Mark's Reading Place: To Infinity and Beyond...Take 12

Yes, the Major Book Geek has struck again! I think I'll use that phrase for my next year's topic heading! Once again, thanks everyone for making this another special reading year!

Books read so far...

1) The White Rhino Hotel by Bartle Bull ****1/2
2) A Good Fall: Stories by Ha Jin ****
3) Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith ****1/2
4) A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore ***
5) Tear Down This Myth by Will Bunch ****1/2
6) Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Hurston ****1/2 (audio)
7) Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter ***1/2
8) World Without End by Ken Follett ****
9) The Dogs of Riga by Henning Mankell ****
10) Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson ****1/2 (audio)
11) Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro ****1/2
12) Open Season by C.J. Box ****
13) The Audacity to Win by David Plouffe ****1/2 (audio)
14) Spooner by Pete Dexter ****
15) Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro ****1/2
16) Small Island by Andrea Levy *****
17) The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley **** (audio)
18) Don't Look Back by Karin Fossum ****
19) Night Train by Martin Amis ****
20) Sleepless by Charlie Huston ****1/2 (audio)
21) Stitches by David Small **** (graphic)
22) Shanghai Girls by Lisa See **** (audio)
23) Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie ***
24) When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson ****1/2
25) Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving ****
26) The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein ***1/2 (audio)
27) The Magdalen Martyrs by Ken Bruen ****1/2
28) The Help by Kathryn Stockett ****1/2 (audio)
29) Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton ****1/2
30) Fade Away by Harlan Coben **** (audio)
31) The Plague by Albert Camus ****1/2
32) Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins ****
33) Horns by Joe Hill ***1/2 (audio)
34) Walking to Gatlinburg by Howard Frank Mosher *****
35) The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick ***** (graphic)
36) Eye of the Red Tsar by Sam Eastland ***1/2
37) Tinkers by Paul Harding ****
38) Maus I: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman ****1/2 (graphic)
39) Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman ****
40) Chess: A Novella by Stefan Zweig ****1/2
41) The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova ***1/2 (audio)
42) The Wrong Kind of Blood by Declan Hughes ****
43) The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery **** (audio)
44) Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami **** (Group Read)
45) The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot ***** (audio)
46) Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow ****1/2
47) The Privileges by Jonathan Dee ***1/2
48) The Big Short by Michael Lewis ****1/2 (audio)
49) Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder *****
50) Columbine by Dave Cullen ***** (audio)
51) The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon ****1/2
52) The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson ***1/2
52) Drown by Junot Diaz ****1/2
53) Bonk by Mary Roach ***1/2 (audio)
54) WAR by Sebastian Junger ***** (audio)
55) The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King ****
56) American Salvage by Bonnie Jo Campbell ****1/2
57) The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness **** (YA)
58) So Cold the River by Michael Koryta **** (audio)
59) Expiration Date by Duane Swierczynski ***1/2
60) Crashing Through by Robert Kurson **** (audio)
61) The Chicago Way by Michael Harvey ***1/2
62) Joker One by Donovan Campbell **** (audio)
63) The Mistress's Daughter: A Memoir by A.M. Homes ***1/2 (audio)
64) The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell *****
65) The Once and Future King by T.H. White ***** (Group Read)
66) The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore ****1/2 (audio)
67) A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan ****1/2
68) The Nobodies Album by Carolyn Parkhurst ****
69) Bloodroot by Amy Greene *** (audio)
70) Ava's Man by Rick Bragg ****1/2 (audio)
71) The Uncommon Reader: A Novella by Alan Bennett ****
72) Star Island by Carl Hiaasen ***1/2 (audio)
73) The Passage by Justin Cronin ****1/2
74) The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield ***1/2 (audio)
75) The Liars Club by Mary Karr ****
76) Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas *** (audio)
77) Homer & Langley: A Novel by E.L. Doctorow **** (audio)
78) English Creek by Ivan Doig ****
79) 1776 by David McCullough **** (audio)
80) The City & the City by China Mieville ****1/2
81) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen ****1/2 (audio)
82) The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino ****
83) Little Bee by Chris Cleave **1/2 (audio)
84) The Spies of Warsaw by Alan Furst ****
85) Blindness by Jose Saramago ***** (Group Read)
86) Taroko Gorge by Jacob Ritari **1/2 (ER)
87) Essex County by Jeff Lemire ****1/2 (graphic novel)
88) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling **** (audio)
89) Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins ***1/2
90) Packing For Mars by Mary Roach ****1/2 (audio)
91) Fun Home by Amy Bechdel **** (graphic)
92) Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes *****
93) Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn ****
94) American Gods by Neil Gaiman **** (audio)
95) The Wave by Susan Casey ****
96) The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett **** (audio)
97) The Dramatist by Ken Bruen ****
98) Room by Emma Donoghue ****1/2

Hi Mark. Good to see that you have a healthy respect for the thread police!

I'm second! Yay me!

Starred and happy to be here in your brand new thread!

Mmm-kay, mmm-kay, only took two reminders so we don't exile him from social contact yet....

Starred!!!

Hi Pat, Joanne & Claudia- Good to see you all!

RD- If I hadn't worked today, I would have been on top of it sooner! Won't happen again, Officer!

I'm really enjoying "The Wave". It's almost surreal to me, how this guys surf these monster waves. Her descriptions of this, is terrific. If I want a little extra excitement, I'll let a dog chase me on the route. That's my limit!
Also, very close to finishing American Gods.

You are hard to keep up with sometimes... one minute there ... next minute here..

"Major Book Geek"...I like it. It captures your command of books along with a sense of fun. Go for it!

Well, it is about time! lol

Have a great Wednesday, Mark!

Got you starred, Mark!

Kath- Thanks for keeping up! Remember the Thread Police are out there! And they are relentless!

Donna- Perfectly said, my friend! Thanks! MBG!

Stasia- Have a great day too!

Stephen- Good to see you, sir!

Check out this video, of riding one of these "monster waves". Very cool:
right here

Morning Mark! Happy Hump Day and thanks for the video. Starred again.

starred!!

Found you again! You are closing in on 100 books read for the year...

93) Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn ****

Sharp Objects is a nifty title but this dark crime novel could have also been called “Some Seriously Screwed-Up People” or simply “Damaged Goods”. Camille Preaker, a reporter for a small Chicago newspaper, is given an assignment to return to her hometown in Missouri and investigate the murders of two young girls. Looking into these horrific crimes is bad enough but having Camille return to her family, is like casting her into a pit of twisted vipers. This reporter has some deep, tangled issues herself. “I’m a cutter, you see. Also a snipper, a slicer, a carver, a jabber. I am a very special case. I have a purpose. My skin, you see, screams.” Yes, this can be a tough read but Flynn is a strong writer and she adeptly keeps the reader engaged. For a debut novel, she shows a nice command.

nice! review mark, thumbs up from me :)

I didn't review this one but I did give it 4 stars like you

Good review, Mark, and a thumb from me. I'll have to check this one out at the library. A friend had recommended her book called Dark Places but I've never gotten around to looking for it.

Berly- Happy Hump Day to you too! I was off today, so it was extra special. Wasn't that video neat?

Angela- Nice to see you!

Kara- Thanks! Have you read her 2nd book?

Pat- Thanks! I've heard very good things about Dark Places and I also heard it's even darker, which scares me a bit.

nope haven't gotten to Dark Places yet

17 holy shite......eek!

Found you STARRED you, friend...

Sharp Objects is upstairs...unread. Good review, you!

;-}

Kara- Maybe we'll read it together at some point! I like to space my authors apart! It's just one of my quirks!

Kath- Sounds like you saw a rat! A big, awful, psychotic one! Sorry you had to see that!

Jude- Thanks! It definitely looks like your kinda book! You should drag it down and crack that baby open!

Wow Mark that Sharp Objects sounds simply.....scarey.

Sharp Objects sounds interesting! Great review and I also stopped by to say hello! I'm adding this to my wishlist. :)

Mark, you write some really good reviews. They make you want to read the books even if you aren't usually interested in that type of book. I think that what I write is more a quick critical analysis of the work rather than a review. I'm not sure what type of review is the "best." I do know that I admire what you are able to accomplish in a few sentences with your reviews.

#27 I agree. I wish I could write a good, short review.

I just wish I could write a good review. I think I ramble and I'm sure I don't do any of the books that I've read any justice with the reviews I write.

love the review, Marky-Mark ... it made my skin crawl! Definitely not a book for the faint of heart .. or squeamish.

I have got to get to Sharp Objects soon! Great review, Mark!

Wow! Thanks everyone! I'm blushing like a fool. I guess I like to write the type of review that will grab someone's attention, without giving anything away. It's also the kind I like checking out before diving in. I do love the longer reviews (like Bonnie's) to savor after reading the book. I'm to lazy to write those. I'm sure my grammar is awful. I should brush up.

Caro- Good to see you! I like your reviews and sorry for making your skin crawl but I wanted to forewarn potential readers, like I did with Matterhorn, that you might run into some pretty ugly things. Check out the video in #13.

Off to work! It's going to be a cool, windy fall day today!

#31: It's going to be a cool, windy fall day today!

Send some fall down this direction, Mark!

Hi Mark! Yup, great review... horrid book! When are you gonna find a good book that I can read? Sounds like you have a great day for walking today! :)

>33 -Cee-:: Claudia, Sharp Objects is a "horrid" topic, but Flynn's writing is superb. This is not my kind of book, but I enjoyed it and Dark Places very much. I think it helped that these were both group reads with the Missouri Readers.

Mark, I too love your short and to-the-point reviews. I also like the longer ones, even those that "ramble." I just like knowing my LT friends' thoughts on the books they are reading, however they present them.

Mark, I've always enjoyed your to-the-point reviews that give me the book in a nutshell and, as you know, add extensively to my teetering tower. But I'm so long-winded that I find myself incapable of writing a good short review.

when your ready to read Dark Places Mark let me know, reading it together sounds fun :)

I am going to have to start keeping my eyes closed when I read your thread, Mark

Stasia- I wish I could send you some of this cool autumn weather! The wind had a bit of a nip to it today.

Claudia- "When are you gonna find a good book that I can read?" Good question, my friend! The next couple look to be dark too! Maybe Jane Eyre in early December?

Donna- Thanks! It's funny, I enjoy reading LT reviews (especially from friends) more so than reading the "pros". I think knowing each other, really helps!

Bonnie- I love your so-called "long-winded" reviews! I'm not sure anyone on LT does it better! Sings: "Nobody does it better..." Try to imagine Carly Simon and not a monotone-voiced mail-carrier.

Kara- Sounds great! It will probably be a few months. Maybe we can remind each other!

Kath- You can open 'em now! I'm enjoying "The Wave". Pretty exciting!

OMGoodness, Mark... I want to be THAT surfer ... (i'd have to learn how to surf first though) ... that was some monster ride and very very cool.

This is a quote used in "The Wave":
"Penetrating so many secrets, we cease to believe in the unknowable. But there it sits nevertheless, calmly licking it's chops."
H.L. Menchen

Caro- This is what the bulk of "The Wave' is about! Chasing these monster waves! Cool, but also very scary!

I finished American Gods. It was a fun trip! I started the audio of The Man Who Loved Books Too Much. No this is not a personal memoir but a true story of a book thief.

I recently picked up a copy of The Man who Loved Books Too Much. I'll look forward to hearing what you think. It sounds intriguing. I sometimes know the covetous feeling of rrreeealllyy wanting an illustrated book or special edition. Not enough to steal, but I understand a bit the urge!

I saw The Man Who Loved Books Too Much at the store and was tempted to bring it home with me ... I'll want your review when you're done, Mark.

Lisa & Caro- The Man Who Loved Books Too Much has been very good. I'm listening to it and find myself daydreaming about books and I have to pull myself back in. Focus Mark Focus! It's a shorty, so I'll be done with it tomorrow!

Thanks to the high praise of a couple LTers, I landed a copy of Leviathan. The author will be at a local bookstore next week, promoting his latest! Drat, I wish I would have read Leviathan first!

Oh! I have Leviathan sitting on a shelf waiting for me -- I think Dr Neutron recommended it. I am jealous that you will get to meet the author. That is always so much fun.

Berly- Yeah, I think Jim recommended Leviathan and I know RD praised it too! I'm not sure I'll go see the author, since I haven't read either book. I think I would feel lost!

I heard about a cool new title today, (Kath look away please), it's called My mother she killed me, my father he ate me : forty new fairy tales. It just came out and is a collection, featuring some top-notch writers, like: Neil Gaiman, Michael Cunningham, Aimee Bender, Shirley Jackson and many more. It sounds terrific!

reading with my eyes closed

Hi Mark-- Wanted to thank you for a couple of recommendations I got from your postings. Just finished and loved Sharp Teeth--quite a thrill!-- and after reading quite a bit of classic mythology this year, I really appreciated the author's craft with free verse.

For the car, I was excited to have the CD reading of Sleepless, but unfortunately the CDs are corrupted and my stereo keeps posting "error" :o( But, if you advise, I'll try it in book form.

As always, I thank you for your excellent, wide-ranging taste in books.--Jenny

I just received a copy of the sequel, Behemoth, so I really have got to get reading since I still have not read Leviathan!

Quick question about the waves book, Mark -- many of the reviews focus on the emphasis on surfing, which I really don't care about at all. That has prevented me from picking up the book so far -- would I still get something out of it? I don't wan to read about surfers and their community, I want to read about the ocean and waves...

Kath- You may open your eyes now! All clear!

Jenny- You are more than welcome! That's what LT is all about. Sharing the love of books. Glad you liked Sharp Teeth. I enjoyed the free verse format but the story is what kicked butt! Please pick up Sleepless. It's terrific. Any Huston is worth reading, if you like your books tough and edgy. I'm way over due on returning to Charlie.

Stasia- How do we squeeze all these books in? Huh? I'm hitting the library today, after work and picking up a few more titles. Are we insane, or what?

Suzanne- I would say the surfing takes up about 2/3rds of the story but in a very interesting way, following these crazy guys tackling these monster waves. She also covers the science, climate change and several other major disasters. I like it.

#50: Are we insane, or what?

I prefer to think it is the or what portion of the question!

The Wave....I would say the surfing takes up more than that.. I found it to be disappointing in that way...

Hi there, MBG aka Markie Mark -

You are one of several people here on LT who have enjoyed reading The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks and Giants of the Ocean.

There are a few of us out here who do love ocean surfing.

Years back, when we lived in San Diego, my husband and I went to the local breaks every Saturday morning, him to boogie board at first, then at about age forty-nine to begin surfing the gnarly ones.

He became quite good and was a part of the community of surfers.

What did I do? Just guess. I read books in our truck and watched him catch waves in between paragraphs or chapters. I also walked for miles and miles on the cliffs and beaches all along the southern California coast. The ocean gets inside of one and I miss it terribly, to tell the truth.

It is very exciting knowing how far out those waves form up and why and how many humans have seen them before you, and how they expire right around your feet on the shore. Nutty, maybe, but in a good way.

I am going back this morning to check and be sure that I have added The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks and Giants of the Ocean to my TBR category, and have sent Robert, my DH an email to offer it to him. He loves to read, too. Although this one might make him sad. sniff, sniff.

The Wave sounds good, Marky-Mark.. I've added it to my obese wish list. I wonder if I'll be able to find it in Sydney ... they have a huge surfing community in that country.

The author of The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks and Giants of the Ocean was on BooKTV this morning. She was at a bookstore in LA called Diesel: A Bookstore. Just from the name of the bookstore alone I will have to put it on my list of bookstores to visit. Has anybody been in this bookstore? The author brought a surfer with her, and he was to do part of the talk. The author did talk about tracking the waves and how technology has helped the surfers find these waves. It sounded like it might be a nice mix between the surfing and the science. I have this book in my collection but it isn't close to the top of the TBR pile. It will be there when I get ready for it, but hearing the author, as well as the talk on this thread, has moved it up on my list.

Forgot to ask you if you are going to take time to visit the center of the center now that you have read American Gods? If so let me know and you can stop in and have coffee with my Dad and the guys at the Center of the Universe - which is not the same as the one written about in American Gods. But it is close.

My friends down here in Alabama told me that I acted like Munden, Kansas was the Center of the Universe, and I would always laugh and say that it wasn't the center of the universe but it was close. Then, low and behold, Gaiman writes about it in American Gods. It was worth reading that book just for the part about Lebanon, Kansas.

I just loved all the obscure touristy places that Gaiman threw into the story. I liked that part almost as much as I liked the witty names for people in the book. Gosh darn it, I just liked that whole book. I recommend that you listen to Anansi Boys even though it isn't as good, in my opinion as Gods. The reader for Anansi Boys is different than the on who did American Gods. I listened to both of them and thought that American Gods was the stronger of the two, but Anansi is still worth reading. So don't throw the baby out with the bathwater and trash the old Gods in favor of the new ones!

Stasia- Maybe insane is to strong of a word. Maybe pleasantly nutty?

Kath- Funny, at first I thought there might be to much about surfing but mid-way, her narrative really clicked and I was caught in a nice rhythm.

Ruthie- Good to see you! The Major Book Geek has missed you. Aren't there enough shenanigans going on here for you?
That is a great story about your husband surfing at fifty! It will be something I won't be doing, thank you very much! My father started snow-skiing around 50. I think both of you will enjoy "The Wave". Find a copy!

Benita- I appreciate you sharing the Book TV interview with Susan Casey. I'll have to look that up.
Yes, I really enjoyed American Gods. I think it sealed me as a fan of Gaiman. (RD is going to have a hissy fit, I'm glad he doesn't stop by here very often) I'm thinking over my review but it's going to be short and somewhat vague. A tough book to describe. I've been seeing your tepid responses to Mists of Avalon and I'm glad I put that one on a back-burner.

Like I mentioned to Stasia, I stopped by at the library on the way home. So let's not even think about my over-stuffed tbr book-shelves. I picked up:

True Compass, on audio. I had this one on the WL and Joanne pushed me over the edge.

Wishful Drinking, on audio. I like Carrie Fisher and this sounded interesting.

Post-Office Girl. I loved Chess Story, so I requested this one a couple months ago.

True Grit. I'm surprised I have never read this, due to the fact I plowed through many westerns, in my younger years. I heard a rave review on a podcast recently and the Coen brothers are re-making the film, with Jeff Bridges. It comes out later this year.
Okay, back to pretending that I have plenty to read here!

Mark, all these books sound great to me and I haven't read any of them so I'll be looking forward to your comments. I also love Jeff Bridges so will look forward to the movie as well.

Stefan Zweig is an author I first heard about on LT earlier this year. I read and loved Chess Story in a book that included several other of his novellas/stort stories--all of which were good. I have Beware of Pity to read but so far haven't run across a copy of Post-Office Girl. Sounds like you have some reading to get to!

I adore the sea, but am utterly bored by surfing. If it were about sailing...

I may put this on my "to borrow" list rather than use up a "free book pick" from Amazon on it. (I only get two of those, and I'm hoping to get Michael Cunningham's new book with one, he of The Hours.)

#58: I will be interested in seeing what you think of True Grit you pleasantly nutty guy, you :) I have never read the book although I have seen the original movie version of it several times.

um.. I never did like John Wayne, so I am pretty sure that I have never seen the original of that movie all the way through. I never made it much farther with his movies than to where he started roughing up women..verbally or physically.

Personal thing...

I just love Jeff Bridges though :) his movies are often so soft :)

94) American Gods by Neil Gaiman ****

A storm is coming. Shadow has been released from prison and on the flight home, he meets a mysterious man named Mr. Wednesday, who somehow knows all about him and quickly offers him a job. Shadow’s life is suddenly and irreversibly upended. He finds himself crisscrossing the country, doing odd jobs and meeting a vast array of colorful characters, including some dangerous ones, as well. He also seems to be in the midst of a larger conflict, involving good and evil, with the battle-lines indistinct. This is a road novel but definitely nothing Kerouac had in mind. I can’t divulge anymore than this, due to the fact that the joy of exploring these roads, is the many magical surprises, waiting around nearly every curve.

#63: *sigh* Another one that has been in the BlackHole far too long.

Stasia- You are lightening fast, my friend! Yes, it's a big sprawling novel, which captures small town America very well. Darn it, I should have put that in my review.

Kath- What is it that you don't like about the Duke? He has been one of my favorites, since I was a kid. Sure, I don't care for his politics but a big chunk of his movies were first rate.
Speaking of Jeff Bridges, did you see "Crazy Heart"? He plays a hard-drinking country & western singer. He is incredible.

#65: So are you going to read Anansi Boys now too?

Excellent review of American Gods, my friend! If i could give Two Thumbs, I would...but One will have to do....and don't worry if Richard pissy-fits...he'll get over it.....and I have extra Xanax I can send to him if he doesn't!

I was going to mention the John Wayne version of True Grit....I never liked The Duke either...thought all that macho business was silly/boring...but TG is a bit different because The Girl is the real hero there....IMHO!!!

;-}

95) The Wave by Susan Casey ****

“Catch a wave and you’re sitting on top of the world.” Yes, that’s the Beach Boys and if Brian Wilson would have caught a glimpse of one of these monster waves, he might have started hitting the LSD much earlier. Like the title suggests, this is a book about waves, mostly of the freakishly large variety. Casey travels the world, visiting scientists and other experts, trying to find some answers to the origins of these deadly rogues, that can turn a super cargo ship, into a crumpled beer can in a matter of seconds, but even with satellite tracking and other advanced technology, these answers can be elusive. The one thing that is clear though, due to climate change, the oceans are getting warmer and more volatile. The author ends up zeroing in on the big-wave surfing community, a ballsy group of mavericks, who hunt down these “giants”, for the ultimate thrill. Her descriptions of what is called tow-surfing, (where the surfer is hauled up to the wave by jet ski) are very exciting and quite scary. “Everything‘s okay until it isn’t.” goes a famous saying, which seems to sum up this dangerous sport, very nicely. Recommended.

Stasia- Lucky, I have a nice hardback of Anansi Boys, sitting on the shelf. I'm not sure what Gaiman I'll try next, I have Good Omens and I heard the audio of The Graveyard Book is quite good. RD is going to need many Xanax, after this!

Jude- Thanks, my friend! I ended up saying more than I thought but I intentionally wanted to be brief and vague. I had no idea what I was getting into when I started it and that suited me fine. So you have read True Grit? I'm really looking forward to it!

Two great reviews, Mark. Especially loved the one of The Wave--if Brian Wilson would have caught a glimpse of one of these monster waves, he might have started hitting the LSD much earlier. Very funny. I will go put my name on the library waiting list for this one.

Are Gaiman's books a series at all--does it make any difference which ones you read first? Do you have a favorite? I've never read any.

One of the movies I loved Jeff Bridges in was the first Iron Man. It took me about 45 minutes to figure out it was him!

Mark, you are a MBG...major book god, that is. I had NO desire to read American Gods until your review. What is happening to me? You made The Wave sound good, too, but it didn't catch me. Got dizzy looking for that touchstone. lol...I can relate to Brian Wilson today.

True Grit done by the Coen Brothers starring Jeff Bridges? I am so in...at least for the movie. And probably for the book after I read your review. Yes, Crazy Heart was wonderful, and Jeff Bridges is incredible.

Pat- Thank you! Yes, can you imagine if that happened to Brian Wilson, we may not have got "Pet Sounds", one of the great pop albums!
This is only my 2nd Neil Gaiman. I'm sure most of them are stand-alones, although American Gods does have a follow-up. I started with Neverwhere and it was very good. Do you like fantasy?

Donna- Thanks again! I rather stick with Major Book Geek. It's my humble nature. At first True Grit, directed by the Coens, sounded off-putting, but then you start to think about it...

I don't know of any fantasy books I've read but there are so many new things I've tried and liked since joining LT that I try to keep an open mind. Are there better fantasy books than Gaiman's?

Some of my pals here, know I'm a big fan of Ken Bruen. He's my favorite crime writer, working today. I started The Dramatist, the 4th featuring Jack Taylor and it felt like running into an old friend. These are my cozy mysteries!

>#74
Ken Bruen's books...as cozies??? Now I know why you are my bestest bud...totally clueless, with excellent taste!

.......and I Thumbed The Wave.......science meets hubris.....what a concept!!!

;-}

Wow! Four stars for American Gods...makes me think I musta missed somethin' big.

Happy Sunday back at'cha, Mark, and many happy books for the rest of the day! I'm midway through The Invention of Clouds, about the guy who first observed and describer the clouds scientifically. It's the kind of non-fiction that I love, resembling Longitude and Cod and them.

Jude- I was being a bit snarky on my reference to Bruen being a "cozy". I know that's unusual for me, but that side comes out now and then. Thanks for the thumb, "The Wave" was a keeper!

RD- Good to see you! That was actually a very subdued response from you! I was expecting more vituperation, or at least some flying spittle! The Invention of Clouds does sound good!

Another lousy Bears game! Fortunately, I'm keeping a book on my lap, at all times! So it's not a total waste. Following Jack Taylor around is such a joy!

Just because I think Neil Gaiman should have all twenty nails ripped out with serrated pliers, then all the stumps dipped into boiling salted vinegar, for his crimes against endings, doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy his pointless maunderings, Mark. Really! What ever gave you the idea that I'd be so declasse as to call into question your grip on reality and your substandard education, simply because you liked American Gods? *I* have far too much politesse to do such a thing.

Ignore the rantings of Ricardo on this one, Marky-Mark. Read Anansi Boys ... I'm pretty sure you'll like it. I haven't read American Gods yet, but it's on my obese wish list now after reading your review.

* to ricardo

I hope you have a wonderful Monday, Mark! Great review of The Wave, a book I know I will eventually get to.

ewwww It's back......MONDAY! hope yours is good

Richard- Now that's what I'm talking about! Thank you!

Caro- Hope you are having a good trip! Yes, read American Gods and thanks for the "hisses"!!

Stasia- Thanks! I missed stopping by yesterday! Bad Mark! I will head over there directly. You have a great day too!

Kath- I hate to be a spoiled sport, but I'm off this week. Doing a happy jig, something you shouldn't witness, BTW. Hope you make the best of it, my friend!

#82: I guess I will forgive you this one time for missing my weekly post. Watch out next time though :)

...Stasia has a thread...?

Hi Mark! You read such an interesting mix of books...I like that! I have to try Neil Gaiman one of these days. I have The Man Who Loved Books Too Much here on my shelf to read, so I'll be looking forward to your review!

I read True Grit years ago because at the time we didn't have a movie theater within descent driving distance and my parents didn't go to movies. In short couldn't see the movie until many years later as reruns on TV. Thought it was a real clunker. It was as bad as the book. I can't imagine why anybody would see a movie made out of a book that boring, let alone remake a movie out of a book that boring. For me the only redeeming quality of the movie was "The Duke" and the horse he rode. It was a wonderful specimen of a Quarter Horse. Had a little too much white on it for my taste, ... but I digress.

But then again, maybe the book wasn't that boring because I read the whole thing and do remember that the ending of the book was much different than the movie. However, I read lots of boring books so don't judge the book by what I say about it. I even managed to finally slog through Tess of the D'Ubervilles and it is supposed to be good literature!

Stasia- I've been forewarned! Thanks!

RD- Yes, she does! She's a bit on the fringes, not very popular! She appreciates any visitors.

Angela- Yes, I like to keep it mixed up. I think that's what I like the most about my pals here: Everyone seems to have a nice range. I'll have the review up tomorrow.

Benita- I'll let you know my thoughts on True Grit, hopefully they'll be more positive than yours. I hate boring. I like the film version. It was a good cast. Maybe to much Hollywood and although I liked Wayne's performance, I think he was much better in several other films, including "The Searchers" & "Red River".

#87: LOL, Mark (at your remarks to both Richard and me!)

Wishing you a great week off.......and trying not to be too envious..

Quote from The Dramatist:
"I don't know what it is about funerals and weather. Well, Irish ones. We're used to rain. It's the west of Ireland: rain is what we do. But at funerals, every single one, it lashes down like it was personal.
My mother's was no exception."

Stasia- We aim to amuse!

Kath- Thanks and I appreciate the thumb!

Actually we just came back from an Irish pub. We of course, had a couple brewski's. I had "bangers" and the wife had Shepard's Pie! We are so full!

96) The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett ****

John Gilkey has a major book obsession, something we can all relate to. The difference being, when one of us are ready for a book, we pluck it from our shelves, purchase one or head to the trusty library. Gilkey steals them and in large numbers. His preference is rare books, collectibles. He does not sell these books for profit but treasures them. They make him feel important, respected.
Bartlett interviewed Gilkey extensively for this book, mainly while he was in the “big house“, so the bulk of the story is through his words. The author also focuses on Ken Sanders, a self-appointed book cop, who is just as obsessed in catching these biblio-deviants, with Gilkey being his Moriarty. This is solid narrative non-fiction and I give it a hardy thumbs up.

>93 msf59: "biblio-deviants"

ROFL

I want a t-shirt with that on it!

#93: It sounds as if you liked that one more than I did, Mark! Glad to hear it.

I am with Richard - the t-shirt idea is great!

I don't need a t-shirt. Anyone looking at my apartment would know that I am a biblio-deviant. I just need more time to read.

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much was the 2nd ER book that I received. I only gave it 3.5 stars and I was trying to be nice. I found it interesting, but I thought it could've been better written. Mark, maybe you are just to nice of a guy.

Nice review, Mark, and a thumb from me. I actually read that story as an article before it became a book--it was in the Best American Crime Reporting of 2009 (I think).

Wow, Mark, I think you've coined a phrase that we all are suffering from! If this group ever gets tired of the boring heading of '75 Book Challenge,' we can become The Biblio-Deviants. Where's Cheli to design our logo?

I'm glad you're enjoying your week off. Didn't you just have one of those?

Another great review Mark. Biblio-Deviants, oh yeah, that's us.

Hope you're doing ok in the windstorm today, Mark.

There was a small tornado up here (near Kenosha, WI) and lots of large tree limbs/small trees down.

Heading south into the 60 mph wind gusts this morning, it felt like my car wanted to take off.

LOL Stasia!

Hi, Mark -

As always interesting to stop by and see what you are reading and saying about it. The rest of us are kind of like the Greek chorus in the background of your thread who bring a little comedy or pathos or commiseration to your offerings here.

Enjoy your time off. Hope it is relaxing and includes good books, good food and some laughter along the way.

Love, Ruthie

>102 alcottacre: ROFL

I **love** it!!!

OMG- What have I created? LOL! Stasia, thanks for the banner and thanks Richard for the inspiration! It's funny how an "off the cuff" word combination, can cause a bit of a stir!

Tami- I liked the book! I know it got some mixed reviews here but it worked for me. I think it's short length helped too. The bottom line, it was about the love of books and maybe I'm a sap for that!

Pat- Thanks! I think Bartlett mentioned she was writing an article about it, before she turned it into a book!

Donna- Who is Cheli and when can they do the logo??

Bonnie- Thanks! And Go Biblio-Deviants!

Linda- Yes, very gusty here and fortunately I'm off today! Yah! No rain, right now, but lots of wind!

Ruthie- Good to see you! Yes, I can live on good books, good food and some hearty laughs, just throw in the occasional good brew and I'm a happy man.

YO!

Thumbed your review of The Man Who Loved Books Too Much.....as if i needed to (grammar sucks..forgive)

Biblio-Deviants? who woulda thunk it....with all these staid-and-serious Bibliophiles??

*maniacal laughter*

;-}

glitter-graphics.com

on your hot review Mark of The Man Who Loved Books Too Much

#106: You are quite welcome :)

Jude- Yo, back at you! Thanks for the thumb, my friend! And who's a "staid-and-serious Bibliophile"? I see nary a one!

Kara- A thing of beauty! Thank you!

I received, from Netflix, a hot new copy of The Girl Who Played With Fire. Yah! Probably won't watch it til the weekend, though! Anyone want to come over?

I finished the Ken Bruen, (it's another winner but he can sure leave you sucker-punched at the end!). I will be starting Room, with much anticipation.

love the fancy text!

stealing ...............

#106 Mark, Cheli is my friend, cyderry, on LT. I know she has done the logo for the TIOLI group.

Whew! Finally got caught up on this thread.

Hi Mark! Thought you might be interested to know that LT said I would definitely not like Good Omens. I read it anyway. I loved it! I am ordering The Graveyard Book because I liked his writing a lot... maybe I should also try American Gods.
Great reviews above!

Linda- Thanks! We were looking for someone to design our Biblio-Deviant T-shirts and her name was mentioned.

Claudia- Good to see you! Yes, catching up on threads, can be quite exhausting. Both Good Omens & The Graveyard Book, will be my next Gaiman choices.

We actually live close enough to eachother I could come ova! Actually our downtown theater has been playing that movie a lot- I haven't seen it yet- hope its good!

#115 That explains it then.

Did we ever talk further about a Chicagoland get-together?

hi, Mark.

Linda told me that someone wanted a logo.... so I'm stopping by to let you know, I've got a couple of ideas but I'm on vacation this week so give a little time and I'll let you know what I'm thinking.

If you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know.

Cheli

Interesting stuff you've got going on here, Mark, you biblio deviant you!

Marky-Mark ... you'll enjoy Good Omens I know you will. It's my favorite Gaiman book and I have that on my re-read shelf because I take it down for a re-read at least once every 2 years.... and it never gets old. I love it every time I read it again.

Love the biblio deviant suggestion. *sitting back and waiting for Cheli's logo post* ;-)

I have read that one, too... still.. not a huge Gaiman fan..

Tamara- Movie starts about 7! Popcorn, beer & wine will be served!

Linda- Sorry, the Chicago get-together got relegated to a back-burner. I'll move it back up and start giving it some thought. I know you mentioned Centuries & Sleuths. Maybe dinner somewhere, centrally located? Other ideas welcome!

Cheli- Thanks for dropping by! This logo thing started as a joke but it might be fun, I'd like to see your thoughts.

Joanne- At least I'm not alone, my friend! LOL!

Caro- How's my favorite world-traveler? Hope you have a safe return home! And watch out for those dark showers!

Kath- You don't do a lot of fantasy though, right?

I wonder if Jim would seriously consider letting the group be called 'The Biblio-Deviants' next year :)

FREE BOOKS! Now, that I have your attention, I wanted to run something by you. LT has a Christmas Book Swap, which I participated in last year. It was okay but it was very impersonal. Giving or receiving books from strangers, without any feedback was a bland experience, at least for me.
I was thinking of holding my own Christmas book exchange. I was originally going to suggest it for the 75ers but there’s hundreds of people on that, as well. I make a list, with everyone interested, match them up with someone else on the list, of course randomly and then we buy a book for them, (maybe off their Wishlist) and send it to them for the holidays. Maybe a $20 limit. How does that sound? Was it clear enough? Remember, I’m a lowly postal-worker, with a substandard education.

Works for me, Mark!

Great! It's always important to have the LT Ambassador along! Or can we call you the Queen Mother? You are first on the List!

>#123- Good idea! We'll have to run it by Jim!

>124 msf59: Cool! I wasn't around LT last year... sounds like fun!
I'm in. :)

#126: I only wish I were the LT Ambassador! I like that title better than 'Queen Mother' - that makes me sound ancient :)

ark,

Here are a couple of logo ideas. What do you think?

>129 cyderry: OOO Cheli, I like the top one as a starting point...maybe a different color background?

I like the BiblioDeviant's Random Gifting Program! Sign me up, limit $20.

Stasia & Claudia are in! Yah! I hope to get at least a dozen more!

Cheli- Thanks! I like the middle one! Is that what you call me, ark? I don't mind!

#129: OK, now I can see all three. I like them all, but I think 2 is my favorite.

"the BiblioDeviant's Random Gifting Program!" Perfect! RD's in!

Nice review of the the Man Who Loved Books Too Much. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

>124 msf59:: Setting up your FREE BOOKS exchange sounds like a lot of work. I'm kind of grumpy when it comes to more Christmas shopping so I'll take a pass, Mark. But I look forward to seeing what everyone else gets. I'm more into vicarious gift giving and receiving.

>129 cyderry:: No. 2 makes me happy!

Mac- Thanks! Great to see you, stranger!

Donna- It might be a little work but we'll see! So you are going to be a Grinch, huh?

Mark, I'm in on the random gifting program. Sounds like fun.

Logos look good... I like them all.
Don't mean to be critical, but is there any chance it could be unisex? These all suggest male readers????

Mark (Major Book Geek) and creator of the Biblio-Deviant Group. We know who we are. heh heh.

I'm in on the book thingy. I like the idea of knowing the person who will be getting the gift without knowing the sender until ... whenever; or if ever, that info is disclosed.

I want to think about the logo a bit more before voting on one of the ones offered by Chèli.

We do live in a free country and this is a democracy, but, you are the creator of this idea, Mark. You really get to choose the logo, IMHO.

Also, my two cents worth on the limit of cash paid out for the gift book ... if each of us have the mailing address of the person whose name we draw, we can send something directly to them and the spending limit can be exceeded (lots of new books are in the $24.95 range these days) or lowered according to the bank balance of the giver. This again, is IMHO.

I will help you with this effort, Mark. It will be a pleasure for me. We will be able to simplify the task, streamline it and with each person's responsiveness being something we can depend upon, it can go smoothly. Can't imagine a better group than the 75er's we know to pull this one off.

Mark, what a brilliantly clever idea. Count me in on the BiblioDeviant's Random Gifting Program. Don't downplay your "lowly postal worker" skills ;-)

#124 You can sign me up, too! Excellent idea. :)

#124 Mark, you just thought it was strangers. Once I got your name, I came over and started chatting, finding out what kinds of books you liked etc.

I also somewhat knew the person who had my name.

Even so, I like your idea.

I'm in.

Me too!

Delurking to say I love the Biblio-Deviants idea! T-shirts are a must. I would vote for a logo with more deviant in it. There are lots of bibliophiles, but it takes a special sort of person to be a biblio-deviant. Maybe something borrowed from another thread (can't remember whose, sorry) about sneaking peaks at what other people are reading on trams, planes, etc. Biblio-voyeurs, that's deviant.

On a separate note, knowing that you are a war books guru, do you have a suggestion for me on Iwo Jima? I watched Letters from Iwo Jima last night--wow. I found it to be a much more powerful movie than Flags of Our Fathers. According to IMDB, the story was based on two books: Picture letters from the Commander in Chief and So Sad to Fall in Battle: An Account of War. Have you read either, or another, that you would recommend? LT had wildly divergent opinions on the latter. Thanks! (Of course, I'll need to finish The Coldest Winter and Finkler Question first...)

I'm in for the book exchange.

Hey everybody! Glad to get the response! I'm listing the names down and I'll do a final check before I close it down. Of course, I'll have to end with an even number, so let's keep that in mind.

Ruth brings up a good point about the amount spent. Is $20 enough or should we make it $25. This will include the shipping.

Not sure how your poll is working? Anyway, I think $25 is good, including shipping.

NEVER MIND!!

Ruthie- Thanks for your suggestions and offers to help. Lets see how it goes. The biggest chore will be gathering addresses and then getting them to the right person. We might have to do another voting ticker, on if we should keep it anonymous or not. My first thought, was to give your name. I don't see much of a big deal!

Linda- I'm sorry, my friend! I spaced it but look something good came out of it? Or I hope so anyway!

Mark, so you liked Michael Harvey's The Chicago Way more than I did. Did you also like The Fifth Floor and The Third Rail? My problem is that I read them out of order and thought that The Chicago Way paled in comparison with books 2 and 3.

Also, besides mysteries and baseball, one of my favorite reading subjects is Chicago history so the second and third books, with their Chicago history ties, were ideal for me.

Linda- Back to books! Now your talking! I only read the 1st Harvey book, just a few months ago and plan on reading the other two, especially after your strong praise! I have not read a lot of Chicago history, although I should. I loved The Devil in the White City.

Lisa- Some great thoughts on the "Biblio-Deviants" logo! More deviant is good! I'm really not a "war book guru", just a few highlights here and there. It's hard to focus on just one subject with LT breathing down your neck. I loved "Letters From Iwo Jima"! Eastwood at his very best and I agree with you Flags of Our Fathers was just okay, based on a book by James Bradley. He wrote another World War II book called Flyboys, which is supposed to be very good.

Though set in the present, the second one relates to the Great Chicago Fire and the third one to that 1977 Loop el crash where the train car was hanging down from the el tracks.

I finally got to The Devil in the White City recently and it's one of my favorites for the year.

Another popular-type Chicago history books I really liked was Sin in the Second City. That was set a bit later than 1893 World's Fair one.

I'll keeping working on the logos - more deviant and unisex, got it.

canNoT deal with the C word at this time of year..
sorry

Make sure, if your participating in the "BiblioDeviant's Random Gifting Program", (Boy's that's a mouthful), have your LT Wishlist updated. Keep in mind, buyers do not have to pick from the WL, they can just select a book they think will work.

Linda- Chicago titles noted! Thanks!

Cheli- Thanks! Please do it at your leisure! We owe you one!

Kath- I'm sorry I forgot all about your aversion to the dreaded "C" word! I'm always making you look away! You're not going to come back! Sad Mark!

I voted on price and I am adding my two cents on more deviant!!

I'm in too!

Marky-Mark .. hope I'm not too late to throw my 2 cents in ... I like the 2nd logo actually ... makes it look like the biblio deviants aim for the moon .. and will probably get there before NASA's astronauts at the rate we're reading.

Count me in on the Xmas book exchange event too and I voted for the $25 price too.

Hi Berly & Laura!

Caro- Glad you can join us! You always add a little spice to the proceedings!

We have fourteen! Not a bad start! See you guys tomorrow!

Tomorrow? What starts tomorrow? I'm traveling tomorrow ... am I going to miss something? booo hooo....

Mark, dear one.

When you get a chance re-read post #139. The two line paragraph about raising the limit or lowering it, if needed.

Could we consider making the price more on a sliding scale? Let the giver decide? I don't want anyone to be excluded because of financial limitations. Though this event may happen at the Christmas, Kwanza, Chanuka, et al time of the year, let's trust that the gifts of books are going to be valuable, no matter the cost. I seriously doubt that any of us book lovers would send a beat up, battered, old book of no worth to one of our buddies.

This is just IMHO, of course.

Caro- You are not missing anything, friend! Just a regular old day! Have a safe trip!

In regards to the Christmas Book Exchange, let's just keep it simple. Buy what you can afford. $25 will just be the cap. If you can only swing, 10 or 15, no problem. There are plenty of good book deals out there and some juicy coupons. Do what you can!
Thanks a lot Ruthie for pointing that out!

Yes, the MBG struck again! I need to stay away from the library. Dangerous joint!
Picked up:
The Imperfectionists. My local library is doing a group read of this. I haven't attended this since BLT (before LT) and I've heard great things about the book.
The Wordy Shipmates. This is an audiobook. I have to be ready to return to work, you know!
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly. This is a new release that I've been hearing glowing reports about. I mistakenly thought it was a graphic but it's a YA and over 400 pages. I'm nuts!

I lost you for a while, Mark! Just stopping by to belatedly star your thread.

FYI, I think the touchstone for Revolution linked to the wrong book...

#163: I hope you enjoy The Imperfectionists as much as I did, Mark. Have fun with the library group read.

Terri- Good to see you!

Lisa- Thanks for the heads-up! I should have double-checked!

Stasia- I'll probably start The Imperfectionists toward the end of November. I like to keep it fresh in mind, for the discussion. I picked up the wife a copy too! I hope she reads it. Check out the description of Revolution. This looks like a book you would love!

Yesterday was a good book day. I also received from BM:
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand A nice hardback too! So many here have loved this book!
C by Tom McCarthy I still have Remainder in the stacks but couldn't pass up his latest.
I also got a nice softcover of East of Eden for a quarter! Not to shabby!

#167: Someone else in the group also recommended Revolution to me, but unfortunately, the local library does not have it yet.

ETA: I hope you enjoy Major Pettigrew, Mark. I am one of the people who loves it.

Mark, thanks for visiting my thread this morning. I'm going to be starting a new one today, and speaking of new threads, I thought, "What is Mark talking about? He misses me? I follow his thread everyday!" But, no, come to find out I had X'd your new thread instead of starring you ten days ago. I've been doing that a lot on my iPad--the star and the x are just too close together for my fat fingers, I guess. Anyway, thanks for alerting me. I'm here now at Biblio-Deviants Annonymous. ;-)

Stasia- Yes, it's a new release, maybe they'll pick it up sometime soon!

Bonnie- You just made my day! I was starting to think you thought I had cooties or something. I did, but I got over that. Check out msg#124. We are having a small Christmas Book Exchange for Biblio-Deviants. Interested?

I am about half way through Hunger Games and am wondering about this book. It's YA?

I'm finding it questionable. In fact I am having trouble with all of the violence. I am finding it gratuitous. Of course, I am only about 2/3 of the way through the book. While I am finding it compelling reading I am having trouble with it and wondering if reading this book is the same as sitting in the stands, or watching this on TV. I don't really like war stories and think of this in the same vein.

I am also disturbed to learn that our local school district has this as required reading. Since this is a fantasy I have to wonder what kind of mind would like to write something like this. But then, I said the same thing about the author of the Hannibal Lector books or Brett Easton Ellis. I'm fairly liberal but this book is just beyond the pale I think. Last night I kept thinking I should just put this down and quit.

Benita- Good to see you! All valid points about The Hunger Games, especially the YA designation and the violence. The difference being, I loved the book, which probably doesn't surprise you. I'm not sure if I can defend the "required reading" tag, although anything that can get those darn kids reading, I'm up for. I hope you don't give up on it and you have a great weekend!

Just a quick Hi afer finding your newest thread. 172 messages to read. Gads.

Mark, you are a VERY popular guy. I enjoy reading your threads.

*peeking in with eyes closed*

I am reading The Hunger Games again - I should be finished soon - and am enjoying it again.

Have a wonderful weekend, Mark!

Karen- Thanks! I still consider myself one of the "little people". Stop by again and have a good weekend!

Kath- It's been safe over here! You can open now!

Stasia- That's great you can find time for re-reads! To be honest, that doesn't cross my mind due to the tidal wave of books tbr! Although, I might try the audio of Hunger Games before the movie comes out.

I'm nearly finished with Room and I just cracked the graphic Asterios Polyp, which many friends here raved about. Were you one of them, Stasia?

#176: Yes, I am one of the Asterios Polyp fans, Mark.

I am re-reading The Hunger Games with Carolyn because then we are going to read the other two books in the trilogy together and I have not read them at all.

Book Exchange update: We are up to 14 and I have all the addresses. I all-ready had several, so if I didn't ask you, I had it. Thanks for the quick response. It made things easier. I wouldn't mind having a few more, so if you know someone who be interested, pass it on.

#178: Linda (Whisper) is interested, Mark. I talked to her about it yesterday. Let me know if you need her address. I have it.

Thanks Stasia! That's 15, we'll have to end on an even number, for obvious reasons.

I'm another one who loves Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - hope you like it!

Good morning, Mark! I'll be interested in what you think of Asterios Polyp. I still haven't read any graphic novels but I keep seeing this one mentioned on LT from Stasia and others.

Joe- I'm really looking forward to that one. Maybe I can squeeze it in sometime in December.

Pat- Give a graphic a chance! Read one or two and if they're not your cuppa, well you tried. A couple of the earlier ones I loved are Hugo Cabret, The Arrival & Stitches.

I'll be starting The Post-Office Girl. Sounds good!

Pat: What Mark said! It's not all tights-wearing superheroes, there is some good stuff out there. I think graphic memoirs (ie Persepolis) are a good way to go for those unsure of the format.

The good thing about graphic novels is they are really fast reads, so at worst you'll only 'waste' a day or so if you find you don't like them.

http://www.librarything.com/work/3591107 sounds good

I like Will Eisner's graphic novels because they're quick, but he has a good eye for bringing out attention to the people in life who are so often overlooked.

Marky-Mark ... I'll be looking out for your review of Post Office Girl. I'm third in line for the book at the library. Whoohoo

Stephen- Thanks for chiming in and giving those graphics some well-deserved support. I think I read my first back in March and I've been going strong since. They are fast and they work perfectly in between other books, or as a secondary read.

Caro- Welcome home, my friend! Post Office Girl begins well. It doesn't grab you the way Chess Story did but it's compelling, never the less.
Which Will Eisner do you recommend? Love those graphic recs!

Marky-Mark - thanks. it's good to be home ..even cleaning the house a little this morning was enjoyable. I'm looking forward to being home for about 10 days before I have to travel again.

I haven't read all Eisner's graphic novels yet, but of the ones that I've read, I'd recommend The Contract with God Trilogy, Invisible People, and The Plot : The Secret Story of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion which was a collaboration with Umberto Eco. I still have New York : Life in the Big City in my TBR Tower.

Caro- Thanks for the recs! The Contract with God Trilogy sounds great, especially after reading Stephen's glowing review! Thanks Stephen! Off to reserve it!
BTW- Speaking of graphics...Asterios Polyp begins wonderfully!

Mark, I see in your library that you gave Game of Thrones 5 stars. Did you see that HBO has produced the mini-series to broadcast this winter? Is it along the lines of a Lord of the Rings? (Sean Bean stars in this new production too--yum!) I'll not try to read the book first. I'd like to lose myself in a wonderful tv series. Did you ever catch Pillars on Starz? I was greatly disappointed in it.

Hi Mark!! Thanks for organizing the book swap. I just love getting surprise books in the mail! Just received The Wilding by Percy from Powell's Book Club. Never heard of it, but it sound good.

Momentary de-lurk to say, love the Biblio-deviant phraseology that's being bandied around!

I like the idea of the book-exchange as well, but wont be able to play. Totally broke and live in the land of nightmare postal costs. Looking forward to vicarious pleasure from reading everyone's shrieks of delight when they all arrive though!

Hi There Buddy!

As Stasia mentioned, please count me in for the Christmas Book Swamp.

Thanks for coordinating all this.

Hugs to you!

It's creepy and it's spooky, and altogether ookie! Happy Halloween!

So you are liking Post Office Girl?

Jenny- Yes, I've read Game of Thrones, which is amazing and the next three books in the series. If you like fantasy, or are willing to try, these are a wonderful place to start. I'm pumped about the HBO series. I hope it kicks butt. I have not seen Pillars of the Earth. I keep getting mixed opinions from everyone, causing my hesitation.

Berly- Your welcome! It should be a blast. Let us know about The Wilding, just don't tell Kath, because it looks disturbing.

BekkaJo- I love that name! Thanks for stopping by! Where is "land of nightmare postal costs"? Sounds scary!

Linda- You are in, my friend! Hope you are doing well!

Kath- Post Office Girl is very good. He's a very strong writer. This is an author you might like. It's unfortunate he's been dead over 60 years.

Happy Halloween everyone!!

Happy Halloween to you, Mark!

98) Room by Emma Donoghue ****1/2

“Today I'm five. I was four last night going to sleep in Wardrobe, but when I wake up in Bed in the dark I'm changed to five, abracadabra. Before that I was three, then two, then one, then zero. “Was I minus numbers?"'
Welcome to Jack’s World. He lives with his Ma, in a small enclosure, they call “Room”.
They are prisoners, being held captive by a man Jack knows only as Old Nick. Since the boy was born here, this is the only place he knows and feels comfortable in. Yes, this is a dark, disturbing premise (loosely based on an actual event) but the story offers so much more, including the importance of love and motherhood. It’s also about resilience and survival. This may not be a book for everyone but for this reader, it worked perfectly. Highly recommended.

#197: I will be wrapping that one up in the next day or so. Glad to see you recommending it, Mark!

Stasia- Happy Halloween to you too! It's my wife's birthday, so we have family coming over later. I'm glad you are enjoying Room also! I'll have to look into her other books. Have you read her before?

We watched The Girl Who Played With Fire last night. It was a bit of a let-down after the excellence (IMHO), of Dragon Tattoo. It wasn't as stream-lined and effective as the first film, although the young actress who plays Salander, still kicks major butt!

Happy Celebrating Day!
Must be fun for your wife having a birthday on Halloween - there's always parties going on.
I have Post Office Girl on my wishlist. Getting the crazies trying to juggle all the books I want to read! So much more fun than wondering what to read next though. :)
Have a good one!

You've managed to get me interested in Room Mark which, up until this point, I was only mildly interested in. Good job on that review my friend.

Liked your review of Room too, Mark. Hope you enjoy celebrating your wife's birthday and, Halloween too!

ditto what bonnie said...

Claudia- Thanks! "Getting the crazies". I think we all suffer from that malady! Have a great day too!

Bonnie- Thank you! I wasn't sure in the beginning, if this unique narrative could carry through the whole story but Donoghue somehow pulls it off.

Pat- I appreciate it and you have a good one too!

Kath- I would be curious to know your thoughts on a book like this. Even though, it is an unsettling subject, it's more hopeful than bleak.

Happy Birthday to Mrs. Mark (would that be Susan?)! I have a poor memory so just ignore me if that's wrong.

I'm glad you liked Room so well. It's surprisingly enjoyable to read considering the premise and the fact that a 5-year-old tells the story. I'll finish it tomorrow so I can be legal on the Nov. TIOLI Challenge. Btw, why aren't you in that group? It's a great way to have fun paring down the TBR stack.

Happy Halloween to you. Enjoy your double celebration!

i have it on my consider this one list mark :) so....maybe :)

Donna- Yes, she is Susan, aka Sue the House Cop! Maybe I'll join you guys on the TIOLI Challenge next year. I never even thought of it but it does sound interesting.

Kath- At least I got you to consider...that's a start!

Happy Halloween, to you too, Mark! Does your wife enjoy sharing her birthday with a holiday? Well, it's not really a "holiday" but people are celebrating or have to stay home to pass out candy. My oldest son's B-Day is New Year's Eve, so there's always a party going on.

Two things: First, I love your idea of a gift exchange, but I have a terrible reputation for not mailing things--which, regrettably, you well know. Second, I'm rushing past all comments about The Room because I know it's my kind of book and I prefer knowing as little as possible about the books I'm reading. Sigh, I think it's going to a long year of averting my eyes on that one.

Mark, love the review of Room and since I am dong the book exchange organized by yours truly, I thought I'd best get cracking on a Wishlist, so it is duly added.

Happy Halloween, Marky-Mark, and good review of Room. I've already got that in my obese wish list, otherwise your review would have made me add it to the pile.

I didn't think movie The Girl Who Played With Fire was as good as the Dragon Tattoo either, but I wonder if it's because it was because the shock value that of the actress playing Salander was no longer novel given what she had presented in the first movie. Having said that, I know I'll want to watch the last movie too. :-)

Bonnie- No my wife does not mind being a Halloween baby! We had a nice time with the family. Some drinks and some laughs.
If you change your mind about the "Book Exchange", you can still jump aboard. I will be shutting it down in about a week. BTW- I didn't give away very much in my review of Room. I'm glad you are interested.

Berly- Room's a keeper! Have you seen The Girl Who Played With Fire yet?

Caro- The film version of The Girl Who Played With Fire wasn't constructed as well. I'm not sure 2 hours was long enough to tell that story. It felt a bit choppy and tough to follow at times. It wasn't bad, just not as effective as Dragon Tattoo.

Mark, I enjoyed the movie adaptation of The Girl Who Played with Fire, but I have heard mixed reviews from others. (I tend to be a bit "yay! I'm at a movie!!" when I get out to the cinema, so often my enjoyment isn't necessarily due to a movie being good, but due to being out of the house and with friends. :)

Glad you enjoyed Room!

Halloween is over Down Under, and the kids had a ball. Mr Bear was a vampire (complete with sulky look, which cracked me up when I took the photo), and Miss Boo was a fairy princess. They arrived home from trick-or-treating with a thunderstorm on their heels, and their buckets overflowing with sugary treats.

We had fun decorating the house, but we never get trick-or-treaters. We're on a narrow laneway, and people just don't think to head down our way. *sigh* Oh well, all the more candy for us.

Enjoy the Xmas book exchange - I won't participate because of postage costs to Australia, it's not fair to whoever gets my name out of the hat. (Plus, I do NOT need any more books. :)

Mark--I almost got the DVD of The Girl Who Played with Fire, but then realized it is subtitled and I should wait until well after the surgery before I try to follow along!

Wookie--I second your night out on the town enthusiasm.

Finished up Room in the wee hours and loved it.

Happy Monday, Mark!

monday.. sigh.. hope yours is a good one.

Wookie- Glad you had a nice Halloween! I loved your descriptions of your kids! We had a lot of kids stop by, probably the most in years. They were still banging on the door, well after dark. Did not answer!
I enjoy seeing films at the theater too! Problem is, there are not to many worthy films being released. I'm picky with my movies too. We should have fun with the "Book Exchange".

Berly- GWPWF is worth seeing! I still liked it!

Stasia- That's great! Looking forward to your thoughts!

Kath- I'm sighing with you! Back to work, after a wonderful week off.

#195 Jersey - the real one though : ) Little island 100 miles south of England. But half the time you end up paying double postage to get things in and then out.

Hi Mark! Thanks for dropping by my thread...I hope you had an excellent weekend as well. :)

I finished Hunger Games and for me there will be no sequel. I was so shocked at my reaction to this book that I discussed it with a librarian friend of mine and my sister (the 10th grade high school teacher). One thought my reaction was odd and the other agreed with me. What really disturbed me was all that killing and no point to it. One of my consultants told me to read the rest of the series and then make my judgment. However, if you have to read all three books to understand the story, why not put it into one book? If splitting the story into three parts resulted in book one being filled with pointless violence I have to ask, what kind of book is that? Am I just being manipulated by the publishers into buying more books that offer no insights or reasons for what happens? I don't necessarily believe that every book should have a resolution, as sometimes it is good to have something to ponder on for a time, but this book didn't seem to do that. It just left me in shock. Which probably means I wouldn't make a very good contestant in the Hunger Games.

I was very disappointed in this book, but I am glad that we all don't like the same books. For now I am going to go back to work on the more sedate Mists of Avalon and the more emotionally grabbing End of the Hunt. Both of these are 900 page books, so I have lots of interesting and exciting reading to do.

Forgot to mention that I will start Walking to Gatlinburg this week. Ever since I read your raves about this one it has been moving up in my pile. Got it on the bedside table.

BekkaJo- Were you born in Jersey? How is it living there, besides the bad postal rates?

Angela- Big wave!

Benita- I'm not sure what to say about your reaction to The Hunger Games. The book and the series worked for me. I hope your response to Walking to Gatlinburg falls on the much more positive side. How are you enjoying Mists of Avalon?

I blew right through Wishful Drinking, a memoir by Carrie Fisher. It's read by the author. It's very short, profane and a whole lot of fun. Plus name-dropping galore!
Tomorrow, I will begin the audio of a different type memoir: True Compass. I don't think this will be as fast or as humorous but I'm really looking forward to it.

Mark, I recently listened to Wishful Drinking as well and loved it. It was a great escape while sitting in traffic, and all of the "inside Hollywood gossip" was a lot of fun too. I really appreciate her sense of humor, bawdiness, and lack of a filter. Do you know if she has narrated any other books, either her own or not?

#219 Although perhaps for slightly different reasons, I did not find The Hunger Games very appealing either. The ending in particular fell flat for me. Perhaps I too would benefit from reading the whole series, but I doubt I will. Ah well, someone has to be in the minority or the discussions would get pretty boring!

Maybe I'll pick up a copy of Wishful Drinking .. I saw her interview on The View and her book sounds like fun. I'm going through a heavy work week and I won't have time to read anything requiring much thought process.

Laura & Caro- I've always had a small crush on Carrie Fisher, so hearing her frankly discuss her past, was a joy. Many terrific anecdotes, like George Lucas telling a young Carrie she couldn't wear a brassiere under her Princess gown, because you can't wear a brassiere in space, so she had to be taped down. I also didn't know Christopher Walken came very close to landing the Han Solo role. Interesting!

Woah.... I'm glad Chris Walken did NOT get the Han Solo role! I think he would have been all wrong for it. Harrison Ford nailed that part.

Hi Mark - A lot of men of a certain age (ours) have a long standing crush on Carrie Fisher. Wishful Drinking was pretty entertaining to listen to but I did find myself cringing often!

it's that gold bikini isn't it? :)
I luuurve Carrie Fisher too though. Looking forward to reading this.

Kevin Spacey does a great impression of Christopher Walken reading for the part of Han Solo. You can probably find it on YouTube.

I don't think Wishful Drinking is my cup of tea.. but, I did love
True Compass. Are you reading Mists of Avalon? I thought it was something you had read?

Whoopie Goldberg has a new book out I think.. must investigate as I love her !

Wandering through and waving hello.

I listed Room for the TIOLI this month: I really must make an effort to make sure I definitely do get to it. (...she says, knowing full well she'll probably run out of time. *eyeroll*)

Caro- I love Christopher Walken but I agree Ford was perfect!

Joanne- Yes, Fisher has a pretty upfront and sometimes vulgar delivery but very entertaining. I'm also a big fan of Paul Simon and I enjoyed those stories about their relationship, including the songs written about her.

Shauna- Didn't she look great in that bikini? Actually I wish there were more "Star Wars" tales. thanks, I have to look up the Spacey impression.

Kath- I'm looking forward to True Compass. No I have not read Mists of Avalon.

Caty- Yes, read Room! It's terrific!

Yo ho ho

just passing through.......

The Mists :)
True Compass will pass for now
Room already on my list :P

I'm the one reading Mists of Avalon. It was one of two books that Mark had suggested for a group read earlier this year. The group decided on The Once and Future King which I had already read. I decided it was about time to put Mists on my TBR pile as I had been wanting to read it for years. Then later this summer another friend of mine read it and just raved about it. I finally gave in and purchased a copy for 1 cent from Amazon and am now about 250 pages into the book.

So far my assessment is that it is a retelling of the King Arthur story. I read the Mary Stewart series on King Arthur Crystal Cave etc., years ago and loved them, so I know the story pretty well. So far, Mists reminds me more of The Red Tent: A Novel than it does Once and Future King. It is mostly about the conflict between the old woman centered religions and Christianity than it is King Arthur. The Arthurian legends just provide the author the vehicle to tell the deeper story. I think that Mists is very much a product of the time in which it was written - the early Woman's Lib Movement in full flower. I think that Mists has traveled well, (it was published back in the early 80's) but I find myself a little bored with the Arthurian legends. However, for my friend it was a revelation and she enjoyed the book very much so I think it is still capturing an audience. My suspicion is that ability to intrigue the reader is because of its radical views on women in religion rather than the Arthurian part. I know more when I am farther into the book.

I got out to vote...now for the waiting! It doesn't look good!

RD- Yo ho to you too!

Kara- Big wave!

Benita- Thanks for your thoughts on Mists. I may get to it eventually. I also have Crystal Cave waiting on a shelf.

I'm really enjoying True Compass. I love the history. I'm still in the early to mid-40s.
BTW- Nearly finished with The Post-Office Girl. Another gem of a novel!

232 and a bottle of rum?

I've enjoyed many an Arthurian tale, but somehow Mary Stewart's Crystal Cave series didn't do anything for me. I like her non-Arthurian books though. Odd?

#234 I too thought The Mists of Avalon was a feminist retelling of the Arthur legend. I read it in college when it still seemed fresh, so I remember it fondly, but I still prefer The Once and Future King and Sir Thomas Malory. I would be very interested to hear the male perspective, if you read it, Mark!

Did anyone ever read the books that placed King Arthur in outer space? The Keltiad series by Patricia Kennealy-Morrison (who claims to be a Druid princess and to have married Jim Morrison in a pagan ceremony). Actually the books are not as bad as they sound!

The Mists of Avalon & The Once and Future King are two of my all time favorite books.. often reread, always loved.

eta

o hi mark :)

Good morning, Mark! Happy Wednesday!

Lisa- Thanks for chiming in! The Keltiad sounds odd but interesting!

Kath-Did you polish off that rum?

Stasia- Morning! Hope you have a great day too!

Well, the Republicans are taking charge of the House, now lets see if they're serious about doing anything! I remain skeptical! My 2 cents, whatever it's worth!

I remain skeptical that anyone is serious about doing anything about anything other than fighting with the other party.

Hey, Mark! I'm up early and filling myself up with goodwill from my LT friends before I face the news. :-(

Stasia- Good point!

Bonnie- Yes, you are up very early! Good to see you! I'm off to work! Another beautiful fall day!

Hi Mark! Finally some "sounds-good-to-me books" on your thread! I knew if I hung in there the pendulum would swing as you read just about everything!

I'm enjoying this gorgie fall weather too! Makes you want to breathe deeper! :)

>242 alcottacre: What she said, in spades, no trump.

what rd said in 246

Claudia- As the pendulum swings! What "sounds-good-to-me books" are you referring to? Inquiring minds and all...

RD- THAT'S IT? That's all you have in that political tank of yours? I was expecting more of a seismic rant!

Kath- Loving True Compass. Enjoyed Teddy being a daredevil, both flying a plane and riding a bucking bronc! I'm at the 1960 primaries, (actually 1959).

It started out damp and chilly, some drizzle but the sun came out blazing and it turned out pretty darn nice!

good question...

New Thread

I'm trying to stay ahead of the Thread Police! I thought I heard some distant sirens!

*reads post 242* No! I disagree!

*reads post 246* Yes, yes! Exactly, I agree with him!

*reads posts 247* No way! How'd this lady get elected? I disagree entirely.

That's how it works, right? *scratches head*

Ok, heading to new thread now... :)

Stephen- Yes, that was a riveting discourse, wasn't it?