Anne (AMQS) reads in 2011

Welcome!

Happy New Year -- here's to another terrific reading year.
My (last) 2010 thread is here.

Favorite books of 2010:
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak (a reread)
The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson
Rascal by Sterling North
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
A Guide to the Birds of East Africa by Nicholas Drayson
The Once and Future King by T. H. White
The Fur Person by May Sarton
Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Emma by Jane Austen
84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (another reread)
Zeitoun by Dave Eggers

January, 2011:
1. The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
2. Red Sky at Morning by Richard Bradford
3. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
4. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
5. The BFG by Roald Dahl

February, 2011:
6. The Lying Days by Nadine Gordimer
7. The Great Ghost Rescue by Eva Ibbotson
8. Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl
9. The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett
10. A Room With a View by E.M. Forster
11. Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

March, 2011
12. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark
13. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
14. Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane by Suzanne Collins
15. The Warden by Anthony Trollope
16. Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods by Suzanne Collins
17. Gregor and the Marks of Secret by Suzanne Collins
18. Gregor and the Code of Claw by Suzanne Collins

Hi Anne! Happy New Year, very early!

Thank you, Richard! Happy New Year to you, too (I'm always happy in the 75ers). So glad you're here!

Glad you are sticking with us in 2011, Anne!

Hi Anne, good to see you here. Hope you get some respite from school during the holidays.

Welcome back!

Hi Anne! Here's to another brilliantly bookish year in 2011!

Hi Anne! Hope you have a great reading year! Also hoping to see you on another Group Read!

Pleased to meet you! :-)

Hello! =)

Welcome to Stasia, Donna, Jim, Ellie, Mark, Ilana, and David! So glad you're all here. Here's to another terrific reading year!

Hi Anne! Happy New Year.

Here! Hello.

Happy New Year! Happy Reading!

Happy New Year! Here's to lots of great books in 2011.

Happy New Year, Anne! Got you starred and looking forward to sharing your reads this year.

Happy New Year, Pat, Jenn, Lucy, Susan, and Roni! Thank you so much for joining me on my thread!

I am currently reading The Red Pyramid, which is a really fun read. I had imagined slowly savoring, and possibly finishing it today, but instead we had a plumbing emergency. Fortunately the plumber came in under 3 hours, and we had lots of bleach in the house... perhaps tomorrow will be my leisurely day of reading.

Happy new year, Anne. I'm glad I found you before things got too crazy with this group .. .the threads are just exploding ... we 75ers are a gregarious lot. ;-)

we had a plumbing emergency Oh no no no! May that be the worst thing that happens to y'all in 2011, Anne. *sympathy hugs*

Plumbing emergency, no fun. :( But happy new year anyway.

Hope tomorrow is better and the new year can only get better, right? :)

I am glad the plumbing emergency is out of the way, if only for the reason that you can get back to The Red Pyramid, which I loved :)

>18 cameling: Caroline, indeed we are! So glad you're here!

>19 richardderus: Richard, thank you! I appreciate the hugs and the wishes. We thought it was a terribly inauspicious (not to mention gross) way to start the new year! Here's to January 2nd!

>20 Copperskye: I hope so, Joanne! Happy New Year to you, too!

>21 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia! I'm really enjoying The Red Pyramid, and I remember how much you liked it as well. It was a Christmas gift to my daughter from her grandmother, so I had to wait for her to finish it. She blazed through it -- and loved it!

#22: Good for (whichever daughter it was, I know you have 2), for loving The Red Pyramid. I wish books like that had been written when I was a kid. I might have been the next Indiana Jones :)

The Red Pyramid looks really good. Uh-oh, the list of recommendations has started already ;-) I hope you manage to finish it in peace - sorry to hear about the plumbing.

>23 alcottacre: It was Callia. Callia actually started re-reading The Red Pyramid today when Stelios and I were at Home Depot getting new shelves for our newly cleaned storage area. There were some negotiations conducted so that I could finish it!

>24 susanj67: Susan, I really enjoyed it, and did manage to finish it today. It's the first of a new series by the same author as the Percy Jackson series. Fun stuff!

Happy New Year Anne. All good wishes for a wonderful year of reading.

...and here we go!

1.


The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan. I really enjoyed Riordan's Percy Jackson series which I read last year. Where the Percy Jackson books were about Greek mythology -- and the idea that the gods of ancient Olympus are still around -- The Red Pyramid focuses on Egyptian mythology. I though that this one started with some of the same complexity and maturity Riordan achieved by the end of the Percy series. A good sign, I think! The only problem is that now I have to wait for the rest of the series to be written and published.

>26 Whisper1: Hi Linda! So far, so good... on the reading front, anyway! Best wishes to you, too!

>27 AMQS: I really enjoyed the Percy Jackson series, and this one has naturally intrigued me, but I'm waiting until at least the second book is released before I start this series.

#27: The only problem is that now I have to wait for the rest of the series to be written and published.

I have that problem too!

It is so nice that you and Callia can share books, Anne. I'm having visions here of Stasia as Indiana Jones. I can see it!

My son in Littleton also had a plumbing emergency the day before you. With that cold weather, I imagine plumbers were busy replenishing their Christmas accounts! Sounds like the snow was pretty, though.

When do you go back to school?

Found you! Fun that we read the same book to kick off the year... here's to more great books to come!

Stopping by to wish you a belated Happy New Year!
--BJ

>29 tapestry100: Hi David! I think you'd like The Red Pyramid, but you're probably smart to wait until the series is bigger. Not only do I have to wait, I'll probably need to re-read The Red Pyramid before I read another.

>30 alcottacre: We can wait together, Stasia. Perhaps there might be another book or two we can read in the meantime to distract us ;)

>31 Donna828: Hi Donna! The girls go back to school tomorrow (Wed.) and my class starts Jan. 18. It's online, though, so I may just stay in my pjs for school :) I hope your son got all cleaned up. It was bitter cold, and then warm again. The newspaper said plumbers were plenty busy.

>32 dk_phoenix: Yes, cheers, Faith! Thanks for stopping by!

>Hi BJ! So nice to see you. Happy New Year!

2. Red Sky at Morning by Richard Bradford. I just realized that I started off the year with a "Red" reading theme. Unintentionally, of course. A friend of mine has been recommending this classic coming-of-age story to me for years. There is a lot going on in this book -- a Mobile, Alabama family uproots during WWII as the father enlists in the navy, and the mother and 17-year-old son are sent to their summer home in Corazon Sagrado, New Mexico. Josh, the son, fits right in once he adjusts to the altitude, and navigates his way through high school with an irreverent, deadpan sense of humor. His mother, a sheltered and delicate southern belle founders in middle-of-nowhere New Mexico, with little to do but drink her way through cases of sherry, suffer though bad bridge, and complain about the disorder of racial and class boundaries. Bradford draws some unforgettable characters, though I felt the kids were a little too self-possessed to be fully credible. Josh's father is a model of wit and decency, and his interactions with his son both in person and in letters made me laugh out loud. I really enjoyed it.

(Mark? Are you there? I think you'd love this!)

Well, I'm here, Anne, and I think I may have to check out Red Sky at Morning. Nice review! Is it a YA book?

Anne- I read this back in the early 80s sometime and remember really enjoying it. Good review! It looks like I'll have to do a re-read of it at some point. Thanks!

Anne

Thanks for the great comments about Red Sky at Morning.

>36 Copperskye: Joanne, I was thinking about you, too! I don't think Red Sky at Morning is considered a YA book, but it is required reading in some high schools -- my copy is an extremely well-read mooch that was a HS discard. I thought the story was compelling. I do love the small-town story, and I know you and Mark do, too, but what really resonated with me -- and most likely will with you -- is the love of the land that comes through on nearly every page. Since that land is our land, or close to it (NM Rockies), I think you'd really like it.

Speaking of love of the land, Joanne, have you read Death Comes for the Archbishop? One of my very, very favorites!

>37 msf59: Hope it stands up to a reread, Mark!

>38 Whisper1: Thank you, Linda! Have you read it? How is your week going?

Anne

Thanks for recommending The Hundred Dresses. I loved it!

I do not think I have ever read Red Sky at Morning. I will have to see if the local library has a copy.

As far as books to read while waiting for the sequel to Red Pyramid, I have a few. How about you? :)

>39 AMQS: I haven't read Death Comes for the Archbishop. Another to add to the pile! I loved My Antonia and O Pioneers so I don't know why not.

I would strongly second the recommendation for Death Comes for the Archbishop. I've read My Antonia but not O Pioneers. I have a copy, I just have to get to it.

>41 Whisper1: I'm so glad, Linda! We loved it, too.

>42 alcottacre: Stasia, I might be able to scrounge up one or two :)

>43 Copperskye: Joanne, I think you'll love it!

>44 phebj: Pat, I've read O Pioneers but not My Antonia, and like you, I have it in the pile (along with Song of the Lark). Hopefully I'll get to them soon.

I love My Antonia, Anne. I hope you enjoy the book when you get a chance to read it!

>46 alcottacre: This year, I hope, Stasia!

*tumbleweed control*

It will be awhile before I post any books, as I'm working on Anna Karenina. Also reading aloud one of my very, very favorites, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken.

I bought The Wolves of Willoughby Chase for a friend's daughter a couple of Christmases ago. Later, I was talking to my friend, who said "Oh, I loved that book when I was younger! I can't wait to read it again! I mean, after Ellie's finished it...of course." I wonder whether her daughter did ever get to it ;-)

#47: I hope you enjoy both books, Anne!

Hi Anne, I've found you. Happy New Year.

Can't wait to hear your thoughts on Anna Karenina, I've got loads of opinions on it and I know no-one else who has read it except my book-club which won't meet again until February!

Loved you review of Red Pyramid, that's 2 for 2 now. I may have to finish the Percy Jackson series afterall and then move on to that series.

Hi Anne, A.K. is definitely one of those books you don't want to rush. I loved it and wanted it to be even longer than it is! I imagine it's a good feeling to read something for you and not school related for a change. Enjoy!

Anne, I'm assuming this angiogram is the follow up testing for that scare you all had a couple of weeks ago. Please keep us posted on the results!

What Roni said!

Anne, just stopping by to say I hope all is going well in your world.

>48 susanj67: Susan, I hope she did! We just finished The Wolves of Willoughby Chase tonight, and it was just as wonderful as I remembered. The girls loved it!

>49 alcottacre: thank you, Stasia. I loved The Wolves as much as I ever did, and the girls are very excited that there are more books. I'm enjoying Anna Karenina, too.

>50 KiwiNyx: hello, Leonie! I'm glad you're here. I'm also reading Anna Karenina for my book club, but we're meeting Friday. Not sure I'll be finished, but I'm trying! I look forward to discussing it there -- and with you! I hope you enjoy The Red Pyramid when you get to it. I thought the Percy Jackson series got better with each successive book. I hope you are feeling better.

>51 Donna828: Hi Donna! It is nice to be reading just for me. I start school again Tuesday, so those days may be numbered!

>52 ronincats: & 53 Roni and Stasia, that's exactly what it is. All of my husband's tests when he was hospitalized showed a very healthy cardiovascular system. He has continued to have chest pain, though, and no real explanation of his EKG event, so he followed up with another cardiologist, who recommended an angiogram to really get a good look. Once again, he looks very healthy -- everyone in the room said they would gladly trade their arteries for his. With his family history, it's a huge relief. Once he recovers (he feels fairly awful right now) he'll be able to resume exercising and (I hope) stop worrying. His worry, and the fact that he has just not felt good for two months really affected his mood. We're very grateful for the good news and the good health. Thank you both for your good wishes!

>54 phebj: Hi Pat! I'm glad you stopped by!

3. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken.

This was one of my very favorites growing up, and I have been so anxious to share it with the girls. We were not disappointed! Young, orphaned Sylvia Green travels across England to be a companion to her cousin Bonnie while Bonnie's parents embark on a long sea voyage for her mother's health. The girls, and Sir Willoughby Green's enormous estate and castle-like home, are entrusted to the care of a new governess, Miss Slighcarp ("'I am also your fourth cousin, once removed,' the lady added haughtily, as if she found the removal hardly sufficient.") Soon, the wicked Miss Slighcarp dismisses the servants, sells their things, and sends them to an awful orphanage. Their escape and return to Willoughby Chase involves the resourcefulness of plucky orphans found in the best old-fashioned books, as well as a two-month walk to London, the powerful virtue of sheep breath, and a pair of heroic geese. Now my girls are engaged in intense negotiations over who gets to re-read it first, and how long she gets to keep it, etc. I'm so glad the girls loved it as much as I did!

Thanks to Joanne, Stasia, Richard, Jenn, and others for sharing this -- I couldn't resist sharing the list of NYT bestsellers from the week I was born, generated by BibliOz.com here:

http://www.biblioz.com/best_sellers.php?a=0&i=44458627

Fiction 1 THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN John Fowles
Fiction 2 TRAVELS WITH MY AUNT Graham Greene
Fiction 3 LOVE STORY Erich Segal
Fiction 4 THE GODFATHER Mario Puzo
Fiction 5 MR. SAMMLERS PLANET Saul Bellow
Fiction 6 THE GANG THAT COULDN'T SHOOT STRAIGHT Jimmy Breslin
Fiction 7 THE HOUSE ON THE STRAND Daphne du Maurier
Fiction 8 A BEGGAR IN JERUSALEM Elie Wiesel
Fiction 9 THE INHERITORS Harold Robbins
Fiction 10 PUPPET ON A CHAIN Alistair MacLean
Non-Fiction 1 EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SEX Dr. 1 EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SEX, Dr. David Reuben
Non-Fiction 2 MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS Antonia Fraser
Non-Fiction 3 UP THE ORGANIZATION Robert Townsend
Non-Fiction 4 THE SELLING OF THE PRESIDENT 1968 Joe McGinniss
Non-Fiction 5 THE GRAHAM KERR COOKBOOK the Galloping Gourmet and Hubert 5 THE GRAHAM KERR COOKBOOK, the Galloping Gourmet and Hubert Sieben
Non-Fiction 8 THE PETER PRINCIPLE Laurence J. Peter and Raymond Hull
Non-Fiction 9 RUFFLES AND FLOURISHES Liz Carpenter
Non-Fiction 10 LOVE AND WILL Rollo May

Sadly, I've only read Love Story and the cookbook. (And I wonder where non-fiction 6 and 7 are?)

#57: I enjoyed that one very much too. Glad to see you and your girls did too!

Wonderful review! I added it to my wishlist!
--BJ

That's good news about your husband's results on the angiogram. But I wonder what is causing the pain he feels? I hope the doctors have a theory about that so you both can forget it and enjoy life.

What classes are you signed up for? Being a student again will probably be much easier than the pressure of student teaching. And I hope you'll get to tuck your daughters into bed at night once again.

>59 alcottacre: thanks, Stasia! I loved it so much I was afraid it wouldn't stand up to a reread (albeit an umpteenth reread)! I'm glad it did.

>60 billiejean: Thank you, BJ! I hope you enjoy it, too!

>61 Donna828: Thanks, Donna. We are relieved. He is still recovering from the angiogram -- his leg is still numb, and there is a lot of swelling in his wrist (they tried to go in there first, before giving up and going through the groin) and his groin, but we're grateful for the good news. There are two main theories about the chest pain: reflux, although that doesn't seem right to us, and costochondritis, which is inflammation of the ribs and cartilage. I think now that we know definitively that he does not have heart disease he'll worry less, and that should help whatever it is that's still hurting him.

I am actually only signed up for one class this semester, but it's 4 credits, so I should still be busy. It's also online, and in my experience, those tend to be more work, because all of the interaction is written. It's called Information Literacy and Reference (School Library). It's the only one I can take this semester, based on where I am in the master's program, and what's offered at this time. I'm looking forward to it! My schedule should not be anything like it was last semester. My whole family is really enjoying the change.

Hi Anne, Sorry to see that your husband isn't feeling well - I hope they figure it out what the problem is soon. That kind of stress effects everybody.

Thanks, Joanne. It's been a stressful two months, for that and other reasons! We're very relieved to hear such good news about his heart. His family history of heart disease is so extreme it even makes doctors blanch, which is why he had the angiogram. Eliminating heart distress as a cause will go a long way toward improving his condition overall. Hope you're having a great weekend!

Hi Anne...hope the health situation (and stress level) gets better with the test results. Sometimes just knowing can help so much.

Your class sounds like it will be very interesting!

Hi Louanne! So glad you're here. Thank you for your good wishes -- I really appreciate them!

I am looking forward to my class, although it starts tomorrow, and I have not heard anything from my instructor yet, which is unusual. I guess I'll just visit the online shell tomorrow and see what's there. Hope there aren't any readings due...

How is your schooling going... or are you finished? If I remember correctly, you're also getting a library degree, and also online? I'd love to compare notes with you.

So glad to hear the good news about your hubby's test results, Anne. Could his chest pains be injury-related? When I got in my car accident, my chest hurt for weeks, but it didn't feel like bruises, or broken ribs, or sprained muscles and ligaments. It was very weird.

Thanks, Bonnie. We're relieved, too. I don't think his pains are injury related, and neither of us can think of when he may have been injured. Heat seems to help, and they intensify at night. We're both still thinking costochondritis.

4. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. I had never read this classic before, so I'm glad my book club selected it last year. I got so much out of the meeting, especially since one book club member was a Russian Lit major, and had read the book in the original Russian. What I loved best about this sweeping, romantic tragedy was how Tolstoy gave equal weight and majesty to the great: forbidden love, adultery, women's rights, immigration, the Slavic Question, public education, as to the small: Vronsky squaring his accounts, Seryozha searching every woman's face when out in public, hoping for a glimpse of his mother, whom he refuses to believe is dead, the fury of a hungry baby not finding what it wants, the burning humiliation of not measuring up to your rivals. I suppose this is what makes it an epic. Tolstoy does a masterful job of getting into his characters heads and laying out their thoughts, particularly Levin's search for meaning and Anna's slow spiral into madness. I tried to be sympathetic to Anna, who at least was refusing to live a lie. She had no opportunities and no escape, and made unthinkable sacrifices for the sake of love. Still, it was hard for me to overcome her selfishness. I absolutely loved Levin, and thought he was a superb anchor for the book. A great, all-consuming read.

Hi Anne!
Somehow you fell off my reading list, but I've got you back again.

I am just starting Anna Karenina. Great review. I am looking forward to it even more now.

I am happy to hear you are getting some answers regarding your husband's health. Not knowing is the worst part. Fortunately they've ruled out the heart. Good luck.

Anne- Good review! I need to get to this classic at some point! I am ashamed to admit I have not read it.

Awhile ago, Stasia recommended The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken. Your comments prompt me to move it up closer to the top of the tbr pile.

Hello to you!

Hi, Anne. Great review of Anna Karenina. I'm going to WL it so I don't forget I want to read it.

Great review Anne! You've pushed me over the top and I've added Anna Karenina to my Nook. Pat Conroy raved about Tolstoy in his recent book (mostly about Crime and Punishment, but Anna Karenina, too). I always felt like it was something that I would like as well as something I probably should read.

Have a good week!

>70 nittnut: Jenn, I can't wait to hear what you think of it! Enjoy.

>72 Whisper1: Linda, I hope you enjoy it! I was so hoping it would be as good now as it was when I was young, and I wasn't disappointed.

>Mark, Pat, Joanne, at 817 pages, Anna Karenina is a hefty tome, but well worth it. The translation I read is by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, and has received numerous awards and acclaim. According to those who know these things, theirs is the truest to Tolstoy's original. I hadn't read the book before, so I couldn't compare, but Marty from my book club has read the Russian, and confirmed that this translation is the one to read. I also kept a bookmark in the end notes pages, and thought that the notes added a lot to the book -- usually they explained contemporary Russian artistic and political figures and issues, as well as Orthodox rituals and references as they came up in the book. I would describe the experience of reading the book as an immersion. Enjoy!

I remember loving Anna Karenina when I read it in high school, but I am sure I didn't appreciate 1/3 of what I was reading! I'll have to delve back in sometime. Have you seen any of the film adaptations? I remember Vivien Leigh being lovely, and thinking how ironic since she also abandoned her child for a lover (Laurence Olivier).

Great review Anne. I so agree with you about the characters. It is admirable of Anna to decide to be happy even if it means being rejected by society, but some choices later on were quite selfish and she wasn't the most likeable of characters for the majority of the book. Levin however was fantastic. Despite the rather odd ending (or maybe it was just my translation??) which I thought was abrupt and very unlike the rest of the novel, I did very much enjoy this one and Tolstoy's writing style is quite stunning.

>76 callen610: Hi Corrina! I'm glad you stopped by. One of the members in my book club said that Anna Karenina was her favorite book in high school, but this time around she hadn't remembered reading about the farming, the politics, etc. She said she probably skimmed those bits. Every year I try to read some classics I've not read before. Many of them I'm glad to be reading now. I have not seen any of the film adaptations. I am interested in seeing The Last Station, about the last year of Tolstoy's life (Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren). Have you seen it?

>77 KiwiNyx: Leonie, the ending didn't strike me as odd until just now :) I think it actually fits and reflects Tolstoy's direct style. I thought it also began rather abruptly with the Oblonsky household in an uproar. It's as though the novel neither begins nor ends the story, but is rather a slice. Interesting observation!

I enjoyed my read of Anna Karenina last year, Anne, and I completely agree with you regarding Levin. I also enjoyed Kitty too. I did not much care for the title character though.

I only have about 170 pages left of this great book. Unfortunately I've had this many pages left for almost a year. Somehow it got put down and not picked up again. I loved it when I was reading it so I'm not sure how that happened. You have reminded me how much I enjoyed it and now I vow to get through it. It really is a wonderful book and not as hard to read as you imagine it to be. I am reading the same translation as you. (the cover always makes me wonder, really? this is the best they could do for the book?)

Loved your review of Anna Karenina. I really love this book and have read it four times. I think I liked it best the last time I read it a couple of years ago.
--BJ

I haven't seen The Last Station, but I must have heard about it elsewhere and been interested because it's already in my Netflix queue! Weird...

>79 alcottacre: Stasia, it was a good one! Have you read War and Peace?

>80 sydamy: Hi Susan! I know! I read somewhere that this cover was designed to appeal to the Oprah crowd. I kept hoping to find some reference to it in the text, but no... I found that the last 150 pages went by really fast. Hope you enjoy it!

>81 billiejean: Thanks, BJ! I imagine that I'll read it again in a few years. It is so rich that I'm sure I'll enjoy it even more.

>82 callen610: Corrina, funny how that happens! The Last Station wasn't on my radar at all until someone at my book club mentioned it. I was really confused for a moment, as I was thinking of The Station Agent, which I have seen, and is not the same thing at all (good movie, though!) I'll probably look for The Last Station at the library.

I can't remember whether I read Anna Karenina years ago, or just saw the mini-series ;-) It's good to have a translation recommendation, though - this one appears in the UK as a Penguin Classic, with the traditional black cover, but the same translators (no Oprah cover for us), so I must remember it.

I don't know which translation I read. I did it through DailyLit where you get bits of the novel via email each day.

I've read several book through DailyLit. How long did it take you to read Anna Karenina?

I don't remember exactly. A month or two? But I got the largest section you could and sometimes I would read more than one email a day.

>84 susanj67: Susan -- it's a good one! Are you planning to read it?

>85 Morphidae:, 87 Hello Morphidae! I've never heard of DailyLit, or of reading books in bits via email. Do you like that medium? Do you get to choose how much of the book you get at one time? I think that wold be hard for me if I were to read a book I couldn't put down, so to speak. Thanks for visiting!

>86 mamzel: Hi mamzel!

I think I will. Oddly enough I was looking at my library's ebook collection yesterday after I posted and there it was - the same translation and everything! A spooky co-incidence. I've never had an ePub with footnotes before, though, so I don't know whether it would drive me mad flicking back and forth (it certainly does on the Kindle). Like you, with a paper book I always have a bookmark in the end notes, and it's no problem to go back and forth like that. I suppose I could always try the library copy - it's free, after all, and if I don't like it I can just send it back early and buy a real one ;-)

>88 AMQS: The medium is good for harder to read and/or long classics. They don't seem as imposing when you can read them in little bits. You can get 1, 2 or 4 sections per email. I get the 4 sections email. It's easy enough if you "can't put the book down" - there is a "send me the next installment right now!" option. I used the option quite a bit when I read David Copperfield.

>89 susanj67: Susan -- enjoy! I look forward to hearing with you think of it.

>90 Morphidae: Morphidae, I'll have to look into that, though I definitely think I prefer paper books.

In honor of Valentine's Day approaching.... I loved this from my favorite bookstore, The Tattered Cover:

#84 - I hear you. I will go to great lengths to NOT have an Oprah book cover. Even in library books.

Anne! I love that. I need one. Off to the Tattered Cover website.

#92 I love that too, Anne. I've never been to the Tattered Cover Book Store (in fact, never heard of it before LT) but some day I want to get there.

AMOS, I vastly prefer paper books as well. However, DailyLit has gotten me to read some fairly thick, hard-going classics like Tess of D'Urbervilles and Anna Karenina that I never would have picked up if not for being able to do them piece meal.

#83: Anne, yes I did read War and Peace. I read it as a group read back in 2009. I enjoyed it more than I did Anna Karenina to be honest.

I wanted to share this quote from my current read, The Lying Days by Nadine Gordimer:

"I wanted to bury myself in the great cool library, where no one spoke, and where, on the day I had looked in, people had lifted their heads like deer lifting their heads over water, and in their eyes was the intense blank of concentration; running through them, the endless stream of questions, suggestions of books, a live current from last year or four hundred years back." (p. 85)

That last phrase a live current... gives me goosebumps!

people had lifted their heads like deer lifting their heads over water, and in their eyes was the intense blank of concentration

I love this quote Anne. I've never read anything by Nadine Gordimer but that quote alone is going to cause me to start looking for her books. Thanks for sharing it.

I found the tattered cover book store link....I quickly closed it as it is a dangerous site...such great books and what an asthetic webpage.

What a great quote from The Lying Days..on the tbr pile it goes.

#98: Terrific quote, Anne! Thanks for sharing it.

Great quote - I'm sure I've had that intense blank look myself a time or 200.

Excellent quote, Anne! Thanks for sharing!

Hi Pat & Linda! The Tattered Cover is a dangerous place, and my favorite store in the world! We're very lucky to have three of them in Denver.

I'd never read anything by Nadine Gordimer either, but I'm enjoying The Lying Days and I'm nearly halfway through. My book club wanted to read books about South Africa or by South African authors this year, as many members will be going on tour to South Africa in April with the Tour Choir.

Hi Stasia -- I'm glad you liked it.

Jenn -- yes, I recognized it as well.

Hi Mark! Thanks for stopping by!

5. The BFG by Roald Dahl. What a treat this was! My older daughter had read this, but was happy to enjoy it as a read aloud, and neither my younger daughter nor I had read it before. Young Sophie is plucked from her bed and spirited away to giant country. She is relieved to be in the care of the Big Friendly Giant, rather than, say, the Bonecruncher, or Fleshlumpeater, but is none too pleased at the prospect of living out her days in hiding from those other giants, with nothing to eat but filthsome snozzcumbers. When Sophie and the BFG learn that the other giants are planning to visit England to eat schoolchildren, they create a plan to keep the world safe from them forever. This book is silly, funny, and touching.

I remember that one fondly, Anne. Glad you and your girls liked it, too!

#105: That is my favorite Dahl book thus far. I am glad you and your girls enjoyed it too, Anne!

That was definitely one of my favourites as well, it makes me think I should re-read some of our Dahl books soon.

>105 AMQS: It's on my current book pile from the library. Good to know it's so fun!

>105 AMQS:: I have The BFG tucked away for Sadie's birthday later in February. It's so much fun looking at the recommendations for children's books on LT and buying them for my grandchildren. We have three very enthusiastic young readers in Kansas City who love their books!

>106 Copperskye: Joanne, Callia has been asking me to read this for a couple of years. So glad we finally did!

>107 alcottacre: Mine, too, Stasia!

>108 KiwiNyx: Leonie, my daughter has more Dahl favorites as well -- I may raid her stash.

>109 Morphidae: Morphidae, enjoy!

>110 Donna828: Donna, I love it when kids love books and reading! I hope Sadie loves it as much as we did. How old will she be?

SNOW DAY!! Rehearsal was canceled this afternoon, and school canceled tomorrow. The girls and I were so excited to be granted a few unexpected hours. We made hot chocolate, started our next read aloud (Eva Ibbotson's The Great Ghost Rescue), and worked on writing projects. I also started The Country of the Pointed Firs, which is lovely. I don't think we're expected to get all that much in the way of accumulation, but tomorrow's high temperature is supposed to be around 4 degrees. Good enough for me!

Ooh, now they're saying that the HIGH temp tomorrow will be -3. Definitely a good day to stay indoors!

My boys are home tomorrow too, but my chances of the office closing are practically nil. Oh well. Have fun!!

>111 AMQS:: Sadie will be 9 on Feb. 22; she's in 3rd grade.

>112 AMQS:: Yay for a snow day! Have fun - and stay warm - tomorrow. We're expecting our minus temps on Thursday morning. Ice and snow tomorrow. I hope I have school (I know....weird) because I want to see what my fellow students think about Pointed Firs. I'm lovin' it so far.

Enjoy your snow day! We have dentist apts. but I am still hoping they call in the am and cancel...

After driving my kiddos to and from school today, I have to say I am glad to NOT do it tomorrow. Nerve wracking experience.

Anne
A few years ago I devoured Roald Dahl books. The BFG was by far my favorite.

>114 Copperskye: Oh, Joanne, I'm sorry! I hope 'nil' comes to pass and you can stay home, too.

>115 Donna828: Donna, Sadie is the same age as my daughter Marina. Such a great age!

I'm loving The Country of the Pointed Firs as well. I hope you have class tomorrow, too!

>116 nittnut: Jenn, good luck! Dentist appointments are not the same as a full day of school, so hopefully you can still enjoy the day :) Our Chorale rehearsal was canceled just as I was meeting the carpool. I was glad for the extra time, as well as for not having to drive!

>117 Whisper1: Linda, I can see why!

I've been watching the news on CNN and I can't believe the storm that's coming in this week. I am sooo glad I'm not home right now ..and I just hope my neighbor's son remembers to clear our driveway and front steps for us otherwise I'm not sure how I'll get into the house when I come home in a couple of weeks.

Hope you're all nice and snuggly Anne ...and prepared to stay snowbound for a few days.

That is a fabulous image/quote from Gordimer--not surprising, since I've loved everything I've read by her so far. Makes me want to read more! Happy snow day--isn't it great being a teacher at times like this?

I've preemptively cancelled my dance classes for tonight... 20-30cm!?! Yeah, I won't be leaving the house for a few days... and I'm actually pretty excited about it, I have a stack of books lined up and ready to go! Happy snow day everyone!

>119 cameling: pretty amazing, isn't it Caroline? Actually, Denver wasn't expected to get all that much snow, and we didn't. I think today is more of a freeze day than a true snow day. At 9:45 am it is 8 degrees below zero. Tomorrow, though, it is supposed to be a balmy 11 degrees :)

>120 bonniebooks: Hi Bonnie! What else have you read by Nadine Gordimer? I'm definitely intrigued by this one. I do love a good snow day, though my class is online, so I don't think it really counts.

>121 dk_phoenix: Hi Faith! Happy snow day to you, too! Stay warm.

Anne- Keep bundled up! Colorado doesn't usually get that cold, right? Enjoy that balmy 11!!

I also loved the quote and had to add the book to my wishlist. Stay warm!
--BJ

So - today it's a balmy -16 F at 7:45 am. Will we get above 0?

>123 msf59: thanks, Mark. You, too! Colorado certainly can get this cold, but not so much in recent years. Today is our second day snow day, although we really didn't get that much snow -- just bitter cold. Enough to make school buses not run.

>124 billiejean: Hi BJ! I'm nearly done with The Lying Days. I think I'll be turning it about in my head for a long time.

>125 nittnut: Jenn, we're not there yet! Brrrrr! Are your kids home from school again?

6. The Lying Days by Nadine Gordimer
A dear friend recommended this beautifully written 1953 novel by South African writer and Nobel prize winner Nadine Gordimer to my book club, and I am so grateful. Gordimer's writing is rich and wonderfully descriptive, so much so that I struggled through the first couple of chapters as she describes a child's interpretation of the sights, sounds, and smells of a squalid town marketplace before the plot emerges to anchor the narrative. The plot throughout the whole book is the searching, reflective thoughts of Helen Shaw as she leaves her sheltered, manicured life on a gold mine and tries to find her way as a young woman in late 1940s Johannesburg. The contradictions and cruelties of South Africa are examined without agenda by an eloquent narrator, tugged from all sides by convention, injustice, passion, and conscience. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

eta -- touchstones were not working when I wrote this -- they seem to be back :)

Anne, I WL'd this book after you posted the quote from it. Your review really makes me want to read it soon. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Thanks, Pat! I added my review to the book's page, as there was only one other, but oh, what a beautifully written review that one is!

The only one of Gordimer's books that I have read was Jump and Other Stories. I will have to add The Lying Days to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation, Anne!

>130 alcottacre: A good addition to the BlackHole, I think. Hope you enjoy it when you get round to it, Stasia!

#31: I just wish my local library had a copy of that one. It has several others of Gordimer's books, but not that particular one.

7. The Great Ghost Rescue by Eva Ibbotson

"Humphrey the Horrible was a ghost. Actually, his name was simply Humphrey, but he had added 'the Horrible' because he thought it would help him to become horrible, which at present he was not."

The girls and I whipped through this read aloud in record time -- partly because the snow days we had this week gave us extra time for read alouds, and partly because we simply love Eva Ibbotson's books. She writes in a style that we just "get". We love her humor, and her writing style fits my read aloud style perfectly. In this book, the ghosts of Britain are in a crisis, because their lovely old castles, cemeteries, trees, bogs, etc, are being turned into modernized hotels, highways, and other horrors incompatible with the formerly alive. A friendly boy names Rick takes it upon himself to meet the Prime Minister, so that he may establish a ghost sanctuary. The ghosts, hags, vampire bats, water spirits, and other spooks in this book have wonderfully developed quirks and personalities.

#133: I have got to give that one a try. I love the paragraph you quoted :)

>132 alcottacre:, It is surprisingly hard to find. It's not in my library district, either, which is a big one, and it's not even in the Denver Public Library district. I had to ILL my copy from the Colorado School of Mines, and the copy is ancient. It's too bad, because it is a treat.

#135: My local library actually has the Ibbotson book, so I am glad that I did not have to hunt to find it like you did, Anne.

8. Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl.
I loved this one so much I read it in two sittings -- today. The beloved author begins the book with: "An autobiography is a book a person writes about his own life and it is usually full of all sorts of boring details.
This is not an autobiography. I would never write history of myself. On the other hand, throughout my young days at school and just afterwards a number of things happened to me that I have never forgotten."

Dahl's enchanting snippets of memory start with a brief history of his parents -- how two Norwegians came to have an extraordinarily wealthy life in Wales, and continues until he flew for the RAF throughout the Mediterranean in WWII. In between are stories such as "The Great Mouse Plot," summers spent idyllically on a remote Norwegian island, motor-car misadventures, the stunning cruelty of English schools (he spent a whole term being a toilet-seat warmer for a particularly nasty prefect), a math teacher who refused to teach math, and an experience throughout high school that planted the seed for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Marvelous! I believe this book also is written for children, and I will be passing it along to Callia. She will love it.

>136 alcottacre: It's actually the Gordimer book that is hard to find, Stasia. It's a pity -- I think it deserves a new audience.

#138: Ah, OK. Then I do not feel so badly about not being able to get it at my public library.

I've not read The great Ghost Rescue, but Dial-A-ghost is one of my favorite Ibbotsons. The library has the first, and I've requested it.

Anne, I read Burgher's Daughter and a collection of short stories, and would recommend both--though I do love me novels! ;-)

Anne, I've WL'd Boy: Tales of Childhood. It sounds good. I did a double take reading about him being "a toilet seat warmer."

I'd oftened wondered about Boy but you have convinced me to wonder harder now.

I did a double-take when I saw the name Eva Ibbotson, I had a look and she wrote Which Witch? which was one of my favourite books as a kid. Still got it actually. I'd recommend that one if you're looking for more to try.

>138 AMQS: Stasia -- hopefully you'll come across a copy of The Lying Days somewhere.

>140 ronincats: Roni, we have Dial-a-Ghost on the shelf somewhere, I think. Our favorite Ibbotsons so far have been The Secret of Platform 13 and The Star of Kazan. Hope you enjoy The Great Ghost Rescue!

>141 bonniebooks: I will definitely look for more of Gordimer's books. Thanks for the recommendations, Bonnie!

>142 phebj: Pat, I loved it. Dahl uses the terms 'bog-seat warmer:' "From then on, all through that winter, I became Wilberforce's favorite bog-seat warmer, and I used always to keep a paperback book in the pocket of my tail-coat to while away the long bog-warming sessions. I must have read the entire works of Dickens sitting on that Boazer's bog during my first winter at Repton."

My mother always told me that if you love to read, you'll never be bored, and Dahl proves it, though there are other places I'd rather sit while reading...

>143 KiwiNyx: I highly recommend it, Leonie! I didn't discover Eva Ibbotson until a couple of years ago. We read Which Witch aloud recently. Good book! Tonight we started another Ibbotson book to read aloud: Journey to the River Sea.

Our home didn't feel complete without a cat, so today, we went to our local animal shelter through the driving snow and came home with Orion.



The photo is a microcosm of our life: the bulging stack of pedagogical textbooks, the Bon Appetit, the potions chest, and of course, The Bike, which is residing indoors temporarily, as my husband didn't want to leave it in the bitterly cold garage.

#145: I cannot see the picture, Anne, but kudos to you for adopting Orion!

>146 alcottacre:, second time's a charm :)

Ah, there he is! What a beauty!

Lovely kitty. He looks like the cat I had in high school. Orion is a great name!

Real snow! Finally. It's even warm enough to play in it.

Roald Dahl is one of our family favorites. Have you read his adult short stories? We love The Best of Roald Dahl.

Can't beat a good bit of Roald Dahl.

And you're absolutely right, no house can be considered a home without a cat. I hope Orion settles down soon and loves his new life.

Your new kitty is beautiful!
--BJ

>145 AMQS:: It looks like Orion is busily checking out the important stuff!

Congratulations on the new addition to your family. May you have many happy years together. And, thank you, for rescuing Orion from the shelter.

>148 alcottacre: thanks, Stasia! He's very quiet and sweet. We're enjoying him.

>149 nittnut: thanks, Jenn! We made a list of Greek names and tried them out until we found the one that fit. I will definitely look for Dahl's adult short stories. Thanks for the recommendation!

>150 lunacat: Hi Jenny! Orion seems to be settling nicely. He is like a shadow, though. He is so quiet. He's very sweet, too, which the girls are enjoying.

>151 billiejean: Thanks, BJ!

>152 Donna828: Indeed, Donna! We're pretty excited, and so far, he seems to be a good fit. We fell in love with him instantly, but it was hard to walk away from all of the other cats in the shelter. The good news was that the shelter was super-busy, with lots of people looking at cats. They were talking about closing because of the snowstorm, but people kept streaming in. A good sign, I think!

Hi Anne! Just started following your thread, looks like we share a lot of the same tastes in books so looking forward to getting some good ideas here about what to read next! I love Boy by Roald Dahl too, but it's been a few years since I've read it so I might have to remedy that...

Pretty kitty! We always had black cats when I was growing up. Congratulations!

Orion is the perfect name for that cat! He's cute...is he an affectionate cat? Does he 'meow' a lot?

Congratulations on your new little family member, Anne! He's beautiful and very well named. He looks bigger than a kitten but still pretty young - do you know how old he is?

>154 MissMarch:, Hi Jo! Thanks for visiting my thread. No shortage of ideas in this group! I look forward to following your reads as well.

>155 mamzel: Thanks, mamzel! He's settling in, and we're enjoying him.

>156 BookAngel_a: Angela, we thought so, too. He is very sweet and affectionate, and mellow, too. Of course, we're getting used to each other, so we're not sure how much of his personality has emerged. He started off as quiet as a shadow, and is slowly becoming more vocal.

>Thanks, Joanne! The shelter thinks he's about a year old. He goes for his first vet visit this week, so we'll see if she agrees with that. He's small-ish, but solid. He is very sweet and mellow, and follows the girls everywhere. They adore him.

I'm happy to hear about the new addition to the family! Is this the girls' first pet? He sounds purrfect. :)

>159 phebj: thanks, Pat! Our dear cat Aspen, the one we brought home with us from Cyprus, died last summer. At age 17, she was older than the girls! We also had a dog when the girls were younger, so Orion isn't exactly the girls' first pet, but he is the first one they chose, named, and have promised to care for. It's nice to have a cat in the house again.

I submitted my first assignment (aside from the weekly readings, research and discussions) for my class today. At 52 pages, it was a monster. No easing into this class, I guess... I'm starting to miss reading again. Still, I did finish



9. The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett. I read this book as a read-along with Donna, and I loved it. It's everything my life is not right now -- peaceful, serene, and on the wildly beautiful coast of Maine. The book is a series of vignettes of 19th century coastal Maine in a very small town. My edition included lovely black and white pencil illustrations by Douglas Alvord. The landscape depicted -- in words and illustrations -- is breathtaking. The small stories of the inhabitants of Dunnet's Landing and nearby tiny islands were touching and everything I picture Mainers to be -- solitary, fiercely independent, yet connected by community, compassion, and decency. A lovely read.

#161: I am still reading (and enjoying) that one, Anne. I am glad to see that both you and Donna liked it. My edition is illustrated too, but I cannot find anywhere on the book where the illustrator's name is given.

Well, I think you pushed me over the edge on The Country of the Pointed Firs, Anne. I WL'd it when Donna discussed and reviewed it but with you and Stasia recommending it too, I think I need to find it soon. I'm going to put it on my library hold list right now.

Congratulations on finishing your 52 page (!!) assignment.

>161 AMQS:: I equated the reading of The Country of the Pointed Firs with going on a vacation...without the hassle. I love those kinds of peaceful books where one can settle in and 'meet' the nicest people. The ambience reminded me of Three Pines without the murders! So glad you liked this one, too, Anne. I'm going to be on the lookout for a copy with illustrations. I feel like I got cheated, although I formed some pretty good pictures in my head.

Geez, Anne, if you write many more 52 page assignments, you'll soon have a scholarly book on your hands. That sounds brutal.

The Country of the Pointed Firs sounds wonderful. I love Maine. This is a book I know I'll enjoy. Thanks for the recommendation Anne!

#164: That is a good analogy, Donna - going on a vacation to Maine without the hassle.

>162 alcottacre:, I look forward to your thoughts on the book, Stasia!

>163 phebj: Thanks, Pat. It felt good to get it done, but as it was only the first assignment of the class (and turned in week 4 out of a 15 week term) I think it depleted as much as relieved me to finish it. I think you'll love Pointed Firs. I thought it was lovely.

>164 Donna828: Yes, Donna, it was just like that! Very peaceful. And yes, the assignment was brutal, especially, as I told Pat, because it was the first of the class... I am enjoying the class, but I'm tired. I'm really looking forward to summer when there will be NO classes -- not even swim lessons!

>165 Whisper1: Me, too, Linda! I hope to return to Maine soon, especially after reading the book. I hope you enjoy it.

>166 alcottacre: Stasia, I wouldn't say no to a real Maine vacation -- hassle or no :)

10. A Room With a View by E.M. Forster
It took me a few weeks to listen to this audio, as I don't drive nearly as much as I did last year. And while perhaps the book wasn't one I couldn't put down, I enjoyed it in bits and snatches. This romantic story gently satirizes the stifling, preposterously self-important English society of the early 20th century. Lucy Honeychurch travels to Florence chaperoned by her older, tiresome cousin to experience Italy as much as one can when one still must find an English church, eat English food, and take care not to form any undesirable associations. In Italy she meets George Emerson and his unconventional father, who are shunned by members of the proper society unfortunate enough to mingle with them in Florence. George and Lucy become friends of a sort, but after George kisses her impulsively on an excursion (and the kiss is witnessed by the cousin), Lucy flees to Rome. Upon returning home from Rome, Lucy accepts the proposal of the frightfully pompous Cecil Vyse. When Lucy meets George Emerson again in her country village, she must choose to follow her heart, or conform to appearances and convention. I found the book funny, romantic, multi-layered, and touching. As the book progresses, the characters are revealed to be more complex than at first they seem. Lucy, young and willing to let her mind be made up for her, finds her voice. Cecil, the "medieval" fiance, shocks and vexes Lucy at a critical moment by acting the gentleman, and even the tiresome cousin, Miss Bartlett, is revealed to have depth and feeling.

Anne- Good review! I have not read Forster, (sad I know). I did see the film many years ago. Maybe I'll try him on audio.

I've never read E.M. Forster either but this sounds good. Great review, Anne.

I've not read this but I also loved the review and I think I've seen parts of the movie with Helena Bonham Carter in it. Might have to look for that one again.

#167: I would not say 'No' to a real Maine vacation either, Anne!

Great review of a great book. Have you seen the film?

>169 msf59: Hi Mark! This is the only Forster I've read, though I have more in TBR piles. I thought it was good on audio, and because I'm just not driving as much as I was, I only listened to it here and there. Fortunately it was the kind of book I could hear that way.

>170 phebj: Thanks, Pat! I think you'd like it, though I was well into the book before I decided I did :)

>171 KiwiNyx: Thank you, Leonie! I saw the movie so long ago I didn't really remember it. Now I'd like to see it again.

>172 alcottacre: Stasia, I hope to get back there soon. I haven't been to Maine since I was 11 years old, but it was memorable!

>173 nittnut: Thanks, Jenn! I did see the film, but it was so long ago I found I didn't remember anything. I'll look for it at the library. Have you seen it?

I've seen it several times. Love it.

#174: You got me beat, Anne. I have never been to Maine.

I want to read both the pointed firs book and the Forster! Waaa....I wanna stay home every day and read! :(

Stasia

Come to PA again and we will drive up to Maine...It is a long drive, but well worth the trek.

Angela...I know how you feel. Drat that real life and a job get in the way of reading.

>175 nittnut:, I'll look for it at the library, which means I'll keep it around for a week, maybe renew it, and then return it unwatched. Maybe during spring break there's a higher chance I'll watch it!

>176 alcottacre: Stasia, maybe I can squeeze in with you and Linda :)

>177 BookAngel_a: Angela, me, too!! School, work, and life are seriously cutting into my reading time, and my movie time as well!

>178 Whisper1: Linda, is there room for me?

Has anyone read The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell? The good reviews are helping, but I feel like I need some cheerleading to keep going. I must have some sort of wimp/flinch instinct -- I actually turn my head away when the going gets rough, but oddly enough, that strategy is more successful when watching a movie.

>180 AMQS: I really enjoyed it! I read it in January so you'll find the review on my thread. I gave it 4.5 stars! One of the top books of the month!

>181 thornton37814: Lori, thank you! I enjoyed your review, and I'm glad you rated it so highly. That definitely gives me inspiration. Some reviewers have said they found it hard to get into the book, and I don't have that problem -- I was captivated right away and immersed into that world. I just find the cruelties hard to bear at times, and perhaps I'm feeling more sensitive right now for some reason. I think I should stop reading it before bed (and definitely not while eating), and that will help!

Hi Anne. I haven't read the book, but I sympathize with the flinching. That's why I knit while we watch movies. I don't do well with violence. Too bad looking away doesn't actually work with books - LOL.

Anne- Should have held out a couple of months. I plan on doing a G.R. of Thousand Autumns, sometime early summer. I hope you hang in there. It sounds amazing.

>183 nittnut: Jenn, you're a kindred spirit! Yes, I look away, but when I look back, the words are still there ;) I haven't quite figured out why I can handle it in some books but not others. The superlative reviews are keeping me going in this case. It is a compelling story, for sure, it's just that, at least to this point, it's not easy on this reader.

>184 msf59: Mark, I saw that you will host a group read later this year. Too bad the timing didn't work out. I'm reading this for my book club (it's our March book), but I'll probably pop in to contribute to the GR when it's underway.

I'm about halfway through The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. I put it aside for a moment and read



11. Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins. This is the first book of a series recommended to me by a friend who is a teacher. I read it in one sitting (instead of doing homework due tomorrow... oops...) and really enjoyed it. I'll look for the next book at the library, but may eventually want to own copies of the whole series. Gregor reaches for his two-year old sister as she investigates an air vent in their laundry room, and they both tumble thousands of feet down into an underland. The human residents there, who share the land with flyers (giant bats), crawlers (giant cockroaches), spinners (yup, giant spiders), and gnawers (giant rats), think Gregor may be the warrior named in a prophecy. He embarks upon a quest to save their civilization. It is fast-paced a la Percy Jackson, and written for a younger audience, but I found Gregor to be more appealing than Percy.

Sounds good, reminds me of the Tunnels series. Good write up.

Hi Leonie -- thanks for stopping by!

*adds Tunnels series to WL*

Thanks for the recommendation!

Anne- Good review of Gregor the Overlander! I'll have to look for this one. It looks like it's aimed at younger readers, right? Compared to The Hunger Games books. Hope you can get back into Jacob de Zoet.

Hi Mark! yes, the Gregor books are aimed at younger children -- I think the target is 9-12 year olds. I'm still reading Jacob de Zoet but slowly.

12. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark.

"These girls formed the Brodie Set. ...At that time they had been immediately recognisable as Miss Brodie's pupils, being vastly informed on a lot of subjects irrelevant to the authorised curriculum, as the headmistress said, and useless to the school as a school. These girls were discovered to have heard of the Buchmanites and Mussolini, the Italian Renaissance painters, the advantages to the skin of cleansing cream and witch hazel over honest soap and water, and the word "menarche"; the interior decoration of the London house of the author of Winnie the Pooh had been described to them, as had the love lives of Charlotte Bronte and Miss Brodie herself."

This was a delightful audio, read by a narrator who is beginning to feel like an old friend. The story takes place in Edinburgh in the 1930s, primarily at the conservative Marsha Blaine School for Girls. Miss Brodie dedicates her prime to the education of her girls, of which she reminds them frequently. Among her class of 11 year-olds she selects a few girls -- to be forever known as "The Brodie Set" to become her special projects and confidantes; the "creme de la creme." The story is told in layers which flash forward and back through time as the girls, particularly Sandy, mature and look back on the influence of Miss Brodie in her prime. Most of the staff, with the exception of two male teachers, distrust Miss Brodie with her unorthodox teaching style and suspected love affairs, and the headmistress never ceases her campaign to coax or force one of the set to divulge incriminating information. When Miss Brodie is betrayed by one of her girls, she is forced to retire, and never gets over the betrayal. The book is both witty and reflective. A small gem.

I will forever hear the voice of Dame Maggie Smith as Miss Jean Brodie. She was so perfect for the part in the movie.

Nice review...this is a book I've been meaning to read but haven't yet, so you've given me renewed inspiration.

Also on my tbr!
--BJ

Great review, Anne. I'm more aware of the movie and the play than I am of the book of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. I'm still stalling about trying an audio book mainly because I don't drive long distances but you made this one sound really appealing. I'll have to see if my library has it.

>192 mamzel: I vaguely remember seeing the movie years and years ago -- I think I need to see it again. She would be perfect!

>193 AnneDC: Thanks, Anne! I hope you enjoy it.

>194 billiejean: Hi BJ! Hope you enjoy it as well.

>195 phebj: Thanks, Pat. It took me a long time to warm to audios, but when I finally tried them I loved them. I had a long commute to school last semester, and the audio books made it much more pleasant. This semester I am not driving as much, so I find it harder to get them in, and of course, there are some books you just can't listen to for a few minutes here and a few minutes there. This might be a good one to try on audio because it is fairly short -- only 4 cds.

Oh, how I loved The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie when I read it a few years ago.

Thanks for your wonderful review which brought back good memories.

Okay, adding it to the pile :)

Great review. I think it's better when you're slammed with school and you don't read as much, therefore, don't add so much to my TBR pile...

I'm going to look for that audio. Thanks Anne!

Oh, and what Jenn said... :)

I don't have positive regard for RL teachers who make just some of their students special. I think it says something negative about their confidence and their lives that they need to make themselves feel more important by having a little group of students that both get special treatment and often give back to the teachers the fawning attention that they, themselves, need. That said, I thought the book was really good in that Miss Jean Brodie was an interesting, complex character.

>197 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda!

>198 nittnut: Jenn, I think you'll like it! I'm not reading nearly as much as I'd like (and I'm struggling to get through my current read). Still, I'm happy to/sorry to contribute to your TBR pile... Your reading grows my pile as well :)

>199 Copperskye: Joanne, I think it works really well as an audio. Enjoy!

>200 bonniebooks: Bonnie, I don't either. I think what makes the book so deliciously complex is how Miss Brodie at first seems like the perfect teacher -- inspiring and challenging her pupils with unconventional ways. As the book progresses, however, you see that the Brodie Set being special is less about them and more about her. I thought the book was brilliantly done.

Enjoyed reading your review and I am putting The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie on my TBR list. I have heard of the book, but had no idea what it was about, or that it was set in Edinburgh, which is a favorite setting. Thank you, Michelle.

Hi Michelle -- thanks for visiting my thread! Hope you enjoy The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

I've never read the novel, but I've seen the film and I saw the play at the National Theatre here years ago. Maybe I should read the book for the complete Brodie experience!

I've just added Miss Jean Brodie to the wishlist, thanks!

Miss Jean Brodie has been languishing in the TBR pile much too long. I'll try to rescue her soon. I seem to be following in your footsteps lately, Anne. Keep up the good reading, and I'll gladly follow.

Just stopping by to say "Hi"! And to say that (a bit late) while I liked The Red Pyramid, I liked The Lost Hero even better and that might tide you over a bit until the next book in the Kane Chronicles comes out in May!

>204 susanj67: Yes, Susan, you need to complete the Triple Brodie ;)

>205 BookAngel_a: Hope you enjoy it, Angela!

>206 Donna828: Donna, I think sometimes we follow each other. I've never gone wrong following you!

>207 weejane: Thanks for the recommendation, Brit! I think we need to put a hold on The Lost Hero -- we're not about to buy the hardcover, and it's never there on the library shelves. I know the girls are ready for more Riorden. Thanks for stopping by!

13. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet.
If anyone is planning to read this book soon, I encourage you to go to the book's page and read some of the dozens of outstanding, enthusiastic reviews, because mine is far less so. My feelings won't be hurt if you decline to read this post further, though I won't include any spoilers. I really had to push myself to read this book, though around page 350, it finally grabbed me and I was quite absorbed until the end. This certainly is the sweeping, meticulously researched historical epic it claims to be. I knew nothing about the Dutch East India Company's tenuous trade relationship with the closed late 18th century Japan, and nothing about the artificial island of Dejima in Nagasaki Harbor on which non-Japanese were confined whilst engaged in that trade. It is an utterly fascinating period in history, and undoubtedly, as Mr. Mitchell describes it, a cruel and brutal period in history. Perhaps it was not the right time for me to read this book. Sometimes I can handle difficult content and find it makes the reading compelling, and sometimes I’m a wimp or crank and think, “If I read about poop one more time I’m gonna...”. There are wonderful characters, as well as thoroughly rotten ones. I thought the scope and complexity of the book were astounding, and I’m glad I read it (for book club later this month), but I’m relieved to be done.

Anne- Sorry the Mitchell book didn't completely work for you. Maybe a Group Read setting would work better. I admire your honesty and the fact you hung in there and finished it. Have a nice weekend.

Hi Mark -- I guess they can't all be home runs. I'm definitely in the minority, based on reviews I've read, so I'll bet your group read will be very successful. You're right -- that format may have worked better for me. I'll be interested to hear what my book club friends have to say.

Hope you have a good weekend, too!

I borrowed The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet from the library a couple weeks ago, and started it the other day. I couldn't get into it either. I will try again later, but I know right now is not the right time for me to read it. I don't know if I could stick with a book for 350 pages if I wasn't enjoying it...good for you!

Hi Rachel -- I rarely abandon books, especially books for book club. I kept going because of all of the wonderful reviews, including many who said it was their favorite book of the year. It took a long time for me to care about any of the characters, and the fact that I wasn't really pulling or caring for anyone made it hard to keep going through the cruelty. I think in the end it was worth it, but I had a hard time seeing that while I was struggling through the book.

I've actually abandoned more books in the last year then I have in all my years previosuly. Perhaps LT makes us more discerning about what we read or more to the point, what we like.

That's probably true, Leonie! I also find that I am reading better books more often, probably because they have such reliable recommendations.

14. Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane by Suzanne Collins.

This is the second book in The Underland Chronicles. The first had a "real" ending, with loose ends tied up, yet clearly the door left open for further installments. This one, however, ended with me, still up at midnight, neglecting the paper due in three days (how important is it anyway?) calculating how many hours it is until I can go to school tomorrow and check out the third book. Like other children's series with a young hero, the characters are maturing, and the conflict increasing in scope and complexity as the series goes on.

Suzanne Collins seems to be a great writer! Everyone loves her books. I need to read one, too.
--BJ

>209 AMQS:: Sorry you didn't like Jacob better than you did. I appreciate your honesty. Sometimes when I go against the flow, I feel a little bit like The Lone Ranger. ;-) Be sure and let us know what your book club thinks about it.

Have a great week end. My little munchkins are coming down from KC so this house will be rockin' for a change!

>216 AMQS: Oh, dear, I'm missing the third one. Better go check the library catalog.

>217 billiejean: Hi BJ! I went to school early and picked up books 3 and 4. I'm already on page 200 of Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods, so I'm just going to hope that somehow my paper writes itself...;)

>218 Donna828: Donna, how fun! I hope you have a great weekend with your little munchkins. Enjoy!

>219 ronincats:, Roni, yes, you'd better! I managed to get books 3 and 4 from the school library, and will be picking up 5 from the public library. Hope you enjoy them!

15. The Warden by Anthony Trollope
I enjoyed this audio very much. The Warden gently satirizes 19th century church and social traditions by portraying the ethical dilemma confronting Septimus Harding. Harding is a clergyman and the warden of Hiram's Hospital, a place where 12 poor old men can live in peace and comfort. A trust was established in a will some few hundred years before for the care of these old, broken-down laborers with no means on which to live out their final years. While the stipend allotted to each bedesman has remained unchanged for centuries, the amount earned by the warden entrusted with their care is now at 800 pounds a year. When church reformers, led by John Bold, declare this to be an unjust interpretation of the will of the original benefactor, it pits Bold and most of the bedesmen against the powerful and self-important Archdeacon, who perceives an assault on the Church itself. Caught in the middle is the kindly and decent warden, who never intended to take more than his due, and comes to feel that perhaps the reformers' claims have merit. The ensuing legal battle and scathing indictments in the press cause much misery for the tenderhearted warden. To further complicate matters, the staunch Archdeacon is the warden's son-in-law, and John Bold is in love with the warden's other daughter.

I enjoyed this book for its gentle satirizing of the 19th century church, and of the outrageously righteous reformers. The press, represented by the powerful Jupiter, is portrayed a bit more harshly as being all criticism and anonymity with no accountability, and Charles Dickens ("Mr. Popular Sentiment") is also taken to task for black-and-white condemnations. I particularly loved the warden's devotion to his beloved violincello, and how, during times of stress, he would play it in his mind and with silent gesticulations, paying particular attention to fingering and bowing as the music in his head rose and swelled, and the sweet notes soothed his worry. The humor, sweet melancholy, and excellent narration made for enjoyable listening.

Anne, that was a great review!

Thanks, Pat -- I've been tinkering with it, because it was a great little book, and I want to get it just right!

Thanks for the review! I have been wanting to read that book, but I let my daughter borrow it first. Are you going to continue with the series?
--BJ

>225 billiejean: Hi BJ, yes, I think I will, at least at some point. I have Barchester Towers in the TBR pile, so I will definitely be moving it up. I hope your daughter -- and you -- both enjoy the book!

16. Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods by Suzanne Collins.
Book 3 of The Underland Chronicles. I picked up Book 3 this morning at my daughters' school library, along with Book 4. I also picked up Book 5 at the public library. All I can say is I hope there is such a thing as a research paper fairy, and that she might be good enough to visit my house this weekend...

I do believe in research paper fairies... isn't that what we say to make them come alive?

Great review on The Warden, the book sounds stunning.

I DO believe, I DO believe!

Thank you, Leonie, thank you, Roni! The paper is now done, and I am going to go to bed so that I can read it is the morning with fresh eyes. No sign of the fairy, and I thought it prudent not to wait for her:)

It's hard to find the motivation to write a paper when there are good books waiting to be read, beautiful weather like we're having this weekend, family to enjoy, puzzles to complete together... the usual complaints, I guess. But I am finding it even harder to be motivated after all of the bad news concerning state funding cuts to education, and the resulting district budget cuts. I know it's painful all over, not just here, but I'm feeling it now as the school district where I live just announced fresh cuts yesterday, which will include school closings, loss of programs and transportation, pay cuts, and loss of jobs. 14 librarians in the district will lose their jobs, including a few friends of mine. While I guess the good news for me is that I don't have a job to lose in a school district, the bad news is that the chances of me getting one seem very slim. And suddenly a big research paper for a school library masters program seems even less thrilling than it did two days ago. Still, with so much suffering and devastation around the world with the recent earthquakes, I have much to be grateful for. Thanks for indulging my whine :)

I'm glad you enjoyed The Warden, and Barchester Towers is even better!

Things do seems discouraging for education at the moment. My husband has a cousin who is a high school English teacher who is very upset with the changes Idaho is in the process of making to its education system, particularly making classes larger, teaching more classes online and pay for performance for teachers. Hopefully, these things go in cycles and more education friendly policies will be in our future. It's painful to watch how this country makes changes sometimes--things seem to vear from one extreme to the other. Hang in there!

>230 AMQS: - I saw the news regarding JeffCo's cuts and agree that it is discouraging. Colorado has got some sorting out to do regarding education and spending and taxes, etc. And Hickenlooper's proposed K-12 state funding cuts are the highest in CO history - so scary for our kids and the teachers who are being put through the wringer. I keep thinking that it'll hit rock bottom and things will turn around - and maybe that's what the attempt is here with the budget, kind of a wake up call. I don't blame you for whining (this is a great place to vent a little!) but hopefully things will turn around soon and they'll be looking to hire again!

I just heard this morning that CSU is proposing a 20% tuition hike for in-state students next year. Since I will more than likely be writing checks to them shortly, I wasn't happy to hear that. Oh well.

>231 susanj67: I look forward to it, Susan!

>232 phebj:, 233 thank you so much for the encouragement and commiseration, Pat and Joanne! I keep reminding myself that these things tend to be cyclical, and at some point it will start to swing back around. In the meantime, it is a tough time for educators, future educators, and parents. My girls are in 3rd and 6th grade, and have a lot of public school education ahead of them. College seems a long way off, but really, it isn't. 20% increases at CSU? Ouch! Unfortunately, I think that's happening everywhere.

17. Gregor and the Marks of Secret by Suzanne Collins. Still unable to put down this series. As with many other children's fantasy series, this one gets more complex and a lot more dark with each successive book. Though the characters aren't maturing chronologically as fast as Harry Potter or Percy Jackson (from what I can tell, the action across all five books takes place over the course of a year or so -- Gregor is 11-12 throughout the whole series) the seriousness of the Underland wars is growing. Lots of weighty issues here, including war, genocide, competition for scarce resources, forgiveness, loss, and grief. My favorite character is a giant cockroach with parental devotion to a human toddler. None of the books have really ended since Book 1, so be forewarned if you plan to start the series. I'm off to read Book 5 tout de suite.

>234 AMQS: If you haven't already, start a college fund for your kids and add to it annually. I think you can get some kind of tax break and the real break will come when they're older!

>236 mamzel: We did, and we add to it monthly. Not a lot, and we're not sure how much it will help once they're actually ready for college. It seems that moment is fast approaching no matter how much we'd like things to slow down!

18. Gregor and the Code of Claw by Suzanne Collins. The final installment in the Underland Chronicles wraps up the series, though I'm hoping there might be more in the future. I've really come to care about the characters. The ones who survived the bloody war and turmoil in the Underland, that is. This is one of those children's series where the themes and conflicts get more serious and more bloody as the books progress. Well worth it for me, though.

The people of the Underland watch for signs that ancient prophecies are being fulfilled or need to be obeyed, and I think possibly my husband and I are also receiving signs that we need to slow down. Him with his chest pain -- thankfully all good news. As for me, I have been awakened in the night twice in the last two weeks by my daughter who was feeling ill. Getting up to help her, I have fainted. Hard. The first time it was scary and sort of funny. The second time it was just scary. And painful -- I was pretty sure I had a concussion, and went to the dr. today. I had to do a neurological assessment, EKG and CT-scan, and though everything looks normal, I am being sent to a neurologist for a follow-up and second opinion. The girls have strict instructions to wake dad and not mom in the night, but I don't feel like myself, and hope we can get this figured out.

Great to see your reviews on this series by Suzanne Collins. I've heard a lot about it since the release of The Hunger Games series as many people were going back to read her other works to see how they compare.

Scary to hear about your fainting spells! That is definitely a sign that our body is telling us to slow down. Hopefully you and the family feel better soon!

Anne that is very scary about fainting! I hope everything works out! Take it easy!

Hi Anne, I hope you get good news from the other neurologist. Hopefully it has something to do with jumping out of bed after being fast asleep. I remember how that "Mommm" reflex works. Please let us know what you find out.

You've got me hooked with these reviews of the Gregor books, they sound so good.

Take it easy though, the fainting story is a sign to look after yourself in the least. I hope the other doctor gives you the all clear as well.

>239 jolerie: Hi Valerie! Thanks for visiting my thread. After reading The Underland Chronicles, I am definitely interested in reading the Hunger Games books. Have you read those? Thanks for your well wishes, too. I'm going to be careful and take it easy for awhile!

>240 weejane: Thank you, Brit! It was very scary, and I'm proceeding gingerly, so to speak. I am on spring break next week, and my kids are on spring break the week after that, so I look forward to two weeks with less to do. I think we're all ready for a break.

>241 Donna828: Thank you, Donna. It's hard not to rocket out of bed when your child need you, but I haven't been much help of late, so I am going to take it easy. I've been told to take a few minutes, drink some water, etc. I just don't like feeling like I'm not myself, and not really in control. It's been scary for my family and my husband, too, though my daughter reported that the second time I fainted wasn't as scary for her because as soon as I hit the floor I started snoring. So much for fainting being feminine and romantic! I'll keep you posted.

>242 KiwiNyx: Thank you, Leonie. The Underland Chronicles were recommended to me by a friend of mine, who, in turn, had them recommended by her fifth grade students. Hope you enjoy them! I do plan to take it easy -- starting with going to bed earlier, and taking it easy next week on spring break. My doctor didn't think the neurologist would find anything, but wanted to send me there as a precaution. I'll let you know.

HI. Just catching up here. I hope all is well and that you get some well deserved rest!

Great review of The Warden. I haven't read any Trollope. I think I'll add this one to the list.

Wow! Those fainting spells sound scary! And I think it's even scarier when doctors can't come up with a reason for symptoms. Do you feel dizzy or nauseated before you faint? I had an inner ear infection a couple of years ago which ended up with me just having to throw my head back a certain way (usually while I was sleeping at night) and immediately feeling like I was spinning around--not my head, ME! I couldn't orient myself in space, so couldn't walk and probably would have fainted if I had tried to. I felt like I was going to faint if I moved my head at all.

Eta: This probably doesn't help you at all, but I remember when a friend had similar symptoms, she had to be tested for all sorts neurological problems before they figured it was an inner ear problem as well.

>244 nittnut: Thanks, Jenn! Hope you enjoy The Warden.

>245 bonniebooks: Hi Bonnie, the scary part is that I've had no warning. The dr. thinks it could be that I'm not fully awake, though I clearly remember my daughter coming in and asking for me, or that I get up too fast and am affected by low blood pressure. Your inner ear infection sounds scary, too! I hate that feeling. Hopefully it got treated and you're better now? I'll bring up the inner ear possibility when I go to the neurologist. Thanks!

It does sound like a low-pressure kind of problem (kidzdoc where are you?) Do you have the problem after you're awake? Bet they'll start having you take your BP throughout the day for a few weeks.

Sorry to hear about the fainting, Anne. It does sound like one of those "sit up first and then stand up" low blood pressure sorts of things, but that must be hard when your child needs you quickly. I'm glad your tests have come back OK, but sometimes you do just wish they would say "You have X wrong with you, and here's what will fix it" don't you?

Anne, glad to hear that Spring Break is coming up! Always a much needed time to get the extra rest!

>147 AMQS: Bonnie, I don't have the problem during the day -- thankfully!

>148 alcottacre: Thanks, Susan. It's funny, you certainly don't want a bad diagnosis, but it's hard when there seems to be no reason for something happening. I'll take the good news, though.

>149 nittnut: Indeed! Hope you're able to rest and recover at your house, too, Brit.

Enjoyed your review of The Warden. I recently read that as well, and I intend to continue with the series, but I just haven't made the time yet. :)

Hope the fainting spells clear up soon - yikes!

Thanks, Angela -- me, too! My head is hurting less and less every day, and I'm trying to take it easy.

I found your review of The Warden when I checked out your profile on Amazon (and found it helpful:). I have Barchester Towers in the pile somewhere, and will get to it at some point. I really liked the narrator of The Warden, so I might try to find it on audio.

I am definitely planning on investigating the Underland series, now that I've finished the Hunger Games. (But I think I am going to read some Percey Jackson books first.) You've definitely piqued my interest.

(Those fainting episodes sound unnerving. I've had a couple myself--one this summer, with no particular explanation. I hope you get a good answer!)

Hello Anne - curious to know how you enjoyed (or not) The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett - it's on my Book Depository wishlist and I'm wondering if I should bump it up the list? I spent a couple of months in Colorado Springs a few years ago - are you near there? Prue

Waving hello! It's a beautiful day.

>254 PrueGallagher: Prue, thanks for visiting my thread! I really did enjoy The Country of the Pointed Firs. Donna (Donna 828) read it for a class she's taking, and a few of us joined her. It is a series of loosely connected vignettes -- very peaceful. My "review" of it is here:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/104706#2517928

I don't live too far from Colorado Springs. I live in the foothills west of Denver, about 1 1/2 hours from Co Springs. What were you doing there?

>255 nittnut: Hi Jenn! It is a beautiful day! How lucky we are. Stelios just headed out for a bike ride, and Callia is sitting outside and writing her (long-overdue) birthday thank you cards. Hope you're doing something fun and relaxing. How's home schooling going?

Home schooling is going well, thanks for asking. I am enjoying it more than I thought I would.

I guess we're enjoying the lovely day from inside. I am home with sick kids, but they are nearly well. My husband and older son are at the NCAA tournament. I am thinking about ordering take-out for dinner and watching a movie or something nice like that. :)

Oh dear, Anne. I'm sorry to hear about your fainting - how scary. My first thought was low blood pressure since I have it and sometimes feel dizzy when I get up too fast. I hope the testing gives you some answers. Thank goodness for spring break and spring (spring spring not Rocky Mtn snowy spring) weather to go with it! I recommend a chaise lounge, sunshine, a glass of something with ice and a good book.

>257 nittnut: I'm glad you're enjoying it, Jenn -- I really admire you! I think ordering take-out and a watching a movie would make for a perfect weekend night. Enjoy!

>258 Copperskye: Thank you, Joanne. I like your prescription! It's sure to cure all ills.

Time for a new thread! Please join me here:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/112413