Marvelous Maggie's Reading Journal

edited on 5/27th, at 5:45 ish, GD time.

I believe this thread is supposed to be Marvelous Maggie's Reading Journal. It lost its name, and Tim said he'd put it back, as I don't know how to do that.

OK, I'll start a new journal. My first thoughts are how hard it is for me to get my books read since I am reading so much on the threads for the 75 book challenge. I will try to first, list all the books I've got sitting around with some pages read and waiting for me to get back to them. And then second, I am going to keep track of how new books I've bought. (Awk! this is scary)

Wish me luck.

This will be my ticker for the purchase of books!

I bought The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet: A Novel for the Kindle today.

1. I have The Discovery of France with a marker on page 38-39, I've been reading it in the bathtub occasionally.

2. Also, Pocketful of Names by Joe Coomer. Don't know why I put this one down as I remember enjoying it. Marker is on pages 202-203.

3. A Certain Slant of Light with a marker on page 8. This may be a good one for the Do Nothing But Read Day.

4. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell with a marker on page 8. I don't know if I'll ever pick this one up again. It has been at least a year.

5. The Historian and its marker is on page 262-263. I may go back to this one. I remember the story kinda.

6. 168893::The White Bone has its marker on pages34-35.

There will be more.

eta: the numbers

I know I am disclosing a "character flaw" that may cause some to wonder...what is this woman doing. But I've learned that dealing with issues has to start with defining what is the problem, or issue, or situation. So, I'm clearly defining a situation and I'm intending on addressing it by ... what else: READING SOME BOOKS. hehehehe

7. Empire of Dreams with a marker on page 61

8. The Man Who Loved China with a marker on pages 8-9.

I am adding books I have on my Kindle which I started reading, but have not made much progress. Here we go

9. An Object of Beauty and I am nearing the end of it. Kind of a vapid book, good for reading just before falling totally asleep.

10. The Tale of Beowulf bought for free because some folks in the 75 book challenge are reading it and I thought I'd give it a try.,

11. The Autobiography of Mark Twain bought because it is a big book and I don't want to have to hold it. I've read a few pages.

12. King Hereafter bought because it was greatly recommended by some LT readers. I've started it but finding it a bit complex so I'm slowing down and taking some notes as I go.

13. The Spies of Warsaw by my friend Alan Furst. OK, calling him a friend is stretching it a long, long way. But I have met him and remember him before he'd written all these very good WWII mysteries.

14. The Eyre Affair - I am afraid this is out of my league. Too many references to literature I am not totally aware of.

15. One Square Inch of Silence bought because I love, love, love the idea of fighting to keep some places on this earth where one could actually hear nature, undisturbed by human made noises.

16. Guns, Germs, and Steel - just because.

OK, that's all I can stand to admit today.

My word! LOL. Quite a pile you have there, my friend.

The Kindle does help avoid a pile too tall.

LOL Yeah, at least we ereaders don't have to stare at bookshelves of doom.

I drop books too. Seriously, read what you love and dump the guilt.

Agree with majkia. I seldom abandon books, and those I do are tagged "status:abandoned", but life's too short to spend it on books one doesn't enjoy reading. Whenever I get stuck in a book I really think I ought to read, and then I mean really REALLY ought to read, I force myself to read nothing but that book until the end. Or I leave it unfinished. Doesn't do wonders to the number of books I read during a year, some books can take months to finish... but I don't view reading as a competition for numbers but as entertainment and education; and then numbers doesn't count ;-)

Regarding The Eyre Affair most references were lost on me too (Swedish literary canon differs A LOT from the UK or US one) but I still enjoyed reading the book. Not pressuring you to pick it up again - only telling about my own experience. Dump it if you want, it's certainly not "essential reading" :D

I really am not suffering from any guilt over all this. They are books, after all, not people and I am just letting them sit until I get to them. I am actively reading and expect to get to these guys. Maybe not all of them, but for sure I'll read some of them. They are big candidates for the Do Nothing But Read Day.

I am a happy reader.

If you want to read some Fforde without all the literary games, take a look at his latest series starting with Shades of Grey. It's social commentary in a fantasy context with a dash of humor added. The writing's as good or better than The Eyre Affair and sequels.

Thanks, drnewt.

12, 13 > not to mention his Nursery Crimes series starting with The big over easy which is like the Thursday Next books but instead of Austen and other literary references he uses Nursery Rhymes and a little mythology. They're a hoot.

Oh I'm delighted you aren't dealing with guilt, lol, but the comment about 'character flaw' in #2 had me worried!

I am sorry. Don't want to worry any one.

Two big events in my life have made guilt a much less often visitor. I am a recovering alcoholic for 28 years and in recovery I've learned that if you truly feel guilty about something it is because you broke a rule you consider important. Fix it in whatever way you can: apologize, replace stuff, pay for it, whatever you need to do and then MOVE ON. Guilt left unattended festers and turns into more bad behavior. That's my take on it.

Second, I am retired and basically all that I do with my time and energy is because I choose to do it. If I am suffering from one of my choices, I change my mind. End of suffering.

Life is way too short to mess around with not being happy.

Now, I know that was way more than you wanted to know about me, but writing it has made my thinking more clear to myself, so that is "a good thing" (thanks Martha Stewart).

I love the idea of One Square Inch of Silence, that sounds wonderful. One of my happiest memories is spending time in the deep woods with my dad, years and years ago, in mid-winter. We would snowmobile out there and once the machine was shut off, the silence was magical. Thanks for that memory maggs :-)

I used to experience it on the wheat ranch in Idaho where I spent my summers. I'd sit among the willow trees, by a creek, and watch the pigs, chickens and cows enjoy the quiet peaceful days in the sun and shade.
Very quiet. Very peaceful.

I have to work hard to be very firm with the books on my TBR shelf. They are always calling out, "Pick Me!" "Pick Me!" Even when I've already chosen one of their companions. They do not understand that if I live long enough, they will all have a turn to be read and enjoyed.

I got The Eyre Affair last year as one of my Santa Thing selections & enjoyed it greatly. I read Jane Eyre when i was 12 years old & loved it tho I also read at about the same time Wuthering Heights by her sister which loathed & still do! I guess I should say it is Catherine & Heathcliff I hate & have always believed that they totally deserved one another-they are real pair of twits! IMHO 8^)

Vanye - In one of the later books Well of Lost Plots? I'm not sure which one, there is a wonderful scene with the characters from Wuthering Heights.

Vanye, I so agree with you regarding Catherine and Heathcliff. Ugh. What a pair.

I have some additions, some I found hidden under some clutter and some are purchased but not yet started for my book group's reads later this year.

17. The Imperial Cruise because it looked like fun history.

18. In the Company of Crows and Ravens because we have so many around the cities, plus the illustrator is one I've admired for years.

19. The Zimmermann Telegram - again this book is on my pile because my book group chose to read it and it is good history.

20..The Nine Tailors - book group read and highly recommended.

maggie, some day I'd love to come by and rummage around your home and help you look for lost/temporarily misplaced treasures, and browse your bookshelves. You've got a wonderful mix of books there.

oh, yes, do come....I have multiple boxes in the garage which still need to be unpacked. Books are so my decorating motif ! And really, it is not that far from your place to mine....

You've found out my secret. I love helping people move. Moving out or moving in, I can usually stick myself with book packing/unpacking duty and can browse to my heart's content. Heaven, until someone wonders what's taking me so long and comes looking...

I received on my porch yesterday and big new book which looks so inspiring......Making Handmade Books 100+ Bindings Structures & Forms. Although I ordered this in 2010, I think it will be charged against the credit card in 2011 and so I'll credit it here, too. So that is two books purchased this year, so far.

That sounds like a wonderful book maggie. I've been thinking about taking a course in bookbinding, I think it would be really interesting and fun too.

I have found more than one book about making books. It is quite the art field these days. The book festival that used to happen in Seattle always had wonderful displays of hand made books which were probably more art than book, but still very fun to see. You might hunt up some used books on the topic before you take a class. Bookbinding can be quite complex. I knew a young man who thought he was going to make a mint by doing bookbinding, including learning how to marble paper. Not for the faint of heart.

Bookbinding is for the meticulous and patient. I have a set of books bound by my father, ages ago. He is extremely exact, the kind of person who successfully wallpapers a room with wallpaper cut to be put up not overlying but edging, pattern aligned.

One of my uncles is into bookbinding as well, and he too is the kind of person who wraps parcels with a spirit level, to achieve perfect symmetry, not to mention his skills in building paper models of towns...

I agree with Busifer. Oddly, I keep trying to convince myself I am such a person as Busifer's father and uncle. No way! I am Messy Maggie all the way.

Messy Maggie, I love that your goal is to PURCHASE 100 books this year. :) Usually we hear people lamenting their book-buying habit, I like to see someone embrace it.

#29 I did bookbinding classes with the University binder in Cape Town while working on my Ph.D. Can you still get proper buckram for cloth bindings in U.S.A.? Nobody here's had the stuff in about 20 years, which rather cramps the style. (though about 10 years ago I got some -- not enough -- goat leather from a tannery in Swakopmund, Namibia.)

I've been wanting to learn how to bind books, but I'm afraid I wouldn't have the patience to finish a project. My crafts box is full of unfinished cross stitch, hooked rug, and knitting projects.

hahahaha! sandragon...my life is filled with unfinished projects!

Hugh, I have no idea if buckram can be gotten in the fine US of A but I'll bet we can find some if we look hard enough. What is it?

MrsLee....not exactly a GOAL; more just "keeping track". I've no goals for how many or how few to buy or obtain; I'm wanting to know what is my pattern.

Karen, Wikipedia is your friend on this. It looks as if the stuff is still made in the US and A, so it may be worth looking in a really good craft shop.

Thanks!

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

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

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

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

OK, on to other books. Going to read Winnie the Pooh this morning. hehehe

Finished Winnie-The-Pooh. And I am enjoying the Do Nothing But Read day a great deal. I may have to schedule another soon. I am not sure what is up next, I'll decide after I finish reporting in.

oh, my goodness: To Kill A Mockingbird really should be read by every American who loves to read. I give it the full five stars without hesitation.

Bought two more books for my Kindle: Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express and And Then There Was None.

Its the kick I'm on I guess....read books I should have read years ago.

edit for bad typing

Note to self: Nancy Pearl discussed Neil Gaiman on her talk show, on KUOW, last night and re-established in my mind that I must read more of his work.

I have been chipping away slowly at my Agatha Christie novel, but on climbing into the nice warm bath I picked up, again, The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire That Saved America and am falling in love with this book. I really like Timothy Egan's way of writing about American history. He takes key characters, some famous, some not so much, and really brings them to life. He talks about little "logging" towns in Idaho before this big forest fire, when the forest service was just starting, as being more lawless than any of the wild west towns we all have heard of via TV and movies. Fascinating. I really recommend it to those who love American history, and who like reading about Teddy Roosevelt.

Maggie-have you read The Worst Hard Time by Tim Egan> I saw him speak about the writing of the book. & he signed my copy while I chatted w/him. Of course that book is about the Dust Bowl era. He is a very good writer. They did a History Channel special about him & the book that was very interesting. 8^)

yes, I've read The Worst Hard Time and loved it. I think Tim Egan is a very good writer to popularize history. I just wish there were more of him as I believe we are sorely in need of people who know more American history. I am really enjoying The Big Burn. You might see if you can find a copy of it, too.

I am giving myself credit for all the thread reading I am doing. I am too tired at night to read much in my books, magazines, and then I just listen to the radio and drift off to sleep. Sigh.

I have just discovered that I am lusting after The Invention of Hugo Cabret. I must not buy it right now as I am saving money for a new deck off my back door, and some paint for the living room, and some additional hardware for the kitchen cabinets. I must, I must, I must save my cash.

Libraries....here I come!!!

LOL, we should credit all the thread reading we do as part of our reading journals, they make for great reading and definitely are time consuming.

You will LOVE hugo Cabret when you get it. I was given it as a gift a couple of years ago and have read it a couple of times, it's such a delightful, beautiful story and book. I love the illustrations.

Hugo is on my list of books to explore at some stage. I first came across mentions of it in Jeff Noon's exceedingly weird Pixel Juice. I do like finding references to other books this way, but it often casts a very distorted picture of what I'm expecting, when I finally get around to reading them.

OMG, I just discovered the Off the Shelf challenge. And I need that group. I am not starting it today but gosh I've got to get those books out of the boxes and on to shelves, and then off the shelves, read, and pass them on into the universe!

>45 maggie1944: I've read that book and it's OK. There is a whole lot of illistrations. I think I first read it...a year or two back, maybe not even that. At least last summer, but also maybe the summer before that. It's one of those summers. I read it mainly because I was bored and my little sister was reading it, so I did. Was a summer? Or mayber it was last winter. Actually, that seems most like it. I was on a break I know that. But anyway, it's entertaining.

Well, so much for "off the shelf". Although I did pick two books off my shelves and pledged to read them ASAP, I also visited the used books store down the way and bought three books, two used and one new. I bought My Father's Dragon which I had on my wishlist and I just saw it, and bought it. Read it yesterday and I am sure it will be a perfect read for the toddlers next week. I also bought The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven because I need to re-read it before my book group meets in early February. I love Sherman Alexie and he is very easy to re-read. I don't have that "oh, I've read this before and it is boring to read it again" feeling that I usually get. I also bought The Unusual Suspects which is the second in The Sisters Grimm series.

Frankly, I'd forgotten I set this goal of paying attention to my buying stuff. I just remembered I've bought several Weight Watchers books. Weight Watchers Points Plus Cookbook and Weight Watchers five ingredient 15 minute recipes are two of these. I will try to find the others just so I can hold myself accountable.

I loved the My Father's Dragon books when I was a kid!

I hope the toddlers like it. I couldn't draw mine into the charm, but they were older when I tried. Go Elmer!

Whenever you think about your all-time favorite books, you can never forget the books from your young childhood, because ultimately, those books pretty much defined who you are.

Finished reading The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and loved it as much this time as I did the first time. I usually can't re-read books; I know the ending. But this really is a collection of short stories and Alexie writes in a way which is part realistic and part mystical, magical, and a "trip".

I appreciate his willingness to let us into the world of Indians on the reservation. It is a huge tragedy and yet he can write of love, of humor, of great basketball games, and of fancy dancing! I have been privileged to have attended a couple of pow wow celebrations and I've watched the fancy dancing, and the wonderful ribbon shirts. I know the part of Washington State where Alexie grew up and I love it, too. Beautiful.

I really love this book.

Thank you for enthusiastic mention of this book, maggie. I thought his young adult book was great, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, and I've thought about picking this one up a number of times. Next time I'll bring it home.

Here's the perfect weather for reading:

Sunrise on a Foggy Morning

What a gorgeous picture!

I finished reading The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America last night. I loved the book and gave it a 4 1/2 stars review. I like the way Egan populates his history books, making sure that the reader has memorable individuals who were mightily affected by the event about which he writes, as well as providing the larger picture of the politics and power struggles surrounding the event. I wrote a more complete review here: http://www.librarything.com/work/8603630/reviews/54120241

I recommend it to readers who enjoy popular American history and reading about the Presidents.

Since I was participating in a read-a-thon I started and then read to the finish Alan Furst's Kingdom of Shadows. I need to think about it a bit before I write a real review. But I did love it.

OK, I might just buy 100 books this year...here's my last:

Karen Armstrong's Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life.




This was recommended to me by a good friend who happens to also be my real estate agent. Had lunch with him today and he so raved about this book (he is also in recovery) and Karen Armstrong that I could not resist buying it on my Kindle. I hope it makes me a nicer person. More compassionate, that is.

I am reading No Great Mischief by Alistair Macleod. He is following a Scottish family from its 1770s immigration to Canada (Cape Breton) to today. It is written in a first person telling by one of the modern times men. It is very interesting how this family (very large family = 12 kids arrived with the patriarch) transferred their love of place from Scotland to Canada. I am enjoying it greatly.

Maggie, have you read anything else by Karen Armstrong? I've been wanting to learn more about Islam and was wondering about getting her Islam: A Short History, but I've no idea how she reads. I don't want something academic, that is, too technical or detailed.

She is definitely an academic, very learned, and has studied religions for years; however, she is a very good writer and I found her work easy to read and enjoyable. I was excited to buy another of her books.

Sounds good. I'll give her books a try. Thanks :o)

OK, this is a little crazy but there's a book group on NPR reading Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption and I just bought it for my Kindle. I need to re-establish my intention to not buy so many books this year.

Well, I have finally rec'd my SantaThing books. I am delighted with my Santa's choices. I received Lisa See's Snow Flower and the Secret Fan which is evidently about women's lives in nineteenth century China, and about a language the women invented for just women to use! Fascinating. I received Markus Zusak's The Book Thief which looks quite intriguing...a child who steals books which the Nazis are getting ready to burn, and her family hiding Jews. World War II here I come again. Thrilled, I am.

Finally, I also received Graceling by Kristin Cashore. It is, from appearances, a Young Adult coming of age fantasy starring a young woman with the ability to be the king's thug, and kill people. Should be a good one.




I feel very well taken care of by my Santa, keristars, this year.

Graceling was one of my favorite books for last year. And I liked the next book Fire even more. Hope you enjoy it too.

oh, cool. Thanks.

I liked Graceling and The Book Thief and loved Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Lucky woman!

Those sound like excellent books. I've read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and really enjoyed it. I've been interested in The Book Thief for a while and am looking forward to hearing what you think of it. Now Graceling sounds really good too! Good choices maggie!

Yikes, I just got two more books for the Kindle. That thing is dangerous:

The Hound of the Baskervilles (I am looking at you Katylit, I got it for free, or $.99, I don't remember right now) and Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption. I hope to get started on the Hound this evening.

Yup, it's a dangerous, wonderful thing, that Kindle, *grin*

I completed my reading of No Great Mischief last night, with a tear or two shed. It is an interesting account of the lives of the Scots who settled on Cape Breton, an island in Canada. It begins with the family story of the original MacDonald who settled there with his twelve children, and one SIL, in the late 1700s. You can imagine how many MacDonalds there were to write about in the 20th century.

I really enjoyed the book as I know very little about the lives of those who settled in eastern Canada. My background also has some Scots in the line of ancestors so it was interesting to read about the clan, and how they brought their clannish attitudes with them.

The book is well written, and IMHO worth the reading.

I am playing with my camera, walking my dogs, cleaning house, hanging out with toddlers, and only getting to read in the evenings, in my bed...and then I fall to sleep. Nothing to report.



EVEN NICKY KNOWS I SHOULD BE READING MORE!!!!!

Nice pic! That's a great look...

He does look like a skeptical police officer.

Nicky, a special officer with the Reading Police. "Mad'm, are those your TBR piles over there?"

I think perhaps he did not like his hair cut just like that!

I love Nicky's photo! Very nice.

And yes, the Kindle can be the ultimate challenge if you are trying to avoid impulse shopping. Personally, I have been watching the various film adaptations of Hound of the Baskervilles and that's because it is so easy to find them online!

Could have been reading, should have been reading, would have been reading had I not stumbled upon "Restoration" the movie with Robert Downey Jr. A nice little period piece and it made me happy.

*mutters and adds it to her huge Netflix queue*

*hugs for Maggie*

I came by to your reading thread after I read your comment on mine. :) Thank you, I'm glad you like my thread... it's a first for me and while I've kept a blog before I've never actually done a yearly reading thread before, so I hope you keep reading it and still like it in about 3 months or so!

Oh and BTW, I actually didn't get any sleep last night after my review so I should have just listened to your advice in your comment and stayed up anyways! Too much caffeine I think, and no mind-dump before bed after all that concentrating. :)

#74: ROFL! Hahahaha. You crack me up MrsLee! He really does have that sort of reproving look on his doggie face, doesn't he? The kind where you know that he knows that you know, ya know? :P

Thanks for stopping by, the more the merrier is my thought on threads. My dog, Nicky, was the first of my current 3 to walk right into my life. But he is a bit of a grumpy old man and that look caught a part of his character quite perfectly. I am glad it can make others smile, too.

He's a very handsome fellow too!

I'm finding your reading list very interesting, with many of your picks in my TBR. I'll keep watching for your insights.

Kasey

Kasey, thanks for the comment.

Nicky was a "pound puppy" I found while volunteering at the Seattle Animal Shelter. Actually, the true story was that the staff found me, for him. He was 5 years old and had some issues but he always did look as if he should have been a show dog. Even now in his old age, he knows how to strike a pose!

I'll try to post a bit more often about the more than two books I am reading at the same time. LOL

Just about finished with Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Am enjoying it although I'm not sure it will be a five star book for me. We shall see....

Looks like an interesting book, Maggie! I'm looking forward to hearing what you thought of it, as the reviews seem somewhat mixed.

The closest book I've read to it in comparison would be Memoirs Of A Geisha; although I can't recall how weighty a subject foot-binding came into it, it did cover quite a bit of knowledge of what arduous and quite painful activities Geishas had to ascribe to.

I once visited a Museum that contained examples of the outfits and shoes of the Geisha and I just remember staring open-mouthed, just appalled at the PAIN involved in stuffing their feet into those tiny odd-shaped shoes... Not to mention actually WALKING in them! Yikes! My little feet are hurting just thinking about it! Lol. :)

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

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

If you can ever get your hands on East Wind, West Wind by Pearl Buck, you will read a wonderful story of a Chinese noblewoman married by arrangement to a Chinese man who has been to America. In an effort to win his heart and conform to his admiration of Western ways, she unbinds her feet. The description is touching and memorable.

ah, well, I'm in England right now. Reading The Nine Tailors for my book group. It grabbed me right off, and will not let me go. I need to go get my newly potted primroses and bring them inside the garage as it might freeze tonight; and tomorrow need to cover my new little blueberry bushes; but, after all that, I am reading, reading, reading and oh, yes,hanging out with toddlers.

#79- I love your mind dump term! It is another version of what I used to say when I was in college right after finals week-"time to dump all that stuff I learned this quarter & start taking on a new load!"

Of course they tell you that in order to make something a part of your permanent memory you need to review it in 3 mos. & once again in 6 more mos. For me tho the stuff that stayed with me was the stuff I taught to my fellow students as a TA in Geology 101 (Rocks for Jocks) though I doubt that they remember any of it. 8^)

You are so right, Vanye. I really did not "get" multiplication/division and fractions until I started teaching them. Now I can do all that arithmetic quite easily. hahahah

So true. Even with a degree in Biology, it wasn't until I had to teach some of the more difficult concepts to highschoolers that I realized how little I understood them. Had to hit the books all over again! The one that comes to mind first is the Kreb's cycle.

And those high school kids can be brutal if they think you don't know your stuff!

Actually there's quite more to it than repetition - understanding and real life usage is much more important to mnemonic retention than pure sledgehammering something into the brain ;-)

Edited to add that I responded to the general chat about getting to know things, more specifically to #88, I think ;P

Good morning, and ah... were you responding to something specific here? I don't see ... what is "it" ? Real life usage of which? arithmetic? biology? The imagination soars!

I think she means the process of "learning by teaching."

And good morning to you, Miss Maggie. What are you doing up so early? It isn't even 7:00 where I am, and you're two hours behind me.

Hi Maggie! *hugs* :o)

I can't wait to hear your thoughts on The Nine Tailors once you finish it! It is quite an absorbing read, isn't it? :)

BTW, I am loving your thread! Keep it up, Maggie! Your devoted fans must know your thoughts and reflections about what you read next! :)

HI, MerryMary and Pandora, dear friends! I am up early because of a couple of things. One, Ms Greta Garbo, the "head bitch" in this house woke me at about 3:25 am with her "I gotta go" noises. Since I go into the bed, and she joins me, at about 7:30 pm it is understandable that she might be crossing her legs. Hahahah We'd had warnings of awful snow over night so I was interested to see how white was my world. Got up, opened the shades and spotted a (maybe) coyote lurking about. Let her out and Nicky and Buchwheat joined the Potty Party in the backyard. I tried to go back to sleep but no such luck.

Niece was scheduled to come by at 5:00 am to switch cars with me. Mine is the best for snow so she'll use it as she has the longest commute. I got back up to make a wonderful latte, surf a bit, and then get dressed to go out to retrieve my boots from the back of the car, sweep snow off the windows and run it for a few minutes to warm it up. She was a happy niece, yes she was.

So, that's my story about why I am up so early. "Early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise." I am assuming same is true for a little, ole lady.

*sighs deeply, and eyes open widely at the epiphany* So that's why I'm not "healthy, wealthy and wise:" I go to bed too late.

Morning, everyone. I'm making some tea. Anyone else want some?

Are the dogs enjoying the snow, Mags?

Loki has reverted to puppyhood. Besides bounding in it, she has been pushing her face around through the snow. She kindly invites us to join her but only the children have the will and energy.

Goodmorning! We're supposed to get snow on Saturday morning, the first time at almost sea level since 1976. I hope there's enough for my dog Trip. He's never seen it and as he's a tad crazy already, I think he'll go wild.

I can picture Loki acting like an otter on a muddy creekbank.

Good Morning! Greta Garbo seems to like it as she chases about and likes to stay outside. Nicky, on the other hand, recently had a hair cut and he does not have the necessary fur coat, so to speak. So he goes out, does his business, and dashes back in the door. Buckwheat, in his old man way, trundles out the door, walks around the yard, sniffing, and doing whatever. Sometimes I do have to call him to get him to come in.

I like how it looks, and hate driving in it.

But it is fun to have kids around who love the snow so much!

I have neglected to list that I bought, for the Kindle, Progeny by our friend R.T. Kaelin and The Shack which might shock some of you. I bought The Shack not for its Christian content but because it describes the beautiful Wallowa Mountains in Oregon which are very close to my heart and I'd like to read the description. I will do my best to mostly overlook the overt religiosity and the brutality of the story.

I seem to be on track to actually get 100 books this year. Second month = second decade of books! I don't know if this is a good thing as I doubt I've cleaned that many out. Well there are a few more days in February. I'll get on tha....

Oh Maggie, I love the Wallowas! My first husband and I were teachers and spent summers car camping all over the west. One year we spent mostly in Oregon visiting Joseph and environs. We stayed a week in the heart of the mountains at a guest ranch that you had to ride or fly in to. Fabulous. We rode in and flew out. Took some wonderful all day, independent rides; just us two and no guides. Such a magical place.

That is "god's own truth". I also had a chance, when a kid, to camp up in the mountains at a location you had to pack in to get there. Lovely!

I have finished reading The Nine Tailors and enjoyed it greatly. The main reason I do not read mysteries, as a favorite genre, is because I can't be "bothered" to try to second guess the author and come to "who did it" before the end of the book; however, in this book's case, I did guess the answer to the mystery which I think most readers probably would. But I clearly did not enjoy the book the less for the obviousness of the solution to the mystery. The book has many, many additional charms.

Firstly, it is a wonderful period piece which describes life in a small English village and some of the Characters who live ther perfectly. Not that I've ever lived in one, but based on other books, movies, and other sources of impression, I think Dorothy L. Sayers got it just right! The rector of the village church and his wife were a perfect pair, he a bit absent minded but totally a kind and giving man, she spot on the admistrator of all things organized in their home, and in the church. I fell completely in love with them.

Secondly, all of the potential criminals were drawn carefully to not be too, too evil and thereby were totally believable people. Both clever, and not so clever, these folks had all of the weaknesses and foibles of country folk read about since the English novel threw light on villiage life. I wa happy with the outcome.

So, I recommend this book to readers who like mysteries, who like English village life, and who like good writing without some of the more modern tricks.

Glad to hear you liked it, maggie. When my wife, an active reader who had never read mysteries, asked for one to start with, this is the one I recommended.

yes, I think you chose well as it has a little more meat than some mysteries I have read.I can imagine her liking it.

She did indeed, and since then loves reading mysteries - right now she's reading an Alexander McCall Smith Precious Ramotswe book. That series also is a departure from the traditional puzzle-solver type of mystery.

I'm glad you liked The Nine Tailors, Maggie! I read it myself for the first time last year and I enjoyed it as well. I was really impressed with the amount of detail she spent in describing the work and variety that goes into the ringing of the church bells. You can really see the amount of research she must have done on the subject!

It's the only Dorothy Sayers book I have ever read, do you have any others of her works you would recommend?

Pandora, try Strong Poison, Have his Carcase and Gaudy Night in that order, remembering that Harriet Vane is the author, thinly disguised. Also try Five Red Herrings -- or indeed almost any other Lord Peter story.

ET fix spelling, as usual.

can't be "bothered" to try to second guess the author and come to "who did it" before the end of the book

I am an unapologetic end of book reader. I always know who did it before I read the book. :)

(Although for one Agatha Christie, I had to keep referring back. There were MANY who-done-its!)

#108 - I love all of Dorothy Sayers Lord Peter mysteries, and those Hugh recommends are wonderful, but if you like falling into a world you might not otherwise have access to, Murder Must Advertise is a great one as well. Dorothy L. Sayers actually worked in the advertising industry in London before WWII and during, she brings it to light in a very interesting way, mixed with a bit of fantasy as well. Not fantasy in the strictest sense, but Lord Peter at his fantastical best.

Pandora, thanks for stopping by. I am glad hfglen and MrsLee contributed some suggestions as I have not read much of Dorothy Sayers, so am at a disadvantage to recommend.

Thanks Hugh and MrsLee. I have so many books in my TBR bookcase that I am loath to add more. But I certainly can put theses on mt Amazon Wishlist and if the Universe wants me to read one, it will grace my threshold.... I hope.

Morphy, I usually just keep reading along, like a good little pedestrian, until I get to the end. But I don't do too much guessing or thinking about how it shall end. Now I must finish The Hound or I'll lose the discussion thread in the passage of time.

I put one of those visitors maps on my profile, again. It is fun to see people visiting my profile. After all is said and done, it is all about me, isn't it?

Go see my new map! Please....

#111 MrsLee, you remind me that one of DLS's other inspired creations was the toucan that advertised Guinness. I can just remember this as more-or-less fresh from when I was knee-high to a grasshopper, in the early 1950s. Can any senior British / Australian / Canadian Dragoneer recall these -- I think an elderly couple who were friends of my parents got the (British) Country Life magazine, and they were in there.

Hugh, you should probably post this query in one of the threads more people visit. Sounds like it would be fun to track down.

For Hugh:

Google image has lots of them. She also created The Mustard Club for Coleman's mustard. :) I have a cookbook/promotion she wrote. It was a fake club, which became so popular everyone wanted to join!

Maggie: I never puzzle too much about the mystery either. For me it's more about the characters and the story.

And I truly did love the details in The Nine Tailors. So much about church bells, and the ringing thereof, that I didn't know. Wow! Also, just all the characters of the small English villiages seemed so real and believable.

I agree, Maggie! Dorothy Sayers is truly very accomplished at bringing both life and depth into her characters. And thanks for the recommendations, hfglen and MrsLee! I shall have to keep a look-out for the titles you mentioned. :o)

Oh and I dutifully went and looked at your new visitors map, Maggie. Quite lovely. I have a similar one on my Profile page as well. Isn't it fun seeing the locations of the people who visit your page? I'm always thrilled when I see how diverse my visitors are! A warning though: it becomes quite addicting checking it! :o)

I know! I had one before and I finally deleted it for a bit. But now I am interested again, and yes, I love seeing all the world-wide appeal of reading a good book!

I know what you mean! I used to have one of those "ticker counters" on my Profile page too that counted the number of visitors to my page as well. But, for some reason they stopped making them available and I haven't been able to find them anywhere else. Too bad, too, because I always smiled when I saw the numbers and felt somewhat popular because of it! LOL. :o)

Still, I do love my map and I get so excited when I see someone stopped by from a "new" country that no one previously had visited my page from! Ah, what joy there is in the little pleasures like this. :o)

Finished The Hound of the Baskervilles and in the end felt more sympathy for the big dog than any of the characters in the story. I liked the descriptions of the environment and the fog. I find old scary stories set in dark, foggy England with fainting women, and the whole bit, to be quite fun. More of my thoughts can be found in the thread about the group read.

I am attempting a fast read of The Shack, not because I wanted to read the book, which many have criticized, but because it is said to have wonderful descriptions of The Wallowa Wilderness, one of my most favorite places in the whole wide world. I am kind of curious how I will like the book.

I found that book's story to be grueling, but some of the concepts were interesting to think about. Others, I simply couldn't agree. Ended up thinking it a good read for the way it made my brain work, but not a fun book or one I would reread. Of course if you are completely anti-religion, you shouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. I found the reactions of my various friends to be interesting as well.

One of my friends who lost her child in a violent and traumatic way said the anger was not even close to what she felt. Scary.

Maggie, I decided to try to put a visitor map on my profile, and it worked! Yay!! Would you please be the first to visit and mark the map? Thank you very much.

Kasey

Oh, and how does one actually put a dot on someone's map. I just tried to do it on yours.

#126, just by visiting your profile, the map will automatically register, "dot" the map. I love it too, love seeing people from all over the world visit me.

I am starting the Mega Read-A-Thon over in the 75 book challenge. Right now! Yes, I am.

well, that was a fine Read-A-Thon. I paid much less attention to keeping track of time, and pages read, and what I was eating than I did reading quickly through a great YA fantasy: Graceling. I completely enjoyed it and found turning the pages to be easy peasey!

I have jumped right into Progeny and admit I am hooked. Don't you love it when during your work day your mind keeps going back to the current book....I wan to be reading....I want to be reading....

#130 I finished Progeny last night, and can't stop thinking about it. Loved it.

I did feel hooked right away and it is getting better as I go. I am so glad it was available on the Kindle.

millhold & maggie1944 - good to hear you both are enjoying it.

Millhold - if you want a little fix, check out the first installment of the Terrene Chronicles (oh - and write a review at Amazon of Progeny - even if it's short):

http://www.progenythebook.com/Terrene-Chronicle-no1-Market.html

"The Terrene Chronicles are a series of short stories inspired by past events only alluded to in R.T. Kaelin’s high fantasy novel, Progeny. Reader response to the novel prompted me to write and publish a set of standalone short stories inspired by historical events referenced in Progeny.

Fans of the first volume in the Children of the White Lions have stated their desire to know more about the expansive world of Terrene and its rich history. The Terrene Chronicles will give old and new readers alike a chance to see what shaped the people, countries, and events of the world of Terrene."

Here's the latest list of where all the folks, who visited my profile, are from:

Everett, WA, United States
Haddington, United Kingdom Today
Lake Stevens, WA, United States
Dublin, Ireland
Mound, MN, United States
Canberra, Australia
Lewiston, ME, United States
Sanford, FL, United States
Johannesburg, South Africa
Appleton, WI, United States
Yarra, Australia
New York, NY, United States
Viborg, Denmark
Tucson, AZ, United States
Saint Charles, MO, United States
Milwaukee, WI, United States
Barnegat, NJ, United States
Redding, CA, United States
Boise, ID, United States
Aurora, ON, Canada
Edmonton, AB, Canada
Victoria, BC, Canada
Laurel, MD, United States
Lochgelly, United Kingdom
Parow, South Africa
Prince George, BC, Canada
Par, United Kingdom
Toronto, ON, Canada
Nuuk, Greenland
Purdum, NE, United States
Shippensburg, PA, United States
Oakland, CA, United States
Mesquite, TX, United States
Marcus Hook, PA, United States
Kingswinford, United Kingdom
Gambier, OH, United States

That is so cool! I love the Green Dragon and how we can be found all over the place. And such interesting names of the places, too.

I'm pretty sure I did visit your profile, to get you a Swedish star. Oh well, I'll do another drive-by :)

Thanks. There was an earlier map which was closed. Maybe your dot was on that one. Sorry. My error.

oh, dear! I bought a new book today. And this little girl's big brother made me do it:



We went to B & N to buy him a Hardy Boys book and two Zelda books; and then, he said....and let's look for something for you. So, don't laugh too loud: 7-Day Menu Planner for Dummies. I am finding that I am using all the old not good eating habits even with Weight Watchers. I am losing weight, just not eating more fruits and veggies, like I'd like to do.

ah, isn't she cute?

Here is the updated counter:

>137 maggie1944:

Cute kid... just make sure you don't cook her...

I will try to avoid acting out the fairytale where the parents lose their kids in the deep, dark forest and the "nice little old lady" takes them into a house that's made of candy. She has a particularly large cage...in the corner; and, a particularly large pot to swing in over the fire... oh, my, it is very interesting in that house.

What do you mean? That nice big pot is there so that you can take a nice bath; the fire is just there to keep the water at the right temperature....

Of course, how could I have been confused? Perhaps not enough protein in my diet?

Another new book, Kindle version of The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey

OMG! The CUTENESS!

*swoons*

I know! She inspires me to keep up my exercising....

She is indeed adorable.

Last night she opened the refrigerator, and took out a tub of margarine, got a knife, and went into the TV room, hid in a cubbie spot between two sofa (leather) and spread margarine all over the sofas. Mom was asleep as she always is after about 9 pm and Dad was....on the computer, up stairs. Older brother (age 10) was sitting on one of these sofas watching TV!

Jeesh! I wish I could give her Dad just a touch more common sense. Children should be in bed by 9:30 pm, in my book. But I am just the Great Aunt babysitter; and the three year old is still a darling girl. One could call it putting some conditioner on the sofa, eh?

I'm so sorry. I laughed hysterically. I am a bad bad person.

148 -

Are they leather sofas? Perhaps she was just trying to condition them for you?

Sometimes you really have to wonder what goes through their minds, don't you? I found a box of Teddy Grahams hiding under my little girl's quilt on her bed. When asked where they came from, she shrugged, and said, "The tooth fairy?"

Note: she is three and still has all of her teeth. Nikalys, her big brother, is 6, however, and has lost 4 teeth in the past month...

What a stinker.

A note from a friend of mine on Facebook (Lourdes is 4):

Gran "I need coffee" Lourdes "want me to help you make some?" Gran "do you know how to make Coffee?" Lourdes "No, Do you?" Gran "yes I Can Make coffee" Lourdes "why are you asking me then" yep I walked right into another one.

Little minds are amazing. And hilarious.

148 > I laughed too.

My stepsister's kids, being minded by their Grandpa, who has a nap after lunch every day and assumed they would do the same... while Grandpa was sleeping they decorated the fabric-upholstered sofa with penaten diaper rash cream.

oh, yes, tardis: my Grand Niece's other favorite household mess maker is the tube of A & D ointment. It goes all over her, including her hair, and then the house...door knobs, walls, mirrors. Ah, the joys of cleaning up after kids.

I forgot to disclose my purchase of The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City. The one problem with the Library Thingers RL bookgroup is that we meet in a book store, and one where I can get credits for used books I can sell to them, and then spend my credits + money, and get a discount, too! Whoo hoo. So the above book cost me about $6 and is delighting me with recollections of Paris and the French and throws in a few simple sweet dessert recipes, also. It was a good buy, I think.

or maybe a "hello, good buy"?

*hides behind bar from flying tomatoes*

heeheehee yeah!

Another buy: bought a Nook so that I can get rid of magazines in my house, and borrow books from libraries, and do comparison shopping, and yes....I am rationalizing.

Anyone know of some good Nook groups here in LT?

Don't you already have a Kindle? I thought one could read magazines on that.

Yeah, but you can't get ebooks from the library to work on the Kindle.

You can't? Shitfire. Our librarian just invested in Kindle for patron use. Does that mean she had to purchase each book she loaded from Amazon?

I believe so. Most libraries use a software called OverDrive for lending ebooks. Overdrive doesn't work with Kindle.

That would explain why she said she wanted to add a few Nooks, now. Thanks for explaining it to me. I never paid much attention because I'm not planning to get one.

Morphy is correct. Overdrive is the biggest provider of ebooks to the public library market. And *technically* Amazon's terms of use preclude lending of the device by the libraries. No publisher has made much of a fuss about the under-the-table practice as yet, but it's bound to come.

yup, so my Kindle is for books pretty much exclusively, and the Nook (color) will handle magazines, newspapers, and books borrowed from libraries. I don't think I *needed* a Nook, but just got one of those wild impluses I've yet to learn to resist, and ran right off and bought it. Bright pink leather cover, too! Been reading Nat'l Geo Travel on it this morning with lovely photographs of Honfleur in France. Been there, and it was fun reading about it.

I am a sucker for magazines and I am hoping this will significantly lessen the magazines sitting around in my house.

More shall be revealed....

You probably know about this, but the 75ers have a place for Nook and Kindle users to lend books to each other. Links are on the group wiki. At the very least, you could find other Nook users that way.

On the subject of Overdrive - I'm a bit peeved that Overdrive claims to work with the iPad, but in reality, it only works with books in ePub format, not in PDF format. Of course, most of the interesting books (at least for me!) are PDFs.

Well, I am not there yet, drnewt, but if I get irritated with it I'll be sure to let you know you are not alone, but I bet you already know that, don't you. Thanks for the suggestion.

For the Kindle, I bought Merchant (The Terrene Chronicles) as a companion to Progeny.

I also picked up a couple of titles for the new Nook. Colors by Richard Scarry was much enjoyed by my five year old nephew. He is working hard to learn how to turn pages by swiping the screen of the Nook. The Nook came with The Elephant's Child in it and I think he liked that a great deal, also. Think I may have to look for some good fables for the Nook.

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

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

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

Kaelin's on LT, right? I think I remember the name from Hobnob with Authors. I'll have to see about getting this one.

Yes, his chat with folks was quite fun and it is what made me decide to go ahead and buy his book. I still see things posted from time to time. I do recommend Progeny. I think you might like it.

Some of you will remember a photo I posted a while back of a foggy morning, shot out my front door. I thought it would be fun to revisit the same scene.

Look what I found in Flickr

Life is So Good!

Happy Birthday, to these two:

#173: *hugs for The Darling Maggie*

Beautiful photo, Maggie! I love it- so full of color and nature's enchantment. Well done, my friend! :O)

So, I am losing weight, you know...and all, I mean all, my pants are falling off my hips! Gah! So the niece took me out to the far suburbs (really a little rural town, been there forever) and we went shopping at Goodwill (charity, used clothes and stuff). Wow, I got 5 pairs of pants, a couple of vests, two belts, and 4 t-shirts, a small trash basket, and another desk accessory thingie all for less than $100! And the pants: two pair are ready to wear, three need shortening and the niece will do that for me. I feel very fortunate. And, oh, yeah, I bought one book: The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dennett for $2. Good deal.

I have friends who swear Dunnett is the greatest writer in the history of writing.

I slogged through one book of hers and made it halfway through a second. This was the Lyman series. I hated it because it didn't let you know what the heck the main character was thinking. That made me hate him. Dislike books that keep secret what the main guys are up to.

#176 Congratulations on the weight loss! Just curious, how are you going to accessorize that trash basket? *snicker*

Seriously, good job on the loss of pounds and the savings on shopping. There's nothing better than finding good deals.

Hey maggie - had a business trip out to LA and Colorado this week, so I picked up Progeny for the plane ride. I'm about a quarter of the way through and you're right - I like it!

179 > glad to hear you like it!

*hugs & love for Maggie*

I avidly follow your thread and love your brilliant, vibrant personality! Keep it up, dear friend! You are doing marvelously ! :O)

*blush* Pandora, you are too sweet. I am glad that you find stuff of interest in my thread. I am so happy with having a place to talk about books, I used to do it in the Faculty Room wherever I was teaching, but interestingly enough it did not always find a happy audience. hahaha

drnewt, I think it is an excellent fantasy and I am looking forward to the second one. Nice the author is such a congenial fellow, too.

readafew, you were right!

I have Progeny lined up on my Kindle. It's good to know that you and drneutron both are enjoying it.

Barnes & Noble's Nook has gifted me with some free books: Little Women, Dracula, Pride and Prejudice, and God's War by Kameron Hurley. The last is a "free Fridays" book recently published by Night Shade Books. Could be interesting, a new sci fi/fantasy title!

179 - Good to hear. :)

180 - Look out for readafew's cameo in the second of the series!

182 - Ahhh... I'm congenial. Better than congenital, I suppose. :) (Sorry for bad joke... turbulent flight in from Orlando today...my brain is still bouncing around).

#182:
"*blush* Pandora, you are too sweet."

Can't help it, Maggie! You bring out the sweet side of me. :O)

I received three books from Amazon yesterday! Yipee!

The Bountiful Container, Work Song and Zentangle Basics. I love the dust cover on Work Song - a drawing/painting of an early Butte, Montana, looking just like a dirty, gritty, mining pioneer town would look.

This weekend I must read all of The Zimmermann Telegram as I've neglected reading it and the RL book group meets on Monday! Oh, dear. Lucky for me it is not a big book.

The Zimmerman Telegram sounds interesting. I hope you'll post your own reaction to it as well as that of your book group!

Will do, I've liked the start of it.

I rec'd from Amazon's used book sellers a copy of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. And, I forgot to list The Quarter Acre Farm: How I Kept the Patio, Lost the Lawn, and Fed My Family for a Year, by Spring Warren that I bought last month when the book group met at Third Place Books.




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

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

Had a great Book Group meeting amidst a huge crowd at the bookstore as Carolyn Kennedy was there to sign her new poetry book. We had a fun conversation about Barbara Tuchman's writings and we may also read The March of Folly.

BTW, I am again looking for more dots on my map especially from far away places: South or Central America, Hawaii, oh, maybe Russia, Siberia, Mongolia....or just any where. To be a dot on my Profile Map, just go visit my Profile and it will happen automatically.

Thanks.

*hop, skip, jump* There. Now you should have another mark on your map from me. :O)

Lovely review of The Zimmermann Telegram, BTW. Your reviews always intrigue me and the subject matter always ends up on my Wishlist. Don't stop now! Review, review, review! I am eternally wondering what you will read next. :O)

*hugs... and an unexpected POUNCE*
Sorry, couldn't help it! It's the tigger in me! *grin*

~Pandora~

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

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

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

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

edit to correct typos

I definitely enjoyed River of Doubt - TR's becoming one of my heroes!

#193, 194 - Wishlisted. Sounds wild and exciting.

I've started reading Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption which I think is going to be another wild, exciting, and inspiring story. It seems quite popular just now and I'm excited to be getting started on it.

You seem to be on a real run of history and biography these days. I have to admit that I'm very interested in The Zimmerman Telegram based on your review.

It is true. I love both. My undergrad degree was in U.S. History. I own many, many biographies. But I'll be back to the fantasy, sci fi, and historical fiction, too. My book group keeps me reading all sorts of stuff and I am grateful.

I just bought The Game of Thrones after seeing the first episode on HBO. I loved it, and I am enjoying the book. They are very similar so I'm impressed with the TV show.

And now, 4 1/2 days later, I've finished reading all 757 pages of the book. Loved it. As soon as I feel replenished in the treasury, I'll be buying the second book. In the meanwhile, I'll enjoy the TV series. Very satisfying book. I liked more than one character and so I feel the conflicts most acutely.

Very impressive! I started the book but am not very far into it. But I like that you're giving it a ringing endorsement!

To be fair, The Game of Thrones was the only book I really read during the 4/23 Do Nothing But Read day. I made a lot of progress on Saturday, and then not only did I read on Sunday, but I also had Monday pretty much off, except for a quick dental appointment. I did read it pretty fast but I did have what actually was a three day weekend to do it.

I hope you will enjoy it. I am debating whether I want to start book 2 before I see all the episodes of Book 1 on HBO.

> 200

That's an impressive pace that I am only able to accomplish on vacations that involve not much more than sun, beach, and pool/ocean.

757 pages?

And agents said my book was too long...sigh...

OK, I did it: bought George R.R. Martin's A Clash of Kings, Book Two of A Song of Ice and Fire for the Nook. I am loving this series and having a hard time dragging myself away to read the books I've agreed to read for book groups. Sigh.




edit to fix the touchstone. Got it to work. Yay

Or you could say instead, "stupid book group for not reading George RR Martin this month". The touchstones would probably work if that had been the case. *snark lite*

OK! The jokes on me. Went to the book group, and nope, they were not reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, so I listened while they discussed another book. We then chose our list for the next six months and had a great meeting.

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

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

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

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

There are a couple of discussion threads in The Green Dragon Group. Check them out if you're interested in several points of view on the book.

I finished reading A Clash of Kings and if I didn't have other TBR books sitting in front of me, yelling at me to read them next, I would move right on to Book Three.

You can read my review here: http://www.librarything.com/work/26973/edit/73275741

I think I will read Work Song next along side of Unbroken: A WWII Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. I have been hankering to read Unbroken but I need to read, and am looking forward to, Work Song by Ivan Doig because it is my RL book group's next book. So many books.... you know the ditty.

I just updated my Profile and it now includes a link to my webpage on FB all about cleaning up my messy house. Check it out.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Messie-Maggies-Green-Cleaning/134035619951259

Enjoyed meeting in RL both Arctic_Stranger and mvrdrk at a mini-Meet-up, in Seattle. Hope we can do another soon. We met at the Elliott Bay Book store up on capital hill and I love the place. It is nice to see a store which is not the same as all the others. Not a cookie-cutter place this one, and definitely worthy of another visit soon.

I am not doing too well at keeping track. Did not note that I bought the book 3 of George R.R. Martin's series and now I've bought another book. A real life, dead tree, first signed edition of Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly. I read about it somewhere here on LT and I was inspired to get it. Found a nice, not too expensive, used copy on Amazon. Sweet.

I have been trying to not spend any more money on books, within reason, because I have so many books waiting for me to pick them up. I don't seem to be doing too badly. I'd have to work hard to get to 50 books by the end of June. Don't think I will.

A new book for the Nook: The Clamorgans: One Family's History of Race in America. I am unabashedly in love with reading American history through the chronicles of families, for better or for worse. This one sounds like a gem.

>211 maggie1944: Is that a book about our Clam's family race across America? ;-)

hahaha... don't think so, probably about people originally from Glamorgan, a part of Wales... but then, who am I to say. I have not yet read the book....

I apologize, but this thread has lost it's subject through a bug. Whoever started it can edit the first message, with its subject. Or I can. Anyone know what it was?

Hey.... my reading journal seems to have lots its topic? Anyone else have something like this happen?

See 214. Sorry!

How convenient that I am here just now, and I guess that might be how it lost its title

I don't actually remember what it was called but if you could give it a new title

"Marvelous Maggie's Reading Journal" would be fine. NO worries.

Changed to "Marvelous Maggie's Reading Journal."

Yay, I have a name again. Being the "nameless" thread was rather interesting - for a time - but I'm happy to be back to normal. Thank you!

*applause* Welcome back!

See! Nothing interesting ever happens to me! Why can't my thread been thrown off of the planet, that would've been awesome!

Whoo hoo!

That's an odd bug...

Congratulations on now being 'marvelous!'

Thank you very much. I like it, too. I also go by Messie Maggie on my facebook page: Messie Maggie's Green Cleaning. I need to get out my thesaurus and see if I can't find some m words for ecologically friendly and cleaning, as in house cleaning. I could go a long ways as Marvelous Messie Maggie's Magical .... ah, what?

I could not find the thread celebrating folks' anniversary of finding Library Thing and joining! I am sneaking up on my June 14th anniversary of four years. And I still spend too much time here. Reading, chatting, posting, avoiding chores, reading some more, posting pictures, reading and laughing over jokes and great movie quotes, chatting live in the Chat Room, dreaming up new games for the pub, welcoming newcomers...

it is no wonder I spend too long on my little computer

I need to go read and write some reviews, and do some organizing work on my books and unpack more boxes of books

Four Years! Amazing.

Huh. Didn't realize I joined just one day before you. LT twins!

Oh! That is definitely a cool thought! Hi, Twin bro! And happy almost 4 year Thingaversary!

Well, here's another new book: Showing Up for The Golden Years by Marielle Higler. I need someone to remind me how to "force" the touchstones to work. I know this book can be found as it has an ISBN number.

Local author came to speak at a small, used bookstore near home and I was very impressed with her. She identified her audience as older women who find themselves looking at not being in the financially secure position they'd like to be in... and then, what to do? Of course, like all other planning your future books, she recommends finding your real self, your passion, and then going for it; however, I don't think she's willing to suggest you throw caution to the wind.

We have started a little group to read the book together and discuss it. Should be fun.

Watch this! You'll be very very glad you did:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BewknNW2b8Y&feature=share

Really, did you see the youtube? Amazing

Wow. Just, wow.

I am without words.

Thank you so much, maggie.

You can't but cheer for stories like these

I finished reading book 3 A Storm of Swords, and am starting A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire #4). I don't think the title for book 4 promises for an easy, breezy read. It is not quite as long as A Storm of Swords was but I can't say that is a good thing.

#229 - Ahhh. That's gotten me all sniffly. Made it hard to explain to OH why, when he came into the room in the middle of the video, and that there was nothing to worry about.

Very sweet, isn't it.

Found this quote over in GoodReads and want to remember it: "It's the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter."
— Marlene Dietrich

June the 14th, Tuesday! I will have been hanging out at LibraryThing.com for four years! That's really cool. And I am still telling people it is my favorite site on line! Totally.

I just bought three books for my KINDLE based on some recommendations from GoodReads. We shall see....

Friends or Lovers by Rory Ridley-Duff; Skull Dance by Gerd Balka and Michael LaRocca; and Dove Creek by Paula Marie Coomer. Published by a small, choosey publisher, I am told.

I should be buying 100 books this year, easy-peasey. Really, I'm trying not to buy 100! The last three were relatively "cheap" at $2.99 each.

Yes, the sunshine sale for the Kindle this past week was really pushing temptation forward, wasn't it, Maggie? But congratulations on four years on LT! It is indeed a collegial crowd.

I did it: I bought another book. Went to Third Place Books for our book group and since I had a credit slip due to having sold some books there, last month, of course I went to look at some Wish Listed books. I bought: Inside of a Dog and promptly used it for my new bathtub book. Discovery of France will be set aside for a bit.

I sold some books at Half Price Books and used my proceeds to buy a new calendar/organizer for my suddenly much busier life; and this: That Way Lies Camelot with lovely cover art. A quote on the dust cover states: "It ought to be illegal for one person to have so much talent." Stephen R. Donaldson

I am looking forward to reading these short stories.

I am so weak. Went to a friend's bookstore, one of the very few (maybe 4) all new books, small, non-specialty bookstores in Seattle. She was offering 20% off a new book which we have on our book group list for later this year so I thought I'd just run get one, and I bought three more. So, by counter looks like this now:




I might be able to make it through the entire year with less than 100 but I'm certainly not making it look as if this were true.

I bought: The Greater Journey Americans in Paris by David McCullough because I like his writing and I like reading about Paris, or France; and, In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson because my book group is going to read it, later; and, Zombie Economics A Guide to Personal Finance by Lisa Des Jardins and Rick Emerson because I'm a little old lady who needs to work on staying within a reasonable budget and save more for my old age; and, Paris to the Moon because... well, see comments about the first book.

I started reading Zombie Economics (How to Slay your Bills, Decapitate Debt, and Fight the Apocalypse of Financial Doom and it is a hoot. Just what I need, a finance book which has an atmosphere of impending doom, and a serious intent to avoid the clutches of the capitalistic zombies who want all of my money, and they want it now (or in easy monthly payments, whichever is larger). More shall be revealed.....

You sound like you've got a great set of reading choices for the next few weeks, maggie!

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

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

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

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

Wow, you just started this!
I found it utterly riveting, too.

Her first book, Seabiscuit: An American Legend is just as well researched -- lighter fare, about a very famous and (unlikely/hardluck makes good) winning race horse/and his owner, jockey and trainer.

This is an author I will be following closely.

She definitely works the research very diligently! I admire that greatly. She has a web site, too....with some video of the guy Unbroken is about. I need to check it out soon.

Unbroken sounds like a great book. Did you get that on Kindle?

Oops. I just went to look and clicked on the buy now button. ;) My mom and dad will probably both like this too. Then I clicked on a recommended book by Georgette Heyer. I want to try her and my mom will. Then I left Amazon very quickly!!

It is a dangerous place, a very dangerous place. Only place more dangerous for me is a RL book store. I am a sucker for nice cover art!

I hope your Mom, or you Dad, is not easily made squeamish; some of the ordeals those young men survived were pretty hair raising.

Ah, thanks for the heads up on the squeamish, I'll warn mom. Don't know if it will bother dad, he reads but he never talks about it!

Ah...yesterday, I went to my friend Carol's Santoro Books 6 year anniversary of being in her neighborhood in Seattle. She has one of the very few left independent, small, all new books, bookstores in the city. She does not seem optimistic about how much longer she will be able to stay afloat but nonetheless we do celebrate books! I bought two from her yesterday, just because.

Evidence of Things Unseen by Marianne Wiggins. Carol said she really hopes this author becomes better known as this is an excellent book. I plan on trying to read some in it during this weekend's Read-A-Thon (75 book challenge group). I also bought The Art of Travel as her book group is reading it. I may fall in love with it. I enjoyed chapter 1 on Anticipation (of traveling and a "foreign" location.

I also need to confess I purchased some two other books: one for the Nook, and one for the Kindle, but I need to run right now so I'll disclose which.... later.

Here's one reason I've not had more time to read:

We had a great visit to Victoria BC. Here's one happy moment:

Wonderful pictures! Victoria is great and so is your family!

Thanks for visiting my reading journal, streamsong.

Love the pic in 254

Love how both pics turned out. You take great people pictures, Maggie.

Thank you, both. I am learning, and with a "little" editing sometimes I can get shots I like. Both the great nephew and my younger niece are great subjects, too. Both very handsome folk.

Well! I did it. I finished A Feast for Crows and I am glad I did not quit before the end. Here is my review, such as it is:

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

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

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

Loving my backyard:



and I just bought George R.R. Martin's A Dance with Dragons. Wish I could start reading it right now, but I'll go read In The Garden of the Beast instead. Almost as scary!

After buying A Dance with Dragons this is my status:

what? How did you buy it???

pre-ordered at B & N for the color Nook. I'm not able to read it until tomorrow, but I am sure they got their money yesterday. hahahahaha

Nice backyard!

Thank you. It is one of the best features of this new little house. I am sneaking up on my one year anniversary, and I am within minutes of being able to put the car in the garage!!!! Woo hoo. I am very proud of myself. But there is always more to do.....

you should be proud. Nice comfy looking back yard and a garage!

Love the pix!!! and the back yard looks wonderful for reading/entertaining - relaxing. Nice!

Is that a green dragon I see sunning on the wall?

Yes, that is she. I found her (cement garden statue) at a hardware store shortly after I moved into this house. I bought some patio paints and the toddlers and I painted her green with highlights of gold, and a little red tongue. She is quite sedate, watching over the strawberry patch. Unfortunately, the slugs are not cowed by her.

Slugs have no class.

Ah, but they do have weakness for Slugo! It is a wonder drug. And organic, too.

You must follow this link to a very sweet, happy story about two bald eagles, both physically hurt and needing rehab. Wait 'til you see the punch line: http://www.pbase.com/horsefeathers/eagles_2011&page=all

I've started a second reading journal thread here: http://www.librarything.com/talktopic.php?group=362