Marvelous Maggie's Many Books in 2011

OK, now I am signed on, but if I finish a book before Dec. 31 it is still going on my incomplete 2010 effort.

Happy to be starting over and I intend to read many kids books and but them here so I can get closer to the 75 goal. Any other ideas? for getting closer? How do the rest of you do it?

Carrying a book with you all the time does help*, as does having a longish commute on public transit. Also: living with other readers, being antisocial, reading while eating out alone (one of the great luxuries).

*This isn't so helpful if you're reading a 12-lb volume of Gibbons or something.

Thanks Cynara. I do carry my Kindle everywhere! Unfortunately, I do not have a public transit commute any longer and I spend my days with three kids. Sometimes during nap time, I read...sometimes, I nap. I haven't been eating out much recently, perhaps that will be a new effort in 2011.

Ok, more ideas.....

After my mom had kids, she started reading the New Yorker - no time for complete novels anymore, but short stories and articles were doable! God knows how you find any time for reading with three kids.

Hi maggie! Good to see you back again!
My humble advice - just read, enjoy, and don't worry so much about reaching any goal!

well, I've got the read and enjoy bit down pretty good and yes, I'll do lots of that but I also like striving a bit for a goal. I am not too unhappy if I don't make it as I am a "its the journey, not the destination" kind of a gal. So, a little of both in the new year.

I find that my reading naturally increases thanks to the good recommendations in this group--the more I enjoy what I'm reading, the faster it goes. So, the "just read and enjoy" is precisely what leads to achievement of the goal! I'm at 74 so far, an improvement over 66 last year and 40-something the year before.

I used to be really obsessive about reading every word in a book, including all references in non-fiction. Eventually I concluded that was a waste of time; I didn't get much out of it for the time it took. Now I just check references if I'm particularly interested in the point being made.

And I no longer have a newspaper subscription, which probably helps.

Do you pick your kids up at school? Go early to get a good parking spot and read your book in the car. I read most of World Without End in the car while my daughter was in her 4-H meetings.

no, I am with toddlers: aged 3 and 5, and then before and after school with a 10 year old who walks. I am usually pretty much on the go, the whole time, save for those precious nap times. I do get some reading done every day, tho, just because that is the kind of girl I am.

Become a bailbondsman. Do not sleep.

Sorry, Karen, those are all the recommendations I can think of :)

Great ideas! hehehehehe

I think not sleeping is just not in the cards for me. I spent so many years not getting enough sleep that now that I can...I sleep plenty every night. In the bed by about 8, read for a while, and then sleep until 5 am. That could be up to 9 hours of sleep every night! Woo hoo, I love it!

#11: 8pm?! You go to bed at 8pm? The roof would fall in on my head if I did that!

>10 alcottacre: Become a bailbondsman. Do not sleep. Stasia -- is that what you do???

Yes.

yes, I do go to bed close to 8 pm almost every night. Luxury! And I wake up about 5 am without an alarm most mornings. I love morning.

#15: I love morning.

I am decidedly not a lark. I am a night owl. The only reason I see mornings is because I have been up all night to welcome the day in :)

When I was younger and had to get up, get ready, and get out of the house and go to work every weekday and then squeeze all the fun in life into the nonworking hours - well, then I stayed up late and burned the candle at both ends, and on somedays broke the candle in half and burned it in the middle, too. After I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis I learned my body really did not like all this candle burning! And then, when I had my hips replaced (2001 and 2005) and one foot "remodeled" (bunion removed, and several joints taken out due to the RA), I learned much more about how much my body likes to rest! My health is important to me now as never before which is often the experience of folks as we age. Bingo! Go to bed early, get up early, and hope for health, wealth and wisdom. And then, I read as much as I can.

I am a night owl -- and I love early morning too. Not a great combo! But since I'm retired, naps are a big part of my day.

Have a wonderful Christmas, Karen!

Welcome back!

Hi, maggie! Good to see you again!

*blushing* thank you, thank you, thank you! Still working on Hogfather and am excited to decide what I think....

Hi Karen, got you starred!

so I did finish Hogfather in 2010 and counted it in that thread. I liked it and think I'll probably be reading a bit more Prachett.

Hi there! I saw you mention you're from NW WA. Me too! Just wanted to wish you happy reading in 2011!

I'm a new fan of your thread. The older I get, the earlier I rise. I find that I love those early morning hours when no one else is around, except the dogs. Good health and happy reading to you in 2011!

Thanks for the good wishes.

Oh my! I have started out my wonderful Sunday morning with an hour and a half of reading threads! and finding my new ticker. Here it is:




I also drank my first latte of the day. So, now I'll make another, and get ready to watch Sunday Morning on CBS; and read threads during the commercials.

When will I read my book? Truely, I've got several started but none of them have grabbed me and I keep thinking I'll get to it soon.

I'm still figuring out how this group works, but I'm just dropping in to say I've got your thread starred :)

Great. Good to see you blue, and don't over think it. This group works however you want it to work for you!

Good to see you here Karen, I look forward to seeing what you read in the coming year.

Wishing you a year of Good Books, Good Friends and Good Health.

Thanks, calm. Do you have a thread here? Can you post a link for me, please.

~~~never mind~~~ as Rosannadannadanna once said

#28 Karen, your morning of lattes, CBS Sunday Morning and LT sounds great!

It was great and very relaxing after all the crazies of the holidays are over and life is back to a normal pace.

Hi Karen, I am dreadfully afraid that I will call you Maggie by mistake... Got your thread starred!

I answer to both names having used the Karen for several decades, and the Maggie for several good years.

I finished reading An Object of Beauty last night. Steve Martin, yes...the Steve Martin, comedian...., wrote it and I think he was hoping for a movie. I can't recommend the book although I think it was relatively well written and probably could qualify is good fluff. A first person narrator, a writer for Arts magazines, gives an accounting of a young woman's "career" as an art dealer in New York City just before and just after 9/11/2001.

I did learn a good deal about the art market in NYC, and other major cities and if I was more informed in advance there may have been some interesting comments about the history of art during that time; but, you know I could not discriminate between the fiction and the nonfiction environment.

I did not identify with, nor become attached to, the narrator nor the young woman. I didn't like either of them very much and I am sure that affected my enjoyment of the book. Perhaps if the narrator was played by Johnny Depp in the movie, I might care more.

I am going to give it three stars as I think it was well enough written and constructed to give some readers a good read. About 75% through the book the tension finally began to build and there were a couple of "crisis" points in the book as it wound its way down to a conclusion which was somewhat predictable.




lost my previous ticker...somehow...forgot? a password. No, not me.

I hope your next read is a better one for you, Karen!

I am having a Do Nothing But Read day, and I started with finishing up reading Winnie the Pooh, which I never read before. Can you imagine what kind of deprived childhood I had? Making up for it now. Smiling all the while.

I have finished reading Winnie the Pooh and I am glad I did, too!

I still love Pooh even after all these years! I am glad you finally discovered him, Karen :)

Aww, Winnie the Pooh was a huge part of my childhood - that series was one of the first I remember my mom reading aloud to me. :)

I only just read the Pooh books a couple of years ago, when I bought them for Charlie's library. They're wonderful, of course, and I'm so glad that you've discovered them now too!

T-I-double-GrrRrr.

*snork!*

Much as I loved them, I also love Dorothy Parker's deathless 'Constant Reader' review, which ends ..."Tonstant Weader fwowed up."

The misspellings were/are brilliant, and this is said by a gold metelist in misspelllings.

I finished To Kill a Mockingbird and there are so many things I could say about it. It definitely deserves every praise comment made about it. It captures the very best, and the worst, too, about the south in the early twentieth century. If you have not read it, do! I believe it probably is the only book I can think of that I would call a true American treasure.

I've read To Kill a Mockingbird years ago and I liked it...sort of. For the genre it was really good, but I'm not into the whole racial segregation thing, but if I was, it would have been very awesome. There was just one part I didn't get that everybody else did, and I humilated myself. But it's too embarassing to put on the loud speaker, so I'll leave it at that. But yeah, really, really good book like you said.

Oh, To Kill a Mockingbird! It's one of those books that made such and impression on me that I can remember where I was sitting and what I was wearing and what we had for dinner the day I read it (this was years and years ago, when I was a wee high-schooler). So glad it's found it's was into your life!

Hi Karen, dropping in for the first time, I think. Glad to see you enjoyed To Kill a Mockingbird. It is one of the very, very few I intend to reread.

I'm glad you enjoyed TKAM, Karen! I reread it in November and really enjoyed the experience. Thematically it was a mixed bag for me (the black people = mockingbirds analogy is pretty problematic, on reflection), but it's a rich work with a lot of beautifully-written characters and relationships. The Boo Radley subplot is probably my favorite - that, or the children's interactions with that old woman.

Hi, Kris, yes I agree there are some issues to be thought about however I am pretty good at judging books, keeping clearly in mind the times in which they were written. I don't expect authors to be completely ahead of their times.

Good comments and I agree the other sub-plots were powerful.

Hi Karen, I have you starred and have enjoyed reading your thread. I have been there, home with toddlers and preschoolers. I did not read as much then, it was a challenge. I would take my kids to babysitting at the YMCA, work out for a time and then sit it the lobby and read for a time before I picked them up. Some weekend mornings I would escape to the library leaving my husband in charge and would indulge in browsing and reading. Just some of the tricks I used to fit reading into my life.

TKAM...one I have read mulitiple times and still learn something new. In our school district, TKAM is required reading for all 9th graders....very happy that our YA's are not missing this one.

welcome! I am using the YMCA trick, too. The kids seem to love both the "day care" room and the "adventure zone" big play equipment. Horray. Luckily I am within easy driving of 4-5 Ys and can rotate around for variety.

Today: snow early on has made school go late, and preschool be cancelled, so I'll not get my chance to take the youngest to Toddler Sports. Drat!

Maybe more time for reading...threads and books.

OK, I'm off to eat some breakfast.

You know, now that I think of it, I should go back and give TKAM a better score. I did really enjoy that way back then, and I think whatever I starred it, may have not been high enough. I should change that.

To Kill A Mockingbird is very high up on my All Time Top Ten list! Some days it's No. 1! I've read and reread it several times...and like it more each time I return to it. So glad to find so many other admirers of this great work.

Donna, I agree and can't say just why. But I can't think of another American book that was so tightly written, so impactful, and yet very accessible. I am thinking schools should teach this one, as I think it would be very difficult to actually ruin it.

Although, now that I think about it, there may be some critics, ala those criticising Mark Twain's work for use of the contemporary English ("the n-word").

It would be a shame to lose it for such a reason.

Yeah I comment on that in the interesting articles. I just disagree why people have to be so racially sensative, because back then, nobody cared. And the book is like golden history of America, you can't change it no matter what.

DragonFreak, I'd like to suggest that "back then" very many people cared a great deal. Those who were called by the "n word" did not have the power to complain or ask for better treatment; but, they did not like it or even feel neutral about it. It was, and still is, a powerfully negative word suggesting all sorts of ugly racial steryotypes. It was used casually at that time because no one felt powerful enough to complain in an effective manner. Do not under estimate how horrible that, and other racial name calling, was. People were lynched for being what was called an "uppity n...er"; just looking at someone, in a wrong way, could get you in horrible life changing trouble.

OK, well then I'm wrong I guess. But the taking it out will result in the unfactual time period that should make it real, whether it's the good, bad, or in this case, ugly.

Besides, that book was written ages ago, and time has changed, so I don't get why all of a sudden people don't like it. Well I do, but I don't get why now, and not decades ago.

no worries, I don't think anyone is actively campaigning against the book

I read To Kill a Mockingbird for the first time in 2008. I have no idea how I missed going so long without reading such a terrific book. I am glad I finally got around to it.

A few years ago I started reading classics for the first time since high school. To Kill a Mockingbird and The Count of Monte Cristo were two of my first tries and they made me aware of how awesome some of the classics are.

I just discovered that again by reading Dracula!

I am rediscovering "oldies but goodies" too. My current read, when I get to it, is And Then There Were None. I plan on reading more Agatha Christie if I find the "oldie" part not too jarring.

And Then There Were None was one of my favorite books when I was 12-ish, for some reason - I know I read it at least twice and gave copies to several of my friends. I should reread it and see what all my fuss was about.

TKaM is one of the best books I ever read and I only read it last year! I am trying to read more classics because my high school English teacher was a Shakespeare fan. All of our required reading was his. I missed out on a lot of great books.

A lot of people who read the classics in high school missed out on a lot of great books, if you catch my drift. I'm pretty much of the opinion that unless you have an outstanding high school teacher, then the risk becomes high school students getting exposed to this stuff and never going back to it because it's poorly taught. I saw this happen to my son--a smart guy, a good reader, and an excellent school. Nonetheless, he was exposed to classic lit in such a way that it will probably take him decades to get back to it--if he ever does. One example: who teaches Conrad in high school? Well, his school did, and I doubt that he'll ever read him again.

labwriter, you express my feeling exactly. My high shool ruined E.M. Forester for me. Have never read any thing by him because I shiver when I think of it.

I finished reading My Father's Dragon last night in bed and it definitely made me smile. I can hardly wait to read it to the toddlers next week. Now I am trying to do a quick re-read of The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven for by book group in early February. It is nearly February!

Finished re-reading The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. I felt the silly term: "oh the humanity of it" when I finished. Sherman Alexie just does such a great job of letting the reader into the life of a twentieth century Indian, which is still very different from that of most twentieth century people, and still letting the reader know that we are all, after all, humans. The loving, hating, fighting, being afraid, falling down, being brilliant, being smart, the whole "mc gillicutty" is there. Read it if you haven't.

#73: I have not read that one, so I will see if my local library has it. Thanks for the recommendation, Karen!

I'll move it to a higher elevation on Mount TBR.

I read The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven quite some time ago. Since I remember very little about it, I'm wondering if it's time for a re-read, or if I simply didn't like it much...hmmm...drat you, Karen44! I don't need to be reminded of reads gone by!

Richard, my friend, it is a quick and easy read. Good for a "palate cleanser" between heavier, longer, or more complex books. We all need to be reminded of good books....IMHO.

...and, most importantly: Thanks for stopping by.

I finished reading The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America last night, in tears. The final chapter was a fine tribute to all who have worked to provide us and the future all of our national parks and forests. It also explained how this 1910 huge fire (millions of acres of trees, billions of 1910 dollars worth of timber) set up both the Forest Service and the entire country to spend decades trying, unsuccessfully, to totally prevent forest fires. The most recent approach is that of the setting aside of Wilderness Areas which are not easily invaded by people, and which can sustain the occasional, naturally created fire.

Timothy Egan is a fine writer, one who takes large events or trends in American history and populates it with individual, human, and specific stories. His books often read like a fine novel and he makes very real some of the amazing things that Americans have experienced while populating this part of the North American continent. This book is set at a time when the "end" was visible in that the continental U.S. had been established, and the interior was now being "exploited". The conservation movement begun by Roosevelt, Muir, Pinchot, and hundreds of Forest Rangers were fighting the powers of the Big Railroad, Big Developers and weak federal government such as Hill, Rockerfeller, Weyerhauser, and Taft. Egan does not omit explaining how the centers of power made, or did not make, decisions which directly affected the start and the fight against this Big Burn.

Finally, as my father was born in this part of the country in 1910, the year of the fire, I know there are parts of my family history that touch on this tragedy. I have some more genealogy to research!

Karen44, the fire suppression efforts were a disaster, but the fire that prompted them...! What a tragedy on the human scale. An excellent sounding book, one I'll look for next visit to Sagamore Hill.

Will you bring us a tidbit from your genealogical research once in a way?

ah...yes...skeltons in the closet, etc. will be forthcoming. Busy with a Read-A-Thon this morning. I have started another of Alan Furst's fine spy novels set in pre-WWII Europe, Paris specifically. Its Kingdom of Shadows. I'll let you know how it is when I get a bit farther into it...I'm only on page 31 right now.

Richard, you keep calling me Karen44 and I may have to start using that fine "handle" as I find new web sites to "log in". Thanks for visiting, I enjoy your comments.

Finished another Alan Furst novel - Kingdom of Shadows - a fine spy novel set in and around pre-war Paris. Furst researches this time prior to World War II very carefully and his novels are full of the detail, and the history, that makes them really come alive. I highly recommend his work.

#79: I enjoyed that one quite a bit when I read it too. If you have not read Egan's The Worst Hard Time yet, Karen, I would recommend that one to you.

Thanks so much and yes, I have read The Worst Hard Time. I am more than ever a Timothy Egan fan!

Hi There

I'm compiling a list of birthdays of our group members. If you haven't done so already, would you mind stopping by this thread and posting yours.

Thanks.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/105833

Thanks for doing this, Whisper1, and I did post mine a while ago.

Can't wait to read Timothy Egan. Believe it or not, I have never been to a National Park! Not many in our area and our travels seem to center on visits to family or places our kids love. I did so enjoy Ken Burn's series on PBS about the history of the National Parks....my husband and I are putting them on our list for our empty nest years. Thanks for sharing how moved you were by this story!

mks27, I don't think I would have been to any National Parks either except that my Mom had to "farm" me out to family friends for summers as she struggled to make enough money to be a single parent in the 1950s. These family friends were able to take me on car trips around the west and I did visit some parks and have vivid childhood memories of the forests, and views, and beauty. I even was fortunate enough to take a pack trip, on houseback, up into the Wallowa Mountains in Oregon. Unforgettable. Wish I could do it again, but the guy who put in my two artificial hips said..."no horseback riding for you, missy". Darn.

I finished reading No Great Mischief last night and loved it. Shed a tear or two reading of a 110 year old matriarch remembering the long family history on Cape Breton in Canada.

The book is written alternating the present day life of the narrator, and his recollections of family events and stories, dating from the late 1700s on the island of Cape Breton, where these clannish MacDonalds settled.

Having some Scots in my line, I enjoyed reading about this family escaping from Scotland and growing and thriving in Canada.

Oh, I loved No Great Mischief too! I am glad to see you did as well, Karen.

That's a great book.

I finished Snow Flower and the Secret Fan last night, with a few tears. I did not cry because it was so sad, more because it was the end of this interesting woman's life.

It seems to me the author wrote this novel to provide herself a way to share all the research she has done about women in nineteenth century China. She is very respectful of the culture and reality of China and wrote an account which was believable and very human. Hard to fathom, she gave an account of foot binding and strict relations between men and women which was both incredible to a 21st century mind and understandable almost to a point of acceptance.

(I would say more but a sprained wrist has made me a one finger, slow, typist. Here's to a fast recovery because I'd much rather be my old touch typist self!)

#91: I really need to get to that one! I am glad you enjoyed it, Karen.

ETA: Sorry to hear about the sprained wrist!

thanks!

Thanks for the review Maggie! You definitely make me want to bump that book up on my TBR list. :)

#91 Nice review, appears to be something I would like!

Thanks, Michelle and Valerie, for stopping by and I am happy you enjoyed the brief review.

Hi, Maggie/Karen, I finally found your thread! Your great review of The Big Burn has convinced me that I want to read it! It won't be for a while, since I'm trying to limit my book purchases until the tbr stack will fit onto 1 shelf (stacking to the top & cramming them in is permissible), but it's definitely on the wishlist.

It's nice to see that you're a Sherman Alexie fan. I've only read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, but I loved it, and want to read more of his books.

Ivy, thanks for stopping by my thread. I can't type a lot cuz of sore wrist, but look forward to exchanging more thinks and reading ideas in the future.

There! I have finished reading The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers and completely enjoyed it. I don't nornally read mysteries, and am reading this for my book group, and have to say: I did it, I guessed the culprit before the end of the book.

I like the description of English village life between the wars and like many of the characters including the Lord Peter Wimsey who is the Sherlock Holmes of this book. I did find his "man" to be irritating in the extreme. But that would be the American in me. Your "man"...my eye!

I posted a map on my profile to see where all my visitors reside. Would you be so kind as to visit my profile and put another little dot on my shiny new map? Thanks.

Done!

Thank you! I hope you visited after I fixed the two-map problem. I lost my first few, quite a few, dots in that caper. Oh, well, I can't necessarily have everything I want, when I want it!

It was just a few minutes ago, so after, I suspect.

It is all looking good now. I would be so thrilled if I could get visitors from all of the continents. Who do we know in South America?

Added another dot to the map, although not from any place exotic...

Every dot is appreciated; but, even more - every friend here is appreciated.

Werner,
Dietrich Werner
I had a ‘STROKE’ and for me is very had to speak. You can set up with questions that I can answer with yes or refusal.
You can set up with questions that I can answer with Yes or No.

Yes or No!

Thank you.

To get the 75 done, I need to have read 12.5 books by now....tomorrow is the last day of Feb. so maybe I can read 1.5 books by then. Here is the latest:




Finished reading The Hound of the Baskervilles for a Green Dragon group read and completely enjoyed it. I think some of these classic books are so great for re-reads as the end of the book is just not so terribly important, it is the writing, the characterizations, and the descriptions that can still thrill. If you have never read a Sir Arthur Conon Doyle Sherlock Holmes book, find one and do it.

I've got the Annotated Complete Sherlock Holmes on my list for sometime this year. It'll be interesting to see what sort of commentary the editors come up with.

Graceling, the word, is a diminutive describing a person who is "graced" with special, extreme abilities of one kind or another. The young woman protagonist is blessed/burdened with a super hero set of abilities and story is somewhat typical in its recreation of a medieval environment with kings, courts, warriors, ships, captains, and the like. The "Graceling" finds her way through growing up, discovering herself, some friends and ultimately a lover. The strong feminist perspective makes the story a little less predictable and the "quest" is a fine one.

That makes this book, Graceling, sound quite ordinary as a young adult fantasy but I have to confess I did not find it ordinary at all. I picked it up and was hooked within the first page or so, and I read right through the book enjoying the characters, both major and minor, and I found the story to be sufficiently compelling that it kept me up past my bedtime. Not much does these days, so I give this book a big Yes!

maggie - Yay! I love Graceling, I'm glad you liked it too. The prequel Fire is just as good, if not better.

well, I'd better see if I can't get it soon!

I am reading Progeny: The Children of the White Lions by
R T Kaelin (LT author) now. And thinking of spring:

Beautiful bird!

I was so excited to get the photograph! But really Anna's Hummingbirds are quite fearless and will come very close to humans to get their food. Sweet. The photo was taken in early April.

ETA: In 2009

fearless! ours dive-bomb us when we dare go near the feeders. Including to refill the thing, lol.

yup yup yup

THIS IS ONE REASON WHY I CAN'T GET MORE READING DONE, AND MORE REVIEWS WRITTEN, AND MORE ... POSTS POSTED:

Hey it's Greta Garbo's mom!! I was reading post and thinking how does she manage 3 tots and even read a cereal box when I went wait isn't this Karen? She has 3 pups too!! (hugs for all)

I'm trying to gear up for a few classics so I was reading and marking pages. You know me though, I'm reviewing a dog book. Emily And Einstein. This has a twist to it right at the start and has peeked my interest.

Will pop in again soon!

Cute!

Welcome, BONS, nice to see you here. Yes, I am a companion, full-time, to three dogs and a companion, part-time, to three kids. I do actually get some time alone and the dogs are good at sleeping while I read, and do computer stuff. They are not so good at waiting for me to wake up on weekends to feed them. Reveille is at 5 am, 365!

I am continuing to read Progeny and really enjoying it. Last night I was awake way too long, due to a late cup of tea, and so now I am really hooked.

sheesh! Thank you!
I lost track of way too many people during February, I think..

Finished reading Progeny (The Children of the White Lions) by R.T. Kaelin. A new fantasy series started recently and I think it is going to be great. The world Kaelin has built is not simplistic, and does not rely on merely tweaking medieval themes. Of course, Good and Evil are having a contest and there are frail and foolish folks caught in the upheavals but Kaelin has made some very interesting characters with inventive skills and talents. The characters most like humans are also fleshed out with personalities, strengths and weaknesses, friendships and loves. I, as the reader, found I liked and identified with more than one person in this book and I liked that a good deal. Just like Life!

I read it on my Kindle and I am glad as it was a long book and my hands would have complained if I'd had to hold it up and open.

Kealin has also published a brief companion piece called Merchant (Terrene Chronicles) in which he fleshes out the background of one of the more interesting characters in Progeny.

Man I want to read it.

yes, do. I think you will like it. It is one of those rare books which will appeal to both younger and older adults.

Once I have a chance I will. Right now, I've got 54 books to read.

D.F. - Isn't life grand?

Yes, yes it is.

not available for nook at the moment..
that is probably a good thing.. I can put it on a list and
read my way to it! maybe?

maybe you could....try....can't hurt to try

It does look really good...

I have finished reading The Zimmermann Telegram and am very happy the book group decided to read it. It is clearly a glimpse into a world quite different from ours, today. The German aristocracy which led Germany into WWI is cut from a cloth that we barely can recognize today. I've never actually met someone who so unabashedly considers themselves to be unquestionably superior to all others, as did the Germans of the leadership in WWI. Of course, the British had their share of arrogance also and both contributed to the horrors of that first "world war". The Zimmermann telegram is dropped into this environment when the United States of American was nearly completely convinced to stay clear of any entanglements in the European mess. This telegram which suggested that Germany would support Mexico's attack to the southern border of the USA turned public opinion around on a dime, and off to war we did go.

And Barbara Tuchman's reputation as an excellent writer of history is totally justified. If you have any interest in North American, European, and Mexican history - read this short and fascinating book.

I am skipping the 30+ messages I am behind, Karen, hoping to keep pace with you the rest of the year.

I agree with you about The Zimmermann Telegram. I liked the book when I read it last year.

So glad to see you back in the fray, Stacia. BTW, I love your visitors map. You have a wonderful spread of little dots all over this world of ours. I especially like the one in Hawaii, middle of that big ole ocean.

Happy reading!

The Zimmerman Telegram souinds really good. I *still* haven't read any Barbara Tuchman, but I own A Distant Mirror and The Guns of August.

The March of Folly also looks like it would be an excellent Tuchman read. I glanced at it last night during our Book Group meeting and think I'll try to fit it on to my teetering TBR pile(s).

BTW, if anyone has extra time on their hands, please visit my profile, I am looking for more dots on my map. I am such an attention hog.

Thanks.

I've had A Distant Mirror since before I moved in 1981. It's something of an enigma to me that I've never once in 30 years picked it up (to read, that is -- I've moved it from shelf to shelf), especially when I really like that time period. You may have nudged me to finally read it -- or at least to add it to my list of current possibilities. And The Zimmerman Telegram goes on my ever-growing wishlist. Thanks (I think)!

You are welcome, I am sure. And I hope you find time to read at least some of it, you may get "hooked".

Interesting, I have A Distant Mirror in my library pile. I thought the author sounded familiar!

So, Morph, will you be picking it up any time soon?

Sometime in the next few weeks.

I can't believe I forgot to update my ticker yesterday. It has been too long since I've done that. Dang.




I am on the brink of finishing River of Doubt and then I'll have one more.

River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey Wow! what an adventure. As I've written elsewhere he seems to have dealt with disappointments by choosing a huge physical challenge and this one was a big one.

He and his expedition of explorers and "porters" traveled to the headwaters of the River of Doubt in Brazil and set off to follow it to the ocean. The area was deep rain forest with indigenous people who used poisoned arrows. The rain forest was being penetrated by people collecting the sap of the rubber tree but only the edges were well known. And, just for fun, this is the area where the piranha fish regularly attacked and devoured large animals, and occasionally people.

On a personal note: when I was in the Peace Corps in Africa back in the 1960s I found that if I han a little cut, or sore, it would take FOREVER to heal due to the "foreign" microbes. My body had not developed appropriate antibodies for those microbes. So when the book noted TR had wounds which would not heal, I knew what the author was talking about, for sure.

Since this is a nonfiction book, we all know the successful end with TR returning in triumph to lecture about his voyage of discovery. I recommend this book who enjoys reading adventures in the real world, and who enjoys knowing more about the wonderful rain forests of Brazil (which we are still trying to preserve, over 100 years after TR's journey).

I visited your profile page, Karen, but I did not see the visitor's map. Cute pups though!

#143: I loved that one! I bought a copy for my personal library. I am glad to see you enjoyed it.

Stasia, when you visit the page the map automatically puts a dot on the map. The map is down a little ways on my Profile page, not the home page.

Just this morning a little dot way up north in Canada made me google Yellowknife, and I learned a great deal about this little (12,000 people) community. Fun.

Did you Google Sherman, TX? If I rate a dot, surely I rate a Google. LOL

I did overlook this important task. I will put it on my "high priorities" list for today as I certainly agree you deserve and rate respectful and appreciative notice.

Done! Don't you love it when you can get your goals accomplished early in the morning! It is 6:35 am ish here now.

The River of Doubt sounds really interesting Karen, thanks for the recommendation.

I finished reading The Game of Thrones. I learned that George R.R. Martin has had a long career as an author, much of it writing for the screen, TV and movie, I think. It shows in this book, and the book is easily being adapted to the HBO TV series which recently started.

It is a rich book, with multiple attractive characters and settings, leaving the reader sometimes not know who to root for; who to dislike; and ultimately, realizing that just like Real Life there are no easy heroes or villains.

The majority of the settings, characters and conflicts have their feet firmly in medieval northern European history and are enhanced by delftly chosen fantasy elements such as undead warriors, and dragons, and Other Mysteries of Unknown Territories. In my mind, it makes for a delightful romp and sets the reader up for wanting more. Luckily, it is the first in a series.

I very much loved reading your thoughts on The Game of Thrones. It is one am looking forward to reading when I know I will be able to focus on it without lots of other distractions. There is nothing better than having a great read to look forward to!

I really want to read Game of Thrones too, so I can watch the show. I've had the book on my shelf for about 8 years now, and keep putting it off... oh well. Soon!

Hi Karen, great review of A Game of Thrones. I've read the first three or four but I was waiting for him to complete the series before reading any more but all the hype over the TV series means that I'll probably have to move them to the read shelf. *sigh*

ah, I take it I should not be reading so fast; there is another series I've been waiting for... but I don't remember which one. I should do a little research.

I am well into Book Two; but there are some other reads, I should go back and finish.

Well the fifth has a publication date, later this year sometime ... only 6 years after the fourth! ... but I don't think I've ever heard how many he is going to write:(

So no idea when the series is going to be finished.

Ah well - as you say there are plenty of other books to read ... but it is such a gripping story:(

...just visiting...*leaves a bunch of tulips on the table *

oh, pretty! Thank you.

A Dance with Dragons releases 12 July. Rumor has it that George has most of book 6 already finished too. But then you know what rumors are like.

ah, yes, rumors and gossip = confusion and dismay!

So what are you reading these days?

Just finished The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and have not yet posted it. I'll be back in a few...

later... I am about 1/2 way through Clash of Kings, the second in the series by George R.R. Martin. Watching the TV series also even though it is a bit odd to watch the show being in the first book, and I am, in reading, so much farther along.

Let my Kindle sit for a few days too many and had to recharge her, but, on her there are a couple of more books I've dipped into: Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, and Dragonflight, and sitting and waiting for the unlikely return of me, to finish it, is The Shack.

I made it 25 page into The Shack and then threw it at the wall. I cannot blame you for not returning to it, Karen :)

Hi Maggie.
I guess I am lucky living in Kuala Lumpur I have been able to engage a driver and I often find myself stuck in traffic longing to get to the end of a chapter before my next meeting. It is better than previously when I would regularly incur the displeasure of cars waiting behind me at traffic lights as I was so engrossed that I didn't realise that the light had already changed to green!

Gosh, I have a hard time remembering to get these little reviews finished. *blush*




Finished reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. A relatively quick read accounting the tale of the woman who's cancer cells started the CeLa cell line which has been used for decades in medical research.

The author, as a young student, first hears that this cell line, which is so vital to medical research since the 1960s, began with a black woman seeking treatment for uterine cancer. As was the practice at the time she was not asked if she was willing to give some cells for the purpose of research and although the cells which continue to grow until today are often sold to research institutions neither she nor her family ever received appropriate acknowledgement or compensation.

The author begins what will become an decade long research project and attempts to contact Mrs. Lacks family running into the first of very many challenges and road blocks.

I found the book to be remarkable as the author worked very carefully to treat the family with respect and integrity, unlike some earlier journalists, and she also provided some very interesting glimpses into the world of medical research. The book does read like a novel part of the time and by the finish I felt the attachment to the characters I expect from fiction.

There are a couple of discussion threads in The Green Dragon Group. Check them out if you're interested in several points of view on the book. Here's one: http://www.librarything.com/topic/114899 and the other one: http://www.librarything.com/topic/114900

I would love to have a driver ! I hate to drive, and I have zero sense of direction..lol

I Lacks book was good. I was horrified as the way she was treated,
and I agree. I felt attached to some of the family as well. I liked the author's feeling of respect.

spot on review..

Thanks.

Completed the reading of A Clash of Kings and although I did not like it as well as I liked A Game of Thrones, maybe because the author does like to kill off his characters, nevertheless, it is an excellent read. I believe Martin's experience as a screen play writer has shaped his approach to the novel and he uses chapters to bring each group of characters along the general course of the big picture. Obviously, many more novels are in the future.

I confess I get a little irritated with this approach as it makes me feel that the author is not writing for his readers, but for prospective producers of movies or TV series. But it is a damn good story.

His characters are believable, fallible, interesting and not flat. Not flat at all. His scene is medieval with touches of the fantastic, and one set of characters clearly comes from FantasyLand writ large. But even those characters are believable.

I won't go on as I know there are many excellent reviews written about these books. I do recommend them for most readers who like historical fiction married to fantasy, with dragons, of course.

>168 maggie1944: You know, I wonder if it's this: You loved A Game of Thrones so much, that maybe sub-consciously you made yourslef not like it as much. OK, maybe that's not it, but it was happened to me before recently in the book Throne of Jade. I like it a lot more now than previously once I realized why I didn't like it as much.

Yes, Jake, that did cross my mind. Probably no book in the series will be as much fun as the first one is. Nonetheless, I will read them all because they promise to be romping good fun. That is if blood, war, dragons, and quests can be fun.

Well/// I think the Harry Potter books just got better.. but it is unusual :)

yup, Kath, I agree. Those may be the exception that proves the rule (whatever that means).

#165: Glad to see you ended up liking that one, Karen. It was one of my favorite nonfiction reads from last year.

#168: I flat refuse to begin that series until Martin decides to finish it! lol

>162 maggie1944: Sorry The Shack didn't work for you, Karen! I totally understand not finishing it -- I might not have either except that I loved the descriptions of a place that I know so well.

Unbroken was recommended to me just yesterday, by a real-life person. I'll be interested in seeing your comments about it.

I've been trying to decide whether I should watch A Game of Thrones before reading the books -- any recommendation?

The series on TV is doing a fair job of following the books so I really don't know if it matters. I love reading so am happily paging my way through the entire series, even though he has not written, or published the last book.

I've watched every episode and like them also.

So do whatever works best for you.

#168 I so agree regarding Martin's characters, they are amazing. I am reading A Game of Thrones, love the plot and world, but am totally taken by the characters. I anticipate being heart broken at some points, but it is all worth it.

A gang of folks I used to hang out with all said "just like life" when confronting something like this.

I have to look around and see if I still have A Game of Thrones .. but to be honest, I think it went to Afghanistan..with a bunch of other books.. I had lost interest in reading it.. but, I could be wrong. it might still be lurking on a shelf here..

I hope you find it as I think you wold enjoy it very much. I am well into A Storm of Swords now and it is as good as the earlier two.

I am resurrecting my book How Not to Be a Messie and trying to encourage visits to my web page on FB: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Messie-Maggies-Green-Cleaning/134035619951259

I really need to sit down and spend sometime with this thread to be sure I really have counted every book I've read. It seems like more than this:




But that might be because A Storm of Swords took me so long to read. The story of all these houses carries forward. The Baratheons and the Lannisters continue to surprise us; will the Starks survive? will they regain their previous strength and power? and what about those direwolves? As a dog lover, I can hardly stand it when the direwolves are all elsewhere. Where do they go? What are they doing now?

I'm trying really hard to let you know how much I am enjoying this series without letting any cats out of the bag.

I am starting book 4 A Feast for Crows after pushing my way through the end of A Storm of Swords last night. Can't say the title of book 4 promises me an easy read!

I am behind you, still enjoying the series! I have started A Clash of Kings. One of my favorite characters in Tyrion. Martin's dialog for him is so sharp, sarcastic and full of satire. He is very witty. Martin does a fabulous job creating each characters style of speech. I think the direwolves are quite symbolic, what do you think?

Trying not to include spoilers, but it is hard. So happy you are still enjoying the series and nice review.

Yes, I, also, am intrigued by the direwolves, and love them. I keep expecting more to happen with them but so far they've not had center stage. I'm just starting the 4th book.

Martin does seem to have no concern about disappointing his readers by the characters' demises. An attempt to write realistically, I guess, about a medieval type world.

I know Karen, it can be all too easy to forget to add or to update the counter..

I finished reading Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. Quite an amazing story which does indeed give strong evidence for a human being's ability to survive under incredible forces seemingly intent on killing the human. There were many places in the book where I was reminded of my father's own experiences during and after World War II, and I felt sad again for having lost so much of him because of those experiences.

Also, important in the description of survival, resilience and redemption was the exploration of how killing a person's spirit, will to live, pride, dignity, or honor - however you wish to name it - is frequently the main reason a person may die in captivity. The descriptions of the men who had their dignity stolen or who lost hope, and who shortly thereafter died, was haunting.

The book is not unrelentingly bleak. Descriptions of this man's life before and after the war have some wonderful descriptions of how love, family, and place can work to build character and aid in healing the very spirit so needed to carry on.

I would recommend this book to most of my friends and especially those who love history, biography and who are interested in understanding the military and wars.

>185 maggie1944: Another recommendation for Unbroken! This definitely goes on my wishlist!

This is a well recommended book here at LT :)

185: I keep hearing good things about Unbroken, so I now have it in hand to read soonish... (Hey, remember to update your NF thread too! :-) Not that I'm much in a position to be nagging; I've been reading mostly fiction this month.)

thanks, you are right, I need to do that. I'm going there now.

It is good to know it is not all sadness and the worst of humanity, but that there is goodness in the story as well. I know I do sometimes put the really sad ones a bit lower on the TBR list, just knowing that the power of love is explored encourages me, good review!

*waves*

The fourth book in Martin's Ice and Fire series is a whale of a book. His style is by now well understood by his readers and loyalty to the characters has been proven not to be wise. In this book, Martin introduces more characters and it is said may have lost control over his wide, wide magnum of a story. It is as if he wishes to tell the entire history of medieval Europe with all of the characters, royal, and not so royal, fully fleshed out. And he adds in some exotic, magical elements just in case there is not enough complexity for the reader.

Woe is me, I got bored as I could not attach to all the people, and the story seemed to be winding and meandering all over the map and then some. However, I would not quit as the next volume is out soon, and I am a sucker for series when the characters, setting, story, and tone is overall pleasing and interesting.

I spent July 3rd and 4th focused on finishing this book, and I did it. I have a few days before I decide whether book 5 is worthy of my spending a shrinking book buying budget on it. I could just as easily pick up another book from my huge To Be Read pile, and not spend the money.

My problem is that book four follows the characters I don't find as interesting. I'm looking forward to five, myself!

I found this :

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/george-r-r-martin-on-mystery-amazon-employe...

#192 Thanks for the review. It must be a challenge to keep it all going in such an expansive series. I have taken a break from book 2, but will go back to it. It is sometimes difficult to tell who are the good people and who are the bad people. I think I will stick with the series for a time, but not sure I will read them all.

The whole issue of who is "good" or a "hero" and who is not does not trouble me so much as I don't see real life as having people who are easily identifiable as good, or heroic. I think it is the shear numbers of people, and families, and overlapping or conflicting loyalties and shifting sands. I wish he had made a few elements a bit more stable as in "if winter is coming, why aren't more people concerned with climate change"? I mean, is it only one family who is noticing the weather is changing?

I expect if the conversations here keep me interested I will probably read book 5, and then join the hordes who are hoping for books 6 and 7, if they are to be.

I finished the reading of The Elegance of a Hedgehog and am undecided whether I liked it or not. The existence of class consciousness is a character in this book, originally written in French, and the importance of this may be lost on many American readers, who usually do not think of not going outside of their class. When I was a youngster it was much more often spoken that one did not try to reach beyond one's background, and people were more concerned about "who are his people" etc. I found this class awareness to be quite interesting but also think I probably missed its "weightiness" to some extent.

The main characters of a Parisian concierge, a teenage girl, a Japanese gentleman and a maid were delightful and I found myself identifying with one or another from time to time, which made me smile. The secondary characters were artfully drawn if not fully fleshed out. The plot...well, I don't know. I guess it is the current way to not have a plot and to have your novel plods along, through everyday life, and incidents were important or not, and the reader has few clues as to what is worthy of closer attention.

My main negative thought is that the novelist uses a Deus ex Machina at the end, which I really thought was too convenient. I think with some effort and thought the novel could have been a bit longer and a more satisfying conclusion could be written.

I really need to get to Unbroken some time soon!

Finished reading Rendezvous with Rama for my new Science Fiction book group, meeting this coming Monday at a relatively near Barnes and Noble. This was a bit of a milestone for me because I actually got the book from a friend and was able to download it onto my Nook. Free books without having house clutter = double win for me!!

I did like the book, too, although at times I was very irritated with its "hard" science fiction self. No real "story"; characters were nothing more than a name, and a little experience, as if they were simply a mechanism for describing the scene they were exploring. Which is, in fact, just what they were. I don't have any idea if I liked any of them.

I am glad I read the book but I am also glad it was short. It will be interesting to see how the discussion goes. There really isn't much to talk about: 1. oh, interesting fantasy about what an alien space ship might be like; and 2. oh, nice to see a female character as a scientist and skillful sailor. That's about all, folks.

Enjoy your book club meeting on Monday and I hope you and your group have a good discussion. A strong, smart female character is always refreshing. I am all for more of them!

Did you have a nice book club meeting?
I am trying to catch up this morning so that I don't feel too bad about taking the rest of the day off !

Yes, the Sci Fi book group meeting was OK. Populated by geeks, mostly boys, and I learned what is appealing about a book which has no character development, or plot. These guys love that the "people" in the book had no personality and just functioned as their role, i.e. the captain acted like a captain, the crew member with sailing experience was an able captain of a small sail boat, etc. What they wanted to read was Arthur C. Clark's ideas of what an "alien" space ship might look like and how humans might interact with it when it is first encountered, in space, and without creating a "space war". Not every one was quite that stark but my description does catch a feel for several of the guys there. One fellow saw Clark's attempts at adding in a little humanity as giving the book some "seasoning", and he felt Clark missed some good opportunities to explain more of his ideas if only he had pursued some of the more humanity type issues raised.

It was interesting, and gave me a totally new way of looking at Science Fiction. I am sure I'll return and read several books, but at some point, not being all that scientifically oriented, I'll bet I get tired of it. Feels quite dry and potentially boring to me. "To each his own" is what my Mother might say at this juncture.

I have Rendezvous with Rama in the BlackHole as I am trying to expand my scifi/fantasy horizons. I wonder how I will feel about the book when I read it. . .

The good news is that it is not too terribly long so even if you find it to be a slog, it is a short slog. It is the first of a series, but none of the aficionado seemed all that excited about books 2 and 3; I think that they may be safely skipped.

199: I read that in... HS? or shortly after, mid to late 1970s. Memory is negligible. Interesting observations of the boy geeks.

#204: No, I was not going to progress beyond book 1. I am glad to know that it is a short slog :)

#202 Interesting to hear what people are looking for if they are not looking for rounded characters - personally I too find that an issue when reading much sci-fi - but I wouldn't apply the same expectations for characters in a folk tale or fairy tale, where it would be normal for them to be a 'type', even an archetypal characer. I guess it helps to see sci-fi as more that kind of story rather than looking for the characterisation one finds in the novel form.

Hmm to each his own.. sci fi and fantasy can have great characters..
maybe the younger generation sees things differently? :(
Or ?

Finished reading The Natural and gave it four and one half stars. This is a better than average rating for me to give a book and I think I chose to do this because Malamud hooked me despite the fact that I am not a big baseball fan. I am a fan of American cultural history and found the period details fun, and the mood of the book seems to suit baseball's early relationship with the shady side of life.

I recommend the book to baseball fans as it does include some wonderful game descriptions. I also think American history buffs will enjoy this book. I also recommend it to any one who enjoys reading fine writing and an interesting take on the "novel" as a form. Malamud has fallen a bit in popularity I think but he deserves to be rediscovered.

#209: My hubby actually read that book - one of the few he has read in 23 years of married life. I am glad to see you enjoyed it. I agree with you about Malamud - he does deserve to be rediscovered. Have you read his The Fixer yet?

I am glad you enjoyed that one.. not a baseball fan myownself, and so will be passing it by :)

#210 Stasia I read The Fixer about 10 years ago and loved it. Malamud's books are not easy to find in Malaysia but I next tracked down God's Grace which I must admit to hating equally as passionately. If Malamud's oeuvre is best and only represented by The Fixer it is enough for me. Have you read The Magic Barrel?

#212: No, I have not read The Magic Barrel yet. I will check and see if the local library has it. Thanks for the recommendation, Paul.

Finished reading Zombie Economics and recommend it to all who need a quick refresher course on how to handle their personal finances, or younger folks starting out with their own personal financial futures to think on, or people with financial difficulties staring them in the face! Really it takes a dry, and yet vital, topic and gives enough of a zombie spin that it is fun, entertaining, and memorable. And really - Memorable is what you want. The cover advertises that it will tell you "how to slay your bills, decapitate debt, and fight the apocalypse of financial doom." Really. Read it.

It is a fast, fun, and helpful book.

"Heroes aren't born, they're cornered." T. Abram Cox

#214: how to slay your bills, decapitate debt, and fight the apocalypse of financial doom

Love that!

Karen good review and will add this to my irretrievably bottomless TBR list

Finished another Alan Furst book. I am hooked. I really like his rather old fashioned, simple novel format - there's a little romance, a few killings, quite a bit of suspense (these are spy novels, after all) and some good historical background. He has obviously done his homework in learning about Europe between 1938 and 1945; all kinds of spies and underground networks working against the Nazi Germans. His books have the atmosphere of Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, you can almost hear Sam singing "you must remember this, a kiss is just a kiss, and...... as times go by." My goodness, if you have not seen Casablanca - do that, now! And then read some Alan Furst.

This latest book is The Polish Officer and we follow a likeable Polish fellow as he works against the Nazis first as they invade his homeland, second from his base in Paris, and finally in the woods of the Soviet Union as the Germans head to their winter defeat. He carries the different persona well: he's an officer in the Polish military who escapes to Paris, and there, he is a "bon vivant", mixing with "rich and famous" while passing secret messages, and then he morphs into a member of the Underground doing sabotage to the German trains, and mounting a clever attack on a prison. The final scene is worthy of a classic 1940s black and white movie. I loved the book, and somewhat reluctantly turn to my next read, which is a science fiction book.

Just popping in to say hello and wish you luck with the new school year !

Thanks, Kath!

I have not read any Alan Furst, but sounds like an author I would like. Casablanca is a favorite of mine. Thanks for the review and the introduction to a new author, at least new to me!

Cool! Let me know if you like him...

Complete a fast read of following atticus which I love to advertise is a heart warming, thoughtful, and fun book about a dog and his owner. Also, there is some considerable hiking in the New England woods and up a few "mountains". And it does not end with the death of the dog, or even the owner. It does have a happy ending!

I was first drawn to this book because it is about a Miniature Schnauzer (I have two of these potato chips, myself) and bought it because I fell in love with the photographs. Then, I became hooked on the story of a single, middle-aged, man, navigating life without much hope or luck, writing a little newspaper in a small town, making friends and enemies as he walked about town talking with folks. And then he is suckered into rescuing an elderly dog.

I really do not want to spoil this fellow's narrative so I'll just say I do recommend this book to almost anyone. It is true that it will appeal to dog lovers the most, and then it will appeal to animal lovers, and also, it will appeal to those who try to make their way through life writing and attempting to be true to themselves, and not compromising their life in the name of normalcy, and doing what is expected of them.

oh, my goodness. I am way far behind in keeping track of books read. Been busy reading and other stuff.

I will make up for this oversight this weekend, I think.

I am pretty sure this ticker is not really up to date, but I am adding the book I finished today




I finished The Art of Racing in the Rain and enjoyed it. A quick read. A dog book. There were tears, of course. There also was a happy ending. The book was set mostly in Seattle and I enjoyed the talking about Seattle neighborhoods, and the rain. It included a fair amount about auto racing, about which I know nothing, and care even less. I skimmed through most of that part and I am sure the author would chide me for missing the connections he drew between racing techniques and methods and a philosophy of life, including some reincarnation and karma. But all that aside it was a good quick story, believable, and I enjoyed reading the book. Recommended to most readers, especially those who love dogs. It is written from a dog's point of view and if you enjoy the fantasy that your dog knows even more than you do about how to live life, this book is definitely up your alley.

Oh boy...dogs and tears, SIGH, I don't think I'm up for another book like that.

Since visiting France, and spending a few days in Paris, I've been a bit of a "sucker" for books about the French. The Sweet Life in Paris was a quick, fun read with the author combining an irony filled memoir of living in Paris, with a collection of his recipes for desserts, and French inspired foods. He does try to use ingredients available to Americans, but does definitely impress me with his fancy foods. Recipes are ust accessible enough that I might try some of the simpler ones.

I originally picked up the book because I needed something easy to read while soaking in my bathtub (a favorite reading place for me) but I soon found that I was bringing the book with me in my purse because I was hooked. I recommend it to readers who are interested in France, the french, and in cooking. ( four stars)

I clearly have not been as diligent as I could have been this year. I think I've read more than this, but I don't know if I'll find the time to double check.

I karen! I have been so bad about visiting threads .. sorry :( nice to see you :)

Hi, Kath, I've not been any better. Busy, busy, busy.....

Whoopie! finished another book:

In The Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson is a straight forward, exceedingly well researched, and engagingly written history of an American ambassador, and his family, in Berlin at the beginning of Hilter's rise to power. Both the Ambassador, William E. Dodd, and his daughter, Martha, are fascinating people and in some ways their interesting characters make the book read more like a novel than a history book.

Larson succeeded in making me love the Dodds and their impossible mission in pre-WWII Berlin. Martha was a lively, jazz aged young woman, hell bent on having a good time and throughout not spending too, too much time thinking. She begins by admiring the Germans and this "new" government, and she ends up hating them, and flirting with communism as a kind of antidote, I think.

There is way too much story here for me to summarize it so I'll just state that I recommend it to readers who enjoy history written in a lively, but accurate, manner.

Last night, I finished reading Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and I thought it was excellent. Gave it 4 1/2 stars. It is a fantasy book and some of the elements in the book are very original. The author uses a couple dozen old photographs which appear to show inexplicable phenomena, and some family stories of escaping the Nazis during World War II, and then he weaves a story of "peculiar children" living in a large orphanage in Ireland around these photographs. The combination of the photographs, World War II, and the atmosphere in the boggy, damp, sea shores of Ireland give the book an aura of reality. And then the fantasies kick in.

The battles between evil and good are played out during a young man's coming of age experiences. I liked the characters in the book, both the boy, who seemed quite believable, and the peculiar children who also had some very real characteristics.

I'll not add any spoilers but I definitely recommend this book to most fantasy lovers, especially those who enjoy an epic battle.

Finished reading Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and A dance with Dragons - both worthy reads.

Some nice reading Karen:)

Wishing you and yours

Thanks!

I guess this is book #33:

I just finished reading The Last Gunfight which accounts the best historical information about the famous, or infamous, gunfight at OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. It was a very enjoyable read, thoroughly interesting and gives a seemingly realistic description of life in a rough and tumble pioneer community populated by "cow boys" (today they'd be called punks), miners, gamblers, and entrepreneurs of all types. While telling the story Jeff Guinn tried to account for what gun fighting in "the old west" was really like, with guns which did not shoot all that accurately, and when male pride often trumped common sense. And he describes accurately the famous characters of Bat Masterson, Doc Watson, and Wyatt Earp and his brothers. The hero which is the Wyatt Earp of movies and TV is made to be much more believable; and admirable despite some pretty heinous faults.

Recommended.

Yep, that one was pretty good. I happened to come across it after reading Emma Bull's Territory. It's a great fantasy set around the OK Corral story.

Have a Merry Christmas!

thank you very much

Happy Holidays!

Thanks! That is so pretty. I appreciate your stopping by, and wish you a happy new year.

Finished reading The Road and I do recommend it. It is frequently described as dark, and depressive, but I found that it was gripping and very interesting. I did not feel depressed with it when finished. But I really don't want to say a lot, just... read it if you can handle a short, dark, novel.