Sunday Musings on the Acre, Take 2

Well that thread went quickly. I hope the majority of my threads last longer than a week :)

A note about my rating scale:

3 stars or below - Not Recommended

3.5 stars - Guardedly Recommended

4 stars - Recommended

4.5-5 stars - Highly Recommended and you best get the book in hand now!










Memorable Reads for 2011:

Nonfiction
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs
At the Dark End of the Street by Danielle L. McGuire

Fiction
The White Family by Maggie Gee

Young Adult
The Watsons Goes to Birmingham, 1963 - Christopher Paul

A note about my memorable reads: I am not a book critic. My memorable reads list is just that: books that are memorable to me - that for some reason or other resonate with me. I do not review books as many people here do for the simple reason that I am a terrible book reviewer!

Hi, Stasia! Good morning to you:)

This week's reads:

14. Over the Edge by Jonathan Kellerman - this is the third book in Kellerman's Alex Delaware series, and IMO, the best of the three; Delaware is called by a former patient who subsequently ends up with several murder convictions looming over his head and Delaware does not believe that the young man committed them and thus ends up being hired by the defense team; recommended (4 stars)

15. When Doctors Kill by Joshua A. Perper and Stephen J. Cina - nonfiction; this was an ER book and I have posted a formal review here, ; not recommended ( 2.5 stars) Mine

16. My Nine Lives by Leon Fleisher - nonfiction; another ER book for which I posted a formal review (and this was definitely an improvement) here; recommended (4 stars) Mine

17. The Golem's Eye by Jonathan Stroud - young adult; the second book in the Bartimaeus Trilogy picks up several years after the first book, so Nathaniel is now 14; my problem with this book is the beginning - I thought it far too slow of a start and Bartimaeus shows up far too late other than a set piece at the beginning, he is not around until page 100 or so; still, once the book got going for me, I was rapidly turning pages to see how it would end; another problem in these books (which was discussed on another thread) is that I do not care overmuch for the character of Nathaniel and certainly hope he does some maturing in the last book of the trilogy, which I am listening to now; guardedly recommended (3.75 stars)

Continuing:

18. Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers - the first book in the Lord Peter Wimsey series, this book really sets Lord Peter up well as a character with his faults and foibles, including his (what would now be termed) post-traumatic stress disorder from his days serving in WWI; this is not the strongest entry in the series, but definitely worth the read; guardedly recommended (3.75 stars)

19. Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson - nonfiction; a little disturbed by the number of soy-based faux meat products used in recipes that are supposed to be 'fresh,' but there were a bunch of recipes I was interested in, so not too bad of a cookbook - covers everything from appetizers to desserts; guardedly recommended (3.5 stars)

20. Beowulf by Seamus Heaney - this book was one I chose several months ago from Jane Mallison's book Book Smart as a way to kick off my new reading year and I thoroughly enjoyed the retelling of Beowulf; as remarked by several on the group read thread, I can picture a storyteller sitting down with a group of warriors around a fire and starting off "So. . ." and hence beginning the story of one of the greatest warriors; recommended (4 stars)

21. The Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home by The Moosewood Collective - nonfiction; I think I am at the end of the cookbook reading for a bit (I know you will all be relieved to hear that!); To me, this was not as good as the other Moosewood cookbooks that I have read - it even has recipes that include meat, which very much surprised me; I did like the appendix section which listed some Menu Plans as well as detailing the Vegan recipes that are in the book; guardedly recommended (3.5 stars)

22. The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis - young adult; Linda did a bang up job of a review here to which I really can add nothing except to say that for those of you who do not read young adult, you are missing out on some terrific literature and this is a case in point; highly recommended, and on my memorable reads list for the year (4.5 stars)

23. The Delight of Great Books by John Erskine - nonfiction; "A book which of itself says nothing to us, is doomed, and no amount of historical knowledge can rescue it" Erskine discusses the universal qualities needed for good literature ("Until we have discovered that certain books grow with our maturing experience and other books do not, we have not learned how to distinguish a great book from a book.") as well as what literature is not - that is, history disguised as literature; I was surprised by the chapter on Modern Irish Poetry compared to the other books discussed, which include Huckleberry Finn and Moby Dick among others; guardedly recommended (3.75 stars)

OK, that is it for this week. Happy reading!

#2: Hello, Bente!

Thanks for your useful review of When Doctors Kill, Stasia; I'll definitely pass on that book. I have the audiobook version of The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963 on my iPod (I bought it for my mother several years ago), and I'll listen to it one of these days. I'm glad that you liked it.

I agree with you about Whose Body?. I think Sayers got much better at Peter as the series progressed a bit.

On the Stroud book, I read the first in the series but the second got such incredibly lukewarm reviews that I never continued it.

#6: Good morning, Darryl. I hope you do get to the Curtis book one of these days. This is the second of his that I have read and they have both been very good. I am going to see if my local library has any more of his.

#7: I have read the Sayers series before, but it has been a while so I decided to give it another go. I already have book two home from the library now. As far as the Stroud books go, I already am listening to book 3, which I really hope is an improvement over book 2.

Morning! Ahhh, ya got me a couple of times this morning, Stasia. The Delight of Great Books looks interesting and I would love to reread Beowulf. I remember really becoming entranced with it in high school and would like to see if it would still cast the same spell. Have a great week :)

Morning Stasia- Wow, I managed to dodge the blue bullets, again this week. I feel like Neo in the Matrix. I read the first several Kellerman books, back in the 80s and really enjoyed them. Did he ever get his mojo back?

What's that Bartimaeus series like/about? The nice lady at Random House was going to send me some when the new book came out but I guess she forgot... :-(

Already got Beowulf on the wishlist... wow, I think I made it two weeks in a row without staggering away riddled with those darn book bullets! *runs away quick in case Stasia has any spare bookish grenades just ready and waiting*

Another really interesting list, Stasia! I have the Christopher Paul Curtis book around here somewhere I think. I remember getting it for the girls long years ago, and I always intended to read it, too. Hope I can find it. Also, I have been wanting to read those Alex Delaware books sometime. I am still at the beginning of Beowulf because I couldn't put down The Master and Margarita. I need to pick it back up. :)

Gotta go make coffee and get ready for Church! Have a super day and thanks for the list!
--BJ

PS Love the Garfield theme you have!
--BJ

I really need to re-read the Peter Wimsey books - I don't think I've read any for a few years. I definitely agree that while Whose Body is very good, it is much weaker that Murder Must Advertise, for example, or The Nine Tailors.

It has been quite a long time since I read any of the Peter Wimsey mysteries. I just found a couple of books that Jill Paton Walsh wrote that continue the saga. Thrones, Dominations was OK and I just ordered Presumption of Death. I'm eager to see how Walsh does when she tells her own stories using Sayers' characters. There is a new one that just came out on Jan. 4 too but I'm going to wait for the paperback.

Okay Stasia you got me with one BB this week and of course it all unraveld into adding several books into my wish list. I added the Jonathan Kellerman - Alex Delaware series to my wishlist for some day.

I checked earlier for a new thread, and now it is up and running with 16 messages! I like the sound of The Watsons Go to Birmingham.

>15 kmartin802:: Kathy, I've eyed those for a long time. On one hand, I really enjoy reading about Peter & Harriet and would love for more stories to be available. On the other hand, it's so rare that people picking up distinctive characters after the original author is gone do a creditable job. Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, Nero Wolfe...all have been mangled by those who came after.

I adore both the Bartimaeus series and Lord Peter!

Also, I like Christopher Paul Curtis -- Elijah of Buxton is also good, and Bud, Not Buddy is on my TBR list, as I've heard it is his best.

Lord Peter Wimsey--I've read all the novels though I've got a short story collection or two yet to read. I need to start on the series continuation with Jill Paton Walsh, starting with Thrones, Dominations.

Too bad about When Doctors Kill. That one looked good.

Thumbed your WDK book review, Stasia. That sounds like one to stay far away from. How does crapola like this get published?

Hi Stasia, I have had The Watson's Go to Birmingham on my teetering tower for a long time and must get to it for sure now that you bring it up again; escaped the rest of the BBs this week.

Hi Stasia, love the opening cartoon. And you got me big-time with your last guarded recommendation for The Delight of Great Books, although I may have to skim that chapter on Irish poetry. I'm a sucker for books about books -- like everyone else around here!

Happy Sunday, Stasia! I agree with you about the Moosewood cookbook. The first one and The Enchanted Broccoli Forest are much better. I was very disappointed by the meat included in this one especially since it is marketed as a vegetarian cookbook.

My daughter read The Watsons Go to Birmingham in school one year and really liked it. I will have to get a copy for myself. Have a great week!

Hi Stasia. Thanks for the reviews of the cookbooks. I may be the only vegetarian that doesn't like the Moosewood series of cookbooks. I'll avoid this one as well. One of these years I'll get to the Lord Peter Wimsey books.

ETA: Love the Garfield

Bliss = No books to add.

Stasia, nice little roundup! Newbie question: What do people mean when they talk about 'dodging the book bullet'?

Hi, Stasia! You and I pretty much agreed on When Doctors Kill. I think I gave it the same rating.

Jeeszh...........I should have realized something was wrong when the Stasia thread showed only 6 unread entries....overnight she's into #2 already. At least I dodged the book bullets so far. I'm "favoriting" any msg that has something I might be interested in, and if it keeps popping up and tickling my fancy, after 6 mos it will go onto the TBR list. I have whittled my Goodreads 'wishlist' down from 650 to 293--have to keep things under control or I go into panic attack mode.

Hope you have another good reading week.

I just wanted to stop by and say thanks for always commenting on my thread (and other's for that matter). It's a nice way to lure us lurkers out!

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl has been on my to-read list for some time. AND my local library has it *book sense tingling*

Heya Stas ...'tis a new week and of course a new thread for you.

Dodged your bullets this week ...barely... I was very tempted with Whose Body but I'm not adding a new series until I finish a few of the ones that I'm already on.

Stasia, there was one line in your formal review of When Doctors Kill I wanted to question:

there are no footnotes. For me in a nonfiction book, this is an unforgivable sin.

I agree that I would have liked a little more solid backing for many of the statements the authors made in that particular book (and many other books with a similar lack).

But's worth noting that the popular, much-admired Civil War trilogy by Shelby Foote is not footnoted*, unless all the notes are hiding in the last volume, which I haven't seen yet.

*or should that be "Foote-noted?" ;)

Hi Stasia. I went to wishlist The Watsons Go to Birmingham but found it was already there from when Linda reviewed it.

How's the book organizing going? I keep meaning to do that but when the time comes to actually take action it always seems too overwhelming and I decide to read instead.

I have a few Jonathan Kellerman books on my shelves. After your review of Over the Edge I might have to give one of them a try.

My thoughts from your last thread: a cookbook does not count as a book purchase. Consider it "kitchen supplies". ;)

I've really got to get back to the Peter Wimsey series. I've only read the first two or three, so I've got some good reading ahead of me!

Another great list, Stasia! I've never been wild about the Moosewood cookbooks (though I'm intrigued by the breakfast one by the same author... (I think) that you mentioned last week), except for Pretend Soup. My girls are way beyond preschool, but they still like that one.

Well here you are!!!

Wow - what a list! I don't think I've ever read that many books in a single week, with the possible exception being when I read about 2 per day in summers in my early teen years back in the mid-1970s -- unfortunately most of those were pure fluff reads. They were the books that had been reported as being destroyed that were remaining in the store where a family member worked -- usually Harlequin and Silhouette romances.

Starred and avoided a BB this week!

Ouch - I'm hit! That Erskine book sounds like exactly my sort of thing. I know I'm hardly alone there. :)

Hhmmm, I already have Heaney's Beowulf, so I think I managed to dodge your list this week! I do love your new cartoon, though. ;)

I hope you have a lovely week, madam.

Stasia, hope you are having much success with the book organizing. Nice list of reads. I am intrigued by the erskine book and have been meaning to read the " Watson's " book for years. Thanks for all the motivation you provide. :-)

I think Heaney's translation of Beowulf is one of the best. And I was surprised about meat in that Moosewood as well. Like Bookaholic, I love the first two.

Dear Friend, Did anyone tell you today how very important you are to this group?

Thanks for being the glue that binds us together.

Also, I'm glad you liked The Watsons Go To Birmingham. It is a gem!

#19, foggidawn...Thanks for another great recommendation of Christopher Paul Curtis. I'll look to see if my local library has this Newbery honor book.

Waving hello - I escaped this week. *ducks and runs.

I just read a great review of My Nine Lives in the paper this weekend and downloaded it to my Nook. It is on my must read list for this year--glad you like it. It makes me even more eager to get to it!

#9: I hope you have a great week too, Lynda!

#10: Mark, I have no idea whether Kellerman got his mojo back or not, since I just recently started reading this series. Congrats on ducking BBs left and right!

#11: The Bartimaeus trilogy is set in an imagined England where demons (and other magical creatures) are the slaves of humans. Bartimaeus is one such demon and he is controlled by Nathaniel. I know that is not much of an explanation, Ellie, but as indepth as I can do here. I hope you give the books a try at some point.

#12/13: Do get back to Beowulf, BJ! I think you will like it. Give the CPC books a try too.

#14: I agree with you Caty. The Nine Tailors is one of my favorite books in the series. It has been far too long since I read them all which is why I finally decided it was about time for a re-read.

#15: I am not sure I will ever read the Walsh series since I enjoy the Sayer series so well, but I may give them a try at some future date. Thanks for the mention, Kathy!

#16: I hope you enjoy the books, Monica. I know what you mean about adding series to the wishlist - they just add up to so many more!

#17: I hope you get a chance to read The Watsons Go to Birmingham, Susan!

#18: On the other hand, it's so rare that people picking up distinctive characters after the original author is gone do a creditable job. I am in complete agreement about that. It is one of the reasons I refuse to read all the 'Jane Austen wannabees' that seem to be proliferating these days.

#19: I had not heard of Elijah of Buxton before. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Into the BlackHole it goes!

#20: I agree with you about When Doctors Kill, Linda. I think it could have been a much better book. After all, the material is there.

#21: No idea how some books get published, Charlotte. I wish I did!

#22: I do hope you get to the book soon, Bonnie. I would love to see your take on it.

#23: Books about books is my favorite category of books, Donna, so I am constantly on the lookout for books that fit the category.

#24: You have a great week too, Denise!

#25: Glad you enjoyed the Garfield, Kelly.

#26: Lucky you! Thanks for stopping by, Jenny!

#27: 'Dodging the book bullet' means no new books hit the wishlist.

#28: Yeah, you did, Terri. I looked at the other reviews after I had posted mine. I saw yours.

#29: have to keep things under control or I go into panic attack mode. If that true in my case, I would be in panic attack mode 24/7, Tina :)

#30: Oh, you definitely need to read the Harriet Jacobs book! (BTW - lurkers are always welcome here!)

#31: Caro, I hope you reconsider reading the Lord Peter Wimsey books once you finish up all your current series.

#32: or should that be "Foote-noted? Cute, Terri, very cute. It has been such a long time since I read the Foote trilogy that I do not remember about the footnotes or lack thereof.

#33: The book organizing is going very slowly, Pat. But at least it is going, which is more than I can say for in past years.

#34: I am very new to the series, Tony, having only read the first three, but each of them was good enough that I was willing to read the next.

#35: Yes, you do have some good reading ahead in the Wimsey series, Angela. As far as the cookbook goes, for now, it is staying on the 'books purchased' ticker. If I get to Joplin and decide I need 10 books there, the cookbook comes off the ticker!

#36: I got my copy of the breakfast cookbook in Saturday's mail, Anne. I will be trying out recipes in that one for a good long while!

#37: Yes, I am! Thanks for the star, Kath.

#38: Hello, Lori. Welcome to the Acre!

#39: Rats. Maybe next week, Tamara.

#40: I hope you recover from your slight injury, Sarah :) I will be interested in seeing what you think if you give the Erskine book a try.

#41: I hope you have a lovely week as well, Luxx!

#42: Thanks, Regina.

#43: I have not read The Enchanted Broccoli Forest cookbook. My local library does not have that one unfortunately.

#44: No, I am not, but I am glad you think so. Thanks for the recommendation of the CPC book. I am sure I would not ever have gotten to it without your review.

#45: Run while you still can, Jenn! I will get you next week!

#46: Carolyn, I think you will really enjoy My Nine Lives. At least, I hope you do!

I must have missed Linda's review of The Watsons Go to Birmingham... it doesn't look like the kind of book I would ever pick up on my own, but as you've both recommended it highly, I've added it to the TBR list.

#56: I hope you like the book when you get to it, Faith. It is not a long read, but definitely worth the effort.

I really liked Elijah of Buxton I even cried at one part. Definitely worth a read. There are two different Moosewoods, though their origins are the same. There are some books written by Mollie Katzen of which her first is the Moosewood Cookbook (she helped to create the collective). The only one of hers that I like was Still Life With Menu. Then there are the ones written by the Moosewood Collective which are the ones that I do like (these are recipes from their restaurant and Katzen is not listed as a contributor to the books). The Enchanted Broccoli Forest is okay, but not great. I go back to it every year or so determined to find something I might like to try.

#58: I read The Moosewood Cookbook, but I have not read Still Life with Menu, so I will have to see if my local library has that one. Thanks for the recommendation!

Morning Stasia- I finally posted the "Fantasy February" thread. I'm sure you'll join us for one or two. I have at least 4 or 5 lined up, maybe more.
Have a good day! Snowing here!

I'm thinking that the difference in our opinion on the Slow Cooker cookbook is in our goals. My diet requires high amounts of protein so I need the "meat replacement" aspect. If you aren't interested in soy-based protein sources, try to get Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian from your library. He uses very little of this and is sort of against it. Yesterday he taught me how to cook quinoa and basmati rice for the curry.

Funny about the footnotes in your ER review after I just pointed out what a fiend you are in that regard. Be forewarned about Methland but try it anyway.

My stepmother used The Moosewood Cookbook quite a bit and I remember Molly Katzen's series on TV (PBS?). She was so cute and her sweet little voice was belied as she chopped, and kneaded, and whipped up her recipes with vigor. Good stuff!

**sigh** I can hardly keep up with your threads these days!! lol Seems like it was a mostly good reading week for you, though. =)

I really should read The Watsons go to Birmingham. But it is almost always checked out at our library (and it's shelved in the juvenile section here). Escaping the book bullets this week!

I caved, Stas .. I just couldn't help it.... I've started a 'Serial Wishes' list and Lord Peter Wimsey has made his way over there. This list will only be broken into once a series I'm currently following expires

Waving hello! Can hardly keep up. I love the Moosewood Cookbook.

One of my absolute fav cookbooks is Sundays at the Moosewood. Use it all the time. Never had a recipe fail. yummy stuff and interesting too! :)

Starting here Stasia -- just got back online. xoxox

This crazy place... I never use cookbooks, yet I now keep looking at Moosewood with longing.

Wow, Kath! Did you realize there are veggies in those Moosewood cookbooks?

Hi Stasia! I don't have the freight train load of books you have, but I put all my animal books on one shelf to begin organizing. How's that for a beginning?
Trouble is... the shelf is full now. Does that mean I can't have anymore animal books? :P Well. I do have a Kindle!

#60: I have at least 3 fantasy reads already lined up for February, Mark, so I will be joining in - unless there is a prescribed list I am supposed to be reading from? I will have to take a look at the thread.

#61: You are probably right about the reasons for the differences in our opinions on the Robertson cookbook, Nancy. I am glad it works so well for you! I wish my local library had the Bittman cookbook, but unfortunately not.

#62: I never knew that Katzen had a TV series. How about that?

#63: Yes, it was. Thanks for stopping by, David!

#64: Maybe I will get you with a BB next week, Ardene!

#65: I like that idea, Caro! I may steal it from you.

#66: *waving* back at Joanne! I know the feeling.

#67: Hey, Susan! I am glad to see you back. Everything is OK with you, I hope?

#68: LOL at Kath

#69: You have to start somewhere right, Claudia?

No books added for me this week, Stasia. I've already read those I'd be interested in. I'd say go ahead and read Ptolemy's Gate as it really brings everything together nicely, but then I definitely liked the series better than you have so far.

FINALLY got around to your threads, Stasia. I won't say I'm caught up, I only skimmed them, but I found three books to add to the TBR list: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, The White King and The Watsons Go To Birmingham - 1963. Hope I won't fall dreadfully behind again this year. A very nice reading year to you, and good luck with your goals.

#72: Mary, I already have Ptolemy's Gate home from the library.

#73: Hey, Tanja! Glad you caught up to me :)

I hardly need to post the following to YOUR thread Stasia, since you'll be sure to see it everywhere else, but I wouldn't want you to feel left out, so here goes:

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

Morning Stasia- Hope you are doing well! Miss seeing my pal around! Have a good day!

How's your project coming along, Stasia? Almost done? Are you organizing alphabetically or something more creative?

Hi Stasia!!! Thanks for always popping around to my thread! It's so overwhelming here, it's tough to find people!

Wow! 8 books already! Off to a great start!

Stopping in for a moment to say good morning to you. Hope your projects are going well and life is peaceful for you, my dear Stasia.

Good luck on your downsizing project Stasia.

Thanks everyone for dropping by. I have been very busy - not organizing my library, but spending time with Catey, just back from my mother's. We will get to the library soon I am sure and I will catch up on messages this weekend while I am at work.

I'm doing okay. Thx for asking. I hope the report is good on your mom.

#83: She was released from the hospital late yesterday and is now back at the rehab facility. The doctors performing the stress test could find nothing wrong with her heart, which is very good news. She is hoping to be home for good by the weekend. Thanks for checking, Susan!

Hi Stasia. Sending good wishes for your Mom, too.

#85: Thanks, Pat.

Hello Stasia, I'm glad to hear your mother is back out of hospital and I hope she does make it home without further complications.

Re Beowulf, I must get on with that, I've only just made a start on the Heaney translation. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

And re Sayers, as mentioned elsewhere I'm hoping to do a re-read of the series myself this year, so I'll hope to catch you up soon with Whose Body. I think that was (by chance) the very first one I ever read, and I agree it is not the best, but I'm looking forward to starting at the beginning. I've read one of the Paton Walsh books - Thrones and Dominations - which if I recall correctly is a completion of a fragment or incompleted novel Sayers had already started. I didn't know she had written others - I'd be less inclined to read them if they are purely her own invention, though curiosity about the continuing lives of Harriet and Peter might make me give them a try.

Genny, I've got Thrones, Dominations out from the library and need to read it in the next week or so. I've got the second one on my Kindle.

I'm curious about their continuing lives. I've heard a bit about what happens but want to read it for myself.

I didn't get around to posting this weekend, and now I am horribly behind, so I apologize for old discussions. But, I wanted to say I really enjoyed reading book reviews this week.

I've added the 2 vegetarian cookbooks to my check-them-out list. I've read Beowulf (my favorite book I read for a HS class). I also really enjoyed The Watson's Go to Birmingham. And, I second the recommendation for Bud, Not Buddy if you have not read it yet.
I have yet to get to The Golem's Eye, so I appreciated your comments. I also did not really care for Nathaniel, so I hope he does some growing up in the next book!

#89: Hello, Jess! Yes, I have read Bud, Not Buddy already. Jenn (nittnutt) recommended it to me last year. Thanks for stopping by!

Good news about your mom, Stasia!

Thanks, Jenn!

I pulled this off Linda P's thread: http://www.thisdayinmusic.com/birthdayno1 Find the number one song on the day you were born. Mine is 'Hey Baby!" - kind of appropriate for my birthday, I think :)

Morning Stasia- Looking forward to seeing you around more this weekend! :-}
Have a good day!

Oh Dear. My #1 song was "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green. It was the early 70's, what can I say.

And mine was 'Buttons and Bows' - yech!

Stasia, somehow I lost the star for your thread - how could that have happened??? Good luck with the book organizing.

Any word from Linda yet?

I'm here, I'm here. Oh wait, THE Linda. Never mind.

There are so many Lindas around LT and I'm often puzzled by why someone's asking how I feel for instance.

Stasia, please keep us posted if you hear anything about THE Linda. This Linda is cold (10 below tonight...brrrr) and a bit cranky after waiting so long at the dr's this morning, but otherwise, just fine today.

I am heading to THE Linda's thread (lol) to post now. . .

Hi Stasia, just catching up with you after being caught up in Real Life for a while -- somehow i completely missed your first thread of the year. I haven't read the Lord Peter Wimsey series in decades, but I am considering a reread later this year.

#98: I hope everything is OK with you, Rebecca.

The Linda? LOL that will give her a giggle I think !

#100 Yes, the Linda in question is THE Linda. I am just a Linda.

I was glad to hear THE Linda's procedure went well.

ooo - sorry. You're a very wonderful Linda indeed. I will be clearer in the future.

Oh my. The #1 song for me was "Near You" by Francis Craig. I am going to have to Google that one.

Chicago Linda, you are not just a Linda. You're a very special Linda.

Stasia, I just re-read Have His Carcase, which I had to sort of hunt around for--I remembered the chapter epigraphs, all by a really weird very odd poet named Thomas Love Beddoes, but couldn't remember the book or even which author had written it. After some seeking around, I was gently pointed in the right direction. It's pretty good, lots of humor, but the plot is quite, um, contrived in its solution.

#104 Awww shucks.

If anyone starts reading the post-Sayers Lord Peter Wimsey books, please let me know. I'd like to read all three of them. I renewed the first one today, to buy myself more time with it.

Aren't you Sports Linda?

#106 Or maybe baseball Linda.

Actually, elsewhere on LT, I let my temper get the better of me and I think I might be considered in some circles, the Linda whose name is mud.

Yes "Chicago Linda", you are indeed a treasure and very special!!!!!

My birthday song was Bridge Over Troubled Water. That made my day :)

All I can say is 'Thank goodness I do not have to worry about whether I am THE Stasia or not!' :) If we ever have another one join, I will probably change my name again, lol.

All of the Lindas are special in my book!!

Man, I missed a whole thread! Well, just popping in to say hello since I haven't logged on in a while. :)

#111: Hey, Sacil! Glad to see you checking in!

I remember when I was in elementary school the popular names were Linda, Barbara and mine, Judy. The teacher numbered us - I was Judy #4. I always envied the girls who were the only ones of their name in our class.

My birthday song is "Good Night Irene" perhaps my Mom should have tried that name.

#113: I was almost named 'Jennifer' and even though I did have my name legally changed when I was in my 20s, I was always glad my parents did not name me that - there were always tons of Jennifers in class.

#109 Bridge Over Troubled Water was one of my favorite songs. I loved those Simon & Garfunkel albums and was thrilled to finally see them perform in concert a few years ago.

Even though Linda is an extremely popular name among women my age, I never ever had a fellow Linda in school. Go figure.

My birthday song is "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison. Not a favorite, but at least a 'classic' song I know.

My Dad wanted a Nicole or a Patrick Alexander. Luckily for me my mother got Gilbert Becaud's "Nathalie" record for her birthday. For many years I was the only one and only much later I met some other Nat(h)alies, all named after that song. Nicole is okay, but there were too many of them (and Tanja and Natascha were also immensely popular in the early seventies, for the boys it was Andreas).
During my Enid Blyton phase I actually wanted to change my name to Linda. :-)

I've read Thrones, Dominations, which was based on a partially completed Sayers manuscript. It was quite good, definitely a decent read, but not as good as Sayers' originals.

I've also read A Presumption of Death, which I think was based on notes from Sayers but not a manuscript. It was also quite a good read, and also not as good as Sayers' originals. Of the two, I thought Thrones, Dominations was slightly the better, but only slightly.

I would definitely say they are worth reading for fans of the Peter Wimsey books, and Jill Paton Walsh succeeds in staying pretty true to the characters and the timeline of their later lives (which was presumably in Dorothy L Sayers manuscript/notes, and which certainly matches her short stories in Striding Folly).

I have not read The Attenbury Emeralds, which I think is entirely Jill Paton Walsh's work, but I do know Suzanne (Chatterbox) has read it recently and gave it a pretty good rating.

I love Peter Wimsey, and read all of them when the BBC tv series with Harriet Walter and Edward Petherbridge came out ('80's? '90's?). Of those "post Sayers", I have only read A Presumption of Death, and while it was a pretty good read, I think Wimsey lovers need to know that the characters do change as they age - and not in a good way, in my opinion. They get so conservative and, well, upper class, "reverting to type" as it were, which is a shame, because earlier, even though you know they are so privileged, they don't do things that make it annoying (such as sending their children to posh schools). In the end, I wished I had finished with them earlier, maybe not even reading the last Sayers. Well, just my opinion.

#99, Thanks, Stasia. I am fine, just a lot of family stuff and I had to go out of town for a while, and then came back with a cold (which I am starting to get over).

I'm sensing a conspiracy to get me to add Peter Wimsey to my obese wish list rather than leave him for the time being in my Serial Wishes. grrr....

The popular name when I was growing up was Kathy. I remember once at work that of 10 cashiers 8 were named Kathy. My mom was my boss. She came to me to send me on break and said to the girl who was taking my place "Would you give... would you give... a break?" She had forgotten my name! I teased her about it for years.

I think I've read all the Lord Peter Wimsey by Sayers novels. There's a short story collection or two that I haven't read. Lord Peter Views the Body springs to mind.

I haven't read any of the Jill Paton Walsh Lord Peter books but I do like her Imogen Quy academic mysteries, The Wyndham Case being the first of those.

I totally understand the name thing. There were, for example, seven Sara(h)s in my third grade classroom. We all were called by our last initials. Sometimes it felt like an AA meeting. I longed to be called something unique, even though I was and continue to be fond of my name.

>123 beserene:: I longed to be called something unique

I longed to be called something not unique. I guess it's like the curly hair vs. straight hair debate: the grass is always greener...

I am apologizing to everyone in advance - my internet at the office is down and no end in sight (thanks, Verizon) so I have no idea if and when I will be able to catch up on messages. I spend 10 hours a night at the office and that is when I do the bulk of my LT time, so I may never be caught up again :) It may also mean that Sunday mornings report will not get posted until I am home from work since, if the internet is still down then, I cannot do it when I normally would.

Thanks, Verizon! :P

Take care, Stasia! See you when you get back! *sniffle*

#125 Good luck with it, Stasia. Does this mean more regular reading then?

HOORAY for THE Linda and all the other wonderful Lindas. BOO to Verizon. They don't realize what they are preventing. HOORAY for D.L. Sayers and Lord Peter! And BOO to the website that doesn't go back far enough to list the #1 song for my birthday. (You have to be at least a Boomer.)

#128, I just made the Birthday Music list.

Catching up! who am I kidding, there is no way....when I have more time I will re browse :)

I did do the number one song on the day you were born...Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel

#128 Peggy, I see annual charts for 1940s music, even some 1930s music, but no weekly ones. It's an interesting subject. When did the music charts start?

When I was a kid (mid to late 60s say), I used to love to go to the department store on the corner and pick up the new weekly radio station music chart and see what songs were where (so I could buy a 45).

(Mark, if you're around, do you remember the WLS Silver Dollar Survey?)

#114 - In my third grade class there were 5 or 6 Jennifers. We all had specific nicknames. Jenny Ann, Jenny, Jennifer, Jennifer Ann (yeah, two), anyway, I hated it. Now I know more Karens than Jennifers.

Hey Stasia, have you read The Indigo King? Well, has anyone read it? I am looking for a new book for my 12 year old. This one caught my eye, but I wanted a credible review...

Hey Stasia, I may have missed a note, so I wanted to ask about your mom and find out if she would be heading home this weekend.

I was the only Aubrey in my entire school until I hit high school, where there was one other girl named Aubrey (we were known as "the scary Aubrey" and "the fat Aubrey," because teenagers are *awesome*).

I have an adult male student named Aubrey this semester. Most Aubreys I know or know of are men. I am constantly targeted for men's ads, and I just giggle.

My rule for naming the monsters is nothing in the top-100 popular names, although I have a feeling Max will have a couple classmates with the same name at some point.

#132 -- The Indigo King is the third in a series (Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica). I read the first one (Here, There Be Dragons, and I remember liking it fairly well, but not enough to track down the rest of the series. I'd say it would have appeal for a fantasy-loving 12-year-old, particularly a strong reader, as I think the vocabulary was more complex than some I've read.

#134 - Thank you! That's just what I have - a fantasy loving 12 year old who reads on a college level. He needs a new series and it looked interesting to me. I will have to start him at the beginning though.

#135 -- Hope he enjoys it!

Stasia

We are simply going to take over your thread while you are temporarily off line.

Let's see, what can I say about you..

a) You are special
b) You are incredible
c) I wish I could read as many books as you do. I brag around town that I read 167 books in 2010. People are amazed, and then I have to be honest and tell them that I have a friend who read twice-three times what I read.

Continuing on ...

d) you are the friendliest person on LT

I'll miss seeing your comments all over the threads. Hope THEY don't keep you off-line too long!

Saw you have an upcoming trip to Longview. Have a save trip and hope you find your mom in better health and good spirits.

Just checking in before I head to bed: the internet at the office is still down, so I think I am going to have to face up to the fact that I am never going to catch up to all the messages here in the group. *sigh*

Yes, I am heading to Longview on Monday, right after I get off work, so I will not be online Monday either. Maybe Tuesday I will finally get to read some messages! (Unless, of course, Verizon gets its act together and gets the problem fixed over the weekend - but I am not holding my breath on that!)

Thank you all for dropping by - and your understanding about my internet situation.

Hi Stasia! I hope the internet problems get fixed soon. I gave up on trying to catch up on threads last year and started fresh this year. :)

Anytime the internet goes down at my house I feel unreasonably deprived, like the indoor plumbing failed and I had to revert to digging a latrine or something. It's amazing how quickly we get used to having these things :)

Just sending along sympathies for your internet deprivation. Look forward to seeing you again when you're back online and hoping you get in lots of good reading until then.

No internet? That would explain why I've only had to catch up on two threads since coming home from holiday. ;)

I am eagerly awaiting your next reading installment but will wait patiently and hope you have a great trip.

Hi Stasia!
Sorry to hear about the internet troubles...well...you might get to read even more books this way, lol...
We miss you, but don't worry - we will all be here when you get back.

Thanks for posting on my thread! It's nice to know someone is watching me try to reach my goal. Wish I had as much time as you do to read!

Waving hello! Hoping the work internet comes back soon. Should we all contact them? Would it help? I'm sure it would only be 500 or so e-mails/phone calls.

If it's Verizon, Stasia, send an e-mail to an executive. This bumps you up on their "to do list" -- you will get handed over to to their "executive team" and in the end, you'll be pleading with them to leave you alone because your Internet works just fine now. Really, this is what happened to me in September!

133 re:MAX .. we have three of them in our pre-school right now..
beware..

Name game.. do you ever say what you changed from Stas?
As a Kathy in high school.. well, it was quite common. There were
four of them in my class. If They would have consented to use my ( preferred)
full name ( Kathleen) it would have helped, but of course they didn't care what I preferred.

My biggest FAIL with naming my kids was Amy. I should have stuck to my guns and named her Amelia. She had the same issues I did.. too many Amy's at the time.

#148 OK, I'll bite. How can Stasia send them an e-mail if she can't connect to the internet? Maybe she should call?

Hi; Stasia! I can see I am terribly behind on your thread. But there are so many other wonderful people in here to keep you company, so I guess I am forgiven?:)

Have a wonderful day!!

Oh, I'd missed that you'd started a new thread. A few weeks ago my internet, cable, and digital phone all went out. I felt like I was having withdrawal symptoms. I hope your internet comes back soon!

I'm sorry you're having internet problems! I've had nothing but bad luck with Verizon. We were actually never able to get their internet service to work at all, and ended up switching to another provider. Horrible customer service too; just thinking about Verizon makes me shudder.

OK, home from work (still NO internet, grrr), breakfasted, showered and now feel somewhat alive again, so I can make my weekly report:

24. Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac - young adult; recommended by Luxx (thanks!);
a fictionalized account of a Navajo code talker and his experiences during WWII that does not gloss over either the torment of being pulled from his home as a child to attend a boarding school that tried to strip him of his Native American identity or the horrors of war (("When you are young and living in peace, it seems as if your friends will always be there with you. It is different in war. Another friend is another person you might lose at any instant."); recommended (4 stars)

25. Sea Whispers by W.W. Jacobs - I enjoyed this book of short stories for the most part; Jacobs does a good job of going from 'Twilight Zone' type stories (long before TZ was ever dreamt of, since this book was published in 1926) to humorous stories ("I've seen a worse tongue than that," ses the doctor. "Once." "Did 'e die?" says Ginger. "Never mind,"ses the doctor. "But I do mind," ses Ginger, very sharp."); recommended (4 stars) Mine

Abandoned: Aloft by Chang-Rae Lee - I really enjoyed Lee's A Gesture Life last year, but I gave this one 50 pages and it just was not doing it for me

26. A Dry White Season by Andre Brink - this was a great book, one I had in the BlackHole for a long time; Laura wrote a terrific review: here; highly recommended (4.25 stars ) Mine

Surely, there's more.....?

I am guessing she's mid-post. How often do you catch her mid-post?

Continuing:

27. The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen - I have enjoyed Allen's other books, but this one was not quite a good IMHO, although still a solid read, it tells the story of Emily, who has to stay with her grandfather in her mother's home town after her mother's death; guardedly recommended (3.75 stars)

28. Jar City by Arnaldur Indridason - the first book in the Inspector Erlendur series, a decent mystery, but the similarities to the Kurt Wallender series are numerous and frankly, I did not think the writing (or possibly it was the translation) was anything to write home about; not recommended (3 stars) Mine

29. The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly - a good historical fiction novel telling the story of Fiona Finnegan and her family in late Victorian England; the writing is good, but there were just a few too many happenstances in the plot for me; guardedly recommended (3.75 stars)

30. At the Dark End of the Street by Danielle L. McGuire - nonfiction; a searing indictment of the American judicial system, beginning with the rape of Recy Taylor at the hands of 6 men, through the beginnings of the Civil Rights movement told through the eyes of the women who suffered through sexual harassment and rape, in order to be counted as people ("The fact that white men with guns could not force black women back into their 'place' indicated the sense of power and pride that the (Montgomery) boycott aroused among African Americans.") - sheds new light on the Rosa Parks story, giving her her rightful place among the Civil Rights pioneers well before the bus incident; Joyce's review here: here; highly recommended, and on my memorable reads list for the year (4.75 stars)

31. Miss Zukas and the Library Murders by Jo Dereske - a bit of fluff cozy mystery, with one major clue that it took the 'heroine' half the book to figure out and I managed it when the clue showed up - and SHE is the librarian, lol; not recommended (3 stars)

OK, that is it. A couple very good-excellent reads and several solid ones, so not too bad a week - despite the internet problems.

Dodged everything. Fabulous. Hope you get your internet back soon!

Morning Stasia!

I'm adding At the Dark End of the Street.
I also like Sarah Addison Allen, and I wonder if The Girl Who Chased the Moon was less impressive because I waited so long to read it. Anticipation not equal to experience or something.

Dodged the BB's this time. :) Good reading week though..

What a drag, not having net access.

You got me with BB: A Dry White Season. I'd seen it elsewhere, and you comments made it a must for the tottering tower.

Hope you are well1

Ahoy, Captain! Is it contagious? the Verizon thing? I know several people here in SE Ohio who've been having Internet problems...Jeeze, Louise...what a b***tch!

A Dry White Season i loved.....Andre Brink wrote another one I really liked........An Act of Terror (along the same "Many sides of Terrorism" lines...have you read Damascus Gate by Robert Stone?)

maintain.....things will work out...one way or t'other

;-}

My heart sank when I saw you abandoned Aloft because I own an unread copy but it lifted again when you raved about A Dry White Season, another unread book I own.

I just WL'd At the Dark End of the Street. That sounds good and I've never heard of it.

Hope you have a good visit with your mother.

>163 phebj:: Pat, I rather liked Aloft when I read it in 2004. This was pre-LT so I had to go to my handwritten book notes. My comments probably won't sway you to read the book unless you're fond of introspection by middle-aged men!

From my notes: This book could have been called "Aloof" because of Jerry's distance from his loved ones...The metaphor of flight to escape one's problems while floating aimlessly in the clouds was a good one...the protagonist was detached and distant from his family in many ways.

Hmmm....if I were reading this, I'd probably skip the book! Listen to Stasia is always good advice. ;-)

Oh, hi there, Stasia, we were just talking about you. Sorry about your internet problems at work, but that leaves more time for reading. Have a safe trip to Longview tomorrow. I'm glad your mother is doing better. Is Catey going back to stay with her again?

At the Dark End of the Street sounds great and important. Wishlisted that one.

I think I'm a little easier on mysteries than I thought. I liked Jar City just fine. I think I like bleak settings and dark characters.

Sorry to hear you have no internet at work - must be very frustrating.

Some good books in your weeks reading list. A Dry White Season and At the Dark End of the Street have been added to the TBR mountain.

Stasia, I'm sorry you didn't enjoy Miss Zukas. I really enjoy her series. I'll admit that some are better than others, but I really wish there were some new ones coming out.

I didn't realize that Sarah Addison Allen had a third book. Hmmm... to wishlist or not to wishlist, that is the question. I think that BB has winged me.

Checking in and bowing out pretty much unscathed. It's just that I have so many unreads crouching on their shelves and hissing at me when I walk by!

#156 Absolutely, never, ever! Just a case of
pre-mature BBation.

Stasia, what a wonderful list, so many good books from which to choose. But my wishlist is so extraordinarily immense I must stop wishlisting for a bit. Have a great week, we'll be here chatting while your off visiting mom.

Another great list, Stasia! I hope you have a great week.

Nothing for me to add to my wishlist this week though admittedly Code Talker is already on it, Luxx just got me first. :)

You got me, copper! Two book bullets have hit the mark: A Dry White Season and At the Dark End of the Street, a book I hadn't heard of.

At the Dark End of the Street and A Dry White Season may eventually end up on my list . . . I am resisting.

Sorry you didn't enjoy Jar City. I'm actually liking it -- the writing (or translation) style initially seemed odd, but it grew on me. I like the starkness of the book, and the occasional moments of quirky humor.

#172 - I'll add that notch to my belt!

I'm glad you enjoyed Code Talker, Stasia!

Shame about Jar City. I quite liked that one. (I wouldn't say I enjoyed it - it was near my maximum tolerable grimness level for crime fiction - but I did think it was pretty good.) Then again, I haven't read any of the Wallender books, so I wouldn't have found it repetitious, even if it is very similar.

Hi Stasia, nothing for me to add this week but I'm glad to see another plug for A Dry White Season. I guess I'm in the same boat as so many others in feeling guilty about all the books sitting on my shelf, begging for attention. I'm trying to read what I have right now but I just blew through two B&N gift cards because my hubby keeps telling me they're liable to go under any day now and I wouldn't want to be stuck with those cards.

Stasia

I'm adding Code Talker and At the Dark End of the Street. You read such great stuff!

Happy Sunday to you!

Stasia, I'm sorry about your internet woes, and I do miss your visits, but at the same time it reassures me that you are now more or less at the same place as us common mortals who can never keep up with the threads! Too bad what you said about Jar City, but I'm still keeping it on my WL since I heard so many good things about it.

Like everyone else I'm crossing my fingers for your internet to be fixed toute suite.
Thanks for the Code Talker recommendation. That sounds very interesting, not just for me, but also for my history students.

Hi there, Stasia!
Sorry The Tea Rose didn't blow you away. I just finished reading Donnelly's Revolution which I thought was great and wanted to try one of her "adult" books. I still might, but I won't rush.

BTW, I saw an article in the Feb '11 Nat'l Geo Mag about underground Paris. For anyone who read Revolution you might want to check it out... there are pictures of the catacombs, walls of skulls/bones, and "The Beach".

#164 Donna, thanks for the encouragement about Aloft. Actually, I am fond of "introspection by middle-aged men" so I'll definitely give it a try.

Hi Stasia!

Hi Stasia,

You may have finally released me from feeling obligated to read Aloft which has been sitting unread on my shelves for quite some time. But then...oh well, it'll sit there for another year or two probably...maybe if Pat likes it...

Nothing for me this week, Stasia. I read Code Talker a few years ago and enjoyed it alright, though maybe not quite as much as you. I do want to read a book by Susan Addison Allen, but the book on my list is Garden Spells and I think I will reserve judgment on adding more until after I've finished it and get a taste of her writing style.

Some very good reads this week Stasia, I am so tempted as always.

I've had A dry white season on my tbr list since Cushla reviewed it last year. I really liked Donnelly's A Gathering Light (A Northern Light was the US title) which is for mature teens. My local highschool got several class sets and I covered all the books when I was volunteering in the library and sneaked a read. I had heard that her adult fiction was fairly light.

I have internet at the office again!! Woot!!

#158: Sorry I missed you this week, Jenny. Maybe next week?

#159: I do not think my waiting on reading The Girl Who Chased the Moon had any bearing on the fact that I did not care for it as much as I liked Allen's other books, Jenn, but that is just me.

#160: Thanks, Monica. Maybe I will get you next time.

#161: I hope you enjoy A Dry White Season when you get to it, Gail! I am doing just fine, thanks for asking.

#162: Given how much I enjoyed the Brink book I just read, I am definitely going to look for more of his books. Unfortunately, my local library does not have the one you mentioned, Jude. It does, however, have Damascus Gate.

#163: Thanks, Pat. I am sure my mother and I will have a terrific visit. We always do.

#164: Yes, Donna, I am taking Catey to stay with Mother again. She will probably be there for another month or so.

#165: I do hope you appreciate (enjoy just sounds wrong!) At the Dark End of the Street when you get to it, Nancy.

Glad to hear you've been reconnected to the Internet at work, Stasia.

#166: I hope you like the books, Diane. Thanks for stopping by!

#167: Yeah, I think the Miss Zukas series is just not for me, despite my normal affinity for cozy series. Glad to hear you enjoy it though, Lori!

#168: Ha! Got you - even if it is only a wing, Sarah :)

#169: Hissing books, Peggy? Hiss right back at them!

#170: Yeah, I think most of my catching up on LT is going to be after the visit to Mother tomorrow, Lynda. I am glad you will be keeping my thread warm for me!

#171: Thanks, Anne! I hope you have a great week as well.

#172: Bump Code Talker up the stack, Rachel!

#173: Doing the 'I got Darryl this week!' dance, lol.

#174: I think perhaps my expectations of Jar City were just set to high, Terri. I know there are a lot of people who enjoyed the book more than I did.

#175: Thanks, Luxx. I appreciate your recommendation of it!

#176: I am not against trying more of the series if the books come my way, Caty, but I do not think I will actively seek them out. As I said to Terri above, there are a lot of people who enjoyed Jar City more than I did.

#177: Bonnie, I thought it was Borders that was in trouble, not B&N?

#178: Happy Sunday to you too!

#179: I will be trying to catch up to threads over the next week or so, Ilana. Most of the catching up will be done after the trip tomorrow though.

#180: Thanks for the good thoughts regarding my internet, Karen. Obviously something worked! I hope both you and your students enjoy Code Talker.

#181: I very much enjoyed Revolution, Claudia, but did not think that The Tea Rose was a good. I am still going to give The Winter Rose a try though.

#182: Hi, Pat!

#183: I would not discourage anyone from reading Aloft. It was just not a book for me, but there are a lot of people who really liked it.

#184: I liked Garden Spells and The Sugar Queen more than I did the latest book by Allen, Mary. I will be interested in seeing what you think of Garden Spells when you get to it.

#185: Hey, Leonie! Glad to see you drop by!

#186: I really liked A Northern Light too, Kerry. Have you read Donnelly's Revolution? If not, give it a try!

#189: Thanks, Linda. So am I, although I doubt I will be spending a ton of time on LT tonight. My eyes are giving me trouble tonight.

#194 Drive safely on your visit to your mother on Monday.

#195: I will try!

Yes, I have Revolution here, but my daughter wants to read it first.

#197: I hope you both enjoy it, Kerry!

My eyes are giving me trouble tonight.
Bother! If it's not one thing, it's another. praying.

Stasia

If you need a good eye doctor, I happen to live with one. Perhaps a trip to Pennsylvania would help you....(I'm smiling)

#199: The eyes are just a product of only getting an hour of sleep today, Susan. Nothing to worry about.

#200: I am there!

Morning Stasia- Hope you have a good day!

Good morning, Stasia! Thanks for dropping by my thread. You are certainly amazingly busy!!!

As for names -in my day, everyone was Deborah - like me, or Kathy or Lori with quite a few Jennifer's. I'm looking forward to the day when Deborah comes back so to speak, like Ella, Stella, Grace etc. But I am not holding my breath on that!;)

Glad you loved A Dry White Season. I bought another book by Brink this weekend - The Other side of Silence. (My book ban is a joke, and I give up.) And I have his memoirs here to read too. I need more time!!

Nothing for me this week, Stasia. I hope your mother continues to improve and you can get some sleep!

#202: Thanks, Mark! I hope you do too!

#203: I am trying to catch up, Deb! It will be a few days yet, I think.

#204: My book buying ban is still firmly in place - Linda will not even let me buy books for my upcoming Thingaversary! (OK, so it is 4 months away) I will be interested in seeing what you think of the Brink book when you get to it, Cushla. My local library does not have that one though.

#205: Thanks, Denise! I am hoping to sneak some sleep in some time today too.

Good Morning Stasia . I am with you on the Allen books.

#207: Good morning, Cindy!

Hi Stasia!
Too bad about your BBB... you are allowed six (6)!!!! books for your Thingaversary.
I'm glad you're gonna try The Winter Rose so you can tell me how it is. I just might get A Northern Light from the library sooner than later.
Happy Day with your Mom! :)

#209: Yeah, I am an old-timer here on LT believe it or not. I really think we should put pressure on Linda to relent :)

I am not sure when I will get to The Winter Rose but hopefully within the next couple of months. I enjoyed A Northern Light and hope you do too, Claudia.

A Dry White Season was already on the list and I escaped unscathed otherwise.

Hi, Stasia!
Finally caught up! Lots of good reads on your list again. I have been interested in reading about the Code Talkers since that movie came out (and I haven't seen that either). I added that one and Dry White Season to my list.

I am really glad that you have internet at work again. It is so hard not to have internet these days!

Have a safe trip!
--BJ

*dodge* *dodge* *dodge*

Phew, I think I made it... :D

Was that BBB for the year???

#148 -- Rebecca, the same way she is posting here intermittently I assume, and the way I did when my Internet was completely dead: via someone else's wi-fi or service, or at an Internet cafe, and then providing her cell or another phone #. Since "normal" Verizon wi-fi service is offshore (although they are bringing that call center back to the US this year) it's the best way to handle otherwise unresolvable problems. Another option is to get a phone # for the office of a senior executive (again, an Internet cafe, googling details for head office and senior execs works) and giving a call. That automatically triggers what is called "an escalation", I'm told by their PR people.

Glad to hear that Verizon is wising up, bringing the call center back to the US.

We use the mifi thing from Verizon at our house here, and I must say, while it's not possible to load big things, I'm impressed by how well it works with such a small simple device.

Stasia, I almost feel bad giving you more posts to catch up on, but you're so great about saying hi to everyone that I wanted to return the favor! I share your pain about Verizon; its cell service is currently extremely terrible at my house. Glad to know they've at least fixed your problem! And I'm also excited to hear you liked Revolution even better than The Tea Rose, because I enjoyed the latter and am eagerly anticipating the former from SantaThing. :)

>92 alcottacre: - #1 song on my birthday - "Mrs. Robinson" by Simon and Garfunkel.

>194 alcottacre: - Stasia, I hope your eyes are feeling better today!

No new adds to my wishlist from the latest batch, so I guess that's a good thing. LOL

My, My you are so busy. Now, Miss Zukas, I tried to read that because, you know, librarian and all. I just could not stand her. I think that was the last book I just gave up on.

Glad you liked A Dry White Season. It was one of my favorites last year. I am glad to see others are encouraged to read it now.

Just stopping by to say hello!

bell, I quite liked Garden Spells .. it was fun :) and touching..

*drive by waves*

Hi Stasia!! Trying to get caught up with everyone. Hope you are having a good week!!!

How interesting. On my birthday, the number one song was "Don't Be Cruel/Hound Dog" by Elvis. Who, incidentally, died on my birthday several years later.

How interesting, indded!

Stasia, I hope you enjoy your visit with your mother tomorrow and that she is doing well. Drive carefully!

Stopping by -- drive carefully, hope your eyes are feeling better, mine get sort of tired so that sometimes I have to stop reading!!! I've found some amazing drops, btw, homeopathic.

#211: Thanks for stopping by, Tad!

#212: It is extremely difficult not having internet at work, BJ! I am so glad that Verizon finally got it fixed.

#213: Good for you, Faith!

#214: I think it was, Judy.

#217: I do hope your Santa Thing gifts arrive soon, Mere! I think you will really enjoy Revolution - at least I hope you do.

#218: The eyes are doing better. Mainly it was tiredness. I think if my eyes did not get tired I would not ever get any sleep.

#219: Yeah, I do not see myself reading any more of that series. If I knew someone like Miss Zukas in real life, I would probably have to strangle her :)

#220: I hope they do, Jenn! It was a powerful book.

#221: Thanks, Heather!

#222: I liked Garden Spells too, Kath.

#223: Thanks, Kara!

#224: Glad to see you dropping by, Tammy!

#225: Rather ironic, Terri.

#227: Roni, I am already back from my mother's. We did have a nice visit.

#228: Thanks, Lucy!

Stasia, welcome back!!

Did you see the thread about a possible Latin group read? Brief poems.

#231: I saw the thread, but my Latin is nowhere close to being ready for Latin poetry :)

Somehow even going to a Catholic school for 12 years I escaped Latinless. Oh, well, I guess I'll have to pass that by.

glad your back safe and sound :)

Sorry to hear that The Tea Rose was only so-so. I know we both got our copies about the same time, but luckily I know mine won't rise to the top of the reading heap for years, so I will have likely forgotten that you did not love it by then.

Stasia, from what I have read in the Wall Street Journal, neither Borders nor B&N are going to survive much longer. WWe'll just have to see but my hubby is scared to death that they'll go out of business and I'll be sitting here with a gift card `that I can't use.

Hi Stasia!
I left you a pair of socks over on my thread...
Glad you had a nice visit and that you are back safe & sound. :)

Groovy socks they are too! night!

>236 brenzi: Well, you wouldn't want to scare him too long, would you? Spend it now, before he panics!

What Judy said, Bonnie!

As someone who owns a Nook, I am sure hoping B&N keeps its head above water :)

Thanks Stasia for always taking the time to visit my thread! My local library does not have Jar City nor Silence of the Grave so I purchased the whole series via amazon ca! ;)I'm doing well in 2011 with my TBR pile - which I try not to let get to big! Maybe when I'm finished the series I will see if my library would like a donation. I'm sure many others would like to read the series... ;)

>236 brenzi:/239: Agreed! Spend spend spend!!! it's not like there are any books you want to read or anything :)

TWO?!? Thread TWO?!? In what, base 20?
Oh, errrmmm, hi Stasia! *smooch*

#236 - I too have heard the Borders is hovering on the brink of bankruptcy. I haven't heard quite the same dire prediction for B&N though. Our local Borders has almost every book at least 50% off, so I went to spend a gift card immediately because I was so worried about it going under.

I don't think B&N is going to go under anytime soon, since they have a significant slice of the e-reader market. My B&N has turned into a giant Nook store :-( All of the front displays (new in paperback, staff picks, etc) have been hidden and there are now 6 tvs that play loud videos about the Nook on loop. It used to be a pleasant place to spend an afternoon (or a few moments), but not anymore.

That might be deliberate on two fronts. The B&N up near Lincoln Center recently closed. The problem? People were using it as a library while waiting for a concert or show, but weren't buying much. So maybe the management doesn't want to make us too comfy anymore.

Perhaps that's where independent bookshops would be able to come into their own again: offering comfort, atmosphere and knowledge rather than just bestsellers.

Oh how I would enjoy that! Our local independent bookstore has no warm cozy atmosphere at all which is difficult for me because when I lived in Seattle (most of my life), there were great little independent bookstores.

#246, I think that's part of the reason the Lincoln Center B&N closed but also I imagine their lease was up and the landlord wanted TONS more money because that neighborhood has "improved" so much over the past decade (NYC commercial leases are usually 10 years) and they just couldn't make the math work for such a huge space.

But the one on 83rd and Bway (my neighborhood B&N) took away most of the seating once they had driven the nearby independent bookstores out of business. Other than also having become "a giant Nook store (245), it is actually an excellent store, although I try to avoid buying in at the expense of independent bookstores.

Borders in the Phoenix area has been closing stores for some time now—one in downtown Tempe, headquarters for 50,000 college students!

I've heard that B&N isn't bankrupt, but is up for sale.

Unlike Denver, where we had the wonderful independent bookstore The Tattered Cover, we have no such gloriousness here in the desert.

So what will we be left with?

Hi, Stasia!
I wanted to mention that we stopped at that new bookstore in Fairview on our way to Austin awhile back. It was really large. We only had about 10 minutes to look around, but it was very nice and kind of fancy. It has a kitchen area for cooking classes. Even with only 10 minutes, we each found a book.
--BJ

Waving hello. Hope you are well and that your mother is doing well.

#241: Donating the books to the local library sounds like a terrific idea, Deb. A win-win situation for all invoved.

#243: See? I told you I was being smart by not starting a thread in December, Mr. 5 threads already :)

I know about Borders having trouble, but B&N is hanging in there, I hope!

#251: Cool beans, BJ! Maybe next time you are down this way we can plan a trip there.

#252: Everything is fine here, Jenn, and my mother is doing great. Thanks!

My local bigbox bookstore (Whitcoulls) is not buying in new stock, so there is hardly anything new on display. They are spreading all the same books out across the shelves, especially bad in the children's section with rows of Eragon, Harry Potter and Wimpy Kid etc and not much else. The large children's area has slowly descended into a toy shop over the past few years anyway, selling puzzles, lego and soft toys rather than a good selection of books. Borders is still a paradise in comparison here, it's owned by the same big corporate company though so we'll just have to see what happens. Thank goodness for the library, used bookstores and BD.

#254: Thank goodness for the library, used bookstores and BD.

If I did not have the resource of my local library I would be up a creek without a paddle, that is for sure.

I didn't want to start a brouhaha. Don't worry; I've already spent the GCs. I didn't really need to be pushed too hard:)

Also, several publishers will no longer ship books to Borders because they are not paying their bills.

#256: I didn't really need to be pushed too hard

I daresay that is an understatement!

I third the ''headnod" to the library. I resisted going there for so many years because I used to be very funny about not owning a book if I loved it and I couldn't understand why people would only want to read a good book and not own it. Gawd I was naive!

Now, I will always try to get a recommended book out of the library first and if it is something amazing, then I will order it, usually from The Book Depository in the UK though as our local bookstores carry so little stock. I ordered Jane Austen's Juvenilia in September last year from a local company and they still don't know when their supplier might ship a copy for me!!

#258: I do the same thing, Leonie. I use the local library to vet books. If I decide that I love the book enough then I will buy it for my personal library (but not this year - book buying ban, don't you know)

Same here - I usually vet books through the library. Unless it's one I really want to read and the library doesn't have it (or I'm 463rd on the list). Then I try to borrow from a friend, then if I must, I buy. I hate owning books that I ended up not liking.

I do the same thing. Of course being an (almost) librarian, I think I may be legally obligated to borrow books from the library. ;)

#261: It is probably a rule or something for librarians :)

New thread here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/108529