Joycepa reads in 2011, part 4

Time for a new thread.

November, December

174. Bloody Kin by Margaret Maron
173. Blindfold Game by Dana Stabenow
172. Prepared for Rage by Dana Stabenow
171. Catherine the Great by Robert Massie
170. Hunter's Moon by Dana Stabenow
169. A Study in Sherlock edited by Laurie King and Les Klinger
168. A Family Affair by Rex Stout
167. Please Pass the Guilt by Rex Stout
166. Death of a Dude by Rex Stout
165. The Father Hunt by Rex Stout

September, October

164. The Doorbell Rang by Rex Stout
163. A Right to Die by Rex Stout
162. Death of a Doxy by Rex Stout
161. The Mother Hunt by Rex Stout
160. The Final Deduction by Rex Stout
159. Gambit by Rex Stout
158. Champagne for One by Rex Stout
157. Too Many Clients by Rex Stout
156. Plot It Yourself by Rex Stout
155. If Death Ever Slept by Rex Stout
154. Before Midnight by Rex Stout
153. Might As Well Be Dead by Rex Stout
152. Three Doors to Death by Rex Stout
151. In the Best Families by Rex Stout
150. Murder by the Book by Rex Stout
149. Prisoner's Base by Rex Stout
148. Trouble in Triplicate by Rex Stout
147. The Second Confession by Rex Stout
146. And Be a Villain by Rex Stout
145. Too Many Women by Rex Stout
144. Not Quite Dead Enough by Rex Stout
143. Black Orchids by Rex Stout
142. The Golden Spiders by Rex Stout
141. Some Buried Caesar by Rex Stout
140. Where There's a Will by Rex Stout
139. The Silent Speaker by Rex Stout
138. Too Many Cooks by Rex Stout
137. Before the Frost by Henning Mankell
136. Firewall by Henning Mankell
135: One Step Behind by Henning Mankell
134: The Fifth Woman by Henning Mankell
133. Sidetracked by Henning Mankell
132. The Potters Field by Andrea Camilleri
131. The Man Who Smiled by Henning Mankell
130. The White Lioness by Henning Mankell
129. The Rubber Band by Rex Stout
128. The Dogs of Riga by Henning Mankell
127. The League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout
126. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
125. Killing Grounds by Dana Stabenow
124. The Complete Father Brown Mysteries by G. K. Chesterton
123. A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny
122. All Cry Chaos by Leonard Rosen

June, July, and August

121. Though Not Dead by Dana Stabenow
120. A Night too Dark by Dana Stabenow
119. Whisper to the Blood by Dana Stabenow
118. A Deeper Sleep by Dana Stabenow
117. A Taint in the Blood by Dana Stabenow
116. A Grave Denied by Dana Stabenow
115. A Fine and Bitter Snow by Dana Stabenow
114. Killed at the Whim of a Hat by Colin Cotterill
113. Love Songs from a Shallow Grave by Colin Cotterill
112. Children of the Street by Kwei Quartey
111. The Singing of the Dead by Dana Stabenow
110. Midnight Come Again by Dana Stabenow
109. Breakup by Dana Stabenow
108. Blood Will Tell by Dana Stabenow
107. A Cold Blooded Business by Dana Stabenow
106. Dead in the Water by Dana Stabenow
105: A Fatal Thaw by Dana Stabenow
104: A Cold Day For Murder by Dana Stabenow
103. Flowering Judas by Jane Haddam
102. Murder by Mocha by Cleo Coyle
101. The Little Sister by Raymond Chandler
100. Ratification by Pauline Maier
99. Pirate King by Laurie King
98. Dying Gasp by Leighton Gage
97. Buried Strangers by Leighton Gage
96. Pale Horse at Plum Run by Brian Leehan
95. The Maps of Gettysburg by Bradley Gottfried
94. White Sky, Black Ice by Stan Jones
93. A Dance With Dragons by George R. R. Martin
92. Beekeeping for Beginners by Laurie King
91. Black Flies by Shannon Burke
90. The History of the Siege of Lisbon by José Saramago
89. Over My Dead Body by Rex Stout
88. Outsider in Amsterdam by Janwillem Van Der Wettering
87. Old Men at Midnight by Chaim Potok
86. Davita's Harp by Chaim Potok
85. Blood of the Wicked by Leighton Gage
84. Nowhere to Run by C.J. Box
83. Drawing Conclusions by Donna Leon
82. A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
81. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
80. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
79. The White War by Mark Thompson
78. The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert Parker
77. Fer de Lance by Rex Stout
76. Light From Heaven by Jan Karon
75. Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon
74. In This Mountain by Jan Karon
73. A New Song by Jan Karon
72. The Gates of November by Chaim Potok
71. The Maps of Chickamauga by David Powell and David Friedrichs
70. The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall

Found you again any way. . .

Roof work again today. Saturday's was extremely successful, but we have weeks of it...

Sounds terrible!

I'm here! Best wishes on the roof work--you'll appreciate it come rainy season.

Um--unfortunately, we're in the rainy season right now! But it's still rather early yet--rain holds off until mid-afternoon. so we can get a lot done in the morning.

Oops. It's our dry season--I really didn't know when yours was.

The ER list has this book on it for the coming month--
Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War by Tony Horwitz (Henry Holt and Company)

Description: Bestselling author Tony Horwitz tells the electrifying tale of the daring insurrection that put America on the path to bloody war
Plotted in secret, launched in the dark, John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry was a pivotal moment in U.S. history. But few Americans know the true story of the men and women who launched a desperate strike at the slaveholding South. Now, Midnight Rising portrays Brown's uprising in vivid color, revealing a country on the brink of explosive conflict.

I'll request it, although I probably won't get it, because John Brown was my great-grandmother's uncle. My maternal grandfather's mother was Ann Brown.

One of the truly fun things about an interest in the Civil War is hearing from people who had relatives such as yours! What fun!!

Our rainy season starts (usually) in July, peaks in September/October, starts tapering off in November, gone by Christmas--usually.

I've requested the John Brown book as well. Seems to me that I've read something or another by Horowitz before and liked it.

I requested it too. If I get a copy, I could send it too you after I'm done.

I requested it as well. Horwitz is one of my favorite nonfiction authors.

104. A Cold Day for Murder
Dana Stabenow

First in the Kate Shugak series.

Set in a National park in the Arcticwilderness area of Alaska near Anchorage, this series features a Native female protagonist, Kate Shugak, who, prior to the series opening was an investigator with the District Attorney’s office in Anchorage. A horrific encounter with a child abuser left Kate both physically damaged--her throat was cut from ear to ear, damaging her vocal cords--and emotionally scarred. She resigned from the D.A.s office and returned to her homestead within the environs of the Park.

But her former boss (and lover) will not leave her to her retirement, and engages Kate with an intriguing case of a Park ranger gone missing as well as the detective from the D.A.’s office sent to find him.

The setting is exotic and Stabenow, who is a native of Alaska, describes the equally exotic life of the “Park rats” very well. The writing is not terribly exciting, and the characters are pretty one-dimensional, no matter how Stabenow tries to dress them up. It’s a good book and interesting so long as you don’t expect top quality writing or plotting. But this was a first novel, and the premise is interesting enough to warrant further reading.

Good for escape.

Hi, Joyce! Just stopping by to say hello and star the new thread.

I requested the book about John Brown's raid, too.

Hi, Terri! Certainly would be a kick if all of us wound up with an ARC, wouldn't it? :-)

105. A Fatal Thaw
Dana Stabenow

Second in the Kate Shugak series.

Spring has come to the Park and with it, a mad killer who leaves 10 bodies behind until brought down by Kate and her half wolf, half husky dog, Mutt. Among the bodies, however, is that of a beautiful, promiscuous young woman who, it unfolds, was shot by a different rifle from the one used by the mass killer. Kate is assigned the job of tracking down and identifying this second murderer.

A big step upward in quality of writing in this 2nd book in the series. Especially fine are Stabenow’s descriptions of a modern potlatch and the manner in which spring comes to the Arctic. Her characters are still more or less one-dimensional, but the situations and locales are absorbing and really carry the book along. Stabenow endows Kate with a fine sense of ironic humor; Kate is one character who, while not exactly developing, continues to interest.

Highly recommended.

I also requested the new Horowitz book. I also removed Ratification from my Amazon wishlist and ordered a used copy to assist with my writing project.

A question recently came to mind regarding the VA ratifying convention. I'm curious if any of the attendees had decendents at either of the VA succession conventions. I would assume there were some but I haven't found a quick answer. More research is needed.

Regarding people voting against their interests, I highly recommend Deer Hunting with Jesus: Dispatches from America's Class War by the late Joe Bageant.

Ratification is very good with names of the principal delegates. You might be able to track down answers through that book.

Mike, there is a good discussion of the Virginia ratifying convention in James Madison and the Struggle for the Bill of Rights.

Thanks Bill, fortunately the library has that one. I also just ordered a used copy of The Other Founders: Anti-Federalism and the Dissenting Tradition in America, 1788-1828. This little project is quickly getting out of hand. :-)

Ah, the well-known project creep! :-)

Mike, just think of how much fun you are having. Plus you are making a contribution to the understanding of our history. Maybe you can save this project for a paper in one of your classes.

I have been on a total Dana Stabenow kick--just ripping right through her books. I didn't think the first one, A Cold Day for Murder, was all that good, but I thought Stabenow certainly showed promise. Am I glad I went on! The quality of hte books picks up immediately with the 2nd one, A Fatal Thaw, and just accelerates. I've just finished Midnight Come Again and it is excellent. Reviews will come.

My only beef is that there are two books that are not on Kindle, and a LOT happens in the one, Hunter's Moon, that comes just before Midnight Come Again.

Definitely try to read these books in order. These will not read as well out of order.

#21: These will not read as well out of order.

I agree with you there, Joyce.

True story: I was reading one of the Stabenow books (I forget which one) and it mentioned that Kate was reading Angle of Repose so, out of curiosity, I read it too - and loved it.

Stabenow has me interested in the poetry that Kate reads. There's some exotic stuff I want to look up, see if I can get.

Cool beans!

I'm interested in the Native art and legends. I collected books and some at of the Haida, in particular, when I lived in WA. There are some great books, like The Black Canoe about Bill Reid's work, and if you go to various places in Vancouver, you can see examples of his work. I have some other stuff, small stuff, that I was able to get at the Seattle Art Museum. So I'm interested in the carvings and other crafts that Stabenow talks about. Same with legends--I have some books and CDs of chants, but nothing of the Northern tribes.

Have you read any of Emily Carr's books or seen any of her artwork? I read Susan Vreeland's The Forest Lover a couple of years ago and it got me interested in her.

I've not seen her work, but have known about her and seen some books of her art for decades. I, too, read The Forest Lover--haven't written a review but loved it. I've also read Klee Wyck and loved it. It's easier to know about her where I used to live.

It is unfortunate for me that my local library carries none of her books. I really would like to read them.

I've got the first Stabenow book on my Kindle. I will try to remember that they improve if the first one doesn't meet my expectations when I get around to reading it.

Lori, it's good--it's just not excellent. :-) I think her 3rd and 4th are outstanding, based as they are on her direct experiences. She writes authoritatively about the North Slope oil fields in the 4th; she worked in them for 6 years, so knows what she's talking about and it shows. Be sure to read her Intros.

80. The Help
Kathryn Stockett

1963-1964 was a momentous period in Jackson, Mississippi. The Civil Rights movement, which basically had begun in Birmingham, Alabama, reached Jackson in that time frame. Publicly, it took the form of the Freedom Rides and voter registration drives. It was the time when Medgar Evers was murdered in front of his family, when both blacks and whites died at the hands of rabid Mississippians.

Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan comes from an upper class white family; her father owns and farms thousands of acres of cotton land outside of Jackson. While nominally a member of the upper crust of Jackson white female society, in reality, Skeeter is something of an outsider. Too tall, too plan, she has never really had a date, and in that time and in that culture, at 23, Skeeter is on the verge of becoming that most alarming Southern phenomenon, an old maid. Desperate to leave Jackson, she dreams of becoming a journalist or editor in New York.

Aibileen Clark has been a domestic servant in Jackson for most of her life, raising white women’s babies. Her only child, Treelore, was killed in an accident years ago. She currently works for the Leefolt family, cleaning house and tending to Mo Mabely, the infant daughter of Elizabeth, who does not want to be a mother but is caught in the social mores of the culture. Aibileen’s best friend is

Minnie Jackson, another woman who has spent most of her life cleaning white women’s toilets and establishing herself as the best cook in the county. But Minnie is something rare--a smart-mouth, back-talking black woman who is still alive, whole--and able to work to support her family.

Hilly Holbrook is the very upper crust of Jackson white female society. President of the Jackson Junior League, Hilly determines what is “in” and what is not and, more importantly who is in and who is socially unacceptable. Her current project is to introduce an initiative to force every white household that employs black “help” to have separate bathrooms for their Nigras, since everyone knows that they carry diseases in their urine. Something of a caricature, she is a vicious woman who epitomizes everything loathsome about Southern culture. Hilly, Elizabeth, and Skeeter were best friends through high school and even went to Ol’ Miss together. But even though all three are part of the Junior League and the same social circle, Skeeter, unmarried and having done the odd thing--finished college without getting a husband--is now on the fringe.

Celia Foote, white trash from Sugar Ditch Mississipi who married ‘way up. She tries desperately to get into the Junior League, make friends in Hilly’s social circle, but she’s clearly white trash, and therefore so far out of bounds you need a microscope to see her social position.

These, together with an extensive cast of minor characters, including Skeeter’s classic Southern mother, are the protagonists in this novel.

The action is promoted by Skeeter’s desperate attempt to find a topic for a book that will interest a New York editor of Harper and Row. She hits on two things--she gets a job at the local newspaper writing a domestic help column (about which she knows nothing, having never cleaned a bathroom in her life) and deciding as a result to write a book of interviews of “the help”--a look at white Southern life from the maids’ point of view. How she does this and the results make up this fascinating novel.

I think that Stockett does a fine job with her characters, although the white women verge on stereotypes; her story line is absorbing. Where she excels is in describing, throughout the book, the sheer viciousness of most Southern white women who employed black domestics in those days. In a chilling series of paragraphs, Minnie reflects on the way white women punish black maids who get out of line or merely displease in some fashion or another.

“No, white womens like to keep they hands clean. They go a shiny little set of tools they use, sharp as as witches’ fingernails, tidy and laid out neat, like the picks on a dentist tray. They gone take their time with you.

First thing a white lady gone do is fire you....But then a week after you lost your job, you get this little yellow envelope...NOTICE OF EVICTION. Ever landlord in Jackson be white and ever one got a white wife that’s friends with somebody....You still ain’t got no job prospects. Everywhere you try, the door slams in your face.....If you got a note on your car, they gone repossess it...If you got a daughter, maybe you go live with her. She tend to a white family a her own. But a few days later she come home, say, “Mama? I just got fired.”..Then they fire her husband...It’ll be a knock on the door, late at night. It won’t be the white lady at the door. She don’t do that kind a thing herself. But while the nightmare’s happening, the burning or cutting or the beating, you realize something you known all your life: the white lady don’t ever forget.”

But there are good stories as well; they are few but they exist. The white women employers who helped their maids in times of trouble, who refused to give in to the social pressure to fire presumed troublemakers or wives of troublemakers, those who were utterly grateful for the emotional as well as physical aid their black help gave so unstintingly. These women and men like them aided the civil rights movement at great risk.

The tumultuous events of the time--the Freedom Rides, the sit-ins, the murder of Medgar Evers and the reaction to it, the Kennedy assassination, Revered Martin Luther King, Jr.--enter into the story, but in almost a minor way. Minnie, Aibileen and their friends are affected, but not as much as you might think. Their concern is their day-to-day existence--survival--in the face of a supposed backlash. To read this book, the horrors that occurred in Jackson during that time were almost sideline events. Still, who knows. In every war, the women suffer but are the ones who keep the families and the communities together. Life goes on because it must. And that may be what Stockett is trying to say.

A flawed work because of the flirting with stereotypes of both races, but extremely well written. Highly recommended.

I keep saying 'I need to read that one.' Some day I may actually do it.

That's it, Stasia--just keep on telling yourself and sooner or later you'll convince yourself to do it! LOL

That is generally the way things work :)

Very good review Joyce. " Life goes on because it must." Very wise, Joyce.

I spend enough time in small, rural counties in Georgia to see that the attitudes that were the basis of segregation have not disappeared.

I wish that were original with me, Bill, but it isn't--I read it somewhere, in some book discussing the rather odd circumstance that, for the most part, wars don't have a lot of direct effects on women and children, in the sense that they are rarely (and Darfur comes to mind) in the midst of the fighting. But food becomes scarce, etc., and someone has to take care of everyday life--the women. What had been going on in the South since Reconstruction was a war, really, white against black and the blacks were sure losing.

Not surprised at your observation. Margaret Maron is one of my very favorite police procedural authors, and she makes it clear that racism still exists in North Carolina, and not in the back country alone, either.

113. Love Songs from a Shallow Grave
Colin Cotterill

Dr. Siri Paiboun of Laos, Number 8.

The year: 1978. The book opens with Dr. Siri manacled by his ankle to a 27 ft length of lead pipe, and expecting to be executed.

And then we switch back to a time previous. The heavens have opened up and unprecedented rain has come down, turning roads into quagmires and flooding everything else. Siri and Civilai, his best friend, are being prepped for their upcoming status as Heros of the Revolution, pleasing the two old men enormously. But lest he become complacent, suddenly Siri is presented with 3 corpses in 3 days--all murdered by epée, a weapon that Siri and Civilai, his best friend, agree that 99.9% of Laotians would not know which end to grasp, never mind use. The three victims, all young women, seemingly have nothing in common.

The plot switches back and forth from Siri in life-threatening custody and Siri and his friends and colleagues trying to solve the baffling murders. It’s the usual Siri Paiboun type story, except that it’s more subdued. Cotterill uses a Dr. Siri mystery to illuminate the horrors of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, and the atrocities of the Pol Pot regime.

It’s Dr. Siri, so it’s good, but not quite up to the standard of the others in the series. Recommended for Dr. Siri fans.

114. Killed at the Whim of a Hat
Colin Cotterill

Author of the wonderfully eccentric Dr. Siri Paiboun of 1970s Laos, Cotterill has staked out new territory in the time and country in which he lives--contemporary Thailand. The protagonist is Jimm Juree, a 34 year old female crime reporter who has been uprooted from her home in northern Thailand by her crazy mother Mair who has bought a run-down wreck of a resort in the south. Trailing along are her brother Arny and her Graddad Ja; refusing to leave their original home is Sissi, Jimm’s transgendered sister, a recluse who is a computer whiz and who makes a living more or less illegally via the Internet.

With a family like that, how can you go right?

Sleepy though the south may be to Jimm’s great distress, suddenly one day her life brightens with the discovery of a buried 40 year old VW camper ban with two skeletons inside, driver and passenger. Thrilled to have a chance to report death and destruction again, Jimm throws herself wholeheartedly into discovering the identities of the corpses. But she is confronted with a plethora of corpses when two more show up.

It’s a typical Cotterill plot and the cast of characters does its best to outdo Laos in the 70s. Gays and lesbians are rather prominently featured; Jimm befriends the gay Lieutenant Chompu and lesbians show up in various ways. Jimm herself is an edgy sort, and has the kind of dialogue one would expect of a direct lineal descendent of Dr. Siri (which she is only in the literary sense).

This is a fun book, and does for modern Thailand what the Dr. Siri series does for the Laos of the 70s--give a nice look into everyday Thai life. The plot is good if nothing outstanding. There are some really predictable turns in the story, and the love interest is kind of bleh.

But the great redeeming feature of the book, alone almost worth the price of purchase are the epigrams at the beginning of every chapter. They are taken from the literary and philosophical works of the 43rd President of the United States and are awe-inspiring to those of us who can read and write (and beware--we are everywhere, showing up even in the best of families). How can one not be moved by such profound philosophical insight such as:

“If you don’t stand for anything, you don’t stand for anything! If you don’t stand for something, you don’t stand for anything!”

or the grand historical grasp displayed in:

“For a century and a half now, American and Japan have formed one of the great and enduring alliances of modern times”, delivered on February 18, 2002 in Tokyo, underscoring to the world the depth of the then-President of the United States.

Most likely the first in a series. Recommended.

#31 I enjoyed The Help a great deal, too Joyce. Now that the movie is out, I'm hearing a lot of criticism that it's a "feel good" story, and a soft look at a difficult time---maybe the movie toned some of that viciousness down, I haven't seen it yet. But I certainly didn't have that impression of the book. At the instigation of a commentator I heard on NPR yesterday afternoon, I picked up my Library of America volume of Eudora Welty's essays and stories last night and read the chilling and remarkable "Where is the Voice Coming From?" It is very short, and told from the first person perspective of the (at that time unknown) man who shot Medgar Evers. Her explanation of how this story came about is remarkable too. She sat down and wrote it in its entirety the night Evars was shot in her hometown. She said "I thought, with overwhelming directness: Whoever the murderer is, I know him: not his identity, but his coming about, in this time and place...I wrote his story--my fiction--in the first person. About that character's point of view, I felt, through my shock and revolt, I could make no mistake." By the time the story was in the hands of her editor (William Maxwell) at The New Yorker, which published it immediately, a man had been arrested for the shooting, and certain "outward details" had to be changed because they were too close to the actuality.

Linda: Just checked--yes, I have that LoA volume of Welty sitting on my shelf waiting for the 3rd Millenium, no doubt, before I read it. I'll have to check out that story.

We will not get The Help down here--not action adventure, not Harry Potter, not family-type entertainment/animation. I have held back on any impulse to buy the DVD because the casting absolutely puzzled me. Stockett is listed as one of the screen writers, which makes the comment about "feel good" a little surprising. Yet I can understand the difficulty because the characters are too close to stereotypes, and I think it''s hard to get a decent film out of that. so you go to nicey-nicey instead, I suppose.

As I mentioned in my review, I had something of a difficult time with how Stockett treats those times in Jackson. Pillar of Fire, which is the 2nd volume of Taylor Branch's history of the King years, is a terrible book to read--I could not read it all the way through at once but took several breaks, some of them lasting for months. I've lent a friend of mine here the books; he's on this one and is having exactly the same difficulty. And much of the horror of what Branch documents went on in Jackson and In Greenwood, which is mentioned in The Help (Miss Elizabeth's nasty piece of work of a mother lives there). But you really don't get that sense of community involvement and desperately difficult, dangerous times from Stockett's book.

The Help got a high rating from me because it is IMO extremely well written and is a compelling story. But somehow overall it doesn't "feel" right.

And of course there was that lovely murder in Jackson over the weekend.

ETA: Stocket's depiction of Hilly is a little over the top for me--she's just simply too one-dimensional--but the thoughts she gives Minnie, which I've quoted, are absolutely smack dab on if you read Branch. He documented times when the women egged the men on and you definitely got the idea that the women were worse than the men--just had the men do what they themselves wouldn't do, which was beat and kill. Ditto for Minnie's observation that there were white men out there just hungry for an excuse to use their bats and guns on black people. Those sections were most striking in The Help, really well written, utterly believable.

I have a couple of Cotterill's books, including Killed at the Whim of a Hat. Guess I should actually read them one of these days.

Stasia, they are great, great fun.

I have heard good things about Cotterill's books. There are just too many other books that I need to read in the meantime! :)

You need a clone program, Stasia!

Although I will say that the thought of more than one of you is a little daunting! REading 1000 books a year? Aaargh! Couldn't stand the thought of being unable to keep up!!! LOL

Yes, I do need a clone program!

I do not read 1000 books a year! This year, I am not even going to make it to 500, which is good because I have been actively trying to read less.

How will you ever make it through your black hole if you read less?

#46: I am hoping for the clone thing happening obviously :)

Joyce, I saw your post on Facebook briefly, but haven't spent much time at the computer in the last two days so didn't get a comment off. Accept my sincere sympathy for your loss of Ethel.

Thanks, Roni. As our vet said, she was a memorable dog. We're still trying to adjust to the fact that she isn't here any more; she had a big, big presence, even at the end. But it was for the best--she had started to go downhill rather rapidly the last 3-4 days.

And, I have to say, she is buried in a grave that is fit for the Empress she always knew she was! I swear, it's pharaonic! Very fitting, if you knew Ethel. :-)

A pharaonic resting place for Ethel sounds perfect. Only the best will do.

Juan, who does nothing by halves, dug the grave 4' x 3' x 2 1/2 ft deep. We both had to stand in it yesterday in order to lower Ethel, on her bed, into it.

I'm going to start some hibiscus cuttings; they should be ready to plant out in about 6 weeks or so. I have a gorgeous one from my friend Maritza that will be perfect for Ethel. It's called the Queen Flower and it is stunning.

I hope you share a picture of the Queen Flower, Joyce!

It's the most intensely colored hibiscus I've ever seen. A red shaded with blue that is almost neon in its intensity. So far, it's only flowered once. I have the plant from my original cutting in the ground, but although hibiscus does flower year round, it, like bougainvillea, is not thrilled by the rainy season. The plant is ok but it will be a bit before it will put out another flower and will be tall enough for me to make a cutting. My other hibiscus plants are just fine, and I'll be taking cuttings today.

Some of the plants I have (and this Queen Flower is one of them) are heirloom plants that Maritza, who is one of the finest gardeners I have ever met, has been collecting for decades. She and her husband have what I laughingly but accurately call an orchid factory at their place. You can not imagine a private garden with an assembly line of orchid pots! I have yet to have my act together to take pictures at the height of flowering, which is March-April, but I swear this year I will.

The Queen Flower sounds beautiful, Joyce, and definitely fitting for Ethel. I hope that you do get a photo posted. I would love to see it.

When it blooms again, Stasia. Right now, we're headed into the height of the rainy season, and while my well-established plants are flowering, although more slowly, the young ones are kind hunkered down, riding out the weather. I need to give them a shot of fertilizer.

Joyce, I haven't been keeping up with your threads, alas (maybe tonight), but I notice that you reviewed the first mystery in the Rebecca Martinsson series, and delighted that you liked it.

I've just snagged the ER edition of the 4th title - do you think it's important to read them in order? Should I run to the library or bookstore to get the first three?

Rebecca Martinsson??? I have absolutely no idea who/what that is. Ye gods--you mean I've reviewed something, liked it--and have no memory whatsoever of it??? Aaagh--time for a keeper.

oops. Oh, I see why you didn't remember it. for some reason, I thought you'd given it many stars, where in actuality you said you wouldn't be following the series at all. Duh. Nevermind!

btw, it was in 2009 that you reviewed it, if that helps. the author's name is Asa Larsson - I think that's the spelling. But you didn't like it anyway.

Stasia--oh Staaaaa--siaaaaa!!! Guess wha-at--I snagged an ER copy of Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid that Sparked the Civil War.

Me too, Joyce! Hope it's good. I enjoyed Horwitz's Confederates in the Attic.

OK, Linda, that's the book by Horwitz that I've been trying to remember.

It'll be a few weeks before I get my copy, assuming it gets sent out right away.

Hey, I snagged Midnight Rising, too!

#59: You know, I could learn to hate you - but I say that in the kindest possible manner :)

I am getting Stella Tillyard's latest book. I only asked for 2 this month, the Tillyard and the Horwitz, so I guess I should be glad I am getting anything!

What can I say, Stasia. I have this T-shirt my daughter-in-law gave me that I never wear--I just take it out from time to time and admire it. It says "Old Age and Treachery Will Triumph Over Youth and Skill Every Time". My sentiments exactly. I had another one MANY years ago. I used to wear it on days I gave exams when I was teaching chemistry in university.

Well, I have no youth and certainly no skill, so I should be on the side of Old Age and Treachery by now!

Not compared to me you're not!! No way, José. LOL

Who was comparing me to you? Not me :)

Ah. an absolutist. Should have known. LOL

Why didn't you? :)

This was an Early REviewer book.

122. All Cry Chaos
Leonard Rosen

Henri Poincaré, the great-grandson of the legendary mathematician Jules Henri Poincaré, is an Interpol senior inspector based in Lyons; he has a small farm near the city where he lives with his wife, Claire. His son Etienne, his wife Lucille, and their three children, Georges, Emil and Grandpa’s favorite, Chloe, live in Paris. Henri has recently concluded a case in which he tracked down Stipo Benovic, a genocidal Serbian murderer who was accused of massacring 70 Muslim men and boys in the recent civil war; Poincaré is in The Hague to asusre himself that Benovic is securely in custody. But while there, an explosion surgically rips through the Ambassade Hotel, killing Dr. James Fenster, a Harvard mathematician who is in the Netherlands to give a seminar at the WTO annual meeting. The explosion is so hot that Fenster’s corpse is charred beyond recognition, and identification is made through forensic means. Poincaré takes on the case, since such an explosive is extremely sophisticated and may be the work of terrorists.

But while in The Hague, Poincaré receives word that Benovic has put out word to his organization to target Poincaré’s family. Interpol sets up elaborate security measures for his family, allowing a reluctant Poincaré to pursue the bombing case, which has started to take on puzzling aspects.

So far, this could be the description of any number of international thrillers, such as those that Daniel Silva writes with his protagonist, Israeli agent Gabriel Allon. Plot looks familiar and there is a promise of nice twists.

But Rosen has written a richly complex novel that interweaves such unlikely themes as fractals, an End Times Christian fundamentalist group called Soldiers of the Rapture who think that blowing people up will hasten the End Times by creating the necessary chaos for Christ’s appearance, an indigenous people’s liberation movement headed by a charismatic economist/herder, the functioning of the global economy, philosophy and theology. That’s an impressive list of seemingly unrelated topics but Rosen, in a masterpiece of a debut novel, pulls them all together in an absorbing, compelling story. I defy anyone to resist the fascination of fractals after reading Rosen’s superbly written book.

On top of it all, Rosen’s resolution to the plot opens up, for those of us who are interested in such questions, an interesting concept of God that is without doubt thought-provoking.

All this and a beautifully written, fast-paced thriller as well. Highly recommended.

#70: Sounds terrific! I will have to see if my local library has it on order.

Stasia, it's hard to believe that this is a debut novel. It's a masterpiece of its kind.

I am sorry to say my local library does not have it on order yet.

Too bad!

Yeah, but not exactly unexpected.

Joyce, just had to drop by and tell you that I'm reading Foote's Civil War. Wow! How spectacular! The writing is just so good, and so remarkably flowing. I'm just through with the 2nd day of Gettysburg (mid 2nd volume for those who are interested) and am stunned by how compelling it is. About to start in on day 3.

I'm so compelled by this battle that I rushed right off and ordered The Maps of Gettysburg on your recommendation. I won't get it for a week or more, but look forward to delving into it at some point in the future.

I am delighted, Steven, that you're enjoying Foote. There aren't that many of us who have read him (meaning: people who contribute to this thread) but the ones who have all have the same reaction. Foote was primarily a novelist who then spent 20 years researching the Civil War. Ken Burns' PBS series on the Civil War, which I love, features Foote, which is how I heard aobut him in the first place. Foote interviewed some interesting people, such as Nathan Bedford Forrest's granddaughter (I think that was the relationship) and related some wonderful comments and incidents. According to Foote, the Civil War era produced two geniuses: Lincoln and Forrest.

You might want to read some of his other books. The Beleaguered City is really his chapter on Vicksburg greatly expanded and is excellent. he did the same thing with the Gettysburg chapter; the book title is the same as the chapter title. I don't have that yet but will, some day.

His novels are stunning as well. My favorite is Jordan County. Sort of like Faulkner Lite.

You will not be disappointed with Maps of Gettysburg, I promise you. :-)

Enjoy, enjoy!

I am always glad to hear about someone else enjoying Foote's Civil War. They are excellent books. He evens out the Northern bias that is present in many books about the war, writes with great detail and conveys the grand scope of the war. I often go back and read bits and pieces on certain topics.

I've read through them completely three times. AND have also checked out certain aspects, when I want to get a good overview of a battle before reading about it in detail.

I think that people are rather daunted by the idea of 3000+ pages, but don't realize that they are some of the easiest-reading history around. Nothing dull or unaccessible with Ol' Shelby. And not only that, his maps are some of the best available, period, in any book on the Civil War except for the new-format atlases. I scanned them and printed them out at one point, the ones I wanted to use for other books I was reading.

You know, I agree about the maps. They seem so small and un-detailed, but then when you read the text you find that they show you exactly what you need. I have a copy of the 'Official Civil War Atlas' and even though those are lovely, they are remarkably much less helpful than Foote's little sketches!

And wildbill, I have to confess that *I* have a bit of a Northern bias about the war, but I see completely what you mean. I don't claim to be widely read, but looking back I just don't remember reading anything about Southern politics, so this fills a real deficit.

And Joyce, I will certainly keep in mind his other books, both fiction and non-fiction.

I'm another fan of Foote. I finished the first volume of his Civil War: A Narrative and was thinking of starting Vol. II sometime this month. I thought that his Shiloh: A Novel was very impressive, too.

ETA to add BTW, my LT ER copy of Midnight Rising:John Brown and the Raid that Sparked the Civil War, by Tony Horwitz, arrived today. That was fast!

Terri, I'm glad to hear that you received your copy--means that mine at least has been shipped, probably is in Miami, and I should get it within a week.

John Brown's raid is an interesting topic and the reaction North and South contributed greatly to the bad feeling between the two sections. I am looking forward to the reviews of Horwitz's book. Brown's murder of five men he never knew in retaliation for the Lawrence massacre tarnishes for me the image that he was a crusading hero.

I've never thought of John Brown as any sort of crusading hero. His participation in the history of Bloody Kansas and the raid was that of a fanatic. I suppose on this I was enormously influenced by Stephen Vincent Benet's epic poem, John Brown's Body. Set my view of him.

Got my copy of Midnight Rising on Tuesday. I'm staying in and under covers today---wretched head and throat. Probably not fit to concentrate on it but I will probably look it over a bit.

Sorry to hear that you're under the weather, Linda--and too much so to read! Bummer, that. So get better, soon!

# 81. Yay Foote fans! The 2nd volume is even better than the first, tymfos. Boths Vicksburg and Gettysburg described very compellingly.

Hey, Steven--wait until #3!! Isn't just wonderful--a joy--to have history so well told that you just rip through thousands of pages because you can't wait to see what coms next? Better than any fiction!

I have done very little reviewing in the past months because life has just been hair-raising, especially during the past two weeks. But I like what Linda (laytonwoman3rd) has done in her thread, with just a sentence or two while she gets her act together to write more. I may never get my act together--seems unlikely at this point in my life--but I'll give it a whirl!

In no particular order, starting with the entire Kate Shugak series by Donna Stabenow:

If you have not read this series, and you're a mystery/police procedural/whatever fan, you're missing out. Set in Alaska, it has an Aleut woman who live in a National Park within the Arctic Circle as protagonist. The first book is A cold Day for Murder, which I've reviewed, and which is not her best. But she does indeed get better. Stabenow herself has led a fascinating life in Alaska, and her 3rd Dead in the Water and 4th books A Cold Blooded Business are outstanding, in which she features the crab fishing trade and the Prudhoe Bay oil operation. Stabenow has worked at both.

Don't miss this series. I just finished Killing Grounds which is 8th and am waiting for the 9th, Hunter's Moon, to come out in e-format, which it will next month. Otherwise, I'm hanging in there until February when she publishes her latest in the series.

Stabenow is not as good a writer as, say, Laurie King, but then few are. However, her writing is solid and very muscular and she is a superb storyteller.

Thanks for the nod, Joyce. I find I "say more" about half the time when I do that. I guess it beats saying nothing. I've had no spare time and very little spare brain power lately myself, what with weddings, hurricanes and a touch of the plague. It's raining again now, but nothing spectacular, and I THINK I may have beaten the virus into submission finally. I'm pretending the new school year is starting to give myself a fresh outlook!

Excellent, Linda. I'm glad to hear that you're better, anyway, if not going full steam ahead as yet.

Yes, I decided that just saying something is better than just letting it go without any comment at all.

Thanks Linda for your good idea. I get so finicky about writing a good review that sometimes I am writing the review over a month after I have finished a book. Then I practically have to reread the book to get the review done. I forget this is supposed to be enjoyable and not work. I have enough work.

92: I get so finicky about writing a good review that sometimes I am writing the review over a month after I have finished a book. Then I practically have to reread the book to get the review done.

Urgh, yes. I finish a book and don't remember... So I put mini post-its on pages as I'm reading, and then there are 50 and I feel obligated to organize... I'd rather read than write, but can I claim to have read if I can't articulate a summary or opinion...

92, 93: that's been my problem, too--feeling the need to write a good review, nothaving the time. bill, I actually reread The help in order to write the review, and am in the process of doing that with another book. yes, it goes much faster, but that's still time I can be putting into other books. And yes, when did this get to be work instead of enjoyment???

I just put aside a book I felt I should read, that wasn't doing a thing for me. Why do I find that so hard to do?

95: I've easily and casually put books aside in previous years, which has actually been something of a problem, in a grass-is-greener way. This year, I've put books aside only temporarily, or only if I've barely begun, because I have the monthly quota in mind, and once I've sunk time into a book I want it to count. So I need to choose wisely.

95: I have exactly the same problem, Linda, and no good answer to the question, either. :-/

#94 I can recall having done that in the recent past. That type of thing makes the process more work than it should be.

I just put a book away for the second time, America Aflame: How The Civil War Created A Nation. I forgot how bad it was. It was full of inaccuracies and cliches and then it got worse.

You have to be careful with the "shoulds". They make you do things because you ought to instead of because you want to.

Bill, I sometimes think I created the Book of Shoulds! :-) Yes, it's a never-ending battle.

Thanks for the heads up on America Aflame. I've started to buy Civil War books again. There are too many good ones out there to waste time and money on bad ones.

Hah! Just picked up my ER copy of Midnight Rising by Tony Horwitz

Bill, I just got America Aflame on audio from the library. I haven't seen many negative reviews, what in particular did you dislike about it? Thanks, because as Joyce said there are too many good books to waste time on bad ones.

I went back and listened to the book for about ten minutes and came up with the following factual errors. In Grant's first battle he captured Paducah, Ky., something Grant did drove Samuel Clemens out west, at Fort Donelson the Confederates retreated because of the Union charges on their trenches, at Shiloh there were two Union armies one commanded by Sherman and one commanded by Grant, Albert Sidney Johnston bled to death in the saddle because he refused medical attention. Maybe I am being too fussy but little mistakes make me wonder about big mistakes.

I agree, little mistakes do make me wonder about big mistakes. Perhaps I'll just return it to the library.

Well, by a stretch I suppose you could make the statement that Johnston died because he refused medical help but it's a stretch and stating it that way is misleading. I just checked and the fact is that he had sent his physician off to tend wounded Union soldiers and the first bullet he took in his heel seemed inconsequential. Evidently there was a second wound that was the fatal one.

I consider neither the shiloh nor the Donelson--especially the Donelson--inaccuracies to be minor.

If that's the way it is, then the book is not worth reading.

I have no idea what "number" book this is on my reading list--I am incredibly far behind on updating that first post.

Catherine the Great
Portrait of a Woman
Robert Massie

Robert Massie has been studying and writing about the Romanov dynasty of Russia for around 50 years. He’s written a number of books about the various rulers; I’ve read th one on Peter the Great and thought it was excellent.

Catherine was not a Romanov; she was not even Russian. She was born on April 21, 1729, a princess of the tiny German state of Anhalt-Zerbst and named Sophia Augusta Fredericka. At age 14, through a truly astounding set of coincidences and circumstances about which Massie writes with subdued but evident excitement, Sophia was summoned to the Russian court of the Empress Elizabeth to become the wife of her cousin Peter, nephew and the designated heir to the childless Elizabeth. Thus starting a remarkable story of a 53 year journey that was to see her crowned as Catherine the Second, empress of Russia and one of the most powerful monarchs in Europe.

Massie does an outstanding job of chronicling Catherine’s life, which, like so much of history, was far more fascinating than fiction. Catherine was a devotée of the Enlightenment, corresponding with such figures as Voltaire and Diderot. She tried to apply those principles to Russia, but indeed, as most ideologues never understand, you can not impose radical changes on a culture. Catherine, pragmatic, did what she could but could not, for instance, do away with serfdom; that was left to her great-grandson, Alexander II. She collected an amazing amount of art, establishing the Hermitage as her own private art gallery, and thus starting one of the great collections of art in the world. She was highly intelligent--read widely and was open to new ideas. Massie does a masterful job in bring out these aspects of Catherine’s character.

The book does have its oddities (too trivial to be called flaws). Massie seemed to feel the need of justifying the subtitle; as a result, there is a weird little section on Catherine’s lovers. For the empress to have lovers was nothing out of the rodinary, Catherine probably had fewer than Elizabeth. Massie, however, sums up that part of Catherine’s life with a list of her lovers, including the years they were in favor. It’s rather like reading a list of the CEO’s of General Motors, except I think that the latter might be more interesting, given that the lovers, with one glaring exception, had no impact at all on Catherine’s job as empress; she did not believe in sharing power. The one exception, who may have been her husband, is Potemkin. And that account is fascinating.

Massie’s writing style is very straightforward and not as exciting, perhaps, as, say, David McCullough’s easy narrative style. But it i more than adequate for the job, and Massie has written an outstanding book on the life of a powerful woman who in every way justified the name given to her, Catherine the Great.

Highly recommended. In fact, not to be missed.

A Study In Sherlock
Laurie King and Leslie Klinger, editors

A fascinating idea: take thirteen contemporary writers in the mystery genre and set them loose on Sherlock Holmes. Result: thirteen wildly different short stories--some set in contemporary time, some set in and adding to the pseudo-Holmes cannon (Holmes stories but not written by Conan Doyle), some tightly connected to the Holmes, stories, other far more loosely; some based on either a Homes story or linked by style to the canon. All are imaginative as might be expected from the likes of Lee Child, Dana Stabenow, Margaret Maron, Tony Broadbent, Neil Gaimon and others (but not Laurie King). I’ve read works by about half of the authers; the others are unknown to me, but all of the stories are very good to outstanding. My favorites are (surprise, surprise!) by Dana Stabenow (a Kate Shugak story) and Margaret Maron (in which Mrs. Hudson stars in her own right), two authors whose every book I own.

What’s nice about the collection is that you need not be a fan of Sherlock Holmes to enjoy the stories. Naturally, familiarity makes them more interesting to read, but not necessary. In fact, I’ve never read the stories on which a number of the entries are based (such as A Study in Scarlet), but all that did was to result in a silent promise to myself that I would indeed read those Holmes classics and soon.

Normally, I’m not a fan of short stories, but these are too good to pass up for those of us hooked on mysteries, whether or not you’re a Holmes addict.

Highly recommended.

Glad to see you emerge! We've missed you.

My recent life would give added emphasis to that old saw, "Truth is stranger than fiction". :-) I've been very, very busy.

I saw a new book about Catherine the Great on the library catalog the other day - would it have been the same one you read? Your description is much more interesting than the one on the library list. Yours is getting added to the wishlist.

Both those last two books sound like excellent reads. I'm very glad to see you too---I was about to send out the dogs!

Sandy, the copy I have is an ARC, but I have been slow in getting to it--it may have been published by now and it may be in your library. Massie is a Pulitzer-Prize winner for Peter the Great and possibly one of his other two books, and I can imagine a library getting a copy early.

Actually, I thought my review did not do the book justice, mostly because Catherine herself and the times she lived in were so complex. Until I read the book, I had had no idea who Potemkin was--all I ever knew that there had been a battle ship named after him and that there was a film, The Battleship Potemkin, documenting the critical role the sailors of that ship had in the Russian Revolution. It turns out that Potemkin was a brilliant administrator and developed the land that Catherine won from the Turks. I was reading Dana Stabenow's thriller, Blindfold Game, last night; Odessa, the port on the Black Sea, featured in it. Potemkin oversaw the building of Odessa from scratch, and Massie does a terrific job of telling the story.

Linda, I welcome a sending-out-of-the-dogs any time--just make sure the appropriate cask is tied around their necks for delivery!
:-) The last two years have been tough and the last two months have been intense. We're both getting older--I suppose we qualify as "old", although I have a very hard time seeing myself that way when I'm out weedeating for an hour and a half and cutting brush away with a machete or repairing a water pipe, but 75 is 75, and body systems aren't working as well as they used to. One of the items that is on my plate is getting this place reading to sell. Neither of us wants to keep up the work involved, and we're seriously thinking of moving to Italy. But before I can get to the cosmetic things, the roof has to be replaced, and I start on that this Saturday.

Not to mention that I had to fire the best worker we've ever had because he got a little confused as to who was the owner of this property. I am, thanks. One of the very real problems with Latino culture is that, while men love their mothers, wives, sisters and daughters--It is wonderful to watch fathers with daughters--women have no authority, only men do. Juan didn't quite understand that as an American, I don't follow that particular cultural rule. Aa a result, he's out of the best-paying job he's ever had and we're out help around this place. Which meant that Mary and I have had to do everything during the worst time of year, the rainy season. That hasn't been easy and it most definitely has not been a barrel of laughs. fortunately, we've definitely started entering the dry season--it is drying up around here--and that's good, mainly because of the roof. I won;t even start on that except to stay a lousy installing partially failed on us a couple of months ago, causing no end of problems. Reason for replacement.

That's the short list. :-) But we've survived and are doing well, and while we're no what we used to be, thank God we're both still going strong. That's the important point. All the rest is just that wonderful definition of life: "Life is what happens when you have other plans".

Life's a tricky proposition, all right. But I believe you are very well equipped to handle it, Joyce. I would not cope well with the male-dominant culture thing...the surest way to get on my bad side is to float the tiniest hint that I can't understand something because I'm a woman. A lot of car mechanics and other workmen over the years have had their hide flash-frozen by what my mother calls my "cold brown-eyed stare" for making that mistake.

I'm sure there are people who worked with me at Boeing who have some rather vivid memories of the way I reacted to being called a girl and yes, patted on the head--no mean feat since the male who did it was shorter than I am (no doubt one can read motive there). there were other instances.

I can cope, yes--just I tire faster and therefore can't do as much in a single day. Also explains the ripping through 36 books of the Nero Wolfe canon! :-)

Joyce, when I checked back on the library catalog, I saw that Catherine the Great is classified as material on order, and is the same book that you reviewed.

It sounds like life has been giving you more than your share of trouble lately. My husband likes to tell about an older lady who told him that "getting old isn't for p***ies". Your determination and humor is an inspiration to me.

I did notice that you hadn't been around but I figured you had good reasons. It is good to see you back writing on LT.
Your review of Catherine the Great has put that book on my wish list. Although, I probably should read my copy of Peter the Great first. What I have read about Catherine is very interesting and most authors do include an obligatory section about her lovers. I have never heard of a complete list of lovers in the biographies of powerful men.
You have gotten back into the Nero Wolfe series with a vengeance. I have been reading ebook editions but I haven't been able to stay current with posting reviews of what I have read. Chronic health problems keep me stuck in second gear and I'm always fighting to get caught up.

To tell you the truth, I prefer age to youth. I worry less, I don't blow things out of proportion the way I used to, I get a bigger kick out of life, and I have no expectations of people. But I'd like to spend my last years with less work, in a more comfortable cultural climate with, God knows, better food! :-) So--off to Sicily we're probably going, hopefully next year. Depends on selling the property--and I don't care if we lose money on it. The place is fully paid off, and if we lose money, we lose money. Not a big deal.

Sandy, without a sense of humor you sure don't last long here and I suspect in most places as well.

I always remember a short discussion in one of Plato's dialogues about being old. An older man is asked what it is like to be old. He replies that he likes being old because he can just live. He doesn't have to worry about whether or not he will be successful, rich, important or all of the other things young people think they have to have or their life is a failure. He now knows all of that stuff is not important enough to drive yourself crazy about so he can just do the best he can with what he has and just live enjoying the miracle of life and the companionship of friends. I am sure that I read that before I was 25 and it made sense to me. Words of wisdom.
I have 138 books that are tagged as humor books. I love being able to pick up a book and know that it will give me a laugh. We have a new dog, she's about a year and a half old. Playing tug with one of her toys with her will always give me a smile or a laugh. I have a picture of her on my profile, she is a fawn pug. Maritta and I have been married 41 years and she still laughs at my jokes. Humor is very important.

Best wishes for a merry Christmas, Joyce!

Bill, love that discussion in Plato. It's so true.

To all:

I wish you all the blessings of this season, which is my favorite, and especially today on Christmas Eve, which is my most special day of the year.

I haven't been here for quite some time, and that is likely to continue. To my utter amazement, part of our roofing material arrived yesterday, and I expect the rest will arrive some time next week. Which means that for at least two weeks and no doubt longer, I will be involved in supervising, anyway, the replacement of our roof and continuing to work to get our house ready for sale.

I'm also working on trying to get my documentation together to prove Italian citizenship. Trying is the operative verb and form: the wheels of the US government grind slowly indeed when you're trying to extract information out of it. Especially the Department of Homeland Security, which is where the INS is located these days. But I did at least get a letter acknowledging my request! :-)

I'm studying Italian frantically, my 3rd Romance language and the most difficult, I think. But I have all 5 seasons' worth of DVDs of the Commissario Montalbano series, detective stories set in Sicily, based on novels by Andrea Camillieri. I've raved about both the books and the DVDs before. Now, not only are they worth watching, I'm testing my Italian against them, and find that I understand a great deal. I also have a good friend here who has a friend who is from Tuscany. I'm hoping to get together with Plinio to work on conversation.

I should mention that I think one of the best ways to learn a language is to read a newspaper in that language. Every day, I read Corriere della Sera, which is one of the main newspapers in Italy. At first, I understood almost nothing, but more and more, I'm able to follow what's going on. And I must say, politics in Italy is always good for that laugh!

I have a feeling the Gettysburg trip I've wanted to take for so long is simply not going to come off. Instead, this year,I will probably be traveling to Sicily to find us a place to live--assuming that our house sells within a reasonable period of time which I think it will--houses in our price range are nearly nonexistent and there are people looking for such housing.

We hope to locate in the province of Ragusa, mostly likely renting in Ragusa itself at least at first. I didn't know it until recently, but Ragusa is the location of Di Lampedusa's book The Leopard which is one of my all time favorites. I had assumed that Donafugata was a fictional place, but it actually exists and is very near the town of Ragusa. It's agricultural country, with the sea only a fe kilometers away. The Montalbano series is also set in Ragusa and Scicli, a village between Ragusa and the sea. The area is stunningly beautiful; that's where we hope to settle.

After the holidays, Mary will start working on getting her permanent residency (Italian) and also start researching what will be no doubt the nightmare of transporting two dogs and either one or two cats. That plus the work that has to be done around and on the house will keep both of us busy.

But life without laughter is a life not worth living, and there are plenty of reasons and opportunity to do so. And we also need that for other reasons: two weeks ago, Mary's sister was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer,which has thrown the whole family into shock. But again, as Plato via Bill points out so well, age is wonderful, in that there's more of a perspective on both life and death, one that is impossible, I think, when young.

All of us are in good health, thank God, giving due exception to the creaks of age.

I have one more book review I MUST get done--for ER--but I have a feeling that after that I won't be around much. My email is on my profile page; please send me a note from time to time, letting me know how you are and what books you're enjoying. Me, I'm trying to downsize an 1100 book library to less than a quarter of that--our first move will be within Panama to a rental house, then get ready for the Big Jump. So we're starting on downsizing now. I'm reading of course, but am usually so tired at night that I am not reading anything challenging--right now, working my way through the Kinsey Millhone alphabet series by Sue Grafton. Good stuff.

So--that's where my life stands right now, anyway! :-)

I'm serious when I say that i would love to hear from you; I promise to reply.

Buon Natale and love to all--

Joyce

Merry Christmas Joyce. I'll accept your invitation and keep in touch.

Merry Christmas, Joyce!

Buon Natale, Joyce! Nuovo anno felice! (Sounds like 2012 is going to be a very good one for you. La Sicilia suona meravigliosa! Posso venire chiamata quando ottenete depositato? (j/k) (but not really))

Merry Christmas, Joyce. It sounds like you have a very exciting and busy year planned for 2012. I will absolutely contact you. Please keep us informed about your progress on the big move as you are able.

Merry Christmas, Joyce! It all sounds so exciting...and slightly daunting of course. But I admire you and Mary for taking this step, and I have no doubt that you will overcome all obstacles, bureaucratic or otherwise. I, too, promise to send you a message from time to time. I'm sorry you don't anticipate being able to do the Gettysburg trip---it's been in the back of my mind for so long that I might meet you there at last. Well, I won't totally cross it off the possibility list. You never know! (Please do not fall off your roof.)

Joyce, Merry Christmas and Glad Yul. Have an enjoyable 2012.

Happy Holidays!

Best wishes for you in 2012 amidst all the changes you anticipate! May hurdles be low and successes be high!

Joyce - lifting the flute full of bubbly to salute your wonderful plans for the New Year. I've so enjoyed your insights over the past couple years and look forward to hearing more about your adventures in reading and in life. Best Wishes to you and Mary, and please......KEEP US POSTED!

Happy New Year, Joyce!

Making my final tour of the 2011 threads, before going to my own and posting yearly statistics and a Happy New Year to all, before creating my 2012 thread. Guess what I'll be doing tomorrow? Do you know that Richard already has over 100 messages over there?
I've loved reading your thread this year, JOyce, and look forward to 2012.