rainpebble turns Orange

glitter-graphics.com

I am starting to get excited for Orange July and am beginning to get my ducks in a row for that.
Thank you again, Lori, for letting me know about this group.
Happy reading and hugs all round,
belva

Darryl's Challange of an Orange a Month:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/121546
(thank you for the link Jill)
_______________________________________________

My Orange July looks like this:

1. Great House by Nicole Krauss (5 stars)
2. The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver (4 1/2 stars)
3. Annabel by Kathleen Winter (4 stars)
4. The Boy Next Door by Irene Sabatini (4 stars)
5. The White Woman on the Green Bicycle by Monique Roffey (4 stars)
6. Black Water Rising by Attica Locke (I think of To Kill a Mockingbird every time I hear this author's name.) (3 1/2 stars)
7. A Spell of Winter by Helen Dunmore (5 stars+)
8. One by One in the Darkness by Deirdre Madden (5 stars)
9. The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna (5 stars+)
10. The Invention of EVERYTHING ELSE by Samantha Hunt (4 1/2 stars)
11. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (4 1/2 stars)
12. The Seas by Samantha Hunt (4 1/2 stars)
13. The Wilderness by Samantha Harvey (3 stars)
14. Gilgamesh by Joan London (4 1/2 stars)
15. Molly Fox's Birthday by Deirdre Madden
(5 stars)

Answering Darryl's Challenge to read an Orange a Month:
August: The Help by Kathryn Stockett (5 stars +)
September: The Long Song by Andrea Levy (3*)
October: When I Lived in Modern Times by Linda Grant (3 1/2 stars)
November: Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris (4 stars)
December:

My favorite: The Help by Kathryn Stockett
placing A Spell of Winter by Helen Dunmore in a very close 2nd

* waves to Belva *
Welcome !!

Hi Belva - Great to see you found the group and have set up your thread! Let the Orange reading begin - Well for me, I might start next week, not exactly much of a jump start ...... ;-) ~~ Lori

Hallo Belva - I have just finished reading The Tiger's Wife as it had to be returned to the Library. It is a marvellous book and a very deserving prizewinner for the Orange prize.

Belva! Welcome! =) Great books to choose from! ~Jill

Hello all. Thank you for stopping by.

Jill and Laura; the two of you will never know how much the rest of us appreciate all that you do here on L.T. You are ROCKSTARS!~!

mrspenny; so happy to hear that The Tiger's Wife is that good. It is one of two that I did need to purchase (being 128th of 131 on the library queue). The rest I have picked up or reserved at the library. Can't wait for Amazon.com to deliver it.

Lori; I am getting a bit of a jump on O.J. as well because the books I am reading are library books and must needs be returned in a timely manner. But I figure on just reading Orange and my R/L B/C book in July so I have the time. (I think) I currently have 4 awaiting me so as soon as I complete Amaryllis in Blueberry, my bookclub book for June and the best one we have read all year, I am diving into Great House. At least I think that is the one I will begin with.

I want to see the whites of our eyes turning Orange by July's end ladies.

hugs,
belva

Welcome to the group - I do love your picture :)

Hi Belva - that's a huge list of orange books!! The only one of those I've read is Wolf Hall and it was fantastic.

Cute graphic, Belva! And thank you for your wonderful compliment! =) ~Jill

I like the idea of being a rock star !! Thanks Belva ... :)

Having just finished Great House by Nicole Krauss, I just have to say: WOW!~!
What a wonderful book with a totally unexpected ending. I really loved this book. Accidentally the second book I have read this week in which each portion/chapter is told through the eyes of a different character. I wish I had purchased this one instead of checking it out at the library. I know one day I will want to read it again.
I hope you all love it as much as I did.
belva

I think I will begin Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna tonight when I go to bed. I have heard nothing but praise for it and I think it is the only actual Orange Prize winner that I have chosen to read for Orange July.
belva

#11 Glad you enjoyed Great House so much - it's one I have on loan from the library at the moment. I loved The Lacuna when I read it last year so I hope you enjoy it.

I loved The Lacuna - it has a a bit of a slow start, but hang with it, Belva. It turns out really wonderful.

@ Jill & souloftherose;
I am so happy that I popped on here this morning as with 86 pages into The Lacuna, I am not that impressed and I am a Kingsolver fan. I don't like any of the characters other than the boy and the cook. All of the men are YUK and the mother...........what a piece of work there. But all reviews and comments I have heard have been very favorable so I thought it was just me and this particular book. I am so glad to know that I am simply in the midst of a slow start. I was rather gasping last night as when I went to put the book down, I turned to the back to see how many pages and, as I recall, it is over 500 with the font on my library copy smaller than a normal library book. Okay, so I feel better now about this choice and am happy that I didn't follow my instinct to use the 'pearl rule' here.
Thank you ladies for an affirmation that I needed.

And soul; I found Great House to be, indeed, GREAT!
I hope you do also.

You ladies were just too right. Halfway through The Lacuna, I am loving it. To me it reads like it is historical and not just fiction. I can already tell that it is going to lead me in several different ways but hopefully I can put it off until after All Virago/All August. I am especially fascinated with Trotsky. Frida, I have studied in the past but now I want to go back and do it again. What a story, what a book!~! If you've not read it, please do. It is very good once you find your way into it.
hugs all round,
belva

The only one I've read is The White Woman on the Green Bicycle, which I loved!

@ # 17:
So glad to hear that Eva. I had heard nothing on it, but what I read of it fascinated me so I had to add it to my list.
I see that you live in Texas. I typically go down from Washington State where I live every second year to visit my elder daughter who lives there in the Dallas/Plano area. Are you near enough to have a little 'meet-up' the next time I am down? I usually have a vehicle provided for me and stay about 2 weeks. The last time I was there, Stasia, her daughter and I got together for lunch and a visit of a couple of hours. It was very nice. She is a fascinating woman.
Anyway, thank you for the comment and for taking the time to pop over.
belva

I had to stop The White Woman on the Green Bicycle because of a scene with domestic animal abuse. Just wanted to warn you, Belva, in case those types of things bother you too.

And how jealous am I that you got to meet the wonderful Stasia! =)

Hi Belva!

Unfortunately I'm much farther south, but if you ever want to see the Alamo, we could meet up! :)

Jill, I know the scene you're talking about in The White Woman on the Green Bicycle and it was very upsetting, but it was the only one and the dog seems fine the next time we see it. I skimmed over that bit, and I must've blocked it from my mind.

Jill & Eva;
Thank you for the forewarning on the abuse. Those types of scenes do bother me but thus far the only book I have had to put down has been Dostoyevski's Crime and Punishment because of the horse scene. That just sent me round the bend.

And Jill, Stasia & I chatted on the phone for probably about 45 minutes or so last night. She is a very wonderful person. We don't talk often but when we do, our conversations are always peppered with laughter.

Eva, I may just take you up on that Alamo thing. Never been but always wanted to see it and it would be wonderful to have a guide, so to speak.

hugs ladies,
belva

My copy of The Tiger's Wife (and I ordered The Paris Wife along with it) arrived from Amazon.com yesterday. I can hardly wait to get to it. But I need to read my library 'Oranges' first so I can get them back.
Hurrah to ORANGE JULY!~!

Hi Belva!!! Nice to meet you! Look like you've got lots of Orange books lined up! I had a very orange April/ May! ;) but I'm starting my Orange July now too. I really enjoyed Grace Williams Says It Loud and Memory of Love so I can very highly recommend them! Annabel was lovely -but somewhat of a slow read. I could not get through The Lacuna and I really loved several of Barbara Kingsolver's books , so I sympathize!Roomwas pretty good -and a quick read.. Best of luck for Orange July!

Oh! I see that you are enjoying the Lacuna after all!

Belva- you MUST read Memory of Love!

Okay, Okay..........It is now on hold at the library for me. Thanx for the reck Soup.
hugs,

deb,
I am enjoying The Lacuna after a slow beginning and it seems to be bogging down with the letters a bit, but not badly. I did put it down last night around 1:00 A.M. to start Annabel which I am loving and will most likely finish before I finish The Lacuna. It is just a much faster read and I am more than halfway through already.
hugs,
and hey, Vancouver B.C. or Washington? Are we neighbors?

Belva, there's actually four missions (inc the oldest still-functioning church in the country) plus the Alamo & a 'mission trail' linked together by bicycle or walking or little trolleys. Fun times. :)

Sounds most excellent Eva. Will have to let you know the next trip South. The oldest still functioning church, eh? Very interesting.

>25 rainpebble:: You won't regret it :)

I love your picture :D! (It had to be said ;) ).

I see that you plan on reading Wolf Hall also, I'm curious what you'll think of it.

As for the other books on your list, the only one I've heard about (before I started poking around on this group) is The Tiger's Wife. And although I haden't heard of The Lacuna before, I have Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible on my TBR list.

The Poisenwood Bible is awesome. I would be moving that one to the top of the pile.

The feline/orange pic is cute, isn't it.

Off to bed with The Lacuna and Annabel, both really awesome books.

Night all.

I'd love to move The Poisonwood Bible to the top of the pile, but there are so many other great books on there as well! And I don't own it, and I'm trying to read the books I own first. But maybe I'll grab it from the library sometime this year :D

Hi Belva - Love the thread graphic! and happy to learn you really enjoyed Great House. I have been on the fence as to whether I should pick that one up or not.... maybe for next Orange January? I haven't read any of Kingsolver's books but I am happy to learn that Lacuna picks up and gets better the farther into the book you get. If I read Lacuna I will try to keep that in mind.... I tend to abandon books early into them if they don't catch my attention. Happy Orange Reading!
~Lori

Lori;
It's the old 'Pearl Rule'. If I don't like/love you in 50 pages, you are so gone..............but I went about 80 upon the advise of L.T.ers. Gotta trust your compadres and they were right. It is very good. I will be watching in January to see if you pick it up.

Happy Days are here again. The skies are bright and clear again. Let us sing a song of cheer again. HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN!
All together shout it out! da da da da da .............

Belva, it is great to find you here. And I'm so glad you loved Great House. That and The Lacuna were big hits with me. You have an ambitious month ahead of you. I've learned the hard way not to overcommit to books.

Right now, my Orange book is shaping up to be another winner. Let's see, it did win the OP a few years ago. The Road Home is about the immigration of a Russian man to England. I recently read my first Rose Tremain book - and now I want to gobble up all of them.

I think I shall have to read The Road Home but will save it for later. Perhaps after ALL VIRAGO/ALL AUGUST or for January. It sounds right up my alley.
That is a pretty big rek for Tremain. She's really that good?

Finishing The Lacuna (wonderful book) last night, I began The Boy Next Door. I am only 3 chapters in (& short chapters at that), but it looks to be a good one. I love books on or about Africa so that is a plus as well. This one is "a rare and often painfully honest glimpse into life in post-independent Zimbabwe. And yet there is much light and hope and, yes, love -- genuine and hard-earned -- in this book as well. A true pleasure." Sounds good, huh? It is another debut novel, of which it seems I have read quite a few as of recent, and some are amazingly good. Here's hoping I have hit upon another.

Oh, The Boy Next Door is definitely a good one and just gets better from around...chapter three! Enjoy!

WOOT WOOT! I can always count on you Soup! Love that about you. Thank you for the rec.
hugs!

I finished The Boy Next Door just moments ago and am yet a bit awe-struck. I liked and enjoyed parts of the book but I appreciated the entire book. For the most part it is a rather harrowing story of a family during the eighties through the late nineties in Rodesia/Zimbabwe. I recommend it to some of you but not all. This is a very intense read and it is not an easy book to read, but once into it the story moves along very fast and I found myself unable to put it down except when I had to, as when we had family and friends here today for a BBQ. Even then, I came in for a couple of hours to read. It kept me awake last night...... not just to read. It literally kept my mind whirling and unable to rest. I cannot imagine living through anything even similar to this.
It is a novel so it is fiction, of course. But we know that things of this nature literally happened there and are yet happening. My heart goes out to the people of Africa so often and I ache for them. This is Irene Sabatini's debut novel and while it wasn't perfect, it was an unstoppable read. I predict Sabatini to be a literary force to be reckoned with one day.

Next up: The White Woman on the Green Bicycle by Monique Roffey, another racially, politically driven book.

>39 rainpebble:: I had similar feelings about The Boy Next Door, Belva. Very powerful.

The White Woman on the Green Bicycle by Monique Roffey: my thoughts and comments;

I was ready for a 'knock your sox off' book when I began The White Woman on the Green Bicycle. I didn't find it to be so. The story takes place in the racially political years of Trinidad and is about a couple who move there from England "for three years" in a job related transfer for the husband. He falls in love with Trinidad, she....not so much.
The story is plotted out in three sections. The first section; the early days .... their move and the wife slowly realizing that chances are pretty good their three years is going to turn into more. She becomes very disillusioned with their lives, the island and her husband. But she has their children and a busy life so she accepts the situation.
The second section; the ending days .... their children are grown and the couple are now in their seventies and still in Trinidad. The wife has become complacent and yet angry at the same time with her husband. She knows they will never leave Trinidad and will die there. The end of this section is the end of the story but not the book.
The third section; the middle years is the real meat of the story and comes at the back of the book. So much happens in this part of the story. The political unrest becomes an unbearable violence toward the whites and Trinidad is now a very dangerous place to be living. The couple both have secrets from one another. He is unfaithful with many women though he adores his wife and she has a secret correspondence (which she never mails off to him) with the Prime Minister or whatever they call the leader of the country. When the husband finds this, he feels even more betrayed than she does when she realizes that he is sleeping with other women.
For me the best part of the story was the interactions of the characters with their servants and the one servant's family. I cared more about them than I did the main characters.
I would not say that this was not a good book, but I think it could have been so much better. All of the concepts are there, the characters are there....they just needed to be drawn out more clearly and be more who they were. Like I said the strong characters were the servants. I won't read this one again and I am very surprised that it got as far as it did on the Orange list.

My first disappointment with an ORANGE. ;-)

I have had to reassess this book as some 22 days after reading it, it is still rumbling around my brain. I WILL read it again and I have changed it's rating from a 3 1/2 star read to a 4 star read. This doesn't happen very often to me but when it does, I have to make it right.

Getting ready to begin Black Water Rising by Attica Locke. I am thinking positive thoughts. Also I am beginning to realize the heaviness of some of these Orange listed books.

I would not say that this was not a good book, but I think it could have been so much better. All of the concepts are there, the characters are there....they just needed to be drawn out more clearly and be more who they were.

I completely agree with you! I read it last year, and gave it 3-1/2 stars.

I've put The Boy Next Door and Black Water Rising on hold at my library now! They both sound right up my alley. :) I can see Orange July might take over my reading, lol.

Hey, Belva! How have I missed this thread and the Kitten?
YES! ROSE TREMAIN IS THAT GOOD!!!!!
Got it?
I may join you in Black Water Rising when I finish *Goon Squad* which I like but am not concentrating on until I finish my mammoth Pagans and Christians project. You'll probably be through it and the next one and be starting a third before I get there.

Eva, they are both very good. Of course I am still reading Black Water Rising but I am really liking it.

Peggy, I really don't know. That Pagans and Christians sounds like work, albeit rewarding work but it doesn't sound like an easy read. Now that was just silly..........How many of these Orange listed books are easy reads? I haven't come across one yet that is.
And it looks like I will be adding to my Rose Tremain collection of 3. Everyone who reads her seems to really like her.

hugs all round,
belva

Vancouver BC - only the most fabulous city in the world - says Vancouverdeb modestly! ;)

Poisonwood Bible was a real fav for me! Enjoy! I've just finished Case Histories- my first Orange for July. Excellent read!

I am so glad you enjoyed the both of them. I need to grab a copy of Case Histories as I am hearing so much about it just now.

I completed Black Water Rising last night and really enjoyed it. Quite different and not nearly as intense as the others I have been reading. Then I picked up A Spell of Winter by Helen Dunmore. I think this won the first Orange Prize. But I was so tired, we had a very busy weekend, that I fell asleep after about 3 pages. I will have to begin again as I cannot remember a thing from it. I am thinking it will be a good one though.
Good reads all,
belva

I am tempted to pick up Black Water Rising. It seems perfect for lounging by the pool.

You know, I really enjoyed this read in a relaxing way. It was an easy one to read for an hour or so and put down to take care of something and go back to later. The books I have been reading of late, I've not felt that luxury with. I was driven to see what happened next and next and next. So I was really ready for one like Black Water Rising. I think it would be a perfect 'lounging' book.
hugs,

Vancouver BC - only the most fabulous city in the world - says Vancouverdeb modestly! ;)

Deb --I've been asked that question before too--the asker is always from the Portland, Oregon area. Every time.

Ohhh, good to hear Black Water Rising is relaxing! And now you're on to another book I'm planning on reading too: perhaps this is my month to play follow-the-leader. ;)

Ohhh A Spell of Winter - that sounds wonderful !!! I've got mine ordered from the Book Depository -but I don't think it will arrive for me to read it for Orange July. I'm planning another Orange read as soon as I finish my current book.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh, A Spell of Winter is sooooooooooo good!~! It could have been a Virago. I am loving it and finding it so hard to put down to do the things I need to do. Hmmmmmmm, just how badly do the dishes and laundry need to be done?

I just finished A Spell of Winter by Helen Dunmore and how easily I see that this book had to win the Orange Prize. What a wonderfully drawn story.
A Spell of Winter is an exquisite story of an illicit relationship between siblings. The thought may make one go "ewww", but this book is written so tastefully and beautifully that I do not think I can recommend it highly enough. It is quite possibly going to be my # 1 read of the year. 5 stars +

Wow! That's quite a testimonial for A Spell of Winter! =) Glad it was such a good book for you!

Yay! Glad I'm going to the library tomorrow. Although I'm surprised to hear there's incest, hehe.

Thanks Jill and I hope it is as good for you Eva.

This evening I read another 5 star Orange listed book, One by One in the Darkness by Deirdre Madden. This one is about a family with 3 daughters growing up in Northern Ireland in the time of "the Troubles". The story is told in a manner that bounces from character to character, year to year, memory to memory. It is a wonderful story. The girls are so close and close to their parents as well. They remain so to and through their adult years. I learned more about the horrors of "the Troubles" than I would have liked to. I would have liked this book to have been a simple sweeping tale of this extended Irish family, as aunts, uncles, cousins and grandmothers are brought in as well. But it would not then have been the story that it is.
Another good one. I think I am on a roll.
Next up: The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt.

I read One by One for Orange January. I wasn't sure to begin with- Madden's writing style seemed a bit uninspiring but then it somehow got under my skin and ended up affecting me quite deeply.

I'll be interested to hear what you think of the Samantha Hunt book. I was going to read it last week but after a few pages decided I wasn't in the right mood!

Belva, you are really moving along! I'll soon be reading Madden's earlier book, Molly Fox's Birthday, but I have been intrigued by One by One... since Dee read it.

Hi ladies............

the Samantha Hunt book, Soup, is rather 'meh' at this point but I thought perhaps it was just because I was so tired when I began it. I am not yet far enough in to have met any other characters than those in his Tesla's mind.

And Laura, I am saving your Deirdre Madden until perhaps next week but I am looking forward to it. I hear only good stuffs about her and I really liked the one I just read.

I am still reading The Invention of EVERYTHING ELSE, am about 2/3 through it and while it did take me a bit to get into it, I am quite enjoying it.
Interestingly, yesterday while sitting & waiting for the hubby to get in to his eye Dr., I was reading and just for the heck of it........I turned and asked him if he had ever heard of Tesla. He proceeded to supply me with said gentleman's first name and an entire history of the man, where he was from & how and why he came here, what he invented, how he did not patten most/all (?) of his inventions, that he just wanted to better mankind's lot, about how another inventor named Marconi had taken credit for a great many of Tesla's inventions, about Tesla and Thomas A. Edison's limited relationship........... and so on. He was still sharing with me when they called him in a good twenty minutes later.
On the way home I asked him how he knew so much about Tesla. (I didn't even know he was a real person; I mean I am reading a novel) His answer: "I watch the Discovery and History channels." My man, the quietly well articulated & salt-of-the-earth man that I love and have been with since the hippie days of 1972 (we celebrated our 37th yesterday) surprised me once again.
So when I went to bed last night and picked up my book to continue reading, it was with a whole new & fresh attitude. This caused me to enjoy this Orange listed read even more than I was before.
'Ain't life grand?'
belva

You mean The Invention of Everything Else is about Tesla? Ooh, that makes it sound very intriguing. Magnetic field strength is measured inTeslas.

>65 raidergirl3:: you haven't read it? I thought for sure you had. It's right up your street, physics and all that.

"Tesla" was a recent answer in the NYT Crossword. Hubby looks at me, astonished I got it and he didn't. It's 'cause i read like a fiend, dear.

>66 lauralkeet:: You go girl!

Ha Laura; you are right up there with my beloved!~! You go girl is right!~!

@ # 65:
raidergirl3;

"You mean The Invention of Everything Else is about Tesla? Ooh, that makes it sound very intriguing. Magnetic field strength is measured inTeslas."

It is indeed about Nikola Tesla and though a novel, apparently there are a lot of truths in it. After getting far enough into the book, I really found myself interested and enjoying the book. And after my hubby shared his knowledge, which was considerable, about Tesla, I am enjoying and fascinated even more. I am a scientific and mathematics idiot so to me it is all fresh and new. I think that perhaps the three way friendship that occurs in the book could easily have occurred but the part with the hotel maid is probably pure fiction.
Apparently raidergirl3, you must read this one.
hugs,
belva

I definitely must. I'm reading a book about Lavoisier right now.

Little ditties written by one of the characters in the book I am now reading:

In a desert or in a wood,
Where lovers meet to reckon
Hearts ecstatic rushed with blood
Do to the lonely beckon.

and:

Than beer there is no deeper brew.
Than whiskey it is cheaper too.
It comes in either can or bottle,
And if a little won't, a lot'll.
What'll I have? Well it must bubble,
Till it tickles like a stubble:
Makes the fumes rise in my noodle,
Till I'm fuzzy as a poodle:
Trickle thickly down my throttle--
Oh, quickly open up a bottle!
Here's a riddle not so subtle:
What'll I have? Why beer! That's what'll.
Beer and me let no man sever;
A thing of brewery is a joy forever.

These were written by one of the characters, a newly wed, to his bride to amuse her when he was called away to service overseas. They amused me and I thought to share them with you.

belva

Goodness, this one just kept getting better and better and rolling faster and faster. The Invention of EVERYTHING ELSE must have been a strong contender for the Orange Prize. I hated for this one to end. I really liked all of the characters a lot. I found the book fascinating and I continually wanted to know more and more about everything in the story.
The 'beer poem' above was actually written by the author, Samantha Hunt's father. Interesting, eh? I thought so.
The story is about Nikola Tesla, an inventor of many things, a great humanitarian, a wonderfully spirited man. In the story a young maid (Louisa) in the New York hotel where Mr. Tesla, a recluse living out his final years, becomes acquainted him.
She lives with her father (Walter) having lost her mother at the time of her birth. Her father is a night watchman at one of the city libraries. Everyone in the story seems to be rather reclusive. The maid and her father are best friends and very close. Her father has one other friend (Azor) who is also an inventor.
The story wanders back and forth from days past to days present and I enjoyed the way it was told. In this way we get to meet and know the wonderful woman (Freddie) who was Louisa's mother. We are also introduced to Thomas A. Edison but his role is fairly brief.
I liked this book so much more than I expected to from the rather slow beginning. It has so much in it. The scientific data and talk, of which I understood so little, romance, family, mystery.........just a lot going on in this one. I wish I hadn't felt the need to finish it so quickly because I wasn't ready for the ending when it arrived. I did think that it tied up a few things too nicely at the end. By nicely here I mean conveniently. But a very good read, very good.

You Tesla fans need to see the movie made from the novel The Prestige, in which David Bowie (yes, really) plays Nikola Tesla. I haven't read the novel, which I understand is a bit different, but the movie is quite a treat. Gets your mind marbles rolling pretty fast.

Hello Belva, thanks for visiting my Orange thread - paying a return visit here, and wondering what the cat with the orange is muttering to him/herself at the top?

You've been powering through the Orange reads this month - have you had time to read anything else, or is it All Orange? The only one I've read myself of the ones you've completed so far is The Lacuna which was one of my best reads of last year - I'm glad you persisted beyond the slow start and enjoyed it too.

The other ones on your longlist that I've read are Wolf Hall - another of last year's favourites; Poisonwood (if you liked Lacuna you should like this too - it was my first Kingsolver many years ago and I've read just about everything of hers since), and the Margaret Atwoods, of which my favourite was The Blind Assassin though most people seem to rate Alias Grace higher.

#71 As a beer drinker myself, I enjoyed the little ditty!

Oohhh I so second Poisonwood Bible! It was fabulous! I'm in the midst of Lullabies for Criminals and I think it's going to be favourite for me! Oh these Oranges!

Thanx for the rex kids. It is always hard to choose the next one. And yup, it's all Orange this month excepting I did need to read a light one after reading so many heavy ones (and all of the Orange books I have read this month seem to be heavy or dark) and I also have to read a non-Orange for my real life book club by month's end. But other than those it is all Orange. My favorite reading months are January, July for the Oranges and August for all Virago.
Thanks for stopping by ladies and I am going to try to get to The Poisonwood Bible this month.

Last night I completed The Memory of Love, an absolutely outstanding book about the days following the Sierra Leone civil war. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
What a beautiful book about a horrendous subject or rather subjects. So many really good story lines in The Memory of Love and all of them proved out to be very telling.
There are so many lovely reviews on this book that I am not even going to attempt to review the book but I did love it. I cared about all of the characters, I laughed, I cried, I mourned, so many emotions are drawn out of the reader with this book.

A couple of quotes:

re: the study of PTSD on patients and civilians; "You call a disorder, my friend. We call it life."

"So now his turn has arrived and he has never felt more conflicted. For here in this building where he barely has a moment to himself, he has never been so sure of who he is. He can walk he corridors, courtyards and wards blindfolded. Out on the streets he is recognised by his patients and he in turn recognises them. The change had occurred outside of his awareness. In this place of terrifying dreams and long nights, he knows who he is."

"Sometimes I think that this country is like a garden. Only it is a garden where somebody has pulled out all the flowers and trees and the birds and insects have all left, everything of beauty. Instead the weeds and poisonous plants have taken over"

The Memory of Love

I too, wonder why it did not win the Orange Prize. This is a spectacular read! I read a library copy but must buy my own. 5 stars + Now on to my next Orange listed book: Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. I feel as if I am in for a rare treat as this is my first Waters.
belva

I'm not sure that Little Stranger is her best, Belva, so keep an open mind if you're not crazy about it. And absolutely do, DO, DO read The Poisonwood Bible!!!!!

Okay Peggy; I will, WILL , WILL read The Poisonwood Bible .................. after I complete my library reads.
I am really enjoying The Little Stranger though. Quite liking it, although if the 'little stranger' turns out to be who/what I think it is I won't be liking that very much. But is is a good book. Am 2/3 through it in 1 day. Should finish it today or tonight and then onto The Road Home by Rose Tremain. I am really looking forward to that one.
hugs,
belva

I'll second Lizzie Belva, in saying that The Little Stranger is not the same as her first three (I haven't read Night Watch yet), so even if you don't love it give her another shot!

I actually loved The Little Stranger - it totally creeped me out but in a thrilling way. It was a five-star read for me (along with The Night Watch and Affinity). I liked Fingersmith too (four stars). I am probably one of the few who would put her other books before Fingersmith. =)

I have Tipping the Velvet on my shelf, yet to read!

I'm with Jill in that minority group who actually rated The Little Stranger and The Night Watch higher than Fingersmith -though Fingersmith is a pretty fab, roller coaster of a read of course!

I wouldn't rate Little Stranger lower than her others, but it was different, more open-ended! :) I rank Affinity above Fingersmith too. :D

I've read Fingersmith (4 stars) and The Night Watch (3.5). I have The Little Stranger and Tipping the Velvet on my shelves and really need to get on with reading them!

At close to the finish I think I am looking at a 4.5 rating on The Little Stranger. I am liking it very much and finding it rather Poeish; wondering if I am the only one who finds it thus. I love Waters' style and other than having a Poeish feel to it, I am also reminded of the writing of Stoker's Dracula. Anyone else left with these feelings? Just really curious.
I definitely will go on to read more of her works.

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters: I hardly know where to start. This one took me in gently, grabbed me and held me throughout. Strangely enough, the character I cared the least about was Caroline. I simply was unable to read her and get into her. I cared about all of the other characters, even the minor ones. Thus, the 4 1/2 stars. Otherwise I would have easily rated this one a 5 star read.
And 'the little stranger', indeed, turned out to be what/whom I thought it to be. It made sense, it fit perfectly........but I didn't like it. Not that I didn't like it in the read. I think it had to be that way.
The story is one of a doctor who comes to the village and in his work, he falls for the sister of one of his patients. Eventually they plan to marry but things occur and continue to occur that keep putting the wedding at bay. The house of his patient is one of the old 'great houses' and I think the good doctor falls in love with the house as well even though it is in ill repair. Things fall through in the end, literally..............and we are rather back where we began but with our head still in the story.
The entire book is rather a head-game with the characters and with the reader. I liked it a great deal and would have loved it if the character, Caroline, had been more believable to me. Still and all it was a wonderful read and I highly recommend it.

Oh yes, that house! A character of its own!

Belva, you've described what I loved about The Little Stranger. It messes with your head (in a good way) and I, too thought the ending fitted perfectly.

I liked, or at least admired Caroline initially but later on some things about her started to ring less true.

@ # 88:
Looks like we both had the same take on The Little Stranger Soup. But I loved it. I thought Caroline was the only negative. She just didn't ring true to me either, but perhaps 'the little stranger'.....................

I must put down my current Orange, The Road Home, which at this point of 63 pages in, I am liking but not enthralled with..................and pick up my Real Life Book Club read of My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares as we meet Monday evening. I hope it is good so I can get back to T.R.H.
Good Reads All,
belva

I don't know anything about My Name is Memory - hope it's a good one. And i do hope you get into The Road Home more when you return to it. It was my favourite read of summer of 2009 (or 2008? - pre LT records anyway).

My Name is Memory was an enjoyable little read. I liked it well enough and it would be a good book to take on holiday. Just a nice, pleasant (most of the time) read.
Now back to one more week of THE ORANGE!~!
I have 7 more that I want to read and I don't think I will be able to do that but I know I will like and appreciate the ones I am able to get through. So back to The Road Home.
Good Reads All.

Have set aside The Road Home once again. It just isn't suiting my mood at the time. I have turned to The Seas by Samantha Hunt; much more to my liking right now and was long listed for the Orange Prize this year.

I just finished The Seas by Samantha Hunt. It is an enchanting little tale about a young girl who thinks that she & her father before her are mermaid/merman. The story is one of isolation both by the physicality of it and also of self isolation. The girl keeps to herself and spends a great deal of time at the beach hoping to one day see her father return to she and her mother. One day while there she sees a young man coming out of the ocean and he is beautiful. She immediately falls in love with him though she is at the tender age of twelve and he is much older. The story moves on from there and is mainly about their relationship.
It is a fast paced fantasy that even an old lady can love. I loved this little book. It wasn't perfect (by 1/2 * for me) but then what fantasy is?
Next Orange listed book for me is: The Wilderness by Samantha Harvey.

I liked The Seas. It was quirky enough to keep my interest, though it's not a story most people will love.

I agree totally with your assessment of The Seas Jill. It is probably not even a story that most people will like. But it worked for me and drew me in and there is just enough of that seeking wanderlust in me that I did, almost, love the book.
I am finding The Wilderness to be rather meh at 55 pages in and I have yet waiting to be read: Scottsboro, A Gate at the Stairs, Molly Fox's Birthday, Gilgamesh, and a partially read The Road Home, which I just can't seem to get into at this time. IDK;
What to do, what to do, what to do..................... hmmmmmm
I think I need a "Calgon, take me away" day.

I absolutely loved The Seas too. Hunt is so obviously going to be a dynamite writer if she matures well. I have the Tesla book yet to read along with about 4,000 others that call my name loudly. (B, I left you a note about *RH* over on my thread and then came here directly. Go figure.)

I am heading over to your thread Peggy. hugs,

The Wilderness is improving page by page but I think at some 14 books this month (12 of them Oranges) that perchance I have just petered out on reading and need a break. Maybe I just need to go garden for a while. :-)

The Wilderness is improving rather quickly for me. This author writes differently and I think it is just taking me a while to get in her groove.

12 Orange books this month? I'm impressed!

And not a bad one in the bunch. I have really been fortunate with my reads this July. And thank you Darryl.
belva

There is something about my brain wrapping itself around one of my lower rated Orange listed books, The White Woman on the Green Bicycle. I can't stop thinking about that book so consequently I think that I am going to have to upgrade my rating. A book had to bring something special to you, whatever it is, when you are still pondering it some 22 days later. It is boggling my mind. Does this ever happen to any of you?
belva

The Wilderness by Samantha Harvey
My thoughts and comments:
This book was a very difficult read for me what with my father-in-law and his father both succumbing to Alzheimer's Disease or dying of complications of the disease. It brought back a great many difficult memories and as my beloved father-in-law just passed a year and a half ago some of those are still very raw.
This is the 2nd or 3rd Orange book of the month that I have read that has been written in a past tense and present tense back & forth manner. I do like this style of writing and I will say that this book was well written. However, I found it difficult to engage with any of the characters other than perhaps the protagonist's mother and her gentleman friend, whose parts were rather small.
So I liked the style of the book but I can't say that I liked the book because of the personal issues that I had to deal with while reading it. Someone who has not had to live with this disease would, I am sure, have a whole different take on the book. I gave it 3 stars.

Two more days of Orange July....do I have time for another book? Why, of course I do. I choose: Gilgamesh by Joan London

I don't think I can read this one, Belva. Too close.

It may be for some Peggy. I am finding to be a good read. It is wartime where she goes but I am nearly 3/4 through and there has been nothing graphic nor mongering at all. In fact it has been a rather comfortable read thus far. That could change.
hugs dear girl,

As someone who loved White Woman on a Bicycle, I'm glad to see you upgrading your ratings. ;) And enchanting is a great way to describe The Seas! I've got her second one on audio from the library right now, but I don't know if I'll get to it this time around.

Having just finished Gilgamesh I am going to attempt one more, Molly Fox's Birthday. At only a little over 200 pages I should be able to get it in. The kids have gone home and I think I should have a quiet evening in which to read.

Good luck Belva! :) I managed to fit in my Paris in July read under the wire today, lol.

Good on you Eva. I hope you enjoyed it!~!

I am about halfway through Molly Fox's Birthday and am loving it. A nice relaxing read to finish off Orange July, which I have absolutely loved this year.
Jill is a ROCKSTAR!~!~!

Thanks, Belva! You are an Orange readin' rock star! Holy moly!

I have less than 100 pages left in my last Orange July book, Prep. I should finish it up today. But first, work, work, work!

I did! I actually read two: a Sebastian Japrisot & Colette. Both were wonderful and make me miss Paris! Jill is a rockstar, as are you with all that reading!

Good on you Eva!~! Indeed our Jill is a ROCKSTAR!~!
I am so happy that you enjoyed your books so much. I didn't have a single clunker in mine. The month was awesome and I got to meet you. Blessings..........
hugs,
belva

I was able to finish Molly Fox's Birthday before midnight last night and have yet to put up my comments and thoughts on that one and Gilgamesh, which I will attempt to get to sometime today or this evening.
I cannot remember whose thread I was reading when I came across the chatter about Deirdre Madden, but I thank you from the very bottom of my heart. I read two of hers for Orange July and loved them both. She has such a simplistic style and is such a smooth, easy read that it is almost surprising when the book has been read and one just sits there..........suddenly realizing Wow....I just read something really special and wonderful. So again, thank you, whoever you are.
hugs,
belva

Belva, 15 Oranges!!!! You are the WOMAN!!!
I'm pleased to have read two; that kind of makes me a tadpole. Anyway, hats off to you!

I loved getting to meet you too Belva! :)

Gilgamesh by Joan London: my thoughts and comments:
I loved this book. I came to care about all of the characters and I couldn't wait to see what was coming up around the corner with Edith and her son's travels and travails looking for 'the papa'. The writing is beautifully done and this reader did not want this one to end.
I am not going to review the book as Soupdragon has done it so beautifully on the book page. But I too, found it to be everything I desire in a read. So well done and the characters were so interesting. Loved the part with the handicapped singer. Just so colorful. A wonderful book. I gave this one 4 1/2 stars. Read it.

Molly Fox's Birthday by Deirdre Madden:

Again, lindsacl has written such a succinct review on the book page that I won't bother, but will just slip in a few thoughts and comments.
I didn't realize how much I loved this little book nor how well written and important it was until I finished it and sat there without a word to say. Because what does one say when they have read perfection? And it is not the story although it is a good story. It is not the characters although I related to the them all from the beginning. It was simply the writing. This author writes exquisitely and with such subtlety that one is not even aware of it until it is done. At least this reader was not. Deirdre Madden ............. an author of contemporary literature to be reckoned with. (5 stars)

Rounding out my Orange July reading marathon, I must say that I enjoyed July so much this year. In the past I just 'played' with the Orange listed books and perhaps read one or two in January and/or July but this year I took it to heart, planned it out and read my plan. What I found was that the Orange Prize is not a prize to be trifled with. These are all (and I read 15 of them this Orange July) wonderful books. I didn't hit one dud out of all of the 15. I did find one that I will have to follow up with as I believe that there was a geographical canyon that I need to learn how to traverse.
I am excited to join up with kidzdoc's challenge of reading one Orange listed book per month and I so look forward to mrstreme's Orange January coming up. In fact, I already have my tentative list made up.
So............kids, I will see you in January. Keep up with the Oranges. Vitamin C is great for you!~!
hugs all round,
belva

>118 rainpebble:: oh thank you, Belva. I really enjoyed your comments though -- you nailed it!
>119 rainpebble:: Vitamin C is great for you -- I love this!

Thanks for your kind words, Belva! Glad you had a great Orange July!

Arggggggggggggg;
This is troublesome as I had my year in reading pretty well slated out. I did not anticipate falling in love with the Orange books as I have. Always, previously, I just tinkered and read 1, perhaps 2 for Orange January/July. But this year I started off hot in July with Great House and it was so good that I went on to read 15 I believe, and loved almost every one of them. Now, having nearly finished The Help, which I am also loving, I cannot imagine that as good as it is, it only made the 2010 long list. So I am going to have to read the ones shortlisted & the winner for that year as well...if I am to believe that they are better than The Help. I will work them in to answer Darryl's challenge of an Orange a month I guess.
Ha! Just pulled up a hard copy of the Orange Winners and Shortlists from 1996 to this year and find that I have already read the winner and two on the Shortlist for 2010. So I have yet to read: Wolf Hall, A Gate at the Stairs and The Very Thought of You. The winner for 2010 was The Lacuna and while I thought it was wonderful and it got 4 1/2 stars from me, The Help is definitely more engaging for me and without having finished it ( I have a few pages left to go) I know it will be a 5 + star read for me. All around, a better book in my humble opinion. Of the two I have read, I rated them:
Black Water Rising: 3 1/2 stars
The White Woman on the Green Bicycle: 4 stars

Jill; you have turned me into an addict of the Orange and I thank you. Vitamin C is good for you!~!

~belva

Belva, you must be turning orange!

I see you've just added The Very Thought of You to your library. I will be interested to hear what you think of that one. It was one of the very few Oranges that I've been disappointed with but others enjoyed it. I see Jill gave it four stars.

I liked The Very Thought of You, though I still wonder how it made the short list....

I seem to be collecting Oranges now. IDK......How did that happen.
Today the postman cometh and he brought:
Small Island
On Beauty
Larry's Party
Fugitive Pieces
Secret Son
When I Lived in Modern Times
The Twisted Heart and
A Crime in the Neighborhood.
I hope I enjoy some of them.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett and I absolutely loved it. I know there is a lot of controversy regarding the accuracy of the black/white characters and relationships in this book. But I didn't go into it as a bio or as a bit of history. I went into it as it was written, I believe, and that is as a piece of fiction and I really enjoyed it. I laughed, I cried, but mainly laughed at some of the conversations. I really liked how Stockett grew her characters and how I was slowly drawn to like/dislike a particular character. People in real life often waffle on decisions and are wimpy as were a few in the book. Then there are those who take an immediate stand and stick with it no matter what as did some in the book.
It is difficult for me to realize that this is a debut novel. It was that wonderful. It just may be my best of the year. I highly recommend it and give it 5+ stars.

The Long Song by Andrea Levy, is interesting, even fascinating at times. That proved to be the problem for me....at times. It is about Miss July, (Marguerite as she came to be called by her mistress), a slave in Jamaica on an elite plantation during the days of excess, the days of the Queen freeing the slaves, the days of the freed slaves revolting and the days of the failing plantations. Miss July is a very interesting character and if the book had chosen to stay on the task it began, I think it would have been much better but it chose to go off in different directions that I found distracting. Characters would be introduced that you liked but then came to disrespect. Miss July was always the same and I liked her a great deal. My biggest gripe comes at the end of the book when it goes into her son's journalism and I just pretty much got bored with the whole thing by then, but for the fact that I knew we would come back to Miss July. And we did.
I reluctantly recommend this book. I think some will really like it and some not. I am just below the middle of the graph and gave it 3 stars. I scored it that high for the hope that I found within it and for the first 4/5 of the book.

When I Lived in Modern Times by Linda Grant

My thoughts and comments:

I won't attempt a review on this book as there are already several quite good ones on the book page. I will say that I really liked the book. Read it in one sitting. I loved the story; thought the writing could have been a bit better. Some of the characters I quite liked; others I wondered why they were even there. I really liked the main character and could understand, at times, her wishi-washiness. I did not, however, understand why she allowed that couple to basically abduct her and remove her from Tel Aviv and take her back to England or wherever. I liked the description of her marriage and think a lot of marriages are actually like that. I also loved that she returned to Tel Aviv when she was able to upon the death of her husband. I will most likely read it again because I loved the story-line so much. And I definitely am going to creep into clueless's library and see what books they followed this one up with. I recommend When I Lived in Modern Times to those who are truly interested in the cause of Israel becoming a nation in it's own right and I gave it 3 1/2 stars.

Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris

I was absolutely fascinated by this book. Strange, as I did not care for her book Chocolat very much at all. I did, however, love the movie Chocolat. But THIS book has almost all of the elements that I look for in a 'but perfect' read. A little dark, a little light; some drama, some playfulness; strong characters, weaker characters who can be manipulated, a heart break, a love story; I think you get my drift.
This story takes place in war time France and brings to a village a woman, who spent half of her childhood here under a different name. There are mysteries and reasons as to why she does not wish the villagers to remember her or her family from her early years here. The story goes back and forth to her youth with her mother and 2 siblings and then to the current day. It is told in the first person of the woman and then of the young girl of her childhood.
It is a great story and is well written. I am sure that I will read it again one day. I recommend this one way over Chocolat and gave it 4 stars.

Count me in as a fan of Five Quarters of the Orange!

So glad you liked it as well Jill. I really enjoyed it.

Okay; Fugitive Pieces, as my Orange of the Month, up next but probably not until next month or the following as I seem to be a month up on myself. Easy to do with the Oranges as they are so enticing. Love 'em! Better than the Bookers in my opinion. But we all have different tastes. And it is easier for me to see how a particular book was judged best with the Orange than the Booker plus I have more reading experience with Oranges than Bookers. Hmmmm; need to work on that. I give the Oranges their own category on my 11/11/11, etc. challenges but the Bookers I combine with the Pulitzers. I'll get it right one day. I think they call it 'stepping out of the box'?