kidzdoc: 75 from the shelves #9

Summer, the Lower East Side, Weegee (Arthur Fellig), 1937




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Currently reading:



Real Bloomsbury by Nicholas Murray
Life A User's Manual by Georges Perec

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 (review)
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 (review)
64. The Real Life of Alejandro Mayta by Mario Vargas Llosa (review)
65. Hospital Sketches by Louisa May Alcott (review)
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 (review)
73. The True Deceiver by Tove Jansson (review)

June:
74. The Bill From My Father: A Memoir by Bernard Cooper
75. Elegguas by Kamau Brathwaite
76. Partitions by Amit Majmudar (review)
77. A Season in the Congo by Aimé Césaire
78. Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat
79. Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Mansbach
80. Above All, Don't Look Back by Maïssa Bey (review)
81. Fair Play by Tove Jansson
82. Naked (Asian Poetry in Translation) by Shuntarō Tanikawa
83. Open City by Teju Cole
84. A Tale of Love and Darkness by Amos Oz

July:
85. the immigrant suite: hey xenophobe! who you calling a foreigner? by Hattie Gossett (review)
86. Seeing Patients: Unconscious Bias in Health Care by Augustus A. White III, M.D. (review)
87. The Outcast by Sadie Jones (review)
88. The Sea and Poison by Shusaku Endo (review)
89. The Passport in America: The History of a Document by Craig Robertson (review)
90. The Prospector by J.M.G. Le Clézio (review)
91. The Swimmer by Roma Tearne (review)
92. Hearts and Minds by Amanda Craig (review)
93. The London Train by Tessa Hadley (review)
94. Daisy Miller by Henry James (review)
95. Des éclairs (Lightning) by Jean Echenoz (review)
96. Fatale by Jean-Patrick Manchette (review)
97. Dump This Book While You Still Can! by Marcel Bénabou (review)
98. A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes (review)
99. Underdog: Poems by Katrina Roberts
100. Snow Plain by Duo Duo
101. Mañana Forever?: Mexico and the Mexicans by Jorge Castañeda
102. 12 Angry Men: True Stories of Being a Black Man in America Today
103. On Beauty by Zadie Smith
104. Granta 113: The Best of Young Spanish Novelists
105. Ghostwritten by David Mitchell
106. The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
107. The Anatomist: A True Story of Gray's Anatomy by Bill Hayes

August:
108. The Stranger's Child by Alan Hollinghurst (review)
109. Pao by Kerry Young (review)
110. The Wandering Falcon by Jamil Ahmad (review)
111. Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman (review)
112. London: The Biography by Peter Ackroyd (review)
113. A Cupboard Full of Coats by Yvvette Edwards (review)
114. The Broken Word by Adam Foulds (review)

Nothing to see here...

Your photo makes me want to laugh. It brings to mind summers of my childhood in which all of us kids would run in the street (less cars in those days) and throw water balloons at each other. I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

Love that photo! I put up a similar piece, in inspiration at least, in my new thread.

>6 SqueakyChu: This photo reminded me of summers in childhood as well, Madeline. We lived in Jersey City, NJ, just across the Hudson River from Lower Manhattan, until I was 13, and my maternal grandparents lived in the Bronx. An adult in our neighborhood would occasionally open a fire hydrant with a wrench on particularly hot days, and we kids would frolic in the water, then return home dripping wet as our mothers yelled at us ("for the umpteenth time") for making a mess in the living room.

Weegee, the pen name of Arthur Fellig (1899-1968), was a famous NYC photographer and photojournalist, who chronicled the gritty side of urban life in NYC in the 1930s and 1940s, using his police shortwave radio to arrive at the scenes of murders and other crime scenes before anyone else did. He also favored night clubs and street life, particularly on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. This photo is part of a collection that was displayed at the International Center of Photography, one of my favorite NYC museums:

Weegee's World: Life, Death, and the Human Drama

>7 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. I figured we needed this photo to cool all of us off. It's "only" 77 degrees in Atlanta at the 9 o'clock hour, but it's very muggy (78% humidity), so I think I'll look for the nearest open fire hydrant once I go outside.

Off to check your new threads...

Good morning, sir! Your thread opens with a spot of joy.

Good morning, Luxx! I'm glad that you enjoyed the photo, too.

Love the opening photo. Will be interested to see your review of Ghostwritten.

Don't know if you saw my recommendation for Three Day Road for you on my thread.

>11 tangledthread: I didn't see your comment about Three Day Road on your thread; off to check...

That's an awesome photo. I'm pretty sure I've seen it before since I am familiar with some of Weegee's work, which I've seen in various places, though I couldn't say where now (exhibits, books, photo & design magazines?)

Anyway, it's lots of fun, which I'm really needing right now, as I've been on the phone with UPS for the last 40 minutes (on hold right now) who have &%$#@ up on a delivey which is sitting on my desk instead of having been processed by the recipient already. Seems best they can do is extend a "courtesy" of regular service to make good for their mistake. NOT happy with UPS right now.

eta: sometimes threats and complaints do work... I got express service, which honestly, is the least they could do. Next time though, I think I'll deal with Post Canada. It's the same price and so much less hassle...

I'm glad that you liked the photo, Ilana.

I'm sorry to hear about your problem with UPS. I've been pleased with the service that they have provided me so far, although it may help that UPS's corporate headquarters is located about two miles from the hospital I work in (Sandy Springs, Georgia), and the company has a major presence in the Atlanta area.

I'm usually fine with their service Darryl, but it's just that when sending merchandise between Canada and US via Canada post requires very little documentation whereas one needs to supply a lot more with UPS because they're a private company (as I just found out). I shop with J Crew online quite a lot, so often send back items that don't fit or that I don't like, usually via Canada Post, since we don't have their stores here. Nobody told me about the documentation when I called to place the pick-up call, and then a few days later, when the package should have arrived already, someone called me saying there might be a problem with customs, and that conversation was resolved by them saying they'd fix it somehow. So you can imagine I wasn't a happy camper to see the box with several hundred dollars of merchandise come back to me today, when it should already have been processed by J Crew.

I should point out that customer service with American companies operating out of the US is usually excellent. But the same companies here in Canada... less so. So I guess I shouldn't so much complain about UPS as a whole, and more about the fact that Canadian customer service sucks in comparison.

I just received great news about my car from the BMW collision center. Allstate has approved the repair of my car, and it has already begun. The projected completion date is July 29th, so I may have my baby back by the weekend, just in time to go cruisin' with my boys:

That's great news, Darryl!

Fantastic!

The longlist for this year's Booker Prize has just been announced:

Julian Barnes The Sense of an Ending (Jonathan Cape - Random House)
Sebastian Barry On Canaan's Side (Faber)
Carol Birch Jamrach's Menagerie (Canongate Books)
Patrick deWitt The Sisters Brothers (Granta)
Esi Edugyan Half Blood Blues (Serpent's Tail - Profile)
Yvvette Edwards A Cupboard Full of Coats (Oneworld)
Alan Hollinghurst The Stranger's Child (Picador - Pan Macmillan)
Stephen Kelman Pigeon English (Bloomsbury)
Patrick McGuinness The Last Hundred Days (Seren Books)
A.D. Miller Snowdrops (Atlantic)
Alison Pick Far to Go (Headline Review)
Jane Rogers The Testament of Jessie Lamb (Sandstone Press)
D.J. Taylor Derby Day (Chatto & Windus - Random House)

The shortlist for this year's prize will be announced on 6 September, and the winner will be announced on 18 October.

More info: http://www.themanbookerprize.com/news/stories/1514

Six of the 13 longlisted books are currently available in the US: Jamrach's Menagerie, The Sisters Brothers, Pigeon English, Snowdrops, and Far to Go, which are all available as e-books, and A Cupboard Full of Coats, which I just purchased as a paperback book from Amazon. Here are the US release dates for the other books:

The Sense of an Ending: 24 Jan
On Canaan's Side: 8 Sep
Half Blood Blues: ?
The Stranger's Child: 11 Oct
The Last Hundred Days: ?
The Testament of Jessie Lamb: ?
Derby Day: ?

I now have all five of the currently available e-books on my Kindle, and I received The Stranger's Child from The Book Depository last week. I'll read The Stranger's Child, Pigeon English, Jamrach's Menagerie, and probably one other e-book over the next month, and I'll buy (and hopefully read) the other six longlisted books when I go to London next month.

Well this may be the first time that I have not recognized any of the Booker long listed titles. Usually there is at least one title that is familiar bot not this time (for me anyway). I guess I'll wait until you start posting your reviews Darryl.

Right, Bonnie. I'll have to check, but I'm pretty sure that this is the first year since I started following the prize closely (in 2007) that I haven't read any of the Booker Dozen at the time of the announcement. Some may have heard of Jamrach's Menagerie, which was longlisted for this year's Orange Prize, and I had heard about The Stranger's Child and Pigeon English from reading reviews of them in the Guardian recently, but none of the other titles are familiar to me.

BTW, if anyone's interested, there is an active discussion about this year's longlist that's taking place in the Prizes group:

2011 Man Booker Prize

# Thanks for posting the Booker Prize longlist and their availability. I will keep a look out for them!

I think I flagged Pigeon English to you when I saw it at Barnes & Noble? I've got a hold on it at the library, when they get it in. (There's a month or so's gap, I think, between the order and them getting it on shelves.) The Hollinghurst was widely tipped to be on the list; the other one everyone expected was Anne Enright's newest book, which isn't there. I may grovel to borrow some of yours, Darryl, when you're finished with them, especially the Barnes book...

>24 Chatterbox: I wouldn't count on me for any of these books, except for The Stranger's Child. I just checked, and none of the five books on my Kindle are lendable. I usually try to read as many of the books I buy there, and only bring back the ones I haven't read or want to keep. I gave several books to Rachael in 2009, and I dropped off other books at the Oxfam Bookshop in Bloomsbury last summer (I can't remember if I gave any books to Fliss or Luci). However, you're welcome to borrow any books that I do bring back, along with The Stranger's Child and A Cupboard Full of Coats.

BTW, the Barnes is only 160 pages long (and there was speculation that it might be too short to make the longlist), so I'll certainly finish that one while I'm there.

Cait (Cait86) and Jenny (GCPLReader) are encouraging me to form a group, similar to Orange January/July, for Booker Prize nominated titles. Are any of you interested in such a group?

Congrats on the car, and thank you for the cooling photo up top :)

Yes, I'm becoming a book vampire... *grin* Not worried about the ones that are available here, as I'll be able to get most of them from the library, or maybe even the publishers. But the ones from the UK, that you'll be buying anyway... I am on a rigid book fast until the cash flow starts flowing again. It seems as if this month will be the only month that my cash flow will turn out to be $0.00 since I started freelancing nine years ago. That would be NO income. Sadly, landlord still wants rent, utilities still must be paid, etc. etc. Used up my last amazon gift certificate on the massive sale -- got Echenoz's "Running", among others - did you see that was available for a mere 99 cents?! There are several other goodies there, buried amidst the odd/quirky/bizarre stuff.

ETA: May be interested in a group, if it's located here and I don't have to chase after it elsewhere. And assuming I get my hands on some of the books! What about having it run to the end of September, just before the final announcement, or even up to the announcement? Gives more of us a chance to participate as books become avail.

It's an interesting list. I have heard of maybe half of them and the other half are new to me. I already have the Hollinghurst on my WL with a note of its US release. I also have the Birch, deWitt, and Rogers books on the WL, though the last may have to await a while as I have also been unable to find a US release date. Hopefully, its Booker nomination will induce a publisher to send it this way...

I would be interested in a Booker group as another way to broaden my reading.

And good news about your car!

I've just created the Booker Prize group; all are welcome to join!

http://www.librarything.com/groups/bookerprize2008

>26 mckait: Thanks, Kath! I'm glad that you like the photo.

>27 Chatterbox: I'll let you know which books I'm bringing back. I definitely won't lug back any books that I've read and don't want to keep, as it will limit me from getting other books that I do want to read.

The Booker Prize group is up and running (six members, and counting)! Similar to Orange January/July, I intend for it to be active all year long, although the main activity will likely take place between late July, when the longlist is announced, until mid October, when the prize is awarded. Since many of the titles won't be available to US customers in that time, we'll keep the discussion active throughout the year, and any longlisted book from any year can be discussed there (again, similar to Jill's Orange January/July group).

I forgot to mention that I did buy a few books during The Big Deal on Amazon, and I did notice that several of the books I own were on sale. I couldn't help but snicker at that title, as it reminded me of The Big Deal character from the Priceline commercials, which also feature William Shatner:



That outfit is smokin'.

>28 katiekrug: I hope you join the Booker Prize group, Katie!

#19, 20 wow you are dedicated. I'm under no illusions that I would be able to read all the nominees in time :-) I'm still *thinking about* trying to read all the Booker winners from the last 20 years..... Cant wait to see what you think!

As my local library has not got a single title on the list, I think I will not be joining the Booker group. I will be interested in seeing what you think of the books are you read them though, Darryl.

I think it's a really interesting list this year, lots of newer and less obvious writers. When I thought about who might be on the list a few weeks ago I thought of about 4 titles, and I don't think any are there though Hollinghurst and Barnes are no surprise, I guess. I've even read two of the books already.

Some comments:

Carol Birch Jamrach's Menagerie (Canongate Books) - also Orange longlist - read a few months ago
Esi Edugyan Half Blood Blues (Serpent's Tail - Profile) - have just written a Bookbag review - would love to see this on the shortlist
Yvvette Edwards A Cupboard Full of Coats (Oneworld) - want to read this one
Alan Hollinghurst The Stranger's Child (Picador - Pan Macmillan) - want to read this one
Stephen Kelman Pigeon English (Bloomsbury) - would quite like to read this
Alison Pick Far to Go (Headline Review) - have this out of the library, have considered requesting a review copy - WWII and the before and after are a bit of a theme in my reading
Jane Rogers The Testament of Jessie Lamb (Sandstone Press) - I've read some of her other books and this sounds interesting - sounds like a feminist dystopian novel but I may have made that up

Thanks for all the Booker info. The only authors I've read any of are Barnes and Hollinghurst.

Good news abt. your car!

>31 LovingLit: I've never read all 13 Booker Dozen titles by the time the winner is announced (and I haven't read more than 11 of them in any year), and last year was the first time I finished all six shortlisted novels by that time. Realistically, and particularly because I haven't read any of this year's titles yet, I would like to have the shortlist completed by October 18th, and at least 8-10 of the longlisted novels by that time.

>32 alcottacre: That's understandable, Stasia, especially given your (laudable) book ban this year. However, if you or anyone else decides to read a Booker longlisted novel from a previous year feel free to comment about it or post a review in the Booker Prize group, similar to Jill's Orange January/July group.

>33 elkiedee: I agree with you, Luci. Part of me is a bit disappointed that I haven't read any of the Booker Dozen, and that River of Smoke didn't make the cut, but that sentiment is overshadowed by the opportunity to read books by 12 authors who are new to me (I did read The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry in 2008, when it was selected for that year's Booker Prize longlist). I'm very interested in your review of Half Blood Blues, and I'll have to take another look at your comments about Jamrach's Menagerie, which I'll almost certainly read next month. You are spot on about The Testament of Jessie Lamb; here's a synppsis of the book from the Guardian:

Jessie Lamb is an ordinary girl living in extraordinary times: as her world collapses, her idealism and courage drive her towards the ultimate act of heroism. If the human race is to survive, it's up to her. Set just a month or two in the future, in a world irreparably altered by an act of biological terrorism, The Testament of Jessie Lamb explores a young woman's determination to make her life count for something, as the certainties of her childhood are ripped apart.

I'll definitely buy the six books that I don't yet have after I arrive in London on the 26th of next month, and read as many of them as I can while I'm there.

>34 sibylline: You're welcome, Lucy. The Hollinghurst seems to be the favorite at this point (for whatever that's worth), so I'll start it on Saturday.

I'd def. read The Testament of Jessie Lamb; Hollinghurst is an author I have never been able to get into. The Secret Scripture was good but not great, so I'm not ext. excited about reading more Barry.

Hi, Darryl. Glad to hear they can fix your car!

I'll join you all in the Booker group. There are only a few on this year's list that I'm familiar with and since so many are not yet avaiable in the US, I'll probably focus for now on books from previous years' lists that are already on my shelves.

Glad your car news is getting better.

Hi Darryl , it took Me two days to catch up on your thread. Read the whole car accident fiasco. Some nice reviews in between. I'm eager to read your comments on the booker long listed books.

Congratulations on the car news - I'm glad it's fixable.

Don't know how I missed the Cosby car post before. Too funny!!

So you should have your wheels under you by Friday. Woohoo!

Friday equals car reunion day??? Velly, velly nice indeed...

I finished The Summer Book by Tove Jansson about an hour ago, which I'll review as part of a Belletrista trio, along with Fair Play and The True Deceiver. I've started The Anatomist: A True Story of Gray's Anatomy by Bill Hayes, a biography of Henry Gray, the author of the famed mid-19th century book Gray's Anatomy. Later today I'll start my first book from this year's Booker Prize longlist, The Stranger's Child by Alan Hollinghurst, and this weekend I'll start Life A User's Manual by Georges Perec, for my August group read.

The collision center's web site for my car still indicates that it will be ready later today (Friday). After tomorrow I'm off for four days, and I'd be happy if it was done anytime before Wednesday.

I hope you can get your car on Friday as expected, Darryl.

Darryl, I'm so glad you keep us posted about book prizes. And, with a thread name referring to being "Overbooked." how could I not sign up for the new Booker group? I have just put my name on library reserve lists for The Sisters Brothers and A Cupboard Full of Coats. It looks like Snowdrops is already on its way to me. That ought to get me started on this year's Booker longlist.

#43 Ooooooh! do let us know how The Anatomist: A True Story of Gray's Anatomy reads. What's next? A book on W. H. Hollinshead maybe?

43: Sigh. The Anatomist goes onto the wishlist. Darryl, even if I focus on the non-fiction subset of your books, I can't keep up.

I'm picturing you happily tootling around in your shiny car.

Joined the Booker group ... but you probably noticed that.

*calculates time chez Darryl* Hope you've got your car back by now.

Oh no! How will I ever get through all the 20th century books on my Shelves of Shame if you keep posting about enticing entries on the Booker Long List. Glad to hear about the car, Darryl and love the pics you have posted..

Pic of you with big grin sitting in your car again, puhleez??

Darryl - book blogger Bookman Beattie is currently in Paris and has posted about two interesting bookshops - just saying...
http://beattiesbookblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/bookman-succumbs-in-paris-bookstore...
http://beattiesbookblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/amazing-remainder-bookstore-in-mara...

>44 alcottacre:, 48, 51 I didn't think about my car at all today until I saw these messages. I got home about a half hour ago, after an emotionally challenging day at work. I'm taking care of a 7 month old baby with an incurable genetic disorder, who is doing very poorly and may not make it through the weekend (or tonight, for that matter). I spoke with the understandably distraught parents for nearly three hours today about end of life care, and after a great deal of thought and prayer, they have decided to make her DNR, or do not resuscitate. So, she will be allowed to die a natural and relatively painless death if she does stop breathing, which will likely happen within the next few days. The pulmonologist and I spoke with the family at length this afternoon, to make sure that they completely understood what DNR meant, to clarify what their wishes were, to let them know that we would continue to provide supportive care to their daughter, to answer any questions they had, and to be completely certain that they were in agreement with DNR. For any caregiver, the decision to make a family member DNR is extremely difficult, but it's that much tougher when it's your own child.

I'm not working this weekend, but I will definitely be calling the floor over the weekend to check on her, and I may drive to the hospital to see how she's doing.

At this point, I don't care about my car very much, as it's not important to me right now (I did check, and it doesn't seem to be ready yet). I will let you know when it's in my possession again, hopefully early next week.

>45 Donna828: I'm glad that you've joined the Booker Prize group, Donna! (Wow, we're up to 40 members already.)

>46 tangledthread: I've just started The Anatomist, so I'll let you know how it is. I'll probably finish it by Sunday.

>47 qebo: LOL! Sorry, qebo...

>49 Eat_Read_Knit: Welcome to the group, Caty!

>50 PrueGallagher: Shelves of Shame, that's a perfect descriptor for my piles, too.

>52 avatiakh: Ooh, I'll definitely check out those two bookstores in Paris, along with Shakespeare and Company, especially since its owner and the owner of City Lights, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, are long time close friends. Thanks for those links, Kerry; I've added your message to my list of favorites, for future reference.

#53 Sounds like an emotionally wringing day for all involved. So sad for everyone.

and the universe puts the car in perspective....again.

Yup, that would add perspective, all right... Time to just decompress...

Reminds me also to get a healthcare proxy and instructions put together sometimes soon. A friend of mine keeps nagging me about it. I don't ever want to put that kind of emotional burden on anyone else -- forcing them to decide about a DNR. Not as cruel as when it's a parent of a small child or infant, but never easy, even with someone elderly; I watched my father have to make that call when my grandmother suddenly came down with a mystery virus and deteriorated rapidly (she died a week later.) He still feels guilty; however irrational. And an infant? I can't even begin to imagine the world of pain they are in and the stress on all the medical folks knowing that there simply isn't anything to be done.

Learned today that a friend with stage 3 breast cancer may not make it. They think they've found another metastis (sp?) They're going to finish the chemo, at least, before confirming that's what it is. But if it's what they suspect/believe, the only question is how long. Again, all my gripes now restored to their proper place.

Definitely do health care proxy (which specifies someone to make decisions for you) and living will (which lets you decide what you do and don't want) and talk with your proxy about your wishes. You can download specific ones for New York (or any other state) from the internet.

It's much easier, I know, when decisions are set out in black and white; the emotions may still be there, the longing to help, but knowing what someone defines as being "helpful" is very powerful. The reason I've procrastinated is that most of the people I know and trust are in Canada; I don't know if there is anyone here that I feel comfortable asking to do this. It's a very personal request, and I gather at least one of the people has to be reasonably local, and certainly in the same country. Ditto with a power of attorney. Sigh.

#53: At this point, I don't care about my car very much, as it's not important to me right now

Amazing how things get put in perspective. What a heartbreaking situation.

I popped in to see if you had the car, and found your message about your terrible day at work. I hope she's not in any pain (and I went and gave my 7 y o a big hug instead of kicking him off his computer game.)

On a happier note I love your TIOLI challenge this month. I have had Salonica sitting here forever, and Paris: Biography of a City by Colin Jones. I am going to at least move them into the pile by the bed...

Sounds rough...to put it mildly.

I just spoke with the nurse who is caring for my baby today. She did make it through the night, but she continues to get worse. We are keeping her comfortable with oxygen support, IVF and medications for comfort (morphine and Ativan), but the nurse thinks that she'll probably die later today.

On one hand, I'm heartbroken to see such a beautiful little girl dwindle toward death in front of us, with nothing to offer her other than supportive care. However, I can take some comfort in knowing that I helped the parents come to a decision at the end of her life that will minimize her suffering and not prolong her life unnecessarily.

I should also get a health care proxy.

My planned reads for August:

Life A User's Manual by Georges Perec
River of Smoke by Amitav Ghosh
Hackney, That Rose-Red Empire by Iain Sinclair
Harlem: The Four Hundred Year History from Dutch Village to Capital of Black America by Jonathan Gill
London: The Biography by Peter Ackroyd
Paris and Elsewhere by Richard Cobb
Real Bloomsbury by Nicholas Murray
A Cupboard Full of Coats by Yvvette Edwards
Jamrach's Menagerie by Carol Birch
Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman
The Stranger's Child by Alan Hollinghurst
Pao by Kerry Young
From the Observatory by Julio Cortázar

Just sat for 5 minutes crying for the 7-month-old child and the parents. And then spend some time thanking the Powers That Be that my own 2yo is healthy and happy. Oh how very lucky we are, no? Sending some caring thoughts your way too - this, I imagine, must be one of the most difficult parts of your job.

Thanks, Amber. You're right, this is definitely the toughest part of working in a children's hospital, and it's also the main reason I decided that I couldn't be an intensivist (ICU doc). It's not common for a child to die on our service, and this is the first time that I've signed a DNR order in at least three or four years, although I will occasionally take care of a child who already has a DNR order in place.

I'm sorry that my posts about the baby have been so upsetting. I was torn about whether to post the first one or not, but I admittedly did so to get it off of my chest. Please let me know if I should refrain from discussing patients such as this one on my thread.

# 65 - Please let me know if I should refrain from discussing patients such as this one on my thread.
Hey Darryl, we're all human, so we all care. It's important for anybody to talk and ventilate our thoughts and feelings on so many things that affect us, let alone things so devastating as you're experiencing now. So, if you feel the need to talk about it, please do. And don't worry, you give us plenty of funny, happy things to keep the balance. Take care!

65, 66 JustJoey4 said it well, Darryl. And how could you post here about anything else (books, cars) with something that heavy on your mind and not saying anything about it?

One of the things I love about this group is how we all support each other through tough times. Hang in there! And don't hesitate to express what's on your mind when things get rough.

Please let me know if I should refrain from discussing patients such as this one on my thread.

Darryl, I for one do not ever want you to be less than your whole self. You're a doctor, you're going to have some bad days, and they're going to make the rest of us look at what makes a bad day differently. You be yourself, we'll be here, and I know most all of us hope our willing ears and ready shoulders make your inevitable tough times easier for you to bear.

It's what you do for the children and their families. Let us do some of it for you.

65: Please let me know if I should refrain from discussing patients such as this one on my thread.

It's your thread. But also, books are intertwined with lives, and your choices and reviews are more meaningful knowing that you're not just sitting in a comfortable chair watching the world go by.

>66 Trifolia:, 67 Thanks Monica and Terri (and Richard and qebo). Fortunately this doesn't happen often, and my work days are far more likely to be filled with tears of laughter than tears of grief. For example, one cute kid I sent home yesterday was a little two year old with his first asthma attack, who had an awesome mohawk, similar to this little guy:



When I first met them on Thursday his four year old sister, an adorable little chatterbox, kept interrupting her mother, who was trying to give me background information. When I asked the mother if there were any pets in the house, the girl told me that they had two dogs (stuffed) and a purple and pink unicorn that always sleeps with her. Meanwhile, the littlest one, a 10 month old girl who was also beyond cute, walked over to where I was standing, tugged on my pants leg, and held out her arms so that I could pick her up. So I did, continued gathering information while I held her, and entered it into the computer after I was done. And yesterday, as I was about to discharge the little guy home, he grabbed my hand, and led me toward the bathroom in his room, so that I could open the door and get his somewhat disposed father out of there. His father was a police officer with muscles on top of muscles who was not that much smaller than The Big Deal in message 30, so needless to say I chose to not open the bathroom door. Seeing that family, along with an incredibly cute and sweet six year old girl in another room, provided some badly needed levity yesterday.

What rd said... even though it made me cry, too.
and did so again..

Please don't think that I was complaining about what you shared! Your thread; your rules. Plus, I enjoy learning more about people's lives here on LT, and I'm happy to share people's joys and sorrows.

>71 mckait: Thanks, Kath. *hug*

>72 scaifea: I didn't think that you were complaining at all, Amber. I probably would have asked that question anyway, as there are some friends and family members who I can't share stories like these with.

You've a beautiful soul, Darryl and we love you for it.

Omigod, Caro, the cat in that image looks EXACTLY like Tigger-the-terror-cat, including the location of the markings on his nose and chin. Deeply scary. If Tigger has been moonlighting, I wanna know where the royalties are!!?! (Although I admit Tigger would probably tear the ear off the teddy...)

Darryl, we all have our stresses and strains, and we all post about them. The only difference is that your bad days involve matters of life and death, stuff that most of us don't have to deal with on a regular basis. Which, IMO, means that you probably have a greater need for a place to vent/share what you're trying to cope with, and just as much right to do so as any of the rest of us. Empathy is a curse as well as a blessing, sometimes, isn't it?

That's part of who you are and what you do, Darryl, and what makes you so special to all of us.

Just agreeing with what others have said - it's upsetting to read about these things, but also life affirming to see how much you do to help. The least we can do is listen.

Darryl, I've been reading all the comments here through several interruptions throughout the day and have been meaning to post a thoughtful comment, but I can only agree with some of the wonderful things other supporters have said to you already. Posting about these things provides a healthy outlet, and there are so many caring and supportive souls here on LT that you probably would be hard-pressed to find a safer environment to do so... too many people keep all their emotions bottled up inside and then suffer consequences down the line, so props to you for sharing.

Yes Darryl--Please continue to post what you feel can be shared. I'm thankful that heart-wrenching situations like that of the 7 month old baby are somewhat rare for you to experience, and that you are able to appreciate the two year old with the mohawk and his delightful sibs. You are a caring and compassionate doctor (and person), and your patients are very fortunate to have you!

Echoing what everyone else says, Darryl: You are a gifted, compassionate human being who happens to be a doctor. That is who you are and we are privileged to share in both your ups and downs.

Thanks for your kind thoughts and comments, everyone. Caroline, I love that cat, except that she would induce a bad asthma attack, as I'm still dealing with the remnants of the attack I've had throughout this month.

I'll post an update about the baby later today. She's still with us, although she continues to progressively worsen.

I started The Stranger's Child by Alan Hollinghurst yesterday, the current favorite to win this year's Booker Prize, and it's very good so far. It clocks in at 564 pages, so I'll probably finish it on Tuesday, my last day off from work this week. I should finish The Anatomist: A True Story of Gray's Anatomy today, and I'll start Life A User's Manual today or early tomorrow. For those of you that are participating in the group read, I'll post more background information on the thread either today or tomorrow.

Darryl..

In my mind, you are a hero. Not many docs give as much love and attention to patients and parents.

Kudos to you!

*blushes a lovely shade of scarlet*

Thanks for that kind compliment, Linda! I think the true heroes are the parents, siblings and other close relatives of these children, and the affected children themselves, who suffer more than anyone.

Darryl, the cat is a hypo-allergenic one. Breathe freely ....

The little baby is in my prayers. It's so much easier to accept when adults get sick and face potential death IMO because they've already had and enjoyed years in their life, but babies and little kids .. their lives are supposed to be just beginning. It's just so sad when one of them is afforded a shorter journey.

Darryl

How very like you to be so humble!. Enjoy your well-deserved trip/break!

Everyone else has said it so well - I shall just add that - one way or another - it is always rewarding visiting your thread, Darryl . One way or another you remind us of the beauty and heartache that are part of being human. Thank you.

The baby I've been telling you about died peacefully in her mother's arms just before 10 pm last night, surrounded by her family and close friends. If you are so inclined, I would appreciate it if you would say a prayer for her and her parents.

Hi Darryl, it's good to see so many people sympathizing with the poor doctor. Many people think that we must have gotten used to it. But it never gets easier , does it?

Awaiting your recommendations on the Booker's long list.

Many people think that we must have gotten used to it. But it never gets easier , does it?

I'll never get used to the death of a child, and all of these children are never far from my mind, even the ones who I cared for only briefly before they died. I do feel more comfortable giving parents bad news, and it is easier for me to talk with them about end of life care, although I learn something from each patient, and each encounter. The pulmonologist who was also caring for the child spoke with the family alongside me on Friday afternoon, as two physicians have to sign a DNR form (I know that this is true in the state of Georgia, and I would assume that this applies throughout the US). She explained the last stages of life to them extremely well, and I will remember her comments the next time I have this conversation with the parents of a dying child.

Although I'm just learning about it (via the hospital's electronic medical record (EMR) system, which I can check on any computer), the baby's death last night was not a surprise to me. Her supplemental oxygen requirement had increased significantly during the day today (from 2 L/min to 10 L/min), and she was having more desaturations and apneic spells, so I didn't think she would make it through the night. I checked the EMR at 10 pm, just after she died, but the record hadn't been updated at that time. I woke up thinking about her at ~4:30 am, as I have done for the previous two nights. I'll be able to sleep easier tonight, knowing that she died peacefully and relatively quickly (according to the nurse's note).

I'm reading The Stranger's Child by Alan Hollinghurst, my first Booker longlisted novel and the current favorite to win the prize, which is apparently based on the life of the English poet Rupert Brooke, and also describes English life and customs of the upper classes from the early 20th century to the present day. It's very good so far, and I hope to finish it by tomorrow.

BTW, the current issue of The London Review of Books includes a review of The Stranger's Child:

The Rupert Trunk

Gautam, has there been any criticism of the Booker Prize judges in India for leaving River of Smoke by Amitav Ghosh, Last Man in Tower by Aravind Adiga, or any other novels by Indian authors, off of the longlist? This is the third year in a row that the longlist has not featured any books by South Asian writers, and I remember reading a couple of articles about this perceived oversight the past two years.

I finished my last book of the month yesterday afternoon, The Anatomist: A True Story of Gray's Anatomy by Bill Hayes, which was a history of the creation of Gray's Anatomy, the landmark medical textbook that was published in 1858, the lives of Henry Gray and H.V. Carter, the author and illustrator of the book, and the author's own experience in researching the book and learning about anatomy by taking several anatomy courses at UCSF, the University of California at San Francisco. The author's personal experiences made this a unique, and most interesting, book, which I'll rate as four stars.

Darryl I'm glad she died peacefully, and I just wanted to echo whast everyone else has said already - yes, it is really sad reading about very sick children who've been in your care, but it is just part of who you are and these children and their parents are really lucky to have you as part of their medical team.

I'm not clicking on any review links for The Stranger's Child till I'm finished but then I will be looking everywhere for links. I have 100 pages left and am loving it, not as much as Wolf Hall but still a lot. Now I will have to keep reading Booker nominees to judge its competition - but unless the book gets worse near the end or there's an amazing line-up this year, I will be wanting this one to win.

Darryl, I've been away on vacation so mostly lurking on threads. I'm so sorry to hear about that baby you cared for, although glad her passing was a peaceful one.

On the reading front, I'm intrigued by The Stranger's Child now that I know a) it's about Rupert Brooke, and b) both you and Cushla are loving it.

Also, I thought of you this weekend. On Saturday I visited the San Diego Museum of Art and toured an exhibit, From El Greco to Dalí, with work of Spanish masters. There were a couple of Miro paintings which I instantly recognized thanks to the art education I have received on your thread!

I've seen some stories about the passing-over of Indian authors in this year's booker award list when I was just googling in order to get the list. My sense is there is a kefuffle. My own thoughts on this is that I'm not really worried unless there is a pattern or unless there is a member of the selection committee who makes comments like that of VS Naipaul about women's novels -- that there really aren't any that rise to the top. Every selection cttee has its own dynamics, and I almost always disagree with some element of the judging procedure. if it weren't this, it might be that there weren't enough first novels, or enough recognition of Antipodean writers, or... In Canada, the Giller prize has been blasted as pandering to the US-dominated publishing industry (most larger presses now are simply divisions of US/global giants), or as too focused on authors living in Toronto or nearby. (Canada has some regional issues...) So they picked the most recent winner, by a teeny tiny press and a winner in Montreal, and get one of the worst novels I've read in a while.

It's an interesting question -- should prizes be representative of the world of possible entrants, or should it just be the books the committee likes the most for whatever reason? There are always issues of some books/authors being "snubbed", etc., but that just reminds me that all this is very subjective. A book is no less worthy because it wasn't longlisted/shortlisted for an award; it's like saying that someone with a Harvard MBA or MD is a better businessman or physician because of that credential. It's possible, because they underwent a particularly tough selection process, but it's far from a given.

Oof, must climb creakily down from my speaker's platform and go do some work...

Safe journey home, little one. We're glad you were here, however briefly. Come back soon.

Thinking of you Darryl.

I so appreciate everything you write from books to work and travel -- for my part, your work posts are a window into a world so far from my daily life but very grounding. Please don't ever stop! I hope our presence as a safe outlet for you is of some help too.

Dammit rd. Now you made me cry again :_( but.. ditto what you said.

I also want to say that I appreciate your posting both the highs and lows of your work here. As everyone else has already said so much more eloquently, I'm just glad that you have an outlet and such a supportive group of people to share with.
Having had my first RL meeting with an LTer (kiwinyx - Leonie) last Saturday, I have to say this is a great bunch of people.

I'll have to read The Stranger's Child now I understand that it's based on Rupert Brooke, though I said that about Jill Dawson's The Great Lover which came out last year and is also based on Brooke. I was passionate about his poetry as a teen.

#93: Here in New Zealand, there is only one annual award for writers and there has been constant uproar since the shortlist (there is no longlist) was reduced from 5 to 3 books in the fiction category a couple of years ago. There are too many good ones not getting any recognition here and the buzz is always on what didn't reach the shortlist rather than on the shortlist itself. FYI The Hut Builder by Laurence Fearnley was a popular winner this year but most asked why wasn't Patrick Evans' Gifted on the shortlist - I have yet to read both.

>91 cushlareads: I quickly skimmed through Tayler's review of The Stranger's Child when I flipped through my copy of the LRB last night. I won't read any reviews in detail until I'm finished. I'm halfway through, and it continues to be superb. It's beautifully written, and requires close attention due to Holllinghurst's skill with the English language, but it's quite evocative and captivating. I'm with you, Cushla; it isn't quite as good as Wolf Hall (which is one of my top five novels since 2000), but so far it's at least equal with all but a couple of other Booker winners I've read in the past decade.

I listened to this past week's Guardian Books Podcast, which discussed the Booker longlist. Unfortunately neither the host nor her guest, a former Booker judge, had read several of the longlisted books, but it was still worthwhile to listen to.

>92 lauralkeet: I downloaded three free Kindle books by Rupert Brooke, who I had never heard of before his mention in the LRB review of The Stranger's Child. I'm curious to learn more about him.

That exhibit at the San Diego Museum of Art sounds wonderful (hmm, I wonder if I can get down there when I go back to San Francisco this fall). I'll definitely go to the Tate Modern Miró exhibit while I'm in London; it closes on September 11th.

>93 Chatterbox: I seriously doubt that any of the Booker judges over the past three years maliciously intended to leave off South Asian authors from the longlist. However, the media and the literary community in these countries have made public their discontent that no authors were chosen, including this article in the Hindustan Times:

Look ma, no desis!

I have River of Smoke of course, which I'll read this month, and I'll definitely buy Last Man in Tower by Aravind Adiga, the 2008 Booker Prize winner, either while I'm in London or after I return (it comes out in the US on September 20th). The Guardian Books podcast also made mention of these two books, as titles that its readers felt should have made the Booker longlist. The host and her guest commented that this year's list contained more thrillers and mysteries than in years past, and speculated that two of the judges may have played a role in this.

BTW, the Guardian has a tongue in cheek award, the Not the Booker Prize, for the best book that wasn't selected for the actual Booker longlist. Readers are allowed to submit entries, and select the winner from a shortlist comprised of the entries that received the most votes. I can't remember who won last year, but I did read and enjoy the 2009 winner, Solo by Rana Dasgupta.

In other book news, World Book Night, during which a million copies of free books were handed out throughout the UK, will be coming to the US next April:

World Book Night giveaway goes international

>94 richardderus:, 96 Richard's beautiful comments in messages 68 and 94 brought tears to my eyes too, Kath. All I can say is thank you.

>95 sibylline: Thanks, Lucy. I do feel comfortable posting personal comments such as the ones about the baby here.

Darryl, I'm glad that little angel died peacefully in her mother's arms and you should be very proud of the impression you give others of what a loving, caring pediatrician is. Kudos to you my friend.

I'm glad the baby had a blessedly peaceful passing, Darryl. I'm sure the parents were comforted and drew strength also from the love and care from you and your fellow colleagues. {{{Hugs}}}

Darryl, am finally caught up after being away for the past few threads. Sorry to hear about the little girl passing, but yes, at least it was peaceful. And enjoy your well-deserved vacation! Looking forward to hearing about your adventures.

Take care of yourself!

Darryl -- if you are looking for other books on Paris, I just stumbled across Paris to the Past by Ina Caro; she's the wife of Robert Caro.

>99 brenzi:-101 Bonnie, Caroline and Laura: Thank you for your kind comments.

>101 LauraBrook: I'll definitely post updates and photos when I go on vacation later this month.

>102 Chatterbox: That book looks good, and I downloaded a sample of it to my Kindle. I may buy it, although I have at least half a dozen books about Paris that I haven't read yet, including Paris (Marion Boyars Modern Classics) by Julien Green, which I've added to my list of reads for the month, and Metro Stop Paris: An Underground History of the City of Light by Gregor Dallas, which I may bring with me.

I'm just past page 400 (of 564) of The Stranger's Child, so I'll finish it this afternoon.

When you are in Paris, you should buy some macaroons from Laduree. ( amazing) , sit reading at Cafe Flore or Deux Magots or any of the cafes in the 6th ,( hope that I got the spelling right) and see the fabulous new installation of Monet's Waterlillies murals at the Orangerie.

I am very fond of the unicorn tapestries at the Cluny.

>104 torontoc:, 105 Thanks for those great suggestions! I'm open to any others, since this will be my first trip to Paris. I haven't made reservations yet, but I'm thinking of spending 3-4 days and 2-3 nights there, sometime between Sep 11-15.

I'm also thinking of taking a day trip to Brussels, since it's less than two hours by train from London St Pancras Station, and possibly one or day trips outside of London.

Darryl, have you been to Brighton? If not, I recommend it - seaside, nice restaurants, and quite a few bookshops - you can get a list online. A nice day out from London.

Oh, I think that Paris will keep you occupied- it is a great city for walking. Those books " 25 or 10 Top Sites to see in...city of choice" are not bad for organizing your trip. If you haven't been in Paris before- if you want to see the main sites- those half day tours can give you an orientation to the city. I go everywhere by Metro-very handy.
I think that you have to decide what you really want to see. There are so many sites that you could take in-and every area has a distinctive look- St. Germain-des-Pres, the Marais, the Seine near Notre Dame and Ile St. Louis.
Go see the new Woody Allen movie " Midnight in Paris" - a nice introduction to the history- I think-
One hint- if you are interested in seeing any museums- buy a Museum Pass or get your tickets in advance- you can buy individual tickets at a FNAC( music) store. Otherwise the line for buying tickets at the museum is not a priority one- I waited for a half hour before getting in to small museum with a touring exhibit.

You might want to consider visiting Brussels when staying in Paris instead of London. It takes less than 1,5 hours and you wouldn't be dependent of the chunnel-train (going under the North Sea) which is sometimes unreliable.
Here's some info: http://www.b-europe.com/Travel.
And the FNAC is a good option to get tickets. There are quite a few of them in Paris. It's also a (commercial) bookstore, so that's convenient (http://www.fnac.com/).

I love Paris. One of my favourite cities, and actually strongly considered moving there in my mid-20s. Did a bunch of job interviews and everything, then life had other plans for me. Last time I was there was in 2003, though next time I visit my mum who lives near Toulouse, I'll definitely spend at least a couple of days taking in the sights.

There's already quite a few great suggestions for you here, and it's true the the metro is very convenient, though I end up walking as much as possible to take in as much as possible, when there is time to do so. I always go to the Louvre, Orsay and Centre Georges Pompidou at the very least. Orsay, is built in a former train station and is a stunning example of Beaux Arts architecture. You'll find plenty of very nice parks to sit and read in, or just watch passersby. One I particularly like is Jardin des Tuileries which leads right up to the Louvre. There's also the impressive Jardins du Luxembourg, to name just two of the best known ones. I also always make sure to go to Saint-Germain-des-Prés and do a little pilgrimage to the church, where my maternal grandmother was baptized in 1914, after which of course there's Les Deux Magots, right across the street—a prime position for people-watching—though I love the Café de Flore just a couple of doors over for their amazing hot chocolate.

Definitely try to stay on the left bank, in the 5th or 6th arrondissements. Or you could try the Ile St Louis. A fave of mine was the hotel des maronniers: the link is here:
http://hoteldesmarronniers.com/hotel_des_marronniers_paris_france/chambres-hotel...
You can get a room facing an inside courtyard, with view of the rooftops, and it's quiet. You are walking distance from the quais on the river, and from boulevard St. Germain (home to all those famous cafes, like Deux Magots/Flore. (tip -- if you eat/drink inside it's cheaper.)
A fave walk of mine is to start from about there, amble down to the quais, walk along and check out what the bouquinistes have on offer, when you get to Notre Dame cross over to that island. Visit the cathedral, then walk around to the back and take the little bridge linking it to the island behind it (ile St. Louis). There are great creperies there for lunch. Then wander back to Berthillon ice creams, pick up a cone and instead of walking back across the bridge, turn right, and walk along the outer edges of the ile St. Louis. You'll come to another bridge (NOT the first one, the second one, the Pont Marie -- cross that. Choice: walk up the street directly in front of you -- nearly to the rue de Rivoli, there is a photography museum on your left that often has good exhibits. Then hang a right on rue St. Antoine, and then left on rue de Turenne. walk a couple of blocks, cut to your right, and you'll come out in the Place des Vosges, which is where Henri II (Mary Queen of Scots father in law) fought the joust that cost him his life, and it's where Victor Hugo lived (you can visit his house.) I'd suggest finding a guided tour of this area, which is called the Marais. It's the oldest surviving quartier of Paris, chockablock of old mansions, museums and cool stuff. The Picasso museum is here, the Carnavelet (which is fab).

Paris is incredible to walk around in, as it's very contained. I've walked from Montmartre down to the Louvre and then up the Champs elysees to the Grand Palais -- about 1/3 or 1/2 the way to the Arc de Triomphe. Admittedly, my feet hurt so much I was considering amputation, but it was wonderful. You'll want to visit Versailles, so budget 2/3 of a day for that. Go early in the morning to avoid the crowds as much as poss.

My fave little "traiteur" to stock up on yummy things is Gerard Mulot. It's near St. Sulpice (which you'll want to visit anyway, because of the Perec book. You'll find the traiteur at the corner of rue Lobineau and rue de Seine. They have yummy croque monsieurs to take away, lots of little salads and other prepared foods (you can get 100 grams of a bunch of them and have a picnic) and pastries, bread, chocolate, yum yum yum. They are very good about being patient with non-Francophones, even though I don't think they get a lot of tourist traffic; it's mostly Parisians.
http://hoteldesmarronniers.com/hotel_des_marronniers_paris_france/chambres-hotel...

Brussels -- well, I'm absurdly fond of it as I grew up there, in part. You'll adore the Grand Place; en route from there to the Manneken Pis (google it!) just as you leave the grand place, there is a bronze statue set into the wall, a reclining man. You're supposed to run your hand along it (you'll see where it's been burnished!) for good luck -- and then touch the nose of the little dog at the end. In the Grand Place, my fave place to sit and have a drink and people watch is La Chaloupe d'Or-- if you come into at the top (with your back to the cathedral and the hill), you'll find it on your right. At the bottom -- the end that you enter from the Bourse area -- is The King of Spain -- I think called something pretentious like Le Roy d'Espagne? For dinner -- Leon on the rue des Buchers is the absolute must. (Don't bother with the pseudo franchises in Paris.) And stop on the street to get frites with "sauce Americaine" (I'll let you figure it out!) and a waffle (gaufre). If you let me know what kinda stuff interests you, I can check with some friends & get back to you. You'll want to see the Sablon, there's a v. good fine art museum, and you can wander around the royal parc near the palace (Metro: Park) Avenue Louise is the Bruxelles equivalent of the Champs Elysees; I remember having fun wandering around between Porte de Namur, up chausee d'Ixelles and then cutting over to Avenue Louise. One interesting and different thing to do would be to take the tram line all the way out to Tervuren (past where I used to live -- it runs within 2 blocks of my old home, btwn Blvd Souverain and Ave A. Madoux!). I think you still hop on the 44 tram at Montgomery Metro, and take it to the end of the line. Big bonus is that you're very near to Quatre Bras, one of the sites of the skirmishes that led up to the Battle of Waterloo. The point of the trip? Well, there's the giant African museum -- art, ethnography, natural history, etc. Fruits of King Leopold's spoilation of the Congo, but now ext. well curated. If you go to one museum in addition to the fine arts one downtown, I'd make it this one.

OK, frustrated traveler will cease typing now...

Suzanne, your little tour of Paris brought me there in a flash. I'll have to print this particular itinerary for next time I'm there as it sounds just about perfect.

I love place de Vosges also, it's quite unique, but beware because the cafés there charge an arm and a leg. At least on the terraces they do. I had a hot chocolate there too (was on a choco kick I guess), and it cost something like $15, which isn't as bad as the $50 cappuccinos I've heard of in some Italian cafés, but still. At least it was a very good hot drink on a rainy day that was chilling me to the bone.

I ALWAYS go to the Marais as well. It's made up of tiny streets filled with special little boutiques—I found a lovely little store that was packed with 'dégrifés' which are designer clothes sold without labels. Got a Martine Sitbon dress fit for a princess that had been worn on the runway just once for a fraction of the price (this was at a time when I was considerably slimmer and very much into fashion). Apparently it became very hip to live there, so don't know if the prices are as good as they were before, but Le Marais being the ancient Jewish quarter of the city, I remember having a meal at a small and very homey restaurant where they served excellent East European Jewish specialties at a very reasonable prices. I must have kept a matchbook or something somewhere, but would have to dig for it.

One very typical snack you can have just about anywhere in Paris is a "Jambon Beurre", which is exactly what it sounds like, a ham and butter sandwich on baguette (mustard if you please). It's as simple as it gets, but the quality of the ingredients make it taste like nowhere else. The really Parisian thing to do is to buy it from a street vendor and eat it on the go, though I even had one at Orly between flights once and it was surprisingly good, something I'd never expect from airport food.

I've been brought to to lots of hip little bars and cafés frequented by Parisians (as opposed to just tourists) which are so unique they're worth at least having one drink in. Don't know how many of those are still around, though Hôtel Costes, at 239 St-Honoré is a safe bet and definitely worth the detour for the opulent decor and groovy tunes (though probably frequented by tourists, since after all, it is a hotel).

Thanks again for those great suggestions about Paris and Brussels!

I finished The Stranger's Child, my first read from this year's Booker Prize longlist, roughly an hour ago. I liked the first 2/3 of it, but the final 1/3, particularly the introduction of one character (who I suspect is the one that Cushla found irritating), was far less enjoyable. I'll read a couple of published reviews to help me clarify my thoughts about it. For now I'll give it 4-1/2 stars, and I'll submit a review of it in the next day or two.

I'm also loving all these posts about Paris -- and agree it is most definitely a walking city. The last two times I've been, I've been lumbered with surly teenagers, so haven't been able to indulge in the more cultural activities. I'll suggest the more modern walk from La Defense back towards the Arc de Triomphe - where pedestrians & public art are given priority over traffic. We bought a daily bus pass and covered a lot of central Paris by bus, able to get off and on where ever it looked interesting.

I'm going to have to send these Paris tips to my daughter (ex-surly teenager) who lives in London and is more able to take advantage of them.
Day trips from London - I'd suggest Oxford, Cambridge or Bath.

Other ideas for London day trips -- from Cambridge, go on to Ely and see the truly amazing Norman-era cathedral.

Canterbury is an easy one.

Since you are there for so long, you really should do a trip to Hay-on-Wye. Train to Hereford and then BOOK A CAB to take you to Hay, as you can wait all night long for a cab, or end up having to walk the whole distance. There are several good B&Bs; get up in the morning and immerse yourself in the bookstores, then take a late afternoon train back to London. You could take a couple of days, and from Hereford go to Gloucester or Worcester, then back to London.

French phrases to know include baguette -- the long skinny french bread. If you ask for it "coupe en trois" (that should be an accent, to make it sound like coup-EH), they will slice it into thirds, ideal for sandwiches on the go (and to squeeze in bags.) Buy some cheese and pate, and you have an instant sandwich.

When you go into the Metro for the first time, ask for a carnet (car-NEH) of tickets (beel-EHS) -- un carnet de billets. They'll sell you ten for a discount. Then you have 'em for later. Coffee -- it can be cafe au lait; cafe creme or a simple "espres" if you want an espresso. Typically coffee with milk is only drunk in the mornings, at breakfast. my fave breakfast food is a cafe au lait and a tartine, which is essentially a baguette slit down the middle lengthwise. You will need to ask for butter (beurre) and jam (confiture) if you want it.

Other ideas for places to amble, or just to sit with your Kindle/books -- go to the Jardins de Luxembourg. It's an easy walk uphill from place Odeon (please wave hello to the statue of Danton & the cafe Danton, my fave place to have b'fast in Paris). Or, after the Louvre, wander out past the pyramid and into the Tuileries, which are full of places to curl up and watch the passing crowd.

Sigh, only had a day there in December. Haven't been to London in 3 years. Don't want to think how long it's been since I was in Brux...

et encore une...

here's the link to the African museum in Brux, Darryl:
http://www.africamuseum.be/home

wow- all these travel tips are making my feet itchy! Hope you have a great trip Darryl- get in some unwinding time too :-0

Suz, you're our official LT French tour guide!

Darryl, when are you off on your trip?

Suz, that is fabulous! Thank you x 10!

Caroline, my flight lands at Heathrow on the morning of Aug 26, and I'll leave from there on Sep 18. I'm staying at the Kingsway Hall Hotel, on Great Queen Street between the Holborn and Covent Garden Underground stations.

Heavens, that's a nice long stay. We shall all have to put our heads together & come up with some things to do, places to go, people to see...

My goodness, it's been ~8 years since I've been to Paris but this took me back. All excellent recommendations, everything I would have said has been said. Darryl, you will LOVE it. Although the Metro has some of the best buskers I've ever seen, you should definitely walk as much as possible.

And I know you're not a movie-watcher, but I still second torontoc's recommendation to see "Midnight in Paris" !!

Darryl, if you do get to walk around in Brussels, and walk down the Av. Louise, please give a little wave to #136 for me - I lived there for 2 years in the early '90's, and my elder daughter was born in Brussels.

Has anyone mentioned the walking chocolate tours of Brussels? http://www.viator.com/tours/Brussels/Brussels-Chocolate-Walking-Tour-and-Worksho...
It's on my bucket list.

Thanks for the heads up on The Stranger's Child. One of my pet peeves is the author introducing a pivotal character at the end of a book. It always seems like a cheap trick to me.....as in "I couldn't think how to end this mess, so I brought in _____".

I'll still read it, but will know not to get annoyed ahead of time.

Ooh Darryl, I hope you will post pictures for those of us who love to travel vicariously. Sounds like a wonderful trip!

Darryl : Borough Market by London Bridge is a great market on weekends where artisans bring their best produce, meats, cheeses and allow you free tastings. There's a butcher there that has fantastic bacon he cures himself. They'll slice some up for you, fry it up and grill some fresh bread while you wait, slap on the bacon between the bread and there you have, fresh hot bacon butty. Best in the world!

Thanks again for those great recommendations! I think I'd also like to take a nice train trip along one of the coasts, stop briefly at the terminus or someplace else for a meal, and take the train back to London. As I've probably mentioned, I enjoy long train rides, for the scenery or to read (or sleep). Any ideas would be welcome. I'll be there during the last few days of the Edinburgh International Festival, so I'll have to see if there are any events there that I'd like to see.

Caroline, I don't suppose I have any excuse this time, so I have to make it to Borough Market and try a bacon butty, even if I crave fish and chips or Cornish pasties 24/7.

I need to apply for political asylum while I'm there, and try to obtain a position with the National Health Service.

If you love long train rides, then you should go to my favorite place in the world, Fowey, in Cornwall. Take the train to Par, take a cab through the Cornish lanes to Fowey. Go in Sept, not August, as they have a big regatta and until the bank holiday, it's heaving with people. The train ride is wonderful; you go through the countryside and then hit the seaside around Dawlish, and it's just spectacular. You go through Exeter, can see the cathedral sliding by outside your window, and then Plymouth, and can see the harbor from there. Then you inch across an amazing bridge over the Tamar that separates Cornwall from Devon, and you're in Cornwall! From Fowey you could rent a motorbike or take a taxi and go to Lanhydrock, which is an old Elizabethan house with a fab garden, set in rhododendrons that are twice as tall as you are. Or just get some Cornish pasties from the baker on Fore Street, take the pedestrian ferry across the harbor to Polruan, and set off along the coastal path by the sea. Walk for 20 mins along it and you're in beautiful landscape; Walk an hour and you'll think you've died and gone to heaven; walk about 1.5 hours and you'll be at Lantic Bay, a beach that is usually quiet, isolated, with pristine sand and a lovely place to curl up with a book. (The first time I saw it, coming across a field, I actually cried because it was so beautiful & perfect; when I die, this is where I want my ashes to go...) I dare you to go to Google images and check it all out...

ETA: The train goes from Paddington; to Par, it's about 5 or 5.5 hours. Or you can take the midnight sleeper, arrive at dawn.

PPS: There is a nifty little second-hand/antiquarian bookshop there, Bookends of Fowey. The former proprietor was pretty good about hunting down stuff for me. I've been going to Fowey off and on for about 25 years.

Oh sigh and drool! Darryl it sounds like you will have an amazing trip. I shall second the request for pics for us armchair travellers!

I have absolutely nothing to add to the Paris discussion having never been there, but I do wish you a 'Bon Voyage,' Darryl.

Darryl:
I second the Museum Pass in Paris. It was well worth the money. Have fun. I am jealous.

Museum Pass for sure, Darryl. It might seem like a decent chunk of change at first, but it's so worth it in time saved. All of this travel talk has got me nostalgic and itching to be overseas again. And hey, any plans on stopping by Ellie's store? Just curious.

Suzanne, your travel descriptions are TO DIE FOR and I've favorited all of them. Wish I had your memories to revisit in my head. Well, along with mine, of course. :)

I think I'm writing Darryl an Rx for MY dream vacation, rather than his!! :-)

And yes, the Museum Pass is a big saver. I think there is also one day a month when museum entries are free, but in mid-summer, that means they also will be VERY crowded.

>129 alcottacre: ditto~

I never heard of bacon butty, but now I want to eat it!

Every time I hear "bacon butty" I think of Onslow from "Keeping Up Apperances". Oh, nice! ;)

Woo hoo! The car's almost done:





It's supposed to be ready by tomorrow, and I'll probably pick it up on Saturday.

That car is supposed to be ready by tomorrow?! Well, I'm not a mechanic, so maybe that's why it looks more unfinished to me then it really is?

Darryl, you definitely have NO excuse not to hit Burrough Market this time! Actually if I remember correctly and if the baker is still there, there's a stall there that also sells amazingly good cornish pasties. I used to buy a big bag of them to bring home ... and eat 2 on the bus on the way.

I'm not a mechanic, either, although I had to learn how to do body work and moderate repairs on my first two cars. However, I don't think it would take more than an hour or two to reattach the molding and complete any final clean up work. It won't matter if it's a day or two later, as I won't be able to pick up the car tomorrow, anyway (I'm working late).

Right; I see that Borough Market is open Thu-Sat, so I'll have plenty of opportunities to make it there. I love Cornish pasties, so I'll definitely look for them while I'm there.

grrr.....now I'm craving cornish pasties.

I think your car looks great Darryl. So glad they were able to repair it.

Here's hoping the car is ready as planned!

Have to say, the car photos remind me of "Pimp My Ride", which my children watched incessantly a few years ago. I hope no one has planned a little surprise for you! (Although I did like the one where they built a popcorn maker into the car.)

Hi Darryl, loved the discussion about Paris and London. I had visited both these cities as a kid , so don't recognize any names but will surely recognize the sites . So post lots of photos.

Craving Cornish pasties for dinner, had to make do with bread & cheese. It's Chatterbox-abuse, that's what it is!

That said, there MUST be somewhere in NYC where I can get real (i.e. not frozen) pasties??

Good news: I'm off for the next six days, after a busier than expected (though not horrible) six day work stretch.

Bad news: My car still isn't ready yet, and I'll probably cancel my planned trip to Philadelphia (Wed-Sun).

Better news: I'm still off for the next six days!

I've only read ~100 pages of Pao in the past week, so I have some catching up to do.

>136 cameling: So you were right after all, Caroline; it isn't as ready as I thought it would be. As of last night the collision center was still waiting on molding to come from BMW, so it seems doubtful that it will be ready by today. I'd rather not leave town until it's ready, and I think it would be best if I drove it for a few days before I start my tough work stretch that begins next Monday, in case it isn't quite right.

>138 cameling: Ooh! I found a local place that bakes Cornish pasties and other English and Australian delicacies, the Australian Bakery Cafe in East Atlanta. I'll definitely go there in the next day or two, and submit a mouth-watering review here.

>139 phebj:, 140 The car looks good; hopefully it will handle as well as it did before.

>141 JanetinLondon: I had to look up Pimp My Ride, since I don't have MTV (and haven't watched it in 15 years or more). The popcorn maker (or, better yet, an espresso machine) would be a cool addition, but I don't want any racing stripes or pimped out wheels.

>142 mausergem: Will do, Gautam. I did take a lot of photos during my first trip to London in 2007, but I'll remember to capture new and old favorite places. Paris and anyplace else I visit outside of the capital will be new to me, so I'll take plenty of photos there.

>143 Chatterbox: If I can find a bakery that makes fresh Cornish pasties I would expect that you could find one in NYC (and Caroline could do the same in Boston or Cambridge).

So, when is your trip to London?

>145 mckait: I leave on August 25th, on an overnight flight from Atlanta to Heathrow, and I'll leave from there on September 18th.

Hopefully the capital will be calm by that time. One of my partners is flying to London with her husband on Thursday night, and she & I were talking about the riots at work yesterday. From what I can tell, the incidents have so far occurred in neighborhoods outside of central London (Tottenham, Croydon, Brixton, Hackney, etc.), but I'll definitely start following these events closely. I think that charbutton from Club Read lives in or near Hackney, so I'll check to see if she has posted anything about last night's events there.

Woo! I have my car again, and it looks and, most importantly, drives great. The total repair bill was over $5800; my bill was $0.00. Tack on another $850-900 for the cost of my rental car (I'll be reimbursed $30/day by Allstate) and the repair bill for the girl's SUV; ouch! Unless she is an incredibly spoiled Southern princess, the girl should be taking public transit until she can afford her own car and pay for her own insurance, IMO.

I was mega-paranoid driving back through rush hour traffic, as I kept thinking "someone's gonna hit me since I just got my car back."

I just finished the traditional celebratory dinner of chicken pad thai and white wine, which will be followed by the even more traditional evening mug of Peet's coffee (Aged Sumatra). I should finish my June LT Early Reviewer book, Pao by Kerry Young, tonight, just in time to start my July LT ER book, The Wandering Falcon by Jamil Ahmad, which came by UPS today.

OK, off to Myers of Keswick tomorrow for sausage rolls, pasties, Club orange biscuits, salt & vinegar crisps and prawn cocktail crisps and a few other yummy things....

So with the car ready, are you going to be able to visit your parents? Don't worry, I won't turn up on your doorstep, we're too busy getting daughter #1 ready to go off to college. I'm just hoping you didn't have to cancel your trip again just cause of the stupid car repair.

>148 Chatterbox: Great! I figured that there had to be a shop that sold British fare in NYC. I'll look for your report. And, I'll go to the Australian Bakery Cafe, now that I have my car back.

>149 lauralkeet: Um...I had to cancel my trip again because of the (stupid) car repair. I honestly didn't think it would be ready today, as the completion date kept getting pushed forward. When I talked with my parents they strongly encouraged me to cancel the trip, as it seemed to them to be too stressful to figure out what to do if the car wasn't ready, especially since I wouldn't have had time to pick it up next week if it wasn't ready today and if I flew back on Sunday, as I had planned to do.

I'm off for another week after I leave London on September 18th, so I may spend a few days with my parents then. I'll either change my return flight to one that lands in JFK or PHL, or, more likely, fly to PHL 1-2 days after I arrive back in Atlanta. I've requested two weeks of vacation in mid October, to go to the San Francisco Jazz Festival, so it may not be until Thanksgiving before I see them next, unless I go there after I return from London.

Suzanne, I'm pretty sure that there's also an Australian pie shop in NYC. If Australian meat pies are half as good as NZ ones it would be worth a trip. will report back...

Darryl I'm glad your car is back and looking good!

Glad your car is back and in such good shape but sorry you'll miss your trip to your parents.

ditto what rebecca said

Yikes! Over 150 messages on this thread, and not a single book review?

Book #109: Pao by Kerry Young



My rating: (3.7 stars)

This novel is narrated by Pao, who fled at the age of 14 from Guangzhou, along with his mother and brother, to Jamaica in 1938, after his father was killed during the second Sino-Japanese War. Uncle Zhang, a friend of Pao's father who is the godfather of Kingston's Chinese community, provides for the family and takes Pao under his wing. Pao quickly learns the business, and acquires more power and status as he provides protection for businesses and individuals in Chinatown and becomes an influential racketeer and businessman in his own right. He marries Fay Wong, the beautiful but self-absorbed daughter of another powerful businessman, which allows him to accrue more power but leads to personal grief and tragedy. Through Pao's narrative the reader learns about multicultural Kingston, the relationship between the races and different segments of the local community, and the history of Jamaica as a British colony and an independent though not completely free nation, where the majority struggle to overcome poverty and increasing violence while a select few profit handsomely and leave the island with their ill gotten gains.

Pao is an engaging narrator, whose Jamaican patois, frequent quotes from Sun Tzu's The Art of War, and personal conflicts and successes make this an enjoyable and educational novel. However, the reader learns about the other characters through Pao's not entirely reliable eyes, and they are more inscrutable and less interesting as a result.

Th author was born in Kingston and emigrated to England in 1965 along with her Chinese father and Chinese-African mother, and her personal knowledge and experiences add flavor and integrity to this compelling debut novel.

http://steelcityartist.com/

Thought you might enjoy a look at this mans work.

#155 - don't know if Darryl has looked at it yet, but I have, Kath, and a lot of it is fantastic, even though I don't know the places. thanks for the link.

>155 mckait: Thanks, Kath! I especially liked his illustrations of historical campus buildings and Pittsburgh landmarks, especially Forbes Field and the Mon Incline station at the foot of Mount Washington.

last link, I promise.. I just found this while looking at one for Ambridge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reTl4OeYBd0&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

>158 mckait: That video tribute to Pittsburgh and its favorite sons (Steelers, Pirates and Penguins) was fabulous, Kath. Thanks for sharing it!

Darryl

I know you appreciate the Philadelphia Art Museum. I'm heading there in October to see this exhibit.

http://www.philamuseum.org/exhibitions/409.html

:) glad you enjoyed it... followed a link after following a link on FB.. you know how it is..

>160 Whisper1: Thanks for the information about the Rembrandt exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Linda. I'll probably see it in September after I return from London, as I doubt that I'll be up there in October (I'm using my last two weeks of vacation to go to the San Francisco Jazz Festival, from October 10-23).

Earlier this morning I received an e-mail about the fall lecture series at the main branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia, which is not far from the Museum. Several well known authors will be speaking there in October and November; more info here:

Free Library of Philadelphia announces big fall lineup

>161 mckait: You're right, Kath; I do know how it is. :-)

I finished The Wandering Falcon, my July LT ER book, last night, and I'm nearly halfway through my second book from this year's Booker Prize longlist, Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman, which I should finish this afternoon. I'm falling behind on reviews again, so I'll review these books, and The Stranger's Child by Alan Hollinghurst, by tomorrow at the latest (ignore crossed fingers behind back).

Hi Darryl! Thought I'd better try to catch up on you a little bit, although I will be skim reading One hundred and sixty two posts, so appologies if I misinterpret anything!...

Love the photo at the head of this thread (even if it doesn't stir up old memories in this case)! (Also, the links to your reviews ;o)

I've joined your Booker group, but haven't had much to say as yet as I haven't read any! I think I need to go and make some requests from the library (there're always massive waiting lists for prize nominated books)

#52 Ooooh Kerry, Paris bookshops....

#53/62 Darryl, I am so glad that there are people like you doing your job - it sounds like it must be a very emotionally wearing one, even if it's not all doom and gloom, but I am absolutely certain that your presence must be a great comfort to the parents.

#68 ...and hear hear to what Richard (et al) said!

#93 ...and on another topic (book prizes), hear hear Suzanne! (Suzanne, you have a knack of putting into lucid words my own very muddled thoughts!)

#98 Thanks for the link to the Guardian Books Booker podcast - I shall have to go in search of it this evening (if it's still there).

Re Paris, you'll have to update me on your plans on the 27th, so I can live vicariously! I do love Paris and it's been far too long since I was last there.

#111 Suzanne, your post is bookmarked for next time. I usually stay in the 11eme, but I've never found anywhere I particularly like, although it's good at budget and a very convenient location.

#112 Smiler69 I'm also a big fan of ambling round the Marias - Darryl, mark that in to your itinerary! ;o)

#114 Yes, yes! Come to Cambridge!

#126 Darryl, if you're thinking of the Edinburgh Festival, the Fringe Festival is the main reason I go up to Edinburgh every year and goes on for the whole of August (so after the International Festival ends), and of course, there's also the Literary Festival at the same time - it's a wonderful time to visit Edinburgh. However you're going to find it very hard to find anywhere reasonably priced/close to town to stay this late on - the flights and trains will be mostly either booked up or horrendously expensive too. You could try lastminute.com & the tourist board though and I do think it's worth a shot - I always have such a fantastic time there.

If you do go, let me know as a) we may overlap and b) I'll have loads of recommendations for you!

#138 Mmmmmmm Cornish Pasties....

#147 Woo for the return of your car! ...and clearly the silly girl deserved to be slapped with the monstrous bill ;o)

>163 flissp: Hi, Fliss! I'm glad that you enjoyed the photo in message #1, which would be best appreciated by those of us who grew up in major Northeastern or Midwestern US cities before the 1980s, I think.

I'm glad you've joined the Booker Prize group. The response has been greater than I anticipated, and we're starting to have some good discussion about past and present longlisted books. I'll buy the six longlisted books that I don't already own soon after I arrive in London. I could loan you one or two of your choice on the 27th, and get it/them back from you on the 10th, if you'd like. The seven titles I don't own are The Sense of an Ending, On Canaan's Side, Half Blood Blues, The Last Hundred Days, The Testament of Jessie Lamb, and Derby Day. I suspect that I'll buy a ton of books while I'm there, so I'll be eager to jettison most of the ones I've read by the time I leave. I'm planning to read four of the longlisted books by the end of August, six or seven in September (which is doable, as I'm only working the last five days of the month), and the remainder in October.

The Guardian Books Booker Prize podcast wasn't as good as it has been in past years, IMO, mainly because the host and her guest hadn't read the majority of the longlisted titles, with the exception of the ones that were expected to be there, namely the Hollinghurst, the Barnes and the Barry. I haven't listed to the podcast in the past couple of weeks, to see if there is a follow up segment to the original one.

I need to start thinking about Paris; I haven't made any train or hotel reservations yet.

Ambling 'round the Marias: check.

Jenny (lunacat) also wanted to meet up in Cambridge. I wonder if you, Jenny, Rachael and I (and anyone else who's interested) can all get together one day there? If not, it's certainly close enough for me to make several trips there. BTW, what train do you take between London and Cambridge? After reading Rachael's hilarious tweets about the service on Worst Capital Connect (or is it First Crapital Connect?), I'm eager to find out if the West Anglia Main Line service from Liverpool Street would be a better option. I can reach either station on one train from Holborn tube station (Piccadilly Line to King's Cross, Central Line to Liverpool Street), so it makes no difference to me.

I loved these images from the First Crapital Connect web site:





Yikes; maybe Amtrak isn't so bad after all...

I'll have to see if there are any must see events in Edinburgh; otherwise I might table this idea for another time, or go for a quick trip after the festival ends.

I was meant to get Cornish pasties and Australian meat pies today, but I think I'll wait until tomorrow morning.

I imagine that the girl's father has no fault insurance, which means that he won't have to pay directly for the cost of the repair of my car. However, the cost of her insurance will certainly rise significantly, which may be just as bad or worse overall than a one off payment. I'd be more forgiving of her if she didn't nearly hit another car as she drove away after our accident!

Glad your car is back, have a lovely trip. Big chuckle and sigh over the crap old trains.

Those signs are so funny, I am about to show my husband. You all need to come to Switzerland.

here's the pie shop and Suzanne I think it's kind of near you!!! Www.dub pies.com. ... Just going to their website is making me long for a New Zealand road trip and a stop at a petrol station. (translation: gas station)

Cushla, it's about a 30/40 minute walk from here, I'd guess. I'm not much of a meat pie fan, perhaps because I really dislike Canadian tourtiere (meat pie made with spiced ground beef). Even the smell puts me off... So I'll be heading to Myers for shepherd's pie, pasties and sausage rolls first -- hopefully tomorrow??

I DID just finish my book proposal & send it to my agent. Finally. Will get his verdict tomorrow...

#164 *bawls loudly with laughter at the pictures*!

I can warn you now that if you intend to get any train to Cambridge, make sure that I'm not on it - I have a true talent for picking trains that are, in fact, bus replacement services.

But... The Kings X line is actually usually the better line to go on - there are fast trains at quarter to and quarter past most hours (takes about 50 mins) - quicker and no stops. Anyway, the best thing to do is to check out National Rail Enquiries before any journey and it'll tell you if there are any roadworks happening. Half the reason I always hit the replacement bus services is that I have a habit of coming back on one of the last 2 trains of the day - usually the middle of the day is fine.

Anyway, it'd be lovely to all meet up in Cambridge - shall we start up a meet up thread? Actually, maybe facebook would be better?

Re the Booker books - that's a very kind offer. We shall have to see what we've both read by that point - perhaps we can swap for the week. I haven't got any yet, but these are the ones at the top of my list to read - I'll probably buy at least a couple: Jamrach's Menagerie; Half Blood Blues; The Last Hundred Days and The Testament of Jessie Lamb.

I do have a bit of a dilema though as I've realised that I've managed to be very stupid and double book myself for the 10th (I accidently gave both you and my sister the same free dates - her birthday present to me was tickets for a show together). I've a feeling my sister's tickets are for a matinee, which might make it OK, but I'm not 100% and she hasn't got back to me about it yet. I'm very cross with myself, but I'm sure that we can sort something out - I'll email you about it when I've got a better idea of times etc (also, I owe you an email response I think!).

Re Edinburgh, if you do decide to go up this year, let me know. Ditto if you postpone to another year as I go up every year for the Fringe (although you should know that I book earlier every year - this year I booked in March, but only because I particularly like the place I've stayed the last few years and they've only got 1 normal priced single room).

Sounds like you're going to be doing a lot of zipping about while you're over here ;o)

>165 sibylline: Thanks, Lucy. I don't leave for another 14 days, which seems like an eternity now, but the time will pass quickly once I go back to work on Monday.

>166 cushlareads: The little girl's facial expression is hilarious, a mixture of disgust and disdain, I think. Can I assume that train service is better in Switzerland than in the UK?

At least there is decent train service throughout Europe. Atlanta has one train station, which isn't that impressive for a major US city:



The Southern Crescent, which runs from New York City to New Orleans, is the only passenger train that passes through Atlanta, and a northbound and a southbound train make daily stops in Atlanta. That's it. Pretty sad for a city that was originally named Terminus, as it was the site where several major train lines that served much of the country met.

>167 Chatterbox: We'll have to compare notes tomorrow. The Australian Bakery Cafe also makes shepherd's pie, sausage rolls, and curry lamb pie, in addition to Cornish pasties and Australian meat pies, and yummy looking breads and Australian desserts.

>168 flissp: Note to self: DO NOT ride a train with Fliss. Can I assume that your bad luck doesn't apply to journeys on the Underground? My luck (or sense of direction on circular routes) is bad enough, thank you very much.

Thanks for that link to the National Rail Enquiries web site; I've favorited your message, and will look at this more closely after I arrive there.

Okay, I'll stick with the First Capital Connect service to Cambridge from King's Cross; thanks for that info. I assume that it won't be too bad, since I'll presumably be traveling during off peak hours or in the opposite direction from most commuters (fingers crossed).

No problem about the double booking! IMO family always comes first, so we can figure out an alternative plan if you want to spend the day with your sister. My e-mail inbox has become quite bloated, so I'm not sure who wrote last (and I wouldn't be surprised if I owed you a response!).

I'll check the events during the Edinburgh Festival tomorrow, and get back to you then.

I vowed to do more traveling outside of London on this trip, as the only times I left the capital during my previous three trips were train rides on the Gatwick Express to and from the airport.

*waving* at Darryl

Glad to hear that the car is back where it belongs (finally)!

>167 Chatterbox: I skipped over the message about your book proposal, Suz; sorry about that. I hope that you get a favorable verdict from your agent today!

>170 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia! I'm glad to have it back, but I'm still a bit nervous about driving it in rush hour traffic. I have taken the subway to work several times a week since the accident happened, and I'll start doing this on a regular basis, to preserve my car and my frayed nerves.

#171: The subway sounds like a good plan, Darryl! Especially if it helps calm the nerves.

#169 "Can I assume that train service is better in Switzerland than in the UK? " - never having been on the Swiss train service, I can, nonetheless, categorically say "probably". ;o)

It was bad enough before the National Rail service was privitised (I used to get the train to school, so could moan at you for hours...), but it's even worse now - overcrowded, overpriced, badly coordinated, but hey, more of them go on time now... ...when they're running.

Re my bad train vibes - they don't usually spread to the tube (although the advantage of the tube is that there are usually alternative routes) - anyway, you can check engineering work closures on the TFL website (rhs) too (it's also useful for looking up routes between places if you're unsure how to get there - not always the best route, admittedly ;o)

Re sticking with First Capital Connect - I'd check out the website for the date you'll be travelling - it's possible that the Liverpool St line happens to be better that day (sometimes it is). We're lucky to have 2 alternatives.

Re the double booking, I think it may be OK after all - I had a text from my sister to say that the show we were going to has been cancelled anyway (booo) - I need to double check that we were actually talking about the same thing, but it sounds like all will be well. I've suggested she join us for The Kitchen/ a drink before hand. Anyway, I'll get back to you about that this weekend when I've spoken to her properly.

Book #111 Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman



My rating: (4.2 stars)

This Booker Prize longlisted novel is narrated by Harrison Opuku, an 11 year old boy who has recently emigrated to an impoverished south London neighborhood along with his mother and older sister, while his father and baby sister remain behind in Ghana. His mother works long hours as a midwife, and he and his sister Lydia are left mainly to fend for themselves. Harri is a good boy, although a bit naïve in comparison to his classmates and the boys in the neighborhood. He lacks a father or other adult male authority figure that he can relate to, and falls under the influence of a local gang of older boys who terrorize younger kids in his school and conduct random acts of violence in the neighborhood, with little deterrence from the adults who live there or the local police, who are generally viewed as incompetent and hostile.

The novel opens with the stabbing death of a schoolboy on a sidewalk near Harri's flat. Harri does not know the boy well, as he is older and goes to another school, but he and his friends vow to find out who murdered him. Inspired by the American television show CSI, the boys use their fledging detective skills to spy on potential suspects and gather fingerprints and other specimens from the crime scene. Harri is generally well liked by his classmates, as he is a fast runner and a good fighter, and he eagerly participates in typical boyhood pranks and games. His home life is a bit dull, as his older sister finds him to be a bother, and he befriends a pigeon who serves as a companion, confidant, and guardian angel.

As the story progresses, the identity of the boy's killer is obvious to the reader, but not to Harri, whose investigation intensifies as he gathers more clues and puts himself in danger.

Pigeon English was written in honor of Damilola Taylor, a 10 year old Nigerian boy who was murdered in 2000 in the south London neighborhood of Peckham, along with other children in the UK who experience fear and violence on a daily basis, and is also based on the author's own childhood experiences and people he encountered as a child and young adult. Harrison's voice and character are maddening, lovable, and ultimately unforgettable, and this is one of the better coming of age stories that I've read. The novel's main flaw is the character of the guardian pigeon, whose comments I found inscrutable and whose presence was unnecessary and distracting, which caused me to knock half a star off of my rating of this otherwise superb novel. It is also a very timely one, given the recent acts of violence in impoverished neighborhoods in south London and elsewhere. I doubt that Pigeon English will win this year's Booker Prize or even make the shortlist, but it is a novel that was enjoyable and deserves to be widely read.

Great review Darryl - I'd decided not to buy this one, but you've changed my mind!

Great review - I've added it to my wishlist.

That sounds like quite a book..

We were living in the UK (but not in London) at the time of Damilola Taylor's murder. It really shocked the nation, and having "been there" increases my interest in the book. Glad you liked it, Darryl.

drive-by hug

I'm not making any pretense at catching up. Family's left, back to normal. I hope!

Great review of Pigeon English. I'll look out for it - they mentioned the pigeon in the Guardian podcast and it put me off...

Fliss - ha ha, yep you are right about the Swiss and UK trains! My limited experience of UK trains suggests that they are worse than the Swiss ones. It'd be hard not to be though - the Swiss train system is one of my favourite things about living here. They are clean, almost always on time, reasonably priced especially if you live here and get a half-price card, and go all over the country no matter how bad the weather.

On my trip to London in May, I had 4 trains to catch - one to East Malling in Kent and back, and one to Cambridge and back. The train down to Kent was a bit late but nothing dramatic. The train back at 8 am the next morning was cancelled without a reason, next train an hour later! We walked for 25 minutes to get to another line. The trains to and from Cambridge had bus replacements for half the trip, and just as we were due to leave Kings Cross the announcer came on and said the train was not running and could we all please go and get on another train (on the opposite end of the platform). It did leave in the end but half an hour late.

>172 alcottacre: I can walk from my place to the nearest train station (Arts Center), and the hospital I work at has shuttle buses that run between the Medical Center station and the hospital campus. The only problem is that it's so muggy and hot in the mornings now, and the underground subway station is even worse, so I'm pretty sweaty and sticky by the time I get on the train. There is limited parking available at the Arts Center station, but it's outside and not always patrolled, so I'm not completely comfortable leaving my car there, although I didn't mind leaving the rental car there. When the weather cools off in a month or two I'll start taking the train on a regular basis.

>173 flissp: I got myself in "trouble" last summer on the Underground because there were alternative routes that I could take to my destination. I was trying to get to the Ben's Cookies shop on Kensington High Street from Foyles on Charing Cross Road, and spent nearly two hours on five trains to get there; I probably could have walked on crutches in less time than that! From now on I vow to always carry a Tube Map with me. (The cookies were worth it, though...)

I do look at the Transport for London web site regularly, and I'll do so even more on this trip, since there will be several weekend closures, particularly on the Circle and District Lines. (Hmm...I'll have to look for my Oyster card, since it isn't in my passport folder.)

I'll take up your suggestion to look at the First Capital Connect web site before I take the train to Cambridge.

I'm sorry to hear that the show that you and your sister had planned to attend has been cancelled (boo, indeed). Do you think she would want to see "The Kitchen" with us?

>175 flissp:-177 Pigeon English was better than I expected it to be, given its lukewarm reviews, and the troublesome pigeon was not a huge distraction. It is available in the US, in paperback and as an e-book.

>178 lauralkeet: I remember the Damilola Taylor murder too, even though it occurred nearly 11 years ago, so it must have been a significant news story in the US, as well.

>179 richardderus: Returning the hug, bro. Hurrah for a return to normalcy!

>180 cushlareads: If your experiences are typical (and reading Rachael's tweets make me think that they are), then train service in the US seems to be better than in the UK (although there are far fewer trains, of course).

Book #110: The Wandering Falcon by Jamil Ahmad



My rating:

The Wandering Falcon is a moving collection of interconnected short stories set in the remote tribal areas that border Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran, which all feature one character, Tor Baz, who began life as the child of two lovers who have fled from their village and spent his life as a wanderer throughout the region's villages, a man who belongs to no particular tribe but is able to gain the respect of those he encounters. Life in these areas is difficult, due to the harsh climate; the rough terrain; the sometimes brutal justice administered to those who break tribal customs and laws; the hostile relationships between neighboring tribes; and government officials, who draw and enforce fixed boundary lines between countries where none existed before, thus impeding the centuries old way of life of these nomadic tribes.

Despite these hardships and restrictions, the people portrayed in this book are full of life and pride in themselves and their tribes, and their stories are both unique and universal.

Jamil Ahmad began his career as a Pakistani civil servant in Balochistan, compiled notes about the people he met there, and originally wrote these stories in the mid-1970s. He retired, moved to Islamabad, and was inspired to rewrite them in 2008 at the age of 75, when the book was initially published. These regions, known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, have gained more importance in recent years, as they are home to the Taliban and other insurgent groups that have waged war against the Pakistani and Afghan governments and their Western allies. Although these stories were written well before the onset of the wars in Afghanistan and the strife in Pakistan, Ahmad provides valuable insights into the people who live there, in an engaging manner that made for a quick and enticing read.

Steve Inskeep of National Public Radio recently traveled to Islamabad and interviewed Jamil Ahmad. Ahmad's fascinating story, which includes additional insights about the people in his book, can be heard online at http://www.npr.org/2011/06/16/137216570/wandering-falcon-describes-pakistans-tri....

Glad you've got your car back Darryl. As usual, I'm adding to the obese wish list . . .

Always so many interesting books on your thread Darryl. I'm so backlogged with awards books on my tbr, I'm not even going to try to read anything from the current Booker longlist.
I wondered if you had come across Paris was Ours: thirty two writers reflect on the city of light which came out earlier this year.

Regarding meat pies, there is a cafe near where I live that consistently wins gold medals in our national pie competition and my favourite is the Pepper Steak pie though it is only an occasional treat. And I have to mention the small but perfect treat - the empanada.
#166> Cushla - I get pies from Jesters, my son loves their William Tell apple pie. They haven't made it to Wellington yet but I'm sure it's in the pipeline.

Hi Darryl, Cruising threads and you have a wonderful one here! Thank you for such interesting reads and reviews.

Book #108: The Stranger's Child by Alan Hollinghurst



My rating: (4.7 stars)

The novel, based in part on the life of the early 20th century English poet Rupert Brooke, opens at Two Acres, a Victorian estate in suburban London in 1913. George Sawle, a student at Cambridge, has invited his close friend Cecil Valance, a poet of modest talent and greater wealth, to spend a weekend with his family. Cecil's wit and striking good looks charm everyone in attendance, none more so than George's younger sister Daphne, an outspoken and independent minded 16 year old girl who spends her days reading and quoting from the poetry of Tennyson and Valance. After a raucous and unforgettable weekend, Cecil dedicates a poem to Daphne and the estate, which he wrote in the notebook that she lent to him.

Cecil dies tragically during the Great War soon afterward, and the uncovered poem gains widespread fame as a glimpse of English country life in a time of innocence. He is revered by Churchill and other leading public figures, and details about his life take on greater interest. However, Cecil's homosexuality is hidden by those closest to him, as these activities are not to be discussed in public.

Although the poet serves as the main focus of the novel, Daphne serves as the book's central character. The book moves forward in time from 1913 to 2008, and through her and other main characters within and surrounding the Sawle and Valance families Hollinghurst paints a detailed picture of British upper middle class society through most of the 20th and early 21st centuries, including its preferences and deep prejudices, and the changes in its view of sexual behaviors. The novel is enhanced by the author's comic wit, and its characters are as finely portrayed as in any book I've read in recent memory. However, the novel's last section was flat and somewhat contrived, which kept me from giving it a 5 star rating. Despite that, The Stranger's Child is one of the best novels I've read this year, and I think it would be a worthy winner of this year's Booker Prize.

Great review and one book that I'll end up reading though not for a while. I enjoyed The Line of Beauty especially the ending which made the first part worth pushing through.

>184 markon: Thanks, Ardene. Is there anyone in this group who does not have an obese wish list or TBR pile?

>185 avatiakh: I hear you, Kerry. I have stacks of books on the shelves and lying about, especially the 30+ books I bought in San Francisco in June.

Pepper steak pie sounds good. And, I love empanadas! I haven't had a good one in awhile, as I usually get them in NYC. Jamaican meat patties are also excellent.

I decided to wait until tomorrow to go to the Australian Bakery Cafe, as I still have tilapia fillets and Chinese take away in the refrigerator that I don't want to go to waste.

I've added Paris Was Ours to my Kindle wish list; thanks for that recommendation!

>186 lit_chick: Thanks, Nancy! I need to check out your thread, as well.

>187 kidzdoc:: Loved your review Darryl! I bought this for my Kindle not long ago -- Cushla posted a very favorable review, and I already knew you were loving it. Now I just need to read it myself!

Darryl- I always love your reviews. Great job on The Stranger's Child! I have never read Hollinghurst, which is a shame. I have an Object of Beauty waiting in the stacks.
Also, excellent review of Pigeon English. Both of these books are now on the WL.
Hope all is well with you. Hey, the Cubbies are playing the Braves, right?

Hi Darryl, nice reviews. Both the Booker's long list books go to the TBR pile. I noticed that you gave good ratings to the Early Reviewers books. I had one of those couple of months ago and reading it was an ordeal. Do you have a method to pick up a winner?

I both love and hate your reviews, Darryl. They are always so wonderfully written, but make me add tons of books to the BlackHole! lol

>190 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. I hope that the US publisher moves up the date of its release here, so that you'll have time to read it before the Booker Prize winner is announced. BTW, the book's title comes from the poem In Memoriam by Alfred, Lord Tennyson; here's an excerpt:

CI.

Unwatch’d, the garden bough shall sway,
The tender blossom flutter down,
Unloved, that beech will gather brown,
This maple burn itself away;

Unloved, the sun-flower, shining fair,
Ray round with flames her disk of seed,
And many a rose-carnation feed
With summer spice the humming air;

Unloved, by many a sandy bar,
The brook shall babble down the plain,
At noon or when the lesser wain
Is twisting round the polar star;

Uncared for, gird the windy grove,
And flood the haunts of hern and crake;
Or into silver arrows break
The sailing moon in creek and cove;

Till from the garden and the wild
A fresh association blow,
And year by year the landscape grow
Familiar to the stranger’s child;

As year by year the labourer tills
His wonted glebe, or lops the glades;
And year by year our memory fades
From all the circle of the hills.

>191 msf59: Hi, Mark! The Stranger's Child is the first book by Hollinghurst that I've read. I'll almost certainly read The Line of Beauty in the next year or two, as I want to read all of the Booker Prize winning novels.

>192 mausergem: Thanks, Gautam. It's pretty easy for me to select one or two ER books from each month's list, as it's rare that more than two books strongly appeal to me. I'm sure it's obvious that I enjoy literary fiction from abroad, literature in translation, and medicine and science books above all others, so that eliminates all but a small handful of books. I do check to see if I've heard of any of the books that I'm considering, particularly those that have been published in the UK previously. I usually select only one book, sometimes two, in the (perhaps mistaken) belief that it's more likely that I'll get the book I most want if I only select that one. Also, I'd rather not receive a book that I'm not very interested in, as I have way too many books that I am eager to read; twice this year I haven't requested an ER book, as none appealed to me. Finally, I do look to see who the publishers of the books are, as I've had good luck reading ER books by Bloomsbury and Riverhead.

>193 alcottacre: I admittedly hate that many of the books I review are not available in the US at the time I read them, or are not easily available. I feel the same whenever I read an enticing review by Matt (msjohns615) or Monica (JustJoey4) for a book that hasn't been translated into English yet. I would love it if US, UK, South Asian etc. e-books would be made available in other English speaking countries at the time of their original publication, rather than making us wait for three months or longer for it to be published in other countries.

I made several stops this morning, including the trip to the Australian Bakery Cafe. I bought two Cornish pasties, two Australian meat pies, two curry lamb pies, one shepherd's pie, and one steak and kidney pie. The cafe had probably 15-20+ different types of pies and rolls, and all looked really good! I'll heat up a Cornish pasty in a little bit for lunch, and report back.

I'm also awaiting Suz's report of the UK goodies she picked up yesterday.

I stopped at my local Borders, to take advantage of the current sale; everything was discounted 40% off of the list price. I came away with several books from my wish list:

The Broken Word by Adam Foulds: This collection of poems about the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya won the 2008 Costa Book Award for Poetry. I read Foulds' The Quickening Maze two years ago after it was selected for that year's Booker Prize shortlist, and I had wanted to read some of his poetry.

Nemesis by Philip Roth: Several recent positive reviews on LT led me to pick this up.

Small Wars by Sadie Jones: I had wanted to get this after I read her debut novel The Outcast last month.

The Mighty Walzer by Howard Jacobson: This was on my wish list, after I read his Booker Prize winner The Finkler Question last year.

Voice of America by E.C. Osondu: Another book from my wish list, which is a collection of stories set in Nigeria and America. Osondu won the 2009 Caine Prize for African Writing, which is commonly known as the "African Booker" Prize, which is how I had originally learned about him.

We Had It So Good by Linda Grant: This was one of the novels that was widely mentioned as a candidate for this year's Booker Prize longlist. It's set in L.A. and London, and is about the generation that came of age in the 1970s.

The Kids Nobody Wants and the Doctor Who Heals Them by Randy Christensen, MD: This is the story of a pediatrician in Phoenix who is the director of a mobile health clinic that provides primary and comprehensive medical care to homeless children. I saw it on the new nonfiction table, and it's the only book I bought that wasn't on my wish list (but that's only because I hadn't heard of it before).

I also received an advance uncorrected proof of Hav by Jan Morris, which came in the mail yesterday from New York Review Books.

#194: I admittedly hate that many of the books I review are not available in the US at the time I read them, or are not easily available. I also fight with a local library system that carries more 'mainstream' and 'best seller' authors. I was very surprised that it actually had Room last year.

#195: Nice haul, Darryl! I look forward to your reviews once you get to the books.

195 I also received an advance uncorrected proof of Hav by Jan Morris, which came in the mail yesterday from New York Review Books.

How did you get this? I would love to get NYRBs in advance in the mail!

>196 alcottacre: I look forward to your reviews once you get to the books.

It will be awhile before I get to most of these books, although I will read Hav this month, since it was an advance review copy.

>197 rebeccanyc: How did you get this? I would love to get NYRBs in advance in the mail!

It was advertised in the New York Review Books group this past Monday:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/121802

Oops, missed that one. But not sure that this book really appeals to me, anyway.

Book #112: London: The Biography by Peter Ackroyd



My rating:

This weighty tome about the life of the city of London was a massive disappointment, and a grueling and nearly impossible book to read. It isn't a biography in the linear sense, rather it is a collection of short chapters about different aspects of the city throughout its history, including its rivers, churches, theatres, and outcasts. Each chapter consists mainly of quotes from other sources, and its lack of narrative flow makes for an exceptionally dry and thoroughly unrewarding read, which reminded me of an 800 page essay written by a college freshman. Anyone brave enough to tackle this book is advised to read it in tiny segments, or, as I did, skim the book to read the most interesting sections.

>200 kidzdoc:: I guess they can't all be winners. ;-)

I am eagerly awaiting the U.S. release of The Stranger's Child. While I'm waiting, I'm making do with the books that are available here. I'll finish Snowdrops today and move Pigeon English up the queue. I enjoyed your review of that one. So far I've been underwhelmed with the few Booker nominees I've read.

>201 Donna828: I guess they can't all be winners. ;-)

True; but I had really high hopes for this book, and it sat at the top of my TBR list for nearly 10 years (Amazon tells me that I bought it in the fall of 2001). However, my current nonfiction book, Real Bloomsbury by Nicholas Murray, is exceeding my expectations and has been a joy to read so far. I'll finish it later this week, and I'll probably bring it with me to London next week.

Except for The Stranger's Child it doesn't seem as though any of the other longlisted books have received raving reviews so far. I'm afraid that this may end up being another disappointing year for the prize, similar to 2007 and 2008.

Edited to correct touchstone of Real Bloomsbury.

an exceptionally dry and thoroughly unrewarding read, which reminded me of an 800 page essay written by a college freshman

owwwwwwwww

MY nose hurts from that thumping!

I admit that I did like Ackroyd's London book, perhaps because when I was reading his bio of Sir Thomas More I felt that his early chapters, about More's life growing up in London, felt as if they took me back in time to the London of the era. That said, I can def. see what you mean; I had similar problems with his book about Venice. Treating it as a coffee table book vs reading right through it is probably an excellent strategy. One book you might look out for is by Stephen Inwood; it's a guide to historic London. If you didn't make it to the Museum of London last time, you def. need to put it on your list this year.

That poem reminds me why I'm not a Tennyson fan. Too hyper-stylized and flowery; very Victorian.

Have you noticed a certain avian theme to some of your reading?? I do hope there wasn't a pesky falcon lurking in the wings (pun fully intentional) in your other "themed" read...

I came home Friday night with shepherd's pie, pasty and some sausage rolls. I'll start consuming them today; I had plans for Friday and yesterday was too migrainey to be able to eat. Shall report back...

Agent loved the proposal -- it is already over at Crown. Not sure if it's the editor or the house that has right of first refusal. If the former, he won't exercise it, as it's not a biz book.

>203 richardderus:, 204 To be fair, I do commend Peter Ackroyd for the effort he put into writing this book, but it is such as a lifeless book in comparison to Real Bloomsbury, which is a so far superb history of the neighborhood and walking tour of it; that combined with the author's own experiences living there for a dozen years and my fair knowledge of the area will likely earn this book at least a 4-1/2 star rating from me. I could finish it today, but it's so enjoyable that I don't want to rush through it. And, I really need to get started on Life A User's Manual, which I'll begin after lunch.

That poem reminds me why I'm not a Tennyson fan. Too hyper-stylized and flowery; very Victorian.

I agree completely!

Have you noticed a certain avian theme to some of your reading??

LOL! No, I hadn't noticed that. Hmm, must look for other similarly titled books...

I'm heating up another Cornish pasty for lunch. I've had one pasty and one shepherd's pie so far, and they were fabulous! I'm curious to find out how yours taste.

Great news about your book proposal; keep us posted.

Darryl

You read such incredibly fascinating books!

Opps, I forgot to chim in on the fact that my heritage is English and Welsh. Pasties were a regular staple of my diet when I lived at home. Despite how many times I try, I cannot make a meat pie as good as my Aunt!

>200 kidzdoc:: thanks for warning me off this book. It caught my eye back when it was published, but I never gave into it. Now I will be able to resist any further temptation (at least where that particular book is concerned).

>206 Whisper1:, 207 Thanks, Linda! I had never heard of or tried Cornish pasties before my first trip to London in 2007, but I'm hooked on them, and other British meat pies, now. I'll only go to the cafe in Atlanta every couple of months; otherwise I'll need to buy new clothes.

>208 lauralkeet: You're welcome, Laura. Several people in Club Read have mentioned that other nonfiction and historical fiction books by Peter Ackroyd are similarly dry and difficult to read, so I won't read anything else by him.

HI Darryl, excellent reviews of The Stranger's Child and Pigeon English. I hope to get to both at some point. Also Real Bloomsbury sounds very good too. As usual, your thread is a dangerous place for me.

It's not as if you're eating a Victoria sponge cake for afternoon tea daily, Darryl! You can probably afford a pie or pasty a week...

My head has still been too wonky to let me eat. Had sandwiches at lunch, then by early evening the migraine was back in such force I was practically howling with pain. Took lots of drugs and depleted my store of ice packs, but there was no way I could eat anything. Now it's 4:30 a.m., I'm slightly better and am hungry so must eat something to avoid this happening again today -- four days running, eek??? -- but not meat pies at 4 a.m.! It will have to be cheese rolls. Nice 'n carby.

I'm hoping to get to Pigeon English this week. I've read the first few pages. Have been reading the new Louise Penny mystery, until Tigger-the-Terror-Cat decided to sprawl over top of it.

Drat, Suz...another migraine. I'm sorry you are suffering.

Sorry to hear about your bad day, Suz; I hope today is a better one for you.

Hoping for the best with your proposal, Suz, and hope you feel better soon.

Memo to self: confine whining to my own thread. Apologies, Darryl! Hope you've got a fun week of reading planned...

just catching up..

Darryl, I added Pigeon English to my wish list after reading your great review of it here.

As for The Stranger's Child, I promised myself that I would never again read anything by Alan Hollinghurst no matter what after reading The Line of Beauty which I HATED with a vengeance. Your review does make me wonder if I'm maybe being a bit too rigid, but no, there are plenty of other books to keep myself occupied with. lol

>217 Smiler69:: I made the same promise to myself Ilana, after the same dreadful reading experience. But now I have pre-ordered The Stranger's Child on my Kindle!

Add me to the "don't like Hollinghurst and hated The Line of Beauty but am tempted by The Stranger's Child" gang. Even though the plot/subject matter doesn't appeal to me, so far it seems like the only good book on the Booker longlist. Maybe when Darryl and the other superfast Booker readers have read the lot I'll be able to see if another one appeals more. I don't feel driven to read all, or even any, of them, unless they do sound good.

Hi Darryl,

I decided to de-lurk myself after having starred your thread a few days ago. I really enjoy your reviews and the conversation that follows here. Thanks for sharing your reading adventures! I've added a few books to my wish list (Pigeon English and Voice of America and We Had it So Good).

I'm curious about the strong and differing reactions folks have to Alan Hollinghurst. I've not read The Line of Beauty. As I read the reviews, they are pretty positive....

~Ellen

Laura, Janet: there are a few books on the long list that I'll read before putting myself through another Hollinghurst experience. As a matter of fact, I just picked up The Sisters Brothers from the library, of which I've now read several glowing reviews by buddies right here on LT. Then there's Jamrach's Menagerie: have seen at least one positive review here, and it's the type of story that generally appeals to me; I tend to have a favourable bias when animals and fantasy are featured (Life of Pi is among my all-time favourites). And then there's Pigeon English, which has Darryl's stamp of approval of course and sounds like something I might like besides.

I like to find out for myself what kinds of novels become part of the reading consciousness (not to say 'collective consciousness', which may also be applicable), which is often what happens with Booker nominees, but do not feel any obligation to read all the books on the long list, nor on the shortlist, nor a winner for that matter, if I feel that the story isn't going to appeal to me (I'll never read Room and that's very ok with me). I don't think this is narrow-mindedness since my tastes are very inclusive, as anyone who's seen my reading choices can attest. It's just a choice I make to read from the inexhaustible list of books that DO appeal to me from the onset. That being said, I love watching others set themselves to the task of doing so and give us their take on the selections. Frees me up to read other things! :-)

That being said, "never" is a very strong word that is sometimes used without thought to all that it eliminates from one's life, so, I may yet read The Stranger's Child one day (maybe sooner, maybe later) and maybe even come to change my opinion about Hollinghurst as a writer. But somehow, I doubt it.

Well, I'm very "meh" about both Hollinghurst and Sebastian Barry, for different reasons. I certainly won't be spending scarce moolah on either.

My next will probably be either Snowdrops or Pigeon English.

Well, rats about the Ackroyd book. I mentioned it in the group the other day to someone - although I did warn them that I had not read it - so now I hope whoever it was likes it better than you did.

Darryl, you wanted to know about Immigrant Nations which I read and reviewed recently. I had big issues - in fact, I've reduced my rating the book (and I normally go the other way), especially since he quotes one of my most disliked people approvingly! I will post the review here on LT soon.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/0745649629/ref=cm_cr_pr_top_recent?ie=UT...

I'm reading The Stranger's Child now but in a slightly fragmented way, as I had a mad splurge on adding most of the Booker longlist to my Kindle. (I haven't bought Taylor or deWitt because they didn't appeal as much and Taylor is expensive, I already had Edugyan and I've read Birch from the library)

Interesting thoughts, Luci. I had seen a copy at a friend's house and although I didn't have a chance to read it thoroughly, I thought he hit on a number of points that were very valid, particularly insofar as France is concerned, where third-generation immigrants are not perceived as being "French" and even if they relinquish their cultural identity completely, they still won't be accepted. So they end up clinging to that identity as a refuge.

I'm not sure the experience of an Irish Catholic in the 1930s, a Jamaican in the 1950s and a Pakistani Muslim today, assuming all moved to London, are really comparable: all three may have been made to feel outsiders, but neither of the first two groups ended up insisting that society be altered in their image to the same extent that I see today, where it seems to go beyond simply demanding that society not be racist and that it accommodate these groups. My sense was that he was trying to get us to think about the compromises that would be needed on all sides to build a new society that accommodates immigrants, and that the immigrants themselves need to be prepared to compromise. A very local case of what i mean: there is a bylaw in New York that states houses of worship are not allowed to generate noise beyond what is needed to notify the faithful that services are about to begin -- church bells, the call to prayer, etc. Recently, the church opposite was fined for holding a service with its windows open (in the heat); I could hear singing across the street. The Muslim residents claimed their rights were infringed. The same Muslim community broadcasts the entire Friday afternoon sermon from the mosque via loudspeakers and anyone who objects to that has been called racist; they have NOT been fined. Another example: it's Ramadam, and obviously Muslims are fasting. On Monday, I saw a bunch of guys threaten a hot dog vendor who does business on the corner. I heard them threaten to kill him, and watched as they threw his hot dog buns on the ground and kick them around. The cops broke it up, but then told the vendor not to come back. Now, while the area is heavily Muslim, it's also a block from the local Target store, and there are plenty of people who buy hot dogs coming in or out of the subway. Why should someone who isn't Muslim and isn't selling to Muslims be expected to refrain from selling food during the Ramadan fast; why should the cops not tell the folks from the mosque that the vendor has a legal permit to sell food and that they shouldn't cause trouble?

When I skimmed Schaeffer's book, I saw it as pointing out that immigrants need to understand that they don't have the right to demand that the rest of the world abide by their standards -- that the local Subway sandwich franchise has a right to sell ham sandwiches just as they have the right to ask that it sell meat that is halal and that there are some practices that while they may be culturally important in an immigrants' home country, aren't acceptable in their new country. (Female genital mutilation springs to mind...) Equally, nobody who advocates core values like democracy, human rights, etc., has the right to dress them up in such a way that they are used to attack a minority.

One reason why immigrants to France are not integrated very well, often, is because France is very racist to its North African population. (My mum and I lived in Paris for a year and she had lots of North African friends, and a story about buying condoms for a married South African Indian man who lived with his wife in Dublin to take back to Ireland, while he waited outside, oh the looks! He was assumed to be Algerian or something similar).

A number of other European countries also treat their biggest Muslim communities really badly - the concept of gastarbeiter for example (Turkish people living in Germany). Actually, Gary Younge found living in France quite unpleasant as a black man (West Indian parents, born and brought up in Britain). He now lives in Brooklyn and continues to write for the Guardian.

I think treating people as if they have a right to live where they do is a good start when it comes to addressing problem behaviour. And I don't think it's only Muslims who practice FGM, or who think they have a right to impose their own prejudices on other people. Where I live there are so many different immigrant communities that no one is going to dominate all the time (it doesn't stop some trying - I went to one meeting where the Orthodox Jews wanted meetings not to be on Saturday, and of course the church goers present then objected to Sunday mornings....)

Yes, the more immigrant communities that exist and the more dominant they are, the easier "integration" may become. That may be one of the reasons that countries built of immigrants have done better at this (far from perfect, but better) -- everyone is different. I find it's groups that feel they are more identifiable and yet who feel less a part of "mainstream" society who are more insistent on about imposing their views. It's as if the less stake they have/are allowed in society, the more important it becomes to be adamant about stuff. And it isn't just the new immigrants. I admit to being irritated when a guest of mine exploring Brooklyn (from Europe) ended up in the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood, and people spat on her and told her to get off their streets. And yes, didn't mean to link FGM and Islam; it's actually more cultural than religious, with an emphasis on swathes of Africa, both west and east.

Thinking about this genealogy book project makes me realize how absurd the "I got here first, so I'm better than you are!" argument is....

For all its flaws, I've never heard anyone (educated, dwellers in large cities) in this country routinely refer to immigrant minorities by derogatory terms. In contrast, I have heard that in France from people who I had previously respected, and my landlord (African-American, living in Germany) hears it a lot. His partner was German, and when he died, Ron stayed in the country. He says he feels less discrimination there than here, but an Indian journalist friend with a British (EU) passport routinely is yanked off to one side to prove that he's legal. What is that if not discrimination??

I read The Line of Beauty a couple of years ago and thought it was a pretty good read. It is set during the Thatcher years and the beginning of the AIDs epidemic so is probably not everyone's idea of an interesting read. I especially enjoyed the ending.

*wobbling and dizzy after catching up on Darryl's thread ... need to sit down* ..... gee, and I was only away for less than a week!

I'm off today, after three long work days. I suppose I should catch up with my own thread first.

I'll abandon River of Smoke until I return from London in mid September. I've enjoyed what little I've read of it so far, but there is no way that I'll finish it before I leave next week. Instead, I've started reading A Cupboard Full of Coats by Yvvette Edwards (yes, there are two v's in her first name), another of this year's Booker Prize longlisted novels. I haven't made much progress in Life A User's Manual, so it will make the trip across the pond, along with Real Bloomsbury and possibly Hackney, That Rose-Red Empire by Iain Sinclair (and my Kindle, of course).

>215 Chatterbox: I'll get some reading done today and especially overnight tonight and tomorrow morning, as I'll need to get into night mode for my overnight calls on Friday and Saturday (8 pm to 8 am). If the nights are quiet I might be able to get some reading done at work, but that may be wishful thinking. After that I probably won't read much until the day my flight leaves (~11 pm on Thursday).

>216 mckait: *(sine) waves at Kath*

>217 Smiler69:-219 I'm now quite intrigued by The Line of Beauty, given the strongly negative and positive comments about it, and I'll look for it later this morning, when I head back to Borders.

>220 EBT1002: Welcome, Ellen! It will be awhile before I get to Voice of America and We Had It So Good, but I'd like to read them later this year.

>221 Smiler69: I can't comment about any other books by Hollinghurst, since The Stranger's Child is the first book of his that I've read. I would be interested to find out how this book compares to The Line of Beauty, which was the last novel he wrote, in 2004, or any of his earlier novels.

I have The Sisters Brothers and Jamrach's Menagerie on my Kindle, along with Far to Go and Snowdrops. I'll read Jamrach's Menagerie next week, then I'll probably read The Sense of an Ending and On Canaan's Side next, after I pick them up in London. The Booker Prize shortlist will be announced on Sep 6, and after that I'll complete the shortlisted books, and then do my best to finish the longlist by Oct 16, the date of the award ceremony.

I tend to have a favourable bias when animals and fantasy are featured

Have you read A Tiger for Malgudi by R.K. Narayan, Ilana? Or The Elephant's Journey by José Saramago? I thoroughly enjoyed both books, more so than Life of Pi.

I've come to look forward and enjoy reading the books selected for the Booker Prize longlist, even though I know ahead of time that I won't enjoy one or two of the titles every year (e.g., Me Cheeta and C). I would consider reading the entire Orange Prize longlist in the same fashion, but I doubt that I could read all 20 longlisted novels. My goal for this year was to read 8-10 books from this year's longlist (I've read six so far), and all of the shortlisted books (I've read four of the six). And, starting this year, I intend to read all six of the shortlisted books for the Wellcome Trust Book Prize, which celebrates medicine in literature, and read all of the shortlisted books since the prize was created two years ago.

I would like to be able to read all of the Booker Prize winners, although it will take me several years to complete that goal. However, that will almost certainly mean that I'll read at least a couple of books that I probably won't like, particularly The Gathering by Anne Enright, based on reviews I've read here and elsewhere. On the other hand, I do prefer to form my own opinion about a book that I'm interested in, so I am willing to at least give it a try rather than writing it off altogether.

>222 Chatterbox: I did like The Secret Scripture, Sebastian Barry's 2008 Booker Prize longlisted novel, and the recent review of On Canaan's Side makes me eager to read it sooner rather than later.

Actually, the first book I'll read after I arrive in London will likely be The Cat's Table, the new novel by Michael Ondaatje, as I'll go to his talk at the British Museum on Aug 31. It will be released in the UK on Aug 25, in Canada on Aug 30, and in the US in October. It's about an 11 year old boy who travels by ocean liner from Ceylon to England in the 1950s to live with his divorced mother, and his life as an adult as it compares to this idyllic voyage. It's apparently based in part on Ondaatje's own journey from Ceylon to England in 1954; he lived in south London before he eventually moved to Canada. I read the first section of the book, which appeared in the May 16 issue of The New Yorker (link here, subscribers only, though), and it was very good.

>223 alcottacre: London: The Biography, as Suz and I implied, would be more enjoyable as a coffee table book, something that the reader could dip into randomly, rather than read from cover to cover.

>224 elkiedee: Fabulous review of Immigrant Nations, Luci! Oddly enough, your review makes me eager to read the book, even though I will likely disagree with him, as you did. It's currently available in the US, so I won't buy it there. I did recently buy Who Are We by Gary Younge, and I'll read it soon after I return to the US. A somewhat similar book that I'll buy and read soon after I land there is Color Me English: Thoughts About Migrations and Belonging Before and After 9/11, the new collection of essays by Caryl Phillips.

>225 Chatterbox:-227 I enjoyed this discussion, and I'll post some thoughts and comments later today (coffee hasn't kicked in yet).

>228 avatiakh: Thanks for those comments, Kerry. I'll look for The Line of Beauty at Borders later this morning.

>229 cameling: I was also wobbling and dizzy after being away from my own thread for a couple of days! Welcome back, Caroline. When is your next trip?

>230 kidzdoc:: I would like to be able to read all of the Booker Prize winners ... that will almost certainly mean that I'll read at least a couple of books that I probably won't like
Yes that's was the case for me, but my inner "completist" likes having done it!

P.S. Reading all the Orange Prize winners is easier (fewer of them!)

On Canaan's Side looks good.. I have WL it.. thanks for the heads up on that one.

>232 lauralkeet: Yes, I have that inner "completist" gene too, Laura. I couldn't think of a good reason why I'm so driven to read the complete longlist, so I'll blame it on genetics. ;-)

BTW, I'm halfway through A Cupboard Full of Coats, the third book from this year's Booker Prize longlist I've read so far, and it's very good. I'll definitely finish it today.

I'm sure I've said this elsewhere, and this may be a patently obvious comment, but one of the main reasons I enjoy reading finalists for literary awards is that it introduces me to authors or books that I wouldn't have heard of or probably wouldn't have otherwise read, this current book being a prime example. Occasionally I'll read a book that doesn't appeal to me, but the vast majority of these books are memorable reads.

Reading all the Orange Prize winners is easier (fewer of them!)

I've read far more Booker Prize winners (16) than Orange Prize winners (4), but that is still a true statement for me.

>233 mckait: You're welcome, Kath. On Canaan's Side will be published in the US early next month, so you won't have to wait long to get it.

I don't know how many books have been nominated for the Booker Prize in total, but for the Orange Prize, long list, short list and winners total about 300. I'm on a quest to read all of them - it will probably take years.

But you are correct, it does lead to reading authors whom you have never read before. Right now I'm reading Catherine O'Flynn What Was Lost, on the long list for 2007, I think. I had never heard of her before, and am enjoying this book so much, I've already ordered her second one, published in 2010.

Have you read A Tiger for Malgudi by R.K. Narayan, Ilana? Or The Elephant's Journey by José Saramago?

I have not read either, and up until now had never heard of the first, while the second has been on my library account wish list for some time now. They've both been moved to the "borrow soon" tab because they both sound like books I'd enjoy immensely. Thanks for the recs Darryl.

#231 : How's the car, Darryl? When are you off to London? My next trip will be Hong Kong (again!) at the end of September.

I've got The Elephant's Journey in my TBR Tower. I'm wondering if I should move it up a rung or two.

I finished A Cupboard Full of Coats by Yvvette Edwards, and The Broken Word, an epic poem by Adam Foulds about the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya. Both were very good; I'll review them by tomorrow.

>235 catarina1: That's a worthy goal, to read all of the books that have ever been longlisted for the Orange Prize. I look forward to your comments about What Was Lost, as I saw it at my local Borders but didn't buy it.

>236 Smiler69: You're welcome, Ilana.

>237 cameling: The car looks and drives great, Caroline! I leave for London next Thursday night.

I enjoyed The Elephant's Journey, and I'm looking forward to picking up Cain, Saramago's last novel, next week.

I hope you enjoy your days off, Darryl. Sounds like you could use a break.

Book #113: A Cupboard Full of Coats by Yvvette Edwards



My rating:

Jinx is a beautiful but deeply troubled east Londoner born to Caribbean immigrants, whose life was shattered 14 years ago when her mother Joy was brutally murdered by Berris, her second husband and Jinx's stepfather. Jinx blames her own jealousy and spite for her mother's murder, and has shut herself off from everyone, including her ex-husband and their young son, until the day that Lemon, Berris' best friend and a man she has admired since she first met him as a teenager, knocks on her front door. Lemon seeks to makes amends for his role in her mother's murder, now that Berris has just completed his prison sentence. During an intense weekend, filled with deep emotions and tempered by Lemon's irresistible cooked meals, the two relive their own separate and interlinked past histories, the passionate but troubled relationship between Berris and Joy, and the seemingly benign but malicious acts that led to Joy's murder.

A Cupboard Full of Coats is an intense and gripping debut novel which was an interesting selection for the Booker Prize longlist. I don't expect it to be selected for this year's shortlist, as it lacks the rich character development and complexity of the typical Booker fare. However, this being a far from typical year for the prize, I wouldn't be completely surprised if it does appear amongst the six finalists.

#240: Great review, Darryl!

Thanks, Stasia!

Book #114: The Broken Word by Adam Foulds



My rating:

This is a powerful and damning epic poem about the brutality inflicted by British colonialists on ordinary Kenyans and freedom fighters during the Mau Mau Uprising, also known as the Kenyan Emergency, which took place there from 1952-1960 and cost the lives of tens of thousands of Kenyans and 200 colonialists. The main character, Tom, is a British lad on the cusp of adulthood, whose father volunteers his services after members of the Mau Mau resistance group are reported to have savagely murdered other Kenyans who refused to take the oath to fight against the colonialists, or die in the process. Those suspected of being Mau Mau fighters are hunted down and shot like wild animals, or, worse yet, are captured, tortured and forced to work under the most inhumane conditions until they die of starvation or injury. Tom, encouraged by fellow colonialists and his family, is quickly transformed from a reluctant observer to an active participant in the worsening brutality.

As the poem closes, Tom appears to have returned to a more normal existence, as he enters university and falls in love with another student. However, we are able to glimpse the subtle behaviors and beliefs that will surely haunt Tom and those nearest to him throughout the remainder of his life.

The Broken Word won the Costa Award for Poetry in 2008 and the Somerset Maugham Award in 2009, and deservedly so. This is easily one of the best poetry collections I've read, and its deeply moving passages deserve to be read by anyone with an interest in the Kenyan independence movement.

Melville House Publishing has a special offer on one of its books, Spurious by Lars Iyer, in honor of its selection for the shortlist of the tongue-in-cheek Not the Booker Prize that is "awarded" by the Guardian (the winner gets a Guardian mug). For a limited time, e-book editions of the book are on sale for $1.11; I downloaded the MOBI file of the book onto my laptop, via Kindle for PC, and transferred it to my Kindle. More info and a description of the book here: http://mhpbooks.com/book.php?id=488

Up-gethumbing the reviews, D...good stuff!

Great reviews, Darryl. I'm going to need to add A Cupboard Full of Coats to my obese wish list. I'm tempted by The Broken Word but it sounds a little harsh. I'm more inclined towards happy poems.

I was wondering if you'd managed to read River of Smoke yet, and you answered my wondering in post 230. You've got further than me - I had to return my copy to the library without having started it during my loan period, because someone else had requested it. I'll try to reserve it again, and this time read it as soon as I get hold of it!

Have a good time in London!

>245 richardderus: Thanks, Richard! I was expecting a comment from you about my continued grim reads, though.

>246 cameling: There is nothing remotely happy in The Broken Word, and its most moving portions were a bit too grim to post here, IMO.

>247 gennyt: I think I'll read River of Smoke after I return from London in mid September, as I'll be off from work that following week, or during my final vacation in October, when I'll attend the San Francisco Jazz Festival .

New jazzy thread here!

I am not a poetry fan, but The Broken Word sounds to good for me to pass by. Thanks for another wonderful review, Darryl. Off to visit the new thread now. . .

Darryl

Am I correct in remembering that you like the writings of Flannery O'Connor? If so, I highly recommend a book I finished this morning. You might be interested in reading A Good Hard Look by Ann Napolitano.

>249 alcottacre: You're welcome, Stasia. I hope that you are able to find The Broken Word, and that you find it as moving as I did.

>250 Whisper1: Ooh, thanks Linda! I love Flannery O'Connor's writings, especially Wise Blood and A Good Man Is Hard to Find. I downloaded a sample of A Good Hard Look onto my Kindle after I read your excellent review of it, and I'll almost certainly pick it up at Borders later this week, if it's available, or downloaded the remainder onto my Kindle.

Flannery O'Connor....now where have I heard that name before *racking brains*
Just had an LT look....remembered my ex-boyfriend was a fan. Ahhhh, now I can rest easy. And might have to WL A Good Man is Hard to Find....