Donna828 is Overbooked: Ch. 5

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends;
they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors,
and the most patient of teachers.

Second Quarter Books...

Books read in April:
30. A Visit from the Goon Squad - Jennifer Egan. 3.5 stars.
31. Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure - Matthew Algeo. 3.8 stars.
32. McTeague - Frank Norris. 2.7 stars.
33. Gods and Generals - Jeff Shaara. 4.1 stars.
34. The Dress Lodger - Sheri Holman. 3.6 stars.
35. A Moveable Feast - Ernest Hemingway. 3.25 stars.
36. Started Early, Took My Dog - Kate Atkinson. 3.8 stars.
37. From Battlefields Rising: How the Civil War Transformed American Literature - Randall Fuller. 4.3 stars.
38: The Red Badge of Courage - Stephen Crane. 3.4 stars.
39. Any Human Heart - William Boyd. 4.1 stars.
40. How to Read Novels Like a Professor Thomas C. Foster. 3.7 stars.
41. The Gendarme - Mark T. Mustian. 3.9 stars.

First Quarter Books...

Books read in January:
**My favorite book(s) 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. 4.4 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. 4.4 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. 4.5 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. 4.5 stars.

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

I notice several people listing their proposed reads for a new month on their threads. Well, most of my planned reads are for the TIOLI Challenge, but I also have a few library books checked out and an ER book on its way to me. It remains to be seen how many of these “proposed” reads actually get read. I reserve the right to jump in there with a serendipitous book.

- Must read Gods and Generals for my upcoming book group at the library. I am looking forward to beginning a very loose study of the Civil War through books. This is the sesquicentennial year for the Battle of Wilson’s Creek which was fought just outside my dwelling place of Springfield, MO. There are many planned activities to commemorate the event, including a visit from the author Jeff Shaara.

Library books:
- Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure for the Missouri Readers group
- The Gendarme

TIOLI books:
- From Battlefields Rising, another Civil War book by a local author: prepositional title
- The Dress Lodger: striking cover category
- Any Human Heart: read the book, see the movie
- A Moveable Feast: April in Paris
- A Visit from the Goon Squad: Longlisted for the Orange Prize
- How to Read Novels Like A Professor: Who, what, when, etc. challenge.

Finally, my fhttp://www.librarything.com/work/10001797irst ER book in six months (by my choice):
- I Shall Not Hate.

Edited for touchstone CPR!

Jumping on this while I have a chance of keeping up! Hello there!

Hi Donna! Just letting you know I'm still around, even if I haven't been posting much. :)

Hi Luxx and Stephen. It's great to see both of you here. Are the monsters and zombies with you?

My monsters were zombies tonight...

*cough, cough* No, that's not commentary, just my condition at the moment. Love your introductory picture and quote on this thread!

Donna- Looks like you have some good books on your horizon. We've already talked about Gods and Generals and I'm a big fan of Goon Squad.

Hi Donna, I'd love to read Any Human Heart with you. And I'm wondering what kind of proposition you made (or was it made to you?) for From Battlefields Rising. ;-)

I'm giving up on my touchstones in Msg. 3 for tonight. My neck is starting to hurt from the strain of moving due to all these heavy books I had to carry over here.

>7 London_StJ:: Lol...give them a hug from their cyber-Gran!

>8 ronincats:: Poor Roni still has her cough. A few more weeks and you'll be in Missouri/Kansas where you can be sneezing from the flowering trees. I'm really looking forward to our visit.

>9 msf59:: I think I'll be out of my comfort zone with the Goon Squad, Mark. A peeing woman, a stolen wallet, and the F word (all in the first paragraph) doesn't sound like a warm, fuzzy story.

Edited for typo.

>10 brenzi:: There you are, Bonnie! And making me laugh about my typo. Now my thread is feeling like home. ;-)

I thought you had already read Any Human Heart. Was it another Wm. Boyd book you read...or another Bonnie that read it? I am seriously tired. I think I need to take my book and go to bed!

Hi Donna!

From the previous thread, regarding, The Wind-up Bird Chronicle, no I’m sure it won’t take a year to recover from it. The thing is I think I shouldn’t have read such a multi-layered, complex book just now. It is a lot to take in and the timing wasn’t right for me. The book left me pretty tired. But I have to admit, The Wind-up Bird Chronicle is a very interesting book. It’s long, at times slow and mostly bizarre but never dull.

Donna & Bonnie, did you see the recent PBS Masterpiece of Any Human Heart? I've not read the book but hub & I really enjoyed the series. It starred Matthew McFadyen and Jim Broadbent, who were both excellent as the protagonist at different stages of his life.

I found your new thread...and I love the Beatles reference in your first message. :)

starred :)

Hi, Donna!
Did I tell you that my cousin in Springfield just adopted a baby girl from China? I am so excited for her.
--BJ

>13 Porua:: I was joshing you a bit about the year's recovery. I know better than that. I'll be reading it (with or without Mark) sometime soon. I think I can only do one Murakami book per year!

>14 lauralkeet:: Laura, I have the series on the DVR. That's one of my reasons for reading the book now. I want to read it before I watch the adaptation.

>15 BookAngel_a:: Thanks for catching that. I'm a longtime Beatles fan.

All you need is books (all together now)
All you need is books (everybody)
All you need is books, books
Books are all you need!

That doesn't sound very grammatical. I changed the last line to make it less jarring. ;-)

>16 curlysue:: Hi Kara - and thanks. I hope you escaped the Florida storms yesterday.

>17 billiejean:: That's awesome news, BJ. It seems like you should come see the precious new baby. Give me a call if and when you do. Maybe after the upcoming wedding for your daughter?

The Wind-up Bird Chronicle was my first Murakami book. I had seen it at the bookstore and though I'd never heard of him before, bought it on the spur of the moment and was absolutely fascinated by the new-to-me (then) author. I've since read maybe half a dozen other books of his, and will be reading After Dark for the Japanese challenge on TIOLI, but I'd also like to go back to Wind-Up Bird eventually and see how it reads the second time around.

Loved your impressions of Portrait of a Lady. Also loved your comments on the last spoiler thread. I'll join in with a few comments probably tomorrow now that I've finished it myself... at 11:54 pm, just in time to keep it in the March TIOLI challenge!

Now that I've got that out of the way, I can concentrate on Shadow of the Wind (excellent book). Portrait ended up occupying so much of my mind these past two weeks.

Just waving on my way through the threads this evening, Donna :)

>19 Smiler69:: Ilana, I've only read Norwegian Wood by Murakami. "Fascinating" is a good word to describe his writing. What a creative mind!

Congrats on finishing Portrait. That was cutting it close! For such a lengthy book I found that it read fairly quickly...as did The Shadow of the Wind. Both excellent books for different reasons. It was fun doing shared reads with you in March.

>20 alcottacre:: STASIA!!! I've been looking forward to your return...no fooling! I know that you will be deluged with welcome back messages. I just hope that LT doesn't blow up today! It's great to see you back here. You've been missed.

Confession time...

I went to The Book Castle, my new favorite used bookstore in town, with my RL friend Nancy (known on LT as Nancy618) and came home with four new-to-me books. The good news is that I traded some of my cast-offs so no money was exchanged and I got rid of more books than I acquired.

For those inquiring minds, here are my newest book friends:

My Name is Red - I "blame" Ilana's praise for this one. ;-)
The Last Full Measure - I had to complete the Shaara Civil War trilogy.
The Singapore Grip- the last book in another trilogy I will read someday.
Jarhead - impulse grab from the dollar table for my DH.

Great restraint was used, and I still have wiggle room on my shelves. My next book-buying spree will be at the Kansas City meet-up later this month.

I'm currently reading A Visit from the Goon Squad. It's very 'readable' so far and different from my usual slow books. A nice change of pace. I've also started my foray into Civil War books with Gods and Generals. I'll be alternating between the two until one of them takes over.

Edited to do touchstones the hard way. LT doesn't cooperate with me in the TS department lately.

Hi Donna... have been lurking for awhile, feeling sad about not reading much lately...but I finally did finish a great book last night The Lost Garden - loved it. And still reading about the Mitford sisters...wacky family!

My Name is Red was rec by a friend in my bookclub. Since I liked Snow by same author - I'll be getting to it someday. Will be looking for your impressions on that. Hope you like it. :)

>23 -Cee-:: Oooh, Claudia, The Lost Garden looks luscious. You got me with the "deep pondering on the connections of spirits." My kind of book and a thumbs up from me on your convincing review.

I wouldn't worry about the not reading as much as you'd like to lately. Personally, I'd rather read fewer books that stir my heart than a lot of books that I read and forget. Have a great day!

Hey, Donna! Up to five threads already?:) Oh, I can see you've had a good start this year! Have a lovely day!

Thanks, Donna. I have read several excellent books this year. Have loved the 2011 journey so far. I can accept I am a slow reader - I love to savor... but there are sooo many other books I am trying to get to. :}

I love the Beatles too, Donna! My favourite Beatles song use to be The long and winding road but now it's a toss up between I will and This boy. I think I love This boy more.

I can't say I'm much of a Beatles fan, but no one will let me forget "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" after giving my son the name...

I'll gladly take the blame for inciting you to get My Name is Red. I look forward to your comments on it! I enjoyed our shared reads too. I'm sure there'll be more in future and I'll look forward to that.

Hi Donna- I hope Goon Squad is improving for you! I know the opening chapters left you gasping. I think she is a smart, very inventive author.

Hello Donna, I've got a copy of My Name is Red too - I started trying to read it last month but wasn't in quite the right mood at that point, but I hope to get back to it soon. Glad to hear others recommending it on here.

>25 Apolline:: Thanks, Bente. I got some things accomplished that I've been putting off and rewarded myself with some quality reading time. No surprise there. Thanks for keeping up with me.

>26 -Cee-:: Claudia, can you believe the year is in its second quarter? The good news is that we have 9 months left to accomplish lots of good reading.

>27 Porua:: Hi Porua, I'm not sure I have a favorite Beatles song. It so depends on my mood. For road trips and silly days I like "Come Together" and for those pensive days, "Let It Be" could be my theme song.

>28 London_StJ:: Luxx, that's one Beatles tune I don't hear very often. Doesn't Max flatten a few people with his silver hammer? I have a granddaughter named Sadie, and I had to remind my daughter of the tune "Sexy Sadie." Oh well, it didn't influence her choice.

>29 Smiler69:: I'll let you know the verdict when I get to it, Ilana. It has a great cover! I almost put it on the TIOLI cover thread, but I'm going to stick with the one I already posted.

>30 msf59:: Mark, I was fine after the first paragraph! It just kind of grabbed me by surprise. I've had a few blushes since then. I guess I'm one of those "gentle readers" the Victorian narrators addressed!

>31 gennyt:: Hi Jenny, good to see you here. Is the book funk over for you? I'm heading over to your thread to find out.

#32 - Yup. *Bang bang* went Maxwell's silver hammer ... into a number of heads. I think the kiddo was even born on a Beatles' birthday - October 9?

Donna, I hang my head in shame as this is my first visit to your new thread. BTW: My favorite Beatle's song is Let her Read. Oh, that's Let it Be isn't it?!

I am happy to say that LT did not either implode or explode today :)

Nice haul! I am glad to see that you are saving some for the KC trip though.

>33 London_StJ:: Max's "theme" song might come in handy on the playground in the future if there are bullies around!

>34 Carmenere:: Lol, Lynda. And no hanging your head around here. I'm just glad you found me.

>35 alcottacre:: No explosions, Stasia, but I do know there are a lot of happy people on LT because of your return. Kansas City...here we come!!!

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I'm going to write the book review that is floating through my head...and then I'm heading outside to get some fresh air and exericse. I'll be hanging out at Lucy's readathon later this afternoon and tomorrow. Life is good!

Time’s a goon.

Book No. 30: A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan.
5 stars for creativity,
4 stars for some genuinely good writing,
1 star for the last 97 pages = 3.3333333...stars.

I found myself in strange company here, but despite my resistance, I warmed up to the Goon Squad. I found myself engaging with the memories of Bennie Salazar as the author visited the different stages in his musical career and the people he encountered, including the unforgettable Sasha. Each chapter was told from a different perspective of voice, time, and place. Some of the vignettes were quirky, some disturbing, and some were downright heartrending.

If I had stopped reading the book at this point, it would have been a 4 or 4.5 star book for me. If you want to find out why I changed my mind, you can read the complete review here.

Cute review... and I love the rating. Sometimes you just have to do the math! :)

I loved your review of Goon Squad, Donna. I started to buy it on Monday, but I'm glad that I didn't.

Donna, I just thumbed your review of The Goon Squad. I started reading the excerpt on Amazon last week and loved the beginning enough to pick it for my book club read this year. Now I'm a little nervous about the ending.

Thanks, Claudia and Darryl. My copy was a library book so I didn't have a financial investment in my reading. Still, I was disappointed that I didn't like it all the way through as it had such potential. The last third just didn't agree with me...or me with it...or something like that!

Oh Pat, I should have had a disclaimer in my review about my dislike of graphic novels. That's what the PowerPoint pages seemed to me. I've tried to overcome my bias against them but I just like words in my books! I know you've turned to the dark side (reading comic books) *I am just kidding you here* so you will probably like Goon Squad. I did give Egan 5 stars for creativity. As Claudia said, my rating came down to doing the math.

Okay, I'm going back to the readathon as soon as I post over on that thread.

Donna, I'm not too worried about liking Goon Squad myself but there are 2 or 3 people in my book group I'm concerned about. We could choose any novel published in the last 3 years as long as it was on certain notable books of the year lists and for some reason I had a really hard time picking something. I finally decided to stop obsessing about it and picked Good Squad because I wanted to read it. It's funny because one of the reasons I wanted to read it is that Mark highly recommended it (and he's my graphic novel "dealer").

Hi, Donna! Hope you get a lot done in the Readathon tonight! I was going to kick back and get some reading done tonight, but my DIL just called and asked if I could babysit, so the reading won't be happening.

I enjoyed your review, Donna, and remember looking into this one a while ago and deciding against it. I still don't think it's for me.

Hi Donna, I actually enjoyed TheGoon Squad and was able to appreciate the last part for what I thought it was---a look at what the future might hold for us. At the rate that technology changes it was probably right on. A quirky book at any rate as is the one I'm reading now....Swamplandia!

>42 phebj:: Pat, I'm very curious to hear about your fellow readers' views of The Goon Squad after your book group discusses it. Maybe they won't be quite as picky opinionated as moi.

>43 tloeffler:: Terri, I'm nearing the end of the excellent Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure. Babysitting trumps reading. But you can always read when the grandkids go to bed...if you're not too tired.

>44 Copperskye:: I think you might like it better than I did, Joanne. You're much more hip than this ol' gal!

>45 brenzi:: Ah Bonnie, point taken. I did "appreciate" the last 99 pages. I just didn't like them very much! I don't think I do quirky books very well as a general rule. T.C. Boyle books are the exception. I won't be reading Swamplandia!. ;-)

The book group isn't going to read Goon Squad until December but I'll let you know how it goes. Speaking of T.C. Boyle. I picked up a copy of East is East at my library book sale today for 50 cents!

A Visit From the Goon Squad is probably not a book for me, but thumbs up on such a creative review!

I have A Visit from the Goon Squad in the BlackHole already, but I am not rushing out to pick up a copy at the library. Loved the review, Donna!

Donna- I loved your review of Goon Squad but the book, including the last 97 pages all worked for me. I was crazy about it. Must be my youth.
Hope you are having a nice Sunday.

>47 phebj:: I hope you enjoy East is East, Pat.

>48 DeltaQueen50:: Thanks, Judy. Apparently it wasn't the book for me either.

>49 alcottacre:: I hope you enjoy Goon Squad when you get around to it, Stasia.

>50 msf59:: Yes, Mark, this is a book for the youthful reader. I used to think I was young at heart, but now I'm not so sure.

I'm having a great Sunday. No sore muscles from working in the yard yesterday; apparently I didn't work all that hard! The readathon is going great, but I'm getting far behind on checking threads.

Have you given up on your Sunday Spong updates? I've just read a chapter in A New Christianity for a New World and he may have a few good points I need to think about.

Lynda, I haven't forgotten Spong. I'm just taking a break...following in Stasia's footsteps. Actually, he was hitting pretty close to home for me. I should be at church right now for the all-church conference and vote for yet another thing I could care less about. I'm becoming one of those apathetical Christians that he refers to in his book.

I have a lot of pages to go in Gods and Generals for my Thursday night book group. My attention is focused on that right now. But Spong is definitely on the back burner and on my mind as I go through my own mini spiritual crisis.

I'm heading over to your thread to see if you've posted any thoughts on the book. Feel free to take over for me until I get back in the groove!

#53: Uh oh. I have set a bad precedent!

adding some spring to your thread :)


glitter-graphics.com

nice review of Goon Squad....don't think this one is for me :) dogged that book bullet ;)

>54 alcottacre:: No no no...I'm glad you took your break, Stasia. It let me know that it's okay to take a break when needed, and I thank you for that!

>55 curlysue:: Thanks, Kara, for those butterflies to brighten things up around here. I saw some real ones at the Dallas Arboretum, but I think our Missouri butterflies are waiting for the warm temps to stay. We've been up and down lately. Yesterday was in the mid-80s and today looks like it will be a stretch to make it to 50 degrees.

#53 I hear ya, Donna.

I've added Any Human Heart to the tbr pile.

Donna, How I wish I could join the Kansas City meet up.

I will meet you one day...I'm sure of it!

>57 Carmenere:: Lynda, you might say our conversation on the Spong book is to be continued... I'm looking forward to hearing what your thoughts on it.

>58 Whisper1:: Linda, I think Bonnie (Brenzi) will be reading Any Human Heart this month, too.

We'll make it our priority to meet one of these days. I like the idea of a big LT meet-up...something along the lines of the BOTNS seminar/gathering that Mark will be attending this week-end. I'm sure some of our LT authors would love to meet with us! Something to think about anyway.

Road Trip to Nostalgia

I love this image of Harry's smiling face. I can almost hear Bess telling Harry to watch his speed. If you look carefully, you can see Margaret in the back seat. I'd like to trade places with her! In fact, I almost feel as if I were along on the trip with Bess and Harry. Matthew Algeo makes this a wonderful ride!

My review is here.

I first heard of this book on NPR many months ago and thought it sounded interesting. Glad you liked it. Thumbed your review!

Thanks, Pat. I can always count on you to read my reviews.

I should clarify my comment about the book cover. Margaret did not go on the road trip. She lived in NYC and went down to Washington to meet them. Then she drove Bess to NYC while Harry gave his speech in Philadelphia. I believe the picture was taken when they were leaving New York and dropping Margaret off at her residence.

Notice the suit Harry is wearing. He wore one the entire trip! Imagine driving across the country in July in an unairconditioned car. *GASP*

Hi Donna. I lost track of your thread for awhile and have spent some time catching up. . . still love the way you go about this Librarything!
Just read your review on the Goon Squad . . . I'm glad I've borrowed instead of buying this planned read for April. As it is, I've moved it down on the priority list based on your review and the ambiguous nature of other's reviews . . . Seems people either love or hate it! Glad I'll have the option to dump this and choose a different title if necessary . . . Time is short and there are too many great things to read out there!
Looking forward to our KC meet-up later this month. Sounds like I should start saving some pennies for our book shopping adventure.:^)

Donna, I, too, have lost track of your thread but now you're found. Glad you liked the Truman book. I loved it when I read it. Pretty amazing that an ex-president could just take off like that.

How is your class going?

I adored Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure when I read it a year or two ago. I kept pulling out the atlas while I read it so I could travel along with them. I'm so glad you liked it too!

#60: I enjoyed that one too!

>56 Donna828: Slide on over to St. Louie & visit The Butterfly House, my friend! Very cool place!

Hi Donna. I enjoyed your review of The Goon Squad. It sounds interesting, I will probably try it at some point.

I'm 30 messages behind and won't even try to catch up, but thought I'd pop in and say hi!

>63 brenpike:: Hi Brenda, so glad you found me again. I lose track of people all the time in this busy place! Only three weeks to Kansas City now. Can't wait to meet you and Roni for the first time. I think the first 175 pages of The Goon Squad make it a worthwhile book...and you might even like the part that left me cold. I don't have much patience with "gimmicky" writing.

>64 lindapanzo:: The class is going well, Linda. I'll have some comments on McTeague after we sum it up on Thursday. I tried to like the book and failed. I'm always glad to sandwich in a book like Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure in between disappointing reads.

>65 Copperskye:: Hi there, Joanne. I wonder if there is anyone who wouldn't like this kind of lighthearted (for the most part) book? I love books about road trips. They're always so much more interesting than the ones I take. I'll probably be driving out your way again in July or August. Hope to see you then.

>66 alcottacre:: Another satisfied customer! You have good taste, Stasia.

>67 tloeffler:: Terri, we have a butterfly house in Branson. I like the "free" ones that flit around my butterfly bushes in the summer pretty well. Maybe I should charge admission!

>68 souloftherose:: Hi Heather, Goon Squad is a very interesting book. I hope you like it! And thanks for stopping by. I've missed you here.

>69 Smiler69:: Thank you for the cameo appearance, Ilana. I hope your April reading experience isn't as heavy as last month's, but it seems like I saw a rather long list of anticipated reads on your thread. Enjoy!

it seems like I saw a rather long list of anticipated reads on your thread

Yes well... I can't help myself. Even though I know ahead of time that I probably won't be able to fit it all in. With so many great books lying around and being recommended all the time, it's hard to resist wanting to take them all in at once, so given that, I guess my lists are actually pretty reasonable! :-)

Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure is available at my library! Yay! Now the only problem is squeezing it in. *sigh*

Started counting the days until KC yet, Donna? I am!

>71 Smiler69:: Book lists are fun to make...and read. I wish you well on reading all of your planned books!

>72 brenzi:: Bonnie, the Harry Truman road trip book is a quickie read. It would make a great palate cleanser after Swamplandia!. ;-)

>73 alcottacre:: I know it's less than three weeks away now, Stasia. At the rate time is flying by for me, I should probably begin packing!

Btw, a bit of Harry Truman trivia. He and Bess packed eleven suitcases for their road trip. It's a good thing they had that big Chrysler New Yorker with its big trunk!

I figure everyone will be lucky if I show up in street clothes and not pajamas. I am not worried overmuch about packing :)

Morning Donna- Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure sounds so good. I remember Joanne reading it awhile back. I wonder if it's available on audio. I'd like to try that.

Given the weather in Kansas right now, flipflopping from 50 to 90 and back, I'm waiting until that weekend to pack!

#75 I am so glad you said "street clothes." I say that, too, and my daughter teases me mercilessly for it.
--BJ

I've had a busy day today. No, I'm not packing! I had lots of reading to do...much more fun. My packing will consist of deciding on which jeans to take and whether or not to pack more long or short-sleeved shirts. Those will be my "street clothes." ;-)

>76 msf59:: Mark, if you get the audio version, you'll miss the great pictures in the book. It's a short book and reads quickly if you decide to get the print version.

#78: Seems like a perfectly sensible term to me. I have no idea why your daughter would tease you about it!

That's what I say!
--BJ

Hi Donna, just checking in. What's the Kansas trip - is that an LT get together? I hope your 'mini-spiritual crisis' (message 53) is not too long lived. If it's about avoiding church meetings, I wish I could join you! We have our Annual Church Meeting coming up this Sunday which I have to chair and give a report at, and I'm not looking forward to it at all!

>82 gennyt:: Hi Jenny. Roni (Ronincats) from San Diego is flying into Kansas City the day after Easter to spend some time with her Kansas relatives. She suggested a meet-up with LTers in the area. The area is pretty large - I'm about 3 hours away, and Stasia and daughter Catey are coming up from Texas - 9 or 10 hours away! I think we've got about seven people coming so far. Anybody in the area want to join us? I know England might be a little far for you, Genny!

I think my spiritual crisis is not so much a problem with God as it is with the church I go to and the direction it wants to move in. Change is difficult! And, yes, after being the lay delegate to those 3.5-day State Conferences for the past three years, I do try to avoid church meetings. Good luck with yours. You'll be fine if all the people with bad attitudes (like me) stay home. ;-)

hey Donna! was thinking of doing a rereading of Huck Finn by Twain (excellent 60 Minutes piece on it recently, if you missed it) and following it up with Finn by Clinch. Would you recommend reading them both back to back? :o)

Hi Jenny, sorry I missed the 60 Minutes episode. I did see the rerun of Ken Burns' documentary on Mark Twain over the week end.

I think that would be a great way to get more out of both books. I was tempted to do a reread of Finn after reading AHF, but I couldn't justify it as it hasn't been that long since I read Clinch's excellent depiction of Huck's evil Pap.

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"Below the fine fabric of all that was good in him ran the foul stream of hereditary evil, like a sewer."

Book No. 32: McTeague by Frank Norris. 2.7 stars.

I didn't like this book, although as Bonnie (Bonniebooks) said on my last thread, it was "discussable." Considering that I spent approximately seven class hours digging into it, that's a good thing!

My review:

This book lends itself to examination and an interesting exchange of views in a classroom setting, but it is not one that I recommend for pleasure reading. Norris created a world in which working class San Franciscans lived under the conditions he set up in his "literary laboratory" where the inside forces of biological instinct battled with the outside forces of poverty and social persecution. His unrelenting attention to detail and repetition of descriptions of the narrowly constructed characters made this book increasingly unpleasant for me to read.

There was much stereotyping of ethnic groups and emphasis on greed leading to revenge. The demasculation of the brawny McTeague diminished his humanity to the point where I knew there could be nothing hopeful about the end of this book. Let's just say that I ended up caring more for the canary in the cage than I did for any of the characters.

That's it, People! I'm "closing the book" on McTeague and moving on to more pleasurable reading.

ETA: I forgot to say that I even disliked the cover!

>85 Donna828: That cover is pretty repellant, Donna. If your review were not enough to discourage me from trying McTeague, the cover would definitely do it!

So what's up next? A good palate-cleanser, I hope!

I'd never heard of McTeague before you mentioned it and just hope I remember NOT to read it. I think I saw a discussion somewhere on LT not too long ago about having the ability to mark books we don't want to read. I think I'd put this one there. Hope your class discussion was at least interesting. What are you reading next?

Everyone I know hates McTeague! Most of them read it for school. I know the basic story of McTeague and always knew I wouldn’t like it. With all the negative buzz around it I know I’ll never read it.

The cover of McTeague, looks like she is checking to see if there is maybe spinach in her teeth...not a very flattering cover

>86 katiekrug:: Well, McTeague was a dentist so I guess the "toothy" woman is a representative cover! For a follow-up, I'm deep into the Civil War with Gods and Generals. I'm liking this one much better!

>87 phebj:: Pat, I don't think McTeague is a book you will run across in a mainstream bookstore. I hope not anyway. The discussion was spirited! One of our youngest members was incensed about the "stolen kiss" that McTeague laid on one of his dental patients who ultimately became his wife and the lovely cover lady on the book. She gave a class presentation on rape culture. It certainly gave me a whole new view of Sleeping Beauty!

Our next class book is The Red Badge of Courage which fits in well with my planned reads of Civil War books. I'm going to be missing this class when it ends early next month.

>88 Porua:: Porua, I didn't have the vehement reaction against the character of McTeague that Norris tried to lead me toward with his repetition of how his animalistic nature lay just below the surface. I did hate his wife, Trina, whose lust for money made me want to... Well, I don't want to give any big plot points away...you never know who will be inspired to read the book by my review. ;-)

>89 curlysue:: Exactly, Kara. I think it pointed out Trina's vanity and the fact that she'd just had some pretty fancy dental work done by a self-trained dentist. And yes, the author described the procedure in the dull detail that he used throughout the book.

Good a book I can ignore. I loved Gods and Generals though.

Donna- I don't know if they mentioned this in class but there is a renowned silent film, based on McTeague. It's called, appropriately "Greed" and was directed by the famous German film-maker, Erich Von Stroheim.
I saw it many years ago but it's an outstanding film. And now, it looks like I never have to read the book. Yah!
Starting Faithful Place.

Thankyou, a book that is definitely not going on to my list.

Finally! A book on your thread that I can add to my 'Do Not Read' list. McTeague (and its tremendously ugly cover) made it.

#83 That Kansas City meet up does sound fun, but yes, I guess it's a bit far from England! Hope you all have fun though.

It's a nice surprise to log on this morning and find my thread at the top of the list. Usually I have to look for it.

>92 brenzi:: Hi Bonnie, we had a unanimous favorable rating on Gods and Generals at last night's book group.

>93 msf59:: Mark, I think you will like Faithful Place. It wasn't my favorite of the French books, but still likeable. Oh no, I hope that's not the film we're going to watch at the end of the semester! I've had it with greed!

>94 KiwiNyx:: I don't think McTeague is going on anybody's list based on my review. Glad I can be of service. ;-)

>95 alcottacre:: This is one book you can judge by its cover!

>96 gennyt:: I'm certain we will, Genny. We're meeting at a used bookstore, then going to lunch. Who knows what will develop after that!

Oh, how I wish I could join you all in the KS meet up. The cost of airfare went "sky" high and is no longer affordable.

I'm aiming for Joplin in the Fall.

>98 Whisper1:: I'll look forward to seeing you in Joplin, Linda. Let's hope those sky-high airfares come back down to earth by then.

Pat (phebj) posted a wonderful link to pictures of authors with their dogs on her thread. I loved the picture of Donna Tartt with her Pug. You know how they say there is a resemblance between people and their pets? Well, I don't see it with the 'other' Donna, but I definitely think my boy Lucky and I look somewhat alike!

Amazing resemblance between you and Lucky..Loving smiles and happy faces!

>99 Donna828:: LOL! But you're absolutely right, and I mean that in the most complimentary way!

My dog, Louis (a lab mix) and I probably look alike except for the fact that he is always carrying around his favorite toy - a green football - and I have not picked up that particular habit!

Linda, Laura, and Katie...I can see we are all dog lovers who are blessed by the animal friends in our lives.

Linda - I just need some brown eyes to complete the resemblance!

Laura - I thank you and Lucky thanks you.

Katie - Lucky has a football, too! Isn't it funny how they love to carry their prize possessions around with them?

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


"It is not God who will aim the musket." (Pg. 131)

Book No. 33: Gods and Generals by Jeff Shaara. 4.1 stars.

From my review:

Gods and Generals focuses on the men who shaped the early part of the American Civil War through the different points of view from both the Union and Confederate sides. Through the eyes of Winfield Scott Hancock and Joshua Chamberlain we see the ineptitude of the Union leadership and the frustration of losing the first major battles of the War Between the States. The Confederate narrative of Robert E. Lee tells of the struggle to choose between country and homeland. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson epitomizes the fierce will of the southerners to defeat the Yankee "invasion."

ETA: I hit the submit button too quickly. I really liked this book and plan on reading Jeff's father's The Killer Angels and the final book in the trilogy by Jeff, The Last Full Measure before he visits Springfield this fall.

Awww...Lucky is so cute! I want to give him a hug.

Our Tiger doesn't like to be hugged though. He prefers to roll around the floor while we pet him. He doesn't have a favourite toy but he has very specific food favourites. He likes eating freshly baked breads and cookies, of all things.

Love the photos...perhaps I should have someone take a photo of me and Barkley...I wonder if we look anything alike... ;)

Hi, Donna! I haven't spoken this whole thread - sheesh! I'm saving your review of *Goon Squad* until after I read it or at least start it. I was mightily impressed with the cleverness of her The Keep, so I'm looking forward to it. (Currently I'm reading Our Tragic Universe by Scarlett Thomas, who is an equally young and experimental author. I guess "experimental" is the word.)
Never tried any F. Norris. You and Lucky are fine, fair companions!

#99 Donna, I think I liked that picture of Donna Tartt with her pug the best. LOVE the picture of you and Lucky.

>104 Porua:: Porua, Lucky's not a big cuddler either, but he's a huge fan of just about any kind of food. He's a Lab -- who are known for their appetites.

>105 BookAngel_a:: Angela, one of you is going to have to color your hair!

>106 LizzieD:: Hi there, Peggy. I hope you like Goon Squad - I thought the first 175 pages were great! Egan is indeed clever, but sometimes authors can be too experimental for my tastes. It's hard for this ol' dog to learn the new tricks that authors pull on us. Some of them work for me, though. I took a chance on Cloud Atlas and ended up loving it. I'll keep reading with an open mind. Thanks for stopping by.

>107 phebj:: Thanks, Pat. I really enjoyed the pictures in the link you posted. I'll probably check out the LT pet forum one of these days.

Donna, Loved the picture of you and Lucky. . . you both look very lovable! Enjoyed your review of Gods and Generals - that's going on my TBR list. I think you will like The Killer Angels. It is one of my all-time favorites. . .

Why, thank you, Brenda. I think I had too much time on my hands today. ;-) At least you'll be able to recognize me when we meet at Prospero's later this month. I'm looking forward to meeting you.

I can't believe I haven't read The Killer Angels. When I did my book reorganization a few weeks ago, I found a yellowed paperback of KA which I promptly ditched and replaced with a trade PB. I'll try to get to it next month.

I love The Killer Angels, Donna. I hope you enjoy your read of the book. I guess I really need to get around to reading Gods and Generals.

Just cruising on through and trying to catch up on the threads, which I will never, ever do....I also hated McTeague. Why oh why did they make us spend our time in lit class with Frank Norris? I often found that "discussable" would turn into the latest PC rant du jour. Bleh. I think as a companion to McTeague we also read Crane's Maggie: A Girl of the Streets. Meh.

108- If I wait long enough, my hair will match Barkley all by itself...no dye necessary, lol... ;)

#99 I'm with Linda, loving smiles and trusting happy faces both. And blonde too of course! :-)

I wish I looked anything like my Coco. My little lamb ❤
He's so adorable it makes me want to scream with delight sometimes! lol

Hi Donna,
The picture of you and Lucky is absolutely great! I love it!

I read Killer Angels to Ron while we were driving to Gettysburg for the first time. It was an awesome book (we both loved it) followed by a couple incredible days touring Gettysburg itself. Such a sacred place... I've never felt anything quite like it before.

Loved Killer Angels even more than Gods and Generals so lucky you to have it coming up Donna :)

#99 Yes, Donna. I can see that bright, intelligent eyes run in the family.

I'm sure your feelings on McTeague are exactly why I had never heard of it. Did Frank Norris write anything else worth reading? I don't know Frank Norris either. Did he write anything else worth looking into?

Have a great time at the KC meet-up!

I'm looking forward to reading The Killer Angels when I have the time to read it exclusively.
I'm glad you liked it, Stasia. You probably already know that Gods and Generals leads up to the Battle of Gettysburg.
That's a great story, Claudia. Maybe you should look into becoming a "performer" for audio books!
Wow, Bonnie, even better than G&G, huh? Can't wait.

Re: McTeague
Becky, "discussable" seems to be code for: What on earth was this author thinking? My professor even called the book "freaky." I'm enjoying The Red Badge of Courage as it fits in well with my Civil War reading.
Lynda, I had never heard of Frank Norris until this Literature class. This may be TMI, but here goes... McTeague wrote his novels based on the tension between the brute and the civilized self. His biggest influence was Emile Zola. In an 1897 essay he insisted that the "art of fiction involved 'no such thing as imagination,' merely the imaginative selection of life's details." As far as I know (or care!), out of the seven novels he wrote, this is his "big" one.

Lucky, with his "bright, intelligent eyes," thanks his fans - Angela, Ilana, and Lynda - for their compliments.

I’m back from my break to share a few more thoughts on the book I’m reading for Lent, A New Christianity for a New World by John Shelby Spong. I think know this book is much deeper than I am. Here are some more points to ponder and questions to ask. Unfortunately, I have no answers to share, but I am “enjoying” this thoughtful look at a new definition of Christianity.

Spong spends much time on the evolution of religion. He believes our theistic concept of God and the beginnings of what we call religion came about as humans became self-aware of their mortality.. Theism/religion was created by humans as a coping device and is becoming irrelevant as our advances in knowledge about the natural world have increased.

“If our historical understanding of God must be dismissed, is God also dismissed?” asks Spong on Pg. 57. He goes on to say that our past explanations, including that of God as a Holy Trinity, were attempts to define God. “Twenty-first-century Christians must now come to understand that God does not inhabit creeds or theological doctrines shaped with human words.” (61) Human words are always inadequate and “distorting” so Spong is on a new quest for understanding God in a new way.

I’ll give the brief (and, yes, inadequate) definitions of Spong’s nontheistic God:
…1) God is the ultimate source of life.
…2) He is the ultimate source of love.
…3) God is Being -- the reality underlying everything that is. (pp. 70-72)
These are pretty basic tenets which I can't argue with; the explanations are where he sometimes loses me. ;-)

If these thoughts are something that intrigue you as much as they did me, then I suggest you read for yourself either this book or the newest version of Spong’s philosophy, Eternal Life (a book with two subtitles!). I am going to continue with this book on my own at a very slow pace to try and absorb his discerning thoughts.

Donna, I really enjoy thinking (and talking!) about theology and belief. I attend a Quaker Meeting, and central to Quaker theology is the concept of "continuous revelation," meaning (in my words, rather inadequately), that we are always learning and refining our beliefs. That's part of what I like about modern-day theologians like Spong who shed contemporary light on ancient "truths."

I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts as you work through Spong's book.

Thanks for the information, Donna!

Frank Norris

Looks like your synopsis in #119 is the chapter I read last week. I haven't had time to pick up since but I am curious as to what his new quest for understanding God will reveal. I think that will tell me more about him than anything else he's said so far. Hopefully, I'll get back into it this week.

Donna
Thanks for sharing the information and your thoughts re. Sprong's book.

Hi Donna- Just a quick stop! I love your thread, always some fun interesting stuff going on. Good review of Gods and Generals. The Last Full Measure is also very good. I'm a big fan of The Killer Angels. Enjoy, my friend!

Hi Donna, I love the picture of you and Lucky - two blondes with great smiles! :)

Well, my local library does not have the Spong books to which you refer, but it does have one I want to try, Rescuing the Bible, so I appreciate you leading me in that direction, Donna :)

This is NOT Jane Austen's England!

Book No. 34. The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman. 3.6 stars.

An omniscient narrator implores a young matchstick painter to describe Gustine for the reader… “She is a sumptuous, fantastical wedding cake. A walking confection. A tasty morsel.” This is one book that lives up to its book cover. You can see Gustine as a dainty young woman with pale blonde hair done up in a complicated style wearing her blinding blue dress against the gritty backdrop of an English city. Despite her evening garb, we are told that on her feet are mud-spattered, worn-heeled work boots. Yup, Gustine is a “lady of the night” in a rented gown.

The rest of my review can be found here .

>120 lauralkeet:: Laura, your message captured exactly the reasons why I'm reading Spong. Thanks!

>121 Carmenere:: Frank Norris... Good call, Lynda.

I'm glad you're reading the Spong at the same time. Maybe between the two of us we can make sense of it. ;-)

>122 Whisper1:: You are most welcome, Linda. I wish I had more illuminating comments to make; I'm just trying to hang in there with Bishop Spong.

>123 msf59:: Hi Mark, and wecome back. I have the other two books in the Shaara trilogy ready to go. I have plenty of time to savor them as Jeff Shaara won't be here until September. I'm looking forward to adding another author to my short list of literary encounters.

>124 Copperskye:: Thanks, Joanne. I see the same satisfied smiles echoed on yours and Copper's faces.

>125 alcottacre:: Stasia, let me know how Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism goes for you. I think I read this with my Colorado church's book group years ago.

>126 Donna828: Nice review of The Dress Lodger, Donna. It is one of my favorite historicals, as I tend to enjoy dark, twisted tales :-)

I have that one, Stasia, along with The Sins of Scripture. I just got Why Christianity Must Change or Die which is midway between the other two chronologically. He stretches my mind, Spong does. I keep needing to reread him. I think I need to read one of his two newest books, as you recommend, Donna.

>128 katiekrug:: Dark and twisted indeed, Katie, in a most delightful way! Have you read anything else by Holman? The Cheese book looks slightly weird, but I do think she's a good writer so I might be tempted to try it.

>129 ronincats:: Hi Roni, hope you're feeling better. Mind stretching is a good way to describe Spong's books. Rereading is also on tap for me.

but they provide an insightful contrast to the stories of the gentry in Victorian England.

I'd read The Dress Lodger if only for that reason, but then, I don't know. I can be unbelievably squeamish in some ways (doctors and nurses describing their work for example), and then again, sometimes not one bit (detailed portrayals of killing and maiming in gangster movies as another example). So it's always a tough call when choosing books. I thumbed your review in any case. :-)

fantastic review of one of my favorites--The Dress Lodger! I listened to the audio and I found it riveting. You've read The Crimson Petal and the White haven't you? Which do you prefer? :o)

>130 Donna828: - Donna, I have not read any other books by Holman, though I have three others on the TBR shelves - The Mammoth Cheese, A Stolen Tongue and her newest, Witches on the Road Tonight. I am really bad about reading and liking a new-to-me author, buying all his/her other books and taking forever to actually read them...

Hi Donna. Great review of The Dress Lodger. 3 1/2 stars means I'll probably look for it at the library.

I'm enjoying your comments on the Spong book and may look for that one too.

Great review, Donna! I read The Dress Lodger a couple of years ago. I happened to be sick in bed with the flu when I was reading it, and that plus the cholera epidemic described in the book just abut put me right over the edge. It was all I could do not to burn my bedding! Good story, though :)

>131 Smiler69:: Ilana, heed my words - "not for the squeamish." The doctor in this book has to dig up his own cadavers for anatomy lessons!

>132 GCPLreader:: Jenny, I have to 'fess up and say I haven't read Crimson Petal so I'll turn your question around and ask you which you prefer. I've also seen The Dress Lodger compared to Slammerkin which I own but havent read.

>133 katiekrug:: I find great comfort in knowing that I own the books I want to read someday, Katie. I've made some progress in the past year on reading my own books due to the TIOLI challenge. My goal is to keep the status quo in the number of books I own. That means I have to stay away from my closing Borders for another week, but I'm already beginning to weaken.

>134 phebj:: The library is a great idea for both of those books, Pat.

>135 AMQS:: Lol, Anne. I hope you didn't start turning blue when you were reading The Dress Lodger!

Oh boy I'm planning to read The Crimson Petal and the White this summer; looking forward to it and here is another book I don't recognize at all. What made you read this one Donna? Your review has me a bit intrigued.

>136 Donna828: Oooooh, I loved Slammerkin. Definitely worth reading sooner rather than later. I have The Crimson Petal and the White but haven't yet tried it. I think it's size intimidates me a bit. (Yes, I just totally hijacked your post addressed to Jenny but I couldn't resist chiming in :-) )

I haven't read Slammerkin, but Crimson Petal is a book that I still think about sometimes though I read it many years ago. Probably not as grisly as the medical descriptions in The Dress Lodger, but definitely graphic in some of the details.

>137 brenzi:: Looks like I need to read Crimson Petal, too. Bonnie, I bought The Dress Lodger on a whim at a library book sale. I suppose I got sucked in by the interesting cover and the description. It's not my usual fare but I'm glad I read it.

>138 katiekrug:: Chiming in is encouraged here, Katie. I bought Slammerkin based on how much I liked Room. You're not the only one who acquires books of favored authors only to let them languish on the shelf. ;-)

>139 brenpike:: Hi Brenda. Do you think about Crimson Petal in a good way? It's funny how I post about one book and get two more books I need to read. No wonder I will never get caught up!

ETA: I have an excused absence from my class today. My DH had outpatient surgery this morning and needed a driver and some TLC. I'll be running up and down the stairs all day!

Chiming in to say that I'm "saving" The Dress Lodger for when I want a good historical, but that I've read both The Mammoth Cheese, which I LOVED, and A Stolen Tongue, which I LIKED A LOT. Thanks for the tip about her new one; now maybe I'll go ahead with *DL*. I've also enjoyed The Crimson Petal and the White. I categorize it in the next class down from Holman's writing - more about plot and less about style. That may be completely off base.

I've read both The Crimson Petal and the White and Slammerkin and loved both of them - a tiny bit more love goes to Slammerkin. Looks like I should bump The Dress Lodger up the TBR pile!

I have The Dress Lodger already on my wishlist :)

Slammerkin and The Crimson Petal I loved!!

congrats on your hot review :)

Nice review of The Dress Lodger, Donna! I already have that one in the BlackHole.

Great review of The Dress Lodger, Donna! It's #1 on the Hot Reviews list. Congrats!

Thumbs up from me on your excellent review of The Dress Lodger. I read this book when it first came out and loved it. Your review reminds me of why I thought it was such a great book.

>141 LizzieD:: Thanks for the run-down on Holman, Peggy. I'd like to read more by her; she has that innovative touch without going overboard with it.

And many thanks to Judy, Kara, Stasia, Porua, and Linda. I had no idea this was such a popular book. I just thought it had a standout cover! ;-)

Hope your husband's feeling better tonight Donna!

Hi, Donna! I see you liked McTeague (no, that's not a touchstone problem, I'm not touchstoning it) slightly more than I did. ;) Glad you've been able to read a few books more enjoyable since!

I like your definition of a "discussable" book. I had a few as an English major that I refer to as "books that were good to write a paper on." Several of my teachers were of the opinion that one could write a better paper on a book that we liked, but I always found the opposite to be true. If I wasn't particularly enjoying a story, I was much more prone to start analyzing and picking apart as I read.

As I write I'm realizing how much I prefer reading as a librarian than reading as an English student. Instead of worrying about themes or symbolism (not that I mind noticing, just that when it's the focus of my reading I'm so not paying attention to the story), I'm thinking, "What other titles are similar to this book? What type of readers would I recommend it to?"

I didn't see your post about your husband at first. Hope things are going well--for both of you.

I missed the note about your husband's surgery too. I add my good wishes for his quick recovery.

Sorry that was a little ambiguous . . . I really liked Crimson Petal. Interesting characters, compelling story, what felt like an genuine portrayal from that era. . .
I agree about never catching up . . . the list just grows and grows!

>148 Copperskye:: Joanne, he's feeling well enough this morning to go to work. He had a carcinoma excised from his cheek and is a bit swollen and bruised. Thanks for asking.

>149 bell7:: Mary, I was wondering when I would hear from you about McTeague. I understand your strong dislike. That didn't come to me until later in the book with all the repetition about Trina's greed. I actually felt sorry for the title character.

Pleasure reading (or reading for a job you love) is more gratifying than "school" reading, but I'm enjoying this part of my schooling that I missed. I'm also auditing my class so I don't have to write the papers and worry about the 'picking apart' the books we're reading. It's more like a book discussion with smart people who have all read the book! McTeague is definitely at the bottom of my reading list for the class and my reading in general.

>150 phebj:, 151: Thanks, Pat and Peggy. DH was a good patient yesterday. I wasn't going to mention it until I realized I was posting when I should have been in class. I hated missing the discussion about the middle of Red Badge of Courage as we're only spending three class days on it.

>152 brenpike:: I was afraid that you'd liked Crimson Petal, Brenda. Looks like another big book to add to the list. I can't tell you how many times I've picked it up at used bookstores and library book sales. Maybe they'll have it at Prospero's.

Hi Donna...
Yikes! 33 unread messages here...
hope DH is feeling much better now
trying to avoid the blue words here - but I confess, I peeked.
Drat! The Dress Lodger looks interesting.

Hi, Claudia, good to see you. Here's some more blue words for you...


...all Paris belongs to me and I belong to this notebook and pencil.

Book No. 35: A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway. 3.25 stars.

I’m just going to make a few comments here. This book was very uneven for me. There were parts that I loved: his times at Shakespeare & Co., thoughts on the Russian writers and writing in general, and the remembrance of his road trip with F. Scott Fitzgerald. I liked how he wrote of this time of innocence and young love. He viewed his poverty with nonchalance. After all, when you have wine to drink with someone you love in Paris, who cares how much money you have?

Hem believed in writing the truest sentence he knew. In truth, I must admit that the reasons the book didn’t work for me are mostly personal…and petty. I’ve had only one experience with each of the two major elements in the book - Hemingway and Paris. Both were disappointing to me. (1) I found Hemingway’s prose to be unpolished and his dialogue wooden. (2) I encountered the haughtiest people I’ve ever met in my few days spent in Paris in the late 60s. It’s a beautiful city but my memories don’t match the outward appearance…or Hemingway’s richer experiences. It’s a shame to be so influenced by personal views, but in truth that is a big factor in my perceptions of what I read. So, for now, "good but not great" is my opinion of the book.

I’m saving this book to reread after I’ve experienced a wider range of Hem’s books at a more mature and accepting age. Who knows? I might even have to visit Paris again to give it another chance.

Nice review, Donna! I find it so interesting how our personalities and tastes and experiences shape our reading and our response to our reading. Even though we're all so different, I feel that our collective experiences make my own reading richer.

I hope you give Paris another chance. I have lived in France (though never in Paris), and have been so touched by Paris and Parisians. I've never had a bad experience there. The last time I was there was when Callia was 2 and I was pregnant with Marina. We arrived in Europe on Sept. 11 (THE Sept. 11) and were pretty shellshocked. Many European cities are not easy to enjoy with a toddler in tow. Every place we ate, the server would exclaim that the chef would be delighted to prepare something simple for Callia -- even without us asking. Both of my girls hope to go there -- soon I hope we can make it happen (*note to self: buy lotto tickets*).

It’s a shame to be so influenced by personal views

Well that's what makes reading a personal experience for each and every one of us. You bring all your history with you to each book you read. At least that's what I think and that's why different people have different reactions to the same book.

I don't know whether I'll read this book or not because I'm not a huge Hemingway fan but honestly that's only based on a couple books, read when I was an immature pup.

>156 AMQS:: Anne, thanks for sharing your experiences in France. I hesitated to even mention mine because I was only there for 3 days...and I didn't really want to be there in the first place. It was shortly after I'd had my first child. DH was in the army and we lived in Germany. He was on maneuvers and I was drafted by the Colonel's wife to chaperone her teenage daughter on this trip. I left my baby in good care, but I missed both of my loves and felt so out of place in a city of lovers. It didn't help that we two young ladies (I was only 21) were being constantly "hit" on and, like I said, the shopkeepers, etc. were quite rude to us young Americans. I'm certain it would have been a totally different experience with my husband.

>157 brenzi:: I think you should read it, Bonnie. It gives a softer, gentler impression of Hemingway. It was really touching how much he loved his first wife. Too bad his life didn't continue in this Parisian vein.

#155 I like your very honest review of A Moveable Feast, Donna. I've never been to Paris but those who have told me of their trips have similar accounts to yours. Have you read The Paris Wife as yet? That's the book that got me into my current Hemingway phase and from which I learned to like him.

I can tell you Donna that my experience of Paris definitely coloured my appreciation for Moveable Feast, which is among my all-time favourites*. I've been there a few time (maybe 3) and to me, it's one of the most wonderful cities in the world. I guess the haughtiness didn't bother me so much because 1) I expected it 2) I'm fluent in French and 3) I found it kind of amusing, but also was surprised to encounter very nice people. I've just received the new, restored edition today and look forward to plunging into it once I've finished off a book or two.

That said, I enjoyed your review, as always appreciate an honest appraisal and different points of view.

eta: *so much so that I got the hardback version to keep as a special collection piece, something I NEVER do!

>159 Carmenere:: Lynda, I have been hearing good things about The Paris Wife. I can't read it this month but will get to it soon.

>160 Smiler69:: Ilana, I think if I spoke French, it would have been an entirely different trip. I probably had some kind of attitude because of the language barrier. That was a lifetime ago for me. :-) It will be interesting to get your views of the newest edition.

>153 Donna828: I'm definitely with you that class discussions can be really interesting. I often came away with a different or more complex understanding of what I was reading, and it was insightful to make connections between books we had all read. One of the conversations that stands out to me was actually with some students before a class - we were comparing the three witches/Weird Sisters in Macbeth to three vampires in Dracula (I think they were referred to as the "weird sisters" - this is the book we were reading for the class) to the band called the Weird Sisters in Harry Potter. What I found fascinating was how much reading we had in common to draw on in our conversation.

I've had mixed experiences in Paris as well and a lot was to do with the lack of patience towards non-french speakers. There were some great times but there was also rudeness and arrogance. My husband speaks a bit of french and that was helpful, he has also travelled to many places outside Paris and he said it was like a different country, the people in the rest of France are so amazing and very different to Parisians. When I go back, I'm heading somewhere more rural for sure.

>162 bell7:: I enjoy those before-class discussions, too, Mary. No one is trying to impress the professor with their literary knowledge! I also get a feel for how the other students are liking the book. Interesting that in my informal observations, most of the class likes McTeague better than Red Badge of Courage. We have a pretty even division between men and women so I thought a book about battle would be better received than it has been.

>163 KiwiNyx:: I'm with you, Leonie. I tend to like the smaller cities and more rural areas when we travel anyway because I feel like I am getting a better picture of the country as a whole. It does help if one can speak the language. I might be considered "rude" if I couldn't help a foreign visitor with directions or whatever. I'd at least smile about it though!

Hi Donna, my first time here. Like the books. STARRED.

Hi Gautam. I've seen you around the threads, and I'm so glad you stopped by here and gave me a star! I hope things are going well for you on your side of the world today.

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

I succumbed to the garish red and yellow signs at Borders yelling at me: LAST THREE DAYS! I was meeting friends for lunch a few blocks from there. I dashed in for a quick look-see and next thing I knew, I was at the check-out register with 12 books in hand. Most of them are hardcover editions or I might have grabbed some more. No baskets to be found. Looks like I have a little more rearranging of bookshelves in store for me this week-end.

The haul:
Bird Cloud - Annie Proulx
By Nightfall - Michael Cunningham
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
The Imperfectionists
Trespass - Rose Tremain
The Surrendered
Ordinary Thunderstorms - Wm. Boyd
When the Killing's Done - T.C. Boyle
Revolution - Jennifer Donnelly
My Reading Life -- (for a friend)
The Feast of the Goat - Mario Vargas Llosa
Cancer Ward - Solzhenitsyn

Wow, what a haul! Doesn't look like a dud in the bunch! I am very jealous!

Nice Donna!

Thanks, Mark and Joanne. I forgot to mention that the books at my Borders are now $2.50 each whether they are hardcover or softcover. I was surprised to find that they had so many left that called to me.

Now I'm off to cart the newbies upstairs to their new home. And then I'm going to get some reading done. I'm starting to get cranky because I've only read about 30 minutes in the last two days.

Whoa....now that's what I'm talking about Donna. No book buying ban for you but at 2.50 each how could you resist?? I have Feast of the Goat and I've read Major Pettigrew, Ordinary Thunderstorms, The Imperfectionists and Trespass. You've got some good reading to look forward to.

Nice haul! I'm trying to resist going in to Borders for "one last time"...

Great stuff Donna! I've been purchasing a little bit less since I've re-discovered the public library, but I still HAVE to purchase books—I usually get them online since they're cheaper there (no Borders here!) and also because there are few things I enjoy more than receiving books in the mail these days. Every time a book arrives it feels like Christmas all over again!

Re: Paris. It's a fact that Parisian are well know for their arrogance. They're unpleasant among each other, and much in the way New Yorkers fell their city is the centre of the universe, Parisians feel the same way about their metropolis and the French language. That is, PARISIAN French, because they look down on any regional accents as well. I know from second-hand experience that they tend to be especially rude to tourists and even more so to Americans, which they view as uncultured and ill-manerred. How ironic, right?

My mum's been living in France many years now, and she's living in a small town in South Western France where attitudes are completely different, but no matter what, French culture is very different from North-American culture, and on the whole they tend to be suspicious of anyone they view as an outsider.

I have to say, Donna, that I envy you even a less than glorious experience of Paris. AND your haul from Borders is great! Will you resist going back one more time???

Love all those books you got Donna. I'm especially interested in what you think of the new T.C. Boyle when you get to it. He's my new favorite author thanks to you.

Great haul, Donna! Congrats. I hope you saved up a few dollars to spend in KC though! :) Only 10 more days. . .

Lots of good books there, Donna! I read Trespass earlier this year - it is very dark but beautifully written. It is one of my top reads of the year.

Hi Donna, catching up at last! That's a fantastic pile of new books. I have The Imperfectionists here to read, and loved Major Pettigrew's Last Stand.

Sorry your Paris experience wasn't great. I love Paris (I think any book set there gets an automatic extra half star from me!) but from the sound of your 3 days there it doesn't sound like much fun.

Post a book list and look at all the visitors! Thanks for stopping by and commenting on my book gluttony.

>170 brenzi:: Bonnie, I'm glad you gave the thumbs up for some of my books. I tried to not buy anything that hadn't been recommended by somebody on LT.

>171 BookAngel_a:: Good luck with that, Angela. I'm done with Borders, but still sad they are closing.

>172 Smiler69:: Ilana, thanks for that great explanation about Parisians. It is a beautiful city so they have plenty of reasons to feel possessive about it.

>173 LizzieD:: Peggy, I sure don't feel any regrets about seeing Paris and would even consider going back. Translation: I'd go back in a heartbeat!

>174 phebj:: I'll try to get to the Boyle soon, Pat. I figured I couldn't go wrong with that one!

>175 alcottacre:: Stasia, it's a good thing I cleared out that book nook upstairs a few weeks ago. I still have room for more books but I will be pretty picky at Prospero's when we meet. There are some older books that I'd love to add to my collection.

>176 katiekrug:: Good to know you loved Trespass, Katie. I gravitate towards dark books these days for some reason.

>177 cushlareads:: Cushla, I shouldn't let my tender feelings (especially from a time so long ago) influence me about a city. I did see some wonderful things while I was there. I think I'm about ready to let my Paris "grudge" be buried. ;-)

Nice haul!

Thanks, Porua.


"Sometimes you just had to step up. Sleep, eat, protect. Especially the protect bit."

Book No. 36: Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson. 3.8 stars.

I continue to enjoy this series. In this one, #4, Jackson Brodie takes the above quote to heart when he rescues a small dog from abuse. As heartwarming as this aspect of the story is, a new character, Tracy Waterhouse utters the words above as she "adopts" and protects 4-year-old Courtney from her past. I only hope that Tracy is a continuing character in this engaging series.

Donna, I have yet to read #s 2 and 3 in the Detective Brodie series, which have both been sitting on my shelf for a good 6 months now... sigh. So many books, never enough time. Kate Atkinson is quickly becoming one of my favourites though. Did you read Behind the Scenes at the Museum? I found that book to be such a treat and wish I hadn't given it away because I already want to read it again!

Donna, I'm really looking forward to getting to Started Early, Took My Dog. I just need to read When Will There Be Good News?. How did this latest one compare to the other three for you?

I'm sending good wishes to your hubby!

Hi Donna, everything's fine in "my part of the world".

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand was the best read for me this year so far. Hope you will enjoy it too.

Donna, glad to see you enjoyed the latest Jackson Brodie. I like this series too, and have #3 waiting for me on my shelves. I read Behind the Scenes at the Museum earlier this year and liked it quite a lot as well.

hey Donna! I loved Dress Lodger a bit more than Crimson Petal, but I always luvs me a good old Victorian prostitution novel (dying to reread Slammerkin this year--barely remember it). :o)

Ah Donna, you're way ahead of me in this series. I've only read the first one although I have the next two on my shelf. I've given up on trying to predict when I'll get to them but I loved Case Histories.

>181 Smiler69:: Ilana, I did read Behind the Scenes and loved it. I plan to reread it again someday, too. I never used to read books more than once and now I find myself assessing if a book is worth a second time around while I'm reading it the first time!

>182 phebj:: Pat, I liked this one very much because of the parallel adoption stories I mentioned above. These are not spoilers as they happen in the first few pages of the book. I think I've rated the last two Atkinson books at 4 stars. I do love Jackson Brodie, and it will be interesting to see if he gets his life together. Having a dog will help!

>183 Whisper1:: Thanks, Linda, he's still bruised and swollen on one side of his face so he used it as his excuse to stay home from church this morning. He gets his stitches out on Tuesday.

>184 mausergem:: I'm saving Major Pettigrew for when I need a feel-good read, Gautam. I'm glad it was a special book for you. I've heard so many good things about it so I decided I needed to own a copy. I'm still trying to justify my recent book purchases!

>185 lauralkeet:: Hi Laura, I'm kind of sad that now I have to wait until she writes another one in the series. She left a few loose ends in this one. I guess that's what keeps us in a state of anticipation.

>186 GCPLreader:: Jenny, I hope to read Slammerkin fairly soon so I can compare the two. Lol about your "good old Victorian prostitution" comment. The Dress Lodger certainly worked for me!

>187 brenzi:: How nice that you have some Jackson Brodie books waiting on the shelf for you, Bonnie. My home library gives me such a feeling of peace and satisfaction in knowing that I have books ready and waiting for my every mood.

Have a great Sunday everyone!!!

There's a good review of the latest Jackson Brodie in today's New York Times Book Review. I'd post a link but I'm on an iPad and it's a wee hassle.

Hello, Donna dear! Congrats on finding so many eye-catchers at your closing Borders.

>189 lauralkeet:: Thanks, Laura, it was unread in my inbox...the link is here (I hope!). The reviewer gives away a lot more information than some people might want, although it is more about the characters than plot. I did like this quote which describes this series quite well:

The Brodie novels are twisting, turning, tangled narratives that leap from decade to decade, character to character, with the secrets playing second fiddle to Atkinson’s sad and funny studies in human nature.

>190 London_StJ:: Hey there, Luxx. I did find some real beauties! Now I have to find the time to read them.

Hi Donna- That is a great quote and perfectly sums up the Brodie books. I'm so glad you enjoyed the 4th one as well. I hope I can get to it, sometime this year.
Stop by my thread: Breaking news happening over there!

Hi Donna - Glad to see you liked the new Brodie book. I'm already waiting for the next one! I hate when reviewers give away too much.

Sorry - this post relates to one that is way back on the scroll button....I have 'the Killer Angels' - and now I am wondering - should I read Gods and Generals first? Eeekk! I hate getting things out of order!

hoping for your advice and 'waving hi up there from down here down under.

>192 msf59:: Wtg, Mark. I hope the one bad apple in the barrel doesn't spoil the other books!

>193 Copperskye:: I agree, Joanne, especially in the mystery genre.

>194 PrueGallagher:: Hi Prue. Many people read The Killer Angels without having read Gods and Generals as the second one was written well after the first. However, Gods and Generals does an excellent job of describing the pre- and early Civil War times leading up to the Battle of Gettysburg described in Killer Angels. I have a rather sketchy background of this period of history so it was important to me to read the prequel first.

I probably should have skipped all that chatter and advised you to read God and Generals first because, like me, you hate to get "things out of order!" If you want the whole story, the final book in the trilogy is The Last Full Measure. Enjoy the journey. I'll probably start Killer Angels early in May.

Excellent book haul, Donna. My favorite library booksale is next month and I'm tingling with anticipation.

Very nice book haul, Donna. I recently did quite a bit of damage at Borders myself and I noticed that I picked up many books that I might not even have heard of were it not for LT. (Thanks LT?)

#188 My home library gives me such a feeling of peace and satisfaction in knowing that I have books ready and waiting for my every mood.

I need to cultivate your attitude! What a great way to look at all those read and unread books. (My home library makes me feel guilty and lacking in discipline, but how easy it might be to shift my thinking.. )

That is a good attitude, at the moment I feel guilt and satisfaction in equal amounts about my own books. Guilt because I keep going to the library, and satisfaction because one day when I build my own library room it'll be absolutely rockin' and chocka full of books.

I am trying to catch up with you!!

nice haul of books....I stepped into a Borders yesterday, but it was one that wasn't closing so I walked out empty handed!!! not that I didn't see some I wanted but....

I had will power yesterday I tell you :)

>196 Carmenere:: I know that "book tingle," Lynda! I'll miss the opening of our library book sale because of the Kansas City meet-up; people come before books (most of the time) in my life...but you may have heard that we're meeting at a used bookstore...so books will be involved. I'll go to the local sale on half-price day. Win-win!

>197 AnneDC:: Hi Anne. No guilt allowed about books. Keep humming to yourself: "All you need is books...la la la la la..." until you feel peace and satisfaction. The serenity prayer works, too...accepting the things you know you can not change.

>198 KiwiNyx:: You'll be balanced, Leonie, if that guilt and satisfaction cancel out each other! Oh yeah, the home library...keep your eye on the prize!

>199 curlysue:: Kara, your willpower would have flown out the window if the books were 4 for $10.00! I stayed home all week end so I didn't end up in Borders again. I decided to let some other people give new homes to the leftover books.

Quick review of this book before I attend the library meeting on the Civil War tonight...



It wasn't just young men who were wounded in the war; it was the nation.

Book No. 37: From Battlefields Rising by Randall Fuller. 4.3 stars.

Randall Fuller makes use of a volcano metaphor to begin and end his enthusiastic yet complex task of exploring the effects of the divisive Civil War upon American literature. To the poets and authors of the late 19th century, the explosive nature of a volcano epitomized the war between states and gave birth to a new era of writing that tried to make sense of a national tragedy. The eruption of war brought an abrupt end to the romantic writing of the time and replaced it with the new reality of the devastation of a long and bloody war.

From Ft. Sumter to Appomattox and from Uncle Tom's Cabin to The Gates Ajar, the second bestselling novel of the 19th century in which comfort was given to postwar readers, Dr. Fuller gives a well-documented and highly readable overview of both history and literature. Through the eyes of the icons of America’s chroniclers including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Herman Melville, and Nathaniel Hawthorne, et al., we see the profound influence of four years of fiery waves of battles and the toll of the infinite dead on the language of this period. I highly recommend this vibrant record of a defining time that forever changed the American way of life.

ETA: Touchstone takes me to a completely different book. Clicking on the book cover will take you to the work page. Not much there. It's a new book and I'm only the second one on LT to read it!

Last night's program on The Civil War was excellent. Three local authors gave readings and background for their various books on the C.W. I can see by the time this sesquicentennial year is over that I will know a whole lot more about it than I previously knew. I've read three very different books on the Civil War this month and have several more lined up to read in the months ahead.

Today in class we concluded our discussion of The Red Badge of Courage. When someone talked about the abstract nature of the writing and the fact that his could be any battle in the Civil War, I had to pipe up and say that it sounded very much like Chancellorsville because most of the scenes in the book were in wooded areas. I learned in Gods and Generals about The Wilderness area and how the treed landscape interfered with the fighting. Maybe I'll take a Civil War class in the fall.

#201 Donna, I'm planning to read that Civil War book, too.

Is this the one written by your professor?

I only realized recently that it was the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and I could have taken a class on it this Spring but didn't get around to it. Now I hope you do take one in the Fall so I can "attend" with you.

Looking forward to more Civil War book recommendations from you in the future.

#191 So far, I've only read the first Jackson Brodie book but that quote from the review summed up exactly why I liked it.

The American Civil War (like far too many areas of history) is completely unknown to me. I'm always intending to read more non-fiction and then every month I find 80-90% of my reading has been fiction again.

>203 lindapanzo:: Hi Linda, it's written by a local professor but not the one who teaches my class. I hope you like it. I thought it was an interesting idea to view the Civil War through authors' perspectives.

>204 phebj:: Pat, I think we'll be hearing lots more about the Civil War for the next few years. It started 150 years ago, but it lasted four years so there's plenty of time to read about it. I'm just amazed and overwhelmed at the amount of C.W. literature out there.

>205 souloftherose:: I'm with you, Heather, in being weak in history. I think well-researched historical fiction is the route I'm going to take to fill in some of the gaps.

Great review, Donna. I've always been interested in the Civil War, but it's been a long, long time since I've done any reading about it.

Am enjoying reading your comments on the Civil War - it's an area I've read next to nothing about and I'd like to fix that. I got halfway through Battle Cry of Freedom a couple of years ago but left it for a few weeks and by then I'd forgotten who was who.

Donna- It's great hearing all this Civil War talk. I need to get back to my C.W. reading. I want to start the Shelby Foote trilogy. I have volume 1 at hand. They are just so BIG!

>207 AMQS:: Hi Anne, it's pretty hard to live in Springfield and not get interested in learning more about the Civil War. The local newspaper has been running a series of tantalizing articles and, as I've mentioned, there have been some very interesting programs at the local libraries and universities.

>208 cushlareads:: Cushla, I've started Battle Cry for Freedom. It's very in-depth, isn't it? I'm on page 79 (out of 862 pages), and it looks like I'm still a long way from the opening battle at Ft. Sumter!

>209 msf59:: I loved Shely Foote's narration in Ken Burns' CW documentary, Mark. I'm going to have to work my way up to a 3-volume history, although I'm sure it will be incredible.

My husband is taking The Killer Angels on his CA trip tomorrow. I get it next!!!

I saw this post on The Daily Beast and thought of some of the comments here regarding Civil War history. It's a selection of the best non-fiction Civil War books.

#209 Mark, I started the Shelby Foote CW trilogy the other day. I plan to read it a little bit at a time. It'll probably take months to read but that's ok.

#211 Thanks for the info. I have to check that out.

I've got Confederates in the Attic and Mary Chestnut's Diary on tap for this summer and I also have dreams of getting to the Doris Kearnes Goodwin tome sometime this year too Donna.

>211 katiekrug:: Thanks for that great list, Katie. Titles duly recorded in my dream book...hoping there is a Civil War section in the Kansas City bookstore where our little group will meet. I have the first and last books on that list: Battle Cry of Freedom and Confederates in the Attic. I need to fill out with one or two from the middle section.

>212 lindapanzo:: I'll leave Shelby Foote to you and Mark, Linda.

>213 brenzi:: I read the first few pages of Confederates in the Attic, Bonnie. It looks like a fun read - if you can say that about a book based on the Civil War.

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

I've been so busy trying to make progress through my current book, Any Human Heart, that I forgot to list my last short book that I read for the American Realism class I'm taking.


"At times he regarded the wounded soldiers in an envious way. He conceived persons with torn bodies to be peculiarly happy. He wished that he, too, had a wound, a red badge of courage."

Book No. 38: Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane. 3.3 stars.

Henry Fleming faced an internal battle between duty and fear. His courage came from being backed into a corner like an animal after which he fought like a drunken madman. The book alternated between the action of intense fighting and the internal strife of one young soldier. It was interesting to see the significance of perception in this short but powerful book.

I learned another new term in class..."literary impressionism," which simply means that truth lies in different perceptions. (Professor) Matt compared it to Monet painting the same object over and over under different conditions to see it with fresh eyes. We saw the slideshow of the Rouen Cathedral series of 30 paintings done at different times of the day and year to show how the same object would be perceived according to external conditions. One example of literary impressionism from the book was the passage where the soldiers thought of themselves as heroes yet Henry overheard a general say that their unit could be sent into battle first because they were a bunch of "mule drivers."

ETA: correct link to paintings.

Wow, thanks for that description of literary impressionism. I've never heard that term but it makes sense to me. And I love connections between literature and art. Sounds like a great class. Would you recommend the book?

#211 Katie, thanks for that link - I enjoyed it. Like Bonnie, I have Confederates in the Attic and it's hovering on my reading horizon.

# 195 Thanks for the advice Donna - Gods & Generals it is. I know very little about pre-Civil War period also. (Well, I am an Australian, so I don't feel apologetic about that!). With Any Human Heart on my TBR list, I will look forward to your review. Take care!

>215 phebj:: I love those connections, too, Pat. I would recommend The Red Badge of Courage to someone who is interested in what might be going through the common soldier's mind in any battle situation. The writing is poetic and very much the inner thoughts (and confused actions) of a young soldier. Short book, quick read, memorable!

>216 cushlareads:: Yay, you got your new screen name! It took a long while for sure. I decided to leave mine alone - as boring as it is. I can have fun changing my thread title to follow my whims!

>217 PrueGallagher:: Prue, I could put everything I know about Australian history in a thimble! I've read a few books by Kate Grenville that gave me a little background. Can you suggest any other historical fiction books that would tell me more about your magnificent country?

#216 Donna, I didn't hear anything back and had forgotten about it. Then today I was mucking around with my profile and now there's a link - it took 2 minutes and was automatic. I am ridiculously pleased for something that doesn't really matter!!

#218 Prue, I'm looking forward to any suggestions too (I'm from across the ditch). The only non-fiction Australian history I've read is the fantastic The Fatal Shore by Robert Hughes.

>219 cushlareads:: oh! Nice to see you under your new name. I've been thinking of changing mine but can't decide what to change it to.

Hi, Donna! I lost your thread for a while and am trying to catch up. I think you're adding a title or two to my list . . .

Hi Donna, I've been quiet on your thread lately, just wanted you to know I'm still reading and say hi!

Greetings to Cushla, Laura, Terri, and Ilana on this rainy Saturday morning. I'm trying to get out of town, but piddling around here a bit so I can take Lucky for a quick walk before we spend 3 hours in the car.


"You must llive the life you have been given."

Book No. 39: Any Human Heart by William Boyd. 4.1 stars.

The Intimate Journals of Logan Mountstuart. Intimate indeed. Well into the book, Logan gets some advice from a friend to focus on his personal life in his diary and leave the newsworthy events to the newspapers. Lucky for his readers, he does both - encapsulating many of the major events of the 20th century while personalizing them with the details of his love life, highs and lows of his writing career, and his ongoing friendship with Ben and Peter, his prep school and Oxford chums.

The rest of my thoughts can be found here.

ETA: book quote.

Morning Donna- I loved your review of Any Human Heart. I love that book cover too! You got a big thumb! This one's been on my WL forever.
Have a safe trip today and a wonderful Easter weekend.

Hey Mark, came back to do my usual edit and here you are! I think you will like the book when you get to it. Happy Easter to you, too!

You are probably already on your way to Kansas City, so I'll just wish you safe traveling, good weather, and fun with the grandkids before I see you on Tuesday!

Well Donna, now you've read a William Boyd book that I haven't gotten to yet and don't know when I will. Your review makes me want to read it now but I'm on one of those "this book leads to this book which leads to this book" treadmills. LT will do that to you :)

I've actually read three of William Boyd's books (A Good Man in Africa, The Blue Afternoon and Armadillo) and liked them all. I just put Any Human Heart on my PBS wishlist.

Hope you have a great Easter in KC and fun at the LT meetup.

Great review of Any Human Heart, Donna! I'll be interested in your thoughts on the dramatization, if you watch it. Just to understand whether it was true to the book (it sounds like it was ...)

You get another thumbs up from me and that's another addition to my WL for an author I've yet to discover. Happy Easter!

>226 ronincats:: Hi Roni, I hope the weather is good on Tuesday. There is spotty rain in the forecast, but we won't let that dampen our party. The Four Musketeers are going to have a great time no matter what.

>227 brenzi:: Bonnie, I have a hunch I'm going to be a Wm. Boyd fan. I'm on the Civil War treadmill right now, but will be taking frequent breaks for other types of reading.

>228 phebj:: Happy Easter to you, Pat. You may be my go-to person when I decide which Boyd book to read after Ordinary Thunderstorms which I bought at the Borders closeout.

>229 lauralkeet:: Laura, I finished watching the adaptation on PBS late last night. I needed closure before making my trip. I really liked it and found it true to the book for the most part. Of course, they have to leave things out due to time constraints, but I don't understand why they have to change some of the details. It didn't bother me that much when ***spoiler*** Gloria was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer instead of lung cancer, but I wonder why they deviate from the book for no discernable reason. Also, the book didn't have flashbacks the way the video did. Some of that worked for me while some of it was a bit too "artsy."

>230 Smiler69:: You will like this book, Ilana. Lots of references to Hemingway in it. Old Hem is popping up everywhere these days. ;-) Happy Easter right back atya!

>230 Smiler69::

>231 Donna828:: thanks for the summing up, Donna! I'm glad you enjoyed the adaptation. It was a really "male" type of show and I was surprised how much I liked it.

Congratulations on the hot review, Donna! Well worth a thumb. I've read nothing by Boyd but will start looking into his work now.

Happy and safe travels!

Bet you're having great fun! :)
Happy Easter and happy traveling!

>232 lauralkeet:: You're welcome, Laura. I ended up liking the book and mini-series more than I thought I would.

>233 Matke:: Hi Gail, thank you for the thumb and good wishes. It's always good to see you here.

>234 -Cee-:: Hey there, Claudia. I'm feeling a little like a deflated birthday balloon right now. It has been non-stop partying since I got here yesterday on Audrey's birthday. These kids are active any day of the year, but they are doped up on birthday cake and Easter candy and flying high. No reading getting done but I'm making some memories! Did you still have your grandkids with you for Easter?

From where I'm sitting Donna, it seems like you're one big party gal!
Glad you had a great time with your family today. I'm enjoying it vicariously through you. :-)

Today is much quieter, Ilana, even with a 3-year-old at home. It is the two big sisters who stir things up around here. I just put Griffin down for a nap and plan to get some reading in House of Mirth done. I remember that you read this one recently. I'm reading it for the class I'm taking. So sad that my time as a student will be coming to an end soon. This is our last book. I'm already looking forward to the fall semester!

>237 Donna828:: ooh, House of Mirth. I love Edith Wharton!

Hi Donna, I lost your thread for a while (what is it with those stars?) and am now trying to catch up. Some interesting reads, and The House of Mirth is also on my tbr. And you remind me I should read my 2nd Hemingway soon.

I really enjoyed my first experience of Edith Wharton with The House of Mirth in February. In fact, I've finally gotten around to discovering by Wharton and James more or less at the same time, which is very fitting of course. I look forward to reading more of both these great writers and friends.

Hi Laura, Nathalie, and Ilana. I'm enjoying the House of Mirth, but I think The Age of Innocence will retain it's No. 1 Wharton book status. Maybe because I've read it twice now? However, it's a close call between these two.

My time in KC is winding down. My daughter is out doing some errands w/o the help of a 3-year-old. Griffin is watching Diego. We got worn out from making a batch of Play-Doh cookies. I have so much fun here, but it is tiring and I'm ready to head back to my quiet life. My husband took the dog home with him on Sunday so we will have our reunion later today.

I'm looking forward to listening to more of The Wake of Forgiveness on the way home. I finished my last TIOLI book here and got some of my reading for class done in the Wharton book. Reading time is done at night after the kids go to bed, and by then I'm pretty tired, too.

Here is one of the pictures from the KC meet-up yesterday. Roni, Terri, Brenda, and I had a wonderful time talking about our lives and, of course, books.

Brenda, Roni, Donna, and Terri.

Donna, what are their LT names? I think I know some but not all.

Ooooo! Play-Doh cookies! My granddaughter was in a baking mood, too. She was powering up her Easy Bake Oven when I arrived at their house and I got 2 sugar cookies (everyone else got only 1)!
Can't wait til she graduates to the real oven! When they were all at my house for Easter - she made a wonderful double batch of crepes for breakfast! Yum!

Looks like a fun time in KC... Happiness all over the place! I'm so wishing I could have gone. :)

Waiting to hear more of House of Mirth.

Love seeing your pictures of the KC meet-up, looks like a fun time was had by all.

>242 lauralkeet:: Ooops, Laura, I should have thought of that.
Brenda = Brenpike (from Lawrence, KS); Roni = Ronincats (from San Diego - in the area visiting family); Terri = Tloeffler (from St. Charles, MO) and me - (from Springfield, MO).

>243 -Cee-:: Well, those play-doh cookies aren't very tasty so I would settle for an Easy Bake cookie, but what really sounds yummy are those breakfast crepes. Yeah, I wish our entire LT group could do a meet-up sometime. Wouldn't that be something?

>244 DeltaQueen50:: Judy, it was so much fun. The bookstore was a hoot. Too bad Sandy couldn't make it as she's the one who found it for us. The restaurant across the street (Room 39) had a lot of atmosphere and great food. They let us sit there and visit for several hours.

>245 Donna828:: thanks Donna!

Hi Donna, there you go again, having a great time meeting up with more LTers. When will I ever get my chance??

Thanks for sharing the photo! Glad you had a nice meet-up.

>246 lauralkeet:: You are welcome, Laura.

>247 brenzi:: Let's see, Bonnie, if you head southwest and I head northeast...we could meet in ... INDIANAPOLIS! I'm sure we could find a great local bookstore there and maybe some more midwesterners to join in. Maybe after the upcoming wedding?

>248 AMQS:: Hi Anne. I hope we can get a meeting in Denver arranged for later this summer. When are you visiting Greece? We'll have to do it before you start back to school in the fall...or will you be done by then?

"Novels don't grow in gardens."

Book No. 40: How to Read Novels Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster. 3.7 stars.

Professor Foster knows his stuff, and he knows how to write in an informative, conversational style about the fine art of reading. He uses a variety of examples from various genres to illustrate his points. It helped that I was familiar with many of the works cited and that we share some favorite authors. There are so many books and authors cited that an index would have been most helpful to refer to while reading some of these works.

The rest of my review is here.

Donna- Nice review of the Foster book. I might have to check that one out. Hope you are doing well.
Miss you, over on my thread. Have I been liking to much, for your taste? If so, I'll work on it, I promise.

>250 Donna828:: Donna, my daughter was assigned How to Read Literature Like a Professor (Foster's first book?) as summer reading for AP Lit. She liked it. My husband snuck a few peeks at it and thought it was pretty interesting. I always meant to read it ... you've just reminded me!

Hi Donna! I read part of How to Read Literature Like a Professor a few years ago, then leaned it and never got it back. I'll have to look for a copy. I enjoyed your review of his second book.

We'll be in Germany/Cyprus for much of July. I'll start school mid-August (it seems like I've been in school forever, but actually, I only recently started the school library program. *sigh*). I'd love another Colorado meetup!

>251 msf59:: Hi Mark, don't feel too bad about my absence. I've been pretty quiet on LT except for posting about the KC trip. It will take me awhile to get caught up with your fast-moving thread.

>252 lauralkeet:: Laura, several comments indicated that the first book was the better one. I think the one I read repeated a lot of the information.

>253 AMQS:: Hi Anne. I hate it when my loaned books don't return to me. I have "seconds" of a few of my favorites so I don't have to worry about it.

It sounds like you are going to have a busy summer. I will be babysitting August 3-7. Maybe we can try for the second week in August? I could deliver the kids back to KC and make it a shorter drive to Denver - only 9 hours! I'll check with my son and DIL to see if that will work for them. That way we can hear all about your trip to Germany and Greece while it's still fresh.

250- Hi Donna. I'm curious. I was about to add your latest book to my wishlist but then I noticed your rating of 3.7 stars. What would you say was the negative about this book? Was it a little dry? I love books about books but I've hesitated on adding this one in the past because I wasn't sure if it would be an engaging, enjoyable read.

Donna, I loved and thumbed your review for How to Read Literature Like a Professor too, and especially liked "He calls the act of reading a conversation between reader and writer, a "meeting of minds and imaginations." and Foster's suggestion that a reader "own" a book. I've always done that instinctively (maybe living with a writer mom helped?) and I find that in many ways, taking the time to think about a book once I've finished it so that I can come up with a thoughtful review helps me in the process of taking ownership of it. Does that make sense to you?

#255 I was going to ask you the same question...

Hi Angela and Ilana, I'll try to answer your question about my rating for How to Read Novels Like a Professor. A 3.7 book for me puts it solidly into the good but not great category - leaning towards the great! So, yes, I liked the book very much.

The only drawback for me was that I knew a lot of what he was saying about voice, style, theme, etc. I'm sure that you two do as well. Angela, it was not dry at all. The subtitle reads "A Jaunty Exploration of the World's Favorite Literary Form." His style was jaunty and fun to read!

Bottom line: if you like books about books, then I think you will like this one.

>256 Smiler69:: I know exactly what you mean, Ilana. That's why writing a review is helpful to me, too.

Speaking of writing reviews, I've been complaining on my thread about the latest review I've been working on for way, way, way too many hours now (and still haven't managed to edit down to a reasonable length that I can actually post here on LT!) I have been known to spend quite a bit of time on them, but this is just ridiculous, and it's causing a backlog too! I really wonder sometimes why I give myself all that trouble when I know perfectly well hardly anyone will read the darn thing! lol

Hi Donna- Loved your visit. Made my day! What are you reading? Inquiring minds and all that. Have a great weekend.

Donna, I would love to see you any time you're in CO! Hope a visit works out.

I also loved having your visit Donna! Your comment was certainly appreciated!

Mark and Ilana, I'll have to get over to see you guys more often since it makes you happy. :-)

Mark, I'm reading the first ER book I've requested in over 6 months, I Shall Not Hate. Powerful story about living in the Gaza Strip.

Anne, we'll make a visit work out, but plenty of time to decide when.

Tomorrow is a big day -- half price day at the Spring Library Book Sale. I hope some books are left for me. I know I'm going to like the prices!

Hi, Donna! Glad you had a good time with the meet-up! Thanks for posting the photo!

Enjoy the book sale!

I'd love to visit with you guys whenever you can get back out here, Donna!! Of course, by August I'll be a wreck because my "baby" will be leaving for college shortly, but you all will help to cheer me up.

Hope you find some good books at the sale!

Hi Donna, Loved your review of How to Read Literature Like a Professor. Will give it a try as soon as i find it.

>263 tymfos:: Hi Terri, the meet-up was so much fun. I'm still smiling when I think about it. Although that smile today is in anticipation of finding some cheap treasures at the book sale!

>264 Copperskye:: Joanne, we'll do our best to cheer you up. The empty nest is hard on us Mamas.

>265 mausergem:: Thanks, Gautam, I hope you find a copy. It's a great resource for book lovers.

I know I've pushed this thread to its limits. I have one more short book to review for April which I will do after I take my Lucky boy for his check-up and shop for my book bargains. And then a new thread! I can start it off with my book acquisitions. ;-)

"Memory makes its way back"...

Book No. 41: The Gendarme by Mark T. Mustain. 3.9 stars.

This is my 250th review - and perhaps the shortest and least thought-out one I've written!

An old man's brain tumor triggers his long-forgotten memories of WWI. As we ricochet back and forth between Turkey in 1915 and 75 years later in Georgia (USA), Emmett's memories of his 17-year-old self serving as a guard for captured Armenians begin to haunt his dreams. His past shame hits him hard until he finds he has something to live for...atonement.

I really enjoyed this book about an event in history I knew absolutely nothing about. The five-page author's note about the Armenian genocide amd its coverup in WWI was fascinating. If I had read it before starting the book, it might have enhanced my understanding and enjoyment even more.

Sounds like a great book Donna. Looks to me like you needn't bother too much about thinking out your reviews, as they are good even when you don't put too much effort into them! Congratulations on your 250th. I know my number of reviews has grown exponentially since I joined this group.

Of course I always enjoy your visits! But please don't take that as an obligation—I know what a busy lady you are.

My new thread is here. I posted the results of my two hours of scouring books on tables. I have a sore neck, but it was so worth it. ;-)

Hi Ilana, come see me on my new thread!