Late to the game

Above is me at the Serpent Mound on my annual quest.

As always, a day late, and a few dollars short. But, I will give the 75 a try.

Those books I recently reviewed on LT:

1. The Blessings of the Animals by Katrina Kittle
2. Dying to Tell Me by Sherryl Clark
3. The Violets of March by Sarah Jio
4. Bright Light: Spiritual Lessons from a Life in Acting by Dee Wallace
5. The Summer We Came to Life by Deborah Cloyed
6. Make love to the universeby Phoenix Desmond

Read since January 2011, but not reviewed:
7. The secret adventures of Charlotte Brontë by Laura Joh Rowland
8. The further adventures of Charlotte Bronte : Bedlam by Laura Joh Rowland
9. The Dreamist by R. Neville Johnston
10. The Ride of Our Lives by Mike Leonard
11. Lord John and the Hand of Devils by Diana Gabaldon
12. Gilda Joyce: The Bones of the Holy by Jennifer Allison
13. Coffee with Thunderbolts by Marianne G. Petrino Hey, I wrote it, so I had to read it multiple times. Yikes!!

I am sure there are many more as I am an insomniac, and go through books like drinking water, but these I have listed and recall as fairly recent reads. :)

MGP

hi welcome!

@2 Thanks :) See you are an X-Men fan :)

MGP

Welcome! I'm glad you made it over from Hobnob.

I'm interested in The Dreamist, but there's no info on the work page. What's it about?

By the way, we have a group wiki with all our important links - it'll help you navigate our busy group.

http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/Groups:75booksin2011

Welcome!

@4 The Dreamist is a story that I call a combination of Idol and Survivor. People dream in a dream arena, and fight. But the mystery in the story is that someone is killing the dreamers. Why is the question? I added the book. I guess I should go in and put in more particulars.

Neville self-published the book, and it does have its faults in spelling and such, so be forewarned if that bothers you. I found the story interesting though, and a screen play is being shopped. Neville and Mary Phelan do a TV show called Telepathic TV: Television You Watch with Your Third Eye.

And thanks for the group wiki tip :)

MGP

@5 Thanks :) I read most of the books you listed for July :) I am a big reader of JUVie and YA fiction. I am actually taking a stab at doing a JUVie book as we speak :)

MGP

14. Wicked bugs : the louse that conquered Napoleon's army & other diabolical insects by Amy Stewart
15. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

MGP

A belated 'Welcome to the group!' from me, Marianne!

Welcome to the challenge! There's always room for one more.

@9 Thanks. Loved the Night Owl :) Seriously misread the quote you had by Lord Byron. Dyslexic tendencies can make for interesting reading

@10 Thanks. Been awhile since I was a Library Tech too, also functioned for some time as a non-MLS children's librarian :)

MGP

#11: Dyslexic tendencies can make for interesting reading

I bet they do! In some cases, that might be a good thing :)

@12 LOL. Consider the calm/clam dichotomy ;)

MGP

#13: Something very Ogden Nash-y about the 'calm/clam' dichotomy. . .

16. Biscotti: Recipes from the Kitchen of The American Academy in Rome by Mona Talbott
17. A Skeptic's Guide to Writers' Houses by Anne Trubek

MGP

Were there lots of good varieties of biscotti in the the book by Talbott? I have made several different kinds over the years. One of my favorites is one that uses miniature chocolate chips and grand marnier in it.

@16 Oh yes, many good recipes! And very authentic too. Loved the one using pine nuts. :)They have several using chocolate.
:) One problem is that some recipes call for bitter almond, unavailable in the USA, but they give substitutions.

MGP

I am a biscotti fan too. I will have to see if my local library has a copy of that cookbook!

Well, onto the wish list it goes. My library doesn't have a copy. Maybe I'll get lucky and find a copy at a used bookstore.

My library does not have a copy either. *sigh*

@19 and 20 Can you petition your library to get the book? It is only $19.95 (US). You can make the librarians biscotti :)

MGP

#21: Wonderful idea but my local library is cutting back all around. I do not think this is probably the best time to attempt to bribe the librarians - even if the bribe is biscotti!

@22 Yeah, I essentially got cut from my library job, so I hear you. Too bad you couldn't get a library pasty battle going ;) Top Biscotti!

MGP

Oo, sorry to hear about you getting cut out from your job. I hope you have been able to find another!

@24 My work history is spotty at best, so don't fret. I also left the library in December, because I did not want to carry the uncertainty into the new year. I am also like cat: I usually land on my feet. And most importantly of all, I have a loving patron, so it's all cool.

I always say I do things of significance in years divisible by five. In 2010, I knew I had to prepare for something else, because our temp budget was cut 66% in July 2010, and more so were my hours (from around 15-20 per week to 0) . So I began to lay the groundwork for 2011. 2010 was an ending year; 2011 is a transition, and 2012 will be....something else ;)

So far in 2011, I published my book, and took voice acting lessons. I am starting to move forward with the latter because my demo is ready. On a truly bizarre note, you can see me on the silver screen in the new movie Life in a Day because I participated in that event in 2010. What is interesting is that none of these things would have arose if I had remained in my job. So, eyes forward, here we go :)

MGP

Voice acting lessons? How interesting! Congratulations on the movie too!

@26 Thanks :) Great irony. Since my library gets all the Nat Geo DVDs, and Nat Geo is distributing the movie & doing the DVD, I will eventually become part of the permanent collection ;)

I took VA Lessons from VoiceCoaches. If you wish to hear my demo, one of the places you can find it on my blog site:

http://ninetiger.net/voice-over/

MGP

18. Mary by Martina Degl'Innocenti

MGP

#27: That is ironic!

@29 Even greater irony: Apparently my book will be added to the library's collection (for this, I am thankful, and more than a little surprised.)

19. Revelation of the Magi: The Lost Tale of the Wise Men's Journey to Bethlehem by Brent Landau

ahhh here you are! Thank you to calm!

Hi Marianne...I have been reading your work story and its interesting twists. Wow, that is really something. It does appear that you have some things to fall back on, so I wish you all the best! Hang in there!

@33 Thanks for your kind words. Flying without a net is hard for someone as panic stricken as I.

MGP

@32 Yet I cannot prove I exist ;)

MGP

Sometimes I have the same doubts, believe me..

:)

20. Ever By My Side: A Memoir in Eight Acts Pets by Nick Trout

That does sound good. I don't dare read any of Trout's books.
Too many years working in a Vet's office . I bet they are wonderful
though, for those who can endure the sad.

@38 It is more about his journey than the animals, I think, in this case. The animals did provide a frame. I did like Reggie the cat :)

MGP

21. Room at the Table by Bed and Breakfast Association of Kentucky

MGP

Just keeping your thread "warm" ( ugh! maybe I should try to keep it cool?)
til you get back :)

22. Love Each Day: Live Each Day So You Would Want to Live it Again by Gail Bernice Holland
23. Lord John and the Private Matter by Diana Gabaldon
24. Lost States by Michael J. Trinklein

MGP

#42 What did you think about Lord John and the Private Matter?

I enjoyed his character in the Outlander books and how his relationship with Jamie changed over time....but in this book, I did not have the same feeling and found it disappointing.

@43 I would have to agree with you. Not much story, and very unsatisfactory how she wrapped up the ending. Too much of an info dump. Listened to it on audiobooks, though, and the reader was fabulous :)

MGP

#43/44: I agree with both of you. I have been disappointed in the Lord John books overall.

25. I'm Dreaming of a Black Christmas by Lewis Black

MGP

Ditto.. I stopped reading right about Lord John time...
but the previous books are fab!

Deadly hot day... hope it was better there.
NO reading, no tv.. lots of nothing, as far as I can figure out, but I was busy. Go figure.

@48 Abysmally hot & humid here in Arlington, VA. So I went to see Life in a Day for the fifth time, and stayed cool :)

MGP

I wonder if it will be shown here, anywhere? I went to the site and requested it in my name.. and a few others :)

I would love to see it.

@50 That is good. More requests hopefully will garner a broader release :) Thanks!

MGP

26 The Mind's Eye by Oliver Sacks

MGP

M, haven't seen you around for a while.. are you still busy being a celebrity?
Hope all is well :)

#52: How was that one? I have only read one of Sacks' books thus far and am curious.

@53 Yes still alive, and did a....TV Interview:

http://www.tbd.com/blogs/lets-talk-live/2011/08/new-documentary-life-in-a-day--1...

MGP

@54 Not one of his best. Kinda put me to sleep. A bit too dry, although I am always interested in true brain stories.

MGP

@53, Also, have been spending way to much time defending old Tygra vs new Tygra on the Thundercat boards. Which goes to show you can be an ancient fan girl.

MGP

#56: OK. Thanks for the input, Marianne.

Hi M! I have a favor to ask.. will you go to this thread http://www.librarything.com/topic/121240#2854231

and post the link to to the Connie Willis interview for me? I am too frazzled to find it today.

Also, I just watched your interview on the DC station

http://www.tbd.com/blogs/lets-talk-live/2011/08/new-documentary-life-in-a-day--1...

and you did a great job! If you were nervous
at all, I sure couldn't tell! well done, Marianne! And congrats!

@59 done!

I was not nervous, but I was suffering from an intense migraine. My eyeball was quaking like Captain Queeg. :)

MGP

Oh no! how on earth did you manage so well?
You looked so calm and collected as if you were interviewed every day.

I hope that at least there was someone to drive you home..
I would love to talk to you about your psychic experiences... although..
I suspect that one or two were touched on in the book?

Thank you for posting that link. in Marks thread... I really enjoyed that interview and
couldn't get it together to find it today.. !

@61 Glad you like the interview, and saw the CW interview too.

I got myself back & forth, no big problem, just annoying with a migraine.

I am always putting my psychic experiences in my fan fiction as well as what was in CWT :)
Happy to talk to you about them anytime.

MGP

27. The Emotional Calendar: Understanding Seasonal Influences and Milestones… by John R. Sharp
28. The First North Americans: An Archaeological Journey (Ancient Peoples and… by Brian M. Fagan

MGP

#63: It has been a while since I read any of Fagan's books. I have been meaning to re-read his The Rape of the Nile for a while now. Thanks for the reminder.

BTW - My copy of The First North Americans has one section that is upside down. I hope you did not encounter this same problem :)

@64 I got the book at the library, and thankfully, the pages were ok. I loved the color plates, and the sections on the Woodlands tribes. I was disappointed that he did not mention the Hopewell Road.

Thanks for the book recommend The Rape of the Nile :)

MGP

#65: I hope you enjoy The Rape of the Nile when you get to it, Marianne.

29 The help by Kathryn Stockett

MGP

30. Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

MGP

Did you like The Help? Wil you see the movie?

@69 The Help was an average summer read. I liked the principle good characters. I do think Hilly's portrayal was not balanced, more like a cartoon evil person. I do support both sides in the arguments for and against it as a literary work. I may get around to seeing the movie, but I don't often go to the movies. Might wait for the video .

MGP

31. Reading with the Stars: A Celebration of Books and Libraries by Leonard Kniffell

MGP

#71: I need to give that one a try. I love books about books.

@72 It is a little flimsy; it's a quick read. I look at it as a great book for JUV/YA audience.

MGP

#73: I will keep that in mind. Thanks for the input, Marianne.

On to the next one ! :) I used to like books about books.. but I think after Nancy Pearls books, I am off them....now books about book shops? That sounds okay..

32. Let's take the long way home : a memoir of friendship by Gail Caldwell

MGP

#76: I need to get to that one.

@77 It was an odd book in that it seemed particularly self-absorbed. I could not relate to either woman, but that is just me.

MGP

So how many stars would you give it??

I have pondered that one a time or two...

@79 I would give it a three because I finished it. If it were a one or a two, I would usually not bother to finish.

MGP

Good to know! Thank you !
So what is next to read, do you know?

I think I will go on to the free friday nook book There is a River .. or not.. I have one to finish first..

@81 I started Postcards from the Edge by Carrie Fisher

MGP

Oh! Another good sounding one.. Are these books off your shelf?
I keep wanting to do more of that..

@83 I hit the library for my books. I really keep very few.

MGP

I try to work a catch and release program, and I do pretty well..
But I still have a ton of unread ones.. so..

33. The Novelist's Lexicon: Writers on the Words That Define Their Work by Villa Gillet/ Le Monde

MGP

34. Manifesting Michelangelo: The Story of a Modern-Day Miracle--That May Make… by Joseph Pierce Farrell

MGP

ok.. that sounds fabulous.. is it as good as it sounds?
How many stars ?

3 stars. All about a healer who happens to be the son of the Marlboro Man.

MGP

thanks :) wishlisted it .

@90 Even more interesting because it is a memoir.

MGP

That's what I thought :)
I will try to find it at a library..my book dollars this week are going
to the new Louise Penny book, due out in a few days..

35. Thinking About Memoir (AARP) by Abigail Thomas

MGP

36. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

MGP

Ahhh Did you like it ? I LOVE Sarah Waters... all but The Little Stranger

Don't mean to neglect you.. I have been dealing with pet health issues and am barely
clinging to sanity. How is your kitty?

@95 I thought Fingersmith overlong, and I usually prefer one POV. But still, it was a fun read. Jane Eyre goes....well, no spoilers here ;)

Hope you dog is doing better. My new cat runs the house now ;)

MGP

He seems to be doing better.. my male kitty, Angus had an issue, too.
I am still watching him closely.. crystals! 2 pets in one month after years of it not happening.
Go Figure. Bet you are loving having that kitty!

#96: My new cat runs the house now

Don't they always?

@97 Sorry to hear about your kittty too. When it rains....

@97 &98 Kitty follows me around like a dog. Talks a lot too. She is funny and sweet :)

MGP

#99: Sounds like she is fitting right in at your house :)

Thanks. Craziness . Each had crystals, struvites in the cat oxalate in the dog. I am baffled by this
weird "coincidence" and trying to dissect it so it make sense . Thoughts?

I love having my kitties.. ! Glad you have bonded so quickly with yours.. of course she was meant
to be yours.. so. . .

@101 could food or water be the issue for your pets?

MGP

@100 Indeed! :) I am just waiting to see how much attention she will want when I try to write my next NaNoWriMo novel in November. So far, she has not interrupted me too much in the writing of my travel book. I wish she would because it is a slow slog.

MGP

I think it is a curse. Possibly by a local Republican.

#103: LOL

@104 Always possible. Skull & Bones thing?

MGP

could be.. could be... hope I have the correct mix of wards by now!

37. Hear the Roar Unofficial Thundercats by David Crichton
38. Travel Writing: See the World. Sell the Story. by L. Peat O'Neil
39. Voice-Over Voice Actor: What It's Like Behind the Mic by Yuri Lowenthal

Just popping in to say hello! I have absolutely nothing interesting to say ...
haven't been doing much.. I am trying to get myself to settle in and read. Not a book funk
exactly.. just antsy..

@109 I am trying to find something to read myself. Picked up a few books; read a few pages; put down. Putting all my energy into the travel book too :)

MGP

@109 Thanks for the Saturn clip. It was cool :) I shared it.

MGP

I thought you would like it :)

40. The Secret Lives of Backyard Bugs: Discover Amazing Butterflies, Moths,… by Judy Burris
41. Voice of the Violin (Inspector Montalbano Mysteries) by Andrea Camilleri

MGP

hey! how are you :)
How are things with the kitty ?

Kitty is well, as am I. She is mad at me for putting her safely in solitary while the electrician came into the house. Guess I am the parent ;)

MGP

I feel your pain. All five of my furkids are looking at lockup today.. when the fireplace man shows up.. not looking forward to it :-/
Glad all is well .. still smiling because she found her new home.... !
It always makes me happy when furkids find forever homes.

42. Sweet Jiminy by Kristin Gore

MGP

43. My Dyslexia by Philip Schultz

MGP

44. Laughing Without an Accent: Adventures of an Iranian American, at Home and… by Firoozeh Dumas

MGP

45. August Heat by Andrea Camilleri

MGP

46. Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America by Firoozeh Dumas

MGP

How was Funny in Farsi? I've debated picking it up from the library.

@122 It is a pleasant memoir, and rather interesting because it clearly shows that families and their funny habits are universal :) I also liked the sequel book Laughing without an Accent :)

MGP

47. Hannah's Winter by Kierin Meehan

MGp

48. As Easy As Pi by Jamie Buchan

MGp

49. The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in… by Deborah Blum
50. We all Wore Stars by Theo Coster
51. Shockaholic by Carrie Fisher
52. Flunking Sainthood by Jana Riess

MGP

hmmmm #49 sounds rather useful ! Have you read Wicked Plants: The Weed
That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities by Amy Stewart ?

@127 No. Sounds like another good read. Thanks for the tip :)

MGp

53 The Potter's Field by Andrea Camilleri

MGP

54 Drinking with Miss Dutchie: A Memoir by Ed Breslin

MGP

55 The Chicken Chronicles: Sitting with the Angels Who Have Returned with My by Alice Walker

MGP

56 The Tao of Travel: Enlightenments from Lives on the Road by Paul Theroux

MGP

57 Betrayal (edition 2011) by Michele Kallio
58 The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler

59 Confessions of a Tarot Reader: Practical Advice From This Realm and Beyond by Jane Stern

60 Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade (Lord John Grey) by Diana Gabaldon

mgp

61 The Two Kinds of Decay: A Memoir by Sarah Manguso

MGP

62. Zelda, The Queen of Paris: The True Story of the Luckiest Dog in the World (edition 2011) by Paul Chutkow
63. At Home in Japan: A Foreign Woman's Journey of Discovery by Rebecca Otowa

Hey... I want to say Merry Christmas to you..
and to thank you for the opportunity to read your
wonderful books! I love the way you write.. I feel like part of the story..

I would like to wish you peace, calm, joy, good health and success in the next year and
I want to thank you for being such a wonderful LT friend and giving me hours of pleasure.

hugs

@137 Thanks for the kind words, Kath! I hope you have a grand holiday and a wonderful new year!!

I might have another travel book to offer next year. It seems my husband won a week in England. More as it develops. Must ready digital recorder & video camera. England in march! BRRRRRRRRRR!

In February I hack away at my 2011 NaNoWriMo effort A Star Rose in Cerami. It is strictly a Rosemarian & Augustus adventure, which I found to be a natural outgrowth of the story in CWT.

BTW, can reading JUV fiction count in the 75 book challenge? I loaded up for the holidays :) Since I am starting a book that straddles JUV & YA, I am trying to get the feel of what pushes one into one category or another, excluding sex of course.

Now back to reading! I may make 75 yet!

MGP

Another trip sounds fabulous! What a great thing to win :)
Sure, YA books count... anything counts.. we have no rules around here.. except to be as nice as you can
as much as you can. I still have to work on that.. lol

We also have no rules about making 75... but the group had to be called something :)
So read, enjoy and be happy... take care :)

64 Red Ridin' in the Hood and Other Cuentos by Patricia Santos Marcantonio
65 Little Monsters: The Creatures That Live on Us and in Us by Albert Marrin

MGP

64. Little Monsters: The Creatures that Live on Us and in Us by Albert Marrin

65. Red Ridin' in the Hood: and Other Cuentos by Patricia Santos Marcantonio

Seeing double, neh.

MGP

mistletoe smooches!

@143 And good wishes to you for a great New Year!

MGp

66 Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O'Roark Dowell
67 The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall by Mary Downing Hall

MGP

@68 Mother Number Zero by Marjolijn Hof

MGP

69 Crispin: The End of Time by Avi

MGP

70 Why Read Moby-Dick? by Nathaniel Philbrick

MGP

How did you like Why Read Moby-Dick? It's been on my wish list for awhile.

@149 I loved it :) Made me feel good as a self-published author because of all that Melville went through:)

MGP

You will be joining us in 2012, I hope??

@151 Absolutely :)

MGP

please make sure that you put your link into my thread if you can find it?
I don't want to lose track of you! :)

Ok :)

MGP