Katiekrug's Climb to 75, Part the Fourth

Fishermen at Sunrise on the Nile River, between Luxor and Aswan
March 2007




Part the First is here
Part the Second is here
Part the Third is here

JANUARY
1. Still Life by Louise Penny
2. England, England by Julian Barnes
3. Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
4. Mirabilis by Susann Cokal
5. Trespass by Rose Tremain
6. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
7. I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali

FEBRUARY
8. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
9. A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny
10. Down the Nile: Alone in a Fisherman's Skiff by Rosemary Mahoney
11. The Church of Dead Girls by Stephen Dobyns
12. The Awakening by Kate Chopin
13. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

MARCH
14. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
15. White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi
16. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
17. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
18. A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie
19. The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields
20. Life Studies by Susan Vreeland
21. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
22. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
23. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
24. The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill
25. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King

APRIL
26. Something Missing by Matthew Dicks
-- Haunted Ground by Erin Hart (Did Not Finish)
27. In the Woods by Tana French
-- And I Shall Have Some Peace There by Margaret Roach (Did Not Finish)
28. My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
-- How To Be Cool by Johana Edwards (Did Not Finish)
29. Disquiet by Julia Leigh
30. Without by Donald Hall
31. Room by Emma Donoghue
32. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
33. Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

MAY
34. Idyll Banter: Weekly Excursions to a Very Small Town by Chris Bohjalian
35. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
36. The Ideal Man by Julie Garwood
37. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
38. Silk by Alessandro Baricco
39. Murder on Astor Place by Victoria Thompson
-- A Window Across the River by Brian Morton (Did Not Finish)
40. The Cinderella Deal by Jennifer Crusie
41. The Last Talk with Lola Faye by Thomas H. Cook
42. Animal Farm by George Orwell
43. The March by E.L. Doctorow
44. Soulless by Gail Carriger
45. The Lion by Nelson DeMille

JUNE
46. Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat
-- The Hustle: One Team and Ten Lives in Black and White by Doug Merlino (Did Not Finish)
47. The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny
48. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
49. Eighteen Acres by Nicolle Wallace
50. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
51. The Outlaw Sea by William Langewiesche
52. The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
53. Hospital Sketches by Louisa May Alcott
54. Amore and Amaretti by Victoria Cosford
55. The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West

JULY
56. All Shall Be Well by Deborah Crombie
57. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
58. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
59. The Pure in Heart by Susan Hill
60. Partitions by Amit Majmudar
61. The Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig
62. Emma by Jane Austen

AUGUST
63. Bright's Passage by Josh Ritter
64. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
65. Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich
66. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
67. The Chopin Manuscript by Jeffrey Deaver et. al.
68. Jamrach's Menagerie by Carol Birch
69. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
70. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
71. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

SEPTEMBER
72. Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan
73. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
74. Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
75. Netherland by Joseph O'Neill
76. The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan
77. A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George
78. Burning Bright by Helen Dunmore
79. Bossypants by Tina Fey

OCTOBER
80. Undone by Karin Slaughter
81. A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr
82. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
83. When She Woke by Hillary Jordan
84. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
85. The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Shiny new thread here - open for visitors!

The photo at the top is one I took during a cruise down the Nile a few years ago. The scenery was magnificent and made up for the terrible "ship" and accommodations I had for the three-day excursion :)

Great picture! I just listened to Death on the Nile earlier this month, so it's nice to see what the scenery looks like.

Hi Katie, at least you were on a ship, not that little fishing boat. Lovely picture! I enjoy traveling vicariously with you. "Our" recent trip to New Orleans was so much fun. ;-) Are you going to stay home for awhile now?

Hi CBL - I keep meaning to re-read Death on the Nile. I first read it when I was 13 or so, I think.

Hello, Donna - I am going to Columbus, OH for a few days this week, and then will be home until mid-September when I go to Indonesia and Malaysia. I've got trips every month until the end of the year - and am not thrilled about it :(

*starred*

Starred. I still want to hear about the books you bought in NO.

Hi Katie, just checking in. I, too, enjoy hearing about your travels and, of course, your reads!

Hi Kara, Beth and Judy! Thanks for stopping by.

My haul from Crescent City Books last week:

The Land of Spices by Kate O'Brien
Red Pottage by Mary Chalmondeley
Two Days in Aragon by M.J. Farrell
Love by Elizabeth von Arnim (can't find correct touchstone)
Fair Play by Tove Jansson
The Judges of the Secret Court by David Stacton

And I had time to kill before my cousin's wedding, so I went to a used bookstore :)

Zeroville by Steve Erickson
Mosquito by Roma Tearne
The Colony of Unrequited Dreams by Wayne Johnston
The Hummingbird's Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea
The Impressionist by Hari Kunzru
All the Names by Jose Saramago
About Grace by Anthony Doerr

Mosquito was one of my favorite books last year. Hope you love it too!

Hi Katie -- stunning photo! I enjoyed experiencing your New Orleans trip through your wonderful descriptions -- particularly the food!

Hi Katie..
How did I miss your thread? You are now starred and I hope to follow more closely. I enjoyed your description of time spent in New Orleans. As you know, that place has a unique flavor.

I was there in June with students for a publication conference. Many of them had never been to NO before and they loved the experience.

I've not been to Crescent City bookstore, but will be sure to seek it out next year when I attend the conference.

What an impressive haul of books you obtained last week. Now, where will you put them all?

OH! nice haul Katie :)

The Hummingbirds Daughter I have but have not read yet :( glad to know I'm not the only one :)

The Impressionist looks good...
must check out your others :)

Pat, I had not heard of Mosquito before, but it looks really good (and it's a Europa!).

Hi Anne - I guess the best way to experience New Orleans is through the food, right? ;) The photo was a bit of a fluke. I'm not really much of a photographer but I am proud of that one!

Welcome, Linda - Please feel free to come by whenever you like! The other great thing about that bookstore in NO was that there was a flyer at the register with a list of booksellers in the French Quarter. Very handy! I just wish I had had more time (and a bigger suitcase)...

Hi Kara! I think it was Donna's thread where I first heard about The Hummingbird's Daughter. It was on my list for the library, but I saw it on the clearance shelves for $2 and it's a beautiful hardcover, so I snapped it up.

Dropping off a star.

hardcover!
and 2$!
wow! good for you :)

Katie- Love the New Thread! And love the photo at the top. Beautiful. Congrats on the book hauls. I'm a big fan of Hummingbird. I've also heard very good things about The Colony of Unrequited Dreams. Enjoy!

Thanks Micky, Kara and Mark!

Headed to Ohio tomorrow, but American upgraded me to 1st class, so at least I'll arrive in style! Should finish Jamrach's Menagerie tomorrow, along with my current audio. I just picked up The Sisters Brothers at the library today, so that will come along with me unless I am short on room, in which case I'll just take my trusty Kindle.

*waving* at Katie

Safe travels!

have a safe trip!
upgraded to 1st class :) nice!
I am on the fence about The Sisters Brothers....so curious to see what you think about it...

Hi Stasia and Kara!

I did finally finish JM so stay tuned for a review. I brought The Sisters Brothers with me, but ended up starting The Hunger Games on my Kindle. I am now enthralled and wondering how I can get out of doing work tomorrow to read it :)

Starred of course! :)

Thanks, Valerie!

Katie- Wow, you have some good reading ahead of you! I'm also a big fan of The Hunger Games. Just remember, when you head to Ohio, steer clear of Knockemstiff.

The Hunger Games is soooo good!
totally understand about trying to get out of work to read that one :)
Book 2 and 3 were decent...not as good as 1 and the movie will be coming out soon!

>16 katiekrug:: I hope you like The Hummingbird's Daughter. I think there is supposed to be a sequel out soonish.

It's so great to be bumped up a notch. It makes all the difference when traveling. My husband has lost his Premier status on United so we don't even get to pre-board anymore. I think he travels quite a bit, but he hasn't made the frequent trips to China the past two years. Just when I was ready to cave and go with him sometime. LOL.

Hi Mark! Yes, based on your review, I'll be steering clear of Knockemstiff, OH, but not of the book itself. I like dark and grim :)

Hi Kara! I'm about 1/3 of the way through The Hunger Games and eager to see where it's going (though I have some idea... I've hearde the other two books aren't as good from other people, too, so I won't set my expectations too high!

Hi Donna! Leave it to me to pick up a book randomly and there to be a sequel coming out. Oy. It just never ends, does it?!? But I'm not complaining...

I'm still waiting on notification of an upgrade for my flight home this evening. Fingers crossed! I should be able to hang onto my elite status with American this year, thanks to a trip to Indonesia and Malaysia next month. After that, my travel may diminish a lot but we'll see.

The Chopin Manuscript by Jeffrey Deaver et. al.

This thriller was written by several different contemporary writers – one chapter by each, with Jeffrey Deaver contributing the first and the last two. It started off decently enough, but the number of characters, red herrings, and outlandish situations quickly grew unwieldy. The plot surrounds rare musical scores and secret codes embedded therein, and it was really just kind of ridiculous. I was almost glad that I had to skip almost an entire hour of the audio due to constant hiccups and scratches on the tracks. 2 stars

Interesting concept. Too bad it didn't work.

urk! sorry about that one...

Hopefully your next read will be better Katie!

I really need to read The Hunger Games before the movie comes out.

#31: I have tried one other book similar to that, Naked Came the Phoenix, and have no desire to read another. I do not think a book with multiple authors works well.

I hope you have a better read lined up for your next book!

Hi Anne, Kara, Valerie and Stasia! I finished The Hunger Games this morning (was late to work but oh, well) - it was so good! I've downloaded the other two books onto my Kindle but am tempering my expectations given everyone's warnings that they aren't as good as the first.

Next up is The Sisters Brothers which, just 25 pages in, is shaping up to be a lot of fun.

told you it was soooo good! ;)
I rated book 2 ......4.5 stars and book 3...... 4 stars
they just weren't as "exciting" as book 1 but I definitely enjoyed them :)

happy to hear The Sisters Brothers is shaping up to be a lot of fun! like I said I was on the fence with that one.

I am glad you enjoyed The Hunger Games so much, Katie! I loved that one.

Jamrach’s Menagerie by Carol Birch

”He wanted a story. A thing of horror. I have a story, a terrible one. But I’ll tell no tales. He doesn’t understand at all: it’s not that kind of a story, not horror but grief I have to deal with.” (page 276)

I very much enjoyed this book, though I am not entirely sure what to make of it. As an homage to 18th century adventure tales? A tip of the hat to 19th century coming of age novels? A reinvention of contemporary metaphorical stories urging us to reconsider our relationship to the natural world? Ultimately, I saw some of all of these (and more) in Jamrach’s Menagerie, a novel which inspires a host of adjectives – fantastical, disturbing, hallucinogenic, humorous, brutal, life-affirming – but which, to me, suffered a bit from over-ambition on the part of the author.

Carol Birch writes wonderfully evocative descriptions of everything from places to emotions to characters. I flagged many fascinating and beautiful passages. I loved the basic plot of the story – London urchin is taken under the wing of an exotic animal importer, makes friends with another young boy, they both eventually set sail on a whaling ship, capture a dragon, and then are set adrift on the unforgiving ocean after their ship sinks. I also loved young Jaffy Brown’s narrative voice (”I loved my ma. To me, she would ever and always be a warm armpit in the night.”) Through that voice, we see his development from an impish child to a haunted man, and it is a well done transformation. There is a lot going on in the book and parts of it are by turns moving, horrifying, and funny. My only complaint is that the point of the story, the theme of the book, was muddied to me by the inclusion of SO MUCH. I admire Birch’s ambition but wish she had been a bit more focused. 4 stars

A few passages I noted:

”I put my head back and watched the sky along with him. It was black and very starry. Starry out there is not like in London. There, starry is an observable impossibility, and looking up is a gaze into infinity.” (page 248)

”Home. Hope Ma’s all right. She should be, Charley Grant’s a good sort. Home, Ma, Ishbel, never get back, never go home, never again. A burning place in my chest. Something to hold against the terror, a blanket. I’m alive, burning brightly with a head full of everything that ever was, our Bermondsey home, the Highway, the tiger, the birds, the smell of lemon sherbet.” (page 235)

”Long as I live I’ll never be wise. Never understand why it happened as it happened, never understand where they’ve gone, all those faces I see clear in the darkness. There’s no way out of this, it’s stark: live or die. Every given moment a bubble that bursts. Step on, from one to the next, ever onwards, a rainbow of stepping stones, each bursting softly as your foot touches and passes on. Till one step finds only empty air. Till that step, live.” (page 279)

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I did it – I caved into the hype, downloaded it onto my Kindle, took a deep breath and turned to it as an easy read on an airplane, and, as predicted and promised, was totally enthralled. Collins has definitely written a page-turner and one I was reluctant to put down. I will not summarize the story but will just say that my biggest takeaways from the book are: (1) I don’t remember YA books being this violent when I was the target audience! I’m not very squeamish, but there were some points where I think I visibly cringed; (2) Collins does a great job of building a dystopian world, including lots of interesting futuristic tidbits but also enough contemporary detail that the reader recognizes to make the story just a little uncomfortable – this future isn’t necessarily all that far away… (3) even with tempered expectations due to the warnings of others, I am very much looking forward to starting the second book in the trilogy – even if it’s only half as good, it will keep my attention. 4.5 stars

Great reviews. I have added Jamrach's Menagerie to my list. I read the Hunger Games trilogy and was also struck by the violence. I heard an interview with Collins in which they asked her about it, and she said something like she wasn't inventing this -- that she was reflecting the realities of her audience. It was a good interview; it was on NPR.

Katie- Good reviews! Jamrach’s Menagerie has been getting some good buzz around here, of late. I need to slap this one on the List! I loved Hunger Games too! It's easily my favorite of the trilogy.

>39 katiekrug:: I love those quotes you cited, Katie. The writing looks fine; I just can't get my head around the dragon in Jamrach's Menagerie. Maybe I'll pick it up someday -- next time I'm in the mood for a book with a dragon in it! I do need to step out of my reading comfort zone occasionally. I'm Thumb #2. ;-)

Beth - I will have to look up that NPR interview. Thanks for the tip!

Mark - I think you would like Jamrach's, given what I know of your tastes. Give it a try!

Donna - Yes, the writing is very good. I wasn't sure about the "dragon" either, and it's not quite what you might think. I won't say more than that. I'm not sure you'd like the book for entirely different reasons - mainly the last third or so...

-----------------
Happy Sunday, all. I hope to read a chunk of The Sisters Brothers today, but I do have some work to do, so we'll see...

Hi Katie, just stopping by to say that I've starred the new thread and I enjoyed your review of The Hunger Games, I'm sure I'm the only one here who hasn't read this yet, maybe next year.

It took me a long time to get to The Hunger Games, too, so I'm glad I felt the build-up was rewarded :)

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt

Eli Sisters is a killer with a heart of gold; his brother, Charlie, is a killer with a heart of, well, not gold. Each in their own way has internalized the hardships and violence of life in the “Wild West”. While Eli, our narrator, questions his life as a hired gunslinger and works to improve himself and his lot in life, his brother evinces no such compunctions, at least not consciously. We do learn that Charlie whimpers and moans in his sleep.

There has been a lot of talk about The Sisters Brothers as a western, which it certainly is, but the specific genre was secondary to the story. It could just as easily have been a story about two brothers in a modern-day gang, or a Mafia story. At base, this is a story of family and loyalty and how far one can ever move away from personal history. I think deWitt chose the setting of Gold Rush California to show us how universal and timeless these issues are.

This is a fun, funny story with a serious heart, but I expected a bit more given its selection for the Booker Prize longlist. Still, a good read and one I would recommend. 3.75 stars

I'm not really a fan of the Western genre (it doesn't do much for me), but a really nice review, Katie! Glad you enjoyed it.

Hi Mickey - Thanks. I'm not much of a western reader and probably would not have picked this one up if I hadn't heard some great htings about it, and if it hadn't been on the Booker list. I figured there must be more to it than I usually give westerns credit for.

I don't think I've read a western before except for maybe Thirteenth Child but even then I don't know if I would call that a western. The Sisters Brothers has caused a stir here on LT as there were a couple of 75er's that were reading this one so I will add that to my list for a future read. Thanks for the review Katie!

Katie- I'm glad you enjoyed the Sisters Brothers. I think there are enough converts here to start a Fan Club! What do you think?

#50 - Thanks, Valerie! I think you'll like it...

#51 - Absolutely, Mark. I'm grateful to you and others who brought it to my attention!

What great books you read recently!

Thanks, Linda! Good to see you!

Love your reviews, Katie! I very much enjoyed The Hunger Games too, so I am glad to see you liked it.

Thanks, Stasia!

I've added The Sisters Brothers to my list. Great review -- it gave me a good sense of the book.

I hope you enjoy it when you get to it, Beth!

Nice review of Sisters Brothers, Katie. I see you are reading Case Histories - hope you enjoy. Some enthusiastic LTers introduced me to Jackson Brodie recently, and I've read Case Histories and One Good Turn recently.

Thanks, Nancy. I am loving Case Histories and just sorry it took me so long to get around to it. It's been on my shelves since 2008!

#60: It's been on my shelves since 2008!

That sounds like me. I finally got to Case Histories and then promptly devoured the next 2 in the series. Unfortunately my local library does not have book four yet or I would have read it already too.

Add me to the long list of people who had Case Histories on the shelf for a long time before reading it finally last month. Loved it, and am now working my way through One Good Turn. Luckily I have the next two waiting on my shelf!

Ha, I read Case Histories a long time ago but I guess I didn't realize it had sequels until now... so I'm reading it all over again to prep for tearing through the rest of the series. Sometimes it's good to have a really bad memory - get to enjoy the same book as if it's new again. :)

Thoroughly enjoying the Jackson Brodie movement that is sweeping LT's 75ers!

Hi Stasia, Susan, Milda and Nancy! It's funny how some books ebb and flow like that, isn't it.....? I'm still thoroughly enjoying Case Histories and may try to join the others who are going to read One Good Turn next month for the TIOLI challenge. Can't decide if I should proceed full steam ahead or space them out a bit...

#65: It's funny how some books ebb and flow like that, isn't it.....?

That happens a lot in this group, it seems like. One person reads and recommends a book and someone says 'I have not heard of that book before, I will give it a try' or 'I read that one 5+ years ago and it is time for a re-read' and then the cycle starts all over again :)

Good review on Sisters Brothers Katie!
still kinda on the fence with it :/
I best just keep it in the maybe pile :)

Stasia - I keep promising myself I will start reading some of the books I've had on my shelves for a few years but since I joined LT last November, I've been distracted by every bright and shiny "new" book I've heard about. Oy.

Hi Kara! Don't force yourself to read it if you're not sure about it. That's a sure-fire way to be disappointed!

____________________

I am totally overwhelmed with work and should be doing some of it right now, but I have to stay on top of my starred threads or they'd get away from me. And all I want to do now is crawl into bed with Jackson Brodie - er, the book about him, I mean. I think I have a little over 100 pages of Case Histories left to read and will hopefully wrap it up by Wednesday night to count it for August's TIOLI. If not, it fits into at least two of the September challenges :) What a great read it is!!

Sorry you're so overwhelmed with work, Katie. But glad you're enjoying Case Histories. I read it years ago -- it's been so long I would probably need a reread if I were to follow Mr. Brodie.

Case Histories is my favorite Brodie -- someone said there's going to be a Masterpiece Mystery based on this series.

>70 BLBera:: yes there is! It's a British production that has already aired in the UK. It's scheduled to air on PBS Masterpiece over 3 Sundays beginning October 14.

I hope things at work ease up for you Katie! I know what you mean about wanting to curl into bed with a book, (I have yet to meet Mr. Brodie, but that should be remedied soon.) but the endless baskets of laundry and the sink full of dirty dishes are always becking and calling...sigh.

Case Histories is on my growing TBR shelf...I will bump it up a bit to catch this fresh wave of interest!

overwhelmed at work- TOTALLY get it!
hoping things ease up for you :)

Helloooooooo (any Seinfeld fans out there?) Kara, Beth, Valerie. Laura, Beth and Anne! I shouldn't complain about work. It pays the bills and keeps me out of trouble :) I just booked my long business trip for next month. I am trying not to think about the time spent on the airplane but about how much reading I can get done...

__________________________-



Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

Every bit as good as everyone says it is. There is more here than just a “mystery” – the cases presented are only the catalyst for an exploration of family, grief and mourning. In this way, I found Case Histories similar to The Pure in Heart by Susan Hill in which the crime is almost secondary to the story. Atkinson develops strong characters, and adds just the right touches of dry humor and some lovely writing, to keep the reader turning the pages. Anyone who has ever lost a loved one will recognize the struggle to create a new kind of existence around an empty space that once held so much love and joy. 4.5 stars

Okay I might have to cave and go purchase this one! Thanks for the review Katie.

Katie: I'm glad you liked Case Histories. It's my favorite Brodie. You also saw the humor, which is one of the things I love about Atkinson. I will be anxious to see the BBC series.

Katie, your brief review of Case Histories really captures the essence of the book. Thumbs up from me! I'm planning to finish the next two before the PBS series airs.

I'm hoping to get to Case Histories this month, I've been wanting to read it for a long time, and every review I read about it makes me want to read it even more!

Valerie - Do it!! You will be well rewarded :)

Beth - The BBC series is what finally got me to read it, as I knew I'd want to watch it. And heaven forbid I watch and THEN read!

Thanks, CBL! I am hoping to get to the next two before the series airs, as well.

Judy - I think you will really enjoy it!

A new Case Histories fan! It's such a good book. And there are more to look forward to, too!

I am glad to see you enjoyed Case Histories as much as everyone else has, Katie!

Sorry to hear that work is so awful for you right now. I hope it eases up soon.

Hi Joanne and Stasia! It took me a while to get around to it, but Case Histories was worth the
wait :)

#83: I hope book 4 in the series is worth the wait. I am still waiting for the local library to get a copy!

Hooray, another member of the Jackson Brodie fan club!

I'm really enjoying catching up on your thread. I read Case Histories at the start of the year, loved it, and want to read One Good Turn this month. And I might have to buy The Sisters Brothers soon after all the great reviews. I've just started On Canaan's Side, also on the Booker longlist, and I don't want to buy any more from the list till I've finished that one.

Stasia - I don't know how you do it: you must have the patience of a saint to stick to your book-buying ban. Let's not talk about my recent trips to Borders, 'kay? ;) (PS: We're supposed to get some cooler weather soon - woo hoo! Never thought I'd be so happy to see highs in the lower 90s!)

Hi Laura! Mmmmm, Jackson. It's the twisted sense of humor that I find most appealing :)

Hi Cushla - I am first in line with my local library for On Canaan's Side when it's published over here. I am hoping to read One Good Turn this month, as well. As for The Sisters Brothers, while I liked it, I am glad I borrowed it from the library. Not sure it's a "keeper."

_________________________

Things are looking up in Katieworld. I really love my job so even when it's overwhelming and stressful, I try to count my blessings for actually enjoying what I do. I took a half day off yesterday, and all of today, and basically went on a book-buying binge. Borders is up to 70% off for fiction, and one of my favorite used bookstores - Half Price Books - is having its annual Labor Day sale where everything is 20% off. They have multiple locations, so I have hit three separate ones since yesterday afternoon :) I am not going to detail the haul here, as I am kind of embarrassed... So I'll be spending most of my weekend entering new books on LT and organizing my shelves which have gotten a bit out of control. The hubby is competing in a barbecue competition over near Fort Worth, so I'll go out there for a bit on Saturday and most of the day Sunday to gorge myself on brisket and pulled pork. And beer.

For tonight, I am thinking pizza, a bottle of wine and some Jane Austen movies :)

Happy Weekend, my friends!

Books, beer, barbecue! Does it get any better than that? Glad you enjoyed Case Histories, Katie : ).

Sounds like a lovely evening and your book buying mania is causing massive jealousy pangs over here since gone are those days for me since we are now on one income. But I really shouldn't be complaining with the hundreds of unread books on my shelf to bide my time...

Oh, that sounds like the perfect Friday evening! Enjoy!

Books, beer, barbecue! What time??? I like Katieworld!!

Thanks for stopping by, everyone!

Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O’Nan

Stewart O’Nan’s novella is the story of Manny, an overweight, eager-to-please manager of a Red Lobster that is going out of business. We follow Manny through his last day on the job as he tries to fulfill his duties and motivate the remaining staff, not to mention puzzle through his relationship with one of the waitresses. It may sound like a dull premise, but it’s not. I love novellas – when they are well done – because an author has to be able to do a lot with very little. O’Nan has produced an excellent portrait of a hard working guy who, despite his best efforts, can’t seem to catch a break. It’s bleak and sad, and yet the pride Manny takes in his work is also moving and somehow beautiful. And it gave me a hankering for a cheddar bay biscuit… 3.5 stars

#93 You did a great job of that review, Katie. I agree with you on the talented writers of novellas, an author has to be able to do a lot with very little.. Yes!

Irritating spammers! Yours is the third thread in the last week or so I've seen spammed.

#87: Cooler weather? I had not heard that rumor! I will believe it when I see it :)

#93: Already in the BlackHole. Nice review, Katie.

Thanks, Nancy. I've read some good short works this year, after never really giving them much thought in the past.

Stasia - I would not lie to you! The Weather Channel might, but not me :) Monday may only get to 89, at least in this neck of the woods...

Katie: Your weekend sounds perfect -- food, alcohol and books. I can't wait to see your new entries.

#98: My husband told me we may see temperatures in the 60s at night. Wow, I cannot remember temps that low :)

Okay, people, I need some help. I have a business trip coming up - I'll be gone for a week and a half to Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur. This obviously involves significant flying/layover time (the flight from LA to Hong Kong alone is over 14 hours), not to mention lonely hours in the hotel.

So your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to provide me your best recommendations for good page-turners - I am not picky when it comes to genre, so anything goes: mystery, memoir, literary fiction, classics, romance, fantasy, history, historical fiction, whatever.

I don't promise to take any of these suggestions, especially if I don't own any of them. But given the number of TBR shelves I'm working from, I'll probably have some. (Re: my beloved Kindle - my slow-reading hubby is reading the latest George R.R. Martin tome on it and if I take it away before he's finished, he might cry; so I hope to bring it with me, but am not counting on it...)

And FYI, a good - even a great - book is not necessarily a page-turner. To me, it's all about the pacing of the story. Obviously, this is pretty subjective, but let's have some fun!

PS: I am definitely bringing One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson if I don't read it before I leave.

Hi Katie, hopped over to your library and had a look at some of your "To Read" collection. You've got some wonderful stuff there. But my suggestion for page turners is the Millenium Trilogy!! I inhaled those over the winter - couldn't read them fast enough! Admittedly, I found it took me 70 or so pages to get into a couple of them, but then ... watch out!

eta: the order, so you don't have to look it up
1. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
2. The Girl Who Played With Fire
3. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

Lee Child's Jack Reacher books. The Informationist by Taylor Stevens. Anything by Dennis Lehane.

The Invisible Bridge by Orringer...have you read it yet? It's lengthy but paced well. It should be a good "read value" for the weight.

When is your trip, Katie? I hope you are home long enough to enjoy the cooler weather. My family members in Dallas are sure happy with the welcome weather change.

You've gotten some great recommendations for books. I must read more by Lehane. I loved The Given Day, one of my Top Ten from '09.

I just had a look at your To Read collection - the first four pages - you have some great books on that list!! Here are a few of my picks:

City of Thieves - I just read this in August and loved it.
The Elegance of the Hedgehog - another 5 star read for me.

The Donna Leon book and The Diary of a Provincial Lady would be great fast reads too.

I know you want page turners so you'd need to have a good look at these before you decide if they're page turner-y enough: Colony of Unrequited Dreams, The Heather Blazing and Old School. I loved all of them but they are definitely a bit more solid than the others I've listed (although Old School is nice and short for your luggage.)

I don't know if you would have this book but when I think of page turners, Ted Dekker's Three (touchstones not working for it) comes to mind. I literally couldn't put this one down except for some parts that spooked me. It is not horror, but more suspense and action.

Hi Heather, I was also going to recommend City of Thieves - even though I haven't read it it, I've seen so many good reviews here on LT. I notice that you have a Harlan Coben in your TBR, he usually writes suspenseful page-turners, also I would suggest Nelson DeMille's Plum Island. Have fun making your selections!

Katie: You've gotten lots of great suggestions. The Twisted Thread was good. I read The Year of the Flood on my vacation this year and loved it. I also like to take a really long book that I know I won't finish so there is absolutely no chance of my running out of books -- maybe some Dickens? Dickens also works well because many of his books are episodic, so if you get interrupted, they are easy to put down and pick up again.

Have fun -- are you taking a suitcase just for books if you can't take your Nook?

Well, I'd take the other two books in the Hunger Games trilogy! That's a few hours right there. The Millennium trilogy is also a good suggestion, although the books are longer, more complex, and harder to put down for naps, etc. I see that Girls of Riyadh is on your to-read list -- why not pack that? It's out in paperback now, is a completely different kind of chick lit book, just different enough not to feel formulaic and an interesting look into Saudi society by a Saudi woman. Oh, and a thumping good read. Chapter aren't too long, and it would provide an antidote to the intensity of mysteries & thrillers. I'd also go along with The Elegance of the Hedgehog. I liked The Informationist a lot more than I expected. If you do get to take your Kindle, you can download one of Elizabeth Aston's (Elizabeth Pewsey's) Mountjoy novels for $3.99 -- Children of Chance is the first. Hilarious top-quality snark. Remember, you can read Kindle stuff on your laptop, although perhaps not in flight.

Hi Katie! I hope you enjoy your trip when you get there. I don't envy your long flights! My reading suggestions from your TBRs:

A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute - part of the action takes place in Malaya
Raven Black by Ann Cleeves was a page-turner for me
The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney (especially if it's likely to be hot where you're going!)
The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond - also a page-turner for me
One or two books from Deborah Crombie's Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series

Wow! An embarrassment of riches - thanks, everyone! I'll respond more individually when I have more time, but I so appreciate your suggestions!!!

Katie- I have to add my 2 cents, and also include City of Thieves. It's such a terrific and fast-paced read. Also Drop city is one of my favorites. Good luck!
BTW- I'm reserving October for A Dance With Dragons. It's a big boy.

Katie, I've come back to apologize for using the wrong name. I have no excuse especially since your name is part of your LT handle!!

Nancy, Ooh, thanks! I have the first of the trilogy on the TBR shelves, so double bonus :)

Jim, Thanks for the suggestions. I have been wanting to start the JAck Reacher series, so this might be a good time... I tried The Informationist earlier this year and struggled to connect with it in the first 50 pages or so, and then it was due back at the library. I have a couple of Lehane books, so I'll add them to the list of possibilities.

Beth - I do want to read The Invisible Bridge but I own it in hardcover and I'm not sure I want to haul it along with me... Hmmm...

Donna, Hi Donna. I leave a week from Friday. It will probably take me that long to decide on the books. I am definitely enjoying the better weather here. It makes such a difference in my mood :)

Cushla Thanks for the suggestions! I think City of Thieves will definitely come along with me. I will have a look at the others.

Valerie- Thanks for the suggestion! I'll look into that one!

Judy - Thanks! I haven't tried any Coben yet, so that might be a good one to bring along. And Plum Island is the only book in the John Corey series I haven't read, so that's a good possibility.

Beth I just got The Twisted Thread and it looks like my kind of brain candy, so it will probably make the cut. Year of the Flood might be a little too deep for me, and I want to read Oryx and Crake first. I like the idea of bringing a really long book just in case - I just picked up a copy of Our Mutual Friend, and I have been wanting to re-read Great Expectations, so Dickens may very well come along on the trip. No separate suitcase for the books - just some smart packing :)

Suz - I have the two others in The Hunger Games trilogy on my Kindle, so hopefully the hubby will be done with it by then. The Girls of Riyadh is in hardcover, so not sure about that one... That's the 2nd recommendation for The Elegance of the Hedgehog so I'll consider that one seriously. As I mentioned to Jim, I wasn't thrilled with The Informationist, and am not familiar with your other suggestions, so I'll take a look at those. Thanks!

CBL - All of those are near the top of my TBR list, so they'll get serious consideration. I really enjoy the Duncan Kinkaid books, so likely one or two will find their way into my bag.

Mark Thanks! I just picked up a copy of Drop City, and I've gotten multiple recs for City of Thieves so those are two good ones!

Judy - LOL - no problem!

Katie: You'll have to let us know what you decide on and what you actually read during your trip.

Try Zoo Station by David Downing -- it's in paperback (and on Kindle, which I hope you get back!!). The start of a very good series set in 1930s/40s Berlin. Some of Greg Iles's earlier novels are great page turners/thrillers.

Beth - I will definitely let y'all know what I decide on and what I actually end up reading!

Suz - thanks for the additional suggestions. Zoo Station looks really good, and I have read one book by Greg Iles (Third Degree) and have a few more on my TBR shelves. You are right - definitely page-turners!

---------------

Other books I'm considering:
North and South by John Jakes (I'm a sucker for sweeping historical family sagas)
The Likeness by Tana French (found the first in the trilogy to be very readable and hard to put down)
The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo (less sure about this one....)

Thoughts? Comments? Other ideas?

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

This was a rather labored YA science fiction-y read about an angsty teenager (is there any other kind in YA lit?) who discovers a truth about herself that causes even more angst. The book explores questions of identity, humanity, religion, love vs. control, and a bunch of other things that caused the book to feel a bit like a jumble of Very Deep Thoughts. Maybe because I wasn’t an angsty teenager, I have very little patience for the self-pity, drama, and self-importance that seem to go along with it. Also, I didn't find it particularly well-written with a lot of awkward dialogue and phrasing.

I listened to this on audio and found the narrator to be kind of annoying, especially when affecting different voices to differentiate among characters. A teenage girl sounds like a lisping child – it was very distracting. Also, to be fair, the final CD conked out with about 10-15 minutes left to go, so I might have missed some bit that would have redeemed the entire novel for me, but I don’t think so (the big denouement had already occurred). The intended audience would probably see past any number of flaws in this book and enjoy it, as the premise and core of the story is rather interesting. But being a rational, fairly well-adjusted woman in my early 30s, I just couldn’t stop rolling my eyes. 2.5 stars

Eye rolling is never a good sign after reading a book.
Hope your next read is better and more eye calming. :)

Thanks, Valerie!

Katie- Do not be less sure about The Redbreast. It's an excellent thriller. I plan on starting the follow-up next week.

Thanks for that input, Mark!

Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson

A total slog. I’m kind of upset I spent a week with this book. I kept thinking it would get better, and the premise was promising, so it didn’t need to be as boring as it was.

The basic story: a woman with amnesia wakes up every morning forgetting most of her past and has it told to her by her husband. But is he telling her the truth? She begins secretly seeing a doctor and keeping a journal to record her own history, and it doesn’t quite jibe with what she’s being told. The problem with this is that much of the book is repetitive, and the parts that aren’t don’t really ring true. The ending and explication were just dumb.

I’m sad thinking of all the good books I might have read instead of this one. 2 stars

Two not so great books in a row?? Katie, you must pick a winner for the next one. :)

The premise for that one does sound interesting but I can totally see how an author can botch that one up...

Better luck on your next read.

Groan, sorry to hear your last two books were slogs. I've had that happen on occasion and understand what you mean when you say I’m kind of upset I spent a week with this book. Your next one has to be better, Katie!! I'm rooting for a 5 star!

Hi Katie, I look forward to seeing what you choose to bring along on your trip! I planned and planned and re-thought and made lists, etc. of the books I would bring when we traveled this summer. I might have spent more time planning the books than planning the flight itinerary... I wanted page-turners as well, but not books I thought I'd never want to part with, since I planned to leave them all behind.

Here are some of my recent page-turners. Some of them are fairly light, which is often what I need when traveling.
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
City of Thieves -- I see that this book has made several lists :)
Delirium by Lauren Oliver (YA)
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Inn at Lake Devine by Elinor Lipman
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Valerie, Beth and Nancy - The next one had better be good or I'm giving up on books... (yeah, right).

Anne - Thanks! I have The Thirteenth Tale, City of Thieves and The Book Thief on the TBR shelves. I love Rebecca and The Graveyard Book, but am not familiar with the others. I will look into them. I love the idea of leaving books behind during my travels, though now it might add a whole new complication to my thought process :)

Sorry to hear the recent reads have been duds. Here's wishing you more enjoyable ones soon. I second the vote for The Book Thief, it really is brilliant. Although, be warned that you may not want to read the end of it in public. I cried (which almost never happens).

Katie- Sorry to hear about Before I Go to Sleep. I had that one on the WL, after hearing some very good reviews. Disappointing.
BTW- your touchstone is wrong!

>130 MickyFine: - Duly noted, Micky. Thanks!

>131 msf59: - Thanks, Mark. Fixed :)

Oh my, you have had some back luck with books lately. I can see why you are asking for input on books to take with you on your trip. Nothing worse than being stuck on a plane or in an airport with a not-so-good book.

I like to leave books behind when I travel, too. I usually take ones I've bought at library book sales that are one-time-only books. I either leave them with people we've visited or in hotel lobbies, airports, etc. hoping they'll find a good home.

Katie, I hope your next read is better! You have some excellent suggestions here.

10 years - unbelievable. But I think about 9/11 in some way every single day. I was a 23-year old low level staffer at the White House who grew up pretty fast after being evacuated, herded and yelled at by normally very calm Secret Service agents, and unable to get home to my apartment in Virginia or to even call my loved ones in NY.

I know my story is insignificant compared to so many but it's on my mind so all you lovely people will just have to humor me for a moment.

In book news, I am reading Netherland by Joseph O'Neill which is, in its own way, a paean to New York City in all its complexity and vibrancy.

Katie, thank you for this month's TIOLI challenge to read a book in memory of what happened ten years ago today. I'm glad I read two books to help me better understand the horror of 9/11/01. I don't think anyone's story about that day is insignificant.

I read Netherland a few years ago and learned too much about cricket!

Thanks, Donna.

Yes, the cricket details are a little overwhelming, but I am enjoying it nonetheless :)

sending book mojo your way!

Katie, you memory of 9/11 is very interesting and not at all insignificant. Every recollection keeps the memories alive.

Thanks, Kara - I could use it!

Hi Leonie - Nice to see you! And thanks for your message. I try to keep the deeply personal off my thread since I figure most people are here for the books :)

Netherland by Joseph O’Neill

As the author admits in an interview I read, this is more a novel of voice than one of plot. I won’t try to summarize what little actually does happen because it would sound crazy and turn you off. It’s like when I try to explain to people down here in Texas what I love about New York City – it’s dirty and loud and chaotic and sometimes scary – sure, it might sound awful but you really need to experience it for yourself.

O’Neill has written a dense, genuine, and verging-on-heartbreaking-but-there’s-a-bit-of-hope-in-the-end portrait of alienation, identity, connectedness, and loss. The title has multiple meanings, and I think you could pick whichever resonates the most on a personal level and write a lovely review based on that one piece. But it’s a kaleidoscope of images and voices and emotions. And despite how some people want to categorize it, Netherland is not a book about 9/11. It is, maybe, a book of 9/11 in that I doubt the same story could have been written and had such resonance absent that event. It’s a book about the American Dream, as seen by a Dutch equities trader from London and a Trinidadian crook from Brooklyn. As the old hackneyed saying goes, “Only in New York…” 4 stars

Katie: You've convinced me to put this on my list. I've picked it up and looked at it a couple of times, but it sounds just like my kind of book.

I hope you like it, Beth! It does require some patience...

Greetings from Jakarta! I'm just a tad jet-lagged, having left Dallas Friday night and arrived here (via LA and Hong Kong) on Sunday afternoon. I did manage to sleep about half the trans-Pacific flight. And I read The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan, which was great fun (review to follow), as well as a few back issues of Vanity Fair - one of which had a fascinating article about the publishing industry. I will see if I can find it online and post a link.

So I ended up bringing far more books than I could ever read on this trip, but I like to have my bases covered. Off the top of my head, some of the titles that found their way into my bags: the aforementioned The Last Werewolf, One Good Turn, Northanger Abbey, Elantris, The Redbreast, A Great Deliverance, Tales of the City and The King of Plagues. I think there are a few others, but I am too tired to get off the bed and look :-)

Katie- Hope you have a wonderful trip. I'm glad you liked Netherland. The book fell short for me. Something felt missing. Glad you loved The Last Werewolf. A lot of fun, right?

Excellent comments about Netherland, Katie. I completely agree, it isn't a 9/11 novel in the same way that The Submission is.

Great review Katie! I hope you have a great trip and are able to find sometime to read as well. :)

>145 msf59: Hi Mark - Yup, The Last Werewolf was a lot of fun. I am lending it to a colleague who needs something to read on the flight home. We'll see what he thinks... Sorry you were not a big fan of Netherland. I really enjoyed it once I stopped waiting for something to happen :)

>146 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl! I have The Submission on my WL so hope to get to it soon.

>147 jolerie: Thanks, Valerie. So far not much reading done - I basically collapse into bed at the end of the day because there is always a loooong dinner to sit through. I am looking forward to the weekend where I can just relax in the hotel and read as much as I want :)

Hi Katie, your trip sounds exhausting. At least you'll be there long enough to adapt to the time change... just in time to go back to Texas time!

You took a book for every possible mood. Good for you. I had mixed feelings about Netherland. I read it for my book group, and the discussion made me appreciate it more than if I'd been reading solo.

The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan

A wonderfully engaging and entertaining read, especially if one is not bothered by a lot of sex and violence. I read The Last Werewolf on a flight from LA to Hong Kong, and it just ate up the hours. The beginning was a bit slow, but it quickly picked up and turned into a manic ride through a contemporary world in which werewolves and vampires exist and are not quite the romantic heroes Stephanie Meyer would have us believe. TLW is beautifully written with lush, voluptuous language even when describing the down and dirty doings of our beastly protagonist. Very enjoyable but not for the faint of heart. 3.75 stars

So Jakarta will not be making my list of Top Ten Places I've Visited - probably won't make the top 25... I can't figure out why I didn't like it, since it's not terribly different from other places I've been and enjoyed in this part of the world, but there it is. I was very happy to leave last night and arrive in KL. After a good night's sleep, some good coffee, and a little walk around the area where my hotel is located, I am now enjoying some quiet time in my room - catching up on LT threads and doing some reading (I hope!). Currently, I'm immersed in A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George, the first in her Lynley/Havers series, but I haven't gotten as much reading done as I'd like.

I'm interested to hear more about Kuala Lumpur!

So interesting to read your reaction to The Adoration of Jenna Fox. I thought it was very well done, and read it a few years ago based on numerous recommendations from others in this group. I wonder if listening to it on audio made a difference? In the book, many of the sections you perhaps heard as "self-pity" are formatted as diary-style entries, private writings from the character, which made a difference for me visually in my experience of the story. And compared to a number of other YA books that dealt with bio-ethics I've read, this was the only one that actually made an effort to deal with the concept of the soul & the actual ethics behind the parents' actions. But of course, not every book is for everyone. :)

>152 kidzdoc: - Darryl, KL is very nice. Granted, I've only seen a small part of it but there are interesting shops, a variety of restaurants, and a veritable rainbow of people. I am hoping to see a bit more of the city tomorrow when a colleague and I have tentative plans to explore. At the very least, I want to go down to the central market and to Chinatown. I picked up a bit of a bug in Jakarta and have not been feeling great, so I've been resting a lot and catching up on some work. Tomorrow will be my last opportunity to really get out and see something, since I have two full days in the office on Monday and Tuesday before leaving early Wednesday morning.

>153 dk_phoenix: - Faith, listening to it may have made a difference, as, for one thing, I really didn't like the reader. I am also not a huge reader of YA books, so that may have influenced my reaction as well. I did think some of the exploration of issues related to "being," religion and ethics was interesting, but I assume a lot of that would be lost on the target audience (though maybe I am selling today's teenagers short!).

So I took a page from Darryl (kidzdoc) and his recent trip to London, and indulged in a marathon session at a book shop near my hotel. Not surprisingly, there was a large English-language section, and I was thrilled to pick up several titles not yet available in the States. I may go back before I leave, as I am already regretting some of the titles I passed by...

The haul (which I must somehow find room for along side the 8 or so books I brought from home):
The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje
Monsieur Linh and His Child by Philippe Claudel
The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman (in paperback; I think it's still only in hardcover in the US)
The Poison Tree by Erin Kelly (in paperback; still only in hardcover in the US)
Lyrics Alley by Leila Aboulela (impulse purchase)
The Novel in the Viola by Natasha Solomons (impulse purchase)

The last three are tidy little mass market paperbacks that I could rationalize buying due to their size :) All the books are shrink-wrapped, which will be great for getting them home with minimal damage.

I left behind The Stranger's Child by Alan Hollinghurst and Gillespie and I by Jane Harris because they were both on the chunky side in terms of size. Perhaps I could leave behind a couple of pair of shoes to make room for them.....

A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George

The epitome of well-done modern British crime fiction and the first in the Inspector Lynley series, A Great Deliverance is a well-plotted, well-written mystery. George’s character development and pacing are spot-on, and the ending is stunning in its details if not in its general outline. I look forward to continuing this series of, oh, about 16 books (gulp!). 4.5 stars

Katie: I really liked the start of George's series, too. I think I was up to the fifth one. Then I became daunted by the size of the things.

Take care and have a safe journey home.

Safe trip home, Katie. Enjoying your reviews and your travels!

Great reading and great updates, Katie! Safe travels.

Thanks, Nancy and Anne!

I'd love to go back to KL one day.... Did you get a chance to get to the market and have some great street vendor food?? I do want to go to Java but have always been underwhelmed by what I've heard of Jakarta. A cousin of mine did some work there in the 80s, and I knew someone who was posted there for a few years. Neither loved it. I'm not sure... I enjoy Bangkok, which lots of other people don't? But in Java, I really want to see Borobodur, the giant complex that is said to rival Angkor Wat... One of these decades!!

I love Elizabeth George's mysteries -- they are so richly detailed. There have been one or two disappointments, but by and large I've relished them all. I'm eagerly awaiting the next, due out this winter.

The Poison Tree was a 'thumping good read' for me -- might be good for the plane ride back? Safe travels!!

I unfortunately have not made it to the market, as I've been last-minute tasked with some work to get done before a meeting tomorrow. Sigh. I absolutely loved Bangkok when I was there in '08, and was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked Saigon - er, Ho Chi Minh City - last year. In both cases, I got out to explore a lot more than I have this trip and I think that makes a difference.

I'm definitely planning on The Poison Tree for the flight home - only two more days to get through!! I also picked up a Karin Slaughter thriller today with an eye toward the 23 hours or so it will take me to actually get home.

Nice haul, Katie! I have four of the seven books that you purchased (the Barnes, Ondaatje, Claudel and Aboulela), and I liked all of them. Thanks for the info about Kuala Lumpur; there was a flight leaving for KL last Sunday when I was at Heathrow awaiting my flight to Atlanta, and I fantasized about changing tickets with a passenger on that flight.

ETA: I've read The Stranger's Child, which will be released in the US next month, and I'll probably read Gillespie and I next month.

Fantastic books you bought Katie, so many titles I've added to my own wishlist in the last week alone! I was wondering if the books were shrink-wrapped after PaulCranswick mentioned this on another thread. Good way to get them home safely though. Now that Elizabeth George book looks just like my cup of tea, good review.

I bought some in Hong Kong when I was last there that were shrink-wrapped. Wonder if it's an Asian thing??

Hi Darryl - I was especially excited to get the Claudel book as I couldn't find any information on when/if it would be released in the States. The others I know will be relatively soon, but I like getting them ahead of time :) I am supposed to get to London for work next spring, and I plan to re-read all your posts so that I can shamelessly steal ideas for where to go and what to do. It's been ages since I've been there, and I did the purely tourist things so I am looking forward to being more leisurely. I've told my husband that I'll be spending a few extra days there beyond work and we can consider it my birthday present for the year.

I went back to the bookshop, but the sheer size of both The Stranger's Child and Gillespie and I discouraged me from purchasing them. I will just have to be patient (not my strong suit!).

Hello Leonie! I am ridiculously pleased with my purchases. I like the shrink-wrapping for transport purposes, but it is kind of annoying in terms of not being able to flip through a book and read a few passages before committing to buying.

And do look up the George book. It really was quite good!

Hi Suz - I think it must be a regional thing, kind of like how you can wrap your luggage in plastic at the airport in a lot of Asian countries. I've never done it but seeing the condition of my suitcases, at this point, I may need to start considering it!

PS - you are up late - go to bed!

Great book haul! I really loved The Sense of an Ending (4 1/2 stars, nearly 5) and really liked The Novel in the viola. Have a good trip home.

Hi Katie, the reason I remember the shrinkwrap thing was that Paul admitted he silently unwraps them to have a peek inside and then shoves the wrap behind the shelves - the image made me laugh.

Thanks, Cushla!

Oh, Leonie, that's so funny! I was too scared to do it, though the thought did cross my mind...

Burning Bright by Helen Dunmore

”She didn’t wonder where he’d gone, or how long it would be before he came back. She was unsuspicious. You can’t get it back once it’s gone, that stupor of trust.” (page 110)

Helen Dunmore won the Orange Prize for A Spell of Winter which is one of the creepiest books I can remember reading. Burning Bright, her second novel, is right up there now. Throughout my read, I was accompanied by a sense of foreboding and gently increasing tension as the story of a sixteen year old girl, her older boyfriend, and an old lady unfolded. The perspective and narrative shift constantly, sometimes within the same chapter, and it was difficult to establish a connection with any of the characters. They are all flawed in some way (some more than others), but this story of loss of innocence and establishment of personal identity was very compelling in its own quiet way. 3.75 stars

Bossypants by Tina Fey

If you are at all interested in reading this, do yourself a favor and don’t. Please, instead, listen to it on audio narrated by Ms. Fey herself. It is an absolute delight – very funny, of course, but also topical, timeless and profound in many ways. 4.5 stars

Oh hey, I just bought that on Audible a couple weeks ago! :-)

Delighted to hear about Bossypants, Katie. I'll bet Tina Fey is fabulous as reader! She is SO good! Thanks.

Oh, it's great Nora! Just be aware I was laughing out loud in parts (okay in my car, less okay on the Metro?)...

Nancy - It's so much fun. I hope you give it a try!

Loved Bossypants on audio. My daughter said she was thinking about trying out for the school improv club (she's 12). We listened to the section about 'rules for improv' together. I agree with Ms. Fey -- they're good rules for life!

Yes, indeed, Anne!

____________________________________

I am back from my trip; two weeks is entirely too long to be gone from hearth and home and husband. On the upside, Cathay Pacific has fabulous lay-flat seats in business class, so I slept most of the way from Hong Kong to LA. On the downside, I didn't read very much :( And I snagged an upgrade on my flight from LA to Dallas, so all in all, it was probably the most comfortable 26-hours of travel I've ever experienced!

I am looking forward to being home for a few weeks; my next trips are to Denver and Calgary, with a side visit in between to New Mexico with the hubby for our anniversary :)

Currently reading Undone by Karin Slaughter which is a fairly run-of-the-mill thriller, only with a lot more violence. I don't think of myself as squeamish, but some of the details are absolutely cringe-worthy.

On audio, I'm listening to You Know When the Men are Gone by Siobhan Fallon, a collection of short stories about families of deployed soldiers. I'm not very far into it yet, but so far, it's just okay.

I'm thrilled that one of the library systems I patronize has Kindle books for loan. The selection isn't great but hopefully it will improve with time...?

Okay, enough chit chat. Hope everyone has a great weekend! The weather here is gorgeous - mid-80s, sunny, with a light breeze. I think we've finally turned the corner on the summer from hell.

Katie: I had to stop reading the Karin Slaughter series; I am too squeamish.

I really liked You Know When the Men Are Gone but I didn't listen to it; sometimes the audio versions aren't as good as seeing words on the page. And sometimes flaws are more apparent with audio versions, so who knows.

Our weather here in mid-80s, too -- love that beautiful weather with the fall colors!

Glad you had a good trip, and are home for awhile. Let me know if you'll have any downtime in Denver :)

Beth - I don't think I'll be reading any more by her. And I'm thinking of just skimming the rest of this one, but we'll see.

Anne - I wish we had fall colors down here - it's one of the things I miss most about home in the Northeast. I will be sure to let you know how my schedule for Denver shapes up - it's our annual conference so it's usually pretty hectic but who knows!

2011 Quarter 3 Summary
Books Read: 24
Pages Read: 5368
Audio Hours: 39:23

Favorites:
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
The Pure in Heart by Susan Hill
Partitions by Amit Majmudar
Bright's Passage by Josh Ritter
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
Bossypants by Tina Fey

2011 Totals
Books Read: 79
Pages Read: 19,479
Audio Hours: 84:56

Comments: This was a pretty average 3 months of reading for me, with fewer standouts but also fewer bad books. They can't all be stellar quarters! I look forward to finishing out the year (where did the time go?!??!) strong.

Katie: You have read some good books. I have to get to Susan Hill; I've heard a lot of good things about her -- and I loved Howard's End Is on the Landing. I would also like Bossypants, I think. The other books on your list I've read -- and I agree they are outstanding.

Beth, I love Susan Hill's Simon Serailler mysteries. I am planning on reading the third sometime soon.

snagged Bossypants on audio early in Borders' going-out-of-business sale - so happy it was still on the shelf - looking forward to listening to it while on the road on our vaca in Maine! Woo hoo!

Milda - It's perfect for a road trip. I am planning to bring it with us when the hubby and I drive to Miami for Christmas with the in-laws. Have fun on your trip! We drove from Dallas to Cape Cod last summer and had a wonderful time.

oh my goodness, Dallas to Cape Cod, or Dallas to Miami - yikes, that's far! We are flying this trip... but will be on the roads of Maine looking for 'moosies', so maybe Bossypants will keep us from getting too sad if it takes forever to spot one...

Oh, I just assumed you were driving, but I guess most people are smarter than the hubby and I :-)

"Moose" was actually my first word as a baby, so I've always had a special fondness for them, though I've never seen one in person. Hope you spot a few!

Undone by Karin Slaughter

A fast-paced thriller with more character development than one might expect from the genre, Undone unfortunately suffered from too much gratuitous violence and a few holes in the plot large enough to drive a truck through. And while the three primary characters had some depth, the rest were little more than one dimensional stereotypes. I’m glad the book read so quickly, and I’m glad to move on to something else. 3 stars

Say hello to Calgary for me!

The only Dunmore I've read beyond The Siege and The Betrayal (both of which I adored) was Zennor in Darkness, acquired because (a) I love Cornwall, (b) I'm fascinated by WW1 and (c) I loathe DH Lawrence... *grin* I enjoyed that one tremendously as well. I think I have one more lurking here in my vast tottering TBR mountain.

And I'm up this late because they persist in jackhammering my road from about 11 p.m. until 5 a.m. every night.

I have The Siege on my TBR shelves and I will definitely be looking out for other books by her.

ETA: UGH about the jackhammers! Hang in there.

Trying to catch up on your thread Katie! Looks like you were a busy bee reading a lot of books! Glad to hear you are back home after all your travels. I must say when I've found to Asia, the only airline I've used is Cathay and I have no complaints with them although they are a bit pricer than other options. Good call on listening to Bossypants rather than reading it. I can imagine it is one of those books that hearing the jokes will probably be funnier than reading it!

Thanks for stopping in, Valerie! I totally understand about playing catch up :)

I gave up on the audio I was listening to (You Know When the Men Are Gone) since the CDs kept skipping. It wasn't very good anyway - very amateurish and self-conscious - ooh, look I'm a Writer. I don't understand all the attention this book got. And I heard part of an interview with the author and she sounded really obnoxious and smug. So good riddance.

After my disturbing last read, I picked up A Month in the Country last night as a palate cleanser. I think it will be just the ticket!

Oohh, I've been hearing lots of good things lately about A Month In the Country - looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this one, Katie.

A Month in the Country is a lovely, quiet book. I hope you enjoy it, Katie!

Thanks, Judy and Laura. I'm just under half way through and really enjoying it. As Laura says, it's a quiet book, and so beautiful...

>178 katiekrug:: The weather here is gorgeous - mid-80s, sunny, with a light breeze...
I'm glad you came home to such good weather. We picked the perfect weekend for our Dallas trip. I don't remember it being that pleasant when I was down there last September when Haley was born. We ran out of time to go see the pumpkins at the Arboretum. That is my favorite place to visit in the area - next to Half Price Books!

I'm on a long list at the library for the audio version of Bossypants. I wanted it for this week end's drive to Kansas City but had to settle for Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King. It has been years since I read anything by him.

I just got notified by my library that Full Dark, No Stars is available for pick-up. I've heard some good things about it, and that it's very intense. I'll have to psych myself up for it!

All throughout the weekend, friends were posting pics of their little ones at the pumpkin patch at the Arboretum. It looked like fun - maybe next year. It's such a gorgeous spot - I wanted to have my wedding there but the budget said no!

A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr

”But there are times when man and earth are one, when the pulse of living beats strong, when life is brimming with promise and the future stretches confidently ahead like that road to the hills.” (page 101)

Tom Birkin is a wounded survivor of World War I and a broken marriage. His trade – art restoration – brings him to a quiet village in the north of England to restore a church mural. J.L. Carr’s novella reads like syrup, and I mean that in a good day. It’s the literary equivalent of the hot and sticky summer days described so well in the book. As Tom works to uncover a lost masterpiece, he slowly begins to find himself again and his place in the world. Not much happens but the story is pitch-perfect and Tom’s re-emergence into himself is rendered beautifully. 4 stars

It sounds like a beautifully written story. Thanks for the review Katie! :)

Katie: This sounds like a must read.

Glad you liked Month in the Country - it is a lovely book!

>203 gennyt:: what Genny said!

I knew your write up would make up my mind for me, A Month In the Country is being added to my wishlist.

>201 jolerie: - You're most welcome, Valerie :)

>202 BLBera: - Beth, I think you would like it.

>203 gennyt:/204 - It certainly is, Genny and Laura!

>205 DeltaQueen50: - Hope you enjoy it when you get to it, Judy.

Happy to see A Month in the Country has found another fan!

Katie, there's a film version of A Month in the Country starring Colin Firth and Kenneth Branagh. I haven't seen it, and Netflix doesn't have it, and that totally bums me out because I'm sure two such fine actors do something wonderful with such a fine book. I'm just mentioning it in case you happen to come across a DVD. It's $19.99 on Amazon, which is a little pricey considering the film was made in 1987 and the DVD is "manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. ... This disc is expected to play back in DVD Video 'play only' devices, and may not play in other DVD devices, including recorders and PC drives."

Sigh.

Thanks, Laura. We have a used bookstore/other media chain around here that sometimes has some surprising selections, so I will definitely be looking for the film there. I'll let you know if I have any luck...

Ah, I read that recently and then went to find the movie and no-one local has it either! I was equally bummed out!

I just looked on YouTube and it looks like the film is posted there in multiple parts (first part HERE). Colin Firth had obviously not yet reached his full Darcy-ness :) ... It's not an ideal format, but better than nothing?

Great review, Katie! I've seen so many wonderful comments about that book. I actually bought a copy this summer... aaaaaannnnndd then I gave it to my mom for her birthday and she took the book home with her to Germany :( It's a slim little book, though. Maybe she'll bring it back. Colin Firth and Kenneth Branagh?!? I'll be tracking that film down. After I read the book, of course:)

It is a fabulous film (saw it first, then went to read the book). A young Firth and a young Branagh and a young Natasha Richardson, to boot. I'm going to have to order it, simply because I remember loving it so much I saw it three nights in the week it played at the local rep cinema in London, Ontario, where I was working one summer.

The book is also a little gem. I have it tucked away somewhere.

Katie, I thanked you on my thread but I will thank you again here! Very good to know about YouTube. I chuckled at your comment, "Colin Firth had obviously not yet reached his full Darcy-ness" as well!

I hope you get your copy back, Anne!

Suz - based on those comments, it looks like I need to spend some quality time curled up with my laptop :)

Despite a moustache, he had quite the baby face, Laura! Hope you like the film after all this build-up :)

______________________-

Currently reading Northanger Abbey, second to last entry in this year's Austenathon. On audio, I'm listening to The Maze Runner, a YA dystopia which is perfect for the car.

Reading is on hold for the next couple of hours so I can watch the annual Texas-Oklahoma game. Though I would move away from Texas in a heartbeat for various reasons, I have been converted into a UT fan, thanks to my cousin who is a proud alum. He got married a month ago to a lovely girl who went to OU and they are, needless to say, spending the day apart :) It's all in good fun - an old rivalry, played at the historic Cotton Bowl in the midst of the State Fair in Dallas (which I really must go to one of these years...)

Hope you all have a great weekend, and Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian friends!

Thanksgiving is officially over. :( That means everything reverts back to the regular routine but at least lots of leftover means family gets to fend for themselves at dinner since there is NO room in the fridge to stash any more food!

Take a visit to the US next month, then you can have second Thanksgiving!

Hi Valerie - Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, so I am already looking forward to it :) I second Nora's comment and offer you a standing invitation to enjoy an American Thanksgiving in Texas someday!

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Northanger Abbey is not destined to be my favorite novel of Jane Austen’s, but it seems almost unfair to judge it against the others, as it is so very different. Written well before her better known works but not published until after her death, it is a witty and surprisingly profound commentary on the fashionable Gothic novels of the late 18th/early 19th century, as well as on the social mores that credited women with little sense or ambition outside of securing a suitable marriage. The novel is full of Austen’s characteristic wit and wonderfully drawn secondary characters. What stood out for me was the unsympathetic portrayal of Catherine, the heroine, for much of the book. This may very well have been by design – Austen commenting on the empty-headed, silly nature of so many young ladies. I found myself not very invested in Catherine’s story for much of the book and only began to root for her once she experienced some hardship and gained maturity. 3.75 stars

That's my least favorite Austen, too, Katie but I agree it's very different from the others and still worth reading!

Oh so tempting to enjoy a second Thanksgiving but I don't think my scale nor my diet would appreciate a second assault. :) I'll just have to hold out till Christmas for round 2!
Another Austen that I haven't gotten around to yet. I find that I have to space her books out quite generously otherwise I get all bogged down and end up in a slump!

Glad you mostly enjoyed your read of Northanger Abbey.

I think I must have already mentioned farther back that NA is my least favorite Austen--but I still enjoyed it. I always think that it would be interesting to actually read some of the novels she is satirizing, like The Mysteries of Udolpho, but so far I haven't gotten around to it. Nice review.

>223 AnneDC:: yeah, I've thought about reading Udolpho too, but haven't.

When I read Udolpho, I would wake up with the book open on my face...

Laura - I did love me some Henry Tilney, though :) And I loved how Austen noted that he was first attracted to Catherine because she obviously liked hiim so much!

Valerie - Yes, we do it all over again at Christmas, too. And with only a month in between!

Micky - thanks. I did enjoy it, just in a different way!

Anne & Laura - ditto on Udolpho...

Beth - was that because it was really boring or because it was so good you stayed up late reading it?

Katie: For me, a little melodrama goes a long way. Udolpho is interesting historically perhaps but I didn't find it a compelling read. The villains and heroes are so easily identified that there isn't much tension in the story.

Henry Tilney is thoroughly deserving of his own fan club. :)

Good to know, Beth, thanks! I will keep that in mind about Udolpho.

Micky - it was bad enough when I was torn between Darcy and Wentworth... :) If I think really hard about it (and why not? I'm at work...), I think I'm still giving a slight edge to Wentworth for the letter he writes to Anne .

That letter is totally swoonworthy. But I think I'll stick with Henry. First of all, there's much less competition. Plus, he has a sense of humour which is a nice change from some of the more stern Austen heroes.

Yes, Henry's sense of humor is a good selling point...

_________________

Busy weekend here with not a lot of reading getting done. I went out with some friends last night and tonight the hubby and I are having a little anniversary getaway (a week early) to The Adolphus, a lovely historic hotel in downtown Dallas, with a nice dinner and maybe some live music thrown in for good measure.

I'm in the middle of When She Woke by Hillary Jordan which is good but hasn't totally grabbed me for reasons I'm not sure of. It may simply be a case of not having enough time to really get lost in the story.

Happy early anniversary. Hope you have a really lovely weekend.

Happy Anniversary Katie.

Thanks, Micky and Beth!

Happy Anniversary Katie! I hope you have a great away of celebrations with the hubby. :)

Your early anniversary sounds romantic, Katie.

Maybe you and DH can catch a ball game this week end. It sounds like your weather has cooled off, but there will still be a hot week end in Dallas with an anniversary being celebrated and some World Series games being played. Have a great time!

Katie- The initial reviews of When She Woke were so enticing, I knew I needed to read that one but now it seems to be lacking LT love. Has it gotten any better?

Hi Valerie! Thanks, we had a very nice time.

Donna - We'll be catching all the games... on the TV :) It's a great time of year down here with a chill in the air in the morning and crisp breezes. Love it!

Mark - Review will be coming soon but the short answer is "no" :(

ETA: Donna - I'm going to Half Price Books first-ever warehouse sale this weekend. Everything is $3 or under! Needless to say, I will be in heaven :)

Warehouse book sale?! Sounds like heaven. Let us know what you pick up -- are you renting a UHaul?

Oooh, a U-haul! Excellent idea :)

When She Woke by Hillary Jordan

My LT friend, Jenny (GCPLReader), pretty much nailed this book for me in her comments when she said the writing was flat and the characters one-dimensional. The premise is intriguing but Jordan can’t quite live up to it with her writing. I have not read her first novel, but this is either a case of the sophomore slump or her talent has been overrated. There were some interesting details, but the world-building of dystopian America seemed incomplete – details were provided when they advanced the plot but otherwise remained unexplained or completely hidden. Because of this, I found the plot full of holes or requiring such suspension of disbelief that I became distracted. A disappointing book that I had really been looking forward to after some glowing reviews. 2.5 stars

One thing that I did enjoy about When She Woke was its setting - primarily in Dallas (where I live) - which I know well and so knew exactly where or what the author was describing. She even mentions (by name!) the library branch I use in Plano, TX and from where I borrowed the book :)

>242 katiekrug: I love it when that happens :-)

>241 katiekrug:: hm, interesting. This is one that seems to be drawing mixed opinions.

Oh that's too bad about When She Woke, I loved Mudbound and was hoping she could deliver another great read. I think I will skip this one.

I'll skip it, too. Thanks for your review! Glad you celebrated your anniversary in style:)

Katie: It's nice not to have to add a book to my list -- not so nice for you to have had to suffer through it.

Hi All!

I have not read Hillary Jordan's first novel Mudbound but I do own it and will give it a try at some point.

There have been some very positive reviews of When She Woke so if it truly interests anyone, I wouldn't discourage you from picking it up - just temper your expectations :)

Katie- I think I'm going to make mudbound my next reading choice. I've had it forever.

Mark - It's been on my shelves for a while now too but I am going to let it linger for a bit longer ;)

_____________________________

I watched the TV/film adaptation of Fingersmith last night. It was pretty good. Available from Netflix, if anyone wants to check it out.

Also yesterday, I went to a warehouse sale held by my favorite chain of used bookstores. Everything was $3 or under. The haul includes:

Bleak House by Charles Dickens
The Lieutenant by Kate Grenville
Goldengrove by Francine Prose
The Condition by Jennifer Haigh
Two Lives by William Trevor
The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey
The Sea Wall and The Vice Consul by Marguerite Duras
Something Out There by Nadine Gordimer
Emperor of the Air and Carry Me Across the Water by Ethan Canin
A Ship Made of Paper by Scott Spencer
Pavilion of Women by Pearl Buck
The Outlander by Gil Adamson
Cold Flat Junction by Martha Grimes
The Keepsake by Kirsty Gunn

Now to start shifting books on the shelves to make room!

Nice haul at the warehouse sale, Katie! I really liked The Lieutenant, and while I haven't read that particular Gordimer I enjoy her work. That reminds me -- I have two of hers on my stacks.

I've finished two books - The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes and The Maze Runner by James Dashner (on audio). Hope to review soon but life is crazy at the moment and I leave Wednesday for a week in Denver...

Did get a box from BookCloseouts.com today :)

Willow Temple by Donald Hall (short stories by one of my favorite poets)
The Nice and the Good by Iris Murdoch
The Pickup by Nadine Gordimer
So Many Ways to Begin by Jon McGregor
The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama
The 351 Books of Irma Arcuri by David Bajo
The Prophet of Zongo Street by Mohammed Naseehu Ali
The Age of Orphans by Laleh Khadivi
After You've Gone by Jeffrey Lent

Katie- Wow, that's quite an avalanche of books! Enjoy!

Katie, it looks like you could open your own book warehouse. Sorry, I couldn't resist. I think living near a Half Price bookstore would be a very dangerous thing for me. I manage to resist the siren song of the book internet sites pretty well, but if I touch a book, I want it! I am salivating over your lists of new books.

Denver, huh? Be sure and pack a hat and gloves. It looks like you will arrive just in time to experience some pre-winter weather. The biggest snow we had when I lived in Colorado Springs occurred a few days before Halloween. I forget how many feet we had. Good luck.

Katie, the Denver Post said we could have 4-8 inches of snow by noon on Wednesday -- dress warm and bring boots, and safe, safe travels.

Wow!! Now that is a book haul! Looks like Christmas came a couple of months early!

Now the fun begins when you place all these newly bought books on the shelf and they get to sit and and sit and sit, patiently waiting until it is their turn to be read. :)

Hope you have a great time in Denver.

Wow, you did alright for yourself in the new books department. Lots of interesting ones there.

Safe travels to Denver.

Mark, Donna, Anne, Valerie and Judy - I am feeling a little guilty about the books and you all are NOT helping! :) Ah well, they will all get read eventually. Maybe. Hopefully.

I did see the weather forecast for Denver. My flight is scheduled to arrive around 3pm, I think. I hope the worst of it will be over by then. My big worry is my flight being canceled but then I figure it's Denver. Surely the airport can handle some snow! I am enjoying the total freak-out by my native Texan colleagues about it, though. I'm from up north so it doesn't scare me as much :)

I am due for a new thread but don't have time at the moment so I hope everyone will bear with me...

Hi Katie - Safe travels to you. Maybe by 3pm, things will have improved. They are saying the worst time will be the morning commute.

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

”And it ought to be obvious to us that time doesn’t act as a fixative, rather as a solvent.” (page 63)

I didn’t have high expectations going into this one given all the varied reactions to it, not to mention the controversy surrounding this year’s Bookers. But I loved, loved, LOVED this novella. I think its strength lies in the gorgeous writing but also its various layers and nuances which allowed me to relate to it in a very personal way, and a way different from a lot of people whose reviews I read. I just got lost in it, marking passage after passage and re-reading pages at a time. Sometimes fine writing isn’t enough to save a book for me, so this must have had something more but damned if I can describe it. Just lovely. 4.5 stars

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

I listened to this one on audio, as I find YA books work well for me in that format. I had seen The Maze Runner compared favorably and unfavorably to The Hunger Games, which I loved. While TMR is good and certainly held my interest, I didn’t find it nearly as enthralling as THG. Some of the writing was very clunky with really terrible, awful, lame, cringe-inducing similes sprinkled throughout. I kept meaning to write them down and never did, unfortunately… I think the book would work really well for the target audience and for anyone who is a big fan of the genre (speculative YA fiction). I’m just dipping my toes in here and came at it with a critical eye so I may be short-changing the book. 3.5 stars

>260 katiekrug:: I'll be reading that in November ... can't wait!

Katie: The Barnes book sounds wonderful. I added it to my list.

Katie- I recently requested The Sense of an Ending from the library, so I hope to get to it soon. Glad you loved it.

Laura, Beth and Mark - I hope you all enjoy The Sense of an Ending as much as I did!

Katie, great review of The Sense of an Ending! Onto the WL it goes :)

Hi Anne! I think you'll like it...

New thread is HERE