cameling's reading slumber room - 4th bean bag

January Reads
Told in the Coffee House - Cyrus Adler
Journal of an Ordinary Grief - Mahmoud Darwish
When the Devil Holds the Candle - Karin Fossum
Sanchez Across the Street - Barbara Mujica
The Three Evangelists - Fred Vargas
The Nonesuch - Georgette Heyer
There Came Both Mist and Snow - Michael Innes
Along Came Trouble - Sherryl Woods
French Milk - Lucy Knisley
The Draining Lake - Arnaldur Indridason
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - Helen Simonson
The Grand Inquisitor's Manual - Jonathan Kirsch
The Grand Sophy - Georgette Heyer
Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Dogs - Eleanor Hallowell Abbott
Dust - Martha Grimes
Death in the Stocks - Georgette Heyer
Solo - Rana Dasgupta

February Reads
Wash This Blood Clean From My Hand - Fred Vargas
Avempartha - Michael J. Sullivan
A Paramedic's Story : Life, Death and Everything In Between- Steven "Kelly" Grayson

They Found Him Dead - Georgette Heyer
Dangerous Waters : Modern Piracy and Terror on the High Seas - John S. Burnett
Indulgence in Death - J.D. Robb
Dark Road to Darjeeling - Deanna Raybourn
Chips, Clones and Living Beyond 100 - Paul Schoemaker
Stealing Lumby - Gail Fraser
Waiting - Ha Jin

March Reads
Twelve Bar Blues - Patrick Neate
Arctic Chill - Arnaldur Indridason
The Savage Garden - Mark Mills
Apple Turnover Murder - Joanne Fluke
Don't Look Back - Karin Fossum
The Passion of Artemisia - Susan Vreeland
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane - Katherine Howe
Look Again - Lisa Scottoline
The Red Door - Charles Todd
Treachery in Death - J.D. Robb
The Cellist of Sarajevo - Steven Galloway
Black Seconds - Karin Fossum

April Reads
Nemesis - Jo Nesbo
Alice at Heart - Deborah Smith
The Green Mouse - Robert Chambers
I Shall Not Hate - Dr Izzeldin Abuelaish
Dolci di Love - Sarah-Kate Lynch
Sunflowers - Sheramy Bundrick
The Madonnas of Leningrad - Debra Dean
Beneath the Lion's Gaze - Maaza Mengiste
Plain Jane - Fern Michaels
Griffin and Sabine - Nick Bantock

May Reads
The Indian Bride - Karin Fossum
Death of an Englishman - Magdalen Nabb
The Egyptian Jukebox - Nick Bantock
The Snack Thief - Andrea Camilleri
The Chukchi Bible - Yuri Rytkheu
Stagestruck - Peter Lovesey
State of the Onion - Julie Hyzy
Search the Dark - Charles Todd
Eye of the God - Ariel Allison
You Can't Stop Me - Max Collins

June Reads
A Life Force - Will Eisner
Away Off Shore - Nathaniel Philbrick
Behold Here's Poison - Georgette Heyer
Salmonella Men on Planet Porno - Yasutaka Tsutsui
The Torso - Helene Tursten
The Terracotta Dog - Andrea Camilleri
Rosalind Franklin and DNA - Anne Sayre
The Captain : The Journey of Derek Jeter - Ian O'Connor

My 1st thread is here
My 2nd thread is here
My 3rd thread is here

For anyone who loves puzzles and staying up half the night trying to work out riddles, The Egyptian Jukebox by Nick Bantock is just for you.

OMGoodness, this was fun but it definitely caused the disintegration of about half my brain cells. A very idea and way more fun than usual puzzles, because you're looking through 'drawers', reading clues and examining items in these drawers to discover a place.
4 stars

Hey, I'm first! I'm never first! Hooray!

Link in last post is all broke and junk. Found you anyway.

here's a star for you, Marky-Mark for making it first to my new thread

Super sleuth, Richard .. thanks for finding me. I've fixed the link in my last post.

Hi Caro! :)

Howdy Caro! I've always lusted after the Nick Bantock books (any of 'em), and this is making me start itching to get to a used book store.

I'm here! I made it!

I'm here too, Caro! You find the cutest little camel gifs.

Oh, another Nick Bantock to add to my collection.

Hi, Caroline!

Here you are! *waves feebly* Think I missed an entire thread -- mea culpa, mea maxima culpa...

glitter-graphics.com

........and, I found Griffin and Sabine on Paperback Swap!!!

;-}

Just got back to San Diego to find you made a flying visit while I was gone! Hope the red-eye was placid. Now I've got to get busy on my yard as well.

Torso sounds likea fascinating read! I've an author I'd recommend against : My Soul to Take by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir . She's an Icelandic writer and I had the best of expectations. I happened to find a hardcover edition of that particular book in my local bookstore on a sale table for $5.00. She's not a dreadful writer or anything - I just found that too much of the book focused on her love life and family life for a book that I expected would be more mystery thriller bound. It was okay.

Currently I am reading Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna as it is on the Orange Prize Long List. And I've starred your new thread!

#6: hello there, Stefano. By the way, you know all things zombie ... have you read the graphic novel Awakening Volume One by Nick Tapalansky? I saw it at the back of car in the parking lot at work today, and wondered if it was any good.

#7 : Laura, Nick Bantock is a genius in writing outside the box, IMO. He does a great job bringing his visuals to the reader. Quick ... go get yourself the Griffin & Sabine trilogy.

#8 : Whoohooo... touchdown, Cee!

#9 :Hi Lynda ... camels make me smile.

#10 : Definitely, Cindy. I just ordered the sequel trilogy to the Griffin and Sabine one today. I might be a tad obsessed :-)

#11 : *waves* hey Darryl

I'm afraid I haven't read it, Caro. My library has a dreadfully small selection of graphic novels, and I have pretty much exhausted it. Every time I browse the section all they have left is manga and super hero comics. :(

It does look interesting, and if the art in the book looked anything like the art on the cover I'd definitely give it a try!

My library has 15 other books named Awakening though... :P

#12 : no worries, Suz. I've been missing some whole threads too. RL has a terrible way of interrupting one's LT time sometimes.

#13 : Yaay..congratulations, Jude. Did you get just the first one, or did you get all 3?

#14 : Roni, I was at my sister-in-law's over the Mother's Day weekend and they have an impeccable yard. Then I come home, look at my yard and my enthusiasm fizzles when I see how much work and time I'd have to put into it for it to look even half as nice as theirs. Oh well ... weeds can be beautiful too, right? And there is a wild beauty to naturally disheveled flower beds ... ?

#15 : Ooh, thanks for the heads up, Deb. Was My Soul To Take at least funny? Like the Stephanie Plum books?

#17 : I might see if I can mooch it or paperback swap it, Stefano. The art on the cover was what caught my eye. I may need to haunt the parking lot to see if I can find out who the owner of the car is, and ask him about the book.

Caro- I'll take a look and see if my library has Awakening Volume One. I'm always willing to try another graphic. Have you read Britten and Brulightly? I'm about halfway through that one and it's been excellent.

Marky-Mark, I've got Britten and Brulightly in my TBR Tower but haven't gotten to it yet. I keep getting sidetracked. But I did move it up a couple of rungs about a month ago, so I'm probably going to get to it before the end of the month.

Caroline, I read Britten and Brulightly a couple of weeks ago and thought it was great. It's a super quick read and it works for Mark's Murder and Mayhem!

I thought I'd try and end M&M month with this, Pat. At least I know I won't be disappointed.

I'm biting my fingers ...forget the nails, they're all gone now ... the Celtics are really stressing me out here!

Bummed about the Celtics ... thank goodness there's still baseball. But the hubster drew my attention to some packages that arrived in the mail for me today ... whoopee... books.

The Snack Thief by Andrea Camilleri
Eggsecutive Orders and Buffalo West Wing by Julie Hyzy
A Toss of Lemon by Padma Viswanathan

No, My Soul to Take was not even funny! I've never read a Stephanie Evanovich book . If you have My Soul to Take available for cheap , or at your library - it's an okay book. I think it tried to combine mystery with a bit of chick lit? It was creepy on level - but not very much. Like one of the reviews in LT thing says - her novels lack in intensity. Maybe that is what I was missing. I like my mysteries dark!;) I felt zero creep factor during most of the book, and most certainly not afterward.

Hi! Found you, Caroline!

People in this area are very fortunate. We have a Better World Books warehouse,with an outlet store.
I was able to get Egyptian Jukebox. also The Museum of Purgatory and The Artful Dodger. There were a couple of a other ones. Maybe next time.
Love the artwork.

Now that basketball season in Beantown has come to an inglorious end, it's time for you to support the best team in town:

Whew! For a minute I thought I was back on Stephen's thread and you'd found the missing sock ! (We were talking about the black holes in washing machines...Prisons of Light.) Go Red Sox!! Hi Caroline. : )

#26 : Hmm.. I can do chick lit mystery if it's what I'm expecting, but if I'm expecting something more intense, then they irk me. So thanks for the warning, Deb. I might just pick it up anyway for a beach day. I keep some cozy mysteries for days when I want a mystery but nothing too taxing for my stress smashed brain.

#27 : Terri found me! whoohoooo!

#28 : Lucky you, Cindy. There's a big super used book store that just opened up not too far from me, but they seem to carry only the best-sellers.

#29 :Go wash that mouth out with the biggest bar of carbolic soap you can find, Darryl! Red Sox? *gasp! hack! splutter!* ... I'm a Yankees fan! ... and they just lost to Kansas ...*sigh*

At least the Bulls won, so now I hope they beat the Heat to a pulp in the Eastern finals.

#30 : Berly... throw those socks into Stephen's black hole! ack!
I bleed in pinstripes!

A Yankees fan?! Ick, ptooey. I still love you though, Caro.

I'm sending this to you in advance, before the Unmentionables fall hopelessly behind the Red Sox and Rays this summer:



Besides, blood is red, not dark blue.

What about da Broons, Caroline? Not a hockey fan???

De-lurking to support a fellow Yankees fan. I may have to steal that waving banner...

Yank-mes *shudder* will probably buy another pennant this year, boringly enough, while my hapless, hopeless-but-better'n-any-damned-AL-team Mets will languish in the cellar. *fumes at life's many injustices*

Pity the poor Blue Jays...

Reserving my seat - back later.

#32 : What would sports be if we didn't love different teams eh, Stas? :-) Love you too, sweetie .... I can understand that not everyone has the good sense to be a Yankees fan. *wink, smirk*

#33 : Oooh...dem's fightin' words, there Darryl! Fall behind the Red Sox indeed .... we're still ahead and we shall stay ahead of the RS ...although I concede that Tampa's pulling ahead. Still ... it's only May.

#34 : Not a hockey fan, Charlotte. I can't ever find the puck!

#35 : Feel free to steal away, Katie, and keep that flag flying high! I met the entire Yankees team a couple of years ago when they were in Boston. I happened to be at the Ritz Carlton for a corporate do, and bumped into them all in the lobby on their way out to dinner. They were all in suits and my heart did threaten to seize up at the sight. I did get hugs from them all. *sigh*

#36 : Sorry, Richard ..time to switch over to the winning team!

#37 : chirp, chirp, Suz?

#38 : Keeping seat warm for Jenn .. with a half knitted scarf in case she wants to come and finish it off for me.

#36 :

Finished The Snack Thief by Andrea Camilleri this morning.

What does an elderly gentleman stabbed in the elevator of his apartment building have in connection with a Tunisian shot in a fishing boat? On the surface, there is no immediate connection, but Inspector Montalbano's investigations lead him to the dreaded Secret Service, a Tunisian housekeeper with selected clients to whom she performs extra services, and an orphaned boy.

His relationship with food borders on holistic and that with his rest of his team continues to entertain. His father is dying and he rethinks his relationship with Livia.
3.8 stars.
I love this series.

I keep losing you.. but now that you are found, all is well with the world.

I love the Montalbano TV shows, too! Thumbs-upped you, dear Caro!

The Snack Thief sounds like a delightful read.

Happy Saturday to you!

Hi Caro- Another reminder, I need to get to the Andrea Camilleri series. I must be one of the last hold-outs and I own a copy of the 1st book. Sad. I was hoping to squeeze it in for M & M. Double sad.
Hope you are having a nice weekend. Hugs.

*sigh* One of these days I really must get to the Montalbano series.

#41 : Shall I put an electronic ankle bracelet on myself for you, Kath? Of course, since it's me, that bracelet would probably turn magnetic and I'll be the only one with odd nails, coins and screws as 'charms' on my ankle bracelet, jingling each time I take a step. Then again, I could turn that to an advantage and take up Indian dancing, since they usually have ankle bracelets with bells and stuff. I do already have a sari anyway.

#42 : Thank you, Ricardo. I'm afraid to watch the Montalbano TV shows because I'm afraid the actor they've picked for the character won't be what I've imagined him to look and sound like. It's like when they made the movie of Garfield .. I was terribly upset, because the Garfield in the movie didn't sound at all like the Garfield in my head when I read the comics.

#43 : Happy Sunday to you, Linda. I do so love Camilleri's series of this seriously delightful, kind but at times preposterous Sicilian inspector. I have to The Track of Sand in my TBR Tower, and I'm actually having to force myself not to read it next so I don't OD on Montalbano and his team.

#44 : H'lo Marky-Mark. There's still time to squeeze Camilleri in for M&M month ... we're only halfway through May, and these are usually fun and quick reads. Quick for me because I've never been able to put them down when I start them.

#45 : Could tomorrow be 'one of these days', Stas?

I'm taking a break from murderous books and I'm reading The Chukchi Bible by Yuri Rytheu, an Archipelago book I received a week or so ago. But maybe I'll keep my finger in M&M month and read a very light murder mystery as well before I go to sleep. I might start my first White House series (I think Cheli recommended this series) with State of the Onion.

Rainy day....perfect day for staying indoors and reading, but I managed to talk myself into clearing out our guest room which somehow turned into a storage and clothes dump for the last 4 months. It's amazing how things creep around the house and make a room for themselves. Books have been placed back on the bookcases, bed has fresh linen and a newly washed bedcover, 2 bags of clothes to take down to Goodwill and the floor vacuumed and mopped. The only thing left to do now is to clear the desk of various papers ...and I'll do that after a break. :-)

I think we may have a ghost in the house who loves to take showers downstairs because almost every other day, I'm going into the downstairs bathroom, and either some of the shower curtain rings have come off the rail, or the shower curtain's shifted into a different position.

I made a thickly oniony onion soup and garlic parmesan toast for lunch. Perfect for a rainy afternoon. I think I'll keep with the brothy theme and put together either a cioppino or Vietnamese beef pho for dinner tonight.

Caro- Sounds like you are having a productive day. Hope you can squeeze in a fair amount of reading too! It's cool & damp here also and I feel like being a bit of a bum.

Hello Caro!

The Shower Curtain ghost? My shower curtain, upstairs, always come off the rail...maybe mine is an old, disappointed boyfriend???

I'm not cooking today... but would love to have YOUR recipe for Beef Pho (I have so many recipes...i need one that actually works)

Books? i seem to have a phobia..

I'm glad that you're reading The Chukchi Bible, Caroline; I look forward to your thoughts about it. I received my copy last week, too, and I'll plan to read it next month.

It hasn't been a good weekend for the Yankees or Phillies, unfortunately.

#48 : Marky-Mark ... I'm having a cookbook reading sort of day. I feel guilty not getting back to cleaning the desk in the guest room, but I think I may have used up all the will power I had in me today. I blame it on the weather ... this is just such good reading weather. But my guilty conscience is also not allowing me to getting get stuck in a 'real' book, so I'm going through a new Thai cookbook and a cookbook on Latin American desserts I bought recently....and getting hungry in the process.

#49 : Jude - this weird phenomenon just started about a month ago. At least it's a ghost with a penchant for cleanliness, so I can't complain. He hasn't left any shower scum either, so maybe he cleans up behind him. :-)

Beef Pho recipe coming up:
Beef Stock
3 lbs oxtails
2 lbs beef brisket
4 qt water
4" fresh ginger, crushed and cut in a half
10 shallots (unpeeled)
1 lb daikon cut into big chunks
2 carrots, cut in halves or thirds
7 whole star anise
5 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
3 tbs fish sauce (or to taste)
2 tsp sugar

To make the stock, fill the stockpot with water and bring to a boil. Add the oxtails and brisket, bring to a boil for a few minutes, then pour off the water to discard the impurities. Add the 4qt fresh water to the pot and bring it to a boil.

Char the shallots and ginger in a dry frying pan, turning to color evenly, and then toss into the stockpot. Add the daikon, carrots, star anise, cloves and cinnamon sticks. When the water reaches a boil, reduce the heat and maintain a gentle simmer, partially covered, for about 2 hours. Remove the brisket and set aside. Continue to simmer the stock for another hour ... it should be a light amber and very fragrant.

When the brisket is cool, cut into thin slices and set aside. When the stock is done, strain through a sieve, discard the oxtails. Return the stock to the stockpot and season with the fish sauce and sugar. Bring to gentle simmer.

For the noodles and accompaniments
1/2 lb beef sirloin (wrap in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 1 hour)
cilantro leaves
Thai basil (these are the ones that have the slightly purple stems)
2 limes (cut into wedges)
1/2 lb flat dried rice noodles (there are 2 kinds, but get the thinner 1/4" wide ones because the thicker ones are not good for pho), soak in warm water for about 20 mins.
3 scallions, thinly sliced (including some of the green tops)
1 white onion, thinly sliced
1lb bean sprouts

To prepare the accompaniments, remove the partially frozen beef from the freezer and cut across the grain into paper thin slices as wide as possible.

Bring a pot of water to the boil. Drain the noodles. Remove the pot from heat and stir in the drained noodles, stirring and cook until al dente. Drain well. Divide the noodles into bowls, place some of the cooked brisket slices into each bowl. Top with slices of the raw sirloin, a handful of bean sprouts, and a sprinkle of scallions, some white onion and ladle the hot stock over. Serve with the lime wedges.

#50 : Darryl, The Chukchi Bible is starting out well and I think I'm going to be enjoying this.

Btw, why are you a Phillies and not a Falcons fan?

Hi Caro

Sounds weird I know, but I owned a house inhabited by a ghost. He was not Casper and was NOT friendly. I no longer doubt the existance of spirits.

Hi Caro! Did I see you are off to Austrailia soon?
Makes me dizzy!

Caro, I am sure that you would look beautiful in a Sari, even with nails and things hanging off of a magnetic ankle bracelet. :)

Couldn't get me to eat anything made with oxtails ... ew. I know.. more mental images than anything..

Linda.. My ghosts were mostly benign. Archie was sometimes temperamental, but I could hardly blame her. Her exit was so swift and unexpected ..I would like to hear your story sometime :)

#53 : What Kath said, Linda. I too would like to hear more about your ghost. Not friendly? Was he the reason you left the house?

#54 : Yup, I off to Sydney this Saturday for a few days, Cee. Unfortunately all work, and no time for the roos during this trip. In fact, I'll be back the following Friday morning.

#55 : I'll take compliments any day, Kath. Keep 'em coming ... haha

I never used to eat oxtail before but my mom made them in a stew once and removed the bones so I couldn't recognize them, and i ate and loved it. About a year later, she told me what it was I'd been eating, and I never had a problem with it again.

So it was just a matter of time before I had another accident. Happened today at lunch. I was walking across the floor, and slipped on a greasy spot, left foot went out from under me, i flew in the air a little (yes I actually attained a decent height above a table), allegedly gave a loud yelp, and crashed onto my left hip, knee and elbow. The manager rushed out (I think he thought I was going to sue them or something) and had someone clean up the floor where I fell. Thankfully there weren't too many people there and I got up really quick anyway .. one of my colleagues said i was up just when he turned around in his chair. Nothing broken but i was starting to feel more sore spots as the day wore on, and now I've discovered a bruise on my right palm and a piece of glass in it, and I'm sporting some beautifully flowering bruises on my left knee, hip and elbow.

Caro! Ouch, ouch, ouch! Did I mention ouch?

I hope you are really ok. (Next time you feel like flying, consider using your wings!) Geeze! I'll bet tomorrow morning will be an achey one for you.
Ouch! Please go slow tomorrow. :{

I herewith rescind your standing invitation to come and visit until I review our homeowners' policy. *bustles off to filing cabinet*

Oh I've no doubt I'm going to be sore tomorrow, Cee ... since I'm already sore now. haha. But nothing broke, so I'm truly ok. :-) Given how often I've fallen down stairs, off monkey bars landing on my head, missing the high jump mattress to land on my shoulder on the ground instead etc... it's quite amazing that I've not many broken bones.


*sulks* ...meanie Ricardo..... I don't care .... Ms Stella said I could come over any time and that she'll make sure your slippers are put away so I don't trip over them.

>51 cameling:: Mmm...I love pho, and Jamaican oxtail stew!

>52 cameling:: I'm glad that you're enjoying The Chukchi Bible; I'll definitely read it next month.

Btw, why are you a Phillies and not a Falcons fan?

I'm a bit confused here, since these teams play different sports (as you know). I'm not a diehard fan of any of the Atlanta professional sports teams (Braves, Falcons, Hawks, Thrashers) despite living in the city for 14 years. I don't think of myself as an Atlantan, and when I'm asked where I'm from, I say that I'm from the Philadelphia area but I live and work in Atlanta.

I guess it's the "transplant" mentality of this city; the majority of Atlantans, especially those with professional jobs and advanced degrees, aren't from Atlanta or Georgia. My group at work is a good example; only two of the 15 docs are from Georgia (although the majority of us are Emory alumni), but three of us are from the Philadelphia area (and one of the two Georgia bred docs trained and taught at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for ~10 years before he came back to the ATL). And, most of my partners who are sports fans identify most closely with the teams from our home towns rather than the ones in this city.

(Sorry, that was a long-winded answer to a simple question!)

>56 cameling:: I'm really craving oxtail stew now. I might go to a local Caribbean restaurant tomorrow for lunch, so that I can have a bowl (and some Jamaican meat patties, mon!).

Oh, no! Poor thing...please tell me that the shard of glass is no longer in your palm. I'm sorry to hear about your fall, and I hope that you feel better soon. Maybe Edd can buy you one of these:

Hi Caro! Thanks for your kindness re my review. I'm just a simple reviewer -nothing fancy,I'm afraid. That said - I appreciate all of the reviews here on LT! I find I won't purchase a book without consulting LT and folks reviews and overall takes on the book. That said -sometimes I like to just purchase a book that virtually no one has read -which is fairly easy if you live purchase new Canadian authors like I do ;)
One of my favourite reviews - said - For those who love grim CanLit. I had to chuckle at that! I read quite a bit of CanlLit - and much of it is very good -but some it I find way to drawn out and full of navel gazing -and oh so depressing!
Wow! You've read a lot of books so far this year. What did you think of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane - Katherine Howe? I saw that in my local bookstore -and it kind of caught my interest. I'd love to know what you think.
.

Caro- Sorry to hear about your nasty spill. I hope you are not to sore today and PLEASE be careful.

Darryl- That's hysterical! Good job!

hope you remembered to take an advil today, to help with the ouchies.
Glass in your had? I have to think that there was some carelessness involved there???

>63 mckait: Kath dear, this is CAROLINE we're talking about! Carelessness doesn't enter into the picture. She's just...gifted at physical comedy, but without the punchlines.

Yeah but... I agree with you, Kath. The carelessness would be on the part of the person who spilled and broke? something w/o cleaning it up??? Glass! good grief. Sounds like something that should have been taken care of proprerly and wasn't. :(

How does the grass look, Caro?

Oh my Caro another spill. But of course it's the fault of some other careless person who thoughtlessly left some kind of mess on the floor. I swear I will keep up with this thread this time. Honestly I will.

>66 brenzi: Good luck with that, Bonnie...no matter how firm the purpose of amendment, the sin of omission creeps on little cat feet...speaking of which, I haven't seen *your* thread in a month *guiltguilt* so I better go look it up.

My, you really are accident prone, aren't you? I thought, in the beginning, that you were mostly exagerrating - you know, the way people do, but as time has gone on there have been more and more 'incidents'. You have a talent there, Caroline.
Hope you recover quickly and are not feeling too busted up today.

So glad it wasn't worse, Caro. Last time I slipped like that (identical circumstances and fall), I broke a wrist and messed up my back joint--but then my bones are a little older than yours.

So sorry about your recent accident, Caro. Maybe it's good you got that out of the way before you go to Sydney?! Hope you're not too sore for the plane trip; flying that distance is hard enough without adding bruises to cramped seats!

#60: *here's the wind up ... and .... heaving watermelon shoes at Darryl*

I'm making grilled jerk shrimp, cornbread, grilled chipotle chicken and artichoke with roasted garlic aioli .... and I'm NOT inviting you! You can get into that bubble and eat a cold cheese sandwich. *hmph!*

#61 : Physick took me a while to get through it, but that was more because of my mood and some stuff I was going through, but I liked it. I thought it was an interesting way to bring history into the world of fiction. Given that I'm familiar with the Salem witch hunt, what with living relatively close by, and having gone to Salem a number of times, I was surprised that I wasn't bored by the book. Instead, she had me looking at it with fresh eyes.

#62 : Just slightly sore, and with some very interesting bruises, Marky-Mark

I'm not worried. If you had an accurate arm you'd be called up as a replacement for one of the Yankees' starting pitchers.

ETA: Uh oh; where's that whistling sound coming from?

Oh, wait; I missed the enticing menu. Can I take back what I said???

OOOhhhhh...now dem's fighting words, Darryl.

And the dinner was awesomely good...even if the chef does say so herself. *smirk*

#63 : No Advil necessary today, Kath ... which is a good thing because we don't have any in this house. Haha ... we have the most pathetic first aid box in our bathroom. All we have are bandaids (yes, we go through them quite quickly ... ok, ok .. I go through those quite quickly), Neosporin and sunscreen. Nothing else.

#64 : blah, blah, blah, blah... 'gifted'....blah, blah. Aww... you think I'm gifted, Ricardo ... how sweet.

#65 : Yeah, the carelessness was on the part of the person who didn't clean up. Cee's got it right .... and my grass looks perfect, now, thank you. :-) Santa said to say you've squeaked in at the bottom of his 'nice' list at last.

#66 : LOL...no worries, Bonnie ... my thread's always around. Pop in whenever you get a chance and if you have the inclination. I'm bad about keeping up with many threads because of time constraint. It'd be a full time job for me to keep up with all the threads that I want to. We are a prolific and garrulous bunch here in the 75ers. I used to check out some other groups, but now I don't even have the time to wink in.

#68 : Charlotte, I wish I could say I was exaggerating some of my incidents, but alas, I'm not that creative. If anything, I don't always post some of my less than stellar moments .... like when a roasted garlic clove burst its skin when I took the pan out of the oven this evening and hit me right in the middle of the forehead... or when I very stupidly lit a tealight bending down directly over it ....and felt the heat zoom onto my eye.

But anyone who knows me well no longer panics when they see or hear me trip, fall or roll. I'll get the raised head, a casual query if I'm ok, and then they go back to what they were doing before, or if it struck their funny bone, would peal into gales of laughter at my expense.

#69 : Roni - Left wrist is a little sore, and my knee's a little swollen. My bruises are wonderfully purple today and would make good Roscharch tests. But apart from that, I'm feeling fine, thank you.

#70 : I fell on my side, Donna, so sitting for long hours on the plane won't be too difficult. But I didn't think of that .. you're right... it's good I got this fall out of the way before Sydney. Not that that's a guarantee nothing will happen when I'm there, or on my way there.

I have a long layover in San Francisco on my way over and will be spending the day with a dear friend. And on my way back, I have a long layover in LA, and will spend it with another dear friend. So I'm actually looking forward to this trip because of the long layovers. :-)

I seem to be hitting a bump on my reading road .... I can't seem to concentrate and my mind keeps wandering to ....scenes from Mary Poppins. Don't ask ... I haven't watched that movie in well over 10 years, so I don't know why my attention from the books I'm reading keeps veering off. I wonder if it's because I saw Dick Van Dyke interviewed by Leno the other night? *hums Chim-chiminee*

Have a great trip! Safe journey to you!

So sorry that your wrist and knee are sore...ouch...I'm glad that you are feeling fine despite your fall.

>73 cameling:: Ow ow ow ow! LOL!

I can't hit back, because I was taught never to hit a woman. Then again, if I could hit, I'd be inserted into the Phillies' starting lineup...

ETA: I'm sorry to hear that you're in a book funk. Is The Chukchi Bible still good?

When are you leaving Caro? I missed that! ye gods.. another one..
I will miss you here..

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane .. for what it's worth.. I agree with Caro. I used to live near there as well.. and that enhanced it for me rather than otherwise. I liked the book a lot and was enchanted by the beauty of the cover on mine..

Caro, we could sign up together as the Two Stooges :) I am accident-prone too!

#76 : Thanks, Linda. I'm rather pressed for time trying to clear off as much work as possible and still run a few errands tomorrow before my flight on Saturday.

#77 : Well, I figured you're not in the Phillies line up, Darryl, because if you were, the children wouldn't have you as their doctor ... and that would be a tragedy.

I still really like The Chukchi Bible and making slow but delightful progress.

#78 : I'm leaving on Saturday morning, Kath. I'll be hanging out with a dear old friend in San Francisco for the afternoon and early evening, before catching the red eye to Sydney ..but because of the time difference, I don't actually arrive in Sydney until Monday morning.

#79 : I think we can add Suz to our group and become the Three Stooges, Stas. She's pretty klutzy too.

Caro- I hope you get all your work done before you leave. Have a good safe trip! When you coming back?

Sending Elves to help you with your work!

>82 -Cee-: For some reason I feel extremely heterosexual just now. *burp*

I posted on your FB wall.. but will say again... Many thanks, my friend..

Claudia: Delete the spaces between your IMG codes to get them lined up.

It's the same way as sentences, if you hit the 'enter' key after the IMG code you'll start a new paragraph. :)

#81 : Thanks, Marky-Mark. I managed to clear most of the stuff off my plate and got rid of 2 items on my procrastination list, so I'm well pleased with myself. :-) Plus I just finished cooking up enough food for my husband to last him the few days I'll be away. I'll be back next Friday morning.

#82 : LOL ....love the help your darling little elves gave me today. Couldn't have done it without them. I hope they're not too tired out from helping me to fly back to their trees.

#84 : *smoochies* Kath.



Just for you Stefano

I hope you have a wonderful (and accident-free) weekend, Caro!

I hope there is time for some fun in this trip?
I do hate to say trip in your thread.. I should change it to journey...
safe travels and happy days to you!

Hi Caro! I imagine you are on your way now - have fun with your friends and success with your work! Safe week!

Stephen - I tried that. It looks like this: and makes no difference from this:
Is this what you mean?

I wonder if this will even show up or if I just messed up this message????
My husband just told me this AM that I need to stop fighting technology. But I AM trying. Really I am.

ETA: Just as I figured... it didn't show up! :P
Well, I was trying to type: pointybracket/apointybracketpointybracketapointybracket (no spaces)
vs a space between 2nd and 3rd pointybracket
Oh :P ! Can you make that out?
Anyway, thanks for trying to help me.

Ok, I'm going to use { symbols instead of the 'pointy bracket' to demonstrate how you are post is coded, and how it should be.

You current post looks something like this:
{img src="URL"}
{img src="URL"}
{img src="URL"}

Do you see how I hit the ENTER button to create a new line of text? You need to delete those blank spaces, so it looks like this:

{img src="URL"}{img src="URL"}{img src="URL"}

See how there are no spaces between the codes? You need to edit your post, and look for where each code ends/begins and delete the spaces between, so it all runs together into one big code.

Does that make sense? :)

Caro has it! See how her picture has that tiny space between them? That means she hit the SPACEBAR between her codes. You, it seems, hit ENTER. :)

I get what you are saying, Strephen... but I can't do it. As easy as it seems.

I'll try again sometime and let you know how it came out. :P
Thanks for your help. :)

Claudia: It's a LOT more complicated with Glitter Graphic photos because they have Link codes in them. Here, just copy all this, paste it into your post up there, and then change the {} to the pointed arrows, okay?

{img src="http://dl4.glitter-graphics.net/pub/2608/2608464mm4ex1655b.gif"} {img src="http://dl.glitter-graphics.net/pub/2589/2589451zcjy4l52k0.gif"} {img src="http://dl6.glitter-graphics.net/pub/2879/2879126wmd5eme2bt.gif"}

Don't add any spaces, just go through that and change the {} to point brackets. There's 6 of them!

WOW! You did it. Now I have to figure out what you did!
Thanks O computer guru!

Skipped all the tech talk above to say I'm waiting for your thoughts on The Chukchi Bible. I read his A Dream in Polar Fog, which I liked. This one sounded quite different though.

I really hate it when you are in some exotic place and can't visit..
miss you madly!

It's been absolutely crazy busy here in Sydney ... and raining every single day too. :-(
But work's done and it's been a hectic, long but pretty successful trip. So i haven't had time to log in to LT until now. ....... 10 mins before I check out of the hotel and head off to the airport. Yup, coming home! Whoohooo!

I'll have to review the Chukchi Bible and 3 other books when I get home.

ooh, i like the changes made in LT. :-) Amazing what happens when I'm away for 3 days. haha

Miss all of you folks, see you all on Friday when I get back. I have a long layover in LA on Thursday - 10 hours - but I'll be meeting a friend and spend the day at the beach so that will be fun.

You amaze me.. you do..
have fun.. be safe..
Thanks for stopping in.. caro energy is much needed here..

hugs!

We will be glad to see you back safe and sound, Caro! Looking forward to your book reviews too.

Caro- Thanks for checking in! Have a safe return home. Enjoy sunny LA!

*smooch* to Caro

::whammy:: of good luck to the passengers she falls down on top of during the flight

Hope you got home safe and sound!

Have a good trip home, Caroline!

Hi Caro!
Hurray for successful trip!
Hurray to have you coming home!
;-)

Thanks for your lovely card Caro! It was such a spot of cheer! I hope you have a safe return.

Hugs!

It's the weekend.. I sure hope that you are NOT working!

hello hello my peeps! I'm hooooome and loving it. But of course, no trip is a normal trip for me without some sort of mishap. ;-)

I am home ... with an impressive sunburn, a souvenir from LA. Who knew (well, probably 99.5% of you) that sitting outside on an open terrace under the full glare of the sun for 5 hours sans sunscreen would result in someone looking somewhat radioactive? Granted it wasn't intentional - this is what happens when you meet with an old friend you haven't seen in well over 15 years, and good sense flies out the window because you're just talking nonstop. The martinis and tequila shots had nothing to do with the absence of good sense, I swear.

I didn't even realize how bad it was until I was at the security checkpoint at the airport, and the guard commented that I must have had a great holiday in LA, and asked how long I'd been in town .... and I was forced to admit that I'd been on a long layover for about 7 hours. He laughed.
When my husband picked me up at the airport in Boston, he laughed too when he saw me, but very kindly went to the pharmacy to buy me some aloe vera gel while I was taking my shower. Kindness notwithstanding, he's been calling me 'Crispy' since yesterday.

So on with the reviews:
I received Stagestruck by Peter Lovesey from Netgalley and it was a page turner. I loved it.
Amidst the many police procedurals that grace the bookshelves in bookstores the world over, Peter Lovesey, brings into our lives thrilling stories with subtle lessons.

In this novel, a fading rock star climbs the boards to make her debut as an actress in a play, but on opening night, before she's even on stage for more than a few minutes, she grimaces, claws at her face and falls to the ground, screaming. It's not part of the act, her face was being eroded by acid in her make up. As evidence continues to point to tainted make up, her make up artist is found dead in an apparent suicide.

Inspector Peter Diamond and his team has to try to resolve the mystery with the added challenge of his having had to accept a new team member from beat.

But where everyone seems willing to accept the immediate and obvious evidence, Inspector Diamond nurses concerns that it's just too simple. He continues to seek to understand and that's the lesson that's woven through this book, that while it's easier to take the obvious route, it may not be the right route, and that if one were to persevere, you will find yourself on the right route and the right answers.
3.8 stars

keep the gel in the fridge.. it feels better going on cold...

cyber hug

The Chukchi Bible by Yuri Rytkheu I received from Archipelago and I continue to be impressed with the type of books they translate and publish in English. This is a wonderful, collection of myths, folk tales and short stories that build from the creation of the Chukchi in the harsh Arctic tundra, how the generations evolved from seafaring people to deer herders, to traders with the "hairmouths" from Russia.

The writing is poetic and the stories fascinating. We are treated to descriptions of the icy tundra in the Chukotka Peninsula and the various rituals of the shamans. We see a society evolve from a simple fishing and whaling clan who occasionally raid other clans for women to marry, who later assimilate with the deer herders in the grassy tundra so they would have warm meat, and who are later discovered by Europeans. With the influx of more explorers, their world expands and they now have different choices available to them, some good, some bad and some which would have repercussions on this tribe of people.
4.8 stars

State of the Onion by Julie Hyzy was a cute cozy mystery and start of a series of White House mysteries with an executive chef as the amateur but enthusiastic investigator. In this, assistant chef, Oliva Paras, finds herself not only trying to avoid being killed by The Chameleon, an assassin just because she had inadvertently seen him, but also trying to win a promotion to become the White House's Executive Chef when her boss retires, facing competition from an old rival and nemesis.
3 stars

Search the Dark by Charles Todd is another in the Inspector Rutledge series. Our war damaged Inspector is once again sent out by his boss to look into the murder of a woman and her missing children. The village police chief, resenting Scotland Yard's intrusion into his territory, believes he's arrested the murderer but Inspector Rutledge appears to harbor doubts. In speaking with the prisoner, he discovers another war damaged soul, but the man is horrified and shocked by what he believes he has done and cannot be drawn into speaking at length about his wife and children without collapsing in catatonic grief. But where are these missing children? And what of the man who was seen with them? At the same time, another body is found. Is there a connection?
This was a page turner and I loved it.
3.8 stars

Eye of the God by Ariel Allison.
Is the Hope Diamond cursed? Does it bring misfortune to those who own it? The famed diamond, stolen from the eye of a sculpture of Sita in India, has traveled great distances and continents, and with its journey, it has built an history that fascinates.

Currently housed in the Smithsonian Institute, the Hope Diamond is claimed to have been cut from the French Blue, and Dr Abigail Mitchell is tasked with organizing and hosting an event celebrating the Hope Diamond. But there is an international gang of art and jewel thieves who are out to steal this. Security is stepped up but there are a few unexplained glitches which concern the head of security for the Smithsonian, but he's unable to persuade either Dr Mitchell or the Director to cancel the fundraising event. If anything, things take an odd twist and for the first time, the diamond is actually going to be removed from its protective case and worn by Dr Mitchell during the event. When the diamond is stolen off the neck of Dr Mitchell, chaos ensues, but who is responsible and can they get it back?

Interwoven with the novel is historical information about the ownership of the Hope Diamond from Jean-Baptiste Tavernier to Louis XIV to Henry Philip Hope, from whom came the name of the diamond, and to Evalyn Walsh McLean and their lives and tragedies while in possession of the diamond.

Thrilling with unexpected twists, this is a book I couldn't put down once I started it.
4.8 stars ... and I hope the author writes more books.

*heavy sigh*

*trudges off to wishlist two, count 'em TWO, almost-five-star books*

*heavy, heavy sigh*

Oh. Forgot to say "welcome" home. Rah.

Welcome back, Crispy Caroline!

I'm glad that you liked The Chukchi Bible so much; I'll definitely read it next month.

#107 : The gel's in the fridge, Kath ... I think it worked yesterday because only my shoulders hurt today. :-)

#111 : Got'cha Richard ...I don't think you'll regret those. I have another that I really enjoyed too .. review coming up.

#113 : You'll enjoy this one, Darryl.

You Can't Stop Me - Max Collins is a fine thriller. A sheriff, John Harrow, finds himself rescuing the President of the United States from a man wielding a gun at a county fair only to return home to find his wife and son had been shot to death and no clue as to the murderer. Years later, another sheriff's family is murdered in a similar fashion, but this time, a corn leaf is found in the driveway, noticed only by an assistant to a crime solving TV show. This clue leads John, to form a team with the backing of the tv network to hunt down the killer.

With cameras by their side, they discover more similar murders and a common thread. All surviving victims of the murders are male members of the civil service. Soon they realize they are hunting for a serial killer. The Messenger follows their progress on tv with fascination and hope ... His message is getting through after all, and John Harrow will find him and understand the message he's been sending all these years. Uncovering the clues of his twisted mind and also of his brilliant plans takes the team down false paths and danger.
4.5 stars

Caro! Glad to see you back home - albeit a bit crispy!
Some great reading there! And nice reviews!
The Chukchi Bible is calling to me...
**heavy sigh** ;-)

Welcome home, Caro! Sorry to hear about the dreaded sunburn. You would think we would learn.
Wow, you sure were busy reading. Some nice reviews there. I especially liked the sound of The Chukchi Bible.
I'm a fan of Max Allan Collins. I read several of his books back in the 80s, early 90s.

I like the sound of The Chukchi Bible too, so into the BlackHole it goes!

I hope the sunburn is gone soon. Thank goodness for aloe vera!

#115: Hi Cee, thanks. It is good to be home again, and the crispiness is slowly but surely turning into flakiness. You'll enjoy The Chukchi Bible, I just know it.

#116 : Hey Marky-Mark. This is the first Max Collins that I've read, so I'm definitely going to look out for his other books. Which of his other ones did you enjoy?

#117 : Sunburn has definitely moved on to the next stage ... my face has started the flaking process. I have business guests in town this week, so I just hope they don't flee from my peeling nose and chin when I see them on Tuesday.

Sunny hot day today ....and a bbq at a friend's. Hmm...definitely sunscreen AND a baseball cap.

Hey, Caro, yes, you have to watch the sun in Southern California--it's much stronger than up there in the Northeast! Glad you are home and able to relax.

Caro- The 2 Collins books I remember are True Crime & The Million Dollar Wound, both were very good. He's a very prolific writer. Hope you are having a good day.

Hi Roni .. I will carry sunscreen with me the next time I'm on a long layover in SoCal .. haha... lesson learned. I now look somewhat patchy. ;-)

Thanks, Marky-Mark ... had a great day. Cook out at a friend's with oodles of food and super company. A couple of the guys brought super-soakers with them and things just got crazy after a while ... we were good about not spraying near the food .. but in retaliation, i armed myself with the garden hose and later poured vodka & grapefruit down the back of someone who blasted me in the face with the water gun. Yes, we all behaved worse than 6 year olds ... and had a grand time doing so.

Patchy might work for you..
you have that devil may care energy...
no wories..

Have a great Memorial Day, Caro!

Added Eye of the God to my list. Sounds good! (Already have the Hyzy and the Todd series on the list.)

*Looks around for Caro*

I hope that you had a very good weekend!
I also hope that it was without accident!

So, so late here...

and thank you for the Beef Pho recipe.....

Hope you weren't blown away by that nasty Tornado....and, if you were, you were blown in my direction...i've got a large spare room upstairs...complete with book shelves!

;-}

I know it.. tornadoes all over !

Caro must be working too hard again.

......dunno, last I saw on FB...she went out to eat again...maybe she's in a "food coma"...as we type...

hmmm could be.. could be..

ha! no food coma, my peeps, just incredibly long days at work with the added inconvenience of having a couple of business partners from Japan visiting for a 3 day meeting. Thank goodness they left yesterday. So I'm swamped trying to catch up with all the work I had to put aside while attending all these meetings, lunches and also having to take them out for dinner in the evenings.

I wasn't thrilled about driving home the other night in all that wind and rain though. Thankfully, the tornado apparently just passed over our area and decided not to touch down as they did in western MA.

Friends coming up for the weekend from New York. Looking forward to that. They're Edd's friends from high school and great fun to be with. Plus they love reading too so at least they like having a few hours of quiet reading time. But we're going to take in the Dale Chihuly exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts one day, and being soccer nuts, the main reason why they're coming up this weekend is the US v Spain match tomorrow afternoon.

Only got to read A Life Force by Will Eisner this week. Part of The Contract with God Trilogy, this was another wonderful graphic novel. Touching on the 1930s Great Depression, Nazi persecution of Jews and the growing Communist movement .... and philosophically, the meaning of life of man and cockroach, this was yet another work of art by Eisner.
5 stars

Hi Caro- Thanks for checking in! We missed your company, this past week or so. I hope you have a nice & relaxing weekend. You deserve it!

Wow! One graphic novel...they must've tied you to a conference table to keep you from more reading than that.

Hi Caro! Big wave!
You've been a busy lady lately - but the weekend is here! Have some fun...

What Claudia said! I hope you have a very restful, relaxing weekend, Caro.

Hi Caroline - visiting your thread for the first time in ages and hoping you have a relaxing weekend.

Caro, your life exhausts me.. I can't imagine how you manage!

Hello all, what a glorious weekend it was indeed. Weather was perfect, and we had such a great time with our visiting friends. The only frustrating point was watching Spain trounce the US soundly in the soccer match on Saturday. Grrr.....

We went to the Museum of Fine Arts yesterday to view the Dale Chihuly exhibition. That man and his artistry rocks! His glass pieces are just absolutely amazing and mind-boggling. I'd love to visit his workshop and watch some of these amazing glassblowers at work on some of his large pieces.

I did manage to finish Away Off Shore by Nathaniel Philbrick. He's a brilliant writer and I loved his Mayflower and Sea of Glory. This is another well written account of the history of Nantucket and the people who settled there.
3.8 stars

Caro- Nice to hear from you! Glad you had a glorious weekend! Those are the best kind. I've only read Philbrick's book on Custer, which I was a bit underwhelmed with. Maybe I'll have to try something else by him.

Marky-Mark ... try The Mayflower. I loved that the best of the 3 that I read. He really brought history alive for me in that book.

Hi Sweetie! Happy Summer!

Opps, I sent the message before saying that I love the art of Chihuly. The first time I saw his works was when I attended a workshop in Seattle Washington. The way in which the lights shone on the multi facted glass was incredible.

Glad you had a good time.. and some good reads. That and weather sounds
like a perfect weekend to me.

Just checking in, Caro! Glad to hear you had a great weekend!

#140 : Hi Linda .. happy summer indeed! I'm loving the weather and feeling very sorry for myself that I have to be in the office and not out at the beach everyday.

I will post some of the photos I took at the Chihuly exhibition as soon as I download the pics off my camera. The man's a genius!

#142 : Hey Kath, are you related to a Jordan McKait? He's a new employee at my company in the accounting department. He seems nice. We had a welcome meet and greet for new employees today with cake and soda, and he stayed to help clear up after.

It's supposed to get up to the 90s tomorrow .... I'm taking the afternoon off ... might go to the beach. :-)

#143 : Hi there, Stas ... thanks for checking in. These are nice days... warm and sunny in the day and cooling nicely in the night.

Finished Behold Here's Poison by Georgette Heyer this morning. I'm not a fan of Ms Heyer's regency romances, but I have enjoyed her mysteries. In this book, the tyrannical patriarch of a family is discovered dead in his bed. While his sister, sister-in-law, niece and nephew who live with him believe he must have died of a heart attack in his sleep and his doctor declares he died of natural causes, his other sister who comes over, takes one look at him and demands a postmortem, much to the alarm and horror of the rest of the family.

The heir is loathed by all in the family for being irreverent and rude. But is he all that he seems? The results of the postmortem indicate that death was the result of poison. But how was it administered and who could have done it. Our Inspector Hannasyde is baffled at the lack of clues. There is no shortage of suspects ... it seems everyone had a reason to want dear old Uncle dead. In building the case, Ms Heyer keeps us guessing right until the last couple of pages.
3.8 stars

>144 cameling:: I'm not a fan of Ms Heyer's regency romances...

And Ruth was about THIS close to convincing me to read one with her. I have new strength to resist!

No.. poor Jordans family was probably a victim of the Ellis Island non spellers..
poor guy. Mine came from a typo my niece made when I told her to
use mckate as an email addy she was creating for me.

Hi Caro, I'm not a fan of Ms Heyer's regency romances I have only one of her books on my shelf so I'm hoping it's not a romance since I've yet to read it. It's The Grand Sophy. Romance or mystery??

>147 brenzi: Regency. And a darn fine one, Bonnie! Caro's unfondness aside, these are the gold standard in regencies. Try it before dismissing it, please!

Damn straight, Richard! Try it, Bonnie. There is a large contingent of Heyer lovers here in the 75ers, and we mostly love the regencies.

#145 : Tad, you may enjoy her mysteries. Richard and Jenn turned me on to her mystery series after I grumbled about her penchant for poncy dandies in her regencies, and I have to give them some thankful high fives because these are actually quite a bit of fun. I started with Death in the Stocks and haven't looked back since.

#146 : Jordan isn't even sure how they came to have the surname because his grandparents on his dad's side were from ............Wales!

#147 : Bonnie, that's regency but it's a fun one though ... not a wig or monocled dandy in sight. A good laugh, and although it's a romance, it's not nauseating Harlequin. This one is the exception. I did try giving Heyer's regencies a shot since so many LTers appear to love them, but couldn't stomach any of the 4 I read except this one.

#148 : There aren't very many like this one though, Richard.

#149 : And that's what I like about this place, Roni ... there's space for everyone.

I just started on Salmonella Men on Planet Pornoby Yasutaka Tsutsui and I have say the first story is rather weird. I hope it's not the standard of what is to come.

I am a fan of Heyer's mysteries too, Caro. I had never tried any of her regencies prior to LT though and once I did try them, found that I enjoyed them.

Salmonella and Porno in the same title? I'm not sure if I'm highly interested or incredibly repulsed... :)

I'm with Stephen, that is some title.. lol

Weekend! hope you won't be having a lot of company again?
Will you get some downtime?

Caro- Hope you have a nice weekend planned! big hug!

Caro! Another weekend for you and all the hard-working people out there! Have fun! As I recall, they don't last long...

>150 cameling:: Maybe I'll try that one, then. Thanks, Caroline.

Blisss...... working from home today ... just because. Cleaned the guest bedroom aka my office at home, after a friend from California who came to stay on Monday night left this morning. It was nice having our NY friends over last weekend and then this friend over for the week ...but it's also real nice to have the house to ourselves again.

#151 : I am clearly in the minority for not liking Heyer's regencies, Stas. Oh well, there's enough of you enjoying them so I don't think she'll miss having me as a fan. ;-)

#152/153 : I just finished reading it this morning .... 'interesting', Stefano and Kath. The title is the last story in the book and one that I thought the most interesting and funny in the collection. I think you'd enjoy it Stefano. I'd guardedly recommend it to you, Kath.

#154 : Hugs back, Marky-Mark. I have no plans at all for the weekend, which is great! if the weather is nice, we might do a hike and invite a couple of friends over for paella. If the weather is bad, we'll stay in and read. :-)

#155 : That's true, Cee ... the weekend goes by just too quickly. But I get 3 day weekends in the summer if I want, so I can't really complain. I worked this morning from home, but in essence, my weekend's started.

#156 : Good luck, Tad. I hope you like it.

Salmonella Men on Planet Porno by Yasutaka Tsutsui is a collection of short stories. I not even sure how I ended up with this book. I can't remember if someone recommended this to me, or if I picked it up because the title was just so wild. What this book is, is a collection of short stories. I'm on the fence with this book.

A few of the stories are funny and tongue-in-cheek, such as the Dabba Dabba Tree, a story about a conical bonsai tree which, if placed at the foot of the bed, gave the occupants erotic dreams somehow spliced with reality, or Rumors About Me, a story about an unsuspecting salaryman who suddenly becomes the center of media attention, and Salmonella Men on Planet Porno, a story of scientists who try to study a different and seemingly obscene environment of animals, insects and people. Farmer Airlines and The Last Smoker were, I thought, the wittiest stories in the book.

But there are a few satirical stories of the Japanese culture which I found rather disturbing, not so much because they painted the Japanese in an unflattering light, but more than the scenarios he chose to portray them in. Bad for the Heart, is a story of a man whose heart medication becomes the central focus of his life, and The Very Edge of Happiness, a story that subtly points to the results of stress on repressed individuals and the need to conform over individuality.

There were a couple of stories I just didn't get.

So on reflection, I think I'll give this 3.2 stars. I think it will appeal to readers who enjoy surrealism, satire and witticism. However, for the amazing imagination of the author, I'm going to give 5 stars.

I've seen Salmonella Men on Planet Porno at City Lights, and been very tempted to get it. I think I'll either love this book or loathe it; hmm...maybe I'll read an excerpt from it online, and decide whether I should get it or not. Nice review, Caroline!

Good review, Caro! It does not sound like my cuppa though.

OK, I think you can keep my latest book off your WL and I'll keep the salmonella and porn book off mine!

Yay for 3 day weekends and working from home.

#158 That one certainly does sound too surreal for me. Nice review, though. :)

Yeah.. sorry caro, not for me either.. glad you read it though :)

Just stopping by to say howdy doo, Caro. Have a great weekend.

Salmonella and porno in the same breath. Hmmm. I think, on balance, not. Excellent review!

Hi Caro!
Here's the thing... "Salmonella" actually sounds kinda interesting for the unique creativity and bold chances the author takes. Unfortunately, the subject matter sounds kinda blech for me. So, maybe someday I'll find this in a library (probably NOT the one near me!) and sample one of the stories you liked - just for the wild and crazy experience! Even with my questionable memory, I doubt I'll forget this title!

I love your review and gave you a thumb. :)

I'll pass on Salmonella and go ahead and plan to read The Grand Sophy. Thanks for all the input and I went and looked at my tags and it said rec by Caroline so I guess I must have seen your review of it Caro.

It is very quiet in Caro-land. Wonder what she is up to?

#159 : Darryl, I think if you enjoy surrealist stories, you'll like this book. Some rather gruesome imagery in one or two stories, but if you look deeper, it does have a resonance into certain aspects of the Japanese culture. So for that in itself, I think the book is pretty good. But I will cautiously recommend this.

#160 : Thanks, Stas. No worries, I'll get you next time. ;-)

#161 : Sounds like a deal, Cushla. I'll see if I can read something else that you will like.

#162 : Thanks, Caty. You know, the funny thing is that the more I think of some of the stories, the more nuances I'm realizing about what the author was trying to say, and I think it's a better book than my initial review indicated.

#163 : Yeah, it's definitely an 'interesting' one that I'll continue to think about from time to time though, Kath. So now it's on to more conventional reads.

#164 : Howdy doo Lynda. How's your weekend coming along? I had a great day yesterday because it rained, so got to sleep in a little, read a bunch, go a little mental helping my husband look for his missing wallet (which he eventually found .... in his shoe!), went to the X-Men movie with friends and had a somewhat blah dinner at a new restaurant.

#165 : Thanks, Richard, although I'm going to go out on a limb and say I actually think that you would enjoy this one.

#166 : Thanks, Cee. It was a relatively difficult book to review because I didn't want to give all the stories away. And I couldn't think of what to say about the book when I'd first finished it without giving the wrong impression. Had to sit on that for a while.

#167 : I think you'll enjoy the Grand Sophy Bonnie. Let me know how you make out with it.

#168 : Busy day yesterday and late night out with friends. So a really lazy morning today, finishing up a book, and it's raining. So not in the mood to go grocery shopping but we're supposedly having a couple of friends over for dinner tonight, although if my feet don't move towards my closet soon so I can get dressed, that dinner's going to have to be cans of soup. I supposed to be making a crab themed dinner tonight. We'll see if there are any good crabs to be found at my fishmongers.

Finished The Torso by Helen Tursten this morning. I've been nursing this book for a while, but finally got more reading done yesterday.

I've come to expect dark writing from Scandinavian writers, but this one is exceptionally gruesome. Dealing with the subject of necrosadism, this is not a murder mystery for the fainthearted. A torso, just that, a torso with all distinguishing features that would even indicate the gender having been carved out and internal organs removed, is found in a washed up black trash bag.

The Swedish criminal investigation department are completely baffled and without distinguishing mark, limbs and a head, it is difficult to even identify the victim. And where are the missing appendages, for that matter? Expanding their search, they discover that over in Denmark, there was a similar murder, also with just the torso found, but in that case though, they were able to identify the victim eventually.

Upon a closer examination, a small tattoo is discovered on the Swedish torso. The tattoo is unique and Inspector Irene Huss is sent to Copenhagen to work with the police team there, perhaps there's a connection between their torso and the one her team are working on. In addition, her trip will help her try to locate the missing daughter of a family friend, last heard to be working with a modeling agency in Copenhagen.

Eventually, smaller pieces of the puzzle start emerging, and a picture of very disturbing necrosadism forms, although the murderer's identity continues to confound. And why is it that almost everyone Inspector Huss speaks to is later found dead?

Although the evidence and story unfolds slowly, it builds the anticipation and provides for a really good thriller.
4 stars

eeeeewwwww! Not for me :{

Maybe I need to re-read Winnie The Pooh!

>170 cameling: Oh nay nay nay! I shall deliver myself from evil here and run run run away.

I read some heavy mysteries/thrillers, but that one sounds to gruesome even for me.

Caro- Good review of The Torso. You gotta Thumb! Is this your first by this author?

yeah.. wow caro.. impressive that you got through that . ew squared

Necrosadism??? No no no no no no...

#171 : Yeah, I don't think this one is for you either, Cee. It was good though, but definitely not for the squeamish.

#172 : Go on, Ricardo, you know you want to read this. You'll like it. Really. I know you will. Have I ever steered you wrong? *bats eyes innocently*

#173 : No, no, it's not totally gruesome ... it's a little bit gruesome, but if you don't think too much about the dismemberment, it's really not that bad.

#174 : Thanks, Marky-Mark. Yes it's my first by this author and I've just gotten a copy of The Glass Devil. No necrosadism in this one, but it sounds promising.

#175 : Kath, there were a few rather icky moments, but the gore wasn't gratuitous and I think that was the thing that allowed me to read the book whole and not succumb to nausea because I generally don't do gore, gruesome and horror. The author also does a good job of bringing us into the life of Inspector Irene Huss, a woman married to a chef, with teenage daughters and a big dog, Sammie. So it's not just all about the crime, but there's a nice balance with her family life and also with her interaction with her boss and other members of the team.

#176 : Aww, Darryl .. when did you ever let a little sawed off head post death bother you? ;-)

Following on the last gritty murder, I embarked on another book in the Inspector Montalbano series. Andrea Camilleri once again does not fail to entertain in The Terra-cotta Dog with another quirky adventure for Inspector Montalbano. He's invited to meet with the infamous and deadly Tano the Greek, a man whose name strikes terror in the hearts of many and who the Anti-Mafia Commission have been dying to get their hands on. His meeting with the deadly crime lord puts in motion a series of activities with surprising and hilarious consequences.

In the middle of his clandestine plans, Inspector Montalbano finds himself dealing with a supermarket robbery that the supermarket owner takes pains to insist was not a robbery but only a prank. But what prank ends with men being killed after they speak with the Inspector? Is there a bigger act being played out where the risks are higher and men are willing to murder to keep the scheme from being discovered?

And why are there 2 bodies, found naked and curled around each other, with a terra-cotta dog guarding over them, a jug and a bowl of old coins next to them, placed in a old cave, hidden behind another cave where our good Inspector discovers weapons?

Seemingly unrelated, it takes a few swims in the ocean, lots of food and our Inspector getting shot and proclaimed a hero, before he is able to piece it all together. All the while fighting desperately not to be promoted.

I love this series. There has not been a one that I've read so far where I haven't had laugh out loud moments.
3.8 stars

I was working from home yesterday and caught 2 episode of Anne of Green Gables on PBS and it was enough to make me yearn to read the whole collection once more. I wish I had them with me. I have to make a note to bring them back with me the next time I visit my mother. All my old books from childhood are still in my old bedroom.

#177 if you don't think too much about the dismemberment, it's really not that bad.

*chokes on glass of water*

I think I will follow Claudia's lead and stick to Winnie-the-Pooh

>180 Eat_Read_Knit: *also choking on water*

Seriously, Caro.. you have to be more circumspect with dismemberment.
We don't want anyone fainting here..me included.

Oh hey, someone's dismembered? Is it a cat? I could get there if it's a cat!

Ewww, I just fall to pieces when I read about dismemberment. Might get scary dreams too, so I'll take a pass on The Torso. Give me Montalbano any day though, he and is cohorts are a joy to read.

Passing on the dismembering too. I am decidedly of the Winnie-the-Pooh school with Claudia.

None of us are as resilient as Caro I guess.. I am not a fan of icky sweet books,
but I don't think dismemberment would be fun. I am heavily into fun reads these days

Is there something wrong with this? LOL

Fine... if it's Pooh you want, it's Pooh and friends you get.

#187 *rolls eyes and shakes head*

#187 Hi Caroline. I didn't get that at first then I thought it was funny. Nice contrast to the Pooh picture.

Oh Caro, You are too much! lol
Love ya to pieces! On second thought, let's keep you all in one beautiful piece! :)

Cute gif - but why is the writing upside-down???
I'm gonna overlook the body in the fridge thing. eeeeewwwwww ;-}

*Steps into Caro's thread and carefully steps over all the sickly puddles on the floor*

Hello! You're thread sure has been gruesome lately, deary! The 'body of an 18 year old' made me laugh though, so who am I to criticize?

*Washes hand of mysterious red substance from his own thread before giving Caro a hug*

The body in the fridge thing made me LOL

>187 cameling: **snort**

#188 : Don't roll them too far back, Cat ... sometimes they stay back there, and then you won't be able to see where you're going.

#189 : You know, Pat .. the thing is, I'm not even a gruesome kinda gal .... well, not once I take my medication .... *muahahahaha*

*sigh* I can see it now .... everything else that I've read, cozy ol' Lumby Lines, Mitford series, Anne of Green Gables... these will all be forgotten and just because of a few wee dismemberments, I'll be remembered as Necro-Caro!

#190 : Cee, the writing is upside down because it's Pooh and his friends wouldn't be able to read it otherwise. Heck, they probably wrote that thing. Sorry, can't oblige with keeping myself all in one piece though .... I cut a piece of my thumb out this morning.

#191 : Me gruesome? Me? This from the King of zombies and gore, Stefano? Hey YOU would like The Torso

#192/193 : *GRINS*

So this morning, I managed to gouge out a chunk of my thumb while cutting a grapefruit because the knife slipped, so I had to change again since I had blood on my clothes, clean up the kitchen floor which by then looked a little as if a small being had been murdered, chuck out the offending grapefruit to the squirrels and birds in my yard and hurry out the door so I won't be late for work. Well, that was my intent. Tripped going down the steps and managed to scrape and bruise my toe. I've also discovered a rather painful lump on my head but I can't remember bumping it yesterday or today. At least with the bruises on my shin, I do remember walking into a weights machine yesterday at the gym.

It sounds like another day in the life of Caroline! Wow, you don't do things in small doses, do you? I hope all these bruises & wounds clear up quickly. Gentle hug!

BTW- Ann on BOTNS hinted that there looks like another "Retreat" in the works. I most likely couldn't go again for a long while but it would be nice if a few LTers could hook up.

>195 cameling: *horrified silence*

Clearly we need to club together (oh dear, poor choice of words) and get you a suit of chain mail, heavy heavy padding to go under it, and some sort of chastity belt/training wheels contraption to keep you upright!

Was this a typical day? If so, consider padded walls! :)

See? I'm not the only one who worries about you.

So this morning, I managed to gouge out a chunk of my thumb while cutting a grapefruit because the knife slipped

Diagnosis: Self dismemberment disorder, secondary to reading subliminal messages contained within disturbing mystery novels.

Treatment: Removal of all such books from the home and office.

Tripped going down the steps and managed to scrape and bruise my toe. I've also discovered a rather painful lump on my head but I can't remember bumping it yesterday or today. At least with the bruises on my shin, I do remember walking into a weights machine yesterday at the gym.

Diagnosis: Brain overstimulation syndrome, due to repeated 28 hour days and 8 day weeks at work.

Treatment: x 2 weeks. No books, electronic devices or sharp objects allowed.

>200 kidzdoc: LOL I want one of those!

Hi. I'm here. I've just been so busy knitting up your scarf that I've had no time to chat...

Perhaps I can knit some kind of suit with padding in appropriate places. Ankles, elbows, knees, nose...

#202: No, Jenn. This is Caro we are talking about. The suit needs to be padded everywhere!

Those might just do the trick

*sniff* ...thank you, Marky-Mark. You're the only one without a snarky comment! Another BOTNS retreat? I have to keep my eye out for that ... hopefully it won't be held too far away? After hearing about your experience, I was so bummed that I had to withdraw at the last minute, so if there's another opportunity to go to one of these, I really would love to.

# 197 : Chastity belt? WTF Richard...I'm accident prone, but apart from falling off the bed once many many many years ago, I've never had any accidents during sex! So why are you threatening me with a chastity belt? They keep a person upright? *snort*

#198 : You know, Jim, I've often wondered what it would be like to sleep in a room with padded walls. Just think, I'd never have bee injured as much as I was as a child jumping on beds and banging against the walls.

#199 : It warms my heart to know y'all care, Kath ... really it does ...... sort of ... but perhaps a care basket of colored bandaids would be sufficient.

#200 : LOL Darryl ... those actually look like fun. I want one of those, but i do need some books in there with me though. By the way, I'm reading Rosalind Franklin and DNA now and so far, it's really interesting. She comes from an impressive family.

#202 :Sure Jenn... I've already got a brain hat, why not a full knitted suit so I can walk around looking like a woolly Michelin Man.

#203 : But it needs a zipper please so I can go to the bathroom, Stas!

Whoopee...a colleague (and 2 tag-alongs) came over at lunch time and fixed my garbage disposal unit which was jammed because I had dropped a lobster pick in it. And he brought me one of his window air-conditioning units as well which he didn't need anymore since he just moved into a house with central a/c. I knew there was a reason I woke up with a need to bake a blueberry pie. Ended up grilling hotdogs and cheeseburgers on the grill, and having an impromptu cookout lunch party out on the deck. Fun .... but then I didn't have to go back to the office after all that beer and food, including pie & ice cream, since I'm off today. I heard from 2 of them that they were fighting off the post-lunch snooze demon at about 2.30 this afternoon.

And it's FRIDAY! TGIF everyone!

Hi Caro!
Thought I'd better drop in with a quick wave - before you need to go to the hosp for a full body cast!
What's your hubby's take on all your accidents?
Does he have a huge life ins policy on you? Just biding his time?
Is he going crazy with worry everytime you get out of bed in the mornnig?
Or does he just scamper hell-bent out of your way? LOL

#205: But it needs a zipper please so I can go to the bathroom, Stas!

OK, if you insist.

Just popping in to keep up on the injury reports.. oh, and books... books too!

Chastity belts keep the mind focused most wonerfully...removal contingent on one full year without a near-fatal mishap.

See? Already you can't think of anything but a completely sexless year! You'll never fall down again after this year.

So. Whatcha up to today?

Just checking in with you & catching up, looking at your reading list and cringing at your various accidents! Ouch!

Maybe it's a side effect of your busy lifestyle and frequent time zone changes. Your brain might be running on a different time zone than your body! In any case I wish you speedy healing...

#206 : Cee, the hubster is somewhat sympathetic each time I sport a new injury, although the depth of his sympathy now depends on the type of accident I've thrown myself into. Bruises from walking into objects are no longer gently moaned over, but receive just an eye-roll. If I can show bleeding gashes though, he will stop reading sufficiently to at least peer at it, and if he's not eating, he may even offer to get me a bandaid. Trips where I bump into him and maybe even stub my toe receive sighs. I do have to say that my thumb gorge from the garbage compactor did receive a yelp over the phone from him, and a bit of a rant about me never listening to him (apparently he told me not to stick my hand in .... hmmm.. I don't remember this).

We had friends over for dinner yesterday evening and I tripped over the door mat, and while my friends suitably gasped and asked if I was ok, Edd barely turned around from pouring the wine, and before I could say anything, calmed my friends down and assured them I was fine since this is a regular occurrence.

#208 : All's quiet on the injury front, Kath. You may go on your vacation with peace of mind. ;-)

#209 : Richard, I think the thought of a sexless year would, if anything, have me focused so much on wanting to have sex that I'd be even less observant of objects in my way and fall, trip or walk over and into them.

#210 : Went into a manic closet and windows cleansing frenzy yesterday, Kath. But stopped in the evening to throw on some cajun shrimp and sesame seed marinated swordfish on the grill for a few friends. Grilled corn, tossed a salad, made brownies and a blueberry & port pie and we had a fun relaxing evening ... moving only when the giant mosquitoes came in to feast.

#211 : Oh I like the way you think, Angela. I'm going to use that excuse for my clumsiness.

Rosalind Franklin and DNA is quite a riveting read, but small print, so the going is a little slow. Also because it's factual, I'm taking a little longer to read and absorb. But I am liking it immensely. Very interesting woman.

So, Caro... Hi!

Have you ever tried yoga for improved balance and calmness?
Just asking... :)

Caro- Just swinging by to say hi! Be careful out there, my friend!

Doing yoga is when I fall over.

Better keep working at it, Jenn! carefully

:)

I know. Stack pillows all around. I'm sure it says something about my balance and my core, but I don't want to talk about it.

You behave and be careful, okay?
no tumbles or .... squirrels or anything..

#213 : Cee .. I did try yoga .. and I fell asleep during one of the poses on the floor. Embarrassing because when I woke up, I was the only one lying prone on the mat. My balance isn't too bad actually ....well, ok, sometimes it is ... but in general, it's ok ... it's just I think my eye, foot, hand, brain coordination that needs some tweaking.

#214 : Hi there Marky-Mark. So far, so good this week, thank you. I should maybe start a blog of my accidents? hmmm...

#215 : Jenn, I can't do the shoulder stand pose - that thing where they lie on their back and then slowly roll themselves up onto their shoulders with legs in the air. I just keep rocking back and forth .... I can see where my center of gravity lies. ;-)

#216 : Ditto Cee ... and don't wear socks

#217 : Stacked pillows? Sounds like the perfect spot to take a quick little snooze.

#218 : Behave? Hmm... can I just be careful, Kath? I'm not sure i could do both at the same time. I'm off to Sao Paulo next week, so I'll settle for being careful and not getting mugged.

Finally finished Rosalind Franklin and DNA by Anne Sayre, and it's a marvelous read. OK, so it's probably a little biased because it's clear that the author was close friends with Ms Franklin, but nonetheless, it painted a very interesting picture of the woman who made many contributions to the scientific field, and who alas, received very little recognition for her work. Certainly James Watson who wrote The Double Helix appeared to discredit Ms Franklin almost every time he mentions her, even going so far as giving her a diminutive nickname of 'Rosy'.

This book attempts to not just describe Rosalind's drive in challenging herself and others around her, but delves also into her impressive family history, and through that, we start to see how Rosalind's character was shaped. Her confidence and penchant for discussions, even her enjoyment of dissenting opinions, was sometimes perceived by other less confident individuals as arrogance. She unfortunately, lived in a time when women were merely tolerated but hardly respected in her chosen fields in England. It was only during her years in Paris that she appeared to be at her happiest, where the environment of enthusiastic discussions and information sharing was, for her, simply ideal.

If her environment at King's College had been similar to what she experienced in Paris, it is thought she may have broken the DNA code much sooner. Instead, apart from a student, she worked in isolation. If not for the copious and detailed notes she took and which survived her, we would not have known how far she had come in her DNA research.

Once Crick and Watson had published their paper on DNA, Rosalind, not only wasn't bitter, but she wrote a supporting paper that displayed her delight in the beauty and perfection of the model.

4 stars

Thumbs up from me!

Just stopping by to say hi, Caro. I'll catch up on your wonderful thread later.

Thanks, rdear. Does that mean you're going to read the book? Or have you already read it?

Hi Lynda. Stop in any time. I'm not going anywhere .... well not for the next 2 days anyway.

I'm off to Sao Paulo on Sunday evening for a few days and will be back on Friday morning. The way the schedule's been planned, i may actually have a decent amount of downtime while I'm there. Definitely need to start adding books to the Kindle. I'm going to try not to bring any dead tree books with me, so I can try and put my suits into a carry on, instead of having to check in luggage.

On my TBR tower, and moving up fast because of your review. I think her life being cut short the way it was is a crying shame. I have to wonder what she'd've done if she'd died in 1988 instead of 1958. Bet we'd've cracked the genome 10yrs sooner.

Hi Caro!
Going to Brazil? If you do have a lot of downtime... don't forget sun protection!
I'm assuming it will be sunny there... and you don't want all your nice new skin to burn and peel. :{
At any rate, I hope we hear about your eating experiences and fun escapades. ;-)

Hope you enjoy your trip. Safe traveling, and enjoy the Kindle!

Adding Rosalind Franklin and DNA to the pile and leaving on vacation! Great review.
Have fun in Brazil!

It's winter in Brazil or I'd say go to the beach, pick a random cute guy, and pinch his ass for me!

#224 : I think it's a crying shame that a number of people benefited from her research but didn't credit her work in their published articles. Even Watson didn't come clean about the fact that Wilkins showed him some of Rosalind's notes when he visited when Rosalind wasn't around, and Wilkins certainly didn't even ask Rosalind for permission before showing her notes to Watson.

I enjoyed the book, but I felt indignant on behalf of Rosalind over a number of times she received the cold shoulder just because she was a female, and because some people didn't want to take the time to get to understand her.

#225 : Sadly, Cee, it'll be raining 2 of the days I'm in Sao Paulo, and also none too warm since it's their winter now. still, it's at least not as cold as our winters and from checking the weather website, I see that it's forecasted to be in the 50s in the evening and low 70s in the day.
I'll keep you all posted on my eating experience for sure. I had started a blog some years back to cover my travel experiences and then forgot about it. I just resuscitated it again and I'm going to try and keep that going whenever I go outside MA as a little travel and food journal. It might be fun reading it later in my doddering years.

#226 : Thanks, Roni. I am going to need to download a few more books today before Sunday because the hotel we're staying at is pretty much for locals, so they don't carry English channels on their tv, and my Portuguese is currently limited to saying 'good morning', 'thank you', 'you're welcome' and 'beef tenderloin'.

#227 : Thanks, Jenn. Maybe I'll be able to take photos of some cool things you can make while I'm down there.

#228 : Can I pick a random cute guy and pinch his ass anyway, rd, even if I'm not at the beach?

I'm going to try and finish The Captain : The Journey of Derek Jeter by tomorrow. I'm really loving the book. I picked it up on netgalley just on a whim, well, I do really like Jeter anyway, but this book is making me really admire him beyond his ball playing abilities.

Well, you never know, Caro... if their weathermen are like ours - it could still be sunny! You could surely sit out in 70s weather. I expect since they are closer to the equator, the sun will still be somewhat strong.

Your blog is a great idea. :)

My blog is currently pathetically thin, Cee. But it does have a very cool picture of part of a wall outside an art gallery in Tokyo. I started in a few years ago and then promptly forgot about it a couple of weeks later. The resuscitation effort may take a while, but I figure it'll be just a fun thing for me to do. I'm not expecting any followers so I can just write whatever I want. I used to write little travel journals when I was much younger, but after a tote of old journals later, I decided i really didn't want to keep having to carry all the dead tree journals around with me every time I moved anymore. Plus they're a fire hazard. So a blog makes sense...unless I become senile and forget my password.

Caroline, when you fully resuscitate your blog, you'll have to give us the link. I'd love to follow your travel and food adventures.

Not able to catch up on everyone.. so I am just scanning and saying

.....but did I catch that you are off on another adventure? Be safe! hugs :)

Is there a link to your blog somewhere?

#232 : When I add more meat to my blog, I'll post a link. I may start with my upcoming trip to Brazil ... but be warned, it'll probably bore you to tears, Pat.

#233 : There is a link, but nothing much there at the moment, Kath. I was wondering if I should post my book reviews there as well. Still musing.....

I finished The Captain : The Journey of Derek Jeter by Ian O'Connor last night and I really liked this book. Yankees fan notwithstanding, I've been impressed over the years by the man that Derek Jeter appears to be. In this time when many of our millionaire athletes appear to be lauded for bad behavior, are felled by accusations and evidence of steriod abuse, adultery and violence, it is just so nice to read about someone who seems to stand above it all, who seems to embody values of days gone by and who does not engage in media sensationalist shenanigans.

There are athletes, and then there are iconic athletes. But there is nothing that captivates us as much as an iconic athlete who also embodies leadership on and off his sports arena. Derek Jeter is such an athlete. From Kalamazoo to the bright lights of New York City, this man, not yet retired from the sport and the team he was dreamed of playing for since he was a child, has become the face of the Yankees, has built a legion of fans, including people who aren't even Yankees fans, and has still managed to remain untainted by scandal and a person most parents would be proud to have their own children emulate.

The fans see the handsome face, the trim figure, the ready smile for children, and the time he gives to the Turn2 Foundation, but what they don't see quite so obviously is the quiet determination to be all that he can be. There is an absence of an attention-seeking ego and a fierce loyalty to those he cares for. But this book is no love-fest of all that Jeter. This is an honest look at the man, his many strengths and also his weaknesses, few though they seem to be. It's an attempt understanding how a boy from Kalamazoo has become the captain of one of the most successful and world reknown baseball team.

The author's play-by-play of all the games brings the excitement of those games back to the reader and we can see the manicured grass of the ballpark, the cheers and jeers of the crowd, the thrill of the winning games and the disappointment and shock at some losses.

Interviews with some members of Jeter's team, scouts, coaches and with players from other teams through the years bear testament to a man many have come to admire.
4 stars

And now I have to go pack for my trip to Brazil.

Nice review, Caro! I adore Derek Jeter for many of the reasons you mention and will look for The Captain: The Journey of Derek Jeter.

Thumbs up for The Captain: The Journey of Derek Jeter, Caro! Even if I don't root for the Yank-mes and even have found myself wishing they would all have a horrendous accident on some long plane flight....

Hi Caro! I saw a world-wide smattering summary of weather forecast yesterday - Sao Paulo was the only pic of full sun in the world (for the selection of cities that was chosen)! Hope it is more sunny than rainy for you. Hope you didn't forget to pack that passport so you can get back in!
Safe travels and relaxing down-time! :)

#235 : Thanks Katie. You'll definitely enjoy this book then. I picked it up somewhat hesitantly because I thought it would be just a smooshy gushy take on Jeter, but it turned out to be so much better than I expected. It showed him to be human, and while the author didn't exactly shout out his flaws, he didn't gloss over them or hide them either. I like him as a person so much better than I did before.

#236 : I'm wearing a Jeter #2 t-shirt here in Brazil as I type, Rdear. ;-)

#237 : Sadly, Cee, it's rainy and chilly today here in SP. But the forecast promises 80 degree weather tomorrow (this is their winter?! ). Still, we're going out to Avenida Paulista tonight for dinner, so maybe the weather will clear up so I can take some nice night shots of the more trendy part of SP.
Passport was indeed packed ... because it had my visa in it, so I couldn't have gotten into Brazil without it anyway.

But my flight to Dulles was cancelled - kudos to United for acting proactively in giving me a call earlier yesterday morning to let me know, so I could call them back and have them rearrange my flights.

I do hope you remember that I practically stepped on Derek Jeter last summer while in Seattle. Well actually at one point he was standing right next to me in Starbucks but my daughter had to poke me to realize he was right there. Gah! Then there he was getting off the elevator with his supermodel gf.

My hubby and I visited Rio many years ago during their fall (April) and it was wonderful. We'd love to go back.

Hope you took a pillow.... to land on when if you trip.
:) have fun.. be safe

Brazil... another place I want to visit. Had to delurk to tell you how much I enjoy my vicarious travels with you, Caro, even though I'm afraid I'll trip over your prostrate body at some point! Be safe and take some pictures for us stay-at-homes.

Just skimming through to say hello, Caroline!

Hope you are having lots of fun and lots of great culinary experiences to tell us about! :)

I am pretty sure there will be an adventure to hear about :)

Maybe she is recounting all her adventures on her blog...
Where's our Caro??? :{

She is back, but probably catching up on her sleep, or
rounding up marauding bunnies to be vetted and homed,
or eating something fabulous somewhere with a foreign sounding name..
Or stocking up on pillows to attach to various body parts..

LOL! Hope you are safe and sound, Caro, and that you had a great time in Brazil!

You don't think they kidnapped her and sold her body parts???
I hear they do that in Brazil! :(

last I heard, she was in Texas...which is clearly worse than Brazil

Hello hello my peeps! I have returned .. all in one piece ... sort of. The trip to Sao Paulo was wonderful. Worked really hard during the day and then played pretty hard at night with our business partners and some friends.

The food was fabulous. I've been to Sao Paulo before, and I'm a huge fan of the food there. And of course the Brazilian caipirihnas ... those things are LETHAL! But oh so very tasty. I love it.

But of course, there is hardly any trip I go on without some incident or other, and this one was no different. At the club, Rey Castro, I was having a blast, dancing with some very cute Brazilian guys and hanging with my friends till about 2am, when I decided I really needed to go back to the hotel because I had a 6am conference call. So I looked around for one of my friends to let him know that one of the other guys in our group and I were going to go back to our hotel so he wouldn't worry ... saw him sitting on a chair talking to a beautiful woman, snuck up behind him, jumped on his back and gave him a big smooch on his neck ...and it was THE WRONG GUY!! He was wearing a shirt similar to my friend's ! I wanted to die of mortification! Poor guy, he was so shocked and I don't think his girlfriend was too pleased either. I'm not sure he could hear me apologizing because I was laughing so much.

On leaving Sao Paulo, we went to the airport straight from our last meeting because the traffic there is really horrendous and we didn't want to miss our flight. So of course we arrived and were a little hungry, grabbed a bit of cheese bread and some chicken & cheese croquettes (both really yummy traditional snacks there). Yum, but I thought the croquette didn't taste quite right. Well ... when I arrived at Dulles airport, I was feeling nauseous. Yup .. something definitely wasn't right....and by the time I got home in Boston yesterday, I was as green as spinach.
Slept all day yesterday since I was running a fever and couldn't think of eating anything without gagging.

But I'm back to my usual self today. Yaaay! Glad that bad episode is over.

What're all you folks doing for the weekend?

Upon a Dark Night by Peter Lovesey wasn't as interesting as I was expecting, but it wasn't so bad that I couldn't finish it. An old man is found in his farmhouse dead, with his shotgun at his side. By all accounts, it looked like a suicide. A woman wakes up in a hospital with bruised ribs and with severe amnesia. She's moved to a hostel, befriends her roommate who tries to help her piece together the events that may have led to her accident. Another woman falls to her death from a building, also apparently a suicide except that one of her shoes is missing, Inspector Lovesey's antenna for suspicious deaths eager raises its head, and before long he's assembled his team to try and find answers. And surprises keep popping up all over the place, just where he least expects them.
3.5 stars

Take care of yourself! A bout of food poisoning can be really debilitating. But glad to hear you are home safe and (relatively) sound.

^
^
^
*ahem*

One day I'll get to those Inspector Diamond mysteries. I will. I kmow I will.

sigh. Well.. at least you are home...

Welcome home Caro! Another great "Caro Story!" Glad it didn't involve you being physically hurt, just a bit red-faced, which you got over quickly.
Since you a runner, I have a book you NEED to read, it's called Born to Run. My God, its great. Easily one of my top reads of the year.

Caro! So happy you are safely arrived!
A few too many caipirihnas, huh?
Maybe that's why you didn't get hurt!
(flying high, avoiding obstacles, dispensing smooches!)

Welcome back to the national freedom celebration!
Relax! You're home!

#252 : Feeling better today, thanks, Roni. I do hate being ill, so I'm glad that it's not longlasting.

#253 : *grin* Rdear. And yes, you should get to Inspector Diamond.

#254 : True, Kath, too true. It's been quite a while since I last launched myself at someone only to find a case of mistaken identity.

#255 : Thanks for the recommendation Marky-Mark. I posted on your thread about my meeting Chris McDougall this year. Sadly, while I think I'm running, I'm sure most people will consider it more of a trot. :-)

#256 : Hi Cee ... yes, it does help to be somewhat inebriated if one is going to throw oneself at a complete stranger. I'd also recommend doing this only in a country where you're visiting and therefore unlikely to see the person again.

I started a new thread and with it, a review about a book that has to do with freedom.

My new thread is here