Mark's Reading Place: The Major Book Geek Strikes Again #17

"Shrik" Edvard Munch 1893

After the nasty one-two punch of dear Kevin & Knockemstiff, this is the only picture that comes to mind.

Books I've read, so far... OTS- Off The Shelf

June:

61) Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck 3.7 stars (audio)
62) Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon 3.5 stars
63) The English Major by Jim Harrison 3.6 stars
64) Autumn by David Moody 3 stars
65) Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness 3 stars (audio)
66) My Lucky Life: A Memoir by Dick Van Dyke 4.5 stars (audio)
67) Old School by Tobias Wolff 3.7 stars (audio)
68) The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell 4 stars (OTS)
69) Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams 3.7 stars (audio)
70) The Sisters Brothers by Patrick Dewitt 4.5 stars (OTS)
71) The Upright Piano Player by David Abbott 3.8 stars

July:

72) Born to Run by Christopher McDougall 5 stars (audio)
73) Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali 3.8 stars (OTS)
74) Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill 3.7 stars (audio) (OTS)
75) Doc: A Novel by Mary Doria Russell 5 stars (OTS)
76) Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan 4 stars (audio)
77) The River of Doubt by Candice Millard 4.7 stars (audio)
78) Being Dead: A Novel by Jim Crace 4.3 stars (OTS)
79) Soulless by Gail Carriger 3.3 stars (audio) (OTS)
80) The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami 3.7 stars (OTS)
81) Savage Run by C.J. Box 3.2 stars (audio)
82) The Bells by Richard Harvell 4.3 stars (OTS)

August:

83) Watership Down by Richard Adams 4.5 stars (audio)
84) The Reading Promise by Alice Ozma 3.2 stars (audio)
85) Divergent by Veronica Roth 3.8 stars (OTS)
86) Three Cups of Deceit by Jon Krakauer 4.5 stars
87) Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol 4 stars (graphic)
88) We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver 4.5 stars (OTS)
89) Knockemstiff by Donald Ray Pollock 3.8 stars (OTS)
90) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie 4.3 stars
91) Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden 4.2 stars
92) The Magicians by Lev Grossman 3 stars (audio)
93) Stone Arabia by Dana Spiotta 4 stars

**Cream of the Crop:
1) The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan 5 stars
2) Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell 4.8 stars
3) The Siege by Helen Dunmore 4.8 stars
4) A Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood 5 stars
5) Radioactive: A Tale of Love and Fallout by Lauren Redniss 4.8 stars
6) Born to Run by Christopher McDougall 5 stars
7) Doc: A Novel by Mary Doria Russell 5 stars
8) The River of Doubt by Candice Millard 4.7 stars

Yeah, first one here! I've so seen that painting before, and I always do love it.

Second! And that's how I feel whenever I think about writing a review of the Wind-Up Bird. :-)

I first posted this on Jude's Thread but I have to share it here too. This is a word I picked up in Knockemstiff:

hilljack:

From the southern region of the Midwest (see Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, Western Pennsylvania and the better part of West Virginia). Hilljacks have a penchant for sleeveless t-shirts, Blackfoot and Molly Hatchet and low-end regional beer. Family gatherings come in the form of cookouts and all of them culminate in drunken brawls and multiple arrests. Young hilljack chicks are usually very attractive but undergo a metamorphosis sometime after they have their third kid before the age of twenty.
Sample:
"The creeper driving by you in the old van with the twisted roof rack and the smell of weed and urine billowing from the passenger side window that is halfway down, crooked and off it's track. The van also sports a confederate flag plate holder and an uncovered snow tire on the back."

I'm not sure if I like your opening painting so much because it's by a Norwegian artist or because I can relate to the feeling expressed. Yes, Kevin was a horror, wasn't he?

What's on tap for vacation plans, Mark? Have a good one.

found and starred! Love the painting!

After your reviews on your last post about We Need to Talk About Kevin I am very curious now, I think I'm going to have to get my hands on a copy.

I have Divergent sitting in my TBR pile. Might take a break from war tonight and start that and let the Fall of the Giants wait another day to be finished.

Hi Mark: Hope you're enjoying the almost fall-like weather today.

I was hoping that we would have left Kevin behind.. :P

Hi Mark, did I miss the review of We Need to Talk About Kevin? I love that picture at the top. It reminds me of well, when I used to work.

Nathan- You are first! Always a good thing!

Lisa- I never wrote a review on Wind-Up Bird either. Not only because I have mixed feelings about it, it is a tough book to describe.

Donna- You've seen this painting before right? "The Scream"? Yes, I think it conveys the right mood.
No vacation plans, just winging it, day to day. I like that.

Chelle- I have not attempted a review of Kevin yet, but plan on it tomorrow. Unless, you have a very tender soul, this is a Must Read. Let me know if you start Divergent. Fast & fun!

Linda- I agree, it does feel like fall and I am enjoying it, mostly from inside the abode.

Found and STARRED you, as usual...

The only fistfights at our family gatherings were between the two Aunt Donnas...once they each got a snoot-ful! god, they despised each other....

I feel like that l'il dude up top....most ev'ry day!!!

Found and starred your thread, I love that picture. Reminds me of myself, especially when I was younger! :)

I also like this one:



Kath- "I was hoping that we would have left Kevin behind". Not so fast, my pretty! Review forthcoming...

Bonnie- Knockemstiff is... well depraved, but in a colorful way.

Jude- "the two Aunt Donnas". I love it. It sounds like a cool alt country band.

Deb- Were you a frightened, neurotic youth?

I'm here, Mark... just not so sure I wanna be. Your opener is so very expressive... reminds me of a time I want to forget! Though there are certainly still some days...

I did think "Kevin" when I saw it - I almost feel like I've read that book. :P

LOL. The Scream always makes me think of Guy de Maupassant because way back in high school, we studied Le Horla and that was the painting on the book cover. I think that painting became iconic because it so perfectly expresses a state of mind that we all experience at some point or another (some of us more often than most).

I needed some literary relief, Knockemstiff has been terrific but bleak, so I started The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. A big shout-out to Lisa, for getting me to pick this up! And it looks to be the perfect antidote. I love the humor:

"My head was so big that little indian skulls orbited around it. Some of the kids called me Orbit. And other kids just called me Globe. The bullies would pick me up, spin me in circles, put their finger down on my skull, and say, 'I want to go there'."

"And if God hadn't wanted us to masturbate, then God wouldn't have given us thumbs.
So I thank God for my thumbs."

*starred8
I like both pictures :)
The Scream is a little nightmarish looking in a good way IMO

love both those quotes!

Love The Scream and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. I was going to say I would not relate the two, but now that I think about the social inequities in True Diary, perhaps they do resonate together. At least True Diary has some comic relief though!

Mark, I just caught up with the last 38 messages on your old thread, mostly about how haunted you were by We Need to Talk About Kevin and then came over here to see "The Scream." Very funny transition to your new thread.

I really loved Kevin but was often traumatized by So Much for That so I'd recommend staying away from that one if you found Kevin to be scary. The Post-Birthday World is good and rather tame compared to Kevin. Hope you enjoy that one.

Have a great vacation!

Claudia- Sorry I'm depressing you! Bad Kevin! I'll try picking a few cheerier books & pictures next time. Hugs.

Ilana- Thanks for stopping by. I'm not familiar with Guy de Maupassant. Any good?

Kara- Thanks! Hope you enjoyed your weekend.

Kim- It's great to see you posting again. I did not mean for "The Scream" & Part-Time Indian to go together, that was all about Kevin. The only other Alexie book I have read was Indian Killer and I just thought it was okay. I'm so glad I gave this one a shot.

Pat- Great to see you! Wow, So Much for That bothered you more than Kevin? Yikes. I will definitely be reading more Shriver.

I'm so glad you are enjoying Part-Time Indian. I thought you might appreciate the artwork as well as the story.

Mark, Guy de Maupassant is a great French classic. I read and reviewed his Bel Ami a while back and I strongly recommend it. There'll be a movie adaptation coming out soon too.

Hiya Mark! Hope you enjoy your time off, and I'm glad to hear you're giving yourself a break with a lighter book. After your comments about your son reading a chunk of it, now I really want to read it! Here's hoping the library delivers tomorrow!

Hi Mark! You're starred. Hope there's no screaming in real life!

Mark

Count me among the fans of Sherman Alexie. His writing is so darn good.

Exactly! >24 AMQS:!

Screaming in real life is never a good thing..

Morning gang! It's only in the mid-50s out there right now. The wife wore a light jacket. I kissed her and wished her the best and told her I would hold down the fort.
It supposed to be sunny and 80. I plan on taking the bike out.

Lisa- There is a memorable quote on nearly every page of Part-Time Indian. Thanks again for the nudge. And yes, I'm enjoying Ellen Forney's illustrations. I'll have to look into her other work.

Ilana- Thanks for the info. I will check it out.

Laura- Let me know if you get it! Inquiring minds and all that. It looks to be another lovely day.

Ann- No screaming here. I'm a pretty laid-back guy. I leave the dark neuroses to others. Have you read Part-time Indian? If not, I'm sure you would like it.

Linda- I know how much you enjoy YA, so I thought of you right away. What other of his books have you enjoyed?

Happy Monday, Mark!

88) We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver 4.5 stars

“Kevin was a shell game in which all three cups were empty.”

Just before his sixteenth birthday, Kevin goes to school and methodically kills nine people. The questions are endless: Was he born this way? Bad parenting? School-yard bullying?
Shriver bravely attempts to examine all these issues, by placing the spotlight on Eva, the mother. The tale unfolds through a series of letters, that Eva writes to her husband, tracing their history, searching painstakingly for some clues, some answers to what may have caused this horrific tragedy.
Obviously, this book is not always easy to read, it can be relentlessly grim and Eva can also be frustrating and unsympathetic. Shriver never lets the reader off the hook and you may find yourself impaled on this grapple, gasping and thrashing, but she is a crafty writer and has created a story that will burn into your soul.

Nooooo, noooo, noooo! :P

I just want to say - I hate when a kid goes bad and everyone focuses on the mother! What? No father? If there was ever a book I don't want to read, it's this one. Right up there with Blindness.

4.5 stars????
I hope you didn't spend money on this...

Have a fun day, Mark! Get Kevin out of your head :)

Claudia- Sorry to upset you with the book & review. It's a tough book and I didn't want to sugarcoat anything. And this is not a blame-game book. No one is really "blamed", it's just normally flawed individuals dealing with a terrible crisis.
Getting ready for a bike ride. Beautiful day.

I saw this in the paper this morning:

It's only in the mid-50s out there right now
oh just rub it in why don't you :P

bike? peddle pusher or bike! bike!

thumb for Kevin :)

I'm another big fan of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. Great book! It won't surprise you that it's a frequent target of banning efforts.

>13 msf59: Homer...i miss my Homer!!!

Love Sherman Alexie!! Have Kevin on THE LIST...only because Shriver is such a kill-hell writer.....

Enjoy the vacation!

I'm getting the A/C installed tomorrow morning.....

over and out.....

a story that will burn into your soul Well said my man.

Thumb from me too, Mark. I also gave it 4 1/2 stars. Now I need to go find out when the movie is out.

ETA: It looks like it's going to be released in the US on December 2, 2011.

Kara- It warmed up to the low 80s, so normal temps. Yes, I ride a bike bike. Took a little trip to the library, which is a bit of a cruise, with my book-bag slung to my back, in full geek mode.
Thanks for the Thumb!

Joe- Yes, I am loving Part-Time Indian. Hey, I not only picked up Sweet Tooth: Vol 3 today but also Locke & Key by Joe Hill, which looks very good. Have you read these yet?

Jude- So glad to hear about your a/c! I'm sure you will have a chance to try that baby out a time or 2. Yes, Day 1 of vaca, is going great, thanks!

Bonnie- Thanks for the Thumb! I purposely kept the review very vague, I did not want to ruin a thing!

My MIL has been in the hospital since Saturday. Hopefully, she'll be all-right. I went to visit her this afternoon. My wife is there now, she went straight from work. She'll be pooped when she gets home.
On my way home from the visit, I finally stopped at Borders. Very sad to see that store go, I didn't save much money but I finally picked up a keeper copy of The Complete Essex County, probably my favorite graphic collection. I also snagged Blood Red Road. It looks to be another futuristic YA adventure book.

Pat- I appreciate the Thumb! Make sure Claudia doesn't notice you also gave it 4.5 stars. She's been getting riled lately.
I think Kevin played at the Canne film Festival, to mixed reviews, but it does star the great Tilda Swinton.

Hope you MiL is OK Mark.

I'm hoping to get to Borders some time this week. I've been waiting for the prices to come down.

I'll have to look for some of the reviews for Kevin. I also love Tilda Swinton.

Hi Mark -

>1 msf59: Hey that's me with a migraine!!

>13 msf59: D'uh!

>29 msf59: *ignoring* :)

>31 msf59: Nice! Our local cartoonist did one last week with the GOP swinging a wrecking ball while simultaneously complaining about the cleanup.

>38 msf59: Hope your MiL is feeling better soon! I also made a stop at Borders over the weekend and picked up a few good ones

I think I'm all caught up! (here at least...)

Great review of We Need to Talk About Kevin, Mark! I have this one on the TBR shelves. Maybe I'll save it for the holidays ;)

Enjoy your vacation!

Sorry to hear about your MIL Mark. Best wishes to her and sending supportive thoughts to Mrs. Mark as well.

Best wishes to your mother-in-law, Mark.

Hi Mark, I love coming to your thread, I always seem to go away with a bunch of recommendations. Tonight I am taking Locke & Key and Blood Red Road. I've already added We Need to Talk About Kevin earlier.

Hope your MIL is on the road to recovery soon.

Hi, Mark!
I have been behind on reading threads. The top of yours looks like Halloween. Which reminds me of Fall. Fall is on the way!!! I hope that your mother-in-law has a speedy recovery. I know she appreciates you two. Take care.

hmm.... maybe one day when I am feeling relentlessy optimistic, I will read We Need to Talk about Kevin. Definitely a great review and a thumb up from me.

Thanks everyone for your concern about my MIL. It looks like there might be problems with her liver. They gave her a Cat-Scan last night, results later this morning.

Pat- I should have waited another week or 2 before hitting Borders. Sure, there were books 40-50 % off, but nothing I was interested in.

Joanne- Loved your comments, especially: ">29 msf59: *ignoring* :)" LOL. Have you read Part-time Indian? That's one you would like.

Katie- Thanks! Careful, about saving Kevin for the holidays. He's a very bad guest. Shudders.

Ilana & Anne- Thank you! Of course, Sue is going again after work today.

Judy- I just started Locke & Key and it begins very well. Joe Hill is a very talented guy. His Daddy should be proud. Also looking forward to Sweet Tooth: Vol 3.

BJ- Great to see you, stranger. You've been missed. I did not mean to get a fall feel, with my picture, (lets not rush things, okay?). I picked that one, all because of Kevin, the devil.

Deb- Thanks for the Thumb! "maybe one day when I am feeling relentlessly optimistic". I admire your daring but hate to see a good mood wasted. LOL.

Best wishes to your mother in law.. I hope that whatever it is can be handled easily..

Agree.. good review on Kevin, but not for me :)

Congrats on the hot review, Mark. Thumbed of course, yet your review took me a little off guard and I'll tell you why. You opened up with the big reveal and I thought that information was withheld from the reader until the end. Am I recalling incorrectly, it's been a good 6 or 7 years since I read it.

Is it nature or nurture that turns kids into raging lunatics or a little of both? Mmmmm, that's always in the back of my mind as we go about raising our son.

I remember that Kevin's father, Franklin, was a complete idiot. He only seemed to see the good side of Mr. Kevin and Kevin milked it, as Eva was with K. more she saw just how destructive he could be, but of course we're reading the book from her point of view. A book with an opposing view from Franklin would be interesting, but as you know that would be quite unlikely.

Have a great workday, Mark.

ETA: The Homer Scream is the bomb.

While I was bumming around on LT & other spots this morning, I was listening to the soundtrack from the new "Muppets" movie and it was actually very good. They are currently running it over on NPR:
Right Here

Kath- Thanks! Fingers crossed about these CT results.

Lynda- Actually, a very similar description of the "Event", is printed right on the back of the book cover. I do not like to give spoilers, in any form but I didn't think this was. Now, you don't find out, what exactly happened in the school, until the final pages.
Yes, I agree Franklin could be frustrating, but so could Eva. I don't feel anyone is to be blamed here. How could someone cause someone to do this? You have a great day too!

We are anxiously awaiting the muppet movie, Mark! Thanks for the advance musical interlude. Nice melodies to listen and relax to poolside while dipping my toes in the water. God, I wish I had a pool!

Geeze, sorry, Mark. I was a little harsh in my last message. Don't rightly know where all that came from... must have been on drugs. You have a way of always letting me say what I feel - so - I do. Somebody had to read that book. I should learn from Joanne to ignore that which I know will be upsetting. I'm just too curious, I guess. :P

Sorry to hear about your MIL and I do hope she comes out of this in the best possible way.
{{{Mark & Wife}}}

*what's your wife's name? Sorry, I forget.*

we have a bike bike also! full geek mode is OK by me :) the hubby has been known to tote a book bag when he goes to rallies. unless you have saddlebags, where else would your treasures go?

positive thoughts go out to your MIL :)

Doctor Teeth is the Muppet of my choice! Gonna go check out that link :)

congrats. on the vaca...you deserve it!

I'm also sending healing thoughts to your MIL, Mark. It's tough to have to do hospital duty... for both patient and caretaker. I hope Susan is holding up okay.

I'm pretty certain I won't be going to see the Kevin movie. Like I said, I'm glad I read the book, but I don't need to go back there.

Oops, sorry I missed the post re your MIL. Sending healing thoughts to you and your entire family. I've discovered when One's dOwn everybody's down in sOme way.

*sympathetic hug*

Lynda- Actually that Muppet soundtrack is filled with artists I admire. I think it's pretty good.Thanks for the best wishes on my MIL.

Claudia- Water under the bridge, my friend! No question it is a horrific & disturbing book and not for everyone but it is a Must Read for others, IMHO.
My wife's name is Sue. She should be getting ready to head to the hospital, right about now.

Kara- What type of rallies does your DH go to? Not Tea Party Rallies? LOL. Let me know what you think of the Muppet soundtrack. BTW- Did you see the new program "50 Documentaries to See Before You Die"? It's running on Current. I saw the 1st installment last night. Some great films on there.

Donna- Thank you very much. They found some sacs on her liver, (gross I know), that will have to be drained. I never heard of this before, but then again I'm a postal worker.
And yes, making a film of Kevin is a two-edged sword. It could end up being campy.

RD- Thanks! I've missed you over here. I thought maybe I spurned you in some way. A stray remark or an inadvertent shot below the belt but then I figured, Richard's made of much tougher stuff than that. Have a good one, my friend.

Sending positive thoughts your way about your MIL, Mark.

Hope you're enjoying the great weather.

I saw that (#31), too. I like.

Wow, I just found the trailer for the film version of Kevin. (Claudia is gonna kill me). It looks appropriately creepy and the kid that plays Kevin is completely unnerving:
Trailer
And this a terrific interview with Shriver, about the film and the book:
Interview

Well I for one can't get enough of this Kevin talk. The thing about that book was that it came out of the blue and was so shocking. When I read it quite some time ago, there was no info about what happened and so the book revealed itself to me in stages, pretty horrifying stages. Before that I didn't know there could be an unlikable baby.

Hope your MIL is soon on the road to recovery Mark.

"Claudia is gonna kill me"

Yeah, cuz I'm horribly violent! (If you get in the way of my mouth, that is. hehe) And this surely pushes me over the edge! :P

Well, maybe someone could write a *good* book about it. :P Though it wouldn't be a mystery cuz we'd all know who dunnit! :}

This was obviously a hell of a book!!!

Harley :) bite your tongue...Tea Party :P

No I have not seen the 50 Documentaries to See Before You Die show yet :( but I will check it out Thanks! my indie friend :)....

Wow there are films I want to see and some I have seen. Here is a quote from Jesus Camp I found fitting since this is LT and we are about books :)...

"Warlocks are enemies of God and had it been in the old testament Harry Potter would have been put to death!"

chilling documentary....so is Capturing the Friedmans if you haven't seen that one

thanks for the info Mark I will definitely be checking this show out!

ETA....trailer of Kevin with Tilda Swinton and John C. Reilly!!!! Awesome looking film :) I am so there in Oct.
sorry Cee ;)

I never heard of this before, but then again I'm a postal worker.

That made me smile Mark, because you're so much more than that. I know you said that with tongue firmly in cheek... right?

Listening to the Muppets: The Green Album right now, and OMG, I'm so happy they did 'Mahna Mahna', that was my favourite Muppet Show song I think, and I still catch myself humming it sometimes on good days, or at least days I need to convince myself that... it's a good day. ;-)

eta: someone needs to come up with a 'typo' song. :@

Bonnie- I'm glad you are enjoying the Kevin talk. Actually, I didn't divulge much revealing info in my review, there is still plenty of "horrifying stages" to keep you agog!
Check out the Shriver article. You would like it. She discusses how difficult it was to find a publisher for her book and this is from an established author.

Claudia- ""Claudia is gonna kill me" is going to probably be a favorite tag-line of mine. Doesn't it have a special ring to it?

Kara- LOL! I started wondering if maybe you were going to come back and say: "Yes, it is the Tea Party, what's it to you?" The husband is a Harley guy huh? I have a few buddies of mine, including my BIL, who are all Harley guys too, although none of them would be caught dead with a book-bag.
Believe it or not, I have 'Jesus Camp" coming from Netflix and will watch it this week. Cool, huh?
Yes, I have seen "Capturing the Friedmans". Quite disturbing. There are so many great docs. I also loved "Spellbound" and look for this one called "Catfish".

Just stopping by to star your thread, sixty-some messages behind . . .

Sending best wishes for your MILs health.

I haven't seen Catfish yet!!! I want to tho :)
ugh!
I think my library has it :)

I did finish Knockemstiff. Good book, but I'm kind of glad to put those people in my rear-view. I would like to visit Jude in Ohio, at some point, but I need some recovery time.
I am still loving Part-Time Indian. This one is a complete joy!

Ilana- I'm glad you are enjoying "The Green Album". It does put a smile on your face. Hey, I am loving another graphic called Locke & Key. I love the illustrations.

Terri- Thanks! Nice to see you!

Kara- "Catfish" is fascinating. The creepy side of social networking.

You can visit here any time you like

Remember...i may be a Hell-Billie.....but, i have a useless BA in
English Lit...i own more books than furniture..i'm a good cook...and you're my (first) LT friend

Some of my friends are hillbillies...but, they read books...good books....good friends

No matter where one lives, one can find kindred spirits/souls/addicts...I know i found mine on LT

;-}

Jude- That was very well said, my friend. You nearly made me weepy. Hell, with that description, I might never leave.

I stumbled on this snippet while reading Part-Time Indian:
"If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing."

I think that's a perfect snap-shot of LT.

Here is one of the terrific illustrations done in the book, drawn by Ellen Forney:

Hi Mark, good luck to your MIL!

Love the illustration for Part-Time Indian, I should see about getting a copy. (But so many books already to read!)

I did finish The Sisters Brothers, and it was a great ride, although I didn't quite buy the climax. Still, one of the best books for 2011 as far as I'm concerned, because the rest of it was so great.

And I've moved on to Jamrach's Menagerie, which is also long listed for the Booker, plus was short listed for the Orange Prize, and got some great comments on the BOTNS podcast! I hope it lives up to the praise. :)

And Bossypants (touchstone has gone haywire) is waiting for me at the library, yay!

Regarding Kevin, your comments in the last thread (yeah, I've read about 100 comments on your threads today, talk about falling behind...) reminded me of the absolute terror of actually reading about *that* day. *shudder* I think I may need some more therapy, possibly of the chocolate variety...

Love the review of Kevin but I do not think it is a book for me.

I hope the MIL is well soon and that you have a 'Happy Wednesday!'

Well, Mark, I just finished Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan, and I even got myself to write a review - here - I think! http://www.librarything.com/work/10789890/reviews/75465494

Stewart O'Nan is a wonderfully insightful, observant person to have written such a lovely , yet somewhat sad read . Thanks so much for the recommendation. He's an author I'll be looking for when I look for other books.

I hope your MIL is doing better. I'm just going to have a look at your post 59 and the links you've attached.

Fascinating interview about We Need to Talk to Kevin. I bet I'll go see the movie, but I'll need to hold my husbands hand for the scary parts!!

Morning everyone! The MIL will be having a biopsy sometime today, on her liver. Fingers crossed. She will most likely be there until the end of the week.

Wookie- It's always good to see you! Part-Time Indian is a Must Read. Your kids might still be to young but you could save it for them.
I'm glad you enjoyed The sisters Brothers. It has taken off like wildfire around here. Yah!
A couple of other Lters have been mentioning Jamrach's Menagerie. I need to slap that one on the WL. Did you check out the film trailer for Kevin?

Morning Stasia- No question, Kevin is not for everyone and I'm not going to press anyone into it. I could make enemies that way. Enjoy your day.

Morning Deb- Yes, I loved your review of Emily Alone and I hope you try to get to more of his work. He's quite diverse. Yes, make sure you take your husband to see Kevin. You will be squeezing his hand a lot. I read sections with my eyes closed, that's not easy.

I hope that the biopsy goes OK, Mark. Prayers going up for your MIL.

You are quite the leader reader around here.. people follow you like bears to honey.

:)

89) Knockemstiff by Donald Ray Pollock 3.8 stars

“My father showed me how to hurt a man one August night at the Torch Drive-In when I was seven years old. It was the only thing he was ever any good at.”

This is a collection of linked stories, spanning thirty years, of small town Knockemstiff, located in southern Ohio. These are gritty tales, sometimes funny but mostly raw and disturbing, dealing with a variety of outcasts lost out on the fringes.
Plenty of greasy ponytails, cheap six-packs, faded tats, busted down trailer-homes, bad teeth, drunken brawls, with darker forays into rape, incest and murder. Sounds like quite a romp, huh? Actually, Pollock is a strong writer and injects these stories with enough humanity to make it highly readable. No, these are not for everyone, but if you have no problem peering into the abyss, give it a try.
“Take me for example, Big Bernie Givens. I’m fifty-six years old and sloppy fat and stuck in southern Ohio like the smile on a dead clown’s ass.”
Come on, you got to love it!

acnopacn njmdafm ida ajv v akfv - oops!

Typing with eyes closed doesn't work for me.
I'm sure you wrote a wonderful review - la la la

Time for a really good book for you, Mark.
Hope you find one soon ;-)

Knockemstiff sounds good. Great review. Hmmm. We Need to Talk about Kevin - you never know - now that everyone doesn't like it - that might just be the thing to push me to read it! ;)

>77 msf59: Wishlisted...I can take American Salvage, I can take this.

>78 -Cee-: ROFL You are a stitch, Claudia!!

Stasia- Thanks! I'll call over at the hospital in a little while.

Kath- "bears to honey." Hey, I love bears. That will work out perfectly.

Claudia- That's hysterical! See you are a good sport! So anything dark & disturbing and you have no interest in, is bad? Hmmmmmmm...I'm pretty sure you will like Part-time Indian, which I'm nearly done with.

Deb- So you don't mind the grim & the dark? Good. Try to start with American Salvage, that goes down a bit easier.

RD- I liked Campbell's approach a bit better. At least there was a glimmer of hope. In Pollock's world I did not see any.

BTW- All the characters in Knockemstiff are fictionalized but this is a real place. Maybe an LT get-together? What do you think?

Hmmmm, an LT get-together in SE Ohio??? Right...okay....i have a big house.if anybody is game....

Oh god.....those folks in Knockemstiff sound like people i know...gulp!

;-}

Speaking of bears to honey ... I am posting the link to the September Series and Sequels Thread in the hope that not only you, Mark, but many who follow you will join in on our month long quest to catch up on some of the series and sequels that haunt us.

It's a little early, but I had some requests for the early posting so people could plan and list their reading.

I DO NOT watch reality television for various reasons but I had to share this from the paper this morning. A new show called "Ton of Cash" starts tonight on VH1:
"In this new game show, 14 people with financial problems from unemployment to excessive debt must carry $1 million in cash from Los Angeles to Las Vegas without losing any of it."

WTF??

I definitely won't set my PVR for "Ton of Cash" - sounds like it should be called "Ton of Crap".

No word on the MIL yet, still performing some procedures. I finished Part-Time Indian. What a joy this book is and I thank Lisa for the nudge. I finally started Three Day road,(thanks to Stasia for the loan). I'm only a few pages into it but can tell this one will be a keeper.

Jude- Did you get to try the a/c today? We haven't had to turn ours on this week yet, although it is getting a bit humid this evening.

Judy- I've been over to the SSS Thread!, like bear to honey. I'm slowly compiling my to-do list. I think I would rather watch a show called "Ton of Crap"!

LOL Delta Queen - Judy - yes - Ton of Cash sounds like Ton of Crap! :)

Mark - no , I don't neccesarily like the grim and dark -but I have a contrary streak in me. If everyone is scared off reading We Need to Talk about Kevin that might just be the push I need to make me at least TRY to read the book... No guarantees! Thanks for the thumbs!
Hey Mark, I just noticed that you live in Chicago!! That sounds so cool! Gangs, the Mafia - that's what I think when I think of Chicago. We get quite a few gang shootings here in Vancouver and area -but the gangs just - knock on wood - shoot at each other over drug territory. So, knock on wood - I don't worry about the gangs here as I am not into drugs and wild living . Just a simple bookworm, that's me. ;)

Mark, I look forward to your thoughts on Three Day Road. I have it on my wishlish, and I know it's been praised highly here. Enjoy!

#86 Ran the a/c yesterday late afternoon through the evening...didn't need it today, though it is pretty humid here this evening. don't want to spoil myself all at once, y'know...

Ton of Crap...indeed.....what is it with these "reality" shows? They aren't like any reality i know......duh....

Deb (the simple bookworm)- I'm fairly safe & sound in the suburbs. No gangs or mob guys in my neck of the woods. I would much rather read about 'em, anyway.
I just started a Canadian author, Joseph Boyden. Have you heard of him?

Anne- Nice to see you! Yes, Three Day Road has begun very well. It's going to be a narrative that is meant to be savored. No buzzing through this one.

Jude- I switched on the a/c. It was getting stuffy and Sue isn't home yet from the hospital. I want her to be comfy when she FINALLY gets home.
"They aren't like any reality i know". Amen, sister!

On the graphic scene, I finished Locke & Key. It's the 1st of a series by Joe Hill and it was terrific. A nice mix of the supernatural, horror and thrills.
I started the Troublemakers, another offbeat series, featuring buxom heroines.

Buxom heroines? are there any other kind? Hernandez...of Love & Rockets fame??? God, i love that series!

Mark, I caught the trailer for We Need to Talk About Kevin last night. I won't be watching the movie, I was almost in tears as it was. I need more therapy. Where's my chocolate???

Locke and Key, eh? Does sound rather good...

Have I heard of Joseph Boyden???? Of course!! We Canadians take our famour authors very seriously! I've got Three Day Road in the TBR pile. It's a Canadian prize winner. First I'm going to read Comedy in a Minor Key - and then maybe a mystery -but now you've got me going with Three Day Road. You are such a bad influence on me!!!

I've never seen gangs or mobs in my part of Chicagoland though, while I was waiting for my car repair today, we saw store security catch a few shoplifters as they ran out the door.

I'm just popping in to say hello, Marky-Mark. Been away on a crazy trip and now I'm home, I trying to catch up on my LT pals. :-)

Oh so sad! Mark and Linda - you just destroyed my fairytale image of Chigaco. The Cool Chigaco image that I had just went down the drain.. Here I pictured Mark, - and you too, Linda, living life on the edge. Oh well...bubble popped.

Knockemstiff goes into the BlackHole. We will see if I can take it - if I can get my hands on a copy!

I am glad you are enjoying Three Day Road.

Jude- Love the buxom heroines! Yes, I read Love & rockets a few months ago. I haven't seen anyone else producing this quirky sexy type of graphic.

Wookie- Wasn't that trailer creepy? And the young actor playing Kevin looks perfect. You would love Locke & Key.

Deb- Actually, I haven't heard much of Boyden. I know Three Day started getting some good buzz over here, so I had it on the WL.
Hey, Chicago is plenty cool without any stinkin' gangsters!

Linda- Yes, it's never boring here, is it?

Stasia- Pollock paints a bleak world in Knockemstiff. If you can handle the "grim", I still highly recommend it. Three Day is wonderful so far. It will be slow read for me. A book to be savored. Have you read his follow-up?

I have Three Day Road.. will get to it eventually.. the rest? Not for me :)

90) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie 4.3 stars

Junior is fourteen and a fledgling cartoonist. He lives on the “rez”, a Spokane Indian reservation, “…which is located approximately one million miles north of Important and two billion miles west of Happy.”
Junior is a quiet nerdy kid. One day, he decides he needs to get off the rez, if he wants a better education and ends up making a long commute to an all-white school, in a neighboring town. This is a very bold move, (no one leaves the rez!) and he quickly finds himself isolated from his best friend and other locals.
This is a wonderful story, filled with humor and sadness. An unwavering look at poverty, alcoholism, the strength of family and the gift of friendship.
The book is also blessed with an amazing series of illustrations, perfectly capturing the tone, all done by Ellen Forney. It’s a joy!

*Thanks to Lisa for this one!

>96 vancouverdeb: @vancouverdeb We raised two kids in Chicago, living in a neighborhood about a mile and half west of Wrigley Field the last 15 years or so. It's a great city. You just have to be smart about how you handle yourself. I feel our son and daughter can handle anything. And my daughter now lives in Chicago near us and my son wants to move back after graduation.

My wife and I both lived in a number of other places before (including Southern California, Boston and New York City for me), but just fell in love with Chicago.

Hi Mark:

I've got Kevin out on my desk in the sunroom. Now whether I actually read it is another matter.

Sending thoughts and prayers your way for your MiL.

Hi Mark, I read and loved both Three Day Road and its sequel Through Black Spruce. I'm sure you're going to love TDR as much as I did.

First Lisa now you so I hope to land a copy of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian in the very near future.

Oh! I am just kidding poor old Mark about Chicago! It's embedded into my nature to do a little teasing! I looked up your city on Wikipedia and it looks very lovely!

Mark, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian sounds just excellent! I might need to get a copy of that!

It might be a bit similar to a book I just loved - Motorcycles & Sweetgrass by Drew Hayden Taylor- I just loved that book!

Of course, just when you think Chicagoland is safe, we have an event like today.

It turned out to be an argument in a car that got out of hand and one guy was stabbed to death. He ran for help then died inside a suburban car dealership (the one I go to for service etc).

This one hit way, way too close to home, this time.

Here's a MIL update and not very positive. Not all the results are back but they are pretty sure the mass is "C". They are trying to get a very serious liver infection under control too! Sue was there for the afternoon but is home now, trying to relax.

Joe- I think you made a perfect travelogue for our fair city! Good job!

Karen- So a copy of Kevin is out on your desk in the sunroom? It's spooky but I just started hearing the theme to The Exorcist. Remember Tubular Bells?

Bonnie- I remember that a couple of you had loved the Boyden books. I'm really enjoying TDR! And I think you will like Part-Time Indian.

Deb- You big tease! I am enjoying TDR, (which you need to dust off and crack open). Yes, you will also like Part-Time Indian.

Linda- That "road rage" is scary stuff! I try to keep my emotions in check, while driving. You never know!

Mark, so sorry that you aren't hearing better news about your MIL. Hope you and your wife are staying strong.

Mark, sorry to hear about your MIL. Big {{hugs}} to you and Sue.

If it helps, my Mum was diagnosed with the double whammy of bowel & liver cancer last year. She's just finished chemo, and all is right with the world. (Although we do have to feed her up a bit still, she was thin to start with, now she's far too skinny! And I still can't watch/read anything that involves cancer or parent death.)

Here's hoping that your MIL has a similar outcome. All my fingers are crossed.

Mark - so sorry about your MiL's "C" news. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.

Yes, I love Tubular Bells. Michael Oldfield, isn't it? I still think I have a copy of that album upstairs - of couse we don't have a working turntable right now. It just keeps ratcheting and ratcheting up as I recall.

Right now Kitty William, aka Catman, is actually laying down on Kevin and the World's Best One Hundred Detective Stories, volumes 1-3, 5-10 (4 is winging its way via Bookmooch from Canada). He's a very discerning kitty.

Actually all the cats (five of them) are spooked because of the disruption in the house - we're finishing the packing to take daughter to college tomorrow. They know something's going on.

Have a great evening and good day tomorrow!

Sorry about the dismal news, Mark. Looks like there's some rough weather ahead... I'll be keeping you, Sue and MIL in my thoughts/prayers. Hope things turn out better than you think.

I actually have True Diary of a Part-Time Indian somewhere. I bought it on a whim - now that I know it's good, maybe I'll read it! :)

Mark- Best wishes to you MIL and your family.

Sorry for your MIL's bad news, Mark. Of course, my thoughts and prayers are heading your way. My neighbor has survived 7 years after pancreatic cancer so I know that good things can happen, even when the outlook doesn't look good.

Add my sympathies to the list, Mark, and please pass them along to Sue too. Perhaps with all of the research that has happened recently, "C" won't be as devastating as it used to be. My Dad has had cancer three times now and has been doing well and cancer-free for 5 or 6 years, just got another clean bill of health. Hopefully your MIL can get a little rest and Sue and you can too.

((Hugs))

Thank you everyone! Your comments and concern are much appreciated!

I'm very sorry to hear about your MIL's suspected diagnosis, Mark.

You and Sue have my sympathies Mark. And you MIL too of course.

The Absolutely True Diary has been recommended to me before, but you sure do make it extra tempting!

Yikes! 115 messages behind.
So sorry to hear about the news regarding your MIL. I hope you and the family are able draw strength from one another. Will be keeping you and the family in my thoughts Mark.

Sorry to hear that news Mark. Hope things turn around. Hugs to you and Mrs Mark.

#98: Have you read his follow-up? No, I have not. Once this years book buying ban is over I will try and get my hands on a copy.

Sorry to hear about your MIL. I hope that treatment is successful for her.

Morning everyone and once again thanks for your wishes & prayers. We are both positive people and believe everything will work out. I plan on visiting her today and we are hoping for those final results, so a game-plan can be started.
Mrs. Mark says hi and hugs to all!

I'm currently enjoying Three Day road and I clearly can see what all the fuss was about. He's a heck of a writer. Of course my audios have stalled out, with being on vacation but I am nearing the end of The Magicians. It has picked up it's pace in the latter part of the book.

Mark, so very sorry to hear your concerning news. Big hugs to both you and Mrs Mark , as well your mother in law. So many advances have been made in fighting "C" that you have much to be optimistic about. Hugs and prayers to all of you.

dismal news indeed :( so sorry

I wish her and the family strength.. and a good outcome..

>123 Donna828:: Mark, I'm a big believer in the power of positive thinking. Sending bushel baskets full of good wishes your way. I'm glad you live in an area where the best of medical care is available. Please keep us advised of the game-plan.

Please accept my sympathy and positive thoughts for your MIL, too, Mark. They can do amazing things these days. I hope the treatment goes well.

So glad you liked Part-Time Indian. I'll look forward to your thoughts on The Magicians.

Adding my sympathies, thoughts and prayers for your MIL, Marky-Mark. I hope her treatment will result in a positive outcome.

Well, we won't have Jim Hendry to kick around anymore, Mark. Maybe the Cubs can finally hire someone as GM who can turn things around.

It just so happens I'm having lunch with my biggest sports fan friend today. We'll have plenty to talk about.

Thanks, Deb, Kath, Donna & Caro! I appreciate the "bushel baskets full of good wishes"!

Joe- Thank you sir! Were there any other books by Alexie you could recommend?

Linda- I just heard the Hendry news on the radio. Not a surprise, right? I saw that Gurnee incident in the paper this morning, about the bleeding guys in the car-dealership. Very few details though.

We are not going to the hospital. It looks like everyone is taking a break. We will go tomorrow. Looks like we might try to slip out and finally see the last Harry. Yah!

I found this interesting-This morning we went to a Cracker Barrel for breakfast, (good stuff, BTW) and saw that you can actually rent an audiobook there, (3.50 a week) and then return it to any Cracker Barrel. Perfect for a car trip. Unfortunately, 2 of the choices were Decision Points & some Glen Beck drivel. I'm sure there were better choices but I high-tailed it out of there.

I hear his The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven is supposed to be very good. It's on my tbr list.

Hi Mark, it's a he'll of a job catching up on your thread. All the Kevin talk has prompted me to order the book online. I will read it as soon as it comes. You will make a good publicist. Knockemstiff goes in the TBR list. Sorry about the MIL.

Hi Mark, I'm very sorry to hear of your MIL's diagnosis and will be sending up prayers for her recovery.

Hi Joe- Thanks! I'll have to add The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven to the List! I read Indian Killer many years ago but wasn't very impressed. I did start Sweet Tooth 3 and looks very promising.

Gautam- Nice to see you! Kevin is quite a book. I hope you like it.

Bonnie- Thanks! I'm really enjoying TDR!!

We finally saw the last Harry Potter film. I think they did a great job! Very impressive finale!

I'm so glad you skipped the Glen Beck drivel - unless you could find some dark humour in that audio....;) Glad you enjoyed the last Harry Potter Film. I saw The Help this week and compared to the book, which was quite enjoyable - I found I was not too thrilled with the movie. In fact, I was a little bored.

Glad you finally made it to HP, Mark! One of these days I may watch it :)

Have a terrific Saturday!

Bloody hell, that is a nasty diagnosis. Still, unlike some recalcitrant cancers, it is treatable; diagnosis made, that's what to focus on. I'm not convinced that positive thinking alters outcomes, but it sure as hell makes the day to day slog and the stress a lot easier to deal with; life throws enough at us without us letting it drive us to the ground. I'll keep fingers and toes crossed that all the subsequent tests reveal that whatever it is, is early stages and readily treatable. You know you've got immense reserves of friendship to draw on around here, to the extent that helps.

A friend of mine has late stage 3 breast cancer; it's v.v. hard for her and just as much so for the rest of us, albeit in an utterly different way. I hate the fact that people have to go through this.

I admit I'm not a "Scream" fan when it comes to Munch; a lot of his other stuff I really like, though. Perhaps the scream has just been heard too often??

Re "Kevin", thanks for the alert on its darkness. I did score a freebie from the Orange Prize FB site; I'll save it to read when my mood is ebullient enough that I can cope with the bleakness.

As for Joseph Boyden, I bow down and worship his prose. 'nuff said.

Deb- We were hoping to see the Help this past week, RL intruded. It's getting mostly positive buzz. Maybe we could squeeze it in next weekend. Three Day Road has been terrific. Should be done with it, in a couple days. Enjoy your weekend.

Stasia- You did see Part 1 of HP, right? Have a great day too!

Suz- "you've got immense reserves of friendship to draw on around here". Perfectly said, thanks! Actually, it hasn't even officially been confirmed that it's cancer, if you can believe it. Still waiting for the final results. Hopefully today.
Yes, I agree "the Scream" painting is over-used, I was just attempting to make a funny about my experience with the lovely Kevin. The Boyden book has been wonderful. Are these books connected?

No, I have not seen either of the parts of the latest HP movie. I want to see them together. I do not do well in theatres, so I am waiting for them both to be released on DVD.

Just running through to wave hi! Have a nice day, Mark!

I've been wanting to watch 'The Help' too, Marky-Mark. Won't be able to today because of stuff we have to do, but maybe tomorrow if all goes well.

The Boydens are connected, but only distantly. The second novel is set in contemporary times, and involves descendants of the characters in the first. Having read #1 made #2 even richer, but they are both soooo good, that...

Spent a few hours at the hospital. (Not my favorite place!) The MIL looks much better and attitude is good. Still waiting on final results, which is getting very frustrating for all.

Stasia- You have so much to look forward to, when they finally release the 2nd part of HP on DVD. They did a fantastic job.

Claudia- Hope your weekend goes well. I know you have a lot going on.

Caro- We might try seeing it next weekend. We'll compare notes.

Suz- That is so good to hear. I am looking forward to reading more of this author.

Did you go to see Harry? I loved it!

Glad to know your MIL is holding up well. Hospitals aren't my favourite place either, but then I've never known anyone to say they actually like hanging out in them, ever. Hope you're having a lovely weekend otherwise.

I misread Joseph Boyden and thought I saw William Boyd instead. Have you read the latter? I've had Restless on my Audible wish list for some time now. It's narrated by Rosamund Pike, an actress I like quite a lot. I've had Boyden's Through Black Spruce on my shelf longer than I care to recall right now. I hear it's really good.

Hi Mark, best wishes to you and your family. I'm so sorry to hear the news of your mother in law.

Hi Mark! I searched up a few reviews and put them onto the main page of Through Black Spruce. It did win the Giller prize , here in Canada, one of largest literary prizes -but all the reviews that I could find were mixed - and cited Three Day Road as the much better book. I started a bit of Three Day Road about a year ago - and one day I will get back to it - but it's a heavy book - or so it seemed at the start . I was in the midst of reading quite few serious books about First Nations people at the time - one of them being Kiss of the Fur Queen. I found I needed a break. You are such strong reader.

As for the movie The Help- yes indeed, it's been getting great buzz! At the showing that I was at- many in the audience clapped after the movie finished , so I'm sure you and yours will enjoy it. I think I just enjoyed the book so much more. Friends of mine loved the movie - so it's just me.

Oh dear.. this thread always fills me with guilt by reminding me of books waiting to be read..

Morning everyone! It's Sunday, last day before the grind starts again. Boo! Didn't do a whole lot on this break but doing nothing is not to bad, at least sometimes.

Morning Kath- Yes, we saw the last Harry! Loved it! A perfect finale!

Ilana- Shamefully, I have not read William Boyd. I know he is an LT fav too, so I don't have a reasonable excuse and on top of that I have 2 of his books in the stacks. Sad.
Hey, I'm nearly done with Sweet Tooth Vol 3. Wow, this series gets deeper and richer as it goes.

Anne- Thanks for the good wishes. Nice to see you!

Deb- Thanks for your thoughts on Boyden. I have about a 100 pages left on TDR. It's not a fast read but he is a strong writer and tells a good story. Maybe you can give it a try, at some point.
I really enjoyed The Help, the book but really never expect the film to be as good. Enjoy your Sunday!

Happy Sunday, Marky-Mark. Since I was recommending Courtney Crumrin to you the other day, I re-read some of them this morning ... still enjoyable. :-) I've added the Sweet Tooth series to my obese wish list, and since I don't have any new GNs in my TBR Tower, I'll probably end up getting this sooner rather than later.

Happy Sunday Mark! : )

Caro- I finished Sweet Tooth Vol 3 today. It ended with a nice cliffhanger, so now I can't wait for Book 4.

Kim- Nice to see you and I hope you had a good weekend.

Last day of vacation. Sad Mark shuffles off to bed...good night!

Mark, I asked for them to purchase Sweet Tooth Vol 2 and am waiting to see if they'll come through with that. I was told they have really restricted budgets, and even more so when it comes to English books. Now I'm wondering if I've told you that already and am repeating myself? Oy. Must be time for me to pack it in.

Hope you have a good week Mark, and since you'll be reading this first thing, have a nice day!

And here am I, almost at the end of Monday's work day. :)

Hope it's not too much of a horrid shock, returning to work, Mark!

I'll be finishing both Three Day Road and on audio, The Magicians today. I started Stone Arabia yesterday and this one looks very promising. I'm hoping to get my copy of The Last Werewolf back, so I can start it this week.

Ilana- It's tough being at the mercy of the library and most graphics are just to expensive to buy. Good luck on that one.

Wookie- Thanks! It doesn't take long to get back in the swing of things and it's going to be a beautiful day. You have a good week too!

Glad you are anticipating a wonderful day back to work today, Mark. Good for you! One day I promise I will read Three Day Road but for now I am having great fun with an escapist thriller -The Accident by Linwood Barclay - a Canadian author.

I've got quite a few long listed booker 2011 prize books that should arrive fairly soon. I'm not sure what will be next. I did get Blankets from the library. That's my first graphic novel - not sure if I'll read it right away. And - my son's girlfriend brought over a number of Canadian author books for me - all of the literary nature. She is taking Canadian Studies with a minor in English Lit - so I've got quite a choice. She and my son have been dating for over 3 years! I hope one day she might be my Daughter in Law! They are both in their final year of their Bachelors programs -but my son will graduate as Software Engineer with a minor in philosophy.

Have a great day!

I hope she becmes a daughter in law, too! Sounds like you have something in
common besides your son :)

Wishing you a good post vaca day, Mark!

Hi Mark!

I think I'm one of the few people who isn't gushing over HP II - I enjoyed it and it was quite dramatic. It may be my personality type, too. I've read the book twice and listened to it 3 times so didn't like a lot of the changes they made. To tell the truth, none of the movies after the first one lived up to my expectations. They're enjoyable in their own right but definitely not good representations of the books IMHO.

I hope your day is going well.

Mark, it's funny because until a few months ago, I just went ahead and bought whatever books I wanted to read, but I joined the library partly because that was getting to be a very expensive habit indeed. And now that I use the library so much, the idea of buying books only comes up when it's for something I badly want to read and/or that I know I'll want to keep forever. All the more so now that I don't participate in BookMooch so much and the library no longer accepts donations, which makes it harder to clear up space!

Deb- Yep, 1st day went fine. My customers were all glad to see. "Did you know what time I got my mail?" As usual, I heard that several times.
I'll be waiting for your thoughts on the Booker Prize selections. I have to admit, I have a hard time keeping up with the various prize nominees or winners for crying out loud.
Wow, your son is dating a "reader"! How exciting. I wish my son would do the same thing. Hey, I'll give him a break, he's only 19. Keep in touch about those "literary nature" books.

Kath- Thanks, I appreciate it. Are any of your kids readers?

Karen- That might be the key, how familiar you are with the books. I've read them all once and enjoyed them but for some reason I don't retain a lot of small details or some of the bigger ones, so watching the films is never a problem.

Ilana- I spend more money on books now than I have ever did before and that still is not an unreasonable amount. I'm actually very careful what I buy and how much I pay. I cut back in other areas. Books rule right now!

How was your first day at work after your vacation, Marky-Mark?

I enjoyed HP7.2, but when I went back to re-read the final scene after watching the movie, I did get peeved that they removed a lot of the humour. But they've done that since the start. I wanted Dumbledore to say his few words "Nitwit. Oddment. Blubber. Tweak." in the movie, dagnabbit!!

My FIL *loved* me for my reading collection, which startled me somewhat. :) And my MIL has read more of my books than I have! (She's a scary fast reader.)

Looking forward to your thoughts on TDR Mark.

Hi Mark! Glad you had a good first day back to work, and that all of your customers were so pleased to see you back- which does not surprise me in the least!!!Well - yes, my son has been dating a reader for three years now - they both turned 21 this year -but I'm not sure yet whether his girlfriend is a reader per se -but taking Canadian Studies at univeristy and then declaring a English Lit minor kind of forces one to become a reader - at least for university days.... I'm sad to tell you that my sons - so far - do not seem to be readers. My eldest loves the newspaper, and the our younger son - the 21 year old - works at the University Bookstore p/t likes to tell me that "I don't read anything I don't have to read.". Sigh. But when kids are reading so much for school - it 's hard to know whether they will become lifelong readers or only temporarily. Our younger son will be getting a degree in computer science and a minor in philosophy - so he's more of a math/logic kind of a guy -so far.... But yes, we need to give them time .

The younger son's girlfriend gave me some really cool Can Lit !

I'm so impressed that you've read Three Day Road. I've got to get to that -but I've got so many books on my plate right now!

As for the Booker Prize - you'll be pleased to know that Sisters Brothers is on the Booker Long List -so you've already read a Booker Long List for 2011!!!!!

Like Brenzi I'll be looking forward to your thoughts on TDR.

You know, my husband fooled me into thinking he was a reader before we were married. sigh. ;) Oh well!!! 28 happy years together, and he does not mind my reading habit - and once when he was sick - he read quite a few of my books. I remember him reading one of my mysteries on a trip - Birdman by Mo Hayder -and when he returned from his trip - he looked at my quite shocked and asked - you really read scary stuff like this? ;)

Mark, you have given me the Jones' for Sweet Tooth books. Like Ilana, my library only carries Vol 1. I have filled out requests for purchase at the branch and now I have e-mailed their main branch asking (begging) them to continue on with the series. I'm trying to "guilt" them into getting them since Jeff Lemire is a Canadian author after all.

Howdy do, Mark. Glad you finally got around to HP7 part 2. We were very pleased with the finale and in fact we've seen 4 good summer movies this year and by the looks of the trailers a more good movies are just around the bend. What a change from the ho-hum movies that have filled the screens in past years.
Hope the week back at work is going well.

BTW: Bah! my local post office is closing and will need to travel to a neighboring city for PO visits. Are you experiencing similar closings in your area and how does that effect you?

Caro- My first day back went well. The route (inside the office, where my case is) was left in good shape, which helps a lot. Plus the weather was beautiful.

Wookie- Yeah, it's those things about the HP books that I forget. My Mom was a big reader, which put me on the right path but my Dad may have read "one" book in his life. My FIL drives a lot for his job, so he's been listening to audiobooks, (I'm not sure if I can take credit for that) and my MIL is a part-time reader, when the mood strikes: A malady I have never had a problem with.
Does your Mom read the same type of books you do? Or is it more fluff?

Bonnie- I'm working on a review! Short version: Loved it!

Deb- My son is reading Divergent. When I find these kind of books, fast-paced thrillers, I leave them around our family room, with the hopes he'll pick one up. Like baiting a trap. It worked this time and also worked with The Hunger Games, although he's been stuck in the middle of Catching Fire for months.
My daughter is also reading Divergent. She is slow reader but I love her enthusiasm. "Dad, this is sooooooooo good."
I've never read Mo Hayder. Jude has raved about him before.

Judy- That has got to be so frustrating, waiting for these series books. Do you have this problem locating other series books or authors as well? Or is it just the graphic niche?
I wish I could afford to buy them and just send them to you guys.

Lynda- I agree it's been a drab year for movies. I am looking forward to "The Help". I'm sorry to hear about your PO closing. I haven't heard of to many closings in the suburbs but I know a few have been targeted in and about the city, (Chicago) which has some people upset.

Even though I am not much of a movie person, I did enjoy the HPII movie a lot!
I don't plan on seeing The Help, but may go with my sister for her sake .. dunno..

Well, hope today is another wonderful day for you.. I myownself am off to read, probably some fluff?
Not sure. Have to see what is on top of my TBR pile today.

I made an unexpected and unwanted trip back to Kansas for a funeral but am back at work and getting ready for the first day of school - tomorrow. I got some quality time in my car and listened to two recorded books. Neither of which was all that good. I am working on Great Railway Bazaar and am liking that book. Sorry to hear about your mother-in-law.

Oh oh.. I would be soooo upset if my PO closed. I was just there mailing some parcels off this morning and one of them gave me a donut ... not that that's the reason why I'd be sad if they closed it down and made me go into the PO in the next (snooty) town.

Hi Mark - Most books and series I have no trouble tracking down, but due to the nature of graphic novels, I of course, want a high visual quality. I would certainly not want a Kindle version, and I'm cheap enough not to want to shell out full price, so getting them at the library works well for me. I will just have to keep applying pressure, cause usually my library is pretty good about getting in new books. I haven't really tried searching second hand stores for graphics yet, I could always try that as well.

>164 msf59:

Mo Hayder is a "girl"....and a good writer to boot

I got rained on today. At least it wasn't hot & humid, so I didn't suffer with my rain gear on. Another burst of rain came in later but I had just finished. Yahoo!
I'm enjoying both of my books. Stone Arabia has been terrific. I love the music themes. On audio, Claire Dewitt is a pleasant surprise. I had no idea what this was about. Claire is a tough tattooed private eye, searching for a missing person, in post-Katrina New Orleans. This might be one of the better ER books I've received.

Kath- I don't have very many wonderful days while working, but I managed just fine, thanks! So did you immerse yourself into fluff?

Benita- Sorry to hear about the funeral. Nice to see you back. I think you will like Three Day Road. I'm working on the review.

Caro- I love the relationship you have with your PO! That's very cool. They are not threatening to close are they?

Judy- All of the graphics I have read now and there are many, all came from the library or ILL. Thank God. Let me know if you have any luck in 2nd hand stores. I wouldn't think there would be a big market for used INs.
I finally bought a keeper copy of Essex County and there is a few more I would like to own.

No, they haven't said anything about closing, so I want to carry on believing that they'll be ok. I can't see that they can't be doing ok, because there's usually always people in the PO and the staff are just so friendly. There's a lady who comes in once a week to give them bags of candy and they share this candy by putting it out in bowls for all visitors. Nice. ;-)

Posted this on my thread, but repetition ain't a crime:

I know about Claire Dewitt........since i have two titles by Sara Gran.....Come Closer is a delicious creep show....and Dope is a hard-boiled, gritty beauty

;-}

Jude- I think I knew Mo was a gal at one point and then forgot all about it. My bad. This is the first I've heard of Sara Gran and using "hard-boiled, gritty beauty" to also describe Claire DeWitt would be fitting. There might also be a touch of Lis Salander in her too!
I'll have to add her other books to my WL. Thanks!

Caro- You and your PO! It's a love story! And no I don't mean your parole officer!

In Sydney, a while ago they started moving the POs out of the lovely old buildings they'd been in for years and putting them in dull little shops. Lost all the charm of the old places. And, to add insult to injury, my local PO building is still empty many years on (others have been transformed into nice cafes). I think there's squatters there now.



The photo doesn't do it justice, it's a great wonky shape with a lovely little alcove at the entrance. If I had the money, I'd buy it and do it up. But I don't, and I just get to pass it every day with a sad sigh.

Mark, you asked about what my Mum reads. She puts me to shame! Her light reading is Jane Austen or the Bronte sisters, and she's usually found immersed in 19th century literature or other classics. She's not afraid of the Russians (although she does recommend skimming the war bits of "War and Peace"), and even rather liked Joyce's Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man which nearly killed me. (But she never got far into Ulysses.) As far as she was concerned, chemotherapy wasn't that bad, because she got lovely comfy chairs that were beautifully lit for reading, and endless cups of tea from the nurses.

We do share a lot of books - she's not at all into genre, so I know to skip magical realism in my recommendations, but anything that I enjoy that's set in the here & now I'm pretty confident she'll enjoy too. The other day she bought The Help on my recommendation as a great read, and also to share it with my big sister (who would read more than me, only she believes in housework being necessary, has four kids, and is a doctor; I don't know how she fits in ANY reading at all!).

And now Dad's retired, he's no longer just a newspaper reader, but is having a great time pottering through the $1 bargain bins at the local secondhand bookshops, finding crime novels to read. (And pass on to me, and I really MUST read some of those Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine books, that's his favourite author at the moment.)

For one of his more recent birthdays, I "splurged" and bought him a stack of $5-$10 second hand crime novels. He'd never spend that much on books, he's a complete scrooge. :)

Yeah, reading's in the blood. I grew up in a house with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves in every room, and I'm continuing the grand tradition.

oh, that is a lovely building.. so sad that it stands empty. I noticed that the PO in Whitchurch ,Wales was in a shop.. floor to ceiling bookshelves have always been a dream for me.. never quite managed them. And, now.. I am cutting back more and more on books that I have kept.
eta

ooops!

Hi Mark :)

Ohh gorgeous building, Wookie!! I'm afraid that in Canada, they privatized postal outlets -so we end up going to the 7/11or a drugstore, or a small shop to access a post office. They never seem to know much at the privatized postal outlets. The actual inside and outsideworkers are still unionized, thank goodness. I really think that you get what you pay for. Thankfully there are no plans to shut down any postal outlets in Canada.

Well, I've finished up my thriller- The Accident and wrote a review. Thanks to you, Mark , I'm a bit more confident about writing a review. Linda, Whisper,helped me too. Still, I do find it intimidating. I'm no English Major. TBR is complex book, even though I've only read the start of it,so I can imagine that it is a challenge to come up with review. I'm sure your review will be a hit.

I'm onto Pigeon English. Enjoying it so far- a lot of UK slang and Ghanian - UK slang -so that is proving a bit of a challenge initally for me -but I'm getting accostomed to it.

Have a great day Mark!

I'd love my PO to be in a building like that, Wookie. Talk about a cozy character.

Don't bring my parole officer into this, Marky-Mark ... he's jealous of the relationship I have with my PO officers because I bring them potato chips and put aside certain stamps for me. I love the new cartoon ones, btw ... with the exception of the Cars strip.

Sad to hear your vacation is over and you are back to work Mark since I know how much you enjoy your time off. :) We've been having such gorgeous weather where I am from that it's hard not to take a walk everyday with the monkey. I will definitely be sad when the colder weather hits us again and I'll be back on house arrest.

Long hot day! I just got home from the hospital, the whole family was there for the results. My MIL does have cancer of the liver and it is inoperable. Tears were shed but everyone is optimistic. Of course, there is no way of knowing but she could be with us for many more years to come. Most of us are staying positive. I think it's the healthiest approach.

Wookie- Thanks for sharing the wonderful photo. What a cool PO that would be.
It sounds like your Mum has wonderful taste in literature and your Dad loves the crime books. Best of both worlds. Have you turned him on to any of our favorite crime writers?
"Yeah, reading's in the blood". I love it!

Kath- Big wave! I'll be stopping by your place soon.

Deb- Hey, if I can write a review, anyone can, that's the way I look at it. It might be clumsy & awkward, but as long it can snare a potential reader, my job is done.
I've enjoyed your reviews, my friend and I don't think I had anything to do with it but thanks. I might have to wait til Friday morning to post my TDR review. RL, you know!

Caro- I want to see a cameling stamp! It would get my vote! I promise, I will not bring up your parole officer again, cross my heart.

Valerie- Good to see you and yes, I do enjoy my time off. Come on, who doesn't? Yes, I'm hoping for a nice long lovely autumn, where I can wear my shorts six more weeks and you can keep taking the little monkey for comfortable walks. Sounds good to me.

oh, so sorry, dear mark -- sending hugs your way

I'm sorry to hear about the diagnosis, and will join you in positive thinking/prayer/meditation for your Mother In Law.

Aw Mark, I'm trying to keep up, but... *pant pant pant*... sure moves fast around here. Thanks for giving it another go on my thread. Now I'm wondering if I picked the right book... does it really matter?

Big wave and smile to you my friend.

eta: just realized I skipped over a very important piece of news. You have my sympathies. You're so good at staying positive. I really admire that.

Sorry to read your news, Mark. Sending positive thoughts to you and Mrs Mark.

Ohh big big ((((((((((((hugs))))))))))))))) to you and yours. I'm so sorry about difficult news. Good for you for staying postive. Big hug once again.

Big hugs, Mark. Sorry to hear the news about your MIL. Good to stay as positive as possible.

Sorry to hear the news about your MIL. I am a great believer in the power of positive thinking and I hope it helps your family.

Your book Claire DeWitt by Sara Gran caught my attention. I knew that I knew that author, and then Jude mentioned that she wrote Come Closer which I read last year, and it really did creep me out (in a good way), I am adding Claire DeWitt to my wishlist immediately.

Big ((HUGS)) from me, too.

And, yeah, I've given Dad Arnaldur Indriason, Peter Temple, and probably his first Ruth Rendell. :) Must get him hooked on Ken Bruen next. And Jake Arnott. And PD James.

Hi Mark! I've been lurking in your threads for months, but I just wanted to add my best wishes to you and your family. Hope all goes as well as possible.

Hi, Mark, I'm sorry about your MIL's diagnosis. I hope you can all enjoy each day as it comes.

Once again, thanks everyone for the concern. It truly means a lot. The next step is, the MIL will be discharged and moved to a after-care facility for three weeks, to get stabilized and then released. Lots to work out in the meantime.

Judy- Claire is a short book too, I'll be finishing it today. I like her voice and I'll be watching for Gran's earlier work.

Wookie- Does Dad like Mankell & Nesbo too?

Charlotte- It's nice to see you are one of the lurkers over here! Chime in once and awhile, love to hear from you.

Return hugs!! I'm a little behind on the threads but I'll catch up. I'm off the weekend. Yahoo!

That is a tough diagnosis .. wishing her well..

Sorry to hear about your MIL!!

I'm sorry to hear the news about your MIL, Mark.

Aw, Mark, that is sad news. I'm sure many more tears will be shed in the days ahead but, hopefully, some of them will be tears of joy spent remembering happier days. Big hugs to you, Sue, and MIL as you go through this emotional time.

Thanks Janet, Kath, Chelle, Darryl & Donna! I really appreciate the kind thoughts. My wife is out checking out after-care places. It looks like the MIL will be released tomorrow and then on to the 2nd stage. My MIL is in her mid-60s and she has bluntly said. "I do not want to be stuck with a bunch of old people." Sorry Ma, that could be tricky.

I still have 2 cds left of Claire DeWitt, so I won't get to finish that audio until next week. I did finish Stone Arabia, which was terrific and my friend from work finished the Last Werewolf, so I got my copy back and will start that next. Another pal from work just wrapped up the audio of it and raved about it. So that's 2 big thumbs!

A pal sent this to me- "USPS Branching Out"

Just stopping by to catch up, Mark, and so sorry to see the news of your MIL's diagnosis. My best wishes to you and your family.

*waving* at Mark

I guess I don't blame your MIL for feeling that way. I hope
you can find a place that will work for her.. and keep her feeling
as happy as possible.. mojo for that.

91) Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden 4.2 stars

The story opens in Northern Ontario, 1919 and World War I has just ended. Niska, a Oji-Cree medicine woman is traveling south to pick-up her nephew, the only family she has left. Several years earlier, her nephew, Xavier and his best friend Elijah, enlisted in the Canadian Army and soon found themselves deep in the trenches of western Europe. Due to their superb hunting skills, they find themselves in a sniper outfit.
This is a beautifully rendered novel and Boyden paints a lovely Canadian landscape and captures the horror of warfare, the ugly battlefields of Belgium and France, the dehumanization of these young soldiers, their daily struggle to survive against horrendous odds. The prose is rich and haunting:
“Death is everywhere around them in the forest, staring at them from behind trees. But something far worse than death crouches close by. It is felt rather than seen. It waits for the moment when they close their eyes to approach.”
This is a wonderful debut and one I highly recommend. I'm also sending a big hug to Stasia, for sending me a copy, otherwise it might have been years before I got to it.

Big hugs always welcome! I am glad you enjoyed the book as much as I did, Mark!

Beautiful day here! I have a couple errands to do, including getting new tires for my Explorer, which is painful but necessary. Hope to get a nice chunk of reading in too. My wife will be getting the MIL discharged and relocated.
BTW- One of my customers, (they all love me), handed me a bag of fresh tomatoes. Yahoo! I do have 3 plants in my backyard but they are producing very slowly.

Big waves and thanks to Terri & Kath! Much appreciated.

Stasia- You deserve the big hug! Thanks!

Thumb up from me - great review of Three Day Road. Glad you have a beautiful day going on there. I'm not surprised in the least that your customers love you - I think everyone here on LT feels the same way, Mark.

I hope things go well today with Mrs Mark and your mother in law. Best wishes on difficult situation.

Glad you enjoyed The Day Road so much Mark. They're having a promo at ChaptersIndigo (our main bookstore chain in Canada) on "books that changed our lives" and I saw that The Day Road was in the offerings. Other than that one, I was glad to see that I'd read quite a few, or at least owned the majority of the others. Still, I'll wait to have read Through Black Spruce before deciding whether I want to read more by Joseph Boyden.

As for your MIL, I completely understand her sentiment that she doesn't 'want to be with a bunch of old people'. My father is going on 71, and my mum's going on 65 and both are so young at heart that even I have a hard time thinking of them as 'old' people, and I know for a fact neither of them would fit in with folks who have truly let themselves get old. A lot of it has to do with mental disposition... some people, even if the years would seem to indicate otherwise, truly never do get old. All the same, I hope your MIL ends up somewhere she'll be comfortable and happy in.

>196 msf59: "I do not want to be stuck with a bunch of old people."
That's what my 88 yr old mother (occupying our new bedroom suite) says all the time!
I'm very sure she doesn't want to be stuck anywhere else. Though there are times she feels she is "stuck" here. *heavy sigh*

Hope things settle down comfortably for all involved. My gosh. Mid-60's is not that old.

I have Three Day Road checked out of the library. $64K question... will I ever get to it? Hope so.

Hey Mark! I hope you are having a good day so far.
I understand the whole don't stick me with the oldies sentiment. My mom is nowhere even near retirement age and yet for years now I've had the old don't stick me in a retirement home because that means you don't love and care for me guilt treatment. But that is hopefully an issue that I won't have to face for awhile yet. I hope it all works out for you, the Mrs, and your MIL and everyone is hopefully happy.

Deb- Thanks for the kind words and thanks for the Thumb! It was a quickie review but I wanted to post something.

Ilana- I'm not sure I've had a Canadian friend BLT, now I have bunch and I am more than grateful. Plus Canadians have great taste in books. It must be those cold winters.
My MIL will only be in there 3 weeks, so she can tough it out and then go home.

Claudia- Good to see you! Yes, the MIL is not that old and lets hope she has many more years, that she can enjoy life and all her grandchildren.

Valerie- Yes, my day is going very well. Now, I need to cram in more reading. The Last Werewolf has taken off immediately. Thanks for your thoughts on my MIL. It's much appreciated.

Oh, Mark, I'm so sorry to hear about your mother-in-law. I will keep you and your family in my thoughts.

Great review of Three Day Road. It's been on my WL for awhile.

"Two nights ago I'd eaten a forty-three-year-old hedge fund specialist. I've been in a phase of taking the ones no ones wants."
-The Last Werewolf

Here's book-trailer tease: Werewolf

The Last Werewolf is one of my planned reads for next years 12 12 Challenge. It sounds good, looking forward to reading your throught on it.

The Last Werewolf is on my wishlist. Sounds pretty good from the reviews.
Hope you enjoy it!

I look forward to your review of The Last Werewolf, Mark!

Oh! I watched the trailer for The Last Werewolf and it sounds like fun! One caveat, though, Mark. It says " Definitely Not For The Kids." Now, Mark, with that young MIL of yours, I can only conclude that you are far too young to read The Last Werewolf. I'll find you a nice, wholesome, age appropriate read.;)

Hugs and I hope things are going okay with you and Sue and that young MIL of yours . Take care .

just stopping by to say hello..

Good morning everyone! Another beautiful start to the day here! We have had a nice stretch of weather. My MIL is all snug in her after-care facility. Early report: She likes it there. But we know, that change any second.

Anne- Thanks! I think you would enjoy TDR.

Judy, Chelle & Stasia- I'm only 60 pages into Werewolf but it snares you immediately. He's a sharp crafty writer. I'm sure I will be beating the drums for this one!

Deb- "Definitely Not For The Kids" is completely understandable. This werewolf is sex-obsessed, (it's his nature), so there is some graphic descriptions, but its not gratuitous, at least not in the early going. Thanks for the hugs, I will pass one on to my wife.

I checked already and I can get my hands on The Last Werewolf. If it turns out to be as good at the end as it at the beginning, I will give it a go.

I thought the ending of The Last Werewolf was very good, Stasia, and as good as the beginning.

Me & Wookie were discussing this earlier in the thread and I want to present this to my visitors: Did you grow up in a house of readers or were you the lone outcast?

Kath- Big hearty wave!

Stasia- I should be done with Werewolf early next week. You will get a full report.

Joe- That's good to hear!

Hi Mark: Enjoy the gorgeous weather.

I grew up in a house of readers though I'm the most avid. Mom and dad both read one book every 7-10 days. My sister reads 1-2 books per week. I'm more of a 3-4 books per week reader.

What is odd is that no one else in my family is big on mysteries, though my sister now reads an occasional mystery.

I grew up in a house of avid readers! I was read to as a young toddler - if not earlier -and I taught myself to read because I told my mom to get me books to help me learn how to read when I was in Kindergarten. I should tell you that I am the eldest of 5 kids- so all of that was no small feat on my parents' part. My mom used to take all of we kids to a bookstore about once a month- and tell all of we kids to choose a book and she would buy it for us. We had a great school library, and my mom took us regularly to the community library until we could go ourselves.

My mom and dad and all of my siblings were avid readers -so much so that we all preferred to read at the breakfast/lunch/ dinner table, rather than chat. If all 7 of us were home at dinner and trying to read - my mom would have to tell us that there was no room for reading at the table. The rest of the time, it was fine.

My 4 sibs have all remained avid readers, with one of my brother's an English Lit graduate.

I've tried hard to pass that on to my own family....... but I'm not yet certain if I have. My sons were avid readers into their early teens -but right now, one is at university and has to read piles of text books for school, and the elder one at least reads the Newspaper daily. That's a start.....

I grew up in a house with a reader of one and that one being me! I tried to get my brother to read one time and he read about 1 page and ended up asleep on the floor so that was a lost cause. Although years later I saw him reading of his own accord, The entire Harry Potter series and Memoirs of a Geisha so I guess there is hope. :) The only bad thing, I read so much in the dark that I ended up being the only one in my family the requires glasses, something I regret very much so today!

We were all big readers. I grew up in a rural area where there wasn't all that much to do except read, so while I had a natural affinity for it, I also didn't have a lot of other distractions!

There were piles of books everywhere in the house and favorite family outings were going to different used bookstores. After opening presents Christmas morning, we all retreated to various places in the house with our piles of new books :) Ah, bliss.

On my mum's side, big-time readers. My mum typically devoured a book a day, maybe more. We moved a lot but books were always moving along with us and sometimes acted as furniture. My grandma on my dad's side typically used to read a dozen books at a time, in maybe seven languages, including German philosophers. Consequently, I always felt kind of dumb and at one point in my rebellion years, didn't read at all, just to PROVE how dumb I was! LOL. My father reads some, but he says he's a very slow reader and it cuts back on his enjoyment some, though every time he gives me books I'm surprised by how good his choices are, for someone who claims not to read much. Typically, when my mum and step-father had a house here in the country, whenever we got together on weekends and holidays, after a great meal cooked by my Master Chef mum, everyone would end up sitting in a comfortable chair, reading, with nice classical music playing in the background. Those were good times!

A very good question. I also grew up in a family of avid readers. My father was more about technical books and magazines, but he always had something going. My love of fiction probably mostly comes from my Mother, she is 91 now and still an avid reader. We three "kids" all are readers, and although we have some books that we all love, our tastes do vary. I feel very fortunate that I was able to pass my love of reading on to the daughters, one is an avid reader of mostly fantasy, and the other reads, but with working full time, raising two children and hairdressing on the side, her reading time is limited.

Wow... wonder what it would have been like growing up in a family that loved to read! I was the ONLY reader and got scolded many times for reading while I was doing other things - like cooking... "Put the book down!"was a well worn phrase in my house.

I don't recall ever getting a book as a gift until recently from a daughter who is trying to squeeze some reading into her v busy lifestyle. (Maybe I've been a mild success with her?)
Most of my family (including hubby) still can't imagine why my fav gift is Amazon gift cert.
Why would I want more books than I already have?

I've been accused of being lazy if I sit down to read. People walk into the room and start chatting to me as if I were not even holding a book. Maybe they think it's like tv - I need commercial breaks?????

I grew up in a family of readers -- lots of books in the house, regular trips to the library, and regular read alouds at the dinner table. We're all still big readers, I'm happy to say, and in my own family I continue the wonderful traditions of regular trips to the library, reading aloud at the dinner table, and well, perhaps the not-so-wonderful compulsive book collecting/hoarding. My husband is also a reader, so he fits right in, and says nothing as books come home but rarely leave. My girls are both avid readers, which I love.

I remember my mother collecting books when my grandparents -- her parents -- came to visit. She wanted her dad to have a huge stack of books because he loved to read, but my grandmother hated when he did -- when he was reading he wasn't paying attention to her. At my parents' house, my mom was adamant that he be able to do as he pleased, since he never got the pleasure at home.

I love hearing everyone's recollections. Thanks! It looks like it's evenly divided between growing up in "reader" & "non-reader" households.
My Mom was an avid reader. She was also an insomniac, so did most of her reading in the wee hours. She did not read the heavy stuff and not many classics but I remember reading her Taylor Caldwell & Victoria Holt books and sneaking in her trashy Harold Robbins novels. She also liked horror books and we followed Stephen King from the beginning. She died in '94, at the tender age of 53. I wish we could have been swapping books forever.
My Dad read the newspaper. That's it! My brother & sister are streaky readers, but they do read.

I'm envious of you guys that grew up in a houseful of books. That is the environment, I've tried to have for my kids and both of them read, but of course on a much smaller scale. Actually, my son is finishing up Divergent as I type this.

I'm glad you had an avid reader in the house, Mark. Man, I'm sorry she passed away at such a young age. I know what you mean about swapping books. Mine didn't like books with too much sex or violence, and later in her life I had the revelation that there were a lot of young adult books she'd like. That started a long, good ride. She really loved ones like Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer and King of Shadows by Susan Cooper.

Both my parents were avid readers when I was growing up, with a lot of mysteries, political memoirs, and, for my Mom, true crime. (My daughter picked up the true crime gene; they were good pals before my Mom passed away). I can still see in my mind the bookshelves at the bottom of the basement stairs which held their books from childhood and beyond. I found out about Agatha Christie there, and John Dickson Carr, and P.D. James, and Jules Verne, and Edgar Rice Burroughs, and H. Rider Haggard, and a host of others. Pretty lucky.

My Dad still reads a lot, and recently raced through The Hunger Games trilogy. I should try Divergent on him.

My wife and I met in a bookstore I was managing in Oak Park. She was the storyteller there. Before they were born, we were afraid our kids might be dullards and not like reading. What would we do? Luckily both are readers, with our computer savvy son being more oriented toward sci-fi, humor and factoid books.

My mother is a reader, but my father is decidedly not - he considers reading a waste of time. My immediate family is split down the middle - Kerry and Beth are not readers, Catey and I are.

Happy Sunday, everyone! I've been enjoying my weekend. Not a lot on the schedule today. Hope to get a fair amount of reading in.

Joe- I appreciate your kind thoughts. I love it your Dad read The Hunger Games trilogy. Very cool. Did I mention to you that I grew up in Oak Park and went to H.S. there. It's a great town.

Morning Stasia- I'm not sure either of my kids will be the kind of reader I am but I'll never give up on the encouragement and I'll keep passing books on to them, until they pack me away.

Mine is the opposite of Stas's ... my mother is not a reader (her daily Bible reads don't count, right?) but my father was and I can't remember not seeing him with a book in his hands, or near his person.

#231: I'll keep passing books on to them, until they pack me away.

Sounds like a good plan to me!

"I'll keep passing books on to them, until they pack me away."

That's my plan! :)

Hi Mark
I was the outcast in our house. My mom and sister rarely cracked a book open and my dad only reads a chapters before bed every night. Even now my fiance only reads before bed and takes forever to finish a book. Even though I am the lone reader no one ever bugs me about it and they all buy me books for Christmas!

My parents both read. Some of my early reading.. ages 10-12 were books
of theirs I found in the basement after my dad left. A Raisin in the Sun for instance,
Sleeping Prophet and others. They weren't a challenge for me, as I had learned to read
by osmosis or something by the age of 4-5. No one ever tried to stop me reading anything, and so
I read everything that had pages. My kids all read.. Dan never read an entire book until this past year.

I always wonder two things..

What do people who have no children do with themselves?

What do people who don't read do with themselves?

>236 mckait: - Well, just speaking for myself, people without kids do a lot of reading :) So the 2nd question is one I also ponder!

Caro- Do you and your father share books? What does he like to read?

Stasia & Claudia- You gotta have a "plan"!! Amen, my sisters!

Chelle- "and they all buy me books for Christmas!" Yes, that is the great thing about book obsession. We are very easy to buy for.

Kath- Thanks for sharing! It sounds like your kids had a strong reading influence in their lives.

"What do people who don't read do with themselves?" It's funny how often we think this! It is something I ponder quite often.

Katie- I would have came up with that same answer. LOL!

A few people mentioned the joys of the library, while growing up. I recall, at age 9 or 10, getting my first library card and feeling so important. I would strut the few blocks to my neighborhood library, feeling ten feet tall. I also remember being so excited to finally get the YA sticker affixed to my card. How cool is that?

YO...You know John Hiatt

I'm sending this to all of my LT friends:

http://youtu.be/-RWEseP-ouk

;-)

Thanks Jude for sharing that! Excellent song, excellent performance. I've seen him live a few times, always a good show. He looks young in this video. I wonder when that was filmed.

I have just over a 100 pages left in The Last Werewolf and it's been a great howling ride. It's easily living up to the buzz.

Mark...of course John Hiatt looks young in that video!

I have never seen him perform Live

Filmed??? 2007???

Don't hold me to that,please

Hi Mark, I loved reading about people growing up, or not, with other readers in the family. My whole family reads. Growing up, my dad and I used to go to the library together every Saturday morning and we would each return home with a stack of books. My mom read a great deal, too, and I miss sharing books with her. Family legend had it that my dad would bring a book along with him while dating my mom just so he could be sure that she wouldn't mind sitting quietly and reading with him.

I'm just catching up with you Mark but I followed my mother's reading habits. But like Claudia I was often reading when I should have been doing something else (clean my room). When I was just barely into my teens I found my mother's copy of Forever Amber in the bottom drawer of her dresser. It was considered scandalous, at the time, but I snuck off with it and voraciously gulped it down. The rest, as they say, is history.

Ha! Mark, may I tell you a frightening and cautionary tale ;) With all of this chatter about reading when we were young -I've got a true story that will make your hair curl!

In my early teens, I used to take out books from out local public library. Well- once I LOST one of my library books and could not find it. I was so afraid of the librarians that I dared not go in and tell them that I had lost the book. So -I did nothing and it would keep me awake at night, worrying. Eventually I more or less forgot about it. Then- l I got a letter in the mail letting me know that the library regarded me as Juvenile Credit Offender!!! GASP! I was freaked out with fright. My friends and I did not know what to do -and while I'm sure I told my mom, she did not seem overly concerned.

But never darkened the door of that library until I got married and had new untraceable last name.

I chuckle at that one now. I even worried that when I went into the library with a new name and address some 10 -12 years later - they'd still send for the police. Oh the horrors!

Morning guys! Hope everyone had a good weekend. I enjoyed my "long" weekend but now I have to do six straight. Hey, at least the weather is supposed to stay nice and this always helps.

Jude- I'm thinking the Hiatt video goes back to the early to mid-90s! But who gives a crap it's a freakin' great song!

Joanne- I love the idea of you going to the library with your Dad on Saturdays. I'm wondering if my Dad ever went into a library? Hmmmmmm...

Bonnie- Nice to see you! It looks like many of us were book nerds when we were kids. Makes sense right?

Morning Deb- What a great story! How traumatic for you! "Juvenile Credit Offender". It does sound ominous. Hope you are over it now!

Joanne, I love the date/book story :)
I suspect if more people did that, there would be fewer weddings....

Bonnie, How funny :) I wonder how many of us got started by simply
finding a book and opening its covers ?

Deb.. terrible what we do to ourselves, isn't it?

oh, Hi Mark :) Hope your workweek is a good one.

*waving* at Mark ~ Have a good Monday!

Hi Mark!!! I grew up in a family of readers. I have three sisters and we all have different tastes, so we don't share much. When I was in young, since we lived in a rural area, we used to get library books through the mail.

*hug* to Mark, Mrs. Mark, and Mama.

Hi Mark!
trying to catch up with everybody....RL got somewhat in the way :)

sorry to hear about MIL...(((hugz))) to all :)

What do people who don't read do with themselves?

I've pondered that many a day.

My cousins didn't read, and when they'd come over to visit during summer holidays for a few weeks I was always a bit stumped how to entertain them at home (once we'd gotten the tourist and outdoor stuff out of the way). Once I managed to keep them all spellbound (and I almost lost my voice) telling them the story of Dune (I was a big sci-fi nerd back in the day; wish I still was, but nothing's really leapt off the shelves at me for some time in that genre).

And through that, I managed to convert one of my cousins to reading. :) I think it was worth the laryngitis.

Glad you're enjoying The Last Werewolf! I must get to my copy. I'm currently reading Bossypants (what fun!) and at the other end of the scale, Locke and Key was creepy. But good, I'll rustle up the next volume from the library asap.

Hi Kath- Long day today. Mandatory OT. Sh*t getting old. Only 5 more days til Sunday. Yah!

Stasia- Big wave back!

Tammy- Nice to see you! I don't think I've heard about library books through the mail. Interesting. How did it work?

RD- Thank you sir! The MIL is doing fine. She likes (so far anyway) the rehab center she's in.

Kara- Thanks! Good to see you!

Wookie- I don't think I did any reading with cousins or friends while growing up. We just played hard. Kids don't do this anymore but we stayed outside all day long, sometimes barely making it home for dinner.
I'll be done with Werewolf tomorrow. It's been a terrific book, although it will not be for everyone. Sex, violence, sex, humor...sex.
I'm so glad you enjoyed Locke & Key. I really liked it too and look forward to Volume 2.

Unfortunately, my dad passed away when I was 20, but until he became too ill to read, we would sometimes share books. He loved the classics, science fiction and anything to do with Frank Lloyd Wright.

New Thread

Caro- I'm sorry to hear that you lost your Dad at such a young age. It sounds like you have some wonderful memories.

Finally catching up, Mark.

I have always been a reader. Strangely, I thought for a long time that it was my dad that influenced me in reading, but it was really my mother. Until her eyesight got bad, she always had a book in hand. Dad read newspapers and the National Geographic.

Husband reads the newspaper, magazines, and quite a bit on the internet - usually about specific technical things he's interested in. Daughter tends to read epic novels once or twice a year only Gone with the Wind, Pillars of the Earth, World without End, etc. She read Harry Potter 1-2 and 5-7 in 2 weeks just before she left for her freshman year in college.

I'm sorry to hear about your MiL, Mark. An uncle of my husband's was diagnosed with inoperable liver cancer in March, so I (sorta) know the feeling. My MiL was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung Cancer in February, but is actually doing pretty well right now.

*shrugs off sad thoughts*

Have a great day and a great Labor Day Weekend!

>252 msf59: I think my mom would get a booklet a few times a month and we could make our choices and send it back. Then the books would arrive a few days or a week later. When we were done we put them back in the big envelope and sent them back to the library. It's strange how times change, back then we only went to Appleton for Dr.s appointments or big shopping trips. The funny thing is Appleton is only about 25 min. away and now I go there several times a week.

Hi Mark. I grew up the biggest reader in my family, but my Mom also likes a steady diet of books and my siblings have turned out to be late bloomers. My only child who is a reader is my daughter who ironically has severe dyslexia. Audio books and graphic novels have been a such a gift! I just finished Turn of Mind about an aging surgeon with dementia. Her best friend is murdered and she can't remember if she was involved. It was so good I read it in a day! Best wishes for you and your MIL. Glad she like the rehab place so far. : )

Big waves to Karen, Tammy & Kim! I appreciate hearing about your "reading history". It's funny how different most our households were.

Visit me on my New Thread, link in msg #254. Love to see ya!

BTW- The MIL is in the rehab center and doing very well! Thanks for the kind thoughts.