Marie's 75 Book Challenge: Part One

Hello, I'm Marie and welcome to my second thread for 2011!

My reading tastes are pretty varied, but this year my personal goal is to read more "classics", though I use that definition loosely. My goal is to read at least one per month. Here are a few I would like to finish/have finished:

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
Little Women by Louise May Alcott
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Footsteps in the Dark by Georgette Heyer
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Mrs. Ames by E.F. Benson
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
My Ántonia by Willa Cather
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

Reading By Month
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Welcome and Good Luck!

Tell me what genre's you read or some authors you are interested in and I have plenty of recommendations.

Hi, Marie:) Time flies, doesn't it? Well...at least I found you in here, I can see it is starting to fill up already. Better get around to start the new thread soon:)

As soon as I sum up last year, maybe I'll have some recommendations for you:)

Have a lovely day!

Woot,woot...only 7 more hours at work and then the weekend is coming up!

Glad to see you back again, Marie!

Your ticker makes me want to take a vacation, Marie!

2: Thank you! Let's see...I read a lot of fiction. I like to cram non-fiction in, especially if it's about art history. A little bit of fantasy and steampunk. Historical fiction. Maybe it's better to say what I don't read, ha ha... Recommend away!

3: Yay, glad you found me! I'll keep my eye out for your thread. Have a happy weekend! Mine starts in T minus 8 hours...

4: You too Stasia!

5: My ticker makes me want to take a vacation, Richard. Oh and work. And holiday stress. Tim should come up with something like an LT cruise ship and we can all sail away and read for a week...

#6: Tim should come up with something like an LT cruise ship and we can all sail away and read for a week

There was some talk in the 75ers group last year of us all taking an Alaskan cruise together in about 5 years time. You never know :)

7: Count me in! I could use an Alaskan cruise.

Couldn't we all? :)

Starred you! I'm a fan of classics and I'll be looking for your reviews (and I've been working on GWTW for oh, four months now).

10: Thanks! I'm glad it's not just me. I think I've started GWTW at least three times and only get past the first two chapters...oy vey!

Do you have any other classics you would recommend?

Hey Marie. I will definately check in here this year. I read a lot of classics. You might try Anthony Trollope. He is a favorite of mine at the moment. Elizabeth Gaskell is really good too.

Oh you should read Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. It is really good and short too.

10: Oh mstrust, can you send me a link to your thread? I tried the wiki thing but it sent me to a different person's thread. And I see we are both in Arizona!

12, 13: Thanks for stopping by! I am so glad for your recommendations. It's alarming how many classics I have not read.

For Elizabeth Gaskell, would you recommend Cranford? It's been on my radar for awhile. And as for Anthony Trollope, I don't even know where to begin! Where should I start with him? I think I'll go find your thread and snoop through your library. :)

#11 I see that you've read my two favorites, The Great Gatsby and Jane Eyre, and most of the Austens. I'll only suggest ones that I've really liked, so you might look for:
The Maltese Falcon
Cranford
A Moveable Feast
The Prisoner of Zenda
Hamletor Macbeth
Excellent Women
and I agree with jmaloney, Ethan Frome is excellent.
I also recommend almost anything from P.G. Wodehouse, though my favorite story of his is Jeeves and the Song of Songs.
And I always recommend Ambrose Bierce and Stephen Vincent Benet. I really don't understand why Benet has been forgotten but his most famous story is The Devil and Daniel Webster and it's fantastic.

Oh, and my thread is: here

Cranford is good and short. If you want something lengthy try Wives and Daughters or North and South. For Anthony Trollope you can do three things. He wrote a lot of short stories, which I have heard are excellent, but I have yet to read. Or you can read one of stand alone novels, or you can read one of his series of novels. I have read the The Barset Chronicles, I throroughly enjoyed it. I am getting ready to read the Palliser novels this year. I have heard they are great, but I cannot personally vouch for them.

I am sure I will have some more suggestions, but I have to think about it.

What is really awesome about a lot of Brit classics is that when you are done reading them you can watch the BBC TV version.

>11 RosyLibrarian: And isn't there a thread in this group called "What are we reading--Classics"? Bet you could get a bunch of suggestions from that!

Welcome back!

FYI, I'll check the wiki entry for mstrust.

ETA- fixed. Sorry about that!

15 + 17: Thanks guys. I think I will add Ethan Frome to the list. I haven't read anything by Edith Wharton before, as well as the other books you guys listed. Thanks so much for your recommendations!

(And I LOVE the BBC versions!)

18: Thank you, I swung by that thread and left a message so I hope to see what everyone else is reading too.

19: Thanks for setting up the group Jim! It's good to be back. And thanks for fixing the wiki entry. Hopefully I did mine right...I think it's a VERY handy feature!

Hello, drive-by wave! *waves* Consider yourself starred :)

I have to agree - Ethan Frome was one of my favorite Wharton books.

Happy New Year, mihess! Thanks for visiting my new thread!

Here it is, January 1, and here I am! Happy New Year, Marie!

Happy New Years everyone! My day has been pretty relaxed. I took a two hour walk in my new Shape-ups, a Christmas gift because I kept oooing over them in the store. I don't know if they actually do what they say they do, but they compel me to go use them.

I also started Ethan Frome and am glad I did. What pretty and descriptive writing Edith Wharton has. She hooked me with this mysterious Mr. Frome character.

Hope everyone has/had a good first day of 2011!

1. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

Ethan Frome is an unhappily married man whose lot in life has been to care for his ailing parents, and after their death, his sick wife. His wife's cousin, Mattie, comes to stay with the Fromes and he sees in her a chance at happiness.

Slightly spoiler-y!

For such a short novel, this novel evokes a large amount of emotion. I felt a great deal of sympathy for Ethan, but also for his wife. Yes, she was manipulative, but her actions weren't unfounded. She knew about Ethan's feelings for Mattie. And as for Mattie, I found her to be the least developed character. I wonder if Ethan wouldn't have projected his feelings on to any woman at that point.

I very much like the way the story was presented. Wharton did a good job of starting off the story from an uninvolved person's perspective. It really drew you into the story. And the ending was even more tragic than I could have supposed. I will definitely be reading her other books.

Oh, I am glad you liked it. There are of course The House of Mirth and The Age of Innocense by Wharton, but my suggestion is The Custom of the Country. Undine, the main character, is so evil.
Summer has been my least favorite by her. I just wanted to smack the main character.

Looking forward to seeing what you read next.

# 26 Nice review of Ethan Frome. I haven't read this one but I’ve got a feeling that your views are spot on. Thanks!

I'm also glad you liked it. Yes, to me it's always seemed that Ethan was willing to love anyone who was sweet to him. A little like a dog who will follow anybody who gives it attention.

Marie

Happy Almost Birthday! I hope tomorrow is a wonderful day for you!

Anna Karenina and The Brothers Karamazov are both on my list for this year, too!

Edit: And happy almost-birthday! :D

Happy Birthday, Marie!

(Nice review of Ethan Frome too)

Oh, nice day to get updated on threads! Happy birthday, Marie!! Have a good one:)

Happy Birthday, Marie! Have a lovely day.

Happy Birthday, Marie!

Hope you are having a great birthday!

Happy Birthday, Marie! Hope it is a good one for you.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday!

For what it is worth, I adored The Age of Innocence when we did it as a group read here a couple of years ago.

I need to get to Ethan Frome. I read it in high school but only remember bleak weather and none of the story.

Edited to say: Was there even bleak weather? Perhaps it was flatness. I'm from a place of hills and (what we call) mountains so I could have thought flatness = bleakness. Definitely time to read it again.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, hope you had a great day!!!

Thank you for all the birthday wishes! It was a really nice birthday. My boyfriend sent me to the spa with a friend for facials. Very relaxing and much needed! I also treated myself to a handful of books: What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew by Daniel Pool, Home Economics: Timeless Advice from Vintage Housekeeping Textbooks by Jennifer McKnight-Trontz and Let's Bring Back: An Encyclopedia of Forgotten-yet-Delightful, Chic, Useful, Curious, and Otherwise Commendable Things from Times Gone By Lesley M. M. Blume.

Basically I went nuts for eclectic home economics, history, retro-ish books. :)

Happy Belated Birthday! It sounds like you had a lovely day.

I am coveting all your birthday books. They all sound absolutely delightful. Maybe I'll treat myself to some retro history and home economics books too...

edited to say: What Jane Austen Ate found its way into my Amazon basket and I was only going on Amazon to add it to my wishlist! How does that happen?!

43: This article is what made me go crazy. Click it with caution!

And LOL at Amazon! It really must want to go home to you...

Happy late birthday.
Not really belated, but I won't bore you with the long story.
Hope you enjoy the books you bought!

Oh wow! That article is wonderful.

Sounds like you had a good birthday! Lots of lovely new books to read. :o)

Sounds like a terrific birthday all around, Marie. Congrats on the books!

>44 RosyLibrarian:: Oh, what an interesting article and what lovely books! Thank you for sharing it (I think- it may not be good for my bank balance!). I'm going to avoid the home economics book as it looks like it could make me feel guilty but the other two are going straight to my Amazon wishlist. Or my Amazon basket! No -wishlist, definitely wishlist!

I actually gave my mom a copy of Encyclopedia of the Exquisite this Christmas. I had no idea it was part of a movement. Really interesting book though, and good illustrations.

2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

Last month I sent my boyfriend mp3s of all the Harry Potter books to listen to while he's deployed. And then he started talking about them and it made me itch to read them again. So, I read the first one and thought I'd stop...and then the second one...and here we are finishing the fourth one. They truly are impossible to stop reading.

I love Harry Potter- people who are snooty about him don't what they're missing! I have read them all to my elder son and could easily read them all again if I didn't have so much else to read!

I reread all of the books before any of the movies comes out (or books, before they were all finished). And then sometimes I forget to go see the movie.

People who are snooty about Harry Potter clearly haven't read a bit of them. They're by far some of the most organized and well-researched YA books out there. More-so than a lot of adult books, in fact.

52 + 53: I agree, book snobs are missing out by not reading the Harry Potter series. I love them, though I do feel like I'm missing out on reading new books when I do re-reads, but it's been fun to talk to my boyfriend about them.

It is good that you and your boyfriend are both reading/listening to them so you can talk about the books. My hubby will watch the movies, but not crack the books to save his life.

3. Secret Lives of Great Artists: What Your Teachers Never Told You About Master Painters and Sculptors by Elizabeth Lunday

I should say that I have my BA in art history and so those new to my thread will probably see art related books from time to time. It's amazing how fast you lose some of the facts you learned in college by the way. It's another goal of mine this year to refresh my art history knowledge.

With that said, this book did that to some extent. Really, it was just fun. The illustrations were cute and the book was designed to be eye catching. It contained some really zany facts about the artists listed, mostly about their crazy personal lives. Mistresses, trouble with the law and of course someone cut off their ear... All good stuff to pass an evening with. It's fun thinking about the sometimes mad people behind great art.

That looks like one I would like. Good review!

Nice review Marie:) Looks like an entertaining book. Adding it to my wishlist.

I am adding it to the BlackHole too. Thanks for the recommendation, Marie!

I'll have to see if the library has that one. It looks like fun!

Man, I have not started off this year with a reading bang, but in my defense I am way distracted. My boyfriend gets here this weekend after being deployed for the last 5 months! Yay! And then we're going to San Diego for the weekend so I hope to cram some more reading in this month. You'll just have to excuse my brain this week. :)

Edited because I can't even type straight.

You have one of the best excuses for not reading that I've heard. Congrats and have a great time!

I agree! Have a wonderful time!

Ooooh...have fun, Marie:)

Haha! That's a great excuse to not read :) Hope it's wonderful!

62 - 65: Thanks guys! Two more days! Aaah!



4. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling

I feel a bit unadventurous doing a bunch of re-reads at the beginning of the year, but I just have to get it out of my system.

Happy Thursday everyone!

Given the circumstances, I won't even insist on your dropping by to say hi! Have fun.

So, great news, the boyfriend is home safely and we won't have to deal with another deployment for at least some time. Woo!



5. Running the Books: The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian by Avi Steinberg

I believe it was Faith that turned me onto this book, though I know I've seen a few other LTers like it. (Thanks!)

And I liked it too. I have to admit I thought it would be more focused on how a library is run, but it turned out to be more how a library serves a purpose. It also contained endlessly interesting stories of what it is like to be in jail, work in a jail and how people from both sides end up there. Also thrown in were stories from the author's Jewish upbringing, his life in general at the time and odd bits and ends.

Like so many other spot-on reviews of this book, I too thought the book lacked a sense of cohesiveness. There was maybe a little bit of a timeline, but it wasn't measured in anything solid. Just the days that passed by as he settled more and more into the culture of the jail.

Still, I would recommend this book to those interested in how prisons work. The author was a very good writer and his insight into both himself and his surroundings kept me reading.

>69 Apolline:: Nice!! Good times ahead then, I presume?:) Are you and the boyfriend finishing the HP series together then?

Oh, you find the time to read a book too?:) Hope your weekend was great, Marie. Have a wonderful day!

69: Yes, good times in California this weekend! I am looking forward to seeing the ocean and getting out of Arizona. He keeps saying he has a surprise for me too...so...we'll see. ;)

We are still doing the Harry Potter books. I'm starting 6 and he's midway through 5. As we get closer to the end I keep getting sadder. I never want the series to end...even though I know it does. Sigh!

I hope you have a wonderful week too Bente! I need to go play catch up with everyone's threads.

70: I know what you mean. I think I will cry when DH 2 finally arrives. Heartbreaking;)

We are supposed to be in the low 70s at the beach this week, so you should have lovely weather while you are here.

72: Perfect! I really like San Diego, though I've only been once before.

Hooray for the boyfriend's return. Thank him from a girl in Pittsburgh (and thanks to you too)

I feel the same way about HP and still am sad that it ended.

Ah-hah! I like your thoughts on Accidental Prison Librarian, you echoed many of my sentiments. So glad it was worth the read!

Hey Marie!! Stopping to see how you're doing. Trying to get caught up with everyone almost seems impossible. Hope you're having a great week!!!

6. Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall by Kazuo Ishiguro

I have never been much of a short story reader, but after reading this collection I have been asking myself, why not? Nocturnes is five stories that revolve around music and marriages. I know the title says nightfall, but I never felt as if that was central to the stories.

When talking about a collection of short stories, it is impossible not to have both a favorite and least favorite. "Crooner" was probably the best of the bunch and "Malvern Hills" was probably the least effective for me. In true Ishiguro fashion they are somewhat dismal stories, though the best thing about this author is how well he conveys a character to us. Though we only see short snippets of their lives, I felt drawn to the narrators of all the stories except "Malvern Hills". That guy was just annoying.

I would really appreciate any other recommendations for short story collections. I think I may have been missing out by never picking them up.

Oops, pack your sweatshirt. Now they are saying mid-60s over the weekend after low 70s all week.

Excellent review on Running the Books:The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian. I'd looked at this in the bookstore but was a little hesitant to get it in hardcover. From your review, I can tell it's not quite what I was hoping for and will wait for the paperback.

If you're looking to read more short stories, I highly recommend a collection of Katherine Mansfield's stories. My favorite story by her is "The Little Governess" although it's not one of her better known stories.

>77 RosyLibrarian:: Great review, Marie! Definitely adding this to my pile. I've not been much of a short story reader myself, but I have started one collection by Anna Gavalda, I Wish Someone Were Waiting for Me Somewhere. I'll let you know how it is :)

78: Oo, good to know! We are leaving tomorrow morning and staying on Coronado Island. Thanks for the heads up!

79: Thank you! I will go look up Katherine Mansfield. I also don't blame you for holding out. I just grabbed my copy from the local library.

80: Thanks! :) Let me know how Anna Gavalda goes!

>77 RosyLibrarian: I do like short stories so I'll be looking for that one.
I always recommend Stephen Vincent Benet, Ambrose Bierce, John Cheever and Flannery O'Conner for short stories, but some collections that I really liked are Read This And Tell Me What It Says and Why The Devil Chose New England For His Work.

# 77 Uh oh, someone said recommendations for short story collections! I just love reading short stories! Now I’m going to start one of my long, recommendation-filled, rambling posts. Bear with me, please.

Since mystery is my favourite genre I like reading mystery short stories which in my opinion are the hardest to write. Agatha Christie’s The Thirteen Problems (known as The Tuesday Club Murders in the US) is my all time favourite. The Idol House of Astarte and The Blue Geranium are my favourites from it.

The Mysterious Mr.Quin by Agatha Christie is a collection of mystery/supernatural stories featuring the character of Mr. Quin. Among the stories my favourites are The Coming of Mr. Quin, At the ‘Bells and Motley’, The Man from the Sea and The Dead Harlequin.

Suspense/ horror are another difficult genre for short stories. Daphne Du Maurier’s Don’t Look Now from Dont Look Now and Other Stories and F. Marion Crawford’s The Doll’s Ghost and The Upper Berth from For the Blood Is the Life and Other Stories are good.

Roald Dahl’s short stories may fall in to the suspense/horror genre and are good examples of stories with shocking conclusions. I read his The Great Automatic Grammatizator and Other Stories last year and it was quite good. But I found Dahl to be a bit of a misogynist.

Among non-mystery and horror genre books, The Queen of Hearts by Wilkie Collins is a little known book that was my favourite read last year. It is a collection of ten short stories set within a connecting narrative. From it I liked The Dream-Woman and Anne Rodway but my absolute favourite was The Biter Bit, a very funny 'detective' story.

E. M. Forster’s (who is not really known for his short stories) The Celestial Omnibus from The Celestial Omnibus and Other Stories was one of my favourite reads in 2009.

O’Henry's short stories are good. The Last Leaf is my favourite O’Henry short story.

Another favourite short story author of mine is Anton Chekhov. My favourite is The Kiss, closely followed by The Teacher of Literature.

Phew! Okay, I think that’s about it. Sorry for the long post. Hope you find something you like from my recommendations. :-)

I like short stories so all these recommendations are great! To throw my two cents in, I have always liked Ray Bradbury and Julio Cortazar. Oh and P.G. Wodehouse.

Lovelovelove Julio Cortazar's short story collection with the one about the salamanders. (It has a few different titles, IIRC - mine is Blow-Up and Other Stories.)

One of you should start a thread for What We Are Reading! That would be nice.

Alice Munro definitely- starting with Runaway!

#85: That is my favorite too! I totally want a pet axolotl, they are so freaking cute!

Glad to hear your boyfriend is home safely from his deployment, Marie!

Thanks so much for all the short story recommendations. Now I know I have definitely missed out! I would love to see a W'hat We Are Reading' thread for them since I know the Classics one has been a treasure trove of reading ideas.

So San Diego was a blast and I will elaborate more fully after a few reviews of books I was able to read in the car.

First up...



7. Fannie's Last Supper: Re-creating One Amazing Meal from Fannie Farmer's 1896 Cookbook by Christopher Kimball

This one gets a big 'eh' from me. While I usually love eclectic cooking, history, Victorian customs hybrid books, this one never grabbed my attention. The premise of the book was that Kimball - of some sort of cooking show fame - was going to take an 1896 cook book and create his own replication of a 12 course meal. The project lasted two years. Two years! I was bored after two chapters!

I just didn't feel as if Kimball stuck to his own plan. He goes into a lot of detail about the creator of the cook book - Fannie Farmer - but makes her out to be something of a joke. And then he changes all of he recipes for one reason or another so the project never felt authentic. Plus he wanted you to go to his website to take a look at some of the recipes. Where is the Victorian spirit in that?

The final dinner too was a let down. He invites people from CBS and NPR so they can give him a bit of press about the whole thing. I think it would have been much more fun if they stuck to the customs of when the cook book was created. It would have been a fun night of make believe. Instead it was a way to get a book deal and television program.

Perhaps this is all too harsh. Kimball does do a good job of collecting a lot of interesting information about Boston, dining customs and odd bits about Victorian life, but it was never enough to outweigh the cons.

Reviewed for LT's Early Reviewers Program.

And then I read this one because...I'm engaged!! He asked me in San Diego right on the beach and it was very romantic. The date is set for this September!!



8. The Bride Instructional Manual: How to Survive and Possibly Even Enjoy the Biggest Day in Your Life by Carrie Denny

Very cutesy, but actually very helpful for a wedding dunce like me. It's put out by Quirk Books who do some really great illustrated books like this one. There's a companion book for Grooms too which my friend also picked up for us. They are a great blend of hilarious and helpful.

Congrats!

Congratulations on getting engaged :) I assumed this would be the surprise you mentioned your boyfriend was hinting at!

And good luck with the wedding planning. If anyone ever asks me, I'll be eloping, because I couldn't bear all the lists and organisation! But I'm sure you'll be great.

Congratulations ! I have their instruction manual for cats which is very funny.

Best wishes for you both!!!

Congratulations, Marie! Will be fun to follow your wedding plans:) Hopefully you will not turn into a bridezilla!;)

Congrats!

Congratulations! Now that's a great weekend!

Very exciting! Congrats!

Congratulations!

Ohmygosh, how exciting! Congrats!!

Congratulations Marie!

Congrats on your engagement!!! Do you have a date in mind yet?

Congratulations! What exciting news! :)

Congratulations, Marie!

Well, then! Congratulations!!! :D

Thank you everyone! We're very excited! We are planning for the wedding to be this September on the 3rd. Lots of planning to do, so I'm sorry if my reading starts becoming a bunch of wedding books. :)

January

1. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
3. Secret Lives of Great Artists: What Your Teachers Never Told You About Master Painters and Sculptors by Elizabeth Lunday
4. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling
5. Running the Books: The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian by Avi Steinberg
6. Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall by Kazuo Ishiguro
7. Fannie's Last Supper: Re-creating One Amazing Meal from Fannie Farmer's 1896 Cookbook by Christopher Kimball
8. The Bride Instructional Manual: How to Survive and Possibly Even Enjoy the Biggest Day in Your Life by Carrie Denny

Favorite: Hmmm. Lots of Harry Potter this month. I'm just now wrapping up the 6th book. My favorite new read was Ethan Frome though. I look forward to reading more by Edith Wharton!

Happy, happy news Marie!! Congrats on your engagement!!

Congratulations Marie!

109/110: Thank you! We've already thrown ourselves into planning mode. I have to say it helps to have 3 sisters!



9. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

Man, I can't help it. I always cry at the end of this one. I've read it a thousand times, but I never prepare myself for what happens. I love this series and it's at this point that I start getting sad there's only one book left...

10. You Know When the Men Are Gone by Siobhan Fallon

You Know When the Men Are Gone is a collection of short stories written about military families stationed at Ft. Hood, TX and what happens when they face long deployments. The loneliness, children growing up without both parents, infidelity, divorce and the happiness of reunions. The author really covered a wide range of topics that military families face.

I have to say this book made me feel a range of emotions. I felt connected because I've been through two deployments with my fiance, but also separate because the Air Force does not normally send their troops for as long as the Army. So I also felt grateful that I've never had to deal with a year long deployment because 4-5 months seems long enough.

I don't think you have to be familiar with the military to enjoy this book. Fallon writes in a way that anyone can feel what these women are feeling and I think it is a good insight into the families that deployed soldiers leave behind.

#111: I will be bawling at the end of that one too. It does not matter that I know what is coming. I am re-reading the series this year, so I will be breaking out the tissues, I know.

#112: I already have that one in the BlackHole.

113: I'm just about to end the 7th one now. The last time I finished book 7 I couldn't read anything for weeks...I swear book depression exists.

But, on a happier note, I'm also about half way through Little Women for my Classic of the month. How did I ever get to be 24 without reading Little Women? I thought maybe I would be turned off by their perfectness, but really I think they are a funny bunch of girls.

114> I really liked Little Women when I was younger. Plus, it completely sold me on unisex names being the best kinds of names...probably why I ended up choosing "Keri" as my nickname (the spelling is deceptive, but it's partly because of Cary Grant and partly because of my great aunt Carrie :P)

115: I think this calls for a handsome picture of Mr. Grant...just because.

>114 RosyLibrarian:: Hey, Marie! I'm with you. Ending a relationship with a character after that many years, is sort of like loosing a real person. Book depression definitely exists!

I haven't read Little Women either, and I'm 28:) But it is somewhere in one of my bookshelves, so I will dig it out soon!

Oh...so many books to read....

How are you by the way? Busy with wedding things?:)

I love Little Women and have since childhood.

I love Little Women and the sequel, Little Men.
But I like to pretend that Jo's Boys never happened.

>116 RosyLibrarian:: *like*

117: Doing really well! Yes, swamped with wedding stuff. We're getting married in our home town so it has been really difficult planning a wedding from 900 miles away, but it's starting to come together slowly. How have you been Bente? Go read Little Women! :)



11. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Well, now I'm ready for the final film due out this year and have made up my mind to not dread the end of the series. The truth about Harry Potter is that it is always waiting for you to pick it up again and the magic never lessens with each re-reading.

Oh, and by the way, never finish reading this book when you are at work or you may run the risk of having your co-workers poke fun at you while you get all misty eyed and nostalgic.

Another Marie! Hello! (I meet so few people whose first name is also Marie) I'm new here and will go back to lurking now.

I'm a couple of weeks behind on all the threads, so I've only just seen your news. Congratulations!

122: So true! Usually I get, "That's my middle name." Rarely do I see it as someone's first name though. Hope you're enjoying the group! :)

123: Thank you Caty!

#121: I am on the re-read of book 4 now. I have no intentions of reading book 7 at my office. That would just be bad :)

12. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Oh my. What to say about a book in which so much has already been said?

Little Women, of course, is the story of the March sisters and their coming of age around the middle of the 1800's. Each sister possesses a set of qualities unique to themselves and I think it is fun for the reader to see something of themselves in each of the girls. I think if I had read this as a younger person I would have chosen one girl as a favorite, but now I think each girl's personality represented a problem that most people face. For Jo it was her temper, for Amy it was her self conceit, etc. I think this shows that a person of any age can take away something from the story.

As for the story itself, I found it very charming. No, not a lot happened, but enough did that it moved the lives along of the little girls into womanhood, with lots of little lessons sprinkled in. Sometimes the tone became a little too moralistic, but when taking the author's era into consideration, it becomes an interesting peek into life at the time.

The ending was certainly a finale exploding with romance, unrequited love, adventure and one very sad chapter on death. I love that Alcott finished the book on an unexpected note and would recommend this book to anyone, young, old or somewhere in between.

#126: One of my favorites from childhood - and still is. I am glad to see you enjoyed the book, Marie!

I need to reread Little Women. It has been years since I last read that one, I was probably in elementary school last time I read it. Glad to see you enjoyed it!

13. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Truly a delightful book. So much so that once I returned my library copy of it, I went and bought myself one.

I Capture the Castle is written in diary format by 17 year old Cassandra Mortmain who lives with her family in a dilapidated English castle. Her father, once a celebrated author, has been struggling to write for years and as such the family falls into poverty. Cassandra is at the age where this begins to matter and her older sister Rose absolutely loathes her life for it.

In enters two wealthy brothers, Neil and Simon, who have come from America to live in the adjoining property and are also owners of the castle the Mortmains occupy. Rose immediately sees in Simon the chance at freedom from her poor, stifling life, though Cassandra knows Rose does not love him.

This sounds like a set up for a typical romantic drama and while it is, this book offers so much more. It's really a book of being right on the edge of everything. Cassandra is a girl right on the edge of being a woman. Her family lives in what sounds like a beautiful, wealthy sounding castle, but they teeter on the edge of poverty. Her father was once a successful writer but struggles to find his edge. It's really quite an astounding book and I was always amazed by the beautiful writing. Highly recommended.

(Side question, would this count as a classic? I've seen it tagged as one and it was published in 1949, but I wanted to ask.)

I've never heard of I Capture the Castle but now I really want to read it! Great review!

I loved I Capture The Castle. It has everything- a good plot, great characters, funny dialogue and a romantic English castle. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

I hadn't thought about it, but I doubt think anyone would quibble about calling it a classic. Though the writing is so fresh it's hard to believe it's that old.

130: Thank you, I'd never heard of it either until LT put it on my radar. It's so magical like that. :)

131: I completely agree about the writing being so fresh. I only noticed it when they talked about what they were wearing our how little they lived on. Can you image your book royalties bringing in 40 pounds and being able to live on it for awhile? It's easy to spend that amount on just going out to dinner!

I read I Capture the Castle last summer and I absolutely adored it. I too got it from the library but I desperately want a copy for my personal collection.

If you're at all interested, I recommend 101 Dalmatians, also by Dodie Smith! One of my favorite Disney films and the book as just as much charm as the movie, as well as the same lovely writing style as I Capture the Castle. I think both of these made it on my favorites list last year!

133: I have to be honest, I had no idea the story of 101 Dalmatians came from her until I saw it on her LT author page. It's funny to be so familiar with the Disney version and have no idea where the original story came from. I'll definitely look for it, thanks for the recommendation!

I read I Capture the Castle last year and LOVED it, though I'd expected to be bored out of my skull. It was one of my best reads in 2010, and I'd love to get a copy for myself. I didn't realize she also wrote 101 Dalmations!

I am also an I Capture the Castle fan. I would definitely put it in the classics category!

# 126: I guess that you read both Little Women and Good Wives - maybe they also come in one edition which makes sense. I loved the second part best (Good Wives) - it's a wonderful coming-of-age story. You gotta love professor Bhaer :)

>129 RosyLibrarian: I've seen I Capture the Castle a few times on LT, but your description of it finally convinced me to add it to my TBR list. Thanks!

135: Yeah, I thought it would just be one of those "okay" books, but the writing alone is worth reading it.

136: I put it there - anything to make me feel better about reading more "classics". :)

137: Yes, I believe so. I actually had no idea it was split into two parts and was temporarily thrown off when they all grew up. I did love Professor Bhaer too and thought him a good match for Jo. I never really liked her and Laurie together.

138: Score! I hope you'll enjoy it. It's marvelous!

And to the two people who thumbed my review, aww, thanks! :)

Nothing new to report in book land. I've been doing that thing where I pick up a couple of books and begin reading each of them and sticking with none of them. I just don't know what I'm in the mood for...

In wedding land, I had my first set back. My fiance and I landed some Groupon deal on a local photographer and the photos ended up being TERRIBLE. We looked so uncomfortable and nothing was flattering about the shots. I guess that's what I get for trying to go the cheap route. So now we're re-shooting some next Saturday. I guess you live, you learn.

Hi there! Just de-lurking to chime in about I Capture the Castle. I first read it when I was 17 years old and LOVED it. It is one that I've read over and over. There is a lovely movie version of it starring Romola Garai.

Little Women is also a fave of mine. We have 4 girls in my family, too, no boys, so I could relate. Of course, we weren't putting on plays in our living room--I am the only performer in the family!

Good luck with your wedding!

Sandy K

140: Thanks for stopping by Sandy! I will go check out the movie version of it.

Aren't sisters wonderful? There were five girls in my family until my youngest sister past away. Actually that particular chapter in Little Women was all the more heartbreaking to read because of my experience. Alcott really captured the suffering of her family waiting for Beth's death.

Anyhow, thanks for the good luck! I really do need it. :)

February

9. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
10. You Know When the Men Are Gone by Siobhan Fallon
11. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
12. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
13. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Favorite: Definitely I Capture the Castle, though all the other books I read (or re-read) this month were good. I had a quality over quantity kind of month too, which was good I think.

Almost done dipping into a little Historical Fiction with Philipa Gregory's The Queen's Fool. I'll be happy to be done with it.

Happy Monday (if there is such a thing)!

14: The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory

The Queen's Fool takes place right as King Edward VI dies and Queen Mary Tudor steps onto the throne. The difference between this book and the rest of Gregory's Tudor series is that it is written from the perspective of the court's Fool, Hannah Green (or Verde).

Hannah and her father came to England from Spain after fleeing the Spanish Inquisition for their Jewish faith. Oh and plus Hannah can see the future and angels. Do you see where this starts to get confusing? Gregory really jam packs a lot of plots into this one and not in a good way.

The writing really got to me too. Her language was very repetitive. "Enough evidence to hang me three time over" was said a lot. And the word "desire". I felt his desire. She laughed with desire. Desire, desire, desire. Oh my goodness.

In my humble opinion the book should have been split into two stories. One with the drama of the Queen Mary and her plotting Protestant sister Elizabeth. One about a girl named Hannah who had the gift of divine seeing, or whatever it was that Gregory used to move the story along. The meshing of the two made for a very strange story.

>143 RosyLibrarian: I totally agree with you on that one. I've read about 5 of Philippa Gregory's books and The Queen's Fool is my second-least favorite. The Hannah part was just weird.

#141 Marie, I'm sorry to hear about your sister. I love the way that Alcott writes about Beth and her relationship with Jo.

Looks like I will give The Queen's Fool a pass. I've eyed several Philippa Gregory books at the library, but haven't picked any up yet.

Sandy K

144: Right? I'm glad you thought so too because a lot of reviews really raved about her character and I thought she was such a strange one. It was such a departure from her other novels which for the most part I've really enjoyed. Which novel was your least favorite?

145: I started in chronological order with Gregory's books and have enjoyed them that way. Her first one centered around the Tudors is The Constant Princess which follows Catherine of Aragon before, during and after her marriage to King Henry VIII. They are kind of wordy books, but I think they really let you get inside the head of these royal women.

>146 RosyLibrarian: My least favorite was Earthly Joys, not that I hated it. I just thought the relationships/emotions felt forced, and it was long and tedious and I don't care about botany one bit. My favorite one so far is The Boleyn Inheritance. Gregory is really at her best when she's writing multiple viewpoints, and I love the contrast between the three least-famous of Henry VIII's wives.

For anyone first starting with Philippa Gregory's books, I would definitely recommend The Constant Princess. It's a good one, and it's chronologically first, and it's shorter than the others :-)

147:I read that one too and agree with the long and tedious and also not caring (or very good) at botany. I almost forget she wrote that book when you compare it to her Tudor books. AND I also liked The Boleyn Inheritance. That was a book where the viewpoints worked and she wrote each one so differently that the women really felt separate from one another, even if they were twisted together by history.

What I like most about Philippa Gregory is her ability to make you sympathize with these royal women. For instance Queen (Bloody) Mary is vilified by history, but Gregory really shows what a product of their circumstances these women are. You wouldn't think to pity a women who sent so many people to their deaths for their beliefs, but Gregory doesn't hide that fact. She just explains Mary's side.

Thanks, Marie and norabelle414! I will look for The Constant Princess. I also really liked the film version of The Other Boleyn Girl. Have you read that one? I usually find that if I like a film, I will also like the book, since the book will have so much more depth of character.

Have you ever read anything by Sharon Kay Penman?

Sandy K

149: Thanks for the friend request. :)

I did go see The Other Boleyn Girl when it came out and thought it was pretty good. I'm always a fan of Natalie Portman though and Eric Bana made a good King Henry VIII. The book is addictive. I remember I took it on a trip with me and pretty much stayed glued to it. It might be my favorite book by her, though Anne Boleyn makes a good topic for any writer.

I haven't heard of Sharon Kay Penman, what does she write?

Sharon Kay Penman is also a historical fiction writer. I've only read one book by her so far--Here Be Dragons, which is set in 13th century Wales. The title sort of makes it sound like a fantasy book, but it's not. I guess that "Here be dragons" was a phrase put on maps used to label uncharted areas. I really liked it, great period detail and engrossing story. Apparently, the book is the first in a trilogy, but I haven't sought out the other two yet.

Now that you mention it, the ONE thing that bothered me about the film version of The Other Boleyn Girl was that Eric Bana did not dye his hair red to play Henry VIII, a famous redhead! His acting was wonderful, though.

Sandy K

I'll have to check her out! I like historical fiction, but actually a lot of it has been contained to the Tudors. I should reach outside my comfort zone. :)

And oh my goodness, you're right. Eric Bana so was not a red head, but he was pretty cute! Maybe Mary Boleyn wasn't a blonde either, though I do remember reading somewhere she was much fairer than her sister.

Hi Marie! I'm with you on Eric Bana--good looking man!

Hope you're having a good Friday!

Sandy K

15. The Great Fitness Experiment: One Year of Trying Everything by Charlotte Hilton Andersen

Well, I guess I didn't expect anything life altering about this book, and I was right. It made for an interesting, light, Sunday afternoon read about a woman's goal to work through a bunch of mainstream exercise regiments.

What I didn't bargain for was this woman's issues with anorexia and over-exercising. I mean, it's no laughing matter, and combined with her crazy fitness experiment, I really wondered if this is what she should be focusing on. I felt kind of uncomfortable as the reader.

(Also, this is picky, but she put a lot of "humor" in parenthesis. A lot.)

Reviewed for LT's Early Reviewers Program.

Touchstones not working...

Looks like one I'll skip, but thanks for the review.

155: It is totally skip-able, but I wanted to get my unreviewed ER books down to at least one. :) Mrs. Ames is next on the list...

In classic-of-the-month news I finally got past the part in Gone With the Wind where I usually put down the book and wonder how people can read it. A lot of people have told me to be patient through the first eight or so chapters and of course, they were right. Now things are finally taking off!

>156 RosyLibrarian:: Congrats on GWTW! I haven't gotten to that one yet, but I totally understand getting stuck in a rut when reading the classics.

Well, fiddle-dee-dee!

Which part of Gone with the Wind did you normally get stuck on? I first read it the summer that I was 15 years old. I bought a used hardback copy of the book at the Goodwill store for a quarter! I made it my summer vacation project. It took me about 2 weeks to read it, and I loved it. I re-read it again sometime in my 30's and still loved it. I hope you enjoy!

Sandy K

*teeny tiny ashamed voice* I've been working on GWTW since September.

Ha, that made me laugh so hard, your *teeny tiny ashamed voice*!

It once took me 3 tries and 5 YEARS to read Jane Eyre. I kept getting stuck at the same part. Finally, I just took a bookmark and held it under each line as I read, and that helped me stayed focused and I made it through the dull bit. I ended up loving that book. I still do that bookmark thing when I read, because I have a bad habit of skimming if I get the slightest bit bored.

Sandy K

159/161: I could never get past the first few chapters. The slow, very descriptive way she described every seemingly meaningless interaction. And then of course there's the character of Scarlett herself. You really have to brace yourself for such a selfish character and once you do things go a bit more smoothly.

Good idea on the bookmark thing! I'm going to try that the next time I start going cross-eyed.

160: Ha ha, don't worry, that was me and American Gods last year. I think it took me six months.

16. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

"As long as there is war, life is a preventative measure."

Haunting. The Cellist of Sarajevo follows the lives of several different characters as they try to survive the Bosnian War that has broken out in their country and the siege of their city. The writing is effectively simplistic. It actually reminded me of The Book Thief in it's frank portrayal of people surviving the unspeakable actions of war. What is so unimaginable to us becomes so ordinary to people who live day to day not knowing if they will remain alive tomorrow. It also becomes a battle to stay human when so much remains outside of one's control.

The description of the book makes it sounds as if it's talking about an event that took place a long, long time ago, but in reality it was in the early 1990's. It's strange to think I was five or six at the time, blissfully unaware that this was going on in the world when others weren't so lucky. This book has really compelled me to do more research about the Bosnian conflict.

When I'm reading a fat book that I just can't seem to get through, I set myself short goals, for example, 30 pages a day. If I finish my daily goal, I get to read something fluffy. Also, if I read more than my goal, I can put those pages towards tomorrow's goal. If I read less, I have to make that up the next day.

It's probably a lot more work than just reading the darn book, but it seems to motivate me :-)

>163 RosyLibrarian: I loved The Cellist of Sarajevo when I read it!

164: It's funny how every person has a trick to get through a slow part of a book (or maybe the whole book). I'm trying to think about mine...I don't know that I do though. I usually just try to make my environment more pleasant by turning on music, grabbing a blanket or making some tea. Anything that motivates reading is good!

165: Thanks for stopping by! It is a great read, albeit a very stark one.

Hey, Marie!
How are you? Trying to catch up a little, I think I added I Capture the Castle to my wishlist, way back up there:)

I hope you are doing fine and that your wedding is coming along great:)

167: I Capture the Castle is a lot of fun. The movie version is on Netflix too, so I've been meaning to sit down and watch it.

Doing fine, just busy busy with work, wedding stuff and I just applied for Grad school. I think I'm crazy for wanting to go back, but if I don't do it soon I'll never do it.

The wedding is coming along! I'm going back to my hometown in May (where the wedding is) so I can tie up some loose ends and make sure everything is on for September. I just bought my dress last week! Yay!

I'm glad you're back on LT!

Also adding I Capture the Castle to my wishlist. Thanks for the review!

Hi, I'm glad you've discovered I Capture the Castle - it's a wonderful book, isn't it. Also (though very different) the Cellist of Sarajevo.

169/170: I can now also say that I recommend the movie! If you have Netflix, it's instantly streaming at the moment.

I've been quiet this month, but I'm just about done with Gone With the Wind and then I can move on to something new. I've been thinking about how I want to review it and honestly the book covers so much that I'm not even sure where to begin.

17. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

This is the first time I've ever read Gone With the Wind and I feel emotionally spent after finishing it. The moment I turned the last page, I thought, this can't be it. I'm too invested in the story to have it end and end the way it did. Some times the plot seemed to stretch on forever and just like that, BAM, it was over.

It's hard to even say if I loved this book for at times I felt so angry with the war, the characters and the slow pace of the book. But honestly, I loved all of these elements too, which is why I feel so conflicted about this book. Sometimes I felt as if I understood Scarlett and admired her determination. Other times I wanted to yell at her and shake her silly for being so selfish and terrible to her children. And Rhett...oh, Rhett Butler.

Ah, I think I need more time to think about everything I just read. Gone With the Wind seems to be one of those books you have to digest, even after it's over.

When I grew up TV didn't come on until 3:00 in the afternoon and there were no such things as computers. If I didn't have anything else to read I would grab GWTW and open it up to a random page and start reading. It's amazing I didn't have it memorized.

173: Ah, I love books like that and I'm surprised you didn't memorize it too!

Edited for a misspelling.

#168: Grad school is very hard work, but definitely worth it when you're done! You learn very much, not only the subject you chose to study, but also very effective working methods.

Though I had my trials when I was in the middle of it, I do not regret it for a single day:)

What do you want to study?

175: What did you study Bente? I'm glad you didn't regret it. I don't think I will either. I've been weighing my options very carefully for the past few years and have finally decided to go for it...in library science, what else? :)

I've been working in museums with an art history degree for the past few years, but I've been longing to go back to school and wind up in a library setting. The most ideal mash up of the two would be a small library in an art museum. Doesn't that sound dreamy?

But in reality I'm marrying a military man and it's a flexible career path since there are always libraries on base and in the towns/cities of where we move to.

So, I'm just waiting to hear back on my application. Wish me luck. :)

18. Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue

Well, I wanted to see what all the buzz was about with this book and after reading it I can understand why it has so many people talking. It's a very unique book in that it deals with the very serious topic of kidnapping and rape from the perspective of the child produced from these events. I really can't think of another book like this, though I don't usually seek this kind of thing out.

Gripping, dark, but ultimately hopeful and recommended.

I loved Room. Like you, I wouldn't normally go for "this kind of thing" but I think it actually defies catagorisation. The mother/child relationship seemed very real and believable to me.

178: I completely agree. Their relationship kept me rooting for them the whole time. She was so patient and always answered Jack's questions so beautifully. It seems insufficient to say what a strong character she was. I just can't imagine going through that kind of hell. It's easy to tell yourself it's only a book, but knowing it does happen in real life makes one feel sick about the whole thing.

I was just amazed by how authentic the voice of the child narrator seemed.

180: Me too. I have a niece about Jack's age and she LOVES Dora the Explorer and it made the reading experience that much more poignant. She's always saying, "Swiper no swiping!"

#176: I have a MA in history...medieval Norwegian history to be more specific:)

Library science sounds terrific! I'm almost embarrassed to say I didn't even know such a study/course existed until I had already started my MA. *blushing*

Nowadays I'm lunching every day with the county library people:) The office is on the floor above me, so I get my share of literature talk almost every day (the library itself is not located in the same building though).

My fingers are crossed for you, Marie!!

Well, no news on grad school, BUT my fiance just got orders to move yesterday. Looks like we're leaving Arizona and heading to South Carolina! Charleston to be exact. I've never been, but I'm really excited to be moving. This year has been crazy, I don't know how I'll read 75 books!

It's been really funny telling people today because their first reaction is, "Is this an April Fools joke?" But no, it totally is not. :)

Good luck with the move, Marie!

184: Thanks Stasia! Good to see you stopping by. :)

March

14: The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory
15. The Great Fitness Experiment: One Year of Trying Everything by Charlotte Hilton Andersen
16. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
17. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
18. Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue

Favorite: Gone With the Wind, because well, it's Gone With the Wind.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend. Tomorrow I'm off to our Friend's of the Library sale, though I shouldn't since I'm just going to have to pack up all my books in a few months...oh well!

I cannot wait to see the haul from the library sale!

Charleston is one of the places I've been wanting to see for a couple of years now. I hope you love it!

I don't know if you're into tea, but the only tea plantation in the US is just outside of Charleston and it's worth a visit.

187: Well, funny story, the library sale is next week. I was so sad, but I guess I can look forward to next weekend.

188: I hope so too! We're very excited to be switching things up.

189: I am a lover of all tourist attractions. Since we move so much with the military I make it my goal to visit everything at every new place we go, so I appreciate the heads up! I do like tea and I have never been to a Southern plantation before.

19. At Home: A Short History of a Private Life by Bill Bryson

I love Bill Bryson, so any book I read of his is worth doing so. If I'm being honest with myself though, I think this might be my least favorite to date. I found it very random rather than the subject it is intended to be about. You follow Bryson on a tour of his own home and each room is given it's own chapter of history, stories, random musing, etc. All of it was interesting of course, but left me wondering what the intention of the book was.

Still, Bryson is never a bad read.

Edited to fix the book cover.

20. Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage by Elizabeth Gilbert

If I had read this at any other point in my life I might not have been so interested, but since I am getting married this year I've been poking through many a matrimonial themed book. When last I read a Gilbert book, Eat, Pray, Love, I closed the book feeling thoroughly "Gilberted out". I am happy to report this wasn't the case for Committed.

This time Gilbert meshes the personal and the academic. She goes in depth to talk about the history of marriage and especially how it has effected women. This was especially interesting to me and I appreciated her insight both through study and personal experience. The balance she kept up through most of the book made all the difference for me.

#191: I imagine I will get to that one of Bryson's eventually since I am also a fan of his.

Well, I guess since the library sale is next weekend, you have something to look forward to all week long, right?

>191 RosyLibrarian: Oh, I think I will hold off on that one for a while then. There are still a few others of his I want to get to.

When I got married last year, my boss gave me Committed to read before the wedding. I'm glad I read it - I especially liked seeing how marriages work in other countries.

Are you moving, Marie? Wow, that's pretty far, too! Will you live by the coast? How's the climate there compared to where you live now? Is it difficult to move that often, to leave friends (maybe family) and having to get to know new people all the time?

Sorry! Hope you don't mind me asking:)

193/194: Bryson is one of those authors I can pick up when ever I'm not sure what to read next. It's nice having an author who you know will be consistently entertaining, even if their book doesn't turn out like you expected.

195: Me too! You have to admire a woman who can conduct interviews in places like Laos.

196: I don't mind you asking. :) Yes, this will be the first time I'm living on the coast and the Atlantic coast at that. The climate is much different as far as I can tell. I'm going from a desert to a place that has an actual hurricane season!

Since my fiance is military I've been moving around for awhile now. We're from Nevada and then I went to Portland and then a year in England to Arizona and now to Charleston. It's been an adventure and one I'm glad we're undertaking together. It's not always easy to leave people behind, but the great thing is that new friends await too. The packing/unpacking I could do without. :)

#197: The packing/unpacking I could do without.

I know how that feels! Kerry and I moved about every 6 months for the first 7 years of our married life. Good luck to you with the newest move.

198: 6 months! I don't know how you did it because I often feel disjointed moving every 3-4 years.

It does become unsettled. Luckily, we have changed patterns now :)

Hi Marie!! I have to get around to reading Bryson again. I just finished Eat Pray Love and I think I liked a bit more than most. Did you watch the movie? I placed a hold on it at the library and am waiting, I think I'm the 100th person to reserve it, so it will be awhile. I'm glad to hear you liked Commited: A Sceptic Makes Peace with Marriage. I was thinking about reading that one next. Good Luck with the move I hope everything goes as planned!!!

201: Hi Tammy! I actually just watched the movie last night and I love anything Julia Roberts does so I thought the movie was well cast. Felipe - Javiar Bardem (sp?) - in particular does a beautiful performance. Once you watch it we will have to compare notes.

I hope you'll like Committed. From the reviews it seems that those who didn't love Eat, Pray, Love liked Committed and those who loved EPL don't seem to think Committed lives up as a sort of sequel. Guess we'll see! :)

21. Bossypants by Tina Fey

So with moving, marriage, graduate school applications and a probable government shut down happening, I needed some brain candy.

Thank goodness for Tina Fey's brand of humor. Her new book is short, sweet and completely lovable. It was an interesting glimpse into the world of SNL and show business. I hope she'll write more in the future.

I am glad you found a BC book that worked for you, Marie!

22. Footsteps in the Dark by Georgette Heyer

I've been saying for awhile now that I wanted to try Georgette Heyer and I'm glad I did. I don't often read mysteries, but since this one dates back to the 1930's(?), it didn't have that mystery thriller tone that so many modern mysteries have. Footsteps in the Dark had that charming English humor thrown in and the women were not damsels in distress.

The ending was not altogether a big shock, but the plot was nice and tidy. I'll be on the look out for more from Heyer. Any suggestions? I know she does more romance novels too.

Edited for typos, the picture not working and other Friday-morning-without-coffee mistakes.

Two that are going on my list! I like just about anything Tina Fey does.

I really want to read Tina Fey's book! I've been hearing loads of good stuff about it!

I've only read some of Heyer's romances, but really enjoyed them. I can't remember which ones I've read, False Colors and These Old Shades I think? Roni (ronincats) gave me lots of recomendations as to which ones she thought were better, so you might want to ask her. :)

So many delightful reads for you so far. Gone with the Wind is a favourite of mine that I tend to pick up annually. I'll often follow it up with Scarlett (the authorized sequel) so that I can have an extra dose of Rhett and Scarlett. Several books/authors you've read that I already have on my TBR list, so I've starred you and will keep an eye on your reading.

I wish you much luck with your grad school application. I just completed my MLIS this week (yay!) and I hope your experience is excellent.

Hey, Marie! Sorry for being such a slow responder!! Wow, you have moved a lot! I only moved away from my city when I was studying (six years away) and found that enough. Always felt kind of home sick, missing the salty sea air, the seaguls and mild winters. Where are you from, originally? Have you been together long?

Hope everything is fine and superduper!!:) Have a fantalicious day!

206: I love Tina Fey too, but actually haven't tried 30 Rock. Do you watch that show?

207: I hope you'll like it. It's fun. And thanks for the recommendations. I think maybe I would like her romance books more since mystery isn't really my genre. I'll have to track Roni for some more suggestions. :)

208: Thanks for dropping by and congratulations on your MLIS! I was accepted last week and am excited to get going. I'm also glad to hear you say that you liked Scarlett because I was being kind of wishy washy about picking it up. I think it does help that it was authorized though and actually I think I remember reading it was based in Charleston, so maybe I really need to look into it.

209: Hey Bente! If my hometown had mild winters and salty sea air I would be home sick too. It sounds lovely. My hometown is a small little town in Northern Nevada (about 7 hours from Las Vegas). It's small, dusty and way too easy to get into trouble there, but it's home never the less. :) My fiance is actually from there too, but moved to England when he joined the military which is where we started dating. So I've known him forever, but we've been dating four years this year.

23. Ronia, the Robber's Daughter by Astrid Lindgren

I think this children's book can best be described as Robin Hood meets Romeo and Juliet. It centers around two feuding robber families who live in the same forest stealing from travelers. Each family has a child who grows up to meet one another, much to the disappointment and anger of their respective families. The relationship between the two children, Ronia and Birk, is sweet and I found this to be a charming story from the Swedish author of Pippi Longstocking, Astrid Lindgren. This would probably be a great story to read with children in grade school.

I received this book from SantaThing, so thank you to my secret Santa!

>210 RosyLibrarian: Yes, I watch it and it's so funny. I record NBC's Thursday night line-up so we never miss it. "Community" is also a favorite.

Didn't know Lindgren from anything other than her P.L. series, so this looks good.

ALWAYS happy to get another person to truly appreciate Heyer!

Congratulations on completing your MLIS!

>210 RosyLibrarian: Thanks for the congrats! Congrats to you for getting in!

Scarlett does have a big chunk in Charleston but there's also quite a bit set in Ireland. It's a fun read for me and I enjoyed it far more than Rhett Butler's People which I found to be a disappointment.

Ronia looks like fun. Hope your next read is a gooder!

24. Shakespeare: The World as Stage by Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson is very upfront with the fact that there is little we know about William Shakespeare. Therefore this book is what we do know, plus a lot of what it was like to be alive at the time of Shakespeare. I thought maybe this would deter me from getting into the book, but it paints a wonderful picture and only adds to the mysterious allure of the great playwright.

Recommended because it's Bill Bryson, who makes everything interesting.

I agree about Bryson. I especially enjoy listening to him read his own work on audio. I haven't read Shakespeare: the world as stage yet, so may have to check it out.

April

19. At Home: A Short History of a Private Life by Bill Bryson
20. Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage by Elizabeth Gilbert
21. Bossypants by Tina Fey
22. Footsteps in the Dark by Georgette Heyer
23. Ronia, the Robber's Daughter by Astrid Lindgren
24. Shakespeare: The World as Stage by Bill Bryson

Favorite: Eh. I feel like I didn't have a great reading month. Life has been a crazy mess of work, starting school, moving details and wedding, wedding, wedding. I'm starting to wonder if I'll hit 75 books this year. I feel like I really need a good comforting book. Any suggestions?

I have the Bill Bryson on my audio wishlist. Glad to hear you enjoyed it.

25. This Book Is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All by Marilyn Johnson

Johnson's book delves into the issues surrounding information and how libraries and the people who staff them are far from obsolete. It's an inspiring read, full of people who go above and beyond to shape the future of this important field.

My one criticism might be how unorganized the book sometimes feels, but Johnson's enthusiasm for this topic kept me reading to the end.

26. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

I'd never read this book before, but it seemed like a good time to read a book by an author who produced one of my favorites, The Secret Garden.

It's a sweet, straight forward little tale that follows a girl whose fortunes turn around after a tragedy. You'll root for her and her companions and one can see why it's remained such a classic story after all this time. The moral is a simple one, you reap what you sow.

Cute, but I think The Secret Garden remains my favorite by Hodgson Burnett.

>220 RosyLibrarian: I really loved This Book Is Overdue when I read it last year, although as a recently minted librarian, I might be a little biased. ;)

Johnson's book The Dead Beat about obituaries is also a really fascinating read.

222: I wondered about The Dead Beat. I'll have to keep my eye out for it.

Wasn't A Little Princess made into a movie with Shirley Temple? One of the less sacharin of her movies, IMO.

I've enjoyed both The Secret Garden and Little Lord Flaunteroy - I've seen the movie version of A Little Princess from 1995 several times. It's a wonderful production, although I heard that they changed the ending from the novel. So I wonder if I should read "the original" and perhaps spoil the pleasure of the movie-ending....ah well, it's all fiction.

224: I believe you are right, though I have only seen one Shirley Temple movie and that was Heidi. I see a lot of her films streaming on Netflix most of the time.

225: I believe I actually own the DVD version of the 1995 film because it came with the 1993 version of The Secret Garden - one of my all time favorite movies. I guess now that I've read the book I can watch the movie and let you know - thanks for the reminder!

The Little Princess was one of my favorite reads as a child. I would read it over and over again. I still have my original very worn pink paperback copy. For some reason, The Secret Garden didn't speak to me in the same way.

227: I think if I had read The Little Princess when I was little I would have felt more connected to it for sure. Since I grew up dreaming of being Mary Lennox and surrounding myself in a magical English garden, the story has always stuck with me more. :)

Hi there. Congrats on the MLIS and the (impending?) wedding. And a move in the middle of all this?? Oy! Good luck! :)

229: Thanks, school starts in July so I'm getting excited to go back. And yep, married September 3rd and in Charleston by the 25th. It's been a whirlwind year. :)

Wow! A whirlwind year indeed for you, Marie!

27. The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

I love when I have the chance to read a book in the place where it occurs. I read Great Expectations when I lived abroad in London and Fugitives and Refugees when I lived in Portland, Oregon. It just makes you feel surrounded in the words you are reading. So, since I know I am moving cross country this September I thought I had better push all the Tucson, Arizona books I have to the top of the' to be read' list.

And wow, I am so glad I did. The Bean Trees is an amazing book. The writing is absolutely beautiful. It follows the story of Taylor who leaves her one horse town in Kentucky and heads west with no destination in mind. While stopped in Oklahoma she is handed a baby girl whom she names Turtle and continues on her way until she ends up in Tucson. There she meets a set of characters so wonderful you want to hug them all.

The way she describes Tucson was also a highlight of this book for me. I'm not from here and neither was Taylor so I felt connected to her as she talked about her new foreign surroundings. When she mentioned the sound of cicadas in the air being so strange to her I knew exactly what she was talking about. It was one of the first things I noticed when I moved down here.

Beautiful and recommended. I will be on the look out for more from Kingsolver.

I've only read one of hers - The Poisonwood Bible - and I loved it, but somehow never got around to reading any others even though I've picked up two or three of them. The Bean Trees is one that I have around here somewhere and you've piqued my interest again.

Very much agreed about reading books in the places they occur. I love that! I just had an accidental instance of that recently. I was listening to Craig Ferguson's American on Purpose while driving up I-5 from San Francisco to Oregon, and at one point he was talking about driving down I-5 from Vancouver to L.A., and started describing the exact area I was in, down to a casino I was just passing, albeit in the opposite direction.

Hope you can get those Tuscon books read! (Do you have any Charleston books ready? :)

Hi, Marie! How are you?

I can see you have done a lot of good reading lately:) I'm glad you liked Ronia, the Robber's Daughter. For generations Scandinavian children have been blessed with the writings of Astrid Lindgren, and Ronja is one of her well known characters. I guess, to us, many of her books and characters are equally known and enjoyed.

Here are some other tips if you'd like to read more of Lindgren, her books are like tiny treasure chests:
The Pippi Longstocking series (Pippi Långstrump)
Karlsson-on-the-Roof series (Karlsson på taket)
Emil of Lönneberga (Emil i Lönneberga)
The Bill Bergson series (Mästerdetektiven Blomkvist)
Madicken
Seacrow Island (Tjorven Vi på Saltkråkan)
The Children of Noisy Village (Barnen i Bullerbyn)
Mio, my Mio (also known as Mio, my Son) (Mio, min Mio)
The Brothers Lionheart (Bröderna Lejonhjärta)
The Children on Troublemaker Street

I have not read all of the books, but they did make many of them in to tv-series. In Swedish of course, but that does not matter to us:)

I added The Bean Trees to my wishlist. Sounds great!

Oh, and are you starting school in July? What happens when you move? Aiks...school in summer ;) (even though it is uni)...

I can highly recommend Prodigal Summer by Kingsolver. I think I enjoyed it even more than The Poisonwood Bible, though that is by far her most well known work. Having put Prodigal Summer on my wishlist, I see my mum has it in her library, so I might go on a thieving mission.

I loved The Secret Garden as a child, but I adored The Little Princess.

(Up on soapbox) Almost all movie versions of The Little Princess have changed the ending.

Caution, spoilers follow! Don't read below if you don't want to know!
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And by changing the ending to a "happy" ending, they destroy some of the major value of such books for children. I mean, no one ever pretends that Mary Lennox's parents didn't really die in The Secret Garden, do they? By reading about children dealing with loss and grief, children learn how to cope with such things when they happen to themselves. They have models they have internalized. So when the movies end with "Oh, Daddy didn't die after all, it was all a big mistake", it really ruins the story for me. I find it MUCH more meaningful that Sara is rescued by the person who does it in the book. Ah, perhaps it is just the school psychologist in me coming out, but I hate it when they pretty things up from classic books, thereby taking out a good deal of what made it classic and beloved and connected.

(end of rant and spoiler)

233: That sounds like a magical moment! I can't believe you were passing that exact casino. Did you enjoy Craig Ferguson's book? I've been kind of on the fence about his late night show so I wasn't sure if he made a better author.

I am actually reading a Charleston book at the moment because I am anxious to be there, but it's turning out to be a real bust. (South of Broad by Pat Conroy)

234: Hey Bente! I got accepted before I knew I was moving so I am going to do the distance thing from Charleston. Turns out they don't have the program there anyways, or at least not that I could find.

Thanks for the heads up on Lindgren. It's funny the different things we grow up with in different countries. I've always been aware of Lindgren but only because of Pippi Longstocking. I didn't realize she was such a prolific writer.

235: Thanks for the recommendation of Prodigal Summer. I am going to head to the library today and see if it's available because I thought she was an excellent author. I hope you'll enjoy it too! :)

236: How strange that they all changed the ending to The Little Princess because you're right, Mary Lennox's parents died in the movie version and in quite a scary way. (The sound of the elephant still haunts me.)

I also wholeheartedly agree with your thoughts about children needing to cope with loss and grief. My mother passed away when I was ten and I remember latching on to a few different literary characters. (Mary Lennox, Mary Anne from the Baby-sitters Club, etc etc.) I have a feeling if I had seen A Little Princess when I was small it might have upset me, but now I want to go check it out to see what you mean.

Marie, the crazy thing is that the original ending to The Little Princess is wonderful and uplifting--it didn't NEED to be changed. It was a working through of the process, not a denial of it. Sigh.

>237 RosyLibrarian:: I really liked American on Purpose, but I'm also a big fan of his show. And I love his delivery, so even though I'm sure I would've found the book funny if I'd read it, I think it was enhanced for me by hearing him read it. (That Scottish accent doesn't hurt either. I think I could happily sit through a reading of Twilight if it was done in a Scottish accent. :)

Interesting, these conversations about the Frances Hodgson Burnett books. I somehow missed the books as a kid and only know them as movies. Now I want to track them down.

239: I didn't think it needed to be changed either, which is why I'm surprised to hear that it had been. SPOILERS! I mean, I guess it's "sweet" that her father comes back for her in the movie, but the Indian Gentleman becomes a father figure for her and it seems unreasonable that she would hear that her father passed away when he hadn't. Now I really need to go check out the movie version.

240: Ooo, yes, Scottish accents are always good in my book too. Can you imagine the love scenes in Twilight done in a Scottish accent? "Aye lassie, I am a wee bit of a vampire!" Ha ha ha! I do really like to listen to audiobooks read by the author. I'll have to keep an eye out for American on Purpose.

#241

I don't think that in WWI it was so unlikely for someone to be pronounced dead or MIA and for that not to be the case. It was, while not widespread, something that happened. When you consider the horrors that trench warfare brings about, it was often that dogtags were the only form of identification, and if these became lost or muddled.........

However, I HATE people who change the story from books to films. It's an utter pet-hate of mine, and I pretty much refuse to watch any film where I know the story has been altered. Then again, I'm not a big fan of films of books full stop - so many are ruined.

242: I completely agree that wars do muddle identification (even today), but I believe Captain Crewe died previous to WWI in India. Still, I can see it being plausible that his death was misrepresented from such a distance, but it seems a stretch constructed for a perfect Hollywood ending.

I hate it too when they change something so monumental for the sake of silver screen magic. It feels like a slap in the face to the readers who have loved the characters for so long.

I am a Barbara Kingsolver lover too, Marie. I have not read a book by her, either fiction or nonfiction, that I have not enjoyed - although I have not read her entire backlist yet!

28. South of Broad by Pat Conroy

I picked up this book to see what I could see about a story taking place in Charleston, where I am moving later this year. In this I was not disappointed. Conroy has a reverence for The Holy City (named for it's many churches) and it was evident in the way he wrote about it.

In other ways I was very disappointed. This novel was steeped in melodrama and characters so stereotypical I wanted to put the book down a few times. The recipe for this book was strange. The main character was Leo King who collects a band of misfit friends that includes a pair of sexually abused twins, the elite of Charleston, some orphans, and a few other odds and ends.

The way he wrote about all of their relationships was interesting, but the characters themselves were so dull. He wrote to no end about one of them that turned into a movie star. She was mind numbingly stereotypical in that she slept with every movie star possible to reach to the top and left a trail of divorces behind her. And the way he spoke of her beauty, oh my goodness, it became so repetitive.

In short, the plot seemed overcrowded, the characters one dimensional, but the writing and the way he connected the characters was worth it. I would be interested to read more from Conroy since many of the reviews I read said this was not his best effort.

Sorry to see you did not enjoy South of Broad more, Marie. I really liked it. If you are interested in Conroy's nonfiction, his My Reading Life is very good.

I'd also recommend Conroy's Beach Music and Lords of Discipline - both fiction; and The Water is Wide is a memoir about his early teaching career and is really good.

246/247: Thank you for the recommendations, I will revisit Conroy in the future because I thought the writing was great. :)

Happy Friday everyone! I am going on vacation for the rest of the month to Nevada - my home town. I'm looking forward to finishing up Mrs. Ames and Mansfield Park while I'm there, plus lots and lots of wedding planning!

Have a great weekend!

Have a wonderful holiday, Marie!!:) It is nice to go home once in a while!

Have a great vacation, Marie! Good luck with the wedding plans!

Hi Marie!! I added The Bean Trees to my wish list and thumbed your review. Wishing you Happy Wedding Planning!!

I'm back from Nevada and moving to a new thread!