cameling's reading slumber room - couch #3

January Reads
Told in the Coffee House - Cyrus Adler
Journal of an Ordinary Grief - Mahmoud Darwish
When the Devil Holds the Candle - Karin Fossum
Sanchez Across the Street - Barbara Mujica
The Three Evangelists - Fred Vargas
The Nonesuch - Georgette Heyer
There Came Both Mist and Snow - Michael Innes
Along Came Trouble - Sherryl Woods
French Milk - Lucy Knisley
The Draining Lake - Arnaldur Indridason
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - Helen Simonson
The Grand Inquisitor's Manual - Jonathan Kirsch
The Grand Sophy - Georgette Heyer
Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Dogs - Eleanor Hallowell Abbott
Dust - Martha Grimes
Death in the Stocks - Georgette Heyer
Solo - Rana Dasgupta

February Reads
Wash This Blood Clean From My Hand - Fred Vargas
Avempartha - Michael J. Sullivan
A Paramedic's Story : Life, Death and Everything In Between- Steven "Kelly" Grayson

They Found Him Dead - Georgette Heyer
Dangerous Waters : Modern Piracy and Terror on the High Seas - John S. Burnett
Indulgence in Death - J.D. Robb
Dark Road to Darjeeling - Deanna Raybourn
Chips, Clones and Living Beyond 100 - Paul Schoemaker
Stealing Lumby - Gail Fraser
Waiting - Ha Jin

March Reads
Twelve Bar Blues - Patrick Neate
Arctic Chill - Arnaldur Indridason
The Savage Garden - Mark Mills
Apple Turnover Murder - Joanne Fluke
Don't Look Back - Karin Fossum
The Passion of Artemisia - Susan Vreeland
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane - Katherine Howe
Look Again - Lisa Scottoline
The Red Door - Charles Todd
Treachery in Death - J.D. Robb
The Cellist of Sarajevo - Steven Galloway
Black Seconds - Karin Fossum

April Reads
Nemesis - Jo Nesbo
Alice at Heart - Deborah Smith
The Green Mouse - Robert Chambers
I Shall Not Hate - Dr Izzeldin Abuelaish
Dolci di Love - Sarah-Kate Lynch
Sunflowers - Sheramy Bundrick
The Madonnas of Leningrad - Debra Dean
Beneath the Lion's Gaze - Maaza Mengiste
Plain Jane - Fern Michaels
Griffin and Sabine - Nick Bantock
The Indian Bride - Karin Fossum
Death of an Englishman - Magdalen Nabb

My 1st thread is here
My 2nd thread is here

I thought I'd better start a new thread since I can hear the stomping footsteps from the thread police coming up behind me

I think I'm in a bit of a book funk. I've started 6 books and haven't managed to get past the 5th page of each one... oh dear.....

Ho Ho, I am number 1!

Thank God your friends are ok.(so to speak) Hopefully all your news is good news.

*waves*

Hey ho Lynda

Love the happy gif, Kath

Thanks Carrie, every tomorrow is an opportunity for good news. :-)

Hey Caro! Gotcha starred.

Great camel to be greeted by, Caro!

*oooch*owwww* Starred. *limps away to finish his capered skate*

Caro- Got you starred, my friend! Glad to hear most of your pals in Japan are okay. Thanks for the updates.

Hi Caro!
Don't know how you managed it, but you found a CUTE smiling camel! I think it's the curly fur...
Hope you continue to get good news about your friends in Japan.

Hope you hear from your other 3 friends soon. All those suffering folks in Japan are in my thoughts and prayers.

re: your stalker story on last thread: We had a bit of a stalker -- or something -- followed us out of Barnes & Noble in Altoona the last time we were there. Very strange. Came out of the store behind us, said, "I'm not following you or anything." Went the direction we did, "Look, we're going the same direction!" he shouts. Then he suddenly asked, out of the blue, if he could pray for our son. (?) Odd.

Terri...ew. Creeps me out.

#8: Aww... cute star. Thanks, Stefano

#9 : "Arroaaahhh"... that's camel-speak for 'hello there', Roni. Btw, I'm going to be in your neck of the woods (sort of.. La Jolla is in SD after all) in May for a few days.

#10 : *evil laugh*... and so the voodoo doll rests on a job well done..... even though I'm sure the skate turned out really well, Richard

#11 : Thanks, Marky-Mark.

#12 : Hey ho, Cee.... camels are funny looking creatures, aren't they? I've never met a camel that hadn't made me smile or giggle. I just make sure not to stand too close to them because they've got fantastically accurate spitting skills.

#13 : Thank you, Terri. I'm holding on to hope because they are still finding survivors today. And their phone lines are all down, so tons of people aren't able to get through to let others know they're ok.

So you had a stalker-thing at B&N too? I wonder if people of stalking dispositions hang out at B&Ns. At least my stalker didn't follow me outside to continue shouting at me. Your stalker is way creepier than the one that accosted me. We should drop a note in the B&N suggestion box to have anti-stalker bouncers.

#14 :

Hi Caroline

I'm stopping by to say hello and to say that I note you spread cheer throughout the threads --always a kind, sensitive comment from you.

You are indeed a very special lady.

yeah.... what linda said :)

Talking about stalkers, a man commented on my slimness while I was sampling hot cross buns in the grocery store. I thought I escaped him and he found me in the produce isle where he asked me what do I eat to stay thin and then fondled my fruits and veggies to see what I had in my cart. very disconcerting.

eeeeeooooooo.... These stalker stories are just plain weird! and scary!

I was in a bookstore once, looking for children's books for my grandkids. I was having a hard time narrowing them down - so many looked good. As I was browsing, I was occasionally watching the toddlers playing. They were very cute.

After several minutes of indecision, a salesperson came from out of nowhere and asked if I needed help - in a brusque manner. I politely declined... but I was shaken. Then I wondered if I was being watched, if I took too long looking at books and kids, and was suspected of being a stalker. I left quickly and felt awful. :(

Too bad we live in a world where we need to be so careful. And I hope they ARE watching ( esp the children's section ). Prior to this experience, bookstores had always felt homey to me. Now I just go in, do my shopping, and get out - if I am alone.

Many (all?) New York City playgrounds inside city parks have signs saying adults must be accompanied by children to enter. I understand the reason for it, but I used to like to sit in playgrounds when I wanted to read in the park because I felt I didn't have to be as highly attuned to what was going on around me as I did in the more general parts of parks.

They used to have a sign like that at the entrance to the children's section of our public library.

Caro, I'm out of town until the 9th, but if your trip here is after that and you might have time for a quick lunch, let me know!

>18 Carmenere:: Oh no...fondling of fruits and vegetables is icky, icky. I would have put them back if I were you!

Thanks, Caro, for your recommendation of Karin Fossum a while ago. I read and enjoyed my first one, He Who Fears the Wolf. I'm going to listen to the one you read on my 7-hour road trip to Texas tomorrow. I know I'll get lost in the book; I just hope I don't get lost on my way down there!

#21 That would never work here. Kids are always sending their parents in for this book or that. Heck, when my son was young, it was very difficult to look intelligently for books and watch him, too. I generally selected books for checkout -- including his books -- when he wasn't with me. Of course, our children's area isn't really separated from the rest of the library except by low bookcases, so that would be overkill, anyway. And parents/caregivers are SUPPOSED to keep an eye on their children, anyway!

What a world we live in! One day I was walking down a residential street in Philadelphia and a big dog ran out of a yard at me, growling, and scared me. I yelled to the kids in the yard to please call off their dog -- and they yelled to their mother that a stranger was talking to them!

Just popping in to say Hi! Starred again.

13>Terri, That's my local B&N! EEWW I don't like to think about weirdo's that are close by !

#16 : Thank you for stopping by, Linda, and for your very sweet comment. I love the LT community and consider all of you a wonderful support group to share the highlights and lowlights of my at times odd life. :-)

#17 : Aww... shucks, gracias, Kath.

#18 : Ewwww, Lynda ... like Donna said, I would have put those fruits and vegetables back. THAT's a creepy stalker. I wonder if it's mostly women who are stalked or if men sometimes find themselves stalked by women?

#19 : I know what you mean, Claudia. I had pulled over to the side of the road because I needed to make a phone call, and I ended up sitting there a while texting a friend, when suddenly there was a knock on my window, and a policeman asked to see my license and registration. Apparently I had parked across from a playground and some parent had called the police, worried that I was looking to prey on the kids there. I didn't even notice the playground when i had pulled over, I was just trying to answer my phone. Luckily for me the policeman believed my story and suggested next time I pull over and sit in my car for more than 5 mins, I try not to do it by a playground.

When my niece was about 12, they had a "Stranger Danger" class at school after which on her walk home someone stopped in their car and asked for directions. Needless to say, she ran down the street screaming "Stranger Danger."

#20 : Rebecca, that's sad, but I understand the reason for it. It's a sad reflection of how far our society has deteriorated. I'm so glad I'm not a child today ... my childhood was so idyllic in comparison and I never worried about strange adults coming up to talk to me, because they were always just kind and friendly people, not potential maniacs.

#21 : Really, mamzel? In a public library? Wow. So that means a parent couldn't go in to pick out books for their kids without their children accompanying them.

#22 : That would be fun, Roni. I'll see what my final schedule's like and let you know. Are you any where near La Jolla?

#23 : Yaay..another Fossum convert. If you do get lost, Donna, you'll have more time to finish the book. ;-)

#24 : That's a terrible story, Terri ...but kinda funny too. It's sad that kids these days fear strangers even when they're in their own home, separated by a fence and a large protective dog.

#25 : Hey there Berly. Thanks for taking the time to pop in.

It's been a rough few days at work with no time to read. This morning was the first time I got to work out for a while, and then spend the day sitting by the window reading and listening to music. Ahhh.... the bliss.

So what did I read? The Red Door by Charles Todd, another in the Inspector Rutledge series.

A man suffering what seems to be a nervous breakdown resulting in his paralysis, disappears from the medical facility he was in. Apparently he managed to dress himself and walk out of the place without anyone noticing. Inspector Rutledge, still fighting his own demons from the war, is called in to investigate. After interviewing the family members, he gets the sense that they are keeping something from him, but every avenue he goes down seems to be a dead end. Walking along a bridge, deep in thought, he is accosted by a youth who attempts to rob him at knife point.

As oddly as he disappeared, the man reappears at the institution from which he walked away a week ago. But is everything as they seem? In the meantime, there seems to be someone on a robbing spree on the very bridge that Inspector Rutledge was on, and this time, a victim, a Member of Parliament was stabbed to death.

As if that wasn't enough for Inspector Rutledge to deal with, a woman is found bludgeoned to death behind her front door. Who could have wanted to kill a woman, who, by all accounts, had no enemies and was much liked in her village? Was there a relationship between her and the family of the man who had disappeared?

Before long, pieces of the puzzle start to fit, and certain secrets that were being kept start to emerge. But who would do anything to keep these secrets buried?
A wonderful page turner and keeps the mystery all the way to the end. I really liked it.

3.8 stars

I am glad you had at least a short break in the action today Caro..
I knew that you must be working hard, since I have seen little of you here or there..

I too, was able to wander and be free as a child. But, believe me.. there were creepy people then, too. Are there more today? Or do we just hear more about it? Who can say :(

Since there are more people altogether, I guess there are more, but more kind people too? Or are we just on a general decline. My opinion varies according to time of day, and day of the week.. all according to mood.. :P

Where will you be traveling to now Caro?
How is your tooth?

I feel bad, you sure haven't had much downtime lately..

I've had intermittent power outages over the weekend, so I spent most of it out with friends and then popped into Borders yesterday to see which books I could offer a warm house to. How could I say no to all those pleading titles, tearfully peering at me from the shelves with huge 50% and 40% signs above them?

So I came home with:
Sunflowers by Sheramy Bundrick
Unshapely Things - by Mark Del Franco
The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver (at last)
Lumby's Bounty by Gail Fraser
Kushiel's Chosen by Jacqueline Carey
Troubles by J.G. Farrell
The Night Watch by Sarah Waters
The Post Office Girl by Stefan Zweig
Match Day by Brian Eule
The Beggar's Cup by Eric Blau
The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt
For All the Tea in China by Sarah Rose
The Green Mouse by Robert Chambers
I Shall Not Hate by Izzeldin Abuelaish
Black Heart, White Heart by H. Rider Haggard
The Fourth Watcher by Timothy Hallinan
The End of Empire : Attila the Hun and the Fall of Rome by Christopher Kelly

Well, I can vouch for one of them....

nice haul though :)

#32 : Hey ho Kath. I'm traveling on Sunday to Seoul. I'll be there for a few days, then off to Singapore for a few days, then off to Kuala Lumpur for a few days, then back to Singapore for short of a week and then back home on April 11.

My toofs are fine now, thanks. So never believe labels on packages of 'shelled pistachios', is my lesson for today. What a shocking wake up for me this morning after I chucked a handful of supposedly shelled pistachios into my mouth for breakfast only to hear a loud crunch, feel some severe pain at the back of my mouth, and I spat out about 2 shells, some pistachios and bits of my toof.

I thought it was just one toof, but my dentist tells me what I did was break the corners of 2 teefs. Luckily most of the 2 teefs were still ok and not cracked, so all she needed to do was a sort of patch job of sorts. So I have a sort of half crown over each of the 2 broken teeth.

Caro- That's a mighty haul, my friend! Congrats! I have read the Zweig book and have several others on my own WL! Enjoy! Sorry about the teefs!

tough way to start the day, my friend..
I hope you find your camera.. mine was in the kitchen.. in a basket.

Good grief! Did you have to back your car up to the door and have the salespeople help you out with all those books? You must have had some well deserved fun!

I Shall Not Hate was an ER book I just read. Great book.

Sorry about all that traveling so soon and the teef! *shudder* (shudder is for the dentist visit)

>33 cameling:: I plan to liberate some Borders books later this week when I go out to celebrate my Thingaversary. Just me and my $50 Borders gift card. What a party! I hope I find at least five books off of my list that I've been carrying around with me. I bought three of them on my trip to Dallas last week end. At this rate, I'll have to work on another "must have" list.

Sympathetic ouches for the broken teeth. I broke one off so badly last year that I had to have the remainder of it dug out by an oral surgeon. I'm in the final stages of my (tooth) implant work. I've learned to specify the body part because of the strange looks I get when I talk about my implants!

Wow, what a great haul!

Do you now loathe and detest pistachios, Caroline? I once broke a tooth on a bagel and I've never thrown a lip over another one since. Of course, I didn't really like bagels before that, but that is beside the point.

#37 : Still no sign of the camera, Kath. Not in the baskets, not in the living room, not under cushions on the couch, not in my study, not anywhere that I have thought of ... blast!

#38 : Cee - It was heaps of fun at Borders ... I only stopped because I ran out of cash (I'm giving up using my credit card to buy books for Lent) and because the baskets (yes, I was carrying 2) were getting a wee bit heavy. If I have time, I may go back to Borders again on Saturday to pick up other books that I may have missed last week. ;-)

#39 : So have you made use of your Borders gift card yet? I do so love gift cards from bookstores. They're really my all time favorite present. The only other gift card I like are for shoe stores. My husband used to give me jewelry as presents when we were first married, but then one day he said he noticed that I was more excited whenever he gave me books as well, or a gift card to B&N, Borders or Amazon ... so he stopped giving me bling.

#40 : Don't you just love it when you go wild in a bookstore, Darryl? The only people I know who understand this sort of madness are my peeps on LT.

#41 : Actually Charlotte, I don't. I ate some this morning at work for a snack. But I did examine them carefully instead of grabbing a handful and throwing them into my mouth as I did the other day.

That $50 gift card is history, Caro. I bought 6 books today at Borders with it; titles on my thread. I used great restraint. The fiction books were 50% off and bios were discounted 60%. If I can clear some more shelf space this week end, I may go back. There were a few books that I carried around with me but talked myself out of them.

Just noticed that we both bought Troubles. Now I need The Singapore Grip to complete the trilogy!

Crazy few days at work and crazy nights with multiple conference calls this week. It's Thirsty Thursday and I went to a bar with half my co-workers to roast a colleague who's leaving to start his own business. Tons of fun, and he was well and truly roasted. Can't wait to see the video once they edit out all the odd bits.

Light reading week with all the crazy work. So I picked The Importance of Being Ernest and what a blast! One of Oscar Wilde's best works, in my opinion. Great comedy about 2 men, friends, who share the same fake identity while trying to woo 2 women. Then there's the governess and the pastor who can't seem to do anything except yearn for each other from a distance, and a draconian dowager who may just upset everyone's plans for happiness.

I'd prescribe this as an antidote to lift one's mood. I don't know why I waited all this while to read it.
5 stars

I recently put The Importance of Being Ernest on my wishlist after Tad liked it so much. After your 5 star review, I'm going over to my library's website right now and put it on hold!

Thumbs-upped your "Ernest" review, dear one. xoxo

Hi Caro, well this seems to be the time to go to Borders, and that's just what I did on Monday but had nothing close to the haul you came home with. I only bought two books and although they had some Buy One, Get One Half-Price, there weren't any big discounts. But you did g-r-e-a-t!

What a great cache of books! I'm trying very hard to stick to the commitment Stasia and I made of only buying ten books this year. Three months into the journey and I've purchased seven.

#45 : You won't regret it, Pat. It's a fantastic book. I'm wondering if I should Netflix the Colin Firth and Rupert Everett film version ... not sure how this will translate as a movie, and I fear a huge disappointment because I loved the book so much.

#46 : Smoochies Ricardo... thank you, sweetie.

#47 : I was lucky, Bonnie. I was actually hoping to snag some good cookbooks as well, but I didn't find any that I wanted.

#48 : I'm sorry, Linda.. but what made you and Stasia decide on that crazy plan? 10 books over 12 months?!! Oh madam, were you two inebriated when you came up with that decision? Quick, tell me there is at least a loophole for you to escape a penalty if you fail in this mission? *fans hands in front of my face to stop myself from swooning*

>48 Whisper1:, 49 Caro's right, Linda my love. That's just...just...inconceivable! Impossible!! Inhuman!!!

Caro, I have The Importance of Being Ernest on my Kindle. Sounds like a good in-betweener. Will have to remember this one!
And I didn't read it yet, why? :/

Glad you had fun at the roast. You needed the distraction. Hope you are getting enough rest. ? You need to stay healthy...

Caro- Glad you could stop by and give us an update, before you take off again. Are you off a day or 2 before you go? Any rest for the wicked?

I am so happy to see you! Thanks to fb, I knew that you were eating occasionally ...but I miss your smiling posts here.. I hope things calm down a little for you.

I love The Importance of Being Earnest and the movie (the original, not the remake) is a guaranteed mood-improver too!

Wow! What a haul. Yes, everyone in my family knows that my eyes light up when I get a bookstore GC. In fact, Ihave a B&N card sitting on my desk. I think I might just go order The Importance of Being Ernest (how is it possible I have not read that one yet?!). Safe travels. Toof and all.

>48 Whisper1:: I'm wondering if I should Netflix the...

I've watched both versions of the movie now. The Michael Denison/Michael Redgrave version was a hoot. The Colin Firth/Rupert Everett one was only OK—I like both actors but, somehow, it didn't fully gel. I will say, however, that Judi Dench makes a great Lady Bracknell.

All that said, I don't think it would spoil your memory of the book.

#50 : You tell 'em, Richard ... crazy, crazy! I can see perhaps giving up buying books for Lent but 10 in 12 months is beyond my piddly will power.

#51 : Today was a good day, Cee. Woke early and managed to get a good workout in at the gym. Took my first kickboxing class and surprisingly did not do too badly. And I'll be enjoying dinner at a restaurant I haven't been to in a really long time with a couple of friends. Seafood, wine and good friends ... winning combination for my last night at home.

#52 : I leave tomorrow morning on a 6am flight for Seoul, Marky-Mark. I did good today. Got a workout in and all my errands done by lunchtime, then Barnes & Noble kidnapped me for an hour and refused to let me leave until I agreed to adopt a few books ... when all I really wanted were some new bookmarkers for my mother.

#53 : I miss being on LT with my peeps too, Kath. No danger of me not eating.. haha... but hopefully things will calm down a little. Could be worse though.. could be hectic, stressful and loathsome. So far it's just been busy but it's work I enjoy doing, so it's just good busy. and now I've got the long flights ahead to catch up on my woefully neglected reading.

#54 : I've got the original movie in my queue on Netflix, Rebecca. So I'll get to watch it when I return from my trip.

#55 : Berly, that was my thought too. I couldn't believe that I'd left this book on my shelf for such a long time and not read it. It's gone back to the shelf, but the re-read shelf because this is a keeper.

#56: I am a huge Judi Dench fan. Perhaps I'll watch both too. For now I've got the original in my Netflix queue but perhaps I'll add the remake, and watch that first and then follow it with the original so I keep the better one for last.

OK I've got to at least think of doing some packing now ... of the books I'm going to take with me on my trip. Clothes, shoes and toiletries I can pack in under 10 mins, but it's deciding which books get to travel with me is always a hard decision to make.

Safe travel my friend, and come home healthy and happy and soon.

Caro- Thanks for the update! Have a very safe trip! I'll be thinking about you, when I'm in Vermont with all those strangers. LOL. Big hug!

Be safe, Caro... don't forget your passport!
Hope all goes well... :)

Happy and safe travels to you Caro. Did you select a book from your Borders buying binge to take along with you?

Have a good trip, Caroline. Looking forward to hearing about which books you decided to take!

Have a nice trip, Caroline!

Have a good trip Caroline. My husband was there last month and it was -15 (ummmmm... about 0 F). Hope it's warmed up since then!

Ahn-yong-ha-sayo everyone. Arrived in Seoul and managed to finish 2 books during the flight and watched 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1' and 'Made in Dagenham'. And slept the rest of the time. So I was well rested, but still slept on the hour long bus ride from the airport to my hotel this afternoon. ;-) So I was well and truly chirpy and bright-eyed at my dinner meeting this evening.

No accidents for me during this flight (yaaay) although they did make an announcement for someone with medical credentials to identify themselves once during the flight from San Francisco to Seoul. Hmm... but no medical team were waiting when we landed, so couldn't have been too serious?
Oh, and a dad decided to open the overhead compartment to take something out while holding his cup of hot coffee in one hand ....and split the coffee on his sleeping son. Son was understandably NOT happy at being rudely awaken and a little burnt and the air turned rather blue around them as he lit into his dad. This is the first time I've heard a teenage boy (he couldn't have been more than 15 or 16) call his dad a stupid mf! Granted the dad was really stupid, but the son's use of profanity left me pretty shocked.

You're off the plane just in time to see the April TIOLIs! Glad the trip was reasonably uneventful...and ugh I hope my kids never call me names like that.

#58 : I'll try, Kath. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my partners don't try to make me eat anything too odd. The last time I was in Seoul, I ended up eating sashimi of a spongeworm, a delicacy of Korea. It's a creature of sorts found in the waters around here, not sure if it's part of the geoduck clam family, but it was shelled and looked like a sliced penis.

#59 : Don't forget to take pics, Marky-Mark. I know you'll just have a grand time.

#60 : Nope, passport never left my backpack from my last trip, Cee, so no danger of me forgetting it. ;-)

#61 : I brought 3 of my Borders haul with me, Lynda and am reading one of them, For All the Tea in China now.

#62 : Thanks, Pat. I brought I Shall Not Hate, Treachery in Death, The Cellist of Sarajevo, For All the Tea in China, Lumby's Bounty and my Kindle with a slew of unread books with me. :-)

#63 : Thanks, Darryl. How's your week shaping up?

#64 : It's a really nice Springy high 40s here, Cushla.

#66 : I know, huh? I don't even think shock excuses language like that towards a parent. I think my parents would have garrotted me if I had used language like that which would have made the coffee spill very minor indeed. ;-)

Treachery in Death by J.D. Robb is yet another wonderful futuristic police procedural with our tough and sexy Lt. Eve Dallas and stalwart Peabody who's now made Detective and has her first case acting as primary. But while she does a little happy dance for having solved it quickly and cleanly, she is an unwitting witness to a conversation about corruption while she's drying off in the shower in the police locker room. The team gets together and it's exciting watching them run covert operations and trying not only to get evidence of a dirty Illegals squad leader and the team she's built around her, but also to trip them up so they compromise themselves.
3.8 stars

The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway was a page turner so I'm glad I had uninterrupted time on the plane for this amazing book.

During the Bosnian War, between 1992 and 1995, Serbian forces besieged the city of Sarajevo, killing thousands and wounding many more. During this siege, a cellist looks out of his window and sees a mortar fall onto a square outside his apartment building, killing 22 people standing in line to buy bread. For 22 days after the tragedy, and without a care for his own safety, he brings a stool and his cello,and plays a haunting adagio at the site of the massacre.

A man, Dragan, who sent his wife and son out of the country before the siege, seeks to isolate himself from everyone, thinking it will be his protection. He detaches himself from the deaths he sees almost daily until he meets a friend of his wife's on the street, and sees her shot as she tries to cross an intersection that is targeted by snipers.

Kenan, takes risks every time he treks to a brewery on the other side of the city, to fill his plastic containers with water for his family, and that of a crochety old neighbor.

A young woman, going by the name of Arrow, a former university student and ace target shooter, becomes a sniper, to kill those who seek to kill Sarajevans and who have taught her how to hate. But her skills bring her to the attention of those who would seek to turn her into a killing machine. What she chooses makes for an extremely poignant ending to this excellent book.

The cellist's music provides the backdrop in this haunting story of 4 people trying to survive a senseless war, trying not to lose hope, dignity and their own humanity.

Part of this book was inspired by Vedran Smailovic, a cellist who did indeed play for 22 days at the site where 22 people had been killed in Sarajevo.
5 stars

I'm so happy you loved The Cellist of Sarajevo, Caroline. I bought a copy after Stephen reviewed it recently and am looking forward to reading it. Glad your flight went well. Keep us posted about your travels.

The Cellist of Sarajevo was one of my favorites the year I read it.

68: I loved that little book! Do you ever worry about reading books like that on a plane? You know, that you might be crying your eyes out in front of a bunch of strangers?

Hi Caro!
Glad to see you made it safely and was not the one under the spilled coffee!
I have The Cellist on my WL... your wonderful review makes me keen to push it up the list. Now all I need is a nice long flight!
Take care what you eat over there! :P

Caro! hello! how are you doing? Getting any sleep ?

#69 : You're in for a very good read, Pat. Don't let the dust settle on it for too long.

#70 : I've another one of his other books, Ascensionin my TBR Tower, Pat. My cousin sent it to me, and I was intending to read that one first, but I brought The Cellist with me instead. Still, from what my cousin said, I think this is another Galloway that I'm going to enjoy.

#71 : Bonnie - I cried reading The Cellist, I cried reading the ending of Treachery in Death AND I cried watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows during this flight. It was definitely a teary flight for me this time. But since nobody's looking at me, and even if they are, they're strangers whom I'm unlikely to ever meet again, I don't really care.

#72 : Push it, Cee, push it up your WL. If I hadn't already promised this to a friend, I'd send it to you. But if my friend finishes reading it and doesn't want to keep it, I can have him return it and I'll send it on to you if you haven't already got your own copy. It's a little book and although one that shouldn't be rushed through, it shouldn't really take you too long to get through it.

Food's been good and recognizable so far. My tastebuds and stomach have both been doing happy dances.

#73 : Hello Kath, my sweet. Doing ok so far, not a lot of sleep because I had a late conference call last night, and then a 5.30am (yes, 5.30 frigging am) webconference this morning, and 10pm conference call tonight. But for all the lack of sleep, I'm not feeling too bad, probably because I know I'll be catching up on some of that sleep tomorrow on the 7 hour flight from Seoul to Singapore. At least I know I'll be catching zzzs on that flight because I need to catch the 5.30am shuttle bus for hour and a half drive to the airport.

Saw a really funny thing today when I was doing a bit of shopping. I was walking in the subway to a department store and there in the lobby, just outside the store, was a security guard and a little black & white bunny at his feet. I think it was his pet or something because he was just hopping around his feet, and the guard was talking to it. I stood and watched a little because I thought maybe it was a shopper's pet (hopefully not part of the ingredients for dinner) and the guard was looking after it while the owner went shopping for a new apron or chopsticks but whenever the guard walked around, the bunny just hopped along beside or behind him.

Good shopping. I bought some Korean desserts and some different kimchis to bring to Singapore. My brother is a big kimchi freak and the ones here are, of course, absolutely delicious because they're much more flavorful and less acidic than what we get in the Korean restaurants I go to in the US.

Mmmh...Kimchi! As usual, your thread is the food channel equivalent on LT, Caroline! ;-)

Caro- Thanks for checking in. I love the bunny story. I had a friend, way back in my military days, loved Kimchi, so I tried it and really liked it. Is the stuff stateside any good?

I've never had kimchi. You've made me curious though. Glad you've arrived safely.

Hi Caroline, there you go again, traveling the globe. I think The Cellist of Sarajevo was on my top ten list a couple of years ago and is a definite candidate for a reread. Great review!

I've never had kimchi, nor knew what it was - so I Googled it and Google tells me it is one of the healthiest foods in the world. It's loaded with vitamin's and is low in fat. Korean's eat it at almost every meal and is attributed to their lean bodies. I've got to try this. Other than a Korean restaurant, where would I find it? Is it simple to make?

About preparing kimchi - I remember an episode of M*A*S*H* where Frank thought the villagers were planting mines in a field when they were actually burying ceramic pots of pickled vegetables to ferment. It's very strong - spicy and pungent. You might find it in the Oriental section of your market or if you are lucky enough to live close to an area where Asians are numerous enough to support their own market.

I had to google it too.. it sounds interesting and possibly yummy..

#80: Lynda, is there an H Mart near you? It's a Korean supermarket chain that has branches around Atlanta, in eastern Pennsylvania (including one that my parents go to, not far from their house), in California and elsewhere. These stores all sell kimchi which is very yummy, but I'm sure the kimchi Caroline will enjoy this week in South Korea is far better than what we can get in the US. I'll usually order kimchi miso dumplings when I visit San Francisco, which are heavenly.

If you don't have an H Mart you can probably find it at an Asian grocery or supermarket. When I lived in Pittsburgh I would go with my closest friends (who were mainly Asian) to a Asian supermarket in the Strip District to get kimchi or fresh dumplings. You should definitely try it!

Ah, kimchi. Kath saw cabbage and fell in love... sight unseen.

Hi Caro - hope Singapore is treating you right! :)

darn right!

gotta find that market in the strip.

gotta find the strip....

#85: That Asian food store is (or was) on Smallman Street (which parallels Penn Avenue, the main street of the Strip District), near its intersection with 21st Street, just across the street from St. Stanislaus Kostka, the beautiful and impressive old Polish church.

There are no H Mart's in my area, but look what I found online!
http://www.hmart.com/shopnow/shopnow_newsub.asp?p=840809011551

Thank you Darryl!

#87: Mmm! BTW, kimchi does not just apply to cabbage, different vegetables can also be fermented and prepared as kimchi.

I think I'll go to H Mart early next week and pick up some kimchi, frozen dumplings, rice, etc.

#88: You're welcome, Kath! I hope that you make it to the Strip District soon. It's one of the things I miss most about Pittsburgh, as there isn't anything like this in central Atlanta.

Hey, Caro!

Maybe if it EVER warms up here.. I will give it a try. Now that I am not working, we can go during the week.. Dan is working in Pgh now, and is familiar with parking and so on.

Caro.. Miss you!

#76 : Hi Bonnie ... what can I say? I have to eat otherwise I'd never make it through the long days and sometimes night working when I travel.

#77 : Marky-Mark. I love kimchi, but it has to be good kimchi otherwise it's just really vinegary, and not as tasty. The ones I've gotten stateside have varied in terms of quality and taste. If you head into any Korean section of a city, you'll probably find some pretty decent kimchi .. or at least you should. ;-)

#78/80/81/82 : If done right, kimchi is extremely flavorful but be warned, it can also very pungent and garlicky. If you don't like garlic, furgeddaboudit. It's a little spicy, a lot garlicky, and a ton of flavor. Don't be talking to anyone who doesn't like the smell of garlic after eating kimchi. Then again, there are some non-pungent kimchi that are equally tasty and made with different vegetables, salted dried fish, shrimp, fish roe and even octopus. ;-)

#79 :Thanks, Bonnie. I think The Cellist is a definite re-read too. I wonder if anyone's thought to turn this into a movie? I can see it being made in black & white, with just a few splotches of color to emphasize certain moments.

#83 : An HMart opened up a huge store about 10 mins from my house, Darryl and I love it! Not only do they have about 10 different freshly made kimchi, but they also have a much wider variety of vegetables and seafood not usually found in a Whole Foods or my neighborhood Stop & Shop, but I love that I can get spices and ingredients for Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indian and Philippino dishes.

#84 : Singapore mosquitoes are killing me, Cee. But apart from them, I'm enjoying my time here. My husband and I had dinner with some friends at a really good Spanish restaurant last night that specialized in tapas from the Basque region. We had not squid in its own ink, succulent shrimp with olive oil and garlic, a platter of jamon serano, chorizo and cheese with quince, little peppers stuffed with cheese & chorizo, grilled goatcheese, superb olives, grilled sardines....*sigh* Oh and we shared a roasted piglet.

#85 : Did you find the market in the strip, Kath?

#86 : Yay Lynda .... so did you make any interesting purchases? ;-)

#89 : At least you have HMart, Darryl. Pick up some marinated beef while you're there and you can make your own bibimbap as well. I recently bought a little table grill and can't wait to use it when I get back, buying some marinated short ribs from HMart for a little Korean indoor bbq for dinner. I love bulgogi and kalbi with the bean paste, raw sliced garlic and lettuce leaves to wrap them in a little happy mouthful.

#90 : Stas!!!! Helloooo there. Thanks for dropping in.

#91 : Can you believe it snowed 8" in MA yesterday, Kath? Am glad i'm not home ...but seriously, what is wrong with the weather these days! I'm glad you're on fb too Kath since I get updates on my Blackberry so I can keep up with what you're doing. I've tried and don't like LT on the Blackberry, I just can't see the threads properly and it's not set up for mobile use yet, so I only get to check in on my peeps if I have a couple of free hours on my 'puter.

I was going to go for a swim this morning, but it's raining, so no swim and no run by the beach. Oh well .... I guess I'll just have some breakfast instead while I wait for the sleepyhead hubster to wake up.

Busy weekend with family and friends, then I'm off to Kuala Lumpur on Monday for 2 manic workdays ... but with a silver lining that my business partners there feed me very well. ;-)

Black Seconds by Karin Fossum is another in the Inspector Sejer series that I closed out March Mystery month with.

A child can't go missing into thin air ... or can she? A parent's nightmare is about to begin. A 10-year old girl on a yellow bicycle, sets off for the village shop to buy the latest issue of her favorite magazine and some sweets. She doesn't return home and nobody appears to have seen her or her bicycle.

With no apparent clues and massive search parties turning up empty handed after a number of days, hope dims. All Inspector Sejer needs is a break but does he get one, or does what appears to be a break lead to more puzzles, puzzles that are difficult to answer unless he can think creatively think of a different way to communicate with some unique individuals.

Yet another page turner from Ms Fossum, of whom I am now a staunch fan.
4 stars

Caro, you got me hooked on the Inspector Sejer books. I'll be on the lookout for Black Seconds. I'm glad that my local library has so many Fossum books.

Best of luck on the rest of your time in Korea, Maylaysia, and wherever else you end up. Don't they have any pizza in those countries?

Donna : I hope you'll enjoy them. I'm on a quest now to find the other ones I haven't read yet.

Funny you should mention pizza .. I had a mushroom and extra cheese pizza with ice cold beer for dinner tonight and it was smashingly delicious!!

Ok, I think I'm on a Scandinavian author roll here. Nemesis by Jo Nesbo is awesome.

The complexity of this Norwegian crime fiction is a work of art and certain to keep you at the edge of your seat.

A bank robbery turns to murder and a joint police team is formed to help identify the masked murderer. Studying the surveillance video, the team are baffled and worried as a series of bank robberies with similar MOs take place across Oslo, but without anyone getting killed. As if trying to identify and find the perpetrator of this crime wasn't enough, another death takes place, unrelated to the bank jobs, and the victim is someone near and dear to Inspector Harry Hole's heart. What adds to his distress is the fact that he had had dinner with the victim on the night that she died, but he has no memory of the evening, except that he had apparently blacked out from having had too many drinks and somehow managed to make his way home. Is someone trying to manipulate Harry and someone else trying to set him up?

From here, events start to spin in multiple directions for Harry, taking his search out of Oslo to Brazil as he scrambles to gain control of his life, protect the ones he loves, investigate the death of his previous partner and keep himself from being arrested.

Nesbo has put together an amazing complex web of characters, plots and sub-plots, giving us puzzles within puzzles to ponder and just when we think a puzzle's solved, another twist appears to sweep us off to another thrilling direction.
4 stars

Caro- Hope your trip is going well! I'm glad you liked Nemesis. I have Redbreast in the stacks and plan on reading it for May: Murder & Mayhem month. It seems like I've been chasing you lately on a couple of these series books. Outta breath!

OHO! It was YOU, Devil Woman, who hooked me on Karin Fossum! NOW I remember, after unjustly accusing Horrible for the crime. *whimper* What have I done to offend you? Must you continue to read all the good stuff and then talk about it so persuasively? *whimper*

Glad you sound like you're having fun in your hot, tropical vacationland. I've never had octopus kimchi, but am now very curious. xoxo

I had never heard of Jo Nesbo. Another author for me to watch for!

I have never read any of Nesbo's books although I have seen them recommended. My local library does not have them so I am out of luck there. I will have to search further afield evidently.

I have Snowman by Jo Nesbo from vine, sitting here on my soon to be read pile.

Hope all is well caro!

Caro darling, have you returned to the chill of New England? I seem to remember there was loose talk of you going to the Books On the Nightstand fest in whichever dinky little state it's in. Or is my blood clot affecting my memory again?

I have a question that I hope gets an honest answer:

Do people who read, say, 15 books in a month really read those books or just skim?

And do those people do anything but read all day? Well, they also post on librarything. But anything else? Have they no responsibilities? No job? No school? No kids?

Gees, I'm halfway through a book I started four days ago, and that's fast for me. I work full time and have a household to attend to. I read when there's time. I love to read, but responsibilities have to take priority.

#104 Beth, I've discovered that I'm not a very fast reader compared to others on LT from doing the Readathons. The people who read the most all seem to be fast readers. On the Readathons you post number of pages read and the time you've read them in. The big readers read at least a page a minute if not more. I usually plod along with a page every two minutes or more in comparison. For what it's worth, that's been my conclusion as to why others read more than I do because most of the fast readers also have full time jobs (although most of the ones I'm thinking of don't have kids or at least young kids).

104. I think that you can be pretty sure that people on LT are honest with their reading reports. Some people do read more quickly than others, or have lifestyles that allow more reading, or both.

I'm retired now (as of last June) so have more time, but often I'm not reading with it! I read between 125 and 150 books a year, and did so when I worked in the school system (summers off). I have a household and spouse but no kids, and spend way too much time playing games on the computer. But I typically read about two hours a day in the evening, and with fiction, that's usually around 200 pages. And that's really read--immersed in the book.

I am retired, early to bed and early to rise. That is when I do most of my reading. Also, I have a car emergency book, waiting for trains, doctors office or anytime I have to wait. I usually read maybe 100 books a year.

I read roughly 90 to 100 books a year. I work part time and my kids are grown. I drag at least two books with me at all times. Pre-internet and pre LT I used to clip through 150 to 250 books a year but they were a lot of fluff and chick lit. Don't get me wrong I still like fluff and chick lit but I have expanded my horizons and discovered new authors. I also challenge myself with new genres and am trying to read more classics. When my kids were young I didn't read at all. *shudders*

Hi Beth,

Not all of us are speedy readers. Also retired... but now my eyes can only read for short periods of time. Add that to my natural slow reading style, I'll be lucky if I reach 75 books in the year. That's ok.

Since no one else around here reads much, I'm considered lazy if I sit down with a book. I finally don't care... Whatever I am able to read, I am happy for. The bibliophiles in this group are fun, smart, witty, supportive and full of great recs.

I've had a really hectic week with incredibly long hours. I'm feeling really exhausted. Can't wait to fly home to Boston on Monday, even if my flight is once again at 6am ! But the lack of sleep this week as a result of long work days in addition to long social engagements in the evening have definitely taken a toll.... reminding me that I'm not a young chick anymore. :-)

#98 : Marky-Mark - love the idea of Murder & Mayhem for May. I'll put some of the ones that fit that theme aside to read in May. Thanks for the heads up.

#99 : Who? Me?

#100/101 : Terri and Stas : You won't regret getting a hold of Nesbo. I'm a firm fan, after just 1 of his books.

#102 : Are you reading Snowman any time soon, Kath? Would love to see what you think of it.

#103 : Richard - If all had gone according to plan, I would have been back in New England and up at the BOTNS retreat with Marky-Mark today. But alas, I'm still here in tropical Singapore, battling a furious stomach bug, and missing the event.

*sulking* Not a happy camper ... and even less happy because of the vicious party the bugs are holding in me.

#104 : Beth - like Kath, I think that people here on LT are honest about what they're reading .. or at least the people I follow are. I go through reading spurts myself. I don't think I'm an especially fast reader - you want fast? In my book, I've put Suz and Stasia at the very top of the list as Queen of Speedy Readers.

But I've got to fit in my reading with (at times) long work weeks and whenever I can, a decent social life. But I do read at night before bed, and since we don't have kids and my husband is a late waker on weekends, I get mornings on weekends to lose myself in a book or two.

Oh .. I forgot one thing ... I do travel quite a bit for work, so I get quite a bit of reading done on my long flights and most nights in my hotel room.

You know I must be really sick when I'm canceling out on a party this evening with some friends. 2 of my friends and I were planning on cooking a feast this evening for a group of 10 ... and I'm down with some vicious stomach bug. Can't bear the thought of food let alone want to risk infecting everyone else. *sigh*



hope I'm better by Sunday night ... otherwise flying back on Monday is going to be excruciatingly miserable!

I'm grumpy and in a foul mood. :-( Bah!

Sorry you are so far away from home and feeling poorly to boot, Caro! I wish there was something I could do for you.

What stas said.... terrible! Feel better soon....

Not sure when I will get to Snowman.. I haven't read in a few days..
things have been... not so great here... long story but, poor Doc is languishing.

Caroline, I'm sorry to hear you're not feeling well. I'm hoping you'll be much better for your flight home Monday. Take care and get some good rest.

Kath, I'm sorry things haven't been going well for you lately. All my best to Doc.

So sorry you are feeling so miserable! Here's hoping for a speedy recovery.

Caroline, hope you feel better!

Beth, I work part time and have a husband and teenage son. Working in a library, reading is part of the job at times. Like many here, I keep a book at hand for waiting times. I also listen to audio books in the car when I drive, and on my Mp3 player while I do housework -- they do count! And I'm not the world's most fastidious housekeeper, either. Our house looks lived-in. I read a lot on my day off from work while my son is in school. When I was sick, last month, I went through many books while I was off work. Vacations are heavy reading times, too. Also, like many here, I'm a bit of an insomniac and stay up late to read, operating on less sleep than I probably should. And I've always been a fast reader. How fast depends on the material. Some stuff takes more thought -- and a slower pace -- than others. I'm doing a non-fiction book now where I'm reading some parts carefully, and skimming a bit more quickly through stuff less pertinent to my interests.

Long answer. I always talk too much.

111- That is the BEST example of puppy dog eyes that I've ever seen!!

Feel better, Caro!

#114 : Thank you Stas, you're so sweet to think of me. I chugged Vitamin Water yesterday and last night ...and I think that helped. If anything at least I know my kidneys have been well flushed. ;-)

#115 : No pressure, Kath. Just curiosity on my part to know what the book's like. Sorry to hear that Doc is languishing ... I'll catch up when I get back, I promise. *sending you hugs in the meantime*

#116 : Thanks Pat. My fingers are crossed for my flight tomorrow. I flew an 8 hour flight once under the grips of food poisoning and it was a nightmare I wouldn't wish on my most hated enemy.

#117 : Thanks Roni. Things are looking up. ;-)

#118 : Terri, do you find that if you're sleep deprived because you stayed up reading a great book, you actually don't feel too tired the next day? That's how it is with me.

I'm feeling a wee bit better today .. case in point, I went out to pick up a few items to bring home to Boston tomorrow, and when my husband stepped into an ice cream store to buy a cone, I zipped next door to the shoe store, bought a pair of shoes, and was back where he left me 7 mins prior. He came out of store with his ice cream cone, offered me a bite, saw my bag of shoes, shook his head and said I must have recovered. :-)

Glad to hear you are feeling better, even if it is only a wee bit. The new shoes must have helped!

I read 120 pages of The Night Watch by Sarah Waters and had to abandon it. How it dragged !! What a difference from Fingersmith which I could hardly bear to put down. Hmph!

Read and thoroughly enjoyed Alice at Heart by Deobrah Smith. It was the perfect book for my foul mood yesterday. Alice had grown up thinking she was a freak of nature and her relatives and the town's people certainly did nothing to make her feel at home amongst them. She craved water and would escape to the lake at every chance she could. All she ever wanted was to just belong and also to not be noticed. All of a sudden, her actions in saving a young girl bring her the notoriety she didn't want, even as the notoriety came with a barely contained sneer from her aunt.

When 3 beautiful strangers appear to her, they tell her that they are her relatives on her dad's side, and want her to come home with them, that she's one of them, the Water People.

This is a lovely story of a woman who has finds herself despite what her head tells us is illogical. Along the way, she finds love, but it doesn't come without mystery and pain. And she learns that her new relatives are not unfamiliar with lost loves, but perhaps there are changes afoot to bring love back to each one of them again?
3.7 stars -- it certainly made up for the horrid Night Watch.

The Green Mouse - by Robert Chambers. I've had this for years and just never got around to it. What a fun romp! I'm not going to spoil this for anyone who hasn't read it, but it's a quick and really fun read if you have an afternoon to spare and don't want anything heavy. Had me chuckling in quite a few places.
3.5 stars

Not good news for me about Night Watch. I have that one hanging around my house somewhere waiting for me to read it.

See, I liked Night Watch. It wasn't my favorite, but I did like the ending.. twist. That is why I hate to give up on a book, you just never know..
but, not every book is for everyone. The only one of hers that I did not like was the last ..what was that called ?The Little Stranger? That one just landed with a thud on my never again pile.

I am 3.4 of the way through Doc. Just not in a reading mood lately..
but I am liking the book. not challenging at all.. but she makes the characters so likable.. I want to see what happens.

Well I'm apparently a pretty slow reader but never realized it until I came on here and started comparing notes. Working full time, I've never gotten to 75 books; last year was the most for me at 64. But there's a light at the end of the tunnel...retirement in June should provide me with much more reading time :) I love to read before I fall asleep and like you Caro, if I stay up really late because I couldn't put the book down, I'm not usually too tired the next day. Go figure. I also have The Night Watch sitting on my shelf so that's discouraging news.

Oh my goodness, Caro! How awful to be sick when you can't even be in your own bed. :P

I hope you are resting and recovering. Perhaps you are now happily winging your way home. You are such a trooper. Try to take a nice long rest when you get to Boston.

;-)

Way back to #93. No, Caro I have not make any purchases as yet. I've been told recently a few things about kimchi that is making me a little sceptical. Is the cabbage really fermented in the backyard (this is supposedly homemade kimchi) and does it really have a pungent odor? I think I need to put on my big girl pants and just give it a try :}

Hi Sweetie...I'm sorry to be so darn far behind on your thread.

Stasia and I committed to ten book purchase when we both discussed how many books we have on the shelf that aren't read. I confess, it is a daunting challenge and I don't think I'll be able to keep the promise. I trust Stasia will still love me....

I hope you are feeling much, much better. I admire your abililty to switch gears and travel as often as you do. I find traveling ever so wearying.

Hugs to you!

#120 I find these days that when I do a really late-night read because I can't put a book down, I do tend to cat nap in my chair a bit after work the next day. Didn't used to do that when I was younger. The days that really are bad are the ones after I had insomnia and stayed up reading trying to get sleepy enough to go to sleep. (Those are the nights when I read the less exciting books ;)

#124 Now I liked The Little Stranger OK, though it started to aggravate me near the end. That's the only one of hers I've read so far.

#128 Ten books? Yikes!

I really hope you feel better, Caroline!

*smooch* to traveling Caro with bugs making her unhappy, the rotters, and a big big welcome home hug!

Honies, I'm hooooooome! I was lucky enough to get an upgrade to business class with a flat bed and was ...er..... flat out for the majority of my flights. So I arrived back in Boston extremely well rested and hungry...I slept through the last meal service.

#123 : Sorry Stas ..... but give it a shot, maybe like Kath, you'll like it.

#124 : Kath, did you like it from the start, or did you find you had to plod through most of it until the end? I got tired of plodding, especially when it couldn't hold my attention. The hubster convinced me to give it up since I was glaring at the book while reading it.

I've got The Little Stranger in my TBR Tower ... and now I'm on the fence. You didn't like it, but Terri did. Hmm.... anyone else want to weigh in on this book?

#125 : How exciting, Bonnie ... retirement in June to celebrate. I don't think I'm going to be able to retire before I'm 90 at the rate things are going. Have you started to line up the books you'll start reading once you no longer have to put time into a full time job?

#126 : back to normal, Cee ... thanks for your healing thoughts.

#127 : You heard right, Lynda. Kimchi is rather pungent and it is pickled (I wouldn't call it fermented because that always has connotations of slime to me) with a lot of garlic and red pepper sauce. If you've not tried it before, definitely put on your big girl pants and give it a shot. You may enjoy it better if you had something else to eat it with .. not just by itself. Kimchi is usually eaten as a condiment together with rice or Korean noodle dishes.

#128 : Linda, no apologies necessary. Life happens to all of us, and I'm way behind on almost all the threads I like to follow and I've been deplorably absent from the others that I would like to follow but just have no time to.

Any penalties if you fail the 10 book challenge, Linda?

#129 : Thanks, Terri ... all better now. Just trying to work through the work avalanche in the next day or 2 so I can start reading again.

#130 : Thank you, thank you, Richard. Bugs be gone but a new odd rash in the inside of my right arm surfaced this afternoon.

Caro- Welcome home! We missed you! Are you stateside for awhile? Are you feeling better? It sounded like you were under the weather for awhile there.
Sorry you didn't like The Night Watch. It was going to be my next Waters novel, since I've had it on shelf for so long. Hugs!

I'm reading I Shall Not Hate and really loving it despite some really horrifying scenes in his memoir. I feel so very very fortunate for the life I have and the childhood I enjoyed.

Hello Marky-Mark ... thanks. It's good to be home. I'll be stateside for a month before my next trip out of country at the end of May. I have a quick trip to San Diego in the first week of May, but that's an easy one to attend a conference.

I'm sorry I didn't like Night Watch either .... oh well, win some, lose some.... so far though at least my winning side is higher.

I'm going to try and finish I Shall Not Hate tomorrow and then get started on my ER book Dolci di Love ... which I hope is good because the title is a little corny. (hmm..no touchstone? Is that an omen?)

Night Watch .. I seem to remember liking it from the beginning.
I like Waters writing, and the only one of hers that I plodded through was
The Little Stranger..

SO

glad that you got an upgrade! nice deal :)

Hi Caro, and welcome home. Business (or First) Class upgrade is the cat's meow! My husband travels a lot so we luck out sometimes. Glad you're back home and feeling better; too bad your husband isn't. I have I Shall Not Hate in my reading queue. So far I haven't heard anything uncomplimentary about it.

Welcome home, Caroline. Glad you're feeling better. I'm also amazed at how well you can sleep on planes.

I'll be interested to hear your final thoughts on I Shall Not Hate. I just got that as an ER book and I'm looking forward to getting to it. The only thing I was disappointed about is that the ER version doesn't have the maps or pictures. I think the maps would have been particularly helpful but I assume I can find what I need on the internet.

Great that you're home safely and YAY for the upgrade! Am already looking out for I Shall not Hate - haven't seen a bad word about it on here.

Hooray for Caro being home!

There's no place like home, there's no place like home.........glad your back and well rested.

Welcome home Caro. To answer you question, Have you started to line up the books you'll start reading once you no longer have to put time into a full time job?

The answer is: YES!

I'm actually looking at some lengthy tomes that are sitting on my shelf because I have always saved doorstoppers for when I'm off for an extended peiod of time (and it doesn't get more extended than retirement;). So it looks like these are rising to the top:

Driftless by David Rhodes
After the War by Richard Marius
The Sisters:The Saga of the Mitford Family by Mary Lovell
The Balkan Trilogy by Olivia Manning

That should keep me pretty busy.

Oooh fancy! One of these days I need to splurge on first class. I usually end up back in steerage coach crammed in between a 300 lb linebacker and a mouth-breather who is all elbows.
I hope you have fully recovered from the crud and are feeling better. :)

#131, I didn't think The Little Stranger was up to Fingersmith but I did really enjoy it and couldn't stop thinking about it after I finished it. Admittedly, the beginning was slow: as I said in my review, "Waters is a master of suspense and reversal, taking us through a long eventless beginning and ratcheting up the creepiness a little bit at a time. We know something bad will happen, but what will it be and why is it happening?"

#143, I loved The Balkan Trilogy; it was one of my favorite reads of last year. Even though it's physically a tome, it's extremely readable and hard to put down.

#143: Lovell's Mitford book is very good. I hope you enjoy it when you get to the book, Bonnie!

Thank goodness there are so many different tastes and opinions about books..
That way, every book has fans.. :)

Welcome back! I did not know it was possible to sleep in a flat bed on a plane. Wow. I would love that. Glad you are feeling better, too. :)

*sigh*
No cameling
*pines away*

I want to come to MA in Sept.. Do you ever go to Salem?

#137 : I have to admit that while I'm short enough to not mind premium coach much (that's still cattle class, but some airlines have a section up front with a few rows of seats with an extra 5" of leg room ... makes all the difference really), I feel less grubby when I get to fly business or first.

#138 :Pat - My husband also hates that I can sleep on planes ... even in cattle class. :-) One of my colleagues refuses to sit next to me if we have to fly together because he can't sleep and he says he had to fight the urge to smother me to death because I'm usually knocked out for the count within 10 mins into the flight.

I loved and am so humbled by I Shall Not Hate .. review to follow this weekend.

#139 : Hello Cushla ... I'm quite sure that you will like the book too. I haven't read any bad reviews of it.

#140 : Thanks, Stas .. I'm hooraying too. Really like being home and getting to catch up with my friends. I even missed being in the office ... *ulp!* ... and messing about with some of my colleagues.

#141 : click, click, Lynda.

#142 : Sweeeet, Stefano.

#143 : Gosh, Bonnie ... are you going to mix in a little fluff for short breaks too? I loved the Balkan Trilogy, by the way and Driftless has been sitting in my TBR Tower for almost a decade (or at least it seems that way). I really should take that with me on my next trip. Looking forward to your review.

#144 : LOL...too funny Rachel. One reason why I don't usually talk to my fellow flight mates (apart from the fact that I'm almost always sleeping) is because I'm afraid I'd meet Mr Longwinded Halitosis.

#145 : Ok so far, the yays balance out the nays for The Little Stranger ... I guess I'll just have to see which camp I end up falling into.

#148 : None of the US domestic planes have flat bed in Biz or First, Angela. You'll only find these when you fly international flights. Time for a nice long trip? ;-) It is a very comfortable way to have to spend 8 - 15 hours in an airborne box with recirculated air.

#149 : No Caro? err.... I could have sworn I was still around .... hmm.... invisible me? mini me? no me? Hungry Me!! *stomach growls* Come back, come back, Richard ...... wait, not too close, I'm still hungry ....

#150 : Kath, if you come to MA, I will go to Salem just to meet with you! Umm... do you know when you are thinking of coming over? I'd love to block those dates off my calendar so I don't travel.
Actually I have a friend who's started a Segway tours business in Salem and that was a lot of fun ...even if I fell off it once.

Reading funk alert! Reading funk alert ! Finished I Shall Not Hate and can't quite get into anything else. *sigh* ... maybe it's because I'm hungry? Think I should prod my husband and get him to wake up from his jetlagged coma to go scrounge around for something to eat? Not even in the mood to cook this evening *gasp*

I do have some quail eggs and smoked salmon in the fridge, so if the hubster refuses to surface, I guess I could have those with some buttered toast.

Although what I really feel like is ..... pizza!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Salem-Literary-Festival/200564206650849

I dearly love Salem..
I am wishing...

And somehow, I can imagine you falling of whatever that is.. lol

interesting things in your fridge..

Hi Caro- I hope your "reading funk" is very short-lived. Come on, the weekend is coming up! BTW- Try to catch the latest BOTNS podcast, they talk & rave about the Retreat and have a couple author sessions, which were recorded last Saturday night.

just a pipe dream.. but I would love to go.. I love Salem..

#154 : Thanks for the link, Kath ... I've 'Liked' it and that will help me keep track of this festival running up to the dates. I like Salem too ...there's a great hotdog cafe just at the edge of main street.

Wish hard, Kath ... it'd be so cool if you could make it. You could always stay at my place (it's only about a half hour's drive to Salem) if you don't mind a small guest room with a few loaded bookcases in it. ;-)

#155 : I hope so too, Marky-Mark. Thanks for the heads up, I'll go check out the BOTNS podcast in a few minutes.

aww... thank you caro!

Lazy day today ... and relishing it! No chores done ..but I don't care. I'm recharging my batteries and loving the complete shutdown. ;-) And my ER book has brought me out of my reading funk. Whoohooo.

I Shall Not Hate by Dr Izzeldin Abuelaish .... what can I say?

This is an amazingly inspirational memoir by a Palestinian doctor, born in a refugee camp in Gaza, and who, after his wife died, then lost 3 of his daughters when the Israelis fired into his home in the Gaza strip. His daughters died simply because they had been sleeping against "the wrong wall" that evening.

Although angry and deeply grieving the death of his 3 daughters, Dr Abuelaish felt no hatred towards the Israelis who had conducted the unprovoked attacks. His live interview on Israeli television just hours after their deaths captured world attention not just on the plight of the Palestinians living in the Gaza but also astonished by the absence of calls for revenge, a call which many would have expected. Instead, he called for peace and cooperation between the 2 sides, for an understanding and acceptance of each other as individuals deserving of respect.

His memoir doesn't shy away from the tough moments in his life. The hardship and starvation he went through as a child in a poor refugee village, an eldest son having to care for his family because of his father's illness, and because, as a second family, his father's first wife and their relations made sure that his family were despised and shunned in their village. His determination and the mentoring by some teachers allowed him to do well enough to earn scholarships to the University of Cairo to study medicine.

Despite the continual humiliations he was forced to endure as a Palestinian living on what Israel believed to be their land, he was fortunate at one point in his young life, to work for a kind Israeli farming family who treated him as any other young child, who offered him kindness and more importantly, respect as a human being. He said it was this moment that he started to question why Palestinians were treated differently and why they were not afforded the same living conditions as the Israelis over the border.

As a doctor, he continued to excel in his work and among doctors he found the equality he sought as a child. He was the first Palestinian to work in an Israeli hospital. He never lost his objective in treating all patients equally and respectfully regardless of nationality and race, and while he was angry that Palestinian hospitals continued to be poorly equipped because of lack of funding and also because of embargoes by the Israelis, his anger was already directed at unfair policies.

As a reader, I am appalled at what he's had to go through in his life's journey, and at the same time, I am inspired and humbled by this amazing man. If we had more individuals like him in governments around the world, I do believe we'd have a better and safer world.
5 stars ... and my review doesn't even do it a smidgeon of justice.

My ER book, Dolci di Love by Sarah-Kate Lynch was surprising fun. (hmm..touchstone not working}

For any woman who has wanted desperately to have children only to find themselves unfathomably able to successfully bear even one, finding a photograph of your husband and a woman with 2 children who bear a similarity to him would surely be devastating. That's what Lily, career corporate woman extraordinaire had to face one morning in her husband's golf shoe.

She books a flight to Tuscany, rents a car and reserves a hotel room and heads off to Tuscany to hunt down her cheating husband. But when she gets there, she meets 2 old arthritic sisters who take her under their wing, and unbeknownst to her, are founders of a secret league of Italian widows who orchestrate love matches. She meets her husband's love child, his mistress and finally comes face to face with her husband.

The secret league of matchmaking widows provide some wonderfully humorous moments. Their conniving antics when they first try to force seemingly innocent meetings between Lily and Alessandro, the widower, and then later, discovering who Lily really is, trying to orchestrate a reconciliation, provide comedic situations.

Woven through the comedy though, is the very real pain of a woman who seeks to fill a haunting hole in her life.

A feel-good book that is perfect for a lazy day.
3 stars.

Caro- Excellent review of I Shall Not Hate! I've had this one on the WL for awhile. Several of my pals here have really loved this one. Need to track a copy down.
Hope you are going to join us for May: Murder & Mayhem. I'm sure you could come up with a few titles you've been meaning to read. I have bunches!

Thanks, Marky-Mark. You most definitely need to track this book down. I think everyone ought to read it .....especially those in the region with opportunities to change the situation.

I'm definitely going to join you for Murder & Mayhem May. I'm already putting some titles aside to read for that month, although I suspect I may succumb and read a couple before the month starts.

Thumbs up from me for your incredible review of I Shall Not Hate.

I also thumbed your review of I Shall Not Hate, Caroline. I can't wait to read my ER copy now that you've given it 5 stars.

Glad you're having a lazy day--I love a day with nothing to do but read!

Thank you Linda and Pat.

Especially after the last few weeks, a lazy day feels so luxurious .... reading, snoozing a little, and watching tv.

perfect day for it here.. and goddess knows that you deserve at least one jammie day!

I too loved I Shall Not Hate! An amazing look at hard issues and a great book to relieve that book funk.
Your review was awesome, Caro. Thumb from me!

Kath : Nice and sunny here today, but the laziness ended at 5.30am this morning, unfortunately and I was dragged out for an early morning run in the woods. Once I'm up, I do like an early start to the day and being outside again was just wonderful. I saw quite a few people out on the trail this morning ... they must be warming up for the Boston marathon tomorrow.

Thanks, Cee. I know that if I had been in his position, I would not have it in me to be so gracious to those who had killed my children and who continued to subject me to humiliating conditions. If he wasn't Muslim, I would put his name forward to the Pope for beatification ... only I think to do that, he'd also need to have conducted 2 miracles. hmm.... ok, Nobel Peace Prize?

Even though I woke early today, the day seems to have just zipped by. We stopped in at the annual sports expo that's held the weekend preceding the Boston Marathon, and I'm once again inspired to start a training program so that I might run a marathon later on in the year, and do well enough to make the qualifying time that will enable me to participate in next year's Boston marathon. Usually this inspiration fizzles out the very next time I hit the running trails. ;-) But I'll definitely be watching the marathon on tv tomorrow morning.

It's Patriots Day tomorrow. Looking forward to watching the delightfully entertaining parade in Lexington, MA that's held each year. The reenactment of Paul Revere's ride up to Lexington will be held tonight at 11.30pm. I might go again ... it's always quite a bit of fun. But now that my youngest niece is 11, I thankfully no longer need to take them to the Patriots Day reenactment which takes place at 6am, but for which, if you want a good spot to stand by the Battle Green, need to be there by 4.30am, bedhead and sleep still in your eyes notwithstanding.

On the 18th of April in 75... Hardly a man is now alive... I loved Patriots day when we lived there... a bonus holiday :) enjoy!

Fun off day. Woke late, watched the Boston marathon on tv and finished reading Sunflowers by Sheramy Bundrick, an historical fiction of a Van Gogh's relationship with a prostitute during his years in Arles. Entertaining, but nothing much to write home about. I was hoping for more details of Van Gogh's thoughts and creative process, but I had to remind myself that this was a work of fiction and as a work of fiction, the author was pretty creative and did quite a good job of blending in some known facts of Van Gogh with her storyline.
I go 3 stars on this.

With the NBA playoffs screening, it's hard to read anything that requires complete concentration so it might be fluff for me until the finals. ;-)

Caro- Glad you had a nice day off! I heard about the winner of the Boston Marathon. Impressive time. What was it, 2 hrs, 3 min. Wow!

Caro, I just read a book you should read when it comes out: The Storm at the Door by Stefan Merrill Block. It's an ER book this month, come to think of it; maybe run request it? It's really good, and just your sort of thing: Intensely emotional, relationship fracturing man meets and marries beautiful, naive woman during WWII. Hijinks ensue.

AND it's based on the author's own maternal grammy and grampa. It practically PSAs "Read me, Caroline! Read Me!"

I imagine that as it is in the world of working, that they day off yesterday, will be paid for today? I hope I'm wrong..

cheers!

#171 : The winner of the men's race did it in 2hrs 3mins ... a whole 50 seconds faster than the last world record. And the scary thing is that he did it on one of the hardest marathon routes in the world.

#172 : I did request that, Richard. Keeping my fingers crossed that I get it. Will you please whisper in the request god's ear to actually send it to me? It's been a while since I received a great ER read. I think my brownie points for leaving Barnes & Nobel this evening with only 6 books instead of the 15 I had in my basket should count for something.

#173 :*sigh* you were not far wrong, Kath. I was swamped today, but I did get some major stuff out of the way, put out a medium sized fire, stepped in to prevent a potential misunderstanding between my staff and our Brazilian partner from blowing out of proportion and was rewarded with a trip to Barnes & Nobel when the hubster picked me up after work.

And the madness will begin again tomorrow ... I'm hopeful that by Thursday, I will be all caught up because I intend to take Friday off. ;-)

Finished The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean.

Debra Dean takes us on a journey in the mind of a woman who's living with rapidly deteriorating Alzheimer's. She can't remember the present, can't recognize her daughter anymore, and doesn't even realize how reliant she is on her husband now for everything. However, her memories of the past are so sharp and detailed, her present surroundings start to fade.

As she fumbles her way around her daughter's visit and her granddaughter's wedding, her memories of the past introduce her to the person she was as a child in Russia, as a young woman who gets engaged the night before her boyfriend is sent to the front line to fight the Germans, a woman who, on her first visit to the Hermitage with her uncle, falls in love with art and later gets a job there giving tours, and who lived in an underground bunker during the war when the Germans started bombing her city. With an elderly woman who worked as a guard at the Hermitage, she builds a memory palace of the art she loved walking past, looking at. The descriptions of the art are so detailed they paint beautiful and amazing pictures in the reader's own mind. A young man who found her when she was lost said to a doctor who claimed she was rambling because she was in shock, "She was showing me the world."

Beautiful. Sad, touching and beautiful.
4 stars

Caro- Good review of Madonnas. I'll have to read that this year! Hope your day goes well, less stressful.

good review Caro.... now what did you get from B&N?

Thumbs-upped your review!

177- Yes, what did you get??? :)

Thumbs up on your review of The Madonnas of Leningrad. I read this book a few years ago and was immediately taken in by the writing and the story line!

#176: Thanks Marky-Mark. Today was a great day.

My husband joined my 2 colleagues and I for a really fun lunch, no fires to put out at work, and better yet, I left work at 3 and took the rest of the afternoon off. I will probably pay for it tomorrow, but I don't care.

#177/ 179 : Thanks, Kath.

Books adopted from the B&N Pound:
Beneath the Lion's Gaze - Maaza Mengiste
The Indian Bride - Karin Fossum
The Redeemer - Jo Nesbo
Dulce : Desserts - Joseluis Flores
Rosalind Franklin and DNA - Anne Sayre

#178 : Thanks for the thumb, Richard

#180 : Thank you, Linda. I was afraid I would not have liked it because I'd read some poor reviews of it, but the title really drew me and I'm glad I took it off my TBR Tower.

Hey Caro, I've been wanting to read TMoL since forever. Your review (which I duly thumbed) makes me want to jump to it as soon as I get the chance.

I'm interested to get your take on Rosalind Franklin and DNA. As you probably know, she was the underappreciated and misunderstood chemist whose work was essential for Watson and Crick to derive the structure of the DNA molecule. IMO, she should have also been awarded with the Nobel Prize in Medicine along with Crick and Watson. Unfortunately she died at a very young age not long after the seminal paper describing the molecular structure of DNA was published, so she did not benefit from the fruits of her labor. I'll put that book on my wish list.

Enjoying your reviews, as usual, Caroline. You live a busy life!

Looks like a good list of books.. Although I have sworn off of Big Cat books foar the duration.

>181 cameling:, 183 I am riveted by the horror story of Rosalind Franklin's life. She was, according to the TV bio I saw about her, THE central figure in the discovery of DNA, though a spiny and difficult person (as who wouldn't be, if their prominent and evident genius was dismissed because of gender?). I've wishlisted the book. Thanks for the reminder, Caro!

Oh heavens! Silly little me! I *completely* forgot the real reason I came over here...Caro dearest, you left the thread before I could quote the Ammy review that made me get Murder at Plimoth Plantation! It was completely accurate and very wise:

"If you like historical novels and also enjoy a good murder mystery, then this is a must read! You will be transcended back in time to the days of the pilgrims with lives complicated by far more modern problems. This interesting blend coupled with the author's wonderfully descriptive writing style makes the book come to life. The ending was a real surprise. Suggest that you reread the first chapter at the end to see just how intricately this tale was spun!"

And then there's the next one in the series, Murder at Gettysburg:

"This book made me want to watch the movie Gettysburg again! The setting for this mystery is Gettysburg, in particular, a group of Civil War re-enactors who are staging a battle at Gettysburg. Our "detective" (Miranda Lewis) is a history text-book writer, who has been invited to this re-enactment by an old college friend and her father -- a stately, upper-class Virginian. One of the "soldiers" dies in battle -- which is not supposed to happen. Since the dead man is the estranged husband of the old-college-friend, Miranda manages to get involved. She suspects that this was not natural causes (a heart attack) but murder, and suspects that the killer was a re-enactor. First she has to establish that this was not a natural heart attack. In the meantime, she becomes aware that there are some illegal arms changing hands at this re-enactment -- is the death connected with these? There are a number of possible killers, because this is a strange group of people -- or at least some of the people are acting strangely.

I found the whole world of Civil War re-enactment interesting, as were the tidbits about the battle of Gettysburg. My chief complaint was that the killer was so obvious that I was convinced it had to be a red herring. Since my initial belief that this person was the killer was based on my gut feelings rather than clues, other readers may not have this problem. But I prefer to be surprised when the killer is revealed -- which I was, but I was surprised that this person really was the killer and not a red herring."

I'm not far into that one, but it's holding up really well....

*evil Muttley laugh*

Some great reviews, Caroline!

I received I Shall Not Hate and need to get to it. I know I'll be upset reading about the terrible difficulties he's faced in life. His attitude in the face of it all is amazing.

he is incorrigible isn't he?

#182 : Thanks for the thumb, Lynda. Are you jumping towards your copy yet? ;-)

#183 : I think it's a shame that Watson couldn't have given her more kudos for the contribution she made to their work in his book The Double Helix. I hope to get to this book before the end of the year. Such a shame she died so young.

#184 : Thank you, Bonnie. I hope to have a quiet long weekend and enjoy Easter relaxing with family and friends.

#185 : Kath, this is turning out to be a very interesting read. No cats (big or small) in sight yet, but a good book (so far) about a family on the eve of the 1974 revolution in Ethiopia.

#186 : You're welcome, Richard. A friend of mine works in the labs at Coldspring Harbor and she said there's hardly a mention of Franklin in their libraries.

#187 : hmmmm.... isn't that odd .... all the words in this post by Richard blurs and wiggles around so much I can't read a single thing. I wonder what he said.... *shrugs* mustn't have been important! *toodles off humming the oompah loompah song*

#188 : Thank you, Terri. You won't regret reading I Shall Not Hate. His ability not to hate those who continuously subject him and his community to humiliation just because they can, knowing their victims cannot retaliate, is indeed leaves me speechless with admiration.

Oh, do you mean you can actually read his post, Kath? Hmm.... how odd ..... I still don't see anything except blurry squiggles.

Finally done with work for the day...and week. I've got tomorrow off. Whoopee. I've got to do a lot of baking tomorrow for the Easter weekend. Busy day tomorrow, but good busy. ;-)

Caro- Enjoy your day off and good luck with all the baking, hope you can squeeze in some reading.

Thanks Marky-Mark. Did good on the baking, and we've now got bags to hand out when we head out visiting friends and family later today and tomorrow.

I've been completely blown away by Beneath the Lion's Gaze by Maaza Mengiste.
In the 1970s, Emperor Haile Selassie's regime brings famine and growing discontent among the people. The civil war that ensues sees greater tragedy, fear with a military that grows in power and Communistic fervor.

This civil war forms the background of a family torn asunder in the process. A prominent doctor, Dr Hailu, suffers through his wife's death, is confused by his younger son's growing distance and dangerous pursuit of revolution, and is brought sharply to the present by a young girl severely tortured, brought to him by 2 soldiers with orders that he heal her.

The idealism of those who fought with the military to bring down Emperor Selassie's regime is quickly and shockingly smashed when news break that the entire cabinet and the Prime Minister had been executed in the night without the trial the military promised. With the later execution of the Emperor, Ethiopia's citizens now live on ration cards and curfews set by the military who court the Soviet Union, Cuba and North Korea. Revolutionaries continue their dangerous quest to drum up more support to overthrow the current government, spies live among neighbors, and a new prison is built, into which many are brought by soldiers, but few are seen to leave.

All Dr Hailu wants is to have his family around him, and for him to continue doing his work at the hospital. But after he himself is summoned to the prison, his beliefs are severely tested, and he has to draw on reserves he did not know he possessed to keep his family safe.

Into this chaos, we also see a weak and poor boy, who finds himself in and believing the uniform, who later hates the uniform but fears life for himself and his mother without it. Can he find a way to accept his orders without losing his soul?

The amount of tension and hopelessness in this book is what makes it a compelling read. It leaves the reader to consider if it's better to live with devil you know or if it's better to risk opening Pandora's Box.
5 stars

I'm heading down to NY for Easter with the in-laws, so if I am unable to log back in again later tonight or tomorrow, I'd like to wish everyone a peaceful and blessed Easter.

Caro---some great reviews here and the two that I will definitely add are Beneath the Lion's Gaze and The Madonnas of Leningrad. Happy Easter!

Ditto what Bonnie said. Hope you enjoy your trip to LI.

Safe and happy traveling!

Thanks, Bonnie and Pat. I hope you enjoy them when you read them too.

Trip to LI was good family time ...for a change no unpleasantness or children crying and fighting during the Easter Egg hunt. ;-)

Cute gif, Cee. I'm back safe and sound now, thanks. I drove back to Boston this morning and made it into the office in time ..... for lunch. haha.... I came in because I was supposed to be in a 2pm meeting, but the meeting got cancelled this morning when the folks supposedly coming in for the meeting missed their flight out of CA last night. Uh huh.... I bet they were busy enjoying their Easter and forgot to head to the airport on time.

Came across this article in The Independent which I thought was pretty interesting. The UK's Education Secretary said that children aged 11 should be reading at least 1 book a week, so about 50 books a year. I love the suggested books. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/the-50-books-every-ch...

The only book I managed to read over the weekend was Plain Jane by Fern Michaels. Nice fluffy read with romance, the paranormal, and a couple of suicides and a mystery thrown in. I like the story line, but I couldn't really like the main character Jane, a psychiatrist with emotional baggage. I loved her godparents though and the really amazing dogs, Flash, Olive and Jeeter, the ghost dog.
3 stars

Hey ho, Caro! Been awhile since I've checked in on you, and am glad to see that you've arrived home safely, are feeling better, and have very graciously adopted so many books from Borders and B&N! Such a selfless lady you are! ;)

I also won Dolci di Love, and haven't picked it up yet - I can just tell that it's going to be a fun, fluffish kind of a book and I'm trying to finish up the 8 books I'm currently reading. However, I've had it for a few weeks, so I'm starting to feel really guilty about ignoring it so far. *sigh* Guess I'll put it in my purse tomorrow to take with me to work and on errands.

Big (HUG) to you tonight! Will you be off on Friday to watch a certain Wedding? :)

#199: That's a great article, Caroline. I'd love to know what percentage of 11 year olds in the UK, US and other countries read 50 books per year, not counting homework assignments.

I love that article, too, Caro. Thanks. My granddaughter is 11 - so I'll send this to my daughter for reading suggestions.
I would say Samantha , taking after her Gram - having younger eyes - and more time, reads at least a book a week. Probably more. I'll have to ask her now. Curious.

Just popping in to see how you are :)

It is so much more lively when you are around!

#200 : Hi Laura - thanks for popping in. I like to think I'm selfless when it comes to book adoption too. haha .... and thankfully my husband is equally book mad, so we are both enablers.

I will be off on Friday but nothing could induce me to wake up at 4am to watch the wedding. I get up often enough or stay up late enough at ridiculous hours for work sometimes, so on my day off, the alarm clock is given a vacation too, and if it so much as squeaks, it's given a health bash. I wonder how many people in the US will actually tune in to watch the event live? There seems to be enough media coverage hyping this up but are there really that many royalists Stateside? My cousin in the UK says that the media coverage is larger here than it actually is in the UK. Odd, what?

#201 : Darryl, I'd like to know what percentage of adults even read 50 books per year. If I were to use just my office colleagues as a microcosm, there'd be less 3% who would be able to read 50 books per year (software and equipment instruction manuals are excluded from legitimate reading material).

#202 : Cee, I'd be curious to know which books your Sam has read from the list. I sent the list to my sister-in-law and my niece who just turned 12 hasn't read more than three quarters of the books listed. She's more interested in tweeny fluff books than anything with serious writing in them.

#203 : Smoochies, Kath. I love being back to having time to wander around my LT den and pop into as many threads as possible. I've become quite the lurker these days .... hmm, that sounds rather sinister ....no, no, I mean no harm, I'm just voyeuring in peace?

Read the first Griffin and Sabine trilogy by Nick Bantock and I just absolutely loved it! What a fantastical journey into overlapping dimensions. EVERYONE should read this, if they haven't already done so! I can't see how anyone could regret reading this or being snarly about it.

The books are works of art in themselves. The story revolves around Griffin, a man who designs cards and an islander woman, Sabine and their extraordinary correspondence through letters and postcards. What's quirky is that Sabine can 'see' Griffin designing his work even though she's not physically there with him. A romance develops between the two and they seek to find a way to 'leap' into the same dimension so they can be together.

What's startling about these books are that the story is delivered in actual letters that one pulls out of little envelops stuck in the book, or written on beautiful postcards, and the pages are often illustrated with little symbols, doodles, or partial designs. It's beautiful, it's exotic, it's sublime and one loses oneself in the story and in the art.

5 shiny sparkly jumping beany stars!

I don't think Sam has read a great percentage of the books in this list, which is why I'm sending it to my daughter. Looks like some very good suggestions.

Sam has an ability I've never really had - she can pick up, put down and pick up again her reading without missing a beat. Interruptions drive me nuts. And the older I get, the worse I get. :P

With "high confidence" LT predicts I won't like Griffin and Sabine - but it sounds absolutely delightful to me! Nice review - and I never can resist a 5 star book, especially sparkly ones!

Caro- Nice review of Griffin and Sabine. I was not familiar with these books at all, but I can't pass up "5 shiny sparkly jumping beany stars". Wow, you would be crazy to!
Hey, it's nice having you wander around the LT den. Cozy here, right?

Good review of Griffin and Sabine. I actually forgot I had these books and I've never entered them into my LT library. A friend gave me all three years ago. I need to get them out and re-read them.

I think I have just about all of Nick Bantock's books. Bought originally the Griffin and Sabine. I have 5.

I like having you back... Caro energy helps keep this place merry ~

Well said #211!

Wonderful review of Griffin and Sabine :)

Yep, I like having you back too. :)

#206 : Did Sam find anything on the list she'd like to read, Cee? Do I see a trip to the bookstore looming with a very happy grandkid in the picture? I do love seeing kids reading ...... because it's a fairly rare sight these days..... and also because it keeps them nice and quiet. haha

Resist not ... I'm pretty darn sure you'll like the trilogy. Ok, just get the first one and see if you're not hooked.

#208 : This is not a trilogy you can listen to Marky-Mark ... come to think of it, I don't think they even have these in audio books. I just can't see how it would work because the artwork is just such an integral part of the story. This is definitely a trilogy that will remain as a treasured re-readable keepsake for me. I'm so inspired by the drawings, painting and doodles in them that I was sooo tempted to buy a sketch pad myself today ....and this from someone who can't even draw a straight line. The last time I painted a watercolor of an erupting volcano about 10 years ago, my husband thought I painted a dirty picture.

#209 : Thank you, Pat. I just bought The Venetian's Wife today and that looks promising.

#210 : So you have the continuing story, Cindy? Are they as good as the first trilogy?

#211/212/214 : smoochies, Kath, Cee and Angela.

#213 : Thank you, Ren.

What a whoop-deep-do day it's been ..... played hooky from work, went for a short run in the woods (I'd gotten so used to using the treadmill during the winter that it was a total shock to my legs that the ground didn't move when I ran on it .....WTF? boy was the run today HARD!) and rewarded myself with a couple of great margaritas at lunch with a couple of friends and had such a blast.

took a nap when I got home and woke up inspired to do something with my yard ..... tomorrow. ;-)

Caro- Sounds like you had a nice day today. Some pain and some rewards. Perfect. And I love the "erupting volcano" story. Got a nice chuckle out of that one. See you around, on the weekend!

It was nice and sunny today.... cool but sunny... too perfect to stay indoors, so I went out, bought some new plants, did some yard work and replanted my new plants and repotted herbs. Then went out for dinner with friends .... didn't get any reading time in, but it was still a great day.

Tomorrow I have to clean the house and finish up with the planting, and then I'm off to San Diego on Monday for a few days.

xo

OK... truly time for me to jump on the spring-cleaning/yard-spiffing band wagon! Just one question - if everything needs attention, where do I start??? :P

Glad you are having a refreshing weekend before your trip. San Diego must seem only "around the bend" to you! :)

smoochies to you, Ricardo

Cee, I suggest writing all the tasks down on pieces of paper, fold them, throw them in a bowl and pick one. You can start with that one. Oh and if you don't feel like starting with that, you can do over and pick another. ;-)

Since we're expecting a week of rain here in MA, I'm looking forward to San Diego where the weather's going to be much nicer, although I'm only going to be able to enjoy it in the evenings only after the conference is over for the day. I think I was last in La Jolla about 10 years ago, so I'm definitely looking forward to seeing that beautiful city again.

Managed to get a hair cut today and finally have a coif that doesn't resemble the shaggy back end of an Afghan Hound.

Hi Caro- Cute puppy, he's a lickin' son of a gun! Hope you had a nice weekend. When do you leave for S.D.?

Just a quick hello.. will catch up with you soon
hugs

Hi Marky-Mark. I flew into SD last night. Had my first full day of conference and workshops. Some really good sessions, but makes for a very long day when you're stuck indoors when you can see the sun shining outside, and you have no time to go out and enjoy it a little. Plus I was rushing to my room during the short breaks just to try and deal with some of the work emails.

Hey ho, Kath .. thanks for stopping by. I'm making a fly-by visit to my own thread too. I've been on the go since 6.30am this morning and it's already 7.30pm now and I've only just gotten off a conference call. I've got to find myself a bit of dinner and then it's back to work tonight before catching some zzs. Last day of conference tomorrow and crazy idiot that I was, I booked myself on the red eye flight from SD back to Boston tomorrow night. Crazy, that's what I am! Don't ask .... I don't know what I was thinking at the time!

Still, I did manage to finish my first M&M book on the flight over yesterday.

The Indian Bride by Karin Fossum.
Gunder, a quiet who has never traveled outside Norway, is entranced by the beautiful women he sees in a book, and makes a spur of the moment decision that if he goes to India, he will find his bride there ... somewhere in the teeming city of Mumbai. And find her he does, but on the day that she is to arrive in Oslo, his sister has an accident and is rushed to the hospital. Gunder has a tough decision to make ... to rush to his sister's side or to pick up his wife from the airport. It's a decision that haunts him later. His Indian wife is found battered to death in a meadow.

We are introduced to any number of individuals, all with some sort of connection to the dead woman, and most of whom are lying about something or other. But who's the real murderer?

This was an interesting book in Fossum's Inspector Sejer series because she presents, eventually, an individual who confesses, but is he the real murderer, or is the real murderer still wandering around the town of Elvestad? There is no neat ending in this book. I wonder if there is to be a sequel to this one.
3.9 stars

Ms Fossum is an amazing writer. There is no bad Inspector Sejer book that I've read thus far. I'm so glad I discovered her ... now I can't get enough of this series.

This 'sun' that you speak of...What is it? I've heard tales of a ball of fire in the sky but I think it's a myth...at least in PA it is!!

Sounds like you've had a really busy and long day and you've still had time to write a great review! Hope you sleep well tonight.

Caro- Thanks for checking in. The Fossum book sounds good. I can't wait to continue the series.
Now, we are friends on G.R.s? Yah! We are pals all over the place! Have a safe trip home.

Hey Caro! Have a nice flight back from SD and if you don't mind, bring the sun along with you and drop it in Cleveland on your way to Boston. Thanks, I am most grateful :)

Hi Caro - nice review, don't wanna read it (murder is not really my thing)

You remind me of my traveling days - rushing around trying to be everywhere at once. Ah... thank goodness that's all in the past for me. :) I never had it as crazy as you though. Safe travels home!

good grief! There should be two of you....

The book sounds so tragic! oh m...

Hi Caro, too bad you can't stay in LaJolla and enjoy it for a day or two. Beautiful place. Thanks to you, I'm slowly making my way through the Fossum books. This one looks good, but as Kath said, 'so tragic.' Hey, these Norwegians are dark and gloomy people. I ought to know, I'm one of them!

Hi Caroline, ok you've convinced me to start the Fossum series. It just sounds so very good. And I love LaJolla. And Coronado. And all the beaches that make up SanDiego. And please bring some of that SD sunshine back to the northeast. Please.

xoxo

#224 Hi, Caroline! I just found Fossum's Don't Look Back at a book sale, and look forward to reading it.

So what are you up to today Caro?

Just stopping by to see how you're doing.

#225 : Found your ball of fire yet, Carrie Lee? It's a very nice sunny day today here in New York.

#226 :Pat - if there's anything I do really well, it's being able to sleep wherever I am. ;-) I slept great on the red eye going back to Boston, and made it to the office by 10am, just in time for a meeting at 10.30.

#227 : You can't escape me, Marky-Mark .... wither thou goest, you shall find me there .... probably with a book, bag of potato chips and drink.

#228 : Lynda ... did I do good? I tried tugging the sun back east with me from SD.

#229 : No murders for you Cee? What about humorous ones?

#230 : Kath - I think the world would be a scary place if there were 2 of me. Can you imagine the number of people getting knocked over all over the place with multiples of me blindly hurtling around? Case in point, we were rushing through B&N yesterday evening trying to buy some last minute birthday presents for 4 people and in the space of 15 minutes, I stepped on a man's foot, whacked a poor kid on the head with my basket and sneezed into (thankfully) my husband's face when he suddenly appeared at my elbow, startling me.

#231 : Glad you're liking the Fossum books, Donna. This one is tragic, but then so are all of them, really. This one is different though, because I'm not certain that they really did get the right person for the murder. I'd love to know what other people think after they've read it.

#232 : Bonnie - whoopeee...adding another to the Fossum club. Any sun out your way today?

#233 : Smoochies to you too Richard. *waving from White Plains*

#234 : Yaay, Terri. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did

Wishing all mothers today a wonderful day, celebrating the love, strength and direction you give to all your families.

#235 : Spending MD with the in-laws today, Kath. Then driving MIL and FIL back home. I've a meeting in NYC in the morning and then we're driving back up to Boston at lunch time. I have to be back by 7pm since I have 2 conference calls tomorrow night.

Baked 8 doz cookies to bring to NY with me, and a quiche this morning for the luncheon at my sister-in-law's place.

#236 : Hi Pat. Thanks for stopping in.

I'm putting my foot down to a couple of meeting requests from India and Singapore and taking the next 2 weeks to just stay home. At least that's my plan. I hope I'll be as resilient when I get on a conference call with these partners tonight. *crossing fingers* .... any and all waves of support to shore up my weak backbone will be much appreciated. ;-)

2nd book for the M&M month : Death of an Englishman by Magdalen Nabb was recommended by someone here on LT - my early onset senility has made me forget who it was .... but he/she is thanked heartily for the introduction.

The first in the Marshal Guarnaccia series makes a promising start. Set in Florence, the marshal wants nothing more than to head home to Sicily for the Christmas holidays but is laid low with the flu. Desperately trying to recover in order that he may return to his family for the holidays, he is called out to a murder site... an Englishman had been shot in the back, the murder weapon is missing and there are no apparent clues.

It turns out the man is from a well-connected family in England, and Scotland Yard dispatches 2 of its own to Florence to work with the local police in solving this mystery.

With an interesting cast of characters and possible suspects, we are led a merry chase, but it's the marshal's quiet observations that solve the case.
3.5 stars

I'll be looking out for others in the series to see if they're as good as or better than this one.

Caro- Nice to hear from you and glad you are happily plugging away at your M & M reads. Have a very nice day!

Hi Caro!
Welcome home!

Just say no. Don't worry... they're not gonna go away. They never do!
Take your 2 weeks and enjoy! You deserve it ;-)
Hugs of support {{{Caro}}}

Hey ho, Marky-Mark ...I actually bought a few large bags of peanut butter M&Ms to go with my M&M readings this month. I never knew they had peanut butter ones before, so it was a nice surprise to stumble upon them. They are dangerously addictive!

Thanks, Cee ... it's so nice to be home, especially now that it's getting warmer, and I've renewed enthusiasm for making changes to my yard. Let's see how long the enthusiasm and my new herb garden lasts ..... I've decided against vegetables this year after my disastrous year last year when all the squirrels and chipmunks had a summer long feast at my expense and hard work.

*still hanging on to that will power to say no*

Stopping by for a quick HELLO...

I love the Griffin and Sabine books...was totally blown away when they were first published....little literary phenomena that they still are!!

;-}

I'm amazed at your energy level. All the traveling you do and you still function very well. Kudos to you!

I've been lurking - waving a supportive hello before you move to a new thread. :)

OK, only 99 posts behind, lol. I am hoping your soon-to-be shiny new thread will be easier for me to keep up with!

Caro.. maybe you just need to wear a warning sign around your neck?
I am still trying to pitch the reality show.. I would love to watch as you
careen through your days...!

I laughed out loud when I read about you sneezing into your husband's face! Your thread is always entertaining, Caro. :)

Caro! I've fouhd your thread. Mine is in here too! :) It's under the simple name of vancouverdeb plans to read 75 books in 2011. Had I been thinking , I would have copied my URL for my thread. I'm so glad to find someone who loves Arnaldur Indriason as much as I do. I understand that he has a book coming out this summer - I'll find out the title and let you know later.

As far as Scandi writers go, I've really enjoyed Henning Mankell and his Kurt Walledern Series. I've read about 5 in that series - he is a Swedish writer and I've enjoyed his books very much! I suggest that if you can, read them in order. His first book, Faceless Killers was good, but his next book, Dogs of Riga totally transported me to another place and time! You will notice character developement and the addition and end of certain characters, which is why I recommend reading them in order. They seem to get more complex and interesting as I go along!

I do have Redbreast by Jo Nesbo, and hope to read it soon! Karin Fossum has really grabbed me. I've not read any of her books, but Karin Alvtegen is another Scandi author. I own a couple of her books - Shame is one of them -and I understand her to be a prize winner of the the Dagger Award and perhaps the Glass Key. I've not read any of her books as yet - but she looks to be promising.

For now I've moved onto The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna - a totally different genre!:)

Here is my thread - http://www.librarything.com/topic/105614

#243 : Jude, have you read The Egyptian Jukebox too? I just read that and it was such fun.

#244 : Linda, I don't know if I function well, or if I function as well as I am able. LOL

#245 : Hey there Jenn .. nice to see you again. Ok, I'll start a new thread

#246 : New thread coming up, Stas.

#247 : Hmm...warning sign around my neck, Kath? Do you see myself strangling myself with that sign somehow?

#248 :Hey there, Angela. I'm glad you thought me sneezing into Edd's face was funny ... needless to say he wasn't quite as amused. It was, though, his fault for sneaking up on me and startling me.

#249 : I'm in love with Kurt Wallander ... I just want to hug him and help him with demons. Have you seen the series on Masterpiece Theater? I love Kenneth Branagh as Wallander

My new thread here

Oops, coding area. Caro's new thread can be found here