Smiler: Speedier than Lightning in 2011. Part Cinq.

My Threads
Part Un (Books 1-5)
Part Deux (Books 6-29)
Part Trois (Books 30-54)
Part Quatre (Books 55-72)

11 in 11 Challenge:
Category #1: The Classics 6/11
Category #2: Émile Zola's Rougon-Macquart Series 3/11
Category #3: Mysteries & Crime Fiction 6/11
Category #4: Visual Arts 3/11
Category #5: Books Published Since 2009 6/11
Category #6: New To Me Authors 6/11
Category #7: Big and Scary: books over 400 pages 4/11
Category #8: The Two World Wars and the Time In-Between 6/11
Category #9: En Français 4/11
Category #10: Sooner Than Later: Recent Acquisitions 7/11
Category #11: The Film Might Be Good But the Book is Better 6/11

Currently Reading:
In Search of Klingsor by Jorge Volpi
♫ Les âmes grises (By a Slow River) by Philippe Claudel

My rating system:
★ - hated it (suffered through 100+ pages & listing it for the trouble)
★★ - it was just ok
★★★ - enjoyed it (good)
★★★★ - loved it! (very good)
★★★★★ - all-time favourite (blew me away—will read again)

⅛ ¼ ⅓ ½ ¾ ⅞

♫ = audiobook
✔ = off the shelf

Books completed in May
79. ♫ Animal Farm by George Orwell ★★★★★ (review)
80. Playback: A Graphic Novel by Raymond Chandler ★★¼ (review)
81. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys ★★★★¼ (review)
82. ♫ Dubliners by James Joyce ★★★★ (review)
83. ♫ The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht ★★★★★ (review)
84. ♫ Gros-Câlin by Romain Gary ★★★★⅓ (review)
85. L'argent facile (Easy Money) - Stockholm Noir 1, by Jens Lapidus ★½ (review)
86. The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo ★★★★ (review)
87. ♫ And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie ★★★★ (review)
88. Emma, Volume 1 by Kaoru Mori ★★½ (review)
89. ♫ La petite fille de monsieur Linh (Monsieur Linh and His Child) by Philippe Claudel ★★★★½ (review)
90. Lost and Found by Shaun Tan ★★★★★ (review)
91. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain ★★★★ (review)
92. Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 by David Petersen ★★★ (review)
93. ♫ Mansfield Park by Jane Austen ★★★¾ (review)
94. The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva ★★★¾ (review)
95. The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger ★★½ (review)
96. Daytripper by Fabio Moon & Gabriel Ba ★★★½ (review)
97. ♫ Killing Floor by Lee Child ★★★½ (review)
98. ♫ Flying Too High : a Phryne Fisher Mystery by Kerry Greenwood ★★★½ (review)
99. Silas Marner by George Eliot ★★★★ (review)
100. ♫ An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin

Planned reads for May
1. *Silas Marner by George Eliot - (Library Book, TIOLI #13, 206 p.)
2. ♫ *Mansfield Park by Jane Austen - (group read, TIOLI #13, )
3. ✔ Stupeur et tremblements (Fear and Trembling) by Amélie Nothomb - (TIOLI #13, 11 in 11, 171 p.)
4. *La Conquête de Plassans (The Conquest of Plassans) by Émile Zola - (Library Book, 466 p.)
5. *The Paris Wife by Paula McLain - (Library Book, TIOLI #13, 320 p.)
6. ✔ The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva - (TIOLI #13, M&M, 428 p.)
7. ✔ Caught Stealing Charlie Huston - (TIOLI #13, M&M, 240 p.)
8. ✔ The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of The Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester - (M&M, 242 p.)
9. *Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys - (M&M, Library Book, 155 p.)
10. ♫ And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie - (TIOLI #1, M&M)
11. *Playback : a graphic novel by Raymond Chandler - (M&M, Library Book, TIOLI #8, 98 p.)
12. *In Search of Klingsor by Jorge Volpi - (Library Book, TIOLI #2, 414 p.)
13. *L'argent facile (Stockholm Noir 1) by Jens Lapidus - (TIOLI #13, M&M, 11 in 11, Library Book, 536 p.)
14. ✔ The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood (288 p.)
15. ✔ Mystic River by Dennis Lehane (TIOLI #1, M&M, 11 in 11, 416 p.)
16. Queenpin by Megan Abbott (TIOLI #6, M&M, 180 p.)
17. ♫ The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht (TIOLI #13, 11 in 11)

TIOLI Optional Reads:
♫ On the Road by Jack Kerouac - (TIOLI #7)
♫ Animal Farm by George Orwell - (TIOLI #2)
♫ A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving - (TIOLI #13)
♫ Dubliners by James Joyce (TIOLI #12, 11 in 11)
✔ Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill - (TIOLI #13, M&M, 11 in 11, 352 p.)
✔ Soulless by Gail Carriger - (TIOLI #12, M&M, 384 p.)

May Murder & Mayhem (M&M) Optional Reads:
✔ Double Indemnity James M. Cain - (TIOLI #18)
✔ The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett - (TIOLI #18)
✔ Les inconnus dans la maison (The Strangers in the House) Georges Simenon - (TIOLI #18)
✔ Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue - (TIOLI #18)
✔ Out by Natsuo Kirino - (TIOLI #12)
✔ Christine Falls by Benjamin Black - (TIOLI #18)
✔ One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson - (TIOLI #18)

June Suggested Reading
1. ♫ *The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell - (Library Book, Group Read)
2. *The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin - (ER book received May 5th)
3. *The Tiger : A True Story of Vengeance and Survival by John Vaillant - (Library Book, TIOLI #12)
4. *La Conquête de Plassans (The Conquest of Plassans) by Émile Zola - (Library Book, TIOLI #18)
5. *L'apprentissage amoureux by Laetitia Bourget - (Library Book, TIOLI #1)
6. *L'enfant sans âge / The Old Child by Jenny Erpenbeck - (Library Book, TIOLI #1)
7. *Le bois de Klara (Visitation) by Jenny Erpenbeck - (Library Book, TIOLI #1)
8. *Le Chat du Rabbin: La Bar-Mitsva (The Rabbi's Cat, Book 1) - (Library Book, TIOLI #1)
9. *Le Chat du Rabbin: Le Malka des Lions (The Rabbi's Cat, Book 2) - (Library Book)
10. *Le Chat du Rabbin: L'Exode (The Rabbi's Cat, Book 3) - (Library Book)
11. *Monstres Malades by Emmanuelle Houdart - (Library Book, TIOLI #1)
12. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman

TIOLI Alternate Options
♫ Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë - (TIOLI #5: Oscar Nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay)
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett - (TIOLI #5)
Double Indemnity by James M. Cain - (TIOLI #5)
♫ Great Expectations by Charles Dickens - (TIOLI #5)
A Passage to India by E.M. Forster - (TIOLI #5)
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton - (TIOLI #5)
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro - (TIOLI #5)
Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo - (TIOLI #5)
Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh - (TIOLI #5)
The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith - (TIOLI #5)
The novel Mystic River by Dennis Lehane - (TIOLI #5)
Atonement by Ian McEwan - (TIOLI #5)
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink - (TIOLI #5)

* = must read
♫ = audiobook
✔ = off the shelf

Books I've read so far:

January:
1. Barney's Version by Mordecai Richler (TIOLI) ★★★★ (review)
2. La Belle au Bois Dormant (Sleeping Beauty) by Tahar Ben Jelloun (TIOLI) ★★★★ (review)
3. Regeneration - 1st of the Regeneration Trilogy by Pat Barker (TIOLI) ★★★★★ (review)
4. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane ★★★ (review)
5. Sanderson: The Essence of English Decoration by Mary Schoeser ★★★★½ (review)
6. Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart (TIOLI) ★★★ (review)
7. Doors Open by Ian Rankin (TIOLI) ★★★ (review)
8. The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson ★★★★ (review)
9. A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon ★★★★ (review)
10. The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt (TIOLI) ★★★★ (review)
11. Egon Schiele: The Leopold Collection by Rudolf Leopold (TIOLI) ★★★½ (review)
12. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (TIOLI, Group Read) ★★★ (review)
13. The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket ★★★ (review)
14. The Arrival by Shaun Tan ★★★★★ (review)
15. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak ★★★★ (review)
16. The Bells by Richard Harvell ★★★★ (review)
17. Black and Blue by Ian Rankin ★★½ (TIOLI) (review)
18. ♫ Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens ★★★ (TIOLI) (review)
19. ♫ Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney ★★★★ (review)
20. The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom ★★★★ (review)

February:
21. Through a Glass Darkly by Donna Leon ★★★ (review)
22. ♫ Skellig by David Almond ★★★ (review)
23. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman ★★★★★ (review)
24. Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe ★★★½ (review)
25. ♫ The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman ★★★★★ (review)
26. ♫ The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West ★★★★½ (review)
27. ♫ The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins ★★★★⅓ (review)
28. ♫ Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll ★★★★½ (notes on the audiobook)
29. Three Seconds by Roslund & Hellström ★★★ (review)
30. The Turn of the Screw and The Aspern Papers by Henry James ★★★★ (review)
31. ♫ The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie ★★★½ (review)
32. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski ★★★★ (review)
33. ♫ Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman ★★★★¼ (review)
34. La Fortune des Rougons by Émile Zola ★★★★ (review)
35. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins ★★★★ (review)
36. ♫ The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton ★★★★ (review)
37. The Eye in the Door by Pat Barker ★★★⅘ (review)

March:
38. ♫ Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood ★★★⅘ (review)
39. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot ★★★★¼ (review)
40. ♫ The Help by Kathryn Stockett ★★★★⅓ (review)
41. Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman ★★★¾ (review)
42. Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko ★★★¾ (review)
43. ♫ The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie ★★★ (review)
44. Coraline by Neil Gaiman ★★★★ (review)
45. Tales From Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan ★★★★ (review)
46. Dead Souls by Ian Rankin ★★½ (review)
47. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney ★★½ (review)
48. ♫ Already Dead by Charlie Huston ★★★¾ (review)
49. ♫ The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman ★★★★⅓ (review)
50. ♫ Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene ★★★½ (review)
51. Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman ★★★¾ (review)
52. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen ★★⅚ (review)
53. My Reading Life by Pat Conroy ★★⅚ (review)
54. ♫ Tripwire by Lee Child ★★★★ (review)
55. The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri ★★★½ (review)
56. ♫ Matilda by Roald Dahl ★★★★ (review)
57. The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James ★★★★½ (review)

April:
58. ♫ Three Men in a Boat (to say nothing of the dog) by Jerome K. Jerome ★★★★ (review)
59. Sandman: The Doll's House by Neil Gaiman ★★½ (review)
60. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón ★★★★⅝ (review)
61. ♫ Mildred Pierce by James M. Cain ★★★★ (review)
62. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick ★★★★ (review)
63. Invisible River by Helena McEwen ★ (Read for Early Reviewers) (review)
64. ♫ Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn ★★★★⅓ (review)
65. ♫ Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson ★★★★⅞ (review)
66. ♫ Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh ★★★★⅓ (review)
67. La Curée (The Kill) by Émile Zola ★★★★⅓ (review)
68. ♫ The Inimitable Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse ★★⅘ (review)
69. The Rehearsal by Eleanor Catton ★★½ (review)
70. Mockingjay (Hunger Games 3) by Suzanne Collins ★★★★ (review)
71. ♫ Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë ★★★★⅞ (review)
72. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman ★★★★½ (review)
73. Apollo's Angels : A History of Ballet by Jennifer Homans ★★★★½ (review)
74. ♫ Grass for His Pillow (Tales of the Otori: Book 2) by Lian Hearn ★★★½ (review)
75. ♫ The Fall of the House of Usher: The Pit and the Pendulum and Other Tales of Mystery and Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe ★★★⅝ (review)
76. A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway ★★★★ (review)
77. ♫ The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino ★★★⅓ (review)
78. Le Ventre de Paris (The Belly of Paris) by Émile Zola ★★★★⅓ (review)

Books I'd like to read this year (the short list)

1. ✔ Prodigal Summer and/or The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
2. ✔ Polio: An American Story by David M. Oshinsky
3. ✔ Of Mice and Men and Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
4. ✔ The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
5. ✔ Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
6. ✔ Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
7. ✔ A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
8. ✔ The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
9. ✔ La Fortune des Rougons by Émile Zola (Rougon-Macquart 1)
10. ♫ Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
11. ♫ Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
12. ✔ The Moment of Seeing by Stephanie Comer
13. ✔ The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
14. ✔ The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
15. ✔ The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
16. ✔ The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
17. ✔ Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
18. ✔ Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
19. ✔ A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
20. ✔ The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
21. ✔ The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
22. ✘ Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky
23. ✔ Samarcande by Amin Maalouf
24. ✔ La vie devant soi (The Life Before Us) by Romain Gary
25. ✔ Stupeurs et tremblements (Fear and Trembling) by Amélie Nothomb
26. ✔ L'enfant de sable (The Sand Child) by Tahar Ben Jelloun
27. ✔ The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
28. ✔ Crete by Barry Unsworth
29. ✔ Blindness by José Saramago
30. ✔ Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey
31. ✔ Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh
32. ✔ The Difference Engine by William Gibson
33. ✔ The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
34. ✔ One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson
35. ✔ The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
36. ✔ The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan
37. ✘ The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman
38. ✔ La Curée by Émile Zola (Rougon-Macquart 2)
39. ✘ Le Ventre de Paris by Émile Zola (Rougon-Macquart 3)
40. ✘ La Conquête de Plassans by Émile Zola (Rougon-Macquart 4)
41. ✘ La Faute de l'Abbé Mouret by Émile Zola (Rougon-Macquart 5)
42. ✘ Son Excellence Eugène Rougon by Émile Zola (Rougon-Macquart 6)
43. ✔ L'Assomoir by Émile Zola (Rougon-Macquart 7)
44. ✘ Une Page d'Amour by Émile Zola (Rougon-Macquart 8)
45. ✔ Nana by Émile Zola (Rougon-Macquart 9)
46. ✔ Pot-Bouille by Émile Zola (Rougon-Macquart 10)
47. ✔ Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
48. ✘ To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
49. ✘ Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet by Jennifer Homans
50. ✘ Cleopatra : A Life by Stacy Schiff
51. ✔ The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
52. ✘ The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
53. ✔ The Shadow in the North by Philip Pullman
54. ✔ L'élégance du hérisson by Muriel Barbery
55. ✔ La forme de l'eau by Andrea Camilleri
56. ✔ l'Excursion à Tindari by Andrea Camilleri
57. ✔ L'enfant de Noé by Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt
58. ✘ La reine Margot by Alexandre Dumas
59. ✔ Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
60. ✔ The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill
61. ♫ ❉ A Doll's House and Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen
62. ♫ An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin
63. ♫ Animal Farm by George Orwell
64. ♫ Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
65. ♫ ❉ As You Like It by Shakespeare
66. ♫ Birds Without Wings by Louis de Bernières
67. ♫ Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo
68. ♫ Coraline by Neil Gaiman
69. ✔ American Gods by Neil Gaiman
70. ♫ ❉ Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe
71. ♫ Dubliners by James Joyce
72. ♫ Gros-câlin by Romain Gary
73. ♫ Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
74. ♫ No Dominion by Charlie Huston (unfinished)
75. ♫ Passing by Nella Larsen
76. ♫ Tales Of Mystery and Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe
77. ♫ Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
78. ♫ The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde
79. ♫ The Blue Notebook by James Levine
80. ♫ ❉ The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov
81. ♫ The Girls of Slender Means by Muriel Spark
82. ♫ Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
83. ♫ Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller
84. ♫ When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
85. ✭ The Tenant by Javier Cercas
86. ✭ Possession by A.S. Byatt
87. ✭ The War of the End of the World by Mario Vargas Llosa
88. ✭ Miss Hargreaves by Frank Baker
89. ✭ There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbor's Baby by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya
90. ✭ Queenpin by Megan Abbott
91. ✭ The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing Traitor to the Nation by M. T. Anderson
92. ✭ The Cavalier of the Apocalypse by Susanne Alleyn

✔ = off the shelf
✘ = to borrow, mooch, or purchase
✭ = recent acquisition
♫ = audiobook (off the shelf)
❉ = performance

(ongoing editing)

First?? Am I first??? :)

*Planting a big FAT STAR*
Love how organized you are Ilana! And of course the pictures are so pretty. :)

First?? Am I first??? :)

You sure are, doll! :-)

Normally, I'd offer you a cup of tea, but since it's Saturday night and we've had real spring weather, I was in the mood for a Stella. Would you like one?

And I'm second! Love the pics. Are they your creations?

Today is a good day for starting a new thread. :-)

Lovely picture at the start of your thread!

Hi Donna! Yes, that's a watercolour I did maybe a month (or two) ago. I quite like it, because it's a bit childlike—an imaginary place I'd love to transport myself too, since I'm citybound and miss the country and skies filled with stars...

Today is a good day for starting a new thread.

Yes, I figured, new month, new thread. It's worked out that way so far anyway.

Thanks Linda, and welcome!

Even more beautiful now that I know you did them yourself!!
I'll have to confess that I have no idea what a Stella is but since you offered, I am up for new experiences. :)

I am crazy for rich blue in watercolor paintings, especially paired with something with a yellow-tint, like your green there. So pretty!

#12 LOL!

It's a Stella Artois! Belgian beer. I very rarely drink alcohol (or beer, for that matter) anymore since it kind of messes with the medication I take, and I get tipsy VERY fast. In fact, I'm on my second beer and feeling kind of silly NOW.

Still wanna join me? :-)

I'm just going to finish this one nice and slow and stop there, but you feel free to have as many as you like!

Hi Keri! I really love working with watercolours, and every time I discover a colour I like (from other students, or the instructor) I run out and get it immediately. Of course, the colours on the pic and screen aren't absolutely true to what they're like in RL though, but close enough, methinks. I'm kind of a "tortured artist"; i.e. it takes me forever to get over my apprehensions and do anything since I always worry it won't be good enough, or ask myself what the point of it all is... you get the idea. But this one, as unsophisticated as it is, was really fun to do. I just felt playful and enjoyed the process a whole lot. I tried to show that process a little bit with the picture on the left hand side. Glad you like it. :-)

Knowing that pics are your artwork, now they are even more beautiful.

Aw, that's really sweet of you to say Linda. Truly warms my heart. I suppose I could indicate above that it's my own work, but I'm kind of shy to. A bit of mystery is always a good thing anyway, right? :-)

I'm loving the watercolours also and you are quite talented to get that much depth and intensity out of the paint, I admire anyone who can wield watercolours with such precision. Expressionism is one of my favourite styles as well so I can only say that I hope you feel brave enough to post some more of your work soon.

Ilana, I'm so impressed with your watercolours! My Mom and sister are both artists, but they do not work with watercolours. So pretty! Hope you enjoyed your Stellas last night.

Ilana- I didn't even realize you started a new thread! I found you now! I love your watercolor, at the top! The colors really jump out. Perfect for May!
Wow, you have quite a To-do list there! Good luck!

Great pic! I love the colors.

Pass me a Stella! :)

Lovely pictures...Lovely everything!

STARRED, as usual

;-}

I was a little sad to say say goodbye to the lovely tulips from your last thread, but when I opened your new one and saw your beautiful watercolor - Wow!!

I am also amazed at how organized you are, I love all the symbols that you use, it immediately identifies what and how you are reading. I see you have a busy reading month planned for May!

#18 Thanks for the great feedback! To be fair, I've been taking watercolour classes for the past couple of years. I started by taking two beginners classes in a row to get plenty of practice and assimilate the techniques, then two intermediate classes and I'm now taking an "Abstract Watercolours" class, which I believe is quite unique and which I'm enjoying tremendously. I have to give credit to my instructor, who is not only an amazing teacher, but also an amazingly talented artist in her own right. As for showing my work, I have a blog that I started at this time last year for that purpose, only I've been neglecting it so will try to "feed" it more often.

#19 Hi Brit! I like to switch around between painting (acrylics for now) and drawing (charcoal, pastel, pen, pencil), but have to say that watercolours are becoming one of my favourite mediums these days. I think this might have something to do with my teacher. She has such a passion for that medium, along with a passion for encouraging everybody's talent, that it's no wonder she has her own following.

#20 Hey Mark! I just started the new thread last night, so you're early still. The "to do" list at the top is VERY ambitious, you're right, but I don't actually have any intention of reading all those books I just like to have lists to refer to for direction because with all the books I have to choose from here at home (and that I often purchase and borrow), I sometimes get overwhelmed with options otherwise.

The Stellas were nice, but I truly was very tipsy by the time I was halfway through the second one, and it must have taken me an hour to finish it. That was the extent of my "drinking binge" but still, I believe I might have a hangover today!

#21 Hi Jim! I have a nice cold one left in the fridge for you. Help yourself and come join me on the back porch, it's a beautiful day in these parts!

#22 Hey Jude darling, I'll be over to visit you soon to see how you're doing. But I always love seeing that funny smile of yours over in my own quarters too! I've got loads of reviews to churn out, so I hope you'll have a peep at them and leave your comments when I finally get the written and posted!

#23 You know what Judy? I felt the same way about leaving the tulips behind and actually briefly considered posting more tulips here from the same batch of pictures. But change is good too, right?

As for being "organized", don't be fooled by what you see. I did after all do my studies in graphic design and then become an art director; I worked at creating visuals for the better part of my adult life, so I know how to make things *look* tidy (and probably spend altogether too much time at it), but that's just so I can see past my own clutter! :-)

Hi Ilana. I love your watercolours :-)

Thank you Heather! :-)

Found your new thread. I'm impressed with your artistic ability. I'm not that good at things like that so I'm always in awe of those who are.

Welcome Angela! I've been involved with art in one form or another practically all my life. Sadly, I don't devote enough time to it, but it's one of the things that gives me the most satisfaction.

73. Apollo's Angels : A History of Ballet by Jennifer Homans (672 pages) ★★★★½
(Read for TIOLI: Cover Art and 11 in 11: Big and Scary: books over 400 pages)

Balanchine with his NYCB dancers.

Jennifer Homan’s comprehensive look at the history of ballet, when I discovered it via The New York Time’s Sunday Book Review (it later made the list of the NYT’s 10 best books of 2010), was a long-awaited treat. The book is structured in two parts; part 1, “France and the Classical Origins of Ballet”, devotes the first chapter to Louis XIV. The second part of the book is almost entirely dedicated to the Russians, starting with Peter the Great, and ending with the Russian influence on ballet in America. Homans places ballet squarely in historical, political and philosophical contexts, and presents the most influential European personalities who transformed it, according to their own life experiences and physical aptitudes, the teachings of their mentors, their training, and what was most likely to appeal to the public.

Louis XIV as The Sun King.

Classical ballet, originating in Italy’s courts in the 15th century, was famously adopted in the 17th century by France’s King Louis XIV, The Sun King, thus named after his role as Apollo in a famous ballet performance for which he wore a golden costume covered with glowing gems. Making his début as a dancer at age 13, Louis XIV elevated his passion for ballet to a matter of state:

“Under Louis XIV, dance became much more than a blunt instrument with which to display royal opulence and power. He made it integral to life at court, a symbol and requirement of aristocratic identity so deeply ingrained and internalized that the art of ballet would be forever linked to his reign. It was at Louis's court that the practices of royal spectacle and aristocratic social dance were distilled and refined; it was under his auspices that the rules and conventions governing the art of classical ballet were born.”

Balanchine with his New York City Ballet dancers.

The last two chapters are dedicated to ballet in the U.S.A. where the contributions of 20th Century choreographers Jerome Robbins (1918-1998) and George Balanchine (1904-1983) are discussed at length. Balanchine’s legacy is immense; he made ballet a 20th century art form, founded the New York City Ballet and the School of American Ballet, and created groundbreaking choreographies which are still performed by ballet companies around the world today. Sadly, most of the 400 ballets Balanchine conceived did not survive; as Homans explains, before the advent of film and video, there had never been a satisfactory system devised which could faithful record the complexity of dances, which for the most part lived on only in the creator’s minds.

Galina Ulanova: Pride of the USSR.

As an amateur—though by no means a connoisseur—of ballet, I found this book to be a fascinating and thorough examination of an art form which has always had a special place in my heart. One of it’s great merits is that it touched on many other areas of interest. The lengthy passages on specific dances and choreographies would probably best appeal to a more specialized audience, but this should not be a deterrent. Homans, with her background as a professional dancer and her thorough understanding and appreciation for the craft, backed with the solid research of a conscientious journalist (she has written for a number of reputable publications, such as The New York Times and is a dance critic as The New Republic), has written a book which deserves to be considered the authoritative work on ballet. To my mind, she has perfectly captured the essence and spirit of an art form which is by nature ephemeral, and she has done so in a way that makes for interesting—a pleasurable—reading.

A more comprehensive version of this review can be found right here.

Ilana- Wow! You made a work of art out of your review! Great job! I do not know anything about ballet but you sure made it sound appealing.

Exquisite review!!!! My friend Sonja...who lives in Philadelphia...has been promising to send me her extra copy of Apollo's Angels...but I haven't seen it yet...now I'm becoming impatient...

You do good work
;-}

#31 Mark, what a great compliment! I'm always impressed when someone's review makes me want to read a book about something that wouldn't normally be in my area of interest. I know ballet has a limited audience and wasn't expecting to sway anyone who doesn't already have an interest in it. I consider the fact that I may have piqued your interest a little bit to be a great achievement! :-)

#32 Oh Jude, I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. I had considered purchasing it from the moment it hit the bookstores, but balked at the price (I usually wait for the cheaper softcover versions). I borrowed this copy from the library, but it's such a great reference that I'm seriously considering purchasing the hardcover for myself as a keeper. I'm glad you enjoyed the review. For some reason it ended up taking up more time than I've ever spent on a review before. Days and days and days. I think it might have something to do with the fact that this topic is close to my heart, and also because, how do you review something which is by nature always striving for perfection? A daunting task, but glad you enjoyed it. Did you see the long version on my blog?

In other very important news, I received two books in the mail from BookDepository yesterday. Both books weren't available at the library, so I felt perfectly guilt free to get What Maisie Knew by Henry James (recommended by tash99) and Seven Gothic Tales by Isak Dinesen, recommended by my good friend Jude (jdthloue).

Cover of What Maisie Knew taken from Alice in Wonderland by George Dunlop Leslie (1879)

>30 Smiler69:: Excellent review, Ilana...both the long and short versions. You did a great job of condensing your thoughts for LT. The pictures were the perfect visual accompaniment. I really liked how you included your personal experiences and your longheld love of ballet. I hate that it appears to be a dying art.

Nice blog, too. I refreshed my memory of your thoughts on The House of Mirth while I was over there. We're still discussing this (our last book) in my class.

>33 Smiler69: Yes, doll, I read the Long Review on your blog.....glad you got the Dinesen...and the James....both books are long-time favorites...

;-}

#34 Donna, thanks so much for your feedback! It's encouraging to know that at least a few people will have read that blasted review. lol. Of course, since ballet is such a visual experience for spectators, I felt the experience wouldn't be complete without a few images, and I must say I had lots of fun choosing them... I'm sure you can imagine there were innumerable fantastic pictures to choose from!

Looking forward to you write-up on The House of Mirth. I felt it was a great introduction to Wharton for me, and am sure I'll be reading it again in future, after I've read several of her other books, including The Age of Innocence of course!

#35 Jude, I have to say I'll always think of you when I read James since I know you're such a big fan. I'm only sorry I didn't go ahead and explore his work earlier in my life, but then again, maybe the timing wouldn't have been right. I have a feeling he'll become one of my favourites too. As for Dinesen, I feel that I'm ready to explore her Gothic tales now that I've gotten a taste for Poe's work. She's another writer I need to explore.

I got hooked on Henry James' work when i was in college...not by "studying" him or anything...I just read Portrait of a Lady and was smitten...onward to The Golden Bowl and Princess Casamassima.....I didn't find his writing difficult at all. Of course, I haven't read any of those books in over 20 years, so don't know how I would fare now.....Enjoy!

;-}

I don't know if it was because I was expecting it to be difficult that it seemed so simple to me, but his writing didn't present me with any difficulties so far. We'll see how it goes as I explore his other works, but Portrait of a Lady has also given me a great incentive to keep going with him.

I am going to check my library for Apolllo's Angels. Always willing to try something new and out of the box for me.

Hope you find it at your library Cindy. I find that for the historical references alone were well-worth the effort.

Today, I received The Vanishing of Katharina Linden from BookDepository (recommended by avatiakh), and The Yiddish Policemen's Union along with A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius from Mark, via BookMooch. When I'll get to actually read all these new books is another story. More are on the way though, which makes me very happy.

On the other hand, I'm very shaken up tonight after taking Coco for his evening walk a couple of hours ago. There's a small park right across from my place where many people bring their dogs; a man was playing catch with his huge Rottweiler and I unthinkingly decided to cross the park with Coco, without picking him up. Thank God I at least had Coco on the leash this time, because that dog came at him like it was trying to mow him down and next thing you know, it had it's giant mouth just an inch over Coco's entire head. I completely panicked, screamed a deathly screech (my throat still hurts, that's how loud it was), grabbed the leash and threw Coco into the air, spinning him around before I could grab him. Which the wrong thing to do, I'm sure (poor thing), but I didn't have time to bend down and pick him up, besides which, I would probably have lost my hand in the process. The man eventually came over and tried telling me his dog was a sweetheart and would never have hurt my little guy, but I beg to differ. That was a very close call. That bitch would have chewed his head off in one swift motion a split-second later. I hate being one of these small dog people who are overprotective, but I'm not letting big dogs get near my little lamb ever again. Talk about high anxiety!

Great review Ilana! So great to see the fruits of your labour and the pictures are an added bonus. It is always wonderful to read a book that you enjoy and doubly so when it is about something you are passionate about. I don't know much about ballet but it is definitely on my to do list to watch a performance one day!

Yikes, what a scary situation with Coco! Hopefully you and the little guy will be able to recover from the shock soon.

Thanks Valerie. Glad you enjoyed the review, and I definitely recommend you see a ballet eventually. If a Russian company comes your way, or you ever get a chance to see the New York City Ballet, be sure not to miss that!

As for Coco and me... he's forgotten all about it, but I'm still in shock and my whole body is hurting after that huge adrenaline surge. Whew!

It's so rude when people don't observe the leash laws. I was walking my Yellow Lab (on leash) when another Lab came tearing over to her. I stepped in front of my dog and yelled, "NO!" at the other dog. The owner cheerfully reassured me that her dog was gentle. I replied that maybe mine wasn't! (Her tail did leave bruises when she wagged it.)

ETA - I would not have done that with a Rottweiler (I hope!).

Oh my goodness, what a scare. It's amazing what people can do when sheer adrenaline powers us.

#44 I'm not intimidated by Rottweilers or other big dogs, and did shout at this one, but I was also very conscious that friendly or not, it had the capacity to tear my arm off. Yikes!

#45 Oh my goodness, what a scare

You can say that again! I was so pumped up last night that I had a lot of trouble falling asleep, and had images from the incident flashing in my mind constantly. Let me tell you I felt very grateful today that Coco is alive and in one piece!

Hi Ilana! I wasn't a very faithful lurker on your last thread, as I fell behind! I'm here now though, and here's a great big hug to make up for the 40+ posts I've missed on this thread! *Hugs*

The dog story is definitely a scary one. What people don't seem to realize is that mean dogs rarely show their aggression around people. Mean dogs are usually more aggressive towards things that are smaller than them (see cats and small dogs) and they are usually sweet and submissive to things that are bigger than them, like humans. It doesn't matter how nice your dog is, you just don't know how it's going to react around other dogs...especially smaller ones.

I'm glad Coco is okay!

I'm glad you and Coco are ok from the scare. I hate it when people do not obey leash laws. We camp frequently and we have a small Jack Russell that we rescued and because of her previous life she is not good with other dogs so when people leave their dogs off a leash (becuase they think they are friendly) and they wander into our site all heck breaks lose. We have to constantly be on the look out for unleashed dogs. Luckily she is great with kids it just seems to be bigger dogs.

Hi Ilana- Sounds terrifying! I hope you'll be okay and I'm sure glad it wasn't worse. Just a bad scare.

Hi Stephen. Thanks for that great big hug. I *almost* felt that through the 'puter screen! ;-)

#48 Thanks for the support. I feel really guilty now, because I don't always obey leash laws, mostly because I hate being tied down to my dog and also because I'm training him to stay by my side. But I'll consider the other side of the medal from now on.

#49 Hi Mark, I did lose sleep over the whole affair yesterday, but I'm ok now. Very happy that Coco is around and safe and happy and pain-free after having been thrown around in the air like a yo-yo in my attempt to save his life!

Oh crikey!......that was a scare! Glad Coco survived...and hope you settle down soon.....Big dogs scare the bejeesus out of me, as well. Given, that I live in the country and there are quite a few feral dogs roaming the area....I tend to stay indoors a lot...especially if I hear the yowling in the distance or, heaven forbid!, some strays come into the yard. On the flip side, my neighbors have a huge St Bernhard/German Shepherd mix....when he "stands" he's as tall as myself...and he's just a big old puppy...with a scary bark/growl.....Rottweilers and Dobermans? One never knows at first sight...best to err on the side of caution...I usually high tail it in the opposite direction...I be chicken!....and Pit bulls....i leave the entire Zip Code!

Hope you calm down and the stress aches lessen......i send one gentle {{{hug}}}

i read The Vanishing of Katharina Linden a while ago (as an ARC)...am curious to hear your take on it. I thought it was pretty good, myself. And anything by Michael Chabon is fine by me!!!

;-}

#51 I think I've gotten over the scare now. But I still get images of the incident flashing in my head once in a while, whatever that means. I'll gladly take the hugs. Hugs are what I miss most because living alone, so whenever I see RL friends, I take advantage of that. I'm a good hugger too, so I send some your way too.

I've never been scared of dogs, nor of any other animal I can think of really... It's true big dogs have the potential to do more damage if they attack, but if you've ever watched an episode of The Dog Whisperer, you know that small dogs and can be just a vicious as the most rabid Pit Bull, and that breed doesn't necessarily enter the equation either. I suppose it's a different story with feral dogs, because you never know what a starved and panicked animal is likely to do. Just walk around with a baseball bat and show them who's boss!

One thing I've always known intuitively is that animals operate almost solely on feelings. If you project fear, they're much more likely to attack. I'm a huge lover of animals, as you know, but I always project: "don't mess with me because I'll hurt you bad" in a totally calm and respectful kind of way. They tend to respect that. LOL. Come to think of it, that's pretty well my attitude in general when I'm walking around by myself, at night, say. Kind, but lethal if needed. ;-)

I received a batch of 9 books in the mail today! One of which is an ER copy of The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin, which I'm putting on the June reading list because of it's size. So far, delaying my reviews by a month or so doesn't seem to have hurt my chances of getting ER books.

The other 8 came from BookCloseouts.ca and averaged at 5.25 CAD each—not an AMAZING bargain, but not bad either. They are (in the order they are presently stacked in):

The Tenant by Javier Cercas (recommended by Darryl/kidzdoc)
Possession by A.S. Byatt
The War of the End of the World by Mario Vargas Llosa
Miss Hargreaves by Frank Baker (a Bloomsbury Group book)
There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbor's Baby by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya (recommended by Kerry/avatiakh)
Queenpin by Megan Abbott
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing Traitor to the Nation by M. T. Anderson (recommended by Kerry/avatiakh)
The Cavalier of the Apocalypse by Susanne Alleyn (had never heard of it before, but I took a chance at $2.99 after seeing it on a few wishlists)

I have no idea when it'll be interesting to see how long it takes me to actually get to them, but the truth is I get such a rush from receiving books and entering & tagging them here on LT that I (not so secretly) wish I could get a batch like that every day... :-)

For some reason, this first transaction with BookCloseouts was more trouble than I anticipated because for some inexplicable reason, the system wouldn't accept my credit card information as valid (it works everywhere else!) But in the end, I put my order through on the phone with a very nice lady at customer service and will be dealing with them again.

Ilana- Another nice haul! I'm not familiar with many of these titles but if you picked 'em, they must be good!
BTW- Stop over at BM sometime and mark those books received. :-}

Mark, I guess it's pretty normal that you haven't heard of quite a few of those book since I see several are listed in less than 200 libraries here (if that). All of them, save two have been recommended either by LT members or via reviews and "best of" lists. I found The Cavalier of the Apocalypse) while looking through the steepest bargains, and Miss Hargreaves because my library doesn't carry any books from the Bloomsbury Group's selection—they are all from the early 20th and re-printed by reader demand—and liked the sound of this one.

So sorry I forgot to indicate I received the books on BM. I'll go fix that oversight right away.

I love receiving books in the mail even though you already know what you will be getting since you ordered it yourself, there is something exciting about ripping through a box and seeing those books waiting for you inside! I just discovered bookcloseout.com not too long ago and have since ordered once from them. No issue with the ordering or the shipping and will probably use them again, but not anytime in the near future as I made a deal with my husband and no more buying books until I finish at least 45% of the unread books on my shelf. :)

Re: Coco. When it comes to taking care of our babies, there is no such thing as being overprotective. We are good moms, plain and simple! I'm glad Coco is okay.

harking back to msg#30. I absolutely loved your review of Apollo's Angels. It sounds like the all-ballet companion to No Fixed Points, and I can't wait to read it. I did read the full version of your review on the blog and enjoyed each word. I wondered about library vs. purchase, but you answered that in a following post. :)

I love receiving books in the mail even though you already know what you will be getting since you ordered it yourself, there is something exciting about ripping through a box and seeing those books waiting for you inside!

My feelings COMPLETELY.

Good luck with the temporary book-bying ban. I'd be very miserable if I had to go without my little "gifts" coming in periodically, though it'll have to come to that if I get to the point where there are so many tbr books that we can't move around!

74. ♫ Grass for His Pillow (Tales of the Otori: Book 2) by Lian Hearn ★★★½
Narrated by: Kevin Gray and Aiko Nakasone
Publisher: HighBridge Audio

At the end of Across the Nightingale Floor, Takeo was kidnapped by members of the Tribe, a clan of murderers who are intent on making him one of theirs. Having inherited an uncommon number of exceptional gifts from his father, he is of great value to them. Here we find Takeo at first fighting them off and attempting to flee, without success. They eventually wear him down and he gives his word that he will stay with the Tribe, even as his heart yearns for Kaede. But Takeo is soon wrapped up in the harsh and difficult training that is required of him and even takes on a lover. Meanwhile, Kaede makes her way back to her family's estate to find that it has fallen in a state of disrepair and poverty. Her father, who has fallen prey to mental illness since Kaede's mother's death, is unable to fulfill his duties and after many attempts and cajoling, she eventually convinces him to teach her skills which are only known to men so that she can take over the running of the estate and secure an army to realize great plans ahead.

Takeo and Kaede's individual struggles were interesting to observe, as is the evolution of both characters from inexperienced youths to committed and driven adults. But I can't say I quite as taken with this book as I was with the first one. That being said, the groundwork is set up for what promises to be a thrilling ride in the third book.

This audio version was narrated by the same duo who are featured in all recordings of this series. While Gray's performance of Takeo's firsthand accounts is highly satisfactory, Nakasone's reading of Kaede is flat and wooden, as if she wasn't completely familiar with the text, which was very distracting. I'll stick to the printed books from now on, even though I'll miss Gray's very agreeable voice.

75. ♫ The Fall of the House of Usher: The Pit and the Pendulum and Other Tales of Mystery and Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe ★★★⅝
Narrator: William Roberts
Publisher: Naxos Audiobooks

This collection, which also features The Tell Tale Heart, The Masque of the Red Death, Ligeia, The Raven, The Cask of Amontillado, The Black Cat, The Premature Burial and The facts in the Case of M. Valdemar, was a great introduction into the macabre world of Edgar Allan Poe. For years, I had stayed away thinking that his stories would be nightmare-inducing, and I suppose they would have been in my younger day, since they don't lack in morbid and grisly details, to which I suppose I've become more or less desensitized over the years. What makes these tales so memorable is that Poe imbues every aspect of his short stories with a sense of doom and despair, making even the pictures on the walls, the draperies and window panes and books and plants and stones sound ominous, and elevates murder, cruelty and various manners of dying, to an art form. Perhaps because I'm such an animal lover, I found The Black Cat, in which the hateful protagonist describes the various manners in which he tortured his cat, difficult to stomach. My favourite story was The Fall of the House of Usher, which with poetic prose builds up nicely to the inevitable catastrophe, and in this case does not involve sadistic and cruel schemes, or hardly, by comparison. Overall, I found the recurring themes of the stories too repetitive to my liking, but I'm sure I'll be reading more Poe in future all the same.

The narrator's approach was effective for conveying the disturbing aspects of the stories, but his style, too bombastic and often overplayed, at times made for an almost comical delivery. Here again, I'll stick to traditional books in future.

WOW! Many thanks for the wonderful review of Apollo's Angels.

Glad you enjoyed it Linda!

76. A Moveable Feast: The Restored Edition by Ernest Hemingway ★★★★

I fell in love with this book—which was at the time my first experience of Hemingway—when I read it a few years ago, and was very much looking forward to this new edition. Hemingway's grandson Seán Hemingway oversaw this project, and in his introduction he explains that Hemingway was continually making changes and adjustments to his text up until the end of his life, sometimes reverting to previous versions, and that he had not written a satisfactory introduction, nor a last chapter, nor found titles for the individual stories or for the book itself, these having been chosen by the editor at Sribner's before the original 1964 publication. Here the stories are presented in a different order and with Hemingway's last changes to the text taken into consideration, and best of all, we find sketches of unfinished stories which he wrote as material for the book, which of course had never been published before.

I especially loved the stories about his contemporaries such a Ford Maddox Ford and F. Scott Fitzgerald, as well as Gertrude Stein, among many of the people referred to whom he doesn't hesitate to poke fun at. Though one senses that there is a sense of longing for what may have been simpler times for him, or at least, more youthful ones, there is a dry sense of humour throughout which gives an impression of lightheartedness even when he broaches difficult topics. The first time I read this book, I had no idea what he was talking about half the time, but was so enamoured with his famously pared down style that it didn't matter to me. This time around, maybe I was trying to find meaning too hard, which proved slightly less satisfying. I have many more books of his still to read and I'm sure that once I've read those, as well as other works by his peers, along with various other fiction and non-fiction books about the times, I'll come back to this book again and again with renewed appreciation.

I took a break from my M&M. I started A Moveable Feast yesterday. Really enjoying it.

Ilana- Wow, is right, you've been busy over here, knocking 'em out. I would love to go back and re-visit Poe, maybe audio would be the way to go.
Loved the review of Moveable Feast. I agree, it's a special book.

Nice review of A Moveable Feast, Ilana; I read the restored version last year, and also enjoyed it.

Great book haul, BTW.

>41 Smiler69:: Poor Coco...and poor Ilana. That was quite a scare. Years ago our previous Lab named Brandy got attacked by two German Shepherds while we were on a walk. All the dogs were on leashes. Not a pretty sight with all those leashes tangled amongst dog fur and blood. I jumped right in there and got a few nips. Brandy wasn't very hurt but we were both badly shaken...and had to walk home...limping and bleeding!

And then there's the "new" dog, Lucky. A 90-lb Lab that was dumped and had many issues (hating other dogs among them) when he adopted us. He still growls at dogs his size and larger, but he's made friends with the little guys. Maybe because he doesn't feel threatened by a smaller dog? My son won't bring his two Boxers to visit anymore because one got his ear bitten last time. Not exactly the way to build strong family ties.

>53 Smiler69:: It looks like you had a happy mail call yesterday. Possession is a favorite of mine, although it's pretty polarizing here on LT I think.

>76 alcottacre:: The restored edition of A Moveable Feast looks interesting. I found out at last night's book club that our June book will be A Farewell to Arms. I haven't read any Hem books (except for my recent rdg. of A Moveable Feast) since high school. I'm looking forward to this one.

#64 Glad you're enjoying it Cindy. The first time I read that book, I completely fell in love with Hemingway. I was sitting on my back porch and started reading it in the evening, and ended up sitting there through the night until I read the last word (good thing it's a short book.) Quite unforgettable.

#65 Mark, I made myself write those reviews in the shortest amount of time possible since I've got so many of them to catch up on. All thanks to all that time spent on Apollo's Angels. I should be knocking out a second batch pretty soon.

#66 Hi Darryl, nice to see you in these parts! I enjoyed the restored edition quite a lot. It felt like a completely different book from the original, which I suppose is the case in many ways.

#67 Donna, that story about Brandy is quite scary. You must have been terrified, the both of you. Leashes are by no means a guarantee of complete security, though in my case this time it proved to be a lifesaver. As for Lucky, sounds like he'd had a rough go of it before you adopted him. It's really too bad he doesn't get along with your son's Boxers (I love Boxers by the way), but maybe it doesn't help that there's two of them? The intimidation factor might be too much for Lucky to handle. But at least, if you ever want to get a second dog, you know that small is the safe way to go.

I wasn't familiar with Byatt until the movie version of Possession came out (which I didn't watch by the way). I was reticent to read this book for a long time since I haven't read much poetry so far, but I've been assured by several LTers that one doesn't have to be a poetry aficionado to enjoy the book. I really enjoyed The Children's Book so it'll be interesting to see how I feel about this one.

A Farewell to Arms has been sitting on my shelf for too long now. Maybe I'll put it on my June reading list and read it along with you.

Hi Ilana. Just stopping by to star your thread. Is that your artwork in Msg#1? It's beautiful!

You're also obviously a power reader. 78 books already! Congratulations on reading 75 books before the year is even half over.

I thumbed your review of A Moveable Feast. At some point, I'd like to read the restored version. I loved your description of your first read of this book (reading it straight through on your porch).

Also, I'm very glad you and Coco are OK. That sounds like a very frightening experience.

Hi Pat, I guess I've been keeping busy with reading, but I can't help but wonder how many books I'd have read by now if I spent less time here on LT and online in general...

The piece at the top is something I did for my watercolours class. The assignment was "paint a landscape from your imagination."

Coco and I are fine, thanks. Now I'll just have to watch it and make sure I don't become obsessed with all the potential dangers lurking out there.

but I can't help but wonder how many books I'd have read by now if I spent less time here on LT and online in general...

I think that all the time! Oh wait...look at what I'm doing....I'm on LT AGAIN. :)

LOL. Tell me about it. For the past two hours now, I've been telling myself I should hit the books. Instead, I spent the last 90 minutes on BookCloseouts looking for more great bargains, (when just earlier today I was swearing I'd curb my book-buying habit), and now it feels like I MUST keep up with the threads or I'll fall hopelessly behind. *Sigh*

Ilana, I think we are just a hopeless bunch. Instead of fighting it, we should just embrace it whole heartedly and hope that the people around us understand our sickness...hahaha :)

Have to agree with you there Val. The good thing about living by myself is that I don't have to justify my behaviour to anyone at all, and my pets don't seem to mind either. ;-)

#74 Completely agree with you there and I don't even have pets to complain :)

Since I am only 75 messages behind, I thought it was about time I check in. . .

#75 Piyush, as long as we have books, then we are never alone. Am I right?

#76 Hi Stasia, it's always nice having you over.

77. ♫ The Devotion of Suspect X ★★★⅓
Narrator: David Pittu
Publisher: Macmillan Audio

When Yasuko's abusive ex-husband shows up uninvited and unwelcome at the apartment she shares with her teen-aged daughter one day, things quickly escalade and he ends up dead. Before she has had time to figure out what to do next, her next door neighbour Ishigami, a middle-aged mathematics teacher whom she hardly knows, offers to help dispose of the body and creates the perfect alibi for her. Though the police can't find any incriminating evidence against her, detective Kusanagi's instincts tell him something isn't quite right with Yasuko's story. He discusses the case with his brilliant physicist friend Dr. Yukawa, who, as luck would have it, was friends with the mathematician in his college days and discovers to pay his old friend a visit.

This was a cleverly told mystery with an interesting plot twist toward then end, though I sometimes felt like the investigation was going in circles, and found the pacing a bit slow and plodding. One of the elements of the story I found most interesting was that it was never made completely clear whether Ishigami's obsession lay with the beautiful Yasuko or with his passion for mathematics. Good, but not great.

The audio version proved completely satisfactory.

a "thumbed" review....as usual

You're putting me to shame..I haven't read anything but cookbooks...in a week! EEK!

At first blush, this reminded me of Out.....but only "at first'

;-}

78. Le Ventre de Paris (The Belly of Paris) by Émile Zola (Les Rougon-Macquart, Book 3) ★★★★⅓
(Read for TIOLI and 11 in 11: Rougon-Macquart Series)

When half dead and starving escapee Florent Quenu returns to Paris after having been wrongfully held as a political prisoner following Napoleon IIIs coup d'état in 1851, he finds his way to the recently built indoor food market Les Halles, where his younger brother (simply known as Quenu) owns a charcuterie. Florent is offered room and board with Quenu and his wife Lisa, who also find him a job at the food market. But the plump and lovely Lisa, who holds up the bourgeois values of stability and individual comfort above all else, is suspicious of Florent and his gaunt physique, believing, like many of her milieu, that only dishonest people who refuse to work for their food end up skinny. Florent, on the other hand, finds himself ill at ease being surrounded with food all day long, and he escapes to the local pub at night to discuss politics and mount an insurrection against the corrupt administration, which he holds responsible for his imprisonment and despises for it's lack of social conscience. In addition to using food as a metaphor for wealth and pitting the skinny against the poor to describe social struggles, Zola paints countless scenes with the colours and textures of the fruits, vegetables, meats, flowers, butters and cheeses on display at the market in this ode to food, and for one famous scene, composes a real symphony of smells when he describes three local gossips exchanging secrets in a cheese shop on a warm summer day. The Rougon-Macquart dynasty is here represented only by two secondary characters: Lisa (a Macquart), who's daughter Pauline will be the heroine of The Joy of Life (book 12) and Lisa's nephew, the painter Claude Lantier who will later be the protagonist of The Masterpiece (book 14).

This novel was a perfect counterpoint to the previous book in the series The Kill, which explores the themes of conspicuous consumption and depicts the corrupt values of the Second Empire from the perspective of the upper classes. I was amused by a few references made by Lisa Quenu about her millionaire cousin Aristide Saccard, one of the main characters of The Kill, since each book in this series offers a distinct world, where few characters and plot points ever meet. The first chapter describing a day at the market from pre-dawn to evening seemed endless to me, with repeated descriptions of countless mounds of various vegetables... and yet more vegetables, and again, more vegetables (and some fruits too) and I was here annoyed at Zola and his insistence on long chapters with endless paragraphs. But once he had set up his canvas, Zola's portrayals of the various colourful characters who inhabit the market and it's immediate surroundings once again made for riveting storytelling.

English readers might be interested to know that two new English translations of this book have been made available in recent years: Oxford World's Classics published a new translation by Brian Nelson in 2007, and Modern Library published a new translation by Mark Kurlansky in 2009.

#79 Hey Jude! Nothing wrong with reading cookbooks. In fact I may get into that kick eventually too since I have a nice little collection of some excellent cookbooks that I've never taken the time to look at properly, including The Art of Eating Well, A Mediterranean Feast and Hot Sour Salty Sweet: A Culinary Journey Through Southeast Asia which are gorgeous to look at and also seem like they must make for interesting reading.

I have Out on this months pile of "potentials"... but seeing how many other books are on that pile, I'm not holding my breath. ;-)

Hi Ilana- I was a bit more pleased with The Devotion of Suspect X, than you. I thought it was a very smart thriller. A bit dry and simplistic in the telling but it still completely worked for me.
A pile of "potentials". Sounds like my tbr shelves, every book holds a promise.

Most of my cookbooks are pretty pedestrian....vis a vis RACHAEL RAY...but i did snag Street Food and Cooking in the Lowcountry from The OLD Post Office Restaurant

....and so it goes..

oh..i always love your ZOLA reviews

;-}

#82 Mark, I know you liked Suspect X better than I did. It's strange, because I really enjoy crime mysteries, but for some reason, it's really rare that I'll give more than 3.5 stars to any. Not sure why that is. It's not like I hold them to the same standards as great works of literature. I don't think.

By "potential" I mean "might potentially read it this month". Because of course if a book doesn't hold promise, it doesn't make it into the house! :-)

#83 Jude, if I spent any time at all reading ANY of my cookbooks, then maybe I'd actually cook for myself more often? Don't knock it babe!

#77 Well said!

Wow, The Belly of Paris looks terrific. Thanks for the review and recommendation, Ilana!

I will test-read A Moveable Feast: The Restored Edition on my Kindle, Hemingway is among my 'so-far-shamefully-neglected' authors (there are so many of them...).

I tried to read Le Ventre de Paris many years ago in French, but failed miserably. Now I'd like to try again one day with a German or English edition. Would you say I should better read the whole Rougon-Macquart or can I equally appreciate them as individual books? So far I only read Germinal and La Bete Humaine.

#86 Stasia, for some reason The Belly of Paris is considered one of Zola's lesser works in the series, but I beg to differ. He has an incredible talent at creating worlds that seem completely real, which was of course one of this goals as a naturalist.

#87 Hi Nathalie, you can definitely go about reading any book in the series on it's own. That's what I had done, and probably what is the most common approach, since not everyone is prepared to read a 20 volume series! I decided to give myself that goal so I can better appreciate the entire construction and to see how the different characters and plot points fit together. But again, don't hesitate to read any of those books on it's own. I couldn't advise you as to what would be the best translation though, since I'm reading them in French—I'm glad I can do so and admire Zola's wonderful prose.

79. ♫ Animal Farm by George Orwell ★★★★★
(Read for TIOLI: Orwell & 11 in 11: Classics)
Narrator: Ralph Cosham
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks

Originally published in 1945, Animal Farm set out to denounce Stalin's communist regime with an allegorical tale featuring animals which represent the figureheads of communism. The story begins with Old Major, an aging boar (Karl Marx and Lenin rolled into one) when he gathers the animals of the farm and predicts a great revolution ahead. He dies a few days later, and the revolution is sparked shortly after, when the animals drive out Mr. Jones, the original owner of Manor Farm, and take over, re-naming the property "Animal Farm". Things at first truly are utopic. Under Snowball the pig's tutelage, the animals learn to read and write. They have more food to eat, and the farm prospers as it never has before. The seven commandments of Animalism are set forth, among which "All Animals are Equal", and also what the sheep oversimplify to and continually bleat out: "Four legs good, two legs bad". But Napoleon the pig (Stalin) has his own ideas. He has no intention of sharing leadership, so he chases Snowball away in a crude display of power, then gives the pigs a privileged position while the other animals see their rations progressively reduced while the work load constantly increases. Pretty soon, it seems like they may have been better off under farmer Jones's leadership—though no one can remember those times clearly enough to make comparisons. As the pigs flout the commandments one by one, they cover their tracks by modifying the wording to suit their needs, with Squealer the pig always on hand to disseminate propaganda and create the impression that conditions for the animals are continually improving, even as all evidence points to the contrary.

What makes this one of my favourite novels of all time is the fact that, while it works brilliantly as a harsh criticism of the abuses perpetrated by Stalin and his cronies, the story also points to the universal truth that the most idealistic principles can be manipulated to justify the greatest injustices and abuses of power. Beyond all the politics though, one can't help but get attached to the characters—especially with Boxer the hard working horse, with his mottos of "I will work harder" and "Napoleon is always right", which become increasingly poignant as we see him struggle with reduced circumstances and encroaching old age. We become quickly wholly invested in the fate of these animals, while being in turns fascinated and horrified by the flagrant offences perpetrated by the pigs. A great classic which everyone should read at least once.

This audio version is also highly recommended.

80. Playback: A Graphic Novel by Raymond Chandler ★★¼
(Read for TIOLI: Graphic Novels)

This is a graphic adaptation of Chandler's hardboiled novel about a dame seeking to make a fresh start after she's been acquitted from her husband's murder, while her father-in-law has sworn that she will be made to pay. On the train to Vancouver, she's accosted by a playboy who offers to put her up at the luxury hotel he's staying in. They attend a party at the penthouse suite where the playboy gets stinking drunk and makes inappropriate advances on our gal, who next finds his dead body on the terrace outside her room.

It's an ok story, and while at first glance I thought the illustrations seemed interesting, I soon changed my mind when I found that most of them were average at best, when not downright disappointing. Can't say I recommend this one.

Great reviews Ilana! I especially enjoyed your review for Animal Farm as it is another book sitting on my shelves that has yet to be read. I was hopping maybe to fit it into this month's TIOLI challenge but opted for 1984 instead.
Thumbs from me. :)

81. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys ★★★★⅓
(Read for TIOLI: Library Books)

This novel was conceived as a prequel to Jane Eyre; it fleshes out and gives voice to Rochester's first wife—here known as Antoinette Cosway—describing her earlier years, and shows us how she ended being the madwoman in the attic. The story begins in the Jamaica of the post-emancipation act, with young Antoinette describing the difficulties her mother, brother and herself experience as poor white Creoles. Antoinette's father, a former slave owner and skirt-chasing alcoholic, has passed away, leaving his beautiful young second wife the Colibri estate, which is slowly falling to pieces. Shunned by the rich white population and despised by the blacks who call them "white niggers" and "white cockroaches" the threat from their neighbours is very real, and Antoinette has every reason to feel her safety compromised as tensions are mounting. The estate's only horse has recently been poisoned and her mother retreats into mental breakdown, all but ignoring her daughter. Things briefly seem like they might improve when the rich Mr Mason marries her mother, but he ignores his wife's pleas to leave the island, believing her to exaggerate the danger of their situation, until the family is violently driven from Colibri by an angry mob.

The second part of the book is told by Antoinette's new husband, the un-named Mr Rochester. Their honeymoon starts off with great passion, but Rochester describes his contempt for the island, it's people and for his wife from the beginning. He retreats from her abruptly, even refusing to call her by her own name (he calls her Bertha instead) and Antoinette falls into despair. Rhys's Rochester is despicable man; clearly stating he's married the young woman for her money, he's quick to believe malicious gossip about her and then write her off as mad when she is distraught by his attitude. This is a short but very rich novel which brims with passion, exoticism, and despair of course, since we know all too well the terrible fate that awaits this sensitive young woman. The perfect follow-up to a reading of Jane Eyre, yet at the same time holds up very well as a great little novel in it's own right.

#89 Animal Farm is one of my favourites too, glad you liked it as much as I did.

#93 Yes, I loved it when we read it in high school and it felt just as fresh to me this time around too. It's one of those stories that just keeps getting better with every reading I think.

#91 Oops, sorry Valerie, I almost missed you up there! I'd say, try to fit in Animal Farm this month anyway. It's a really short novel and I can't recommend it enough.

Agree with Ilana, while 1984 is a very very good read too, Animal Farm cannot and should not be put off.

>96 PiyushC: Hahaha! If that is the case, then I am in very BIG trouble as the both books have been on my shelf for years! :)

#88: I want to read that entire series, I think. I just need to be able to find the books! My local library does not have them all.

#89: When I read Animal Farm last year, I was surprised at how timely it still is!

Piyush, 1984 is never far from my mind either. As it happens, I was in high school at that time and of course we studied the book and saw the movie that year. I look forward to reading it again.

#97 Valerie, no trouble, it's all good. So many of the books on my shelves deserve to be read *right away* that it just becomes a question of shuffling priorities. I hope you'll enjoy both books when you get to them.

#98 Stasia, I hope that you can get your hands on the whole series. I'd offer to send you some of the ones I've bought or mooched, but they're all in French, which wouldn't help you at all. I'm curious: which ones have you read so far, if any?

I completely agree with you about Animal Farm of course. What makes it such an enduring classic, I think, is the fact that it transcends politics and basically shows us that abuses of power are part of human nature. Somehow though, as dystopic as this novel is, it's always left me with a happy feeling, and still does, which is something I can't explain to myself. Maybe it's because the drama is played out by animals, as I do love a great book that puts animals at the forefront.

Hi Ilana- Excellent job with the reviews. I loved Animal Farm. I plan on re-visiting that one at some point. I need to add Wide Sargasso Sea to the WL. I've seen that one mentioned favorably to many times.
BTW- I got the books today. Thank you so much. I wish I could squeeze Three Seconds into M & M, but I don't think it will happen. Sh*t!

Hi Mark, and thanks! I keep falling wayyy behind on my reviews so when I take a bit of time to write them, I tend to do it in batches, as you've probably noticed. I think it takes a certain frame of mind to do that sort of thing.

Glad you got the books. And if you can't fit Three Seconds into M&M, you'll just have to do another theme month for crime fiction, which I wouldn't mind since I won't be able to fit 90% of the mysteries I'd like to read this month anyway!

Wow--you are really moving through the Rougon Macquart series. I just finished Abbe Mouret's Transgression and just purchased His Excellency Eugene Rougon to read soon. It sounds like you didn't care for Zola's descriptions of the market--I kind of liked them. But wait til you get to the descriptions of the flower gardens in Abbe Mouret's Transgression--those went on for pages.

Beautiful water colors at the top of the page. I hope you post more of your art.

Deborah, I've got The Conquest of Plassans, which I borrowed from the library on my shelf and have every intention to read it this month. I'll be thrilled if I can fit in The Sin of Father Mouret this month too, but otherwise I'll get to it next month. For the record, I did enjoy Zola's descriptions of the market, but just found that in the first chapter he was taking us around and around the market and it ended up making me feel somewhat dizzy. We'll see how I feel about the descriptions of the flower markets, but I do know that when I myself go to market, the flowers are my favourite part.

Thanks so much about your comment about the painting. I have a site called createthreesixty5.com where I post more of my art—which is in dire need of new material, as I haven't posted there for some time, but you'll find a lot of the things I've done in the past year if you're curious. I have a big backlog of new stuff to post there, but I'll try to post some more here too. Lots of nudes and abstracts these days, as I'm taking a figure drawing and abstract watercolours classes at the moment.

#97 We all have them, books deserved to be read right away, awaiting their turn for years!

#98 Just surprised? Or scared too?

#99 I need to read more Orwell books, one of these days...

We all have them, books deserved to be read right away, awaiting their turn for years!

You can say that again!

#99: The entirety of my Zola reading to date is Germinal, which I loved, Ilana.

Germinal was a great place to start Stasia, and is one of his most popular books. We read it in high school, but I can't remember a word of it, so will be interesting to get back to it eventually.

Hello, my friend..

a bit of Gabor Szabo...some Spellbinder....uh huh:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcnpBIsPHco&feature=mr_meh&list=PL056D514...

;-}

;-P

82. ♫ Dubliners by James Joyce ★★★⅞
(Read for TIOLI: Single Word)
Narrator: Jim Norton
Publisher: Naxos Audiobooks

A wonderfully eclectic collection of stories, all taking place in Dublin and all having to do with human relationships, be it between friends and family, spouses, parents and children, employees and their bosses, and so on. My personal favourites were An Encounter, A Little Cloud, Counterparts, A Painful Case, A Mother and The Dead. Of these, one is about an encounter between a strange old man and a boy, another about a demanding stage mother, one about an young man meeting an older woman, another about a man and wife and old memories coming to the surface. A few stories didn't engage me quite as much; such as one having to do with motor racing, another about a gathering of committee members, which are themes that hold less appeal for me. My first experience of James Joyce had been Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, and, having difficulty making heads or tails of it, I had been discouraged from reading anything else by him, but I'm glad that another LT member (Cariola) recommended Dubliners, because the quality of Joyce's prose throughout is a pleasure to discover, and his attention to detail in describing various scenes and small, quiet moments are quite beautiful in their lyricism.

I heartily recommend this audio version. Jim Norton does an excellent job with his rich voice and ability to convey a wide range of Irish accents and personalities. Also, between each short story, there are old songs and music from scratchy old recordings from the early 20th century which add a wonderful ambience. However, I found that these are not the kind of stories that should be listened to while going about with other activities—which is how I usually listen to audiobooks, and for that reason, I'll probably be listening to my favourite stories again during quiet times reserved for listening alone.

83. ♫ The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht ★★★★★
(Read for TIOLI: Vowels, and for 11 in 11: Books Published Since 2009)
Narrators: Susan Duerden, Robin Sachs
Publisher: Random House Audio

A heart-wrenching and beautiful novel that takes place in un-named parts of the Balkans (presumably the former Yugoslavia) about Natalia, a young physician who quite suddenly learns that her beloved grandfather, a celebrated doctor in his time, has passed away. She is on her way to an orphanage across the border with her lifelong friend Zorá, also a doctor, to bring the children medicine when she learns the news, and though she is grief stricken, she decides to keep this information to herself and continue with the trip. While we follow her along her humanitarian mission, we also travel back in time to her memories of special times spent with her grandfather. Among these are their many visits to the zoo, and especially the tigers. They have shared many special moments together through the years, and the old man, who has kept a copy of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book in his breast pocket all his life, has told her stories not shared with anyone else. Among these is the strange tale of how he came to meet Gavran Gaile, the Deathless man. Another is the story about the tiger's wife, about a tiger that leaves the zoo to flee the bombarded city during World War II, and treks far away into the mountains to end up by a small village where superstitions abound. The inhabitants are convinced the tiger is the incarnation of the devil, and yet, a strange relationship develops between the tiger and a young, deaf and dumb girl who is horribly abused by her husband—who himself is the object of a tale which might have come straight out of The Arabian Nights. Natalia has always assumed that these stories were just folk tales, but as she tries to put together the pieces of how her grandfather has ended up dying in an obscure little village by himself, she discovers that they may have been inspired from real life events after all.

I absolutely loved this rich, multilayered novel, with the slow building up of the different narratives which form a rich tapestry. I am quite sure this story will stay with me for a long time to come... and perhaps forever. Sublime.

A much better review from The New York Times can be found right here.

The audiobook was fine, but not great. I wasn't crazy about Susan Duerden's style, though having a man take over the parts of the story told by the grandfather was a nice touch. This is one book which I think would have been best enjoyed in a text format, if only to allow one to go back and re-read certain sections again just for the pleasure of it, and I plan on getting the printed book for future re-reads.

eta: revised rating from ★★★★⅞ to ★★★★★
The only thing that was holding me back in retrospect was the narrator's annoying cadence.

Morning Ilana! I have both Dubliners and A Portrait of the Artist on my tbr, and now I think I might read Dubliners first. But I already made my way through Ulysses last year, so both should be a bit easier, I hope.

Your review made me want to read Le Ventre de Paris, I am through the first long chapter (and some of the much longer 2nd one) and I am enjoying it so far.

I have read 1984, but so far avoided Animal Farm, still feeling traumatized from the movie they made us watch in first grade(!) at primary school. Being much too young to understand the political background, we all cried for days for the death of a certain 'character'.

Very nice review of The Tiger's Wife, Ilana, and I'm glad that you liked it, as I'll read it later this month or next month.

That's a lovely review of The Tiger's Wife, Ilana. I have a copy and hope to read it this month or next.

#113 Thanks Katie (?), glad you liked the review, and I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did when you read it. I saw that we share quite a few books and have added you to my interesting libraries, which probably means I'll be adding at least a dozen more to my wishlist when I pore over your collection!

Oops! I inadvertently skipped over a couple of messages!

#111 Nathalie, If you've found your way out of Ulysses, then Dubliners will be a walk in the park. It actually is much like a very lovely walk in a very lovely park, now that I think of it. :-)

I'm so pleased I inspired you to read Le ventre de Paris. I have a secret agenda to get more people to read more books by Zola. Such a great author. The only thing that annoys me is those long chapters. I find it makes it harder to find natural breaks, don't you agree?

I think it's shameful that they made you watch Animal Farm at such a young age. It might be about animals, but I don't think that makes it an appropriate story for young children. Especially when we know that the novel is in fact not at all about animals, but about the lengths men are willing to go to in sacrificing other people's lives for their own advancement. Even now as an adult I was traumatized by the death of that "certain character" you mention (well... maybe not quite but the cruelty of the situation really is inhumane.) It's worth going back to though, because the story is so well told and it's such a quick read too.

#112 Thanks Darryl, that's truly a great compliment coming from you! I look forward to seeing your own impressions on this book when you get to it.

>114 Smiler69: Yes, it's Katie. You are right - a LOT of books in common!

Loved your review of The Tiger's Wife too, Ilana. I'm hoping to read it soon and was getting a little nervous because I had started to see mixed reviews.

I'm almost finished with an Orwell book (Down and Out in Paris and London) which is very good. I read 1984 and Animal Farm years ago and am now considering a re-read.

>110 Smiler69:: I am on a long waiting list for The Tiger's Wife at the local library. Your review makes me want to run out and buy it right now. Unfortunately, I've put myself on a short-term book diet after being such a piggy at the Borders closeout sale and recent library booksale...not to mention the great bookstore in KC where I met with some other Lters. Nope, I'm going to wait patiently while I read some of the many other books that have been waiting patiently for me.

#116 Yup, I'll be lurking around your library shelves soon enough! ;-)

#117 I somehow managed to miss the reviews Pat, which sometimes can be a good thing, because in this case, I came at it with no preconceived notions. I didn't even take the time to revisit the book description (I had read it a few months ago which left a good enough impression to convince me to buy it) I can see why it might not be everyone's cup of tea... though I'm curious to read some of the more negative reviews to see what people find doesn't work for them.

I've only ever read the two more known Orwell novels, 1984 and Animal Farm. I'm due for a re-read of 1984 after over a quarter century since last time. I'll look forward to your review of Down and Out in Paris and London.

#118 Donna, I wasn't willing to wait for the library copy of The Tiger's Wife to become available, so I purchased the audio version on audible. And the moment after I finished writing my review, I put my money where my mouth is and got the hardcover version from BookDepository (for the price of a softcover, so not bad). Kinda nuts eh? I've never done that before, to be sure. And this after deciding that I have to seriously cut back on purchasing more books...

>115 Smiler69:: I would like to have read all six books on the Orange Prize shortlist by the time the winner is announced on June 8th. I've read four of the six books so far; I'll read Great House later this month, and The Tiger's Wife during the first week of June.

That seems like a fun project Darryl, and that way you can form your own opinion of course as to which one you think should have won. I'll stay tuned for your feedback on that. Have you done this before—i.e. reading all shortlisted books before the winner is announced?

>121 Smiler69:: Last year I read all of the books shortlisted for the Booker Prize prior to the announcement, and I intend to do it again this year. I'd like to do the same for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, but I won't be able to do it in time this year (the winner will be announced two weeks from today), and for this year's Wellcome Trust Book Prize, which is a new UK award for fiction and nonfiction books about medicine.

I just might join you to read the Booker Prize shortlist this year. I couldn't have read them all last year, because I'm dead set against reading Room. I'll try to remember to keep September fairly open.

Glad you sought out and enjoyed Wide Sargasso Sea. I was surprised at Rhys' writing and, with Jane Eyre being a favorite, I loved the angle on the story.

I agree, I thought her writing was surprising too, and I had to go back and read certain sections over to figure stuff out, which in this case made it all the more interesting. I'm sure Wide Sargasso Sea is a book I'll go back to again eventually.

I believe we were busily posting on each other's threads just now. :-)

Haha! Tag, you're it!

LOL, no, I believe I just got you when you were on your way out! ;-)

You win. I've reached my LT limit for the evening. Must go read and try to finish an ER book.

I can't believe how wonderful your thread is! I've so much I'd like to say; too much, really. I'll just add my awed approval of your review of Apollo's Angels; I don't think I've ever read a better review. The pictures helped to carry the reader along in an amazing way. I stared at them for quite awhile.

All of your other reveiws are top-notch as well, Ilana. And your thread is so dangerous...many adds to the wishlist tonight. I'm finding that your tastes often coincide with my own, although of course you express yourself more elegantly.

I liked your painting too.

#128 Enjoy that ER book Mac, looking forward to hearing about it.

#129 Aw, shucks Gail... now you made me blush, see? (I truly am blushing. And smiling wide too). DO come back anytime at all with comments like that—I believe you just made my day! :-D

#111 Made to watch Animal Farm in grade I! Oh, dear!

#119 Those two are the only Orwell books I have read as well, I intend to improve on it this year.

#115: you are right, those long chapters are a bit annoying. But there are such beautiful scenes that make up for it. I loved that bit when they are making boudin while Florent is telling his story about the near-starvation. Or the one in the charcuterie when their talk is being interrupted all the time and it is described in detail how Lisa is cutting the meat and sausages. It's all so obviously symbolic, beautifully written. When this one is finished I'll have read three very different Zolas and I am quite overwhelmed by the sheer power of his writing.

Re Animal Farm: My teachers must have thought it was some kind of children-friendly animal movie. None of them was politically interested, so I don't suspect any deeper motives. I found the book years later at my aunt's, read some passages and understood what it really was about. But I still get this weird feeling when I remember that certain scene and the desperation.

#107: I download The Fortune of the Rougons to my Nook and will be reading it in near future. I would like to read that entire series. I will be interested in seeing what you think of Germinal when you have time to re-read it.

Great review of The Tiger's Wife, BTW.

Oh wow! With that reaction to The Tiger's Wife I must try to get my hands on a copy.

Just checked - I'm in luck as the local library has a copy - WooHoo!

Thanks for the recommendation Ilana.

Am really liking the look of Apollo's Angels, Ilana and have put it on the GFW. So glad to hear that Coco survived his big dog encounter. Willie got barked at by the black lab from down the street yesterday (We live on a street that has three of them - one of each color) and he turned right around and demanded to go back into the house. I think the lab was only trying to keep up his end of things, dog-wise, but Willie wouldn't care. He doesn't like dogs - period.

Ilana- Well, you are beginning to get a well-deserved fan base over here, with your cheery disposition and your knockout reviews. Keep 'em coming, my friend.

#131 As far as reading goals go, I think I've taken on quite enough of them for this year—and never mind that I've already shattered my reading records and have already read twice as many books so far as I've ever done in any year in my life before, so other Orwell works (besides 1984) will have to wait. I'll be interested in your feedback though.

#132 The long chapters are really a minor inconvenience, and I found the scenes you mention quite memorable too. Amazing too that Lisa was unwilling to believe that someone could go three days without eating, as if that were humanly impossible, but of course it was a nice way for Zola to show how limited her knowledge and overprotected bourgeois experience of life was.

Re: Animal Farm, again, I'm really sorry that you were exposed to that before you were mature enough, but speaking of being exposed to "age-inappropriate content", I never quite got over the trauma of being exposed to WWII footage of ghettos and concentration camp conditions starting when I was a little girl. Another case for the "what were they thinking" file.

#133 Stasia, I'm really excited that you'll be starting with The Fortune of the Rougons and encourage you to read the whole series too of course. I'll look forward to your impressions on the first book.

#134 Calm, I really loved that novel, as you now know, and I hope you do too. I know there's been a mixed reaction to it. Some people felt the different story lines didn't hold together, or that the relationship with the grandfather was just a device to hold together the fantastical elements in the book. Fair enough. I was enchanted, and when that happens, it's a bit like being smitten with a person; one tends to withhold judgement and overlook any potential shortcomings.

#135 I'll look forward to your take on Apollo's Angels when you do get to it Charlotte. As for Willie, he was just doing his job at keeping his up of things cat-wise of course. My felines do the same mostly, though I've seen Mimi express a healthy dose of curiosity about Coco often enough to know it's in the realm of possibilities to see those two become friends some day. Ezra still makes a good show of refusing to mix with the wrong sort, but he's been known to surprise me over the 8 years of his life, so you never know...

#136 LOL. I don't know about a fan base Mark, it's usually pretty quiet around here, but I'm always thrilled to get visitors of course. Besides, I'd never want to be as popular as you are, or keeping up with my own thread would become a full-time job and not seem like so much fun anymore! ;-)

Woefully behind on my book reviews as usual, but lately it's worse than ever. But I guess I shouldn't complain. The only reason I'm behind is because I'm finishing them faster than I have time to review them.

Another sale on at Audible.com. Which means Smiler got more audiobooks of course:
A Dance to the Music of Time: First Movement by Anthony Powell
Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell (for the group read in June)
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (narrated by Simon Vance, whom I quite like)
Free first chapter of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (very well narrated by the charming Elijah Wood). No doubt I'll end up buying the whole thing, but I couldn't resist a freebie.

I also received Howard's End is on the Landing by Susan Hill in the mail this week, which means there's no chance at all that I'll be curbing my book buying anytime soon, which of course is ironic since the book is all about the author rediscovering the books she has at home. Also got The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman which is the last book in the Dark Materials trilogy, which I'll be diving into in June.

eta: finished Monsieur Linh and His Child last night. Incredibly beautiful. With an ending that'll keeps you thinking about this short novel for a very long time. That should be the extent of my actual review, since there's no way I'll be able to do that book justice.

Will be interested to see how you like Howard's End is on the Landing. I've had it on the GFW for a few months. One of hundreds that need to be rescued and brought home.

84. ♫ Gros-Câlin by Romain Gary (writing as Émile Ajar) ★★★★⅓
(Read for 11 in 11: En Français)
Interpreted by François Berland, José Garcia, Xavier Florent (and some 20 others)
Publisher: Paris : Livraphone 2005

Originally published in 1973 and covering a wide range of topics from politics and news items to philosophy, moles and the latest sexual fads, this is a truly hilarious book about a lonely city-dweller with too much love to give who desperately tries to find companionship. Monsieur Cousin, expressing himself in a stream of consciousness narrative, lives and works in Paris. He works in statistics, which he enjoys, he says, because he feels less alone being surrounded with numbers. He's hopelessly in love with Mademoiselle Dreyfus, a beautiful black African woman who works in the same office building, and he frequently daydreams about the two minutes he gets to spend going up the elevator with her every weekday morning, during which time he lets his imagination roam free and imagines that she's too shy to give him a sign that she's secretly in love with him too. At home, he lives and shares his bed with a six foot python, whom he has affectionately called Gros-Câlin (meaning "Big-Snuggle") because one of his favourite things is to have the snake wrap itself around him and squeeze him hard, making Cousin feel like he's being held in a loving embrace. Blondine, a live white mouse—initially purchased as food for the python, but which Cousin couldn't bring himself to sacrifice—has also been adopted as a pet, and he keeps her in the palm of his hand at night to bask in her warmth.

A typical city dweller, Cousin is used to going unnoticed, and some of the funniest moments in the book are when he imagines himself to have meaningful relationships with various people, such as his neighbour Monsieur Tsourès, who's front door he loiters in front of every day for a month, in hopes they will become good friends: « Il ne m’adressait toujours pas la parole mais c’était un peu parce qu’on se connaissait depuis si longtemps qu’on n’avait plus rien à se dire ». "He didn't speak to me, but that might have been because we'd known each other for so long that we didn't have anything left to say to each other". Cousin regularly frequents whores ("les putes"), again to provide him a fix of the affection and physical intimacy that he desperately needs, but all too often leaving frustrated and disgusted at their insistence on washing his privates with too much soap in view of performing the latest sexual fad which he has no interest in. One very funny passage has him visiting a famed ventriloquist for therapeutic purposes; he teaches men to project their voices onto inanimate objects so that they can get verbal reassurances that they are loved and cared for, as needed. Cousin follows these group classes for a while, with the idea that he'll be able to develop an even deeper relationship with Gros-Câlin if he can hold *conversations* with the snake, but he eventually abandons the scheme, not because it's a dumb one, but for some even dumber and irrational excuse.

Even though Cousin assures us throughout he's neither racist nor sexist, political incorrectness abounds. He worries, for example, about how he'll be able to get Mademoiselle Dreyfus to share his life and accept living with Gros-Câlin too (reasoning that most women in their right minds would run screaming as soon as they caught sight of the reptile), yet keeps coming back to the idea that this shouldn't be so hard to achieve, since, being from Africa, the young woman 'ought' to feel a natural kinship with the python. Of course, we can't help but feel sorry for this pathetic man, and the story really is a sad one when one stops to think about it, but Romain Gary's massively neurotic protagonist is so hopelessly deluded, so filled with glaring contradictions, and is such a dreamer at heart, that one can't help but cheer him on. That, combined with Gary's brilliant mastery of the French language and countless puns (which I should hope don't lose too much in the English translation) really makes for a great little book.

This audiobook is a real little gem too. Cousin is narrated by François Berland and joining him, there are perhaps two dozen other performers who narrate various characters (his co-workers and neighbours, various people he comes across) as they come up in the story. Most recommended, but in French only.

85. L'argent facile (Easy Money) - Stockholm Noir 1, by Jens Lapidus ★½
(May Murder & Mayhem, Read for TIOLI: Repeating Vowels and 11 in 11: En Français)

JW: 20-something young student desperate to fit in with the young Stockholm elite of rich hard-partying kids who dress to impress, date all the beautiful girls, and are treated like royalty at the hippest night-clubs, when not hosting their own parties featuring strippers and mounds of coke. In other words, a really good kid. Not. He secretly drives cab at night to pay for his designer duds and clubbing, and has an older sister who mysteriously disappeared 4 years before and was never heard from again.

Jorge: known as Jorgelito and J-Boy, which are names he uses when talking to himself about himself and telling himself how clever he is. He's also a latino drug dealer who was caught and put in prison but has big escape plans. Has delusions of grandeur. Another adorable fellow.

Mrado: A giant thug, Serbian mafia member and juiced up bodybuilder who is used by the big boss to generally hurt and kill people. He's a nasty piece of work, but thinks he's the world's greatest dad. Surely he must be, since he gets all broken up about having to stand up his little girl for their bi-montly visits when he has to do last-minute torture and maiming jobs when his boss commands him to.

What do these three guys have in common? One word: Cocaine. Also, they have very few redeeming qualities and take turns occupying roughly one-third of the novel each. Of course, they all end up being inter-connected somehow, but it's going to take well over 500 pages of really badly translated Swedish to find out how that goes down. Why I wasted so many precious hours in hopes that I'd end up liking some part of this book is beyond me. I'm still trying to figure out what's supposed to makes this story Noir, but nope, I just don't see it. Some passages seemed to have been written by a guy who might have done too much coke himself and couldn't seem to get over how clever he was being. I was going to give this one two stars to be generous and because I figured I might as well since I did force myself to finish it, but that's just not fair to the books out there that deserve to be thought of as "just ok" when this one just deserves to be put out of it's misery. Nothing, and I mean nothing in this story seemed new or fresh in any way. But don't take my word for it! An English translation should be coming out soon enough.

86. The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo ★★★★
(Read for TIOLI: Library Books)

One fine day at the end of the 19th century, young orphan Peter Augustus Duchene is sent to the market by his caretaker, a cantankerous old soldier who's given him a coin and expects Peter to bring back fish and bread (we later learn Vilna Lutz, the old soldier, always instructs Peter to get three-day old mouldy bread and the smallest fish he can find). On this day, he finds a fortuneteller has put up a tent with a sign that reads "The most profound and difficult questions that could possibly be posed by the human mind or heart will be answered within for the price of one florit." Peter hesitates to spend the old man's money this way, but he must get an answer, even at the risk of displeasing the old man. What Peter wants to know is whether his little sister is alive, and if she is, how he should go about finding her. The fortuneteller's answer: "The elephant. You must follow the elephant. She will lead you there." Peter is perplexed. After all, there is no elephant in the town. Or at least, none has appeated yet...

A very charming story about hope and love and endless possibilities and the special bonds between living creatures. Thanks to Linda (Whisper1) for recommending this one. I've already got several other books by Kate DiCamillo on my wishlist and look forward to reading those too.

87. ♫ And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie ★★★★

Eight strangers with seemingly nothing in common are summoned to Soldier Island by a mysterious host whom no one, not even the manservant and cook, has ever met in person before. When they are served dinner, a recording greets the guests and proceeds to accuse each one of murder, specifying that no proof can be given of their guilt in court of law. The guests realize that they've been tricked onto the premises, but discover that they can't leave the island, since there is no way to summon a boat. Shortly after, one guest dies while having a drink, having seemingly choked to death. Then, another person mysteriously dies in their sleep. As the inmates of the island continue dying one by one, the guests begin suspecting each other. The only clue they seem to have are an old nursery rhyme, "Ten Little Soldiers", that is framed and hung in each of the guest rooms, which seems to predict how each of the ten are going to meet their death:

Ten little Soldier boys went out to dine;
One choked his little self and then there were nine.
Nine little Soldier boys sat up very late;
One overslept himself and then there were eight.
Eight little Soldier boys traveling in Devon;
One said he'd stay there and then there were seven.
Seven little Soldier boys chopping up sticks;
One chopped himself in halves and then there were six.
Six little Soldier boys playing with a hive;
A bumblebee stung one and then there were five.
Five little Soldier boys going in for law;
One got in Chancery and then there were four.
Four little Soldier boys going out to sea;
A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.
Three little Soldier boys walking in the zoo;
A big bear hugged one and then there were two.
Two Little Soldier boys sitting in the sun;
One got frizzled up and then there was one.
One little Soldier boy left all alone;
He went out and hanged himself and then there were none.

I had last read this story, like most other Agatha Christie books, in the 80s and it had been one of my favourites. So far, the two other Christie books I picked up again proved to be disappointing on second reading, but I was pleased to discover that this one was just as enjoyable this time as the last, and best of all, the ending came as a complete surprise this time around too.

88. Emma, Volume 1 by Kaoru Mori ★★½
(Read for TIOLI: Graphic Novels)

A Japanese manga set in the late 19th century in which a rich gentleman falls in love with the young maid of the now aging woman who used to be his governess when he drops in to call on her. I liked the Upstairs, Downstairs theme (a British television programme which used to be my favourite when I saw it in the 80s), but the drawings were average at best, and I found the dialogue of poor quality and completely lacking in historical verisimilitude. Not quite my cup of tea.

#139 Whew, Charlotte, I almost lost you there in my flood or reviews! I'm thinking I might read Howard's End is on the Landing in June. I'll add it to the list and we'll see if I actually get to it next month... next month!

Nice reviews, Ilana! I also enjoyed The Magician's Elephant a lot. If you want to try more of DiCamillo's books, I can highly recommend both The Tales of Despereaux and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Both of these are more juvenile than TME though.

The Tales of Despereaux has been on my WL for a long time, and in fact, I'm surprised I didn't start with that one. Adding The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, thanks Stasia!

Great reviews as usual Ilana! I will be adding The Magician's Elephant to my list. :)
Hope you had a great weekend!

#141> But don't take my word for it! An English translation should be coming out soon enough.

You know, I am perfectly happy to take your word for it!

I loved And then there were none when I read it for the first time and it didn't lose any of its appeal when I reread it recently, though I remembered the ending. I'd agree that it's one of Christe's best.
Is it really "soldier boys" in the English original or has the rhyme been changed to be politically correct? In my Italian edition I bought 2 years ago it's about 10 'indiani' and in the German version (I read it 30 years ago, i.e. pre-pc times) it was the n-word and the island had the same name. I must check if they have a recent German edition in my library.

You bought some interesting audiobooks. Howards End is on the Landing is on my watchlist and I am looking forward to reading your thoughts on it.

Hi Ilana, I was sorry to see you didn't enjoy Emma, Vol 1 more, I am still planning on giving it a try as I can't resist the lure of Upstairs/Downstairs Victorian England mixed with Japanese references.

Count me as another who loves And Then There Were None, I think it is her best work.

I reread And Then There Were None a couple of years ago, having read it the first time as a teenagers many, many years ago, and I still enjoyed it, but it was different than I remembered. I think the movie had filtered into my memory of the book. This one and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd are my favorites.

#148 Valerie, I'd been meaning to start reading books by Kate DiCamillo for quite a while, so glad I finally borrowed this one from the library. I think Tales of Despereaux will be next, maybe as soon as next month (which is soon for me, considering how many books I already have at home!)

#149 Hi Tania! I know what you mean; I'm so happy when I see a review by a 75er that pans a book. "One less to add to the wishlist—WHEW!" is what I think. :-)

#150 Nathalie, I was so glad to find that And Then There Were None worked for me this time around. I was quite sad when I re-read The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and The ABC Murders and found they didn't do it for me on second reading. I never had anything against Hercule Poirot before, but he kind of got on my nerves this time around, so I'll give another HP book a try to find out, perhaps Murder on the Orient Express as narrated by David Suchet. I'd like to read some Miss Marple books, but not sure where to begin and can't at all recall which ones I've already read.

As for the PC component of And Then There Were None, your question is absolutely à propos, especially as I did a bit of soul searching before choosing that version for my review. The edition I had actually referred to Indian Island and there were ten little indian figurines and in the nursery rhyme. I chose the soldiers version because that's the version I found on wikipedia. Can't remember what it was called when I first read it in 1983-ish. I know the first edition had the n-word; unthinkable today. Interestingly enough though, I got a contemporary book by a Canadian author called The Book of Negroes, which was changed to Someone Knows My Name for the U.S. version.

#151 Judy, oftentimes I find that my appreciation of a book has a lot to do with timing and expectations. I guess I wasn't expecting this to be a manga book and thought the whole thing would be a bit more sophisticated overall. In any case, it's made me want to watch the television series again, which was so excellent as I recall, though I really don't know where I would find it now.

#152 I find it's always a bit risky to revisit old favourites. Our tastes change over the years, especially over several decades. Sometimes it's almost better to let the memories live on and not risk altering them, but then again, it's so satisfying to revisit a classic and find one enjoys it even more!

#147: I hope you enjoy the books when you get to them, Ilana!

#155 Thanks Stasia, I'm fairly sure I will!

*****

I just finished The Paris Wife and feeling kinda blue now, which is not surprising really. I already knew that Hadley and Hemingway had been broken up by another woman, and of course, everyone knows how Hemingway ended his own life... so there we have it.

Only way to get over these blues it to start another book, so I'll be tackling Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 and The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva next. It's been many months since I've wanted to read the later, so it's none too soon!

Hi There

I'm running behind on the threads and I'm so glad I checked yours this evening. I very much like your review of Wide Sargasso Sea. I read this book awhile ago and your comments brought it back to me.

The Magician's Elephant is indeed a special book. I like everything I've read my Kate DiCamillo. Have you read Tiger is Rising? I recommend this one.

Hi Linda, always nice to have you over, but I know you've got many fans so totally understand you being behind. Haven't read The Tiger is Rising yet, but it's on my library book wish list already, thanks for the recommendation though, I'll move it up a notch.

Ilana- Yes, lets do away with those damn blues and just move onto something else. Is that clear, my friend?

Yes Sirree! :-)

Ilana- I left a message on my thread for you too, but Amazon books is having a special on the George R.R. Martin books. All four paperbacks for 20 bucks. I don't know how the shipping works to Canada, though.

Ilana, I'm glad you liked Mouse Guard and I hope it lifted your mood a bit. I was completely charmed by the drawings.

Now I'm on to the much, much darker, but interesting and moving Complete Maus. So, so sad, but a very different experience. I don't know if you spent much time reading comics--I think a background of comic reading helps the adult reader appreciate the graphic novels.

I don't re-read books, a few passages or chapters in a book, yes, but the entire book, never.

My favourite two Christie books perhaps would be The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and The Secret of Chimneys; And then there were none would rank third I guess.

Oh, I so far behind, here.....but I'm proud of you...all this reading/listening. I have been such a slowpoke...but finally picked up my book So Many Ways to Begin.....after losing it for a while...It's a good story...he's a good writer.....'nuff said.

Hugs to you and your Four Paws!!

;-}

I still need to get to The Paris Wife. One of these years!

#161 Mark, I went and checked on that sale as soon as I saw your message. The price on Amazon.ca and BookDepository is roughly $30, which is what that $20 deal comes out to from Amazon.com once the shipping is factored in. Still, I'll consider getting the bundle as will save me a good ten dollars probably. Thanks!

#162 Gail, Mouse Guard did help to lift my spirits, if only because it got my mind on other things. This whole Graphic Novel thing is funny, because I now realize I've always been a GN reader—I just didn't label them that way in my mind. In fact, before joining LT I didn't consider genre at all... reading material was just that... reading material! When I was a kid, around 9 years old, a librarian once called my mother because she was concerned about me only looking at and borrowing graphic novels. I remember that if a book had less than half the content as visuals, then I wasn't really interested in it. Of course, that changed after a while. But now, many years later, with my background in fine arts and the fact that I was able to hire and work with some or the world's best illustrators as an art director, I guess I have specific ideas about what I like or not. That being said, I did find that the illustrations in Mouse Guard were quite rich and were satisfying in that way.

I really look forward to Maus, even as I'm resisting a little because I know it's a far from easy subject. I reserved it ages ago at the library, but it's taking forever to get it.

#163 Piyush, I don't re-read books very often, but there are certain books that I find just keep getting better when they are revisited. Great literature is often worth revisiting because you can't help but notice different things about a novel every time you read it again. That being said, the obvious disadvantage to reading books more than once is it takes time away from other books, but such is life!

I don't know for sure, but I don't think I've read The Secret of Chimneys before, so I'll look it up, thanks for bringing it up!

#164 As long as you're doing whatever feels right for you, doesn't matter how much or how little you're reading, right? Personally, I'm deliberately staying away from books on depression right now, even though I know perfectly well that sometimes reading about it can be quite cathartic. You know I always love having your visits here. Come more often! :-)

#165 Stasia, I was keen to read The Paris Wife as soon as it came out since I'm very curious about the Jazz Age, the Lost Generation, that period in Hemingway's life, all that jazz. I almost want to read A Moveable Feast AGAIN to see what new things I'll discover in Hemingway's sometimes cryptic prose... for all his clarity, it's always interesting to find out about the parts he's deliberately left out! But that being said, I'll resist the temptation and move on to other things!

Ilana- I've read the 1st 2 stories in "Lost & Found". He is an amazing artist. I loved "The Red Tree". He says so much with so little. I'll have to look up Mouse Guard. Have a good night!

89. ♫ La petite fille de monsieur Linh (Monsieur Linh and His Child) by Philippe Claudel ★★★★½
(Read for TIOLI: Library Book and 11 in 11: En Français)
Narration: Marie-Claude Moreau
Publisher: unknown

In this short, but Oh, So Powerful novel, we follow Monsieur Linh's progress as he gets on a boat holding a small baby in his arms, as he leaves behind an un-named war-torn Asian country. His village has been decimated by bombs and all it's inhabitants killed, including his own son and daughter in law, though by some kind of miracle, Monsieur Linh's own baby granddaughter, only ten days old, has remained alive. Together they arrive in a French city where Monsieur Linh feels completely alienated; he doesn't understand the language, or why everyone is in such a hurry, or how anyone can live in such cold weather, nor why the food and the very air don't taste or smell like anything. Save for the perfect, silent little baby he cradles all day long, he feels profoundly lonely until one day, sitting on a bench, he encounters Monsieur Bark, another lonely soul who has just lost his beloved wife. Though neither man can understand the other, they form a special bond which transcends many barriers and gives them both great happiness.

This is an incredibly touching story about loss, grief, friendship and hope, and Claudel's prose is simply sublime. As such, the novel delivered quite an emotional impact, but the ending makes it a story one is likely never to forget. Most recommended.

#89 If I remember correctly, this book is not out in English yet. When it is, I will definitely read it having loved Claudel's By a Slow River. While I was reading your review it actually reminded me of Shaun Tan's The Arrival--the feeling of alienation, not understanding the language and forming friendships with strangers. Great review.

90. Lost and Found by Shaun Tan ★★★★★
(Read for TIOLI: Graphic Novels)

"The three stories in this book were originally published as separate titles in Australia between 1998 and 2001, and although they are very different—this being a very experimental period for me as a young artist and writer—they do share common themes and preoccupations. Each story could be said to be about the relationship between people and places, especially when that relationship is ruptured by physical displacement, and emotional disconnection, or an otherwise troubled sense of identity; a country invaded by aggressive strangers [The Rabbits], a homeless creature [The Lost Thing], and a girl adrift in the world of her own dark emotions [The Red Tree]. They are each in their own way tales of loss and recovery, and a question about belonging in the absence of any direct language—where central characters hardly speak—as though some things are too strange, personal, or confronting for words." —Shaun Tan

Three different illustration styles a featured which all have a very lush quality, incredible attention to detail, and rare artistic sensibility in common. Indeed, some images are arresting because of their lyricism and beauty, sometimes for the incredible amount of information they contain, and sometimes because of their simplicity and sheer impact, or a combination of all the above. Every page is a pleasure to behold.

#168 Mark, you're in for a treat with The Rabbits. I'd say that Mouse Guard is in another league altogether, or rather I should say that Shaun Tan is, in my estimation such a great talent that he inhabits his very own universe.

#170 Pat, the book is in fact available in English. I actually found out about it thanks to Darryl (kidzdoc) who had reviewed it very recently. Funny that you should mention Shaun Tan and The Arrival... I guess that was on my mind too when I picked up the next book... ;-)

Ilana, Shaun Tan was on my mind for the very same reason--I just finished reading Lost and Found as well as an article on Shaun Tan in the Sunday NY Times magazine from April 24th. And, in another coincidence, I'm going to be picking up Mouse Guard Fall 1152 at the library tomorrow. Great minds . . .

I don't know about coincidence Pat... this group is having a huge influence on my reading choices. I know I wouldn't make much headway on my tbr pile when I joined, but this is just ridiculous! lol

I thought I already had Monsieur Linh in the BlackHole, but did not. Thanks for the reminder to put it there, Ilana!

Off to see if my local library has that Shaun Tan book, since I am still waiting for the arrival of The Arrival.

Sigh, Ilana, your thread is as dangerous as dangerous can be. I've been riddled with book bullets and will now have to find a quiet corner to nurse my wounds. :)

Onto my pile Monsieur Linh goes... *shaking her fists at Ilana* :)

Hi Ilana - good to see you continuing to enjoy Tan's work. I've added A Moveable Feast to my tbr pile, it was on one of my to-read lists but has gained some priority since reading your reviews and continual buzz about the book.
Since you're enjoying graphic novels you might like to try Joann Sfar's The Rabbi's Cat, you might even be able to find an edition in the original French. Not sure if this one has been mentioned to you before but its a favourite.

#175 Stasia, Monsieur Linh has just 144 pages (the French audio was only 3 hours long), so it's a quick read. I look forward to your feedback on it, but am almost certain you'll love it.

#176 LOL Valerie! I've been pretty good at dodging bullets lately. My wishlist has grown so much since joining this group in December that I now only add books I'm almost sure to love. That being said, I'm all too happy to do damage myself. I mean... beside the obvious advantage of great socializing,isn't that part of the reason we love this group? As for Monsieur Linh, see my note to Stasia above.

#177 Kerry, I wasn't yet in this group when I first read A Moveable Feast, or your would have heard plenty about it then... it was my first exposure to Hemingway and I absolutely fell in love. The Paris Wife was the perfect complement and was very well researched. I'm copying McLain's sources and will mention them in my upcoming review for those interested.

I owe a debt of gratitude to you and my mom for pointing out The Arrival to me. It was inevitable that I'd become a huge Shaun Tan fan after that discovery. I've purchased the three books, i.e. The Arrival, Tales from Outer Suburbia and Lost and Found, as I know I'll want to keep going back to them. Have reserved everything else I could find by him at the library: The Haunted Playground, The Deadly Doll by J. Burke, and Trapped by James Moloney (both illustrated by Tan of course.)

As for my previous experience of graphic novels, see my note to Gail in #166 if you're interested to know more. I'm putting an emphasis on them this month because of the TIOLI challenge. There are so many great series I read as a child and teen, most of them French or Belgian, of which there are innumerable great options. Wish I could remember them all so I could enter them in my catalogue here on LT. Thanks so much for mentioning The Rabbi's Cat. I just now went to the library catalogue and found they had all 5 books in French. I've reserved the first 3 since they are short. I see she has several other series as well, have you read any?

Joann Sfar is actually a rather handsome male, here's link to his blog.
I've read his Little Vampire and Sardine, but they are for a younger children.
I was lucky in 2008 to stumble on an exhibition of 'Jewish Superheros in comics' at the Jewish Museum in Amsterdam and saw a lot of original illustrations from comic history. I bought both Maus and The Rabbi's Cat at the Museum shop and also made at least two visits to Henks Comics so my daughter could get some issues of The Spirit.

I looked at some picturebooks in Argentina and the one book that stood out was originally published in French - 'L'apprentissage amoureux' by Laëtitia Bourget, illustrated by Emmanuelle Houdart - very surrealistic images (phantasmagorical is the correct term I believe) - search google images to sample her work.

I've read a few of Hemingway's books but probably not since my teenage years.

Emmanuelle Houdart's work looks really interesting. I did a quick search to see what they have by her at the library and they seem to have quite a good selection, including "L'apprentissage amoureux", which I've reserved already, along with "Monstres malades". A lot of it seems to be geared towards very young children, but I'm sure it's worth it for the illustrations alone.

As for Hemingway, I doubt I would have appreciated him much as a teenager. I have several of his books on my shelves which I look forward to getting to... eventually.

Started listening to Live and Let Die by Ian Fleming this evening, for just under an hour and was bored to tears. I like the movies for light entertainment, but this was just a slog. Moving on to No Dominion by Charlie Huston for May Murder & Mayhem.

#178: Unfortunately for me, my local library does not have Monsieur Linh (or any Shaun Tan books!)

#183 I'm really sorry to hear that Stasia. Wish there was something I could do about that. I could suggest putting them on the list for when your book-buying ban is over, though I'm sure you've got lots of stuff on there already.

*****

I finished reading my first Gabriel Allon book, The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva last night. Quite liked it. Strange to read a thriller about Israeli/Palestinian relations for me, but I'll be seeking out the others in the series at the library, where they have the whole series, surprisingly enough.

I just got back from there now actually and brought back the following:

The Tiger : A True Story of Vengeance and Survival by John Vaillant (rec'd by Mark/msf59)
The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger (discovered via TIOLI: Graphic Novels)
Daytripper by Fabio Moon & Gabriel Ba (graphic novel rec'd by Mark/msf59)
♫ Le rapport de Brodeck (Brodeck's Report) by Philippe Claudel (rec'd by JustJoey4 on kidzdoc/Darryl's thread)
The Deadly Doll by J. Burke (borrowed because it has illustrations by Shaun Tan, though not nearly enough)

I'll be starting on either Silas Marner by George Eliot, and/or In Search of Klingsor by Jorge Volpi today.

Ilana, did you get a chance to finish up Mansfield Park yet?

Ilana- You brought home some good books! I loved "The Tiger". I didn't talk about it much, but Daytripper, was very good, nicely illustrated. Not sure, I understood it all, but these brothers are very talented. Enjoy!

#185 Valerie, yes I did! forgot to mention that. Finished Mansfield Park a couple of days ago. Not sure I have that much to say about it at this point, but I'll go visit the spoiler group thread and see what's up.

#186 Mark, I'll start on Daytripper tomorrow. I went through The Night Bookmobile a bit earlier and can't say I was in love or anything, but the idea is interesting.

*****

Can't say I'm loving Silas Marner so far, but then I'm only three chapters in and it's such a short book (200 pages) that I'll finish it come what may.

On the other hand In Search of Klingsor by Jorge Volpi gripped me from the very first page. Reading that for Darryl's TIOLI Mexican challenge.

I wish my local library had the Volpi book!

#188 I guess our library system has a pretty large selection because we're linked with the whole Montreal and suburbs network. But still, there are some pretty flagrant omissions sometimes. That being said Stasia, considering how many books you have in your black hole already...

I'm glad that you also enjoyed Monsieur Linh and His Child, Ilana, and I enjoyed your review. As you said, it is available in English, as I downloaded it to my Kindle last month.

I'm eager to get your take on In Search of Klingsor. I read Volpi's latest novel Season of Ash last year, which I liked.

#190 Hi Darryl, glad you liked my review of Monsieur Linh. It's one of those works that really deserves a wider recognition and for this reason I'm glad it's available in English. I'm confident the translation must be good if you had such a good impression of it. Meanwhile, I've gotten Brodeck's Report as mentioned above, though I'd rather start with Les âmes grises (By a Slow River), which I should be receiving any day now.

As for In Search of Klingsor I thought I'd make more headway on it last night, but could barely keep my eyes open from fatigue. I'll probably take advantage of the beautiful day and sit outside with it today.

*****

In other reading news, I got a third of the way through No Dominion by Charlie Huston this morning and just decided to give up (sorry Mark!) I enjoyed the first book in the series Already Dead to a degree, even though vampires and zombies really aren't my thing and it outright disgusted me in sections, but this one just seems filled with unpleasantness and no action so far. Too many other great books on the shelves to keep on with something I'm not happy with, right? Right. That's the second audiobook in a row (with Live and Let Die) that's I've given up on, so I'll have to go with a safer bet next time, like children's stories by Roald Dahl or Philip Pullman maybe.

I'm intersted in your take on In Search of Klingsor too. I just finished Season of Ash and I'm somewhat ambivalent about it.

Ilana- No apologies necessary. Huston is not for everybody. Hope your next book selection "clicks".

#192 Deborah, I'm still just at the beginning of the book, but I do plan on writing a review about it later on. Who's the beautiful baby on your profile pic?

#193 Mark, I still have every intention of reading Caught Stealing. At this point, I don't know if my problem is with the author or with the vampire theme. In any case, I'm enjoying Jack Reacher in Killing Floor right now, so all's well. I do wonder though, since our friendship was based on Charlie Huston, what else we can base it on instead... (just kidding of course!) ;-)

#189: Having 10,000 books in the BlackHole does not keep me from wanting more!!

Morning Ilana- Oh, I'm sure we'll think of something! LOL!

#195 That's the thing about book lust, isn't it? No matter what, we just always want more and more and more! I'm surprised it's not a mortal sin. Oh, wait, it is, isn't it? ;-)

#196 I think you're an all around great guy, and that's well sufficient for me. :-)

Ilana- Loved the episode! 4 left. Don't want to think about it ending. Sad face.

#197: I do not remember 'book lust' ever being mentioned in the pages of Scripture! It is just as well!

#198 I know Mark, I was just thinking the same after the episode yesterday. There's a rerun on tonight and though I never watch them usually, I think I'll make an exception this time. There was so much going on that I don't think I caught it all! :-) I mean... :-( lol.

#199 Even if it was, I'm not worried... I earned my place in hell long, long ago already.

91. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain ★★★★
(Read for TIOLI: Vowels and 11 in 11 category: The Two World Wars and the Time In-Between)

I read this book as a companion piece to A Moveable Feast, and as such found it to be a very satisfying read. Although Moveable is ostensibly a memoir, Hemingway himself states that it's a work of fiction in which he chose to leave out more than he revealed; written in his deceptively simple style, there is much that the reader must fill in to understand what is being said between the lines. Paris Wife on the other hand, sets out recreate the events of those Paris years in a more detailed and linear fashion, for those of us with voyeuristic tendencies. It is an obviously well researched fictional account of what life with Ernest must have been like for his first wife, Hadley Richardson, as told from her point of view.

We get Hadley's personal history, from childhood when she had a grave accident and her father shot himself, to her late 20s, until which time she had lived with her overbearing mother in the family home. Following her mother's death, Hadley went to visit friends in Chicago and there met a young Ernest—in his early twenties and still trying to find his voice as a writer—where both immediately fell in love. They married in 1921 after less than a year of courtship, and shortly after made their way to Paris, the place which Ernest felt would be the most conducive to developing his craft as a writer. The bulk of the book follows the couple's progress during their Paris years during which time they met and befriended important writers and personalities, most of which are mentioned in Hemingway's memoirs, such as Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda, James Joyce and Ford Maddox Ford among others. Whereas they were only indirectly mentioned in Moveable Feast, Gerald and Sara Murphy, a prominent and very wealthy couple who liked to surround themselves with artist and writers, are also mentioned in the story. They appear shortly after the publication of The Sun Also Rises, when Hemingway became a big sensation and everybody wanted to get to know him. That period was very trying for the couple; Hadley's good friend Pauline Pfeiffer had been spending lots of time with them and eventually fell in love and had an affair with Hemingway, who tried for a time to keep both women in his life, the threesome even vacationing abroad together, though eventually the couple broke apart and Hemingway took Pfeiffer as his second of four wives.

As mentioned before, this book was well researched, but in some parts, specifically where Hadley's history is concerned, it read more like a wikipedia entry than as a novel. McClain was most convincing when she took artistic license and inhabited Hadley's character, describing her perceptions and feelings during those years with Hemingway. McClain's Hadley is a passive woman with no personal goals who from the first states that her greatest desire was to help Hemingway become a great writer. For this reason almost all her thoughts, conversations and activities are centred around Hemingway, even after baby Bumby came into the couple's life. I found myself wholly invested in the story, which gave me the impression I was getting the inside scoop on life with the great writer. In those brief moments when I did not suspend disbelief, I found myself wishing the real Hadley Richardson had written her memoirs, but as far as I'm concerned, this fictional account is the next best thing.

eta: The list of references was another section of the book which I found fascinating, since I want to read more about the times, people and places touched on in this book. I thought I'd share the bibliography here for those who might also be interested:

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
Hadley: The First Mrs. Hemingway by Alice Hunt Sokoloff
Hadley by Gioia Diliberto
The Hemingway Women by Bernice Kert
Ernest Hemingway: A Life Story and Ernest Hemingway: Selected Letters 1917-1961 by Carlos Baker
Hemingway: The Paris Years and Hemingway: The American Homecoming by Michael Reynolds
The True Gen by Denis Brian
The Crazy Years by William Wiser
Paris Was Yesterday by Janet Flanner
Living Well is the Best Revenge by Calvin Tomkins
Zelda by Nancy Milford
The Great War and Modern Memory by Paul Fussell
Selected Writings of Gertrude Stein

#201: I read A Moveable Feast just last year, but I may read it again along with The Paris Wife. I like that idea, Ilana. Thanks!

>201 Smiler69:: I've been toying with the idea of reading The Paris Wife to get Hadley's side of the story. Maybe I'll get to it sometime this summer.

Great review of The Paris Wife, Ilana.

Stasia, I also read it about the same time I read A Moveable Feast and thought it worked really well doing it that way.

#202 Stasia, the only trouble with my system is that as soon as I finished reading Paris Wife, I felt like immediately going back to Moveable Feast again with my newfound understanding of events. That could end up being an unending cycle! lol

#203 Donna, I'd say that would make for perfect summer reading. If you can get your hands on the restored edition of Moveable Feast, I definitely recommend it.

#204 Thanks Pat, now that I've read Paris Wife, I want more than ever to read Everybody Was So Young: Gerald and Sara Murphy. May have to check it out of the library for June... only thing is I know that book will lead to so many more!

#205: LOL @ Ilana's neverending cycle idea

#206 The last thing I need considering all the other books I want to read, right? lol.

Great review as always Ilana! I am waiting for this one to come out as paperback. :)

I was going to wait too, but now that I've joined the library, I can sometimes get books while they're still only available in HB. I never used to be able to read such recent books before! lol

Great review, Ilana. I ordered the Kindle sample of The Paris Wife, but I'd like to have A Moveable Feast as well, and that restored edition hasn't been published yet for the Kindle. Maybe I can order it in paper from the UK.

Nathalie, I'm surprised it's not available on Kindle yet. I got the hardcover copy as I intend to read it several times over the years. I also happen to have a softcover version (brand new), and if shipping wasn't so darn expensive, I'd offer to send it to you... I can look into it maybe.

If you haven't heard of Swedish illustrator Mattias Adolfson or seen his work yet, then let me tell you he's one to watch out for. His first book The First in Line has just been published and I ordered my own signed and doodled copy yesterday. Signed copies available till June 1st! Here's a preview.

Testing the reply button... Shipping a book from your place to mine will cost more than ordering it from amazon UK, I am sure, but thank you so much for the offer! "A Moveable Feast" is a book that now has a safe spot on my tbr, the question is only when I'll find the time to get to it. By then the Kindle version might be out. And then I'd like to read "The Paris Wife" as well.

And I saw you have a wonderful blog, I bookmarked it and will surely visit it again these days. How do you get all those things done? I know we women can multi-task, but that's really amazing.

That book in #212 is indeed beautiful and I do feel tempted. But maybe better not, I've spent too much money for books in the last few weeks. I should go on another book-buying-ban for some months and concentrate on the free ebook classics.

#212: I love the look of that book. Drat this book buying ban!

#214 You know you can buy 7 more *tempts Stasia with a shiny new copy*

#215: Stop that, Piyush!

Ilana- Thanks for sharing the preview of "The First in Line". It looks like a lot of fun.

Hey Ilana, just trying to catch up!

#213 Nathalie, I went kind of crazy with book purchases this month too. Most of the ones I got are visual arts books, and it's easy to bust a budget with those. As for the blog, there's not all that much happening there these days compared to the first two years, when I was literally spending entire days and nights filling it with content. These days, I usually post my book reviews for my readers (probably limited to my mom and dad and a couple of friends!) who aren't on LT, along with the occasional fun things I find. I'm on long-term disability leave from work for health reasons, which might explain why I have time on my hands for this kind of project.

#214 Can't be easy Stasia. I know there's no point for me to try something like that. Knowing myself, I'd manage going without purchasing books for a couple of months and then go absolutely crazy and spend a fortune one day like some deprived drug addict!

#215 Piyush, that's just mean.

#216 Seems like Piyush has been keeping track... so how about it Stasia? ;-)

#217 If anything, it's worth bookmarking Mattias' blog as he frequently updates it with new sketches.

#218 Hi Brit!

AAAAAaaaaaaaccccckkkkk!!!

I'm so behind on my reviews... I don't know how I'll ever manage to catch up. Especially since I'm not in the mood for reading lately, let alone writing reviews... I'm just too fatigued for that. That being said, I don't know why I put so much pressure on myself. It's not like anyone's keeping tabs or anything. I think I'll just go snuggle up with Coco on the couch and watch a few episodes of Nurse Jackie on HBO on demand. Maybe throw in a few episodes of The United States of Tara for good measure. I'm sure that's just what I need.

Ilana- You are sounding a little frazzled, my friend! Relax. Kick back and watch some TV. I think trying to keep up with that frenetic pace of reading, audios and reviews, can burn you out. Hugs!!

Ilana - do spend some time relaxing and leave the books alone.
I haven't been reading much lately even though I have 3 wonderful books on the go. I've also switched from audiobooks to listening to jazz for the past few days. I find that the TIOLI challenges can sometimes be too much of a good thing, so have enjoyed a more laidback attitude lately - that said I have an interesting challenge to post for next month!

Reviews - just go for a 1-2 sentences per book, no need to knock yourself out on a longer review for each one. If you feel the book deserves a full review do that later and post an update. I've spent a few years writing book reviews for a newsletter with a 70 word limit per review and have found that you can say quite a lot in a couple of sentences.

#219 Calling me mean is just so mean!

You do not have to do reviews, Ilana! Cut yourself some slack. I never write reviews unless I need to for an ER book.

Ilana, I seem to be in the same boat: not feeling like reviewing, struggling to finish up my last two TIOLI reads; just bleah. Just let it go; eventually the mood will turn, although it probably seems like a bottomless pit right now.

Ilana and Gail--is there room for me in the boat? I also am avoiding writing reviews and am now behind by 4 or 5 books and it's starting to seem overwhelming. I don't know why it's so hard to just let it go and move on.

#223 Piyush dear, I hope you know I was only saying that with tongue firmly in cheek. I should have accompanied my comment with an emoticon. Sometimes it's hard to convey intention when writing quick messages. That being said, if you go back and read what I said, you'll see I did not in fact call you mean. ;-)

#224 Stasia, of course you're absolutely right, but for some reason, I feel like reviewing the books is part of the process of reading—sort of like assimilating and responding in a concrete way, if that makes any sense.

Also... I should say I'm probably a blocked writer. As in, I know I have enough material (goodness knows) to write a book, and writing comes easily to me, but doing anything creative where I'm really taking chances is really scary these days. Hence: reviews. :-)

#225 Gail, one of the TIOLI books I picked up is quite complex and... well it's interesting, so I don't want to give up, but there's only so many pages of it I can read on a given day. Usually, when I get discouraged from reading, it's because whatever I'm reading isn't flowing quite so well. Also, I think I'll take Kerry's advice and just write a couple of lines for books that I don't feel like taking great pains for.

#226 Pat, hop right in and grab an oar! I've decided sometime between yesterday and now that I'll try writing all five (or is it six?) reviews that are dragging behind within an hour MAX, as opposed to spending 1-2... or more hours each (nuts, I know). Which would be my way of 'letting go' for now. So yeah, wish me luck with that! It'll feel good to just get them out of the way and move on.

OOPS, skipped over a couple of messages:

#221 Mark, thanks for the hugs. I spent yesterday evening watching 6 more episodes of Nurse Jackie, which is a show I quite like. It's funny, but I realized afterward that it's actually quite sad, since Jackie happens to be an addict (to prescription meds). So... yeah. lol

#222 Thanks for the advice Kerry, which I intend to follow up on (see my message to Pat, #226 above). I have to work on finding a better balance between reading and other activities, but to be honest, these days I really do feel a need to bury my head in the sand do a lot of reading, and stop worrying about everything draw inspiration from all the great stuff around. I'll figure it all out eventually, but in the meantime I sure do appreciate the support. :-)

Sorry you're feeling a bit blue right now Ilana. Hopefully you aren't feeling too pressured about writing those pesky reviews!

#229 Thanks Judy. It's an ongoing battle really, and I manage quite well most of the time, but when I don't sleep well for even one night then it really throws me off.

Right now, I'm going to set my timer and get those darned reviews out of the way!

92. Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 by David Petersen ★★★
(Read for TIOLI: Graphic Novels challenge)

A sweet graphic novel and the first in a series set in the middle ages about three mice who are part of the official Mouse Guard, which has a mission to protect the civilian mice from predators while they are travelling from one village to another. Here our three heroes discover a traitor who is involved in a plot which might put a whole village in danger.

The illustrations are quite good, though I sometimes found they lacked refinement, but then again, I'm extremely picky, what with my background in visual arts, and most people seem to agree they are very good. Sweet, but I don't think I'll continue with this series.





93. ♫ Mansfield Park by Jane Austen ★★★¾
(Read for Austenathon group read and TIOLI: Vowels challenge)
Narration: Juliet Stevenson
Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Some years ago I would not have been caught dead reading any of Jane Austen's novels, and watching the movies just made me cringe. It just all seemed much too quaint for my cynical self. But now that I've considerably mellowed out with middle age (and lots of meds! lol) I decided to approach her with an open mind. So far, I've only read Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice and Mansfield Park, the latter of which is definitely my favourite so far. I know this novel isn't that popular among JA fans, most finding Fanny Price to be too much of a wallflower for a lead character. To me it seemed like she was on the contrary a young woman of conviction with a strong moral fiber who seemed to have more depth than the leading young women in the other two novels, which I found too frothy for my liking. The secondary characters were very entertaining. Indeed, their presence was essential in moving the story forward and providing plenty of spice and drama. Overall, it felt to me like this novel had more depth, though I know that's probably highly debatable.

This audio version was narrated by Juliet Stevenson (who is one of my favourite narrators) and who could not do otherwise than greatly increase my appreciation for Jane Austen.





94. The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva ★★★¾
(Read for May Murder & Mayhem and TIOLI: Vowels challenges)

I discovered Daniel Silva because of the many recommendations I saw here on LT, and wasn't disappointed with my first experience. The first of the Gabriel Allon series literally starts off with a bang, and our hero, who is a leader in the field of art restoration, is cajoled out of early retirement from his other job as a spy for the Israeli secret service when an Israeli ambassador and his wife are murdered in Paris. The suspect is a known Palestinian terrorist who is also a master of disguise. Allon is expected to track him down in Europe and kill him in absolute secrecy. Of course, there is a beautiful woman in the picture who may or may not be a damsel in distress. This thriller was well put together, and I was impressed with the way Silva handled the touchy political issues at hand by presenting both sides of the conflict fairly and letting the readers make up their own mind. I'll be looking for the next in the series soon enough.

Ilana - three great reviews! You provided background, touched on the strengths and weaknesses, and gave your opinion. Exactly what I look for in LTers comments on books :)

Ilana - three great reviews! You provided background, touched on the strengths and weaknesses, and gave your opinion. Exactly what I look for in LTers comments on books :)

Am I the last to find your thread? Haha, sometimes it takes me awhile to get with the program. I better hang around more with you, Ilana, learn to be more organized! Anyway, great reviews. Going to be looking for Mouse Guard, as well as Paris Wife (I loved A Moveable Feast and may read that in conjunction with Paris Wife per your suggestion). BTW, I love the pictures you've posted throughout your thread, and your watercolour at the top is stunning!

95. The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger ★★½
(Read for TIOLI: Graphic Novels challenge)

Taking a walk after a fight with her boyfriend in the early hours of the morning, a woman finds a winnebago blaring loud music on a deserted street. The driver invites her to view the library within, and much to her surprise, she discovers that every single one of the books on the shelves were read by her at some point in her life. The Night Bookmobile is only open from dusk till dawn, and when the driver politely asks her to leave at the first sign of daylight, she asks if she can work there as a librarian, but is turned down. The experience inspires her to take courses to become a librarian and she is constantly on the lookout for the mysterious Bookmobile, but only spots it again many years later...

The story was interesting, and I applaud Niffenegger for stretching her creative range, but I have to say that her illustration skills are limited. Some images were surprisingly good, but not good enough to earn a higher rating from this reader and former art director.





96. Daytripper by Fabio Moon & Gabriel Ba ★★★½
(Read for TIOLI: Graphic Novels challenge)

In this fantasy story, we follow one man through random stages in his life; during his 20s while traveling with a buddy, as a small child in the country family home, as a middle-aged man about to have a baby, and so on. But the twist is that every one of the episodes ends with his death. An unusual premise which inevitably leads one to ponder metaphysical questions. The illustrations were good in the comic book style and the colouring was absolutely beautiful. A surprisingly mature topic from this young and ambitious duo of talented artists. I liked. A lot.





97. ♫ Killing Floor by Lee Child ★★★½
(Read for May Murder & Mayhem)

The first of the Jack Reacher series introduces us to our hero and narrator, a retired Police Army officer who is now wandering through the U.S. with nothing but a desire to live free of all ties and obligations. Sitting in a small-town diner one day he is arrested for a murder he did not commit, then promptly put in jail, even though Reacher assures us he is innocent of any wrongdoing. All he wants is to clear up the misunderstanding, get out of jail and move on, but he is sucked into a mysterious plot involving dangerous players and a gang of killers who inflict terrible pain on their victims and leave horribly mangled corpses behind. Of course, our man, with his intense army training is up for the challenge. When he's not picking off his opponents, he falls into a tender embrace with a beautiful woman who can't resist this big strong man with the sexy blue eyes. A great mix of suspense, violence, and sex appeal. My only reservation is that Lee Child, a British writer, seemed to struggle with American dialogue and almost every sentence uttered by any one character ended with "ok?" and "right?" which became very annoying, though allowable for a first time novelist. Not for the faint of heart, but I'll be following Reacher in his next adventure, count on it.

#232 Katie, glad you enjoyed them. I literally put the timer on at 30 minutes to write all three. And then same thing for the following 3 I wrote while you were posting. Of course, I couldn't help but spend extra time fixing typos and syntax, copying reviews to the main page, etc. In any case, a grand total of 2 hours for 6 reviews is definitely a record for me in speedy delivery! lol.

#234 Hi Mary, what a nice surprise! :-)
Don't worry about "getting with the program", there's so much stuff to look into here on LT that it can be positively dizzying. Thanks for the compliment on my watercolour. Speaking of pictures, I hope you'll post more pictures of Nickel! I want to see her red feathers!

Ilana you've been mighty busy! Glad to see you got so many of your reviews out of the way. Hope you are feeling more relaxed my friend now that you've offloaded all those reviews! :)

Ilana- Wow, see you just plowed right through them. Good job! Now you can close that door and move on.
I liked the 1st season of Nurse Jackie. I love Edie Falco, but just didn't care to follow that particular story a second time.

Congratulations on powering through all those reviews Ilana!

Good job on cranking out those reviews, Ilana. I hope you have sweet dreams tonight with no worries hanging over your head...or your bed. ;-)

#237 Most definitely feeling more relaxed. Now I know what to do: just set that timer and stop when it goes off!

#238 Now you can close that door and move on

That's right... until I let the next batch accumulate! lol. Of course, the trick would be not to let that happen to begin with.

Tonight I watched two episodes of Shameless. I had watched the original British series and thought it was hilarious, and just tonight discovered the American version via On Demand. Have you seen this show? It's with Joan Cusack and William H. Macy (one of my favourite actors). I hadn't laughed like that in a long time!

#239 Thanks Pat, sometimes I procrastinate till it drives me crazy and then I have no choice but to do something about it. Feels a whole lot better now!

#240 Thank you Donna. To be honest, if being behind on my reviews was my biggest problem in life, then I'd be doing really well, wouldn't I? In any case, I'd rather pretend it's my biggest problem and let the rest sort itself out. :-)

#227 Pffft! Don't fret over it. All the comments I make, including #223 are by default tongue in cheek comments, as most people here would readily testify. One would need to be seriously talented to get through my rhino skin, and you are way too nice to even come close to doing it ;)

Morning Ilana, I just want to say tat I can fully relate to the problems you described earlier and especially your post #228 (answer to #222).

About the reviews: sometimes I also let those reviews queue up and then have to write a bunch of them at once. I also find it difficult to limit myself to a 'short' review when there's so much I'd like to express to do the book and the author justice.

Just checking in, Ilana! I love your reviews, but do not put pressure on yourself to do them when you do not feel like it :)

#242 Cool, all's well that ends well. ;-)

#243 Hi Nathalie, it's nice to know that I don't just speak for myself sometimes. You've expressed my feelings exactly about reviews. I keep wondering if I should change my system; I decided from the beginning to write the reviews in the order in which the books appear in my "books finished" list, thinking that if I didn't do it that way, I'd be tempted to dawdle infinitely on those reviews I want to spend more time on. I could knock out reviews for some books with my eyes closed and in no time flat, which would help reduce the backup if I wrote those first though. I don't know. I'll change things if I feel the need. I just like to have a bit of structure sometimes, since I have so very little of it everywhere else!

#244 Hallo Stasia! Pressure? What pressure? :-)

98. ♫ Flying Too High : a Phryne Fisher Mystery by Kerry Greenwood ★★★½

In the second book of the Phryne Fisher series, our unflappable flapper (sorry, couldn't resist the pun, won't do it again!) shows off her flying skills, which include walking from wing to wing in the air, solves the mystery of the murder of a despised and cruel man which the police believe to have been committed by the son (though Phryne thinks otherwise) and rescues a six-year-old little girl from the clutches of a gang of criminals, all with great class, style and a solid sense of fair play, and she doesn't hesitate to get her hands dirty to get the job done. Phryne also makes a move to domesticity, leaving behind hotel living to take possession of her newly purchased house with hopes that the recently hired help won't decide to up and leave her, as they realize just how modern she is, when comes the time to invite the first in what promises to be a long line of beautiful young men to spend the night. Much like the first book, hanging out with Phryne Fisher feels like a bit of time-travel back to the roaring 20s for a fun night out on the town with the gals, minus the hangover.

99. Silas Marner by George Eliot ★★★★

Still considered as a stranger in the village in which he has lived and worked as a weaver for the last fifteen years, Silas is further treated with suspicion and dislike for his solitary life, as well as the well-founded rumour that his greatest pleasure is counting his gold coins every night. When a thief finds his way to the treasure, Silas' world seemingly falls apart, until one winter night, when a small child appears by his fireside, seemingly out of nowhere. Silas at first mistakes the toddler's golden hair for his lost fortune in gold, but instantly becomes attached and decides to keep and raise her as his daughter, and he comes to see that she has taken the place of the gold and brought many greater riches to his life. A beautiful and poignant story of redemption, this short novel (around 200 pages) is also an astute social commentary by the author of Middlemarch, which I intend to tackle in future eventually.

Hello Ilana - LOVE your paintings. Just beautiful....don't know where you find time to do that, read, and write reviews! Thanks for your thoughts on Silas Marner - Middlemarch has been languishing in my TBR mountain for some time, too. Love your wide-ranging reading choices....

Hello Ilana - LOVE your paintings. Just beautiful....don't know where you find time to do that, read, and write reviews! Thanks for your thoughts on Silas Marner - Middlemarch has been languishing in my TBR mountain for some time, too. Love your wide-ranging reading choices....

#248 Hi Prue! In fact, I don't ever have enough time to do all the things I want in any given day, and it's usually a constant tug and pull between "worthwhile" hobbies and pure procrastination! This afternoon for instance, I'd promised myself I'd work on a drawing, yet here I am still at the computer... in fact, I should get to it right now! Thanks for you visit! :-)

*****

I started listening to An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin last nigh and really loving it. So much so that I think I''m likely to finish it today as I think I'll continue listening as I work on my homework for my upcoming drawing class on Monday. Fitting, in a way, since it's about a fascinating and manipulative young woman making her mark on the selling side of the art world. Somehow, hearing about all the manipulation that goes on that side of things, I feel less intimidated with pursuing my own humble dabbling. I might be tortured, but at least I don't have to try to convince anyone of my worth, or lack thereof!

Ilana- I listened to An Object of Beauty last year and thought it was quite good. Martin knows the Art World, that's for sure. Try to find his memoir Born Standing Up. He narrates it too. Top-notch stuff!
Good review of Silas Marner! I have not read Eliot.

I need to re-read Silas Marner. It has probably been 10+ years since my initial read. Glad to see you liked it, Ilana.

#245: I could quote this whole comment and say 'ME TOO'! :-)
Sometimes those reviews are writing themselves in my head while I am reading and sometimes I just can't collect my thoughts on a book for days or even weeks. I am still writing my reviews in the order of books finished (btw - why am I doing this?), but 2 or 3 times I have posted 'placeholders' when I had problems with a review but wanted to "get rid of" the next ones.
And I keep a list in the background of books finshed and their review status to make sure I'll eventually come back to the missing ones.

I'll put Silas Marner on my to-be-reread list. I read it immediately after Middlemarch (which I loved) and maybe couldn't appreciate it properly, because it's so very different.

Martin is a wonderful writer, he has a keen understanding of language, part of the reason for his success as a comedian and actor. Try Shopgirl.....and interestingly, he starred in a loose movie adaptation of Silas Marner called A Simple Twist of Fate. I saw it years ago and remembered enjoying it, but haven't yet read Eliot's book, so I can't compare.

***She's reading/reviewing way too many books here**

***Yes, but the reviews are good...short and Good**

***Ah, well....maybe it's time I get off my Reading Duff!**

Good work(s), doll!!

;-}

Stopping by to wave hi. I enjoyed your descrip;tion of Silas Mariner and it is now on the tbr pile.

I took a break from LT yesterday and worked on an art project/homework for my drawing class today. I've been neglecting my art (story of my life) and I'm always amazed how good it feels and then wonder why I don't spend more time doing it. Go figure.

#251 Hi Mark! I'll be looking out for more of Martin's stuff. I was really impressed with An Object of Beauty. Apparently he's a serious collector himself, so I guess he was following the adage to "write what you know".

#252 One thing I forgot to mention in my review Stasia is that it took me several chapters to actually get into the story. Marner's character in the beginning is none too appealing and then there's the dialect to work through, but it all fell into place eventually.

#253 I want to read Middlemarch, but don't think it'll happen this year, so I thought I'd pick up Silas Marner to at least familiarize myself with George Eliot a little bit.

#254 Mac, I had actually intended to start out with Shopgirl, but when I saw they had the audio for An Object of Beauty at the library, I decide to jump on it. Audio trumps traditional books every time these days.

#255 You know what the worst of it is, Jude? I always fell like I'm not reading enough. But then again, I always feel like I'm not doing enough of everything. I guess it's that streak of overachiever in me that just won't let me rest, no matter what. Still, as long as it's all good fun, right? ;-)

#256 Hi Linda, always nice to have you over in these parts!

Very nice write up of Silas Marner, like you I read it as prep for reading one of her longer books, probably Mill on the Floss but I've recently added Middlemarch to my TBR shelves. Must get to one of them soon:)

#259 Glad you liked the review calm. I'd like to think I'll get to her more... voluminous works this year, but doubt it, what with all the other books I've been wanting to get to for ages now. Something to look forward to all the same.

Hi Ilana- Just swinging by to say hi! Are you joining us on the group Read of Thousand Autumns? I posted the thread.

#261 Most definitely joining in! I even created a TIOLI challenge so people could add it there if they want. I'll swing by soon.

The time has come! New thread.