Ellen's 75 in 2011 List

Already read:

1. What is the What -- Dave Eggers

2. The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America -- Timothy Egan

3. Black Bodies and Quantum Cats: Tales from the Annals of Physics -- Jennifer Ouellette

4. The Muse Asylum -- David Czuchlewski

5. Savages -- Don Winslow

6. incendiary -- Chris Cleave

Currently reading:

Life of Pi by Yann Martel -- so far, I LOVE this.

Didn't finish:
The Russian Debutante's Handbook -- Gary Shteyngart

Nice start to your reading year, Ellen!

I tried Shteyngart's Super sad true love story and although I made it through, do not plan to read any more of his books. His sense of humor and mine do not seem to mesh.

Hi Ellen! You've got a very interesting list of reads already - I'm looking forward to following your progress this year!

I think I'm transferring my tracking more to the Club Read 2011 thread. I may check back in here now and then to track my progress toward 75, but I realized i really only want to keep track of my reading in one thread at a time. Otherwise, I'll spend all my time tracking and less time actually reading!! :-)

Hi There

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

Thanks.

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

7. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
8. The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna
9. Out Stealing Horses by Per Petersen
10. Black Water Rising by Attica Locke
11. Regeneration by Pat Barker
12. Fool by Christopher Moore
13. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
14. The Enemy by Lee Child
15. Kingdom of Shadows by Alan Furst
16. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
17. Property by Valerie Martin
18. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
19. In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar (currently reading this)

What did you think of The Reluctant Fundamentalist? I read it a couple of years back with my book group and we really enjoyed it, and thought the ending was nicely ambiguous...

I agree about the ending, gennyt. The whole book was an interesting study in culture and identity and the universal need to feel belonging. I thought the protagonist's voice was so engaging. I could see that it would generate lively discussion in a book group!
Ellen

19. In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar
20. just started The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
21.

I hope you enjoy The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Ellen!

19. In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar
20. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers (there is a reason this is a classic)
21. Kings of the Earth by Jon Clinch
22.

#11 I've never read any Carson McCullers. Sounds like that is one to look out for...

Books Completed in 2011:

1. What is the What -- Dave Eggers
2. The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America -- Timothy Egan
3. Black Bodies and Quantum Cats: Tales from the Annals of Physics -- Jennifer Ouellette
4. The Muse Asylum -- David Czuchlewski
5. Savages -- Don Winslow
6. Incendiary by Chris Cleave
7. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
8. The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna
9. Out Stealing Horses by Per Petersen
10. Black Water Rising by Attica Locke
11. Regeneration by Pat Barker
12. Fool by Christopher Moore
13. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
14. The Enemy by Lee Child
15. Kingdom of Shadows by Alan Furst
16. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
17. Property by Valerie Martin
18. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
19. In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar
20. Kings of the Earth by Jon Clinch
21. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
22. The Deep Blue Good-by by John D. MacDonald
23. The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow
24. How to Read Novels Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster
25. Push by Sapphire
26. City of Bones by Michael Connelly
27. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
28. Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson
29. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
30. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
31.

and currently reading The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet

Books Completed in 2011:

1. What is the What -- Dave Eggers
2. The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America -- Timothy Egan
3. Black Bodies and Quantum Cats: Tales from the Annals of Physics -- Jennifer Ouellette
4. The Muse Asylum -- David Czuchlewski
5. Savages -- Don Winslow
6. Incendiary by Chris Cleave
7. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
8. The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna
9. Out Stealing Horses by Per Petersen
10. Black Water Rising by Attica Locke
11. Regeneration by Pat Barker
12. Fool by Christopher Moore
13. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
14. The Enemy by Lee Child
15. Kingdom of Shadows by Alan Furst
16. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
17. Property by Valerie Martin
18. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
19. In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar
20. Kings of the Earth by Jon Clinch
21. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
22. The Deep Blue Good-by by John D. MacDonald
23. The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow
24. How to Read Novels Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster
25. Push by Sapphire
26. City of Bones by Michael Connelly
27. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
28. Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson
29. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
30. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
31. The Rabbi's Cat by Joann Sfar
32. Fresh Tracks by Georgia Beers (ugh)
33. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (wow!)
34. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
35. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
36. The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton
37. The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths
38.

July 6 and I'm 3.5 books shy of halfway done. I might have to add a few more light reads in the year if I'm going to make it to 75!

A good little stretch of reading to get me up to 37. A few mystery novels for various TIOLI challenges, and I'm climbing the ladder....

Do not stress about the numbers! We do not kick people out of this group :) Just enjoy the reads. . .

>18 alcottacre: -- Oh, no worries. I won't stress about it. But, since it's a "challenge," I can't help but have my little competitive-with-self streak come out!

That competitive-with-self streak thing I completely understand!

Ahhhh! After a massive search I have finally found you and also starred you!! This 75 books area is so big and active! I'm not sure about you - but this is my first atttempt at reading 75 books in a year. I think I'm on book 42 or 43 - just making it!;) I have that same self competitive streak that you have! ;) Every now and then I try to find a slender book of less than 200 pages -but I'm afraid I'm much more dictacted to by my book interests -and most of the books I read are 300 - 400 pages. I think you are doing just fine! :)

Books Completed in 2011:

1. What is the What -- Dave Eggers
2. The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America -- Timothy Egan
3. Black Bodies and Quantum Cats: Tales from the Annals of Physics -- Jennifer Ouellette
4. The Muse Asylum -- David Czuchlewski
5. Savages -- Don Winslow
6. Incendiary by Chris Cleave
7. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
8. The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna
9. Out Stealing Horses by Per Petersen
10. Black Water Rising by Attica Locke
11. Regeneration by Pat Barker
12. Fool by Christopher Moore
13. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
14. The Enemy by Lee Child
15. Kingdom of Shadows by Alan Furst
16. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
17. Property by Valerie Martin
18. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
19. In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar
20. Kings of the Earth by Jon Clinch
21. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
22. The Deep Blue Good-by by John D. MacDonald
23. The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow
24. How to Read Novels Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster
25. Push by Sapphire
26. City of Bones by Michael Connelly
27. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
28. Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson
29. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
30. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
31. The Rabbi's Cat by Joann Sfar
32. Fresh Tracks by Georgia Beers (ugh)
33. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (wow!)
34. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
35. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
36. The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton
37. The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths
38. Annabel by Kathleen Winter
39. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
40. I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman
41.

You have several books on there Ellen that are among my favourites. I'm thinking of re-reading Life of Pi next year, as I might have a "re-reads" category for 12/12. Regeneration was an amazing discovery this year. I wasn't all that keen on the second book, but really looking forward to The Ghost Road. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is among those books I'd like to read again fairly soon, because it was such a revelation when I was a young student. But maybe that's the reason I shouldn't read it again so I can preserve my memory of it? I thought Behind the Scenes at the Museum was awesome, my only regret being that I gave that book away when I finished it. Wide Sargasso Sea was amazing, especially as I read it shortly after re-reading Jane Eyre a couple of months ago. Lots of other interesting reads on there!

Thanks, Ilana. This has been a good reading year for me so far, and LT has definitely contributed to that. I have Kate Atkinson's Case Histories on hold at the library and I'm looking forward to reading it as follow-up to Behind the Scenes at the Museum. I *loved* The Heart is a Lonely Hunter -- incredible that she wrote it at age 20-21. For me, it goes up there with To Kill a Mockingbird, which is still one of my all-time favorites.

Hi Ellen! You know how crazy I am about Kate Atkinson! I just finished Where White Horses Gallop by Beatrice MacNeil and it was a five star read, which I highly recommend. I wrote a bit of a review on it. I see Ilana loved Behind the Scenes at a Museum by Kate Atkinson -and I guess I'd better start looking for that - as I am now reading the 4th book in the Jackson Brodie series by Kate Atkinson. The name escapes me - Woke Early and Walked my Dog? I'm not sure of the title. I see you've just finished Annabel by Kathleen Winter , which I really enjoyed shortly after it came out.

Don't worry about the numbers - you are doing fine! I was anxious for a while -but I think I'm going to be okay - plus I think it's such a fun group of people - no one minds about actual numbers.. Just watch out for the thread police if your thread gets too long.................;) I had a visit from Mark re the thread police!;)

25> I agree --- I feel like I've encountered a wonderful community of book-lovers and just all-around great people: smart, funny, generous, and kind. Nice.

I re-read The Tale of Peter Rabbit last night for TIOLI Challenge #21 (read something you read before you turned 21). What a great 5-minute read for bedtime. I also started Emma by Jane Austen. During the first chapter, I kept thinking "I'm not sure I want to read this," but after about 20 pages, I'm sucked in. Also a good bedtime antidote to I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman.

I will be interested in seeing what you think of I'd Know You Anywhere, Ellen.

I finished I'd Know You Anywhere. I'm giving it three stars. It had good moments, less creepy than it seemed at first. It was an engaging read, but by the time I got to the conversation between the rapist/murderer and his one survivor, I didn't care very much about his motives for "luring" her to the prison to talk with him. Lippman is a good storyteller, but her prose is not nuanced or complex. I liked The Lock Artist and Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, both of which I also read for my Edgar challenge, better.

Here is one intriguing thing about my experience of this novel: I couldn't read it late at night. But this was not because the story was creepy or because Lippman engaged in gratuitous descriptions of rape or murder. It was only mildly so and she didn't. But the narrator's voice settled into my brain in an odd manner. I would turn out the light and feel like the narration was continuing. I wasn't replaying the words I had read. Rather, as semi-consciousness descended it felt like my loosening thoughts adopted the narrator's voice and intonation. It made it hard to fall asleep. Maybe her prose is more complex than I thought...... :-)

I will probably read the Lippman book eventually. Interesting about your not being able to read it late at night.

Hi Ellen! I thought I would just pop over and check out your thread since we have a couple of shared reads this month. :)

My current thread can be found here . So crazy with so many threads that it is hard to keep track of everyone. :)

Here's my too-optimistic list for August:

Emma by Jane Austen (currently reading)
Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey
Little Bee by Chris Cleave
The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt
Awakening by S.J. Bolton
Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson
Close Range by E. Annie Proulx
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
Just Kids by Patti Smith
The Long Song by Andrea Levy
Life A User's Manual by Georges Perec - this is a group read, thank goddess
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
The Tourist by Olen Steinhauer

Even with a week of vacation built into the month, I know this is more than I can accomplish, but I will enjoy trying!

I've added The Tourist for my August reading.
I also picked up (read: compulsively purchased) Swamplandia! which I've had on hold at the library for quite a while. I don't think I'll get to it this month, but I felt the need to have it. Must be the growing up in Florida thing.....

Several of the books on your August tbr are on my shelves or wish list already. I'm currently reading To Kill a Mockinbird among others and I understand what all the fuss is all about now. Have on chapter to go before part 2, but I'm savouring it chapter by chapter.

Absolutely must re-read East of Eden, though that will probably happen next year. In fact, I might have a little Steinbeck festival. Maybe a Steinbeckathon? :-) I'm sure there would be takers!

Just yesterday, I put Close Range on my library's wish list. Read Little Bee as an ER book last year (or was it two years ago?) and quite loved that too.

Pretty sure I mentioned reading and loving The Children's Book just this past January. It's the kind of book that can lead you to explore many of the themes and real-life personalities that are part of the story. In fact, I'm looking forward to doing just that and then returning to that novel eventually with my newfound knowledge.

I'm enjoying Life a User's Manual. Am just a few chapters in, and all's great so far, but have to say I'm a bit intimidated by some of the brainiacs on the group read thread and fear I may not be quite smart enough or erudite enough to contribute.

34> To Kill a Mockingbird is quite possibly my all-time favorite book in the whole world. I think it's brilliant. Of course, I also loved the movie with Gregory Peck. The story explores race -- and other forms of "other"ness -- with so much compassion for the humanity of all involved. Scout is such a wise little observer.

I'm also intimidated by the group read for Life A User's Manual but I really want to read it and I figure I may get more out of it by hearing/reading others' thoughts and emotional reactions. It seems like the kind of book that I wish I could read with for an actual literature class with a wise and witty instructor. :-)

Thanks for stopping by, Ilana. I think August is going to be another great reading month!

ETA: I think a Steinbeckathon is a terrific idea!

A Steinbeckathon will maybe help me finally finish East of Eden which I've started multiple times and never got past the first 5 chapters and the life of me I can't figure out why because it's not like its a bad book or anything..

Great! I'll put the word out about a Steinbeckathon to see what the general response is, then discuss it with Mark and Mac (msf59 and blackdogbook) who are two big Steinbeck fans, to see what they suggest we choose as reads and in what order. Should be easy to set up when 2012 rolls around, which, seeing how fast time flies, should arrive any day now.

Valerie, I read East of Eden when I was maybe 16. I was going through a big James Dean phase and watched all his movies and then moved on to the novel. It's really a great story and worth sticking to, though I'd say that Steinbeck's vision is so brilliant that his writing alone makes it worth the experience. It's the kind of novel that would be great for a group read, so go ahead and save it for later!

ETA: Ellen, forgot to wish you a great holiday. I saw you mention it on a couple of threads (including mine?) but didn't pick up on it. When are you off? And where to? And if it keeps you away from LT as you've hinted at, know that you'll be missed.

37> I thought I was headed for a cabin by a lake in BC (and you can imagine what a wonderful setting for some good reading that would be!) but it turns out that we never got a confirmation for our reservation (I can't even believe this story) and so we don't think we have a place to stay. Oh well, we're heading out with our tent and a car load of books and positive attitude. Mostly. I will, indeed, be computer-free, so I'll be back on line mid-August.

Finished Emma. Enjoyed it although it was a bit of a slow read for me. Next up: Lullabies for Little Criminals and others on my TIOLI lists.

Ciao!

I hope you have a great trip (minus the hassle with the cabin) and lots of good books to keep you company! :)

Safe travels, Ellen!

Sorry to hear that your cabin in BC plans fell through. What I wouldn't give for some time out in the West taking in some nature! But tent with carload of books sounds pretty good too.

Will be looking forward to your return and have fun!

The cabin is ON. So excited.

Awesome! Enjoy it for me too please.

#42: Cool beans!

Woke up to a beautiful morning, but unable to access coffee for a number of reasons (mostly, whole beans and not wanting to grind them and wake up the nephew or his 28-month-old son). Sat on the balcony with Lullabies for Little Criminals, looking out toward the mountains and the lake, watching antique planes fly by (there is an old plane show in town, or something). Lovely breeze, fresh air, a good book. Coffee would have been nice, but we did get some later.

I love vacation.

Sounds like your vacation is off to a nice start, Ellen!

Sounds like such a peaceful getaway, enjoy.

I hope you have a great time on your holiday and read of books - preferably with coffee too! I wonder if you'll get round to The Children's Book (touchstone still nowhere in sight) while you are away. It took me a good week to read that one - quite dense but lots to enjoy.

I'm back from an amazing vacation which included hiking, canoeing, swimming, exploring, and some reading by Slocan Lake. Other than one weird glitch wherein I apparently accidentally copied and pasted a very old text from our contractor into the TIOLI wiki (thank you, bell7, for rescuing me!), it was a near-perfect vacation. Never again will I try to do LT via my iPhone.

While in Canada, I completed lullabies for little criminals and The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. I enjoyed both but gave the latter only 2.5 stars. I think following Baby's young adolescent girl voice with Flavia's probably reduced my appreciation for Flavia's voice. Interestingly, I'm now "speeding" my way through Little Bee, also centered around a girl of adolescent age. This one is headed for 4.5 stars, I think (and I can't say why not 5 stars except I try to be really stingy about giving that "perfect score" to a book).

I had hoped to read more than this, but what with all the swimming and hiking and canoeing, not to mention the staring-out-across-the-lake, I spent less time with a book in my hand (or at least attending to the book in my hand) than I had anticipated.

Books Completed in 2011:

1. What is the What -- Dave Eggers
2. The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America -- Timothy Egan
3. Black Bodies and Quantum Cats: Tales from the Annals of Physics -- Jennifer Ouellette
4. The Muse Asylum -- David Czuchlewski
5. Savages -- Don Winslow
6. Incendiary by Chris Cleave
7. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
8. The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna
9. Out Stealing Horses by Per Petersen
10. Black Water Rising by Attica Locke
11. Regeneration by Pat Barker
12. Fool by Christopher Moore
13. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
14. The Enemy by Lee Child
15. Kingdom of Shadows by Alan Furst
16. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
17. Property by Valerie Martin
18. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
19. In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar
20. Kings of the Earth by Jon Clinch
21. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
22. The Deep Blue Good-by by John D. MacDonald
23. The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow
24. How to Read Novels Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster
25. Push by Sapphire
26. City of Bones by Michael Connelly
27. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
28. Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson
29. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
30. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
31. The Rabbi's Cat by Joann Sfar
32. Fresh Tracks by Georgia Beers (ugh)
33. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (wow!)
34. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
35. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
36. The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton
37. The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths
38. Annabel by Kathleen Winter
39. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
40. I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman
41. Emma by Jane Austen
42. lullabies for little criminals by Heather O'Neil
43. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
44. Little Bee by Chris Cleave
45. Close Range by Annie Proulx
46. Just Kids by Patti Smith
47.

OOh! *staring-out-across-the-lake* sounds like the best part! I'm hardly joking. Your vacation sounds like it was a-ma-zing! I think I heard somewhere that envy is a sin, but what can I say? I'm envious.

I can see how following up Lullabies with Sweetness might have made for a bit of a jarring experience. Maybe jarring is the wrong word, but yeah, what can I say, it's late and you're my last stop before I take out my absolute love/angel/darling out for a last wee before reading in bed.

I finished Little Bee by Chris Cleave and it blew my socks off. Really a terrific novel, one of the best I've read this year.

I'm stingy with over 3.5-4 stars but I'm considering giving this one 5 stars. I think the only reason I might give it "only" 4.5 is because of some moments in the story of the affair between Sarah and Andrew which I found a bit tiresome. However, I believe he (Cleave) was intentionally running the two stories in parallel: the story of Little Bee, a 14-year-old refugee from Nigeria, and Sarah, a 30-something with plenty of privilege and just enough social conscience. The tiresomeness of the affair between Sarah and Andrew was part of the point. I could too well relate to Sarah's struggle to "make a difference" and her well-intentioned attempts to make choices based in awareness of her privilege. And her efforts to be "good" seem so meaningless next to the devastating choices Little Bee has had to make in her short and excruciatingly painful life. But are they meaningless? In the context of her privilege, perhaps her attempts to make a real difference are more profound than they appear. In any case, the real heart of this novel, the story of Little Bee, is so deeply moving that by the end I found myself wanting to re-read the book to catch the allusions and metaphors that I know I missed. This is, in my estimation, a tremendous work of literary art.

51 > The staring out across the lake was really a highlight of the week. Slocan Lake is huge and sparsely populated and surrounded by beautiful mountains. I so enjoyed watching the occasional canoe or kayak paddle quietly by (especially when there was a dog in the canoe, clearly having the time of his/her life), and listening to the laughter and playful screeches of young adolescents on the swim raft a few dozen yards to the south of us. In the morning, especially, the lake was so quiet you could hear yourself think. Sigh. :-)

Oh, and we saw a mama bear with her cub. That was cool.

Sounds like you had a wonderful vacation, Ellen! Welcome back.

Staring across the lake sounds wonderful. And the bear and cub!

Oh yes, it all sounds wonderful and enviable. And there was you at post 38 without a place to stay! So pleased it all worked out so well.

56 > LOL. Yes, I panicked too quickly about the "no reservation." :-)

Started Close Range last night. E. Annie Proulx was born in August and this has been on my TBR pile for years. So far, I am not disappointed.

*Sigh*. Knowing how gorgeous the sights are out West, I can only imagine what staring out across water and nature must have been like, with those happy dogs wafting by quietly on the water (did you hear their panting? I can almost imagine I do...) I'll have to find some way to get out there somehow. It's just kinda hard to do when you're single like me, with no relatives to invite you and no car to get around, and being a bit of a chickenshit to go it alone (can you hear me whining? I'm not whining, I swear!)

Thanks for reminding me that Annie Proulx was born in August. I just got Brokeback Mountain from the library (the audio) and I was just wondering what to start listening to next—since I finished A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (a longish audio), I feel like lining up a few short ones and this is just perfect. I've been really good at going through a bunch of VERY short books this summer, what with kid's & YA books n' all. Sure is satisfying to inflate the numbers that way! ;-)

Sounds like you had a great vacation and we are glad you back here on LT. :)
Ooooh..I am glad you liked Little Bee so much since that was part of my recent purchases so I will look forward to reading it one day. Did you read the other novel by Chris Cleave? (The don't remember the title at the moment.)

59 > Yes, I read Incendiary earlier this year and also liked it. Not as much as Little Bee but I have a lot of admiration for Cleave's writing. He effectively peoples his books with female characters and explores their inner worlds with compassion and grit. He also explores human action and interaction in the midst of pretty extraordinary circumstances - but without it feeling contrived.

****************

Today I finished Close Range for challenge #14. It's a series of short stories, the last of which is "Brokeback Mountain" (I still think it's pretty impressive that they made a movie with depth from a short story). Proulx's prose is delicious. Here are a couple of my favorites:

From "Pair a Spurs":
"The terrain of Scope himself consisted of a big, close-cropped head, platinum-blond mustache, a ruined back from a pneumatic drill ride on the back of a sunfishing, fence-cornering, tatter-eared pinto that John Wrench, two decades earlier, had correctly bet he couldn't stay on, feet wrecked from a lifetime in tight cowboy boots, and simian arms whose wrists no shirt cuffs would ever kiss."

And from "Brokeback Mountain" (actually, the last sentence of the story and the book):
"There was some open space between what he knew and what he tried to believe, but nothing could be done about it, and if you can't fix it you've got to stand it."

There is a cruel streak running through most of Proulx's male characters and the women are victims and survivors of life (and of their men's cruelty) with not a little toughness and backbone. I think "Brokeback Mountain" is an amazing short piece. In just 30 pages, we witness Ennis (and, to a lesser degree, Jack) evolve in complicated and believable directions.

A couple of the stories left me too frequently looking ahead to see how many pages I had to go until I could move on to the next one, but all in all, I'd say this is a fine collection of stories about rodeo riders, cowboys, men, women, and the human desire to be both free and connected. That dual-edged desire, depicted from within the rough ethos of the rodeo culture, comes through as amazingly intact.

Nice review of Close Range, Ellen!

I read Little Bee in March and really enjoyed it. Disturbing and graphic in parts but it really stays with you and makes you think.

Hi Ellen! Glad you had such a wondrerful vacation. Here I am , virtually a life long Vancouverite, and here I am not sure where Slocan Lake is.. I'll have to look it up. Sounds like you had a wonderful time!

I hope you enjoy Lullabies for Little Criminals as much as I did. I did find it a bit jarring, but definitely worth the read and very insightful. I've not been able to get myself to read The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie or any in that series. I have felt badly about that, because they seem to be so well liked here on LT -and in real life. I think I find them just to fantastical/YA - I'm not sure. Glad I'm not the only one on LT that feels that Sweetness is not for them.

Eventually I hope to read Little Bee. Thanks for the great review!

It's my birthday today and I'm not sure I'll get to read at all. Work, dinner, show (Les Mis) --- not bad for a birthday girl. I'm making progress through Just Kids and not sure what I think or how I feel about it yet.

Happy Birthday Ellen, sounds like it's going to be a fun one.

Happy Birthday, Ellen! I think I would give up reading for the day if I was going to see Les Miserables too.

Happy Belated Birthday Ellen! Sounds like you had a fantastic celebration lined up. :)

I finally finished The Children's Book and in short, it just wasn't my cup of tea but I look forward to seeing what you think of it.

Hi Ellen, I just read about your wonderful vacation on Slocan Lake here in B.C. I have a brother & sister-in-law who retired to Silverton, a tiny town on Slocan Lake. They spent last summer there and then got out for the winter and returned there in June. My husband and I are thinking of a small road trip up that way next month.

68> Silverton is exactly where we stayed! I can easily imagine wanting to retire there; it's truly special. I encourage you and your husband to check it out if you can.

Meanwhile, summer has finally arrived in Seattle so I went for a run in the sun this morning, am happily hanging laundry on the line, doing some gardening..... I'm enjoying Just Kids but the need to be outside (quick! before autumn arrives!) is definitely slowing down my progress on September reads. :-)

Hi Ellen!Thanks for stopping by my thread. Ah - summer has arrived in Seattle too! I think today was the warmest day that we've had in Vancouver all year summer! Almost too hot for me....Although I don't relish thoughts of autumn -I'm glad tha the days are shorter so it's not so hot at night. Mind you I would take a long day all year round very happily.

Completed Just Kids by Patti Smith this morning. I found it a less compelling read than so many others seem to have; I found myself thinking "National Book Award? Really?" But, when I finished it, I was much more deeply touched by the overall narrative than I had realized along the way.

It's the story of Patti's friendship with Robert Mapplethorpe through the 60s and 70s in NYC. I was distracted and annoyed by the constant references to famous or influential people they met along the way. So often she would write something like "this is where we met so-and-so who encouraged me to draw (or write songs, or whatever)..." and the person might or might not ever appear again. Once I shifted away from looking for "plot" and recognizing this as a memoir and a tribute to the life and work of Mapplethorpe and their deep and miraculous friendship, those frequent references flowed more effectively. Smith's prose became more poetic in the last several pages, as she described her experience of witnessing Robert's untimely death. I ended up feeling like she had shared a thread of her life that was, for her, profound. She's not trying to provide a commentary on life, art, the Beat generation, or anything else. She's just telling the story of her friendship with a controversial and brilliant artist. Taken as that, it ends up being a gift. 3.5 stars.

***************************

Prudence has come down with a miserable summer cold so we've canceled plans to attend a concert this evening and I'm covering the various weekend chores yet to be wrapped up before the work week. I'm sitting here with both The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga and Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh next to me. I'd like to start both of them, but reading two books at once is not my usual custom.

Just Kids sounds interesting Ellen. I haven't decided yet whether it's a book I'm interested in reading or not, though I'm curious to read about the artist life, I guess. I think if I do go with this book, I'll opt for the audio version narrated by Patti Smith herself.

I LOVED The White Tiger when I read it a few years back, so much so that I bought it again for an eventual re-read. Sea of Poppies, I purchased a couple of years ago mostly because of the cover, and I DO want to read it, but the size intimidates me. Can't wait to hear what you have to say about both.

I just posted a little challenge thingy on my thread that I'd love if you participated in. It actually involves picking books for me... you'll see.

Woo hoo! Just got email that Case Histories is ready for me to pick up at the library. I don't care whether it fits any challenges - I'm picking it up some evening this week and (as soon as I finish my current read) diving in. Jackson Brodie, here I come! :-)

Happy Belated Birthday, Ellen!

Thanks for your thoughts on Just Kids. I've been considering that one for a while. It's on my wishlist but not top of my wishlist!

I completed The White Tiger tonight and wrote a somewhat disjointed review of it. I think it's one of those books about which I'm not sure how I feel until a day or two later. I'll be interested to see if and how it sticks with me. It's an interesting study in oppression and the effects on a "servant's" humanity in trying to rise up against an oppressive, enslaving society. I find myself reflecting on the complexity of the multiple oppressions that Adiga explores -- the ways in which those who are oppressed try to find someone else to oppress..... An interesting, engaging, and fast-paced novel. I gave it four stars, but only after considerable thought.

Books Completed in 2011:

1. What is the What -- Dave Eggers
2. The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America -- Timothy Egan
3. Black Bodies and Quantum Cats: Tales from the Annals of Physics -- Jennifer Ouellette
4. The Muse Asylum -- David Czuchlewski
5. Savages -- Don Winslow
6. Incendiary by Chris Cleave
7. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
8. The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna
9. Out Stealing Horses by Per Petersen
10. Black Water Rising by Attica Locke
11. Regeneration by Pat Barker
12. Fool by Christopher Moore
13. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
14. The Enemy by Lee Child
15. Kingdom of Shadows by Alan Furst
16. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
17. Property by Valerie Martin
18. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
19. In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar
20. Kings of the Earth by Jon Clinch
21. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
22. The Deep Blue Good-by by John D. MacDonald
23. The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow
24. How to Read Novels Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster
25. Push by Sapphire
26. City of Bones by Michael Connelly
27. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
28. Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson
29. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
30. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
31. The Rabbi's Cat by Joann Sfar
32. Fresh Tracks by Georgia Beers (ugh)
33. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (wow!)
34. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
35. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
36. The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton
37. The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths
38. Annabel by Kathleen Winter
39. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
40. I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman
41. Emma by Jane Austen
42. lullabies for little criminals by Heather O'Neil
43. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
44. Little Bee by Chris Cleave
45. Close Range by Annie Proulx
46. Just Kids by Patti Smith
47. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
48.

will I make it to 75??

Oh yes, I am confident that you willl make it to 75 books!As the appointed Prez of the Jackson Brodie Fan Club, may I congragulate you on nearly procuring Case Histories. I'm certain that like the rest of us JBFC, you will love the book... at least I hope so:)

I actually just read your review onWhite Tiger which got a thumb up from me. I really enjoyed White Tiger just like you, and I felt I learned a bit more about life in India -but like you -how much truth there that fiction - who can say. It's a Booker Prize Winner from a few years ago( I'm pretty sure... )- so you have read some well regared literature at the same time.

I"m trying to read several books from the 2011 Booker Long List- with some success! Have a great day!

Wow, you've done a lot of great reading this year so far. I've read the first two books in the Regeneration Trilogy and am hoping to read the last one, The Ghost Road in September.

I loved your review of White Tiger and thumbed it. For some reason, seems I wasn't writing up proper reviews yet when I read it in 2008, but I was prompted to give it a 5 star rating, which is highly unusual for me. I also got another copy of it for a re-read (had sent the first copy to my mum in France).

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter was a life-changing book for me when I read it at the tender age of 21 or so. The fact that it came from a writer who wasn't much older than me when she wrote it made it that much more impactful too. I've got another copy of that one also awaiting a re-read on my shelves. I think I'll have a re-read category in my 12/12 challenge next year, since there are quite a few books that I really want to revisit.

I could go on commenting on a bunch of other books, but will keep it relatively short for now.

Even if you don't make the 75 mark Ellen, as long as you can say you've read some great books and met some fun people along the way, I'd say that's an even better achievement. :)

77 & 78 > Thanks for the thumbs! I think they may be my first. :-)

79 > Hear, hear! I so completely agree!

Not reading tonight. Just listening to Adele, drinking red wine, missing my Edgar. God it hurts so much. I miss him so much I can hardly explain it, but it certainly means I can't concentrate on reading. I suppose the tears are therapeutic, but I hope tomorrow is a better day.

I still need to get to The White Tiger one of these days. . .

Sorry to hear you are having a rough night, Ellen. I hope tomorrow is better.

Aw, I completely understand that you're still going through a hard time with the loss of Edgar. I was actually thinking about you and him the other day, wondering how you were doing with that. I'm sure you'll never stop missing him, but it will get easier over time.

Congrats on making it onto the hot reviews by the way!

*Hugs* Ellen. I hope you feel better soon!

83> Hot reviews?
eta: oh, 'cause i show up under "hot topics"? How cool is that (heh heh) --

Feeling better today, reading friends. I'm not sure why last night was so tough; I guess those times will still come and go. Edgar was always on my lap when I was reading.

Hot Reviews: a feature you should find on your home page. If it isn't there, then you can select the option "customize this page" which appears right next to your user name on the home page. I always have the maximum number of reviews showing (10) so that even those who've just gotten a couple of thumbs usually show up.

Thanks, Ilana! Now I'm rearranging my homepage. :-)

In reading news, I did start Sea of Poppies yesterday despite my episode of serious blues. I'm not far into it but read some more this morning while waiting for the furnace guy to show up, and so far I'm liking it a lot. I'm going wine-tasting in eastern Washington with friends this weekend, so I'm not sure how quickly I'll be able to work my way through it.
August 31 is looming large..... :-/

Meh. I never meet my reading 'goals' since they're always so unrealistic anyhow. I thing I do it on purpose to make them impossible to reach so that in effect, I don't have to worry about goals, which of course doesn't make much sense, but there you have it.

I went and rearranged my page too after I checked mine out so I could tell you how to find the hot reviews. I keep forgetting how much we can adapt it. I decided a little bit was was more for me, since I don't read half the stuff that's on there anyway.

eta: glad you're enjoying Sea of Poppies. I'll be looking forward to your review since it's been on my tbr for quite a while now.

since I don't read half the stuff that's on there anyway So true! Nice to be able to customize it.

I rarely visit my home page at all - I just generally head straight to this group's page :)

Oh, big hugs, Ellen. I hope you are feeling a little better soon. Take care.

I completed seven books for the TIOLI challenge in August:

#1. The White Tiger
#5. Little Bee
#8. Emma
#14. Close Range
#15. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
#16. Just Kids
#22. lullabies for little criminals

Thumb up for your great review of The White Tiger . I just loved that book when I read it a couple of years ago. Ohh and Lullabies for Little Criminals is also a favourite of mine! I see that you are reading A Sea Of Poppies which I hope to read eventually too!

Congragulations on completing seven books for the TIOLI challege in August!!

I've been busy reading Long Listed Bookers... I think I've finished 4 or 5 of them now.

And I have the following books "planned" for the September TIOLI challenges:

#1. Jamrach's Menagerie by Carol Birch (but I reserve the right to change this if I find another that fits the challenge)

#1. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

#2. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

#6. Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh (currently reading)

#6. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

#7. Awakening by S.J. Bolton

#10. Swamplandia! by Karen Russell

#12. The Good Earth by Pearl Buck

I may add The Submission by Amy Waldman for challenge #11 and either The Good Earth or Pearl of China by Anchee Min for challenge #12 ---- depending on time and acquisition. :-)

Edited to add two books to the list!

You should definitely read The Good Earth before Pearl of China if you haven't read anything by Pearl S. Buck yet. In fact, that book had been sitting on my shelves for quite some time, and finally what got me reading it was receiving Anchee Min's book via ER, so I'll be reading that one next.

Purchased a copy of Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro today (along with several other new paperbacks, including The Good Earth) and have added it to challenge # 1 for September.

Another Thumb for The White Tiger review from me. I've picked that one up and put it down again in the past but I think next time, I'll pick it up and buy it!

I found Never Let Me Go very moving.

Thanks for visiting my thread, Ellen!! I always appreciate that! Well, it looks like you've got your September well planned out. I see that you are planning to join the Jackson Brodie Fan Club -, that is when you get to reading the Case Histories . The Crown of the President of the JBFC was passed to me when I went on 4 book read of books by Kate Atkinson after enjoying Case Histories so much!! ;)

I'l be most curious to see what you think of Jamrach's Menagerie if you choose to read it. I've read about 4 of the longlisted Bookers, but that one is not one that I am planning to read - at least so far...Of course I respect your choice to change your mind.

I did add two books to my planned reads for September (93 above). Of course, it's now September and things start really picking up at work as we head toward the start of fall quarter, but I'm going to try to get through most of these.

And I have the following books "planned" for the September TIOLI challenges:

#1. (opening sentence five words or less): Jamrach's Menagerie by Carol Birch

#1. (opening sentence fiver words or less): Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

#2. (Jewish main character): People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

#6. (primary colors): Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh (currently reading)

#6. (primary colors): Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

#7. (nine letters in title): Awakening by S.J. Bolton

#10. (state of my birth): Swamplandia! by Karen Russell

#12. (Mid-Autumn or Equinox): The Good Earth by Pearl Buck

I think this is a reasonably realistic list for me for the month of September. Of course, I also get tempted by shared reads or just books I find (and buy) that fit one of the challenges....

>94 EBT1002:: Ellen, that's an impressive TIOLI line-up for September. I'm still exploring my options. That's my favorite thing to do when the calendar changes. Gotta love that "TIOLI rush"!

Gosh, I WISH I could limit my planned reads to just eight books. At least that more attainable than... I can't even count how many I've put on there for September. Don't know why I do that to myself month after month. So many books I just want to get to, you know? That's a great list. Half of them I've read, and the other half I'd like to read.

I'm like Ilana, I have way too many books listed on the TILOL Challenges for September, and foolish me, I am thinking of adding a couple more. Case Histories is calling to me, and it even fits my challenge, and would be a joint read with you! The other book I am thinking of adding is one I planned to read for September Series and Sequels and would also fit Morphy's challenge of reading a previously unread author. I'll probably add both and see what happens.

101> I LOVE that "TIOLI rush"!!!! LOL

102> My pattern the last few months has definitely been toward the "list everything that you want to read" and then having to take lots and lots of them off at the end of the month. I enjoy that because I like getting to choose what I'm in the mood to read right now from a longer list -- and to respond to other LTers' reactions to books..... This month's challenges sang to me a bit less strongly than in some months, and I'm already feeling the press of time. I got a "promotion" last month (read: more work, not more pay) and I'm pretty anxious about how my time is going to play out.

103> I'd love it if you joined me for Case Histories, Judy! It actually fits in a couple of the challenges and I moved it to #6 to make it a shared read. The more the merrier!

Thanks for stopping by my thread, ya'll. I don't post a lot of pictures or things, but I sure love "journaling" about my reading and a little about my life.

You did mention before, and I didn't comment, so congrats on the promotion... I think. :-)

Congratulations on the promotion, Ellen!

Saturday of Labor Day weekend done. I did get some reading time in, but I had to work the UW football game (my feet are so tired after four hours of just standing on that sideline!), so that cut into the reading time a bit. I'm very much enjoying Sea of Poppies. Tomorrow I have family obligations, but I hope to sneak in a couple of hours of reading.

I hope you have a wonderful reading Sunday, Ellen. I enjoyed Sea of Poppies and wish my local library would get the follow up book.

I hope to get to Sea of Poppies this year. Considering I got it not long after it came out and that we're now up to book 3, it might be about time. Enjoy your day and enjoy reading and whatever else you're doing.

Off topic: Adele's song "Chasing Pavements" is so touching. But what does it mean: "should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavements?" Chasing pavements? The song communicates deep heartbreak (Edgar, I miss you still) but I confess to not understanding the lyrics. Anyone?

Ellen, I really should be in bed right now, but I'm still trolling LT and couldn't resist looking up the video for Chasing Pavements (watch full-screen to avoid obnoxious banners). I think the video gives all the cues that aren't necessarily clear in the lyrics (I'm terrible at reading lyrics, never get it). But I think she's just ended a relationship that wasn't working and is wondering whether she should give up on love, or keep going...

The term "chasing pavements" means nothing to me either but Urban Dictionary has some suggestions:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=chasing%20pavements

112> Thanks for the link! Now I know about another cool website. I was interpreting/understanding the lyrics correctly but was curious about that phrase's specific origins. Next time I feel like I'm chasing my tail in circles, I'll say instead that I'm chasing pavements! :-)

I finished reading Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh tonight. I enjoyed it a great deal. Early in the first chapter, as the character of Serang Ali is being introduced through his voice and language, I thought "oh boy, this is going to be a lot of work." But the author is merciful and reverts to (my) English for the duration. This novel is set in India during the first part of the 19th century as the conflicts between European powers and China are developing - conflicts that would be the "Opium Wars." It's a story of power and privilege, race, class, gender, culture, told through the stories of a diverse group of characters who end up on the Ibis. Some are there by choice and some have been coerced, but almost none are as they appear to one another. There is tragedy, humor, and just human striving woven into the stories. The characters are rich and even the most evil among them are interesting. I think I'm giving it four stars.

Books Completed in 2011:

1. What is the What -- Dave Eggers
2. The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America -- Timothy Egan
3. Black Bodies and Quantum Cats: Tales from the Annals of Physics -- Jennifer Ouellette
4. The Muse Asylum -- David Czuchlewski
5. Savages -- Don Winslow
6. Incendiary by Chris Cleave
7. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
8. The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna
9. Out Stealing Horses by Per Petersen
10. Black Water Rising by Attica Locke
11. Regeneration by Pat Barker
12. Fool by Christopher Moore
13. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
14. The Enemy by Lee Child
15. Kingdom of Shadows by Alan Furst
16. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
17. Property by Valerie Martin
18. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
19. In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar
20. Kings of the Earth by Jon Clinch
21. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
22. The Deep Blue Good-by by John D. MacDonald
23. The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow
24. How to Read Novels Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster
25. Push by Sapphire
26. City of Bones by Michael Connelly
27. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
28. Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson
29. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
30. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
31. The Rabbi's Cat by Joann Sfar
32. Fresh Tracks by Georgia Beers (ugh)
33. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (wow!)
34. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
35. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
36. The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton
37. The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths
38. Annabel by Kathleen Winter
39. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
40. I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman
41. Emma by Jane Austen
42. lullabies for little criminals by Heather O'Neil
43. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
44. Little Bee by Chris Cleave
45. Close Range by Annie Proulx
46. Just Kids by Patti Smith
47. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
48. Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
49. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
50. The Eye in the Door by Pat Barker
51. Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman
51.

Sea of Poppies... wonder how long it'll be till I actually read it? It's been sitting on my shelf for a couple of years, but I'll get to it. Glad you gave fair warning about the beginning!

Wow!! Good for you, Ellen - 12 books planned for September! That is much more ambitious than I am! I think I average about 7 books a month -and so long as I keep that up - I should make 75 books for 2011... Knock on wood!;)

Enjoy Case Histories when you get to it, Ellen. I am the President of the Jackson Brodie Fan Club - because someone passed the crown on to me earlier in the year,when I loved Case Histories so much, that I read through all four of Kate Atkinson's books because I loved the first in the series so much!

Sea of Poppies is a book on my TBR read pile - though I've just taken it out of the library a couple of times and not gotten to it. So many books - so llittle time! ;) I hope you enjoy it!

Whew, taking some time to catch up with LT. What about reading???? :-)

Thinking about a pyramid 12-in-12 challenge (books in 12 categories in 2012, reading 1 book in category 1, 2 in category 2, 3 in 3, 4 in 4, 5 in 5, 6 in 6, 5 in 7, 4 in 8, 3 in 9, 2 in 10, 1 in 11, and 12 in 12), but not sure how I'll spread it out. Here are some categories I'm considering:

Just mysteries
Books rated 4.5 or higher by kidzdoc
Novels by Steinbeck (especially if Smiler69 sponsors a Steinbeckathon)
Social Justice related nonfiction
Classics (Can you say Anna Karenina? How about Invisible Man?)
Orange Prize nominees from past years
Man Booker Prize longlist from past years
Set in the South (U.S. South, that is)
Work-related nonfiction (this might be one of the "one" categories....)
Wildcard/TIOLI challenges

Help? This is hard to come up with 12 "categories" of books I actually want to read.....

12 in 12 sounds so intimidating! Is the pyramid structure how the 11 in 11 is operating this year? I know for a fact that there is no way I could read that many books in a year at this point but hopefully one day, those lofty goals will be achievable. :)
I like the idea that the 12 categories gives you some direction in terms of what to read and trying to fit the books into one of those headings would be fun.

Valerie,
With the pyramid scheme I'm thinking of, I'd only be reading 48 books. That's exactly how many I've read to date in 2011, so I think I can do it. So, it might look something like:

1. Work-related Nonfiction (1 book)
2. Set in the South (2 books)
3. Social Justice related nonfiction (3 books)
4. Orange Prize Nominees from past years (4 books)
5. Man Booker Prize longlist from past years (5 books)
6. Books rated 4.5 or higher by kidzdoc (6 books)
7. Mysteries (5 books)
8. Novels by John Steinbeck (4 books)
9. (3 books)
10. (2 books)
11. (1 book)
12. Books for TIOLI challenges (12 books)

I'm not sure this scheme is really going to expand or enliven my reading for 2012 so I'm still not sure about planning and structuring it this way. I may just stick with 75-in-2012 and TIOLI......

Hi Ellen, I am going for the full 12/12 next year, but I am also trying to keep my categories quite broad. I have one for Spur of the Moment Reading - books I just feel like reading for one reason or another and that don't fit other categories. I also break my categories down by genre - like mysteries, historical fiction, non-fiction etc. My problem wasn't coming up with 12 categories, it was on deciding which 12 to go with. You could also add a category for series that you are following. Good luck with your planning!

I'm keen to try the 12/12 challenge next year but I agree with the Pyramid idea, I want to have a fighting chance to achieve my goal although I get 78 books?

122> Hmmm, I'm still getting 48 books if I do it this way.....

2 X 1 = 2
2 X 2 = 4
2 X 3 = 6
2 X 4 = 8
2 X 5 = 10
1 X 6 = 6
1 X 12 = 12
2+4+6+8+10+6+12 = 48
Am I doing something wrong?

In any case, I'm still not sure this challenge is for me. But #121, I like the idea of broader genres...

I'm enjoying Case Histories so far.

I think the 12 in 12 is a pretty cool idea and I especially like your pyramid idea although I know for a fact that I would not be very good a maintaining 2 threads. I really enjoy the group here at the 75 challenge and combine that with TIOLI keeps me busy enough! :) Good luck with your goals for next year though if you go ahead with the 12 in 12.

Valerie: Yeah, I'm finding myself thinking along the same lines as you articulated. I LOVE the monthly TIOLI challenges, I love finding new reads by checking in with my LT buddies, I do love having the "read 75 books in a year" challenge. I'm not sure I want to make my reading life more complicated by adding another thread to the process..... Besides, I already spend too much time on LT reading and writing about reading rather than, well, reading!!!

Uh oh, I just checked and I have five books waiting for me at the library:
The Accident by Linwood Barclay
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
The Eye in the Door by Pat Barker
Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman and
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.

I'll pick them up this weekend and it will be interesting to see how many I can work my way through before their due-date. I'll have to see if I can fit any of them into this month's TIOLI challenges and seriously shift my September reading around.

Lol! Looks like you've got a good problem on your hands Ellen. :-)

As for the 12/12 challenge... I've been doing the 11/11 challenge and when I started, was told by several people that there are no hard fast rules, if you want to read only 1 books in each category, of 5 or... whatever you want. This year I made sure to build categories for books I knew I wanted to read, and also to encourage me to read things I tend to neglect. For example, I read a far far higher percentage of English books than French books, so I have an "En Français" category (which sure enough, is lagging behind the others). Next year I want to have a Non-Fiction category as my more challenging one, because I know it'll get me reading more non-fiction if I set it up that way. But I also make sure to have categories where just about anything will fit. I have one that is "new to me authors" another "recent acquisitions" and so on. I've more or less got 11 out of 12 categories figured out for next year, but I'm like Judy—I have lots of ideas, it's just a question of narrowing them down to those I know I want to set up for myself.

Hmmm..... I like the "new to me authors" and "recent acquisitions" categories. I've always got lots of books in both of those categories that I want to read.

I think the main thing for me is that I want to challenge myself to read a bit more non-fiction and some classics in 2012. Not sure yet what "vehicle" I'll use to make that happen but the 12-in-12 seems like a promising option. I just want to be sure I retain enough flexibility to read what I want to read. :-)

Woops, my bad. I was using my own pyramid equations to get to my total of 78!! Sorry. I was thinking of 1 book in category 1, 2 books for category 2 etc, all the way up to 12 books in category 12.

It doesn't really matter though, it is the choosing of the category's that is the really fun part!

It's always fun to be notified that you have new books waiting for you and then lugging them home knowing that you STILL have hundreds of other unread books sitting on your shelves already...fun times! :)

I went to the library and there were six books waiting for me! In addition to those listed in 126 above, I have The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer sitting on my shelf, looking at me, and chanting "I'm due back in two weeks." I don't even remember why I put this one on hold!

Well, Ellen, I can vouch for Pigeon English , though some might not like it. The Accident was a fun and quick read, if that's what you are craving. If you decide on The Invisible Bridge - I'll be intrigued by your comments. I've had my eye out for that one!

Ellen, thanks for stopping by my thread. To my great surprise, I'm finding myself most intrigued by The Handmaiden's Tale. No one is more surprised than me! I'm about 85 pages in, and I'll have to stop reading shortly as it is quite late. I'm not entirely certain of everything that is going on yet, but that is part of the intrigue. I've got a pretty good idea of what is going on - just not all of the details yet. What a wonderful surprise for me.

Finished Case Histories for TIOLI challenge #6 (primary color of cover) --- a very fun read!

As I was writing my very brief review of Case Histories, there is a small raccoon in the plum tree in our back yard. I'm resisting the temptation to run out there in my pajamas to try to scare her away!

Ohh can''t wait to read your review, Ellen! You know how I love my Jackson Brodie!;)

Case Histories by Kate Atkinson is just a fun read. Near the end, I found myself almost chuckling out loud with delight at the manner in which the story (stories) as unfolding. Not a traditional mystery -- neither police procedural nor amateur sleuth, rather PI without the hard edge -- Atkinson mixes good suspense (I wanted to know who had committed the various murders!) with interesting, amusing, and appealing characters. The stories weave into and among one another in interesting ways and Jackson Brodie (perhaps "the last good man standing") is not the only common thread. In investigating three separate murders, gets beat up and his life threatened several times, and yet the novel retains a sort of comedy of errors tone. Four enthusiastic stars.

Glad you enjoyed Case Histories so much Ellen. I'm long overdue to pick up more Kate Atkinson books. She's quite fab.

I was already tempted by the last review of Case Histories to go out and purchase my own copy and your review definitely isn't helping the whole temptation part. :)

>131 EBT1002:: Ellen, I'll vouch for The Invisible Bridge. It will probably make my Top Ten list for this year. It gives a different look at WWII through the eyes of a Jewish Hungarian man. This first part was set in Paris which is always a delight - even in war time. I hope you like it if it makes the cut. Those library books can be a blessing and a curse.

And I just realized I can read The Invisible Bridge for TIOLI challenge #2. That gives me additional incentive to get to it this month (even if I have to pay a small overdue fine...).

Hi Ellen, I also read Invisible Bridge earlier this year, and loved it. It stands a good chance to be in my Top Ten this year as well. Hope you do get to it.

Oh so glad that you enjoyed Case Histories, Ellen! I loved it too! As for my new Kindle- I expect to get it on Saturday - well, let's just say that after my cash outlay let's hope I like it! ;)I'm not entirely certain about the small screen size on these ereaders - but I've been thinking it over for more than a year -and all of sudden, the number of books laying about the house, plus the price for a new hardcover made me think -why not at least try a kindle!!! So-I'm crossing my fingers! And also the US border to pick up the Kindle on Saturday!:)

I've been so remiss, Ellen. But here now, and will follow.

Just wanted to mention that my husband recently finished Unbroken and considers it one of the best books he's ever read. On the other hand, I really disliked Ender's Game. I'll be looing forward to your opinion on both.

142> Judy, I wonder if your comments about The Invisible Bridge were what inspired me to put that on hold. This frequently happens to me: I get a book from the library that has been on hold for weeks (or, in some cases, months!) and have no idea where I read or heard about it. Sometimes it turns out well and in other cases not so much. Orringer's book looks really interesting, so I'm looking forward to it.

143> Deb, it kind of amuses me that you have to (or are you choosing to) cross the border to pick up your Kindle. You mention the cost of hardcover books -- I never buy a book in hardcover (though I enjoy getting them from the library). Part of that, for me, is the extra weight since carrying a book to read on the bus to and from work is a necessity.

144> Gail, no worries. I am learning that I simply can't visit everyone's thread and comment every time, etc. But, I'm glad you stopped by. I'll be interested in my own reaction to Ender's Game. It's very much outside my usual genres, but so many folks on LT gave it rave reviews..... I figure I get to use my Nancy Pearl "rule" ---- I have to read 100-minus-my-current-age pages before abandoning any book. So, Orson Scott Card has 49 pages to reel me in. :-)

Well, work is indeed heating up and I'm finding myself looking for little spaces in my life into which I can squeeze some reading. I'm enjoying The Eye in the Door but it's slow going with my current schedule. Thank goodness for time on the bus to and from work.

I'm thinking about trying my first-ever audiobook, thinking I can listen while I exercise, garden, or do things around the house that just need doing and take up time. I'm having difficulty getting either exercise or reading into my life as much as I want. Maybe I can combine them? I think I might start with a mystery on audiobook, maybe Whose Body?. Or ---- other recommendations, anyone?

I'm also considering the occasional audiobook (I've never listened to one before.) I was thinking I'd keep it to popular, not-wildly-challenging-but still-worthwhile, contemporary, political non-fiction (such as Barbara Ehrenreich and Thomas Frank books). Also, maybe rereads (re-listens?) of classics. That's my plan, anyway. They are so expensive though, so I definitely wouldn't purchase any. My library allows patrons to download audiobooks, so I would go that route.

>147 DorsVenabili: Hmm, I like your thinking. I think I'll see what my library has to offer.

You might try some short stuff first, just to get in the groove...I'm still learing to enjoy them, but am making progress now.

Ellen, I'm such a sucker for new books that I'll grab a hardcover quite often!!$$$$$! We are only about 30 minutes from a small border crossing where lineups are not an issue. That said - a few of my Canadian buddies here on LT have told me that the Kindle is available at Walmart and Office Depot right here in Canada! I had not known. Gasp!

I've never listened to an audio book either. I keep telling myself that I should try one. I kind of know I'm not an auditory person - when I listen to a lecture I always take notes, even if I throw them away right away afterwards.

That said - apparently my kindle has a primitive capacity to read audiobooks. Who knows what the future may bring.....

>149 Matke:, 150 Gail and Deb, thanks for stopping by! I put the audiobook Whose Body? on hold at the library today and printed the instructions for downloading it to my iPod once it becomes available (I'm asking myself "how does this work???"). A whole new "reading" adventure! Deb, when we crossed into BC last month, we went through Danville/Carson on our way north and Osoyoos on our way back into the states. I love those little border towns.

***********

I finished Pat Barker's The Eye in the Door tonight. It's the second in the Regeneration series. Rivers, a psychologist, is one of the main characters and I find him quite appealing. He is true to his values but the reader gets to witness some of his ethical dilemmas, particularly regarding his duty to return men to battle if at all possible and the boundaries of his personal feelings for some of the men whom he treats. Prior is a soldier, a homosexual (I use that word purposefully because of the era in which the story is set), and a spy for the Ministry of Munitions. He experiences a severe dissociative disorder following a traumatic battle experience. The issue of conscientious objection to the war is handled head-on but without unnecessary moralizing. In fact, Barker explores a number of complex issues without much narration. Her characters' experiences are fully the avenue for the exploration. I don't think she once uses the kind of narrator soliloquy often imbedded within novels. It's just the characters: their thoughts as well as their actions, but not much in the way of long-winded philosophical musings. I gave it 3.5 stars but the more I think about it, the more I think it might deserve four......

Hi Ellen, one of my favourite audiobook experiences this year so far has been The Help. It's a great book and an outstanding audio production with three narrators who are very convincing in their roles. The Graveyard Book is amazing in terms of story and narration, both of which Neil Gaiman excels at. I also LOVED Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day both for the story and great narration by Frances McDormand, who plays the role in the movie version. If you'd rather start with something shorter (I also strongly recommend starting that way, which is what I did myself), you could go with Animal Farm brilliantly narrated by Ralph Cosham, or shortel still Brokeback Mountain with another favourite narrator of mine, Campbell Scott, or shorter yet still—at six minutes—with Go the F**k to Sleep hilariously narrated by Samuel L. Jackson.

I don't try to push Audible.com on anyone, and definitely recommend you try borrowing audios as much as possible, which I do too, but when I tried them out after Kerry mentioned them to me, they had a 3 month membership tryout at $7.50/month (probably still do), for which you get a credit valid for most of their audiobooks—worth it for all those titles worth $25 and up, and great rebates on their whole collection. They also have frequent sales, which is how I my audio collection absolutely mushroomed in no time at all. But if you'd rather not join, you can still get Go the F**k to Sleep for just $1.95 ($1.36 for members!) and FYI, they're having a great $4.95 sale on a selection of over 200 titles right now until Sept. 20th—I'll probably be getting another half dozen titles through that, including Maisie Dobbs, To Say Nothing of the Dog and The History of Love, to name just those. If anything, it's worth logging on to Audible to just sample audios for free, like those offered by your library before your borrow them, so you can get a feel for the narrator, which is what I always do. A narrator who doesn't work for you is a sure way to ruin a book, so avoid at all cost.

I'm not a specialist as just got started with audios just this January, but considering I've listened to 65 of them so far and have more than double that in my collection... I consider myself relatively knowledgeable, so don't be shy if you have questions.

I was busily typing up my long spiel up there when you were posting the above message. I read the two first books in the Regeneration Trilogy this year and while I went nuts over book 1 (gave it 5 stars) wasn't so enamoured with Eye in the Door, relatively speaking, though I still gave it four stars. Glad you enjoyed it too and enjoyed your review. I too love Rivers and was quite fond of Siegfried Sassoon, much less so of Billy Prior, which might be part of why I wasn't as hot on the second book. Was hoping to finish the trilogy this month with Ghost Road, which did win the Booker Prize, but we'll see if I can fit it in, as I'll already have to return a bunch of books to the library unread to fit in a few of this year's Booker Prize favourites before the prize is announced.

>152 Smiler69: One of my colleagues at work is an audible.com "addict" and I've been thinking about exploring it. I really appreciate your recommendations for some short ones to try. I read The Help the old-fashioned way about a year ago (I liked it --- and found it very interesting to talk with a couple of African-American women friends about their reactions to it), but some of the others you mention have been on my radar but not yet consumed. Thanks, especially, for mentioning some narrators to watch for (that's the kind of thing it seems could make a real difference).

Okay, off to read pigeon english and explore audible.com! :-)

Ilana, I want to try to fit Ghost Road in before the end of the year. I let 8 months go by between the first two in the series and I think that was too long.

I'll look forward to your comments on Pigeon English. And yes, eight months IS too long. I'll try to get to it next month at the latest. This year FOR SURE.

About one third through Pigeon English. This book is quickly heading for about two stars....

Oy. I'm wanting to read that one less and less...

Actually, now that I'm halfway through, I think its rating is going up quite nicely. It may be my own mood and the reading I've done in recent months, but I'm feeling a bit tired of adolescent narrator/protagonists. This view into the life and mind of a small boy, an immigrant from Ghana who is living in the projects (?) of London, is quite poignant and entertaining. I just want to be sure the next novel I read is from an adult perspective.

Hi Ellen! Thanks for stopping by my thread. I really loved Pigeon English though initially I struggled a little with the slang . Next thing I knew I was ready to speak Brit/Ghanian slang to my family!;)

I so understand needing just a book that you can lose yourself in. I very much hope you enjoy your next book from an adult perspective. Make sure it's not The Cat's Table which is largely from the viewpoint of an 11 year old - though it jumps around a little. Yes, I hear you!!!!hugs!:)

Just making a note to myself that 114 is where my list is imbedded.

Just dropping by Ellen. :)

I haven't listened to many audible books and mostly I find that I have a hard concentrating on the story if I'm not reading it although it has been great to have it on when I'm going for walks with my little guy.

Hi doll... running out of steam tonight, but wanted to at least say hello and I'm thinking of you.

Although I should be upset with you! How could you NOT tell me about the 12/12 challenge being up all this time???

Not upset, no worries, though I was shocked when I realized I had overlooked it. Found out about it when Donna posted about it today on her thread. Though for all I know you HAD posted about it and I didn't pick up on it. I get distracted like that all the time. It's a wonder I can figure out what's going on when I read a novel because I keep missing bits and pieces all over the place! I'd better get those categories straightened out, and soon, because I like the idea of starting on 12/12. Most of my 11/11 will be done by then.

I don't know about Pigeon English. Not all that tempted for some reason. Which is ok, because it frees me up for another book I wouldn't have time for otherwise, right?

Hugs!

Hi Valerie and Ilana! I know both of you are planning to do a 12/12 challenge (and I agree that the idea of starting on 12/12 is appealing and I didn't do an 11/11, having only discovered LT in January of 2011, so I'll be "free" to start). I really want to do this challenge but I do seem to be having a hard time coming up with 12 categories. I still have some time to think about it, though. I may borrow your "12" category, Valerie.

Ilana, Pigeon English ended up being a "good read" for me but it's not one about which I'd say "go read it!" There are many other books for which I'd give more enthusiastic nudges. :-)

******************
I'm finding the audiobook Whose Body? to be a good choice for my bus commute. Still, this evening I had a bit of an adventure. I was all settled in on my #48 bus, listening happily, when it became clear that a fight was about to break out on the bus. I could hear the young woman in the aisle yelling obscenities; I finally took out my earbuds and realized she was yelling at the bus driver! And I do mean yelling. The driver invited folks to get off at 23rd and Union if they wanted, because she had called the police and wasn't moving until they arrived. Of course, several of us got off to catch the next 48 that happened to be just a half-block behind, but so did the driver-abusing woman. So, the first 48 takes off and I end up on a standing-room-only bus with a first-year law student who recognized me from a presentation I did yesterday. He was very pleasant and chatty, and I don't mind standing, but I never did get my earbuds back in. So much for a leisurely ride home with Lord Peter!!

Mmmm...12/12 Challenge! Never even thought about it till last night. Not sure what I want to do with it, but something. Glad to see it referenced here so I could then ferret it out. I skipped the 11/11 Challenge as well; not sure why, perhaps my 999 Challenge was such a massive fail and I didn't care at all may have held me back...but if I could design my own...I like to read books in groups about similar subjects and haven't been doing that as of late...oops.

Sorry for the rambling thread take-over, Ellen.

Public transportation sounds a bit problematical where you live, no?

Quite the adventure on Public Transport for you. I hope that's a rarity! As for audio books - I've not listened to one yet - and every time I borrow one from the library - I find that I never listen to it. However, I don't have the commute that you do. I think I might tend to be more visually oriented than auditory oriented. Anytime I listen to a lecture, speech etc I always make notes, just so I can follow along properly - even if I just throw away my notes afterwards.

I'm also considering the 12/12 challenge, having shied away from it for the past few years probably from a fear of over-commitment. I think what I like is that it will push me to read a bit more out of my comfort zone which is always a good thing. Looking forward to the review of Pigeon English, I enjoy the updates on the book, a 2 star bu now you're getting into it more. Sounds like what I'm feeling while reading The Tiger's Wife at the moment.

I've lurked here countless times since you left that message Ellen and for some reason can't comment because there's too much I want to say and I keep getting tongue-tied.

I have yet to finalize my 12/12 categories and start a thread, but what I made sure to do this year with the 11/11 (my first experience with that challenge) was to have a mix of categories that are easy to fill because I know I'll be reading those sorts of books anyway (like mysteries and classics), and a few categories that are a bit more challenging to get me reading in a direction I tend to resist but still want to explore. For instance, I don't read enough non-fiction, so it's a sure bet I'll have that as a category. I could go on and on, I've had this 12/12 on my mind far too long and now my biggest issue is: do I like the categories I've come up with? Shouldn't I be more creative about them? And how am I going to present them in an original way with so many people doing quotes and songs and themes and whatnot... and what if I just want to keep the ones I've got already? and and and... ARGH!

Your bus adventure sounds pretty incredible. Funny about not being able to listen to the audio finally. :-)

Hi Ellen, I finally started Case Histories and I am loving it. Can't believe I've had this book sitting on my shelves for a couple of years!

Ohh just chiming in to say I shy away from the 12/12 category. I'm an undisciplined reader ( sort of ) and I just like to read the book that draws me in. That said, I do read the " Prizes" quite avidly. I've joined in the Orange Prize Read, the Man Booker Read and now I'm plowing through some Gillers - about 6 in all. That keeps me from getting stuck in a rut - or at least it gets me reading out of my usual genres. LT is very good at getting all of us to read outside our comfort zone I find. Very good for the booksellers, if you are like me!;)

Gail, that hardly constitutes a "rambling thread take-over"! I enjoy hearing how other people think about and approach (or avoid) the 12/12 and its predecessors. I may land in the same spot as Deb and Leonie, and just avoid creating that much structure (and pressure) around my reading for the coming year. My life is pressured enough without adding more to it (although another part of me loves the idea of creating a mix of categories that I'll easily complete and a few categories that nudge me out of my comfort zone). Ahhhh, the joy of ambivalence.

Regarding bus travel, usually it's one of my favorite things about living in the city. I don't have to attend to the traffic; I can just read or listen to something (music, now books), people-watch, and either gear-up for or gear-down from my day. Last Thursday was (thankfully) an anomaly.

Judy, I'm glad you're enjoying Case Histories. I felt the same as you --- what took me so long to try this author??? Oh well, the upside is that we still have most of her works to look forward to!

Ilana, my dear, it's hard to imagine you tongue-tied. I look forward to seeing what your 12/12 categories end up being and witnessing your amazing progress through a large number of books. I'm actively working on reading faster --- having done a bit of "research" (is it research if you just looked some stuff up on the internet?) about some habits that typically lead to slower reading (in my case, a bit of compulsiveness to read and thoroughly comprehend every single sentence along with an unconscious habit of subvocalizing). I hope to become "speedier" like you in 2012. Oh, and feel free to lurk. You know I love exchanging comments with you but I understand the need to just lurk sometimes.

More about my hiking and one-night camping trip, along with some comments about my two current reads after some dinner! One comment for now: I have too many bug bites! Ugh!

Partially off topic.

I took Friday off from work and we got lucky to have a magnificent day here in the Seattle area. Got up early, packed the car, and headed to Mowich Lake in the northwest corner of Mt. Rainier National Park. The campground was completely empty so we chose a site (this was a weird campground, kind of parking lot-like but surprisingly pretty), pitched the tent, put on our boots, and headed for the lookout on the top of Tolmie Peak. It was about 3.5+ miles one way, the last 0.9 miles being quite steep. And it was stunningly beautiful. Eunice Lake along the way was one of the most beautiful alpine lakes I've ever seen, and the views from the lookout were amazing. The bugs along the trail were pretty intense, but on top of Tolmie Peak there was a nice, cooling, and bug-clearing breeze. I could have sat there for hours. I spotted a mountain goat on a slope of Mt. Rainier (really, through the binoculars, just a fuzzy little yellowish spot with what appeared to be legs --- and moving, which was the clincher) and there were a few fields full of blooming lupine and some unidentified yellow flowers...... It was a really special hike.

We turned in early since we couldn't have a campfire and I was happily reading The Invisible Bridge in my sleeping bag (yay for headlamps!), almost no one else in the campground..... it was so peaceful..... then a troop of boy scouts arrived. I listened to them setting up several tents in the dark. Lots of 9-11-year-old boy energy. Whew. They quieted down pretty quickly but awoke us with their talk at 6am. Oh well, it's good that they're getting out of the city and experiencing nature.

Overall, it was a wonderful one-night camping trip even with the many mosquitoes and flies (and my much-bitten body now) and I got re-involved in the plot of The Invisible Bridge. It's an engaging story, but the prose is fairly mundane. Still, initially set in Paris in 1937-39 with a young Jewish architecture student at the center of the story, it's got some depth and complexity to it. Genre-wise, I think it's primarily a romance, but it's more than that, too.....

Yesterday, I picked up three new books which were on hold at the library. I'm now officially swamped with too many books and too little time before they are due.

The current library stack:
The Accident by Linwood Barclay
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Faithful Place by Tana French
The Grace of Silence by Michele Norris and
Touch by Alexi Zentner

So, I'd better get back to my reading!

Ohh I'm nearly finished Touch and it's a beautiful and tragic, magical read that I am loving! I'm planning to review it in the next day or so, but it will be a challenge for me!

I enjoyed The Accident in a completely different way. Great page turner of a mystery! Sounds like you got quite the haul from the library!

What a wonderful camping trip - other than perhaps the boy scouts intrusion. I've never been up to Mount Rainer, but I am close enough to appreciate what you write about it. Beautiful!

Yes, if you've looked it up, on the internet it's research is what I say. What other way is there to gather information nowadays anyway? Lol. I have exactly the same issues as you with my reading. Plus, I think I'm a little bit dense, because it takes me a while to take things in, so I sometimes have to read and re-read the same sentences a few time, or sometimes go back on entire paragraphs because further on I realize I've missed something. *Sigh*

Maybe that's why I enjoy audiobooks so much, seems easier to take in when I'm being read to. I swear sometimes I think I must be retarded. If only I had some genius at something, I might consider myself and idiot savant, but no. ;-)

Your camping excursion sounds lovely. Mosquito bites less so. Those little buggers just LOVE my blood, and I'm allergic to them so I get these HUGE welts when they bite me. Not pretty. All the same, I'm sure it was well worth it.

About being tongue-tied, it does happen quite a lot actually. If (when?) we eventually speak to each other vocally, you'll probably be surprised by how hard I find it to express myself orally. I keep forgetting words and interrupting myself mid-sentence to try to remember it, or think of the word in French when speaking English and vice-versa... it's a mess. Considering how much reading I do, I also have a very poor vocabulary when I speak, because unlike here on the computer, I can't keep looking up words and synonyms or use a spell-check! Lol.

I should get off the computer, have a bunch of things to do—making Borscht and loads and loads of laundry to fold—and oh yes, wouldn't mind reading too. Am on The Sense of an Ending right now... not sure how I feel about it, will have to finish it before I decide. An for brain candy, also reading A Clash of Kings, the 2nd book of the Game of Thrones series.

Have a good week and take good care my dear.

Ilana, I'll look forward to your final verdict on The Sense of an Ending. I've been really looking forward to it based on Darryl's comments; it will be a few weeks before I can get it here in the states.

brain candy = one of my favorite things on earth. :-)

Hugs to you and Coco (and the felines, whose names I'm not immediately recalling, horror of horrors!).

The felines are Ezra (grey tabby) and Mimi (b&w, seen in my living room photo). I'll forgive you for forgetting their names since I don't bring them up very often, if ever.

Lovely camping trip although mosquito bites are not so good - I'm another one who has sweet juicy tasting blood and the critters just love it. You've got so many good books on the go at the moment, I'm finding that over the last few months I can no longer read multiple reads and stay on top of the different plots. Back to one book at a time for me, for a while at least.

Leonie, I have always been a one-book-at-a-time reader. Reading one and listening to another is a first for me. Sort of working, sort of not. It's only working because the audiobook is a fairly light mystery. I'm sure I'm not catching all of it.

(((Ezra))) and (((Mimi))) ------ I'm actually more a cat-person than dog-person (although generally any animal is better than any human), but Coco has captured my heart, so also: (((Coco)))

Hi Ellen. I too am one of those who can handle just one book at time. Bravo to you for trying an audiobook and a book all at once. I hope it goes well.

Ah, oh, I am more of a dog person... we have a small dog named Daisy - a bichon friese rescue -and prior to that, a Border Terrier named Geordie. That said, my sister has the most playful, interactive and bossy cat named Harriet. Harriet is great fun!

I had cats growing up which I loved but we have the dog now and he fits into our lifestyle so well, I'm not sure we could work around a cat with our habit of taking off for long weekends. The dog can come most places with us and he's very laid back and loves the car. Having said that though, we took our cat on a weeks camping trip when I was 10 and that went really well.

I'm sure all three of the kids appreciate the hugs Ellen.

>180 KiwiNyx: we took our cat on a weeks camping trip when I was 10 and that went really well.
I can't even imagine taking Abby on a camping trip! Your cats were pretty amiable, it seems. I did have a friend many years ago who took her pet rabbit on a camping trip with us. She would let the bunny wander around the campsite on a leash, putting her away when there was any risk that a raptor or other animal might be able to get to her. It was pretty funny.

I received a message that I've won my first "Early Reviewers" book: Bound by Antonya Nelson. If it arrives soon, I'll read it for my October TIOLI challenge.

I hope to finish both Whose Body? and The Invisible Bridge today/tonight. Then I can start in on my October reads!

Congrats on your first ER win Ellen!

182 - it may have helped that she had three 2 day old kittens and so it was a safe bet that she wasn't going to wander off. She did used to follow me to school though and I'd often have to walk her back home again. She was a sweet animal - Maggie.

Ohh congratulations on your first Early Reviewers win! That's so exciting! I won a book in August, but I've yet to receive it. I can't quite remember the title , but it was a memoir of daughter and her mother who suffers with Dementia. I'm so looking forward to it!

I was so surprised to win a second book today - A Small Furry Prayer - a book about animal rescue.

It's exciting! I just hope my books will soon hit the mailbox!:) I understand it's not unusual for them to take up to 60 days..

Hi Ellen, your camping trip sounds lovely. We had very warm weather when we were in Jasper so we pulled into a picnic site, set up our chairs and enjoyed nature. Of course I actually mostly read, so Jasper Park will always bring back memories of reading Case Histories.

Books Completed in 2011: (My numbers weren't adding up, so I went back and did some checking. I've added Moonlight Mile and In the Woods, having read them last spring before I was tracking my books very carefully. I don't know the exact date or order for them, so I just added them to the end of the list rather than arbitrarily add them earlier and have to renumber the whole list).

1. What is the What -- Dave Eggers
2. The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America -- Timothy Egan
3. Black Bodies and Quantum Cats: Tales from the Annals of Physics -- Jennifer Ouellette
4. The Muse Asylum -- David Czuchlewski
5. Savages -- Don Winslow
6. Incendiary by Chris Cleave
7. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
8. The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna
9. Out Stealing Horses by Per Petersen
10. Black Water Rising by Attica Locke
11. Regeneration by Pat Barker
12. Fool by Christopher Moore
13. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
14. The Enemy by Lee Child
15. Kingdom of Shadows by Alan Furst
16. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
17. Property by Valerie Martin
18. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
19. In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar
20. Kings of the Earth by Jon Clinch
21. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
22. The Deep Blue Good-by by John D. MacDonald
23. The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow
24. How to Read Novels Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster
25. Push by Sapphire
26. City of Bones by Michael Connelly
27. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
28. Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson
29. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
30. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
31. The Rabbi's Cat by Joann Sfar
32. Fresh Tracks by Georgia Beers (ugh)
33. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (wow!)
34. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
35. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
36. The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton
37. The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths
38. Annabel by Kathleen Winter
39. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
40. I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman
41. Emma by Jane Austen
42. lullabies for little criminals by Heather O'Neil
43. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
44. Little Bee by Chris Cleave
45. Close Range by Annie Proulx
46. Just Kids by Patti Smith
47. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
48. Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
49. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
50. The Eye in the Door by Pat Barker
51. Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman
51. Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers (my first audiobook)
52. The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer
53. Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane
54. In the Woods by Tana French
55.

Great list, Ellen! I bet that took quite a bit of time! You've got some great books on your list. One of my favourite books this year was Lullabies for Little Criminals, Case Histories and I keep meaning to get to The Reluctant Fundamentalist.

I do recommend The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Deb. It's a pretty quick read and quite interesting.

I've just caught up on 190 posts and will try to stay caught up from now on. I must have been reading them while you were on the TIOLI thread recommending Snow Falling on Cedars and The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter Sweet to me.

Great list of books read, and I think you're going to be bad for my WL. We're at the same number of books read! I loved Regeneration but think I just liked the 2nd and didn't even finish the 3rd.

I just finished reading Touch by Alexi Zentner. Wow. I loved this novel!! I gave it a very enthusiastic four stars and, if the characters and scenes and stories stay with me as I think they might, I might move it up to 5 stars.

I have a stack of books waiting for me to open next and I can't read anything immediately after finishing that one. I haven't felt this way at the end of a novel since The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, which I loved, loved, loved.

Oh Ellen! I 'm so excited about that you loved Touch like I did. Isn't it magical and touching and beautiful? I'm so glad that you took a chance on the book! It's well worth it! I gave your review the thumb up!

By the way - novel takes place in a non existent town in BC in Canada. Since I live in BC - I noticed that for certain.

Once again, I"m so thrilled that you read Touch - and such a wonderful , glowing review!!!! I just put Touch into my small list 10 - of my LT favourite books last night:) It's stayed with me .

Well now, if you loved The Story of Edgar Sawtelle so much - hmmm- that might have to pop onto my wishlist!

Deb, we spent our August vacation in Silverton, on Slocan Lake in BC. Also visited family in Kelso and Nelson. It's beautiful territory. I imagined the imaginary town in Touch as a setting like that.

Just dropping by to say hello and catch as I make a very brief visit through a handful of threads. As it is, I can barely keep up with my own what with all the reviews I'm still behind on!

My planned TIOLI reads for October:

#1: A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines
#2: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
#9: The Long Song by Andrea Levy and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
#11: The Accident by Linwood Barclay currently reading
#18: Touch by Alexi Zentner COMPLETED
#19: Awakening by S.J. Bolton

and if I have time, for #8, Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Hi again, Ellen! :) I'm so embarrassed that I've yet to visit the Nelson/ Kelso area of BC. I guess maybe that I can make the excuse that it's a big province and actually we don't travel that much.

I see on your profile page that you reading The Accident by Linwood Barclay. He writes great escape thrillers. While I enjoyed The Accident - I've enjoyed some of his earlier books that were a combination of domestic mystery and a bit of humour. I hope you enjoy The Accident. I can recommend Cutting For Stone loved it! and The Long Song without reserve. I think both of those are within my 10 favourites novels here on LT!

Enjoy!

The Accident is pure mind candy. I'm enjoying it and I'll finish it, but I'm already ready to move onto something with a bit more richness.

Great October line-up Ellen and you got me with your thoughts on Touch, I'm obviously going to have to search for this one.

Catching up here Ellen!
Backtracking to some earlier messages but I will definitely be a lurker on the 12/12 Challenge this year as there is no way I would have the time to think of the categories and upkeep two separate threads. Just keeping up with this 75 group is marathon and my bookshelves are threatening to collapse on me. But living vicariously through other people's organization and creatively is thoroughly enjoyable to me. :)

Just dropping by to say hi, Ellen! I wrote my review for my first early reviewer and I found I was quite anxious. But, it was okay! Best wishes to you when you receive your early reader book!Mine took about 1 1/2 months to arrive -so - while yours may arrive quickly - don't be anxious if it takes a while.

Hi, Ellen. Congrats on the ER book! It's exciting to get one, really. I'm sort of behind on my reading this month, but should get in gear soon, like tomorrow.

Hi Ellen, playing a bit of catchup tonight and thought I'd drop by and leave a mark of my passing! Hugs!

Thanks, everyone, for stopping by to say hi. I've been completely swamped with work and life, so I haven't been on LT for a couple of days. Hopefully things will calm down a bit in the next few days....

Just stopping by to leave my mark. Take it easy, I know how keeping up with all of the threads can be quite a challenge.

Just finished The Accident by Linwood Barclay. Meh. It got kind of exciting at the end but it's still a mediocre read. I'll give it 2.5 stars, I think.

Starting A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines for Madeline's challenge. I'll try to post about whether I'm liking it; if so, I hope I can persuade a shared read or two. :-)

Life and work have been extremely hectic this week and, while I've had some time to read at the end of each evening, I've had little time to check in on LT. This weekend marks the first anniversary of my partner's mother's death. Alice was a lovely woman who lived 90 years on this earth and left it the better for her time here. Just being with P this week is important, so it means a bit less time on my computer.

Hugs to all ---- and Happy Autumn!

Hi Ellen! Thanks for stopping by my thread. Good reveiw ofThe Accident. I was more taken with it than you -but I think at that time I was serious need of a brain candy read -and The Accident fit the bill.I hope you have a restful and enjoyable weekend.

Happy Autumn. It's good to spend time with family over the weekend. I'll be doing the same. It's Thanksgiving Weekend here in Canada.

Take care and hugs to you and your partner.

I finished A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines today. Then went to see The Blue Man Group at the Paramount. Talk about a bit of a mind-bending day....

A Lesson Before Dying was (as I say in my review) brutally beautiful and beautifully brutal. I gave it 4.5 stars.

I have no idea what I'm going to read next.

A Lesson Before Dying certainly sounds like it packs an emotional punch, Ellen. Great review.

Thanks for Thanksgiving wishes. I had a wonderful dinner with a large family contingent, including my brother from Edmonton Alberta, - about a 13 hour drive from where I live. He and his wife and young family of 4 children are staying at my mom's. We had a great time - my two sisters, and our families.

I'll be interested to see what you are planning to read next. Usually I've got such a number of books in my head that it's never a problem to find the next book - but you have to find a book that suits your mood. I know I had to turn to a bit of humour after a bunch of serious reads.

I started Room last night. This is possibly a mistake. I couldn't get to sleep after starting it. Now, insomnia on a Sunday night is hardly a rare occurrence for me, but between finishing A Lesson Before Dying and starting Room, it was not the best night's sleep. Oh well, I only work four days this week and then get on a plane Friday morning. I think of flights as free reading time and I hope I can do some reading while at the conference (ha!).

>209 vancouverdeb: Your celebration sounds wonderful. Like you, I like to intersperse light reads (usually mysteries or thrillers, as long as the latter don't involve too much gruesome detail or gratuitous violence against women or children) with my deeper stuff. I have Faithful Place and One Good Turn sitting by the bed. They might rise higher in the stack this month.....

Hi Ellen! Sorry to hear about the busyness. Glad to hear that you have at least some time at the end of the day to unwind and get some reading done although it sounds like the books you are reading are not helping you enter la la land quite as peacefully as you would have liked.
*Hugs* to you on the anniversary of your mom's passing.

Hi Ellen, just passing though to leave my hope that your busy schedule slows down to a more agreeable pace.

Hi Ellen, I used to think of flights as downtime when I was commuting for work to Toronto every week. Hope your trip goes well.

As I said to you on my thread, I have no intention of reading Room any time soon. In fact, you couldn't pay me to read it. I read about a true-life story with similar circumstances (someone here on LT had given me the link to the wikipedia page; can't remember who right now), which happened in Germany and I was so horrified and wished I hadn't read about it, that I decided to steer clear of this type of thing in future.

Hope you got a better night's sleep last night and tonight too. xx

Hi Ellen! Just to add to the mix of opinions, Room really didn't catch me that much. I think it has been so hyped, perhaps that was the problem. Like Ilana, - well - I too had heard of a similar crime - really a couple -and so I thought the author was just ripping off real life. I did give it 3. 5 stars. I think it takes a lot for a book to scare me . But that's just me! Have a great trip! That said, I just finished All Quiet on the Western Front and that has quite a punch to it - so I interspersed it with Extreme Vinyl Cafe.

I finished Room and enjoyed it much more than I expected. I was also put off by the hype and by the potential for gruesome or gratuitous abuse scenes. I ended up giving it 4 stars. Here is my review.

I'm now reading From the Land of the Moon and planning to start Cutting for Stone next.

>214 vancouverdeb: I've never read All Quiet on the Western Front but I'll check out your review.

Great review of Room Ellen. I thumbed it, as not only did I think it was good, but it has me wondering whether I might eventually reconsider my position on it.

I hope you absolutely ADORE From the Land of the Moon, but don't sweat it if you don't either. Either way, can't wait to read your comments on it. I think I'll purchase that one, as I wouldn't mind reading it again, like, NOW. :-)

Something tells me you'll get done reading and reviewing Cutting for Stone before I get around to my own review, so I'll be on the lookout for that as well!

Have a great night darlin'! xx

Hi Ellen, I've been AWOL from your thread due to a star problem. Why do my stars keep disappearing? Luckily, I caught it in time to catch up before you begin a new thread. I super-glued your star on this time!

You've been doing some great reading as usual. I'm glad to see somebody else liked Edgar Sawtelle. There were a few problems with the writing but I'll definitely read the next book by him. I envy you the camping trip... except for the bug bites. I always feel revived in spirit when I get back to nature.

Cutting for Stone is such a good book. I envy you getting to read it for the first time. I recently read his memoir about life in Tennessee during the beginning days of AIDS in the 1980s. A way different topic but the same excellent writing in My Own Country.

Have a good trip. I hope you get lots of reading time!

Room was one of those books that I had been waiting till it came out in PB and bought it the minute it became available. And now it suffers the same fate as all my other books, just sitting there and patiently waiting its turn. I definitely want to get around to it sooner than later. Thanks for the great review!

Ohh Cutting for Stone was fantastic! I really enjoyed it! I hope you do to! I did not write up a formal review about All Quiet on the Western Front - but you can see my comments about it on my thread.

I finished From the Land of the Moon tonight and gave it 4 stars. I think it warrants a re-read. It's set in Italy during and after WWII and is a combination of love story (not romance; that is a different thing in my lexicon) and family history. It has both humorous and tragic moments, and considers facets of madness in a compassionate and dispassionate way. I recommend it.

4 stars is good! I'm glad you liked it well enough to recommend it. Of course, I don't expect anyone to be quite as enamoured with this book as I was. As I explain to you on my thread, I connected with the character in a visceral way, which made the story all that more meaningful to me. Something I should NOT have left out from my own review.

Hope you're not overworking yourself. Oh yes, you're on your trip aren't you? Hope that goes well.

Hugs. xx

I'm in Scottsdale, AZ, for a conference. It means I'll be burning the candle at both ends because that's what I do at these conferences. It's incredibly warm here, but there are pools abundant. I'm reading Cutting for Stone and enjoying it a great deal.

Thanks for stopping by, Ilana, Deb, Valerie, Donna, Judy ---- I'm not always great at acknowledging each and every comment, but I really appreciate the visits. I'll keep you posted on how my reading progresses while I'm also doing the conference and pool thing. :-)

Glad you're enjoying Cutting for Stone Ellen. Arizona is one of many places I'd like to visit sometime. I've always wondered whether I'd find that dry heat to be more tolerable than the humid heat we have here in Mtl. Enjoy it all you can, but please don't burn yourself out!

Just stopping by to say hi!I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying Cutting For Stone. It was such a big. thick wonderful tale .

Just dropping by and wishing you a good trip Ellen! Enjoy the warm weather and the pools. I write that with envy since my toes are currently freezing! :)

Whew, life has been busy. My conference in Scottsdale was manic and wonderful, but didn't allow for much reading time. Back at home and work, it's been nearly as hectic. However, I did finish Cutting for Stone last night and tentatively gave it 4 stars. That may increase as I mull over my reading experience.

Today I will start Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro on my bus ride downtown and then home from there.

And I went to the University Bookstore just now and picked up three new ones for me:
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami,
The Secret River by Kate Grenville, and
The War of the End of the World by Mario Vargas Llosa.

Now if only I could learn to read more quickly and/or find more time for it!

Thanks for stopping by my thread, Elllen! Atonement is my first McEwan. I think having it as both an audio book and on my kindle is helping me along. Quite a disturbing novel, and I don't find any of the characters that sympathetic as yet. Having it on audio book - 6 CD's! from the library helps me to read it as I do chores in the kitchen... It's my first attempt at an audio book. It's okay -but quite depressing really.

Today I am rushing out to get Virgin Cure by Ami McKay. It's the second book of her's , the first being The Birth House. It's just out today.

I really loved Cutting for Stone. Nice haul from the University bookstore. I confess, I dont think Haruki Murakami is to my tastes... so far!

>227 vancouverdeb: I'm uncertain about how I'm going to like Murakami's style. I tend to prefer fairly straightforward narrative, so this may be a stretch for me (from what I've heard).

Ellen, I my first experience of Murakami was with The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, and I became a fan of his based on that one book. It's definitely out there, as are all his books. But if you enter his world without expecting anything, least of all actually making sense out of any of it, you should be in for a fun ride.

I have the other two books on my shelves, but also need to break the code to faster reading if I want to get to them in this lifetime!

I've been told that my plodding approach probably means I get more enjoyment out of what I read, which... sure, I'll go with that version. ;-)

Hope you're well m'dear. Hugs. xx

I just received Never Let Me Go in the mail today so I look forward to seeing what you think of it!

So far, my reactions to Never Let Me Go are mixed. I'm about halfway through and the premise is interesting. I'm not sure about the narrator's first person voice --- she's not that engaging for me. I find her cadence and language choice (though perhaps appropriate for one her age) distracting and almost boring. But, at halfway through, I'm definitely curious about where the author is taking me and I will reserve judgment until I have more to go on.

All I'll say about Never Let Me Go is that I gave it two stars and that my (extremely short) review had the word 'underwhelmed' in it. On the other hand, I've been wanting to get to The Remains of the Day seemingly forever.

Ilana, I noticed that you had given Never Let Me Go only two stars and I applaud your courage and honesty. I'm almost done and I don't know where I'll land on it, but I'm not sure that Ishiguro's interesting premise will outweigh my displeasure with his narrator's voice. I get what he's doing with her and his exploration of what it means to be human, but the way he's constructed her storytelling --- well, I find it annoying. I can't believe I'm saying that about a novel that has received such rave reviews!

I can't believe I'm saying that about a novel that has received such rave reviews!

Funny you should say that Ellen. Here's my complete review as written in 2008:

"Can I use the word ‘disliked’ for a book that has gotten so much acclaim? It’s on loads of ‘best of’ lists but I was seriously underwhelmed. Now that I’ve gotten this one out of the way I still look forward to moving on to Remains of the Day".

I completed Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro and The Grace of Silence: A Memoir by Michele Norris over the weekend. I wrote a brief review of Never Let Me Go (3.5 stars) and will try to write one for The Grace of Silence (4 stars) this evening.

I've not read Never Let Me Go and I'll be having a look at your review. Never feel badly for not liking a book that seemingly most people did... I've learned that. I used to feel so apologetic for not liking a popular book. Every one's taste is so different.

Happy Halloween! I see you've got some wonderful books in your up next reads. One that I recall was Stitches which I loved -and there is another that I've now forgotten the title of , but I remember that I really enjoyed the book. I'm nearly finished The Virgin Cure and what an interesting book. And just the sort one could curl up with and take the the whole thing in at once, that's how enjoyable it is!

Have a great day, Ellen!

Thumb from me. You know, I don't care for dystopian novels myself. Shhh -but I quietly gave The Handmaiden's Tale by Margaret Atwood only 2. 5 stars. I got so much flak from a few people that I did not even write a review. Initially I had though I would give it 3.5 or maybe 3, because it was interesting in it's way -but the ending was so depressing , I felt it did not deserve anything more than a 2. 5 . Some authors are just love em or hate em.

Deb -- Some authors are just love em or hate em. YES!!!! Thank goodness for variety in our tastes in books, eh? I read something recently that was talking about how much of the reading experience is what we, the reader, bring to the conversation with the writer. This essay was noting that the written word is static; it's done. What gives a novel life is our reading of it, and we bring to that reading all our history, personality, cultural and familial background, etc. I love thinking about it that way. It helps me give myself permission to react authentically to what I read.

I agree with all of the above Ellen. Just read your review of Never Let Me Go and I see you appreciated it quite a bit more than I did. For me, it was one of those books that I was soooo glad to finish already! I'm sure you know that feeling. We all hit one of those eventually.

I completed Stitches: A Memoir by David Small tonight while giving out Halloween candy. It's a graphic memoir and I gave it 4.5 stars. I loved, loved, loved this book. I love the drawings with their physical and emotional detail. I love the compassion David finds at critical moments during the narrative. I love that a psychotherapist helped David find his voice and claim his self.

It's kind of cool: I've only read three or four graphic novels and my two favorites are definitely this one and Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel, also a memoir. Both artists convey the importance of drawing in helping them soothe their loneliness and find a way of self-expression. They don't talk about this dynamic, but it comes through clearly in their storytelling. It makes me think of kids I knew back in school, kids who drew all the time. Of course, they may have just loved drawing and had natural talent (I remember one kid who was amazingly talented!) but I find myself thinking more about the expression of self that they were probably finding at such a young age. I was burying myself in books to escape aspects of my life; they were drawing their way out of whatever their particular torments were. I hope they found voice and claimed self in the process.

Next up for me: Shanghai Girls by Lisa See.

Hi Ellen, I am also new to the graphic novel, reading my first this year. I have found myself amazed at the depth of emotion that can be shown in a simple drawing. I am looking forward to getting my hands on a copy of Stitches.

Of course, there is the other kind as well, like The Walking Dead series that I read just for fun!

Hmmm, The Walking Dead series --- must investigate. I hope you enjoy Stitches when you get a copy, Judy!

Interesting day for me. I've started reading Shanghai Girls and I'm enjoying it more than I expected. I also attended the monthly meeting of a consultation group of which I'm a member: we call it CWP (Challenging White Privilege) and it's a small group of white professionals working to address (and challenge!) the impact of white privilege in our professional and personal relationships, and supporting one another in being stronger allies. Anyway, I did a fair amount of sharing/processing tonight and it was very emotional and important. I have much to think about. That and the good book I'm reading are making it hard to settle down for sleep, even though I have a kind of big day ahead of me tomorrow. I'm already ready for the weekend.

I stayed home from work today. Not really sick, but exhausted and it was a day when my calendar could tolerate it. I've napped some and done work email some, but mostly I've given myself permission to read. Have made some good progress on Shanghai Girls which I continue to enjoy. Well, some scenes are hardly "enjoyable," but it's a well-written and authentic novel with complex characters and interesting exploration of the experience of immigration from China to the U.S. during the 1930s.

I wonder what it looks like when the "thread police" come after you.... The number of posts on my thread is getting up there but since I so rarely post photos, I figure I have more leeway.

This is not the thread police.

Hi Ellen, I'm glad you were able to take time off to rest and relax as needed today. I have the audio version of Shanghai Girls, which I got from the library some months ago now. I've got quite a few audiobooks lined up for the month already, but if I can fit it in, I will definitely do so.

Take good care, and thanks for your continued support. Means a lot to me. xx

Ellen , I've been labouring over my review of The Virgin Cure , so I can finally visit your thread! I loved Shanghai Girls. A fabulous read, but definitely heartbreaking . I'm so glad that you are enjoying it - there is a sequel out now, Dreams of Joy. I've not read it yet, but it's one my living room floor, waiting for some love! ;)

Reading is a good cure for exhaustion :) Take care and eat some treats!

Hi Ellen! Glad you were able to take the time off to get some time to yourself. I think it's important that we all get that every once in awhile to refresh and rejuvenate ourselves.
I too just started getting into GN's and I must say that I have been missing out all these years when I thought that they were all about marvel comic characters!

Hi Ellen! I'm quite new to graphic novels too. My first one was Stitches by David Small, and like you, I was amazed at the amount of emotion that could be portrayed by the novel. I've also read Two Generals by Scott Chantler. While perhaps not quite as good as Stitches, it was an interesting and at times very detailed memoir written and illustrated by the grandson of a Canadian Soldier in WW11. The Generals were part of the Battle of Normandy, and the illustrations and story were quite amazing. It led me to read All Quiet on the Western Front.

Currently I'm reading a highly recommended graphic novel, the biography of a Canadian ? hero / or not a hero - Louis Riel. It comes with pages of footnotes and a bibliography. I'm amazed at the amount of history I am learning via reading Louis Riel. With those last two books, both are very Canadian, so they may be hard to find in the US.

I've heard that Habibi by Craig Thompson is good, and I'm on the waiting list at the library. Craig Thompson also wrote and illustrated the graphic novel,Blankets which I've good things about here on LT, but need to put in hold at my library.

I hope you are feeling better, and that maybe one of my GN ideas will appeal to you.

Ilana - It's always nice to have you stop by. And you're welcome. I'm glad the support feels, well, supportive. :-)

Valerie - lol!! Yes, I too was a sceptic. There seem to be many of us who've realized the Graphic Novel (or Graphic Memoir) goes far beyond Archie & Veronica!

Deb - Thanks for the ideas about GN reading. I've read/heard something about Louis Riel and it sounds very intriguing. I think I'll put it on hold at the library.

*********************************
It was an intense week at work, even with Wednesday spent at home mostly reading. My brain is toasted tonight, so I was pleased to stop at the library on my way home and pick up some light reading. I completed Binky the Space Cat a few minutes ago. Very cute. I also picked up In Mad Love and War by Joy Harjo. It's a book of poetry that I'm going to read for Darryl's TIOLI challenge (read a book by a Native American author). I don't typically read a lot of poetry (although my father was a poet as well as an English professor) so I'm interested to see how I respond to Harjo's work. I'll finish Shanghai Girls this weekend, as well. That's been a worthwhile read.

Glad you enjoyed Binky the Space Cat Ellen. It's a quick and definitely light read. I remember seeing comments somewhere that Dreams of Joy was actually better than Shanghai Girls, which is very promising since I understand you though the latter was quite good.

Hope the weekend is a restful and replenishing one for you my friend.

I too am new to graphic novels. One of my favorites so far is Persepolis. It's the author's memoir of her childhood in Iran during the revolution against the Shah. Radioactive, a biography of Marie and Pierre Curie is a finalist for the National Book Award, a first for a graphic novel. It was okay, but not my favorite frankly. The Maus books by Art Spiegelman are the first graphic novels I ever read, back in college, and they are amazing memoirs of his parents' experiences during the Holocaust. Jews are portrayed as mice, and the Nazi's as cats. Most recently I read We Are on Our Own, another memoir about the Holocaust. Huh, I just realized that of the six graphic novels I have read, five are memoirs.

I was underwhelmed when I read Shanghai Girls, contrary to majority opinion. Shortly after I read it, I read Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok. I think it is her one and only book so far, so she's not as well-known as Lisa See, but she is an amazing storyteller and master of the art of writing. I hope to see more books from her soon. It too is about new immigrants (a mother and daughter) to America from China.

Hi Lisa! I just realized that of the six graphic novels I have read, five are memoirs. I've only read three or four, and two of them were memoirs and I loved them both -- Fun Home and Stitches. I tagged them "graphic memoirs" and will be on the lookout for more of this mini-genre. A colleague of mine said she'd loan me her copy of Persepolis and I think I'll look into the Maus books (I've seen them in stores, but that was when I was still a sceptic about the graphic format).

I completed and reviewed Shanghai Girls by Lisa See. I gave it 3 stars. It was good but definitely not great.

I started In Mad Love and War by Joy Harjo for November's TIOLI challenge #2. I'm a rare reader of poetry, but I'm enjoying exploring her writing.

I'm reading In Mad Love and War and went ahead and reviewed it even though I'm not yet done. Here's what I've written in that review so far: I'm still reading this wonderful book of poems. I've had to turn off the reader in me that gets focused on a "finish line" and make a commitment that I'll keep this book until the day it's due back at the library. I've had to remind myself that one doesn't read poetry. One savors it. One reads a poem, allows it to roll around in the mind and the memory, lets it touch the heart, and gives it time to settle in. Then, sometimes, one reads it again. And sometimes, yet a third time. This is a delightful collection of poems. I love how personal they are. I love how Harjo, in "speaking" to a particular person who has touched her life (Billie Holiday, Richard Hugo), she touches on universal longing, love, humor, and --- well, just what it is to be deeply touched by someone.

I've also started The Elephant's Journey by Jose Saramago and I'm completely enchanted.

Just stopping by to say hi! Glad you enjoyed Shanghai Girls - or at least that it's a good read. Wow! Sounds like you've got a couple of marvelous reads on the go - enjoy!

Looking forward to hearing more about The Elephant's Journey, that's a book I've had my eye on.

Ooooooooohhhhh I'd so LOVE to join you on The Elephant's Journey!!! But how? I've already got too many books to read, even with my 'limited' list this month... It's a book I've been terribly looking forward to. Hope you enjoy it Ellen.

I have this book on my shelf as well so will be curious to see what you think of The Elephant's Journey.
I'm still undecided about Shanghai Girls, but seeing how I won't buy the book until it comes out in paperback, I have plenty of time to make up my mind. :)

Deb, Judy, Ilana, and Valerie --
I'm about a third of the way through The Elephant's Journey and, so far, it's heading toward a very rare (for me) 5 stars. I love the narration. I love the humorous, tongue-in-cheek -- yet respectful and poignant -- evocation of sixteenth-century Europe. I'll keep you posted on my final verdict, but so far I recommend it without reservation.

I may just have to put The Elephant's Journey as a priority in December...

I don't know about December for me, but I am definitely putting it on my wishlist.

I'm glad you are enjoying The Elephant's Journey, Ellen. Have you read any other books by Saramago?

#252 I broke down and bought a used copy of Persepolis at TPBs' sale even though I have already read it. It's just so good, I had to have a copy! Oh, I do hope you get a chance to read Maus. The memoir alone is amazing, and I'm no expert, but I liked the art too. Thanks to you I finally gave in and put Stitches on hold at the Library.

I completed and loved The Elephant's Journey last night. I gave it a very rare five stars and have flagged pages for writing a thoughtful review this weekend. I also completed In Mad Love and War --- a book of poetry by Joy Harjo which was a good re-introduction to poetry for me. My dad was a poet. He was also an English professor, a Shakespearean and Chaucerian scholar, and a mild drunk who alternated between charming cheerfulness and solemn cynicism. And one of my favorite memories of him is of him reading his own poetry. He was marvelous, inspired and inspiring, funny, and dramatic in the best sense. So it is kind of gratifying for me to rediscover poetry and find myself reading it out loud to experience it. Poetry is meant to be read out loud, I think. I enjoyed most of Harjo's poems.

I started The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian for Darryl's TIOLI challenge and, so far, I'm finding it to be very real.

>262 labfs39: Lisa, I read Blindness a few years ago and it was a challenging and ultimately rewarding read. I'm definitely planning to explore more of Saramago's work as I think he is a remarkably talented and authentic writer. The Elephant's Journey was less challenging, and I loved the humor, irony, and delightful narrator presence. One of my favorite reads of 2011.

Tomorrow, Veterans' Day, is a holiday for me and I'm so incredibly excited about not setting the alarm. I got up at 4:50am today so I could run in the dark with my neighborhood running buddy at 5:45 (it takes time to get these aging bones loosened up for a run). Christine and I had a great run in the dark and then I had a stressfully busy but rewarding day at work. I'm really hoping to fit in some good reading time in this 3-day weekend.

Enjoy having Remembrance Day off, Ellen! It's a holiday here for me too. I really admire your discipline to get up so early and go running! Wow!

I think I'm going to have to read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part -Time Indian : everywhere I look on LT, some is reading that book - touchstones don't seem to be working..

Today was a good day. I slept in a bit, did some reading, rode the bus to the Public Market for the wonderful pesto at Di Laurenti's and a flower bouquet to take to our friends' tonight for dinner. The commute home got more complicated than usual and I really wished I had a book with me. In any case, after watching the Huskies women's basketball team lose a disappointing game in which they were up by 13 at one point, I came home and sat by the fire (while it hailed outside!) and completed The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. I'm giving it 3.5 stars. On some level I think it deserves more than that and I'm realizing it's hard for me to ever rate YA-type fiction very high. This was an excellent and engaging read with illustrations by Ellen Fornay. I don't know. Maybe it should get 4 stars.

I have no idea what I'm going to read next!

I started reading We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. I love the cover art and so it's a very enjoyable novel.

I had pretty bad insomnia last night; twice I turned the light back on and read some more, and I didn't fall asleep until around 3am. Today we're at father-in-law's house helping him plan for upcoming move to assisted living. I got a very chilly 4-mile run in and now I'm settling down to read for a bit before dinner. Even with work as stressful as it is these days, I feel like I'm having a good reading month.

I'm glad you had a good day off yesterday, though not so much about the insomnia. And OMG, you would NEVER find me getting up at that ungodly hour to go running! Eeek! Very brave of you.

I have Blindness lined up for 2012 and can't say I'm dying to read it, but I've turned it into a group read with some 12/12 people, and might encourage others to join in to spur me on. Looking forward to your review of The Elephant's Journey of course. Have added it to my December reading list. I've been wanting to get to it for a while now.

Glad to see you're enjoying the Shirley Jackson novel. I saw you'd started on it on the TIOLI wiki.

Hope you get some good sleep tonight.

I picked up two books from the library today: Foreigners by Caryl Phillips and The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje. I'm looking forward to both of them and hope to fit them into a TIOLI challenge for November. I still have a couple of books on hold that I've been hoping to read in November, but it'll depend on their availability.

I still haven't written a review of The Elephant's Journey but I haven't wavered in my granting of 5 stars as it continues to rest in my consciousness.

Hi Ellen! I'll be interested to see what you think of The Cat's Table. I got the book from the library like you, so when I found that I was not that keen on the book it was not a big deal. I think that I felt like there was so much potential for book, but Ondaatje never really went anywhere with it. But it was okay. You might just love it. I hope it's a good read for you!

I completed The Cat's Table on my bus commute this evening. Interesting book but not my favorite. It was too uneven: chapters that were beautiful and entrancing, others that were slow and distracting. I'll likely give it 3.5 stars when I rate and review it tomorrow.

Next up for me is Foreigners by Caryl Phillips. And I get to pick up The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey at the library this weekend. I also purchased two books by Graham Greene this week, as well as Old Filth (lovely Europe Edition) by Jane Gardam. If only life weren't so busy!!!

Well, Ellen, we gaveThe Cat's Table the same rating. As you say, interesting, but not a favourite for me either. I'll look forward to your review!

Hi Ellen, just dropping by to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. Hope you have a lovely holiday weekend.

Thanks, Judy! I'm very excited about my four-day weekend. I have a couple of dates with a pair of running shoes, and plans for much turkey-eating and book-reading. It should be heavenly despite our very wet weather.

I completed Foreigners by Caryl Phillips before work this morning and it's a powerful novel. I'm still processing it. I will definitely write a review later today or this weekend, along with a long-overdue review of The Cat's Table.

While sitting in the waiting room at the pharmacy earlier today, I started Josephine Tey's The Franchise Affair. It feels like a significant shift from the last several books I've completed but I think I'll enjoy it. I'm just three books shy of my 75-in-2011 which I'm absolutely positive will be a first for me in my adult life. LT has signficiantly contributed to my more focused reading this year. For that (among so many other things), I'm very thankful.

Oh, and I bought two more books on my way back from said pharmacy (I'm going to have to get serious about an off-the-shelves challenge for 2012!): The Tiger's Wife and The Twin. I didn't purchase The Night Circus because it's still in hard back. I'll put it on hold at the library, though.