cameling's reading slumber room - Couch #1

January Reads
Told in the Coffee House - Cyrus Adler
Journal of an Ordinary Grief - Mahmoud Darwish
When the Devil Holds the Candle - Karin Fossum
Sanchez Across the Street - Barbara Mujica
The Three Evangelists - Fred Vargas
The Nonesuch - Georgette Heyer
There Came Both Mist and Snow - Michael Innes
Along Came Trouble - Sherryl Woods
French Milk - Lucy Knisley
The Draining Lake - Arnaldur Indridason
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - Helen Simonson
The Grand Inquisitor's Manual - Jonathan Kirsch

Slumber room? When do you ever sleep?!? If you're not on a plane, you're debauching your way through the fleshpots of Massachusetts. *sigh* I wish I had your stamina.

I can dream, can't I? I am planning on doing some slumbering tomorrow or Sunday after I exhaust myself with last minute Christmas shopping and gift wrapping.

I suppose this isn't the moment to talk about the piece of pumpkin pecan spice bread I just ate, warm from the oven and slathered in butter, is it? Oh, yeah, I made the batch in celebration of finishing all my Xmas cards.

*smirk*

Found you! Happy Christmas for next weekend!

OK, if you are providing the couch, I guess I will lay down on it every now and again!

Glad to see you back with us, Caro!

Who's slumbering around here? Well, as long as it's you Caro, that's okay. You deserve it!

#4 : I don't pecans so your bread is safe from me, Richard. Now if you made pumpkin and apple spiced bread on the other hand ......

Cards done but no shopping was attempting due to sheer fear of facing the crowds in the malls.

#5 : Thanks Cushla and a very happy Christmas to you next weekend too.

#6 : I brought in an extra large, super comfortable couch, complete with fleece and silk throws and large cushions, Stas, so feel free to come in and lounge about whenever you please. I'm tired with all the recent adventures, so I'm going to just snuggle in a little corner and go to sleep now.

#7 : Wake me when breakfast is ready please, Marky-Mark.

#8: I like the sounds of that couch, Caro!

Sleep well, my friend.

Caro -

A reading/slumber room sounds great to me.

I left a message for you over on Facebook re: the Ghengis Kahn book.

Tell us about the fabulous food you eat over the Holidays.

Have wonderful and fun-filled times now and into the New Year.

Hey Caro!

A reading/slumber room sounds great....I'll send folks to your place after they eat/drink/be merry at my Honky Tonk/Snuggery/Used Book Store, for much-needed naps....maybe we can work out a referral deal!!

****STARRED*** you as usual!

;-}

edited for garbled thoughts

Hi Caroline! You got away from me this year, you naughty thing you. I plan to reform.

So my lesson for today .... if you're going to sneeze ... switch off and PUT DOWN the hand mixer or you'll have buttercream frosting flying all over the place *sigh* ....(grumbling at the massive clean up this afternoon)

#9 : I was planning on going to sleep and then made the mistake of switching the tv on and got caught up in Little Women on TCM.

#10 : Ruthie, the message you left ended up truncated in my message box ... was it part of a review you wrote?

I don't know about fabulous food, since it looks like I may be cooking most of the meals over the holiday weekend with my MIL being busy visiting my FIL in hospital everyday and being stressed out with worry. I am going to have to start thinking of the menu for Friday through Sunday tomorrow though.

I just made some triple chocolate cookies and applesauce cookies today. I still have malted oat cookies and spiced nut palmiers to do before Friday.

#11 : Better yet, Jude .. we'll just set up my Slumber Room next to your Honky Tonk/Snuggery/Used Book Store.

#12 : Hey there, Charlotte. Thanks for finding me again ... I get lost myself in the 75ers group. Peek in whenever you have the chance. :-)

Oh gasp...cookies! I don't do cookies any more..I'd eat all of them and be big as a house....Triple Chocolates are definitely good for the Chocoholics.....i won't comment on the others or i'll drool on my keyboard..

You can set up your Couches anywhere close by my erstwhile Honky Tonk...etc

;-"

Just waving 'hello,' Caro!

Waving Hi! Looking forward to 2011 reads and adventures.

#14 : Alas, half the applesauce cookies have already made their way into my stomach. Arrrggh.... i'm going to have to try and make some more tomorrow.

I don't make cookies too often anymore. I find I need some motivation to start the process, but once I get started I really enjoy making them ..... and eating them when they're just out of the oven.

#15 : Hello there, Stas. Thanks for dropping by today

#16 : Hi Laura. I'm looking forward to it too ... and i hope i can keep up. ;-)

Had to make cookies myself, yesterday for the cookie swap at work tomorrow. Haven't touched a one - proud of self. The Little Women, movie, Caroline - which one was it - Katharine Hepburn or Winona Ryder?

I don't think it's either, Charlotte. I didn't recognize anyone in the movie. ooh..unless Katherine Hepburn when she was really really young? nah..the voice wasn't hers. Darn this is now troubling me .....

Ahh... I just IMDBed it .. the one I watched was the 1949 version, with June Allyson as Jo and Elizabeth Taylor as Amy.

>19 cameling: Ew. June Allyson makes me feel like I've been buttered and left to get rancid.

Liz Taylor as Amy - that doesn't seem like a very good fit to me.

My favorite Little Women movie was Katherine Hepburn as Jo.

#22: Me too. She *is* Jo for me, and always will be.

>19 cameling: You mentioned June Allyson and had a good guffaw. When I was about 22 (I'm 35 now) an older gentleman was sitting next to me at a bar in St. Louis. He complemented me by telling me that I reminded him of June Allyson. Of course at the time, the only June Allyson that came to my mind was the June Allyson of the Depends commercials.

> 20 and 24 - LOL. Someone once compared me to Shelly Winters - and then quickly said 'when she was very young, of course'! I have that gap in my front teeth, and a slight lisp - but no one has compared me to June Allyson yet - whew.

I think I've figured out why you always seem to pop into threads during food discussions...you START them!

Hi Caro! :) *Wonders how many accidents Caro has had in 2011 already...*

I don't know who June Allyson is except for her role as Jo in the version of Little Women that I saw on tv.

#21 : Charlotte : Liz Taylor was really young in this movie and had blond hair. I actually didn't recognize her and only knew she was Amy when I imdb-ed this to find out which version I had watched.

I don't think I've seen the Katherine Hepburn version.

#25 : What movies was Shelly Winters in? Her name seems familiar but I can't place her.

#26 : Surely not, Terri. I usually sniff my way into food discussions.

Today was a feat short of a miracle. What with a couple of long hospital visits, last minute grocery shopping and running errands for my MIL, I managed to pull off Christmas Eve dinner and only forgot to make biscuits. We had lobster bisque (which I made yesterday thankfully), grilled teriyaki with roasted garlic salmon, roast rack of lamb, stuffed eggplant, endive salad with walnuts, pear & blue cheese, a potato gratin and tiramisu for dessert (also made yesterday).

#27 : you're getting a lump of coal in your stocking this year for that remark, Stefano.

You did all of that yesterday, Caroline?! And I thought I was being noble as all get out, making Pseudo Fudge and Lemon Bars for dessert today. I am impressed.
Shelly Winters was in The Poseidon (sp?) Adventure and I think she played Roseanne's grandmother on TV. I think she is now dead, but am too lazy to check. (So what else is new?) I know that around the time of TPA snarky people used to mention her weight a lot.

Winters made her film debut (I think) in 'Stagecoach' with John Wayne, and went on to star in many films. I remember her in 'A Place in the Sun' opposite Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor. Later in life she got rather hefty, which is why my teacher was so quick to amend his comment.

Right, Shelly Winters was in the older version of The Poseidon Adventure. I heard somewhere that she gained a bit of weight for that movie and then had trouble losing it. Definitely not what your teacher intended by the comment, I'm sure.

you're getting a lump of coal in your stocking this year for that remark, Stefano.

I don't think there is a stocking big enough to contain all the coal I deserve.

I guess Santa will have to give me a gift card to buy a bigger one for next year...which of course I'll accidentally use it on books... :P

Hello there Caroline. Just want to make sure I've got a front row seat for 2011.

Happy St. Stephen's Day! Or Boxing Day! Whichever you prefer, Caro, may it be a happy, happy occasion. Looking like that blizzard is heading our way...you and Edd best hightail it back to Boston and see if you can beat it!

xoxo SCROODLES of smoochings

>31 lauranav: I think the weight came first. Good Jewish Brooklyn girl that she was, she always had trouble with weight. (me too, now.)

#29 : Charlotte, I marinated the meat and fish the day before, and made the dessert and soup the day before too, so it was easy to pull it all together for dinner on Christmas Eve.

Oh ... I know who Shelley Winters is now with that reference to Roseanne's grandmother. She died a few years ago. I don't think I've seen her work when she was younger.

#32 : Stefano, I'm sure we can find a good stretchy stocking for you.

#33 : Hey there, Bonnie.

#34 : It's Happy Blizzard Day today it looks like, Rdear. Alas, no chance of hightailing it anywhere with the FIL situation and me becoming the kitchen slave to the family for the past few days and probably the next 2 as well. But tiring though it's been, it's also been good spending all this extra time with family we don't get to see too often.

Hey, Caro! *waves*

Hey Stas

The sun's out and the snowscape looks so very pretty ...but I stepped out for 2 minutes and ran back into the warm house.

#38: I do not think I can blame you!

Did even more shoveling today or at least tried to, but everything is iced over ... pretty treacherous even going out the front door. I'm walking like a mincing old geisha.

#40: Caro, please do not take any chances! Stay inside.

Your mincing geriatric geisha had us laughing as we negotiated the slushy paths here in NYC. The concert at Carnegie Hall was worth the mincing, however.

I'm hoping that I don't have to dig out my car (parked on the roof the the garage) this morning.

#41 : Stas, the temperature is finally starting to warm up and the roads are clearer, so it's not too bad today. Still being careful when walking on the sidewalks because there are some icy patches, but at least it's better than it's been over the last few days.

#42 : At least the concert was worth the mincing, Judy. ;-) What was the concert you attended?

Has anyone tried to pour hot water on a car that's iced over? I've always wanted to try that (i hate the sound that scraping ice off the windshields makes) but have been concerned I might crack the glass.

She's back...........

>43 cameling: It was a 3-B concert by the New York String Orchestra, which is a youth orchestra in which each member is chosen and given a scholarship for attending. The students were mainly from college-level music schools like the Peabody, but some were still in high school! Someone must have told them not to smile, because no one cracked even the slightest grin although the applause was thunderous.

They did Barber's 'Capricorn Concerto' for oboe, flute and trumpet, the wonderful Brahms Double Concerto for violin and cello (the cellist, Paul Watkins, was particularly terrific), and Beethoven's Symphony #3, the 'Eroica'. I hadn't heard the Barber before, but the other two were deliciously familiar and very well executed, we had excellent seats on the parquet (first level at Carnegie), and the subway was on the corner, making getting home relatively easy.

#43: at least it's better than it's been over the last few days.

That is good news!

#44 : OMG Belva! It's really you! I've missed you!!!! It's so good to see you again. Happy New Year!

#45 : Judy, your comment about them not smiling was funny because I remember attending a concert by the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra and I thought the same thing. They all didn't smile either when the audience applauded.

Eroica is one of my favorite symphonies from Beethoven, so I'm glad that they managed to execute it well.

#46 : Edd had his mom's car serviced and it passed inspection, the roads are now clear and the snow piles are starting to melt a little ... so we're more comfortable now about leaving this weekend. FIL is starting to build his strength, has regained his appetite and is looking stronger than a week ago. So all in all, I hope this continues through to the new year and he's strong enough for his scheduled surgery on Jan 12, and that he's mobile again before long.

Terrific news on the FIL front, Caro. I hope the trend continues!

Can it be that I missed 48 posts ? woe woe woe :P

me too, I'm just getting up and running here on '11. Happy New Year!

GREAT news about FiL! My gosh, Jan 12! That feels like *tomorrow*...how is it that I feel the press of time already, and it's not even noon here.

Happy New Year, Caroline! Looking forward to following your thread again this year--it's always fun! Must remind myself to eat before I come though. ;-)

Happy New Year, happy new year ... 'tis the first day of a year of good reading for all of us! Whoohooo... and to start the year off properly, I held off going to Barnes & Noble to use the gift cards I received during Christmas until Jan 1 .. oh that's today, why I guess I'll just have to drag my tired ol' self down to B&N later after we drop MIL off at the hospital to visit FIL.

I'm looking forward to also finally going home tomorrow! yaaay... tomorrow, tomorrow, i love ya tomorrow, you're only a daaaaaay aaaaaaaaa waaaaaaaaay!

Hello Caroline, calling in at your thread for the first time - I've seen you around in other threads during 2010. Knowing how much you tend to be up in the air, and seeing that you enjoy, among other things, science fiction, I just wondered whether you had come across Ursula LeGuin's collection of short stories, Changing Planes? If not, I think you might like it... I just read it last month.

A trip to a bookstore is a great way to start the New Year especially when you have gift cards. Glad that the news about your FIL is good.

Happy New Year, Caro!!! It's 2011 and I'm here. I'm thinking maybe you need to make an extra ticker to track injuries and accidents. How did the buttercream frosting clean up?

Hi! I'm here...what did you get at B&N?

Hi Caroline--I'm here for some good food and some good books!

Happy New Year, Caroline!

#56 : I love Ursula LeGuin, genny but I haven't yet gotten to Changing Planes so thank you for the recommendation. Added to my obese wish list.

#57 : Happy new year, Kerry ... thanks for popping in and for your kind words about my FIL. We're hoping he continues to improve so he can have his scheduled surgery on Jan 12.

#58 : Hi there Roni ... oh boy, the buttercream frosting was really hard to clean up .. I'm sure there's still a bit of an oily film on the surface of the countertop, but I did scrub the floors three times, so that's better.

LOL ... i don't think i'm going to start a tracker for injuries and accidents ... it might subconsciously encourage more trees to jump in my way

#59 : Alas, I didn't get to B&N after all because we were held up visiting FIL at the rehab center. So the gift card remains a virgin, Jenn.

#60 : Hi Deborah .. how nice to see you again. I'm looking forward to putting together a new list of books to read for this year....and of course the food to keep me from wasting away.... NOT likely.

#61 : Happy New Year, Nancy.

Day 1 of the year and I'm enjoying my first book of the year.

Hi There! It wouldn't be the same without you. Welcome back!

Here you are... Loving the idea of that couch, as I've resumed succumbing to narcolepsy at inconvenient moments. (Mid-movie, mid-conversation, mid-book.) Must be age!

Hope you get home safely...

Hi there Linda, how nice of you to drop in. How are you feeling these days?

Whoopeee.. hey there Suz .. the gang's all here now. What fun! 'tis not age causing unintended narcolepsy ... 'tis a less than interesting movie, conversation and book. ;-)

Happy New Year!! Sounds like you had a lovely holiday. I am hungry after reading about your menu!! Best wishes for FIL. Can't wait to see what you read this year. : )

58: Guffaw! Sorry, Caroline, had to laugh.
60: So, the current research says if you spend time imagining eating a particular food, you're not supposed to eat as much when you've got the chance. Will someone tell my brain that? I just want to eat whatever Caroline and Richard are describing even if I haven't eaten something like that for years--or ever.

Happy New Year Caroline! I'm happy to try to keep up with you for another year and enjoy your escapades vicariously;-)

Happy New Year, Caroline! Home for awhile?

Congratulations on getting to go home, Caro! Travel safely!

yeah... what stas said..

I feel like I've missed a ton already! Happy New Year... Once again I have to hope that I can keep up with you this time! So much talk of cookies and books, mmmm.

Here you are, Caro! Found and starred you!
Home! What a nice sound that must have for you! :)

Happy New Year, Caro. Hope it's going well so far. I'm ready for another year of new adventures via your many travels.

LOL ... i don't think i'm going to start a tracker for injuries and accidents ... it might subconsciously encourage more trees to jump in my way.

Hi Caro!

*waves* I'm here I'm here!

And I'm finally home! I actually kissed my front door after Edd cleared a path up the front walk. We had to shovel our driveway before we could park our cars, but thankfully it had already started to melt, so it wasn't too much of a chore and it felt good to stretch all those muscles after sitting in the car for 5 hours... traffic was bad.

It's great to be home again and we ordered Chinese delivered for dinner. We have a lovely little Chinese restaurant just down the road from us who, since they have gotten to know us, will make more authentic Chinese food for us when we call.

Tonight we had a very nice shrimp and crab dumpling soup, rice stick noodles with vegetables, squid, fish and shrimp in an xo sauce, and crisp broccoli with crab egg sauce.

#76/77 : Hi Cat, hi Tam .. good to see you both. Thanks for looking me up.

So I'm at least starting off the year with a good read.

Told in the Coffee House by Cyrus Adler is a collection of Turkish folk tales translated into English. This is a wonderful set of old folk tales, most of course, containing useful morals and some just plain funny. Recommended for young and old alike.
3.8 stars

>79 cameling:: I'm a sucker for folk tales so that one will go into the Wish List pile.

Welcome home Caroline!

I saw your review of Told in the Coffee House on Goodreads (shhh) and added it to the pile.

You won't regret it, Tad

Thanks, Jenn ... good to be home. I've started posting my reviews both on LT and Goodreads because there are a couple of odd friends who only go to GR to see what I'm reading. Glad you've succumbed .. .this is a good one.

Caro, I am so glad you finally made it home safely! I hope you get some well-deserved rest tonight.

Welcome home! Back to "normal"?
>78 cameling: Supper sounds delightful.
Have a great day! :)

So glad you are back home. Me too. I wanted to kiss the door but was only gone three days so didn't think I'd earned the right!

That's great news about the FIL improvement...and having a fully loaded B&N card. Mine is getting too low for comfort, but I have $100 at Borders plus whatever is left on my birthday gift card. I always "forget" to tell DH when I've used up the gift cards so they can overlap. ;-) I'm so glad I married a book enabler!

Here's to a good year of reading and good health for you and your family.

#83 : Thank you, Stas .. I did rest well last night... there's nothing like being back in my own bed for a sound sleep.

#84: Thanks, Claudia. Actually this day is shaping up extremely well ... primarily because I went to work and discovered that we actually have the day off. I must have missed the office memo that was sent out last week, informing us all that our company was giving us today off for New Year's. :-)

Oh well, good thing my commute is only a 15 min drive and on my way back, I popped into the post office to pick up the mail they held for us while we were away, dropped my suits off at the dry cleaners and did some grocery shopping. I've spent the day so far just vegging on the couch reading, logging into LT, and watching David Copperfield that we had recorded off Masterpiece Theater. *bliss*

#85 : I wonder how long I'll be able to resist going to B&N to use my gift card, Donna. I'm actually having a wonderful time looking for and finding free books to download onto my Kindle.

For everyone who has a Kindle, Debbie kindly shared a price watch site here where you can sign up for alerts whenever book prices fall to zero for free downloads onto the Kindle. I've just spent a delightly 20 mins perusing the available titles and downloading a few. I can't wait to see how often I receive alerts for new free books. I'm delighted also that if this trend of mine continues, the Kindle will actually save me money while adding to my TBR Tower.

It took me a while to finish this because I kept getting distracted by other things, and also this is a book that somehow compelled me to take my time to read.

Journal of an Ordinary Grief by Mahmoud Darwish is a wonderful collection of essays from an Arab poet that has been translated into English. His essays provide us with solemn and poignant insights into the Palestinian people and the dignity with which they bear their tragedies. Some of his essays provide a good historical map to the current Palestinian homeland situation, the loss felt by her people and what it means to them, living within the walls of occupation.

Darwish has a soulful voice, one I would like to hear more often.

4.3 stars

*heavy, heavy sigh*

Caroline's home. I can tell. My wishlist expands whenever she hits her driveway.

*heavy, heavy sigh*

What? What? What did I do?

That is what the guilty always say :)

Thanks for the link, Caroline. I was tempted by the meatloaf cookbook--LOL! See what I mean about you always making me think about food? Even when you don't?! ;-)

#90 : And you should be so familiar with that feeling, Kath .. LOL ... for you are as guilty of adding books to my obese wish list

#91 : You're welcome, Bonnie. I love a good meatloaf and hey, you have to eat, right? So I'm sure it will be a useful cookbook to download. My grandmother used to make a delicious meatloaf that had hard boiled eggs and cheese in it. And I loved her gravy too. She used to add grappa to her meatloaf gravy.

I joined Ellie's read-athon this afternoon and managed to finish When the Devil Holds the Candle by Karin Fossum, which was also one of my January TIOLI books. What an exciting read.

Two delinquent teenagers begin their evening casually enough, by attempting to harass a little boy walking home but he manages to escape. The ensuing activities the teenagers engage in escalate in risk and violence, and a shocking secret is exposed.

Inspector Sejer and his officer Skarre find themselves trying to resolve the murder of 2 young people and to find a missing boy. What appears to them, initially, to be separate and unconnected incidents suddenly take on the shape of pieces of a puzzle and they have to race against time to fit them together. The suspense mounts with each page turned, right up to the climactic end.

The story is gripping and sweeps you along with the strength of a riptide.
4 stars for this wonderful psychological thriller.

Whew! I could barely get away from the book to make dinner, so all I did was grill some tilapia fillet, whip up a butter, parsley and capers sauce for it, bake an onion tart and throw together a grilled goat cheese salad.

I just found your thread with all 93 unread messages! Glad to hear you're back home and that you had an unexpected day off. I will have to check out When the Devil Holds the Candle. I love psychological thrillers.

Belated Happy New Year Caroline!

That sounds like a good one Caro!

not another series I hope :PP

Just added When the Devil Holds the Candle to my wishlist - sounds really good!

And, seriously? You call *that* a quick, whipped-up dinner? Well, I whipped up a quick drooling session just reading about it!

#93: Sadly for me, When the Devil Holds the Candle is the only Fossum book my local library has and I read it last year. Rats.

Caro- Good review! I read Fossum's first book Don't Look Back and loved it. I've been meaning to track her 2nd book down. As I mentioned before, series fiction is hard to keep up with. Have you read her other books?

Hi Caroline - just dropping by to say Happy New Year!

Hi Caro,
Thanks for the Kindle link on free books, etc.
How nice to discover a whole unexpected day off yesterday!

#94 : Hi Pat .. thanks for finding me. Karin Fossum is a new author to me .. I'm now on a quest to find her other works. ;-)

#95 : Happy belated new year, Heather! How's your winter shaping up?

#96 : I plead the 5th, Kath. :-P

#97 : Amber, I actually put last night's dinner together in less than a half hour. I made eggplant parmegiana for dinner tonight with a side of linguini alio olio. Perfect for eating on the couch, watching tv. :-)

#98 : At least your library had this one, Stas. Mine doesn't have a single Fossum book. I stopped in on my way home today hoping to find some of her other works. bah

#99 : I've heard that this is a series that doesn't need to be read in order though, Marky-Mark. This is the first one of hers that I've read, and I think it's the 3rd in the series.

#100 : Hi Fliss .. thanks for popping in for a visit.

#101 : You're welcome, Claudia ... have you checked it out yet? How many have you downloaded so far? ;-)

After 2 weeks away and the surprise day off yesterday, it was actually really great being back at the office again today. Went for lunch with a few colleagues - our ritual to celebrate the first work day in the new year at a family style Chinese restaurant. I am lucky in that I work with many really cool and fun people.

Thanks to Madeline, I've just finished reading a wonderful collection of short stories which I highly recommend to one and all.

Sanchez Across the Street by Barbara Mujica has written a delightful book. This is a wonderful collection of short stories that delve into the challenges that face some people in the US, including getting to know neighbors who are of different religious and racial backgrounds, loneliness, discrimination in the workplace and responsibilities. In this collection, she focuses on those of Hispanic and Jewish backgrounds and the issues some of them face, be they new immigrants, illegal immigrants or American born. She writes boldly about these issues of cultural differences, assimilation and acceptance, but always imparts dignity to all her characters. Her stories will move you, perhaps to anger at injustices, to joy, to contempt, and to grief, but move you they will.

I don't think I've read a collection of stories where I've found something different to appreciate in every single one.

4 stars ... although the more I think about it, the more I want to raise that to a 4.8

Run ... everyone... get a copy of this. You won't regret it.

Heard somewhere that you had a rough day :(
Must have been something in the air..
:P

Caro- Good review! Sanchez Across the Street sounds promising. I love short story collections, especially linked ones. I need to fit in more this year.

Hi Caroline, Sanchez Across the Street sounds very good. Also, I'm glad to see you getting sucked into the vortex that is TIOLI.

>104 cameling: Oh heavy, heavy sigh. She's really back in the saddle, our Caro...just slingin' the books onto the wishlist willy-nilly...yep, home she is.

*heavy, heavy sigh*

that's our caro!

Great review, Caroline, and I've WL'd Sanchez Across the Street. This sounds like something I'd love and I've never heard of it. Thanks for the recommendation.

Caroline....great suggestion --I love short stories and always like to have a good title on the TBR for when I'm in the mood. Sanchez across the street is one I'm not familiar with so I'm going to be on the lookout.

#105 : Yeah, Kath.. i think something was definitely in the air ... hope your evening's turning out better for you after your rough day. ;-)

#106 : Thanks, Marky-Mark. I know you'll definitely like this one.

#107 : Bonnie, I started TIOLI strong last year too but then I kind of petered out before the year was half over. Hopefully I'll be able to do at least 1 TIOLI each month this year.

#108 : I do try, Ricardo .. you're guilty of adding many a tome to my obese wish list. I'd be remiss if I didn't try to return the favor every once in a while, no willies or nillies about it. I suspect the next I'm picking up tonight won't be up your alley though.

#109 : Moi?

#110 : Thanks, Pat. It's been a while since I read short stories so raw and yet so delicate.

Yep, OK Sanchez Across the Street just went on the list.

I already have Sanchez Across the Street in the BlackHole, so I am dodging that BB.

I am avoiding blue text today...

Love the puppy. I did start ( barely) Henrietta Lacks yesterday. I fell asleep sitting up in a chair reading, so I didn't get far. I am pretty sure that I am going to like the book. I have a coment on the quality of the book itself. IT is a card cover copy. It is new. It is VERY poor quality. I am going to let Ammy know what I think When I can think again.

I'm adding Sanchez Across the Street to my wish list, too. Thanks, Caroline!

112: Awwww! *melts*

OK, Caro... adding Sanchez Across the Street from DisneyWorld! Good review - hope I live to read it!

>112 cameling: 'so raw and yet so delicate'. I must wishlist it, then.

#113 : You won't regret it, Jenn. I wore the brain hat to work today and I was late for a meeting, forgot I had it on, and rushed into the room with it still on. My boss looked up, blinked twice and said "what the heck is that on your head? It looks like your brain's exposed" See what a great job you did on the hat, Jenn?

#114 : The year's still young, Stas. I'll get you yet. ;-)

#115 : If I found a way to get the text to change from blue to pink would you still avoid it, Kath?

How are you liking Henrietta Lacks so far? A friend of mine had got through two thirds of the book and then accidentally left it on the train when she got off. She called me and I'm sure the air turned a deep and vivid blue around her with all the swearing she did.

#116 : You're welcome, Darryl.

#117 : *brings out my Bounty paper towels to soak Stefano up*

#118 : Err... what dangerous rides are you on at Disney, Claudia? Please come back safe.

#119 :Yes, you must Judy ... although now that I look at that line, it's making me think of sushi. ;-)

Fred Vargas continues to be one of my favorite authors. In The Three Evangelists, a retired opera singer, Sophia, looks out of her window one day and finds .... a tree. It wasn't there the day before, and it's not a new sapling, but an actual tree. There's no note attached to the tree, or any other clues as to who could have sneaked into her garden to plant the tree. Sophia disappears and is found burned in an abandoned car a few weeks later. Vandoosler, now no longer with the police force, his nephew and 2 other friends he charmingly names after saints, strike out on their own to try and solve this mystery. They seem to find suspects at every corner they come to, all with reasonable motives to have killed Sophia.

This is not a book to start reading if you know you have to go grocery shopping, start cooking dinner in an hour's time, go to work or study, or pick someone up from the airport because you may think you can put it down and pick it up again after a few hours, but what you'll find is you'll be compelled to ignore life around you and continue turning the pages of this wonderful thriller.

3.8 stars

#121 Caroline, I found The Three Evangelists intriguing and well-written, but I think I found it less gripping that you did. I have been meaning to try some of her others, though. Which others would you recommend?

Cat, so far I've only read Have Mercy on Us All and Seeking Whom He May Devour, both part of the Inspector Adamsberg series and I really enjoyed them. Maybe you might want to try one of those?

120: *Becomes one with the quilted quicker picker upper.*

LOL! I was hoping for such a story involving the brain hat!

The Three Evangelists sounds interesting, but I'll hold firm and dissuade it from finding its way to my wish list.

...hmmm?....Caro reviewed a book?...oh, nice. *flees*

>>126 kidzdoc:. On the other hand, I immediately added The Three Evangelists to my wishlist. I think the mystery of the tree sounds very, very intriguing.

The Three Evangelists sounds interesting . . . will think about it . . . I am trying to not add so much to my list . . .

*ducks off LT threads to check online library catalog*

#121: Dodged that BB too as it is already in the BlackHole. Unfortunately, my local library does not have any of Vargas' books.

REQUEST

Picture of Caro in Brain hat please

Caro- Once again you are reminding me to get back to Fred Vargas. For some reason I keep putting her off, after loving Have Mercy on us All. The Three Evangelists is the first of the series, huh?

You nabbed me with the Karin Fossum books. I've got two coming from the library, and will probably order the first in the series. Sigh... Just what I needed... :-)

Adding The Three Evangelists to my wishlist - sounds really good!

#124 Thanks! Have Mercy on Us All seems to get the better reviews, and now that I look properly I already have a note from last summer that you gave it a good review, so I shall try to get hold of that one first.

Are you sleeping? Still eating Mexican food?

#125 : Glad to have obliged you with a good brain hat story, Jenn.

#126 : You could put The Three Evangelists on your 'maybe' list , Darryl. That way it's not immediately on your wish list, but on list of interesting books that you may want to consider later.

#127 : Come back, Ricardo .... come back......

#128 : The tree does add a very interesting dimension to the story, Nancy.

#129 : And did your online catalog convince you to add this to your wish list, Terri?

#130 : Could you get an interlibrary loan, Stas?

#131 : I'll wait till it's snowing again, Kath and take a photo of the brain hat.

#132 : She is good, isn't she, Marky-Mark? But The Three Evangelists isn't part of the Inspector Adamsberg series. This is I think a standalone.

#133 : For the number of books that you've had me adding to my obese wish list or acquiring, it's only fitting that I return the favor every once in a while, Suz. :-)

#134 : Good move, Amber. ;-)

#135 : Yes, I thought that was better too, Cat.

#136 : Last night was a riot, Kath. We went to Allston first to a little Korean restaurant for their famous BonChon chicken wings (6 of us, 80 chicken wings and drumsticks!!) which we washed down with some good sochu and beer, while watching the Saints/Seahawks game. Then we went to a sports bar around the corner to watch the Giants/Colts game then left at half time to go to the Mexican place for a late supper of tacos, dessert and margaritas.

*sigh* So much for moderation.

Today was productive. Worked out at the gym, had brunch, cleaned the house, baked oatmeal, raisin, cranberries and almond cookies, and read. Blliiiiisssssss.

The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer was finished early this morning when I woke up. This is my second attempt at reading her and I think Georgette and I must part ways. I thought her characters in this book rather insipid and they didn't hold my attention.

There Came Both Mist and Snow by Michael Innes was a more delectable read.
Arthur Ferryman heads out to Belrive Priory for a family gathering of his cousins, nephews and nieces only to find his relatives seem to have taken up pistol shooting as a new sport. A shooting range has been built on the grounds for the sport, and Arthur watches as his relatives and 2 businessmen from the town make sport of shooting at targets on the range.

Inspector Appleby has been invited to dinner but no sooner does he ring the doorbell, when a servant girl cries out that Basil Roper, Baron of Belrive Priory and his host for the evening had been shot dead in the study. Or has he? Basil appears behind the servant girl, causing her almost to faint, and a closer look of the body in the study is taken, discovering that the victim of the fatal shot was instead, his nephew Wilfred Foxcroft.

There is no shortage of suspects in this whodunit, and it reads a little like a Sherlock Holmes story. It seems almost everyone could have had an opportunity to shoot the victim, and it appears it may have been a case of mistaken identity. So then, was Basil the intended target instead and is his life in danger? As odd behaviors are noted, so speculation and accusations ring out in the mansion as secrets are exposed.

I found some parts of the narrative rather pedantic, but I did like the way the investigation unfolded, and the pace picked up nicely after a spell. A few unexpected surprises made for a good conclusion.
3.5 stars

Food & Books

that's my friend Caro!

;-}

That sounds like a good day!

Sorry you didn't get on with Georgette Heyer, but at least you can be pretty sure that if you didn't like either of the two then you probably wouldn't like the others.

I have There Came Both Mist and Snow wishlisted, but after your review I think I shall have to bump it higher up the list.

This is my second attempt at reading her and I think Georgette and I must part ways.

Hmph. There's no accounting for taste.

You know I'm kidding right?

I enjoyed There Came Both Mist and Snow when I read it a couple years back. Glad to know you did too, Caro!

What a beautiful title.. There Came Both Mist and Snow .. I do love British mysteries.

LOL ... I'm willing to give her another shot if you'll point me to one with stronger characters, Jenn. Remember ...no wigs or mincing dandies though. I think I can't do anything earlier than Regency. Are you up for the challenge? ;-)

Yup, I think I'm going to need to add Inspector Appleby to my list of series to follow, Stas. Have you read the whole series yet? Are they as good or better than this one?

So, am I to take it that you're adding this to your wish list, Kath? What I liked about this book is that it had plausible suspects but nothing was obvious.

Edd was at B&N and said he'd surprise me with something from my wish list since I made peanut butter brownies for him the other day ... so I sent him a few titles, including Invisible Bridge.... he came home with The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein. *sigh* It actually sounds pretty interesting though ... LOL... but he still owes me a book that's on my wish list. ;-)

Was in a bit of a reading funk yesterday ... so read fluff. Along Came Trouble by Sherryl Woods. Ok for fluff ... nothing much to say about it, other than it doesn't require concentration.

On the plus side, I received Stone Upon Stone by Wieslaw Mysliwski in the mail today. Yaay

Sigh. Read The Grand Sophy by Heyer, Caro. It's regency, with feisty heroine who organizes the lives of all those around her.

Yep, what Suzanne says. Or maybe Devil's Cub, although there may be one mincing dandy... not a main character though. A strong female main character for sure. I also like Frederica. It's one of my favorites, again due to strong female character and her hilarious brothers. If you give it a third go and it's no good, I'll stop bugging you.

Sorry Edd got the wrong book. I hope it's good anyway. Is it the Y chromosome thing? One time I sent my husband to the grocery store for "unsalted butter". He couldn't find it so he decided I meant "salted butter". Because you know, I always write "salted butter" on the list when I need butter.

I think it IS a Y chomosome thing. My mom got a divorced when I was a boy, so over the years she had a few boyfriends. I can't think of a single one who could stop at the grocery store and bring what she asked.

I think it's connected with our inability to ask for directions.

Hmmm, where's the unsalted butter? I don't see any. I could ask the store employee over there I suppose, but...ummm...nah! *picks one at random*

ETA: Oh, and The Invisible Wall does look interesting, I'd say an altogether positive mistake on his part! :)

LOL @ the butter story. Hi Caro!

#148/149: Ok... I'll give The Grand Sophy a shot since it's recommended by both of you. I just picked up a copy for the Kindle. I'll let you know how I get on with it. Maybe I'll read it on the plane next week.

I think Stefano is right... it's a Y chromosome thing. Every time I send him to the store for anything, at least 1 wrong item comes home with him.... as well as about 3 other items i never asked for, but which for some reason, he felt I probably wanted but forgot to write on the list ... like molasses?!! And btw, this is a man who doesn't know how to cook.

The Invisible Wall does look good actually, and it's a free book for me so I can't complain. ;-)

#151 : Hi Tam.

5 alarm chili, tortilla chips, chilled beer, football. Oh and peanut butter brownies in the oven. I say this makes for a good Monday night.

Caro- Actually, The Invisible Wall is a very good memoir! You will like it! I heard The Invisible Bridge is coming out sometime this month in paperback. I think I'll be picking it up too!

Oh, oh I just got The Grand Sophy in the mail last week. Sweet.

We're had football too. I mean, we had spaghetti and watched football.

Try ine of Heyer's mysteries, Caro...Death in the Stocks, maybe.

#153 : Oh goody... you've read Invisible Wall and liked it, Marky-Mark. That makes me feel better about putting this in my TBR Tower rather than in my 'Maybe When I'm Having A Reading Funk' pile.

#154 : Sweet indeed. Let me know how you find it, Bonnie.

#155 : LOL ... good one, Jenn.

#156 : ookaay....and what did you like about Death in the Stocks, Ricardo?

Had a delightful read of French Milk by Lucy Knesley. It's a fun little graphic memoir interspersed with some photographs of Paris, the author and her mother. It's a memoir of drawings by the author, detailing their 6 week trip to France and the relationship between mother and daughter. Perfect for a cozy warm evening.
3.5 stars

I should start thinking about what books I want to bring with me on my upcoming trips. Yes, plural. I shall be away for a month this time! Yikes. Doing Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo and Beijing. I will, however, have some time off to spend Chinese New Year in Singapore with family and friends, so I'm looking forward to that. And it's especially nice that's between my KL and Tokyo trip, so at least I get a little breather instead of 4 straight weeks of travel work.

It was deliciously old-fashioned. It was satisfyingly stocked with nasty upper-crust people to smirk at. Hannasyde, the Inspector, and The Sergeant, whose name I don't think we ever learnt, are put down, misled, and snobbishly dismissed...which makes their eventual victory so much more savory. Ghastly Miss Vereker! Oh! The humanity!

any bewigged and ruffle cuffed males mincing around, Richard?

Aren't all her mysteries set in the 20s and 30s? (i.e. the 1920s and 1930s?)

That's fab that you'll be able to spend the New Year in Singapore!!! Imagine it will be a good time -- shall look forward to savoring the gastronomic delicacies by proxy...

I had fun with French Milk too, Caroline. It was surprisingly engaging, considering now narrow the topic. Although a couple of times, I thought she was a bit of a spoiled whiner, but that sort of comes with her age--and that she was with her mom. (And that I was more than a little bit jealous, considering I've never traveled to Europe, myself.) But I admired her too. Anyway, we always whine more when with our moms, huh?

eta: my confession of jealousy

Suz. is correct, mysteries are all 1920s-1930s, so nary a wig, peruke, or ruffle bedizens a single male. Nor are wigs or ruffles mentioned on the ladies, and I think they woulda been. Safe territory.

Gosh, here we are back at year of the rabbit. Where has time gone? Next return of the year of the rat will complete a grand cycle for me! It will be a metal rat year.

Oh Caro! :(
Glad though that you will be able to spend time with your mom :)
We need a pic of the two of you together !

When do you leave?

I wasn't impressed with my first Heyer, either, but my second Heyer was a mystery and I liked that one much better. :)

Hope you have some enjoyable reading ahead of you, whatever you choose to read!

#160 : I'm looking forward to the pineapple tarts, pizzelles and other traditional Peranakan cookies that my mom makes during this season. She'll be cooking the family reunion dinner on the eve as well ... I've offered to help as I've done in the past .. let's see if she'll let me do more than chop onions or stir pots.

#161 : LOL.. I remember going on a trip to Scotland with my mom when I was 15. I think I pretty much whined quite a bit myself, so I could relate.

#162 : ok, I'll give that one a shot ... you know I would have already written off Heyer if not for my deep awe and respect towards all youse impressive and wise bibliogurus.

hmm...metal rat ... did I ever mention the time I had a dream about running along an army of rats wearing viking helmets? Wonder what that meant!

#163 : I leave on Jan 19 and get back on Feb 17, Kath. Edd is scheduled to fly out on Jan 26 now that his dad looks to be getting better enough for him to comfortably leave the country.

#164 : Oh good.... I thought for a while maybe it was just me not liking the Heyers I've read thus far... ok, it's only been 2... but I sometimes give up on authors after just 1 bad read. Looks like the Heyer mysteries are the way to go, Angela.

For all of you who were so kindly concerned about my FIL's health, I'm so glad to say that he had his surgery today to shut off the nerve causing his trigeminal myalgia (spelling?). He came out of his surgery fine, and they think it was successful. He feels no pain along the right side of his face anymore ... he's just numb there. So while he won't know if he's ever injured there unless he sees a bruise or a cut in the mirror, at least he will no longer have debilitating pain.

you are so agreeable.. lol

So here are a couple of pics from this morning's work clearing some of the snow at my house. We had 19" this morning and although the snow was continuing to fall, rather than wait until it stopped (who knows when) we thought we'd clear in phases.


my snow tunnel


the promised picture of the brain hat that Jenn (nittnut) knitted.

yaaay.. I now post pics successfully!

hat pic too small... :P

other pic... what the heck??? where is that? how high is the tunnel?

Caro, I'm pleased to hear your father-in-law has been able to have his surgery and is doing well.

I hope you do find a Heyer that you like - and I admire you for giving her another go after two that you didn't like. Death in the Stocks is a good one.

ETA: Wow, that is some serious snow.

How did you manage to open the door and keep all that snow sitting on the handle?

Kath : I resized. :-)

Guess how high the tunnel is. I'll tell you that it's by the side of my house and I did it all by myself.

#169 : Thanks, Cat. We are all very relieved because the pain has been excruciating and increasing in frequency over the 8 years that he's had this disease. It's been so wearing on the poor man.

Death in Stocks it is then.... but woe betide you all if I don't like it! *muuaahahaha*

much better! boy, you sure are cute :)

? 5 feet?

LOL ... my husband refuses to wear the brain hat! I have a small head, and my boss told me when I wore it to the office that if it were blue and a little taller, I could pass for Marge Simpson.

Nope. My snow tunnel was actually just 9" in height. I made it by pushing the snow brush through the pile of snow on top of my car. So that 'road' you see... that's the roof of my car. :-) I just placed a little snowball at the end of the 'tunnel'. Pretty cool shot, huh?

Caro- Great pictures! I promise not to complain about our piddly-ass snowfall, anymore. Wow! I bet you could use one of those massages?
BTW- I love the brain-hat! It looks warm!

Hi Caroline. That looks like an amazing amount of snow and you look adorable in the brain hat.

I'm so glad your father-in-law's surgery was a success. Eight years is a long time to suffer with pain.

Are you looking forward to your trip to Southeast Asia to get away from the snow?

Hi Caro! You are too funny! Glad I made it home for the snow.

I thought of you while I was eating lunch in China - EPCOT, that is.
Don't ask me what I was eating... but it was yummy.
And I hope for everyone's sake you like Death in Stocks. ;-)

Love the tunnel. I don't really wish we had that much snow, but kind of. I want it on a day when my husband gets to stay home too though. Lots of snow days alone with your kids is kind of over rated. Especially if (like this week) it's -5 F or something with windchill and you can't send them outside.

The hat looks good on you.

My snow tunnel was actually just 9" in height too funny!

I *love* silly-ish hats, and I think your brain hat looks fantastic! Jenn is such a craftswoman!

Brain hat is beyond cute! Jenn did a great job. The snow tunnel pic is clever, very clever, and had me scratching my head for a good few minutes.

*HeyerLustWhammy*

Does that mean you've thrown over all your plans for the day and are only reading Heyer, Richard?

I will second Mark's recommendation of The Invisible Wall. An excellent book!

Oh crikey, a real snow tunnel! i remember once in college...when we had some serious snow..so serious no one could get in to clear the paths on campus...so we became moles...and dug out snow tunnels...at least as far as the Student Union...you know...dining hall/bookstore/mail room..

There Came both Mist and Snow...sounds like a perfect winter read. I love British mysteries that have touches of the "unexpected"...onto THE LIST it goes..

;-}

I read The Invisible Wall and enjoyed it, Caro. I hope you do the same.

As far as the Innes' series goes, I have not read any more of it. My local library is rather hit-and-miss with most series and I hate reading them out of order!

Very, very clever pic, Caro!! Now you must tell me how to post pics on here, since you have figured it out and I haven't.

Waiting to hear back on the Heyers -- and yes, you do have to give a chance to one more historical novel!!

#174 : We have snow banks in the parking lot at work that would qualify as hills, Marky-Mark. I climbed one of them today and one of my colleagues took a picture .. we're going to send the photo to a colleague in South Africa and tell him that I climbed Everest. ;-)

#175 : I generally look forward to my trips, even though they're usually really hectic, and there's those looooong flights, but this time though, the trip's longer than I would like. I don't like being away from home for more than 2 weeks, and this time I'll be away for almost 4. *sigh* The plus of going to SEAsia? The food!

#176 : Claudia .. LOL..you may have eaten porcupine, spongeworm or maybe scorpion while in 'China'?

are you all getting nervous about playing up Death in the Stocks now?

#177 : Jenn, I actually do love it when it snows hard and I don't mind shoveling at all actually .. it feels like a good workout. I just don't like it when it ices over ... THEN it's really hard work to shovel and walking down the front steps is hazardous.

I've still got the rest of winter to cajole, bribe, blackmail, persuade, force my husband to wear the brain hat. I'll take a pic if I succeed. ... it might need to be while he's a sleep though .... like the time I managed to get a temp tattoo of Winnie-the-Pooh and friends on him. ;-)

#178 : I know, Kath... it fooled everyone! One of my friends who saw the photo asked if it took me all day to build that, and if I was ever in fear that the ceiling would collapse and bury me.

#179 : Faith, I think Jenn should teach us how to knit and we can make each other silly hats and gloves.

#183 : Jude-the-mole ... are we there yet?

#184 : I've only read some of Michael Innes' Inspector Appleby books. I think he's written some standalones, but I haven't gotten to them yet. I'm in search now for the other Applebys that I haven't yet read.

#185 : Suz, to post your pics, you have to use:

Erm, that link doesn't work for me. Can you maybe PM me instructions??
thanks... sorry, I'm a techno-dolt.

Hey Suzanne, there's a whole thread that Tad devoted to html stuff. I go there every time I need to post a pic.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/80911#2341699

>188 cameling: Yes, Caro...you should have seen us tunnelling away...of course, we were still teenagers and thought it was one big lark!

>190 nittnut: Jenn, would you be willing to share the instructions for the Brain Hat??? Yes, I knit, crochet, sew, and occasionally reap....PM me, okay?

I don't mind the snow until it reaches my knees ( i'm 5'4")...but the ice scares me...the thought of falling (on my head)

thank god it's "just" cold here today!

;-}

ME too - I don't mind shoveling snow (except the big wet heavy springtime kind). I just unequivocally HATE ice.

Jude - I will PM you. It's a fairly complicated pattern, so I might have to photocopy and mail it.

With you on the ice thing, jude..

Stunning picture of the snow tunnel, Caro. I had no idea that you lived in Siberia!!! I also loved the brain hat. I can just see a proliferation of them around the country. Hey, I need one to wear to my class!

That's great FIL news. Enjoy your time in Singapore. So glad that Edd can get away to join you for part of the time. I wish we could all come over and spend a few warm, sunny days with you.

I actually enjoyed shovelilng and snowblowing in winter. But this year, because of surgery I was forbidden to do heavy work I hired a company to clear the driveway and sidewalk. Needless to say I am enjoying this more. However, my opinion may change as soon as I get the first bill for the shoveling!

>192 nittnut: Got your PM and responded...."Complicated" is no problem..if you could see some of my Knit Works..

Where's Caro? Lost in the drifts?

;-}

Jude, are you on Ravelry?

It's a beautiful sunny day today but bitterly cold and windy. I think my face is only just starting to thaw after being out xcountry skiing in the woods for 2 hours.

We've still some more shoveling to do today but most of the hard work's done, so we're just 'tidying' things up ..really chipping away at the ice underneath.

#196 : Here I am, Jude .. not lost exactly, but surfacing from a crazy night on Friday with some friends and yesterday was spent cooking up a storm for our 'Spice Night' party. We had friends over to watch the football games and eat food of varying degrees of tongue-burning and stomach lining eroding spiciness.

I'll be stuck in front of the tv today too for the football games. Go Pats!

I stayed up all night finishing The Draining Lake by Arnaldur Indridason.

Inspector Erlander and his team are called to investigate the appearance of a skeleton chained to a Russian radio transmitter, found at the bottom of a dried lake. The skeleton's identity puzzles the team, and they have virtually no leads to follow up on.

All possible clues lead to more questions. Their focus on the Russian radio transmitter leads them to consider the involvement of spies in Iceland during the Cold War but they are stonewalled when they approach the embassies.

What emerges through a parallel narrative is a story of student spies and socialist movements through the Eastern European countries in the 1970s.

We're given more insight into Erlander's life and relationship with his daughter, and perhaps the start of a relationship with his son.

Indridason once again delivers a stunning thriller that I couldn't put down.
3.8 stars

I couldn't put it down either! Haven't read any of the others yet... must look for them.

Cushla, I've got Arctic Chill in my TBR Tower and his latest, Hypothermia is now out in hard cover.

I've just started Major Pettigrew's Last Stand which I received in the mail yesterday. It's the first time I'm reading a book I just received, but after all the fabulous reviews here on LT, I just can't wait. So thanks, Marky-Mark.

The Pats are playing crappy football! Arrrggghhhhh

Ok, I had to see what books made it to the bestsellers list the week I was born:

Fiction 1 : The Source - James Michener
Fiction 2 : Those Who Love - Irving Stone
Fiction 3 : Up the Down Staircase - Bel Kaufman
Fiction 4 : The Lockwood Concern - John O'Hara
Fiction 5 : The Double Image - Helen MacInnes
Fiction 6 : Airs Above the Ground - Mary Stewart
Fiction 7 : Thomas - Shelley Mydans (no touchstone)
Fiction 8 : The Billion Dollar Brain - Len Deighton
Fiction 9 : The Rabbi - Noah Gordon
Fiction 10:The Honey Badger - Robert Ruark

Non-Fiction 1 : In Cold Blood - Truman Capote
Non-Fiction 2 : A Thousand Days - Arthur Schlesinger
Non-Fiction 3 : A Gift of Prophecy - Ruth Montgomery
Non-Fiction 4 : Kennedy - Theodore Sorensen
Non-Fiction 5 : The Proud Tower - Barbara Tuchman
Non-Fiction 6 : Games People Play - Eric Berne
Non-Fiction 7 : A Gift of Joy - Helen Hayes
Non-Fiction 8 : Yes I Can - Sammy Davis
Non-Fiction 9 : The Penkovskiy Papers - Oley Penkovskiy
Non-Fiction 10:Is Paris Burning? - Larry Collins

I've only read 4 on the list, Airs Above the Ground, The Source, In Cold Blood and A Thousand Days.

>197 nittnut: No, I'm not on Ravelry...if I did more knit/crochet, I would most likely join. Lately, I've been trying to use up my odds & ends...knitting throws to put in my living room and those of friends. I just did a coverlet, in various whites & ecrus......different Patterns in squares...joined together...it doesn't sound like much but it is/was pretty lovely...different fibers, mostly wools & silks.....toasty warm...I gave it to a friend for Christmas...I have a closet full of yarns upstairs that have to be used...

Sorry for co-opting your thread, Caro
;-)

#203: I have only read one of the books on your list, Caro, The Proud Tower.

Sorry about the Patriots. I was rooting for them too.

jude.. I had no idea you were so talented :) but I am not surprised.

>203 cameling:: It looks like you were born about the same time as my wife...lots of similarities between the lists. I've read The Source, Those Who Love and Up the Down Staircase...all three deserve to be on a best seller list, imo.

A sobering realization for me is that I read several of those books- the year they came out!!! A reminder of one's age. The good thing is that I probably have first editions since I purchased them when they came out.

Have read Michener's "the Source", Up the Down Staircase, Airs Above the Ground, The Double Image, The Proud Tower and Is Paris Burning?

#204 : Co-opt away Jude. And while you're at it, we want pics of your knitted efforts too. :-) I don't think I've done more than knit scarves.

#205 : *sniffle* thank you kindly, Darryl. I'll share the box with you since your boys didn't make it either.

#206 : Thank you, Stas ... the Jets had their number though and they played really well, and deserved to win. I just wish their coach could have choked or run into a fist somewhere..coaches are supposed to be leaders for the team they manage, not start off the trash talkfest against opposing teams.

#207 : And she fixes stuff around the house too, Kath.. don't forget that! Come be my neighbor, Jude! I can promise payment in food and books. ;-)

#208 : High praise indeed, coming from you, Tad. Enough for me to add Those Who Love and Up the Down Staircase to my obese wish list.

#209 : On the other hand, you could have been a really prolific and mature reader when you were 9, Manuel. :-)

Of the ones you read, which ones did you think deserved to be on the best sellers' list, Manuel? I've found that some books are extremely well marketed and reach the best sellers' list not because they're good works but because they're just popular among a certain segment of readers.

#210 : What did you think of Is Paris Burning? and Double Image, Suz?

These are the ones I read:
The Source
The billion dollar brain
In Cold blood
A thousand days
The proud tower
The penkovskiy papers

Of these, I'd only read again In Cold Blood and The Proud Tower.

Double Image was far from my fave MacInnes; Is Paris Burning? was v. good, I recall, and was made into an excellent film as well.

#212 : Manuel, I've read some reviews of The Proud Tower and it sounds pretty interesting, so I've added it to my obese wish list. I enjoyed In Cold Blood too and have it on my re-read bookcase.

#213 : Will have to check out Is Paris Burning? then, Suz. I didn't know they made a movie from it. Will have to see if I can Netflix it when I get back.

So I finally read Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson, thanks to Mark and ..... I absolutely LOVED it! I woke up extra early this morning, skipped going to the gym (no hard decision that) and read the last third of the book.

A retired major of the British army, windower and father of a self-absorbed materialistic Fleet Street son, finds himself bereft at his brother's death, but excited at the thought that the matching gun to his father's Churchill hunting gun will soon be in his possession. But things don't go according to his plan, and soon he finds himself fending off the village women, dealing with his son's selfish demands, attracted to the village shopkeeper of Pakistani descent with a religious nephew, and being the center of unsavory gossip instead of living the quiet village life he's always enjoyed.

The Major's always believed that everyone should do the right thing, that the family name should be respected and upheld, and that he should be allowed to live his life as he chose, without attention or comment by others. But he finds that he is not above shameful behavior when he should have stood firm and that he gives in to others when it is easier to do so just so rather than speak up for what his preferences. But as events unfolded that escalated beyond his control or expectations, he finds the strength to make the changes he needs for a second chance.

This was a wonderfully lighthearted novel that had me cheering for the Major all the way.
4 stars

More snow today, 6" of the light fluffy kind, so it wasn't too bad, although the roads were a real mess. But it's turning into sleet, so that's going to make shoveling a lot harder later this evening. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that the skies and runways will be clear tomorrow morning when I head out on my 6am flight.

Last minute errands to run, dinner out and then back home to pick out my books to bring and pack. I just downloaded a whole bunch of freebies on my Kindle as my back up books. :-)

Good luck on getting out on that flight tomorrow. It's pretty messy here in NYC too, mostly rain - I'm just hoping it won't all freeze solid tonight - I don't skate well.

Up the Down Staircase was good read. My sister loves it and I recently bought her another copy.

Ice this morning here Caro.. now rain and then snow. All the weather all the time.

AND you are right about jude.. I can't think of a better neighbor!
I would love to design a neighborhood with LT friends :)
Our community center would be a library! like.. ya know
the Tome Home!

Hi Caroline. I will have to break down soon and get a copy of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand. I actually took it out of the library last year and started it but didn't have time to get very far before it was due back. But I liked what I did read and now with everyone raving about it on LT I'm anxious to get back to it.

Hope you're flight is uneventful and the weather cooperates. Have a great trip.

Seconding the rec for Is Paris Burning?.

Thumbs-upped your review of Major Pettigrew.

>211 cameling:: I hope you enjoy them, Caroline. The Adams' biography was really my introduction to them. Somehow I don't recall anything from school days about his presidency. Up the Down Staircase was just funny...in that "this is so painfully true, it's funny" sort of way.

I've never read Is Paris Burning? but I really enjoyed O Jerusalem! (he seems to have a thing for punctuation in his titles), so I ought to give it a try with that many raves.

#199 I have to get to that Indridason series. I'm thinking of ILL-ing the first, Jar City, from the county library this week.

Caro- So glad you like Major Pettigrew! She's an author we'll have to watch! Good luck packing. What books you bringing?

I think I was underwhelmed by Major Pettigrew in part because I felt I had read that kind of feel-good, quirky story before and in part because of the HUGE hype surrounding it by the time I read the ARC I got.

Have a safe flight and a good sojurn in the balmy climes of SE Asia. *sulk sulk*

I'm getting a new project started to get together great recommendations for books by themes. I've called it Books By Themes (BBT) and I'd love to have your suggestions! Here's the link.

Nice review, Caroline! You've captured the feel of the book perfectly. It is a light-hearted book, Suzanne, so I can understand being disappointed if you expected more. But I thought it was a good combination of real-life funny with some important issues included if you wanted to think about them.

#167 WOW that's a lot of snow! Love the brain hat ;o)

#186 "we're going to send the photo to a colleague in South Africa and tell him that I climbed Everest" - hee hee hee...

#214 Like the sound of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, enjoyed your review!

Are you traveling yet? Is today the day? More snow heading for NY
be safe Caro! And for heavens sake, be careful!

I bought Major Pettigrew at Target tonight. I went for celery and towels. Total impulse purchase, and I think I'll blame it on you...

ETA: Oddly enough, the towels and the celery ended up being the same color.

I loved Major Pettigrew, Caro. Glad to see you enjoyed it.

interesting story jenn :) .. same color. Those things interest me :)
I love towels. Nice fluffy ones..
The major is wearing me down. It has been a mere 3 weeks of not buying.
Hey! Maybe I can borrow it for nook!
I will have to investigate.

LOL Kathleen - I'm not even sure why I had to share that last night. I guess it struck me as funny that the two things I went to buy were the same color. It was a bit late when I wrote that.

I bought a bath and hand towel with frogs on - to turn into a hooded bath towel for a baby shower gift. It's the best. My hair stylist orders hooded bath towels and we do a trade, so my haircut is about 50% off. Love it.

Did you find the Major?

Caroline - I resisted reading Major Pettigrew for a while and I can't even remember exactly why now. But I loved it when I read it last month!

Jenn - Did you go out in the snow for towels and celery?? Well, the Major Pettigrew purchase makes it worthwhile... :)

Loved your review of Major Pettigrew Caroline. I hope to read it next month :)

I arrived safely in warm and balmy Singapore after a delayed connection in Hong Kong. So far, so good ... I am keeping a watching eye for sniffles, coughs or hives after being in an airborne incubation unit for more than 20 hours with some people who really should have either stayed home, or worn masks to keep their germs to themselves on the planes. There were 2 people with, I think, the plague ... or maybe they just had fleas and stomach flu.

Sorry to hear about all the snow and ice y'all still have to contend with... *sending warm waves out to you* Hopefully this foul weather will ease up by the end of next week and February is snow/ice free.

#218 : Pat, yeah you do have to break down and get a copy of Major Pettigrew, although after reading Suz's take on the book, I'm a little worried that I may be adding to the hype and that it won't live up to all the raves it's been getting here on LT.

#221 : Terri - definitely start with Jar City. I've not been disappointed with any of his books thus far.

#222 : I brought The Grand Inquisitor's Manual - Jonathan Kirsch, Wash This Blood Clean from my Hand- Fred Vargas and Solo - Rana Dasgupta, an ER book .... and 24 other titles on my Kindle. :-)

#223 : Sorry you were underwhelmed by the Major, Suz ... I was kinda relieved that it turned out so well for me because when I first started reading it, I wasn't too sure that it would be up my alley, but as I got into it, I really liked it more and more.

By the way, I had nasi lemak for breakfast today. :-) ... yummy!

#224 : What a great idea, Ilana. Thanks for starting that thread. I'll have to go spend some time on it, although I think that I'm so far behind with my reading that all the books I'd recommend would probably already have been recommended by other LTers. Uh oh..... I think I see a pitfall looming... I'll probably end up adding more books to my obese wish list visiting that thread.

#225 : Thanks, Bonnie.

#228 : Haha... loved that story, Jenn. The cover does go with celery and err.. green towels, so that's probably what prompted you to buy the book. Umm...but your hair stylist orders hooded bath towels as often as you get hair cuts? How many kids does she have?!!!

#229 : I believe you were one of the ones that got me itching to read Major Pettigrew, Stas.

I started The Grand Inquisitor's Manual: A History of Terror in the Name of God by Jonathan Kirsch on the plane and I've only just finished it. It's not exactly something you can zip through. Some parts you have to just stop and take a breath because it's hard to believe how cruel and evil, (yes, I have to say it, I thought they were evil), some people can be.

The Inquisition of the Middle Ages, the Spanish Inquisition and the Roman Inquisition provided for centuries of terror, torture and well documented strategies in annihilating mostly innocent people for heresy. While the original objective of the Inquisition was the Roman Catholic Church's fear of losing control over the thoughts and beliefs of Christians, the inquisitors, the Church and later, the kings of Spain and France, turned it into a strategy in profiteering and later, genocide.

Cloaking themselves with a language that played down what they were actually doing to the victims, the Inquisition laid the path for modern inquisitions such as the Nazi regime, the Soviet Gulag, the witch trials, the Japanese American internment, the McCarthy anti-Communist hunt and the American military proceedings in Abu Ghraib.

It's horrifyingly interesting to read how the Inquisition made heretics wear large fabric crosses on their garments to humiliate them, even if they had been released from trial, and that this practice was used by Hitler with the Jews in WWII. The practice of getting neighbors, friends, and relatives to spy on and denounce each other, and the purpose of a trial to get victims to name others were used also by the Nazis and McCarthy's committee. Even the Inquisition's practice of spreading imagined depravities against the targeted victims continues to be used today to build disgust and fear against them.

Even the tools of the Inquisition have not been destroyed or left to gather dust in some dark museum. Some of them have been used through the centuries and some, such as the water torture, now renamed waterboarding, and the humiliating dunces cap, are being used today.

It was appalling to see how easily it's been to press the panic button in people, and once pressed, how very quickly it can be to spread fear, distrust and the belief that inhumane treatment of those we fear is acceptable, because they are now seen as being less than human. Once the panic button is pressed, how ready are we to relinquish common sense, embrace the flimsiest of excuses to legalize the torture and incarceration of our imagined enemies.

Covering some very distasteful details of mainly the Inquisitions' strategies and practices, this is, however, a really good documentation of man's need to control that which he fears. It certainly made me realize that not only does history repeat itself, but that there are some who will actually try to justify evil actions.

I never knew there were 3 Inquisitions and the Spanish Inquisition gained the most notoriety, so that was the one I knew about. I definitely learned a lot from this book and while I can't say that I enjoyed the book, I think it's one that we should all read and maybe it'll make us all pause the next time another wave of political or religious zealots attempt to send us into irrational panic mode and lose sight of our humanity. I'm glad I read this, even though the going was a little slow to start. While the focus of course, is on the Inquisition, I liked how the author tied the history to the atrocities of today.
4 stars

>236 cameling: Don't you just flinch at the mere notion of being human after reading such horrifying and evil (le mot juste in this case, no doubt) and cynical behavior on the part of *moral authorities* with a *religion* to run doing these things?

Vomitous.

I shall thumbs-up the review at the earliest possible moment.

What had me shaking my head and muttering a number of times during my read were the often really crazy and disgusting practices the inquisitors came up with accusing the heretics, witches, Jews and Muslims of indulging in.

My "favorite" has always been the eating/sacrifice of Christian babies, preferably unbaptized for extra ick factor. These church fathers, a term I resent with indignant bitterness, were some seriously sick fucks.

What a delightful thread! I'm sorry to be so far behind.

Glad your father in law is doing much better.

19" of snow! WOW! That is incredible. Feb. 17, 2003 we had 26 inches of snow. My daughter was in labor and luckily we got her to the hospital to bring forth our darling little granddaughter Kayla.

Wonderful review of The Grand Inquisitor's Manual: A History of Terror in the Name of God by Jonathan Kirsch. Thumbs up! While it doesn't sound like an easy read, these books need to be held high into the sky! I recently finished Life With a Star, a book that Stasia and LizzieD (Peggy) recommended. Another breathtaking book that makes you want to scream at mans inhumanity to man.

#239 : I know... seriously, where do people come up with these ideas?!!

#240 : Nice to see you, Linda. I'm so glad you're feeling better. I'm well away from snow for the time being.. I just don't want to think about what I'm likely going to need to wade through when I finally go home in February. yikes!

I took a peek at Life With a Star and I've added that to my obese wish list.

I think, after The Grand Inquisitor's Manual though, that I need something bright and cheerful for my next couple of reads.

I'm having a problem finding something to sink my teeth into after my last book. Oh dear ... I hate being in a book funk

Adding The Grand Inquisitor's Manual with a shudder.

My hair stylist just likes to give the towels as gifts to friends having babies, and no, not every time I go in. Often enough to be nice though.

I hope your trip is lovely. I envy you the warmth.

There is still a Book Funk Ban on, so you are not allowed to have one of those. Please move on to something else! Have a good day!

Hey, you're in Singapore! Get this! Looks like a fun mystery series!

Fear is where people come up with garbage like the stuff you were reading about.

Hmm, wouldn't mind combining a book buying ban and a book funk ban!!

How about Charles deLint Caro?

Spirits in the Wires by Charles de Lint (Kindle Edition - Apr. 1, 2010) - Kindle eBook
Buy: $9.99

Adding The Grand Inquisitor's Manual to my wishlist - thanks for the great review!

My new thread is here

Caroline, I'd been thinking about reading the grand inquisitor for a while but your review definitely convinced me I should move it up. Now, I have to purchase it.
You gave a great review.

Well, you've caught me with your review of The Grand Inquisitor's Manual. I agree that it's important for people to read about these times--as unpleasant as they are--and notice the connections to current practices. There's something particularly evil about using one's beliefs in God(s) to justify actions, because the people who do so absolutely believe they have this "authority" to behave in ways that are blatantly prejudiced and hateful.