kidzdoc: 75 from the shelves #6

Pablo Picasso, The Three Musicians, 1921







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Currently reading:

Miami and the Siege of Chicago by Norman Mailer
Yemen: Dancing on the Heads of Snakes by Victoria Clark
The Prospector by J. M. G. Le Clézio

Completed books:

January:
1. Angel of Death: The Story of Smallpox by Gareth Williams (review)
2. A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore (review)
3. The Memory Chalet by Tony Judt (review)
4. The Gospel According to Jesus Christ by José Saramago (review)
5. The Tenant and the Motive by Javier Cercas (review)
6. Who Killed Palomino Molero? by Mario Vargas Llosa (review)
7. An African in Greenland by Tété-Michel Kpomassie (review)
8. The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens (review)
9. The Good Doctor by Damon Galgut
10. Blind Man with a Pistol by Chester Himes (review)
11. Yalo by Elias Khoury

February:
12. Match Day: One Day and One Dramatic Year in the Lives of Three New Doctors by Brian Eule (review)
13. Monument Eternal: The Music of Alice Coltrane by Franya J. Berkman (review)
14. Egypt on the Brink: From Nasser to Mubarak by Tarek Osman
15. Métaphysique des tubes (The Character of Rain) by Amélie Nothomb (review)
16. The Seine Was Red: Paris, October 1961 by Leïla Sebbar (review)
17. The Secret History of Costaguana by Juan Gabriel Vasquéz (review)
18. Staying On by Paul Scott (review)
19. Hygiène de l'assassin (Hygiene and the Assassin) by Amélie Nothomb
20. Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure by Paul A. Offit, M.D.
21. Jonah's Gourd Vine by Zora Neale Hurston (review)
22. The Latino Challenge to Black America by Earl Ofari Hutchinson (review)
23. Fear and Trembling by Amélie Nothomb (review)

March:
24. In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar (review)
25.The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
26. Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero by David Maraniss (review)
27. The Book of Proper Names by Amélie Nothomb
28. A History of the African-American People (Proposed) by Strom Thurmond (A Novel) by Percival Everett & James Kincaid
29. I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor's Journey by Izzeldin Abuelaish (review)
30. Memory of Departure by Abdulrazak Gurnah (review)
31. Little Mountain by Elias Khoury (review)
32. Chinese Dreams (Kindle Single) by Anand Giridharadas (review)
33. Harlem Is Nowhere by Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts (review)
34. Morning and Evening Talk by Naguib Mahfouz (review)
35. Redemption in Indigo by Karen Lord
36. The Anatomy of a Moment by Javier Cercas (review)
37. Pakistan and the Mumbai Attacks (Kindle Single) by Sebastian Rotella
38. Chopin's Move by Jean Echenoz

April:
39. A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962 by Alistair Horne
40. Annabel by Kathleen Winter
41. Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
42. Dubliners by James Joyce
43. A Murder of Crows by Larry D. Thomas
44. The Carpenter's Pencil by Manuel Rivas
45. Send in the Idiots: Stories from the Other Side of Autism by Kamran Nazeer
46. On Elegance While Sleeping by Viscount Lascano Tegui
47. Being Abbas el Abd by Ahmed Alaidy
48. Monsieur Linh and His Child by Philippe Claudel (review)

May:
49. The Collaborator by Mirza Waheed (review)
50. The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna (review)
51. The Art of Asking Your Boss for a Raise by Georges Perec (review)
52. Amigoland by Oscar Casares (review)
53. The Three Christs of Ypsilanti by Milton Rokeach (review)
54. The Chalupa Rules: A Latino Guide to Gringolandia by Mario Bosquez (review)
55. Death to the Dictator! by Afsaneh Moqadam
56. Curfewed Night by Basharat Peer (review)
57. Soldiers of Salamis by Javier Cercas
58. The Instigators (Kindle Single) by David Wolman (review)
59. The Shadow of What We Were by Luis Sepúlveda (review)
60. I Love a Broad Margin to My Life by Maxine Hong Kingston (review)
61. Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck
62. To Siberia by Per Petterson (review)
63. White Egrets by Derek Walcott
64. The Real Life of Alejandro Mayta by Mario Vargas Llosa
65. Hospital Sketches by Louisa May Alcott
66. Americus, Book I by Lawrence Ferlinghetti
67. The Great Partition: The Making of India and Pakistan by Yasmin Khan
68. All My Friends Are Dead by Avery Monsen & Jory John
69. Frida Kahlo by Hayden Herrera
70. The Boy in the Moon: A Father's Search for His Disabled Son by Ian Brown
71. Emerging Arab Voices: Nadwa I, edited by Peter Clark (review)
72. Red April by Santiago Roncagliolo
73. The True Deceiver by Tove Jansson

June:
74. The Bill From My Father: A Memoir by Bernard Cooper
75. Elegguas by Kamau Brathwaite

My 11 in 11 challenge:

A. Read a book I already own by 11 different Nobel Prize laureates
1. The Gospel According to Jesus Christ by José Saramago
2. Who Killed Palomino Molero? by Mario Vargas Llosa
3. Morning and Evening Talk by Naguib Mahfouz
4. White Egrets by Derek Walcott

B. Read a New York Review Books book that I already own
1. An African in Greenland by Tété-Michel Kpomassie

C. Read a nonfiction book (that doesn't fit in category H, I or K) that I already own
1. The Latino Challenge to Black America by Earl Ofari Hutchinson
2. A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962 by Alistair Horne
3. Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
4. Send in the Idiots: Stories from the Other Side of Autism by Kamran Nazeer
5. Frida Kahlo by Hayden Herrera
6. The Bill From My Father: A Memoir by Bernard Cooper

D. Read a Booker Prize winner that I already own
1. The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens (1970)
2. Staying On by Paul Scott (1977)
3. The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje (1992)

E. Read a novel by an African-American author that I aleady own
1. Blind Man with a Pistol by Chester Himes
2. Jonah's Gourd Vine by Zora Neale Hurston
3. A History of the African-American People (Proposed) by Strom Thurmond, as told to Percival Everett & James Kincaid (A Novel) by Percival Everett & James Kincaid

F. Read a novel from the 2011 Booker Prize longlist (or from longlists of previous years)
1. The Good Doctor by Damon Galgut (2003 shortlist)
2. In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar (2006 shortlist)

G. Read a novel from the 2011 Orange Prize longlist (or from longlists of previous years)
1. A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore (2010 shortlist)
2. Annabel by Kathleen Winter (2011 longlist)
3. The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna (2011 shortlist)

H. Read a medicine or science book that I already own
1. Angel of Death: The Story of Smallpox by Gareth Williams
2. Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure by Paul A. Offit, M.D.

I. Read a biography or autobiography that I already own
1. Monument Eternal: The Music of Alice Coltrane by Franya J. Berkman
2. Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero by David Maraniss

J. Read a book published by Archipelago Books in 2009-2011
1. Yalo by Elias Khoury

K. Read a novel by a public intellectual that I already own
1. The Memory Chalet by Tony Judt

My planned reads for May (and my progress to date):

The Collaborator by Mirza Waheed - COMPLETED
The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna - COMPLETED
The Three Christs of Ypsilanti by Milton Rokeach - COMPLETED
White Egrets by Derek Walcott - COMPLETED
Amigoland by Oscar Casares - COMPLETED
Friction by Eloy Urroz
The Chalupa Rules by Mario Bosquez - COMPLETED
Great House by Nicole Krauss
Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck - COMPLETED
The Prospector by J.M.G. Le Clézio - Reading
The Real Life of Alejandro Mayta by Mario Vargas Llosa - COMPLETED
The Great Partition: The Making of India and Pakistan by Yasmin Khan - COMPLETED
Soldiers of Salamis by Javier Cercas - COMPLETED
Children of the New World: A Novel of the Algerian War by Assia Djebar
Americus, Book I by Lawrence Ferlinghetti - COMPLETED
Frida Kahlo edited by Elizabeth Carpenter - COMPLETED

Found you again!

Ha! All is right in the universe, as Stasia is the first visitor to my new thread.

BTW, this Picasso painting was not one that Suz & I saw at MoMA earlier this month. However, I did see it at the Picasso exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art last year, and it was the one I liked best and studied the most.

Me second, really?

I wanted to tell you I'm so glad you recommended Monsieur Linh and His Child Darryl. I finished it last night and am absolutely haunted by it. I almost started the audiobook all over again right after getting over the initial shock, but thought I'd let it breathe a bit before revisiting the story with my newfound perspective. I almost sent you a PM right then, because I was just reeling also wanted your opinion about something, but as it was the middle of the night, I thought I'd let it rest a little. In any case, it made me an instant Claudel fan.

I do recognize the themes in the composition, so I was paying attention!!

Looking at your May reads -- you are SO disciplined. As I age, I get less so; inexplicable, really. Sigh.

Me too - it's tending to be more about the "shiny-object" books these days. Starred!

>5 Smiler69:: I'm glad that you enjoyed Monsieur Linh and His Child, Ilana. I agree with you, reading it made me want to read more of Claudel's works, starting with Brodeck's Report, which I bought after it won the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize last year.

>6 Chatterbox:: I've been better so far this month than I have been in previous months, when I read roughly half of my listed books. Part of the reason is that I've read far more books than I usually do (14 books in 14 days). My reading output will drop off after today, and especially after next Sunday, as I'll work seven of the last nine days of the month.

>7 LauraBrook:: Hi, Laura! Yes, it's always tempting to read the newest acquisitions; four of the books I've read this month were ones that I bought from Book Culture a couple of weeks ago.

I've noticed that I've hardly read any books for my 11 in 11 challenge in the past 2-1/2 months. I'll try to read at least five books for each one (instead of the 10-11 that I had originally planned). I'm probably well behind my plan to read 75 books that I bought before 1/1/11, and I haven't updated the books I've purchased ticker in awhile (it's the new math). I'll do that later this week.

OK, I didn't realize you had this new thread, since you had posted various reviews there, but now I see you're here.

#8 -- Ha, I work every day. Just not 12-hour shifts. I literally can't remember the last time I went a day without working. Literally... The perils of the freelance life.

>10 rebeccanyc:: No problem, Rebecca!

>11 Chatterbox:: I like my job, but I enjoy not thinking about work or medicine at least as much. My work schedule is very conducive to reading, travel, etc., which is another reason that I'll continue to work there for the foreseeable future.

I finished the first 1/3 of The Real Life of Alejandro Mayta this morning, and it's very good so far. I have to work tonight; with any luck it will be a quiet call night, which may allow me to finish it by tomorrow morning.

Wow, I NEVER am not thinking about work. Even when I'm not doing it. Scary scary scary.
EG, right now, I just dealt with two e-mails from an editor; am thinking about what's going to be involved back-stopping a friend as an editor on an online ecumenical religion forum (yup, you read that correctly -- but I do know AP style, write coherently, edit competently and recognize a typo at 35 paces), and worrying about where I put some interview notes I need.

Really enjoyed your review of The Memory of Love. I heard Forna speak yesterday at our writers festival and can't wait to read it, though I've also been charmed by many of the other writers at the event.

Wow, Darryl, you're managing some great reading this month. By the way, I notice you haven't yet read Eline Vere .. what's up with that?!!

>13 Chatterbox:: Yikes!

>14 avatiakh:: Thanks, Kerry. Which other writers that you saw were especially interesting?

>15 cameling:: Hi, Caroline! Thanks for the compliment. You're right, I should get to Eline Vere, maybe in July or August.

I'd say that the most mesmirising speaker was Gail Jones, her voice is very quiet but her message is so poetic, intellectual and intelligent. I'm listening to her Sorry at the moment but most people bought her latest, Five Bells. At the final event both David Mitchell and David Vann fell under her spell.
New Zealand writers who stood out for me were Sue Orr, and newly published writers Hamish Clayton, Craig Cliff and Tina Makereti.
Fatima Bhutto has written a daughter's memoir that should be an interesting read, she was a very gracious speaker, though I must add that Forna's own daughter's memoir, The Devil that danced on the water is also now on my must-read list.
I'll write more about it on my thread later today as I catch up on several weeks reading and being away.
Now I'm off to the gym to do another sort of catchup!

Thanks, Kerry. I'll probably read one of Gail Jones' books soon. I'll read Reconciliation: Islam, Democracy and the West, Benazir Bhutto's book that was published after her assassination soon.

I've finally become immersed in White Egrets, the latest collection of poems by Nobel laureate Derek Walcott, which won the T.S. Eliot Poetry Prize last year. It's wonderful, and with any luck I'll finish it tonight. I'll post a couple of excerpts later tonight or tomorrow.

Hi, Darryl! Found you again!

On the last thread, I think that The Three Christs of Ypsilanti sounds fascinating! I've recently developed an interest in the history of medical/psychiatric treaments and experiments/studies and the evolving ethical standards (and past lack thereof). This fits right in.

I forgot to mention Irish short story writer Claire Keegan who also spoke eloquently about solitude and ordinariness in that wonderful Irish way, I think her work is worth investigating too.

Hey Darryl, found your new thread and look forward to following, once again, your awesome choice of books.

I just finished White Egrets, and it was very good, as most of the poems resonated within me. It describes a man heading toward the end of his life, filled with the life and death of others, past and relatively current events such as 9/11, the election of Barack Obama, postcolonialism and post-postcolonialism in Africa, India, and the Caribbean, and post-Franco Spain, with frequent references to nature and his travels around the world. One especially touching poem is "Sixty Years After":

In my wheelchair in the Virgin lounge at Vieuxfort
I saw, sitting in her own wheelchair, her beauty
hunched like a crumpled flower, the one whom I thought
as the fire of my young life would do her duty
to be golden and beautiful and young forever
even as I aged. She was treble-chinned, old, her devastating
smile was netted in wrinkles, but I felt the fever
briefly returning as we sat there, crippled, hating
time and the lie of general pleasantries.
Small waves still break against the small stone pier
where a boatman left me in the orange peace
of dusk, a half-century ago, maybe happier
being erect, she like a deer in her shyness, I stalking
an impossible consummation; those who knew us
knew we would never be together, at least not walking.
Now the silent knives from the intercom went through us.

You can listen to British poet Daljit Nagra read the poem here:

TS Eliot Prize for Poetry: Derek Walcott's 'Sixty Years After' read by Daljit Nagra

I'll give this 4-1/2 stars for now, and review it later this week.

I have decided to make a new effort to get into poetry this year, and I think White Egrets should help!

>23 JanetinLondon:: I'm planning to read more poetry this year too, Janet. I plan to read Americus, Book I by Lawrence Ferlinghetti this week, and next month I'd like to read a couple of recent poetry award winners that I keep putting off, Lighthead by Terrance Hayes (2010 National Book Award) and One with Others by C.D. Wright (2011 National Book Critics Circle Award). I'm also looking forward to reading poetry collections from Adonis, Kevin Young, Janice Mirikitani, Marilyn Chin, and several other writers.

Woo! My call night is over, and it was an average night. I'm now off until Thursday. I'll crash shortly, as I've been awake since 2 pm yesterday.

On the way home I stopped by my local Borders, with a coupon good for 40% off of the list price of one book, plus an additional 10% off all purchases for being a Borders Reward member, and I redeemed by $10 Borders Bucks voucher for purchasing a stack of books at the now defunct Borders that I pass(ed) on the way to and from work. As a result, the total cost was actually less than it would have been if I had bought the books from Amazon (good for me; I'm not sure how good it is for Borders, though). I came away with three books that were at the top of my wish list:

The True Deceiver by Tove Jansson: This was the Jansson book that I had meant to purchase at Book Culture earlier this month, as it won this year's Best Translated Book Award. I'll read it and two other novels by Jansson, Fair Play (the book I bought at Book Culture), and The Summer Book (which will arrive from Amazon today or tomorrow), for a trio of her work for an upcoming issue of Belletrista.

Kamchatka by Marcelo Figueras: A novel set in Argentina's "Dirty War" of the 1970s, which is on the shortlist for this year's Independent Foreign Fiction Prize.

The Boy in the Moon: A Father's Search for His Disabled Son by Ian Brown: A book written by a journalist for The Globe and Mail about his son, who is afflicted with a rare and devastating genetic disorder, which was reviewed on the front cover of the Sunday New York Times Book Review section the Sunday before last. It was an LT Early Reviewer book, and I can't believe that I didn't request it! My group admits and takes care of many child like this one, so I'm very eager to read this, possibly as early as this weekend.

I'm about 40% through The Real Life of Alejandro Mayta, which I'll finish no later than tomorrow.

I was way behind in your thread, Darryl, so this topic was from a few days ago, but I have found melatonin to be a gentle help in falling asleep. It doesn't keep me asleep, but I usually fall asleep within 20 minutes of taking it. It comes in difference amounts (3mg, 5 mg, etc.), but you might try the tea as it is probably even more mild.

ETA: My comments on your great recent reads are on Club Read.

Enjoy your time off Darryl. I loved that poem you shared from White Egrets. I've got that on my obese wish list and I'm going to buy a copy for a friend's birthday. He'll love it. What would I do without your recommendations? .. oh yeah, I'd have a far thinner wish list and a fatter wallet.

Just waving as I head through the threads, Darryl. I hope you get some rest!

>25 labfs39:: Thanks for the info about melatonin, Lisa. I'll try the tea first.

>26 cameling:: Thanks Caroline...I think. :-)

>27 alcottacre:: Hi, Stasia! I slept for 7 straight hours, which was sorely needed. I'll probably go back to sleep in the next hour or two.

Looking forward to your thoughts on Kamchatka. I think the book was offered via NetGalley and I'm tempted to request it -- except that I have many others unread from them...

>29 Chatterbox:: I'll almost certainly read Kamchatka this summer, possibly as early as next month.

Mercy, am I behind the times. Star!

Where y'at, bro?

Book #62: To Siberia by Per Petterson



My rating:

This spare novel begins in a small village in Denmark prior to World War II. The unnamed narrator is a young girl in a troubled and struggling family, whose parents are tolerant and benignly neglectful of her. Her older brother, Jesper, is her best friend, and she loves him unconditionally. The narrator is an excellent student, which earns her no praise at home, whereas Jesper is an indifferent student, but is passionate about the anti-fascist movement in Spain and becomes a committed and active socialist. Both siblings dream of leaving their stifling home and village; Jesper dreams about Morocco, and his sister wants to escape to the frigid solitude of Siberia.

The Germans invade Denmark, and most villagers accept their presence. Jesper and others become active in the resistance movement, which ultimately leads to his separation from his beloved "Sistermine".

After the war, the narrator moves, without a clear direction or sense of purpose, to various cities in northern Europe, in a search for something, or someone, that is not clear to her or to the reader, while longing for word from her brother. She has given up on her childhood dream of moving to Siberia, but she ultimately receives a letter from her brother, who has made it to Morocco, and plans to visit her soon.

To Siberia was an interesting story, but I found the narrator and its characters to be inscrutable and of mimimal interest, which makes this a marginally recommended read.

>33 kidzdoc: Sounds like "To Siberia" is where this little marvy should be consigned. I shall marginally skip over it.

Nice review, Darryl. The only book of his I have read is Out Stealing Horses and I felt sort of the same way about the characters in that, so I have parked him for now.

Good review of To Siberia Darryl. I read Out Stealing Horses and couldn't understand why so many people seemed to love it. But recently I read In the Wake: A Novel and thought it was great so at some point I will try something else by Petterson (just not To Siberia).

>34 richardderus:: Yep; don't bother.

>35 JanetinLondon:: Thanks, Janet. I think I'm done with Petterson, unless I Curse the River of Time wins the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. I would be disappointed if Visitation didn't win, but I've only read two of the shortlisted books, that one and The Sickness by Alberto Barrera Tyszka, which was very good.

>36 phebj:: Thanks, Pat. I wouldn't have read To Siberia if I hadn't received it as an LT Early Reviewer book. I'm glad to hear that you liked In the Wake: A Novel, but I won't exactly rush out to read anything else by him (as I stare at the hundreds of books on my shelves waiting to be read).

ETA: I'm dropping my rating of To Siberia to 3 stars.

Interesting -- I repeatedly have picked up Petterson's books, looked at them, and put them down again. They do seem to collect fans, so I wondered what might not be appealing to me, but "inscrutable and of minimal interest" characters would definitely do it...

Hi Darryl, there I was scrutinizing your old thread, totally oblivious to the fact that you had a new one. Oh well back to the Nyquil comments---i've found it has the opposite effect on me of what it's supposed to. I am W-I-D-E awakw all night so that I wrote on the bottle in big letters DO NOT TAKE---for my own benefit. My spouse has no trouble with it.

Wonderful reviews, as always. I hope to read Visitation and The Memory of Love in that LT netherland---soon.

ETA I'm having a terrible time this year keeping up with many of the threads but I will keep trying and I don't want to neglect yours because it's always so informative.

I have resorted to just tea and hot showers for colds. Cold medication leaves me in a state where I can't fall asleep and I can't stay awake - my eyes can't stay open and my heart pounds. Sounds weird, I know, but I end up exhausted and feeling worse.

Darryl, what made you pick To Siberia? Did you read something by Petterson that you liked before? I have Out Stealing Horses and haven't read it yet, and the few comments I've heard about it aren't all that encouraging.

>40 mamzel: not wierd at all. The antihistamine in most over the counter cold medicines knocks me out, and the decongestant is generally too strong for me and makes my heart pound too. I take the antihistamine plain before bed - that often helps. And I don't have either problem with Allegra (but won't take Allegra D - all that decongestant).

>38 Chatterbox:, 41: I think the only reason I chose To Siberia was that nothing else from that month's LT Early Reviewers batch appealed to me (I looked back at the books I requested for September 2009, and that book was the only one I asked for),and I wanted to give him a try, after listening to the hype about Out Stealing Horses. I've been wanting to get to the LT ER books that remain unread (I've received 18 books, and read and reviewed all but three of them), and Luci's TIOLI challenge this month (read a book about a place with a name which includes "iberia") was a perfect opportunity to get to it.

>39 brenzi:: Hi, Bonnie! Thanks for the compliment on my reviews. It has been a struggle to keep up with threads this year, especially as the group continues to add new members.

>40 mamzel:: I feel much better on my first post-night call day today than I did on my first post-night call last Monday, and I think part of the reason was that I didn't take Nyquil as an artificial sleep aid this weekend. I slept for 7 hours yesterday afternoon, and another 6-1/2 hours after midnight, which is far more than I slept last week after my stretch of nights.

I'm nearly finished with The Real Life of Alejandro Mayta, which is a superb political novel set in Peru. I'll probably choose The Prospector by J.M.G. Le Clézio as my next novel to read.

> 33

I have to speak up in defense of To Siberia, Darryl. I read it before Out Stealing Horses which I thought was just so-so. What I liked about To Siberia was the relationship between Jesper and "Sistermine". I also liked how the author made use of the natural beauty and cold weather of Denmark as a setting.

I agree that the second part of the book was rather set adrift when Jesper left. Without the relationship of these two, the book was not the same at that point.

Nevertheless, I did like the book and found the writing much more lyrical in To Siberia than in Out Stealing Horses.

> 37

ETA: I'm dropping my rating of To Siberia to 3 stars.

Hey! Different strokes... :)

Two major literary prizes were awarded in the past 24 hours. The winner of this year's Orwell Prize for Books is Tom Bingham for The Rule of Law, an evaluation of 'the rule of law', what it meant to the development of past states and civilizations, and its importance to Western democracies:

The Rule of Law by Tom Bingham

Orwell prize goes to Tom Bingham

Philip Roth is the winner of the 2011 Man Booker International Prize, a biannual award for an author's body of work:

Philip Roth wins Man Booker International prize

Philip Roth: Winner of the Man Booker International 2011

I finished two books yesterday, which were both very good. I'll provide brief summaries below, and write proper reviews soon.

The Real Life of Alejandro Mayta by Mario Vargas Llosa: A brilliant historical and political novel in which a famous writer chooses to write a book about Alejandro Mayta, a former schoolmate and Trotskyite and who participated in a leftist insurrection in Peru in 1962, which also served as a sharp critique of different political factions and governments within the country and the devastating effect it had on the poor in Lima and elsewhere. Highly recommended (4-1/2 stars)

Hospital Sketches by Louisa May Alcott (recommended by Stasia): A short novel based on Alcott's experiences as a volunteer nurse during the early days of the American Civil War, which described her humorous and moderately hellish journey from Massachusetts to Washington in order to care for Union soldiers seriously wounded in battle. Alcott does a fabulous job in portraying the nobility of these wounded men, and the tireless efforts of the nurses, in the spirit of the old folk saying "to cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always." I liked this better than I thought I would, and it's somewhere between a 4 and a 4-1/2 star read.

Today I'll read The Great Partition: The Making of India and Pakistan by Yasmin Khan, a book longlisted for the 2008 Orwell Prize for Suz's Orwell Prize TIOLI challenge, and the poetry collection Americus, Book I by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, for a Beat writer TIOLI challenge. I'll start The Prospector by J.M.G. Le Clézio later today or later in the week.

>44 SqueakyChu:: I did like Petterson's portrayal of "Sistermine" and Jesper's relationship in To Siberia; unfortunately that was the only thing I liked about the book.

If To Siberia is a better book than Out Stealing Horses then I'll definitely avoid that one. Have you read his latest novel, I Curse the River of Time? It's won three literary awards, and is a finalist for this year's Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. I would consider reading this book, but only if I read some strong recommendations about it on LT or elsewhere.

BTW, I would highly recommend Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck to you; it's the novel I hope wins the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize.

>45 SqueakyChu:: Sorry! :-)

> 48

If I can get hold of either I Curse the River of Time or Visitation, I'd try both of them.

*adds them to wishlist*

>49 SqueakyChu:: I would send Visitation to you, but I've already promised it to a couple of my work partners. I probably won't get it back until the fall, but I'll let you know when they are finished with it.

The Norwegian writer whose works I'd like to see translated into English more is Dag Solstad. I've read two of his books, Novel 11, Book 18 and Shyness and Dignity, and both were superb (and both were selected as finalists for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, one of my favorite awards). None of his other books have been translated into English yet; however, according to Amazon UK, one of his earlier novels, Professor Andersens natt (Professor Andersen's Night) will be published by Harvill Secker in November.

Professor Andersen's Night

The Rule of Law looks great, and sort of ties in with my Arab World project a bit, too, so I will be looking for that one.

#47: I will have to try and get hold of that MVL as I have not read it yet.

I am glad that you enjoyed Hospital Sketches.

Thanks for all the Prize news, Darryl. This kind of information never falls across my radar except on your thread. I'm going to have to check out all the links you posted.

I'm going to put in one more pitch for Petterson's In the Wake: A Novel because I realize one of the reasons I might have liked it so much is it's based on his real life experience of losing several family members in a ferry accident. It's about coming to terms with grief so it's a heavy subject matter but beautifully, almost poetically written. I'm not sure but I thought that I Curse the River of Time was a follow up to this book.

Morning Darryl- I have not been here in awhile but I see you are still kicking book-butt, with your amazing variety of book selections.
I have still not read Llosa, although he's been on the List forever. I loved Out Stealing Horses. I hope you reconsider reading that one. It's a gem.

I keep missing thread after thread, but you've been on my mind! I hope everything is going well.

*flees four-hankies-and-a-pistolfest in Darryl's thread*

I heard about the award to Roth on the news this morning. Sort of a 'you wrote a lot and you can stop now' award, isn't it?

eta: After looking at the comments on the web, I discovered how controversial this award was this year. A judge resigned in protest! She called his work 'the emperor's new clothes'. Wow.

I haven't read much Roth - maybe it's time to get my book clubs interested.

>51 JanetinLondon: I'll admit that the topic of The Rule of Law doesn't interest me, so I look forward to your comments should you choose to read it.

>52 alcottacre: I couldn't find The Real Life of Alejandro Mayta anywhere last year or this year, even at Book Culture (NYC), Strand, or City Lights (SF), so I bought the Kindle version when it became available earlier this year.

>53 phebj: You're welcome, Pat. And thanks for the info about In the Wake: A Novel. I'll still wait for a positive review or two about I Curse the River of Time before I commit to reading it (so many books, etc.).

>54 msf59: Hi, Mark! It's good to see you here. MVL is my favorite living writer, ahead of Maxine Hong Kingston and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (I started to add José Saramago, but he's no longer with us, unfortunately). I won't completely rule out reading Out Stealing Horses, but it would be toward the bottom of my TBR list, which continues to grow exponentially.

>55 London_StJ: Welcome back to the multi-talented Luxx! I'm glad to see you here, and I hope that you're doing well, too.

Um...did you bring any of those homemade Oreo cookies?

>56 richardderus: *flees four-hankies-and-a-pistolfest in Darryl's thread*

This is the thanks I get for being a lone voice of support of you against the Philistines that have infested your thread? My shelves are overflowing with light-hearted and humorous books, and I'm good for a fluffy read every year or two. Let's see...Sartre, no; Kierkegaard, no; biographies of Nehru and Khrushchev, probably not. Oh, here's one: The Three Suitors of Fred Belair by E.A. Markham, a comedic novel set in Barbados, Dublin, Paris and London. I'll read it next month, as it fits my proposed TIOLI challenge for June.

>57 ffortsa: I just read Carmen Callil's excellent comments about Roth, including this one: "he goes on and on and on about the same subject in almost every single book. It's as though he's sitting on your face and you can't breathe." Today's Guardian Books section has an article about her withdrawal:

Judge withdraws over Philip Roth's Booker win

When I read the tweet that announced Roth's selection as the winner, my initial response was a disappointed "Oh." I was hoping that a lesser known writer would have won, but from Callil's comments it sounds as though two of the three judges had made up their minds and would not be swayed otherwise.

I have not been impressed by the writers who have been selected for this award: Ismail Kadare in 2005 (another horrifically depressing Central or Eastern European writer, along with Elfriede Jelinek and Herta Müller), Chinua Achebe in 2007 (who is overrated, IMO, especially in comparison to Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, Wole Soyinka, and even Abdulrazak Gurnah), and Anne Tyler in 2009 (I had completely forgotten that she was the last winner of the award; I haven't read and don't own anything by her, and I can't name any of her books off the top of my head). And, I strongly agree with Callil's comment about "yet another North American writer" being selected for an international literary award. Roth's selection is about as exciting as being served overcooked cabbage, IMO.

*stomps off of soapbox*

Thanks for that link. Sixty Thousand Pounds??? Oh yeah, like he really needs the help. I do think the other judge's comments were rather defensive. Robinson has been writing almost as long, has written wonderful, mesmerizing novels, although not nearly as prolific, of course. Cahill is clearly interested in the more disenfranchised authors, as founder of Virago, but her comments about writers in translation are valuable. We English speakers tend to stay home a lot (well, not you!), and we miss many fine writers.

I'm afraid I agree with you about Muller (how do you get the umlaut to show?) and Achebe, by the way. I have only read one novel by each, but they were both a struggle.

When I have more time to read, I will probably go over your postings to select works in translation to balance out my English, English, English literature.

>59 ffortsa:: You're welcome, Judy. You're right; I'm sure that a £60,000 check or his selection as the winner of this prize won't make any difference in his recognition or the number of books he sells, particularly in the United States, whereas some of the other, lesser known, writers on the list could have greatly benefited from this award. Yes, Roth has written a lot of books, which have received a lot of recognition (or notoriety), but wouldn't we in the English-speaking world gain more by learning about a worthy writer from another country or who writes in another language? I would have also been happy if an English language writer of lesser recognition, such as James Kelman, had been chosen. I have his latest novel, Kieron Smith, boy, and his 1994 Booker Prize winner How late it was, how late is high on my wish list, but I know very little about him. Juan Goytisolo would have been an interesting choice, as would either of the Chinese authors, Wang Anyi or Su Tong, or Amin Maalouf.

I'm glad that Callil spoke her mind, and I hope that the 2013 judges will be more open-minded in their choice of finalists and the ultimate winner.

I won't read any more of Müller's books unless I'm already loaded with Xanax or and Haldol or unless I'm within walking distance of a hospital with a psychiatric ward. Achebe just bores me; I've read three or four of his books, including Things Fall Apart, and none of them strike a chord within me.

Regarding the umlaut: I found her page on Wikipedia, highlighted her name, and did a simple copy and paste here.

I love the word umlaut. It feels so nice to say. That's my contribution to intelligent book discussion :P

>58 kidzdoc: You're right. I'm sorry. (But really, couldn't you move up the Jollymeter to one every other month, not year?)

Roth as MAN Booker winner: Crock. So was Anne Tyler (The Accidental Tourist was the least gruesome of her works, IMO). What about Ha Jin? Or Claire Messud? Or Amos Oz?

>61 lunacat: No! I'm depending on you and other Brits to weigh in on Roth and his selection for the Man Booker International Prize. I expect a lengthy response within the next hour.

>62 richardderus: A humorous read every other month; sure, why not? I have a few books by Bill Bryson to read, along with Swamplandia!, Fever Chart (a wacky looking book I bought in London last year), The Riddle of the Traveling Skull (a McSweeney's book that also looked wacky), and A Tall Man in a Low Land: Some Time Among the Belgians by Harry Pearson.

Totally agree about Roth and Tyler; B.S. choices. Yes to Ha Jin and Amos Oz; I haven't read anything by Claire Messud, so I need to rectify that.

Oops, my mistake. Alice Munro, a much more worthy writer than Anne Tyler, won the Man Booker International Prize in 2009. I haven't read anything by Munro yet, although I do own Lives of Girls and Women.

My honest opinion? Are you sure you want that? I am an eternal cynic ya know......

Okay...

It's a popularity contest, not a talent contest. Only in the first year does it appear to have been international, and rewarding what it claims to do, 'achievement in literature and worldwide recognition'.

Chinua Achebe was a 'popular' and politically correct choice, being African and looking at the politics, poverty etc of that continent. I think that has become a topic that novelists and those in the media have jumped onto the bandwagon of in the last few years. Not to say that he hasn't had impact, but I don't think he has lead the way in that type of literature, nor done anything new.

Alice Munro: Another extremely popular writer, this time of a first world country. I wouldn't count her as transcending international boundaries, nor being far reaching. She writes good books, but she doesn't do anything that would deserve the prize for me.

And now Philip Roth. Again, coming from a first world country, and not doing anything that other people don't do. It isn't about being international at all. Or reaching anything other than the standard developed world. I don't know exactly what it is doing, but it's a pile of B.S.

Waiting to see what you think of The Prospector. My book group read Le Clezio's Wandering Star this month and I and the rest of the group were heartily disappointed. (It was my first Le Clezio. I bought The Prospector after Dan on Club Read wrote a highly positive review, but haven't read it yet. I hope to get to it soon.

If you read Claire Messud, I stongly recommend The Last Life--I loved that book, then read her other books and was not as impressed.

Just read The True Deceiver and liked it very much--deceptively simple. I think you will like it.

>65 lunacat: It's a popularity contest, not a talent contest.

I agree, certainly based on the comments of at least one of the judges who voted for Roth:

But, he went on, in a field that included Roth, "tell me who else we could have picked".

Why bother reading for "18 months" if you've decided a priori that Roth should win, based on your infatuation with him?

Achebe may have been a unique voice in 1958, when Things Fall Apart came out. However, I doubt that he has written anything of major significance since then, and other African writers have surpassed him. Again, a popular choice, but Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, Wole Soyinka, or Abdulrazak Gurnah would have been far better choices.

I can't comment on Munro, positively or negatively, except to say that she seems to be another popular, and safe, choice. Yawn.

Roth? A total B.S. choice. What purpose does choosing him serve in the promotion of international literature? Nothing.

See? I knew you had something to contribute to this conversation, Jenny; well done!

>66 arubabookwoman: I had originally planned to read Wandering Star, but I switched to The Prospector instead; I'm reading it for the Author Theme Reads group, which I know you belong to. Hmm...I do have several other books by Le Clézio, and his earlier collection of short stories Mondo et autres histoires (Mondo and Other Stories) has just been published in English translation, so I think I'll put Wandering Star toward the bottom of my Le Clézio TBR list.

I've added The Last Life to my TBR list...actually, I may just go ahead and read it for our Reading Globally quarterly read, as I'm planning to read a couple of more books about Algeria during and after the civil war, and it would be interesting to read about a family of pieds noirs.

I'm glad that you liked The True Deceiver. I'll read it in the summer or early fall.

Today wasn't a great reading day, but I did finish Americus, Book I, the most recent poetry collection by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. I love his bookstore (City Lights, in San Francisco), but much of his recent poetry leaves me head spinning, and this book was no exception. I've also finished the first half of The Great Partition: The Making of India and Pakistan by Yasmin Khan, which is very good so far. I should finish it tomorrow or Friday.

The selection of Roth isn't a forward-looking award; it is like a pat on the head. I just don't understand the Tyler award AT ALL. On the other hand, I love Alice Munro's short stories (and she isn't American; just North American...) I admit I loved Things Fall Apart when I first read it, and quite enjoyed his recent memoir, but Achebe is, like Roth, a figure from past decades. I'd love to see some kind of balance between the aggressive "20 under 40" approach (which I dislike) and the "let's reward this person for generating reasonable books for a long period of time" tactic. After all, it ain't the Nobel!

Amin Maalouf would be an interesting choice. He has a very distinctive voice; although from the Middle East, he writes in French and (if I'm not mistaken) from Paris, about themes that are of international interest. I do need to read more his fiction; I've so far concentrated on his non-fiction.

The Bingham book looks only mildly interesting to me, I admit. Yes, it's an important issue, but it feels weighty, and it's hard to see how a top British law lord could make it appealing to a generalist (even one like me, with a degree in political science and overwhelming interest in international relations.) If it comes out here, I'll read it, but I'm not going to fork out the big bucks to ship it from the UK. I did do so with one of the books that didn't make the cut, Tim Butcher's Chasing the Devil, because I thought his first book about traveling through the Congo was brilliant and at the same time a kind of self-deprecating memoir. I was a bit surprised that Oliver Bullough didn't win; his book on the Caucasus (which is on my Kindle...) is still attracting a growing amount of buzz and favorable notice. (It picked up the book award at the Overseas Press Club dinner I attended two weeks ago.)

OK, back to the mountain of books...

I have nothing to add to the discussion other than the fact that I am enjoying it!

So it was Alice Munro, not Anne Tyler! Oh, well, that's very different, he said sarcastically. One can like Munro, many do, but I can't think anyone would defend Munro as a trailblazer or firebrand or innovatrix. What's the point of this award, sincere question...is it a crowning of one whose career is over? A recognition of some major achievement in a body of work in which case what's wrong with the Nobel as the world benchmark?

Okay, well, a few minutes spent on the Guardian's site tells me just how much of an OUTRAGE it was that Roth won the prize. Su Tong was nominated, and didn't win? Over Philip "Portnoy's Complaint about feverish adolescent masturbatory narcisissm" Bloody ROTH??? Or good GODDESSES what about the gorgeous sentences and devastating stories of Dacia Maraini?!? Bagheria alone...!

Well, I may be late to the party, and I may still simply not understand at all the *point* of the prize, but I'm good'n'fired up with indignation and annoyance. Of course, that could simply be the nasty case of indigestion I've got just now. Really, even Philip Pullman would've been a better choice.

Just be glad Anne Tylerdidn't win it, I suppose. Although that bit of Pollyannaing actually makes me feel like finding that GIF that mckait uses in my thread so often, captioned "Feel the power of my Pffft".

From my pals at Wikipedia:

"The award, sponsored by the Man Group and established in 2005 to complement the Man Booker Prize, rewards one writer's overall achievement in literature and their significant influence on writers and readers worldwide. The award is therefore a recognition of the writer's body of work, rather than any one title."

K. Got it.

So...why bother with this one, exactly? The Nobel ain't good enough?

Plus this explanation makes Roth's win all the more grisly. His influence on writers and readers is, how shall I state my firmly held and bountifully buttressed opinion, MALIGN at the mildest.

*stumps dyspeptically off trailing fumes*

I'll stand up for Roth. I was never completely convinced by him until he started producing works like Sabbath's Theater, Deception, American Pastoral, and so. From the mid-1980s on Roth produced a fantastic series of novels that deal with all aspects of American life. When the NYT asked writers for the single best American novel in the last 25 years, it was Roth who polled the most votes, who had the most books named (6 out of 22).

One of the arguments against Roth so far seem to be based on him being an American - Why would it better if a Chinese writer won? Awards shouldn't be patronising. This is idea that the US doesn't produce writers of the same quality as elsewhere in the world is bollocks (I am not American by the way). The grass is not greener elsewhere, it is only a trick of the light that makes it appear so. (If Carmen Callil cares about translated writers so much can she explain why Virago has published so few over the last 40 years?)

As for Roth writing the same novel over and over again, virtually every writer finds their theme(s) and their voice early in their career and sticks to them. If we accept this as a criticism of Roth then we should be applying it to every writer.

Then there is the criticism about his constantly writing about sex and the body (not one I completely agree with) - this is a reflection of the Carnivalisque in Roth's work. According to Bakhtin this is "literary mode that subverts and liberates the assumptions of the dominant style or atmosphere through humor and chaos." It challenges the status quo through immaturity, turning the world upside down, etc. It is also a device as old as the modern European novel.

Lastly, Roth is misogynistic. We know this because his female characters aren't always well drawn. This is an interesting argument for two reasons - why should characters be realistic if they are only there to reflect the concerns/ideas etc of the main character?; secondly, why is the accusation of unrealistic characters only ever an issue with men creating women? We rarely see criticism of female writers creating poorly defined men and yet it happens all the time. It seems that while it is OK for men to be caricatures, it is not OK for women.

#33 I loved Out Stealing Horses and was disappointed by To Siberia; I think the success of OSH led to the translation of earlier work by Pettersen, even if it wasn't up to OSH.

#58 I bought The Real Life of Alejandro Mayta by mail order last year, but I can't remember if it was from Amazon or the Book Depository. Hope to read it soon.

#70 I like Alice Munro a lot, and I think writers who primarily or only write short stories are not taken as seriously as novel writers. I do think she mines a lot of the same territory, but her stories are beautifully written, subtle, and understated. Whether she deserves an award or not, I don't know. Personally, if you want to take the category of female Canadian short story writers, I would take Mavis Gallant over Munro any day.

#73, I too am a Roth fan although, as I've said elsewhere, I consider his work uneven and think his most recent novels are written for the money. American Pastoral is a masterpiece. And, so he doesn't like women -- he still writes great books.

An eloquent and thoughtful defense of Roth, jargoneer! I haven't read enough to opine, so I'll stay out of the merits of the author's work, although I'd say that what I have read/heard is that the area he is exploring in his fiction isn't a wide one; that his main characters are all variations on a theme. But then, that's true of many, many authors (including, as Rebecca points out, Alice Munro, although I'd argue that her stories are really pitch-perfect much of the time.)

I completely agree that awards shouldn't be patronizing, and presumably the judges are aware (especially in the UK literary community) that picking any American would need to be justified six different ways. And it does make slightly more sense to realize that it's a lifetime achievement award. I'd personally love to see more mid-career awards that aren't tied to specific novels. (I suppose these are the kinds of books that Man Booker, IMPAC and others CAN reward, but only as individual books; the Orange often seems to go to a younger/newer writer.) It's like the McArthur Genius Awards (sp?); sometimes an award mid-career can dramatically transform what is possible for a remarkable writer who hasn't achieved a level of public awareness that translates into great sales. The Man Booker can have that transformative effect; it would be great to see a similar award that focuses on a body of work vs a book.

Mavis Gallant would make an excellent choice, although at nearly 90 she hasn't been an active writer for a long time. She'd also fit the international bill very neatly indeed, as she's been living and working in Paris for decades. She even won a Quebecois award that have never been handed to an English Canadian in its existence, a very big fat hairy deal indeed. I should plan to read/re-read some of her stories now; I read some in the 80s, but not since.

>75 Chatterbox: MacArthurs for the literary artists only would be very interesting to have indeed.

>73 Jargoneer: Interesting to see a defense of Roth by a woman! And here I am objecting to his books for their sexual politics. I don't really think Roth's women are poorly drawn, I think they're maliciously drawn. But the idea of his works as subversive, as upending the system from within, is one I've never been able to grasp. How is writing about heavy breathing in a slurp-and-gobble way subversive? Many a time I've had someone explain how they believe it to be true, and I still don't see it.

*shrug*

Woo! I'm glad to see this weekend come, after working the last two weekends and an unusally busy two day stretch at work (that felt like four days).

I've finished two books so far this morning: The Great Partition: The Making of India and Pakistan by Yasmin Khan (4 stars), and All My Friends Are Dead, a short comedic book by Avery Monsen & Jory John (3-1/2 stars). Today I'll read the essays in Frida Kahlo, the book printed for the comprehensive Kahlo exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art that I attended in 2008, and I'll start The Prospector by J.M.G. Le Clézio.

>68 Chatterbox: I haven't read anything by Amin Maalouf yet, but I do own two of his books, Leo Africanus and Origins, which I'll read soon.

>69 alcottacre: *waves at Stasia*

>70 richardderus: Does anyone have any books by Alice Munro that they would highly recommend?

>71 richardderus:, 72 I'm a bit less annoyed that Roth won the Man Booker International Prize now, especially after I read the award rules that Richard posted. I was under the impression that it was an award similar to the Neustadt International Prize for Literature. I think I'll sample a book or two by some of the finalists of the MBI Prize, instead of reading anything else by Roth...

>73 Jargoneer: ...although jargoneer's spirited defense may make me reconsider. I'll have more to say about this and subsequent comments later, when I'm a bit more awake.

>74 rebeccanyc: I do own American Pastoral, so I'll read it sometime in the near future (though probably not this year), and reconsider my view of Roth afterward.

>75 Chatterbox: I think that the Neustadt Prize is one of the more interesting and relevant awards for an international writer's body of work. Unfortunately it doesn't get much attention in the US and abroad (and, admittedly, I haven't paid much attention to it). I think one of my goals for next year will be to read 8-10 books by a different Neustadt Prize winner who I haven't read yet (Wikipedia has a list of the Neustadt laureates here).

>76 richardderus: I think that jargoneer is a guy...

I'm out of my depth with the awards discussion here, but I can say I became an instant fan of Amin Maalouf after reading Le périple de Baldassare (Balthasar's Odyssey) several years ago. Such a brilliant writer. Le rocher de Tanios (The Rock of Tanios) is one of his most known works, as the winner of the Prix Goncourt. I still have Samarcande waiting on my shelf, which I intend to get to this year. I look forward to reading Léon l'Africain eventually, and also have The Crusades Through Arab Eyes on my wishlist. Just those for now, though he's definitely worth exploring. As Suzanne says, he does write in French and lives in Paris, and is originally from Lebanon.

>76 richardderus: Oh! ARE you a guy? Oops then, and well, it makes sense a Roth defender would be a guy, since he's such a guy.

I read, most recently, The Plot Against America. It's an alternative history novel, and I found it to be a good one. I am, though, judging solely by its alternative-history-idea merits. I would expect that someone less interested in that sub-genre than I am would find the book less completely engaging than I did...could be wrong, of course.

#79 I particularly enjoyed The View from Castle Rock by Alice Munro, and also Too Much Happiness, although I had already read some of the best stories in it in the New Yorker. I have two other Munro collections but haven't read them.

#80 The Plot against America was a Roth book I didn't like. I thought it had too much of a "message" and was obvious and heavy-handed. And I'm not an alternative history reader.

Personally, I think American Pastoral is Roth's best book. I went through a phase where I read a lot of him, then realized I had overdosed, and haven't read any since. But that one was very good.

Hello, just returning your visit to my thread.

Very interesting discussion on the Booker International and the merits of Roth; I've only read one of his novels and underwhelmed doesn't begin to describe my recollection of it. But I'm open to trying again, it sounds like American Pastoral is getting a lot of recommendations here.

Mostly I wanted to thank you, as others have before, for providing these updates on all the various literary awards out there.

>79 Smiler69: Thanks for the Amin Maalouf recommendations, Ilana. I'll read the two I own first, and then look for the titles you suggested.

>80 richardderus: I did enjoy The Plot Against America, although I haven't liked anything else I've read by Roth nearly as much. After these recommendations I will read American Pastoral, since I already own it.

>81 rebeccanyc: Thanks for the Munro recommendations, Rebecca. I can't say I'm a fan of alternate history, but I liked the way Roth used it in this book.

>82 JanetinLondon: I'm definitely reading American Pastoral now, maybe later this year.

>83 AnneDC: Thanks, Anne! Speaking of literary awards, I just received a Google alert that Aminatta Forna won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize Best Book Award for The Memory of Love; other finalists for the award included two of my favorite books from last year, Room by Emma Donoghue and The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell, which were both on the shortlist for last year's Booker Prize. More info: 2011 prize: final programme

Off to the Read-a-Thon...

I'd suggest The Moons of Jupiter for more of Alice Munro's work -- it's an earlier collection. Runaway, her latest, I quite liked although some folks said it wasn't as strong as others. Lives of Girls and Women is kind of a classic. There are some collections that might be worth checking out as they cross geographic "strata", and at least one Munro herself played the key role in selecting what she considered her best stories. Not sure if that has been released in the US, though.

I have a copy of The Plot Against America; I'm such a history buff that alternative history is often intriguing. I haven't yet read it... I also have Ravelstein, unread -- I was amused by the idea that Roth decided to lampoon Allan Bloom in it.

y'know, I was astounded at how few of the Neustadt award winners' names I actually recognized. Gulp; more reading to do?

That said, I'm not really an award follower in your league, Darryl; I'm curious but don't always feel that an award makes for great literature. After all, Pearl Buck won the Nobel, and while some of her novels are thumping good reads, they ain't in the league of Kenzaburo Oe, et. al.

Re Maalouf, the one I want to get my hands on right now is Le rocher de Tanios, set in Lebanon in the early 19th century.

#85 I read Le rocher de Tanios last year and definitely recommend it. One of those books I'll no doubt revisit eventually.

I have nothing to add to the Philip Roth discussion. I read a few of his early books and they did nothing for me. I have not tried any of his later books other than Patrimony, although from the sounds of it American Pastoral is worth a look.

>85 Chatterbox: Thanks for the Munro recommendations, Suz. I'm glad to learn that Lives of Girls and Women is a classic, as that is the one Munro that I own.

I thought Ravelstein was by Saul Bellow? I did read it in the BLT (Before LibaryThing) age.

I didn't recognize many of the Neustadt winners, either.

I agree that an award winning book or author isn't a guarantee of anything, but I almost always find something I love among the books or authors that are finalists for these prizes, including several hidden gems that I may not have otherwise known about, such as The Glass Room by Simon Mawer and Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie.

I checked Amazon, which doesn't have copies of The Rock of Tanios in stock; however, one of the sellers of this book is the Housing Works Bookstore Cafe in SoHo.

>86 Smiler69: That's good enough; The Rock of Tanios makes the wishlist.

>87 alcottacre: I might try to get to American Pastoral later this summer or in the fall.

Today should be the hottest day of the year in Atlanta (high temperature 95 degrees, with a heat index of 99 degrees). I was out earlier today (supermarket, breakfast, car wash), and will leave soon to have lunch with a friend who is back in town for the weekend. Hopefully we won't melt.

I didn't even know the Neustadt existed until I read about it here, so I think I take the cluelessness award.

I hated American Pastoral so much that I got dressed, got in the car, and drove to the Catholic cathedral in the next town to hurl it into the donations box after p59. Goodbye, Columbus affected me the same way.

>89 richardderus: I am certain that most members of this erudite group have not heard of, or are quite unfamiliar with (*raises hand*), the Neustadt Prize, even though it's a US prize and has been in existence for over 40 years. And, in any case, the last word I would use to describe you would be 'clueless' (no, actually 'Philistine' would be the last word).

Hmm, mixed messages about American Pastoral...that makes me want to read it that much more, so that I can form an opinion about it. However, I have a hundred or more books that are ahead of it in the TBR queue, so (now that I think about it) I'll probably need a really good reason to read it this year, e.g. a group read (not that I'm proposing to lead one...).

#88 Was going to put The Glass Room on my wishlist, which I always follow up with a quick public library search and finding they didn't have it, looked up BookDepository and found they're selling it for a song (less than $5 with the current 10% off promotion). So of course, I have no choice but to buy it now. ;-)

#90 I've had American Pastoral on my wishlist for quite a long time. Ever since I got The Human Stain at a used book store, not realizing at the time it was the third book in The American Trilogy. I'd be up for a group read too if someone wants to organize one.

Whoops, yes, Ravelstein is by Bellow. D'uh. This is what happens when posting late in the evening & headachey. Sigh.

#90, LOL, thanks -- but I often am clueless. Especially about anything technical/technological.

Darryl

I've added The Great Partition: The Making of India and Pakistan by Yasmin Khan to the tbr pile. Have you read Freedom at Midnight by Larry Collins. I highly recommend it!

>92 Chatterbox: I'd rather read Bellow than Roth. I haven't read The Adventures of Augie March yet, and I'd like to re-read Henderson the Rain King at some point.

>93 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda. I've added Freedom at Midnight to my wish list.

Happy Monday, Darryl. Just paying your thread a very overdue visit and I've got to say I very much enjoyed the intelligent conversations taking place here. Have a great week.

Gosh, it's so quiet over here today, is that even possible?

Darryl, The Adventures of Augie March is high up on my wishlisted selection and I look forward to reading it too. And thanks for mentioning Henderson the Rain King, adding it to the WL right away. I just read the NY Times review from 1959 by Orville Prescott, where he describes the novel as "peculiar, prolix and exasperating". Indeed, Mr. Prescott didn't seem to like it one bit, but I won't listen to him.

Whoa. I love the new look!

>95 Carmenere: Hi, Lynda! It will be a busy week, as I'm working Monday through Friday, but hopefully it won't be a crazy week as it was last week.

>96 Smiler69: I won't be on LT very much until Saturday, but I'll check my thread every day.

Who is Orville Prescott, and why should I give two cents about him?

Just checking in, Darryl. I hope your week is not too busy!

>98 alcottacre:: Hi, Stasia!

I fell asleep early last night, then woke up super early (3:30 am) after 7 hours of sleep. So, I read the remainder of The Boy in the Moon: A Father's Search for His Disabled Son by Ian Brown, which was quite good. Brown writes for The Globe and Mail in Toronto, and he describes his son, Walker, who was born with a rare and crippling disorder, and how life with—and without—his son has impacted the lives of him, his wife and daughter, and others within their orbit. I'll give it 4-1/2 stars for now, and review it later in the week.

ETA: This was an LT Early Reviewer book (I'm not sure how I missed it!), so in lieu of a timely review from me I'd encourage anyone interested in the book to look at those reviews.

Hi, Darryl...I was WAY behind on your thread(s), but am now caught up, and I have a little blizzard of pieces of scratch paper with titles to be added to my TBR list when I get home, courtesy of you! I really appreciate the time you take with your reviews, and how so much of your reading is international. AND you put terrific links (why cats aren't doctors!) and JPGs (Cosby!) on your thread. Thanks a bunch!

Karen O.

>100 klobrien2:: Aw! Thanks, Karen! Yours was a perfect message to receive after a tough work day. I'll have to catch up with your thread ASAP.

Off to bed...

Orville Prescott.

xo for hard day

Darryl, I couldn't agree more with what Karen said to you. Your thread is an incontournable.

Hope you get some good rest.

Wow, Monday thru Friday -- almost a 'real' workweek! If, of course, it weren't for those ultra-long shifts and the stress of having to save lives...

I shall think of you tomorrow while I'm prowling the aisles at BookExpo... *grin*

Darryl, I think you posted a website a while ago that listed bargain prices for electronics. I meant to mark it as a favorite, but guess I didn't. Would you repost when you get the chance? Jim is on a new TV hunt.

Hi Darryl
I read part of Ian Brown's book when The Globe and Mail included an excerpt in the paper earlier this year. I have the book on my TBR pile. Brown is an excellent writer whose work on all topics I enjoy reading in the Globe and Mail . The book won an important non-fiction award in Canada recently .(the name escapes me at the moment)

Darryl, I think you're on Book Culture's mailing list too. Anyway, last week I got a notice about their sale last weekend, but I couldn't go, but the e-mail said if I replied with my name and phone number they would give me a "personal sale" coupon for the next time I shop! If you haven't deleted that e-mail (it was called "New and Notable Titles," you could get a coupon for your next visit. I hope to go later today, because I have a meeting in the Columbia area.

>105 ffortsa: never mind - I found it! We'll see if cheapskate can help us out.

Another long day (7:30 am to 11 pm). Hopefully the last two days of the week will be easier ones.

>102 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. So I now know who Orville Prescott is, but I still don't see a reason to care about his opinions.

>103 Smiler69: Thanks, Ilana!

>104 Chatterbox: Monday-Friday on the inpatient service at the hospital I work at in the busy season can be brutal, for the hospitalists and subspecialists. One of my partners circulated a photo of one older subspecialist, who she caught taking a brief nap at 10 pm during a long day. I'm sure that there are plenty of others who work long hours in other jobs, so I'm not complaining (and nowadays I'm thankful just to have a job!).

>105 ffortsa:, 108 Good, I'm glad you found that web site, Judy.

>106 torontoc: Cyrel, the back flap of my copy of The Boy in the Moon says that it has won "three of Canada's most prestigious literary awards: the Charles Taylor Prize, the Trillium Book Award, and the British Columbia National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction."

>107 rebeccanyc: I saw that e-mail, Rebecca, but I didn't read the part about getting your own personal shopping day. Hopefully I still have that message; thanks for the information!

Good night, my friends.

Darryl, I will forward my e-mail to you so you can see what to do for your shopping day. I did stop by yesterday, but only found four books to buy, since I had just the week before done some serious shopping at my favorite bookstore. Still, it was nice to get the discount.

>110 rebeccanyc: Thanks, Rebecca. I'll probably look at that e-mail this evening.

Red April by Peruvian writer Santiago Roncagliolo is the winner of this year's Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. The writer and the novel's translator, Edith Grossman, will each be awarded £5,000.

Independent Foreign Fiction Prize 2011

'Red April' wins the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize

I bought this novel a few weeks ago, and I'll plan to read it this weekend.

from an LT review: If I wanted to be blunt, I'd say that Felix Chacaltana Saldivar was too dumb to live. Evidently he's spent way too much time in that room talking to his dead mother. The room and the talking to the dead may be a cultural tradition, but he carried it to excess.

Oh dear.

#113: Somehow that review does not inspire me to rush right out and buy the book. Of course, 'four-hankies-and-a-pistol' Darryl probably will :)

>113 richardderus: I have no idea who that reviewer is, so I'll take her comments with a large grain of salt. However, Larry (lriley), an LT friend whose tastes in books are as similar to mine as anyone else's on LT and who is a constant danger to my wish list, had these comments about Red April:

Red April is a very suspenseful and well written thriller. It looks at modern Peruvian society on a number of levels--the distinictions between Indian and Spanish cultures, the corruption of government and the role that the Catholic church and more ancient Indian religions play. The brutality of the military and its intelligence arms link it to the abuses of other military dominated regimes in Latin America during that time. The driving philosophy of a land based Indian culture driven by common goals of shared property and mixed with a kind of liberation theology was the fertile ground out of which the communist based Sendero Luminoso seemed to grow. Of course the ambitions of those already in power were not going to be compromised even one inch by any of that. Anyway that seems to my mind to be much of the background for Roncagliolo's very interesting novel which made him the youngest winner of Spain's Alfaguara Prize.

So to conclude--Red April is a very well written, fascinating, complex and suspenseful thriller with numerous historical insights and a number of interesting twists and pretty gory as well. How can I can complain about all that packed into one work? Highly recommended (4-1/2 stars)

I did start reading it yesterday, and it looks good so far.

>114 alcottacre: I bought the book from the Atlanta Borders bookstore that closed earlier this month, so I already have it.

BTW, I do look at who is reviewing a book I'm interested in before I decide whether to buy that book or not. If lriley, deebee, rebeccanyc, arubabookwoman, or certain Club Readers highly recommend a book (as lriley did for Red April here), then I'm far more likely to enjoy that book than not. However, even we'll sometimes have quite different opinions about certain books; if I remember correctly, Rebecca strongly disliked The Finkler Question, Howard Jacobson's Booker Award winning novel, but I enjoyed it, and there has been a wide variety of opinion about Room by Emma Donoghue. So, one negative review from an unknown or unreliable person, whether the most recent reviewer of Red April, or Orville Prescott (see messages 96 & 97), or the frequently snarky reviews of Michiko Kakutani or some of the others who write reviews for The New York Times, won't have a strong impact on me.

ETA: There are many more LTers whose opinions I greatly respect other than the ones I mentioned, BTW!

Hi Darryl mind boggling discussions. Just make my tbr list all the more bigger. Thanks.

Red April sounds fascinating to me too, and I will look for it. (I pay attention to your reviews too, Darryl, although you are correct that I really didn't like The Finkler Question and was pretty lukewarm about Room.)

I even know one of the judges, and I had no idea there *was* such a prize!

John Banville wins 2011 Kafka Prize

Love the idea of a Kafka prize -- should be presented to politicians and bureaucrats, however...

Downloaded Red April -- we shall see!!

I'm glad to see this work week come to an end; we continue to be far busier than we should be for this time of year, and I worked until nearly 11 pm last night again. I'm off for the weekend, but not Memorial Day. I might go to the Atlanta Jazz Festival today and tomorrow, but it will be hot and humid, so I might choose indoor activities instead.

>116 mausergem: Thanks, Gautam (I think!)

>117 rebeccanyc: I'll resume reading Red April this morning. It looks to be a quick read, so I'll review it later today or tomorrow.

>118 richardderus: I saw a story about the Kafka Prize on the Guardian Books web page on Thursday, but the award didn't register with me:

Guardian Books: John Banville wins Kafka prize

>119 Chatterbox: No! No awards for politicians and bureaucrats, unless the winners have to shell out money or donate their time for worthy causes (other than lining their own pockets).

Enjoy your weekend, Darryl! I'll be interested in your final comments on Red April.

>120 kidzdoc: John Calder, one of the judges, is an old acquaintance of mine. In fact, I feature quite prominently in his memoirs as an evil Svengali who crashed his company. (Horribly jealous of The Divine Miss and me.) So I take the award with a grain of salt. And I don't like John Banville, plus Philip Roth won it once, so....

>122 richardderus: Richard as an evil Svengali; yeah, I can imagine that... ;-)

Just before I went to bed early this morning I read the sad news that the spoken word perfomer, poet and novelist Gil Scott-Heron died yesterday. He is best known for his song The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, and for being a major influence on hip-hop and other spoken word musicians. After struggling for years with personal demons he appeared to be back on track, as he produced his first studio album in 16 years, "I'm New Here", last year. I haven't read his novels, The Vulture and The Nigger Factory, but both are available as a combined purchase for the Kindle, which I've just downloaded.

Here are a couple of GSH favorites of mine:

Save the Children

Middle of Your Day

The Prisoner

Having seen your comment on Cushla's thread, I am informing you that you HAVE to give me prior warning to you going to London, so that I can come and torment you in person :)

I can't promise intelligent and high-brow book conversation, but you can't resist my form of craziness anyway ;)

>125 lunacat: Absolutely, Jenny; I'd love to meet you in person! I need to make plans very soon, and I'll probably put in my vacation request on Monday or Tuesday. I liked the weather when I was there last year, in late August to early September, so I'll try to shoot for the same time period this year.

But what's a jazz festival without sunshine, Darryl? I hope you're managing to have a good talk with your legs and that they propel you towards the festival.

>124 kidzdoc:: Thanks for the acknowledgement of the death of Gil Scott Heron. Very sad to hear about when, as you say, he appeared to have overcome so much and be back on track. I saw him perform with his band a couple of times and was absolutely blown away.

>127 cameling: The sunshine and my legs aren't the problem; the heat and humidity are. It's currently 87 degrees, with a heat index of 102 degrees, not exactly my kind of weather. I went outside this morning (when it was in the low 70s and felt great), and I'll consider going to the Gerald Clayton Trio performance at 7 pm. Fortunately I can walk to the park where the Atlanta Jazz Festival is being held, so I don't have to worry about finding a place to park.

>128 Soupdragon: You're welcome, Dee. I'm glad that you were able to see him live; I missed several opportunities to catch one of his shows, including his 2008 performance in Atlanta.

I was an emotional wreck yesterday, after the realization of his death sunk in. I can't think of anyone else's death (not including the death of a close friend or a member of my family) that has had such a strong impact on me. I'm much better today, but I'm still pretty depressed about GSH's passing. I'll eat lunch shortly, and hopefully I'll be able to lose myself in Red April, my current book, afterward.

Envy envy envy -- about being able to walk to the outdoor jazz festival. Music outdoors in summer is my idea of bliss. I do hope it helps bounce you out of your depression/funk. I understand how that feels like a pall over you, and that it passes or abates soon.

Tomorrow is supposed to be brutal here, up in the 90s. I haven't even wanted to know the forecast for the heat index. I was out yesterday and it was fine, but Friday wasn't great. I may just head to (a/the) park with a blanket and a book!

>130 Chatterbox: I'm not a big fan of outdoor concerts anymore. When I first moved here I would go to the Atlanta Jazz Festival every day (Sat-Mon of Memorial Day weekend), from the first concert on Saturday to the last one on Monday. Lately, though, the festival hasn't attracted the top names that used to come here, probably due to a cut in funding from sponsors, although Esperanza Spalding did play here last year. I'd much rather listen to music indoors, or at least on days that aren't so hot and humid, as the air quality combined with ozone and smoky grills plays havoc with my asthma and allergies.

Tanglewood remains my fave place. Yes, it can get hot/humid, but almost always that's less so than in any of the cities, because it's out in the hills and the air quality is great. (and no grills allowed...) Wolf Trap I kinda like, but there it IS hot, and the design of the venue (a bowl) just traps the hot air. I do like going to the Central Park concerts when I can get myself organized and if it's not raining or too oppressive.

I like outdoor concerts, too ... we don't get enough of them in the near-boonies where I live.

Well, if you find yourself confined to quarters by the heat, I've just launched a memorial day readathon...

It's still in the upper 80s here at the 8 o'clock hour, so I'll stay inside and read for the next 2-3 hours while I do laundry. I should finish Red April before midnight; I'm enjoying it so far.

>135 kidzdoc: - LOL! Reading and laundry pretty much make up most of my Sundays...

102 humidity? I'd stay indoors too, Darryl. It was pretty nice here today ... sunny but not too humid and it clouded over a little towards the evening with a nice breeze. But I would have liked to have been at an outdoor jazz concert. ;-)

>132 Chatterbox: I haven't been to either of those venues (Tanglewood or Wolf Trap). There is a park near the hospital (Chastain Park) that is a great place to see concerts, preferably in the fall or spring. I wish the Atlanta Jazz Festival was held earlier in the spring or during the fall, when the weather is more temperate.

It's 90 degrees here at the moment, with a heat index of 101. However, this will probably be the "coldest" day of the work week, as it's supposed to reach 95 degrees today, and 97 degrees on Wednesday. (I'm hoping that I slept through a couple of months, and it's actually August instead of the end of May.)

>133 lauralkeet: There are plenty of outdoor concerts here, but very few feature performers that I'm interested in seeing (except for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concerts; I like attending the orchestra's Chastain Park concerts whenever I can).

>134 Chatterbox: Yep. I'll head back there shortly.

>136 katiekrug: The only thing I dislike about Sunday afternoons is that they are often ruined by the thought of returning to work. Fortunately for me, the preparation for work (especially waking up early and driving to work) is far worse than being at work, which I generally enjoy (and today was a pleasant work day, despite having to work on a holiday).

>137 cameling: Not 102% humidity (although it feels like that here often in the late spring and throughout the summer), but a heat index of 102, which is what it feels like. It's a combination of temperature, humidity, and possibly the UV index and the wind speed.

Darryl, looks like I won't be able to finish In Search of Klingsor on time this month as I'm only halfway through so far. It's true I've been slacking off a bit as far a reading goes these past few days, but I've also had moments when I lost interest in the novel (lots of talk about physics and physicists which doesn't do much for me), but then things always have a way of becoming intriguing again.

It was quite hot here today as well, and I kept thinking that August will probably be unbearable. So weird living in parts of the world where we go from one extreme to another, eh?

Hi, Darryl! Just stopping by trying to catch up with your thread. Lots of good discussion here.

Just dropping in to say hello! *waves* *smile*

>139 Smiler69: Hmm...lots of talk about physics and physicists. Both of my best friends in Madison (who each have PhDs in the physical sciences) would probably loveIn Search of Klingsor, but I'm not sure I would. I'll wait for your final verdict on it before I decide to read it.

>140 tymfos:, 141 *waves at Terri and Sacil*

I did finish two books this weekend:



Red April by Santiago Roncagliolo, the winner of this year's Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, a mystery set in Ayacucho, Peru in 2000. The main character is a by-the-book and unlikable prosecutor who investigates a disturbing murder in the city, a former stronghold of the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) terrorist movement against the government in the 1980s and 1990s. The prosecutor suspects that remnants of Sendero Luminoso are responsible for the crime and mentions this to the local head of the Peruvian police force that still rules over the area, but is curtly dismissed. In the course of his investigation he interviews several people associated with the crime, and one by one several of them meet gruesome deaths, and on each corpse is left a calling card from Sendero Luminoso. The country's focus turns to Ayacucho, due to local elections and the Holy Week celebrations that attract thousands of Peruvians and tourists, and local and national officials and businessmen are eager to suppress any evidence that the guerrillas are becoming more active. The prosecutor seems to be coming closer to a resolution to the case...but will he solve it before he becomes the next victim? This was a solid and well written if not spectacular novel, but I would give a slight nod to Death in the Andes by Mario Vargas Llosa, which covers similar ground. (3.7 stars)



The True Deceiver by Tove Jansson, the Finnish author best known for her Moomin series of children's books, which won this year's Best Translated Book Award. It was originally published in 1982, translated into English in 2009, and published by New York Review Books last year. The main character, Katri Kling, is a young woman who lives with her younger and mentally disabled teenage brother above a store in an isolated Scandinavian town. Katri is ostracized by the villagers, as she is abrupt and lacks social grace, but she is also respected by them, due to her math skills and brutal honesty. She sees no future for her or her brother, as she works as a shopkeeper's assistant for a man she despises, and seeks to improve the financial situation of her and her brother. At the other end of town lives Anna Aemelin, a widowed and wealthy children's book illustrator, who is respected but aloof. Katri insidiously integrates herself into Anna's life, and assumes responsibility over more of the elderly woman's business correspondence, increasing Anna's income while she reserves some of this money for her and her brother, to the progressive dismay of Anna and the villagers. This was a superb psychological novel, and Jansson does a fabulous job in portraying the isolation of this icy climate and its equally icy residents. I'll have more to say about this novel in an upcoming article about Jansson I'm planning to write for Belletrista, but I highly recommend this short novel. (4.4 stars)

I wasn't intending to write reviews for these books, so I'll probably have more to say about each one later this week.

Just popping in to say hi. You have so much on your list that I'd love to read. I have a copy of Red April that I haven't got to yet but I think The True Deceiver may be going on my wishlist. It looks really interesting so thanks for your review.
As an imprint, I think the New York Review Books is pretty great. There's so many interesting things on it, especially in translation, that I never would've come across otherwise.

I definitely want to read The True Deceiver after reading your comments, Darryl. I read Tove Jansson's The Summer Book about a year ago and loved it. Have you read that one? It does something similar in portraying the isolation of a small island and its residents who spend the summer there but it's a loving look at the beauty of nature and the relationship of an older woman and her granddaughter. It kind of sounds like the flip side of The True Deceiver.

I just received an email with a link to this about Gil Scott-Heron in from No Depression (an Americana based magazine which is now online only, though of course GSH is a bit different from some of the other music covered)

http://www.nodepression.com/profiles/blogs/gil-scottherons-gone-the

I want to read The True Deceiver too, Darryl. It is already in the BlackHole. I am hoping my local library eventually has it.

I haven't read any Tove Jansson yet, but will have to look for her, and I do have a copy of Red April winging its way to me from Amazon. It will be interesting to compare it to Death in the Andes, which I loved.

True Deceiver is added to the teetering tower Darryl. Thank you so much for always bringing attention to books that are not very well known in this country.

Darryl, I read True Deceiver last year and agree with your assessment of it as a superb psychological novel. Although I was really impressed with it, I was left with a sense of bleakness and didn't rush out to read more of Jansson's books. Pat's comments have made me think I should try The Summer Book.

Luci- I liked the Gil tribute. There will be many feeling that loss.

I'll have to add True Deceiver to my tbr as well, sounds too good to pass on.

#149 Dee, definitely give The Summer Book a try. It's slightly bittersweet because it's told from the grandmother's perspective and she's elderly (and while not sick is getting toward the end of her life) but mainly it's about the timelessness of the summers the family has spent on the island and the strong connection between grandmother and granddaughter. The book takes place over one summer and, as the grandmother starts to notice the days shortening and you realize you're getting to the end of the book, you're truly sad that both the summer and the book are ending.

Oh, the Moomin books! I loved those. Thumbs-upped the review, Darryl!

Darryl

I think Cariola (Deborah) recommended The True Deceiver back in 2009. I really must read it now that you have added your praise.

All the best to you!

I just added The True Deceiver to my wish list as well. I am interested in Red April but think I might rather read Death in the Andes, since I haven't.

Already had The Boy in the Moon on the Wishlist and your stars sealed the deal so I'm about to download it. Any chance of a forthcoming review?

Hi from hot Atlanta! I'm thinking about trying your recommendation of Death in the Andes-- and The True Deceiver sounds perfect--thanks -Jenny

Ack. I really need to proofread my reviews a bit better before I post them.

>143 lara_aine: Thanks for visiting, lara_aine! I completely agree with you about the New York Review Books imprints, they are almost always superb, and I love learning about new and underappreciated authors. I have a stack of 25 or more NYRBs that I want to get to over the next 2-3 years, starting with The Singapore Grip, the last novel in J.G. Farrell's Empire Trilogy. I read Troubles and The Siege of Krishnapur last year, and both books were among my top 10 favorites for the year.

>144 phebj: I haven't read The Summer Book yet, Pat, but I'll probably read it in the next month or two, along with Fair Play. I bought both books recently, as I'll write an article about these three Jansson novels for an upcoming issue of Belletrista (BTW, all three books are NYRB Classics).

>145 elkiedee: Thanks for the link to the GSH article, Luci. Due to the late hour (almost 11:30 pm) I'll check it out tomorrow.

>146 alcottacre: I hope that you're able to find it, Stasia. It's a short book (182 pp) that can easily be knocked out in a day. I'd offer you my copy, but I'll need it for the Belletrista review that I'll write toward the end of the summer or early in the fall.

>147 rebeccanyc: I would think that you could easily find Jansson's books at Book Culture, Rebecca. I bought one of Jansson's books there earlier this month, but it was the "wrong" one (Fair Play, I think), and I didn't see The True Deceiver in the section at Book Culture where the NYRB books are featured.

>148 brenzi: You're quite welcome, Bonnie! I love learning about new and little known authors, similar to trying a new dish or a new restaurant that I want to revisit. I only wish that Jansson was alive to receive the accolades that she richly deserves (she died in 2001).

>149 Soupdragon: Thanks, Dee. I'll almost certainly read The Summer Book in the next few weeks.

A number of my non-LT friends have had similar (but not as intense) reactions to GSH's passing. I've been listening to him on and off for nearly 40 years, and I've always had a great respect for him, his music and his political beliefs. I think a little part of me died this weekend when I learned about his death.

>150 avatiakh: I think you would like The True Deceiver, Kerry.

>151 phebj: Ooh, I'm tempted to read The Summer Book ASAP! I'll probably wait until the middle of the month, though; I have to read and review one book, Above All, Don't Look Back by Maïssa Bey, for the next issue of Belletrista, and I'd like to finish, if possible, The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht and Great House by Nicole Krauss in the next week or so, in time for the announcement of the Orange Prize on June 8th; those are the only two books from this year's shortlist that I haven't read yet.

>152 richardderus: Thanks, bro!

>153 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda; I'll have to look at Deborah's review of The True Deceiver, as I probably missed it when she wrote her review of it.

>154 AnneDC: Thanks, Anne. I agree, I'd read Death in the Andes before Red April, although the latter was still a good read.

>155 nancyewhite: I do need (and want) to review The Boy in the Moon ASAP. I'll try to get to it either this weekend or in the middle of next week, as I'm off on Wed and Thu.

>156 GCPLreader: Hi, Jenny! Ugh, it's way too hot here, isn't it? I bought The True Deceiver at the Borders in Midtown Plaza on Ponce de Leon Ave, across from City Hall East, and Red April at the Borders in Buckhead (across from Phipps Plaza) during its going out of business sale last month. (GCPL = Gwinnett County Public Library?)

This was one of my best reading months I've had as an adult*, as I finished 25 books (nearly Stasiaesque or Suzesque).

* I was a voracious reader as a kid, so I'll bet that I read 20-30 books in the summer months before I reached junior high school, when sports and girls became more important.

Off to bed...g'night all.

ETA: I won a copy of Partitions: A Novel by Amit Majmudar from the LT Early Reviewers program, which is the story of several children who are caught up in the Great Partition of 1947 that resulted in the formation of a free India along with the creation of Pakistan. I'll read it as soon as it arrives.

yes, Darryl, I get all the books I read from those fine people at the Lilburn branch :o)

(my poor AC is just a chuggin' away... yours?)

>158 GCPLreader: Yep, my AC is working nearly steadily. I cringe at the thought of what my next Georgia Power bill will look like.

*shudder*
With my living room A/C blasting away, I'm bracing for the first bill. I'm trying to delay putting in the office A/C and buying a new one for the bedroom.

Suzesque???????? *splutter splutter splutter*

But was it best in terms of quality or merely quantity???

#157 I know I can get the Janssons, at least the NYRB ones, at my favorite bookstore; they're usually prominently displayed, but I haven't been sufficiently intrigued until now. And I agree with you about NYRBs in general, although I've been disappointed in a few over the years.

Hi Darryl- The True Deceiver sounds very interesting. I'll have to slap that one on the WL. Hope things are cooling off for you.

'Twas a long and moderately unpleasant day at work, so I'm treating myself to a healthy dose of spiced rum to relieve my pain (under doctor's orders, of course).

>160 Chatterbox: *pats Suz on the back, offers her a tall glass of spiced rum*

But was it best in terms of quality or merely quantity???

I'd say both. Most of the books were really good (4 stars or higher), and several were superb, including The Memory of Love, I Love a Broad Margin to My Life, Visitation and The True Deceiver.

>161 rebeccanyc: I had temporarily forgotten that Crawford Doyle (which I still haven't been to) and not Book Culture is your favorite NYC bookstore, Rebecca. The NYRBs have a good track record with me, too, so I'll continue to read them as much as I can.

>162 msf59: I would definitely recommend The True Deceiver to you, Mark. I'll read two of her other books that have been published by New York Review Books, The Summer Book and Fair Play, within the next month or two.

I do love Book Culture too; it's really apples and oranges. Crawford-Doyle is marginally more convenient for me, a quicker browse, and a completely different atmosphere.

I should check out Crawford-Doyle -- even though it's a bit of a schlep.

Hope the moderate unpleasantness morphs into at least moderately pleasant. I had a particularly thorny day here, too, although the inherent nastiness of a bad day in journalism can't be compared (except in its effect on one's mood) with that of a bad day in practicing medicine.

I feel like such a creep. I've been on the patio under the dogwood, with the dog, enjoying the breeze and snacking. For two days. Am there right now. I love my wireless router.

#166 -- grrrr. Envy. Grrr. cue whimper of self-pity.

>167 Chatterbox: *evil smirk*

>166 richardderus: sounds divine.

>169 ffortsa: It truly was. Lovely, lovely early summer day. Just about perfect!

Today in NYC has been what I would describe as a PERFECT weather day. Bright blue sky, temps in mid to high 70s, low humidity. Being outdoors is sheer bliss. Sadly, I'm stuck indoors doing fact-checking on stories that will run tomorrow in Barron's...

*wanders in from patio* Oh, Suz! So glad to see you're beavering away at your *indoor* tasks! *wanders back out to patio, dog panting behind*

I have friends who are doctors, with access to toxic substances, Richard -- please remember this! (although perhaps not for much longer, if I keep cluttering up their threads... hmmm...)

Hey! Equal access! I get antidotes if you get poisons.

165> I'm finishing up now, but yesterday and today were much better days, with several adorable kids and wonderful parents and grandparents.

>166 richardderus:


>167 Chatterbox: Double envy. Triple, even.

>168 richardderus:


>169 ffortsa: Don't encourage him!

>170 richardderus:


>171 Chatterbox: Man, you two are really pushing it. It's been in the low to mid 90s here for over a week.

>172 richardderus:


>173 Chatterbox: You mean you had a friend who is a doctor.

>174 richardderus: No antidotes or poisons for either of you!

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGH

*PANTPANT*

WHAT is that horrible **thing** up there?!?! Heavens! I *almost* got warmed up from the 65F evening breeze coming in my open window!

>176 richardderus: Are you saying that you're not touched by the fetching photo of Pouty Caribou Barbie???

I'm about to leave the hospital, and step out into the 87 degree evening sauna (at 10 pm!). There is no relief in sight, as it's supposed to reach 94 degrees tomorrow, and 97 degrees on Sunday. Yep, it's going to be a long, hot summer...

87F at 10p. I *so* don't miss the South.

Well, no poisons, no more skipping horrible lines at MoMA. *Shrug* Your call!

LOL. I do try not to encourage him -- it's like the signs at the zoo suggesting you don't feed the animals -- but sometimes he's cute. Sometimes. Not when he is gloating, though!

With that heat, sounds as if you need an airconditioned bubble to live in -- you know, a human size hamster bubble? I think they might really catch on down there if that's the weather you're dealing with...

Hi Darryl, I'm STILL schlepping though In Search of Klingsor. Have almost given up many times, but now, with less than 100 pages left, I feel like all that effort would be wasted. Speed reading through the boring bits hasn't kept me from falling asleep after 3-4 pages though...

Just finished Les âmes grises aka By a Slow River by Philippe Claudel yesterday and have to say it was sublime, but also unbearably sad and depressing. But yes, sublime. Still, I think I'll wait a while before moving on to Le rapport de Brodeck.

Going back to #157, I've had The Siege of Krishnapur on my WL for ages now, but I'll move the Empire Trilogy up in priorities. Looking forward to your comments on Tiger's Wife (which I absolutely loved, as you may or may not recall.)

>177 kidzdoc:: "Pouty Caribou Barbie", now that had me laughing out loud Darryl ! Perfect description.

I have to say, the weather here (pretty much co-located with Richard and Suzanne when you look at things from the national scale) has been absolutely perfect. Fair compensation for the record-breaking monsoons of the last few months and the heat/humidity we all know is coming because that's the way summers are in the Tri-State area.

I can't imagine living in Atlanta. Anything south of the Mason-Dixon line is simply too hot. I'd much rather move up to New England, if I could only convince my wife.

#182: I'd much rather move up to New England, if I could only convince my wife.

I have the same problem, Tad, only with a husband instead of a wife.

>178 richardderus: It's miserable here now (although it was nice a couple of hours ago, when I sat outside and had a Spicy Elmo egg wrap and coffee from Einstein Brothers and did my usual Saturday/Sunday morning grocery shopping at Publix). However, the winters here aren't bad at all (this year's ice storm being a rare event), and the weather in the spring and fall here is glorious. Actually, it isn't as humid now as it will be in a few weeks, so it's tolerable here in the early mornings and late evenings.

I think I'll move my annual "Beat the Heat" escape to San Francisco up a bit, to mid June if I can get a hotel room at a decent price.

>179 Chatterbox: Hmm...must reconsider my harsh statement (that general admission line at MoMA was horrific). Okay, all is forgiven, my dear.

I'm back in my "air conditioned bubble" for the day; I doubt I'll go back outside until tonight after sundown or tomorrow morning. One of the local TV morning news programs posted its 7 day weather forecast for Atlanta: 94-95 degrees every day from now through Friday, with hardly a rain cloud in sight.

>180 Smiler69: Okay, I'll take In Search of Klingsor off of my wish list. On the other hand, By a Slow River makes the wish list, based on your comments and lriley's positive review of it. I'll probably read Brodeck's Report first, since I already own it.

I would still like to complete the Orange Prize shortlist by Wednesday, when the winner will be announced. I'll read Great House this weekend, and try to finish The Tiger's Wife by mid week.

>181 lauralkeet: If she pouted any more than that her chin would crack open.

>182 TadAD: Summer lasts longer here than it does in the Tri-State area (PA, NJ and DE, or NY, NJ and CT, depending on where you are). However, it gets just as hot and humid there as it does here. It helps that Atlanta is close to the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and sits ~1000 ft above sea level, so it isn't as hot here as it is in central and southern Georgia. It usually isn't this hot here at this time of year; it should be in the low 80s, which would be quite pleasant.

>183 alcottacre: Tad & Stasia, you could swap spouses and move to New England together. Problem solved.

This morning I'll finish my current book, The Bill From My Father, a Lambda Literary Award winning memoir by Bernard Cooper for this month's Gay Pride Month challenge (read a book that has won a Lambda Literary Award), and I'll resume reading Elegguas, a poetry collection by Kamau Brathwaite for my TIOLI challenge, Read a Book in Honor of National Caribbean American Heritage Month.

#184: Problem solved.

?! I think you just created new ones, Darryl!

#185

Hehe. I would love to be there for the respective discussions with said spouses.

Darryl, I agree, I like the weather here in the mornings... I can easily handle the heat if I'm near my pool! Can't wait to see your thoughts on Great House and The Tiger's Wife--- for me, they were both wonderfully written yet still flawed.

I find I can cope with temperature extremes better as long as the sun is out. Rain or dismal overcast conditions, especially for long periods, send me into a major funk.

I may be in San Fran/Palo Alto around the 20th for a few days -- but like you, this hinges on either affordable accomodation OR Barron's opting to pay up for me to attend an event at Stanford. I've been "selected" to be a Stanford Media Fellow (odd, as I didn't apply!) for a corporate governance event which is drawing lots of big cheeses, and there's definitely a story here. But the fellowship covers the cost of the event ($7k!) but not travel or accommodation. Now, Palo Alto is NOT a cheap place to stay! Could probably swing the airfare, but not the hotels if I had to do it on my own.

>188 Chatterbox: I may be in San Fran/Palo Alto around the 20th for a few days

That's exactly when I was thinking of going there; I'm off from June 20-26. I know Palo Alto and Stanford pretty well, as my best friend completed his Neurology fellowship at Stanford, and I've been to several of the CME (continuing medical education) courses offered by Lucille Packard Children's Hospital (LPCH) at Stanford.

(Which reminds me...ah! The Annual Pediatric Update at LPCH is July 14-16, and I'm off that week! I usually go with another good friend from medical school who lives in SoCal, so I'll have to see if she'll be able to make it.)

Whenever I went to Stanford or visited my friends in Palo Alto I would take Caltrain, the commuter rail service that runs from San Francisco to San Jose. The SF station is easily reached by Muni Metro (light rail), and Stanford offers a free shuttle bus service, the Marguerite Shuttle, with several lines that begin at the Palo Alto Caltrain station and traverse the campus and downtown Palo Alto. It takes about an hour to go from SF to PA on Caltrain (although the express train knocks ~10-15 min off of the trip, I think).

I'll probably leave ATL on the morning of the 20th, and return on the 24th or 25th. I'll send you a PM shortly...

While y'all're in SFO, visit my old home's new occupant: the apartment building that my father built on our lot on Green Street.

Hi Darryl, nice reviews. Where I stay in Nagpur, India the temperature in the month of May averages around 105 - 115 oF. Hope that makes you feel a bit cooler!!

All this makes me so happy for living in a temperate climate. Whoop to island living. Usually I adore hot weather, but not that kind of humidity. Somewhere sunny but dry with a breeze would be my ideal! I can't even imagine trying to function in that humidity - especially doing things like riding. Air-con isn't practical on horse-back, and that is my main occupation.

At least you get to hang out in air-conditioned buildings. So few over here have air-con, because we get so few days in a year when we'd need it. The chances of finding a private home with it are almost nil, (it's the exception rather than the rule to even have a ceiling fan) and businesses and shops often don't. That's all very well, except when we have a freak heatwave! Still never get that kind of humidity though, and our buildings are nearly all brickbuilt which keeps them cooler, I would imagine?

Oh boo hoo...it's gotten so HOT here...up to 75F! Oh, the sweating! Oh, the fanning! Please someone rescue me from the unendurable HEAT!

Darryl, please don't take Klingsor off your wishlist on my account. After all, you are much more brainy than I'll ever be, and you may find it to be just the thing for you. Besides, it does have plenty of redeeming qualities, imho.

Okay, I've made my flight and hotel reservations for SF, and I'll be there in a little over two weeks.

>190 richardderus: Remind me; where did your family live on Green Street? It was in North Beach near Washington Square, right? I'd be happy to take a photo of it, if you'd like.

>191 mausergem: Ugh. I certainly do feel cooler now!

>192 lunacat: Somewhere sunny but dry with a breeze would be my ideal!

How about San Diego? Or, better yet, San Luis Obispo? Sun, mountains, beach, and ocean breezes, not too big, but relatively close to major cities.

A/C is a necessity in Atlanta. I didn't have it in the beautiful old Pittsburgh apartment building that I lived in, but there were probably less than 5 days in four years that I wished I had it.

>193 richardderus: Hmph. It's 91 degrees here, with a heat index (Real Feel) of 104 degrees, according to AccuWeather. I'll fan some of this heat in your direction (bypassing my parents in PA).

Don't mess with me, sir, or I'll post another scary Sarah Palin photo. ;-)

More Sarah Palin???? *shudder*

Time for a "be nice to Darryl" month, to avoid that possibility?

Sorry, have been AWOL battling migraine (not surprising, given the dawn cat/mouse battle that awoke me), but check yr PMs.

Off to pick up more drugs to wage war (on the migraine, not the mice; I'm not wasting expensive stuff on them!)

>195 kidzdoc: *snicker*

My family's SFO house was about halfway up Russian Hill. There's a place where Green is cut off by a ridge. Our house number was 989 or 999, can't remember which, but it's in this cul-de-saclike area. It's now an apartment building or some-such. Our house wasn't anything special and Dad redeveloped it to finance the divorce from my stepmother.

Given that it is sunny and all of 66 degrees here at 2 in the afternoon, San Diego would be a possibility for a more temperate clime!

I'm late to the party but "Pouty Caribou Barbie" made me laugh (after I cringed upon seeing the photo). I'm a NYer transplanted to Dallas and loathe the heat, so Suz and Richard are making me fume... But I will be up there (well, in the Hudson Valley) next weekend for my high school reunion, so I am hoping the weather stays nice.

I hope you have a great time in SF later this month, Darryl. I'll actually be in Northern CA (San Jose and Monterey) the 22nd-28th but it's for work, unfortunately. Definitely looking forward to nicer weather, though!

Oh, and I finished Breath, Eyes, Memory this morning. I'm trying to do justice to it with my review - I really liked it - so thank you for the TIOLI challenge that prompted me to read it.

Enjoy your weekend...

I thought "S*r*h P*l*n" was one of the forbidden two-word phrases on your thread, Darryl. Or if we call her PCB (interesting initials), is that OK?

GORGEOUS weather here in Pittsburgh PA. After the endless deluge this spring, we deserve it.

Jane and I were laughing out loud at Caribou Barbie. Hilarious.

PCB would be appropriate, Rebecca -- isn't it also the shorthand for a particularly nasty toxic substance that can cause cancer??

Totally -- that was why I called them interesting. They're what GE has to remove from the Hudson, among other nasties.

So glad to be in the Pacific NW, where we've just had our first day over 70 of the year.

#203, hmmm, if only we could purge the world of politics of all self-serving nitwits, across the spectrum -- well, wow, that's all... Sadly, I think it would be harder than cleaning up the Hudson.

Good news: I finished my 75th book of the year earlier this morning, as I completed The Bill From My Father: A Memoir by Bernard Cooper last night, and Elegguas, a poetry collection by Kamau Brathwaite earlier this morning. Bad news: both books were disappointing reads. Reviews soon.

I've started Yemen: Dancing on the Heads of Snakes by Victoria Clark, which was published by Yale University Press last year. You've probably heard that the country's embattled president was flown on Saturday to Saudi Arabia for treatment for wounds he received in a bomb attack on Friday, and it seems unlikely that he will be allowed to return to power, as Saudi Arabia and other Arab leaders have been working to remove him from power, according to the lead article in today's New York Times:

Citing Medical Needs, Yemeni Leader Goes to Saudi Arabia

The article also mentions that the country is in chaos, and al Qaeda and other jihadists are poised to gain further control in Yemen. And, this book opens with an interview with a former bodyguard of Osama bin Laden, who is supposedly a reformed jihadist but desires to see al Qaeda come in to power in Yemen and surrounding countries. So, Clark's book should be a timely, if not frightening, read.

>194 Smiler69: Thanks for that comment, Ilana (although I respectfully disagree that I'm more brainy than you!).

>196 Chatterbox: Sorry to hear about your migraine, Suz; I hope that it has passed by now.

>197 richardderus: The Powell-Hyde cable car passes near there, I think. I'll definitely check it out when I go to SF.

>198 ronincats: 66 degrees at 2 pm sounds fabulous. It's 71 degrees here in Atlanta at 6 am, and AccuWeather is forecasting a high temperature of 97 degrees today.

>199 katiekrug: Enjoy SJ and Monterey as much as you can, Katie. I still haven't been to Monterey or Carmel; must change that.

>200 rebeccanyc: I like your suggestion of referring to her as PCB, so that I don't have to break one of my own Cardinal Rules.

>201 nancyewhite: I'm glad that the weather in Pittsburgh is pleasant. The late springs and summers I spent there were much nicer than those in Philadelphia or NYC (and, needless to say, Atlanta).

>202 Chatterbox: I can think of another unpleasant definition of PCB: Phillies Can't Bat. The Phillies have lost four straight games to two of the worst teams in baseball, as the offense is in a funk. We're still in first place, though.

>204 arubabookwoman: 65-70 degree weather is perfect for me. I haven't been to the Pacific Northwest yet, but I do want to visit Seattle and Vancouver in the not too distant future (2012?).

>205 Chatterbox: Amen to purging the world of self-serving politicians. I started reading Norman Mailer's book Miami and the Siege of Chicago, which describes the events and political climate surrounding the 1968 Republican and Democratic conventions. I've put it aside for the moment, as I found the politicians and their supporters to be intensely distasteful (but Mailer gets credit from me for his biting portrayals of Nelson Rockefeller and other Presidential candidates from that year).

#207: I've put it aside for the moment, as I found the politicians and their supporters to be intensely distasteful

I cannot read books about politics or politicians. It does not matter which side they are on, they all have the potential of making my blood pressure sky rocket. :)

Hi Darryl- Congrats on reaching 75 books already! Impressive. Plenty of time for 75 more. Hope you are having a good weekend.

Congrats!

>208 alcottacre: There are some politicians whose books I would like to read or whom I would like to read about. I have books by Bill Bradley, Jimmy Carter, and Benazir Bhutto that are high on my TBR list, along with books about Gamal Nasser, Hugo Chávez, and LBJ.

>209 msf59:, 210, 211 Thanks! I'm not expecting to read 75 books over the second half of the year, as I want to get to some of the tomes that have been building up over the years.

#212: Are you referring to Robert Caro's excellent The Path to Power, Darryl?

Close; I was referring to Master of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson, which was also written by Robert Caro. My former boss (who is an avid bibliophile) described it as one of his favorite books, and Caro as his favorite author. I'd also like to read The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York in the not too distant future.

#214: I have not gotten to Master of the Senate yet. I would like to complete Caro's LBJ trilogy though, personally, I do not care for the man.

I don't know as much about LBJ as I would like to. He certainly seems to have been a larger than life figure, and I'm especially interested in his rise to power before he became Majority Leader in the Senate, and how he became arguably the most effective Senate leader in U.S. history. I would also like to complete Caro's LBJ trilogy, although it will likely be a long term project.

I would encourage you to begin Caro's LBJ trilogy at the beginning, Darryl. I think his relationship to his father was very telling. I know what you mean about it being a long term project to read the books though. It took me a month to get through the first book of the trilogy.

Congratulations on 75!

75! W00t!!

>217 alcottacre: Thanks for that suggestion, Stasia. I'll do just that.

>218 AnneDC:, 219 Thanks Anne & Richard!

Rafael Nadal is on the verge of his sixth French Open title. He won the first two sets over Roger Federer, lost the third set, and is up 5-1 in the fourth set, serving for the match. Federer has played well, but Nadal is playing spectacularly.

That's it: 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1.

BTW, congratulations are in order for Li Na, the winner of the women's French Open. She is the first Chinese tennis player, man or woman, to win a Grand Slam title.

Congrats on reaching th 75 book milestone already, Darryl.

I'm still on cloud nine today after strolling the bases, visiting the dugouts, clubhouses, press box, and pitchers mound etc at Wrigley Field yesterday. A dream come true in many ways.

I forgot to mention yesterday that Hotels.com is having a special Summer Giftaway deal; if you stay three nights or more at a hotel booked through the web site and spend $450 or more, you will receive a free Amazon Kindle. Details here: http://www.hotels.com/deals/kindle/

Heavens, that's a good deal! Although I admit that the last thing I need is another Kindle...

Am not watching tennis. Aside from the fact that I accidentally turned off all my TV access (not just the premium channels) and didn't notice for six weeks, that little bouncing ball would make the headache worse. As it stands, it has just retreated into the background for now, ready to pounce again. And since there is a possibility I'll have to go to a movie this evening (prime migraine trigger), I'll avoid anything else.

So -- shucks -- I'll have to stick to reading. *grin*

Still and all -- I'm delighted that the Canucks are off to a 2-0 lead in the Stanley Cup. Watching the highlights, it seems to have been a nail-biting series, so I may have to find somewhere to go and watch the game tomorrow tonight (it's going to be in Boston).

CONGRATS!!! on hitting the 75, Dr. D!!

I'm not sure what I'll do with the Kindle when (and if) it comes. I'll probably give it to my father, although he doesn't read as much as he used to before he retired. My brother reads fewer books in a year than I do in an average week, and my mother prefers audiobooks.

I'll almost certainly stay inside for the rest of the day, as it's already 92 degrees outside, and headed to a high of 95-98 degrees. I'm watching the U.S. vs Mexico women's soccer friendly on Univision, but the teams have spent most of the first 10 minutes kicking the ball back and forth to each other in the middle of the field, so I'll probably turn it off soon. I'll spend most of the day reading.

I don't follow the NHL, but I'll pull for Vancouver, since no Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup since 1993.

Congratulations on reaching 75 books already, Darryl. Now you can relax for the rest of the year!

>225 phebj: Thanks, Pat! Unfortunately, my books are calling out and waiting impatiently to be read.

Darryl

Congratulations on reaching the 75 challenge goal. Thanks again for your post regarding New Orleans dining suggestions.

I love the photos of the children, including SP.

#224 -- kicking the ball back and forth and nothing more is just too friendly to be real soccer, IMO. (Of course, one doesn't have to go as far as biting one's opponent on the ice, as regrettably happened during these Stanley Cup playoffs... That kind of behavior is more suited to those pouty children!)

my brother is like your brother. only he reads less than I do in a week over the course of an entire decade. He's rather bookphobic, but happily the munchkins are growing up as baby bibliomaniacs. My bro sent me a pic of my elder nephew (who will be 8 in September) intently reading a copy of Chasing Goldman Sachs....

Wow, 75 already . . . good reading! Congrats!

Congrats Darryl on the 75. Too bad you didn't like the last two that much, but that's bound to happen sooner or later. Onward to more satisfying books!

#223 Suzanne: I was your sister in pain today. Sometimes, just before waking up, I start dreaming that I'm in intense pain and that my head is about to explode only to wake up... with a full-blown migraine. That seriously blows. I tried to just lie there and sleep it away for a couple of hours today, but to no avail. I had a bunch of things to do with lots of running around which was real torture, but at one point I forgot about the pain, which felt like such a treat! The one good thing about chronic pain is that I sure don't take pain-free days for granted! Hope you're feeling better by now.

Congratulations on reaching the 75 book mark, Darryl! Way to go!

Congratulations on the 75 books Darryl - looking forward to reading about your next 75! The Yemen book looks really interesting.

I have a complaint to register. The alarm on my BlackBerry, which only goes off on weekdays, informs me that it's Monday morning, and I have to go to work. That can't be right, as this weekend was only one day long. What happened to the other day? Who do I speak with about this?

*grumbles off to work*

>233 kidzdoc:: poor Darryl :)

>233 kidzdoc: ...clickclickdingHello

you have reached the ::LONG COUNT CALENDAR:: ::COMPLAINTS DEPARTMENT::

please press ::ONE:: for the ::MILKY WAY GALAXY:: please press ::TWO:: for the ::ANDROMEDA GALAXY:: for all other galaxies in your local cluster please press ::FIVE::

*boop*

Thank you

I see that you are calling from ::EARTH:: if this is correct please press ::ONE:: if you are

*boop*

Thank you

for concerns about the speeding up of time phenomenon please press ::ONE:: for concerns about the slowing down of progress please press ::TWO:: for concerns about the drastic shift in diurnal priority please press ::THREE:: for all other concerns please press ::NINE:: and an operator will assist you

*blatt*

Thank you

please hold

LOL RD. Darryl, I felt the same way this morning. But here I am, trying to pay attention.

If you do get that Kindle and don't know what to do with it, you can sell it to me. For a modest price, of course. It's becoming inevitable that I join the ebook culture.

Simply idle curiosity on my part -- but is the Blackberry still in one piece? Or did you (justifiably, of course) drop kick it across the room?

>175 kidzdoc: LOL

Congrats on 175!

>221 lindapanzo: Thanks, Linda (from Chicago); sorry I missed your post yesterday. I saw, but didn't comment on, your Wrigley Field photos; that looks like a blast! From what I read the Cubs suffered a heart breaking loss to the Cardinals yesterday, and Saturday as well. Did you explain to the media why your pitching staff allowed Albert Pujols to hit game winning home runs in consecutive games?

>227 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda (from Bethlehem); and, you're welcome for the NOLA restaurant recommendations. I really need to go back there. I recently relocated my old roommate from college (Tulane) on Facebook, who still lives there with his family, along with another good friend and ex-Greenie. I'd love to see both of them, and to revisit old favorite places to eat and see live music, especially Tipitina's.

>228 Chatterbox: Biting during the NHL playoffs? How tasteless (literally!). The frequent brawls are one reason why I don't follow hockey closely.

I'm sure that my brother watches more movies in a week than I do in an average year. The last movie I saw in a theater was "Fahrenheit 9/11", the documentary by Michael Moore that was released in 2004.

>229 tymfos: Thanks, Terri!

>230 Smiler69: Thanks, Ilana; I'm sure that I'll enjoy my upcoming reads far more than the last two.

>231 ronincats: Thanks, Roni!

>232 cushlareads: Thanks, Cushla; you're right, the book on Yemen is good so far, although I read very little of it yesterday (my lost day).

>234 lauralkeet: Several other people at work had the same comments as I did today. All of us whiners stayed inside nearly all weekend due to the oppressive heat, which probably made the weekend seem shorter than usual.

>235 richardderus: LOL! I'm still holding, although an operator will be with me shortly...

>236 ffortsa: I'll let you know, Judy. I expect that my father will accept a free Kindle, though.

>237 Chatterbox: The BlackBerry is intact, because it's my personal one. I also have a BlackBerry for work, which I've threatened to kick, run over, leave in a patient's room, or flush down a toilet, particularly when the ER is hammering me with new admissions.

>238 mckait: Thanks, Kath!

I'm off to join the Read-a-Thon for a few hours...

Congrats on hitting 75, Darryl ! The Blackberry is currently sulking because he was told to wake you up and doesn't understand your hostility towards him.

#230, Ilana, that sounds like my mother's migraines -- she says they wake her up. I just wake up with them, and those are the ones that I know I'm going to be stuck with for the entire bloody day.

Now am trying to fight off another one, as I'm also battling a cold, which takes away my appetite. But if I don't eat, the head will hurt.

#239, Darryl, I would be tempted to de-accession the Blackberry. Either that, or program it to recognize your moods, so that at least it awakens you saying something like, "I'm so sorry, I realize that one of your precious days off vanished without a trace, and I'm been cruel to you by asking you to get up now, but your patients need you and will be forever mindful of your TLC." Followed, of course, by a beautiful flute sonata to make you feel very Zen.

Take care of yourself Suzanne. And your message to Darryl re: Blackberry made me laugh! :-)

Hope you've been enjoying the read-a-thon Darryl.

233: Been there many times, my friend, many many times. Congratulations on reaching 75, Darryl! Time to do another 75 before the year is up? :)

235: Richard, you are too hilarious for words.

>240 cameling: I didn't realize that BlackBerries had assigned gender designations. I can't get mad at my personal BlackBerry, since its background photo of me having my ear pinched by my favorite patient. I forgot to mention that Brianah ultimately went home, after a 5 week hospital course that included a stay in our Rehabilitation Unit, as she was so weakened by her ordeal that she couldn't walk on her crutches. She's still recuperating, but is doing much better.

>241 Chatterbox: If my BlackBerry attempted to put me into Zen I would probably go ballistic and have a mental breakdown. A hard line approach, like that of a Marine drill sergeant, would be far more effective: "Shut the &^#$ up, and get your pansy butt out of bed, you overpaid whiny $%&!!!, before I kick your @$$ from here to Cleveland!" I'd then salute the BlackBerry and get it in gear.

>242 Smiler69: I "participated" in the Read-a-Thon for 5 minutes, and read 3 pages.

>243 LauraBrook: Thanks, Laura! I'll probably knock out another 75 books before the year is out; I read 162 books last year, and I'm way ahead of the pace from last year, when I finished 72 books by the end of June. I do want to start reading some of the tomes that have piled up over the past few years, such as London: The Biography by Peter Ackroyd, Darkmans by Nicola Barker, and Life A User's Manual by Georges Perec, but I'll also read more poetry collections, so I'll probably get to at least 150 books by the end of the year.

Oh...I should create a thread for the upcoming August group read of Life A User's Manual; I'll do that tomorrow.

I'll review the last two books I read later tonight or tomorrow, and post my updated review of Emerging Arab Voices: Nadwa I, the next to last LT ER book I received. My latest LT ER book, Partitions: A Novel by Amit Majmudar, came in the mail on Saturday, and I'll read and review it this week.

Back to work...

I "participated" in the Read-a-Thon for 5 minutes, and read 3 pages.

That sounds like the last read-a-thon I attended. Which is why I haven't been participating for a while. I just ended up spending more time keeping track of pages and time and posting about it than actually reading...

My favorite drill sergeant line is "suck it up, cupcake". ;-)

I received Partitions too. I should get to it next. Sounds interesting..

ETA: great news about Brianah! Good job, Doc!

Sucker for abuse, aren't you? From patients, from your Blackberry... LOL!

Glad Brianah did well; had wondered abt that recently after seeing (re-seeing) that pic somewhere.

Did you fall asleep while trying to read, perchance?

Off to go find more Vitamin Water. I have this mental image of a chorus line of dancing Blackberries ordering me off my butt, to stop daydreaming about getting more (have run out, and my sore throat likes swallowing it) and JUST DO IT!

Darryl, you know you can record your own alarm 'message' right? so you can record a drill sergeant screaming obscenities and threatening you with bodily harm and baldness if you didn't leap out of bed on the double.

Keeping Brianah in my prayers for a speedy recuperation. Does she have to come back for any additional treatments?

Hi Darryl, I just thought I'd let you know that I reviewed In Search of Klingsor today if you're interested.

>245 Smiler69: I'm usually more productive during Read-a-Thons, but I normally don't participate on days that I'm working. It will probably be awhile before I participate in the next one, as I'm working the next two weekends, unless there is a mid-week Read-a-Thon this week or next week.

>246 labfs39: I'm interested to get your opinion about Partitions, Lisa; it looks good.

I didn't take care of Brianah during her hospitalization, so I won't claim any credit for her recovery. I did visit her a few times, and bought her a couple of Pseudonymous Bosch books to read.

>247 Chatterbox: Yes, I did fall asleep Monday night after dinner and after starting Great House, which is why my reading effort was rubbish.

My patients never abuse me, but every few months I'll have to deal with a hostile or abusive parent. I never take it personally, as I think all of these parents have also been abusive towards the nurses or other doctors that visit them.

Fortunately, most of the patients I see are adorable, and I love visiting them and their parents. One of my tricks for examining wary toddlers is to pretend that I'm eating their toes or fingers, and comment that they taste like chicken or something else. That almost always gets them to laugh, and ultimately cooperate with my exam. I did that to one of my patients, a 3 year old girl with an infection in her distal thumb that spread to the underlying bone; needless to say, she didn't want anyone to touch that finger. After I did my trick on Monday she freely showed me her infected finger and let me examine it, then offered all of her fingers and toes for me to eat. Yesterday when I saw her she squealed, "Look! My fingers growed back!" Of course, she allowed me to eat them again.

LOL at the image of abusive dancing BlackBerries!

>248 cameling: I should sign up with a service that plays a new drill sergeant message every day, as I would become too accustomed to a single abusive rant.

Brianah does come back to campus (the hospital and a couple of medical office buildings that house subspecialty clinics) every couple of months, and her mother usually calls me to let me know that they are around. My current LT profile photo was taken by her mother when she came to the hospital during one set of clinic visits, when I gave her the Paddington Bear that I bought from London Paddington Station for her.

>249 Smiler69: Thanks, Ilana; I'll check out your review shortly.

New thread here!

Hi Darryl congrats on 75

Thanks, Gautam!

Just checking in, Darryl! Glad to hear the good news about Brianah!