Donna828 is Overbooked, Ch. 4

Books are where things are explained to you. Life is where things are not. ~Julian Barnes

Books read in January:
**My favorite book of the month; the numbers in parentheses refer to thread numbers where book was discussed.

1. The Defector - Daniel Silva. 3.5 stars. (audiobook) - (1)
2. Freedom - Jonathan Franzen. 3.3 stars. - (1)
3. The Siege - Helen Dunmore. 4.5 stars. - (2)
4. The Betrayal - Helen Dunmore. 4.2 stars. -(2)
5. Unbroken - Laura Hillenbrand. 4.5 stars. - (2)
6. Cloud Atlas** - David Mitchell. 4.5 stars. - (2).
7. Washington Square - Henry James. 3.8 stars. -(2)
8. East is East - T. C. Boyle. 3.7 stars. - (2)
9. Gweilo - Martin Booth. 3.1 stars. (3)
...3,554 pages read in January...
Four of these books are owned by me.

Books Read in February: (All on Thread #3)
10. The Color Purple - Alice Walker. 4 stars. (3)
11. Nobody Said Not To Go - Ken Cuthbertson. 3.8 stars. (3)
12. The Country of the Pointed Firs** - Sarah Orne Jewett. 4.6 stars. (3)
13. A Monstrous Regiment of Women - Laurie R. King. 3.6 stars. (3)
14. Girl in Translation - Jean Kwok. 3 stars. (3)
15. Reading the OED - Ammon Shea. 3.4 stars. (3)
16. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon - Grace Lin. 3.8 stars. (3)
17. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert Pirsig. 4.8 stars. (favorite reread) - (3)
18. Incidents in the Life of A Slave Girl - Harriet Jacobs. 3 stars. (3)

...2,748 pages read in February...
Six out of these nine books are owned by me!

Books Read in March: (Thread #4)
19. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain. 4.6 stars.
20. The Invisible Bridge - Julie Orringer. 4.5 stars.
21. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon. 4.1 stars.
22. The Sign Of Four - Arthur Conan Doyle. 3 stars.
23. Red Sky At Morning - Richard Bradford. 3.5 stars.
24. He Who Fears the Wolf - Karin Fossum. 3.4 stars.
25. Don't Look Back - Karin Fossum. 2.9 stars. (audio)
26. Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter - Mario Vargas Llosa. 3.7 stars.
27. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle. 3.3 stars.
28. A Woman In Jerusalem - A. B. Yehoshua. 3.7 stars.
29. The Portrait Of A Lady - Henry James. 4.7 stars.

I read 3,952 pp. in March (avg. of 359 pages per book).
9 out of the 11 book I read are owned by me.

This and that...

Welcome! I enjoy visitors and their comments about books and life in general. My previous thread is here.

I started something new for me on my last thread. Please feel free to comment on - or ignore - my Spiritual Sunday remarks. I'm not proselytizing here, simply reading and commenting on a book of a spiritual nature while I'm reading it. My first book for this "experiment" is A New Christianity for A New World by John Shelby Spong.

I've enjoyed my participation in the TIOLI (Take It Or Leave It) Challenge the past 14 months. To make my life easier, I'm going to list my proposed books for this group here:

Ch. #1: Name of city on page 17...
The Invisible Bridge (Paris) and The Portrait Of A Lady (Florence)

Ch. #3: Book about the Middle East...
A Woman In Jerusalem

Ch. #8: Short Story Collection...
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Ch #9: Book with a Compound Word in Title...
Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter (script, writer)

Ch. #16: On NYT Bestseller List on 21st Birthday...
Red Sky At Morning.

Those should keep me busy for awhile. I'm leaving room to add those books that call to me during the month of March.

Hi Donna! Lovely new thread. I love the picture and the quote. You do look busy!

I read Red Sky at Morning in January, and really enjoyed it. Hope you do, too.

Hi, Donna! Hmmm...interesting picture! It's a bit big for my screen though.

Great start to your new thread, Donna. That's an impressive list of your reading so far this year.

>4 AMQS:: Hi Anne. If you liked it, I probably will, too. I had no idea how old it was when I picked it up at a library booksale.

>5 Porua:: I downsized the picture a bit, Porua. Is that better for you? Good to see you here.

>6 phebj:: Hi Pat, not sure how impressive my list is compared to others, but I've enjoyed "working" through it. That's what counts, right?

Love that quote, Donna.

Lots of water, eh? I might be in trouble. But I will make a special effort. And mention it to my husband who does most of the watering. He is better with plants than I am. :) Thank goodness.
--BJ

Very comfy spot you have picked! Nice & cozy! What's with the naked little boys bringing you books? Or should I refrain from asking? :-}

>8 bonniebooks:: Thanks, Bonnie. I thought there was a lot of truth in it.

My favorite Scrabble words just for you: QAT(s) and SUQ! Don't ask me what they mean.

>9 billiejean:: BJ, you should also plant your Moonflower seeds somewhere close to the house so you can enjoy the heavy fragrance in the early evening when they first bloom. Ummmm....luscious.

I had mine in a big pot on my deck. The pot disintegrated during the subzero temps. It had been on the deck for 11 years without any problems. My point is...I'll be looking for a new place to plant Moonflowers. I'll probably buy some kind of structure for the vines to grow up on. Becky's gazebo was so awesome in the pictures she posted last summer.

>10 msf59:: Mark, my cherubs were as close to leprechauns as I could find! Cute, aren't they? And look at all the books they're bringing. Must go find a place for more new books!

Hi Donna!
Now that moonflowers are popping back into the conversation, I'm reminded I have The Moonflower Vine to read. :)
Nice new thread!

Hey, you are the third person starting a new thread today! I am one of the others, and I've already forgotten who the third one is...

I think Mark started a new thread today.

Claudia, I'll anxiously await your comments re. The Moonflower Vine. I liked that book.

I love the book cherubs and quote too Donna. Congrats on the new digs! I wanted to bring you a neighbourly dish but didn't have time to cook today, so thought you might enjoy a little... Banquet. ;-)

Hi! Found the new thread!

Ack! I didn't even notice the cherub's were carrying books - I guess I was looking, oh never mind.
What memories that Banquet box brings back. Frozen dinners and tv trays. Does anyone even use TV trays anymore?

You mean the tray tables?? We rarely use ours anymore. Instead of bringing the food to the tv... we now have a tv in the dining room - much to my dismay. I was out-voted. So annoying.

Good morning Claudia, Roni, Linda, Ilana, Terri, Lynda, and Claudia (again)...thanks for finding the new thread. I always worry that I'll lose some peeps with the transition. Can't have that!

Ilana, yucky thanks! Actually your banquet made me smile. Very retro and, yes, those dinners were lifesavers back in the day of hungry kids and husbands while working a real job. I still keep a few Marie Callender frozen meals on hand for emergencies. In fact, we had Chicken Teriyaki Steamers (not bad) just last week.

The TV trays come in handy for individual art projects when the grandkids are visiting. They also make good snack trays when playing cards. They keep the food and drinks separated from the serious business of making canastas...or whatever we're playing.

I hate to admit it, but I used to love those tv dinners when I was a kid (in the '60's) - seemed so sophisticated - I know that sounds weird, but it did.

Ah canasta....haven't played in years but it brings back great memories of college lfe and my younger years when we would get together and play and laugh for hours. *sigh*

I just love these retro ads, and the food ones always look so... unapetizing but always make me smile, and I was hoping that would be the effect on you too.

When I was a kid, my mum was vegetarian and VERY into wholesome, whole fresh foods. NEVER anything out of a can! NEVER white bread or anything pre-cooked or frozen, and LOTS of 'world cuisine'. She is/was a great cook, so absolutely no complaints there. But to me, those TV dinners represented a whole different kind of world where colour television seemed like a mysterious and magical treat. And strangely, the very rare times I had that kind of food, it really was delectable... only because it seemed so naughty, so decadent, and the lack of flavour really was a novelty for me!

eta: needless to say, I never have anything of the kind now. Yes, frozen dinners once in a while, but I mostly eat the way I was raised to which, wouldn't you know it has become mainstream now. I can tell you I was a real pariah at school showing up with my brown bread, alfalfa sprout creations! Alfalfa sprouts... BRrrrrrrr.

>22 Smiler69:: great childhood story, Ilana !

Many years ago when now ex-husband worked nights it was tv dinners or soup for me. TV dinners now ? Maybe one of the better ones a couple times a year.

My brother and I could choose a TV dinner when my parents went out. I always chose the fried chicken since my mom never deep fried food. Another favorite *gag* was Chef Boyardee Raviolis with equal parts grated cheese.

We don't eat TV dinners (I've maybe had one in three years) but I admit to a huge nostalgia for Swanson's Salisbury Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Peas & Carrots.

better late then never right? :)

starred!

I remember those TV dinners!....my favorite was the salisbury steak with mashed potatoes, dessert was either the brownie or the cherry thingy...I think :)

>20 JanetinLondon:: Janet, my children thought TV dinners were a real treat. Says a lot about my cooking!

>21 brenzi:: Bonnie, if we lived closer, I'd invite you to my monthly canasta game. It's so much fun. Sad to say, it's the highlight of my month! We meet at a country club and have lunch and play mindless cards all afternoon. What's not to like about that scenario?

>24 cindysprocket:: Welcome, Cindy. I agree...moderation (and desperation) are good companions to frozen meals.

>25 mamzel:: Hi Mamzel. I remember buying the boxed pieces of Banquet fried chicken. That way I could make a salad and veggie and call it a home-cooked meal!

Edited to fix the numbers!

Okay, trying again. I got my numbers mixed up. I'm in a rush to get off to my last class on Huckleberry Finn...and shouldn't be on the computer, obviously.

>22 Smiler69:: Ilana, you were a very lucky kiddo. My mother was an excellent cook and did everything from scratch, too, although we had plenty of white bread and nothing "wordly" - unless you count spaghetti. I remember how upset she was the first time she used a cake mix!

>23 lauralkeet:: She does tell a good story!

>26 TadAD:: Tad, tell me you didn't eat the peas and carrots; I think the vegetables were the worst. Oh, except for the potatoes. Yummy.

>27 curlysue:: Salisbury steak seems to be a popular memory. Can't say as I tried it...and I definitely don't recall dessert in the frozen dinners I used to buy.

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Grabbing my backpack and off to another 1.25 hours of knowledge. I'm sad that spring break is next week. Maybe I'd feel differently if I were a "real" student with papers to write and a full load of courses.

1960 – Swanson added desserts (such as apple cobbler and brownies) to a new four-compartment tray

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_dinner

I was eating these in the late 70's
I only remember the Swanson TV dinners...the gravy for the Salisbury steak had more flavor then the steak itself :) so you aren't missing much

Good luck with class today...and you are a "real" student :)

Thanks, glad you enjoyed my little story though I'm sorry Donna if I hijacked your thread with my silly look to the past, though it seems like it struck a cord with quite a few people! And I wouldn't worry that your kids enjoyed TV dinners so much as being any kind of comment about your cooking. Kids just like to have anything that's not the 'regular' fare and for some reason, tasteless pre-packages foods often seem to be a favourite. Maybe it's all that sodium and sugar and additives. Go figure.

Hope you enjoy your class, and I totally understand you not looking forward to spring break. When taking classes as a choice rather than an obligation, the breaks just seem unnecessary, I know.

> #15
That lady looks very apologetic. "Oh my, I drank gin all afternoon and forgot to make dinner again! I guess it's a Banquet for me."

#32 LOL. Gin and Valium. Makes you forget all kinds of stuff. She could have been part of the Valley of the Dolls cast. ;-)

>33 Smiler69:. Hilarious. I have that book on my shelf.

#21, 28 - Can I come too? Last summer I discovered Hand and Foot with some other family members - loved it~!

>32 Cynara: Funny. Yes those were the days of dry martinis and cigarettes. When we had tv meals for dinner it was a special occasion. It was our connection to mainstream America. But the peas always stayed frozen in the middle.

>30 curlysue:: Good to know about the desserts, Kara. I'll ask my kids if they remember them. I didn't say I ate the frozen meals now did I?

>31 Smiler69:: Ilana, hijacking is allowed, and even encouraged, as you brought me some new visitors. Thanks for livening things up around here.

>32 Cynara:: LOL! Just for the record, I am not a gin drinker! Thanks for stopping by, Cynara.

>33 Smiler69:, 34: I have fond memories of The Valley of the Dolls. It was a good time in my life. After all, I was young back then!

>35 markon:: Absolutely, Ardene. I love Hand & Foot, too. We had some nasty weather on our canasta day last month with several cancellations. Only four of us hardy players showed up and we played H & F. I'd eventually like to "sell" the group on the game as there is a little more strategy to it. A few are reluctant to try it because it is more complicated. My goodness, they should try bridge. That game makes my head spin!

>36 heatherhoarder:: Welcome, hvazquez. You are so right about those frozen peas. I couldn't even bribe my kids to eat those hardened peas and carrots.

This trip down Memory Lane has been lots of fun, but I'm I'm going to break up the party and do a book report before I get turned in to the LT police.

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Book No. 19: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. 4.6 stars.

I loved this reread of an American Classic. It was much more meaningful this go-round than when I read it as a teen. This week's class discussions were especially illuminating. On Tuesday we talked about Huck's soft heart in contrast to the harshness of society in the mid-1800s. His humanity and growth in moral maturity gave Twain a vehicle to critique the ignorance of the times.

Today was a real eye-opener when one of my fellow students suggested that the letter Huck wrote to Miss Watson telling her of Jim's whereabouts perhaps represented "30 pieces of silver." Well, one thing leads to another. If Huck represented Judas, didn't that make Jim a Christ figure? I think the professor was a little surprised about the turn of the discussion - but that's what happens here in the Bible Belt!

We're supposed to mull those big ideas over during spring break. I loved this quote that Professor Matt handed out at the end of class. Something else to ponder. It's from Hemingway's Green Hills of Africa...

The good writers are Henry James, Stephen Crane, and Mark Twain. That's not the order they're good in. There is no order for good writers... All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn. If you read it you must stop where the Nigger Jim is stolen from the boys. That is the real end. The rest is just cheating. But it's the best book we've had. All American writing comes from that. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since.

Donna- Thanks for sharing the quote! Wow, that's deep, it's something to ponder. I NEED to get to more Twain. It's on my Books-to-do-list.

Hey, Donna. Love the quote. Twain is not my favorite of all authors, but he's very good and really has been influential.

On the fifties/sixties: I read a blurb on the back of a bio. of Patricia Highsmith which stated: "Highsmith was addicted to cigarettes, liquor, and chocolate."

My reaction to that was to be completely stunned and think, Wasn't everyone? My folks, and the whole adult part of the family, certainly used those substances with joy and abandon. I always thought of that as normal. It's mind-boggling how our perceptions and lives have changed over the years. In many ways, both good and not-so.

Hi Donna. Glad you liked your reread of Huckleberry Finn. I'm due for one too and am encouraged by the favorable reviews from you and Becky because I have no memory of it.

I read that quote of Hemingway's with interest. I remember our teacher in the Hemingway course mentioning that Twain was his favorite author but we never discussed it.

I'm about 50 pages into The Country of the Pointed Firs and loving it so thanks for that recommendation as well. What's the next book you're going to be reading for your class?

Mark Twain is one of my favorite authors. Have you read Letters From the Earth. It is a scathing commentary regarding religion. His daughter Clara tried to stop the publication because she feared it was too bitter.

Well here you are! Hi Donna.

I have The Country of the Pointed Firs all loaded up in my Nook, seemingly ready to collect dust. I'm starting to consider it to be a convenient place to hide books as more and more get stacked up in there.

Oh, Linda, good point. I loved Letters from the Earth and Innocents Abroad as well. Twain was very much the iconoclast, but much less bitter, I thought, than Bierce or Menken, and thus much funnier.

My Mom was reading Roughing It the other day in her sitting room - and I kept hearing laughter coming out from there. It reminded me of when the kids were little and I would listen to their giggles and laughter as they watched Sat morning cartoons.

Now I'm curious and need to read it too. Apparently it is one of his earlier books. Never heard of that one. Part I and II $0 each - on the Kindle.

Donna, I love the Hemingway quote and suddenly Huck Finn jumped way up the pile.

I also liked this quote: We're supposed to mull those big ideas over during spring break. Regarding that "spring break," since you have reverted to "college student" that means you need to get yourself to Daytona for a week of sun, drinking and carousing like some college students are known to do. (maybe they don't do that anymore, I'm not sure) I mean if you're going to be a college student....;-)

>Hi Mark, Gail, and Pat. I'm glad that quote sparked some interest. I think with that kind of recommendation, I need to read some more books by Twain myself. And, I kind of agree, about an earlier ending being more appropriate. The madcap rescue chapters were a little much for the realist in me.

The next book for my class is a short story collection by Charles Chestnutt called Tales of Conjure and the Color Line. Anybody familiar with this one?

Linda, I've been wanting to read Letters From the Earth for some time. It might be my next Twain experience. I'll add Innocents Abroad to that list on your recommendation, Gail. Looks like Claudia is adding Roughing It to the mix. Thanks for those tips, guys.

Joanne, put a post-it on your Nook to "start reading the Pointed Firs book" - and soon. You can probably catch up to Pat and have a shared read! At least those books stacked up on your Nook aren't a visual reminder that you have too many good books waiting to be read. It looks like Claudia is stockpiling the free books on her Kindle. That's what I'd be doing if I had an ereader!

Edited to 'turn off' the bold print!

>45 brenzi:: We cross-posted, Bonnie. I wrote (on somebody's thread apparently) that I would be skipping my trip to the beach and spend my time shampooing the carpeting. Those little asthma and allergy-prone grandkids are coming next week end!

I'm in a class with mostly older students and the consensus was that SLEEP is a priority over fun in the sun!

I hope you enjoy Huck Finn as much as I did when you get to him.

I finally found your new thread...47 messages in!

Enjoying the TV dinner conversation here. I confess to occasionally serving my husband a (small) TV dinner when he needs a quick lunch from time to time. He likes them...because he lived alone for 11 years without cooking...he ate one almost every day back then.

Hi Donna - Thanks for stopping by my thread. I replied to you there, but also wanted to mention that when you are down this way next time, you should check out Paperbacks Plus. It is a (gently) used bookstore in the Lakewood section of Dallas and is AMAZING. It's a warren of rooms with an incredible selection of fiction and non-fiction. Also good is Recycled Books in Denton, but that would be more out of the way. I like them both better than Half Price Books, which is saying something since I go there about once a week :-)

>48 BookAngel_a:: Hey there, Angela. My oldest son ate his own "cooking" for quite a few years before he got married; he used to tell people that his specialty was "frozen." I haven't compared nutritional values, but I suspect frozen meals are better for you than fast food. At least there are usually some veggies in the frozen versions.

>49 katiekrug:: Hi Katie. Thanks for delurking...and thanks for the bookstore hints. I'll definitely check one of those out while Haley (and DIL) are napping.

I'm taking advantage of a slow weekend by taking part in the MEGA readathon that started at 5:00 p.m. ET and ends at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. I won't be reading the entire time, but I got a good start tonight by reading for 4.5 hours. Bedtime for me!

Hi Donna, all caught up on your new thread! I've enjoyed reading about Spong, TV dinners and Huckleberry Finn :-)

Hope you enjoy the readathon this weekend.

>29 Donna828:: The vegetables were pretty bad. It was the gravy and potatoes I loved, swirled together. I'm sure it was nothing but salt, grease and MSG but I loved it as a kid. I don't have the nerve to try it now.

Hi Heather, good to see you. There is more Spong in your future later today. I'm done with TV dinners!

I don't blame you about that, Tad. Instant heart attack!

Book No. 20: The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer. 4.5 stars.

There are several excellent reviews for this book; too bad they are buried underneath the unfavorable reactions. I wasn't going to review it, but had to let more people know what a wonderful book this is.

From my review:

Finally, a book that lives up to its hype! Ms. Orringer tells about an enduring love that begins in Paris and ends up in Hungary where Andras and Klara Levi face unrelenting obstacles as WWII explodes around them. This sprawling novel has emotional appeal combined with the age-old story of good vs. evil. I learned about the Jewish work camps that paved the way for the Hungarian army to reach Russia and about the indomitable spirits of these conscripted men as they gave so much and got so little in return.

Now back for some more reading for the Megathon before the 1:00 p.m. basketball game. Missouri State (Go Bears!) is playing for the championship title in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament against Indiana State. The winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA tourney.

Already on my WL... thanks for the great review, Donna. LT thinks I will love this with high confidence. They could be right on this one.

Morning Donna- Great review! You got a very enthusiastic thumb! Fortunately I have this one on the 'Must Read Soon" shelf. For a big book, did it read quickly?

>53 Donna828:: that was a great review Donna (thumbed!). I received a copy in a giveaway and am looking forward to reading it.

Donna, I have you to thank for a new favorite book. I recalled seeing your glowing review of In the Company of Angels, so I requested it from Early Reviewers in January. --Just finished it and wow, it blew me away! thank you, my friend :o)

Immediately thumbed your review Donna and saw that a few didn't care for the book which really puzzles me. I'm pretty sure I'll reread this epic novel again some day.

>57 GCPLreader: I also requested In the Company of Angels based on your earlier review Donna. I have it up next after I finish my present read.

>54 -Cee-:: Claudia, I second the 'high confidence' that you will love The Invisible Bridge.

>55 msf59:: Mark, it was in that "unputdownable" category so, yes, it read quickly.

>56 lauralkeet:: Thanks for the thumb, Laura. Hope you love the book, too.

>57 GCPLreader:: Jenny, you are welcome. You've certainly given me plenty of good book suggestions. I wish more people would read In the Company of Angels.

>58 brenzi:: Bonnie, I was stunned with those negative reviews! Granted, it was on the long side but I didn't regret a word of the book. In fact, I wish she had written more about the war and the siege in Budapest.

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The MEGA 48-hour readathon is over. I managed to read 12 hours and 15 minutes since 5:00 p.m. (EST) on Friday and completed 526 pages. Not bad for a week end's work!

On the sad side, our local team, Missouri State, lost their basketball game this afternoon against Indiana State. No tourney win and instant bid to the NCAA tournament for them. There's a slim chance they might be part of March Madness -- but I'm not holding my breath.

I have missed too much to read, so I will just star...

Thanks, Kath.

Sunday Spirituality...Take it or leave it!

I read Chapter 2 in John Shelby Spong's A New Christianity for A New World today. I'm still not sure where he's going after he shows that traditional faith is dying. I "cheated" and skimmed ahead a bit to see what his "God possibilities" are but to no avail. I'm not sure I have the patience for this slow unfolding.

In Ch. 2, "The Signs of the Death of Theism," Spong argues that science and reason have displaced the God that is "dwelling outside this world and invading the world periodically to accomplish the divine will." I'm with him so far but then he goes on to suggest that addictions, depression, suicide, small and large-scale acts of violence are "emotional manifestations of the death of the theistic God." Is this more of the blame game that is so prevalent today?

I think he's saying that the downhill spiral of society is caused by the lack of faith in a God that doesn't intervene in the evil on earth. That's causing all kinds of problems from personal mental and physical health issues to societal troubles. It helps me to simplify things into my own words to understand them.

Right now the problem I'm having is that I want to get to the "solution" rather than discuss the problem ad nauseum. I don't have the time or patience to read further today, but I think I need to read more than a chapter at a time until I get to the part where he defines his ideas on what his "new faith" looks like and how he thinks it should be implemented.

#61 I'm eagerly awaiting to your further reading in the Spong book. I'm sure it's not something I would have the patience, or desire, to read, but I'm curious about what he has to say.

#59 Was sorry to hear about MSU's loss today. We were so disappointed in the way our Shockers played yesterday, as we all hoped to play the Bears in the final game. ISU just kept playing better and better all weekend. Still, it was a fun trip to St Louis, and we're already making plans to go again next year.

Good morning, Sandy. We can keep each other company in our disappointment. I thought for sure that one of our teams would win the tournament. Oh well, that's why I'm not a good sports watcher. It's just too agonizing for me! I'm trying to think of how happy the Indiana State fans are this morning. ;-)

The Spong book is interesting. I'll stick with it for awhile in hopes that he gets to his point soon. I don't think there are any easy answers.

It looks like we'll be seeing each other again in late April. I'm excited about the KC meet-up!

Nice review of The Invisible Bridge, Donna!

I watched the end of the Missouri State-Indiana State game; that was a heartbreaker. I hope that they can make it to the field of 64 68; the ESPN bracket guru has them among the first four teams out at the moment, so they have a chance to get in if teams like Michigan State, Michigan, Virginia Tech and Clemson lose in the first round of their conference tournaments.

The Invisible Bridge is on my read this one soon list...so glad to see you loved it Donna!

>64 kidzdoc:: Thanks, Darryl, for the support on the review and the basketball game. I'm hoping that MSU's resume is strong enough to win that invitation to "the dance."

>65 Copperskye:: Hi Joanne, I'm guessing that's a pretty long list. I know mine is! I hope you like The Invisible Bridge when you get to it.

I have a rain delay for my morning walk. Lucky is not happy! At least I won't have to walk across campus in the rain this morning. Spring break is this week which gives me a good excuse to catch up on things that I've been putting off. Who needs the beach when they can work around the house?

Hi There Friend.

Happy Tuesday morning to you.

Awww that's such a sweet image Linda. Made me smile and I'm sure I'm not the only one who appreciates it! :-)

Hi Donna, I'll try to do better about keeping up on this thread...assuming the last 68 messages don't count. :)

Hi Donna! Enjoy your break!

Very cute gif, Linda! Love it.

>67 Whisper1:: Thanks, Linda. What a day brightener...for me and my visitors. It has been one of those grey days of intermittent rain and cold here.

Hey to Ilana, Stephen, and Claudia. Not much going on here. I didn't even get much reading done today. My book and I are going to bed early tonight. I hope to finish Shadow of the Wind tonight if I can stay awake.

Love your thread, Donna, but need I to come back later to finish up on the latest posts. Have a great day.

now that gif says spring! wish the weather man did..

>72 Carmenere:: Thanks, Lynda. See ya later when things settle down and you have more time here.

>73 mckait:: I agree, Kath. Another cold, cloudy day here. Spring is still a distant hope at this point.

Book No. 21: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. 4.1 stars.

I knew I was hooked when the book started out with Daniel saying, "I was raised among books, making invisible friends in pages that seemed cast from dust and whose smell I carry on my hands to this very day." Shadow is the dramatic story of a mysterious book and author that sucked me into a dark world of the past mingling with the present in a labyrinth of intrigue. It's a book to get lost in and a book-lovers delight.

There are plenty of reviews and summaries on the book's page so that's all I'll say about it. I do want to offer this quote found near the end of the book that's been on my mind:

Bea says that the art of reading is slowly dying, that it's an intimate ritual, that a book is a mirror that offers us only what we already carry inside us, that when we read, we do it with all our heart and mind, and great readers are becoming more scarce by the day.

I tend to hang out with "bookish" people, here on LT and in real life. However, when I encounter an average group of people in a social setting, I find that most of them are not readers. People seem much more eager to talk about television or movies than books these days. Any thoughts about this?

>74 Donna828: Donna, I have no deep thoughts about that quote or your experience, but I have had similar encounters. I grew up with books (mom was a librarian, dad was an English teacher) and have always been a big reader. I don't understand when people say they don't have time to read, but can talk in depth about a television show or movie that they've obviously had time to watch (don't get me wrong, I'm not against that - I love certain TV shows and love watching movies). It just doesn't make sense to me. I have noticed that the people I do know - whether my own age (early 30s), younger or older - who are readers, have grown up that way and were encouraged by parents, teachers, etc. Not to say one can't learn to love to read later in life, but I think it is much harder to learn to savor the quiet, personal, and intimate journey of reading when one is more used to the opposite.

Well I hang around with educated people who should be readers but, well, for whatever reason, aren't. I was out to dinner with some friends and one of them said, "If someone would give me a good book, or tell me one to read, I would do it." Hmmm, well I threw out a few suggestions but apparently what she was looking for was one of James Patterson's books. That's not a recommendation I would make.

Personally, if you get to be an adult with no interest in reading and you're in the habit of just watching TV, I think it would be hard to change that habit. And people who don't read don't get it either. 'Why would you read about something you can see on TV or at the movies?'

>76 brenzi:: "If someone would give me a good book, or tell me one to read, I would do it."

I think many people are enamored of the idea of reading but not the practice. It's like that famous line, "No one wants to write a book. Everyone wants to have written a book."

I work with people who read - they may not always read great books, but they are reading and that makes me happy. (Some of them have children who read, too.) We have things to talk about and books to recommend and loan to one another. I realize that I am very lucky in that, as my workplace is not your usual bookish area being a real estate law office. My previous workplace was a law office as well and it was also an intellectual desert. As for people who don't read, well, I just don't understand them. How can you NOT read? I think that there is something seriously wrong with people who don't want to participate in one of civilization's greatest pleasures.

It's one great thing about working at a school; a substantial number of your coworkers read, widely and often.

Nice review of Invisible Bridge, Donna! I am starting The Portrait of a Lady today.
--BJ

Thank you for the thoughts on the "'lost art of reading."

Katie, I love movies, too, but they're over too quickly for me. A book can inhabit your life for days or even weeks. I also like creating my own "mind" pictures.
Bonnie, I find it difficult to recommend books to people unless I know them and their likes and dislikes very well. Most people don't like the kinds of books that I gravitate toward.
Tad, I think you're on to something. I have heard many people say that they just don't have the time to devote to reading. These are the same people who know what's going on in all the 'hot' TV shows.
Charlotte and Cynara, you are both fortunate to have found readers in your workplace. It's great to have book talk around the "water cooler."

I agree that childhood experiences are crucial to developing lifelong readers. Maybe not the only way, but those early habits are so important. I've worked with my adult literacy student for 3 years now, and she still doesn't "get" why I enjoy reading. Sad.

>80 billiejean:: Thanks, BJ. I'm looking forward to reading Portrait and discussing it with the group. It ought to keep us busy for awhile!

The whole question of what makes a person a reader is fascinating to me. What confuses me are all the intelligent people I know who don't read much. One of the reasons that I read is that I love to learn. In my current book, The Girls by Lori Lansens, one sister is a big reader (the "in love-with-learning type") and the other doesn't like to learn, she just likes to know. Sometimes I wonder if people who don't like to read feel they already know what they want to.

>82 phebj:: Pat, I'm not sure it has anything to do with intelligence. I know many people who are just like those you describe.

I think it's more of what we are conditioned to when we are younger. Reading is a more active pastime than watching TV because you must extract the content rather than have it flow over you. If you grew up with the Pull model of content delivery (reading), it seems normal to you. If you grew up the the Push model (TV), it seems like more effort than is necessary. Much the way kids who played sports all their lives don't see taking on some other physical activity as much of a burden but those who didn't, even if in reasonable shape, often do.

Obviously, there are many, many exceptions to this...but it's a theory. What do you think?

Reading has always seemed to me a way for the more introverted person (all it means to me is a person who finds social interaction usually tiring rather than revivifying) to learn about and experience people, the world. Some introverted people never find reading, or aren't curious, I suppose, but I'm guessing the urge to read comes from some place like that -- in some families though, that need can't be met due to circumstances -- And some children like this find art or music or a sport like running or bicycling.

#83 Tad, I think the fact that reading requires more effort than TV or surfing the net probably is a factor. My earlier comments about being confused about intelligent people not reading had alot to do with my husband. He was a voracious reader when he was in school but fell out of the habit as he got older. When I first met him he watched alot of TV but now he's online alot and when he's not, his main reading is the Economist. I'm always trying to get him to read a book but he rarely enjoys them. What you said is making me think maybe it's an attention span thing and he's been ruined by the computer!

#85 Lucy, my husband is a classic introvert but it's the computer that fills up most of his time. Of course, I'm not really any different considering how much time I spend on LT.

Hi Donna. Hope you're doing something fun today for Spring Break.

Hi, Donna. Dropping in but I can't stay, my Jayhawks are getting ready to play in the second round of the Big 12 conference.

aw, now Donna.. Don't make me want to read The Shadow of the Wind ..
I just don't want to want to..

76 Bonnie.. A friend on FB said something similar to me a few weeks ago. I asked some questions and suggested he read a specific book that he already had, but hadn't read. He did.. liked it and is now on book #3. I am so happy! He is enjoying reading now.. hadn't done it in years :)

I have heard many people say that they just don't have the time to devote to reading. These are the same people who know what's going on in all the 'hot' TV shows.

It's true! I mean, there is nothing wrong with watching tv if that is your prefered form of entertainment. But I hate the "I don't have time" excuse. Of course they do, they just choose to spend it not reading books is all. :)

I know what you mean, Stephen. It drives me crazy when people ask how I manage to read so many books. Sometimes I sense feelings of inadequacy or a desire to make excuses for themselves. It's really just a matter of how I choose to spend my time, and how they are choosing to spend theirs whether they are conscious of their choices or not.

I'm loving this conversation. I love how Pat uses her current book to make her point about reading to learn. And, Tad, your models of Push and Pull methods of learning made so much sense. I basically spent the formative years of ages 5-8 without any TV because I lived in Germany with no American TV available at that time (early 50s). That's also when I learned to read, and I remember loving the process of working through a book and being rewarded with either a terrific story or at least something to think about.

Good point, Lucy, about those of us who feel more comfortable vicariously experiencing life. I suspect most of us are pretty balanced in that area, although I'd like to at least try being a hermit! Pat, you nailed it with the "C" word. My husband spends more of his free time on the internet than I do. It is easy to get lost in the zone of cyberspace.

Kath, that is so cool that you persuaded a friend to read a book, and the suggestion brought him back into the fold. Maybe he was spending too much time on FB! Which leads me into Stephen and Laura's remarks about how people spend their time. We all have the same 24 hours. And we all make choices about how we spend our free time. I don't think any of us are being judmental about those who choose to use their time doing things other than reading. I've just noticed a trend away from reading as a source of entertainment and fulfillment -- and it makes me sad for what they are missing.

>86 ronincats:: Roni, I hope your Jayhawks won. My DIL is a big fan, too. I'll have to check out the evening news...if I'm not lost in a book by then.

>87 mckait:: Okay, Kath, I'll just have to tell you that The Shadow of the Wind was a terrible bore. I stayed up way past my bedtime the other night finishing it only because Sherlock Holmes was waiting for me. ;-) There, now you don't want to want to read it, do you?

Thanks for the support, Donna. If we keep playing like we did today, we'll need all the support we can get!

We didn't get a TV until I was well into second grade. I read 108 books in first grade. I also credit learning to read before TV happened with really developing my attention span and my love of reading. And really, in the middle of Kansas, you could go a lot more place through reading than you could with the 2-1/2 channels you could receive at the time!

My girls also had no tv growing up. There were some consequences. On the playground, they did not know how to play power rangers or mutant ninja turtles. They had never heard of the shows before. But they are both big readers now.
--BJ

>90 Donna828:: I don't think any of us are being judmental about those who choose to use their time doing things other than reading. I've just noticed a trend away from reading as a source of entertainment and fulfillment -- and it makes me sad for what they are missing. Me too, Donna! And you're right about not being judgemental. I don't think less of a person because they choose not to read. What I really hate though is an implication on the part of the non-reader that if I have lots of time to read I must be neglecting something important. I admit to neglecting housework, but I still work a full-time job, raise kids, and love my husband !!

And I spent a couple of formative years in Germany also -- ages 4-6 in the mid-60s. How about that!

>90 Donna828:: Donna, sounds like we had a similar formative years. I was an Army brat and lived in Germany ages 5-9 with no TV.

Edit: It was the early 60s, however, so we didn't meet on the playground. :-)

I had TV, and watched it - I still like TV. I just like reading more. It's portable, there aren't any commercials, there's a greater range of content, and it's more immersive.

That, and books are essential to me in a way that TV simply can't be. :-)

I also think that people who try to read and don't get to the right books (for them) give up because they get bored. If you read three or four one or two star books in a row, you have to be a committed reader to continue. If you're not, you may well decide that reading books is not for you.

I did not have many books when I was a child, but I re-read what I had a lot. And, as often as I could, I made forays into my mother's book collection and came away with a lot of highly inappropriate subject matters. Consequently from 9 on up I was reading about children with cancer, lepers, true-life murderers (both mass and the less ambitious), fictional murderers, Mandingo and its successors, John O'Hara and some John Updike. It was all a far, far cry from Anne of Green Gables and Nancy Drew. I would have been watching more TV, but very often I was being punished for bad report cards, so there were a few years when the only TV I saw was at my cousins' house or whatever I could glimpse from the hallway while on my way to the bathroom. In my opinion, at the time, those were bad, bad years.

>91 ronincats:, 92: According to our informal survey here, it looks like the experts are right about limiting young childrens' exposure to TV.

>93 lauralkeet:, 94: I have many fond memories of Germany through the eyes of a child and as a young, newly married woman. My husband was lucky enough to be deployed to Baumholder instead of Vietnam during the late sixties.

>95 Cynara:: I watch and enjoy television on a selective basis. My husband, on the other hand, will watch anything that moves across the TV screen! I had a TV epiphany when I should have been sleeping last night. See my latest book comments in next message.

>96 brenzi:: Bonnie, I mentioned upthread that I don't like to recommend books to people I don't know well. You hit on the very reason for that. What if I'm the one to steer them wrong and turn off a potential reader? Too much pressure.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I desperately need to be cooking and cleaning this morning becuz...company's comin'...but I can't tear myself away from the news reports of the massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan. And those huge waves are rushing toward our west coast. Be safe, our people in Washington, Oregon, and California.

Edited for another typo. I need an LT editor it seems. I'm not going back to msg. 93 to make that correction. Nobody's perfect, right?

Book No. 22: The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle. 3.2 stars.

I wish LT had a 3 1/4 star rating. I didn't like this as much as the first Sherlock Holmes mystery I read last year, but it was still enjoyable. I love the coupling of the dead-serious S.H. with the earnest Dr. Watson.

It suddenly occurred to me last night as I was drifting off to sleep that these two characters are reincarnated in a TV series. In "House," Dr. Greg House mimics Sherlock's intelligence and focus on solving puzzles. His puzzles are medical anomalies while S.H. has crime puzzles to solve. And, they both have a lovable sidekick. House has Dr. Wilson and Holmes has Dr. Watson. Pretty cool.

I'm digressing (again) here away from the book. Once again the Holmes/Watson duo solves another case using a combination of science, observation and logic with a hint of theater in Holmes' clever disguises and playacting. I was glad to see Watson find his soul-mate, although the resolution of the crime was a bit anti-climatic. I'm looking forward to reading some of the stories now. I've heard over on the March Mystery thread that they are more compelling than some of the novellas.

>97 Fourpawz2:: Thanks for sharing, Charlotte. Childhood memories are kind of fuzzy for me. I suspect those years were not my best ones, either. I'm glad we both had books to escape to, although those adult books may not have been the best thing for an impressionable child.

Edited for another mistake...not sure if I'm suffering from fat fingers this morning or if I'm just sidetracked by what I need to be doing and what is going on west of here. Must focus.

Morning Donna- I'm glad you liked Shadow of the Wind. I also enjoyed it very much. Did I ever mention that I was stationed in Germany a couple years, during the early 80s? I was based in Nuremberg. I had a fantastic time there. Great country.

>99 Donna828:: I found the Holmes/House analogy amusing. It does seem very true, though Wilson displays a lot more intelligence than Watson does at times.

I have to admit, I've become bored with House and somewhat stopped watching it. They've never re-created that first season's energy where the medical cases were the focus and the other stuff was side-story. I enjoyed the puzzles and the odd chains of logic House would use to solve the problems.

Now, it all seems like side-story and with House just issuing "Run a CTC to check for..." or "Start him on antibiotics" periodically to keep the minions busy. Then, at the end, he'll get get the far-away look in his eyes, run (hobble) into the room, and say, "Stop XXX or you'll kill him. He has YYY."

ETA: Are you going to read all the Holmes stories? I confess, as a group, I loved them, though some were better than others.

I had heard that House was based on Sherlock Holmes. Which means I'd probably love the show and become addicted to it...so I've been avoiding that show, lol...
.
.
.
.
(Please, don't think that I'm condemning people who love to watch TV, because I'm not. Personally, I'm addicted to House Hunters on HGTV and a few other TV shows.)

But does anyone else think that children who are "babysat" by the TV when they are very small may grow up to have less imagination? They can't make their own entertainment...instead they expect to be entertained every minute. And thus likely to find books more "boring" because they require imagination/effort??

I know a few people who were brought up on excessive television and they seem to be easily bored when there's no TV or internet in front of them.

It always jolts me when I hear the words "I'm bored!" because I'm hardly ever bored. Not even when I was a child...

Again, this is not a criticism or insult...I was just wondering if I'm the only one who has observed this.

Ha! I love your House/Homes Wilson/Watson connection! I've read little Doyle myself, but now that you've pointed it out it seems perfectly logical. I have to remember to tell Michael that - he read the complete Holmes when our first was born, and he struggled to stay up with me for all of the late-night feedings. ;)

102- I try to avoid tv, because I feel gross when I sit in front of it for hours, and because it captures my attention so easily I do sit there for hours. We've started identifying shows we like and watching them on Netflix or Hulu to avoid the constant programming, and I find it much more entertaining. Hooray Mythbusters and Bones!

And it's so nice to be able to skip the commercials!

>104 mamzel:: DVR is the greatest thing on the planet. Now that the number of commercials have gone up so much and now that they run them at an average volume much higher than that of the containing TV show, I simply cannot stand to watch them. Now I record anything I think I want to watch (a secret passion for Top Chef, I confess) and zip right past the commercials.

>100 msf59:: Hey there, Mark. I'm glad you didn't wash out to sea today. It's good to see you staying in touch while you're in Oregon. I do seem to recall some conversations about how much you enjoyed your leave time in Munich going to the beer gardens! Or something like that. I have many fond memories of my two times of living in Germany. Beautiful country.

>101 TadAD:: Tad, maybe that's why I have 5 or 6 episodes of House on the DVR. And, yes, I plan to read all of the stories eventually. I'm going to try to read the 12 stories in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes for the March TIOLI challenge, and then I'll give it some time before tackling the rest of them.

>102 BookAngel_a:: Angela, I'm another one who is never bored and impatient with those who say they are. I just don't get it.

>103 London_StJ:: Luxx, I'm so impressed that your dh stayed up with you all those nights. Mine moved out of the bedroom so his sleep wouldn't be disturbed!

Luxx, Mamzel, and Tad, I love how my DVR allows me to be selective in what and when I watch TV. And a big Yay! to skipping commercials.

The DVR is possibly the best invention in the last 25 years. How did we get by without it?

>107 brenzi:: How did we get by without it? Remember the VCR? That's how :)
But I do love having a DVR.

I am one of those people that got lost in the transition from one thread to another. Glad I found you again. I have been trying to work my way through all the Sherlock Holmes stories for the last year or so. The Sign of the Four was not my favorite either.

EEEEeeeek!! I haven't visited in two days and already 30 posts behind. But I see lots of stuff that interests me as I zoom through, so will be back to read more closely soon. And, oh yeah... HI DONNA! :-)

Hi Donna! Big wave and Happy Saturday! :)

The last bunch of comments, esp about reading was very fun to read!

I also think that people who try to read and don't get to the right books (for them) give up because they get bored.

This is why I hate required reading in high school. Kids who are only exposed to books at school are only given the option to read dense, complicated classics. They have literary and educational value, yes...but it's no wonder so many people are turned off from reading after that. Kids just aren't enthusiastic about reading 'boring' books, and if that is their only experience with books, it's a natural (and sad) conclusion.

The same is probably true for adults. I've seen people recommend books to new readers, and it's always classics/dense literature. It's just not the right route. If you want to inspire nonreaders to read, I think the most effective way is to direct them to the 'brain candy' fluffy stuff. Thrillers and simple mysteries and whatnot.

I think the best thing to do is ask why kind of movies they like, and then find fluffy books with similar themes/genres.

I love TV as well. Big fan of Mythbusters here! Time Warp was cool, although I think they only shot 1 season? At least, I certainly haven't seen it on. *shrug*

I was going to join in on the conversation, and started typing something but then the phone rang and I made the mistake of answering it because the person at the other end just ended up sapping all my energy. This marginally fits into the conversation because having that person in my life has been a very good excuse to hide away in my books in search of peace and quiet. Off into my books I go then.

>114 Smiler69:: having that person in my life has been a very good excuse to hide away in my books. Oh, I know people like that, too. Hope you're feeling better now, Ilana!

>114 Smiler69:: Ilana, I get that energy sapped feeling. Three of my grandchildren are visiting and after getting them to bed a bit ago, I feel depleted...in a good way! They're leaving tomorrow. It's such a quick visit that I'm not going to complain about being tired. I don't see them often enough.

I'm so glad to have some visitors today. Please forgive me for my brief replies. My husband just reminded me that we lose an hour of sleep tonight. *Groan* Must get to bed soon. The three-year-old wakes up between 6 and 7.

Bonnie and Laura, I agree about the DVR. It makes managing my time so much easier.

Hi Judy, glad you found. Keep on reading those Sherlock stories.

Greetings to Ilana, Claudia, and Lucy.

Ilana and Laura, it seems the needier a person is, the more energy they can drain out of a person willing to listen. Some days I have more patience (and time) for them than others.

G'night, all. One less hour to read this week end. :-(

Woo hoo! It's been a good day here in San Diego! Both KU and San Diego State won their respective championships. Let the brackets come forth!

I'm up to the 7th 'adventure' in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and really enjoying them. I liked the first two novellas but am glad Doyle moved to the short story form as he doesn't need to give Watson and Holmes a 'personal life' which is why I disliked The Sign of Four - clearly writing romance wasn't his forte lol.

The Holmes/House Watson/Wilson theme in House was done puposefully by the producers of House which is why I decided to read Sherlock Holmes (I'm a massive House Fan). There are lots of loose paralells as well as outright copy cat (such as the number of his apartment) which is all on wikipedia if you are interested enough to have a read.

I'm alternating the Sherlock Holmes books with other books so I don't get burned out. So far so good :)

What I really hate though is an implication on the part of the non-reader that if I have lots of time to read I must be neglecting something important

Agreed!!!

I had TV, and watched it - I still like TV. I just like reading more. It's portable, there aren't any commercials, there's a greater range of content, and it's more immersive.

agreed again..

AND My kids watched TV growing up. They were not parked in front of it all day.. but there were selected shows that they watched... and they all read growing up and still read.

hmmm where am I ..
I too have stopped watching House.
I still watch .. when I can .. NCIS and Harry's Law..
and other random things when I feel like tv watching..

and .. I give up here. .. too many comments to catch up with :P

It's very quiet around here this morning...for a short while. I hear the pitter-patter of little feet upstairs.

Stephen, I seem to have ignored you in my weariness and haste last night. You made a terrific suggestion that I'm going to follow up on. I'm tutoring an adult student (she's 31) in reading and haven't been able to find anything that interests her for recreational reading. I'll go the movie route and see what happens.

Congratulations, Roni, my son got his master's degree from SDS and his wife is a KU alumni. I'm sure they're both happy today.

>118 kiwiflowa:: LOL, Lisa. Here I thought I had an epiphany about House/ Wilson and Holmes/Watson. Angela burst my bubble upthread and now you! I may have heard that when House started years ago and filed it in my subconscious! Oh yeah, I'm interested in that sort of stuff. I can wow my friend who is a House fan.

>119 mckait:: Kath, no more excuses for you not keeping up with everyone here on LT. I hope this week end was more relaxing for you now that you are an official "lady of leisure."

Hi Donna, We were supposed to have grandkids this weekend - but sickness intervened. No pitter-patter of little feet this weekend. :(

My daughter had to call in sick at work for the first time ever in about 15 years. {She's the one I remember with tears streaming down her little face when she was about 10 and had pneumonia. She wasn't crying because of feeling sick... she was bored and very upset she was missing school.}

Glad to hear you're having a fun weekend with the Grands, Donna!

Thank you for your sympathy. I'm sure having children around, no matter how much you love them, must be draining. But somehow I'm under the impression that adult 'children' are worse. Anyway, I won't dwell as don't want to be a bore with my troubles.

I'm really enjoying Portrait of a Lady so far, although I'm only at chapter V. I'm also reading P&P and for some reason, having a bit of a hard time getting into it. Although I wasn't in love with S&S, I found the opening chapters grabbed me from the start. Not so much with this one.

Donna, I hope you had a wonderful weekend and took lots of photos (and share some, too!)

>121 -Cee-:: Awww, Claudia, that's so disappointing. Sickness intervened with our birthday party plans. My brother and his family had to cancel on us, reducing our numbers from 13 to 7. Leftovers, anyone?

Hi, Joanne and Anne, my Colorado friends. It was great to be with the Grands even for a short visit. No pictures this time, but I'll be sure to take some of Baby Haley when I go to Texas later this week. She's the one who has changed a great deal since the last time I saw her in January.

Hi, Ilana. The kids are more of a physical draining, while those needy adults can sap your emotional energy. I'll take the kids any day!
I can hardly wait to begin Portrait of A Lady after hearing about the promising beginning. I need a book to get lost in.

Hi, Donna. Just wanted to let you know that I finished The Country of the Pointed Firs yesterday and loved it. I probably won't get to do a review until later this week but I'm so glad I heard about this book from you. You've probably mentioned this and I've forgotten, but what are you reading now for your class? Is it Portrait of a Lady?

Hi Pat, I'm glad you like Pointed Firs. It's such a quiet little book that it probably wouldn't appeal to everyone, but I enjoyed my visit there. I'm going to be reading my assignment today for my class in the book Tales of Conjure and the Color Line. Portrait of A Lady is on the agenda because I wanted to read more by Henry James.

Book No. 23: Red Sky at Morning by Richard Bradford. 3.5 stars.

This was a short enjoyable book. It seems I have the attention span of a gnat these days so I'm going to the lighter side for a bit. Josh is 17 and is transplanted from Alabama to the mountains of New Mexico while his dad serves in WWII. Mom is a boozer and pretty much absent from his life.

Our young narrator is a likable sort and tells a good story. I can't seem to pull a review out of the hat so I'll refer you to Anne's review (AMQS) on the book's home page. I'll just add that the clever repartee in the book got to me when it started bordering on sarcasm so what started out to be a 4-star book earned 3.5 stars from me. It's just a personal thing for me; some people seemed to like the banter between the teens.

catching up with you :)

been busy I see with family and everything!

>127 Donna828: Donna, I'm glad you enjoyed Red Sky at Morning. I know exactly what you mean about the banter between the teens. It is required reading in many high schools, and I'll bet the repartee appeals to teens -- the kids in the book always seem to have something snappy to say, and are generally way cooler and more self-possessed than I was at that age (and this one, come to think of it :)

Hi Kara.

Anne, I was never as glib as young Josh in Red Sky. I'm glad to hear that today's teens are still reading it as I think it had some pretty good moral lessons in the book.

I've had to force myself to read the first three stories in Tales of Conjure for my class tomorrow. The Negro dialect is almost undecipherable. It sure takes away from the flow of the stories which are fairly interesting. I'm curious to see how my classmates feel about this writing. At least now I don't mind as much about missing class on Thursday for my trip to Dallas.

Interesting discussion on readers and non readers - not sure I've got much to add to it, but I agree I could never say I was bored as long as there was something at hand to read (and oh, those long summer holidays as a child when I spent days upon days doing nothing but, including all the inappropriate things from my Dad's collections when I'd re-read all my own books!).

Hi Donna! I have Pointed Firs on nook.. for someday..

Hi Genny, good to see you here. I wonder if anyone on LT came to their reading compulsion later in life? Most everyone seems to have come to their love of reading at an early age.

Kath, it's a good comfort read. Not much happens in Pointed Firs, but there's much to think about...and it's like having a little vacation in Maine.

I'm groggy this morning. DH is out of town and I stayed up way too late last night finishing a book I need to get back to the library. I think I've "discovered" a new author. I'll be back later with a quick review.

My new discovery (thanks to Caroline) is Karin Fossum. When Caro wrote about this Norwegian author, I was excited to explore my Norwegian roots a bit more. I didn't learn anything new about Norway, though the book did confirm there are some dark characters there. The first few pages are intense and ultra-creepy. Quite an attention getter, but it almost made me quit before I got started!

When a bank robber takes a schizophrenic man hostage, anything can happen. "Errki had discovered that he had the ability to drive a grown man almost mad without even trying, just by keeping silent." (71) He finally broke this silence with these sinister words, "A person can't see much when the devil is holding the candle." (95)

I liked this book well enough to quickly reserve another audiobook for my trip to Texas tomorrow, Don't Look Back by K. Fossum.

Book No. 24: He Who Fears the Wolf by Karin Fossum. 3.4 stars.

My relatively short review is on the book's page.

Donna- I'm glad you found a new discovery, in Fossum. I read Don't Look Back last March and really enjoyed it. It has a lighter tone than some of the other Scandinavian crime fiction I have read. Fortunately, I have He Who Fears the Wolf in the stacks. I need to get to it soon.

I'd heard of Fossum and knew she was on one of my lists of books to read, somewhere . . .

I had a chance to get a copy of Don't Look Back at a used bookstore over Christmas vacation . . . I couldn't remember which list the book was on: if I already had a copy, if the library had a copy, or if I needed a copy . . . and didn't have access to check my LT lists at the time . . . so I passed it by. Stupid.

I do the same thing lately. I see a book I want to read at the used book store and can't remember if I have it and it's patiently waiting for me - or if I wishlisted it and still need to buy it. Mostly I err on the side of - don't buy a possible duplicate. Then I kick myself later if I missed it.

Have a good trip tomorrow, Donna. All packed and ready to roll? Is Haley getting a new book from Grandma? :)

safe travels! :)

Hey there, Mark, Terri, Claudia, and Kara. The Fossum book is a good one to listen to. I have two discs left for the return trip on Sunday. I like Inspector Sejer. He's very thorough and patient, plus he loves his dog.

I had an enjoyable late lunch with Stasia in Sherman. She's doing well and misses everyone. It sounds like she'll be back with us before too long.

It was neat to see all the flowering trees on the way south. The Redbuds and Bradford Pears are lookin' good. I'll be sure and take some spring cheer back to Missouri with me.

Donna- That's great you had a chance to see Stasia and letting us know that she's doing good. We miss her too! Enjoy your trip.

Thanks for the news about Stasia Donna. I don't have time for much chatting lately what with the two group reads right now of Pride and Prejudice and of course, Portrait of a Lady. This is the first and last time I do two group reads at the same time. I feel like I'm back in school... and not in a good way!

Have a good trip!

>141 Smiler69:: don't give up, Ilana! You can do it !!

Just stopping by to say Hello...I'm so glad you had a lovely visit with Stasia! :)

H Donna, hope you're enjoying your trip. Glad for the Stasia sighting :)

Hi Donna dear. What!? You're travelling?! Double What!? You've seen Stasia?! Oh, good grief, note to self, keep up with Donna's thread :)

Hello to Mark, Ilana, Laura, Angela, Bonnie, and Lynda. I am getting very little reading done on this trip. I brought Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter with me and read about ten pages last night. I had already started it and am liking my first book by him a lot.



It was a perfect day here in Dallas. We visited the Arboretum. I wish I could send the fragrance over the internet! Haley is one of those babies that is happy wherever she goes. She takes a nap anywhere she happens to be and wakes up in a good mood. I hope she likes the book store tomorrow!

What a sheer beautiful delight! I imagine it is going to be very difficult to leave precious Haley behind. Can you fit her in your suitcase?

I'm so glad you had the opportunity to visit with Stasia...and, I'm so darn envious that she was with you and you with her...How I wish I could have been there with the two of you.

I didn't think Haley could be any more beautiful than when she was born -- but she is! And aren't Ben and Mary lucky to have a baby with such a wonderful disposition (happy anywhere, anytime) on their very first try! I can't wait to see more pictures.

Have fun at the bookstore! I know Haley will like it. See you soon.

Oh, Donna, your granddaughter is beautiful! It certainly is a perfect day in Dallas today - I snuck out of work early to enjoy it. The Arboretum is one of my favorite places in this area. But the most improtant question is: what bookstore are you hitting tomorrow?

Haley is an adorable little munchkin. Good to know you're having a nice visit.

#142 Thanks for the encouragement Laura!

Donna, Haley is absolutely gorgeous and what a fantastic picture with the flowers all around her. Your trip sounds wonderful.

>146 Donna828: Ohhh, what a sweet picture! She looks like such a happy little girl. Hope you're having a great visit with your grandkids, and a good trip to the bookstore tomorrow.

Your Granddaughter is beautiful. I envy your trip to the Arboretum. I was there about this time 4 years ago.

Aww, what a sweetheart.

Oh my Haley is absolutely beautiful and so is the Dallas weather by the looks of it. I'm oh so jealous of you Donna.

"Little Angel" is right! How happy you must be with Haley...
No wonder you love to visit her! Have lots of fun, Grandma Donna.

Oh my goodness, what a darling little girl! She's precious. Enjoy your visit!

Hi Linda, Nancy, Katie, Ilana, Pat, Mary, Cindy, Laura, Bonnie, Claudia, and Anne...wow, put up a baby pic and get lots of visitors. Haley appreciates all the nice things said about her.

Katie, we'll probably end up at Half Price Books because it is the most convenient location. I have written down in my handy little notebook (my book bible) the names of Paperback Pus and Recycled Books for another trip when I have more time or when my husband is with me to drive me around. I am not crazy about this Dallas traffic!

Gotta go help Mary with breakfast. Ummm...pancakes and bacon. It smells great in here.

Nothing wrong with HPB! Have fun!

Oh my, what a beautiful baby! I;m glad your enjoying your trip and especially glad that you got to see Stasia. She's a dear person.

Do let us know how you like Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter. Llosa is an author I'm especially interested in. And thank you for keeping up here while you're on your jaunt.

Oh, your granddaughter is beautiful! What a sweetie! And she looks like a happy baby.

So does anyone else see a bit of Donna in Haley?

Such a bonny baby! She's lovely!

Oooh, more visitors. Thanks for stopping by Katie, Gail, Terri, Laura, and Porua. I'm babysitting while Ben and Mary take in a movie. I don't think they wanted to go out all the much, but a free babysitter is not to be wasted!

This is my last day in Dallas. On the drive home tomorrow I'll be finishing the audiobook Don't Look Back and then move right on to The Portrait Of A Lady. I enjoy listening to books on the road to make the trip go by quickly.

Ben, Haley, and I spent a little over an hour in Half Price Books while Mary got a little nap in. I restrained myself quite a bit. Here's what I got off my list: Truman, Confederates in the Attic, and The Hamlet by Faulkner. Two impulse purchases were The Snow Goose (for 6-yr-old Audrey) and How to Read Novels Like A Professor. I could have gone crazy but I'm trying to be more discriminating in my book buying and just used up the credit I got for selling the books I brought with me. That way I can still get my five books for my Thingaversary next week! I'm planning a little trip to Border's close-out sale to see what goodies are left.

Gotta get my little angel to bed. Thanks again for all the visits and compliments on my newest granddaughter. I'm pretty smitten. I put some more pics on my profile page of all the things we did today. It was another lovely day here, although a bit windy for Haley.

(Don't tell anyone, but I think Haley is MUCH cuter now than her newborn pictures.)

Oh my goodness, Donna, Haley is adorable! What a pretty picture.

I recently bought a copy of Truman, too - it's large and intimidating.

Have a safe drive home.

Awww, Donna, Haley looks so precious in that picture! Brings back fond memories of taking my baby to the Botanical Gardens in St Louis... Em had big pinchable cheeks and big blue eyes too... she still does. :)

Donna, I love all those pictures of Haley. What a fashion plate! My favorites are the one with you and the one where she's lying on a quilt(?) on the floor. She would be hard to leave.

Just heard of Fossum on one thread, and then read about the series on here too. I've added them to my wishlist - especially liked your mention of the detective's dog!

What a beautiful baby! What a wonderful sounding trip..
I will be having a look at the pics.
have fun!

Oooo, Haley is such a cutey! How wonderful it must be to hold her in your arms and look into her beautiful and innnocent eyes. You are certainly blessed, Donna.

ETA: Safe travels :)

>165 ronincats:: (Okay, Roni, I won't tell!) I kind of agree with you because I think most newborns look alike. I like pictures that express the personality which doesn't happen for a few months.

>166 Copperskye:: Joanne, Truman will make a great doorstop if we are too intimidated to read it. My copy has pictures which cuts about 10 pages of reading out of the 1,000 plus pages!

>167 Milda-TX:: Hi Milda, I think Haley has my cheeks. I wish I had her big blue eyes.

>168 phebj:: Pat, Haley is happiest when she has a blanket of some type to roll in. I liked that picture too.

>169 gennyt:: Genny, the dog didn't play a big role in the book. I just like it when books show the "human" side of somebody that devotes his life to solving crimes. It's good to know that everybody has a softer side. I hope you enjoy the Fossum books. They're a departure from my normal reading but I plan to continue with the series.

>170 mckait:: Thanks, Kath, it was a beautiful week end which made it fun to get out and enjoy nature. We had spring "pop" out here while I was gone. The forsythia and magnolia bushes are blooming.

>171 Carmenere:: Hi Lynda, it was tough leaving this morning. Haley is such a sweetie, and I'm not sure when I'll see her next. It's their turn to visit us!

I'll be back tomorrow to get this thread headed back in the book direction. Thanks to all of you for indulging me in my 'Baby Talk!'

Waving hello. Your Haley is a darling. Welcome home.

Oh my goodness - Haley is just too sweet for words! :)

Hi Jenn and Angela. I'm missing Haley this morning but it's so good to be home and back to books!

Book No. 25: Don't Look Back by Karin Fossum. 2.9 stars. (Troubling touchstones this morning)

I liked this book well enough. It's the first Fossum book translated from Norwegian to English and woud be a good introduction to Konrad Sejer, the aging Chief Inspector who is grieving for the wife he lost a few years ago. There is a definite melancholy mood to Fossum's books, at least the only two I'm familiar with. I listened to this one which is not my preferred method of ingesting a book; however, it was the perfect companion for my 7+ hour drive to Dallas.

This police procedural had enough gentle twists to keep it interesting, but it was not so exciting that I drove off the road! Sejer is not a flashy detective by any means, but his persistence pays off after patiently looking back over the obvious and not-so-obvious facts in the case of the death of a teenage girl.

The beginning and end of the book were unrelated to this crime and gave the book an odd cliffhanger-type ending. I wonder if Fossum will follow up on the secondary story in another book. I'll definitely keep reading this series.

Hi, Donna!
Just wanted to say that I also love the baby pic and love hearing about the grandbaby. Keep the stories coming! Glad you are back safely from your trip!
--BJ

welcome back :)

Haley is sooo.. cute!

2.9 stars? might pass on this one.....glad it kept you company on the trip :)

I loved Confederates in the Attic. Horwitz is a superb writer.

Donna, it sounds like you had a great weekend in Texas. Haley is just adorable! And congratulations on your book shopping restraint! It's a difficult thing to do. Wouldn't it be great if we all had unlimited book-buying funds? And the shelf space to accommodate the new purchases? And all the time in the world to read them?

Hope you're back into the usual routine at home, though I'm sure you're missing that cute little granddaughter of yours. Have a great Tuesday!

>179 LauraBrook: I think the shelf space is the kicker, even more so than the funds! ;)

Cute baby!

176, 177: Thank you, BJ and Kara. I'm not a big mystery fan so my rating is probably lower than others would rate it.

>178 sibylline:: I was excited to get the Horwitz book, Lucy. I'm going to start my Civil War reading for my book group in early April with Gods and Generals by Jeff Shaara.

179, 180: Laura and Mary, book restraint is new to me. I sorted through my books in January and realized I had too many that I would never read. They found a new home at Half Price Books in Frisco, Texas.

>181 kidzdoc:: Thanks so much, Darryl. Haley is quite a chunky girl (I say that lovingly) at almost 20 pounds at her 6-month checkup! She weighed around 7.5 pounds but was a few weeks early. She's more than made up for it!

Hi Donna- I loved both Confederates in the Attic & Gods and Generals. Actually, I loved the whole Shaara trilogy. Enjoy!

Well, Donna, a 2.9 rating would generally put a book squarely in my ignore pile but your review was intriguing and so I've placed Don't Look Back on library hold. I think I like mysteries more than you do. Thanks!

Well, Donna, a 2.9 rating would generally put a book squarely in my ignore pile and this is no exception. I'm very glad you didn't drive off the road though.

Stopping by to see what you are up to. Haley is a darling!

>183 msf59:: Mark, I think that Jeff Shaara will be in Springfield sometime this year to give a Civil War lecture. We're "celebrating" the sequicentennial of The Battle of Wilson's Creek this summer. I'll be sure to attend if I'm in town.

>184 Copperskye:: Joanne, I'm glad my lowish rating didn't discourage you. This book was a good introduction to these Norwegian mysteries. I liked the second one I read (He Who Fears the Wolf) better because it was more of a psychological study than a straightforward police procedural.

>185 brenzi:: Switching gears here...or talking out of both sides of my mouth! Bonnie, my lowish rating is keeping you away from a new series it appears. These are definitely on the slow side...not at all like the Larsson "Girl Who..." books so you probably made the best choice for you.

>186 sibylline:: Hi Lucy, I'm not up to much so far today. I did get caught up with many threads and now I'm going outside into this lovely morning to accomplish some yard clean-up.

This afternoon? Reading, of course. I'm starting a new book, McTeague, for my class and hope to read a good chunk of The Portrait of A Lady. My husband has dinner scheduled with visiting clients. Sometimes I tag along on these dinners, but he neglected to invite me. Yay!

You're still in your class? Why did I think that was over? I looked at the reviews of McTeague, because the title sounded familiar, and it sounds like an...uh...very discussable book. Can't wait to hear what you and your classmates have to say about it.

Hi Bonnie, my class is a full semester from January to early May, although I only go two mornings a week. I was dreading McTeague because Mary (Bell7) disliked it intensely. Well, it certainly is different and has rather unlikable characters and bizarre situations, but, as you said, I think it will be highly discussable. I'll know more about that tomorrow.

I haven't been talking much about my class because we've been reading a collection of short stories wherein the dialect is so difficult to "translate" that it takes away the enjoyment. Imagine my surprise when I read the last four stories in Tales of Conjure and The Color Line and they were reader-friendly. I loved them! They were all about "colorism" and "passing for white." I loved this quote from a letter sent by the author, Charles Chesnutt, shared by a fellow student doing his class presentation:

Even you, Miss Field, with all your blood sympathy can never know how galling it is to feel that by education and all that makes manhood or womanhood, you are a man or a woman, and be made to feel each day that, because the sun lingered too long in his caressing, you are condemned to cry aloud to all that pass the tortured cry of the leper: 'Unclean! Unclean!' To know that education--absolutely nothing--can atone for one drop of negro blood.

I did my duty at Borders today. The prices finally dropped enough to where I couldn't keep away any longer. Besides, my Thingaversary (#4) is tomorrow!

Here are the five books I bought - listed in the order that I will probably read them:

Troubles - J. G. Farrell
The History of the Siege of Lisbon - Jose Saramago
A Passion for Nature: The Life of John Muir - Donald Worster (HC)
Stones Into Schools - Greg Mortenson
Sea of Poppies - Amitav Ghosh

And, whats this? Oops...an extra bonus book!
Einstein: His Life and Universe - Walter Isaacson

Wheee, that was fun. I'm so glad that I'm not on a book buying diet!
I'm just sad that my Borders store is closing and that I spent my last $50 gift card...I only had to shell out $2.02 for my books. Now I've got to go put some thoughts together about the book I finished last night.

Fantastic choices, Donna! Suitably diverse and all interesting. I'll bet you had a ball. sorry to hear about the Borders closing. I hate to see any bookstore go under.

Donna, did I read that right? $2.02 for six new books? It almost makes me wish my Borders was closing. ;-)

Donna- Nice haul! I've had the Farrell book on the WL forever. I've been meaning to get to the Mortenson book, (I really enjoyed his 1st book). I figured I was one of the last ones who had not read Sea of Poppies. Maybe we'll read it together.
I'm nearly finished with The Siege. Wow, it's good!

Oooh, that's sounds like a great collection. It's great when you have a gift card and end up paying hardly anything for a nice haul like yours. I've got a hardback copy of Sea of Poppies, and it's been sitting on my shelf for the longest time. I keep admiring the spine, but I definitely want to read it this year, so I'm in for reading along with you guys, depending on when of course. I've resolved never to do several group reads at once if I can avoid it after reading Pride and Prejudice and The Portrait of a Lady side by side. Thank goodness I've finished P&P. That was just too much intellectual stimulation for me! lol

ETA: I've had Einstein: His Life and Universe on my Audible wishlist for some time now. I'll wait to see your impressions on it before spending one of my credits. I've had Saramago's Blindness on my shelves for a couple of years now, but I can't bring myself to read it because I don't know if I can handle it emotionally. I'll probably end up borrowing The elephant's journey first—sounds like the kind of story I'd probably be more into these days.

>191 Matke:: Me too, Gail. With the closing of Borders, we're left with Barnes & Noble and a few so-so used bookstores. I'm grateful that we have an excellent library system which is where I should be getting my books as I've run out of shelf space.

>192 phebj:: That's right, Pat...$2.02 plus a $50 gift card! Still, a good deal, and now all temptation has been removed from me...except for a B&N gift card that will have to last me until my late summer birthday.

>193 msf59:, 194: Mark and Ilana, I'm not going to be in any rush to read Sea of Poppies as it is the first in a trilogy. I may wait until No. 2 comes out so I can read them closer together.

Ilana, I loved both Blindness and The Elephant's Journey. You are so right, E.J. is much easier on the emotions than Blindness. I hope you're feeling better these days. It's good to see you posting on the G.R. for Portrait of A Lady. Groups reads...one at a time for sure!

Thanks for the clarification, Donna. I need to work on my reading comprehension skills!

>197 Donna828:: Pat, maybe your massage went to your head? I don't think of book cards as real money so your perception was correct!



Book No. 26: Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Mario Vargas Llosa. 3.7 stars.

The popular daytime radio soap operas in Peru are mimicked by the real life soap opera of a romance between 18-year-old Mario and his 32-year-old Aunt (by marriage) Julia. Mario is a bright young man, halfheartedly pursuing a law degree while working as a radio newswriter. His narration of the behind-the-scene events at the radio station alternate with the vignettes of the soap operas.

These episodes seemed so real, I got caught up in the drama of the secondary stories to the point where I began to care more about them than Mario's travails. That is, until the stories become a hodgepodge of confusion when Pedro, the scriptwriter, begins to mix up his characters and situations with amusing yet disastrous results. Mario's love affair similarly threatens to dissolve in a downward spiral when his family finds out what is going on between him and Aunt Julia. Mirth quickly turns to mayhem in this entertaining book based on the author's youthful adventures.

Fun shopping trip! Great selections.

I loved Stones into Schools and Sea of Poppies is on my WL.

Happy 4th Thingaversary!!!! ;-)

#197 I probably shouldn't be in charge of my husband's pain medication. ;-)

I'm glad you liked Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter. I've had that on my WL for about a year after seeing a hot review of it shortly after I joined LT. Happy Thingaversary tomorrow.

The Llosa book sounds interesting.
--BJ

Thanks, Claudia! I can't believe it's been that long. I could have earned a Doctorate in Literature during that amount of time! I think LT should start giving out some honorary degrees.

Pat and BJ, I added the book cover to my review to pique your interest a little more. I can't decide if it like it or not. It's definitely eyecatching!

Fat finger edit.

Hi Donna! Great haul at Borders. I gave Sea of Poppies to my husband a year or so ago, but neither of us has read it yet. Enjoy! I am lucky to have a Barnes and Noble and a Borders that yet lives very nearby (and of course, the Tattered Cover). The Borders that is near is terrible, and I never go there if I can help it.

Hey, I have Sea of Poppies too!

Happy Thingaversary Donna! We go back a long ways, don't we? Good review of the Llosa book. I have still not read him.

>202 AMQS:: Anne, if I had The Tattered Cover to go to, I would be in book heaven! I've heard other people say that they didn't care for their Borders store, either. I much preferred mine to the B&N. The staff is (soon to be was) friendlier, and I like(d) the selection and layout better.

>203 bonniebooks:: Hi Bonnie, it looks like we share another book that will probably (at least in my case) languish on the shelf indefinitely.

>204 msf59:: Thanks, Mark. Where did these four years go? I've been "chatting" here about 3 of those years, with about two years here on the 75ers. As I've told you, you were one of the first people who "friended" me. ;-) I hope to meet you in person one of these days.

I'll be reading more of MVL in the future.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I "celebrated" my 4-year Thingaversary by working 5 hours on my books! I dusted, purged (!), and rearranged the various areas where I stow them. Most of the time was spent in the small confines of the snuggery with too many trips up and down the stairs to the new space I found by cleaning out a built-in shelf and cabinet in one of the guest rooms.

I'm pretty pleased with my progress, but I'm afraid that I won't be able to find my books as handily as when I had the teetering towers behind my library door. I am holding that space open for the spring and fall library book sales!

Oh, cool! Are you stocking *my* room (guest room offered previously) with books?!? What a great hostess!

Cudos for spending so much time organizing - a good "celebration"! :)

I'm impressed Donna. That's like exercising on your birthday instead of eating cake! I smile everytime you mention your "snuggery." It sounds perfect.

>205 Donna828: Nothing gives me more pleasure than organizing my books. I sometimes let them fall into disarray so that I can spend a few hours (or several) getting them back in order. I've been like that since childhood - my dad even mentioned it in his toast at my wedding!

Happy Thingaversary Donna! I joined in 2007 too, but it took me a long time to get into the more social aspect of the site since I was so keen on cataloguing and tagging to begin with. Sounds like you spent the day doing just the *right* kind of thing! I love organizing my books too. We have a community centre that's having a used book sale next weekend. I'll walk over there to donate some books this week and probably will end up buying twice as many! :-)

Loved your review of Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter, it really made me want to read it. Thumbed and wishlisted! As I haven't read Vargas Llosa yet, I may just even purchase it now that you've inspired me to use my gift card at Chapters Indigo (our Canadian major book vendors), since they don't have it at the library. I always figure Nobel laureates are good investments, even if I end up not liking the books much; inevitably adds to my general understanding of humanity along the way!

>206 -Cee-:: You betcha, Claudia. I aim to please! Just don't expect me to cook gourmet meals. ;-)

>207 phebj:: I've been meaning to do this for some time. I actually started the process in January. My lunch out with the girls got canceled today so I took advantage of the cold, dreary weather to stay inside and be productive. It's worth the sore back, legs, and arms!

>208 katiekrug:: It was a pleasing project, Katie. My best find was a copy of We Took To the Woods that belonged to my deceased aunt. I have no memory of getting this book.

Runner-up: a James Hilton book with Lost Horizon, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, and Random Harvest in one volume. I do remember seeing this because I read Lost Horizon from it years ago. The other two are bonus books that have been on my second-hand bookstore list for quite awhile.

Hi Ilana, I have several boxes of books to donate. I even reluctantly put some pretty sad paperbacks into my recycling stack. I would feel badly about donating some of those yellow-paged books that I don't even want around.

I have a little bit of room on my shelves, and my goal is to not have anymore books on the floor. Part of my cleaning and arranging involved a book census. How anal is that? I have 1,151 books. Maybe I should have counted the number of books that I haven't read, but I was afraid to. This total does not include children's books, cookbooks, Christmas books, or my husband's books. Those have been gone through fairly recently and are all keepers.

> 211 I would feel badly about donating some of those yellow-paged books that I don't even want around.

Ohhh, how it warms my heart to hear that (as odd as that sounds). Some folks bring their old moldy books to donate to the library thinking it's something we can treasure - or at the very least turn around and sell - and we have to throw away the really crummy ones. But I do love the time of year for the book sale, because some folks do donate some real gems, too! :)

My book census was my cataloging on LT, and I'm a bit of a light weight with somewhere around 300 books, 93 of which I haven't read. These numbers have gone up since joining...

Talking of purging. I spent Tues. organizing. Filled my trunk with books and dropped them off today at my Library for their April book sale. I don't dare go, I would probably buy some of my books. ;-)

Donna- I agree, book organizing can be a chore but isn't there an almost narcotic pleasure in handling them and finding a new home for them? Or is that way to geeky?

If it's geeky or anal, then I'm a super geek or a super... well, you get the idea. It's a big pleasure for me to handle my books, catalogue them and tag them here on LT, assign them places, make piles for donating, BookMooch, TBR, TRSS (to read real soon), etc. When I joined LT I decided I'd try cataloguing all the books I have, plus the ones I remember reading. The total was depressingly low, what with many years overworking and having no time to read, plus half the ones I DID read completely forgotten thanks to rotten memory. I guess all that is a function of me having time to do these things, but I also find it very relaxing. It's a *feel good* kind of thing for me!

And yes, I wouldn't donate books that I myself wouldn't want to handle. I'm quite picky about that. One of the reasons I didn't want to go to the library for so many years was that I was turned off by the idea that other people had handled them (all those germs!). BookMooch sort of helped me get over that because truly, even when specifically asked, some people's idea of "good condition" barely passes muster with me. I only threw a book away once in my life because I couldn't stand it. It was just too horribly depressing. Otherwise, if they're truly too horribly aged and worn down to donate, I just abandon them in a box on the street (not on rainy days). Within 24 hours, they're always all gone.

What a delightful discussion -- so reassuring to find other who get the same contentment from messing around with books!

Going back to #190--I went to a closing Borders today (they're finally keeping the borders closed). I was happy to find some of the books on my want list. Everything was 50% off so pretty good deals. I might have been able to do better with used books on Amazon, but I just love fresh new books that haven't had unknown dirty things on their pages.

Hi Donna and belated Happy Thingaversary. I think you may be one of the old timers. I didn't discover this place until 2009.

That's quite a haul you managed to bring home. Sea of Poppies and Troubles are favorites from last year for me. I guess I'm at a disadvantage because the Borders near us is not closing and so no great deals on books. On the other hand, the Borders near us is not closing.

Great job on the review of the Llosa book and very worthy of a thumb. I haven't read any of his books yet but have The Feast of the Goat and Conversation in the Cathedral on my shelves. And speaking of shelves, I'm just as geeky as the rest in deriving great pleasure in organizing and re-shelving my books. I know I have about 300 unread books and no idea how many when the read ones are added in. I should count them all up just so I know, I guess. They're, for the most part, in our bedroom where I can gaze at them while I sit up in bed reading. That gives me great pleasure. Yes indeedy.

ET try to fix touchstones. Grrr.

>212 bell7:: Mary, I wouldn't want to donate anything that I wouldn't at least consider shelf worthy. When I was your age, I didn't own 300 books. Don't forget that I'm (almost) old enough to be your grandmother...even though I don't look that old. ;-)

>213 cindysprocket:: That is LOL funny, Cindy. I don't think I've ever bought back my own books but I know for sure that I've regretted getting rid of books and bought replacements for them.

>214 msf59:: Nothing geeky about moving books around at all, Mark...says one book narc to another.

>215 Smiler69:: Well said, Ilana. And I like that you set your books free rather than shred them. I would probably get fined for littering if I left a box of books in a public place around here!

>216 sibylline:: We're definitely in the right place to embrace our book fetishes attachments.

>217 heatherhoarder:: Hi Heather. I like the thought of "fresh new books." What bargains did you find at Borders?

Happy Thingaversary, Donna!

>219 Donna828: :) I do like me a good book donation, though. Much of my personal library is made up of library donations (plus a few discards) I appropriated.

# 210 Have you read Goodbye, Mr. Chips before, Donna? I cried after reading it last year. Very unusual for me. I still can't think about the last page without getting all teary eyed!

>220 tymfos:: Thanks, Terri.

>221 bell7:: I'm guessing that 60 to 70% of my books are of the gently used variety. I like the prices at library sales and used bookstores. I also like to think about who owned and read the books before me.

>222 Porua:: I remember your review very well, Porua, and how touched you were by this book. That's why I was excited to see that I've owned it for many years. It's good to have this renewed familiarity with my books. I'll try to get to Mr. Chips soon.

Book No. 27: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle. 3.3 stars.

I've been reading these 12 stories over the course of this month. I advise spacing them out because of the similar style. I think if I'd read too many at one time, they would begin to get tedious. I enjoyed the variety of topics which included the Ku Klux Klan, a poisonous swamp adder, and a severed thumb. The characters ranged from blackmailers to scam artists to damsels in distress.

But the best part of these stories was the interaction between Sherlock and his sidekick Dr. Watson. As much as I admire the intellect and keen skills of observation that Sherlock Holmes demonstrates, it is the voice of Watson that makes these stories so compelling. I'll take another break before I continue my adventures with the writings of Doyle. Next up will be the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes.

Happy Thingaversary, Donna.

I have two volumes of Sherlock Holmes sitting on my bedside table patiently waiting for me to pick up again. I planned to read at least Volume One last year but got bogged down in one of the stories. I really must get back to it, as I really enjoyed the few I did complete. As a big fan of the Basil Rathbone - Nigel Bruce movies, I can't help but picture that duo in these stories.

Happy Thingaversary Donna!! (And lovely photo of Hayley up-thread - she is gorgeous.) I love that you did a book census and spent 5 hours sorting your books! I got here in 2006 but didn't really post in the forums till 2008 or 2009. I was just so excited by the cataloguing aspects back then. I still love entering my books, but now that's just a small part of LT for me.

I bought Troubles last year but haven't read it yet. I started it last year, but it wasn't the right book. If you read it soon, that might give me a shove!

Thanks, Judy. Sherlock has been patient with me over the past year. I decided to read Doyle's work after seeing the Robt. Downey/Jude Law depiction of the famous duo. It worked for me!

Hi Cushla. I remember those lovely hours when I entered the bulk of my reading into my LT catalog. I visited other people's libraries to the point of voyeurism! I didn't see myself as a "chatter" on the forums, but I received such a warm welcome that I became hooked.

You can expect a gentle shove toward Troubles sometime soon (I hope). I'll have to research whether to read it or The Siege of Krishnapur first.

I read The Complete Sherlock Holmes Volumes 1 & 2 as a kid. Read it without any breaks and it didn’t really bother me unlike The Complete Father Brown, from which I'm taking a lot of breaks. I haven’t watched any of the adaptations of the Sherlock Holmes stories, be it the Basil Rathbone-Nigel Bruce one or the Robert Downey Jr.-Jude Law one.

It's been at least five years since I last read any Sherlock Holmes. I'm afraid to re-read since they were such an important part of my childhood. Sherlock Holmes helped me fall in love with the mystery genre. I wouldn't want to ruin the magic.

I also have The Complete Sherlock Holmes Volumes 1 & 2 and it's sitting on my coffee table as I kept wanting to join you Donna, but in the end I had too many other books going. I decided a couple of months ago that when I do pick it up, I'll just take my time and read a story here and there, so it's not a book I'm likely to ever enter in TIOLI.

I enjoy the social aspect of LT a lot since I joined the 75ers. Before that I tried the 50 Books challenge and that was pretty good, but not quite the same of course. Up until recently it was kind of a draw as to my preference between cataloguing and tagging vs socializing, but I've been neglecting my tags lately, so I guess I have my answer now. Visiting other people's libraries DOES feel a bit like voyeurism, but then again, it's part of the LT experience that makes this site appealing to me, though I don't do it as often as I used to (my tbr and wishlists are getting out of hand!)

It looks like I might not manage to finish either Portrait of a Lady nor Shadow of the Wind in time for the end of the month, especially since there are other things that I'm wanting to do in these coming days. But I guess that's really not something to fret about, but of course I can't help fretting anyways. And in the meantime, here I am spending all this time posting instead of reading!

Porua, I know just how you feel. I purposely didn't reread Pride and Prejudice for that very reason. I loved it when I read it in high school, and I want to keep that memory, especially since I OD'd on Austen a few years ago when I read the five books of hers that I had overlooked.

Ilana, I have several books that I dip in and out of. I read a few pages of What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew a little while ago trying to get some insight on Isabel and Gilbert's marriage. No hope for them! Btw, the Austen/Dickens book is so well written that I might have to read it from cover-to-cover one of these days.

I got quite a bit of reading accomplished this week-end. The upcoming week will be busy for me and I wanted to make sure to get my TIOLI books completed, although I know there is no special prize for that! It's just me and my Virgo personality.

ETA: Touchstones? They look good to me. ;-)

Donna, I already had What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew on my wishlist, but I've just scoped it out at the library, which gets me closer to actually reading it. Thanks for the recommendation.

I'm not a Virgo, but it's my ascendant, which is close enough, so I know just what you mean. That's why it's killing me that I'll probably not finish my two books on time. Off I go to it then!

I'm reading JA/CD right now, for the second time. It's about 65% totally fascinating and 35% a bit dry; not such a bad ratio, when you can skip the section on the minutiae of parish organization and go to the bit on the 19th century use of arsenic as green food colouring.

I too loved JA/CD. The religious organizational detail was helful to me, as I was just starting a Trollope marathon when I got the book. It was one of those I foolishly gave away after a first reading and had to re-purchase for my permanent Victorian shelf I mean shelves oh hell, my collection of Victoriana.

Donna, I'm learning that many short story collections do better with maybe one story read per week or so; otherwise one gets surfeited with style overload.

>230 Smiler69:: Good luck with your reading - but don't put too much pressure on yourself.

>231 Cynara:: Hi Cynara, your post made me laugh. It also let me know I've made a pretty decent call to use the Daniel Pool book as a reference. ;-)

Book No. 28: A Woman In Jerusalem by A. B. Yehoshua. 3.7 stars.

A human resources manager in Jerusalem finds his job more demanding than he anticipated when he is delegated to research the death of an obscure employee killed in a suicide bombing. His long night takes some curious twists as he pieces together the mystery of the deceased woman. Yulia Ragayev, the only character in the book whose name is revealed, was tied to the company by an erroneous pay stub. This led to the tabloid article by a wiley reporter known as the weasel which adversely portrayed the bakery where she had been employed as a cleaner.

More here.

Hi Gail, I missed you while I was working with my last book "report."

I used to do the short story thing for my bedtime reading. That way I could get closure and a good night's sleep. I'll have to get back to doing that. My short story collections are growing.

>219 Donna828:: Donna, back to my borders bargins discussion. I did it again. Bought a book I already have, but forgot I had it! The Portrait of a Lady I guess I'll pick the copy with the best cover and sell the other on Amazon.

I also got two from my wish list The Bone People and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.

My impulse buys were:
My Name is Red
The Boat
Death in the Andes
The Tale of Genji

I have to decide which of these will be my next read. I'm open to suggestions!

#235 Chiming in to say I thought My Name is Red was really great. I haven't read the others so can't say.

Happy Thingaversary, Donna! I think it's amazing that you took a book census - good for you! I've tried that a couple of times but my books are usually in a constant state of flux...some coming in, some going out.

Hi Donna--Belatedly dropping by to say how adorable Haley is. You must miss her very much!

If you want to read more Charles Chestnutt, I read Marrow of Tradition last year and liked it very much.

Re Troubles or Siege of Krishnapur, I liked Siege of Krishnapur quite a lot more than Troubles. But I think kidzdoc and rebeccany both liked Troubles more.

I get to see my sweetie pie (grandson Boden) April 8 for a week, as he and my daughter visit to find a house for their move here June 1.

>235 heatherhoarder:: Heather, I've read The Bone People twice now and consider it one of the most memorable and thought-provoking books I've read.

>236 Smiler69:: I've heard good things about Red, Ilana, but haven't read it.

>237 BookAngel_a:: Thank you, Angela. My library is pretty stable IF I can stay away from Borders. This week is going to be busy so maybe I won't be too tempted.

>238 arubabookwoman:: Hi Deborah. I sure do miss Haley but it looks like we might get to do some babysitting in early summer while her parents go camping. It will be so great for you (and Boden) to have him close by. Be sure and post some new pictures of your little sweetie pie when you see him in April. That's right around the corner!

Thanks for the Chesnutt rec. He's quite a good author. I like my class because I'm being exposed to some different kinds of literature and authors. I probably won't get to the Farrell books for awhile. Have you read The Singapore Grip yet?

I'm happy to see that Deborah liked The Siege of Krishnapur because I have it on my shelf. (See # 218 Donna....I know you wouldn't ignore me ;-)

I read The Singapore Grip last year and I thought it was a very good book, gives a really good look at how the war came creeping up on the British there.

Happy belated Thingaversary, Donna!

>218 brenzi:: Bonnie, I know I made a brilliant reply to your message...something like "this isn't the first time I've been called an old-timer"! And then I went on to say that Sea of Poppies was purchased solely on your recommendation. Ummm, maybe I should be better about clicking the "Submit" button. That's the second time (that I know of) that I've failed to click in the past few days. I would never ignore you!!!

>240 brenzi:: I'm going to read the trilogy in historical order, beginning with The Siege of Krishnapur.

>241 DeltaQueen50:: I was hoping I'd get a good report on The Singapore Grip, Judy. I haven't bought that one yet. The way I'm "overbooked," I can take my time looking for it.

>242 Copperskye:: Thanks, Joanne...the best four years of my life. ;-)

Donna, I went back to see what I had written about My Name is Red. It doesn't look like I spent much time or energy on writing reviews in 2008, but here's what I had to say about it: "This book delivered more than I expected. There was intrigue, and murder, and art, and a story very well told with multiple narratives. Not an easy read, but well worth it." I gave it 4 starts (loved it).

Thanks, Ilana, into the dream book it goes!

catching up with you :)

if you find the solution on staying away from Borders or any bookstore let me know because I just purchased 4 books online yesterday from Borders :)

Smiler69 and Donna, thanks for the feedback on My Name is Red and The Bone People

"There was intrigue, and murder, and art, and a story very well told with multiple narratives. Not an easy read, but well worth it" --Smiler69 on My Name is Red

It seems that every book that I've read lately has murder. I suppose blood and death make a good story!
Recent books that involve muder:
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
a long way gone by Ishmael Beah
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Candide by Voltaire

Happy belated Thingaversary, Donna. You truly celebrated in style with a nice selection of books.

I'm excited to see you may join in on A Moveable Feast. It will make reading it so much more enjoyable.

Donna--I have read The Singapore Grip. It was the first of the trilogy I read. It is probably my favorite, if only because I lived in Singapore for about a year, and I knew many of the places described.

Whatever book store I go to, My Name is Red seems to be staring at me form the shelves. But after reading the rather complicated The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle a while ago, I’m kind of exhausted. I’ve been reading classics and mysteries to relax a bit. Still it’s tempting.

Glad to contribute to the Dream Book Donna. Sounds like such a lovely project to participate in. ;-)

Besides, I'm fairly certain that My Name is Red must be Orhan Pamuk's most accessible book.

I know what you mean about book groupings -- the last several I read most featured or mentioned floods and flooding ..... oddish. But that seems to have ended.

>246 curlysue:: Kara, unfortunately, I have no solution other than willpower. Ha!

247: I'm sure there must have been a murder in The Bone People, but it was the child abuse that made it difficult to read.

>248 Carmenere:: Thanks, Lynda. At least I had my priorities straight for my burst of spring cleaning! I found A Moveable Feast and put it in my TIOLI pile.

>249 arubabookwoman:: So, Deborah, it looks like order for the trilogy isn't all that important. I love to read books about familiar places; I get so much more out of them.

>250 Porua:: Ugh! I have The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle neatly stowed on my shelf. I'm not that eager to read it if I need a year to recover from it! *lol*

>251 Smiler69:: I like that word "accessible." I think Snow is the only Pamuk book I own. (Now there's an interesting touchstone!)

>252 sibylline:: Lucy, maybe it's time to start building that ark. Your snow will be melting soon...and with all those flood books...you never know.

I know, I know. It's time for a new thread. I'll try to take care of it tomorrow or Thursday. I'm on deadline to finish The Portrait Of A Lady and can't take time away for bookkeeping tasks until I finish!

Donna- We should read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle together. Maybe in the next couple of months? It's been nearly a year since I read Murakami. That's bad. Hope you guys enjoy A Moveable Feast. It's very short and very good.

I read Snow - of course! (My fav subject.) What a strange book... but it had enough snow in it to satisfy even me! You're right about the touchstone... and all those other books about snow! Oh my! :)

Have a good day!

>254 msf59:: Great idea, Mark. We'll get to The Wind-Up Bird right after we read Suttree and something by Steinback. I have a good memory (sometimes), but I lack in the "follow-through." Seriously, let me know about any of those ideas we've thrown out. Just give me a few week's notice.

>255 -Cee-:: Claudia, I actually thought of you when I typed in that title! You are the LT Snow Queen for sure.

Book No. 29: The Portrait Of A Lady by Henry James. 4.7 stars.

I am quickly becoming a Henry James fan and especially enjoyed reading this one with Laura and the gang on the group read. See Laura's (lindsacl) review because I'm not going to write an official one.

Isabel Archer is a fascinating though ambiguous character. She travels to Europe with her aunt to see the world, then, out of the blue, ends up married to the most unlikely of several suitors. James paints the portrait of gullibility and greed that culminates in a hopeless situation for our fair lady.

Yes, James is wordy. This is a long book with long sentences and paragraphs, yet it reads fairly quickly and is well worth the effort. I'm going out on a limb here to say I enjoyed this Victorian melodrama more than Jane Austen's books and (gulp) even Elliot's Middlemarch.

Wow, better than Middlemarch. Now I really want to read it.

No politics to speak of in "Portrait." I think you'll like it, Pat.

A new thread is coming....very soon....

More than Middlemarch, my book of the century? Wow Donna, you really know how to add to the ol' teetering tower :)

Donna- I completely forgot about Suttree. I mean doing it together. Thanks for the reminder. I wonder if we should do a G.R. on one of these, or both? Hmmmm....
I loved The Portrait Of A Lady too!
Ahhhh...New Thread??

>259 brenzi:: I loved Middlemarch, too, Bonnie. I think Portrait has fewer dry spots! Wow, I'm making my hole deeper, aren't I?

>260 msf59:: Group reads work for me, Mark. The more, the merrier!

My new thread is being set up right now!

>256 Donna828:: haven't read Middlemarch but now I must. Thanks for the shout-out, Donna, but as much as I enjoyed this one I like Austen better.

>260 msf59:: I missed a GR of The Portrait of a Lady? Typical of me, having two fresh copies of the book!