Since the June thread has reached 350+ posts, I decided I had better start a new one up for July.

My January thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/51105

My February thread is here:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/56421

My March thread is here:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/58749

My April thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/61444

My May thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/63947

My June thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/65874

My memorable reads for 2009 thus far are:

Nonfiction
Bound for the Promised Land by Kate Clifford Larson
Crazy Horse by Mari Sandoz
The Plays and Poems of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Volume 1
The Cobra's Heart by Ryszard Kapuscinski
The Eaves of Heaven by Andrew X. Pham
Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov
Love Letters from Cell 92 by Ruth-Alice von Bismarck and Ulrich Kabitz, editors
The Diary of Mary Berg by S.L. Shneiderman, editor
Lighthouse by Tony Parker
The Good Doctors by John Dittmer
Columbine by Dave Cullen
The Diary of Gideon Welles by Gideon Welles

Fiction
Plainsong by Kent Haruf
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
Tethered by Amy MacKinnon
Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
Maus and Maus II by Art Spiegelman
The Girls by Lori Lansens
The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather
So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba
Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome
Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
Wizard of the Crow by Ngugi wa Thiong'o
Villette by Charlotte Bronte
Peace Like A River by Leif Enger
A City of Bells by Elizabeth Goudge
The Hummingbird's Daughter - Luis Alberto Urrea

Young Adult
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Treasure of Green Knowe by L.M. Boston
The BFG by Roald Dahl
The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg
The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

A note about my memorable reads: I am not a book critic. My memorable reads list is just that: books that are memorable to me - that for some reason or other resonate with me. I do not rate books as many people here do for the simple reason that I am a terrible book reviewer! lol

Message edited by its author, Jul 26, 2009, 6:50am.

I have decided to chuck the 'must-read' list. I am not getting them read and have decided a list approach is just not for me. I will eventually get to them, but probably not all this year.

Message edited by its author, Jul 19, 2009, 5:58am.

Gotcha starred again!

Sneaky, sneaky Stasia, not putting a stonking big link in her June thread. Bad homeschooler! Bad homeschooler!

#4: Thanks, Lorie.

#5: Just for you, Richard, I will add one :)

just checking in so I don't lose you

I've got you starred as well.

It will be interesting to see what you think of Special Topics in Calamity Physics. It's one of those books that seems to evoke violent passions for or against. (I really hated it . . . )

>8 I've got it on the shelves too so will be looking out for Stasia's thoughts! Interested to hear why you took agin it so violently, Cariola, but perhaps not before she's (or I've) read it...!

>8 cariola, I saw Special Topics in Calamity Physicsin the public library recently. I couldn't help thinking that of all the titles in all the librairies in all the world and in the world's beyond, that title is the least attractive name for a work of fiction.

Specialised , calamitious and Physics -where could the attraction possibly lie! Aren't you curious, you ask. Yes, but not about physics!

Now, go on, someone tell me that this is the most wonderful book that has ever been produced on this planet! :)

~ TT

10> Oh, I'm sure someone will!

One word--well, make that two: "pretentious drivel."

#10, 11 But it won't be me!

I don't know about it being the most wonderful book that has ever been produced on this planet, but I did enjoy Special Topics in Calamity Physics :) The title is actually what caught my attention in the first place and the interview or review or whatever it was that I heard on NPR cinched the deal. I have to admit though, that what I like about it is what most people find repulsive - the random tangents and long run-on sentences - it was like reading a transcript of the way I think.

>11 Cariola...so kind! "Pretentious drivel" is a mild description of Pessl's piffl.

"Vile verbiage in service of an devious duping of the jejune public." And I am stretching to be kind.

What I didn't like about it was that the author was trying so hard to be clever (and was so pleased with herself for being clever), at the expense of plot and character.

15> Yep, that's exactly what I meant by pretentious. Not to mention the absurd metaphors (which are part of the "drivel"). I just hate that kind of writing.

I would never in a million years pick up and read a book with the word "physics" in the title. hehe

"They stared at her with sickened yet fascinated expressions, as if watching crocodiles mate on the Nature Channel."

Is it a comedy? serious question

No, not really. The main character just thinks she's brillliant. As does the author.

Message edited by its author, Jul 1, 2009, 10:37pm.

So......Ya-all didn't like the book; is that what you're saying? I am just trying to get this straight here. You know, attempting to understand what the meaning of all those words up there are. What you're saying is:

Absurd, pretentious and drivel... all words that have been used to describe me :) but seriously, there must be at least one other person besides me on these interwebs what liked it. Hmm... maybe I AM all alone. No wait, the boy in the book store said he liked it, unless that was just to get ME to buy the book. Oh, crap...

I read Special Topics in Calamity Physics for a book club at work, although I never made it to the actual meeting. I don't remember being overly-impressed with the work, but I didn't have any incredibly strong feelings against it, too. Maybe it says something about the book that I can't remember? ;)

I loved Special Topics..., read it twice actually, and recommended it for my book group because of all the literary and popular references. All the asides drove some people crazy, but that's how I think so that's what made the book so good for me. I thought the father was pretentious and obnoxious, so was suspicious of him from the start, but loved the narrator.

Yay, I'm NOT alone :)

Well, my daughter liked it and recommended it to me, rather forcefully, as I recall. I've nudged her to drop in here and put in her two cents, but so far she's busy elsewhere.

I enjoyed the voice, thought the narrative was fun, and was caught up in what was going to happen next. I also thought the narrative form was a humorous commentary on academic writing, though ultimately maybe not entirely successful. I did not find it pretentious, except, perhaps, in the ways academics sometimes come off as pretentious without meaning to--and that actually made the book more enjoyable for me as that pretension was consciously done in the form of commentary.

Message edited by its author, Jul 2, 2009, 3:08pm.

Cariola and St. Richard have spoken , that is good enough for me! I did read a book on Quantum Physics last year and it was quite fascinating. That is, it was quite fascinating that an intelligent person such as myself could hardly understand a word! Just kidding. Although all things scientific are not really my cup of tea at least it was written by a serious writer who tried to make this difficult subject intelligible to my tiny mind.

What I objected to was the title for a novel. Although, when I checked out the description it sounded really interesting. It justs shows you can't judge a book by its blurb.

~ TT

~ TT

@ 10 TT, Physics is cool (yes, you hear the engineer talking, I think the same about math ;) )

Never read the book btw, and also not on my whislist.

Hello Dear One!
I'm simply wizzing by to say hi. I'll read your thread more in depth in the next few days. I came home to many posts on your new thread. You are incredible!

#30: It's just going on it's own without me. I have been out of town, so have not even been checking posts, lol.

I really liked Special Topics in Calamity physics as well and agree with lycomayflower that there was humor in the narrative. I remember being caught up with the story, too, and just read it straight through. I thought it was a very good read and it is one of the few recently published novels that I have kept - which means I might even read it again!

eta: sorry, alcottacre, just had to throw in my two cents. You can have your thread back now...

Message edited by its author, Jul 3, 2009, 8:48am.

#32

Do you think she ever gets her thread back?? lol

She may not want it back....check and see if she's started another one somewhere without us!!

She wouldn't dare ;)

Anyway, she can run but she can't hide, we'd track her down if she tried to skip town on us!

>32-35: I can't imagine Stasia not wanting us around! Just think, the Stasia threads are really a kind of salon, a meeting-place for people of all kinds and sorts to trade bons mots and witticisms. What higher compliment can one pay to the hostess of a salon than attending it regularly?

> 36 - Hear! Hear!

We applaud and admire our hostess, relentlessly.

WH

I have been out of town both last weekend and the past couple of days (I do not own a laptop, so no computer for me). It is wonderful to see everyone enjoying my thread without me!

I thought alcottacre was another word for the kitchen and meant All come to tea at central recreation!

~ TT

Message edited by its author, Jul 3, 2009, 4:07pm.

>#39:
~TT;
Verrrrry clever!~!
Hey Seattle just beat the Red Sox 7-6!~!~! Whoo Hoo!~!~!~!~!
Let's all celebrate!~!
belva

>#36:
St. Richard;
Hey dude--if I weren't, would you marry me?

>41 Belle of the Va, of course dearest! Now YOU get to explain to The Divine Miss what just happened here. I'll be in Honduras. You just holler when it's all fixed up.

*thumbs rolodex for florists to place funeral wreath order for dear, dead Belva*

#36: Richard, you have hit the nail on the head as to how I feel about people visiting my thread. I just wish I had been around more this past week to enjoy it!

The next 2 weeks are not going to be any better for me, I fear. I have day trips in the middle of the next couple of weeks and will be offline while I am gone.

Everybody to Alcott's thread, she'll be gone and we can take over!!!!!!

Whoo Hoo!~!

While the cat's away, the mice WILL play ;)

Yes, we will simply have to carry on without here. Perhaps we know her well enough to pull together a Sunday morning list of books we think she would read.

Really, she reads so many varied genre's that if we all make up one or two, then we are most likely to be somewhat correct.

Oh, let the fun begin......

(Clearing throat) - I have not left yet . . .

Quantum Physics

I have read several books on the topic.. and they make perfect sense in a chaotic , random sort of ya just never know kinda way.

lol @ stasia

Stasia...
You will be missed. Safe journey!

Not a great reading week for me because of traveling (in my case that means driving) and I do not expect the next couple of weeks to be any better for the same reason. Anyhow, here they are:

265. Cavalier and Yankee by William Robert Taylor - nonfiction; I found this book very interesting - a study in contrasts of Northerners and Southerners primarily through literature; highly recommended

266. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin - I think if I had been reading this book on my own, I would have put it down at the 50-page mark; I realize that this book is supposed to be a classic in the genre, but the entire book I kept asking myself 'Why?' - it really did nothing for me

267. The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck - I think Belva recommended this on her thread (thank you!) and I really enjoyed this psychological study of a 'conquered' people; highly recommended

268. Glenn Beck's Common Sense by Glenn Beck - nonfiction; my sister recommended this book, a book I would not normally have read given my total and complete aversion to politics, but this was a terrific book; Beck strives to stay completely apart from Democrat vs Republican and just put forth common sense solutions to the problems in America today; highly recommended

269. Brother Odd by Dean Koontz - I did not enjoy this book as much as the previous 2 in the series, but it was still a good read; recommended

270. Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz - I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would - perhaps just because I am not and never have been a 12-14 year old boy, the ages I would recommend it for

271. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne - thank you, Linda, for sending this one to me; overall, I enjoyed this one a lot, although I did have a couple of minor quibbles with it, still I would recommend it to anyone; highly recommended

At the end of June, I had read 266 books, 80 of which are nonfiction, so I am on pace to reach my goal of 150 nonfiction books by years end.

Wow. I haven't had a great reading week either, but I've only read 2 pages, not 7 books!

Bowing reverently at Stasia. Again.

Message edited by its author, Jul 5, 2009, 6:53am.

well done again Stasia!

Stasia
I so enjoy Sunday mornings when I read your thread and learn of your weekly reads.

Even though you traveled, you still were able to read a lot this past week.

Like Darryl, I haven't read a lot this week. The College Media Advisers workshop in St. Petersburg, Florida was intense and left very little time for reading. I finished one book thus far this month and it wasn't one that I could recommend.

Happy Travels! And, I am amazed at the fact that you read 266 books this year.

265. Cavalier and Yankee by William Robert Taylor sounds perfect for my dad (and then I'll read it).
Take care.

Yay only one book to add to the wishlist, and even that isn't a 'I must have that book immediately' one, just quietly interested in The Moon is Down.

I felt somewhat the same about The Left Hand of Darkness until I got to their journey over the glacier, and then it came alive to me.

>52 the Alex Rider books do get better - I don't think Stormbreaker is the best of the series. Might be worth trying one more?

Stasia, you change threads so often that I sometimes lose track of you, but I found you this month. I wish I had more bad reading weeks like yours. Have added Cavalier and Yankee to the wish list. I'm a sucker for books like this.

Miss Acre, If you liked The Moon is Down, you really should try some more Steinbeck. My favorite is East of Eden and next is The Winter of Our Discontent. But you can't really go wrong with any choice.

I must agree with BDB... more Steinbeck! East of Eden is a favorite of mine as well, followed by Travels with Charley.

I must admit that I have not read The Moon is Down and have added it to the Wishlist. Thank you for the recommendation

#53: Darryl, I am sure you were busy with much more important things than I was! No bowing allowed on this thread, especially from you.

#56: I hope you and your dad enjoy it!

#57: Sorry to hear you are only adding one this week, lunacat :)

#58: I will trust your judgment, Rachael, and try the next one.

#59: I have problems keeping track of my threads, too, Sandy, so I know how you feel! I hope you get a chance to try Cavalier and Yankee.

#60: Mac, thank you for the suggestions. So far, the only books by Steinbeck I have read are The Moon is Down and Travels with Charley. I was thinking of trying Of Mice and Men next.

#61: I hope you enjoy The Moon is Down.

alcottacre, I think that, at one point, we were talking about various books on the history of a particular year. I'd read 1969 and you'd read 1968, I believe.

I recently came upon this one and have reserved it at the library:

1959: The Year Everything Changed by Fred Kaplan.

Thanks for listing this book Linda!

I am a child of the 50's and thus am very interested in this historical time frame!

> 60 East of Eden is my favorite, too.

I've added Cavalier and Yankee to my wishlist--although it's antebellum I think it will fit well with my Civil War category and I've also added The Moon Is Down--I'm on a quest to read all of Steinbeck "before I die" and I wasn't yet aware of this one. I've already got Travels with Charley planned for this year but since that is a memoir and Moon Is Down is fiction that would be okay.

#63: Thanks, Linda. I will look for it.

I am going to be out of town Tuesday through Thursday of both this week and next. I do not have a laptop (nor do I want one), so no computer access means no LT. I do not want you guys to think I am ignoring you. I will respond to all messages when I am back!

Have a nice trip! We'll keep things neat while you're away...

Hmmm, The Moon is Down sounds worth checking out...! Hope you have a great trip :)

Just when I get caught up, she leaves!

COME BACK!!!

Have a happy time!

Enjoy your trip Stasia!

#71

Lol, you should be glad, means things will quieten down and make it easier to keep up with all the threads while she's away

@ 60,65, I'm a Steinbeck fan, but never read East of Eden. I should find it somewhere.

74 Not the way we talk!

Travel safely and I am so happy you will be back by Sunday!~!
belva

>75: East of Eden is a must for a Steinbeck fan. I just wrote on Copper's thread that I need to read more Steinbeck as well.

I am beginning to see more and more Steinbeck readers on LT all the time. It is wonderful that more people are appreciating his writing. He is a national treasure.

While I love East of Eden, I think The Winter of Our Discontent is about the best thing Steinbeck wrote. I mean, he was within a few years of death and he, unlike most great writers and all ungreat ones that I know of, struck out in a very different direction from all his previous work. That makes a book and a writer of special importance to me. I think one grows old only when one allows the natural closing-of-doors that aging brings to prevent one from OPENING a few just for the hell of it.

He did that. I am impressed. That is how I want to age...not growing old!

Richard;
I cannot believe it. Steinbeck is my favorite author; I'm sure you know that. The Winter of Our Discontent has always been my favorite work of his. I find that rather uncanny that we should share that in common, don't you?

Oh, not really, Belva...we ARE engaged, after all.

Oh yeah, I forgot.
**hangs head blushingly**

Adding Winter of our Discontent to the "to buy" list. Unfortunately, Amazon doesn't have it so I will have to go on a hunt. That's the 4th Steinbeck book I've added the the list this week! Currently reading Travels with Charlie which I already own and absolutely loving it. I think I would have really liked this man had I had a chance to meet him. This is my fourth Steinbeck book and I'm addicted. I hope I will like East of Eden--that one seems to be available so will probably be my next purchase.

Oh pooh! I leave for a week or so and Richard gets engaged. Now who am I going to crush on from afar? Oh well, at least it's with Belva and it will probably make my other half happy. He was beginning to get worried: "Oh, honey, Richard said the funniest thing today..." ;)

#84 Amazon has a paperback edition of The Winter of Our Discontent, Carolyn. http://www.amazon.com/Winter-Our-Discont... Or you could go the Library of America route, and buy the Steinbeck volume that contains that novel, as well as The Wayward Bus Burning Bright, Sweet Thursday and Travels with Charley
http://www.loa.org/volume.jsp?RequestID=...

Message edited by its author, Jul 9, 2009, 9:56pm.

I'm ba-ack (again!). I figure it will take me until next week when I leave again to catch up on all the posts :)

#86 Linda

Thanks! You are a lifesaver. The link led me to it right away. I wonder why when I searched Amazon for it I found an out of print edition with no links to an in print one? Oh, well, problem solved. It's a nice pb edition, easy to carry around and not expensive. The Library of America volumes are great and I have a couple--but they aren't very portable and they are expensive.

#87 Stasia

Welcome back! Hope you have a good weekend before taking off again!

Thanks, Carolyn!

>85 Berly, I have that effect on husbands...until they discover I'm more likely to put the moves on them than their wives. That's led to some very odd attitude adjustments....

>#85:
Berly;
Neener, neener, neener!~!

>#87:
Stasia;
Welcome home. Glad you made it back safe and sound and cannot wait for coffee hour on Sunday.

>#90:
St. Richard;
I'm LMAO!~!~! That was funny!~!

Message edited by its author, Jul 9, 2009, 11:24pm.

>52: Have you ever seen "Foyle's War"? It's a British mystery TV series set during WWII, and it's writer/creator is Anthony Horowitz, author of the Alex Rider series. I haven't read his books and am not planning to, but "Foyle's War" is an amazing show and I highly recommend it.

#92: No, I have not seen "Foyle's War", Erin. Thanks for the recommendation of it, though. I will see if I can find it online somewhere.

I recommend Foyle's War! I do wish my mother was alive because when she was young, during the war, she was a plane-spotter in the Observer Corp., right where the series is set (Sussex coast). She would be setting them straight on whether they got it "right" or not!

Stopping by to say welcome home for a few hours before you have to take off again.

I'll add my two cents worth to previous comment here on your thread, Stasia, recommending Foyle's War. It is a terrific series with wonderful actors, screenplays and a real feel for the period (WWII). Link to info here:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0310455/

One of the very best and worth putting a book aside for on a temporary basis, of course.

womansheart

Ruth,
do we get this programming in the states?
belva

I just finished a marathon of watching all five seasons of "Foyle's War." It is AWESOME--and I think I'm in love with Michael Kitchen.

96> The series was running on PBS, on Masterpiece Mysteries. Unfortunately, it just ended about two weeks ago. But the entire series is available on Netflix.

>96 - nannybebette/Belva -

Echoing what Cariola says, "... entire series is available on Netflix".

If any of ya'll decide to watch them on DVD. It is fun to alternate them with other types of DVD's IF you can tear yourselves away from the characters and the stories. It is sort of like a World War II era soap opera/mystery/police procedural/occasional romance if you can imagine all those done together AND well done.

I also mentioned on another thread a few weeks ago a BBC mini series about the occupation of Guernsey by the Germans during WWII.

I watched this excellent series before I read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. TGLaPPPS really was enhanced by watching the mini-series.

If anyone is interested, I can track down the post here on LT or find it some other way.

WH aka Ruth

>#99:
Yes, Ruth, yes!~! That would be wonderful if you could track that down. Thank you.

>#94:
dihiba; How very interesting. I remember reading about the "plane spotters" but to actually hear your mother tell the tales of what happened and all; how wonderful that she was able to share all that with you. You got a 1st hand education at an early age.

belva

Yes, my mother actually wrote two books about WWII. One about war brides - she was one. She met my father (a Canadian soldier - the area was crawling with them!) when he was on patrol on Beachy Head (a white cliff) which is featured in one of the shows. After she died, we took her ashes back there.

I started to watch an older series on the Channel Islands occupations, "Enemy at the Door," but it was pretty dated and not terribly interesting. The newer one is called something like "Islands at War," or "The Islands War," I think.

Message edited by its author, Jul 10, 2009, 3:12pm.

~ waves ~

>100 - nannybebette -

The DVD is "Islands at War (2004)" and has a total of six episodes. I have watched all six... available through Netflix with two episodes on each disc. Below is a link to further information on The Internet Movie Database.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0401019/

And, on Netflix:

http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Island_at_W...

The series gets off to a slow start IMHO, but it becomes more interesting as the story develops and one gets to know the players. LTers in Great Britain may have been able to see a different version or more episodes, I'm just not sure.

Hope this helps.

womansheart

104 - I just reserved this DVD set through my library system! Thanks!!! It sounds great.
It is listed as "Island at War" in their database, without the "s".

Maybe late, but popping in to add my 2 cents for "Foyle's War." I loved it on PBS' Masterpiece. A very great show. And I am NOT a television watcher. PBS is about the only channel I'll watch.

I feel the same about PBS and "Foyle's War". I was sorry it ended. I have been viewing another series I like on Netflix: "My Uncle Silas" from short stories by H. E. Bates.

Good news for all the Foyle's War fans that have come out of the woodwork: Three more episodes are currently being filmed. They're set immediately following VE Day as Foyle and the rest of the country deals with the aftermath of the war: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/art...

And may I add that I don't watch much TV either--and that I usually don't care for mysteries. But I just loved all the characters and the careful way life in wartime was depicted. Be sure to watch the DVD extras; there is a lot of info there on how some elements of the episodes were taken from actual events, and how they recreated them. Very interesting!

>105 - dihiba/Diana -

Thanks for noticing and mentioning the mysterious "s" that crept in when I posted the title of the DVD series. I had thought I copied/pasted it. Oh well, Miss sharped-eyed-reader-of-threads. Glad you caught the mistake and have ordered the right DVDs for your enjoyment.

You are special to me just from reading your posts here.

I appreciate knowing that your Mum was the author of two books and that she met your Canadian Dad on the white cliffs at Beachy Head. It is very special to know that her ashes were taken back to that area by you and your family. Lovely and loving in my humble opinion.

With warm regard, WH aka Ruth

Thank you Ruth. Actually my Dad was English too, he had come to Canada with his family as a lad. (They say "lad" in Lancashire, where he was from). He is still alive, at 88, and just moving into a retirement residence this month. He is a bit of a curmudgeon, and I swear that keeps him going. That...and doing crosswords!
I hope you didn't mind my pointing out the extra s on the DVD set - we teachers are used to pointing out things like that : ) ! Those sharp eyes are part of the job description....

Message edited by its author, Jul 11, 2009, 12:56pm.

> #111 -

Great, Diana. We watched the extras that were available on the region 2 versions that were available here in the USA.

Sharp eyes sound good as part of the job description. They must go along with the sharp minds some of the best teachers have also.

Your Dad sounds like he wants a good bit of attention and affection, maybe hiding underneath the curmudgeonly behaviors. Hope he finds the residence comfortable and has plenty of interesting crosswords to occupy his time and exercise his memory and brain.

WH aka Ruth

Another Foyles War fan here - I'm betting PBS will rebroadcast some, if not all, of the old episodes in preparation for the new post war mysteries they are currently filming.

It is my understanding from program commentary and bits I have read that they are almost fanatical about recreating things as authentically accurate to the times as possible. Michael Kitchen alone is worth tuning in for.

Way back to musicmom - #88 -and discussion of Library of America editions - I'm happy to say I have found many of them at most reasonable prices at Half Price Books (who would sell these treasures, I ask myself as I happily grab them!). Try used if you have anything accessible.

My husband, dear man that he is, brought in the last 30 boxes of books from our garage for me today. I fully expect an orgy of Library Thing cataloging in the upcoming weeks. It has only taken a little over a year for us to get all the books in the house. Since they were in storage for 3+ years before that, I have not seen a good many of them for 4 years now. I am looking forward to revisiting some old friends!

What fun! I just love looking over "old friends" that I haven't seen for a long time. I can hardly wait to see what you add. :-)

Hope you are enjoying your weekend at home. Do you have to travel again next week?

Well, technically I am at work :) Yes, I will be traveling again in the middle of next week, so then I will spend forever getting caught back up again on threads, lol.

I have a feeling a lot of the books in the boxes are romances, and after talking with my mother on my visit a couple of weeks ago, I am going to be getting rid of a bunch of those. I just do not have the storage space to keep the books, much as I would like to for sentimental reasons. I know that they are not all romances, though, so I will be uncovering some surprises, too, I am sure.

Thank you Ruth for the DVD information.

Stasia and all;
It has been fun just lurking and skulking here this evening catching up with all of you and your conversations. Sounds like a very interesting evening all the way round.

belva

Stasia--

I am so jealous that you get to unpack your treasure boxes. :) Happy reminiscing.

#118: Kim, there is one book that I really want to find, The Listener by Taylor Caldwell. I feel the need for it right now. Ever have times like that?

Absolutely! Sometimes I don't even have to read the book again. I just want to hold it in my hands and remember it. I don't think I have read anything by Taylor Caldwell...no, wait. Captains and the Kings? What's The Listener about? Thirty boxes, huh? Good luck finding it!

The Listener is just a quiet book - I am sure you know the kind I mean. A man has a building built that anyone can visit. The book is descriptions of the people who visit. I know I am not doing the book justice, but there it is simply put.

I can feel your love for this book. I will have to look for it (although not in my boxes!). Thanks.

I warn you, Kim - it is written from a Christian standpoint, so if you find Christianity offensive in some way, you probably will not appreciate the book. I find the book very comforting.

OK, with apologies to lovers of nonfiction, it has been a pretty fiction heavy week for me what with traveling and all. Anyway, this is the wrap up for the week:

272. Love Mercy by Earlene Fowler - I am a big fan of Fowler's Benni Harper series, so when I saw that she had written a stand alone, I thought I would give it a try - and I loved it; the book is not for everyone and I think it meant more to me when reading it due to the current situation with my father; it is written from a Christian POV, although Fowler does not beat anyone over the head with it, but the entire book is about relationships in family and with God; highly recommended

273. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton - I really enjoyed this book although I think it was just a bit too long - I did think Morton did a very good job of establishing the setting/period of the historical parts of the book; highly recommended

274. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling - juvenile fiction; short stories from the wizarding world read in anticipation of the new movie; recommended

275. The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King - audiobook; I listened to this traveling this week and I still love it - I have read/listened to the book multiple times and it never gets old - a huge thanks to JoycePa for reminding me of it so that I pulled it out for the trip; highly recommended

276. The Truth by Terry Pratchett - This is the first Pratchett I have ever read, next to Good Omens that he did with Neil Gaiman, and it will not be the last; highly recommended

277. Flashforward by Robert J. Sawyer - thanks to Kerry for recommending Sawyer's books - I enjoyed this tale of a science experiment gone wrong for the most part, although I think it could have benefited from some judicious editing; recommended

278. Mischling, Second Degree by Ilse Koehn - young adult nonfiction; thanks to Cushla for the recommendation on this one, a German woman's childhood reminiscences from inside Nazi Germany and the Hitler Youth program; highly recommended

279. Columbine by Dave Cullen - nonfiction; this book blew me away and is now on my memorable reads list for the year; an absolutely fantastic, in-depth account of the Columbine tragedy; highly recommended

280. Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper - I read this for the group read and thoroughly enjoyed it; it was a great light read after Columbine; highly recommended

A couple of 5-star books this week and a couple of 4 1/2 star ones as well, so all in all, a good reading week for me despite the traveling. I hope next week is just as good!

I was mosying around online and found this story Stasia~
thought you would like it :)

http://www.comcast.net/articles/sports-m...

#125: I wish I had known about it when I visited Milwaukee several years ago. Thanks for passing the article along, Kath.

re Flashforward. I've read Sawyer's The Far-Seer. A charming and orginal story (for it's time) that is a special favorite of my husband (who loves Heinlein & Piper).

>#125:
Kath; What a fun article. I would love to stay there for a night. That was really interesting. Thanx for putting it out there.

> 119 - Stasia -

I remember reading that book and loving it. Taylor Caldwell wrote so well.

The storyline uses a device that makes it a rather participatory experience for the reader. I must have been in my late teens when I read it and was very touched.

What a joy to look forward to finding. Here is one link that tells about the book The Listener that I found brief and interesting:

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/tayl...

I added Over Sea, Under Stone to my TBR Cyber Stack. It sounds as thought it will be right down my alley after finishing a "heavy duty, industrial read" of some kind.

With love, Ruth aka womansheart

> 124 I'm so glad you liked Columbine which is one of my favorite reads of this year as well. I will have to give The House at Riverton a try, as I have heard many good things about it.

Ah, Sunday mornings at the acre. What a joy. Good conversation and all the recs one can claim.


glitter-graphics.com

Given the topic, Columbine must be more than fantastic, considering all the people who are raving about it.

I have GOT to make time to read The Beekeeper's Apprentice! I have no excuse either - it's on the bookcase over my right shoulder as I type...
I'm sure I will love it - I love Sherlock Holmes, and so many LT members have recommended it - and STASIA loves it so of course I will too! :D

#133: I almost recommended the book to you when were discussing the Agatha Raisin books on your thread, Angela. I think you will like the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series if you give them a try. Just do not expect Conan Doyle's Holmes.

#127: I will look for The Far-Seer. I like Heinlein and Piper, too.

#129: Ruth, Over Sea, Under Stone is the first book in a series, so if you enjoy it you might want to try the others in the series as well.

Thanks for the link about The Listener. My copy is a first edition and I cannot wait to find it again. I normally do not care about first editions, but a first edition of that book! That I care about.

130: Sherlyn, I will be interested in seeing what you think of The House at Riverton.

#124 - glad that you enjoyed Flashforward, it's one my library doesn't have.

#134 - I think that's the reason I've hesitated to read it. It will be difficult in the beginning because my brain will keep reminding me of all the differences from the original Sherlock Holmes. But I'm sure when I get used to that I will LOVE the series.
Thanks for the recommendation!

#132: Bonnie, it is not a book that you can strictly 'enjoy' because of the subject matter, but it is well-written and well-researched.

#124 - You read three of my favorites this week! Over Sea, Under Stone, The Beekeeper's Apprentice, and The Truth are all books that have a special place in my heart. Terry Pratchett is one of my favorite authors and I highly recommend Nation if you are interested in reading more of his books. It is one of his newer ones and is YA.

#141: I will look for that one next!

Hi Stasia (and everyone else!) - really glad you enjoyed Mischling, Second Degree.

I've seen lots of good comments on here about The House of Riverton - am going to look for it on the library website now.

#141, 142 - I second the recommendation for Nation. I don't have much experience with his non-discworld books, but I thought it was wonderful!

#124 It looks like you've had some great reads this past week. I'm glad you liked The House at Riverton. Have you read The Forgotten Garden by the same author? It's very good as well.

#145: My local library does not have that one yet, Lorie, but it is on Planet TBR already. I just have to get my hands on a copy!

Hi Stasia! I'm ignoring all your reviews! Completely not even looking at them!

C-ya xoxo

#147: Richard, you are just too bad for words. I live for your reviews!

Just a reminder - I am on the road again traveling (driving) this week and will be leaving tomorrow and not back until Thursday, so I will not be online. I will catch up with everyone's messages when I am back!

Happy travels!

Travel safely. See ya Sunday.
belva

Have a good trip!

Thanks everyone for the good wishes. I just hope I can walk once I get home - 20+ hours of driving back-to-back weeks is not my idea of fun :)

>153: This is the driving summer for me:

Two weekends ago: 6 hours of driving taking daughter to camp in Pennsylvania.

This past weekend: 12 hours of driving taking son to camp in Maine.

Next weekend: 24 hours of driving doing a quick trip up to Canada for some maintenance on the cabin.

Weekend after that: 12 hours of driving picking my son up from camp.

Weekend after that: 12 hours of driving going to Canada.

Weekend after that: blessed lounging on the dock!

Weekend after that: 12 hours of driving coming home from Canada.

- Where in Canada?! Ontario? The Maritimes? The West? The Prairies? The North? Quebec? Newfoundland Labrador? It's a big country! You're not driving across it, are you? : )

Message edited by its author, Jul 14, 2009, 8:27am.

>155: French River, Ontario. It's about 12 hours each way to and from the cabin.

Hmm..pretty north. Black fly country?

Am way behind reading this thread - finally got to it today. When are you plannning to read Parts 2 & 3 of The Heaven Tree Trilogy? I still have them waiting for me to get to them.

Good luck with the traveling Stasia.

Message edited by its author, Jul 14, 2009, 3:50pm.

>157: In June and early July?....oh yes! By late July and August, they're pretty well done for and life is pleasant. We have a fairly constant stiff wind across the island, so even mosquitoes aren't a big problem.

I'm too far south for the black flies (Ottawa) but I do remember them when I lived in northern Quebec. They really do want their pound of flesh!

Hey Tad--You forgot to pick your daughter up from camp. :(

Different kind of pest in Ottawa, eh, dihiba? hehe I'm allowed to say that, as I'm just down Hwy 7 a few hours. Tad, that's an inhuman driving schedule. I hope you have good lumbar support.

Ha ha, tiffin, good one. Lots of hot air here, that's for sure. And dull, dull, dull....

>161: I took my daughter and another girl to the camp, the other parents are picking them up.

Of course, she's 12...maybe forgetting to pick her up would have been a good idea. Certainly the sulking quota around the house would have been reduced! ;-D

Poor TadAD. The sulking only lasts another 3-5 years. Have fun! Do you have any good books on tape lined up for all this driving?

>165: 3-5 years is a conservative estimate.

Message edited by its author, Jul 15, 2009, 6:52pm.

>166 very, very conservative. Mine's now 29, and can still pull a lip like nobody's business.

Stasia
Happy Travels! I came back after a week away to find over 100 messages posted on your thread.

You generate such incredible comments!

Be well...

#164, I raised two daughters. Your comment made me laugh right out loud.

Ha..I'm in my 50's and my 88 year old father still gets me sulking! : ) or :(

>165 & ff: Even if she does grow out of her sulking by the time I reach my dotage, I have another following along behind. She's still at the "happy and cute" 7-year-old stage but I'm sure the double-X-linked instinct to find any and all actions by your parents to be trials beyond bearing will express itself in a few years.

Berly: yes, I have a couple. I've got The Elegance of the Hedgehog (if my wife decides to listen), Sharpe's Havoc (if I'm listening alone) and Inkheart (if the kids listen, also) all loaded on the iPod, ready to plug into the car stereo.

>167: Uh...(laughing)...and where did she learn that? ;-)

>171 Why, her mother, of course.

*shocked silence*

SUREly you cannot mean to imply...! No, no, of course you can't, silly me!

*raises eyebrow* @ 171

Still laughing!

I am back in town again, but dead tired, so it will be several days before I catch up on threads. I hope everyone is well (even Richard).

rest up

Love the way you can still generate so many posts when you're away :) Hope you get lots of sleep and come back refreshed (also that the trip itself went well).

Coming from such a tiny wee place, driving massive distances is always a bit of a shock for me. I remember when we were touring with choir in Australia staying with a family who remarked casually, "Oh yes, we often go and see Grandpa for Sunday lunch - he's not far away after all, it's only abut 4 hours." 4 hours in the UK would be considered a fairly serious trip!

#177 That reminds me of a line in one of Diana Galbaldon's Outlander books. The difference between an Englishman and an American: the American thinks 100 years is a long time, and the Englishman thinks 100 miles is a long distance.

>177/8: Whenever people ask me how long it takes to drive home from college and I say six to seven hours, the response is always "Oh, that's not bad." And that's just driving from one state (Iowa) to the next (Illinois).

Stasia

I hope you are able to sleep and to recoup from the long drive.

#177: Sometimes I feel completely unnecessary on my own thread :) Great, isn't it? I love that people find it a cool place to hang out, with or without my active participation.

#179: We drove 10 hours south and never left Texas! Of course, we can drive 24 hours west and never leave Texas either.

#180: Maybe next week . . .

When my brother and I were growing up, we'd take family trips each summer, which meant "driving around to various places for at least 2 weeks". I have so many wonderful memories from those trips, that long-distance driving doesn't faze me anymore. For example: the 18-hour drive to Florida done in one stretch sounds like a great idea! We'd get there in no time! LOL.

Faith and Stasia

When I was a child, we would go for Sunday drives. My sisters and I sat in the back seat and tormented the heck out of each other. Week after week my father would tell us that if we didn't quit heckling each other he would stop the car to let us out.

Alas, one Sunday he did indeed stop the car and let us out.... It was the last time we ever fought in the car...

Well, the traveling days are over for a while. Four consecutive weeks of traveling is a bit much for me. Now, I can get back to some serious reading. Anyway, here is last week's list of reads, for better or worse:

281. There is a River by Vincent Harding - nonfiction; the allegory of the river is used to good effect by Harding in this book relating the struggle for black freedom in America; highly recommended

282. March Violets by Philip Kerr - I know that this book is supposed to be noir, but I have a problem with the book being set in Nazi Germany - I just do not think that the protagonist's attitude would have been tolerated; that being said, I thought the book was good enough that I would read the second one in the series; guardedly recommended

283. The Last Report of the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich - I have read exactly 2 of Erdrich's books, this one (thanks Kath!) and Plague of Doves and liked them both immensely, so she is going to be an author I actively seek out; highly recommended

284. A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny - the second book in the Three Pines series, I liked this one better than the first; recommended

285. He Shall Thunder in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters - I listened to this in audio form, narrated by the simply amazing Barbara Rosenblatt; I am a big fan of Peters' Amelia Peabody series and own them all - this is one of my favorites in the series, although I would recommend that the entire story arc that begins with The Ape Who Guards the Balance and continues in The Falcon at the Portal be read before this one; highly recommended

286. The Moor by Laurie R. King - another audiobook listened to while traveling; I love the Russell/Holmes series and this one is no exception; highly recommended

287. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr - young adult; on the face of it, I thought I would love this book, and I have yet to figure out why I did not - too close a resemblance to Twilight perhaps? I do not know - it is not bad, but not as good as I thought it might have been; guardedly recommended

288. The Language of Bees by Laurie R. King - the latest book in the Russell/Holmes series, I do not think this is the strongest entry in the series, although I liked it more than most of the LT reviewers seemed to; recommended

289. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan - juvenile; this one is my favorite entry in Riordan's Percy Jackson series to date; lots of action and battles, but still challenging the reader to determine the things in life that are really important - this one is making it to my memorable reads list for the year; highly recommended

I have decided to chuck the 'must read' list for the year. It is just not working for me to try and stick to a list. I am sure that I will read them all eventually, just perhaps not this particular year, lol.

Also, my new favorite song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEpX2BcB9...

I saw them in concert in Tulsa June 28 and they sang this song, so I share it with you.

Just stopping by to say "Hi". Hope that you enjoy being home for a while. This week's list of books looks good and I have chosen a few to go onto my TBR Cyber Stack. I sure enjoy your steady energy and enthusiasm for reading and enjoy very much being one of your LT buddies.

WH

Thank you for the compliment Ruth! I hope you enjoy the books you have chosen.

Re: distances. Whenever my wife is asked where abouts she lives in Russia (why do people ask that?) she always says not far from Moscow on the Volga River. Her city, if you check it on the map, is about an inch away from Moscow. However, it takes 15 hours by train to get there!

~ TT

The distances thing reminds me of something I heard on M*A*S*H once. Hawkeye was complaining about having to call long distance and Klinger asked him why people always treated long distance as if they had to walk it themselves.

I think that you will enjoy Into The Beautiful North I found it to be a good story, but not as good as Hummingbirds Daughter ..

Urrea would be hard-pressed to top Hummingbird's Daughter (although I do hold out high hopes for the sequel).

So do I ... I posted a link on my thread to a haiku he wrote about his experiences while doing research for HD...

fantastic and fascinating!

I saw it! I am so excited!

Thank you for sharing Celtic Woman with us this wonderful morning. They sing so beautifully and bring such a peaceful feeling of harmony (all being well with the world) into one's heart and mind. I used their CDs a lot when on my 3 hour drives back and forth to St Peter's Hospital and they really helped me to remain calm and centered.
belva
P.S. musn't forget to thank you also for the recs.

Message edited by its author, Jul 19, 2009, 10:57am.

Stasia - Hope you have a relaxing Sunday after traveling! I have The Last Report of the Miracles at Little No Horse on my bedside table. I will have to try to get to it soon! And I love Celtic Woman!

#193/194: Glad to find some more Celtic Woman fans. I hope you both have a chance to see them live in concert some time. They are very good!

#194: Better move the Erdrich book up some on the bedside table, Amy~

Last Report is on my TBR shelf. May have to move it to the bedside stand!

#196: Move it to the bed - maybe it will get read that way :)

Glad you get to spend some time at home for a while, Stasia. I am waiting for the Riordan book to come out in paperback to buy it, but maybe I can find a copy at the library prior to that--I do want to finish that series. You started this thread while I was on the road and it took me 2 weeks to twig that you had done so, but when for the second week in a row, your Sunday morning summary was missing, I knew something had to be up! Luckily a group search was able to locate you!

#198: Glad you finally found me, Roni!

#181: are you trying to escape, Stasia? ;)

Escape from what, Tui?

I am in the middle of A Plague of Doves and I love it. My first Erdrich was years ago.. Tracks and I loved it, have read it 3 times. It isn't really possible to say I enjoyed it. Erdrich's tales are always deep and tragic, but somehow written in such a way as to draw you in and show you the goodness. IMO

I see you also read some Louise Penny recently. I think I will backtrack and read some of the earlier ones to get a feel as it seems that I started in book three. I still followed everything going on but it would be nice to know more about the characters. By the way do all of Chief Inspector Gamache's mysteries take place in Three Pines?

Stasia
I hope you are getting rest after your arduous weeks of traveling.
Thanks for the Celtic Woman clip. When my grand daughter (now six) was a wee one, she danced round and round and round to Orinoco Flow. This is one of my favorite memories of this incredibly delightful little girl.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FV5jNvDn...

And, as usual, I am amazed at your reading list!

#202: Kath, glad to see you are enjoying Plague of Doves. It was my introduction to Erdrich's work. I will have to look for Tracks.

#203: Trish, I have only read the first 2 books in the series so I am by no means an expert, but I believe that all the books do take place in Three Pines. Someone else may know more about the books than I do.

#204: No, no rest really other than Saturday when I doped myself to get some rest before going to work. I slept less than 3 hours today.

#201: Texas! All that driving south and then west, never running out of the State.

#206: If it were left up to me, I would live up in New England where I was born :)

#60: Hey, Stasia! I already had The Moon is Down on my TBR list and hope to read it next week. I think you'll like Of Mice and Men. It's an excellent read and commentary on relationships/friendship.

#208: Leslie, I am seriously considering going on a Steinbeck reading jag for a while. Of Mice and Men and some of his other short novels are calling to me . . .

#170: Both Sharpe's Havoc and Inkheart are excellent reads. I don't know if your wife would like SH, but I sure did! I also think Inkheart would be an excellent choice for anyone who likes a bit of clever fantasy writing, regardless of age or child-having (is that a word?) status. I just finished the 2nd in the series, Inkspell, and can't wait to get my hands on the third!

#209: The Pearl is another excellent one. Sad, but a very interesting commentary on families, prejudice, greed and a host of other endearing human qualities!

#211: I will keep that one in mind, too. Thanks for the recommendation.

Oh, Stasia, just get the complete Steinbeck and blast through it. He is one of my all-time favorites, and it's all good. I'm reading Travels With Charley now, which isn't fiction...love it. I feel the same way about Louise Erdrich. I could just read and re-read her stuff forever.

Message edited by its author, Jul 20, 2009, 2:13pm.

#213: Travels with Charley was the first Steinbeck I ever read, Linda. I found that my local library has several of his short novels in 1 volume, so I am going to pick that up tomorrow.

Re: distances. My most arduous travelling experience was when I was almost 8 mos. pregnant with my first - we drove 500 miles north (in a packed to the rafters car) in early January from southern Quebec to Sept-Iles on the north shore. The road stopped at that point. The car went on a mining company train and the next day we flew to another northern town, 300+ miles north. All in the same province. If you can imagine the weather up there... frigid doesn't start to describe it.
Thankfully, I was young. It hardly fazed me at the time.

Message edited by its author, Jul 20, 2009, 2:20pm.

I think it would have fazed me at any time! Especially if I were 8 months pregnant at the time. Oh, to be young again :)

Hi Stasia - just found your July thread and it does take a while to catch up with you!! I am also a big fan of Steinbeck. I think he is one of the very best American writers ever.

Wow, somehow I missed this entire thread until now. I've got it starred finally and added about a dozen books to my list!

Speaking of lists, I don't necessarily follow mine. I give it to relatives so they know what to buy me :)

#217: Karen, I checked out a collection of Steinbeck last night at the library, The Short Novels of John Steinbeck, so I will be reading quite a bit of him over the next few weeks.

#218: Jasmyn, you got me starred just in time for me to start another thread for August :) It seems I need to have a new thread for every month this year.

Ah, new quote for today from Cloud Atlas:

'A half-read book is a half-finished love affair.'

So true. I am posting to the Kitchen too, so ignore it there if you read it here!

True enough if there is love at the start!! What if it is a nightmare from the start??

Still hold true. There have been plenty of nightmarish love affairs in the history of the human race.

#219 That's the very book I read on our upstairs porch one summer when I was in high school, Stasia. I remember it so well...we had huge evergreen trees in the front of the house, and the first branches were way up there shading the porch. I felt like I was in a treehouse, and I spent most of the summer there, reading. That's when I fell in love with Steinbeck---Cannery Row, Tortilla Flat.

#223: Aren't books such wonderful things, Linda? Catey and I were cataloging books today after school and she looked over at me and squealed "I love books!"

I have that collection of Steinbeck novels and you are in for a treat, I think. Of Mice and Men is probably the best of the bunch but Cannery Row and Tortilla Flats are close seconds.

Stasia,

I'm catching up after a bit of time away too. I've been wanting to try Dean Koontz, do you have a book of his you'd recommend starting with?

#226: The only books of Koontz's that I have read are in the Odd Thomas series, and I have only read 3 of them. You might ask Jim (drneutron), since I started reading the Odd Thomas books on his recommendation. I am sure that he is better acquainted with Koontz's work than I am. I do recommend the Odd Thomas series, though. I have found them to be very good.

ETA: The first book in the Odd Thomas series is the aptly named Odd Thomas.

Message edited by its author, Jul 23, 2009, 10:35am.

Koontz is all over the map for me. Some, like the Odd Thomas series are really good, others like his Frankenstine re-interpretations just didn't work for me. Velocity was another that caught my eye. Given that he's written many, many books, I'd say there's probably something there that you'll like, but you may need to look at the reviews and cherry-pick to your taste.

But I do highly recommend the Odd Thomas books.

#228: Thanks for the input, Jim.

>220 Stasia, is there another kitchen! :)

~ TT

#230: Yes, there is, TT, but maybe my threads are the auxiliary?

You are keeping up a good pace. I have been so busy and distracted, I am not reading as much.. lots to do. Tomorrow my son will be home for a visit (YAY)

oh, and loved the Odd books... :)

Just trying to catch up on the threads and stopping by to say *Hi!*

Thanks for dropping by, Lorie!

I have been slacking off on my reading due to traveling, so I am catching up a bit this week.

This week's reads:

290. Infidel by Ted Dekker - young adult; second book in the Lost Books series, I thought this one a bit better than the first; recommended

291. In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan - nonfiction; this book was very interesting to me, especially in conjunction with 2 other books I am reading: Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Vegetable Miracle and The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, which is actually referenced in Pollan's book; Pollan looks at food primarily as a consumer, Kingsolver as a farmer and Campbell as a scientist and all basically come to the same conclusion: the Western diet is killing the people who are consuming it; highly recommended

292. The Diary of Gideon Welles, Volume 1 by Gideon Welles - nonfiction; I was surprised at how readable this was - it is upwards of 500 pages - and at least a passing knowledge of the Civil War personalities is certainly in order; Welles writes extremely well and makes no bones about his thoughts; there is pathos here (the death of his son Hubert 'lying among 5 other brothers and sisters') springs to mind as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the happenings in the government during the Civil War (Welles was Secretary of the Navy); highly recommended and on my memorable reads list for the year

293. The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia McKillip - young adult; I was not sure how I was going to like this one as it started out almost too juvenile, but I ended up really liking it; highly recommended

294. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell - this book has been on Planet TBR for approximately forever and I finally got my hands on a copy; when I heard it compared to Calvino's If on a Winter's Night a Traveler, I had my doubts, but I ended up really liking this book; yes, some parts are weaker than others, but all in all, I found it to be a very satisfying read

295a. A Heart for the Gods of Mexico by Conrad Aiken - this short novel is a hidden treasure I diiscovered when reading Writer's Choice; Aiken writes wonderful descriptive passages; highly recommended

295b. Through the Fire by Shawn Grady - I received this book as an Early Reviewer book or otherwise I would never have read it; Grady's experience as a firefighter is definitely to his benefit in the book, but he was a bit wayward, especially in the middle section of the book; guardedly recommended

296. Scout's Progress by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller - Roni tells me that this book is part of a series, but I thought it worked as a stand alone book; a very good example of space opera; highly recommended

297. The Diary of Gideon Welles, Volume 2 - Volume 1 ends in March 1864 and this volume picks up where it left off; the passages concerning the death of Lincoln are heart-breaking; again, highly recommended

298. The Yellow Wallpaper by Chalotte Perkins Gilman - the volume I read had a very long, helpful introduction and then the text as well as other writings of Gilman's and then several critical essays; I enjoyed the intro and Gilman's writings, but did not really care for the critical essays at all, especailly since it did not seem as if any 2 of them agreed on anything other than that The Yellow Wallpaper was early feminist writing; highly recommended for the text of the short story itself

299. The Holocaust by Bullets by Father Patrick Desbois - nonfiction; this is a fascinating story of a priest who, in researching his family history, stumbles across the fact of the Germans using locals throughout Europe, many of whom were mere children at the time, in the murder of Jews - not in the concentration camps, but rather where they lived, and thus exposes the everyday horror of the Holocaust; highly recommended

I am almost done with book 300, so I am on pace to reach 500 this year, I think. More importantly, I am also pretty well on pace for reaching my goal of reading 150 nonfiction books for the year.

Message edited by its author, Jul 26, 2009, 6:47am.

I'm glad you enjoyed the McKillip; she's one of my favorite fantasy authors. I hope you'll try the Riddlemaster trilogy by her.

Carolyn and I are planning to read it some time in August.

#237 I hope you both really enjoy them, I certainly did. The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is still my favourite by her though.

And........darn you.......after several weeks where I haven't wishlisted anything from your reading, you're back on form and I want 2 of them. Can't you go travelling more??

I have had enough traveling to last me a while, thanks lunacat. Be glad (?) you only want 2!

Cloud Atlas is one of my favourite books-glad that you liked it!

> 235 Stasia, this would be funny if it wasn't tragic: "the Western diet is killing the people who are consuming it; highly recommended!"

With regard to your comments on the death of Lincoln, I thought you might be interested to know that I picked up my parcel from Amazon yesterday which contained Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness. I am really looking forward to reading this, as I love Lincoln.

~ TT

Stasia, Have you read Pollan's earlier work, The Omnivores Dilemma? I found it fascinating and chilling, especially the first section which is about corn and cattle (I've had a hard time even thinking about eating beef since).

Also, interesting to hear about The Holocaust by Bullets because I recently read a horrifying but compelling article in The New York Review of Books called Holocaust: The Ignored Reality which discusses this very topic in the context of arguing that most of the slaughter took place outside concentration camps and in eastern Europe rather than Germany and even Poland.

Oh, Stasia, I am really trying to add fewer tbr books to the pile and concentrate on reading those that are already on the list...but, then I check your thread and boom, I am compelled to add more.

I'm defintely adding The Holocaust by Bullets and the book mentioned above by rebeccanyc Holocaust: The Ignored Realilty.

Happy Sunday to all!

Whisper, it is not a book (yet?) -- it is a lengthy article.

ETA From the New York Review of Books website, it appears the author of the article IS writing a book on the subject:

"Timothy Snyder is Professor of History at Yale. His most recent book is The Red Prince: The Secret Lives of a Habsburg Archduke. He is at work on Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin, which will be published in October 2010. This text is based on a lecture delivered on May 9, 2009, in Vilnius at the 22nd annual Eurozine conference. (July 2009)"

Message edited by its author, Jul 26, 2009, 11:54am.

yes, opps, after I wrote the post, I saw that it was an article. I need one more cup of coffee this morning. Thanks for the information!

Stasia,
I just want to know if anyone ever visits here and doesn't add something to either their wishlist or their TBR? Is it possible, I can't manage.

***hangs her head and turns to add yet another book to her wishlist***

I managed two weeks without adding anything from her thread but sadly my luck broke this week.

The Holocaust by Bullets looks interesting and I'll add it to my tbr list. I read Babi Yar many years ago and it has long remained a memorable read for me.

#235 - Great reviews as always. Short and to the point!

For people interested in The Diary of Gideon Welles, which is in 3 volumes, copies of the 1911 edition have been scanned by both Google Books and the University of Illinois, and can be downloaded in PDF format from the internet, or read online.

Message edited by its author, Jul 26, 2009, 9:11pm.

I, too, enjoyed The Forgotten Beasts of Eld and The Riddle-Master, but my two favorite McKillip's are The Sorceress and the Cygnet and (most especially recommended) The Changeling Sea.

I am reading His Majesty's Dragon. Isn't this a book you recommended?

#241: I have Lincoln's Melancholy on Planet TBR somewhere. I look forward to seeing your thoughts on it, TT.

#242: No, I have not read The Omnivore's Dilemma yet, although I hope to get to it in the near future. Thanks for passing on the article, Rebecca. I will take a look.

#243: I will be interested in seeing what you think of The Holocaust by Bullets. It is not the best writing in the world, but the story is tremendous.

#246: Cheli, I am sure there are plenty of people who are not at all interested in reading what I read and plenty of times I have read nothing that anybody else cares about. I kind of think of myself as the jellyfish of reading.

#248: Kerry, one of the men involved at Babi Yar, Paul Blobel, is mentioned in The Holocaust by Bullets. I have not yet read the book Babi Yar, but I am adding it to Planet TBR.

#249: I should have mentioned about Gideon being available online at Google Books. Thanks for the catch, Peter.

#250: Jadebird, thanks for the additional recommendations on McKillip. I will look for those. I am not the person who recommended His Majesty's Dragon - I have not read anything by Naomi Novik yet.

I like McKillip too~ I have read less than expected lately. I am doing other things.. spending ime with friends and family ( the newest member, my nephlet Oliver, has my full attention as often as possible. )

Wanted t stop by and check what you have been up to.. I have been with my son for days and online very little. Yay for visits from the kids :)

I am up to no good as usual, Kath :)

I've been trying to read The Forgotten Beasts of Eld these last weeks and I confess that I am struggling with it - I always find an excuse to read something else instead. It seems to be a bit too Girly for my taste. I like my fantasies to be more swashbuckling than this one is. Maybe it gets better?

Message edited by its author, Jul 28, 2009, 12:20pm.

Its not really a swashbuckling fantasy, more a quiet reflection in an intense kind of way. I'm surprised you find it girly though, I found it quite a male book!

To be honest, I never thought of it as either a girl book or a guy book. The beginning was, to me at least, a bit sophomoric, but the book definitely improves.

I am pumped! I got my copy of The Girl Who Played with Fire in today. I have already pre-ordered book 3 from the Book Depository. I cannot wait.

Yeah! Happy reading!

Dear Stasia,

Unrelated to your current reading, I saw this and thought of you :-)

Library fan nears 25,000th book

Hey, that's cool, Rachael. Thanks for sharing!

What really amazes me is she only checks out 6 books a week. I wish I could restrain myself so.

Stasia - maybe that will be you in a few years re. library record!!!

If you think that the most that people generally read in a life-time is around 4000 books, her record is truly astounding. (and that she sustained that pace through the thick and thin moments of her life!)

Now that I can log books on LT that do not belong to me as I am reading them, I will get a fairly good picture of how many library books I read. 99% of my reading comes from that source - something I am going to try and change next year, and hopefully make a dent in the books I already own but have not read yet.

Rotsa Ruck!

I am going to need it!

article = wow!

good reading stasia.. I look forward to seeing your sunday list on monday :)

OK everyone, I have finally given in to my daughters' demands that I set up a Facebook account, so as of yesterday I am on there. If anyone wants to, feel free to add me to your Friends list.

Stasia

Edited because I find that 'finally' really only needs one 'f.'

Message edited by its author, Jul 29, 2009, 11:48pm.

Suslyn sent this to me on Facebook, so I am sharing it here as well.

15 booksShare

Rules: Don't take too long to think about it. List 15 books you've read that will always stick with you. They should be the first 15 you can recall in no more than 15 minutes. Tag 15 friends, including me, because I'm interested in seeing what books my friends choose. (To do this, go to your Notes tab on your Profile page, paste rules in a new Note, cast your 15 picks, and tag people in the Note, upper right hand side.)

1. Bible
2. Charlotte's Web - the one that started it all for me
3. The All-of-a-Kind Family series
4. The Chronicles of Narnia
5. Little Women
6. The Killer Angels
7. Columbine
8. Surprised by Joy
9. Ex-Libris
10. A Gentle Madness
11. Education of a Wandering Man - my inspiration
12. The Scarlet Letter
13. Jude the Obscure
14. A Wrinkle in Time
15. Crocodile on the Sandbank - I discovered both Amelia Peabody and audiobooks at the same time!

One of my new Facebook friends informs me that there are 500 Stasias on Facebook! Here I thought I was the one and only :) Anyway, for those of you who might be searching for a Stasia on Facebook, my last name is Doster. I hope that helps!

Help! I've totally lost track of your thread! I'm not even going to try to catch up on all those missing posts... but here's a little wave to say hi, so I don't lose you again...

Stasia, how are you enjoying facebook? Are you in the "checking it every five minutes" stage yet, or have you moved beyond? ;)

Stasia, who is the author of Facebook? I don't think I've read that one.

~ TT

Heehee... welcome to the joys of 'Crackbook' :)

Yes, it is strangely addicting at times. But it did help my best friend from grade school find me and we've been talking non-stop ever since.

"...it did help my best friend from grade school find me..."

Which is precisely why I avoid the site like the plague. It took me a long time to 'get lost', and I don't plan on being found :)

I did not have a best friend in grade school, junior high, or what little senior high I went through, so I do not have to worry there :)

I just leave Facebook up and check on it every now and again, except when I forget I have it up - mostly because I am on LT.

I'm with you, Stasia. It's there, but I like it here better.

I found Facebook too challenging and quit. Ex-students and ex-parentsof students found me, and my mom trained me well in the guilt category. I felt awful refusing their proffered friendship.
Funny I don't have the same compunctions on Twitter. I ruthlessly refuse anyone who looks frivolous. (read young, suggestive)

#274..I'm with you Peter! I kept in contact with one friend from high school and one friend from college. My high school friend recently asked me to come to dinner and I accepted. Then, I rec'd. an email from her telling me she invited high school "friends" I might want to connect with.

Oh, my! My initial reaction was that my life has changed and I never really had all that much in common with them other than a miserable heirachical system in high school wherein I fit somewhere in the bottom - middle of the scale.

I'm still not sure what I'll do now that I've accepted her invitation sans all the hoopla of a mini high school reunion.

Regarding face book, I know it is a popular social network. But, truly, I like LT much, much better. And, I really don't want students to know my personal life, so I'm careful of what I post in face book.

Wow Stasia;
It took me quite a time to catch up on your thread but as always I got some lovely recx, thank you very much.
Facebook---my granddaughters and the niece I raised use it all the time. They never check their email. They are always on Facebook or MySpace and I really do not like MySpace at all so I use Facebook. But I do just use it for family and one gentleman I went to school with who went from our senior graduation right into Seminary School and pastors in Georgia. I love having him as a friend because he does a short blessing and prayer each morning, shooting it out to all of his friends. It is a lovely way to begin my day. But like loosha, I ruthlessly ignore any and all comers unless they are family or best friends. And I just go on once in the morning to tell my family members that I love them, miss them and that God remains on the throne. A lot of them don't want to hear that, but I like to remind them anyway. Ha! Then I am gone to.....LT. This is home. All of you wonderful people make it so comfortable to be here and it so good to be able to share our passion for books with each other.
Okay, you can have your thread back now Stasia.
hugs to all,
belva

#279: Thanks for handing it back to me, Belva!

Regarding Facebook, I appreciate all those from Library Thing who have become my friends there. I am just not sure how much I will ever use it :)

>274 thanks for the laugh, peter. The reverse of Amazing Grace: I once was found, but now I'm lost!

~ TT

I have just about given up on Facebook too, I am on there, but rarely use it. I too have had old students want to add me as a "friend"...I don't feel entirely comfortable with that. I am on Twitter too, but still haven't figured out what it's use is, or if I really want to use it!

#282 Hey Diana, when you figure out Twitter, let me know. I've tried it, but I can not understand the purpose, other than sharing a thought with the universe.

#274 Good Luck, Linda!

As for facebook, I'm a really private person so I just keep my friends to a small group - it is a nice way to stay in touch with out of towners.

A friend at work is starting to lobby me to get on Facebook, but I don't know... I've been dodging my first boyfriend for a number of years. He hasn't left any annoying messages for about ten months now. I don't really want to get him started again cuz it'll take another two years to re-train him.

>284 Yes, if anyone else on there is using Twitter, let us know what we can do with it, what the advantage is, etc.

Well, I'm pretty new to Twitter, but here's what I like. I 'follow' a few sights that give me quick links to info on books (of course wouldn't you know it) like Globe Books, Book Lounge. I also 'follow' a couple of cooking professionals who give recipes or links to interesting articles, and an RV magazine. Finally, a few friends for fun.

Well, it is past time for my weekly update - but I was without internet access all night long at work and I just got home and frankly, am too tired to do it right now. I will get it done later today or tonight, I promise :)

#289 - As long as you promise ;)

Stasia
Your Sunday morning posts are better than the Sunday morning newspapers. We anxiously await.

I do hope you are sleeping and getting the rest you need.

Sleep well and I am sure we will all be checking back later.
belva

Personally I think she is sitting at home, rubbing her hands together and cackling quietly as she prolongs the agony of people.

Not that I mind, it means my wishlist is granted a reprieve.

LOL luna!~!
And the congregation said: "Amen".

I began a new thread to start off the new month:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/70159