BJ reads 75 in 2011

Happy New Year!

Hope everyone has a wonderful year of reading. Here is my new ticker:




I am ready to start reading!
--BJ

Glad to have you back with us, BJ!

Thanks! I am glad to be here for sure! And thanks for stopping by my new thread!
--BJ

No problem. I am everywhere - you know that :)

Happy New Year on 1/1/11, BJ.

Happy New Year to you, too, Robert! Hope it is filled with lots of reading from the TBR!

I am having problems with the internet these days. Never know if I will be able to go online or not. Luckily, there is lots of football to watch on tv and lots of books to read in the house.
--BJ

Hi, BJ! Happy New Year!

Thanks, Porua! Hope this is a great year for you, too!
--BJ

I haven't been around that much, but hope to do better in 2011. Just wanted to stop by to wish you a happy new year!

Welcome back!

Hi, theaelizabet and Jim!
So happy to see you again, theaelizabet! I look forward to following what you are reading. Where is your thread these days?

Thanks for the welcome, Jim! You do such a great job with this group. Thank you so much!
--BJ

Happy 2011 BJ!! Hope you have another fantastic reading year!

Hi BJ! I have you starred!

Hi BJ. I'm looking forward to your posts in 2011. I hope to meet you in Joplin next November.

Hi, Julie, Carly, and Linda!
Thank you for stopping by my thread. :) I have started my reading year with a young adult book that my daughter has been trying to get me to read forever. I am really enjoying it so far and am about 2/3 through. I hope I can finish tonight. Oh, I forgot the title: Downsiders by Neal Shusterman.

On another note, when I went to the store yesterday to get my black-eyed peas for good luck in the new year, all the store had was purple-hull field peas. Well, in my book, they are the same thing, but then I wondered, are they? Does anyone know?
--BJ

Happy New Year, BJ! Got you starred.

Hi, Roni!
Glad to see you! I look forward to following your reads this year!
--BJ

1. Downsiders by Neal Shusterman. This young adult book about a society living underneath NYC is a great read. I am so glad that I finally got to it.
--BJ

I watched football all day long Saturday, BJ. How about you? There were some very good games - as well as a couple of blow outs!

#18: I have not read that one yet by Shusterman. I will have to see if the local library has it. Thanks for the recommendation, BJ!

I really did love this book, Stasia! I also watched football all day. I guess my favorite game was the TCU game just because no one thought they had a chance. They were part of the old Southwest Conference, so I have always kind of liked them. I must say that Wisconsin played great as well. That is why I thought it was such a great game to watch. You know, I don't recall there being this many games on New Year's Day in a long, long time. I kind of like it that way.
--BJ

#20: There have not been this many bowl games on New Years before. This was the first year for the TicketCity (?) bowl I know for sure.

I thought the TCU-Wisconsin game was one of the better, if not the best, game of the day. I am glad TCU won.

My only regret about the day is that I wish I had gotten more than 90 minutes of sleep :)

I won't tell you how much sleep I got. Lots more than 90 minutes! Did you notice how small the crowd was for the Ticket City bowl? I wish more people had attended. I think that the weather has played havoc with travel plans, but the Rose Bowl was totally full. I was rooting for TT, but I also like Northwestern. One of our high school players -- a quarterback, I think -- played for Northwestern not that long ago.

I can't believe I have stayed up this late! I must get some sleep so I can stay awake at Church tomorrow! I just really wanted to finish the book today (which I guess is really tomorrow!). Have a great rest of the evening!
--BJ

Thanks, BJ! I hope you get some rest!

If you're up for up for more football, Colt McCoy is playing the Steelers right now. The game might be on in Tulsa. It also might be pretty rough for poor Colt. He might damn near survive it.

Thanks for the tip in the Browns! Unfortunately, the game is not showing in Tulsa. We usually try to follow the Browns on the computer, but it is not the same as watching.

The holidays and football really go together, don't you think? And then when its over, we have baseball. :)

Is your new thread up? I will go look for it.
--BJ

Hi - not sure if anyone already answered, but yes, field peas = black eyed peas (anyway, any beans work! at least that's what we think - one kid hates black eyeds so she has old fashioned baked, and she still gets the good luck!) do you eat it with cornbread?

Hi, Janet!
Thank you so much for answering my question about the black-eyed peas! They look exactly the same to me; I wonder why the different names? Ordinarily, I make ham and cornbread on New Year's Day to go the black-eyed peas, but this year I wanted to try a turducken. It came with cornbread stuffing, so I did not make cornbread. But there was not really enough stuffing for me. I like lots! I did, however, like the turducken, although it did not really look like a bird when it came out of the box from Hebert's. It think this is a Louisiana dish, but I had always heard of it and now I have eaten it! :) And it was a lot of food, so we will have plenty of leftovers.
--BJ

My new thread will be started tomorrow morning. Between playing with my new Sony eReader and the plethora of bowl games I haven't been online very much. It was kind of sad but yet pretty predictable that the Big 10 would have a rotten day. Wisconsin was thew only team of the bunch that I thought had a chance to win. TCU was very impressive, I just wish it was SMU instead and the last 25 years were a bit different. I used to like that old SWC.

Good thing the Browns game wasn't on. They got pounded, then beat up, humiliated and finally pillaged and burned. Not a good day.

Pitchers and catchers report valentine's day week. The Tigers signed multi-time All-Star Victor Martinez, which I called for in July or so when it became obvious that Gerald Laird was going to have an awful career low season. Lairdy is the guy that was so far in the pits of desperation that he changed his number and promptly had a home run snagged by a leaping outfielder. Anyway, the problem is that he's (Martinez) going to DH fairly regularly with weak hitting Avila as the other catcher. If they want to pinch hit for Ovaltine (that's Avila, we give everyone silly nicknames like that), and they will, they have to either bring in a third catcher or lose the DH privileges by putting Martinez in behind the plate. That's what is called a conundrum.

I think garbanzo beans are actually a pea of some sort and not technically a bean. I'll look that up tomorrow.

We followed the Browns on that ESPN stat channel and the computer. It did look awful. The Browns should get Shipley. He and Colt have this esp thing going on. And the Bengals have too many WR anyway.

Ohio State will have to save the day with their game against Arkansas!
--BJ

Hi BJ, I have you starred. I want to wish you a belated Happy New Year. #18 - Downsiders sounds interesting. I like Fantasy stories about cities under big cities like New York or London.

Hi, Caroline!
I think you might like Downsiders, then. The book has a great story and there is humor in it, too. Apparently, Neal Shusterman has written some other good books, too. I will have to look for them at the library, because I think this is the only one we have. Thanks so much for stopping by to wish me a Happy New Year. I think 2011 is going to be a good year!

I cannot find my copy of Sense and Sensibility. I found every other volume in my complete Jane Austen. I am glad that there is still time before the group read. Also I can't find my copy of The Master and Margarita, which I specifically set aside for the group read. I need a group read shelf. (Who am I kidding? I need a shelf!).

I have started Beowulf and The Guermantes Way, both of which I am enjoying. I have a short bio of Michelle Kwan that I want to read before it leaves the house. That will be one book less vying for shelf space! :)
--BJ

BJ, can you provide links to threads on group reads, please? Any excuse for a bit of Austen. And The Master and Margarita is one of those books I've heard of and have vague thoughts of reading one day.

#32: Robert, you can find the links for the group reads in this group on the wiki found on the group's profile page ('Wiki Away!')

The Austenathon group read is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/104774

I am not sure what group is doing The Master and the Margarita for a group read, so I cannot help you there. Sorry.

Hey, BJ!

I really liked the Heaney Beowulf--I read some other translation in high school and thought it was OK, but when I read his translation, I realized why the story had stuck around for so long. I hope you have fun reading it!

Hi, Robert, Stasia, and Carly!
Robert, the Master and Margarita group read is in the 11 in 11 group. I will give the links to you for that one. It is ready to start right now. Stasia is heading up the yearlong Austen group read and it starts on the 15th.

Stasia, thanks for the link to the Jane Austen read. Can you believe that I have 2 copies of this book in my house and can't find either one? I think it will turn up, however.

Carly, my girls bought the Heaney translation quite a while ago, but I have never read it before. In fact, I don't think that I have read any translation of Beowulf before. I finished the intro and it had me really excited about the read.

Thanks so much for stopping by, everyone!
--BJ

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who misplaces books! I took a boxful to the used bookstore last week which freed up some shelf space for me. Too bad the new books I've already acquired this year are starting to outnumber the ones I got rid of. Arghhhhh!

I hope you find your books and enjoy the upcoming group reads, BJ. Are you going to be reading Cloud Atlas with Mark? I'm going to do that one. Hope to see you there.

Beowulf is one of those great stories that everyone should take the time to read.

Hi, Donna and DP!
I am happy to report that I found The Master and Margarita. It was where it was before I thought I had moved it somewhere else to make it easier to find. Does that make any sense? I still have not located Sense and Sensiblity and I and I have been looking the hardest for that one, plus I know that we have two copies. It was not where it was supposed to be. That must be the one that I moved. I am joining in on Cloud Atlas and I am so excited because it looks like it is going to be a good one! (Aren't they all when Mark picks them?)

I don't think that I have ever read Beowulf, but I love those long epic poems. I am hoping to do a reread of The Iliad and The Odyssey later this year, too. Glad to see that you have your new thread up and running, DP. Loved the review of your first book. Now I want to read it, too!
--BJ

Hello to my Proust Partner! :)

Hi, Angela!
I truly appreciate your reading along with me on ISOLT. I don't know if I ever would have gotten this far if not for you! I have to say that I am really enjoying it quite a bit.

Have a great day!
--BJ

I'll be reading Cloud Atlas this month, too! It's the all-time favorite of several friends of mine, all of whom have generally-great taste, so I'm very much looking forward to it.

Hi, Krys!
I am really excited about reading Cloud Atlas! I can hardly wait until the 15th. Are you reading along with Mark's group?
--BJ

2. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. I finally finished another book and what a book! I recently read Goethe's Faust, but I have not read or heard the opera of Faust, both of which were inspirations for this book. This book is like Faust, but not. It was written at a time when censorship pretty much guaranteed that it could not be published. I found this book difficult to put down. And the storyline was totally unexpected in places. The Yeshua of this book is not identical to the Jesus of the New Testament. And the Satan is also unexpected. But the satire of the Soviet government definitely comes through. I am glad that I finally read this book which has been sitting around the house for a while. Thanks to the 11 in 11 Group Read!
--BJ

# 38 I never get tired of the Iliad and the Odyssey.

#43 It sounds like a terrific book BJ. Last year I read a book about Stalin's purges and sometimes they arrested people without any real reason, just because they had a quota.

Hi BJ! Didn't know you were over here too, but glad to find you :D

Glad you liked Master. I'm still working on it. Been a bit of a slow reading week. Should be back in those discussion threads in the next couple of days :)

Downsiders looks really interesting. I have Everlost sitting on a shelf, unread so far. Maybe I'll bump it up the tbr a bit.

Hi, Bill and Katie!
Bill, I have been wanting to reread both the Iliad and the Odyssey for a while now. I have seen so many positive reviews of The Master and Margarita that I was glad to finally read it. Lots of people in that book just disappear as it goes along. The afterword mentions how Bulgakov thought he might disappear, too, but he was determined to finish this book. He worked on it right to his death. I really like the Russian authors. I have yet to meet one that I don't like. Although, I haven't read Gogol yet. I do have a book of his around here though.

Katie, thanks so much for putting that group read together. It was just what I needed to get that book read. :) Downsiders was a great read. My daughter had been bugging me for a long time to read it, so I finally said January is the month. She has recommended many good books to me, and so far has never steered me wrong.

Thanks so much for stopping by!
--BJ

#43: That is a book that I meant to read last year and never got to. I will have to make a concerted effort to read it this one. Glad to see you enjoyed it, BJ!

Stasia-- Here's the group read thread for Master and Margarita. If you get to it in the next month, you can join in. Or if you're just curious to see thoughts whenever you do get to it. :)

#48: Thanks, Kate!

Congrats on Master and Margarita BJ! Great book. There are a ton of early Soviet society themes in that one: Foreigners, apartment scarcity, currency hoarding.

And how can you not just love a human-sized, machine gun-toting cat!

Hi, Stasia, Katie, and Sandydog!
Behemoth! Yes, I really did like the cat! The prohibition on foreign currency was something that I had not realized before. I guess that it makes sense, but I had not realized it. The apartment scarcity issue was somewhat macabre. There was a lot to think about in this book. I recommend it highly!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
--BJ

3. Michelle Kwan: My Story Heart of a Champion by Michelle Kwan as told to Laura James. I read this juvenile autobiography because my daughter had targeted it for donation. She is the last figure skater that I have followed and I enjoyed this positive, uplifting story.
--BJ

52- Yeah, I kind of stopped following figure skating after her generation, too...
Hubby and I still go to see Stars on Ice every couple of years, though, and I usually know most of the skaters who are a part of that show.

Hi, Angela!
Sounds like you are reading lots and lots superfast! I still haven't started S&S, but my daughter just left this morning to go back to Austin. It was so wonderful to have her here. I have lots of reading to catch up on, but I am excited about all of it, so that is nice. Thanks so much for stopping by!
--BJ

Don't forget your Australian Open... I know you love tennis.

My husband turned it on last night! I had not realized that it was going on. I got to see a little of Roddick play, but I missed the end of his match. I hope he won. Thanks for the reminder! I always have trouble remembering this one as it is in the winter here. :)

Still more coaching soap operas going on at UT. One thing for sure: this will be an almost totally different coaching staff. That could be a good thing. I just wish we had an o-line coach!!!

I have been enjoying watching the NFL playoff games. How about those Jets beating the Patriots? Don't really have anyone to root for. Just like watching them play.
--BJ

Readings from Church:

4. The Magnificat Advent Companion by Magnificat (Advent 2010). Well, better late than never, I guess! :) This was my first opportunity to read a Magnificat publication and I really liked it.

5. The Essential Catholic Prayer Book: A Collection of Private and Community Prayers by Judith A. Bauer ( A Redemptorist Pastoral Publication). I finally finished this one, and I thought it was pretty good.

6. Don Bosco's Madonna (Mumbai) edited by Father Ian Doulton sdb (November 2010). I borrowed this from Church after my prayer time last week and wanted to finish it before next Wednesday. I enjoyed this as well.

I am only at the very beginning of The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie and it is due back at the library on Wednesday. Pretty funny title considering all the Church reading I have been doing! Anyway, I hope that I will get to recheck it. There is no way I can finish by then. I find the beginning interesting so far, but I also find his writing difficult. I wonder how it will compare to Midnight's Children?
--BJ

Waving hello!

Hi, Joanne!
How is your dog enjoying all of this cold weather? My dog is just loving it! We are supposed to get snow on Thursday, and I hope that we do. We have hardly had any this year, and tons last year.

Thanks so much for stopping by!
--BJ

Aren't the dogs fun when they have some snow to play in?! Unfortunately, we haven't had too much snow this year either. Copper loves to roll on her back and slide down the hill in it. I hope you do get some this week. Have fun!

Both of you can have my snow. It's been snowing every other day. I'm guessing we're somewhere around 30 inches since the beginning of December. I'm getting sick of it. Mostly because I have a tiny car that's low to the ground >:/

Hi, Joanne and Katie!
Yeah, my dog does love to play in the snow, but I think that 30 inches would definitely challenge her! We have only gotten a dusting of snow. It was fun to watch it fall, but it didn't cover much. Luckily, my husband has four wheel drive for when we get snow and ice. So I say Bring it on!

Still enjoying the early rounds of the Australian Open. I got to see Nadal. He still looks great.
--BJ

back to #56) There's only one way to beat the Patriots in a big game. You have to play your best game of the year while physically dominating them at every position. Witness the Giants in the Super Bowl a few years ago, and they still needed a freak lucky catch to win (and to win me $200!!) It's just not possible to out-coach or out-strategize the Patriots although I personally think that the Patriots were way too overconfident last weekend. You can put forth a good case that Bill Belichick is the best coach in all of sports, at least the most cerebral.

Should be plenty of late night tennis from Australia for the next week plus.

We finally got some of that nice fantasy-land snow that sticks to all of the little branches and makes perfect snowmen, snowforts and snowballs. The pittance of other snow we've gotten so far has been hard and icy because of the very cold temps with lots of blowing and drifting.

Jerry Gray is leaving the Seahawks to come and coach DBs at UT. We got out some old footage of him at UT. Unfortunately, it was from 83 the year we should have won the national championship but blew it on the last play of the game. I still can't believe it.

The Patriots are really good. There have been some surprises in the playoffs this year.

Are you going to post a photo of the snow? I wonder if I still have my photobucket account? The last time I posted a photo from there, I could not get it small enough to fit the screen on LT. After so many attempts, I just gave up.

Late night tennis watching is perfect for me.
--BJ

doo, doo, doo, lookin' out my back door...

Not the best photo, plus I couldn't get out until lunchtime to take it so the breeze had picked up a little and blew some of the snow off of the branches. (I'll take it down later tonight)

You can easily adjust the height (or width) of a picture posted with HTML. I learned everything I need to know about it here, right on LT, msg #9 is the relevant 'lesson'.

Hi BJ, I hope you get to renew The Satanic Verses. Somehow I can't imagine a long waiting list for this book. I haven't read it yet so I'm eagerly awaiting your opinion. I like Rushdie and really liked Midnight's Children even though it was a tough read.

Thanks. Now I have that song parked in my head!

Thanks for the photo, DP! I love it! It is just what my thread needs. And thanks for the reference to instructions for photos. I will check it out. I have the most boring profile ever. My husband is going to help me fix it, but he is so busy with work these days, that I don't know when that will be. Please leave the photo up!

Donna, I am about 15% of the way through the book, and I think that I am hooked. I know lots of people don't really like this book. Of course, I have always wanted to read it since the controversy when it was published. I thought Midnight's Children was a good read -- especially the ends of each section and most especially the end of the book. But I found it difficult as well. This is a different type of writing than I normally read. I also did not think anyone else would be checking it out. However, there is a slip that got left inside from someone who checked it out last November, so you never know!

Me, too, mamzel! But it's a pretty good one. :)

Thanks for stopping by!
--BJ

gotcha! :)

Hi, Susan!
Good to see you around LT! Thanks for stopping by!

I had fun watching Roddick play tennis last night. I thought he looked pretty good despite the criticism of the commentators in another match (Haas - Monaco). I also watched Venus win her match despite a painful injury. I don't know if I could have hung in there like that. I also got to see some of Sherapova play. I fell asleep during the next match (I think it was Djokavic) and it looked pretty close when I woke up. Don't know how that ended.

I finally started Cloud Atlas. Pretty interesting so far. I will try to renew the Rushdie book when I get home from Church.
--BJ

Well, I was able to renew the Rushdie book. There has been some interesting discussion of it in my group read (from the 1001 group). I don't know yet what I am going to think of this book, but it has been a good read so far.
--BJ

100% chance of snow!!! 100% chance of snow!!! 100% chance of snow!!!

I am so excited! Our last snow was a bit of a disappointment. At Church tonight I heard that there would be freezing rain/sleet starting at 10 with 4-5 inches of snow. Wonderful! So I detoured by the grocery store on my way home from Church, because of course I have no food. When I left the store the freezing rain and sleet had started. Now I am ready! Lots of food. Lots of books to read. Yea!

Well, back to watching Tsonga playing tennis. He had a little bit of trouble but seems to be getting back to his regular play now.
--BJ

I hope the freezing rain stops and you get some nice fluffy snow!

Me, too! Luckily, my husband has 4 wheel drive. I wish it never rained before snowing, but we are too far South for that to happen most of the time. 4-5 inches will be loads of fun. I might have to go sledding! :)
--BJ

Well BJ, move to Illinois or apparently the NE and you would get your fix of snow all the time. :) I don't mind it. I've been here my whole life.

Indeed. Do you know what we call 4 inches of snow in Michigan? Tuesday. If you are in the lake effect bands, Tuesday brunch.

There are few things worse than sleet or freezing rain, weatherwise. I could do without that. Frozen power lines are lame, as are the icy roads of course. A slip and fall while getting the mail stinks too.

I hear you DP. You definitely get it worse than us. The only close to that might be Northern Indiana which is always affected by lake effect snow.

Luckily I'm in a pretty moderate spot, west of Saginaw Bay. South of Lake Michigan gets it bad, Northwest lower peninsula and out in the thumb always have plenty of snow, the thumb sometimes gets snow in May from just a north breeze. The most is in the Upper Peninsula off of Lake Superior, though. My friend Jean went to Michigan Tech in Marquette and they would get ridiculous amounts of snow, like 3 feet in a day or 6 feet in a week or six weeks of constant snow.

Hi, DP and Julie!
How nice that you stopped by to join with me in my love of snow. Turns out we only got about 2 inches. Not enough to sled. It is true that we don't get that much snow, but I guess that might be why I like it so much. Can you believe that all the schools closed? North of here some people got 4 inches. We are supposed to get more snow on Sunday. I just hope that all of this does not melt before then, but Saturday is supposed to be above freezing.

I got to see a Jerry Gray press conference. He sounds ready to go. We just need one more coach!

Back to snow, it really seems to me that the entire country North, South, East and West of Tulsa is getting lots more snow than we are. How fair is that? But apparently others in town are glad that we are not getting much snow.

I have finally started on Cloud Atlas for the group read, but I am running behind (as usual!). It is pretty interesting. Humorous. Wondering exactly where the author is going.
--BJ

Oh, I forgot to mention that on College Football Live I saw a report about the new UT - ESPN channel. Can't wait to see that. It starts in September. I hope that I get the channel up here.
--BJ

Just waving 'Hello' as I head through the threads, BJ!

Hi, Stasia!
I enjoyed watching Sharapova play a big tennis match tonight. The most interesting part was the beginning where there was something wrong with the court in one place. When a ball was dropped there, it would not bounce at all. It just stopped. It did not roll either. Totally twilight zone! Then the match was pretty exciting as well.

I guess some kids were able to go sledding today after all. And no school tomorrow either as the streets are expected to freeze over tonight.

I heard that Roddick had a great game, but I did not get to see it. I need to pay more attention to the schedule, I think.

I am at the beginning of a bunch of books. I wonder if I will finish any of them?
--BJ

Sorry to hear of your "snow disappointment". We got 4 to 5 inches here... enough to make me late for work!

You will finish Proust #3 - next month for sure! ;)

Hi, Angela!
I just braved the streets to go to the library to check out another giant book. When will I learn? The roads weren't too bad; however, I did see some cars driving too fast and sliding through intersections. We don't really drive enough in the snow here to know what we are doing. :) I am glad that you got such a nice snow!

Anytime on the Proust works for me. It is so funny, but whenever we take a break I wonder how I will ever get back into it. But then when I start reading again, it all seems so familiar. Thank goodness!

I heard that Venus had to retire from her last match. It is too bad that she got injured. I have never seen anyone play so hard through an injury before. I wish I had that much determination.
--BJ

I read somewhere that there are a lot of hills around the Tulsa area that break up the weather somewhat. Maybe that's why. I live in a fair sized river valley and the big thunderstorms tend to split or weaken some at least because the convection patterns change due to the elevation. Most people around here call it the Dow Weather Dome but I know better. I can only remember three tornado warnings in Midland county in my lifetime, but there are several every year all around that valley.

As to the driving, the south gets a bad reputation for poor drivers but some of the problem is that you don't have the infrastructure to care for the roads like we do in the snow belt, plows, salt, sand and all that. Some towns don't even have plow trucks. I remember an Independence Bowl in Shreveport (Texas A&M vs. Misissippi State) years ago now where they almost called the game at halftime because the snow was so bad they were worried about getting all of the cars out of the parking lot, let alone the bad roads. Shreveport at the time didn't have a single plow and had to wait for loaners from Little Rock. Multiply that by lack of practice and you get lots of slipping off the road.

Yes, Tulsa has different geography that the rest of Oklahoma. The northeast part of OK is called Green Country because we have hills, black dirt, and lots of trees. OKC is flat, with red dirt and not so many trees. They have terrible tornadoes.

We do have a fleet of salt/sand trucks with plows on the front and they do a pretty good job, sticking to the main roads only. This year, I heard, we are just using salt. Something to do with last year. We had so much snow and ice last year that we used our whole season allowance in the first weather event. And there were lots. Still see people driving too fast and sliding on the ice. I am the turtle. :)
--BJ

I always find it unbelievable how people drive in bad weather. It could be sleeting with a coat on the roads, and someone will think their 4 wheel drive will win at 65mph. *sigh* "See ya in the ditch" *sarcastically overenthused wave*

Just stopping in to say hi!

Hi, Katie and Carly!
I won't go near the road in front of my house if there is a car nearby while it is snow packed. The stop sign no one can stop for is nearby. Lots of sliding going on. :)

Carly, are you excited about the new UT tv channel? I can't wait!
--BJ

I saw this link on Robert Greaves Books Off the Shelf thread. The song is called "I'm Reading a Book" and watch out as the volume is set really loud on this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuRuwR2JSXI

Kind of different for a Sunday, but I thought it was funny.
--BJ

>90 billiejean: Hilarious!! I love that when he's mouthing off to the cop he's reading Marley and Me. Thanks for sharing this!

It is not the kind of music that I ordinarily listen to and I have never heard of this singer, but I did think it was funny. (And the reading while driving -- not a good idea!)
--BJ

BJ- Thanks for sharing the song! It was priceless! I had never heard of him before either!
I hope you are enjoying Cloud Atlas. I'm nearly finished with it and it's been quite a trip!
Looking forward to the big game today! GO BEARS!!

Hi, Mark!
I am enjoying Cloud Atlas. I am glad that you picked this book for a group read. I am a little behind the group, but l hope to finish soon. :)

Good luck to the Bears! The two games both look to be good ones today.
--BJ

That was very funny.

What do you think would happen if I told people at work - Don't interrupt me I'm reading a book, reading a book? Would get a lot of reading done but would probably be given a warning.

I remember when my girls were young and reading before bed. I would tell them to finish the paragraph, but they could never stop there. So off would go the light. They would complain that they just wanted to finish the word!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
--BJ

#97

That is the joy of waiting until your parents have gone downstairs. My mum continued reading to me before bed, until I started turning the light on after she had gone and reading ahead. She gave up then.

I also had to have my Enid Blyton books confiscated because I was obsessed, and they were put in a box under my parent's bed. I would sneak out and get a couple, but once I misjudged it and had to hide under her bed. I was probably under there for about ten minutes before she heard my wigglings and snufflings and found me!!

Ah yes I remember sneaking around with books too! My dad would often put my family’s newly acquired books on a shelf beyond my reach or hide them in their bedroom before important tests or whatever. I would end up getting a chair and standing on it, reading for hours at a time, until my dad came home! Reading in my parent’s bedroom and getting caught happened more than once. But more often than not I managed to finish reading the books without any incident.

Jenny, I love that story!

When I was a child, but old enough to read by myself before bed rather than being read to, I was always one for reading 'just one more chapter' before bed - except I'd be so wrapped up in the story that I wouldn't notice the end of the chapter and I'd find myself in the middle of the next chapter - which I would of course have to finish before I could go to sleep. Sometimes I went through the whole process several times. I'd end up reading about three or four (or six) extra chapters before the lights went out.

lunacat, Porua, and CatyM,
Thanks for all the reading stories! I guess all of us on LT are a little compulsive about our reading. My girls are that way, too. I used to always buy them books for gifts -- even when babies. I guess it worked!

I am enjoying the football. The weather is getting colder but the snow was taken out of the forecast. Rats! And, too bad that Roddick lost his match. I only got to see him play once. I never could figure out the schedule. Guess I will root for Nadal now.
--BJ

I'd never heard of Julian Smith either before a friend posted a link to the video on Twitter. I gather he's better known as a comedian than a singer.

There was a street light just outside my bedroom window, so after my parents turned out the light I would just hitch the corner of the curtain back after they'd left the room so I could carry on reading. If I'd been really naughty the punishment was that all books were confiscated for a week.

A week of no books? How could you ever endure that? I admit that I used to turn my light back on after my parents went to bed for more reading time. My dad snored so loudly that I always knew when I could get away with it.

And thanks for posting the link on your thread, Robert. :) My husband and I enjoyed seeing it this morning.
--BJ

Believe me, as a punishment it's very effective in preventing recidivism!

Just waving as I head through the threads, BJ :)

#89: I am looking forward to the UT channel (at least as long as my cable system carries it)!

It's funny, Robert, but in all my years with the kids that never occurred to me. I guess that it was to horrible for me to contemplate! :)

Hi, Stasia! I need to check out your Sunday reads. I was watching football instead yesterday. Pretty good games, weren't they?

Carly, that is my concern, too. Especially since I don't live in Texas anymore. I just hope that having ESPN will be enough. I get lots of sports channels, so I am hoping. Did you ever get that BEVO on Demand channel? It might have been Austin only. And I think it was cable only. We won't use cable anymore, just satellite. I always wanted that channel. :( I keep checking out the Mack Brown website for info on all the new coaches. I am cautiously optimistic.
--BJ

Huh, I didn't know Julian Smith did his own videos. Only ever saw him cameo in Rhett and Link's videos (comedians who also have a couple funny songs on YT)

Pretty neat that you recognize who it is, Katie! I just thought it was someone clowning around on youtube.

The very last of the snow appears to be gone now. Hope we get some more.
--BJ

Finally finished a book!

7. The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie. This is the second book by Rushdie that I have read (the first one was Midnight's Children), and I thought it was an easier read. I don't know if it was because it was my second book of his or if this one was just easier. I think he is a masterful storyteller. I chose this book because it is on the 1001 list and because that LT group had a group read of it. I also knew that it was controversial at the time it was published resulting in a call for Rushdie's death, and I wanted to know why. As I started reading the book, I was wondering if this was an indictment of Islam by Rushdie, since the reaction to it was so strong. After reading it, I did not feel that it was. This is a book of satire and magical realism. There was some criticism of Islam in it. And I could see where some people might be offended by it. And in reading commentaries, I realized that I really do not understand the religion well enough to fully understand how this book was taken. However, this book was about so much more than Islam. It was about immigration, assimilation, alienation, repatriation. The underlying current of how immigrants feel in their new land was definitely worth reading about. One commentary that I read said that this is the most unread bestseller ever. Often those arguing both for and against it did not read it. So, am I glad that I read this book? Yes, definitely. Would I read it again? Maybe. But I would want to read other Rushdie books first. I know that I want to read more by him. Do I recommend this book to others? Not really. This book has created so many strong feelings that I don't recommend either for or against it. On an interesting note, a film was made that included an actor playing Rushdie in it, who was killed in the movie. Also, it included a Muslim who was tortured by having to listen to a reading of Rushdie's book. When the film was brought to England, it was banned. Rushdie actually wrote the censors and asked that the movie not be banned. So the film showed in a theater, but not very many people attended. Talk about irony.
--BJ

I forgot that I wanted to include a couple of quotes:

An iceberg is water striving to be land; a mountain, especially a Himalaya , especially Everest, is land's attempt to metamorphose into sky; it is grounded flight, the earth mutated -- nearly -- into air, and become, in the true sense, exalted.

Is it possible that evil is never total, that its victory, no matter how overwhelming, is never absolute?

I must think of myself, from now on, as living perpetually in the first instant of the future . . . .

--BJ

Applause! Applause! Excellent review BJ.
Now I have a much better idea of what the The Satanic Verses was really about. Satire and magical realism seems a good description for the author's concept. It's too bad that the hysterical controversy made it so difficult for the book to be read as the author intended.

Well done on finishing The Satanic Verses and writing such a good review. I am one of those people who bought it (on principle) but never got around to reading it. I did really like Midnight's Children, but haven't read any other Rushdie yet. Maybe this might be the year.

Thanks, Bill and Janet! I was kind of anxious about this review. Didn't really think I had that many words in me. Another thing that I discovered was that Rushdie was in part influenced by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, especially One Hundred Years of Solitude. That is a book that I have tried to read twice without success. There is a group read of that this summer, so I was hoping that with a group I could get it read. Group Reads really help me to stick with things, to get through the tough parts. That is one reason why I like them so much.

Thanks again, and have a great day!
--BJ

I was just dropping by to say "hello," but got snagged by your Rushdie review. Very interesting! Rushdie is another hole in my reading, one of many!

Thanks so much for dropping by, theaelizabet! You are one of the first people I ever met on LT! I think Rushdie might be the kind of author who grows on you. Or at least he did for me. Have a great day!
--BJ

Great review of The Satanic Verses!

Hi to you BJ.

Thank you, Linda! I love all of your reviews and wishlist almost all of your books. Thanks so much for stopping by!
--BJ

Wonderful review of The Satanic Verses, BJ. I was not sure before whether or not I would read that book, but I think I will give it a shot.

Thank you, Stasia! I know that you have read quite a few Rushdie books. I hope that you will be glad that you gave it a shot. I know that I was, but I guess lots of people did not like it.
--BJ

#119: I have only read a couple of Rushdie's books, BJ. I started Midnight's Children last year with the group, but never finished it. I need to do that before I tackle The Satanic Verses.

I thought that the ending of Midnight's Children was spectacular. Kind of making it worth the effort to get there. But Rushdie is a complex writer, and I think knowing the history of India would have helped me a lot with that book. I know very little about it. The more I read, the more I realize how little I know! Interestingly, I discovered that people get angry at Rushdie with every book he writes. And Midnight's Children was no exception.

I read all that stuff on your thread about bookstores going out of business, and I am wondering what I will do if it happens. I only know of one bookstore with new books other than Borders, B&N and BAM (which I think it related to B&N) here in Tulsa, and it is quite small. Very few books. I like amazon, but it is not the same as browsing. I guess I will have to haunt the used bookstore here. I told my husband that I thought we should spend more time there so I could learn my way around. And he said, "And get more books?" What can I say? Yes, we need a couple more.
--BJ

BJ- Loved the review of The Satanic Verses and it might inspire me to read more of his work. For me Midnight's Children was a chore to get through, even though I recognized the genius of his writing. We'll see!

#121: The more I read, the more I realize how little I know!

Boy, isn't that the truth? I want to know everything and I want to know it now!

Hi, Mark and Stasia!
Thanks, Mark! I would say read what you want. There are so many great books out there, like Cloud Atlas. I know that I am behind the group, but I am loving that book! I am almost at the halfway point. I was talking with my daughter last night, and I told her that I thought she should read it, too. My two girls and I love to trade books back and forth. Only they read much faster than I do.

Stasia, I feel the same way about wanting to know everything. And guess what? This morning on the news I saw that amazon reports that they sell 115 ebooks for every 100 paperbacks. And three times the number of ebooks as hardbacks. This worries me that I will stop finding books that I want. That they will only sell as ebooks. I don't have a reader. Somehow I worry about losing all that electronic data forever when the regular books last so long without batteries. Or casually leaving my reader on a plane somewhere with my entire library on it. Maybe I am totally crazy. :)
--BJ

#124: As someone who has a real fear of books no longer being available, I do not think you are totally crazy at all, BJ. Either that or we are both totally crazy :)

124- I've given away some of my 'real' books lately and have replaced a few of them with electronic versions, due to space limitations. But I do worry...I worry about losing electricity...and I can't charge my e-reader...and I gave away all my 'real' books...what am I going to do??? *panic*
Probably unfounded worry, but still...
This is why I would NEVER give away all my 'real' books and switch completely to an e-reader!

Hi, Stasia and Angela!
I am so glad that y'all said that. Now I don't think that I am totally irrational. Several years ago we had a terrible ice storm and totally lost power for a number of days. We had trouble keeping a cell phone charged. We had to use a camp lantern outside our window for light inside the house. That is part of why I feel like electricity is unreliable. Of course, things like that hardly ever happen. But how would I make it with nothing to read at all? I would read all the labels on the pantry items. :)
--BJ

Cereal boxes are good for that...;)

Hi, Angela!
I can't recall what our schedule is for Proust? I still have plenty to read, so no hurry. Just curious.
--BJ

126-127: I hadn't thought about that as a danger of the e-reader. I'm not even close to giving away all my paper books, but I would have gone crazy in the two weeks without power after Hurricane Ike if I hadn't had plenty to read!

Two weeks without power? In Houston heat? How did you ever do it?

That was quite the hurricane. I recall that it hit when my daughter was thinking about going to school in Houston. Luckily, everything was handled well, because she decided to go there anyway.

I know that there will probably be an ereader in my future. But I am not there yet.
--BJ

Hi BJ...let me know when you are ready to start Proust again, and I'll get right on it! :)

The first week wasn't that bad because the weather right after the hurricane wasn't too hot. The second week got much hotter, but by that time, my parents had power, and I spent most of the time over there. The funny part was that, at least for women, you could tell who had power and who didn't by whether we had our hair blow-dried (flat-ironed, etc.) or not! For most people in Houston itself, it wasn't too bad because the water was OK, and lots of people had impromptu block parties to cook meat from the fridge on grills.

Hi, Angela and Carly!
Angela, did you finish your long book? I can't start Proust today because there is a predicted blizzard for tonight and tomorrow and I must run errands before the weather gets bad. Wonder if it really will?

Carly, I remember that some things I would remember wouldn't work and others I would forget. The lack of a water supply is a pretty big danger with a disaster of Ike proportions. I am glad that you did not lose it. My daughter had a friend who lived right by a hospital and they got their power back right away. So she spent a lot of time with that friend to warm up. We are preparing for a big storm now and I am wondering if we will lose power again. Surely the trees have lost enough limbs from the last one that it can't be as bad? :)

Off to mail those bills and return my library book and get a few supplies!
--BJ

Yep, I'm finished! Just drop me a PM when you're ready, or post a message on the Proust thread (if we can find the thread, lol...) when you are ready to begin. No rush, and no stress, right? ;) Trust me, I have plenty to keep me busy until we start...we are supposed to have bad ice here, and some snow. I'm hoping we don't lose power and have to dig out the generator, but that's what they are predicting. "Widespread power outages."

Well, if I'm not on LT for a couple of days, you'll know why...

Be safe, BJ, and everyone else!

I think I got all my errands done. Wondering if we should dig out our generator tonight or wait and see. My husband is getting the gasoline. I guess I can start tomorrow, Angela. I will go and hunt up the thread. Still have some books to finish, so I will probably pace myself. I can't recall how much is left. If it is not too much, I can probably just push on to the finish quickly like the first half. I am predicting that my Church commitments for Tuesday and Wednesday will be canceled. I guess I sound kind of harebrained. I feel that way! :)
--BJ

I hope you are hunkered down safe and sound, BJ!

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

Hi, Stasia and Linda!
Linda, I sent my birthday to your page, but I will check the thread as well.

Stasia, in the be careful what you wish for category, we had the biggest snowfall ever recorded in Tulsa -- 14 inches! I can't believe that Sunday I did not even realize that it would snow! Luckily, a friend at Church told me just in time. Tomorrow morning low of 1F and the next morning -7F. I mean does this really happen in Oklahoma? On the bright side, I was home with my dog and husband all day and the power stayed on! Yea! Hope that y'all are ok with not too much ice. This is all kind of exciting since all my events were canceled and I have power, food, and meds.
--BJ

Look after yourself BJ, and I hope the snow doesn't last long enough to cause you any problems.

Hi, Robert!
Since we have power, things are going well, so far. Also, since we had so much wind, the satellite dish did not fill with snow, so we were able to watch the weather on tv. But just in case, I bought every size battery in existence yesterday! :) Hopefully the streets can start getting plowed tomorrow. I saw photos of the airport, and I don't know how that will ever get plowed. The schools will probably be out all week. Neighborhood streets never get plowed, but my husband has 4 wheel drive. So hopefully we will be able to get to Church on Sunday. Luckily, he decided to work extra on Monday to save himself from driving to Arkansas today. All the highways into and out of Tulsa are closed. It is kind of an adventure since we are able to stay in.
--BJ

Hi BJ! I'm behind, but I wanted to tell you that I loved your review of The Satanic Verses. I have Midnight's Children somewhere in the pile, and I read The Enchantress of Florence for my book club a couple of years ago. He wrote that one in such an ornate, very eastern style -- it was unlike anything I had ever read outside of folk or fairy tales. I definitely want to read more.

Hi, Anne!
Thanks for your kind words. :) I have been wondering about The Enchantress of Florence. Now I want to read it for sure. I have seen a few really good reviews of it. Rushdie's writing is quite different from other authors I read, too. And I can't help thinking of him in Bridget Jones' Diary, where she says, "And yours aren't bad either, Mr. Rushdie."
--BJ

Our airport usually uses a combination of large truck plows, bobcats (the construction vehicle, not cat :P) and snow melters. Not sure if you guys would even have one of the latter though. But they are super nifty for getting rid of snow.

#143: That is such a funny line. Glad to hear you still have power!

Hi, Katie and Carly!
They probably have some of the equipment, Katie, because we do get some snow every year, or ice. But wow! The snow is just everywhere and drifting up against the planes. I saw on tv that Chicago has just canceled school for the first time in 12 years due to the weather. Amazing!

Carly, we feel lucky to have power. I just found out that Austin where my older daughter lives is having rolling blackouts. I hope her alarm went off today. I also see that Houston might get some snow, too. Snow two years in a row would be something!

8. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. I finally finished this fun, experimental fiction with 6 nesting stories that intertwine. What a terrific read! (Sorry that the touchstones still don't seem to work. I will try to edit later.) This was a group read led by Mark. Thanks for choosing such a terrific book, Mark!
--BJ

I'm glad you and your husband survived the winter storm, BJ. We didn't lose our power either which makes a huge difference in how we 'weather' the storm! Watching movies and updates on the blizzard while drinking hot coffeee and simmering soup on the stove isn't such a bad way to spend a day.

I'm glad you liked Cloud Atlas. I ended up loving it after I got into it -- about halfway through the book! It's a good thing that I'm a tenacious reader.

Are you expecting super cold weather the next few days? It's supposed to be minus 10 here tomorrow morning. Now that's cold!

Hi, Donna!
One weather report is predicting -9 and another only -7. I cannot wrap my mind around that! Austin TX went down to 12, which I find quite surprising for that far South. I have to say that I really, really wanted more snow. So I cannot complain about getting too much!
--BJ

Yeah, the weather folks seem to think snow on Thursday or Friday in Houston is pretty likely, and that it might stick after having several cold days. We are having rolling blackouts as well, but they're only supposed to last 10-45 minutes, just to take the pressure off the power grid.

All this below-zero weather is nuts! I shouldn't complain about 25.

I love hearing non-north people talk about the weather. We get the extremes of everything so when somewhere gets something bad that's out of normal they get all antsy. For once though, this storm isn't hitting us. MN is clear :D I go to school in Wisconsin and all of the state universities were closed except ours though. So I'm just hoping you folks keep it. We've already gotten over 60 inches this season, done with it.

Hope you stay safe, bundle up, and keep power!

Hi, Carly and Katie!
Yes, this is totally different for us. We get just enough snow each year to have fun, but this year it is more than our resources can handle. Although we are not having rolling blackouts here. My daughter in Houston said that since she is so close to so many hospitals, she does not think they will have any blackouts. Seems to me that the super hot summers in Houston and Austin would mean that the power companies could keep up, but I guess I am wrong.

The bad news is that we might have an outside faucet pipe that burst. Won't know for days because it is totally frozen. We turned it off inside the wall plus outside plus covered it. Apparently it had a leak. And froze. I am hoping only the leaking water froze and no pipe burst. Don't want to turn off the water supply to the house. Negative temps in the next two mornings, so it could get worse.

My daughter in Houston is hoping for snow to make all the cold worth it. She probably could use a better coat. Left it here. My daughter in Austin also left her warmest coat here.

The back fence looks so short with the three foot drifts against it. It is quite beautiful. More snow coming, but just flurries. 60 inches of snow is just amazing! I am glad that we don't have that much.

Y'all stay warm! Wish me luck with my pipes.
--BJ

Well BJ, I guess you got some snow.

Broken pipes, though, are no fun at all. I hope it's not as bad as it looks - good luck!

Hi, Joanne!
Yes, I got just what I wanted. Haven't been playing in it due to the wind chills. But I love just looking at it. Still hoping the pipe is not busted. Hoping, hoping, hoping. My sweet doggie is quick outside and then back in. She doesn't know what to think of snow so deep. :)
--BJ

#153: I will hope right along with you, BJ.

We lost power briefly yesterday morning and the internet has been out several times, but other than that we have survived the storm nicely. They are expecting more snow late tomorrow and early Friday here. What about in your neck of the woods?

We are supposed to have a low tonight between -5 and -10. Flurries on Friday and Monday. But not much in the way of accumulation. I am glad that you only lost power for a little while, Stasia. With ice you never know! Guess what? Our neighborhood association hired someone to plow our neighborhood. I am amazed! We live on the main street of the subdivision, so that means we will probably get plowed tomorrow. All of our streets curve, so I am not sure how easy it will be to plow. Maybe we will be able to venture out after that.

I just heard that Houston is getting 1-3 inches of snow Friday. Wow! That is a lot for them. How much will you get? Are you able to get to work ok? How is your wind chill? This is one wild winter, isn't it? Take care and stay warm!
--BJ

Glad to see you are doing OK in OK. That was quite a storm, especially for your area. I heard on The Weather Channel that Tulsa got a record amount of snow for the entire month of February in one day.

Just to highlight the difference in preparation, our Chippewa Nature Center had their trails groomed for skiers and snowshoers quicker than you had your street plowed, let alone the roads up here.

As to your frozen spigot, if the leak stopped when you turned off the water then the spigot itself or the pipe past the shutoff is frozen and easy to fix later. The fact that the shutoff worked and wasn't itself frozen is a good sign that the frozen section was beyond the valve. These things happen alot up here.

I had a friend years ago who lived in a nice furnished room above a pole barn. The only problem was that the bathroom was downstairs and had its own separate heating system. He was gone for a few days and came home to a frozen mess all over the barn floor as the heater had run out of kerosene while he was gone. The bigger problem came when he broke in to his dad's house through an attic dormer and left it open, which froze the pipes in the house as well. There was a reason the rest of my friends called him 'moron' when he wasn't around. I mostly hung out with him because he was a great guitar player but it was instinctive for him and there wasn't a lot I could learn on a technical level from him after a certain point. That was about the last I saw of him as his dad threw him out of the house and he went back to Detroit.

Global Warming note-if you disrupt the static cold at the poles and get it flowing around more than average it really monkeys up the weather in temperate areas, like Tulsa or Washington DC. Global warming is a correct name on a technical level but becomes a misnomer when the media uses it wrong. The average global temperatures have been way above average the last decade and we see it most dramatically here in winter storms. Look at the mess in Australia for instance.

We definitely are not equipped for this much snow. It is really beautiful though. I hear that Houston is getting snow, too. My daughter is pretty excited. I think she misses the snow down there.

Don't know exactly about the leaky pipe. But it won't defrost for a long time at this rate. What kind of snow blower do y'all have? Do y'all like it?
--BJ

Hi BJ, just checking in because I thought about you in all of this weather. sounds as though you are surviving. My parents are in north central Texas, about two hours west of DFW. The snow missed them, but they had about an inch or more of ice over everything!

Nothing worse than ice, except a tornado or hurricane.

We have a manual snowblower, aka snowshovel, one of those push type ones that are sort of plow shaped. No big deal if the snow is light but heavy wet snow really stinks to shovel by hand. We're in an open area so much of the snow blows off to the trees and leaves most of the driveway clear. There is usually a big drift in the lee of the lilac bush though.

#151 - your comment about your daughters leaving their warm coats behind made me laugh. My daughter goes to school in Charlottesville - it's her first year, and she just didn't think it got that cold there, so she left her heavy coat behind, too. Even though it snowed before Christmas, she still didn't take it back with her. To be fair, she was wearing flip flops yesterday, but I'm thinking they still might have another cold spell. Teenagers.

#160: My mom insisted on buying me a winter coat when I went off to UVa. I didn't think I would need it, either, but she was right!

Hi, theaelizabet, DP, Janet, and Carly!
I totally agree that ice is much worse than snow! My brother lives in Dallas, plus my aunt and cousin. Seems like Dallas gets some pretty bad weather at times. There are three more days of snow in the weekly forecast! :)

Our street got plowed. Yea! No mail. No trash pickup. No recycling pickup. Our city is at a standstill. I just noticed that the terrible accident north of here made the national news. Makes me want to stay off the roads.

We also just use a snow shovel. But this snow made a huge drift right in the middle of the driveway. Not as much snow as Mark shoveled, though. Just wondering about snow blowers. Never considered one before this. And snow is so much better than ice.

Flip flops? My daughter in Austin told me today that it was time for Spring. Guess she has been in Austin a long time! Believe it or not, when we lived in Texas, I used to bundle the kids up if it was going to be 50F! I look at things a little differently now. :) This morning we were -6F. A new record for today.

I have been reading Sense and Sensibility today and enjoying it so much. I haven't read it in years. (Glad to see that we actually have touchstones again.) For Fantasy February I am going to read the second Harry Potter book. I wanted to look for a copy of that Martin book, but I haven't been able to get out of the house. Plus the library is closed. I guess I will check online for it tonight. I think it is called A Game of Thrones? Don't really know anything about it, but I can't resist a group read.
--BJ

Hi BJ- Yes, it's called A Game of Thrones and it's an amazing fantasy novel. I'm so glad you are giving it a try.
I recently listened to S&S and thought it was okay, but I do recommend watching the Emma Thompson film version, after you finish. It's a terrific movie.

I've heard nothing but good things about the George R.R. Martin fantasy books, just waiting for some sort of completion of them. And no, I still haven't read the Robert Jordan books for the same reason and didn't read Harry Potter until I had all seven of the books.

As to snow blowers, I have no idea about brands. My folks have a Snapper but it's a bit chintzy. There are problems with the pull starter spring mechanism and it is low powered. My dad used to race motocross and he hates the motor in it because it is weak and hard to work on. He's fussy though. Definitely get one that seems bigger than you need and is very solidly made. The problem is that if it is rarely used and sitting around, that's bad for motors and parts like drive belts so take that in to consideration. If you don't have a long driveway it's probably not worth the hassle of maintaining it. You could pay for it by doing neighbor's drives and walkways though, or even getting some sort of contract to do sidewalks in your subdivision. Just a thought.

Believe it or not, I'm off to watch basketball. Michigan is up on undefeated Ohio State in the second half on ESPN right now.

Thanks for the movie recommendation, Mark. I will have to look for it on tv. I have seen the famous one of Pride and Prejudice. I hope that I will be able to find the Martin book.

The advice to get more motor than I think I need sounds like good advice. My Grandpa used to say that about air conditioners. If you get a bigger one, then it did not strain to cool the house and could handle the really hot days. Lots of those in South Texas. Our driveway is about 2 car lengths. Not too long. And no sidewalks here. But it might still be worth it. Our back porch is covered with 2 feet of snow right now.

Hope that Michigan wins their game. That would be quite an accomplishment to beat the number 1 team. I am astounded to see that UT is number 3. They play Tech on Saturday. The nice thing about their ranking is that they are on tv more often. We also follow the Oklahoma Thunder. Kevin Durant went to UT. He is amazing.

Hoping that we keep our cloud cover so the temps aren't as low tonight. Stay warm everyone!
--BJ

BJ, we have a 50% chance of snow all night long here. Of course, the bad thing about it is that if we get the snow it will just go down on top of the ice that has not melted yet.

I hope you are staying warm!

Hi, Stasia!
I hope you get a lovely snow. Even if there is ice, at least it will look pretty! We might get some snow, too, but very little to accumulate. Two other days of snow, too. Schools are still out here. How is Sherman doing? We had a low of -6F this morning, a record for today, and the 10th coldest on record. The place where that terrible accident was had a temperature of -18F. Are you driving to work? Watch out for that black ice!
--BJ

I am already at work. I drove 10mph the entire way - my street could be turned into an ice skating rink with no problem at all since it is just sheer ice.

Although the temps have not been below 0 here, the wind chills have been. It was 20 below yesterday with the wind chill. Brrr.

And how do you dress for that kind of wind chill? It just seems dangerous. I have mostly stayed inside. Can't find the snow boots. The snow is so deep that it gets into my sneakers. The snow boots belong to my girls and only one pair fits me. That is the one I can't find. I guess I need to get some for me. Glad that you were able to drive slowly. Hopefully there are not too many other people on the road. Stay safe!
--BJ

Our snow is not that deep, thank goodness, but I do have hiking boots to wear.

For the wind chill, I just dress in layers. Luckily, I have not had to get out before today, so I have pretty much been housebound since Monday, which is just fine with me :)

I hope you find your boots soon, BJ!

Sorry to hear about the burst pipe, BJ! Hope you can get it fixed soon.

I haven't been reading a thing for days. We rent an apartment from my parents, and my parents have been using any and all snow days to work on projects. So my kitchen now has a new tile backspash - we grouted it this week, and a new paint job. Now we have to finish painting the living room because the two rooms are together! So much for relaxing snow days curled up under a blanket - reading a book! Sigh. But it's a good sense of accomplishment to finish a house project.

165) A good snow blower is about as important in Michigan as a good AC unit in Texas, but not really the other way around. I've never had AC myself except when I lived with my good friend John who couldn't live without it and didn't mind paying the extra money on the energy bill. I can't stand it personally. It's perfectly good air with all of the airness sucked out of it and it makes my bones ache. Then again, I'm not dealing with ridiculous Texas or Oklahoma heat. It is nice for defogging car windows on a cold damp day.

#170> More snow all day. It was beautiful and not too windy, so now it is in all the tree branches, which looks lovely. I have temporarily given up looking for the boots. Just making do with the tennis shoes! :)

#171> Sounds like you have accomplished a lot! I have been reading lots of S&S and have only about 10 pages left to go. What a delightful book! It is even better than I remembered it. Hoping that the pipe can be fixed by my husband without tearing out the sheet rock! Don't want to paint my bedroom right now. :)

#172> AC is critically important in Texas. That being said, I have a great-uncle in South Texas who will not use his ac. He grew up without it. I once took him some chocolate chip cookies and the chips melted while we were visiting. He told the best stories! I haven't seen him in years. But I always hear from him at Christmas. Here in Tulsa we have enough days in the 100s that I want ac. Our cross-ventilation just does not cut it enough to make it. I have driven lots of cars without ac, but I don't like that either. What do you think about Toro? Is that a good brand?
--BJ

9. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. I read this book as a part of Stasia's yearlong Austenathon, reading all the works in publication order. I haven't read this in a long, long time. I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was a quick, fun read. Can't wait for the next one.
--BJ

#174: I am glad you liked it, BJ!

I am so glad that you are doing this yearlong group read as S&S and P&P are the only ones that I have read (despite having the books over 25 years!).

Sounds like y'all got lots of snow! We got another 3 1/2 inches, although it really seemed like more. The trench that my husband made through the backyard that we all walked through was filled up again. More snow in the forecast, too. Wow! I heard that Dallas got 6 inches. Our mayor said it will take another week to plow the roads. Wondering if I will be able to get into the Church parking lot as the drive in is uphill.

Don't you think that the roads are better with the snow on top of the ice? I think it helps a little. Still treacherous though, I guess.

I started the second Harry Potter book for Fantasy February. So far I remember the plot from the movie. Everyone says the third book is better, but I am liking it so far. I requested that Martin book from the library, but I am on a waiting list. Might not get it in time for the group read. Also about the start Native Tongue. Wonder what that will be like?

Hope you won't be too busy tonight. I guess the weather might keep people at home. It has certainly done that for me.
--BJ

#176: Yes, we did get a lot of snow - 'a lot' for here anyway. I think it was 4+ inches.

I like the third HP book better than the second too. For me, the series really takes off with book 3. I will be interested in seeing what you think when you have had a chance to read them both, BJ.

Thus far, it has not been too busy tonight. I am hoping to start Native Tongue tonight too, since I am behind on the group read of that one and I would like to make some inroads into Leviathan as well.

4+ inches sounds wonderful! Perfect to play in and looks lovely out the window. I would like to read Leviathan, but I am not sure that we have the book. I need to ask my daughter. She has some of those Uglies books. I am thinking that they kind of remind me of a Twilight Zone episode if I remember right what she said it was about. What about those Hunger Games books? Did you read those? (Sorry if I forgot. I forget lots of stuff these days.)

I have one more book checked out of the library. It is called The Way We Live Now by Trollope. Still haven't read those other two Trollope books from Joplin. I let my daughter in Austin borrow them first. I went to renew my library books online, and the deadline had been extended. I guess because the library has been closed all week. Still no mail delivery at our house.

Have you read The Way We Live Now? It is pretty long, so I really do need to start it.
--BJ

I loved the Hunger Games books, BJ. I also read the Uglies series, but I only liked the first book. To me, the trilogy went downhill from there.

I have not read The Way We Live Now. I am hoping to finally finish out the Barchester books this year. I have read all the books in the series except the last.

Thanks! I kind of think my daughter also thought the Uglies series got worse as it went on. I wonder if the trilogy starting with Leviathan will be better.
--BJ

#180: I am only about 40 pages into Leviathan but I am liking it thus far. I also own Behemoth and will probably read it as soon as I finish the first book.

I live in Atlanta and we were shut down for three days by 2-4 inches of snow. My whole county has ten snow trucks. I enjoyed the holiday.

Hi, Stasia and Bill,
Stasia, I look forward to seeing what you think of Behemoth.

Bill, I saw that Atlanta had a big storm a while back. It is fun to have snow. But I would like to have the roads back. Today we are at 30F, so the snow is melting off the roof. But more on the way tomorrow. Sunday School is canceled for tomorrow. That never, ever happens. I get to sleep in, I guess!
--BJ

#183: Sunday School is canceled? Wow. I have never heard of my local church canceling it either. Have a nice lie-in tomorrow morning, BJ!

Church, of course, is not canceled. This is the first time ever for Sunday School since I have been in Tulsa. The Director of Religious Education at Church called me last night because she said she knew I would be there if I did not know. I only live 5 minutes from Church, so I would be there!

Doggie woke up at 6, but my husband got up with her and I slept until 8. How nice it that? Well, off to Church now. I will check on your Sunday reads this afternoon.
--BJ

Our 10:30 a.m. service is never cancelled because we are televised. We always have it even if only a few people can make it there so that folks who can't make it to church will be able to worship from home. We do, however, cancel Sunday school and the 8 a.m. service when weather is extremely bad.

Hi, Lori!
That is pretty nice that your service is televised. Then you can always watch it on tv if you can't get there! Our Church parking lot was only partially plowed. And the person who plowed it left 3 foot piles of snow on the sidewalk! But it was so nice to go to Church. I hadn't left the house in a week! And then we went out to dinner afterward. While I was at Church, I got some work done for Sunday School next week because we are expecting 6-10 more inches of snow this week. Spring is starting to look good.

On the bright side, my husband and I went sledding today. Walking out to the hill, the adults waved at us old folks with our innertube. It was so much fun! Boy was I ever tired! I had a great time.

Started back on Proust today. About 3/4 of the way through Harry Potter. About 1/3 of the way through Native Tongue. Wishing I hadn't put down Beowulf. I need to return to that before I have to start all the way over. Things get buried and then I can't find them for a while. When they turn up, I can't recall where I was.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great day!
--BJ

Congrats on getting to sleep in! Nice hubby to take care of the dog for you so that you could.

Sounds like you had a great time sledding!

back to 172) For what it's worth, my parents' neighbors had a Toro lawnmower for at least 20 years. There are plenty of Consumer Reports styled websites out there reviewing snow blowers if you are serious about it, and yes, the couple I checked quick-like both had Toro models highly rated. Personally, I'm biased towards John Deere equipment since my Uncle Jim has worked for them since the early '70s but unless you know someone affiliated, you pay a few extra hundred dollars for the green paint. Husqvarna stuff is usually pretty good too. Swedes know how to engineer machines to deal with snow. Look a Saab cars. They have a layer of cement in the floorpans to add weight and stability on slippery roads and the hoods pull forward and then tilt up and away from the motor so snow slides harmlessly away. They also make outstanding sewing machines according to my mom, if you are in that market.

Beowulf is a pretty special piece of literature. The only thing I don't care for is how violent and grim it is but those were the times. I wish it's history were known with more certainty but the Dark Ages will always be fuzzy.

#188>We did have fun sledding. Now we are a little sore. :) But it was so worth it!

#189> Thanks for all the info on the snowblowers. I do want one, but we will probably wait next Fall to look at them for sure. Good point about Swedish models. I did not know that about the Saab cars. I did know that all the best sewing machines are Scandinavian. I have been wanting one as mine is an ancient Singer that was my mom's (which still works, sort of). However, I don't sew as much anymore, so I spend my money on books instead.

Almost through with HP. Hope to finish is today. I am at the exciting conclusion.
--BJ

When is your next trip down this way, BJ? Any time soon? I am hoping we can get together on your next trip.

Not sure when. My daughter is coming up here in early March for a shower. If the roads get good, maybe I could come down just for a visit. :) More snow on the way tomorrow and Wednesday. They say between 4 and 12 inches. Kind of a wide margin for error!

10. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling. I enjoyed this HP book as well. Guess I better hunt around for the next one.
--BJ

Yeah, we are supposed to be getting snow late Tuesday and into Wednesday too with lows in single digit numbers. I am not sure how much snow we are supposed to get, but I doubt it is as much as you will get!

I ... enjoyed? Game of Thrones but hate that it isn't finished. I've reread the ones I have (all there are) a few times. Hard reading... I mean it's not light and pleasant. There's a lot of war and bad stuff in WOT but it's much lighter in tone for me.

Tried to reread the HPs and just couldn't get into book 1 again. Glad you're enjoying them.

Our snow's melting :)

#193> My husband has to go to Arkansas today for work and has a late meeting, lasting until 9 PM. I told him to take a change of clothes. I will call him when the snow starts here, and he might have to miss his meeting. I was going to run a few errands today in my Toyota, but now they are saying the snow might start earlier than they thought. So I am just going to stay at home again. It is all so amazing!

#194> Susan, I did not realize that Game of Thrones was a series. How many books are in the series? I read another series by Martin for the Group Reads -- SciFi group quite a while ago. But it was complete. There was another related book that I had intended to read, but I never got to it.

Here is the good news! My husband defrosted our pipe outside, and it is not busted. Just has a slow leak that crusted the whole thing in ice. The city has lost up to 30 water mains to breaks, which flooded the streets with water. Which will freeze. Making the streets impassable. So I am feeling pretty lucky with my pipes.
--BJ

Good luck with that next snowstorm.

I thought you might like the story on how my mom got her fancy computerized sewing machine. She told my dad that she wanted one and he, of course, said 'No way are you buying a $2000 sewing machine. That's ridiculous, what the hell do you need that for if the old one you have works just fine?' Mom responded by telling him that he had wasted the 150 dollars on new blades for his planer out in the workshop because old ones were 'just fine' as well and that she would remove some of his other woodworking tools from the garage to sell off to pay for the sewing machine. Surprise, surprise, she drove in to town and bought the thing that afternoon and had it set up by the time he got home for dinner. Mom does a lot of quilting and has won several awards and ribbons. This one was featured in Quiltmaker's Magazine a few years ago. It's hanging right now in my old bedroom which she converted into a sewing room, which was easy because I left my bookshelves when I moved out.

It's a beautiful quilt. Is it three dimensional or are the black shadows part of the design? Because the blocks sure do pop!

The shadows are definitely part of the pattern. You should see it in person. The irony is that my dad is a tool and die maker and is very strict about square corners and mom's quilt is all askew on purpose.

That must drive him nuts! She's bad! ;-)

Yeah. When he was gone for a week we thought we would surprise him by panelling the above mentioned bedroom. After he returned, we told him it was a pain because the room was so out of square. For our troubles, my brother and I spent the next weekend measuring how out of square the rest of the house was and plotting out how exactly to jack up the floor joists in the crawlspace to try to square things up. All that did was crack the drywall a bit in every room. It's still not square to his satisfaction and he spent a weekend figuring how exactly to do new vinyl siding to hide the twist in the roof. That dang Michigan weather!

I hope you don't get snowed in again, BJ. I had my class today and went to the grocery store and did my tutoring. Now I'm all caught up and can stay home tomorrow and watch it snow. It looks like it could begin at any minute.

I want to go sledding. All I have to do is walk out my back door. The only problem is that the hill ends up in the lake! I'm sure it's solidly frozen, but with my luck, I'd probably sink through the one weak spot in the ice. I doubt if I could find a sled anywhere now...that's my excuse anyway.

>196 DirtPriest:: What a striking quilt pattern. At first glance, I thought it was a book cover and wondered why I had never heard of a book titled Cluster Class!

BJ- There are currently 4 books in the Martin series, Song of Fire and Ice. I think there will be 7 total. It has taken him ages to finish the 5th book, which hopefully will be released this year.
This is an outstanding series!

Wow! A party here while I was gone! Love it!

#196> That quilt is magnificent! And the story is pretty good, too! :) I took a quilting class right after my first child was born and started an Amish quilt. I foolishly decided to use a difficult, authentic Amish quilting scheme (the thread, not the blocks) and it was really too hard for a beginner. So I never finished. Every so often I think: I am going back to finish that with an easier pattern. The machine part is all done. Oh, and guess what else? I had even more trouble with the hand sewing part (the quilting) until I realized that my teacher was showing me left-handed and I was trying that also even though I am right-handed. And that daughter I had at that time? Also, a leftie. So I have a lot of sympathy for her on all the right-handed things in the world. I have always loved quilts.

#197> How nice to see you mamzel! Thanks for joining the party here!

#198> Oh, and I noticed that our corners are not all square in our house either. The wallpaper really shows it. Did you get your new keyboard yet?

#210> I am glad you got out today, Donna. The news made it sound like the snow would get here early, so I just stayed home. No snow yet. The first time I went sledding in Tennessee, we lived on a hill. The hill went straight into a creek. So we just intentionally crashed near the bottom of the hill. Once, however, we did get wet. Of course, I was younger then. Now all my crashes are accidental. Still crashing, though. :)

#202> Thanks for the info on the Martin series -- especially knowing the name of the series. Maybe I can get them all read this year. I am still waiting on the second Rothfuss book. I will believe it when I see it.

I guess my snowblower idea is on hold for now. I guess we will see how many large snows we get. The smaller snows call for the shovel. Still, good to be prepared! Thanks so much for stopping by, y'all! You made my day!
--BJ

#196 dirtpriest - What a beautiful quilt!

Hi BJ!

Hi, Joanne! I know that it is super cold where you are. Stay warm and thanks for stopping by.

You know, I have always felt that quilts are terrific pieces of art. My great-grandmother used to make them long, long ago. I loved them all.
--BJ

BJ- I plan on reading Name of the Wind this month. It'll be my last FF choice. I'm very pumped about it.

Mark, you really can read fast! I thought it was a terrific book. I just hope that I can remember it when I get the second one.
--BJ

My doggie keeps getting into trouble. Cabin fever, I guess. I gotta go watch her before she really makes a mess! :)
--BJ

I am glad to hear that the pipes did not burst! I wish you luck with them during the new weather front coming in today.

I was truly happy about that, too! It is still snowing and lovely. I love everything about it except how cold it is. But I hear next week we might hit 60F. Wow! Wouldn't that be something?
--BJ

It is supposed to be 60 here by Sunday. Weird weather.

*whimper*
I am so jealous
It's -10 here, without windchill. We're supposed to hit the 30s by the end of the weekend though. But get rain to. . . which will freeze on the ground the next day. *le sigh

It's supposed to hit 72 here in San Diego today--and then be cold and rainy when my mom gets here from Kansas next week. Of course, right now they are at 11 degrees, but it's supposed to be in the 50s there on Monday when she leaves!

Hi, Stasia, Katie, and Roni!
I was just complaining about how we hit -12F last night. I would not let my dog out until it warmed up to 8 or so. Worried about her paws and ears. Bartlesville just a little ways north of here hit -28F. Wind chills at -36F. Can this really be Oklahoma? But we are also supposed to hit 60 by Tuesday or Wednesday. Yea!! I will be ready for a little bit warmer weather now I think. :)
--BJ

Sounds like you are going to be getting the same warm up there that we are here. It is supposed to be in the 70s by Monday or Tuesday of next week. Rats. I like the cold :)

That -28 was the lowest temperature ever recorded in Oklahoma.

I like the snow. The cold, cold air is getting old. Apparently there was a -31F at Nowata that ended up being listed, too. So it is the lowest temp now. It was the same night. At first they did not think it would count as official, but now they (the local news) say it will. My dog will be sweltering going from below zero temps to 70. The news said that Tulsa spent $2 million plowing the roads. Wow. Our neighborhood association spent $800 and then we got another snow dumped on top and no money for more plowing. The city does not plow neighborhoods here at all. This is the most snow for a winter season in Tulsa. Pretty exciting, all in all.

I am hoping to finish a book at last this weekend!
--BJ

11. The Guermantes Way by Marcel Proust. I just finished this third volume of In Search of Lost Time. Our Narrator (Marcel?) has gotten somewhat older, but he is still fickle and immature. But let's face it: So are lots of older people in this memory of times past. Proust has an interesting way of capturing small moments which I really like. Special thanks to Angela for reading this with me!
--BJ

#218: One of these days I will get back to Swann's Way. . .

I think you will find that you will be able to slip right back into it. That is one surprising thing about these books. Maybe because of the way they were written. Which is lucky, because there is no way I can read this without taking breaks here and there.
--BJ

#220: I stopped right at the second part (deliberately) so I am sure I will be able to pick it right back up again.

I agree. And I really did like the second part better than the first part, I think. Seems like it was called "Place-Names: The Place."

I have three long library books that I need to get going on. And I never did finish The Count of Monte Cristo. I love the book, just keep getting side-tracked by other books.
--BJ

I completely understand about getting sidetracked by other books. Imagine that! :)

Thank you so much, Stasia! Adorable! You made my day!
--BJ

And Happy Valentine's Day to everyone out there in LT land!
--BJ

12. Native Tongue by Suzette Haden Elgin. This book touted as a "feminist science fiction classic" on the cover has a definite agenda, which is too much of the book. I found the discussion of the importance of linguistics and language interesting, but I was ultimately disappointed in this part of the book as well. This is part one of a trilogy. For now, at least, I doubt I will read the other two books.
--BJ

#225: Glad you liked it, BJ.

#227: I doubt I will ever read the other two books myself. I just do not care enough about the first one.

Yeah, and it sounds like the first one is the best of the three!

On a happy note, I have finally started A Game of Thrones. Although I am only at the very beginning, I am enjoying it quite a bit. :)
--BJ

BJ have you read the other books in the series? I am hesitant to start since there are so many books in the series.... @.@

Hi, Valerie!
This is my first time to read A Game of Thrones. It is the first in the series, and I believe that the series is not complete. But there are about five books so far, I think. Just from reading here on LT, it seems like most people like these books. I am slow usually to complete series. I am not sure why.

Thanks so much for stopping by!
--BJ

BJ- Please keep me posted on your thoughts about "Thrones". It should blow you away. BTW- There are 4 completed books. Waiting for #5!

Hi, Mark!
I thought the fifth book was published. I hope it is not like the Rothfuss situation. I have had way too many errands to do these days, and I haven't gotten to read as much as I would like. But I am really loving the book so far. I am afraid it will take me away from my Trollope that I started. I like that book, too.
--BJ

@231 While I, as you may have noticed, am a complete and utter series junkie.

Hi, Robert!
I have noticed that you like to read them all in a row. Do you wait to start a series until after you have all the books? I still want to collect the Lindsey Davis books. I cannot believe that I gave away the three that I had. Watching you read through those, I started to want to read them, too. That kind of regret is what makes it so hard for me to let go of any books, even when I need to let go to make room.
--BJ

Hi BJ! I'm just passing through as I catch up on threads. I hope all is well with you and your family.

@235 Hi BJ, I don't let my old books go. I have books I got when I was eight years old. An old "Justso Stories" and an old science series. I bought a Dr. Suess for old memories. Books are fun!

#236> Hi, Rachel! Thanks for stopping by! All is well here and the weather is just beautiful. The dog is just running around loving the hard ground under her feet again.

#237> I don't have that many books from when I was a child, but I rebought lots of them for my own girls. Many books have been passed on to cousins or donated, but I was always especially fond of Dr. Suess books. I kept all of those. Plus, Beatrix Potter. And anything Snoopy. My dad read us the Jungle Books when we were young, pretty much the only thing that he read to us. So I kind of want to get a copy of that one of these days. Don't know where his copy is. I guess he still has it though. For a while we were moving a lot and moving tons of books is really hard. No moving company for us, so we got rid of quite a few books and records. Every so often I look for a book and then wonder, did I get rid of it? I can't really remember, it was so long ago. So now, I feel the need to hang onto everything. Thanks for stopping by, Bill! Hope you are also enjoying this Spring weather. :)
--BJ

@235 Basically, I buy them in order. I keep reading my way through the series until I can't find the next one, which then goes on my Amazon wishlist. Once I've bought it, I put it at the bottom of the TBR pile and by the time it works its way up to the top I'm ready to start reading the whole series again up until there's another one I can't get hold of.

That sounds like a pretty good way of doing things. I guess the only series that I have read in its entirety lately were series that my girls collected. It was fun to read the whole thing at once though. I am kind of slowly going through the Harry Potter books. They are spread all over the house. I am not very organized. :) One series that I would like to read all of are the Three Pines Mysteries. I read one from towards the end, and it was terrific. But I borrowed that from the library. Maybe it has the whole series. I have also read three of the Ariana Franklin books, and they were also good enough that I wanted to read them all. But I don't have the latest one or two of them.
--BJ

It's going to get up to 70 degrees this weekend.

That sounds perfect! We hit 79F today. Unbelievable.

I am getting excited about March Madness this year since UT has a good mens team. They will have to play KU again in the Big 12 tournament probably, but not in Lawrence. And soon it will be time for baseball.

In the battle of the library books, the Martin book A Game of Thrones is winning. I am wondering if I should buy a copy of it. I am wondering if my Borders is going to close down. I guess I should drive by there tomorrow and check it out. That is the closest bookstore to my house. Still haven't been out to revisit our huge used bookstore yet. Maybe next week.
--BJ

ETA I just saw the pdf file, and my Borders store is closing. I am not really all that surprised as the service there has been beyond terrible for a while. Even with large numbers of customers waiting in the freezing cold one morning and quite a few employees inside, the doors remained locked for about 10 minutes past opening time. That cold, cold day was tough to take. And then the first 5 books I wanted were not in stock. Still, I hate to see it go.

>242 billiejean: I didn't realize there was a list already out with the store closings. Thanks.

Sorry about your store. I feel your pain. Several years ago my favorite bookstore, Coliseum Books, that was only two blocks away from me closed and then my closest Barnes & Noble closed this January. Luckily, my Borders isn't on the list. Whew!

#242: spring, great Longhorn sports, and baseball: life is pretty good!

>242 billiejean:: I am getting excited about March Madness this year since UT has a good mens team. They will have to play KU again in the Big 12 tournament probably, but not in Lawrence.

Now you're talking about a sport I enjoy, BJ. I can really get into March Madness. Our local team (Missouri State) looked great earlier in the season but they may have peaked too early.

My husband just got back from a quick trip to Texas, and he confirmed that OK did get more snow than we did. Ours is mostly gone (except those dirty 'hills' in the parking lots) due to the wonderfully warm weather. This is not a good thing for flowering trees, etc., though. I'm heading outside right now to enjoy a walk without a heavy coat, scarf, and gloves. Freedom!

#243> I am glad you found the list. And I am glad that your store is not closing. There is one other Borders in Tulsa, and I always liked that one, but I haven't been there in years. Guess I will just stick with B&N and BAM. I use amazon occasionally. But I usually can't stand to wait that long! Also, using the library more these days.

#244> It was a tough year for football, wasn't it? And all the off-season drama, too! Thank goodness for new seasons. Yes, life is good right now. :)

#245> The NE part of OK right by MO got the most snow. Amazing amounts really. Ours was record-breaking. Theirs was record-shattering. I loved the snow while we had it, but now I am ready for Spring. Just saw the 30 day outlook, and even the cool fronts will not be too strong from here on out, I don't think. Glad you can easily get to your class now. I had to go a lot of days without driving since I don't have 4WD. Now I feel free, too! (PS Good luck to your basketball team!)
--BJ

#242 & #243 The Bookstars, who are owned by Barnes and Noble, in the Valley of the Sun are closed now. My boss told me the one near his home had closed. Three customers at the bookstore where I work told me the Bookstar down the block had closed. I feel bad because I have been recommend it to people looking for new books. We sell out-of-print books.

BJ, could you please tell me where you found the pdf file stating where the Borders are closing. I have a friend who works at a Borders. I don't want him to be out of a job, but I hope to buy some discounted books if one of the stores near me is closing. Thanks.

I found the pdf from the Interesting Articles thread here on the 75 Book Challenge. I will try to put the link here:

http://media.bordersstores.com/pdf/Borders_Reorganization_Closure_List.pdf

Hope that works, Caroline! I saw lots of cars outside the store near my house, but I did not go in. Kind of made me sad.
--BJ

By the way, I am sorry to report that Nebraska beat my beloved Longhorns, so they will not be number 1 after all. Just hope they will the Big 12 tournament.
--BJ

#248 Thank you BJ. As far as I can tell they are only keeping one store open in Arizona. I will have to call my friend tomorrow, his store is closing. That's very sad since he had a stroke a couple of years ago and Borders kept him on even though he never fully recovered. I don't know if he is able to get a job anyway else.

I am truly sorry about your friend losing his job. This is a tough time for jobs, I know. I will remember him in my prayers.
--BJ

>248 billiejean: Shucks, my local-est Borders is closing too. They already closed a Waldenbooks that was even closer to my house. So as of April, the closest bookstore will be 2 used/indie stores (clearly I'm going to have to use these more) and a 30-minute drive to Barnes & Noble. :::sigh:::

Sorry you are losing your Borders, too, Mary! B&N is about 15-20 minutes from me, so that is not too bad. Borders seems to be closing more than 1/3 of their stores to me. Maybe we are just all disproportionately affected. Doesn't really make sense since we all read so much. I did like the graphic novel/manga selection at the Borders.
--BJ

That sucks that Borders is closing down. I've only been to 1 Borders before when I was down in Montana for vacation and I remember being VERY impressed with how BIG the store was and big the selection was. I was running short on time so I was rushing through the books but I totally wish I had more time to get lost in that store!

Our store here started out just that way. I don't really know what happened. But the selection went down over time. The one in town that is still open was even better than the one nearby. It was quite large. I guess I will have to go by there sometime. But B&N is closer than that Borders, so I probably won't go by there too often.
--BJ

I can remember when Borders was the best bookstore in Atlanta. Over the years they went downhill. The last time I went in the sales people didn't know anything about books. I buy almost all of my books on the internet. The prices are better and so is the selection. I also have health problems and can't walk around a store for more than a half an hour.

I find Borders hit or miss on their staff. A few are really knowledgeable and nice. But a few are just dreadful. I went in to pick up an online order and couldn't find any staff for over 10 mins when I was in a bit of a hurry. Oh well, that's how most places are I guess.

Hi, Bill and Katie!
Seems like the problem could be a combination of amazon and management. Amazon is really convenient, except when I don't want to wait for the shipping. But they have everything! Seems like maybe the rise of ebooks means no waiting for online purchases, right? So I wonder if all bookstores will shift to online only?
--BJ

I think that may be the case with smaller stores or in small to avg. size cities. But I think book stores at large retail centers, like highly populated malls (MOA), or iconic locations in huge cities, NY LA etc, will be safer. Gift cards and holiday shopping will save them, along with the big events each year--release parties and signings. But if a lot of stores continue to close it may open more of a market for used book stores. And even though they don't have a lot of the 'new' stuff, I just like walking through the stacks and looking at covers to find that hidden gem--something you don't necessarily get with the over-hyped books at chain retailers.

I did not think about the book signings and events like that. That is a pretty good point. I like to go to used bookstores, too. Serendipity. B&N is across the street from our mall. But I have also seen malls go from popular to deserted, too. Not sure why. I tend to stay away from malls. I hope you are right that some bookstores will make it. I love wandering through the shelves and seeing what I find.
--BJ

About time for a new thread, BJ!

Good point! But I haven't finished a book in forever! Oh, well, maybe I will finish another in Feb.

Off to make a new thread.
--BJ

OK, here is the new thread, BJ reads 75 in 2011, Part 2:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/110443&newpost=1#lastmsg

Hope to see you there!
--BJ