81.
Good Woman: Poems and a Memoir by Lucille Clifton
80.
The Devastating Boys by Elizabeth Taylor
79.
Resolution by Robert B. Parker
78.
Appaloosa by Robert B. Parker
77.
Black Cherry Blues by James Lee Burke
76.
Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving
75.
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark
74.
Brother Jacob by George Eliot
73.
The Professional by Robert B. Parker
72.
The Neon Rain by James Lee Burke
71.
A Man For All Seasons by Robert Bolt
70.
The Last Embrace by Denise Hamilton
69.
Britannia Mews by Margery Sharp
68.
Follow Me by Joanna Scott
67. Red Stick Men by Tim Parrish
66.
Heaven's Prisoners by James Lee Burke
65.
The Bird Artist by Howard Norman
64.
Montana 1948 by Larry Watson
63. Murder is Served Frances & Richard Lockridge
62.
Tipping the Velvet Sarah Waters
61.
Jenny Wren E. H. Young
61. Jenny Wren by E. H. Young This was an engaging read, about two sisters of socially "mixed" parentage, and their differing attitudes toward the reduced circumstances created by the death of their father. Jenny feels the loss of status caused by her mother's need to take in lodgers, and the shame of the rumored scandal in her mother's past. She wants her old life back, and pins her hopes for the future on an obviously unworthy young man, from whom she feels the need to hide her true identity. Although the book is named for Jenny, the story isn't exclusively hers, and I found her sister Dahlia to be a more appealing character, with her practical approach to life and happiness. Dahlia will not be brought down by "love", and is more amused than offended by the scorn of upright neighbors or relatives. Although she thinks with her head rather than her heart, one gets the feeling that someday she will be surprised by joy, unlikely as that may seem when she is plainly moving toward a marriage with the deliriously unexciting but dependable Mr. Sproat. A heart-wrenching, O. Henry-ishly ironic development near the end of this book makes me even more eager to carry on with
The Curate's Wife, for clearly E. H. Young can be counted on to throw her readers, as well as her characters, a curve from time to time.
Message edited by its author, Dec 1, 2009, 2:06pm.
Just checking in on your new thread! I had no idea that Muriel Spark wrote poetry! I have The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie on my tbr because I liked the movie of it. Have a great day!
--BJ
Message edited by its author, Sep 7, 2009, 12:46pm.
starring again***
Good morning Linda.
I have heard really good things about both of the above named E.H. Young books and your review seems to follow that theme as well. They are both on my TBR listing, but glad to know that you rec them as well.
Hope you are enjoying your long weekend.
belva
Message edited by its author, Sep 7, 2009, 2:29pm.
Nice to see you here, BJ, Eliza and Belva.
Message edited by its author, Sep 7, 2009, 2:38pm.
had wondered when you would do this
Thanks, Laura. I've posted it to the book page now, where it's in "rosy" company!
Got you starred again, Linda!
Hi Linda
I gave your review of
Jenny Wren a thumbs up! You read some very interesting books this year!
Wow, this is the first time I've seen this: LT is absolutely top-of-the-scale positive that I will love this book (
Jenny Wren, that is). I hope I can get hold of it, as from your review I think I will agree with LT's august opinion.
Thanks Linda.
*resumes lurking*
Nice to see some more of my lurkers popping in to say "Hi". And thanks for the thumbs!
Just popping by :)
Hi. *lurk, lurk*
Linda, while I may not post each time I check your thread, yours is one I often read.
Happy Friday
I lurk everywhere . . .MWAAAHHHHAAAAHHHH
Another lurker says hello!
Glad to see you here, tymfos...you and I may be the only two league bowlers on LT!!! And I love your outhouse full of books. I've seen one other such...in South Kortright, NY, outside a marvelous used book store called The Biblio Barn. Worth a trip from anywhere, as they say.
My outhouse photo is from The Book Barn, a huge used book store (more like a used book campus) in Niantic, CT -- so far, my all-time favorite used book store! I think three of the past 4 years, I've managed to work in a visit when our family was on vacation!
Just another lurker....
So many good books, Linda! :-)
You keep me honest and once in a while even I take a hint and put something on my own list to read.
62. Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters Nan King, nee Nancy Astley; Kitty Butler, Diana Lethaby, Zena Blake---you've never met Victorians like these before. An utterly absorbing, entertaining and enlightening, erotic romp through a segment of London society that "Mrs. Brown" probably never dreamed of. This book has been hailed as "the lesbian novel we've all been waiting for". Well, like most labels, that characterization leaves out all the best parts. Yes, it's about lesbians, but in the opinion of one reader (me) who hadn't really been waiting for any lesbian novel at all, it is what all successful novels are---a damned good story, with interesting characters inhabiting a world I don't live in. And if you can read the first 50 pages or so without craving oysters for breakfast, dinner & tea, you have no soul. I hope Sarah Waters lives a long, long time, and writes many more books.
Message edited by its author, Sep 13, 2009, 6:11pm.
Excellent (and funny) summation, Linda. I haven't read this one yet (started another of hers and it didn't grab me) but you've piqued my interest.
I love
Tipping the Velvet! It may be up for a reread soon. There's a pretty good British miniseries based on the book, too, which I would recommend.
63. Murder is Served by Frances & Richard Lockridge Frances & Richard Lockridge are old favorites of mine. I've been reading their mysteries since I was in high school, and collecting them for many years. I recently was lucky to get a very nice copy of this book, complete with intact dust cover (the Holy Grail!), and decided it deserved a re-read. Featuring the ever engaging Mr. and Mrs. North, their excellent cats (Martini, Gin & Sherry), and their friends Lieutenant and Mrs. Weigand, this was a typical Lockridge whodunnit, with plenty of possible suspects, one significant clue dropped carelessly into the plot, and most of the detecting done at a desk, or over martinis in front of a fire. Not for the thrill seeker, despite the rather lurid covers these books sported in their paperback versions in the late '40's and early '50's. There is virtually nothing of a sensational nature in here, and not much in the way of true suspense, usually, although the authors do occasionally put their heroine in some peril. On the other hand, these are not exactly what you'd call "cosy mysteries", because that term just doesn't quite work for the sophisticated New York crowd that dresses for lunch at the Algonquin, and has a housekeeper in a one bedroom apartment. Maybe we need a new term--a "sophie"?
Message edited by its author, Sep 27, 2009, 6:12pm.
#27: "A sophie" - I like that! I have a couple of the Lockridges books myself. I enjoy them, too.
64. Montana 1948 by Larry Watson A moral struggle witnessed by a 12-year-old boy, recounted by the mature reflective man he became. The story is clean and simple, although the events it relates are neither. It has many of the same elements found in
To Kill a Mockingbird...a child's summer marred by adult concerns, racial tensions and sexual crimes. But David Hayden's recollection of the summer of 1948 conveys none of the nostalgia or childhood innocence of Jean Louise Finch's reminiscence. Although David's parents and other adults constantly try to protect him from knowledge of the events unfolding in his own home and community, he sees, hears and understands far more than they realize. This was a fast read, with a compelling story line, but minimal character development. We learn only what we need to know, and only at the point in the story where we need to know it, about any given person. By the end I felt I understood David and his parents well enough, but I didn't like any of them very much, and I didn't long to know more about their lives. In fact I could have done without the epilogue, which blunted what I felt to be the true end of the story. I give it 3 1/2 stars.
Montana sounds compelling. Since you only give it 3.5 stars, I'm wondering if you recommend it.
To Kill A Mockingbird has remained my all-time #1 book since the day I read it. I like the way in which you weave comparisons regarding the two books, and thus I'm tempted to add it to my tbr pile.
Linda, I do recommend it. After sleeping on my review, I think what it comes to is that I thought the story was powerful in itself, but the way it was told wasn't quite satisfying to me. I'm still not sure why that is, but it has something to do with the fact that I didn't engage with the characters. It should have been profoundly moving, and I didn't find it so. I'd love to hear what you think, if you read it.
Montana is now on my tbr pile.
Thanks for taking the time to respond to my inquiry.
65. The Bird Artist by Howard Norman. A strange and wonderful book. I tore through it. Set in Newfoundland in the second decade of the 20th century (when Newfoundland was a semi-autonomous British territory, and NOT Canadian, as its inhabitants frequently make clear), it's the story of Fabian Vas, a young man with a modest talent for sketching and painting waterfowl. Through Fabian's narration, we meet many rare birds including a mail boat operator and his hard-drinking daughter; an old woman who hoards milk; a stiff-necked preacher; Fabian's own tormented parents; and the lighthousekeeper, Botho August. We know from the first page that Fabian will murder Botho. We keep reading to discover why. It's a simple story of complex emotions, told in a slightly drifting style that always seems to come back to the point just when you think you've lost the thread. It has sex, murder, adultery, deception, and betrayal, but you won't find an obvious "moral" in it anywhere. There is also plenty of symbolism, which I may revisit at leisure one of these days. I assume it did its job on me subconsciously; I was too engrossed in reading to parse it. Recommended.
Message edited by its author, Sep 22, 2009, 3:18pm.
Wow! That is incredibly intriguing. Must hunt that one down posthaste. And check to see if Howard Norman is Canadian or not.
ETA: he's Amurcan
Message edited by its author, Sep 22, 2009, 6:59pm.
Yeah, he's not Canadian, although apparently he's written other books set "up there", and is often mistaken for a native. I think you'd enjoy this book, Tui. I picked it up because Howard Norman is going to participate in a panel on literary fiction at the upcoming Pages and Places Book Festival (Scranton's First Annual!). I'm excited about that, and thought I ought to be familiar with some of the works of the participating artists.
Message edited by its author, Sep 23, 2009, 7:44am.
#33: That one sounds very good, Linda. Thanks for the recommendation.
66. Heaven's Prisoners by James Lee Burke This was a re-read for me. I plan to work through the entire David Robicheaux series fairly quickly, as I'm interested in getting an overview of the character development. This book, while not the first in the series, is the one where Dave rescues the little girl who will become his adopted daughter, and I consider it the true foundation for the rest of the series. I am going to read
Neon Rain next; kind of going at it bass-ackwards, but hey, it's the way I want to do it. I've been reading these books for a long time, and I cannot remember which one I discovered first. Maybe the re-read will answer that question for me; memory is a funny thing, as I'm sure Burke would agree.
67. Red Stick Men by Tim Parrish A collection of short fiction, which I picked up in anticipation of the author's participation in a book festival I'm attending this weekend. I've read half the stories and am totally underwhelmed. I will save the rest for after I've heard the author talk on Saturday. Maybe he'll cast some light on what I'm supposed to be getting from these. So far, all I see are unlikeable messed-up characters without a purpose in life or literature.
I like your idea of re-reading Dave. And I wonder if we'll see him again. Your thoughts?
Poor Parrish, if you decide to grill him. Just two minutes on each side should be sufficient.
Just a friendly reminder: it appears Message 1 needs some updating.
#37 I was thinking of doing some re-reading of the Robicheaux series, too. I read them out of order as I ran across them; I'm not even sure any more which ones I read, as I missed some along the way. I think I read
In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead first -- the title grabbed me, and then once I started reading, I was hooked!
#38 I didn't think
Swan Peak had a feeling of finality to it. I think Burke needs to figure out what he's been trying to do with Dave, and come to some resolution. I want that. And, not to put too fine a point upon it, the man (both men) ain't getting any younger. I have a copy of
The Soul of Dave Robicheaux which I'm going to start reading along with the series, just as soon as my glorious city stops making me read one thing after another because of book festivals and such. They're doing a One City, One Read program, and the current selection is
The Things They Carried; Tim O'Brien is coming to town at the end of the month. A girl just can't keep up!
As for Red Stick Men, I'll be curious to see just what species of animal Tim Parrish is. I don't know whether I'll have an opportunity to grill him or not--not sure what format this "panel" is going to take. He's appearing with two other authors to discuss literary fiction.
#39 If you read the edit to Message 1, you'll see I'm doing my current listings in Message 2. I'd edit No. 1 to add some boldface, or put that information at the top of the message, but that would screw up the touchstones in the existing list, and I don't have the patience. Love ya anyway.
>35, Thanks for mentioning the Scranton Festival! I will def be checking it out. I went to the web page and it certainly seems worth driving down from Binghamton for! What panels are you thinking of attending?
I've signed up for the panel on Bookbinding as Art, and the Literary Fiction one. I'm not sure I knew (or remembered!) that you're in Binghamton. Now I'm getting excited. If you're coming, we'll have to figure out a way to connect. Another friend from Binghamton is coming down, I believe, to work at least part of the day at the book fair, manning a booth for BU's literary journal, Harpur Palate. Life being crazy as it is, you probably know her. I'll put a private message on your profile page with a little more info.
Just a flybyhi Linda. Trying to catch up with everyone's thread. Nice to see Charlie out and about!~! He is one special dude!
I'll catch you later. Thanx for the recx!~! I needed them like I need a hole in the head!~!
later gal,
belva
#40 Didn't mean to overlook you in the excitement over a possible FTF meeting with another LT'er, tymfos!
In the Electric Mist is one of Burke's best efforts, in my opinion. Re-reading it lately is what really got me determined to do the whole series again.
RE# 33-35. I was lucky enough to meet and talk briefly with
Howard Norman over the weekend. When I mentioned that many people are surprised to learn that he is not Canadian, he said "Oh, but I AM." Good enough for me. He now holds dual citizenship, and told me he was back and forth over the border frequently as a child, with family on both sides.
RE# 37,38, 41 Met
Tim Parrish too. Couldn't grill him---he's too darn likeable. Very tall, gangly guy, long neck, no chin. Older than I expected. (Well, so was Norman---I think they resist using current photos on book jackets.) He looked like he just climbed down off the combine and needed a good hot lunch. We exchanged a few words, and commiserated over the demise of New Orleans; he's been there several times since Katrina, and says it simply cannot ever be again what it once was. He also says he considers himself a victim, survivor and refugee from a Southern Baptist upbringing, and that he is currently working on a memoir addressing that---I'll probably have to read it.
AND...
68. Follow Me by Joanna Scott Ms. Scott was the live wire on the literary fiction panel I attended on Saturday. She seemed to be enjoying herself, and the interaction with audience and panel members, immensely. Unlike the two men mentioned above, she seemed much younger than I expected her to be. She's written something like nine novels. I enjoyed
Follow Me, a generational family saga with twists, turns, false histories and quirky characters. Nothing too deep, just pretty fine story-telling. I'll definitely seek out more of her work.
Message edited by its author, Oct 6, 2009, 7:24am.
How fun to meet authors. That can make a book even better when you can hear an author's voice in your head as you're reading.
Sounds like you had a great time, Linda!
I will look for Scott's works, too.
69. Britannia Mews by Margery Sharp For sheer engrossing story-telling and hard-to-put-down-ness, this book is going to be very near the top of my list this year. I started reading it the day it arrived in my mailbox from a generous LT friend, thinking I'd use it to fill in those snatched reading intervals when I didn't have time to get lost in something deeper. It turned out to be the book I couldn't wait to get back to. The story begins and ends in Britannia Mews, which came into existence to serve as stables and living quarters for the coachmen of the tenants of the fashionable houses of Albion Place. Over the years the character of the mews changes repeatedly, reflecting changes in English society, becoming a slum, then a bohemian retreat from Victorian conventionality, then a fashionable address in its own right, and finally a brave pocket of survival during the bombing of London during World War II. Changing along with the location is Adelaide Culver Lambert, who we meet as a pampered child of Albion place giving a penny to a ragged girl she encounters during a forbidden foray into the mews. When Adelaide elopes with her drawing master at the age of 21, her life becomes inextricably entwined with that of Britannia Mews. My copy of this book came with a reprint of the original Book-of-the-Month Club description of the novel. I can say nothing more to the point than this: "
Britannia Mews described quietly and competently the evolution of character and customs in England from Victoria to World War II...in all its pages there is not a single dull or turgid moment." Recommended.
#49: I most definitely need to find that one!
Catching up on threads: I liked your comments on
The Well and the Mine on your previous thread - this was one I was promised a proof of by Virago (who are publishing it in the UK), but it never turned up. Humph. Shame, because it sounds like the kind of thing I would
really enjoy... maybe I'll chase it up...
#69 That sounds like a great one, Flossie! THanks.
49: sounds like my kind of book, thanks!
Mine too!
70. The Last Embrace by Denise Hamilton Rubbish. The full review will come later, but I didn't think the warning should wait. Someone else might waste time and money on this book.
ETA:
My review is hereMessage edited by its author, Oct 16, 2009, 8:59pm.
Ok, thanks, I won't but I am off to search for Britannia Mews!
I heartily endorse your search, and wish you success. I predict you will really like
Britannia Mews (certainty level: high).
#56: OK, forewarned is forearmed, skipping that one!
71. A Man For All Seasons by Robert Bolt Brilliant. I read this play mumblemumble years ago, for a college drama course. I've also seen the movie, halfamumble years ago. In preparation for reading Hilary Mantel's
Wolf Hall, which I am eagerly anticipating, I decided to revisit both. The movie is in my Netflix queue and should arrive for weekend viewing. I thought I remembered the play quite well, but I had forgotten the wit and banter, and the bitterness of Sir Thomas More's wife. I don't read many plays, because after all, they aren't meant to be experienced that way. But this one holds up to it.
Highly recommended.
I think you will now enjoy reading
Wolf Hall even more, because Mantel, of course, takes the opposite perspective, and you will see, among other things, why More's wife might be bitter. But that is all I will say, so that you can enjoy the book yourself!
Thanks, Rebecca...now all I have to do is get my hands on a copy of the book!
72. The Neon Rain by James Lee Burke where, if we do things in chronological order, we first meet David Robicheaux and all his demons. In this one he's a detective lieutenant with the New Orleans Police Department, with one ex-wife in his past, 14 years on the force, a tentative grip on his alcoholism, some Vietnam flashbacks, lots of issues with authority, and a partner he should just shoot. He's also well-educated and a practicing Catholic. Having read the rest of the series to date, I know I like the man in spite of his flaws, and that Burke has a lot of depth despite the prevalence of violence in his books. If I had read this one first, though, I just don't know if it would have led me on to the others.
I love the 2nd sentence of that review, especially "and a partner he should just shoot". hehe
#63. You're right. I read
Last Car to Elysian Fields first, and then I think I went back to Neon.
And please put down whatever you're pointing at me--you're making my nerves nervous.
Tui, make a note to yourself: "Do NOT partner up with Linda."
#65 Well, as neither of you are remotely like Clete Purcel, you have nothing to worry about from me. Although I can shoot, I have never pointed anything explosive at a living thing. Wish I could remember which Robicheaux I read first, but I just can't. Too long ago.
73. The Professional by Robert B. Parker Compared to one of Burke's novels, a Parker adventure is practically a cosy. The bad guys are dangerous, but rarely cruel or sadistic, and innocence is seldom their victim. The hero has a sense of humor and his girl is never in danger because of anything he does. Both authors have created detectives with a personal code, but Dave's often causes him serious trouble, while Spenser's sets the world straight. Burke is strong medicine, and Parker is the ice cream you get as a reward for taking it.
If anyone ever tries to sell you a stereotype of the English professor, point them at these two authors, and ask them which one it fits.
In
The Professional, Spenser agrees to stop a blackmailer (not
try to stop, you understand--not Spenser), and then finds the situation a bit more complicated than it first appeared. Regular readers know it will all come mostly right in the end. The usual banter with Hawk, sexual and intellectual interplay with Susan, and plain old think-it-through detective work. The occasional literary allusion drops into the text, and you either get it or you don't. Parker doesn't insult his readers by explicating, or embarrass them by making them wonder what he's talking about. I probably miss a handful of references in every book, because they fit so seamlessly into the characters' conversation or thoughts. He never disappoints, and always leaves me wanting another scoop.
#66. Believe it or not, but I've never read a Parker novel.
I DID like the TV series, and so did Martha--Hawk was just great.
I've never read a Parker novel *sigh* Where did your mother and I go wrong??
I liked Robert Urich in other things, (he was
perfect as Jake Spoon in
Lonesome Dove) but he was never my idea of Spenser. Now, Avery Brooks as Hawk---spot on.
Spensah
OH yeah.
I don't think I've read Parker either, though I've been meaning to.
I have read Burke. I think my first was
In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead. (The title caught my eye on that one.) I've been thinking of going back and reading that series in order while I fill in the ones I've missed. But I've got SOOOOOO many books I want to read . . . :)
#71 Well, to ease your mind about Burke, I think you've already read the best of the series. So if you don't get to the rest, you can give yourself a dispensation. The thing about Parker is, you can fly through one of his books in a morning and a half. Those of you who think you might give him a try, I recommend starting with
Early Autumn; it has some substance, and you'll really know who Spenser is when you're done.
Message edited by its author, Oct 27, 2009, 9:49am.
#68.
Where did your mother and I go wrong??It must have been a bad strain of DNA way back up the line somewhere. I think I got the smarta** gene from you, though.
The problem, as I see it, is do I want to start yet
another series? I'll take you up on
Early Autumn, but if I get hooked I think it only proper that you pay for rehab.
Well, Charlie, it's a harmless sort of addiction, I think. But if it happens, and IF you reach a point where you want to quit (or if Martha stages an intervention because you're talking jive like Hawk all the time), I'll see that you get help.
74. Brother Jacob by George EliotThis is really just a longish short story, but published alone by Virago Modern Classics. Interesting character study of David Faux, a/k/a Edward Freely, whose idiot brother, Jacob, turned out to be his nemesis.
Message edited by its author, Oct 28, 2009, 1:20pm.
75. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark "Give me a girl at an impressionable age, and she is mine for life." The unconventional Miss Brodie teaches "her girls" things not in the standard curriculum of the Marcia Blaine School, with far-reaching, unforeseen consequences. Set in Edinburgh in the 1930's. Insightful, disturbing, very well done. Brilliantly dramatized by Maggie Smith and Gordon Jackson, among others, in 1969.
LOL--Thanks, Stasia.
Good book and movie.
Congrats!
What a great book to hit the 75 with - congrats.
Congratulations on reaching your 75. You're my hero.
Great, Linda - 75!!!
Congratulations, Linda! Doesn't it feel good? What are you going to do next? :-)
eta: That's such a classic! I think I want to read it again. Thanks for reminding me.
Message edited by its author, Nov 2, 2009, 7:30pm.
Next I hope to finish John Irving's
Last Night in Twisted River, an ER copy I need to review. I bogged down a little in the middle of it, but now I'm ready to get back in there.
Congratulations on reading that 75th book!
Well done with reaching the 75 mark!
Thank you, all you kind people. There was great sacrifice involved...I forced myself to read many a time when what I really wanted to do was scrub the bathroom.
*gigglesnort*
LOL! Actually, today's my day off work (away from the house, anyway) and I plan to do both! Read and scrub the bathroom, that is. (But not at the same time. . . hmm, I wonder if there's a way to multi-task that?) :)
it's always "the kid" who puts in the dampening remark, isn't it!
Ok after Post #87 are you going to drop by here and scrub the coffee spray off my monitor?
#90 Yeah, and she should talk. You saw her FB post about the state of her apartment recently, didn't you?
#91 That's EASY. Take the sleeve of your bathrobe...
There is absolutely a way to read and scrub the bathroom. Ya just...........do! I spend a lot of time reading AND doing things, as you all know. Cloth in one hand, book in the other, glance up every so often ;)
Dear Luna,
Please come to my house, and show me how to scrub the bathroom
while reading. Take as long as you like to finish. I will make tea.
Sincerely,
LW3
lunacat, you must be one very coordinated reader. Either that, or your books must be very messy!
I don't dare let these InterLibrary Loans anywhere near my bathroom when I'm cleaning, or they will likely be eaten by Scrubbing Bubbles or something . . .
#94
I'm afraid my services come with a price tag of unlimited books ;)
#95
Not so much coordinated! I'm afraid I'm one of those multi tasking people that does several things badly at the same time. Cleaning is one of those things. I am currently trying to work out a method of mucking out horses and reading at the same time. So far no luck but I'll get there.
I can also clean tack, bring in and walk out AND ride whilst reading, although the latter has a tendency to induce a small amount of motion sickness. Not advisable when hungover, and only to be done when you are only walking the horse as gentle exercise as preliminary fitness work, and once you trust the horse isn't going to do anything stupid.
My books aren't in bad condition. I mean, I don't keep them pristine and they look read but they aren't bad unless I've read them a lot of times.
Message edited by its author, Nov 3, 2009, 10:50am.
>87 - 94: Still laughing! I was so thinking of you right from the start, Lunacat. In your teen years, when all was possible, did you ever imagine that this is what you would be famous for? If these stories keep coming, maybe you should write a book?
Luna, you sound like a prime candidate for audiobooks: little earbud things, hands free, away you go. Although with some horses it's always good to hear that back hoof lifting up for a kick...
76. Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving. This will take some processing. I almost feel I should read it again before trying to say anything about it, but it's an ER book, so review it I must. If you like John Irving, this won't disappoint you. It's full of his trademark bears, freak accidents, and general craziness. The man has almost too much imagination, and I think this book could have benefited from a smaller cast of minor characters. Will try to compose something more comprehensive, and hopefully coherent, in the next few days.
Message edited by its author, Nov 15, 2009, 12:13pm.
98-luckily most people don't have horses in their bathrooms to watch out for, so audiobooks can go with cleaning! Well, if you keep your ipod in a baggie to keep it safe from scrubbing bubbles, that is...
77. Black Cherry Blues by James Lee BurkeA re-read. Plot-wise, this isn't one of Burke's best. But it's very revelatory of the man, Dave Robicheaux, as he struggles to recover from the violent death of his wife, protect his adopted daughter, and keep himself alive, sober and out of the state pen at Angola. Most of the action takes place, not in Louisiana, but in Montana, where Dave is searching for evidence to prove his own innocence and a government witness's guilt in a murder for which he has been charged. A lot of poetry in the prose.
" A lot of poetry in the prose." A very apt comment on the writing of James Lee Burke. That phrase is worth a thumbs up.
#102 " A lot of poetry in the prose." A very apt comment on the writing of James Lee Burke. That phrase is worth a thumbs up.
I'll second that!
78. Appaloosa by Robert B. Parker "If Spenser and Hawk had been around when the West was wild, they'd have talked like Cole and Hitch." (Kirkus Reviews) They would. I love spending time in Bob Parker's worlds---all of them. This book is a gem of male marvelousness, complete with a hero "riding off into the sunset". But I've got the next one in the series, and I know it doesn't end there. 'Scuse me while I go see just what the hell Hitch thinks he's going to do now. (And if you haven't seen the movie yet, you should. Ed Harris and Viggo Mortenson are the best buddies since Newman and Redford.)
Message edited by its author, Nov 20, 2009, 1:54pm.
#104: You got me twice on that one - I put the book in the BlackHole and added the movie to my Netflix queue for my husband. Thanks for the recommendation, Linda.
Used to be a fan of James Lee Burke, but then the wives and girlfriends started to die. Thought: jeez, kill of someone else, can't you? Are they surviving any better lately?
#106 Well, Bootsie (wife No. 3) was around for quite a while, and she did not die a violent death; he has kept wife No. 4 alive through a couple books now. We'll see, Pam. Part of the reason I'm re-reading the series is to see if I can discern some literary reason for the high turn-over rate of Dave's women.
79. Resolution by Robert B. Parker I couldn't leave Hitch all alone out there, headed for who-knows-where after saying good-bye to his buddy Virgil in
Appaloosa, so I rode right on ahead to the town of
Resolution with him. Another fine mythic tale of the Hero bringing down the Wicked and Powerful (and saving more than one Damsel in the process.) Love it. One small quibble (and this may be the first one I've ever had with Parker)---was "fucking" really used as an adjective, like, three times in a single sentence, as a general thing in the 19th century? Even by worthless skunks in uncivilized outposts? I wonder. Only one character was especially guilty of this. And Parker isn't above playing with us. Could be he was just pointing out how stupidity and lack of originality know no bounds, cultural or temporal.
Message edited by its author, Nov 22, 2009, 6:40pm.
#107. For the life of me, Linda, I can't remember which book Bootsie died in. Can you tell me?
She didn't die
in a book. She died between books. She was alive in No. 12
Jolie Blon's Bounce, and "deceased" without explanation in No. 13
Last Car to Elysian Fields. Pissed me off a little.
Message edited by its author, Nov 22, 2009, 6:40pm.
#110. That explains it. "Last Car" was the 1st Dave I read, and then I started from the beginning and read chrono.
And BTW, I've now read 2 of the 3 Spenser novels in the omnibus I bought. You're right--Robert Ulrich wasn't Spenser, but Avery Brook(e)s was definitely Hawk.
I had to take a break after 2 in a row because I was on smart-ass overload. I'll do the third one shortly.
YOU can go into smart-ass overload?? Say it isn't so!
Belated "HAPPY 75th (book that is, not age)", Linda.
Lots of great reads here to activate my bibliophilia.
(I am so behind on my thread reads that each catch up is like reading a short story each time - but well worth it!!)
Thanks, Karen. Good to see you here. I'm way behind on book threads too. I wish there was a way to mark your place in a given thread. I go to one with 50 unread messages, and only get through a half dozen of them, and then I forget to go back and finish because now my view shows I've read them all.
Congrats on 75, now 79 books. I'm struggling to make 50. Even though I left the 50 book challenge I am still counting.
I think moving to Club Read was a mistake, not enough traffic.
#109 & 111 Good to see your scrawl Mr. BrainFlakes.
I'm reading you regularly, Bill. I don't comment often, but I've made note of several titles from your thread. Don't quit on us; wherever you decide to post is ok.
#115. Same here, Bill. I think mostly what keeps me away are comments like #112's. Aspersion on my character and all that.
@114
You can bookmark a certain place within the thread. Hover over the words "flag abuse" on the last post you read and note the number that appears on the bottom left of your screen (should be directly above your start icon on your toolbar). Then go up to your address bar and add a pound and that number you noted. Then hit enter so your browser takes you to that post on that thread and then bookmark the url.
Example: Message 117 on this thread as an id number of 1617369. (Hover over "flag abuse" on that message to see it.) The url for this thread is
http://www.librarything.com/topic/72638. If I add "#1617369" to the end of that url, the resulting url will take me directly to that message on the page. If I were to bookmark that url (with the "#1617369" in it), the bookmark would take me directly to that message within the thread as well.
Wow, learn something new everyday. Nice explanation lycomayflower.
#117 Aspersions on your what, now?
#118 Smartypants. (Thanks. Again.)
What we learn from our kids! That's why I keep my computer geek around, though if anyone has a job for a guy with three masters in chemistry, he'd be happy (he's got a seasonal job at Toys R Us) (sorry about using your thread for a plug, Linda!
I've just totted it up, and discover that so far I have read exactly the same number of books by male authors (38) and by female authors (38) this year. And I didn't try to do that. Curious. (The other three are joint efforts or compilations, so they don't alter the balance.)
>118: I'm hovering but nothing happens. Are there different instructions for a Mac?
Bonnie, are you looking at the very bottom of your screen (off the LT page)?
>123 If you right-click and choose "properties" or something like that, you will get a window that tells you something like "javascript:talk_flagmessage(1618524)" That will give you the message number.
Also, a recently added (a few months ago) feature by LT, right click on the bold Message header (e.g., above here where it says Message 124) in front on the name on the pink bar. There, you can "copy link location" or however your browser terms it to directly get a copy of the address.
#126: I have not yet managed to read anything by Elizabeth Taylor. Looks like I better got on the stick!
81. Good Woman:Poems and a Memoir by Lucille Clifton Some of these poems are smack-you-between-the-eyes powerful. Mighty content in a few words. But the brief memoir with which the book concludes was even more moving, for me. It feels like oral history transcribed...poignant, evocative, affirmative, sometimes sad but always triumphant.
#128: I am not much of a poetry reader, but I will give that one a try if only for the memoir portion of the book. Thanks for the recommendation, Linda.
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