calm counting - 75 and beyond in 2011 - part 4

Welcome to any visitors. I appreciate any comments and recommendations. I must admit to being a great lurker on other people's threads but I do try to say something occasionally. Though I tend to just sit in the corner and read:)



I read 180 books in 2010 so I'm setting my target at 200 (as I hate going over the end of the ticker) though I doubt whether I'll get there:)




I'm also taking part in The 11 in 11 Category Challenge. The thread is here

http://www.librarything.com/topic/105963

Unfortunately I haven't been posting there (just updating posts with books read in each category and managing the ticker!)

My categories are

1 Ideas - Religion and Philosophy

2 The Past - Prehistory, Ancient History and History (non-fiction)

3 I Want to Know More - other non-fiction

4 Myth, Folklore and Legend - both original and retellings

5 Books in Translation - fiction translated into English

6 Around the World - contemporary fiction

7 The Way We Used To Live - historical fiction

8 Maybe - Fantasy and Science Fiction

9 Arthurian and Celtic Tales

10 It's a Mystery - stories with a twist.

11 It's About Time - Classic Fiction

If you want to go back thread 1 is here http://www.librarything.com/topic/104801 thread 2 is here http://www.librarything.com/topic/114942
thread 3 is here http://www.librarything.com/topic/119682.

Thanks again to any visitors.

Time to get reading:)


glitter-graphics.com

Book list for this thread

104) Enemy of God by Bernard Cornwell (post 17)
105) Human Croquet by Kate Atkinson (post 27)
106) The Circle Cast by Alex Epstein (post 33)
107) The City of the Beasts by Isabel Allende (post 47)
108) The Remedy by Michelle Lovric (post 60)
109) The Inheritance and other stories by Robin Hobb/Megan Lindholm (post 66)
110) The Travels of Marco Polo by Marco Polo (post 67)
111) A House for Mr Biswas by V. S. Naipul (post 68)
112) Enchantment by Orson Scott Card (post 87)
113) The Black Stiletto by Raymond Benson (post 88)
114) Mapping the Edge by Sarah Dunant (post 89)
115) The Great Transformation : the world in the time of Buddha, Socrates, Confucius and Jeremiah by Karen Armstrong (post 90)
116) Excalibur by Bernard Cornwell (post 105)
117) Early Celtic Art in Britain and Ireland by Ruth and Vincent Megaw (post 106)
118) Perdido Street Station by China Miéville (post 107)
119) The Memory Game by Nicci French (post 129)
120) Bee Season by Myra Goldberg (post 130)
121) The Darling Strumpet by Gillian Bagwell (post 131)
122) The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen (post 132)
123) The Scar by China Miéville (post 133)
124) Borderliners by Peter Høeg (post 139)
125) The Outlander by Gil Adamson (post 140)
126) Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (post 141)
127) The Iron Council by China Miéville (post 162)
128) The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher : or, The Murder at Road Hill House by Kate Summerscale (post 163)
129) Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue (post 164)
130) The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson (post 165)
131) The Three Arthurs: History, Legend and Quest by Derek Bryce (post 166)
132) Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter (post 179)
133) Cannery Row by John Steinbeck (post 189)
134) The Giant Book of Vampires by Stephen Jones (post 206)
135) Nefertiti : a novel by Michelle Moran (post 207)
136) East, West by Salman Rushdie (post 208)
137) I Am Legend by Richard Matheson (post 209)
138) Dancing With Eternity by John Patrick Lowrie (post 217)
139) The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart (post 241)

Book list from previous threads

Post numbers are where there are comments.

Books read on thread 1.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/104801

1) The Magicians by Lev Grossman (post 33)
2) Homeland and Other Stories by Barbara Kingsolver (post 34)
3) Elf Love edited by Josie Brown (post 54)
4) The World Without Us by Alan Weisman (post 62)
5) Travels in the Scriptorium by Paul Auster (post 81)
6) The Whirlpool by Jane Urquhart (post 82)
7) The Tower and the Emerald by Moyra Caldecott (post 106)
8) The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney (post 107)
9) Spirit : or, the princess of Bois Dormant by Gwyneth Jones
10) The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
11) Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
12) The Bell at Sealey Head by Patricia A. McKillip (post 111)
13) The Corner That Held Them by Sylvia Townsend Warner (post 112)
14) The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell (post 127)
15) Weaveworld by Clive Barker
16) The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (post 129)
17) the Normans and Their World by Jack Lindsay (post 130)
18) Crow Lake by Mary Lawson (post 138)
19) Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (post 143)
20) The Mouse God by Susan Curran (post 155)
21) The Mind in the Cave by David Lewis-Williams (post 156)
22) The Prodigy Project by Douglas Flanders (post 164)
23) Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquuivel (post 165)
24) Silas Marner by George Eliot (post 166)
25) A Time for Everything by Karl Ove Knausgård (post 167)
26) Old Man's War by John Scalzi (post 168)
27) The Last Light of the Sun by Guy Gavriel Kay (post 179)
28) JIgs and Reels by Joanne Harris (post 180)
29) Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow By Peter Hoeg (post 188)
30) The Genius of China by William Watson (post 189)
31) Religious Experience of Mankind by Ninian Smart
32) The Flowers of Adonis by Rosemary Sutcliff
33) Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier (post 192)
34) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
35) The Bhagavad Gita by Anonymous
36) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
37) The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi (post 200)
38) The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster
39) Citadels of Mystery by L Sprague de Camp (post 202)
40) Ambrosius Aureliana by Leon Mintz
41) The Last Colony by John Scalzi (post 208)
42) Awakening by S J Bolton (post 220)
43) The Lady in Blue by Javier Sierra (post 229)
44) China : the land of the heavenly dragon by Edward L. Shaughnessy (post 239)
45) When Christ and His Saints Slept by Sharon Kay Penman (post 240)
46) The Game by A. S. Byatt
47) Rose Madder by Stephen King (post 245)

Books read on thread 2

http://www.librarything.com/topic/114942

48) The Alienist by Caleb Carr (post 4)
49) The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hinduism by Linda Johnsen (post 12)
50) Affinity by Sarah Waters (post 13)
51) How the Irish Saved Civilization : the Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe by Thomas Cahill (post 22)
52) The Lollipop Shoes by Joanne Harris (post 24)
53) The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (post 25)
54) The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald (post 38)
55) Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft (post 39)
56) Bending the Boyne by J. S. Dunn (post 40)
57) Dust of Dreams by Steven Erikson (post 43)
58) Sacrifice by S. J. Bolton (post 48)
59) Animal Folk Tales Around the World by Kathleen Arnott (post 59)
60) Mr Chartwell by Rebecca Hunt (post 60)
61) Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch (post 83)
62) Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov (post 85)
63) Irish Fairy Tales by Padraic O'Farrell (post 97)
64) Riddle of the Wren by Charles de Lint (post 138)
65) Blood Harvest by S. J. Bolton (post 139)
66) A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel (post 140)
67) Company of Liars by Karen Maitland (post 141)
68) Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (post 158)
69) Mythangelus by Storm Constantine (post 187)
70) The Crippled God by Steven Erikson (post 191)
71) The Dark World by Henry Kuttner (post 204)
72) Theodora : actress, empress, whore by Stella Duffy (post 206)
73) 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (post 211)
74) The Cats of Seroster by Robert Westall (post 225)
75) The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant (post 231)
76) The Testament of Gideon Mack by James Robertson (post 243)
77) The Night Watch by Sarah Waters (post 248)

Books read on thread 3

http://www.librarything.com/topic/119682

78) If You Fall I Will Catch You by Eifion Jenkins (post 10)
79) River Thieves by Michael Crummey (post 19)
80) The Red Tent by Anita Diamant (post 22)
81) Books that Changed the World by Robert B. Downs (post 29)
82) The Gallows Curse by Karen Maitland (post 32)
83) The Book of Atrix Wolfe by Patricia A. McKillip (post 49)
84) Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver (post 57)
85) Angelology by Danielle Trussoni (post 64)
86) The Bone People by Keri Hulme (post 91)
87) Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman (post 106)
88) The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter (post 107)
89) So Many Ways to Begin by Jon McGregor (post 108)
90) Blackberry Wine by Joanne Harris (post 109)
91) Lucifer's Shadow by David Hewson (post 110)
92) The End of Mr Y by Scarlett Thomas (post 144)
93) Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck (post 145)
94) Watership Down by Richard Adams (post 162)
95) Ghostwritten by David Mitchell (post 163)
96) Emma by Jane Austen (post 185)
97) If I Stay by Gayle Forman (post 190)
98) A Distant Mirror by Barbara Tuchman (post 204)
99) The Sky Mystery Magic and Myth by Jean-Pierre Verdet (post 205)
100) The Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami (post 206)
101) King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green (post 216)
102) The Songlines by Bruce Chatwin (post 225)
103) The Book of Human Skin by Michelle Lovric (post 245)

glitter-graphics.com

Good to see you Lynda - cute gif:)

Hello to your new thread - I've got behind on the old one but perhaps I'll keep up here?

Saving my spot.

Found and starred your new thread! :)

I'm here!

starred :)

Love the gif, calm!

I'm here!

Your last review was great in that it totally made me curious to read it but one of those I know that it will probably stick in my mind for a long time afterwards and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. And I will probably need a shower as well..haha.

Hi Genny, Kath, Angela, Kara, Chelle, Stasia and Valerie - thanks for finding me:)

Genny you have a very good reason for not keeping up with the last thread - it looks like you had a very good time at Gladstone's Library.

Stasia - I half thought of having a change from the bookworm ... but I do love him. How about this one?


glitter-graphics.com

Valerie - I look forward to seeing what you think about TBoHS.

Love the owl!

So do I - I think he might be next years image.

Cool beans!

104) Enemy of God by Bernard Cornwell (14 - 18 August)

The second in Cornwell's Arthurian Warlord Chronicles is a brilliant follow up to the first. There is no "middle book syndrome" here as Derfel continues to tell the story of Arthur and his aim to create a peaceful kingdom and to drive the Saxons from its shores. Merlin is trying to collect the lost Thirteen Treasures of Britain, along with Nimue; the Christians are expecting the Second Coming and Arthur's hopes for a brotherhood of warriors faces difficulties from within.

This is good story telling, great characters (though maybe not quite how they have been portrayed in other tellings of the Arthurian legend) and a dirty gritty recounting of how life might have been in the Fifth Century. As Cornwell says in his authors note Not that I can pretend that the Warlord trilogy is in any way an accurate history of those years; it is not even an attempt at such a history, merely another variation on a fantastic and complicated saga that has come to us from a barbaric age, yet it still enthralls us because it is so replete with heroism, romance and tragedy.

I was enthralled and look forward to reading the concluding book of this trilogy.

I am going to have to read those books!

Hope you manage to do so Stasia.

And unfortunately my local library does not have them. *sigh*

Bad library! Well I hope you mange to extract them from the BlackHole ... someday:)

Thanks! Me too, calm.

I love the owl! And I ought to give the Bernard Cornwell another try, I think: I started the first one a few years back and didn't get very far into it.

I am going to have to read them too...
AND love the owl :)

all 3 of the Warlord Chronicles my library has and are added :)

DEFINITELY yes to the owl!!!

Hi Genny Kath and Kara - hope you all like the Cornwell trilogy.

OK - I'll add the owl to my opening post ... not sure if I want to lose the bookworm though:)

There has been a lot of talk on the threads about this author recently and as I had a couple of her books on the "shelves of shame" I thought it was about time I read one.

105) Human Croquet by Kate Atkinson (18 - 20 August)

Well this was certainly different, quirky and bizarre. Playing with language, time and perception Kate Atkinson drew me in from the first words. There is an element of mystery to this story, and also an aspect of coming of age, as sixteen year old Isobel Fairfax talks about her family, friends and neighbours.

I think what I liked most about this was that element of playfulness; the shifts in time and the mystery of Isobel's mother's disappearance that is mirrored by one of the Fairfaxes Tudor ancestors. Great characters, interesting plot and I did like the way Atkinson's imagination works. I will be reading more of her novels.

yep. Liking the owl up top.. nice addition..

drat it woman! That one looks good too. sigh

Ah, I wondered where you'd gone...

I'm also going to have to try Cornwell's Warlord novels. Hmm, the first one is available for just £1.99 on the kindle...

I've placed #1 & #2 of the Warlord Chronicles on hold at my library. I certainly hope I'll find the time to read them as my 11 in 11 challenge looks like it needs some attention. Owl is wise and a good opener but I would surely miss Bookworm.

#27 - I really love her pre-mystery stuff! Behind the Scenes at the Museum is one of my favorite novels and Emotionally Weird is good too. Also, if you like that sort of thing (great writing, well-developed characters, warm, witty), I recommend The Country Life by Rachel Cusk.

Hi Kath - yes I think it's a good addition:)

I'm not the one who started talking about Kate Atkinson - her books seemed to be getting a lot of attention recently:)

Hi Heather - I did remember the link on the last thread didn't I?

well at that price I suppose it isn't too much to worry about if you don't like it

Hi Lynda - Good on your library, hope you like them:)

I'd miss Bookworm as well and I think I quite like the layout with Owl at the end ... so that's it for this thread ... both are staying for now:)

Hi Kerri - nice to see you here. I've got Behind the Scenes sitting on the shelves of shame ... it's the old so many books, so little time ... I am looking forward to reading it. I'll have to get around to Emotionally Weird some day - I love that title:)

I'm still not sure about all the Jackson Brodie mysteries but the library has them so ... maybe:)

I'll definitely give Rachel Cusk a go - the local library has some of her books. Thanks for the recommendation.

106) The Circle Cast by Alex Epstein (20 - 21 August)

Morgan le Fay is often a shadowy figure in Arthurian myth. This is a refreshing change as Alex Epstein has created a story for the years following Uther's passion for Ygraine, (which led to war and the death of Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall and Morgan's father) and the appearance of Arthur.

I really enjoyed this book, apart from a couple of rather noticeable errors, it seems to be well researched. Using the withdrawal of the Roman's from Britain; the Saxon invasion of Britain; tribal life in Ireland and the history of early Christianity to describe a life that Morgan might have lived. From young girl to the magic worker of legend.

The ending seems to hold promise of a sequel and I, for one, hope that Epstein continues Morgan's story.

:)
glad you liked it!
thumb from me :)

Thanks Kara

Of course I liked it:)

The circle cast sounds interesting. I must get back to some Arthurian reading...

I agree.. sounds like a good one, I am a fan of Morgan.. this looks good. drat.

Hi Calm, it took me a while, but I've found your new thread and starred it.

I'm glad you liked Human Croquet. I'm way behind on the Jackson Brodie series, with books 2 & 3 still waiting on my shelves, but I really loved Behind the Scenes at the Museum and promised myself I'd read more books by her after reading that one.

Genny - Arthurian reading is fun:) There are lots of variations out there and it was good to read about Morgan.

Hi Kath - sorry:)

Hi Ilana - Behind the Scenes is patiently waiting. I will read it someday:)

I had to go for my six monthly dentist check-up today, it was the same day as the local car boot sale and I decided to spend some time browsing various second hand books while I was in town. So more additions to the shelves of shame

The Scar by China Mieville (I now have all three books in the Bas-Lag trilogy so I suppose I better start reading them soon)
Life Before Man by Margaret Atwood (one of my favourite authors and I haven't read this one - yet)
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (lots of fans of this one on the threads recently)
The House at Riverton by Kate Morton (not read any of her work yet)
Walking the Lions by Stephen Burgen (new to me author but it looks promising)
East of the Mountains by David Guterson (still have Snow Falling on Cedars on the shelves of shame but I liked the look of this one)
Ash A Secret History by Mary Gentle (alternative medieval history - sounds like my kind of book)

and a couple I have read before but didn't have copies
Sarum by Edward Rutherford
and Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine

Good planning on your part, I think!

I have Lady of Hay on my nook. waiting patiently..
I read the Kate Morgan, and look forward to your thoughts..
Ah! Rutherford.. so long winded, but generally worth it..
I don't think I have read that one.. ? * runs away*

#32 You did remember the link but I had lost your previous thread... I've downloaded a sample to The Winter King and it seems very good so far but I have book buying guilt this month so although I want to buy it I feel like I shouldn't.

#33 Another Arthurian book for the list :-)

#39 Book buying sounds like a good reward for dentist visits to me. Perdido Street Station was one of my top reads last year but I haven't returned to Bas-Lag since for some reason. I finished Bel Canto at the weekend after having a copy on the TBR shelves of shame (good name!) and really enjoyed it. I thought it was almost like a fairy-tale in some ways; not quite magical realism but perhaps that kind of feel to it?

Nice haul, calm, and what a nice thing to do after the dentist! I hope you enjoy Bel Canto - I loved it some years back when I read it, and it's been fun seeing the recent flurry of positive attention here.

Heather, I'm glad you enjoyed it too; fairy tale-like is a good way of looking at it. I seem to remember a few reviews thought the whole thing rather implausible, but that's part of the fable-like quality, I think.

Kath - Don't run away - I love your visits and I'm not sure when I'll get to any of them ... just someday:)

Sarum was Rutherfurd's first book and it's one that I've culled on the infrequent occasions that I've downsized the book collection ... but for some reason I always seem to get another copy:)

Heather - talk seems to have been a bit wonky since the changes - threads come unstarred and some seem to have become ignored - the wiki and the threadbook is great for finding those missing:)

The Winter King will wait ... pleased you liked the sample.

That was an ER book that I didn't request - kicked myself when all the, mainly, positive reviews started coming in. I hope all the positive reactions mean it will be widely available,

I've had Perdido Street sitting on the shelf for quite a while now - but when I found out it was part of a trilogy I decided not to read it until I had all three books - no excuses now:)

Yours was one of the places that I spotted Bel Canto and all the positive reactions - so when I spotted a copy (for 50p) I had to pick it up:) I quite like fairy tale/magical realism so hopefully it will be a winner.

Shelves of Shame I stole borrowed from someone else's thread:)

Genny - and another positive vote for Bel Canto ... I'm beginning to think that I should let it sit for a while so that I'm not expecting too much when I read it:)

Yes I think books are a good reward for surviving a visit to the dentist - no problems but it's still not the most pleasant place to be ... and my regular dentist was on holiday so I saw the locum:(

#43 You have reminded me with talk of dentist and check ups that I missed my last check up, I dare not say how long ago. They don't bother to remind you once missed, so I have probably slipped off their books by now, it has been so long. I really must go and get myself a new appointment, before I start having trouble with the teeth and need emergency treatment!

Someday... yes... I have a few lot of books for then, too :)

I think I am going to read Crossing Places today... Have you read that one?

Genny - one of the good things about my dentist is that they send you a text a few days before your appointment - a lot can happen in those 6 months and it is an easy thing to forget. Hope you manage to get back on the books before anything happens.

Kath - not yet though it does sound like a good one. The local library has it ... but every time I remember to check there are several holds on it and I don't fancy joining the queue - I've got plenty to keep me busy.

107) The City of the Beasts by Isabel Allende (21 - 23 August)

While his mother is ill 15 year old Alex Cold is sent to stay with his grandmother Kate. Kate isn't your normal type of grandmother - she is a reporter who travels the world and is about to join an expedition up the Amazon in the search for a possibly mythical man-like creature.

I enjoyed this YA adventure story, maybe some of the characters are a bit stereotypical - the egotistical professor, the corrupt South American politician for example - but overall this was a fun romp up the Amazon, bringing in some politics and the plight of the Rain Forest and its inhabitants.

This is the first in a trilogy. I won't go out of my way to find the next books but, as this was a pleasant and entertaining way to pass some time, if I do come across them I'll definitely be adding them to my to read collection.

You've done lots of reading Calm!

I definitely know who to ask for book recommendations if I'm feeling a need for some Arthur time. :)

Nice boot shopping, calm. I read Sarum years ago and loved it! Sadly, because if its daunting size I sent it packing too. Russka was a good one as well, have you read it. As I perused his website just now I see he's written The Forest a companion to Sarum and his novel New York looks great too. Some book buying may be in order.
I'll keep an eye open for The City of Beasts as Allende is one of my favorite authors.

I enjoy Allende, too. Have to mull that one over :)

Valerie - I'm no expert and there are many, many Arthurian books that I haven't read ... or even heard of:)

Lynda - Not bad ... and it's great stress relief to add to the bookshelves:)

yes the Rutherfurd's are chunksters - I've read Russka; The Forest; London; the first of his Dublin books ... haven't got to the second Dublin or the New York one yet. Must say I'll probably always have a soft spot for Sarum though.

Hope you manage to find City of Beasts. That was only my second book by Allende ... and I'll probably read more of her work - what would you recommend?

Kath - I think I'll take a chance and say I think you would probably like this one.

I haven't read anything by China Miéville yet, but he's definitely on my radar. I want to start with Perdido Street Station, as it's often been recommended to me as a good introduction to his work, which I know is quite diverse.

I love Margaret Atwood too. Haven't read everything by her, far from it, but I discovered her when I was quite young (18) and have always found she has a unique, very strong voice. Funny, because the concept of 'voice' isn't always obvious to me, but with her, there's no question about it. Not sure I'll ever read Oryx and Crake or The Year of the Flood though. I'd started reading the former shortly after it came out, and about a quarter of the way through I decided I really wasn't enjoying it and gave up. This is long ago now, mind you.

Bel Canto and Ann Patchett definitely are in the air these days. That book has been sitting on my shelf seemingly forever. Maybe a group read eventually if enough people are interested?

I've been wanting to read The House at Riverton for ages. I now have it, as well as The Forgotten Garden on my shelves and really looking forward to getting to them. A prime example of why I've decided that 2012 will be strongly focused on those books I already own.

Snow Falling on Cedars... another book that's been sitting there forever. And ever.

Haven't read anything by Isabel Allende yet, though I have The House of the Spirits and Daughter of Fortune patiently waiting too.

As for dentists, I only see mind every 9 months because of my insurance plan, which is why I'm very grateful that they always call 48 or even 72 hours in advance. I also have a reminder set on my calendar for the week before to make sure I don't double book myself by mistake.

No book shopping for me though. The shelves and side tables are piled to high with books that they're close to being at the point of toppling risks. I did go to a bookstore today, but since I don't like paying full price for books anyway, I didn't buy anything.

Ilana - I've already read three of Mieville's books - Un Lun Dun, The City and the City and Kraken - all good in their different ways. I am looking forward too Perdido Street - but it is a chunkster.

I like Atwood's books as well - though I must admit I seem to prefer her speculative or historical books. I loved Oryx and Crake and Year of the Flood. She does have a distinctive voice:)

I'm terrible at posting on group read threads - though I love reading other people's thoughts.

I haven't read any Morton or Guterson- yet - but I'm looking forward to both.

I've read Daughter of Fortune and I'll probably be reading more Allende's in the future but there are so many other books already sitting on the shelves - I really should try to get some of them read first.

I'd be happy going to the dentist every nine months but I suppose six monthly isn't too bad - as long as no work is needed.

Must admit all my book purchases are second hand at the moment ... the latest haul came to just under £6 - not likely that I could buy even one new book at that price!

*Shudder* I really don't like going to the dentist. Probably because I was scarred as a kid but I would much rather go have my blood taken out then go to the dentist but it's one of those things that the longer you avoid going, the more painful the experience...

One of the reasons I haven't jumped on to China Miéville yet is precisely because Perdido Street Station is such a huge book. Which one did you start with?

Valerie - I hate going as well but if you don't they take you off the books and it is very difficult to get emergency treatment - if needed. I don't like having blood taken either - though I did get used to that.

Ilana - my first Mieville was Un Lun Dun - I thought if he could write YA when it wasn't what he was known for it would be worth reading more.

*waving* at calm

Hi calm!
trying to catch up with everybody...RL got in the way, darnit!
The House at Riverton I read awhile ago...curious to see what you think. If I remember correctly I felt it was luke warm :/
Bel Canto I have on my pile :) you will probably read it before me at the rate I'm going and the books I keep adding to my TBR list ;)
and Mieville I need to dip more into....only one I read was Un Lun Dun which I really liked!

Hi Stasia *waves back*

Hi Kara - nice to see you.

Well none of the books cost very much - but I still hope that I like The House at Riverton more than you did - have to wait and see:)

Bel Canto - before you - I'm not sure as I've already got plenty on the September TBR - including the monster that is Perdido Street Station (September series and sequels and TIOLI).

I've got a couple of books to get some comments written about. Will definitely try to get those down later today as I'm going to be doing Stasia's readathon later.

I'm off to read some threads ... back later:)

108) The Remedy by Michelle Lovric (23 - 27 August)

Well Michelle Lovric definitely can create a picture of times gone by. This is the underbelly of eighteenth century Venice and London. A world of quack doctors and their potions or remedies; the man who provides these and a woman who isn't all she seems.

It is difficult for me to say what I think about The Remedy. I admire Lovric's ability to create a picture of the life that these characters could have lived but I couldn't connect in any way with their actions. Great writing and research but not as appealing to me as her other books. There is one character who also appears in her later The Book of Human Skin who I would love to learn more about - so hope that at some point she appears in a book of her own.

I don't know about the book, but I like the cover :)

passed that BB :)
nice review though calm!

It is a nice cover Kath

Thanks Kara.

I'm taking part in Stasia's Readathon so this is just a note to say that I didn't get around to commenting on The Inheritance and other stories which I finished yesterday and now have to add The Travels of Marco Polo that I finished today. I'll try to get comments up soon.

Just dropping in, calm - good morning - oh no, it's afternoon already, where has the morning gone?

I haven't come across Lovric before. I see that The Book of Human Skin is also set partly in Venice - I love that city. I might look out for that book first since you liked it more.

Good afternoon Genny - no idea where the morning has gone:) I really meant to get some book thoughts down.

Lovric certainly gives a wonderful feel to historical Venice. I also liked the first one I read - The Floating Book - about the early days of the printing press. That is set in the 15th century, which is a historical period I'm more comfortable with, and also brings in some of Catullus's life and poetry.

109) The Inheritance and other stories by Robin Hobb/Megan Lindholm (27 - 29 August)

A collection of 10 short stories - 7 from Megan Lindholm and 3 from Robin Hobb. Of course they are the same person but there is a difference in subject matter and style. The seven from Lindholm have a slightly dystopian edge to the three SF/futuristic stories - A Tough of Lavender, Cut and Drum Machine - the other four stories have a touch of magical realism as part of contemporary stories of thwarted ambitions and the darker side of life. The three Hobb stories are welcome additions to her established world - one taking place during the original settlement of the Rain Wilds, another in Bingtown and the third in the Six Duchies.

I think I was most surprised by the Lindholm stories, I have read her Windsinger and Reindeer series both of which are pretty straight fantasy stories so I was expecting something along those lines amongst the collection. In fact they have more in common with her Wizard of the Pigeons, contemporary fiction with a touch of magic. I loved the additions to the Robin Hobb universe and would love to read more about the early days in the Rain Wilds.

This is a good collection that gives some insight into the authors creative process via short introductions to each story. Just don't judge Lindholm's work solely based on this collection, great story telling but they are darker than some of her other work.

110) The Travels of Marco Polo by Marco Polo (14 - 31 August)

This version is the Wordsworth Classics edition - so it is the William Marsden translation, from 1818 minus the footnotes, which was based on the 1553 Giambattsia Ramusio edition. There are more modern translations but this was readable enough though a bit repetitive and best read in small doses.

Mostly it seems to be descriptions of towns and places that Polo might have visited during his years in China and the route taken to get there. There are some more interesting sections about life in the Great Khan's court and some sections about Tartar life and the battles and rivalries between some of the main characters of the time.

I'm pleased to have read it but it is probably one I will not return to.

111) A House for Mr Biswas by V. S. Naipaul (27 - 31 August)

I really liked this story of the life of Mr Biswas, his hopes, dreams and ambitions; the life he leads and his almost accidental marriage and his interactions with his in-laws. For all his life he dreams of independence and his own home and the journey he takes in his efforts to achieve this goal makes for a fascinating history of early to mid twentieth century Trinidad.

I don't know why it took me so long to read any of Naipaul's work as I liked the writing, liked the story, loved the characters. I'm looking forward to reading more from Naipaul.

I'll be back with comments for the above books later but got distracted doing this:-

Possible reads for this months TIOLI

Challenge #1: Read a book with an opening sentence of five words or less
Mapping the Edge (People go missing every day.) - Sarah Dunant
The Memory Game (I close my eyes.) - Nicci French

Challenge #2: In Honor of Rosh Hashanah, read a fictional book with Jewish main character or a nonfiction book on Judaica/Judaism
Bee Season - Myra Goldberg

Challenge #5: Read a book by an author that has never been read for any TIOLI challenge by any challenger
The Black Stiletto - Raymond Benson (ER book)

Challenge #6: Primary Colors: Read a book whose cover is primarily one of the 3 prime colors of RED, BLUE or YELLOW
Enchantment - Orson Scott Card (currently reading)
The Great Transformation : the world in the time of Buddha, Socrates, Confucius and Jeremiah - Karen Armstrong (library book - currently reading)

Challenge #7: Read a book with exactly nine letters in the title
Excalibur - Bernard Cornwell (also for September series and sequels)

Challenge #8: Read a book about prostitution
*Tipping the Velvet - Sarah Waters

Challenge #9: Read a book where the Librarything work number ends with a 9
The Snow Leopard (106849) - Peter Matthiessen (library book)

Challenge #12: Read a book whose title has a word appearing on a wikipedia link under Mid-Autumn Festival or Equinox
Silent Spring (Spring) - Rachel Carson (library book)

Challenge #15: - Read a book whose author was born in September
Perdido Street Station - China Miéville (also for September series and sequels)

I'm not promising that I'll get to all of these - though the ER and library books are must read (or at least try). So far only one shared read. I'm hoping I'm not too overbooked and of course things might not go the way I expect and I've already noticed some other books on the shelves of shame that will also fit into the September TIOLI challenges:)

I saw your list over on the TIOLI thread. Good luck with that, seems realistic enough, if you don't take into account what a huge book Perdido is! All my "to read" lists are suggestions rather than actual goals since so far they've always been completely undoable.

#69 Looks like a good list calm. I've added Enchantment to my maybe list for this month too as I've had a copy for a while now.

#67 Will be interested in your thoughts on the Marco Polo book - who was the translator?

Hi Ilana - yes Perdido is a chunkster and to compensate I've listed fewer TIOLI reads this month. It should be doable - I'm ore worried about listing 3 non-fiction as that seems to be going slowly this year:)

Thanks Heather - hope you can get to Enchantment - it's going well so far.

I'll try to get some thoughts up on the Marco Polo in the next day or two (I only finished it yesterday and like to give books some thinking time before writing comments)

The Marco Polo is the Wordsworth Classics edition - so it is the William Marsden translation, from 1818 minus the footnotes, which was based on the 1553 Giambattsia Ramusio edition. There are more modern translations but this was readable enough though a bit repetitive and best read in small doses:)

I usually Like O S Card, but I don't know about that one..
Good luck keeping up with all of these! I don't dare even try :P

I will be interested in seeing what you think of Bee Season. I have seen mixed reviews of that particular book.

Enchantment is going well Kath - a nice variation on Sleeping Beauty mixed with Russian history and folklore.

Stasia - I had Bee Season down as a potential read last month as well - just as well books are patient though I really do hope to get to it this month.

Went into town today and after the last trip's purchases I rationed myself to just one this time - but it was one I wanted as it is years since I read it - The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester.

I read Enchantment a couple of years ago so looking forward to what you think of it. I though it was an okay read. It wasn't my favourite Card book but worth a read since it's so different from his other books.

#7: Congrats on picking up a book you have wanted for years, calm. I hope it is a good read for you!

Have you dipped into "Ash" yet? That looked intriguing...
I finally found my copy of Falls the Shadow today, if you're still looking for older Penman books. let me know!

Valerie - I just finished Enchantment - I did like it but found the ending a touch weak but overall it was a good entertaining read.

Stasia - I loved The Stars My Destination and have read it a few times in my life - but (eeks) it must be nearly twenty years since I actually owned a copy. I hope it lives up to my memories:)

Suzanne - I haven't touched Ash yet - it is over 1100 pages of small type - with footnotes and correspondence from a fictional scholar - it looks fascinating but also a bit daunting:) I think what I'll do is complete my 11in11 and then settle down with it. So it is going to be a winter read - especially if I get snowed in for a few days!

Definitely still looking for early Penman - I'll PM you.

#79: I hope the book lives up to your memories too!

Glad Enchantment didn't disappoint..

I am still trying to get to my Penny ! what a week.

Hi Stasia - so do I:)

Kath - as I said I thought the ending was a bit weak but it was an enjoyable read.

It is very hard to concentrate on books when you're worried about your furkids - hope the vet visit went well and Angus and Duncan are on the mend. The book will wait until the right time.

I absolutely adored Enchantment when I read it... while I don't remember a whole lot about the book's specifics, it did inspired me to learn more about Russian mythology and folklore. Glad to hear you enjoyed it!

Hi Faith - sorry not to get back to my own thread but I took part in Suz's readathon over the weekend. I really liked how he brought in Baba Yaga and some of the old Russian gods, the more I think about it the more I liked it.

Well over the weekend I finished another 2 books - my ER The Black Stiletto and Mapping the Edge by Sarah Dunant. I've been out swimming today and don't feel up to writing any comments yet - hopefully in the next day or two.

I got nuthin'

No witty comments.. no book comments.. nothin'
But I wanted to say hello :)

Ditto Kath - I guess it's time to post covers and reading dates and hope for some inspiration:)

112) Enchantment by Orson Scott Card (31 August - 3 September)

Card's retelling of Sleeping Beauty was a good read with an unusual location - the Ukraine. Taking in modern day Russian history and that of the 7th century. The main character is Ivan a young man who emigrated at a young age to America with his parents. Returning to Russia as a student he visits his uncle and ends up waking the sleeping Katarina. After breaking the spell he has to accompany her to her homeland.

This is a fresh take on an old tale, bringing in elements of Russian folklore, history and culture clash to make an effective story. I really liked how he brought in Baba Yaga and some of the old Russian gods. The more I think about it the more I liked it but I found the ending a touch weak. Overall it was a good entertaining read.

113) The Black Stiletto by Raymond Benson (3 September)

Well this was a bit of a disappointment. The premise was interesting - Martin Talbot is in his forties when he discovers that his mother, Judy, was a vigilante/superhero in the late 1950's. As he reads her diaries he follows her journey as she became the famous Black Stiletto, alongside this we get the story of a man, Roberto, who has just been released after spending fifty years in prison.

This is obviously the first in a series, in this one we cover just one of the diaries that Martin reads and there are more to come. Plus there are also some items with the diaries that aren't explained in this book.

My major problem was that I didn't like Judy's "voice" in her diaries and that her activities as a vigilante seem selfish and ill considered. It must be said that she is a teenager in this first story and hopefully, now she has worked out some of her personal issues, the future volumes will develop her as a character worthy of the reputation that Martin knew her by.

I did quite enjoy the sense of place and time. New York in the 1950's is not a place or time I am very familiar with but the author does seem to have done a good job in creating an atmosphere. Given the diary format there is an episodic feel to the story and even these entries are further interrupted by the current timeline of Martin's life and Roberto's hunt for the woman who was responsible for him going to prison.

It is a quick read and does show promise. The scene is set for some interesting developments so I would not rule out reading the next book and hope that the things that I found disappointing don't follow through into the next book.

114) Mapping the Edge by Sarah Dunant (3 - 4 September)

Well this was a strange one. A woman goes missing while on holiday in Italy, at home her friends and child wonder what might have happened and we are given two possible stories. There are elements in both that mirror each other but they are very different tales. I did like the way that the layers built on each other and the people in England who care about what might have happened to her add another dimension to the story.

I must say that I preferred Sarah Dunant's historical novel The Birth of Venus to this contemporary mystery but it is good to know that she is a versatile author who handles the various strands of this novel in an interesting way that kept me reading.

115) The Great Transformation : the world in the time of Buddha, Socrates, Confucius and Jeremiah by Karen Armstrong (18 August - 7 September)

This was a good book and an interesting look at the history of religion. I think it was well worth a read but I couldn't read too many pages at once as there was a lot of information to process. I liked her style of writing - informative, readable, accessible for the non-expert but not dumbed-down. She definitely seems to know her subject.

It is worth noting that I believe that this study of the Axial times, that led to the philosophies and religions that are the foundation of modern religion and thought, is relevant in today's troubled times. The core beliefs of compassion, charity and tolerance seem to be have been lost and we wouldn't go far wrong in returning to an original reading of the foundation texts of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism. There are many similarities that are worth understanding and Armstrong's overview is a good place to begin.

Looking forward to what you thought of Dunant and Card's books :)

Am really looking forward to seeing what you thought of the Karen Armstrong book - I have it in a box somewhere in our storage unit in NZ. I really enjoyed her autobiography and have read and liked a couple of chapters of A History of God but then it was due back at the library.

Hi Valerie - well I've already said a bit about Enchantment. The Dunant was different - (I've already read and liked her The Birth of Venus which was historical fiction) - this was more a contemporary mystery - what happened to a woman who goes missing while on holiday - two possible explanations and the reactions of her friends. Very interesting structure but once again I thought the end was a bit weak.

Hi Cushla - good book, interesting look at the history of religion. I think it was well worth a read but I couldn't read too many pages at once as there was a lot of information to process. I liked her style of writing - informative, readable, accessible for the non-expert but not dumbed-down. She definitely seems to know her subject.

Cool - thanks. I'll dig it out in December once we've unpacked and try to read it next year.

Yeah I read some reviews for the Dunant book and the common consensus was the ending is a bit weak. I'd be interested to try the book even though it's different from her other books since I quite enjoyed The Birth of Venus.

#90: I have that one in the BlackHole already. I am glad to see you liked it, calm.

just searching for calm ....
( a daily exercise for me..lol )

Hi calm... I am glad that you are adding Dovekeepers to your tbr list..
it was wonderful! how was your weekend?

Hi Kath - not much going on here ... still reading (books and threads) but not much typing ... the old carpal tunnel has flared up ... so ... has got me a bit down. Also watching lots of mindless TV:)

I plan on watching some mindless tv this week myself. New shows starting and I want to check them out :)

mindless TV! yeah!

bummer about that CTS :( hope you feel better

drive-by hug for dear calm

Hope the CTS feels better soon Calm! Mindless TV seems like a good short term remedy. :)

Hope the new shows are worth watching Kath.

Thanks Kara

Why thank you kind sir:) Nice to see you on the threads - hope you are feeling better.

Valerie - so do I.

I am not going to feel guilty about lack of book comments. It hurts to type - what I do wish is that I wasn't so strictly right handed - I can't even use the mouse left handed:)

So I'll put in some more book covers and reading dates and hope to catch up when I feel better.

116) Excalibur : a novel of Arthur by Bernard Cornwell (4 - 8 September)

Cornwell's narrator Derfel concludes his telling of Arthur's story. Mordred is now King and Arthur hopes to retire to a quiet life, unfortunately events conspire against his dream and the Saxons are still eager to conquer Britain.

There is more magic in this book of the trilogy as Merlin and Nimue attempt to return the Old Gods to Britain. As always the battle scenes are outstanding and Cornwell's handling of the characters and their motivations is superb. This is a book to get lost in, that carries you through an old story with fresh eyes.

A great conclusion to the trilogy. I will definitely be looking into more of his books - the Grail Quest and the Saxon chronicles seem to be ones I would be most interested in reading.

edit cos I got confused about which series was Cornwell's.

117) Early Celtic Art in Britain and Ireland by Ruth and Vincent Megaw (7 - 9 September)

I spotted this book on a LT thread and thought it sounded interesting. It turned out to be not quite what I was hoping for, but that's what you get when you request a book unseen from the library. This was an earlier edition without the colour plates.

I do like Celtic Art and this was a short look at the evolution of styles and continental influences and British adaptations. A good starting point, maybe a bit more scholarly than what I was looking for but I'm not sorry to have read it. I liked that the authors said where you could see the pieces pictured and included a bibliography of further reading. A fascinating subject that merits further study.

118) Perdido Street Station by China Miéville (8 - 13 September)

Brilliant! Loved it. Richly imaginative and a fantastic story.

If you like complex multi-faceted fantasy this is for you. This is dark, compelling and intricate story telling. China Miéville made me believe that New Corbuzon really exists and that he was just reporting the story of the city and some of its inhabitants. This is definitely my kind of book and I want to read everything that China Miéville ever writes.

No, I am not going to look at the pretty pictures nor the blue words I'm just stopping by to say hi.

Ack! I keep meaning to pick up a Mieville... but then keep forgetting...

Thanks for stopping by Lynda - no need to look, just pleased you visited:)

Faith - well there are so many writers out there that it is hard to get to them all:)

loved it eh? I am not a fan of Mieville.. can't explain why.. I have no idea.. just* shrug*

I think Perdido is the next Mieville I will read :)

Un Lun Dun was my first and it was brilliant IMO

I keep trying to look for Perdido Street Station when I'm at the bookstore but they never seem to carry it but I've heard good things about it!

Kath - it would be a strange world if we all liked the same things - Mieville does it for me - I like his dark (twisted?) way of writing and he has an incredible imagination and great world building and characters.

Kara - I think Un Lun Dun was my first Mieville as well. Hope you get to Perdido Street Station sometime soonish:)

Valerie - sorry to hear that the bookstore doesn't have Perdido. It took me a while to get all three in the Bas-Lag trilogy but then I buy most of my books secondhand so it depends on someone else giving them away and my being in the right shop at the right time. Hope you get lucky someday - I think it's worth reading:)

I think I need to find a good used bookstore in my area to feed my addiction. :)

Talking of good used bookstores - I went out yesterday and somehow a few books returned with me:)

Here Be Dragons by Sharon K. Penman (Slowly collecting her Historical fiction and I've now got the first and third books in the Welsh Trilogy)
Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany (SF Masterworks)
All Passion Spent by V. Sackville-West (Virago Modern Classics - there seems to be a lot of love for these on the threads. Hope I've picked a good 0ne!)
The Shadow of the Sun : a novel by A. S. Byatt (well it's Byatt - enough said)
The Famished Road by Ben Okri (Booker Prize winner)
Songs of Enchantment by Ben Okri (sequel to The Famished Road)

Isn't it amazing how those books sneak up on you, calm? Well, at the least, they found the right person to enjoy them.

Books can be sneaky and one must always be alert when near them, lest they try to go home with you.
I avoided books in B&N last week. NONE came home. Very proud.

Hi Lynda - Must admit it's not so hard for books to sneak up on me. This time not helped by my favourite second hand shop having a buy one get one free offer on the books - less damage to the wallet more damage to the shelves of shame:)

Hi Kath - yes they sure are sneaky:)

Very proud of you too Kath - I can walk out of a shop without a book, but I always *reward* myself with at least one book from one shop when I manage to get to town . Fortunately there are several places I can get books in town and it relaxes me to browse the shelves. Don't think I could manage without them:)

I *reward* myself for* breathing* way too often ( At Amazon) :P

Definitely not starting to buy things on-line - no way I would go out if I was doing that:)

I believe that is true to an extent. I can even buy tea and cat food at amazon..
crocs sends me shoes.. so does zappos.. zappos, in fact carries everything in the world. Womens clothing.. all come to me in the mail.. easy to not go out.

my comfort zone is about 2 miles in either direction.. beyond that lie monsters.

2 miles! - I have to go nearly 2 miles to get to the nearest village (shop, PO, bus stop) the town is about 11 miles but I very rarely go any further.

So glad you enjoyed Perdido. Strangely, despite it being one of my top reads of last year, I haven't got any further with the Bas-Lag trilogy.

Good haul with Sharon K. Penman, an SF Masterworks book and a VMC. I'm always looking out for those second hand too. I haven't read All Passion Spent but I've heard it's good.

Whilst I don't have to go nearly as far to get into town I also tend to reward myself for trips in with a visit to the charity bookshop and it is generally very relaxing browsing the shelves.

two miles in either direction gets me to shopping.. and my sister is in that zone too.
The vet is well outside that .. I had a pretty rough time when my furkids were sick.
My job was seven miles. By the time I left it.. for about 3 months my comforts zone was about
50 ft.. srsly.

That is why I had to leave the other job. :-/

Just catching up with you, calm! You have done a LOT of reading since I was here last. :)

When I broke my ankle a couple years ago and was stuck inside for 8 weeks, I realized pretty quickly that I could definitely become a recluse! Unfortunately it just wasn't practical anymore once I recovered and was forced to go back to reality, and my job...I just love being at home, though. :)

Not having to get myself out the door to a job first thing in the morning
doesn't help.. but I was at my worst when I quit that job and for about 3 months after.
I am better now.. and can do things I have toor at least get there.
Being there isn't easy. And leaving after 8 am is very hard.

Sometimes I really hate it. I really want to do this or that but ...
It's not easy been green

Oh my - so long since I checked into my own thread - thanks to Angela, Kath and Heather for stopping by.

Angela - yes I loved Perdido so much so that I have dived straight into The Scar - just as good if not better:) Only Iron Council to go in the Bas Lag Trilogy and the way it's going it won't be long before it comes off the shelf:)

One of the things I love about going to town is the range of places where I can pick up second hand books - mainly charity shops but also a couple of dedicated second hand book shops - one Oxfam and the other an independent - nicely quirky with lots of nooks and crannies but they seem to have more new books than when I first started visiting - I guess they need to make their money somehow.

Kath - I think my comfort zone is my own four walls but I try to make the effort to get out of the house at least once a week, even if it is only to the village or a walk around the lanes. It worked out well on my last job as a live in carer - I didn't have to go out very often, just grocery shopping and essentials:)

Heather - yes these days it would be really easy to become a recluse ... one of the reasons I avoid online shopping - too easy to not go out.

Last weeks trip out was in a different direction than normal - I went to the smaller town about 9 miles away (a bit too touristy in the summer so to be avoided). I still managed to pick up a couple of books Borderliners and The Woman and the Ape both by Peter Høeg. I quite liked Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow when I read it earlier this year.

Definitely time to list my recent reads and I really must get some comments up sometime. I owe reviews for 2 Early reviewers The Black Stiletto and The Darling Strumpet which I should get written before this month's batch closes tomorrow. I would also like to at least get something down for the 2 library books The Snow Leopard and the Celtic Art book (listed earlier) before my next trip to town later in the week.

119) The Memory Game by Nicci French (13 - 15 September)

While excavating the foundations for a new building on Jane's in-laws property builders discover the bones of a person. Is it the missing daughter Nathalie - last seen twenty five years before. Also dealing with her separation from her husband Jane ends up visiting a therapist and old memories come to the surface - but is what she remembers a clue to the death.

I didn't see all the twists coming but also didn't really warm to the characters. There was nothing earth shattering to this story but it was a reasonable read.

120) Bee Season by Myra Goldberg (15 - 17 September)

Eliza seems to be a disappointment amongst her talented, high achieving family - father Saul, a scholar and stay at home father; mother Miriam, a lawyer, and the academically gifted brother Aaron - until one day she unexpectedly wins the school spelling bee. From being almost ignored by her father she suddenly is being tutored by him in order to achieve more wins and the previously favoured Aaron is almost ignored.

This is a wonderful picture of a disintegrating family, obsession and secrets. I must admit to not knowing much about Judaism, the Kabbalah and American school life but I think that Goldberg has done enough for me to appreciate what this family goes through.

I definitely liked this enough to read more from this author.

121) The Darling Strumpet by Gillian Bagwell (17 - 19 September)

I did enjoy this retelling of Nell Gwynn's life. Starting on the day that Charles II entered London to take the crown we follow Nell's life from brothel to stage and onto being one of the King's mistresses. Given the subject matter Nell's sex life is obviously central to the story and for this I must say that I thought there was a split between the first part of the story, where Nell's younger life is more detailed and sexually explicit; during the later years as Charles's mistress we seem to just touch on events in her life and the years pass quickly.

I must admit to not knowing much about Nell and therefore not an expert on her life and times but it does come across as well researched and I didn't notice anything jarring in the history. Overall I thought that this was a good read and I will be reading more from this author.

122) The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen (9 - 23 September)

A very personal account of a trip that the author took, along with naturalist George Schaller, to the Himalayas. Ostensively they went to study the wild blue sheep (and maybe see the elusive Snow Leopard) but this turns out to be more a search for personal meaning, taking in the author's thoughts on nature, religion, life and death. Matthiessen talks frankly about the journey and his life. Overall an interesting and informative read.

123) The Scar by China Miéville (20 - 24 September)

China Miéville does it again. This time taking us into the world outside New Corbuzon. Set a short time after the events of Perdido Street Station friends and acquaintances of Isaac are being questioned and Bellis Coldwine takes a job as translator on a ship on its way to the new colony of Nova Esperium. Throughout this self-imposed exile she writes her thoughts in a letter/diary that she intends to send back to her home city.

The journey doesn't take quite the course expected and the fate of the crew, passengers and prisoners who are the unwilling colonists takes us on another fantastic exploration of the world that has come from Miéville's imagination. Told from several viewpoints this adds layers to the world.

I liked this just as much as the first book of the Bas-Lag trilogy. Different characters and a different setting just expand our knowledge of the world and it's a place that richly rewards a visit.

Some interesting looking books, calm :) especially Memory Game.

I am nearly finished with The Circle Cast and enjoying it a lot. A very different perspective than I am used to seeing for Morgan, but I am liking it none the less.. I am just having trouble sitting down with it
for some reason. On the other hand, I am not anxious to see it end..

Do you know who might like to have it next?

Hi Kath - The Memory Game wasn't quite what I was expecting but I did like it.

Pleased you are enjoying The Circle Cast - thought you would enjoy it:) It is good to see a different perspective on Arthurian characters. I hope he writes a sequel.

Genny (gennyt) and Heather (souloftherose) also expressed an interest when I read it, I'm not sure if anybody else said anything when Kara read it. I guess the best thing is to say on your thread and see who wants it:)

Well I think I'll put down my TIOLI reads for September

These were on the original list

Mapping the Edge - Sarah Dunant
The Memory Game - Nicci French
*Bee Season - Myra Goldberg
The Black Stiletto - Raymond Benson
*Enchantment - Orson Scott Card
The Great Transformation : the world in the time of Buddha, Socrates, Confucius and Jeremiah - Karen Armstrong
Excalibur - Bernard Cornwell
*Tipping the Velvet - Sarah Waters
The Snow Leopard - Peter Matthiessen
Silent Spring (Spring) - Rachel Carson Challenge
Perdido Street Station - China Miéville

Here is what I ended up reading - planned reads in bold - I only had to delete one of my planned reads - Tipping the Velvet, but did substitute my latest ER read in the same challenge.

Challenge #1: Read a book with an opening sentence of five words or less (FYI: Identify the first sentence) - started by SqueakyChu
Mapping the Edge (People go missing every day.) - Sarah Dunant
The Memory Game (I close my eyes.) - Nicci French

Challenge #2: In Honor of Rosh Hashanah, read a fictional book with Jewish main character or a nonfiction book on Judaica/Judaism - started by AlcottAcre
*Bee Season - Myra Goldberg

Challenge #3: Back to school: Read a book tagged with a word which brings to mind "school" (FYI: Note the tag) - started by countrylife
Borderliners - Peter Höeg

Challenge #5: Read a book by an author who has never been read for any TIOLI challenge by any challenger - started by Morphidae
The Black Stiletto - Raymond Benson

Challenge #6: Primary Colors: Read a book whose cover is primarily one of the 3 prime colors of RED, BLUE or YELLOW - started by Delta Queen
*Enchantment - Orson Scott Card
The Great Transformation : the world in the time of Buddha, Socrates, Confucius and Jeremiah - Karen Armstrong

Challenge #7: Read a book with exactly nine letters in the title - started by Carmenere
Excalibur - Bernard Cornwell

Challenge #8: Read a book about prostitution - started by Citizenjoyce
The Darling Strumpet - Gillian Bagwell

Challenge #9: Read a book where the Librarything work number ends with a 9 - started by Athabasca
The Snow Leopard (106849) - Peter Matthiessen

Challenge #12: Read a book whose title has a word appearing on a wikipedia link under Mid-Autumn Festival or Equinox - started by Smiler69
Silent Spring (Spring) - Rachel Carson

Challenge #15: - Read a book whose author was born in September (FYI: Note the date, 1st, 2nd, etc.) started by JeanneD
Perdido Street Station - China Miéville (6th)
The Scar - China Miéville (6th)

Challenge #19: A book with similar tags to one of the books in your library (FYI: Note the book from which the recommendation came) - Started by wandering_star
The Outlander - Gil Adamson - (from The Tenderness of Wolves)

Not a bad TIOLI month - but I have been very remiss in writing comments for books read:(

My mother is visiting next week - so I've been a bit busy clearing out the spare room - which had turned into a bit of a dumping ground, cleaning house and generally getting ready for sharing my space. Unfortunately in the course of this I discovered a dead mouse in the airing cupboard which meant numerous loads of laundry. Then today some tiles fell off the kitchen wall so I need to get those fixed. Life seems to be conspiring against LT time, though as always reading goes on.

I will check in as much as I can:)

Looks like you had a good reading month in September!
Sorry to hear about your mouse and tile troubles! Hope you enjoy some time with your mother next week!

Thanks Chelle, I managed to rescue the tiles that fell behind the cooker - and none of them are broken, so just need to clean them and get some tile adhesive. Fortunately not a major job:)

Time to put in covers and titles for my last September reads. Thoughts for everything will probably be along after my mother's visit. I'll try to make some time for some of them over the weekend.

124) Borderliners by Peter Høeg (24 - 26 September)

Well I wouldn't recommend this if you are looking for a "happy" read. It is the 1970's and a young boy who has been in various institutions is now a boarder at an experimental school. There is a very regimented regime and, now he is suffering nightmares and sleeplessness, he is having trouble. Asked to keep an eye on a new boy things come to a climactic conclusion as they rebel against the rules. The headmaster believes what he is doing will fit these damaged children into society but events spiral in ways he cannot control.

This is a very bleak look at life and the attempt to control lives. Peter Høeg is a talented writer and we do get a sense of character and place. This is a very thought provoking book and I am glad to have read it.

125) The Outlander by Gil Adamson (26 - 30 September)

This is a beautifully written novel. The landscape of the Rockies and the people who inhabit it in 1903 are wonderfully described as we follow Mary Boulton on her flight as she runs from her husband's twin brothers. We are told straight away that she has murdered her husband but as her back story is revealed slowly I came to admire her. The real strength of this novel is the picture that is evoked of life and the times and the characters that Adamson has created. A very atmospheric novel,

126) Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (23 - 30 September)

In some ways Rachel Carson's book has a simple message - Man's attempt to control nature via the use of insecticides and herbicides has unforeseen consequences. The natural balance is upset and attempting to eradicate something just because the latest scientific discovery seems to answer the short term problem is not the best solution.

I think it must be rare for a work of nonfiction that is fifty years old to pack such a punch as Silent Spring does. Yes some things have changed since Rachel Carson wrote this but its message is still relevant today.

Just put The Outlander on reserve at the library. I'm up for anything favorably compared to Cormac McCarthy. :)

What a great TIOLI month you've had, calm! Have a good visit with your mom. Is she a reader too?

Hope you like it Jim, I've never read Cormac McCarthy so can't tell you if the comparison is accurate or not.

Thanks Lynda.

My mother does read, but not as much as I do, and our tastes are now a bit different. Last time she visited she was reading a Sophie Kinsella Shopaholic book. Though as a teenager I probably read most of her books - I think the Agatha Christie's and Margery Allingham's were hers. I do not even want to remember the Barbara Cartland's ... so bad they were funny:)

I so admire people who can plan reads!
I am just not that disciplined... so I stumble around and pick things up
here and there.

You know, I don't think I have ever read any Agatha Christie.. I have one or two on nook now,
but unless it was in some dim past that I don't remember...

oh! Barbara Cartland? I agree!

Kath I'm not really a planner ... It's Madeline's fault! There is a fair bit of stumbling around and picking things up here ... but TIOLI gives me a short list off the TBR "shelves of shame" ... then I just read the first paragraph of several and start the one that clicks. Sometimes it works!

I read a lot of Christie when I was younger but I prefer to watch the dramatisations now. That's actually true for most mysteries - not sure why as most of the time I prefer to read the book.

Hope your mum's visit goes smoothly.

Thanks Heather, I'm sure it will:)

Hey Calm! I hope you have a great visit with you mom. I know what you mean about spare rooms being dumping grounds. Our spare rooms used to filled with boxes and boxes of clutter when we first moved into our house. Then I finally got around to clearing that up and now it's a dumping ground for stuff my little guy has outgrown. Hopefully it won't take me another couple of years to get that all cleaned up.
Interesting list of books you've read in September! I am still trying to find a copy of Perdido Street Station. :)

I hope that you and mom have a nice peaceful, restful and wonderful time :)

Nothing new for me to report.. trying to decide what to read next..

take care ! :)

Hi Valerie - Yes it's amazing what ends up behind closed doors:)

Hope you manage to track down a copy of Perdido Street Station. It's a series I'll definitely get around to re-reading someday:)

Hi Kath - I'm sure we will:)

Guess that means you finished The Circle Cast ... hope you find a great next read.

Right I went into town to pick up a few bits and pieces and of course ended up in the library

So here goes

From the library
The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson
Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue - Room is always checked out/reserved so I thought I would try one of her other books:)
Pagans and Christians by Robin Lane Fox - I might even comment on Sibyx and Roni's thread:)
The Three Arthurs: History, Legend and Quest by Derek Bryce - no touchstone and I am the first person to catalogue this book on LT - work page is here http://www.librarything.com/work/book/78668563

and also some additions to the shelves of shame
The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes
Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier
Fasting, Feasting by Anita Desai

Probably won't have much time to check in for a few days (my mother arrives tomorrow). I'll see you all when I can:)

Hi Calm
I'll be interested to see what you think of Slammerkin when you are done with it. I haven't read anything else by Donoghue but I quite enjoyed Room. Slammerkin has some pretty good reviews!

ooops! I did.. and that is the one I forgot to add..
I enjoyed it a lot. Way different than any book I have read about Morgan..
and not a perspective that I liked much.. this however did not stop me from enjoying the book.
I am not sure what my original plan was but I am giving it 4 stars .

Hi Calm - catching up again...

I haven't read any of those you've just acquired from library or for the shelves - but I do have Burning Bright on my own shelves of shame, and I'm following Lucy and Roni's thread on Pagans and Christians too.

Hope you have a good time with your mother. I'm off on holiday shortly, and the day after I get back, my mother is coming to stay with me (and a friend of hers) so I must try to get the guest rooms ready before I go away, along with my packing and finishing work... too much to to, not many books going to be read in the next few days, I fear.

Just popping in to say hello :)

Oooh The Yiddish Policemen's Union! I so hope you'll enjoy it.

Curious to see what you'll think of The Lantern. I had it from the library, kept trying to get into it and failing, and it wasn't renewable so went back there last week. I'll try again, possibly, but not for a little while.

Well my mother has left:( She has gone to see her sister before flying home to Portugal next week. We had a good time; drove around some beautiful countryside; visited a couple of local museums/exhibits

http://www.canolfanglyndwr.org/ and http://www.toymuseumwales.co.uk/

and browsed some charity shops so I also got some books:(

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster - I read this one when I was younger and hope it lives up to my memory:)
The Bone Forest by Robert Holdstock - part of the Ryhope Wood series - I've got half of them now
and blueeyedboy by Joanne Harris - I like her story telling.

Not much time for reading but I finished Iron Council

Chelle - I'm reading Slammerkin now, so far so good.

Kath - 4 stars is good - so pleased you liked it.

Genny - have a good holiday and visit from your mother. I haven't even started Pagans and Christians yet - but I'll have to get to it soon (library book) Lucy and Roni's discussion is interesting and I think it will help to have other people's ideas and input as I read it. I liked Chevalier's Remarkable Creatures and hope that Burning Bright doesn't sit too long on the shelves of shame:)

Kath (again) - Hello:)

Richard - Guess that means you liked The Yiddish Policemen's Union! I haven't checked out the reviews but it does look interesting and hopefully a good read.

Suzanne - I got lucky with The Lantern - someone else had just returned it to the library and I snagged it before it even went back onto the shelf:) It's next up after I finish Slammerkin so, now we are back to chilly autumnal days and I'm on my own again, it shouldn't be too long before I read it.

Well I doubt there is any way that I can completely catch up with everything the 75ers have been reading and doing but I am going to give it a try. Back...sometime:)

I am glad to hear that you had a nice time :)
I too, look forward to your opinion of The Lantern :)

yoo hoo! Everything okay??

miss seeing you around :)

Hi Kath - I'm around, just not much to say:)

For some reason the touchstone isn't working so here is a link to the work page http://www.librarything.com/work/4813

127) Iron Council by China Miéville (30 September - 7 October)

I must admit that I found this slightly less satisfying than the first two books of the Bas-Lag trilogy. That is not to say that it isn't a very good book but after the impression that Perdido Street Station and The Scar made on me I found this less ... coherent. There are several strands to the tale and it took a while for me to get them all sorted in my head. It is still an amazing story but I found it harder to get involved in the lives of all the characters - and there are a lot of them in different places and also at an earlier period of time. It does all come together to an amazing conclusion and I still count Miéville as one of my favourite authors and intend to read everything he writes.

128) The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher : or, The Murder at Road Hill House by Kate Summerscale (2 - 9 October)

In 1860 a young boy disappears from his room in the middle of the night. Soon after he is found dead and suspicion falls on some of the members of the household - his half sister, his nurse or even his father. One of the early Victorian detectives - Jack Whicher - is eventually called in to investigate the case.

What Kate Summerscale has done is look at the family dynamics, both before and after the murder; the history of police work in Victorian England, concentrating mainly on Whicher's career; the way the case caught the public's imagination through the press and the start of the detective novel, many of whose plots echoed the real life case.

The Suspicions of Mr Whicher was very readable - a real life murder case, the beginnings of plains clothes detectives and detective fiction and (to some extent) Victorian social history. Sounds like a strange mix but somehow it works.

129) Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue (7 - 10 October)

Mary Saunders is a young girl living with her mother and step father in a poor district of London. Her desire for something pretty - a red ribbon - leads to her downfall. Disowned by her mother she ends up on the streets with no choice apart from selling her body. Her eventual desire to escape the dangers of her life lead her to the household of her mother's childhood friend, but she still desires pretty things and working as a seamstress is not her dream.

Mary Saunders is based on a very scanty newspaper report of the times and Emma Donoghue has created a possible life for this girl. This book seems well researched - the sights, sounds and smells of Eighteenth century life; the limited choices for those born in poverty and the punishment of those trapped by a lack of those choices. Gritty and depressing, but well worth reading.

130) The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson (10 - 13 October)

I really enjoyed this novel, there is a lovely atmospheric feel to the story and Lawrenson gives an evocative picture of life in rural France. There are two stories intertwined here - one present day and one mid-twentieth century linked by a house. Shortly after meeting Dom Eve moves with him to the house in Provence; his refusal to answer questions about his ex-wife, Rachel, leaves her feeling shut out, isolated and wondering whether she can trust the man. In the other strand of the book Benedicte tells the story of her family and the struggle to keep the farm and home a going concern through changing times. Both women feel that the house is haunted and, undoubtedly, strange things are going on but how much is within their own imagination?

Lawrenson tells a good story, the interconnection between the two strands works and everything comes together in the end. There is an obvious homage to Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca but Lawrenson has created her own story with its own twists and turns. I'll definitely be reading more of her work.

131) The Three Arthurs: History, Legend and Quest by Derek Bryce (10 - 13 October)

I picked this up based partly on the blurb. From the back cover:The author presents the reader with original extracts from the literature and a reasoned argument covering the topics of did Arthur exist? Who was he? What did he do? What is the meaning of the Arthurian quest?

Unfortunately, for me, The Three Arthurs was slightly disappointing. There is a good use of source material, going back as close to the sixth century as possible, and the author does try to create a possible "reality" for Arthur. I found the Arthur as Legend section very slight as the author didn't seem to be as interested in the medieval version of Arthur. The section on Arthurian quest seems to be the most personal for the author but, at least partly because of the brevity of the book, I didn't really "buy into" the author's thoughts.

I suppose that anybody who reads about Arthur has, to some extent, their own preconceived ideas and brings their own biases and opinion to the subject. So, taking that point into consideration, overall this book didn't go in the direction I wanted and it definitely could have done with some maps, especially as the author goes into place names and the possible locations of the Arthurian battles.

I read The Lantern.. Slammerkin looks good, so does The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher : or, The Murder at Road Hill House .

hmmm

I will wait to hear your thoughts :)

OK Kath - I hope the wait isn't too long:)

drive-by smooch

The Three Arthurs is calling my name.

You been busy reading! :)

I have Slammerkin on my TBR shelves and your review makes it look like it would be a really good read. Will have to get to it one of these days!

Hi Richard - *smooch* back

The Three Arthurs was slightly disappointing, good use of source material but it didn't really go as far as I wanted and it could have done with some maps and more from the author.

Hi Valerie - yes reading, but not writing ... so far behind I'm going to have to stop reading and try to get some thoughts down before things start blurring:)

Hope you like Slammerkin ... there has been so much buzz about Donoghue and Room that I thought I would try one of her earlier novels to see if I want to go out of my comfort zone to read it ... still not sure:)

No sure huh.....

hmmm thinking on that one :)
The Room is forever off my possibles list.......

Slammerkin has been on my shelves seemingly forever. I'll get to it eventually. Doubtful I'll ever read Room, but I'm looking forward to the former.

You've certainly got me intrigued about The Lantern. Haven't read Rebecca yet, though I have it standing by on audio and looking forward to it. I see they have several copies of The Lantern at the library, so I might try to read both in close succession.

Have just started reading more about the Arthurian legend, but for now I'm content reading different version of the legend itself. Will probably be interested in reading more about it's sources eventually, but your latest book doesn't seem like the way to go.

Just stopping by for a quick wave :)

Kath - I think that in some ways that there has been so much talk about Room that I need to leave it awhile before making my final decision - not ruling it out but ...

Ilana - Slammerkin is an interesting one, it seems well researched (without info-dumping) but it is definitely not a "happy read". I'm pleased to have read it though and will probably read more of her work, there seems to be plenty available.

Long time since I read Rebecca (or saw the film) but even though there are obvious parallels/influences Lawrenson has her own style so I think you don't need to have read Rebecca to enjoy The Lantern.

Arthur is such a fascinating subject, there is such a wealth of books about him both fiction and nonfiction that it is difficult too narrow down the choice to the "good" (in my opinion).

Lynda - good to see you, thanks for stopping by:)

Hi Calm, glad you had a good time with your mum and got some good books :-) I've added Slammerkin and The Lantern to the wishlist; I'm another person who still isn't sure about Room - I wonder if Donoghue always writes about uncomfortable subjects?

I'm interested in your thoughts on the Whicher book as it was mentioned in the Charles Dickens bio I just finished.

just popping in to say hello :)

I hit the ground running today... and am still not quite caught up.. :P
How are you ?

Hi Heather thanks. Don't know enough about Emma Donoghue to say, the library has some of her books and I rather like the sound of her short story collection The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits and have reserved it:)

Whicher was very readable, a real life murder case, the beginnings of plains clothes detectives and detective fiction and (to some extent) Victorian social history. Sounds like a strange mix but somehow it works.

Hi Kath - hello:)

Glad you found time to stop by.

How am I? Not bad, have to go out in the next day or two:(

My family seem to be going through some more interesting things though:-
Got a phone call from one of my brothers last night turns out he's getting married, probably not for a year or two as they need to organise things. Also a Skype call from my mother this morning - she was involved in a bird strike on landing when she got home to Portugal - fortunately they were close enough to landing that nobody was hurt but it still sounds scary with the planes engines cutting out!

I aim to have some thoughts up on a book or two soon (one I finished yesterday and maybe one of the ones I still have owing!)

132) Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter (13 - 17 October)

Angela Carter's book is wonderfully bizarre as it takes us from London to St. Petersburg and on a trip into Siberia. It is 1899 and Fevvers is an aerialiste unlike any other - are her wings real or just a stage gimmick. Journalist Jack Walser first meets, and interviews, her in London and her mystery is such that he joins the circus that is on the way to Russia.

Carter's characters are strange, verging on the insane, and as their stories unfold some amazing scenes are set. Very theatrical, magical and compelling. As always I find Angela Carter's writing very smooth and lyrical; the events of the story are often dreamlike and surreal but in her hands the impossible seems almost probable. Not for everyone but I loved it.

Ooh, you've reminded me that I have this one too! I was introduced to Carter's writing at uni but haven't read Nights at the Circus yet for some unknown reason. It looks to be a good'un from your review, so I'll have to dig it out soon.

Hi Katie - I hope you like it. I know Carter's writing isn't for everyone as things can get very strange.

Reading is going very slowly at the moment - inspired by Lucy and Roni I'm reading Pagans and Christians which I can only read in very small doses; my October Halloween read is The Giant Book of Vampires - a short story collection but there are 29 stories in 553 pages and it is not the sort of book to read straight through. I was kind of reluctant to pick up a novel as I knew that if I did I would probably read that rather than the other two but, as I was going out today, I had to take something small enough to read on the bus so I started reading Cannery Row which I'm really enjoying, my first Steinbeck since I was at school!

Of course going out means more books coming into the house. So a visit to the library got me
East, West by Salman Rushdie (for TIOLI)
Nefertiti : a novel by Michelle Moran (for TIOLI)
Celtic Heritage by Alwyn D. Rees (off my LT recommendations list)

and also a visit to my favourite second hand source of books which added to the shelves of shame
The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling (I haven't read this since I was very young and I'm not sure if I ever did read the second Jungle Book. If I did I'm sure I'll recognise them when I finally get around to reading them)
Women in the Wall by Julia O'Faolain (a Virago Modern Classic and the subject appeals to me)

Now I just need to find the time (and energy) to read them:)

Pagans and Christians.. I have that .. read it ages ago... good read... keeper :)

Hi Kath - pleased to hear that, I borrowed this one from the library and I think it is a good read but for some reason I'm not managing to read more than 30 pages at a time and often fewer... very slow for me:)

#178 I looked at the blurb and The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits sounds like a really interesting idea. I'll wait for your review but perhaps I'll make that my first try for Donoghue.

The Whicher book is one I keep getting recommendations for on LT and amazon and pretty much every site that does recommendations so I should probably try it one day!

Congratulations for your brother and also glad to hear that your mum landed safely. Must have been scary...

#184 Sometimes I find that with some non-fiction books I do need to read them so slowly. It can end up meaning that library borrowing doesn't always work because I end up having to force myself through the book to get it back on time. They're normally the books that are more expensive to buy though :-(

Hi Heather - yes of the ones that the library had The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits seemed the most intriguing - though I have to wait for it to be transferred to my local branch. I'll probably be able to pick it up on my next visit.

The Whicher is very interesting and if you are into early detective stories and Victorian times it is definitely worth reading.

I must admit to being a bit surprised by my brother's news as he hadn't told us that he was divorced from his first wife, though they have been separated for a couple of years, and the woman he is marrying wasn't too happy about having his children around at their house. So probably they have come to some sort of agreement. Well it is his life:)

My mother's bird incident does sound scary and I have heard of it happening but this is the first time I've known somebody who experienced it. At least everybody was safe.

Non-fiction is expensive to buy and less likely to end up in the cheap second hand places so the library is normally the best place for me to get them and I'm lucky with the local library system, I can renew on-line for about 2 months and then, if I take the book back to the library, I can renew in person. Only if nobody else requests it though.

See.. that is what I meant when I mentioned in Darryl's thread that LT has not
improved my reading habits. I read fewer books like Pagans and Christians and more
fluff and Have To Reads.. due partly to Amazon Vine :P

I may very well back off a bit for next year and try to read fewer books next year. It
isn't about the number of books.. just that I am so weak when it comes to finding books
that sound good and walking away. I will really have to wear blinders when it comes to Blue
Text.. you know what I mean?

Anyway.. I still have it .. and may have to skim it again soon..

The Jungle Books .. OMG .. all of my kids loved that one. I have lost count of how many copies
I have bought, since they all received one and I have given it as a gift to new babies of friends.
( Thus receiving those pitying looks from the recipients who clearly thought I was crazy)

I hope all of your family have settled in by now and stay safe and .. well.. calm

Hi Kath - I'm actually reading more diversely since finding LT and the 75ers though there are so many good sounding books that I'm still reasonably selective about what I pick up. I guess it's about reading what you want to read at any time and you have had a stressful year. I don't know if I would want to join anything like Amazon Vine, I'll have a go at snagging something from ER occasionally but not every month as I don't want to be obligated to read.

I agree that it is not about the numbers, I read more before finding LT but 90% was probably genre (mainly fantasy) and that's probably reversed now. I still have to be careful about the Blue Text:)

Hope you can get back to P&C sometime:)

I haven't read Kipling since I was a youngster so it will be nice to revisit it with adult eyes.

I think most of my family are in their own homes now, except for my sister and her husband who are holidaying in Crete. As far as I know everything is calm:)

Back later with thoughts on Cannery Row - I knew that I would ignore my other current reads for this one:) Just off to lurk catch up on some threads

133) Cannery Row by John Steinbeck (20 - 22 October)

Well I haven't read Steinbeck since my school days and I'm sorry I haven't. Of course the memories I have were of depressing reads - Of Mice and Men; The Pearl and The Red Pony - I think it can be said that all had a certain degree of sadness and I was only a youngster:)

What I really liked about Cannery Row was the quality of writing; the lives of the characters and the way Steinbeck tells their story. In 1930's Monterey the inhabitants lives cross and intertwine. I suppose it could be said that not very much happens but Steinbeck builds up a wonderful evocation of the life and times in a series of vignettes that add up to a wonderful book. I think it might be well past time to read some more Steinbeck and even revisit those earlier reads as an adult.

#189 - I love Cannery Row. I think it may be my favorite Steinbeck. It's been a while since I read it, but I remember how the down and out characters were written with such warmth and respect.

Thanks for stopping by Kerri - I was pleasantly surprised by Cannery Road, the ones I read at school made me dubious about reading more, and luckily I've got lots more Steinbeck on the shelves to read.

I think there has been talk of a Steinbeckathon next year and I'll definitely be trying to follow those threads.

A Steinbeckathon sounds tempting! However, in my 12 in 12 challenge, I've scheduled a Coetzee-a-thon, and I'm not sure I could do both : )

Good review of Cannery Row. I really need to read some more Steinbeck, I've only read East of Eden so far

Kerri - a Coetzee-a-thon! wow I haven't ever read anything by him. I guess you must like his writing:)

I haven't started my 12 in 12 challenge thread yet as I'm still working on my 11 in 11, though I have picked my categories:)

Hi Chelle - I haven't read East of Eden yet though it is one that is on my shelves, maybe next year:)

Hi calm, I haven't read any Angela Carter yet, but between your review and the fact that it's also a Guardian 1000 AND a 1001 books, I've added Nights at the Circus on the wishlist.

I believe it was I who started the rumours about a Steinbeckathon. I re-read Grapes of Wrath this year and have been meaning to read much more by Steinbeck, but keep bumping him off, even though he's one of my favourite authors. I'll probably have a 12/12 Steinbeck category (am finalizing those at the moment) though I admit am a bit stumped as to how to organize the Steinbeckathon, so if someone wants to take it up, they are more than welcome!

I tried reading only one Coetzee and didn't get past page 2. It was Disgrace and it seemed so bleak at the outset that I gave up right away. I'm sure he's worth exploring, but I'll just have to wait until I can handle that kind of heaviness.

Hi Ilana - I hope you like Carter's writing.

I definitely don't know enough about Steinbeck to help out on the possible readathon though I'll probably tag along if someone else leads the way. I've seen the film of Grapes of Wrath and it's another I've got on my shelves. I suppose I should explain why I've got some of his books which I've never read - I inherited a friend's book collection a few years ago and put the ones that I might read on the shelves and Steinbeck was one of their favourite authors:)

I definitely don't fancy anything depressing and Coetzee does have that reputation but then my childhood memories of Steinbeck were kind of bleak and I thoroughly enjoyed Cannery Row. So I'll not say that I'll never try Coetzee.

#195 and #196 - Regarding Coetzee, I've only read Disgrace and, yes, it was incredibly bleak and depressing, but excellent. My rating of it has slowly ticked up from 4 stars to 5 stars. It stuck with me and I keep thinking about it. It definitely made we want to read the rest of his novels.

I've never read any Steinbeck but as I keep seeing him mentioned more I keep bumping him up my TBR pile. I'll be one of those waiting to see if someone else organises a Steinbeckathon for next year and then consider reading along.

Chiming in very late, but I enjoy Karen Armstrong's books as well--I have The Great Transformation but haven't read it yet. I need to move it up my tbr pile!

just passing through to say hello :)

Kerri - The library has some Coetzee, so I might take a look sometime. I look forward to seeing how your Coetzee-a-thon goes next year.

Heather - There are lots of Steinbeck fans and I'm wishing that I hadn't left it so long to read him. Those school reads have a lot to answer for which is strange as Eng Lit was one of my favourite subjects. I still think I'll like the support of the group for the longer books - East of Eden and Grapes of Wrath and I would like to get hold of a copy of Tortilla Flat - so I hope someone manages to arrange the Steinbeckathon.

Roni - That's the only Armstrong I have read, so far, I did like the way she writes so will probably add some more - someday:)

Hi Kath:)

When my daughter read Grapes of Wrath in school I took advantage of our location and went on a mini vacation. We stayed in Salinas and visited the Steinbeck museum and spent a day in Monterrey. It was fun!

That does sound fun mamzel.

That might be one of my problems with Steinbeck - I am not familiar with the geography and history.

I have finished another book but I'm going to put off book thoughts - my internet connection is dodgy again and my phone line is dead so it is a line fault (again!) and I can't even report it - grrrrrr!!!

SO annoying when service is bad. I have been there myself way too
often in the past 2 years :( Hope it is sorted soon. I am behind on my book posts too.
Laziness is my excuse. It's the truth too.

Kath - agree with the SO annoying I'm still waiting ... oh well.

I'm so behind on book comments this year - I'm going to have stop fooling myself that I'll get something down for every book I read this year.

Well still no phone but the broadband seems to be behaving so I'll have a go at listing my recent reads. I might disappear again though:)

134) The Giant Book of Vampires by Stephen Jones (2 - 25 October)

A collection of 29 tales by different authors, this includes short stories, novellas and a poem from Neil Gaiman to close the collection. As always with collections they are of various appeal, for me the stronger stories are by Clive Barker, F Paul Wilson and Kim Newman. This is not to say that the others aren't worth reading but those are the three that stick in my mind.

Of course with a themed collection there are no surprises when a vampire does appear but some of the stories are not quite so clear cut and some did manage to shock me. Overall not a bad collection.

135) Nefertiti : a novel by Michelle Moran (22 - 27 October)

Michelle Moran has taken the few facts that have come down through history about Nefertiti; the archaeological evidence from the excavation of Amarna and other things known about the Egypt of the time and filtered it through the eyes of Nefertiti's younger sister Mutnodjmemt (Mutny).

I really enjoyed this novel and the picture created of life over 3000 years ago in Egypt. The power play of the religion and politics of the time come across as plausible. I liked the character of Mutny and her reaction to her sister's life. Very readable and I'll definitely be reading more of Michelle Moran's work.

136) East, West by Salman Rushdie (25 - 28 October)

A collection of 9 short stories by Rushdie. Organised in three sections - East which contains stories set in India; West which was a rather mixed bag and East, West which covers the interactions of Indians with Britain. The stories in the first two sections had been published elsewhere but the last three were new to the collection.

After a strong start with "Good Advice is Rarer than Rubies" I must say that I didn't get on with them all and was tempted to skip "Yorick" which I found irritating. Apart from that one I found something to enjoy in all the stories and must admire Rushdie's versatility as a story teller.

137) I Am Legend by Richard Matheson (28 - 29 October)

First published over 50 years ago this is a surprisingly fresh look at the last surviving human on earth. Robert Neville is a believable character as he deals with the aftermath of a plague that has left his family dead and his friends, neighbours and probably the whole world as the living dead. Vampire-like, thirsting for his blood, attacking his house at night and sleeping during the day.

How Neville reacts to this situation - his loneliness, his search for why this has happened and his varying moods and day to day life - works very well. Flashbacks to the early days of the plague do much to explain the world he lives in but as he carries on trying to understand the situation his frustrations and loneliness are understandable. It all builds up to a wonderful conclusion. This is a great story.

Look at you tearing through the books!

I've read at least one book by Moran and I'm not sure if I've read Nefertiti, but if I didn't, I know at least it is on my shelves somewhere. She is definitely an author that I'd want check out some more.

#207 Glad you enjoyed Nefertiti - I don't think I'd heard of Michelle Moran before this year but her name seems to keep cropping up.

Hi Valerie - I enjoyed Moran's writing and I think the next one I'll try is The Heretic Queen which follows this one.

Heather as far as I can tell she write well researched historical fiction so definitely worth reading.

Of course after writing the few book comments yesterday the broadband connection started dropping out again so I'm not risking posting very much at the moment - so frustrating when you lose things you've written - and I don't always remember to copy before posting (just in case). This is getting very frustrating - no phone, intermittent broadband and I used up all my mobile credit trying to get this sorted so I can't even talk to anybody!

Oh well hopefully they'll fix it soon. Off to read some threads. I might come back and try to fill in some of the blank comments in the books read list later.

Wow! what a variety of books, and what a PIA about your internet issues :(
so sorry :( hope it's fixed soon!

Hi Calm. I see you recently finished I am Legend. Hope you enjoyed it, I read that this month and thought it was pretty good.

I keep meaning to read some Salman Rushdie but I never seem to get around to it...

Hi Kath - Spooky horror stories are just right for October; Nefertiti and East, West were TIOLI reads (and both from the library) and I think the variety is a good thing - spice of life sort of thing:)

Still no phone; internet reasonably stable though a bit slow and occasionally non existent. I guess I better try to talk to someone rather than relying on the automated service:(

Chelle - I am Legend was very good.

The Rushdie was only my second book of his - I have read Midnight's Children which I liked and I'll be giving more of his work a go but I think they are a borrow from the library thing rather than go and buy:)

Talking of libraries I picked up Emma Donoghue's short stories The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits today. Didn't have time for browsing elsewhere today as I was with a friend so no additions to the shelves of shame:)

I am a fan of spooky horror stories and movies.. and frankly, with the movies..
cheesy is as good as scary :)

I watched one on sunday.. it was old.. black and white and there were giant spiders and danger and creepiness.... it was fun!

So, is it as cold there as it is here today :)
brrr

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.



138) Dancing With Eternity by John Patrick Lowrie (29 October - 1 November)

This book is much better than I expected it to be based on what I read on the back cover so I think this is definitely one occasion where you cannot judge a book by its cover or its blurb - What would happen if Odysseus met Captain Ahab in the 40th Century?.

In the 40th Century mankind has moved into space and has the technology to extend life so that nearly nobody dies. What Lowrie has done is write a book based on the sociology, psychology and ethics of this premise and wrapped it up in an adventurous trip through space with an interesting cast of characters. Maybe for some people it might be a bit preachy or "talky" as the history of the universe that these characters inhabit is fleshed out but I enjoy that sort of things and I like the way that these things are integrated into the story.

This is my kind of SF, thought provoking and well written, and I really hope to read more from this author.

Hi Kath - Nice to know that you found a good old-fashioned piece of creepiness to watch. They knew how to do properly spooky back then:)

not cold here today. The sun is shining and I've been for a walk.

Eeeks just started raining and I have laundry out ... bacK later

Hope your telecommunications problems have been sorted out calm, or at least are well on the way to being fixed. I don't always remember to copy before posting here and have lots a few very long posts, which made me want to cry, but I do tend to think to back them up more often now.

#217 The blurb for that one would have put me off too calm - glad it turned out to be a good read in the end.

Sorry to hear about your ongoing telephone and internet problems :-(

Ilana - No idea about the telecommunications problem - they still haven't got back to me:( Just have to be a bit patient I suppose ... that's what you get for living out of the way it seems to take longer to get things fixed.

Fortunately I don't tend to write long posts and do try to remember to copy - I always copy book thoughts - posts not always though.

Heather - what was advertised for that book actually caught my notice in the ER list. I thought it would be a slight, possibly enjoyable, light read but it was so much more and better than I expected.

There's a fault on the line very close to the house and, as I am near the end of the line for the exchange, it does seem to take a long time for them to get around to fixing it. At least the internet isn't completely down and I've got a mobile (everyone important knows the number) so I'm not completely cut off.

at this time in my life I would love to be "completely cut off" ;)

but for your sake I hope they shake a leg and get the line fixed :) seems like you have had problems on and off with it this year

Interesting review Calm. I saw that book when I was scanning the choices for the ER batch and was tempted to choose that one but the description was kind of out there, but I'm glad to hear that it turned out to be a good read.

Thanks Kara - your wish seems to have worked. The engineer turned up 10 minutes before I needed to leave the house today. I have a phone again:) I'm hoping that the broadband speed will pick up soon.

Had a drive north of Aberystwyth with a couple of friends saw some spectacular scenery and visited the Butterfly house http://www.magicoflife.org/ of course it is into November so they were in the middle of closing down for winter so not many butterflies to see but they let all three of us in for the price of one:)

Also I am a book addict and more have come home with me today.

One from the library The Grass Dancer by Susan Power and they are still doing buy one get one free at one shop so I got 4 books for £2

Perfume the story of a murderer by Patrick Suskind
The Land of Spices by Kate O'Brien
The Russian Dreambook of Colour and Flight by Gina Ochsner
and People of the Lake by Richard Leakey and Roger Lewin

Oops!

Hi Valerie sorry didn't mean to ignore you I was trying to find some pictures for my day out:)

Yes the book was much better than the description, it might actually be one of my favourite ER wins.

#217 - Good review! That sounds interesting.

Thanks Kerri - I think I liked it more than the other Early Reviewers ... so far:)

nice reviews!
I think i have The Grass Dancer.. pretty sure..
People of the Lake sounds good, too..

So many books so little time..
Kara.. I think I understand how you feel, a bit.. and I am so sorry :(
it is so draining to give all you can and still need to give more. :(

Hi Kath - Thanks.

Your name is on the work page for The Grass Dancer so I'm pretty sure as well:)

People of the Lake is from the 1970's but looks like it will be good ... even though dated ... so much has been discovered (or uncovered) about early man since then.

So many books so little time.. I think that is pretty much the 75ers motto!

I'm so pleased that Kara has posted the picture (on her thread) of where she is going in a couple of weeks it looks like a perfect place for rest and relaxation.

Hurray for ER winners!
I've had a couple of good ones, a couple which I thought were good at the time but then decided they were just meh and at least one that was the absolute bottom of the barrel.
But, for me, half the fun of ER's is just receiving them in the mail.

Hi Lynda - I don't have high expectations for ERs so it is really good when one turns out to be good. I just looked at my stats at I've received 9 and Dancing with Eternity is my highest rated so far, but I had 4 that I rated at 4 stars as well so think I've done pretty well - of the rest - only one real disappointment; one meh and a couple of good reads but could have been better.

But I agree that half the fun is getting that profile message and waiting for the book to arrive:)

And really since the books are absolutely free, you will hear no complaints from me. :D

Hi Valerie - I'm not complaining either, free books are generally welcome ... unless they take away time when I would rather be reading something else:) Fortunately so far I've been selective enough not to choose something that turns into a DNF.

Well I'm slowly filling in some of the gaps on the book comments. So far today I've managed brief comments for A House for Mr Biswas (from August!); Enchantment (from September) and I am Legend (from October). Hopefully before I need a new thread I'll have filled in the rest of he gaps.

I thought the same about I am Legend :)
IMO the book was far superior to the movie!

have a great weekend calm!

What Kara said! Hope your weekend is fabulous !

HI Kara and Kath - hope you both have great weekends too!

I haven't seen the latest I am Legend film but did see The Omega Man many years ago - the book is definitely better:)

Well I've been trying to upload photos from my mobile onto the computer so I can try to share some images - one of the butterflies from Thursday's trip.



Hope everyone is having a good weekend.

#233 I've had a V. S. Naipaul in the TBR pile for ages too (A Bend in the River in my case). I'm not sure why I've put off reading it for so long either - I think I'm a little bit scared of Mr Naipaul.

Cross-posted - nice photo :-)

Heather - I think with the whole Nobel prize winner thing I thought Naipaul would be a bit too daunting but I did enjoy his writing.

Only trouble with the photo is I can't remember precisely how I got it onto flickr! I just pressed some buttons and hoped for the best. It only took me part of yesterday and an hour or so today to finally manage it:) But I was so pleased to actually do it, I'll have to keep practising.

139) The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart (2 - 6 November)

This is a very readable re-telling of the early life of Merlin. Taking as her main source Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain what Stewart has done is create a back story for the young Merlin and his relationship with Ambrosius and Uther Pendragon. I loved Mary Stewart's picture of Dark Age Britain and her fleshing out of the character of Merlin. Complete as the start of Merlin's story is I will definitely be moving on to the rest of the story and learning more about this character and his life as seen by Stewart.

oh! pretty butterfly :)

The Crystal Cave is already on my list :) glad it's a good one!

I have never tried uploading from my phone.. have to try it sometime :)

I really liked that Mary Stewart Series.. I no longer have it.. but it was good from beginning to end!
Glad you are wading in :)

Thanks Kara.

It took me a while Kath and, as I don't have a digital camera, it is the only way I have of sharing pictures.

I've got the first four of the series (the original trilogy and The Wicked Day) not too sure about the fifth, The Prince and the Pilgrim, doesn't sound like it adds too much to the story but my inner completist will probably keep it in mind:)

Am all caught up with you again and just leaving you a quick hello!

I thumbed your The Outlander review :)
I really liked that one....
made me feel cold while reading it, Adamson was that good in her details.

...I never read the last one either..

Hi Ilana - thanks for catching up and taking the time to post:)

Thanks Kara - there's definitely something about Adamson's writing - The Outlander was a good one. I hope she writes something else soon - there's nothing else on her author page that appeals to me.

Kath - I hadn't even heard of it until I checked out the LT series page I thought The Wicked Day was the last in the series.

I am in so much trouble with all the books that I've been adding lately to my "I want to read at some point". Oh well, onto the list goes The Crystal Cave. :D

Hi Valerie - well at least you chose a good one to add to the "I want to read at some point" list:)

I've finally managed to put comments in for all the books I've read on this thread and as we've hit the magic number I guess it's time for this

NEW THREAD - http://www.librarything.com/topic/126528 - NEW THREAD!!!