SqueakyChu's Attempt at 75 - Page 3

The Race of the Butterflies will continue in this thread. My previous thread can be found here.

Credit: John Picken, Flickr, CC-A

My Bookish Plans for April: I plan to send over a hundred of my registered Bookcrossing books to be given away for free to fairgoers at the Kensington Book Festival (4/17/2011) in Kensington, Maryland, USA. This booth will be manned by BC in DC conventioneers!

My April Reads:
27. There are No Accidents: Synchronicity and the Stories of Our Lives - Robert H. Hopcke - TIOLI: Book with striking cover art
28. Blood and Water and Other Tales - Patrick McGrath
29. April in Paris - Michael Wallner - TIOLI: Book about Paris
30. Under the Skin - Michael Faber - TIOLI: Title is a prepositional phrase
31. Bonk - Mary Roach

Credit: ellenm1, Flickr, CC-A

My Bookish Plans for May:
(1) The LibraryThing Meet-Up in Dupont Circle in Washington, DC, On May 14.
(2) I am chairing the BookCrossing booth at the Gaithersburg Book Festival (5/21/2011) in Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA. Will I see some of you there?

May Reads:
32. Finally Out - Loren A. Olson M.D. - TIOLI: Read a book at least 23 cm tall
33. Marabou Stork Nightmares - Irvine Welsh - TIOLI: Book with a Bird Species in Title or Author
34. The Taste of a Man - Slavenka Drakulic - TIOLI: Title with Five Words attached to previous book by at least one word
35. Israel for Beginners - Angelo Colorin - TIOLI: Read a book that is at least 23cm tall
36. Matches - Alan Kaufman - TIOLI: one-word title that's that's not a character's name
37. Minor Miracles - Will Eisner - TIOLI: Read a graphic novel
38. Shipwrecks - Akira Yoshimura - TIOLI: one word title that's not a character's name

I love the pictures you have for your April and May reads, Madeline. I've still got Septembers of Shiraz in my obese wish list. Maybe I should make a concerted effort to get a copy of this book and read it for the April TIOLI too.

Maybe I should make a concerted effort to get a copy of this book and read it for the April TIOLI too.

That would be nice to have you to talk to about it, Caroline.

Part of the fun of setting up my threads is choosing the pictures that go with it.

27. There are No Accidents - Robert H. Hopcke



This book had been on my wishlist for a long time. Suddenly, or should I say sychronistically, it popped up on the sale shelf of my public library. It was not what I expected. More here.

Rating - 4 stars

I like your review of There are No Accidents. I've always been fascinated with that phenomenon and promised myself a few years ago that I'd read some of Jung's theories about it. Now I can't remember whether I did or didn't! lol

It's been a while since I've dropped by your thread. Mainly I've been feeling bad about not providing you with my recipe yet. I have to adapt it a little to make it clear for anyone who isn't me, and I keep stalling on that. But I haven't forgotten.

No hurrry. Whenever you get the chance.

I'd like to read some Carl Jung but am afraid that much of it might just be over my head.

There Are No Accidents sounds way over my head. I think I will give it a pass. Very nice review though, Madeline!

Thanks, Stasia.

28: Blood and Water and Other Tales - Patrick McGrath



I'm a fan of Patrick Mcgrath so I thought I'd try this book of his short stories. They're good, but I definitely prefer his novels. Some of the stories in this collection are worth a peek, though. Try "Hand of a Wanker" a funny horry story in which a compulsive masturbator cuts off his hand which then itself goes about continuing to seek sexual experiences. If you're interested in insect sex, you might enjoy "The E(ROT)ic Potato" in which a fly tries to seduce a dragonfly...and succeeds in a very unusual venue! "The Skewer" is an odd story in which a man enucleates an eye of his own because he keeps seeing miniature psychiatrists. If you like horror, some of it tongue-in-cheek, pick up this volume, but then go on to sample some of this author's novels, such as Spider or Dr. Haggard's Disease. To me, McGrath is a talented but much underappreciated author.

Rating - 3.5 stars

Sounds like an eclectic collection of stories. I tend to stay away from short stories, though am learning to enjoy them with time. I've never heard of Patrick McGrath (among endless other people, places and things), but his work sounds quite fascinating, and spooky! I only very rarely read horror, as it has a way of staying in my mind and lingering far longer than I like sometimes. I looked up Dr. Haggard's Disease on the library catalogue and for some very strange reason, they only carry one copy in... Italian! Go figure.

As for Jung, when I attempted to read The Portable Jung, most of it was over my head too, but I'm convinced some of it must trickle down into a space between the unconscious and the conscious mind, so I haven't given up on the idea that I'll get through it some day.

The two novels of McGrath's that I mentioned above are superb. If you like reading about the descent into madness, this author has that nailed! His style is gothic, and his novels are very entertaining reads. If you want to try something new, pick up either one of those. I guarantee that either will make for some absorbing reading.

Madeline, I have to be careful about books dealing with serious mental illness, as depending on the tone, they can sometimes negatively impact my sometimes fragile equilibrium and throw me into endless pools of despair. If you see what I mean. And then, when the timing is right, and the tone rubs me the right way, I can find it endlessly entertaining. So... yeah. :-)

Well, perhaps those would not be good reading choices for you, Ilana. They both are very dark and sad. I like this author's storytelling, though. Those two novels of McGraths have the kind of narrative that is unputdownable.

Books have to really fit a reader's frame of mind. That's why I keep on picking up books and putting them aside soon thereafter. I need to find something that "catches" my soul. It's so funny how I choose a book for the TIOLI challenge when I set it up. Then, suddenly, two weeks later, I have absolutely no desire to read the book I picked. It's almost as if a book has to choose me!

29. April in Paris - Michael Wallner



Here's a book I knew nothing about prior to reading its title. The book title grabbed me because I was looking to read a book for a challenge titled (appropriately enough) "April in Paris" in which the book needed to be set in Paris. I found the book on BookMooch, read a few pages on Amazon, and decided I would like it.

The setting is Paris during the German occupation of France during WWII. Corporal Roth is a German soldier whose job it was to translate from French to German for the officers who were torturing prisoners into revealing secrets. Roth tried not to let his job overwhelm him and took solace by secretly assuming the identity of a French civilian. He even named himself Antoine and tried to befriend a few people who lived in Paris. This, however, did not work to his advantage and soon he found that his difficulties multiplying.

This book reminded me a lot of the setting in Suite Francaise, Irene Nemirovsky's novel of German-occupied France, although the story is very different. Wallner's book deals mostly with Germans capturing and torturing members of the French Resistance.

A reader who knows no French should beware of the large amount of French narrative in this book. It takes place mostly in conversations, but I felt compelled to look up the tranlsation while reading because I was interested in picking up details of the story.

I'm not sure I believe this story completely in the way it's told. It's a love story that is based on two people not spending much time together at all. In addition, I'm not certain I believe that Corporal Roth could have physically done what was described in the book. Nevertheless, I found this a most engaging story and was glad that this book just came into my possession by chance.

Rating - 4 stars

Hi Madeline.

It has been awhile since I visited here. I recently obtained a copy of April in Paris and now with your excellent review, I'm going to try to read it soon.

I believe you were the one who recommended Dr. Haggard's Disease. I read this book based on your recommendation. You are right...It is a great book.

Your review of There are No Accidents has haunted me and I've been thinking about this concept.

Hi Linda!

I misssed you, but there is no way I can visit everyone's threads any more. Thanks for stopping by.

I found April in Paris to be a very engaging read although there were some parts I found a little less than believable. Those parts did not detract from the story for me, though. I would read more works by that author. I actually had fun looking up the French to see if I could guess what the meaning of those sentences were. Often I could guess because French is a bit similar to Spanish.

If you liked Dr. Haggard's Disease, now read Spider by the same author!

Synchronicity can be mind-blowing when it happens. I love those experiences. They happen to me sort of frequently, actually.

Madeline

When I'm in tune with someone I call it harmonic convergence. Events happen or similar thoughts that others experience at the same time and they cannot be explained away. I have this with a few people I love dearly.

I'm most intrigued by your comments "There the author goes on to say that so much energy is involved with the process of dying that synchronistic events at that time cannot be explained merely through psychology alone. Phew! At least I got that."

I have experienced this as well with those whom I love and are going through the transition process.

Life is very interesting eh?

I'll be sure to read Spider.

All the best to you!

Thanks, Linda.

If you do any reading about synchronicity be sure to let me know.

Madeline, from what you're saying, I think I'd best stay away from "very dark and very sad". For now. I understand what you mean about your selection process for books. I'm like that too, or used to be in any case. These days not so much, which is why I can set up a reading list in advance. As we both know, there's no right or wrong way of going about it.

About synchronicity, I think I might have mentioned that it's something that I've seen happen a whole lot in my own life at times. I posted an editorial about it on my blog a couple of years ago, which also talks about the iChing. It's right here if you're interested. It's been a while since I wrote it, and I haven't consulted the iChing in quite a long time. Just doesn't seem like something I want or need these days.

Very interesting blog post, Ilana. I think I'll follow up with more reads about synchronicity, Carl Jung, and the I Ching in the future. Thanks for sharing that with me.

Oh good, I'm glad you enjoyed it, thanks! I thought I was rambling quite a lot, but I didn't feel like editing, so there you have it. But I agree that it's a fascinating subject to further delve into.

30. Under the Skin - Michael Faber



This book is not for the faint of heart or squeamish. It's creepy!! I must say I thoroughly enjoyed the unexpected route this story took, though. It starts out with a lone woman driving along and picking up a hitchhiker, and then... Well, see my review! :D

Rating - 4.5 stars

#24...ok, I pass. I have to be really in the mood and it has to be something REALLY special to do squeamish.

> 25

Tina, Under the Skin is a *highly disturbing* book.

I just found out that it's listed on the "1,001 Books to Read before You Die". I'm on that challenge here on LT so I was able to list that book. Yay!

I think I'll stay clear of that one too for now. Where is your thread on the 1001 challenge Madeline?

Here's my 1,001 books challenge thread.

Cool, I was curious to see how you went about it. I'll go back for a closer look soon. I'll probably join in and also list all the books I've already read... which should be *somewhat* encouraging!

I was afraid I wouldn't be able to identify additional books very easily. That hasn't been the case. The books are always listed in Common Knowledge if they are on that list!

That sounds excellent!! Definitely going on my wishlist!

You like weird, Eva! Go for it. I predict you'll like it immensely.

I'm not going to deny my affinity for the weird... :)

Sorry.

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks is coming off of my reading list. I've read half of it, did not find it compelling, and reminded myself that I do not like to read stories within stories. Knowing there are stories within stories in a book, I'll probably not read such novels again.

That said, I did like the first "inner story" of this book, loved the subject (a Passover hagaddah) but I just was not interested enough in the execution of the story to complete it. To each his own I guess.

By the way, I did hear Gearldine Brooks speak at a National Book Festival and found her to be a compelling speaker. Go figure.

I really wanted to like People of the Book, and it failed to captivate me quite as much as I thought it would, though I'd be hard-pressed to say why now, since that was a few years ago now. Unlike you, I do like stories within stories, so it was for some other reason. I still have Year of Wonders by her sitting on my shelf and I hope I enjoy that one more when I get to it.

I read about your poison ivy woes on Darryl's thread. Sounds just awful. Hope you get better very soon.

Now I'm wondering if I should take Year of Wonders off of my wishlist?

I'm taking Prednisone and Claritin for the poison ivy so the weepy, angry rashes are finally starting to look and feel better. I still look like a victim of spousal abuse, though. You should see my swollen eye! :)

Happy Passover, Ilana.

Year of Wonders is very different from People of the Book. Year is a straight forward historical fiction which I found compelling. I don't usually like the story w/i a story format either but I did enjoy People of the Book perhaps because the subject of rare books was so fascinating. I do wish I'd had more background in Jewish history so it would have made more sense.

Brook's March, the Pulitzer winner, I really didn't care for. and now I just got my review copy of Caleb's Corner - pub date May 2nd- yesterday. That one appears to be historical fiction also. I think her work is so well researched, but to me anyway her weakness is when she tries to hang historical fiction, which she writes well, into an unusual or unorthodox format.

Bottom line, I think you'd like Year of Wonders.

Bottom line, I think you'd like Year of Wonders.

I'll give it a try, Tina. She'll get another chance from me. :)

I still look like a victim of spousal abuse

Well, at least you have a sense of humour about it, so it's not all bad. And isn't it a good thing when we can joke about spousal abuse too? Give your hubby an extra hug tonight just for having said that (and to compensate for the possibility of people thinking the same when they see you!) ;-)

I am so sorry to learn of your bout with the dread poison ivy. I've done many of the prednisone doses in my (somewhat) younger life--but I did catch it again about 3 years ago, and had to do the whole routine. You have my complete sympathy.

Loved the reviews of Dr. Haggard's Disease and the short stories by McGrath. The s. s. sound a bit too creepy for me, but Dr. H. looks to be right up my alley. I'll look forward to finding that little gem--thanks for the recommendation.

> 39

Ilana, I told the receptionist at the urgent care not to even think about notifying social services! The culprit was merely poison ivy!

> 40

Gail, I think you'll really like Dr. Haggard's Disease. If you haven't read Spider by the same author, look for that book as well.

I've never encountered Poison Ivy and by your description, I don't want to either!! *running off to find pictures of the plant so I can avoid* :)

One of the problems with poison ivy is that you cannot always tell where it is. In the early spring, the poison ivy vine may not even have leaves yet. Even the brown vine contains the toxin urushiol which is what causes the allergic rash. I know the plant leaves well enought o recognize them, but I cannot always recognize the vine when it is among other brown brush in the early spring.

I'm not allergic to poison ivy! But that means my family makes me do all the weeding :-(

> 44

But that means my family makes me do all the weeding

I do the same with my husband! :)

While reading about poison ivy today, I learned that people who are allergic to poison ivy are also allergic to the sap of the mango tree. Of course, I ate a mango, skin and all (my first one which I tried in El Salvador), and broke out into systemic itching. It was so weird. There was no rash, but I was scratching myself all over like a chimp. Subsequently, I've learned to only eat washed and peeled mangoes. They're just fine!

I thought poison ivy affected everyone. Didn't realize you have to be allergic to it. I never found out, and I've been among plenty of greenery in my life, so perhaps it's relatively safe to bet that I'm among the lucky ones as far as that goes? Now that I've said that of course, I'm doomed now!

Oh Madelaine, so sorry to hear about poison ivy troubles. I hope it clears quickly - sending calamin lotion covered thoughts your way!

When my daughter went to camp they had industrial sized bottles of Dawn (the same dish washing liquid they use on oil soaked birds). If a kid came in contact with poison oak, or even thought he did, they would make him take a shower using it. The idea was that the oil removing success of Dawn works on the oil from the poison oak as well!

> 46

I hope you're not doomed, Ilana. My husband was never allergic to poison ivy until recently and now only slightly. I guess the more exposure to the substance urushiol, the more sensitized he's become.

> 47

Judy, I'm well on the road to recovery now although I'll be taking prednisone tablets for another week.

> 48

Mamzel, had I known when I was exposed to the poison ivy, I surely would have tried to wash it away as well - porbably just with good old soap and water. I simply don't know where or when I came into contact with it.

31. Bonk - Mary Roach



This is probably more about sex than you ever wanted to know, but Mary Bonk's sense of humor makes parts of this book quite laugh-out loud funny.

Rating - 4 stars

@50

I found that one quite entertaining as well. I listened to the audiobook, though, and the reader wasn't great, but Roach's humor still shone through!

I actually listened to the audiobook as well. After a while, I didn't want to hear about sexual organs any more, but the aside remarks that Roach made were so funny. I really would like to read her book about hoarding. That book sounds fascinating.

By the way, Eva, Have you seen that I finally received my copy of that ER Israel for Beginners book? I was hoping that they were just going to forget about me. The book is as bad as you described it. It's now a 1 1/2 star for me as well. It comes out somewhere between dislike and utter dislike. What a nasty tone that book has! I have so much love for Israel and Israelis, and that book only expresses disdain. And those damn exclamation points (!). What's with those? How annoying (!). :D

If you haven't read Stiff, you should try it - it's gruesome for sure, but so fascinating!

Oh, it did arrive? I'm sorry. It was rather dreadful, wasn't it?! And, no, you don't have to (!) point (!) out (!) every (!) stinken (!) pun (!) to (!) me (!). :)

Did Mary Roach write a book about hoarding? That one I'd love to read, but I can't seem to find anything listed that meets that subject? do you know the title?

> 53

Haha!!

I did read Stiff and thought it was just great!

I'm now very confused. There is a book called "Stuff", but it sure is *not* by Mary Roach. See Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things by Randy O. Frost. I must have gotten "stiff" and "stuff" mixed up. Ha!

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed Bonk! I really enjoyed it as well.

#56 It's 0k....you are correct....There's Stiff and there''s randy Frost's Stuff. I've read them both, and while very different, they're both worth it.

32. Finally Out - Loren A. Olsen, M.D.



An excellent book! This Early Reviewer book turned out to be an educational and supportive book for anyone who is interested in learning more about the coming out process for the gay man. More here.

Rating - 5 stars

I'm finding Marabou Stork Nightmares brilliant! I'll have more to say about that book when I finish it - before too long, as I'm racing through it!

I'd love to hear what others of you have to say about other books by the same author, Irvine Welsh. I've already read Trainspotting and was amazed that I liked it, considering its contents. I guess enjoying a book about violence is no different than anyone else enjoying a book about murder. It's not that we believe in violence or murder; it's just how realistic an author can make those grisly scenes. Just amazing!

33. Marabou Stork Nightmares - Irvine Welsh



This was one hell of a read and totally brilliant! Even better than Trainspotting. More here.

I started reading this book for DragonFreak's TIOLI challenge to read a book with the name of a bird in the title. I had no idea how gripping this story would turn out to be. I see more Irvine Welsh reads for me in the future - for sure!

Rating - 5 stars

@61

It's not the most attractive of birds, is it, poor thing. Great review though - thumbs-up! I've yet to read anything of Welsh's, but I know I have at least Trainspotting somewhere around here. I'll have to add this to the wishlist as well.

Oh, yeah. I have to post a picture of a marabou stork here on my thread. Here's one if you've never seen one pictured before.

I've had Trainspotting on my shelf since this winter, and I'm fairly sure I'll love it since I saw the movie a few times and thought it was brilliant. I'm was going to say I was hoping there isn't too much dialect in the book, but saw your suggestion and will follow up on that. I've also added Marabou Stork to the WL (seems it's hard to find, so I'll add it to my BM wishlist too.) Thumbs up for your review, too!

I find your photo too tame; it doesn't quite represent how intensely repulsive these birds are. How about this one?



If you find this photo too gross to keep on your thread, I'll understand. Just say the word and I'll remove it. I wouldn't want to look at this guy while I'm eating my cereal in the morning! lol

That bird is certainly ugly - but the books Trainspotting and Maribou Stork Nightmares really sound good. I loved the film, Trainspotting - must give these books a try.

That is a truly gross photo...but I love it! Nature is so amazing, isn't it? There's probably a reason those birds look like that. I've always been fascinated by birds so I find your picture especialy intriguing.

In Marabou Stork Nightmares, these birds eat flamingos in South Africa. I'll need to investigate that fact more closely to see if it's accurate. Anyhow, the existeance of these birds (of which I'd never heard before) in Welsh's story was exactly why I chose to read this book when I did. :)

I know I had seen these birds somewhere before (their ugliness is hard to cleanse from one's memory!) but couldn't say where. They look a lot like they could be distant (or not so distant) cousins of vultures, don't they? In any case, they make me think of something medieval torturers might have used to scare their victims to death.

That sack hanging from their neck reminds me of that least attractive part of male anatomy and makes me feel like I'm looking at an especially revolting porno picture... LOL

eta: incredibly enough, they also make vultures look almost... cute by comparison. :-|

they also make vultures look almost... cute by comparison

LOL!!

Here's more information about the marabou stork. As gross as they seem, the information about them is rather fascinating, don't you think?

@68

Actually, the descriptions on that page make them seem more like a science fiction creature than a real animal - and, yes, truly fascinating!

They look a lot like they could be distant (or not so distant) cousins of vultures, don't they?

Your ornithology instinct is spot-on. Storks and (New World) vultures are actually quite closely related; DNA studies have revealed that New World vultures are actually more closely related to storks than they are to hawks.

Oh Madeleine - I'm going to have to finally take Trainspotting off the shelf and read it and add Maribou Stork Nightmares to my tbr. I don't have time this month but Trainspotting even fits the TIOLI one word title challenge. Loved that movie too.

I've been reading some very strange books lately. Wait until I tell you more about The Taste of a Man. Not yet because I' m not quite done with it.

> 70

That's interesting infomrmation about storks, lorax. I would never have guessed it, but I was appalled at what scavengers the marabou storks are, after having learned more about them as an aside to reading my book. I always think of storks as those cute birds pictured carrying babies in their beaks! :)

> 71

Kerry, I can't wait to hear what you think of Marabou Stork Nightmares! Some people really didn't like it. I wonder if it was because they found some of the subject matter offensive. I, on the other hand, am only offended by what I perceive are injustices in real life. In a novel, I think I can handle most things.

34. The Taste of a Man - Slavenka Drakulic



I've been hitting some great books over the past few weeks. This book was no exception. I was first introduced to this author by a book of essays which I didn't care for, but I was wowed by her novel called Frida's Bed. In novels, it seems as if she likes to write about the bizarre. For certain, Frida Kahlo, the protagonist of that novel, was an odd person. However, this book, The Taste of a Man, is even more bizarre. The writing is beautiful; the reading is compelling. Beware, though, it's an incredibly strange story. More here.

Rating - 4.5 stars

Sounds really interesting! I've only ever read her writings about the war, and it sounds as if her fiction would be something I would like.

Madeline... I don't know that I want to discover exactly what Taste of a Man has in store, but my imagination is going wild! They don't have it at the library either, so looks like I'll have to leave it at that for now...

35. Israel for Beginners - Angelo Colorin



This book was just dreadful. I didn't think any of this book, supposedly humorous, was funny. I only laughed once (I forget over what) while reading the book, but I even burst into (sad) tears in one place (again - over what was supposedly funny). I guess I have a different kind of sense of humor. More here.

Rating - 1 star

Sounds like you've been reading up a storm, Madeline. I haven' t read any Mary Roach, but she is on my to read someday list.

I saw the movie Trainspotting and really disliked it - but I wonder if the book is better.

Hope you are enjoying Farm City!

If you didn't like Trainspotting as a movie, I doubt if you'd like the book. I haven't seen the movie, but my guess is that you probably didn't like the subject of the movie.

Could anyone who has seen the movie and read the book thorw an opinion in here?

Just in case others who know me haven't seen this picture, it's me with a group of LTers at the Meet-Up arranged this past weekend by drneutron at Dupont Circle in DC. We had sooooo much fun!



Standing: SqueakyChu (me)
Seated: Norabelle414, qebo, drneutron, _Zoe_ (really!)
Not pictured: AnneDC, mrsdrneutron

and, yes, _Zoe_ took a poll! :)

Confused!

I just received a book in the mail. I don't know who sent it or why I go it. There is no sender's name. It's not a Bookcrossing book. It came from Awesome Books (is that a book store?) in the UK. It has a price sticker still on it (1.50 pounds). Does anyone know how this book came to be sent to me? I'm throroughly confused!

Hey, it looks good, though. I'm adding it to my TBR pile. I hope I can figure out how and why it got to me, though.

Lovely photo, looks like you are all enjoying yourselves!
Israel for beginners was already off my radar after Eva's review.

Looks like you have an anonymous book donor Madeline!

If I do, I sure would like to know who it is so I could offer my thanks. That's so sweet - whoever you are!

By the way, the book is Deadkidsongs by Toby Litt.

OK, I am only 70+ posts behind without a prayer of catching up, Madeline. Hopefully, I will do better from here on out.

Congrats on the anonymous acquisition!

@79

Great pics - you showed up on my Facebook the day and I was thinking, hmm, I from where do I know that face...? :D Forgot I had added LT to FB.

> 84

Hi Stasia!

I missed hearing from you. I got to meet Zoe, and she told me how to pronounce your name. Finally!!

Thanks, but if you have any idea from where it came, please let me know!

> 85

Haha!

>86 SqueakyChu: I have to admit, I still say it wrong in my head despite knowing the correct pronunciation!

"Stah-Sha"

Right?

#89: Yes, that is right. Believe me, I have heard it pronounced every which way! :)

Hi Madeline! It was a lot of fun meeting you in person last weekend (even if only briefly).

#89 How cool, I'd been meaning to ask Stasia about that... now I know! Basically, it's pronounced like "Sasha" by with a 'T', right?

> 91

Hi Anne!

I thought our meet-up was terrific and hope that drneutron gets another one going in the fall. Sorry you had to leave before we did the signs. We'll just have to think up other things we need on LT before the fall meet-up rolls around! :)

>93 SqueakyChu: Heh, that's optimistic! I suspect we'll be doing Lists again ;)

I suspect we'll be doing Lists again

Oh, no!!!!!!! Maybe we need a bigger crowd with more signs?

Madeline, I just finished reading a book which listed some really interesting references, and I'd love to list those books somewhere, but can't find anything in CK to accommodate them. I've put them in my comments section for now, but do you know of a better place to list them?

Perhaps put them on your wiki page?

Now, if we only had lists... :)

wiki page? what wiki page?

Lists. Yes.

>98 Smiler69: If you go to the wiki, there's a link in the left column to Your WikiThing Page.

36. Matches - Alan Kaufman



This is truly a book that has taken me to a place I've not gone before. It's a war story without a war and and a truly absorbing story about one man in the Israel Defense Forces. More here.

Rating - 4 1/2 stars

#100: Wow! Terrific review, Madeline, and a book I will search out. Thanks!

> 101

Thanks. It's really a great book.

> To all:

I'd be happy to share my copy of Matches (which is an ARC and is Bookcrossing registered) with anyone in the U.S. who is willing to request it through BookMooch. Private message me, if interested, and I'll post it with a reserve.

Great review - definite thumbs-up! :) Looking forward to its appearance at the top of Mt. TBR. :)

Move it up higher now, Eva! I think you'll be impressed by it.

Popping in to say that I think I'll add Slavenka Drakulic to my "watch" list.

And that I pronounce Stasia's name "Stay-see-uh." Whoops.

37. Minor Miracles –Will Eisner



Will Eisner’s graphic novels are always fun reads. This comic contains four stories. “The Miracle of Dignity” is the story of what transpired in the relationship between poor Uncle Amos and better off Cousin Irving. “Street Magic” is the story of young Mersh teaching his even younger cousin how to survive on the street of his neighborhood. “A New Kid on the Block” tells of a rather feral young man who suddenly appears in a neighborhood of others who know one another. “A Special Wedding Ring” is the story of a crippled young man and a deaf-mute young woman.

I don’t think I can pick my favorite of these stories because they all have that special flavor of the Jewish neighborhood of New York City of the time of the author’s youth. The characters are very well drawn with a touch of exaggeration to denote what makes each stand out in his or her own world. The backgrounds of each picture are richly detailed to bring back the neighborhoods of that time. While reading each story, do take the time to savor those details. One that I especially loved was “Stein’s Bakery” on page 32 as I had a grandfather with the surname of Stein who was a baker.

Rating – 4 stars

I have enjoyed the only one of Eisner's works that I have been able to get hold of, The Contract with God. I will have to start looking for Minor Miracles now too. Thanks for the recommendation, Madeline!

I think Will Eisner was brilliant. It's fun to watch how graphic novels are continuing to develop these days. Will Eisner died in 2005.

I also think it was great that this month's TIOLI includes Deseree's graphic novel, anime, manga or comic book compilation TIOLI challenge.

ETA: I just recently learned from Wikipedia that the inspiration for A Contract With God which I, too, read was a daughter that Will Eisner lost to leukemia in 1970.

38. Shipwrecks - Akira Yoshimura



A sad, but fascinating, tale about a young boy whose life on the sea and his father's leaving home were meant to prevent his family from starving. More here.

Rating - 4 stars

Madeline
I've been consumed with end of semester and some health issues and thus haven't posted on LT as regularly as I usually do. As always, when I visit here, I find excellent reviews, incredible books and lively conversations.

I'm sorry that you had such a terrible time with poison ivy. I've added the book Under The Skin to the tbr pile and as I post this message I realize the irony of noting your poison ivy and adding a book regarding under the skin (which is just how poison feels.

All the best!

#109: Well, I went to add that one to the BlackHole only to discover it was already there. I hate when that happens, especially when my library does not have the book.

> 110

Hi Linda,

Thanks for stopping by, and stay well!

The amazing thing is that I figured out that I did *not* have poison ivy after all. My guess is that it was an allergy to mangoes!!

Here's my reasoning:

When in El Salvador in 1976, I ate my first mango, skin and all. This resulted in an intense generalized itching with no rash. I never again ate mangoes until a few years ago, thinking I'd been allergic to them. Subsequently I learned that the sap from the mango tree has the substance urushiol in it. That's the same toxic substance that causes a poison ivy rash.

More recently, I've eaten mangoes with no problem. I've purchased them for my husband, who loves, them. He's given me mangoes to eat with no subsequent sequelae.

Until a month ago, that is. I think the problem was that I bought *organic* mangoes. Now I find out that mango skin (and even some of the fruit "Under the Skin" - Haha! - and close to the skin contains urushiol. My older son suggested I didn't have any further reaction to the fruit offered to me by my husband because conventional vegetables are waxed (thereby protecting me from exposure to the urushiol in the skin), and he mostly offered the fruit to me after peeling it. He is not allergic to poison ivy.

When I researched my theory, I found pictures of the rash similar to my own. The rash is supposed to last three weeks. Mine lasted three weeks - exactly!! The exposure that I had to the peel, (hands and right side of face where I probably brushed hair away) broke out into what looked like a typical poison ivy type reaction. The rest of the rash (legs, arms, shoulder, etc.) looked different. They were more like hives (flatter and more spread out). That was because I'd made mango bread pudding out of the fruit and continued to eat it. Even being on Prednisone and Claritin, I continued to break out. At one point, I even thought I was allergic to the Claritin.

Bottom line: No more mangoes for me! :-D

> 111

Stasia, I really enjoyed Shipwrecks, a book quite unlike other books I've read. If I'd have known previously it was about *medieval* Japan, I might have skipped it.

By the way, don't read anything about this story until you get the book. Spoilers might decrease your enjoyment of it.

Madeline, a fascinating, although painful and irksome for you, personal medical research project. I was the only one in the family who didn't like mangoes; just didn't care for the taste at all. Now I know why: self-protecting against the hideous consequences of an allergic reaction to urushiol! I'm glad you found the cause and know what to avoid. I'm awfully sorry you had to go through that, though.

Such a strange thing to be allergic to - mangoes look so benign, don't they? "Even being on Prednisone...I continued to break out" - that's just scary if such a strong medication doesn't work! I'm allergic to mushrooms, that's another weird one, so weird, in fact, that I've only ever met one other person with the same allergy. Very glad to hear you figured it out!!

> 114, 115

The diagnosis at the Kaiser clinic was "contact dermatitis" so that didn't help at all. Of course, if I couldn't link what I ate or touched when giving my health history, I was no use at all. I didn't eat "anything new" as I'd been eating mangoes all along. Oh, well. I'm almost 100% sure that was the cause.

Madeline
I'm glad you were able to diagnose the problem. I hope you are much better!

"contact dermatitis"

Hmm, that could be anything!! So, no, not too helpful. :)

> 117

Thanks, Linda. I'm fine now. Instead of mangoes, I'm baking with rhubarb this week. :)

> 118

Hehe! I *knew* I couldn't remember being around poison ivy! I was really puzzled for a long time; then it just came to me (no pun intended).

Madeline....please be careful if you have that kind of reaction to any part of a mango. I have a dear dear friend - an RN--who is alive today only because she ate her first mango in a hospital cafeteria and was able to be resusitated immediately. It is a fruit that can have lethal effects for people whose bodies don't like it. Perhaps papaya and guava might do instead.....

> 120

I've eaten mango before, as I said above, but I think I'll avoid it from now on.

As someone who deals with food allergies a lot, Madeline, I am glad you found out what the trigger is before it caused even more health problems!

(And I hate mangoes, so it is probably just as well I do not eat them. I am very allergic to poison ivy!)

> 122

The funny thing is, that I'd always avoided mangoes in years past after my first encounter with one. It was only recently that I decided I liked them and wanted to start cooking and baking with them. Then I got into organics...

The rest is now history. :)

#123: I am just glad you were not history :)

> 124

LOL! I have to agree with that!!

#123 &124: I'm glad too!

> 126

:)

That is completely fascinating!

> 128

I doubt if many people are aware of the connection between poison ivy and mangoes. I'd never heard of it before.

Isn't there some sort of likewise unusual link between pineapples and something?...

I can't remember exactly what it is at this point, but I know many people will end up with itchy mouths when they eat pineapple, to varying degrees. If I eat too much raw pineapple the roof of my mouth will actually itch a bit, and my friend Alison will be itchy from the start (and yet we both still continue to eat the golden deliciousness.... Mmm, fresh pineapple).

My experience with mango is very limited, but if I ever happen upon organic mango I'll know to be careful. I've never had poison ivy, so I have no idea whether or not I'm allergic. My father and both brothers, however, turn purple if they so much as encounter the pollen. My dad jumped over a fallen log during a marathon once and was literally purple from elbows-and-knees down for weeks.

I've never heard of this pineapple thing. If you find out more, let me know. "Food allergies" sounds like a good topic for my CSA newsletter!

>130 London_StJ: Someone told me there's a relationship between pineapple and latex. I find that my mouth (usually the back of my tongue) itches if I eat a lot of fresh pineapple, but I do it anyways and just make sure that I eat other things, too, which usually minimizes any itching. :)

Well, latex is a big allergy. I would imagine that it is a product made from what is obtained from the rubber tree, also a tropical plant. I wonder if there is a relationship between that rubber tree and the pineapple plant (a bromeliad)?

I wonder if pineapple is related to kiwi, which contains an enzyme that acts as a meat tenderizer. It definitely makes the roof of your mouth hurt if you eat too much!

Darn tropical fruits. So tasty, but so disturbingly weird.

Huh. There's a latex-fruit syndrome: http://www.ehow.com/list_6717987_causes-new-pineapple-allergy_.html, http://dmd.nihs.go.jp/latex/cross-e.html.

Interesting! In that last article, there was the mango again. I'm also allergic to ragweed pollen which also was listed in that last article.

I have one friend who is allergic to citrus fruit and another who is allergic to peanuts. They both (orange for citrus, I suppose) are listed as well .

I am violently allergic to most fruit, but citrus in particular. (Although it isn't citric acid that's the problem.) It makes me the bane of serving people in restaurants - who, in my defence, JUST DON'T LISTEN - and a very awkward dinner guest. ("Hey, want to come to dinner?" "Depends, what are you having?")

134- I wonder if pineapple is related to kiwi, which contains an enzyme that acts as a meat tenderizer.

That's actually what the internet just told me when I went looking again! I thought there was a similar pineapple-something relationship like the mango-poison ivy relationship, but a quick search didn't turn up the results I was looking for.

I'm now eating pineapples (literally - in a fruit salad), but I already miss mangoes, just because I can't have them.

By the way, I know you have an ice cream maker, Luxx. I have a book with a recipe for kiwi sorbet! I made cranberry sorbet (from fresh, actually frozen) cranberries this week, and it was yummy. The only problem is that I'm trying to lose some weight before my daughter's wedding so I can't have those large servings of those ice cold treats.

I also was just looking at a recipe for pineapple-oatmeal cookies. Those sound so interesting!

Well, I might as well make use of the fruit to which I'm not allergic. :)

> 138

Liz, that must be so hard. I use citrus in almost everything I make. What kind of reaction to you get to the citrus? Is it all citrus?

Yes, all citrus. I even get nauseated by the smell. If I ingest, I break out in hives and often throw up...just what you want at the dinner table. :)

I can manage my own diet for the most part, but the smell is a real problem, particularly in inescapable places like an open-plan office, or on public transport.

That's got to be really tough. To even have a strongly negative reaction to the smell. :(

I can handle most fruit in that respect but oranges and mandarins - and oddly, bananas - send me bolting for a door.

Oh, no! I love bananas. They're my favorite fruit.

I'm sorry, Madeline, but I just don't think we can be friends any more.

:)

LOL!! ...but :(

Whew! I am glad my favorite fruit is apples. I would hate for Liz to ban me from her thread or something dire like that.

Continuing June, July, and August reads on this thread.