

I am on FIRE this week with the whole 'finding new people to corrupt me with their many excellent books' thing! Now, where's that star button...

#145 - Ha ha - that quotation could apply to a number of people I know!

I haven't read Bel Canto, but have heard good things about it. Is it based on the Japanese Embassy hostage crisis in Peru? Anyway, it looks interesting, so I'll add it my 'list'. (You'll be pleased to know I don't actually have a list - I just store the titles/authors in my head for future use!).

>147 Welcome elliepotten! It's great sharing our thoughts on all these fantastic books! What have been your fave books this year????

sorry how can i read a book on this site, I have already chosen my book, pls advise, thanks

>148 Rebeki

You would probably enjoy Bel Canto. A friend of mine who is a teacher, not a translator, but who does speak 5 languages, is reading Bel Canto right now. (I made her read it!) She is also finding Gen's character to be most interesting, and loving the book.

I think you should add it to that 'I-won't-call-it-a-list' thing in your head! HA HA HA

Hello kolmogorov,

I'm not sure what help you require??? Can you be more specific?

BOOK #41 Run by Ann Patchett complete.

Book description:

Since their mother's death, adopted brothers, Tip and Teddy Doyle have been raised by their loving, possessive, and ambitious father. As the former mayor of Boston, Bernard Doyle wants to see his sons in politics, a dream the boys have never shared. But when an argument in a blinding New England snowstorm inadvertently causes an accident that involves a stranger and her child, all Bernard Doyle cares about is his ability to keep his children—all his children—safe.

The premise of this book seemed very intriguing, and although I liked it...I wouldn't say I loved it. The characters were interesting, and the family dynamics were well-written, but I preferred Bel Canto.

Okay, I'm off to beautiful Ireland!

Book #42 will be The Lace Makers of Glenmara by Heather Barbieri

Kolmogorov - you know this isn't an actual e-book reading site, right? People catalogue their own books on LibraryThing, and meet other likeminded people to chat about life and literature on these threads...

If that's not what you meant, get back to us and we'll try Problem Solving: Take 2!

Hi Louanne! Have a wonderful time on the Emerald Isle - are you British too then or travelling from further afield? - and get plenty of reading done!

To answer your question, some of my faves from this year... hmmmm...

1) Books, Baguettes and Bedbugs: The Left Bank World of Shakespeare and Co. by Jeremy Mercer (also known as 'Time was Soft There') - an account of Mercer's lengthy stay at the famously labyrinthine and eccentric Shakespeare and Co. bookshop in Paris. Actually, this is one of my all-time favourites too!

2) Remotely Controlled: How Television is Damaging our Lives and What we can Do About It by Dr. Aric Sigman - packed full of studies on every aspect of how television can affect us

3) The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby - like reading the LT threads in book form

4) My Autobiography by Charles Chaplin - sparkling with people, places, theatre, film, romance and friendship

5) Gold by Dan Rhodes - quirky little novel about a part-Japanese girl on her annual visit to a coastal village in Wales

6) Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer - you love it or hate it!

7) Biblioholism: The Literary Addiction by Tom Raabe - I think most LT-ers could relate! Very funny, too.

I've reviewed them all properly on their pages and in my thread too:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/53768

Stop by sometime!

>156 ellipotten

I'm not really visiting Ireland! Sigh. I wish. Quite some time ago I told the ladies on my thread that I was going to travel the world this summer...through BOOKS!!! So, I've been to:

Australia The Secret River
Sarajevo The Cellist of Sarajevo
England Coventry and On Chesil Beach
Portugal Alentejo Blue
China Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
somewhere in S. America (Peru?) Bel Canto
all over Europe People of the Book
Ethiopia Sweetness in the Belly
Netherlands Girl in Hyacinth Blue
and now Ireland The Lace Makers of Glenmara

I also had numerous books set in the US, and many from my own country which is CANADA!

Thanks for sharing your faves. I'll check them out, and I MUST look up the Literary Addiction book. Has someone written my biography????

Hey Bonnie

Thanks for the technical help....that's so not my thing!

You were reading The Glass Castle??? Wasn't that a great book??? It stayed with me for quite a long time after I was finished reading it.

>158: I loved The Glass Castle! I immediately gave it to my best friend (whose family shares some similarities with the Walls) who reminds me of Jeannette. I can't wait to hear what she thinks about it.

Louanne - OK, now you've said that I of course REMEMBER that you were armchair travelling and how I had been reading all about your book choices for each continent... silly bean, getting my threads in a tangle again! *blushes* Well, in a way I was right - you are going to get reading done and have a wonderful time!

Depending on what I think when I finish the book, The Time it Snowed in Puerto Rico might be a good one if you want "visit" the island. I'm almost halfway into the book and so far, it's pretty good. I've been finding that having Google Images handy as I read makes it that much better - I didn't realize before just how beautiful Puerto Rico is!

>159 Bonnie....your friend has a family background similar to the Walls family???? My goodness.

When I read that book I was left feeling so grateful for the blessings my family enjoys.

How does a family fall through the cracks like that? Of course, the Walls children just didn't let on to anyone- teachers, etc, about what their life was like at home. And the parents could have changed the family situation many times, but just didn't.

Not long after, I read something that said, "There will always be those who lack the personal resources to manage their lives no matter how much money you give them, and there will always be those who are in need because others have failed to help."

That sums up the Walls family experience I think. Great book!

>160 ellipotten
Yes, I've been armchair traveling. I can't say I'm enjoying my stay in Ireland. This book just isn't doing it for me. I'm finding it's sort of a chick-lit read, and that can be okay sometimes, but I'm not in that mood right now.

What mood am I in??? Sad. Depressed. True Blue. So there is no book that will satisfy right now!

My 'baby' starts school tomorrow. He doesn't want to go. For that matter, I don't want him to go, but dem's da rules, and go he must. He has been crying and saying he 'won't see his Mom all day long' etc etc, which doesn't make it any easier for me.

But I digress.....oh yes, the book. I might finish, or not. I'm also listening to my first audio book, and that has been different. It's Maya Angelou's Letter to my Daughter, and I like it so far. I like her voice....so it seemed a perfect choice for my first audio. I'm such a word-girl, I don't know if the audio-format can work in my life, but we'll see.

Sorry guys....too much information here....just a silly Mom who misses her kids when they are gone.

>171 spacepotatoes

I'd love to visit Puerto Rico for real someday!!! The Time it Snowed in Puerto Rico sounds intriguing. I'd love to hear your view when you have finished reading! Thanks for sharing!

Bonnie....your friend has a family background similar to the Walls family???? My goodness.

There are some similarities, but the Walls family is way off the continuum!

Awww Louanne - of course you're going to miss your little boy, it's a huge change for both of you! And I know that True Blue isn't a good mindset for reading... which then makes you MORE frustrated because reading is such a great antidote to life, the universe and everything! Hope day 1 goes okay for both of you!

I with you Louanne, my youngest started school this year. Today is his second day and he was very excitied to go. There has been no tears(for both of us) so that makes it easier to send him. His brother is there and he sees him during lunch. My first book for book club is The Whilt Tiger. I will start that one after I read a book I got from a friend, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I will put the rst of my book club books up later, I didn't get the full list last night but I will get it soon.

Louanne, I always felt anxious on my boys' first days of school (all the way through high school), but the first of their "firsts" was the worst! I remember I actually paced! Treat yourself to a good lunch and a good book! Today's a big day for you too!

Finished Book #42 The Lace Makers of Glenmara. It was only okay for me. Just okay.

Book #43 is Still Alice by Lisa Genova, which I've heard so much about, and I'm looking forward to reading it.

I'm still also listening to Maya Angelou's Letter to my Daughter on audio. The thing with audio books is that the time when I can give my full attention to listening, is the exact time when I can curl up with a book to read, so why not just read? Plus it feels a bit like having my Mom read to me...that's so weird...I'm all grown up now!!!

I have another audio lined up if I decide the format will work for me. It's non-fiction, entitled, Sticks and Stones: Using your Words as a Positive Force. We'll see how this format goes. It's a bit of a technological leap for a very old-fashioned kind of girl.

>166 ellipotten
>167 Heidi
>168 Bonnie

Thanks ladies for the words/advice/understanding about my little one starting school. He was okay on that first day, and that made it okay for me also. We'll get through this.....

I just reviewed Still Alice in my thread, I loved it. Hope you do too!

>171 spacepotatoes

Found and starred your thread. A quick scan showed some great reading, so I'll have an in-depth look later, when I have more time. I'm sure to find some great recommendations!!!!

I've heard so much about Still Alice, I must be the last one to read it.

Another brand new book that is generating a lot of buzz is The Day the Falls Stood Still. Niagara Falls happens to be in my backyard, so to speak. I live about a 20 minute drive away, and our local newspapers are profiling the author, who was born and raised here. I cannot wait to get my hands on that book! Has anyone read it as yet????

Still Alice was recommended for my bookclub but it was not voted in. A girl in the club bought it that night at the store.
Have not read or heard about The Day the Falls Stood Still but I have read Falling by Ann Simson, which take place in Niagara Falls.

>172 I read and loved The Day the Falls Stood Still and was born and raised just across the bridge from you in Niagara Falls NY.

Hi again Louanne! I'm with brenzi on The Day the Falls Stood Still bandwagon - it's a good one!

I'm enjoying Still Alice, but haven't picked it up to read since early in the week. I've been reading some very interesting books for my son's speech therapy sessions. (Books about language and communication.) I find the whole language learning process to be amazing, and if I keep reading them instead of my usual fiction, I might have to count them towards my 50 book challenge, or I might not make it!

>173 Heidi....What other books did your book club select???

>174 Brenzi....*Waving* Hello Neighbor!!!! Thanks for stopping by!

>175 Coppers....2 votes for The Day the Falls stood Still. I will certainly read this one very soon.

Finished Book #43 Still Alice.

What an amazing book. Sad and utterly heartbreaking, but written with such feeling. It was incredible to have a window into the life of a person who has Alzheimer's, and to see things from their perspective. It was a powerful and very moving book.

I put the list on my thread of the books for my bookclub, they just put the final list up today.What do you think? What ones have you read?(and the questions for everyone else also).

BOOK #44 will be Deafening by Frances Itani

From the LT Book Description:

In Deafening, two parallel stories are told: a man's story of war and a woman's story of waiting for him and of what it is to be deaf. Grania O'Neill is left with no hearing after having scarlet fever when she is five. She is taught at home until she is nine and then sent to an institution for the deaf, where lifelong friendships are forged, her career as a nurse is chosen, and she meets Jim Lloyd, a hearing man, with whom she falls in love.

The novel is filled with sounds and their absence, with an understanding of and insistence on the power of language, and with the necessity of telling and re-telling our stories. After she and Jim are married and he is sent to war, he writes: "At times the ground shudders beneath our boots. The air vibrates. Sometimes there is a whistling noise before an explosion. And then, all is silent." When Grania's brother-in-law, her childhood friend, Kenan, returns from war seriously injured, he will not utter a sound. A deaf woman teaching a hearing man to make sounds again is only one of the wonders in this book.

Deafening is a testament to the belief that language is stronger than separation, fear, illness, trauma and even death. Itani convinces us that it is what connects us, what makes us human.

Message edited by its author, Sep 22, 2009, 6:44am.

>179 Heidi
I replied on your thread about your club list.

Heidi - I can't FIND your thread! Could you maybe stick a link on here or message me with it? I like to 'book club talk' vicariously through other people from time to time... :-D

elliepotten I will try, if does not work I wrote on your profile
www.libarything.com/topic/57308
Louanne- I saw the message, thanks!

Louanne,
I will definitely put Still Alice on my TBR list--lots of experience dealing with Alzheimer's in my family. Someone else's insight would be welcome.

>184 brenzi

Still Alice was very good, and very sad. I think it's so powerful because it's written from the perspective of the one with Alzheimer's. What a truly horrific disease - for the person, and for those who love them. I'd like to recommend it for book club, but for those who know someone with Alzheimer's it could be too difficult. I have someone in my extended family who has Alzheimer's, but I found the book helpful to understand in a small way what she may have experienced.

Book 44 Deafening by Frances Itani

A beautiful poetic book about a young deaf woman, married to a hearing man who leaves for WWI. It shows the way her family and friends relate to her deafness, which was the result of scarlet fever at age five. It is a book about sound and silence, about how we learn language, and how we find ways to communicate with those around us. I learned a lot about the world of a deaf person during that time, and even found myself trying to learn more, via the internet, when I was finished the book. I could relate a little, in terms of how I help my own children learn language, how their speech and their voices emerge, and even in how we help them learn to read. This was for book club, and my friend in our club who suggested it teaches English as a Second Language, and speaks 5 languages. I could see why she loved it. I did too.

Currently Reading: Book 45 The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

Because I spent a couple of years learning ASL and learning about Deaf culture in America, I'm always interested in books like Deafening. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. I've also got Still Alice on my wish list.

>188 Bonnie - Deafening would most likely interest you. The author's grandmother was deaf and attended the actual school for the Deaf in the novel. That school is still in operation here in Ontario, but of course is a much different environment from the 1900s time period in the book.

45. The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

A charming and funny little book about a female private detective in Botswana. It's the perfect book for a lazy summer day...a rainy weekend...anytime when you want something that won't cause major deep thoughts! I had many a chuckle, and will certainly seek out some of the other adventures of Precious and her detective agency.

Currently Reading:
Book 46. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie

Message edited by its author, Oct 1, 2009, 7:05am.

Oh Louanne you're in for a treat. Balzak and the Little Chinese Seamstress is a wonderful read.

Hi Louanne, I haven't read any of the No. One Ladies series yet although I have the first two books on my shelf. I have started his 44 Scotland Street series and it's pretty good.

HBO's adaptation of No. 1 Ladies was very well done - have you seen that series? It should be on DVD soon, if not already.

And I agree with brenzi - Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is a treat! Enjoy!

Book 46. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress.

What a delight!!! You ladies were right about Balzac...it was such an interesting novel. A real literary feast. It was the sort of book I'd re-read just for pleasure.

>192 coppers: The No. 1 Ladies' series are not what I would call mysteries, but they are light and funny. I've never seen the HBO series.

I have very little time for reading these days, and no time on LT to check out all the threads. Saving that for another day. I'm closing in on my big number 50 for the challenge. Have to pick a FANTASTIC book for #50. Hmmm???? What shall it be???

Currently Reading: Book 47. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

This one has been at the top of Mount TBR for a long, long time.

Hu neighbor,

"a FANTASTIC book for #50 - I'll give a nudge to The Help by Kathryn Stockett or Small Island by Andrea Levy, two of my favorite reads this year.

I second the recommendation of The Help. (I haven't read Small Island yet.) I looked at the books that you gave the most stars too this year and I think you will really like it. No, I take that back; I know you'll love it! I think you'd like Mudbound too which is already in paperback.

Book 47. The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Buchanan.

Well, I started reading Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, but then I picked up The Day the Falls Stood Still. I was completely mesmerized! I.COULD.NOT.PUT.IT.DOWN. What a great book. It's made it to the top of my book club recommendation list. For a million reasons.

So.....Book 48 will be The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

And I've taken the advice of Bonnies x2 and Book 50, when I get there, will be.....The Help. I've heard such great things, I know I'll love it!

I also LOVED TDTFSS. Wasn't it great to make all those local connections? What did you think of that last dramatic scene in the whirlpool?

You will LOVE The Help I'm sure.

>197 Bonnie, I think The Day the Falls Stood Still was amazing! You are right, all the local connections made it that much more relevant and interesting for me. Just yesterday a man attempted to jump over the Falls- did you hear about the rescue???? (I could picture Tom out there with his grappling hook!) And I'm sure I recently read about the closing of the Oneida factory/warehouse which would be the Silvertown reference. And of course I am very familiar with Loreto and Mount Carmel, where I have stayed for church retreats and seminars.

I was really impressed with her writing. As I mentioned, I don't have much time for reading these days, and so it meant that I had to pull an all-nighter to finish this wonderful book. It was worth it!

Okay, I'm back. Haven't picked up a book in ages, which is such foreign territory to this girl who according to my Mom, came out of the womb book in hand!

I had started Curious Incident...I don't remember what I read, so I'll begin again.

Lots to catch up with on the threads here.

Hi Louanne, welcome back. I think that everyone has been busy the last few months, no too much chatting here. Curious Incident, good book hard to explain. I am reading Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral and also listening to Testimony.

Good to see you back Louanne. Ditto to heidimorden's comment on Curious Incident.

Hey, Louanne! I was one of those people who really liked The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night because it was such a fast, easy read while also so beautifully reflecting the thinking of a person with autism.

Rather shamefully, I still haven't actually picked this one off my shelf to read. Maybe my 'H' alphabet challenge read? Or a day off treat... Soon, soon, always SOON!

I enjoyed Curious Incident so much that I read it twice and listened to it on audio once over the course of about two years!

I also got my then 12 or 13 yr old son to read it for a school assignment and he loved it too (although probably not quite as much as I did!).

48.The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

Well, now I understand what many of you meant about this book being difficult to describe. I did like it, but I also had many conflicting feelings as I read. It was very interesting to see life from the perspective of someone with autism. Definitely worth a read to those who have not read it yet. It sat on my TBR for ever so long.

Currently reading:
49. Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay. This is for book club. It's about a group of eccentric characters working at a radio station in the far North in 1975.

>200 Heidi: Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral sounds like such an intriguing story. How is Testimony and the audio thing working for you? I gave up on audiobooks for now, but might try again at some point.

I know most of you ladies like the audio format, so I have a question: When/how do you use audiobooks??? Listening to a book while doing something else meant I wasn't concentrating on the book, and was missing the story. I know many who listen while on their commute to work, but my business is home-based, so no commute, and in the car, I almost always have my kids in tow. Trust me, it's not quiet! I am a runner, but I run with a friend early in the morning, and it's chat time for us. Audio wouldn't work then either.

My home and my life is completely filled with the sounds of children: their chatter, their squeals, their play, their crying sometimes too. Only two kids, but what a noisy and I-wouldn't-change-it-for-a-minute household. So reading is a QUIET PLEASURE for me. I almost never listen to the radio anymore either, too much chatter and noise. My first choice these days is classical music....just beautiful moving sound. I know this is just another life phase for me, but I enjoy peace and quiet when I can get it!

Interestingly, I recently read the book Deafening about a deaf woman's life. I loved that book about sound and silence. Now I am reading Late Nights on Air about the life of some interesting characters who work at a radio-station amidst the 'quiet beauty' of Yellowknife.

Hi neighbor,

I'm pretty much with you on this. Audio books just don't do it for me. I get much more pleasure from an actual reading experience. Even in a car on a long trip I prefer to read. Let's hear it for peace and quiet which is so hard to find these days.

Message edited by its author, Oct 27, 2009, 8:35am.

As an audio book listener, I have to say it only works if it fits your life style. When/if I run, I run alone, and listening is a great distraction. I have lots of car time with no kids so I listen then. Sometimes I even listen while preparing dinner. Our tv room and kitchen are close and if the kids are watching another episode of Zach and Cody or Hannah Montana, on goes the ipod. Otherwise, I read. If I'm a passenger in the car I read not listen. Before bed, read not listen. Precious free time in the afternoon, read, even my train commute to work, I read and not listen. I must say though, I do enjoy listening to a book. Many narrators are great and suit the book perfectly. I feel like a small child getting a story read to me, if you get a long enough period of time, you can get totally engrossed.

>207 Bonnie: Peace and quiet? Oh yes please. I love my wild and crazy household, but it makes me treasure the quiet moments that much more!

>208 Susan: I wish I could enjoy listening as you do. Right now, it doesn't fit my life, but that can change as my household evolves. I love the way you enjoy your reading time, in both formats. I think that's great. So what audio books did you like most???

Our public library system, like Heidi's, has free audio downloads. Online from home, you browse the lists, and download, then transfer to ipod. Tons of titles. I'm thinking kid-in-a-candy-store if you are an audio-fan. And great titles too: Balzac, Girl with Pearl Earring, People of the Book, Pillars, Suite Francaise, Oscar Wao, Time Traveler's Wife etc etc. Readers have so many choices these days!!!

I'm new to your thread, and wish I'd been here all along! I came over to comment on audio books based on your comment on Heidimorden's list. And, I see that you are discussing listening here as well. I agree that listening to books isn't for everyone. My husband doesn't much care for it, for example. Having said that, I wanted to recommend George Guidall and Barbara Rosenblatt to you. They are my two favorite readers by far. They may record for other companies, but most of their books are produced by Recorded Books, the company which, IMHO, consistently delivers the highest quality audiobooks. So, there's my blurb for audio books.

I'll be looking forward to reading your thread from now on. I didn't read all posts from the beginning, but I can see I'll get some great reading ideas from your posts.

>210 lbradf
Welcome and thanks for the thoughtful comments and recommendations on audio books. I haven't given up entirely on them, as I see how they are loved by many!

49. Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay
An interesting novel about people who work at a radio station in Yellowknife, NWT. I enjoyed this book which has a definite Canadian appeal.

Hay describes the inner workings of a radio station and radio's importance at that time in the far North. She says 'Radio mattered more as the days grew shorter.' (Anyone ever recall listening to radio dramas?) The book also covers the 1970s Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry and Native life.

When some of the central characters take a difficult six week canoeing trip into the heart of the Arctic, recreating the last journey of English explorer John Hornby, we glimpse the beauty of the landscape in the desolate North. The trip tests their bodies and their spirits. 'The contrast between comfort and discomfort was their daily bread - the pain of portaging and the bliss of lying in the evening sun, warm, fed, rested.' The tundra becomes a central character in the novel. It was '...the land of feast and famine. Nothing for so long, and then abundance, and then nothing again, but a nothing haunted by the previous abundance.' They are forever changed by their trip into the vast frozen wilderness.

THE BIG FIVE-OH!!!!

Currently reading: 50. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Great choice for your 50th Louanne!! I hope you enjoy The Help as much as I (and many others here) did!

Way to go, making it to 50!!!! I am almost there also. I can't wait to read your comments about the book. I think that I will read that one also for my 50th but that will depend on you thoughts. There are a lot of people who enjoyed it also so I think that it will a great choice. Enjoy!!

Congratulations on reaching 50 LouAnne and great choice for your 50th! Loved The Help. I am finishing up #49 and then on to my 50th for which I've chosen The Cellist of Sarajevo.

brenzi, great choice for your 50th. It is a great book, you will enjoy it. I read a while ago for bookclub. Congrats to you!!!

A shower of congrats to all you 50-ers... I'm still in my mid-40s but I should still be nicely done by the end of 2009!

Such a great book for your 50th, Louanne! The Help was in more people's Top Ten than any other book (at least in the lists that I got). I feel like I've already told you this. Congrats on reaching your goal. What are you going to do next after your "I'm going to Disneyland!" moment?

Thanks everyone. The Help is proving to be most enjoyable. Of course, I knew it would be, based on all the recommendations. It is so well-written I can hear the sweet southern voices in my head.

>219 That's funny! I have no idea what's next after Disneyland! All year I was hoping to get close to 50, and had initially set my goal at 30-40 books. Who knew??? I think, no wait, I KNOW, that LT had a lot to do with this. I joined in January and was suddenly surrounded by so many interesting readers and a multitude of fabulous recommendations. I got addicted to reading just like when I was a girl!

Yay for Books!

>220: I got addicted to reading just like when I was a girl!

I feel the same way. I came to LT just before you at the end of 2008. Somewhere in the midst of the all the required reading of college, I lost the zest for reading novels just for fun. Then I went through a purist phase. I realized that my education had left out a lot of classic literature, so I committed myself to reading only classic fiction--much thanks to Reader's Digest World's Best Reading books--or non-fiction. I know that's why I became such a big fan of audio books. I had a lot of time in the car, so I started listening to them. Since I wasn't "wasting time" by read "junk fiction" (my own perjorative terms from my judgmental super ego)--my real activity was driving--I allowed myself to listen to whatever book caught my fancy on the library shelf. I am so pleased to report that LT has busted that wide open! It has been a fun year of reading all sorts of books--actually reading them!

The Help has definitely been my favorite read of 2009. And this week I got into my way back machine and listened to Sissy Spacek narrate To Kill a Mockingbird. If I read this before, it was so long ago that I'm not sure if I ever read it or I'm just remembering the excellent movie. So here I was, driving along listening to Scout's experience at a tea party hosted by her aunt and a conversation that Skeeter's nasty friends would have enthusiastically joined.
I have no idea if The Help will become the classic that Mockingbird has but they are both marvelous, moving stories.
By the way, if you haven't ever listened to an audio book may I recommend the amazing Ms. Spacek reading this one? She doesn't ham it up by using phony voices....just a great actress telling a greay story.

>221 lbradf: I agree. My reading goes through cycles and phases too, depending on what's happening in my life at the time. Having kids changed my reading habits the most. They are 7 and 4 now, and since their births I read nothing but books for kids. Last year I started reading for ME again, and had a lot of catching up to do on all the great novels written in the past few years.

Right now, I am super busy and have almost no time to read. I am reading The Help one chapter at a time it seems.

>222 Hello AnneH. I think you may be right about the popularity of The Help. It's an amazing book so far, and is on many Top 10 lists here on LT.

To Kill a Mockingbird is another classic that I need to re-read as a 'grown up'. Thanks for the reminder. It would be a great follow-up to The Help.

I haven't found a way for audio books to fit my lifestyle just yet, but haven't given up hope. I even listened to a little of the audio for The Help, and loved hearing the Southern accents. I can see why so many people love audio!

Loved The Help and this is her first published novel! Unbelievable.

Read the Alchemist. Loved the little parable. Gave it to a friend as a gift.

50. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This is the part where my 4 year-old would say, 'YIPPEE YAY YAY!!! I finally finished my #50 book, and it was the most AMAZING book ever.

More to come....

Way to go, I am right behind you!! So The Help was a great book?? Well hopfully it will be at the library at the time if not I will read it later. Congrats!!!!!!!!

Congrats! Such a great one to top out on, Louanne! Totally agree with you. It's the only book this year that I wasn't willing to wait for to come out in paperback to buy. (Did that sentence make sense?) Every other book, I bought in paperback, bought discounted after it went to paperback, or borrowed from the library.

Congratulations! And with time to spare :) I'm looking forward to your review, I already have it on my TBR but it's moving up closer to the top with each recommendation I see. I'm kicking myself for not grabbing it at Costco when I had the chance - I saw it there once and by the next week it was gone. Hate it when they do that.

Congrats! So, what now, onto 60, or time for other things?

Can't believe it's been so long. Busy, busy days. So much catching up to do on all of your threads.

I was so happy to reach #50, and Kathryn Stockett's The Help was simply wonderful. Sometimes you think you know all there is to know about the South in the 1960s. Wrong. The characters were convincing and by the end, I felt I knew them. I refuse to believe this is her first novel.

The Help has been chosen as a book club selection for next year. I knew that before I started reading it, but could not wait until the end of 2010 to read it with my club. I'm glad I read it now.

51. Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier.

Similar to Girl in Hyacinth Blue but I loved this one more. Such beauty in the language of the art world. My first audio book. I also had the actual book, but read only a tiny bit. I was sad to realize that the audio was missing paragraphs and huge sections that were in the book. It did not say it was an abridged audio version, so I feel compelled to re-read this book in print, as I feel I didn't get the full story. So the jury is still out on audio for me.

Currently reading: 52. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

I've heard all of you talk about this one.

So glad to hear you loved The Help too, Louanne. It was one of my favorites this year, if not my favorite. On a related note, I just watched Mississippi Burning today--such a good movie!

So, what was your favorite book this year? Do you have one? I wasn't as fond of The Elegance of the Hedgehog as others on LT were, so am looking forward to hearing what you have to say.

Happy reading! Happy Thanksgiving too! :-)

Hi Louanne. I'm so glad to see you loved The Help just as I did. I also loved Elegance of the Hedgehog. I read Girl With a Pearl Earring several years ago and liked that one too.

I had to abandon The Elegance of the Hedgehog temporarily. It was just not the right time for that novel. I needed something with a lighter tone. Will try it again in the new year.

52. That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo.

This was my first Russo novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were hilarious laugh-out-loud moments, and the main character's overbearing Mother sometimes reminded me of my own Mom. (Dear God if she ever joins LT, I'll be in deep trouble!!!) I will be reading Russo's other works for sure next year. Something about his writing style reminded me of Anne Tyler who I love, but haven't read in a while.

Currently Reading:

53.Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg
This is an audio book, read by the author.

Well Louanne I'm sorry the time wasn't right for The Elegance of the Hedgehog but that has definitely happened to me. If you enjoyed That Old Cape Magic (as I did) you will love his other work especially Straight Man and Empire Falls.

Louanne,

I did finish Elegance of the Hedgehog and although I didn't absolutely love it I did pick up its prequel Gourmet Rhapsody and enjoyed it much more! It takes place in the same apartment building in Paris and while some of the characters in Hedgehog are minor ones here, the story of a dying, egomaniacal food critic and the people in his life really held my interest. I had to go back and read the second book to remind myself what had happened to some of them!
You might want to read the first book before attempting the second one again.