Jolerie's Book Hoarding Version 2

Here's to Spring finally.....springing. :)



Thanks for dropping by!! Come to say hi, come to chat, come to just hang out, or better yet, come to feed my book hoarding needs!

Thread 1 Books: 8 - 9
Thread 1.A Books: 10 - 26



Currently Reading: Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip--Confessions of a Cynical Waiter - Steve Dublanica

January 2011
1. Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
2. Speaker for the Dead - Orson Scott Card
3. Xenocide - Orson Scott Card
4. Children of the Mind - Orson Scott Card
5. Mariana - Susanna Kearsley
6. The Queen's Fool - Philippa Gregory
7. The Last Unicorn - Peter S. Beagle

February 2011
8. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
9. The Last of the Mohican - James Fenimore Cooper
10. The Perfect Storm - Sebastian Junger
11. The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan
12. The Sea of Monsters - Rick Riordan
13. The Titan's Curse - Rick Riordan
14. The Battle of the Labyrinth - Rick Riordan
15. The Last Olympian - Rick Riordan
16. Anne of Green Gables - Lucy Maud Montgomery
17. Anne of Avonlea - Lucy Maud Montgomery
18. Anne of the Island - Lucy Maud Montgomery

March 2011
19. Magic Kingdom for Sale - SOLD! by Terry Brooks
20. The Black Unicorn - Terry Brooks
21. Wizard at Large - Terry Brooks
22. The Birth of Venus - Sarah Dunant
23. Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles - Margaret George
24. Snow Falling on Cedars - David Guterson

April 2011
25. The Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley
26. Ysabel - Guy Gavriel Kay
27. The Sugar Queen - Sarah Addison Allen

May 2011
28. Inkheart - Cornelia Funke
29. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
30. Mansfield Park - Jane Austen
31. Inkspell - Corneila Funke
32. 1984 - George Orwell
33. Secret Daughter - Shilpi Somaya Gowda
34. Inkdeath - Cornelia Funke

June 2011
35. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - Lisa See
36. The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

Yay - I'm first! Wow - after finished The Mists of Avalon you've really flown through some books! How's the monkey?

Valerie- Congrats on the new thread! It's nice and Spring-like over here!

Beautiful photo!

I read Inkheart a few years ago. I enjoyed it, but not enough to pick up the sequels, even though I own them.

Hi Valerie, I love the pictures, such beautiful shades of pink. I see you are taking the plunge with the TIOLI challenges in May, they are a lot of fun, specially trying to fit your books into the different challenges.

Like the new digs! ;) I really loved Inkheart when I read it. But I was mixed about the second book and I skimmed the last book (a very rare occurrence for me). I'll be interested to see how you like it.

I'm here Valerie. Hope I can keep up this time. :)

Hi Brit, Mark, Anne, Judy, Micky and Lynda! Thanks for dopping by. :)

>5 weejane: Mists of Avalon was a like a massive speed bump and it took me a good part of April to get over it. But once I finished that, the other books become such quick reads. :) Monkey is doing really well as we just weaned off sleeping with his swaddle at night times. A couple of rough nights and now he's got the hang of it.

>6 msf59: Thanks Mark! It's my way of giving mother nature a gentle but very blatant hint to get her act together.

>7 AMQS: I am hoping to finish the entire series in May but maybe not back to back. The first book seems pretty good so far.

>8 DeltaQueen50: Yes Judy, I miss the smell of cherry blossoms in the spring. The TIOLI challenges are super fun and it's such a great way for me to really take a look at the books I have!

>9 MickyFine: Micky, you are the second person now thats told me that they didn't quite enjoy the rest of the book in the series. I hope for my own enjoyment that you guys are wrong. :)

>10 Carmenere: Lynda, so nice to have you around! I tried so hard in the beginning to make my way around the threads and realized quite soon that it's better for me to focus on the few people that I can manage to keep up with and hope for the best for the rest. :)

#27 The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 276
Rating: 4 Stars
Recommend: If you have a sweet tooth and crave a fast read!

Josey Cirrini is the daughter of the town's founding father. Della Lee is a mysterious stranger that one day appears in Josey's closet and decides to set up temporary house. Chole Finley is the owner of a small coffee and deli shop who has a magical relationship with books. All three women could not be more different from one another, like cotton candy is to rock candy. Their separate journeys will bring them to the realization that who they are is inexplicably connected to their past and in the end, all three woman will realize they have more in common with one another then they ever could have imagined.

Sarah Addison Allen weaves a wonderful story about how our history shapes us into the people we are today through the lives of Josey, Chloe, and Della Lee. We can choose to confront our past, learn and grow from them, or we can choose to run and hide, but at the end of the day, the choice is ours to make. The story ebbed and flowed so naturally that I was surprised when I turned the page and realized that I had come to the end of the story. Addison's gift for storytelling undoubtably will have me looking on my shelves for her other works.

I'm here! Ummm...I mean, I apologize! :)

Stephen are you apologizing for being here?? Because I won't accept that! ;)

Well, I definitely didn't break anything, that's for sure.

*sweeps Broken Thing under rug*

If it's my grandmother's uncle's second cousin's twice removed china cup you are talking about...then you are in BIG FAT TROUBLE young man!

Ummmm, I don't think it was your grandmother's uncle's second cousin's twice removed china cup, but if it was. I think it was your grandfather's uncle's second cousin's twice removed china cup. ...errrr, not that I know what happened to it or anything! ...

*Goes to check the security tapes*.......

You owe $9,999,999,999,999.99 for a priceless heirloom that is probably worth pennies, but it's the sentiments and emotional turmoil that counts here.
You can try to run and hide, but I know where you live...actually wait...scratch that...I know where your thread is and I am NOT afraid to go there...

Ah, interesting, because it just so happens that my hugs are sentimentally valued at $9,999,999,999,999.99!

So... *Hugs*

>:P

You strike a hard bargain Stephen, but okay, I'll let it slide this one time. And I guess it helps that I found a box of these "priceless" cups behind the couch. :)

April Summary

Since I read a whopping 3 books, this one is going to be easy. :)

Nonfiction: 0
Fiction: 3
**Fantasy (2)
**Contemporary Fiction (1)

Favorite Read: Ysabel I really had a hard time putting this one down and when I went to bed, the characters kept dancing in my head all night long.

Books planned for May
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke TIOLI Challenge #12
Inkspell by Cornelia Funke TIOLI Challenge #12
Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke TIOLI Challenge #12
1984 by George Orwell TIOLI Challenge #2
Elsewhere by Gabreille Zevin TIOLI Challenge #12
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold TIOLI Challenge #13
The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giordano TIOLI Challenge #1
Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda TIOLI Challenge #10
The Swan Maiden by Jules Watson TIOLI Challenge #16

I will be honest and will confess that I have a rather odd way of deciding what books to read next. I have a list of all my books listed in alphabetical order on an excel sheet. After finishing a book, I would then proceed to random pick a number (using an internet site that randomly generates a number) and read the book that corresponds to that on my excel sheet. If that number has been read, I just randomly pick again. Ever since I started amassing my book collection, I would always feel guilty about which book to read next because so often there would be a book that I just bought that I want to read, but then there are like a hundred other books on my shelf that I had bought in the past that I felt should be read first. (sounds insane..I know) So each time I finished a book, there would be such internal angst when it came time to decide which book to read next, hence the random number plan worked great for alleviating my guilty conscience. But this has become an OCD issue where I AM UNABLE to read anything unless its RANDOMLY generated so that is a whole new problem....
Thanks to the TIOLI Challenges, I think I can learn to break free from this ridiculous need to choose my books EXACTLY the same way each and every time and this way, I can read the books that I want to read, but there is still a random aspect to it.
Whew....I feel better letting that out. I feel like I've just spilled my guts on a counsellor's couch..haha :)
All in all, I am enjoying my new found freedom, until this becomes another OCD issue... @.@

Choosing which book to read is such a difficult thing to do. Too often I vow to read books off my shelves, then head to the library and obtain a book that I don't own that I've noticed on a thread here on our 75 challenge group.

Valerie, I know *exactly* how you feel regarding picking books! I really like your idea of the excel spreadsheet. I currently just have a word document that is color-coded depending on whether or not I have read the book or am currently reading it. I also take notes on the books I'm currently reading and date the entry, so it doubles as a reading journal. Anyway, enough about me!

Hooray for the new thread! I'm a little intimidated by the TIOLI challenges, but I will happily cheer you on!

> 23

Weejane, we'd be delighted to have you join us on the TIOLI challenges. Think about it!

> 3
Valerie, I love your spring photos. This season makes me so happy!

Valerie! I didn't know you randomly generated your reading! I do that whenever I go to the library, and it's a lot of fun. Not all my books are randomized, but each trip I get 2 randomly generated books.

The way I do it, is I use Random.org to generate a random number 1-99. Whichever number I get, I add a 0 and then pick a nonfiction book from that section. (My library uses Dewey, of course.) So, if I generated 64, I'd go to 640-649 and pick a book there.

I do the same thing with fiction, genreated two numbers 1-26 and then apply letters to them (1=A, 2=B, etc) and use that to pick a nonfiction book. :)

OK now... truly OCD! :0) I know that guilt for not reading that list of (1000) books you already have, but being so interested in that last one you bought, you just have to read it first. I just go ahead and feel guilty. Much too much work to do all that random generating stuff. Besides, I already feel guilty for having so many books in my TBR pile, what's another guilt complex? I'll keep my guilt complexes, and forgive you all your OCD. Sound like a plan?

>22 Whisper1: Thats so true Linda! And it totally doesn't help the whole "I won't buy anymore books this year" as I head off to the bookstore and clean house.

>23 weejane: Hey Brit! You should totally just join and have some fun. I was hesitant at first as well, but it's just too much fun going through all the books and trying to fit them in a challenge. :)

>24 SqueakyChu: Hi Madeline! They make me happy too and make me hopefully that warm weather and sunshine are just around the corner

>25 Ape: Stephen, yes I am addicted to randomness and have been for many many years. :) That is so great that you use your randomness at the library. I will have to try out that system once I clear some books off my shelf!

>26 whiteknight50: Doug, I am the queen of OCD and not ashamed to admit it because I've come to discover that I am definitely not the only one. LT is full of closest OCDer's..haha. Women and their guilt. I don't think I have the strong willpower to ignore it like you because it would eat me up alive!!

Love the flower pics Valerie! Are those cherry blossoms?

I know exactly what you mean about picking books too. No matter what, no matter what method we use to pick them, there will always be millions of books that we HAVEN'T picked when we're reading any one book. So take THAT, OCD! :-)

I also need randomness in my life, and have always quite fixated on that, but I can only handle a certain amount of randomness, which is why I create these incredibly long reading lists with plenty of options to choose from every month. I also allow myself to choose other things not on the lists too if the mood strikes me. So far, I find that works for me. But yes... we all have our own little (or big) neuroses. I can totally relate to that, believe me!

Yes! I'm also addicted to randomness. I love it in video games and card games and board games! Not to be confused with chance/luck, which I hate, but I always loved to play games with weird/random rules. Like playing chess where you 'randomize' where the back row pieces start, playing a role-playing game where you randomize where you spend your skill points, or listening to my music on Windows Media Player with the random shuffle one. I just love not knowing how things are going to turns out, or what's coming next. :)

Valerie & Madeline - you convinced me! I added a book to one of the challenges. We'll see how many others I decide to join!

Maybe we should start a support group for people who have guilt over reading selection? Because I totally fall into that category as well. I have a Google Doc where I keep my list of books I want to read (mine and otherwise). I'll then copy the list into the list randomizer at random.org and read whatever gets shuffled to the top. Of course, I also allow myself to follow random whims as well (such as my current stack of four books from the library) which sometimes are books on the list, but sometimes not.

I must be just the opposite of "random". I love to plan my reads, usually a month or two in advance. That's why the 11 in 11 Challenge works well for me. At the beginning of the year I picked 11 genres and then every month I choose 11 books, one for each genre. Of course, the TIOLI Challenges changes everything, then I run around the house like a crazy person and check my TBR for books that will fit the challenges. By the first or second of every month though I have made a reading list for that month and I try to stick to it.

> 30

I added a book to one of the challenges.

Hooray!!

> 31

I'll then copy the list into the list randomizer

That sounds as if it could be a great LT feature!

*Runs to the RSI group to recommend it*

OK, now I feel guilty again, I must confess. I keep my very long list of want to buy on my Blackberry. It is so very convenient, and the book store is on my way home from work, and I really TRY to pass it up, but I just can't. My name is Doug, and I am a book addict.

And I don't WANT your help, anyway. !! :0)

Now where is that support group you're recommending?

Add me to the list of random number users to pick my books. I have a huge list and lists of lists and lists of the lists of the lists and master lists, etc. Then I use random number generators to make another list. Then random number generate THAT puppy.

Nah, not compulsive. Not at all.

*twitches*

Thanks everyone for your honest confessions! I love how everyone is random but actually has a systematic ways of creating that randomness.

I guess it's true that weirdo's like to congregate in a pack and LT certainly has a fair share of oddballs, myself proudly included. :)

>12 jolerie: I loved your review of The Sugar Queen. I have checked this book out of the library twice with wonderful intentions of reading it, but had to return it unopened both times. I am going to give it another try now next time I go to the library.

>38 chinquapin: Thank you! I hope you get to read it soon because I really did enjoy the book, more so than I really thought I would. I am looking forward to reading her other books now. :)

>21 jolerie: I'm interested what you think of the Ink Trilogy by Funke. Also I read 1984 and just recently Animal Farm, which personally I think is much better than 1984, and that book was awesome!

>>36 Morphidae: I'll see your OCD and raise you a degree of anal retentiveness! :)

I'm reading chronologically from 1668 - 1750 and from 1931 onwards, and I use a random number genenerator to pick novels for reading from 1751 - 1930, inclusive.

*twitch, twitch*

Interesting discussion about random reads. I have found that randomness leads to serendipity which is always a nice surprise.

>40 DragonFreak: I was torn between choosing 1984 and Animal Farm, both of which have been in my library for a very long time. I figured that Animal Farm would be a more interesting read so I opted to go with the other one just to clear it off my shelf.

>41 lyzard: Unless someone can top that, I think you pretty much win the cake with that one. Reading in chronological order is impressive!

>42 Carmenere: It is very interesting to see all these quirks people have!

I told my husband last night that I was NOT the only one with these odd compulsions and he responds by saying..."I didn't realize that so many people share the same sickness as you....hahaha" :) I have definitely found the right community of people!

Hi, Valerie! Just popping in to say that I love your flower photos. I often pick books by what group reads are out there. Now there are so many group reads that I can't keep up. So I star them all in the hopes of reading the books later.

I have a huge list and lists of lists and lists of the lists of the lists and master lists, etc

Now, that sounds just perfect to me!

I start creating my reading list about 40 days ahead of time. In other words, around the end of April, I started to think of things I want to read in June. There's still a lot of randomness involved in the actual choices. Some of them are there because of group reads I want to participate in, and some I choose out of an ever-growing list of (ahem) *books I want to read this year*, others get there based on what has just arrived in the mail from BookDepository or via mooching, and then of course there are LT recommendations which have me decide I MUST read that book IMMEDIATELY, but seeing as my month is already booked up (a month ahead of time), it ends up on the next list of course. Sounds complicated, but really, it's very simple. Works for me anyway.

Someone mentioned a support group?

I just finished Animal Farm a few days ago. LOVED it. I had a choice between the physical book, which I read in high school several decades ago (well, more than two), and an audiobook I got from the library, which I opted for. This was already an all-time favourite, and I have to say the narrator breathed a whole new life into it. I loved 1984 when we read it at school in... 1984 and can't wait to get back to it, but opted for Animal Farm because my reading list was already full, but I just HAD to fit in a few others once the TIOLI challenges were all posted, so opted for the shorter book of the two. That way I could add books to MORE TIOLI challenges I of course can't plan ahead for. Forgot to mention that above in my "random" method of generating reading lists. (*blushes slightly*)

>44 billiejean: Thanks for dropping by BJ! Cherry Blossoms are quite possibly my favourite spring flowers as they bring up such fond memories of growing up in Vancouver.

>45 Smiler69: No need to blush Ilana! As you can tell from the posts above that you stand in good company. We are all a bunch of closet OCDer's, but it must feel great to come out of the closet and tell the world - My name is (fill your name) and I am addicted to books! :)

Oh, in that sense, I came out of the closet long ago Valerie. In fact... with all my years of therapy, I don't think there's anything left in that closet, which always makes me wonder... why the closets at my house are still all so full?

Hi Valerie, thought it was time to delurk, especially after I saw that you started the year reading Ender's Game and then looking further into your list it seems we have similar book tastes.

The 'how to choose the next book' discussion is really interesting. I have a huge library of unread volumes right here at home but I am constantly supplementing it (thanks to the LT reviews) from the library. I usually read the first few pages of a book and if it matches my mood or grabs me so much I can't put it down, then that is the next one for me.

#28 Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
TIOLI Challenge #12: Read a book with a one word title that is NOT the name of a character in the book.
Pages: 534
Genre: YA/Fantasy
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Recommend: Interesting premise, flowing storyline, and a great intro for a trilogy.

Meggie is the daughter of an ordinary book restorer, or so she thinks until one night a mysterious stranger arrives at her home and changes her life forever. Mortimer, Meggie's father, or also known as Silvertongue has never read out loud to his daughter because he has the an uncanny ability to bring life to the books he reads - literally. Characters are lured from the comforts of their homes in between the pages of the story, come alive, and find themselves in a world that is not their own. Capricorn, a ruthless and merciless villain from the book Inkheart, along with his rag tag bunch of delinquents threaten to destroy the world from which they came from. Meggie discovers that she may have inherited more than just a love of books from her father, and she may be the only hope of salvation between Capricorn, his path of destruction, and the world of Inkheart.

There has always been a soft spot in my heart for stories that share in my love of books and Inkheart is definitely a one that fits that category in spades. Books and the stories they tell are the central focus in Inkheart and the magical nature they possess made me look longingly at the books sitting in my shelves wondering what mysteries they may be hiding. Inkheart was a great combination of suspense, magic, and characters and is a story that I look forward to one day sharing with my children - I may even risk reading it out loud.

>48 KiwiNyx: Hi Leonie! Thanks for revealing yourself. ;) Too many books to read and not enough time seems to be a common issue around here. It is great that you are able to use the library to supplement your own library at home. I hope one day to put my local library to better use once I clear some books off my own shelf, which means I really should stop buying books!

So glad you liked Inkheart. I blitzed through it last year in a day and utterly loved it. I think Dustfinger would make my list of totally awesome characters I want to know. The film version with Brendan Fraser is pretty good as well and Paul Bettany plays Dustfinger which makes it that much more awesome. :D

Thanks Micky! Hopefully I will be able to read the rest of the series this month. Now I can go and watch the movie. From what I've heard, it is nothing like the book. I am interested to see the man that played Smeagol in LOTRs play the character of Capricorn.
I liked Dustfinger in the beginning of the book since I felt really sorry for him, but his actions at the end of the book were odd and cowardly in my opinion especially in regards to Resa.

>49 jolerie: People say that the Ink Trilogy gets worse as the books go one, but I completely disagree; I think it gets better. Much better. Hmmm...I can so add three more books into that challenge.

waving hello - enjoyed your review of ysabel and I'm adding it to the list.

>53 DragonFreak: I'm glad you said that Nathan. Nothing worse than starting a trilogy knowing that it's going to be a bomb after the first book! Hopefully I will be able to finish the other 2 books by the end of the month.

>54 nittnut: Hi Jenn! Ysabel was my favourite read of April so I hope you do enjoy it when you get a chance to read it.

>55 jolerie: I too am doing that challenge with three books and those are the Harper Trilogy. Since your books aren't real words, then mine should count too. Books usually get better or worse, or sometimes in the very long run, a mix between better or worse. There's only one part in the second and third book that's connected that people who read it, and somewhat sort of me, says it's totally unnessisary and completely stupid. You'll know what I mean when you get there, you can't miss it.

#29 The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
TIOLI Challenge #13: Read a book with the same vowel repeating in every word of the title.
Pages: 328
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 5 Stars
Recommend: I devoured this book in one day. It was an easy read in terms of pace but not in terms of subject matter.

How do you describe in words a violation done against you that rips your soul from your body? How do you put yourself back together after your heart, body, and spirit have been ravaged? The answer – you don’t. Susie Salmon is caught in between heaven and earth, and from there she shares with us her story. A story of how she was raped, murdered, and never to be found again. But more than just a story of brutal violence, The Lovely Bones is a story about letting go, of grief, of loss, and ultimately of the people we leave behind.

The first chapter into the book, I knew this wasn’t like any other story I have read. My stomach churned as the author describes how and where Susie is abducted and eventually murdered. She holds nothing back in the description and imagery so that you as the reader are left reeling in horror at the inhumanity and sheer evil that emanates from one single person. If the central focus of the story is to put a face on what evil looks like, I would have been left feeling hollow and scarred. But Alice Sebold goes on to weave a story from Susie’s perspective about love and how that love keeps us anchored to earth. She paints a story about how a family is left to deal with the pieces and memories of a daughter who was torn away, and in the end understanding that however final death may feel, a part of her will always be found their everyday moments.
I spent the first half of the book wandering and hoping that this guy, this monster would be found, caught and locked up until the end of his days, but by the end of the book, it was no longer about him, but about Susie and her relationship and love for the family she left behind. The journey of brokenness and healing in the end was front stage rather than the fate of the perpetrator. I will probably never read The Lovely Bones again, not for the lack of it being a good book, but rather the first time around is enough to haunt me forever.

I read The Lovely Bones shortly after it was published. I had the same reactions as you did.

Thanks for your great review!

I want to read The Lovely Bones just because a friend of mine has and it kills me not to know what it is. Debating whether or not to read it though. Contemplating.....

I read The Lovely Bones last year and felt like you and Linda. Really an excellent and haunting read.

I'm glad I didn't read The Lovely Bones. When I watch movies based on books, I rarely like them. I saw The Lovely Bones recently and thought it was one of the more beautiful and heart-touching and horrifying movies I've seen in some time, and I wouldn't have been able to enjoy it in the same way had I read the book and new what parts of it were being left out and whatnot. :)

Great review, Valerie.

So many people have encouraged me to read The Lovely Bones. Still, I have two young girls, and I simply cannot. I enjoyed your review, though.

I loved The Lovely Bones - until a certain point in the book that entirely ruined it for me. I tried to read it again, but while I could completely connect with a girl watching her family after she has been murdered, I couldn't take that step further into disbelief, after so much time had been set up in making the scenario realistic.

Sorry if any of this is confusing, it's hard to describe my problem with the plot line without giving spoilers, and I absolutely dread ruining a book for someone else.

Valerie, while you wrote a very nice review, I just cannot bring myself to read this book. I'm glad that you enjoyed it though and congrats on completing a TIOLI challenge!

>58 Whisper1: Thanks for dropping by Linda!

>59 DragonFreak: Hi Nathan. Just a warning though if you do decide to read it because I know you have some sensitivities to watching some "R" rated stuff on TV and I'm not sure what your tolerance level is when it comes to books, there are some contents in the book that is really graphic in nature....

>60 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy! I am not surprised that you've read it already. :)

>61 Ape: Stephen, I have been contemplating whether I want to watch the movie now. I keep bouncing back and forth because I am curious to see how the director of LOTR's would adapt this book to a movie, but given the subject of the book, I am a bit wary. Is the violence implied or explicit?

>62 AMQS: Anne, I can totally understand. I don't think I could read the book if I had 2 daughters of my own. It hits too close to home because even as I was reading, my thoughts were the sad part is that there are probably REAL stories like this happening in our world...

>63 lunacat: I think I know which part you are referring to....even though the story is about a ghost telling her story, this part of the book kinda was odd for me but when I think about it, I understand why it was included. It was almost as if she needed to go through that to finally let go...? But we could be talking about two totally separate things..haha

>64 weejane: Thanks! Brit, this book definitely isn't for everyone. It bordered on being a bit much for me as well and once is enough for me, but I'm glad I read it.

Implied. I didn't even know it was so explicit in the book. In the scene in the movie, the girl starts running away from the man, as she is running away she begins to realize something isn't right, and then comes to the conclusion that she died. BUT! They did such an amazing job making the predator come off so creepy, that it was probably one of the more gut-wrenching scenes I've ever watched anyway... *trembles*

See? Had I read the book, I might not have had such a reaction to it. So, it really depends.

#65

Yeah, that is the bit I meant. I do see the point of it, and what the author was trying to achieve, but for me it grated against the feeling of the book as a whole.

>66 Ape: Yes, explicit and detailed. From the little clips here and there that I've seen on Youtube, the movie is more artsy than brutal. The biggest complaint from people who have read the book is the movie isn't really true to the book. But if you think about it, what movie really can stay true to a book when you have over 300+ pages to process.

>67 lunacat: I can see that happening. Did you actually finish reading the book then?
I think I suspended my hold on reality with the concept of the book to begin with - someone watching their family after they died is already implausible so anything that happened afterwards for me wasn't too big a stretch. Although the ending I felt was a bit weak for how the story began.

The biggest complaint from people who have read the book is the movie isn't really true to the book.

That's exactly why I tend to not like movies based on books. I know they don't have enough time to fit everything in, and I know if they were to make the movie that mimicked the book sentence-by-sentence it wouldn't translate well and could be dull, and so on and so forth, but...but...but...I like to complain about that sort of thing anyway!

#68

Yes, I finished it, and even attempted to read it again, but didn't make it all the way through the 2nd time.

While I can suspend my hold on reality fairly easily - I mean, I do read fantasy a large amount of the time, but I like things to stay true to the structure of the fantasy world. I felt that element of the plot was pushing the bounds considerably, given the boundaries that had been set up during the rest of the book.

I felt the author has considerable skill and potential, and I got a lot out of her memoir Lucky but was sorely disappointed by The Almost Moon.

Lovely review, Valerie, but like a few others, knowing the content of the book, I also know it's not something I want to read. Glad you enjoyed it though.

Valerie, I love your review of The Lovely Bones - just beautiful. It is one of my favorite books; I'd like to re-read it, especially after seeing the movie which I really did not like.

Valerie- Great review of The Lovely Bones. I think you nailed it perfectly. I also liked the book very much .The film version is pretty good but much different in feel and tone.

>65 jolerie: I just talked to a friend who read it, and she said despite the first chapter or so, it's really, really good apparently, so...maybe I'll read it this summer sometime. I trust her opinion about books she read 95% of the time and out of those times she is 75% right. Now vice versa she trusts me with advice about books about 45% of the time and I like to say I'm 100% right, but that's way too me-ish to think that. I tried to coax her into reading the Pern books by telling her the relationship between the dragon and rider are the same as the Inheritance Cycle, and she said that Anne McCaffrey totally ripped off his idea...............Shows her how much she knows. But you know, if it's a good idea, use it, only if you can bring something new to it, which Christopher Paolini did.

That was way off topic. Man can I talk!

>69 Ape: Would you say you liked LOTR books or the movies? Because that series is one of the few exceptions where I found the movie better than the books.

>70 lunacat: You make some really good points about believability. I find fantasy books especially hard to draw that line because often fantasy genre by nature is something that tends to make and bend it's own rules.
I was curious about Alice Sebold's other works, but it's sounding like it doesn't compare to The Lovely Bones.

>71 MickyFine: Thanks Micky! It's always good to know what you want to read and what you will just pass on by. :)

>72 katiekrug: Hi Katie! Welcome back. Wow, I am impressed that you would re-read it. Despite being a great read, I don't think I could read it again. The subject matter is just too heavy for me. I am curious as to why you didn't like the movie?

>73 msf59: Thanks Mark. Watching the movie is still a question mark for me.

>74 DragonFreak: I hope your friend is right in this instance! I look forward to hearing what you have to say about the book when you get a chance to read it.

>75 jolerie: I saw the movie on a plane, which might have detracted from the experience. It was visually beautiful, but somehow it just didn't resonate with me. I find this often happens with films based on books I have really loved.

I saw the movie maybe 6 months ago on the movie channel, and ended up watching it TWICE, since I had missed the last 1/2 hour the first time. I got the book shortly after seeing the movie, which I thought was beautiful and chilling and poetic, but I'm not sure I can deal with the book, because I knew instinctively it would probably be a lot more graphic than the movie. I guess I'll have to read it in the daytime only. When the sun is shining bright. With the doors firmly locked. And maybe with a friend holding my hand. *eeeeeeek!*

eta: great review by the way. I went ahead and thumbed it.

75: It's hard for me to say, because (sadly) I saw the movies before reading the books. It also depends on which book/movie we're talking about:

The Fellowship of the Ring: I liked the book better. They cut too much out, especially in the beginning, and the book had a much more adventurous feeling. I got a better understanding from the book of this magnificent trek they were about to embark on than the movie.

The Two Towers: I thought the middle book was incredibly boring, and cutting it down a bit made the 2nd movie a lot better. I actually had a tough time getting through book 2 when I read it.

Return of the King: I'm split here. The movie makes made the battle scenes much more enjoyable, but Frodo and Sam's trek through Mordor was crap in the movies. Overall, though, I liked the book better I think, simply because I prefer plot over action, and movie 3 focused more on action.

There you go! :)

hi Valerie! First off, Happy mother's day weekend to you and your family. Hope it's special in every way.
OK, Lovely Bones.........Great review, you captured the essence of the book perfectly. In the whole scheme of things justice, ultimately, is served, whether we know it or not.

Hi Valerie, I have the same position as Anne here, with 2 daughters I really don't think I could read The Lovely Bones but I did see the movie and it wasn't as bad as I thought (meaning graphic), the reality is mostly implied which I appreciated.

I also have to say that msg 78 explains my thoughts on the LOTR books and movies exactly. I was a bit perturbed at the first movie because there was a bit left out, the second one was fantastic and the third is still up for debate. A great sumary.

>78 Ape: I know the hardcore Tolkien fans out there will probably want to stone me for saying that I enjoyed the movies so much more the books. I don't know if it's because I saw the movies first but read the books afterwards, but for all the brilliance of Tolkien, if someone today wrote a book like his, the books would have been torn apart! He spends like a chapter describing a forest, from every single blade of grass to the every single leaf on a tree....you get my drift..haha And so that is way I am so thankful that Jackson was able to condense so much of the book and deliver it in a way that was entertaining but didn't lose the heart of the books.

>79 Carmenere: Thanks Lynda! I hope you had a really restful Mother's Day as well!

>80 KiwiNyx: Hi Leonie! Yeah the book is a lot more graphic in content compared to the movie from what I've been told. Based on what people say about the LOTR movies, you can tell who are the loyal Tolkien readers. :)

>81 jolerie: I agree with you on Tolkien and I read the books before I saw the movies. He's a yawner and if I had to read about/listen to one more tree described I would have had to kill something...

Hey, Valerie! Just checking in.

I enjoy both the Tolkien books and the movie versions, each of which I think must be considered on their own merit. I can see why you would prefer the films though.

I loathed The Hobbit when I first read it, despite being told that I would love it, so I avoided both books and films for a long time. However, I caught one of the films and liked it so watched them all.

After that, I forced myself to plod through the books, and just about made it, but it was a painful task looking back. The only reason I keep the trilogy is because I associate the copy I have with my dad. The films are far far better, being more concise, IMO.

Oh, I really liked The Hobbit much more than I liked the trilogy. Now, The Silmarillion, THAT was difficult to read...

>85 Ape: The Silmarilion does sound challenging. I should read it only if it isn't like 1,500 pages or something insane like that.

ETA: It isn't thank God, but I think it includes a creation story, and that's the one I really want to read.

How I love your review of The Sugar Queen! I finished this book today and captured the essence wonderfully!

I'm with you, Stephen. I really enjoyed The Hobbit but my memories of reading the trilogy are fuzzy which means I probably didn't enjoy it as much.

Nathan: It is not, in any way, worth reading. Tolkien is a terrific world-builder, I'll give him that, but...The Silmarillion is in no way worth reading ever, for anything!

>89 Ape: Well then...I guess I'll take your word for it.

Hi Stasia! Glad to see you around the threads again. :)

I actually read the Hobbit first and enjoyed it much more than the trilogy. It definitely wasn't nearly as painful to read in my opinion. Aren't they making a movie out of the book?

And I would have to agree with Stephen because I read both The Simarillion and The Unfinished Tales and both were HARD to get through.

Thanks Linda! I am so glad you enjoyed The Sugar Queen. That book was an unexpected gem for me. :)

They are making a two-part movie for The Hobbit, once again directed by Peter Jackson. If I remember correctly, they're shooting now or are about to start. So there should be more Middle Earth cinematic adventures in the near future.

#92 They've started filming and you can find some clips from the first day of shooting on YouTube.

The Silmarillion is one book I started but could not finish. I own both that and The Unfinished Tales though so maybe when I'm retired I'll think about looking at them again.

Thanks for making me feel better about The Silmarillion. I've thought about trying it so many times but always decided not to. Now I'm glad I didn't...

92/93 I guess Peter Jackson must really love Tolkien's work since he's going back and doing the Hobbit movie now. It will interesting to see how he films this once since I think he did a pretty good job of the trilogy books.

93/94 I really wanted to read the books because I was interested in the backstory behind LOTR, but oh boy were those two books brutal! It was like finding a needle in a haystack. There were good tidbits here and there but it was way too much work trying to find them! Definitely not books that I would read again.

In celebration of the Canucks since Daddy's Flames didn't make it this year! Go Canucks Go!! :)

What a cutie! When will he get his first set of skates?

Oh, gosh, he is too cute!

So cute!

He is an absolute doll. I, of course, love his outfit!

Monkey is sooo adorable! And it looks like he's rooting for the right team this year. ;)

Such a beautiful, happy, healthy little boy, Valerie. His chunkiness reminds me of my little sack of potatoes. People thought I had rubberbands around his wrists, alas just folds of flesh. Enjoy every minute, my sack of potatoes is now 12.

What a big healthy looking guy! He is smiling, right? Cute. Have a nice weekend.

Oh, what an adorable baby!

Thanks everyone! I am very thankful for a healthy and happy little (big) boy. :)

>97 mamzel: I will worry about skates when he is able to stand up without bonking his head on everything and anything. :)

#30 Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
TIOLI Challenge #13: Read a book with the same vowel repeating in every word of the title.
Pages: 380
Genre: Classic
Rating: 3 Stars
Recommend: Only if you enjoy classics and/or Jane Austen's works.

Fanny Price is adopted from a life of lowly social standing and is taken to Mansfield Park to be fostered by her two aunts, Mrs Norris, Lady Bertram, and her uncle, Sir Thomas. Life could have have dealt her a more fortunate hand as she is enjoys a life of dinner parties, domestic peace, and liberties that she would have never possessed should she had remained at home, being the eldest daughter of a oblivious father, an overwhelmed mother, and a brood of raucous brothers and sisters. Beyond and above inheriting a priviledged life, Fanny finds her soul mate, in every aspect a perfect match to her sense of righteousness and moral principles. But that journey to matrimonial bliss is blighted and obstructed by numerous events and persons until its eventual and predicatable resolution, as is common in Austen's works.

Mansfield Park is only the third book of Austen's work that I have ever read. There many criticisms that it does not follow the usual light hearted themes that Jane Austen typically employs as it seems like Mansfield Park deals with a more serious theme of marriage and adultery. But in my opinion, when you put aside the frills and gimmicks, the stories are pretty similar, although the personalities of the characters are varied - boy and girl doesn't seem to stand a chance of making it work and then within the last chapter of the story, somehow everything magically and wonderfully works itself out. And of course lets not forget the annoying relatives that almost always get in the way with their endless chatter and meddlesome ways.
As with most of the classics that I read, I always find myself having a hard time identifying with the characters. I am not entirely sure if it is because of the difference between our society now and the world that the author creates or the sheer unbelievability of the characters actions and choices, but Fanny Price and her host of friends and family in Mansfield Park sadly falls into the same predicament. Overall I enjoyed Mansfield Park as much as I would enjoy any other classics, but in terms of captivating me as a reader, I would say that it missed the mark.

Another thread I'm woefully behind on (groan). And can't read your review of MP just yet, since I'm about to start on it this week. Are you joining the group read? I can't remember just now...

Adorable baby. Great job! :-)

Valerie, what a wonderful photo of an adorable baby! How do you get anything done? I'd have to kiss his sweet cheeks and tickle his little toe-toes all day. As an Avalanche fan, I'm trying to overlook the Canucks gear ;)

Mansfield Park is in the "to be read in May" pile. I enjoyed your review.

Love the picture of the Monkey, Valerie! He sure is a cutie!

I second Stasia's thoughts on the Monkey! He is so cute!

Just started my re-read of Mansfield Park yesterday for the group read. It's not my favourite Austen but I still have a soft spot for it. Mostly for the Crawfords who are such great troublemakers. ;) Sorry you didn't enjoy it more. Hopefully your next read is better for you.

Micky, you just reminded me I should get the spoiler thread going. Will take care of that right after Coco's 7 o'clock walk and feed-time.

Gorgeous bub Valerie, and I enjoyed your review of Mansfield Park. I remember it not being my favourite but I have only read it once so I should see if I can fit it in soon and see what a second reading discovers.

Mansfield Park is not my favorite JA, however, I really enjoy the addition of truly naughty characters. Masterpiece Theater did a pretty good film of it several years ago.

http://www.amazon.com/Masterpiece-Theatre-Mansfield-Billie-Piper/dp/B000Z27HMW/r...

>113 KiwiNyx: Thanks Leonie! I have to say that my reactions to all of Austen's books are pretty much the same. I may like them, but I don't think I could ever say that I love them. :)

>114 nittnut: Thanks for the link! I will have to check it out sometime to see how they portray Mrs. Norris. She is one of the few characters that I would love to douse a cup of icy cold water on...haha :)

#115 I agree with you Valerie. So far I can't say I'm a big Jane Austen fan either, though I'll probably revisit her books... eventually to see how I feel about them on second reading.

I have to delurk to say you have a most adorable baby. It's a wonder to me how you get so much reading done with such a cute little guy to distract you.

I want to love Jane Austen but all her books seem alike to me... and I'm not a huge fan of her irony and focus on marriage.

Hi Ilana! Yes I know what you mean and sometimes I wonder if there is something wrong me that I just don't have the same appreciation for her works that other people rave about. I read the books because they are considered classics and it just seems wrong to bypass them completely but I really don't LOVE them in any way, shape, or form....

Thanks Donna and thanks for letting me know you dropped by. ;)
I am definitely lucky that he is a really easy baby that naps well and not fussy at all so I squeeze in a lot of reading while he's asleep and it makes a world of a difference to have a husband that comes home from work and is on full baby duty. :)

I know what you mean about reading her books because it feels like the "right thing to do". I just figure she's been so influential that I want to be able to spot references to her work when I see them. Like Donna, so far I also find that the first three books have a lot of similarities, though for some reason I'm enjoying Mansfield Park quite a bit more than the first two. I keep wondering if that might be because of Juliet Stevenson's narration, which I didn't get for the first two as I read dead tree versions for those. She really is an amazing reader and her acting is just spot on!

I avoided reading Jane Austen for ages, because loads of my friends at school loved them from about 15. I knew I didn't like things like Jane Eyre and assumed that Austen fell into the same category.

I still don't particularly see the obsessive appeal. I have listened to P&P on audio, watched the Keira Knightley film version and recently caught the BBC mini-series which I much preferred. I also like the Emma Thompson S&S, and am listening to Persuasion to help me doze off to sleep at night - does that say something about my level of interest??

I don't think they're bad, and I would like to read them all, just to say that I have, but for that type of book I'd much rather go to a sillier Georgette Heyer.

For me, the two stand out books of Jane Austen are Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion, the latter being my absolute favourite that I reread every year.

The other books I've only read one time each and didn't enjoy them as much although I am planning on rereading these 4 soon to see if my opinion has changed. Interestingly, I really enjoyed the 3 extras in Austen's repertoire, the finished Lady Susan and the two unfinished novels, The Watsons and Sandition. These two books definitely started out well and I think would have been strong additions had she finished them.

>120 lunacat: Jane Eyre is another one of those books sitting on my shelves that I haven't read yet but have every intention of doing so one of these days...
I haven't listened to any of the books as an audio but have always wondered if it would be easier to or harder to understand. I would think that I would have to concentrate real hard to understand what is going on but that may just be me because I am much more a visual learner than audio.

>121 KiwiNyx: Wow, that is commendable if you are rereading them every year! I am curious for someone who really likes and appreciates Jane Austen's works, what aspects of it would you say makes you like them and especially enough to reread them?

One thing I do have to say is given the time and society in which Jane Austen was writing, she does have some really forward thinking ideas and characters. In a world dominated by male writers, she definitely forged a path of her own and that alone I think is reason enough to give her books a least a once over. Does anyone know if she was appreciate in her time or she only go popular after she passed away?

Well, as a long time Jane Austen fan, I guess I'll jump in here - but I still want to hear Leonie's opinion. :)
I agree with Leonie - my absolute favorites are Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion. The last 5+ years or so , Persuasion has edged out into the lead. I also read it nearly every year.
I have been reading her for so long (got P&P for Christmas when I was 10 or 11) that her characters are like old friends. Her writing is very clean, her descriptions true to life. She does characterization very well. I love her sly sense of humor. Don't we all "know" a Mrs. Bennet? I think it's easy to over think her books - to try to make more or less of them than is reasonable. She is painting a picture of a very specific part of English society. She is poking fun at it, exposing the inconsistencies and vagaries of her contemporaries. All her books express her belief that women were at a great disadvantage in society. She often uses entailment of property to illustrate the inability of women to support themselves leaving them at great disadvantage if their fathers/brothers/husbands cannot take care of them.
I think she paved the way for the more daring novels of the Bronte sisters and others who came after her. I would be willing to argue that Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre would have been too much for society had not Pride and Prejudice and Mansfield Park come before. Reading novels was still a risky activity in her day, much less writing them.
She was not acknowledged as an author during her life, but very soon after her death she began to get the recognition she deserved.
That's my opinion.

Thanks Jenn for your insight! I think it does wonders for my own enjoyment of her books to hear from someone who truly enjoys the Austen works. I really like the point you made about the importance of property and Austen's advocation of women being able to be independent and free instead of chained to the men in their lives. I think you make such a great point of her paving the way for future writers and so often the pioneers don't get the credit they deserve for opening doors that are often closed. I think with that perspective, my future reads will be much more illuminating...or at least I hope so. :)

Wow, Jenn expressed a lot of how I feel very beautifully. For me also Persuasion has always been my stand out favourite and I think it is the central character Anne Elliot that I identify with the most out of all of Austen's women.

Anne is intelligent, gentle, caring, sensible, but also a real person who makes mistakes (a key conceit in the story) and if she was not constricted by the social norms of her day, her life would have been a lot happier, a lot sooner. She has a constant nature, loves her man even when circumstances separate them, and holds herself always with dignity despite situations that a modern woman would have hidden herself away from, probably with ice-cream and chocolate to get through the night. I just really like her and I guess I see quite a bit of me in her which is why we meet again every year.

With P&P, the characters are just so well written, the plot is full of comings and goings, you have the extra tension of the restrictions on women in the day, there are love stories and in the forefront of it all there are two people who are going through a massive journey of self-discovery as they realise not every thing is as they seemed.

Oh, and I should also mention that I love the language. I now quite often use the words abhorrent or unpardonable in my common speech and I love it when people give me the strangest of looks; theirs is a world unaccustomed to the queens english and full of abbreviations and emoticons that I find abhorrent. Imagine saying that to a texting teenager! Actually I might try that on my daughter's friends after school today and see their reaction, but I digress...

Austen published 4 novels during her lifetime but they were all published anonymously. After her death the remaining two novels, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey, were published by her siblings and they identified her as the author for the first time. She did earn a bit of money for the books in her life and did receive a few good reviews but nothing exceptional.

I do like the way she centres her books on the women and shows very clearly the huge restrictions of the day. She used her novels as a means to present her own social commentaries on everyday life to her peers. I just admire her skill, intelligence and flagrant disregard of what was appropriate for a woman of her day.

And as with any books I really like, it is the characters that I identify with the most and hence why I like my two favourites best. I really struggle with Emma because she is such a meddling character but I'd like to reread it to see what I missed first time round.

I did like Mansfield Park and especially Fanny Price, but again a reread is needed here to perhaps raise it in my esteem. Northanger Abbey is quite different and full of silly characters who let their imaginations get away from them but I think she was also influenced by Ann Radcliffe's writing and was perhaps trying a new genre; others have said it is a satire of the gothic novel. Whatever it is, it's not my favourite.

S&S is probably my third favourite. There are many silly characters in the book but through it all you have steady and loyal Elinor who acts as the centering device in the book. She is very similar to Anne Elliot in temperament and also has to deal with losing love in a way.

If you are struggling with the Austen's, I recommend BBC's Pride and Prejudice mini-series. It is stunning and will make a P&P lover (and Colin Firth fan) of anyone I'm sure. (Sorry to present a mini novella on your thread.)

Ditto what Jenn and Leonie said :) They said it all.

I'm signing up for Leonie's Jane Austen course. When does it start?

Leonie, thank you so much for all your information and insight. I really do feel like I should pay you some kind of course fee! I will have to print out what you and Jenn wrote and post it in all my Jane Austen novels as an intro or forward of some kind to really get me into the books!
From someone who doesn't understand just how rich her books can be, I really appreciate the perspective that you and Jenn have. I think I've come to realize that to really understand and enjoy/appreciate Austen's books, you really do need an understanding of the world and the society in which she wrote. It sheds so much more light to her characters and conflicts/challenges they are up against.

And yes, please start a course. I will be first in line to take it! :)

Shucks, I'm touched. I was just answering your question, albeit in a very long-winded kind of way. If I can help anyone to understand and love Austen's writing then I'll be very happy but I think it probably does help to understand what it was to be a woman in Georgian England - that is where the movies and mini-series come in handy.

Btw, I did try that line out on my daughter and her friends and they agreed with me and even knew the meaning of the word abhorrent! Trust me to have such wordy kids! Then I got an email from a person who wrote in txt speak and no punctuation! Unpardonable! I need to try my line out on her. ;)

ps. I'll work on a course, only if you guys contribute. The best understanding on anything comes from a good discussion and many viewpoints as evidenced above. This is why I love LT so much..

Whoa, really interesting discussion here but can't take it all in right now. So I'll use the "mark as read up to here" feature and will be back! :-)

Too bad it would take so long to text someone "I abhor text speak and your lack of grammar is unpardonable." Then, when they ask you what abhor/abhorrent means, you can give them this very clear definition: being so repugnant as to stir up positive antagonism

>129 KiwiNyx: I really should ask you more questions in the future. :)
That is impressive that they know the word abhorrent. I was shocked to know that some of the SR High kids that I knew didn't know words like monotony...and to think some of them are going off to university...yikes!

>130 Smiler69: I look forward to seeing what you think of Mansfield Park when you are finished with it Ilana.

>131 nittnut: LOL that is too funny! Sadly I bet there are grown adults who don't know what that word means. I will be using your definition here on out! :)

#131: Love the definitions, Jenn!

So I read all your posts regarding the Jane Austen classics, and I was just curious about other "Classics". I read The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne recently (actually "listened") and I frankly didn't "like" it. However, I had to appreciate its content and statements about society. It did a wonderful job of carrying its social messages. I also just finished Wuthering Heights recently, and had a similar though slightly different feeling about it. Emily Bronte did a great job of displaying a cast of characters that were actually pretty disgusting individuals, while again, carrying a pretty strong social message.

I've often wondered what really makes a book a "Classic". I used to think it was because it was so popular, but I realized recently that its as much about the impact of the book as it is the interest factor.

Does anyone know the real definition of a "Classic"? Would be interesting to know!

I don't want to shock anyone - but I am decidedly not a fan of Hawthorne. I don't know for sure if it's his writing or subject matter, but he really frustrates me.
Wuthering Heights is also not a favorite, although I think it is a very important book. Too creepy for me.

Here's a definition of classic that I found in Harvard Classics in an essay by Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve:

A true classic, as I should like to hear it defined, is an author who has enriched the human mind, increased its treasure, and caused it to advance a step; who has discovered some moral and not equivocal truth, or revealed some eternal passion in that heart where all seemed known and discovered; who has expressed his thought, observation, or invention, in no matter what form, only provided it be broad and great, refined and sensible, sane and beautiful in itself; who has spoken to all in his own peculiar style, a style which is found to be also that of the whole world, a style new without neologism, new and old, easily contemporary with all time.

And here's a more modern definition:

A classic usually expresses some artistic quality--an expression of life, truth, and beauty.
A classic stands the test of time. The work is usually considered to be a representation of the period in which it was written; and the work merits lasting recognition. In other words, if the book was published in the recent past, the work is not a classic.
A classic has a certain universal appeal. Great works of literature touch us to our very core beings--partly because they integrate themes that are understood by readers from a wide range of backgrounds and levels of experience. Themes of love, hate, death, life, and faith touch upon some of our most basic emotional responses.
A classic makes connections. You can study a classic and discover influences from other writers and other great works of literature. Of course, this is partly related to the universal appeal of a classic. But, the classic also is informed by the history of ideas and literature--whether unconsciously or specifically worked into the plot of the text.

And in summary, I would say that still leaves lots of room for personal opinion...

#31 Inkspell by Cornelia Funke
TIOLI Challenge #12: Read a book with a one word title that is NOT the name of a character in the book.
Genre: YA
Pages: 635
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Recommend: The second book is as good as the first in the series, if not better!

"Isn't it odd how much fatter a book gets when you've read it several times? As if something were left between the pages every time you read it. Feelings, thoughts, sounds, smells...and then, when you look at the book again many years later, you find yourself there, too, a slightly younger self, slightly different, as if the book had preserved you like a pressed flower...both strange and familiar." Inkspell Pg-47

In this second book of the Inkheart series, Cornelia brings us back to the deeply magical realm of Inkworld, where fire can be lured by our voices to dance and perform, where tightrope walkers perform their trade so high in the skies that their fingers can almost grace the clouds above. This time around, Meggie and her father are no longer just reading about Inkworld, but by a series of unfortunate events, find themselves playing a part in the story itself. In this new world, Meggie, Mo, Dustfinger, and his faithful shadow Farid, find themselves facing a host of enemies, some familiar, some new. The story becomes a race against time with Meggie and Mo facing the difficult decision of which world do they belong to - a choice that may not be theirs to make.

I quite enjoyed this second book in the series and my doubts and fears that it would not stand up to the first book was quickly allayed. Inkspell had the same wonderful combination that was present in Inkheart of quirky characters and exciting plot sequences. In some ways the series reminds me a lot of traditional stories that we used to read as children where the beauty of the books lies in simple things like colourful characters we grow love and characters we instinctively despise - no gimmicks and fancy tricks needed. There is sense of familiarity with the books, like friends we've known our whole lives, but also a sense of discovery as the story unfolds in ways I hadn't expected. The mark of a book worth reading is the fact that I want to find out what happens to the characters after I've turned the last page of the book and so with anticipation I will dive right into Inkdeath.

Thanks for bringing up that question of classics Doug. I've always wondered if the term "classics" designates more on how LONG since a book has been written versus it being more of how much of an impression it leaves behind. But based on the definitions that Jenn gave, it's a combination of both. A book has to be written not in the recent past and at the same time have a universal appeal that speaks to the time that it was written and as well as the time that it is read. According to that, to make the "classic" categorization is quite an achievement! Although if you factor in personal taste it can equally be argued that what I deem as classic, you may not agree with so again it becomes such a personal taste issue.

PS - The Scarlett Letter was not one of my favourite reads either and again I think I am missing out on the context of the society at the time.

I'm currently reading Inkspell and hope to make some headway with a readathon that I am hosting tomorrow into Sunday. I'm glad that you enjoyed the book, so far I'm enjoying it as well.

>137 jolerie: OK, without giving out any spoilers, how did you like the outcome of the Inkspell. I told you that maybe there was something in there you might've not liked, and what did you think of it? Or if you don't understand or can't tell me without possible spoilers, please PM me, because I'm interested in what you think of it deeply.

>139 Mrssmith88: A Read-a-Thon would be a great way to knock off that book. I look forward to seeing what you think of it when your done.

>140 DragonFreak: Nathan, are you referring to the incident with Dustfinger at the end of the book?

I am interested to see what you think of Inkdeath. I didn't like Inkspell as much as Inkheart and have been putting off finishing the series.

I'm glad you enjoyed Inkspell, Valerie. Hope it continues for Inkdeath.

>141 jolerie: Yup, that's the one.

Hey Valerie! Just stopping by to say hi! Hope you have a great weekend!

Just got caught up here. Lots of interesting discussions.

Wish I had something clever to say about Mansfield Park, but not feeling particularly intelligent today. I liked it better than the first two, maybe because I felt the characters were more believable somehow. I'm not exactly the biggest Jane Austen fan, try as I may to fully appreciate her. Hopefully I'll come up with something relevant to say when I write my review...

Hi Valerie, I still need to get to Inkspell -- I read Inkheart a few years ago but never went further.

I've enjoyed the Jane Austen/classics discussions here. Thanks, Jenn, for those definitions! I am new to Austen -- I didn't start reading her until last fall, but I am definitely a fan. As others have said, I get so much pleasure out of the language and her humor. I hope to get to Mansfield Park soon.

Valerie- I don't read a lot of fntasy but I've heard the Inkheart series mentioned favorably, many times. I might have to give it a try.
Have a nice weekend.

I have been meaning to read the Inkheart series for awhile. My teenage daughter thought they were excellent also.

Thanks for the definitions Jenn! I always felt about the same way...there's a lot of room for "interpretation" in the definition of classics. We have an old Oxford Dictionary from 1966( the huge heavy doorstop kind!) and it defines "classic" as follows:

1. a writer or artist generally recognized as excellent.

2. of the highest class; most representative of the excellence of its kind, of recognized worth.

3. famous as traditional or typical.

Right along the same lines as what you provided.

This all got me thinking and I posted a new thread for discussion, we'll see if it nets anything. I borrowed your definitions Jenn, hope you don't mind. I thought they were pretty thought provoking.

Here is the thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/116632

I'm interested to see if any one comments and what their thoughts may be!

Thanks for your thoughts folks!

Great discussion about classics here. I liked the bit about 'classics standing the test of time', that one rings true with me the most I think.

I'm also one that didn't really like Wuthering Heights as much and I always wondered whether it was considered a classic more for the author and the family's history with writing, especially in a man's world, then with this novel being a particularly well-written story. But here we fall into personal interpretation and preference and everything begins to go very grey around the edges.

Maybe a classic is simply a book (good, average, or bad) that people just can't stop discussing even after so many years?

#150 Great idea. Heading over to check it out.

Leonie, You make a great point about books that people can't stop discussing having value. I know there have been books I absolutely hated, but had great discussions over.
I think that Wuthering Heights is considered a classic because other than standing the test of time and being very well written, it does some unusual things. The "hero and heroine" of the story are actually anti-heroes. They are not admirable characters in any way. Rather than being a pretty story of love with a happy ending, it is the tale of how destructive the wrong kind of love can be. It is dark, Gothic and passionate, again daring writing for a female of that time. Even though it is not a favorite of mine - I believe it is an important work. In fact, I am sure that one of the reasons that I don't like it is due to the quality of writing. I felt like looking over my shoulder the entire time I was reading it.
Sorry to all the actual lit. teachers out there - I am no expert and I am feeling like I'm getting out on a limb - just my opinion. I'd love to hear what experts in the field think.

I will now un-hijack Valerie's thread and head over to the classics discussion. :)

Oh, well said. I actually am speaking from my one and only read of Wuthering Heights, where I remember yelling at the book and characters during the read, but you are right that they are anti-heroes and this is why, despite getting frustrated by Catherine and Heathcliff and their self-centred antics, I do want to reread it one day to get past the characters and discover for myself if I like the writing or not.

Can we sign up for Jenn's classic course here?

Ha hahahahah. Funny start to my day.

While I only read Jane Eyre once in high school and never since, I have been intrigued by it lately. There is an English elective this term at my school based on the Bronte sisters. They are reading Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey (I think). Sounded interesting and I thought about auditing it, but then realized I didn't really have the time.

#155

May I say that the English elective sound like my idea of hell. I had the misfortune of ending up in English classes studying Jane Eyre as a main read 4 years in a row, with no other option available. I went slowly mad!

#155 - It would be interesting - although of the three - Agnes Grey was the least interesting read IMO.

#156 - 4 years in a row Agh! How is that possible? As much as I like the book, I would probably never read it again after that.

#157

It was chosen by the English teacher in my last year of Middle school (aged 12-13) as the read for the year. Then chosen again for the first year of Upper school, and then I was in the group of English classes that had it as their focus read for GCSE's, which meant two years of studying it, before exams at 16.

When I was much younger I thought Catherine and Heathcliff were the most romantic, star-crossed lovers that ever drew breath. I recently watched the movie and all I saw were two spoiled, self-centered morons who thought nothing about the damage and hurt they were causing. Funny how age changes your perspective.

#159

I think that's how many teenagers brains work. They don't realise how much damage their actions cause to others. I know I was incredibly self-centred and never realised what I was doing. I wonder how many people find the same thing: that Catherine and Heathcliff were the ideal in the younger years and aren't as the reader grows wiser.

I was reading reviews of Wuthering Heights the other day, and read a few rave reviews going on and on about Catherine and Heathcliff's love story. I admit to wondering how old the reviewer was. Reading as an adult, and as a mom, I have to say it was one of the most disturbing love stories I have ever read. Even more disturbing than Twilight LOL.

#156 - I completely understand about that class being your version of hell!

Hi Everyone! We just had a long weekend here on my end so it has been a wonderful 3 days with Hubby at home. :)

Thanks so much everyone for you input on this whole subject. I feel like I've taken in a whole semester's worth of material!
I have no read Wuthering Heights either but from all my friends who have read it they have said they HATED and I can't emphasize that enough the two main characters. I am really curious about it so I will have to give it a read sometime in the future. The fact that it has been said to be one "the greatest love story" of all time makes me doubly curious.
All your comments made me realize that during my teen years at school, we NEVER read a single one of the classics that we have been talking about here. The closest thing we read was Shakespeare and that to me was absolute torture!

Hey - did LT change something? The thread looks really funky and it's hard to tell what I've read and what I haven't. Growl.

Yeah, it takes a bit of getting used to doesn't it.

Interesting about how different ages react to the classics. I never read any at school and read my first classic (a Jane Austen) when I was about 27. I feel so deprived!

Incidentally, I read the three Bronte sisters' novels in a row and my favourite was Agnes Grey with Jane Eyre a close second. Poor Wuthering Heights was left long behind.

I've never read Agnes Grey. Your post prompts me to do so. Jane Eyre is one of my top books of all time

I am one who loves Jane Eyre and hates Wuthering Heights, which I read for the first (last and only, as far as I am concerned) time just 5 or so years ago.

Hi Stasia and Linda!

Leonie, you are definitely not alone. I don't think I read my first Austen book until I was in my mid 20's and to be honest I don't think I would have the understanding to appreciated it at all if I had read it any earlier.

Jenn, it took me a bit to get the feel of this new change as well but one thing I noticed with this new format is that touchstones are loading wickedly fast whenever I am making updates or changes! That is a definite improvement. :)

#32. 1984 by George Orwell
TIOLI Challenge #2: Read a book that has been a candidate for the Orwell Prize, or that is in the spirit of the Orwell prize, or written by George Orwell himself!
Genre: Classic/Dystopian
Pages: 311
Rating: 4 Stars
Recommend: Big Brother is watching you and Big Brother wants you to read this!

War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength

Big Brother is all-encompassing, all-knowing, all-pervasive. Big Brother is the Alpha and the Omega. Big Brother is the god of this new world order where rebellion and subversive behaviour, whether implicit or explicit, intentional or accidental will be punished - it is just matter of when, not if. Winston and Julia are determined to battle this goliath by challenging and undermining the rules that have been set by those who are just as determined to obliterate any form of dissension.

George Orwell's 1984 is classic dystopian literature at its best. A world where everything and anything you say, do, think, or didn't think are monitored and scrutinized is the setting of this story where totalitarianism is only a plaything of the past - Ingsoc is the now and the future. There isn't much I can add to numerous reviews and critiques of this brilliant piece of work but if there is one thing I can contribute, it would be this - if Mr. Orwell didn't hack it as an author, he would have made one hell of a Big Brother. Long live Ingsoc.

I read that a couple of months ago. It was pretty good. You know, I compared it to a section of John Mayer's song Waiting on the World to Change. The lyric that reminded me of it was this:

And when you trust your television
What you get is what you got
Cause when they own the information, oh
They can bend it all they want

Because the rulers changed History. Amazing isn't it? I'm a huge fan of dystopian books. Huge, mega fan.

Great review of 1984. I especially love Big Brother is watching you and Big Brother wants you to read this!

If you liked 1984, may I recommend one of my more memorable reads of last year - Anthem. If you have not read it, it's a pretty short book (unlike many of her others) and I thought it was powerful.

edited for italic overload

I really need to get around to reading 1984. Somehow I made it through high school without having to read it, and I usually enjoy a good dystopian novel.

>170 DragonFreak: Those are very fitting lyrics to pay homage to the telescreen Nathan. :) I didn't realize that I was a fan of dystopian books until now partly because I had no idea what dystopian was until I met you fine folks.

>171 nittnut: Thanks for the recommendation Jenn. I looked up the description of the book and it sounds like it's right up my alley.

>172 chinquapin: You are not alone. I realize now looking back that the selection of books that I got to read in school was limited at best. If you like dystopian books, then I'd say this one is a definite must!

#169 - Nice review, Valerie!

#173

How funny that you say it is a must. I'm a HUGE fan of dystopia, and yet have never managed to make it all the way through 1984. I keep trying, but alas.....it's all to no avail.

>174 katiekrug: Thanks Katie

>175 lunacat: Hi Jenny! I love how LT has people with varying tastes. For me, reading Austen is a concentrated effort while this past read of Orwell's was a breeze. :) Did you ever read Animal Farm then?

#176

I did, but when I was far too young to get anything from it. I read far above my age, but that doesn't mean I understood a lot of it! I haven't tried it since.

Ooh, excellent review of a classic that I also am yet to read. Starting to read them all only 10 years ago sure means I've got a lot of catching up to do!

I have not read 1984 yet either. I finally read Animal Farm last year and really liked it, so it is about time I get to 1984 too!

>177 lunacat: Do you think you will give it another go?

>178 KiwiNyx: Thanks Leonie! I am in the same boat as you. But I think it's a good idea that I've started reading them the past couple of years because I don't think I would have appreciated them much if I was younger.

>179 alcottacre: I am the opposite of you Stasia! I need to read Animal Farm since I've really good things about it.

I don't know. I am wary, having already tried 1984 so often and never getting anywhere. Perhaps I simply don't like his style of writing, given that it is supposed to be a classic. I don't feel inspired to try either of his again, but maybe I will......in a couple of years!

Put me in the category that has never read 1984. I do remember enjoying Animal Farm.

Animal Farm has always been a favourite of mine and I loved it just as much when I read it this month. I look forward to reading 1984 again. I loved it back in high school.

I've read most of 1984. I borrowed it from the library a few years ago but it had to go back before I finished it. However, images from the book are quite vivid and have stuck with me, and I'm pretty sure I could pick up where I left off without feeling lost.

All your comments have made me more than just curious to read Animal Farm just to compare and contrast.

Valerie, I was very surprised at how timely and relevant that Animal Farm still is. I hope you get a chance to read it soon. I will be interested in seeing what you think of it.

Yes - Animal Farm is great - and very short.

>187 nittnut: Agree. For how short it was, it really made me think. I was at a family gathering when I read it, and instead of being engaging, I read. Well it was either reading or watching my cousin play a video game I don't care about. He thinks I'm some sort of genius, but I know I'm not as smart as he thinks I am, but I'm not going to tell him that.

#188 - I don't know DragonFreak, perhaps you are a genuis. Smart people know when to keep their mouths shut, and clever people know that pulling a book out for those difficult times gives the illusion of genius!

Seems about right I suppose!

>186 alcottacre: So very true! The mark of a great classic is one that is as relevant in the time it was written as it is today for us readers.

>187 nittnut: I think the fact that it's short is why it keeps sitting on my shelf. I always think...oh I'll get to it since it's so short. :)

>188 DragonFreak: You are a genius for making someone think you are genius when you don't think you are a genius. That's just genius ;)

>191 jolerie: You know what else is genius, that sentence. So funny! OK, now I need to go back and write a review that I have writting for an hour and a half now and I'm not even halfway done!

Isn't it sad how simply reading can make people think you are some sort of spontaneous genius? My family has labeled me the family 'smart guy' even though I'm incapable of stringing more than a few words together at a time during a verbal conversation. Pffft. I'm just a fool who likes books, is all! :)

So sad, but a large part of it is because reading has become such a rarity and something you don't see people doing too often anymore. It's like seeing a younger person offer their seat on public transit for a senior citizen, or letting someone into the traffic lane even though you've been waiting forever, or allowing pedestrian cross the street without fearing that they are going to become roadkill. So when we see someone holding a book that isn't used for smacking a fly or fanning the air, we label them a genius and according to that broad definition, we are all by default, GENIUSES! :)

So true. I often have people tell me that I must be smart - because I read so much. I want to tell them that I am smart BECAUSE I read so much and that they too can be smart. Or, at least LOOK smart. :)

#33 Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
TIOLI Challenge #10: Read a book about an alternative to naturally occurring biological motherhood.>
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 339
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Recommend: Worth the time invested.

Somer is an accomplished medical doctor who discovers that she has sacrificed the family she has always wanted for the career that she has spent the first half of her life working towards. Kavita is your average Indian woman who hopes for the simple things in life, a honest husband, children to help with the home, and a roof to keep them all together. Two different women, two different lives, but both are inexplicably connected by one special girl - Asha. For Somer, she is the adopted daughter that she has always yearned for but couldn't conceive. For Kavita, she is the biological daughter that she has loved but cannot keep. Secret Daughter is the journey of these three women as they discover that the bonds of family and motherhood extend beyond the boundaries of physical ties and that love is a force that transcends beyond the limitations of our own human frailties and selfishness.

Secret Daughter is a solid debut novel by Gowda as she explores the themes of adoption and how that affects not only the adopted, but the family that is left behind and the new family that is ushered into parenthood. The story was both gripping and heartbreaking, tragic yet triumphant. The heart of a mother is illuminated, showing us that motherhood comes in all different forms and fashions, but the tears, the joys, and the love for our children, is a truth that is universally shared and celebrated.

Your most recent read sounds wonderful!

It definitely does sound very good and beautifully written about. I have to say I loved your genius sentence and the whole genius discussion above, so entertaining.

Your review is fabulously eloquent. So glad you had yet another positive reading experience. :)

Nice review, Valerie. Off to give it a 'thumbs up!'

Thanks Linda, Leonie, Micky and Stasia! Hope you guys have a great weekend. :)

MAY Summary:

Nonfiction: 0
Fiction: 7
**Fantasy/YA (3)
**Contemporary Fiction (2)
**Classics (2)

Favorites of the month:



Lovely Bones - Brutal but beautiful
1984 - Brainwashingly brillant
Secret Daughter - Heart string tugger

Books Planned for June

The Postmistress - TIOLI Challenge #7: Read a book with a specific flower only in the cover art
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - TIOLI Challenge #7: Read a book with a specific flower only in the cover art
Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip--Confessions of a Cynical Waiter - TIOLI Challenge #12: Read a non-fiction book if you read mostly fiction (or vice-versa)
Coraline - TIOLI Challenge #6: Read a new-to-you author who has 2+ books on your TBR list
The Alchemist - TIOLI Challenge #1: Read a low book
2001: A Space Odyssey - TIOLI Challenge #10: Read a book that has a single letter or number in the title
Lolita - TIOLI Challenge #5: Read a book or play that was the basis for a film nominated for a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar
The Wives of Henry Oades - TIOLI Challenge #18: Read a book with equal number of letters in MAIN words of the title

I am definitely looking forward to reading The Secret Daughter at some point.

You've got some good ones lined up for June. I loved Snow Flower and the Secret Fan when I read it.

Thanks Judy! I only a couple chapters into the book and already I have the suspicion that this one is going to be a 5 star for me. :)

Getting ready for the big game tonight!

#34 Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke
TIOLI Challenge #12: Read a book with a one word title that is NOT the name of a character in the book.
Genre: YA/Fantasy
Pages: 663
Rating: 3 Stars
Recommend: A solid but lukewarm read to finish off the series

In the final book of the Inkheart trilogy, the adventures continue for Meggie, Mo, Resa, Farid, and Fenoglio in Inkworld. This time around, the enemy is the Adderhead, king of the Castle of Night who has been made immortal because of special blank book that Mo had binded at the end of the previous story and his band of evil, yet not so brilliant henchmen. Inkworld is falling into chaos and nobody, even the writer of the story, Fenoglio seems to have the answer. Battling against a story that has a life of its own and writers who are constantly changing the landscape of the book, Mo and Meggie are once again determined to bring the story to a peaceful and happy resolution, even at the risk of losing themselves in the journey.

For some reason, and I can't quite put my finger on it, whether it was because it was the last book of the month or that summer is right around the corner, but I had a hard time getting into this last book. There was nothing wrong with the story, nor the characters, and yet I kept finding myself waiting for something to happen. By that end of the book I felt like I had waited for nothing. Inkdeath was a solid conclusion to the trilogy, but perhaps a reread in the future will garner less of an indifferent reaction.

There was nothing wrong with the story, nor the characters, and yet I kept finding myself waiting for something to happen.

Hm. Doesn't make me any more anxious to read it. I suppose I'll get to it eventually... I kind of felt that way about book 2.

>205 jolerie: I'm impressed that you read the whole thing. When I got to it, I was so irritated by it that I just skimmed/skipped through it so I would know how it ended. Glad you got more out of it than I did. :)

>206 nittnut: Thanks Jenn! Yeah I would say that there is no rush if you have other pressing books in your TBR pile. I think that may have been one of the reasons why I didn't get into the book since I kept looking at all the other books that I wanted to get to.

>207 MickyFine: I was under the time crunch..haha I really wanted to get it done by the end of May otherwise I don't know if I would have had the motivation to finish the series. What about it annoyed you?

Valerie- It's an impressive list of books, you have planned for June. Nice range. I enjoyed Snow Flower and loved Lolita. It's a bona fide classic. 2001 is also a classic. Not a fan of The Alchemist. Others loved it though.
I have a copy of Coraline, which I have not read but did love the film version.
Good luck!

I stopped reading the Inkheart trilogy after book 2. It did not really do anything for me and I decided not to bother with book 3. Looks like a good decision on my part.

I hope your next read is a better one for you, Valerie!

I never went farther than the first Inkheart book. It seemed like such a wonderful premise, but I never felt compelled to pick up the others.

>209 msf59: Thanks Mark! I am excited for the books I have lined up for June since some of them have been on my shelves for years. :)

>210 alcottacre: Hi Stasia. My current read certainly has captured my attention and I am thoroughly enjoying it so far.

>211 AMQS: Anne, you are not alone in that. It seems like the common sentiment around here. There is something about the books that is missing and you said it perfectly - wonderful premise but for some reason there just isn't the urge to see it through. I'm glad to be done the series because I don't know if I can stand reading 2 of the 3 books and seeing the last one of the shelf just mocking me. ;)

>205 jolerie: I see you finished it. I could see where you came from about not knowing what to think of it. Actually I don't know just like you, but...

I want to read her book called Reckless primarily because it's written by her. It's on my Wishlist tagged Very High, but that doesn't mean I'll read it anytime soon.

I almost forgot how much I loved the cover though. You can't see it from this size, but there is a bunch of tiny skulls on there. Love that!

Hi Valerie, I loved the genius discussion upthread, especially the consensus that all readers are geniuses! At least we look smart when we're reading. ;-)

I probably will never read the Inkheart series, but I do enjoy Lisa See's books (with the exception of the disappointing -to me- Peony in Love), and look forward to her latest one.

I think I'll go ahead and read the first Inkheart book one day as we own it, but then I think I may stop. Book 2 might tempt me eventually but I seem very happy with the consensus to not bother with book 3. LT is so helpful.

>208 jolerie: For me, it was the issue I often have with fantasy novels. Funke spent way too much time making the world she had created sooo elaborate, adding tons of characters I didn't care about, and I lost my desire to care about the main characters. Mostly it felt like she was dragging the book out far longer than it needed to be and I just wanted it to end. So I skipped ahead to see which of the two options she chose for the ending and sent it back to the library.

I will probably read the second and third books in the Inkheart series someday, as I have all three here. My sister loved the first book. I liked the premise quite well, but no one else seems as bothered as I about all the STOOPID decisions Meggie made in that book--it kept catapulting me out of the story.

Roni - I'm with you. Meggie drove me nuts. NUTS. I kept thinking - oh, she won't do it, she won't....she did. Argh! It was too often, and I started thinking she was dumber than bricks. It's harder to love a story when you don't love the main character. I did like the premise of the story and the fantasy world in the first one, but then like MickyFine said, the next book had too many new characters and I didn't get connected to them.

>213 DragonFreak: Nathan is that the book with a dragon on the cover? I know she wrote a book with a dragon on the cover but I'm not sure if that is the one you are referring to. I must admit tho, I do like her cover art - colourful and vibrant!

>214 Donna828: Hi Donna! I've actually heard a from a number of people who have said they were disappointed with Peony in Love or at least they didn't like it as much as the other books so I'm curious to find out for myself.

>215 KiwiNyx: Haha very true Leonie. LT definitely helps us weed out the good and the bad but the great thing is we still have the choice to find out for ourselves. Sometimes a bad review will actually make me want to read to the book just to see for myself how bad it is!

>216 MickyFine: Micky that is a really valid point that I never even thought about while I was reading it. Although like you for some reason I just didn't care for the main characters.

>217 ronincats:/218 Hi Roni and Jenn. Your comments made me chuckle. Actually I didn't find Meggie quite as annoying as Fenoglio. His antics and overall personally just made me want to take a glassman and stab him in the eye. By the end of the book, most of characters just started to get on my nerves in general, which was unfortunate since again, the premise was promising, but overall, everything just fell a bit flat at the end.

>219 jolerie: Nah, I was refering to Inkheart but although Dragon Rider is pretty good. It was even better when I was younger. In fact, I wrote a whole story that totally ripped off the whole plot of that book after I read it. It was pretty good for how young I was, but if I rewrote it...I'm pretty sure it would be awesome.

Sorry I have no patients and multipled posted.

Wow, what is up with LT? I've seen double posts before...but quadruple posts??

Bahahah! That's funny Nathan. :)

Thanks! But you know, I've been quadrupled posted before.

#35 Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
TIOLI Challenge #7: Read a book with a specific flower only in the cover art
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 253
Rating: 5 Stars
Recommend: A must read!

Snow Flower and Lily are laotongs. The sisterhood they share with one another since they were little girls is deeper than their respective marriages, their families; it is a friendship that binds both their fates in this world and that of the beyond. Through a secret language that only women are privy to, Snow Flower and Lily share their heartaches, joys, passions, and love with one another as they grow from naive little girls to women, wives, and mothers of their respective families. Both women will experience life in various shades and hues, but ultimately it is their love and loyalty to one another that will be tested as they both discover that misunderstandings and hurts can be buried for a time only, but never forgotten.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is an exquisite tale of being a woman during imperial China. We are able to see through the lives of Lily and Snow Flower the pain of footbinding, of being constantly reminded that being a female meant being worthless and only a burden to one's family. A woman's worth is measured by the son's she conceives and her whole life is subject to the dominion of her birth family firstly, and hopefully her husband lastly and eventually.
I absolutely loved this book for many reasons. Lisa See was able to tell a story about two women who were as real to me as women within my own family. She was able to share about the intimate and intricate details of Chinese culture and traditions without losing the essence of the story. In the end I am able to reflect upon my own heritage and realize that I come from a long line of women who endured pain and suffering with stoic grace and fortitude that comes from simply being a woman.

What a thoughtful, lovely review, Valerie. I enjoyed Snow Flower when I read it a few years ago.

Great review of Snow Flower. It's been on my TBR for quite some time now, and since I also have Shanghai Girls waiting on my lineup of audiobooks, I guess I could enter either one into the 2 book new to me author TIOLI challenge, but I already have so many other books on this month's reading pile... something tells me this is a chronic condition that just won't go away.

>228 AMQS: Thanks Anne! I will definitely give her other books a try.

>229 Smiler69: Hi Ilana. I have Shanghai Girls on my shelves as well and apparently there is a sequel coming out for that one. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan had been sitting on my TBR list for years and years and now that I've read it, I regret that it took me so long to get to it!

I have had Snow Flower and the Secret Fan in the BlackHole forever. I really must get it read!

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan got one of my rare nine out of ten stars. So glad you enjoyed it!

Beautiful review of Snow Flower! It really exudes your passion for the novel. You earned a big Thumb! Have a great weekend.

Great review, Valerie. I am hoping to "share" the read with you for this month's TIOLI. Like others, it's been on my TBR shelves for far too long!

>233 msf59: You must get to it soon Stasia! But I understand due to the sheer size of your black hole. :)

>234 katiekrug: Thank you! I think the book might possibly be one of my favourite reads so far this year. It will be interesting to see if I read another book like it in the second half of this year.

>244 jolerie: Thanks for the thumb Mark! I hope you have a great weekend as well.

>245 jolerie: Katie...do it...do it! :) Share the read with me. I would be very excited to see what you think of the book after you read it.

Fantastic review, added to my list and I see I already had another Lisa See book there, she looks like an author to follow.

Great review of Snow Flower, Val and congrats on the hot review, which I thumbed BTW. I love See's writing and I highly recommend her follow up to Snow Flower, Shanghai Girls.

>236 KiwiNyx: Hi Leonie! I have a couple of her books on my shelves as well. Which other of her books do you have?

>237 Carmenere: Thanks Lynda! It was my first book of See's but I really like her writing as well. I have Shanghai Girls on my TBR as well and have heard good things about that one so I will get to it one of these days...

Yet another lovely review, Valerie. I just had a family friend raving about how great Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is yesterday. I'll definitely put it on the mental list to try.

I also had Peony in Love on the WL but I think I'll add some more of her titles now.

Great review Valerie!

>239 MickyFine: Thanks Micky! Yeah I'm glad I finally got around to reading this one. I think you will enjoy it when you get to it.

>240 KiwiNyx: Leonie, I keep hearing that Peony in Love isn't as good as See's other novels but I will have to read it myself one of these days to really make a call on that one.

>241 weejane: Hi Brit! I hope you had a great time with the family in Detroit. :)

Thumbs up from me on your excellent review of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. This is a book on my shelf and I will read it in 2011!

>243 Whisper1: Linda, I really really hope you enjoy it when you get a chance to read it this year!

#36 The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
TIOLI Challenge #1: Read a low book
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 167
Rating: 3 Stars
Recommend: Some will love this one and others will hate it.

Santiago is an Andalusian shepherd with dreams of travelling the world. He inadvertently crosses paths with a Gypsy woman who tells his fortunes and from that moment on, Santiago dreams of seeing the world takes on a very different meaning. Along the way, he will meet a king, a crystal merchant, an Englishman, and an alchemist. Each person will impart their share of wisdom and life lessons and in the end, Santiago discovers the secret of life and but more importantly, his purpose and role in it.

The Alchemist is a book that I can see people absolutely loving, or thinking that it's complete trash - I fall neatly somewhere in between those two extremes. Santiago's journey to find the truth should be a theme that resonates with everyone, but the delivery of that sojourn was rather abstract that often times I found myself wandering what exactly was Coelho trying to say. The whole book read like a giant parable with the occasional biblical quote and character thrown in for added measure. In he end, the mish mash of theological sophistry was lost on me and I got lost in the quest along with Santiago. He eventually found his truth and purpose, but I am still left wandering in Coelho's desert of dreams and legends.

Oh--I am really tempted by Snow Flower. If only I didn't already have so many books clamoring for my attention this month! Still, if I can get it from the library I might just have to add it as a shared read. Thanks for the review (and for visiting my thread).

#230 The sequel to Shanghai Girls, Dreams of Joy is out already Valerie. I only know this because I check out Audible almost every day to see what's new and hot and it's being featured prominently right now.

Liked your review of The Alchemist. I remember when it came out, all the people who were remotely into new agey stuff were falling all over themselves saying how life transforming it was. I rarely listen to hype, and I didn't believe it then, but I still picked it up to see what the big fuss was about and had a similar reaction to it as you did. I think Coelho has his heart in the right place, but I think I'm too cynical to appreciate his kind of writing.

The Alchemist sounds a little too abstract for me, and I have heard that from others as well, but your very nice review of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan has inspired me to seek that one out.

I've always wanted to read The Alchemist, Valerie. But I've held back because and I not yet enjoyed any book by Coelho. His writing is a bit.......hmmmm, different.

Very good review of The Alchemist, I'd wondered about this one too, especially since it often appears on top 100 lists, but I think I can safely pass it by now - thanks.

>246 AnneDC:. Hi Anne! Don't we all struggle with the same issue here. Too many books clamouring for our attention and not enough time to meet all the demands! I hope you get a chance to squeeze in Snow Flower and the Secret Fan sometime soon.

>247 Smiler69: I saw the book at the bookstore this weekend as well. Right aways I recognized that it was the sequel because the book looked so much like the cover for Shanghai Girls. You nailed it on the head when you described it like "new agey" stuff. But then he throws in all these biblical references which really confused me because I had no idea if this new age or this as christian or both or neither, hence my confusion. :)

>248 chinquapin: The writing is simple enough and very easy to understand. I think it is more is ideas that are a bit convoluted for my tastes.

>249 Carmenere: I've always been intrigued by Coelho's work since I've seen his books everywhere but I've never bought anything of his except for The Alchemist and now I probably won't buy his other books if his ideas are about the same.

>250 KiwiNyx: Thanks Leonie! I think this book was a big hit during that whole new age bandwagon that everyone was jumping on for a bit there.

After reading the book, it has made me more curious to hear the perspective of someone who LOVES the book. It would be interesting to see how they "read" the book.

Time for a new Thread.