cameling's reading slumber room - loveseat #6

January Reads
Told in the Coffee House - Cyrus Adler
Journal of an Ordinary Grief - Mahmoud Darwish
When the Devil Holds the Candle - Karin Fossum
Sanchez Across the Street - Barbara Mujica
The Three Evangelists - Fred Vargas
The Nonesuch - Georgette Heyer
There Came Both Mist and Snow - Michael Innes
Along Came Trouble - Sherryl Woods
French Milk - Lucy Knisley
The Draining Lake - Arnaldur Indridason
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - Helen Simonson
The Grand Inquisitor's Manual - Jonathan Kirsch
The Grand Sophy - Georgette Heyer
Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Dogs - Eleanor Hallowell Abbott
Dust - Martha Grimes
Death in the Stocks - Georgette Heyer
Solo - Rana Dasgupta

February Reads
Wash This Blood Clean From My Hand - Fred Vargas
Avempartha - Michael J. Sullivan
A Paramedic's Story : Life, Death and Everything In Between- Steven "Kelly" Grayson

They Found Him Dead - Georgette Heyer
Dangerous Waters : Modern Piracy and Terror on the High Seas - John S. Burnett
Indulgence in Death - J.D. Robb
Dark Road to Darjeeling - Deanna Raybourn
Chips, Clones and Living Beyond 100 - Paul Schoemaker
Stealing Lumby - Gail Fraser
Waiting - Ha Jin

March Reads
Twelve Bar Blues - Patrick Neate
Arctic Chill - Arnaldur Indridason
The Savage Garden - Mark Mills
Apple Turnover Murder - Joanne Fluke
Don't Look Back - Karin Fossum
The Passion of Artemisia - Susan Vreeland
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane - Katherine Howe
Look Again - Lisa Scottoline
The Red Door - Charles Todd
Treachery in Death - J.D. Robb
The Cellist of Sarajevo - Steven Galloway
Black Seconds - Karin Fossum

April Reads
Nemesis - Jo Nesbo
Alice at Heart - Deborah Smith
The Green Mouse - Robert Chambers
I Shall Not Hate - Dr Izzeldin Abuelaish
Dolci di Love - Sarah-Kate Lynch
Sunflowers - Sheramy Bundrick
The Madonnas of Leningrad - Debra Dean
Beneath the Lion's Gaze - Maaza Mengiste
Plain Jane - Fern Michaels
Griffin and Sabine - Nick Bantock

May Reads
The Indian Bride - Karin Fossum
Death of an Englishman - Magdalen Nabb
The Egyptian Jukebox - Nick Bantock
The Snack Thief - Andrea Camilleri
The Chukchi Bible - Yuri Rytkheu
Stagestruck - Peter Lovesey
State of the Onion - Julie Hyzy
Search the Dark - Charles Todd
Eye of the God - Ariel Allison
You Can't Stop Me - Max Collins

June Reads
A Life Force - Will Eisner
Away Off Shore - Nathaniel Philbrick
Behold Here's Poison - Georgette Heyer
Salmonella Men on Planet Porno - Yasutaka Tsutsui
The Torso - Helene Tursten
The Terracotta Dog - Andrea Camilleri
Rosalind Franklin and DNA - Anne Sayre
The Captain : The Journey of Derek Jeter - Ian O'Connor
Upon a Dark Night - Peter Lovesey

July Reads
All Different Kinds of Free - Jessica McCann
Kabuki : Circle of Blood - David Mack
Napier's Bones - Derryl Murphy
Lumby's Bounty - Gail Fraser
The Water's Edge - Karin Fossum
The Foreigners - Maxine Swann
Betrayal in Death - JD Robb
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles - Haruki Murakami
City of Thieves - David Benioff
August Heat - Andrea Camilleri

August Reads
The Post Office Girl - Stefan Zweig
From the Observatory - Julio Cortazar
Blue Lightning - Ann Cleeves
Clandestine in Chile - Gabriel García Màrquez
The Devil's Star - Jo Nesbo
The Constantine Codex - Paul Maier
The Wandering Falcon - Jamil Ahmad
Anya's Ghost - Vera Brosgol
Bonk - Mary Roach
Memories of My Melancholy Whores - Gabriel Garcìa Màrquez
Mycophilia : Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms - Eugenia Bone
Spies of the Balkans - Alan Furst
Duplicate Death - Georgette Heyer
The Chalk Circle Man - Fred Vargas
Troubles - J.G. Farrell

September Reads
Nothing to Lose - Lee Child
For All the Tea in China - Sarah Rose
Lampshades - Carole Morin
The Wave - Susan Casey
Bachelor Brothers' Bed & Breakfast - Bill Richardson
Track of Sand - Andrea Camilleri
Thornyhold - Mary Stewart
Moonlight Becomes You - Mary Higgins Clark
Until Thy Wrath Be Past - Asa Larsson
The Red Market - Scott Carney

October Reads
Robbing the Bees - Holly Bishop
Charlemagne's Tablecloth - Nichola Fletcher
Rounding the Mark - Andrea Camilleri
Godfather of Kathmandu - John Burdett
Stork Raving Mad - Donna Andrews

My 1st thread is here
My 2nd thread is here
My 3rd thread is here
My 4th thread is here
My 5th thread is here

Memories of My Meloncholy Whores by Gabriel Garcìa Màrquez kept me company this afternoon.
Despite the title, this isn't a book about a man's reflections over the women he's paid for through the course of his life. What it is, a story of hope. A 90 year old not too talented writer, having lived a solitary and loveless life, contacts an old madam to procure a young virgin for his 90th birthday, believing it's his last fling before death. But upon arrival at the brothel, the girl who's been procured for him is asleep and he finds himself oddly touched by her innocence.

He develops a fantasy life for himself and this girl, feeling her presence in everything that he does, even though she's not physically there. What is central the book is not the girl herself for we are not given any indication of her personality, her thoughts and indeed her feelings, but how the man reacts and changes with his continued fascination for her. There's something about her that manages to touch his core and awakens emotions he's not experienced before. Just when he was planning on checking out of life, he now finds himself with a new lease in life, instead of resigning from his job as a columnist, he continues writing but with a different honesty, he adopts an elderly cat and

It's a story of hope, love, self-acceptance and passion. What I wish was different though, was the author's choice of the girl. It smacked a little too much of pedophilia for my liking. But there's no denying Marquez's genius in soulful writing.
3.8 stars

Ah I'm your first visitor. Just wanted you to know that I just finished reading your review on Memories of My Meloncholy Whores. Thumb up from me. Thanks for reading and reviewing a book I now know that I can skip. That smack of pedophila would be big turn off for me. I suppose on some levels it does sound somewhat intriguing too. I'll have to think about further. Hmm.

Love the new camel.... lol

Morning Caro- I love the New Thread! And the chattering camel! In reference to your last thread about graphics and lack of time. I find them perfect "in betweeners" and will always keep one at hand, the ideal palate cleanser.
Enjoy your Sunday!

Waving hi (and skipping that latest read of yours I think...)



(I'd better delete this - no copyright permission etc - but I love google images!)

Good morning! Memories of my Melancholy Whores is going straight to the Tower.

#3 : Hi Deb, thanks for the thumb. It was the idea that a 90 year old man wanted such a young girl hooker that was a turn off for me. But having said that, you kinda forget her age before long because his fascination with her doesn't have sexual overtones, and as he spends more time with her, what he's subconsciously builds with her is a relationship ... a quiet one ... because he apparently only ever sees her while she's asleep or just waking before she goes off to the button factory in which she works during the day. So the book is really more about the man who's only ever known a drab and uneventful life, finally experiencing the sparks that enrich his life.

#4 : Haha.. thanks, Kath.

#5 : Mornin' Marky-Mark. I am always so tempted when I walk into a particular GN and comic book store in Cambridge. Do you read manga too?

#6 : What a really cute lizard, Cushla. Thanks for sharing ... I love how it's got a little spread out belly.

#7 : Hey there, Luxx .. thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoy reading it.

Hi, Caro--love the camel!

Nice review of Memories of My Melancholy Whores, but what happens after the columnist acquires the elderly cat?

Hi.

Love the new camel and always loved Hump-Day!! Very nice review of MMMW; I have a great fondness for Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Starred again.

Mee too! Mee too! I love your new camel too!

Trying to catch up now that my party life is over. ;-)
btw - thanks for your encouragement!

Hi Caro- Nope, never tried manga! Any must-reads in that genre?

Cute camel, Caro! Happy Monday!

#10 : Hi Roni .. the camel sez ... "harooooo" to you.

#11 : Thanks, Darryl .. as for the elderly cat ... well ... you wouldn't believe what happened to it and what the man did! Do you really want to know? You'll just have to read the book to find out. :-)

#12 : Hi Jenn.

#13 : Berly, did you know that Hump Day also shares the day with Speghetti Day? I just found out last week. Thanks for your comments on my review. I hope you enjoy the book.

#14 : Bet you're glad to get a breather now the party's over, Cee. So what are you reading these days now you don't have to carve ice sculptures and plan menus and decorations?

#15 : I like the Fruits Basket series by Natsuki Takaya, Marky-Mark. Be warned ... there are 26 volumes in the series. :-) I also like Inuyasha by Rumiko Takahasi and Black Cat by Kentaro Yabuki.

#16 : Hi Laura. For a Monday, it's going pretty well. Hope you're enjoying a good start to the week too.

Ok, so how's this for weird? I've received some nice comments about my review of Memories of My Melancholy Whores and I've also received a few emails from some people I don't know who are chastising me for downplaying the pedophile angle of the book, and one even accusing me of promoting pedophilia! *sigh* C'mon .... how about not losing sight of the forest for the trees. The girl was not the focus of the book! Arrggghhhh....

I NetGalleyed "Mycophilia : Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms" by Eugenia Bone and boy am I glad I did. (touchstone not working for this book... maybe because it's not yet released?)

When I started this book, I was vaguely interested in mushrooms. I've always liked mushrooms from the culinary end, and I've taken photographs of mushrooms during hikes. But apart from that, I've never really given them a great deal of thought.

But this book has raised not my just consciousness into the wonderful world of mushrooms, but my level of interest as well. Who knew that mushrooms share about 80% of the same RNA as humans do? I certainly didn't. Or that the chiten that coats mushrooms so that they can push out of the ground without bruising themselves is the same thing that's found in crab shells and squid beaks? Or that mushrooms have more in common with the animal kingdom than the plant kingdom? I now know that there are mushroom conferences and mushroom hunting festivals around the world should I ever feel the urge to don a pair of wellingtons and root around animal dung or forest floors with company.

Apart from providing an indepth look at different mushrooms, both wild and farmed, their reproductive habits, their preferred habitats and how to hunt for them, I now know the symptoms of mushroom poisoning. I like the advice shared in the book about mushroom hunting ... just stand and take in the view. Especially in today's busy world, when we're all trying to multitask, just standing still, being quiet and letting our eyes take in the bounties of Mother Nature before us, is a task worth cultivating, and one that is bound to bring us a few moments of inner peace ... until we spy that one shy mushroom to leap upon!

If there's only one thing I'm taking away from this book alone, it's that I'm no longer going to be wasting my money buying expensive bottles of truffle oil. Want to know what? Read the book!
4.5 stars

My grandmother was a mushroom freak and I have many happy memories of trudging through forests with her. She had the knife and gloves, and I carried the basket. While I'm not a big fan of them from a food perspective (they're just neutral foodstuffs for me), I have an enormous appreciation and fascination about them. Added to my TBR list, thanks to your excellent review!

And wouldn't you know it, Laura ... today, walking out of my building to the parking lot, I happened to cast my eyes towards the ground and right up against the wall poking out of the mulch, was a bunch of mushrooms!

I love it! Serendipitous indeed!

Caro- Thanks for the manga recs! I'll have to give those a spin.

*smooch*

I think it is a good thing overall, for you to know the symptoms of mushroom poisoning.

( all things considered, you know )

I am VERY glad you read the book and hope you took notes.

(((caro))))

smooches back at'cha, Richard.

Yes, I certainly did take notes, Kath. And I'm also not eating raw mushrooms anymore! I also picked up some interesting tips on mushrooms for medicinal purposes - and no, i don't mean the magic ones. ;-)

So either I'm very insensitive or I missed the earthquake tremors that made it as far as Boston today. Granted, I'm a little further out from the center of Boston, but still, if there are people in Boston saying they felt their building swaying vigorously, then either they've been hitting the gin bottle a little early, or they need to change their diet and eat more than a lettuce leaf at lunch.
For all who are in the earthquake zone and still suffering aftershocks, I hope nobody's injured and that damage is minimal.

Hi, Caroline! I've caught up with you again.

I'm no scientist, but I theorize that some folks IN Boston might have felt the quake when you didn't in an outlying area because certain sections of the city are built on a less than sturdy foundation, former wetland that was filled in -- I think that might make it more vulnerable to earthquake vibration, especially in a shallow quake like this one was. (I'm thinking especially of Back Bay -- I wouldn't want to be up in the Hancock Tower or Prudential Building in an earthquake!)

I was visiting my brother in Southern New Jersey when the quake hit, and surely did feel it. My other brother lives in Virginia, about 80 miles from the epicenter, and he had stuff fall off walls and shelves, but is otherwise unscathed.

Sorry I never answered last thread when you asked what books had interested me there. City of Thieves was one, the Inspector Montalbano (?) series, and continuing with the Fossum series. I'll eventually get to Blue Lightning in the Shetland series -- I just found Red Bones at the Borders going-out-of-business sale.

Earthquake is safely over for now.. but Irene has me worried. Do not do
anything crazy like run on the beach when the thing hits.. even though
it is New England, and the water is cool.. it might pack a punch.. so stay home,
stay safe and stock up on chips and wine and cheese and other yummy hurricane food.
Got it?

I think it was Gloria in the 80's.. ? 1985, it was.
The cool water tamed her but there were trees down and lots of water..
so take care..

Yep....hurricane has us all taking inventory of the loose items that will be the damage-doers for us. By the time it reaches us here in New England it will most probably be of the uber Nor'easter variety, so we definitely will be stocked up on ice (we don't have a generator), water, pre-ground coffee (there's nothing worse than having a good french press, a gas stove, and a bag of coffee BEANS--we usually only grind as we go), batteries for flashlights and discmen (still good when MP3 charge runs out), fully charged Nooks and blackberries, and plenty of BOOKS .

Hubs is out walking the property to make sure there are no "loose" trees ready to come down on the house.

Come on Irene...you don't scare us.

#26 : Hi Terri .. nice to see you, thanks for stopping by. Your explanation makes sense. I was watching the news last night and they showed folks being evacuated out of some of the buildings in Boston .. but then they just stood on the street outside their buildings looking up! Seriously?! If you're being evacuated out of a building, don't you think you ought to move AWAY from the building that you just left? Instead of standing out there looking up and possibly getting hit on the head with falling debris?

Enjoy Red Bones.

#27 : Alas, I'm supposed to be down on Long Island this weekend, Kath. It'll depend, I guess how quickly Irene blows over. I feel bad for a couple of friends and their 1 year old who just went down to the Bahamas for a week's vacation on Saturday. They're now holed up in a hurricane shelter with the rest of the hotel guests.

I'm pretty inland, so even if the hurricane hits NE, I bet it won't be anything other than strong winds and rain by my way. Still, I won't go running by the beach when it comes in. Great excuse to stay in and read. Must remember to go to the stores and stock up on some essential groceries this evening.

#28 : Tina - I've been caught out many times with flashlights with dead batteries, so now the flashlights we have are the handcranked ones, so no batteries needed. Thanks for reminding me to charge my Kindle though.

hmmm your post at FB about your lunch inspired me.. thought I would make something similar for lunch..
I will be mindful of your dilemma tho :)

And srsly.. The Crossing Places is a brit mystery that I think you would like

( Is that considered stalking ? following you around with blue words?)

Blue words? What blue words? I see nothing blue, thus I am safe.

I'm in a food coma now after that lunch. I usually only eat half the cheesesteak sub, but it was so good, I wolfed down about 3/4 of it and my colleague finished the other third. Clearly very little work is going to get done this afternoon .. or at least no work requiring strenuous brain activity will get done.

The Crossing Places that would be.. somehow you added no blue words mojo to your thread..
I am working on ridding it from here..

I have no bread, so have to think of an alternate vehicle..
Fries?

as long as it has peppers, onions and mushrooms as well, Kath. Crisp seasoned fries .... mmmmm....... oh and a crunchy pickle too. Now you see why I'm in a food coma?

Drats .. the mojo didn't hold for as long as I had hoped.

I am so hungry! and now my mouth is watering :)
of course it will have all that.. or maybe just some of my salsa and lots of cheese over fries..

terrible food.

yum

cheese over fries is never terrible food! Do you know anyone who can resist cheesey fries? Even better with some bacon bits on top. *oooerr.... can't think of more food*

nope.. chopped steak.. I got some good organic chip steaks at farmers market..
maybe a side order of something healthy..
a vegie..

liked jalapeno poppers?

uh huh... jalapeno poppers ... oozing with cheese? Yum!

So did you ever get any dessert last night?

ooo - sure you have to come down to LI this weekend? I've just moved our visit to my mother in central NJ from Sunday to Saturday, in the hope that it will only be raining then. If the weather is worse than that, I'll go down midweek instead.

South shore of LI is not where I'd want to be for Irene. Strangely, however, i don't remember Gloria in '85 - I was in the city by then. Hm. Good luck if you come.

*waving* at Caro

Gloria ended up being a sort of a fizzle. I hope Irene follows her example.

you didn't get a hang glider did you?

and no fibbing! You did get some storm goodies, yes?

#38 : I was good, Kath... I didn't get any dessert that night. I ended up just eating hot dogs for dinner.

#39 : No, Judy ... we didn't go down to LI after all. We called our friends on Thursday evening and suggested a raincheck. They decided on Friday to cancel their party. Better safe than sorry. My in-laws who live on LI moved up to Valhalla on Saturday morning to my sister-in-law's place where they'll still get hit by the storm but at least they won't be by themselves at home.

#40 : Yoohoo...Stas ... *waves back from inside my house*

#41 : The wind's pretty gusty by my way, Kath, and I'm getting a ton of rain dumped on us, but apart from that, it's not too bad. The power is still on *keeps fingers crossed that I haven't jinxed myself* and yes, we did get some storm goodies just in case. Cases of bottled water and food that can be eaten cold should the power go out. And I've spent the last 2 days charging all our electronics. And no, I did manage to resist getting a hang glider .... only because I didn't want to worry you. ;-)

If the power holds, this will be a good reading day. I made blueberry muffins for breakfast and will make some oatmeal chocolate chip cranberry cookies later on.

Spies of the Balkans by Alan Furst was my first and certainly won't be my last Furst.

Greece in the early 1940s kept her wary eye on Hitler's advances through parts of Europe. Mussolini, attempting to replicate Hitler's success, decides to invade Greece, but is repelled by the Greek army. But Salonika waits for the inevitable invasion by Hitler's army and secret service.

In these uncertain times, spies with different international concerns blend into Salonika society, some catching the eye of Costa Zannis, a police inspector known for his integrity, and one with a special team, working on cases that may require discretion. As the situation for Jews in Germany worsens, he gets involved in an underground movement to rescue Jews fleeing Germany, developing a system with a Jewish wife of a high ranking German officer, and another police official in Zagreb, and helping them escape to Turkey and Egypt. If that wasn't sufficiently stressful, the British secret service seek his assistance in rescuing a British scientist who managed to get himself shot down over occupied France, and bring him back to England. As the situation in Salonika deteriorates, even his own window of opportunity to get his family and lover to leave for safer shores becomes narrower.

This is not merely a good spy thriller, it is also an excellent study in characters who believe in doing what's necessary to save humanity, even if it means putting their own lives at risk.
3.9 stars

Duplicate Death by Georgette Heyer was a fun cozy murder mystery. For those who are familiar with her earlier works, they'll be familiar with dear Sargent Hemmingway who returns, but with a promotion to Inspector Hemmingway. His second, in this book, is a delightful Inspector Grant, who drops Gaelic phrases as readily as raindrops. As with her other mystery novels, there is no lack of suspects in this story and I just love how she crafts her characters.
3 stars

Although I have a pile of books to read in my TBR Tower, with the howling winds outside and the rains bashing against my windows, this might be a day for simple cozy reads, perhaps?

Morning Caro- I hope you'll be safe and sound. I'm glad you enjoyed your 1st Furst. I read mine last year and I have a couple more of his in the stacks, but not Spies of the Balkans, which is now on the WL. Good luck today!

Glad you're safe, my friend..

Greetings, Marky-Mark. Which was your first Furst? Staying in and vegging today and watching the wild weather through the windows.

Glad I've got my kind and concerned LT peeps to keep me company, Kath. The enforced home arrest gives me a good excuse to not have to do anything more strenuous than cook, read and watch more storm news on the tele..... and send my brother periodic text messages to let him know i'm fine, so he can pass the message on to my mother, who is, apparently, currently having kittens thinking I'm going to be swept away. I'm trying not to call her so I can be spared her hysterics.

Call her dammit!

I am a mom.. and I am telling you that you will survive and she will feel better.. shoo! do it now.

She's at a church thing all day today and staying over at the retreat center. Won't get home till Monday. :-) *dodges the mom bullet*

hmmm

message on machine. .. will make her smile :) when she gets home.

Hmmm-ing right along with Kath. . .although I must say that the 'Do Nothing But Read Simple Cozies' day thing sounds wonderful to me.

My 1st was Spies of Warsaw. Very good. Enjoy your day.

ok, with all these hmmms, I caved. I left her a message on her cellphone ...... now if she doesn't remember to check her voicemail, it's not my fault!

Spies of Warsaw is on its way to my obese wish list.

I wish my neighbor would cut down a really really tall pine tree on his property. Every time it's windy, the thing sways really ominously and I'm always concerned it's going to fall our way and smash our roof and house.

Absolutely! it is her fault if she doesn't check. She will though..
Good for you!

My neighbor across the street has one of those. It is all brown up about 5 feet
and some branches all the way up 30 plus feet? are dying. If it falls on her house she will be in
big trouble. If it falls across the street we will lose power, phone everything. She won't
trim it or even clean out her gutters. Things are growing out of them. She is alone, but several people, including Dan have offered to help her .. she refused. Sigh..

I hope her luck keeps up.

I am glad you called your mother, Caro :)

Too bad it takes a storm like this to earn you a stay-home day with cozies--but what a nice way to spend it! Take care!

I've read two Alan Furst novels and liked both - The world at Night (set in Paris) and The Polish Officer. I have Night Soldiers on the shelves... might be time to grab it! (Am off to see if it has a short first sentence.)

so, what kind of cookies?

#56 : I'm sorry your neighbor is refusing help. Our neighbor with the tall pine tree recently moved in, and are a family with very young kids. You'd think they'd want to at least keep their little kids safe.

#57 : I texted my brother to let him know I left vm for my mother .... so he can at least check in with her tomorrow morning to see if she's remembered to check for vm on her phone, Stas. My mother's memory is starting to slip a little. She left the door unlocked the other night, according to my brother, before she went up to sleep. Thankfully she lives in a really safe neighborhood, but all it takes is just one wandering nut. She does have a big dog who sleeps indoors, and he does bark when someone's coming up to the house, but he's a super friendly dog and if they just said hi to him, he'll be their friend. *sigh*

#58 : Roni - Had a nice day reading, making cookies and lemon bars, and will soon be making bacon potatoes ala Kath, roasted eggplant and garlic spread, rosemary focaccia, roast tomatoes on the vine, and meatballs with peas for dinner. It's been a really relaxing day ... and I'm loving the sound of the howling wind outside.

#59 : Thanks for the recommendations, Cushla. I'm adding them to my obese wish list as well.

First tree down in my neighborhood ... thankfully it didn't drag down power lines or hit any cars. I'm glad most folks are staying off the streets .. sometimes you never know with the stupidity of some people who think they're a force greater than Mother Nature.

Winds still gusting about, but the rain appears, for the most part, to have stopped.

Finished reading The Chalk Circle Man by Fred Vargas. I've read her some of her others in this Adamsberg series, but this is actually her debut which I'm only now reading.

Blue chalk circles are drawn around odd discarded objects around the sidewalks of Paris. Nothing appears to connect these objects, ranging from a watch strap, a paperclip, a screwdriver, a mangled cat, an ice cream cone, among others. Nothing to really raise the suspicion that they may be the portent of something more sinister among the city's residents. Nothing at least, except to Commissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsburg who's been transferred to Paris.

The first in the series, we are introduced to this gentle and unassuming police commissioner who appears somewhat vague to his team, especially the meticulous Inspector Danglard. However unorthodox though his thought process, (does he even have one, his team wonders) none can question his ability to deliver the answers to the puzzling crimes they have to deal with. And he is right on the money once again, he warned that the blue chalk circles are not as innocent as they may appear. And he's proven right when the first murdered victim is found within a blue chalk circle.

The motive for the murder and subsequent murders appear elusive as does a real suspect. Vargas has the skill to present seemingly innocuous bits of information to us through the story, and then surprising us with their importance later and tying them all together at the end with a nice red bow.
4 stars

Your dinner sounds delish!
We are such good cooks!

I have enough leftovers for my dinner tomorrow !
There wasn't enough to put aside for dan.. he will have the chili I made yesterday.

Spies of the Balkans by Alan Furst was my first and certainly won't be my last Furst. LOLOL. Adding it to my TBR just because of that statement.

Hope you had a nice cozy day. Kudos for calling your mom. You get points without having to do hysterics.

I should have known to come directly to you, Caro. I asked for ideas for eggplant recipes on the kitchen thread two days ago--not a peep in response. I have a bunch of Japanese eggplant from the garden. I can't find a recipe for the Eggplant Delight seafood dish we love at a local Thai place. Give me some good ideas, please!

We are eating stewed rabbit with fresh garden vegetables tonight. He was suppose to put some of the eggplant in, but I don't see them!

The Chalk Circle Man sounds intriguing. (Oh, no, not another series! ;)

Good Morning Caro.. hope your week is a good one! Do try to stay out of trouble..
How were your potatoes last night? Did you like them?

Forty-three posts. Nuh-uh, can't do it, and I blame Irene. Yeup, that's the ticket! Thanks for checking in.

I received Chalk Circle Man a couple months ago from PBS. I will have to get to it soon. Sounds right up my alley.

How'd I miss the thread change? Waahh! Well, I'm here now. :)

I don't see you

#62 : Kath... the shallots bacon potatoes were absolutely delish! Thanks for the idea. Dinner did turn out quite fabulous and the hubster overate and then spent the rest of the evening moaning that his diet MUST start today. *will not mention the 'small' ice cream sundae he had for dessert this evening in the interest of marital harmony*

#63 : I love getting points, Jenn. Can I trade the points in for more great crafty ideas from you? Not that i'm ever likely to make any of them, seeing as I have 5 left thumbs, but I do so enjoy thinking I'll try some of your ideas out ..... at some point in the next century.

#64 : Since you mentioned Thai, I've a couple of good Thai eggplant dishes I'll send to you on PM, Roni. Will you serve them in one of your pretty pottery bowls?

#65 : Oh yes... another victim to the Series monster! It's a good series to add though, Terri.

#66 : The week is on the fence for the moment. Depending on what transpires over the next 2 days, it will either be a really good week, or I'll be really annoyed. I'm waiting for 2 contracts to be signed and I'd prefer for them to be signed and sealed by Wednesday at the latest since this will close out my month very nicely.

#67 : Huh! What a lightweight, Rdear ... only 43 posts for you to catch up on? I've had to do double that number sometimes on your thread when I've been absent for a couple of days. You just don't care enuff about me .... *sniffle, sob... howl*

#68 : Get to it, Stas ... I can't wait to see what you think about it. Have you read any of the other Vargas books?

#69 : helloooooo there, Stefano. I've missed you.

#70 : Do you have your glasses on, Kath? ;-)

Hi Caro- Another dreadful reminder how far behind I am with Vargas. Bad Mark. I can't even fit one in during September: Series & sequels. Sad Mark.
I'm enjoying a graphic, you might like, called Emitown. I think of you and your fun-loving personality, as I've been reading it. Check it out.

September is Series & Sequels, Marky-Mark? Oh that's so right up my alley. I won't feel guilty now of picking out some of the books in my TBR Tower that are all part of various series.

I've read Emitown and loved it... I giggled when I got to her army cats. I wish they would make an anime out of this and put music to the song lyrics.

Oy! The hubster just informed me that his parents and his sister's family are coming up for a visit this week on Thursday and staying till Labor Day! Stress is building up already .... house needs to be cleaned, rooms tidied ... oh dear, I'm visualizing my recently cleaned basement being once again the dumpster for everything upstairs we don't have time to put away.

Meals to plan - always a challenge with his family because his father is strictly meat & potatoes, hates fish, and won't try anything 'foreign' ..(which makes me wonder sometimes he really thinks of me), his sister is allergic to anything she perceives as fattening and won't eat shellfish, the 2 kids are at that age where you never know what food they'll decide that day to like/dislike, but the silver lining is that both his mother and sister's husband are a dream to cook for. They eat anything!

I wish they were not all coming up at the same time though. I enjoy their company, but I'm a bit of a space monster ... I do not do well in crowded houses, especially my own! haha... I keep reminding myself, it's only a few days, it's only a few days .... and then they'll leave!

Give thhe picky family a list of local eateries.
mercury finally went direct. Contracts should move along, now. I am hoing for some help from there myself.
Glad you liked the potatoes.

Hope the visit goes smoothly. Like my daughter, you never have much downtime.
Seems exhausting!

Oh poor Caro!
I know just how you feel about that much company all at once :P
and the stress of preparing food for exactly those kinds of eaters. :P

When my daughter (whom I love dearly) comes to visit it's crazy to try planning a meal. She is vegetarian, the kids don't like anything in common (I think intentionally), Ron doesn't eat fish (or anything unusual), Mom won't eat cheese and my SIL will eat anything (bless his heart!).
I used to try pleasing everyone, bought out the grocery store, and exhausted myself. Now I find it's much easier (and frankly not much more expensive) to go to a restaurant - even though we have to drive a ways to get there.

Good luck!

Boo hiss for picky eaters. Why not go for a picknicky/buffet type kitchen? Make some salads, keep lunchmeat and cheese on hand, etc, and let people cook/prepare for themselves as they're hungry.

Sorry for the stress. I hope you can enjoy the visit in the end.

Sorry, Caro. One of the bright sides to living in a one-bedroom apartment is that I don't have lots of guests at one time - in fact, I don't have many guests at all. If the setup were different, I'd love to have them, and being in NYC, we'd definitely eat OUT.

Bear up and keep repeating that mantra: it's onlya few days. it's only a few days.....

#71 - I was thinking your mom would give you points... but I'm happy to give you some too :)

So any movement on the contracts.. ?

#75/76 : Kath and Cee, we're definitely going to be eating out once in a while, but my in-laws actually expect me to cook. Both my MIL and SIL hate cooking and don't do it well, so for family holidays, I usually do most of the cooking, which I don't mind. But there's a difference between planning and cooking 1 big meal, and planning meals for 3 days for all these different taste buds.

#77 : Luxx - That would be a great solution except my parents-in-law don't do buffet style eating and would expect someone to put a plate together for them, and serve them. Seriously. They are quite high maintenance.

#78 : Yeah, Judy, it wouldn't be so bad if they weren't all coming at the same time. We don't have a big house so we're going to be splitting at the seams. Thank goodness for pull out couches, the kids love them.

#79 : Jenn - My mom didn't check her voicemail ! And she didn't check her email either .. I had sent her an email on Sunday evening, and again yesterday. What she did, though, was say to my brother that she hasn't heard from me in a while, and wondered why I hadn't emailed her in a while. I'm taking away some of her mom-points.

#80 : *sigh* No. Still ... there's tomorrow, Kath. Maybe when i get out from my doctor's appointment, there'll be good news waiting for me at the office. If not, I'm going to eat ice cream for lunch.

I would want you to cook too.. except for oxtail soup, your food always sounds yummy.

Eat ice cream if there is, too.. to celebrate.

Thanks for the fairy dust.. feel free to sprinkle it around any time .

Hi Caro, 3 days of meals is unreasonable. Ice cream for lunch sounds awesome;)

Boo hiss. Sorry I have nothing useful to add, just sympathy.

#81 LOLOL. I'd take away mom points too. Hmph.

so... how did it go?

#82 : Kath, I've decided to make a cheese fondue, roast chicken, salad and a cherry pie for tomorrow's dinner because his mom called and said that after the long drive up here, she hopes we aren't thinking of going out for dinner. The hubster has tix for a football game tomorrow night, so the men-folk will be going to that (and I deserve a medal because I'm giving up my ticket for my FIL) while we wee womens stay home.

#83 : Bonnie - the hubster will have to figure out their lunch on Friday because I have to go to work in the morning. Really important meeting I just can't miss, don't you know .... :-)

#84 : Thanks, Luxx. Appreciate the sympathy.

#86 : The contract came through this morning, Kath! whoohooooo! So I closed out the month very nicely. So I can breathe easy ... at least for the rest of this week.

I finally got to Troubles by J.G. Farrell and what a trip that was.

The seriousness of the Anglo-Irish problems in the 1920s is lightened with a touch of whimsy in this entertaining historical novel. The Irish fight for independence from the English is highlighted through short news articles scattered throughout the book, providing a progressive timeline to the rebellion. But it's the characters that are the subtle gems in this book.

Having survived WWI, Major Brendan Archer makes his way to Ireland, to find out if, Angela, the woman with whom he'd been corresponding during the war, is indeed his fiance. When he arrives at Hotel Majestic, however, the pale and listless woman he is introduced to bears no resemblance to the woman he met and shared a kiss with before he shipped out. He meets Edward, the patriarch and conservative Protestant proprietor of the Majestic, Ripon, the wayward son and brother to Angela, and various elderly regular guests to the Majestic. The hotel is crumbling, sorely in need of repairs and mostly gloomy, giving the reader a sense of claustrophobia. By the by, the Major also meets and is fascinated by Sarah, an Irish girl.

One gets the feeling of being on a train when reading this book, slowly pulling out of the station, gradually building up speed, and then hurtling towards a final destination. It's such a pleasure reading Farrel's beautiful prose. His injection of humor and whimsy in the characters from time to time only serves to contrast sharply with the darker metaphors represented.
I loved it.
4 stars

Nice review! Commiserations about the horde descending upon you, and their wierd tastes. Any of us would PAY to have you entertain us and cook for us a day or two--you always have my salivary glands dripping!

Ditto!

The meal sounds delicious..
and congrats on the Contract.
I am very happy for you.. Did you have ice cream?

May have to get that book..
My shopping went well today..
partly due to encouragement and help from a sweet and beautiful friend

I will moss you on the weekend when you have company.. but hope it is nice that it
seems like it might be :)

I listed my shopping spree in my thread. :) So I am glad I went.

Sounds like you have everything under control - contracts, meal plans and entertainment. Don't forget to treat yourself when this weekend is over! Geeze!
What ever happened to "We're coming for a visit AND BRINGING SUPPER!" :)

Hope you have some fun...

ETA: You deserve LOTS of medals!!!!

hey yeah! pot luck? Oh well, if anyone can do it is our caro..
hang in and enjoy my friend!

oh and I agree.. lots of medals.

Caro- I'm glad you enjoyed Troubles. I've had this one on the WL for several years now. Need to track a copy down.
Enjoy your long weekend with the in-laws!

#88/89 : Thanks, Roni and Laura. My LT peeps do a great job propping up my spirits ... love you all. I did ok tonight ... I soaked some mixed fresh berries in vodka for 2 days, and then poured them into a pitcher this afternoon, then filled it to the brim with white zinfandel. Served it to SIL and MIL while they sat in the kitchen resting from their drive .... and got them a little bit sloshed ... while I was preparing dinner. They don't usually drink much. :-)

#90 : Err... I'll moss you too, Kath. So glad your shopping spree went well and yes, I did have ice cream... well, lemon sorbet. Does that count? Got all my doctor visits out of the way and now I just have to wait for results, not worried, just my annual physical stuff.

#91 : Hmm... SIL brought me some parsley, Cee. I'm not sure why though because she knows I grow my own. Still, maybe I'll find some use for it tomorrow .... parsley scrambled eggs, anyone?
Thank goodness I Red Boxed a couple of DVDs for the kids. At least they were quiet and happy until dinner.

Hmm...medals .. yeah... pin me, pin me, pin me! haha

#93 : Happy hunting, Marky-Mark ... you definitely need to bag this one for a read soon.

Menfolk still not back yet, but kids are in bed, SIL and MIL are zonked out in their own beds too. Ahhh...... my sangria never fails. :-) I'm happily savoring the quiet for a spell, before cracking open a book in my little trundle bed (yes, we've given up our bedroom to my FIL and MIL) and sleeping in my study because it has a daybed and trundle.

So, what you're saying is you sedated everyone? I wish there was sangria for kids. I've got a couple still rustling about upstairs and I am ignoring it. It's a little spoken of parenting tactic - avoidance.

I'm glad that you enjoyed Troubles, Caroline. I'm eager to re-read it and The Siege of Krishnapur, but I'll wait until after I've read The Singapore Grip, the last novel in Farrell's Empire Trilogy.

What is it with the spammers here lately? Geez louise.

*waving* at Caro

You are so damn smart, Caro! I never thought of sedation!
Adults:sangria Kids:movies
That has got to be the greatest entertaining idea of the century - any century!

Ok, fresh berries in vodka 2 days... add to pitcher of wht zin. I can do that!
It might even be the right thing for what ails me... LOL
Good luck with the rest of the weekend...

A brief respite today .... I had a previous lunch appointment with a women's group and so I get to escape from the madness for a few hours today. Just waiting for the clan to wake up and get some breakfast going. I've got lemon poppy seed muffins and blueberry muffins going in the oven right now, and will make french toast and bacon later.

They leave this evening!

I couldn't resist taking photos of part of the Derby Sq book store in Salem that we popped into for a spell. The entire store is like this! I think to buy a book, you've just got to make a random selection - this is sort of like a grab bag for books. There's a little old guy sitting near the front of the store, almost completely walled in by more piles of books and until he said something I thought there wasn't anyone in there at all. He stood up, looking very much like the guardian of lost books.

I am glad you got a bit of a respite! although.. it doesn't sound like much of one.. lol
Love that bookstore photo!I wonder when he gave up and just started stacking randomly?

He may be an organized piler. I wonder if he could put his hands on a specific book if you asked him.

Wow...that bookstore looks...AMAZING!! Not very accessible, but amazing nonetheless. :)

Hi Caro - Congrats! you have almost made it through the weekend... yay for you!
Peace and your own bed tonight...

That bookstore is daunting and amazing! Wow!
Makes me drool and cry at the same time. Oh! (all those body fluids... how messy!)
*grabs absorbent beach towel and imaginatively dives into the stacks*

How did you manage to get in and out of that store w/o hurting yourself?

How does the fire marshall get in and out of that store w/o hurting someone? Wow indeed!

That bookstore looks like how my TBR pile sometimes feels!

Yikes! I'm surprised the fire marshal doesn't pay a visit.

Yikes! I'm guessing it's only worth visiting if you have several hours to scour the piles... wow. And what happens when the book you want is at the bottom of a stack? Oh my...

Interesting takes on the bookstore ..
different folks different reactions.. lol

Fire Marshall never entered my mind.. I wondered if there were any Picoult's I might like..
and if they had any MDR's hidden in the stacks..

:)

#102 : Kath - The guy said he ran out of bookcases and that once he started stacking them, he couldn't stop ...and so the madness continues.

#103 : Lori, I did ask him if he knew what he had in the store, and he laughed and said, "not really". He does categorize the books and places the stacks in sections, but apart from that, he says he knows what authors/titles he's sold, but he's not altogether certain he has a record of all titles he currently has in the store. He said that once a customer picked out a book to purchase and he was a little miffed that it was one he'd been looking for himself to read! haha

#104 : I agree Stefano. I could only look for a while and then I had to leave because I was starting to think the piles were starting to loom over me.

#105 : Cee, I walked in and stopped in my tracks. My husband walked in behind me and grabbed me, saying 'don't move, don't touch'. Hmph! Not funny!

#106 : Roni, I think the guy must bribe the fire marshal to stay away! Then again, there is a clear path in front of the door and there is a clear (if the towers of books don't fall) path by the side to the back exit door.

#107 : Deborah, I thought I had bad piles of books around the house, but not anymore!! haha

#108 : Maybe he's related to the store owner.... or maybe he IS the owner of the book store.

#109 : Faith, very carefully .... haha

#110 : Funny you should mention Picoult, Kath ... I noticed 5 of her books in a stack,.... in fact if you look at the pictures again, they are in the picture on the left.

Fantastically good news from my darling post office staff today. I went to mail some books out, and asked if there is any danger at all of them being closed, and the 2 of them at the counter said that they're definitely not going to be closed! I can NOT do without my dear post office and the people who work there.

Rain, heavy rain, drippy rain, and spritzy rain ... getting variations of all today. Distinctly Fall-ish weather ... sweatshirt has made its first appearance since Spring ... love the smell in the air, but am wistfully wondering if I'm going to be able to squeeze out a few more sunny beach days before the colors turn.

Going through a bit of a book funk ... wonder if i'm still suffering post-crazy clan visit syndrome.

yeah, saw that.. it was the first pic you put up on FB. I always try to see titles of books
people leave lying around, sit reading, or post pics of.

Tell me when you make a visit to Salem ... it's just up the road from me! I'd love to meet you there ... or anywhere in MA for that matter.

Yikes! I see what you mean when you described that "bookstore" as crazy. What are you supposed to do if you want a book from the middle of one of those teetering piles?

>115 kidzdoc:: What are you supposed to do if you want a book from the middle of one of those teetering piles?

Or the bottom? Caro, I've been lurking here forever it seems, but just had to "come out" and say what a crazy, wonderful bookstore that is. A bit overwhelming, but I can just imagine the goodies it holds!

Hope your book funk is over soon. In the meantime, please keep writing on your entertaining thread.

Book funks always go away eventually...
I think our caro is just exhausted!

Don't let anyone come to visit you this weekend.. but by sunday you have a book
that you want to read :)

Just checking in.. the week is coming to a close.. so far so good?
Hope you have a nice, easy weekend planned for yourself..
:)

Hi! Love the bookstore photo.

What an amazing bookstore, Caroline! I wonder what his rent is like. Maybe he might want to come down my way where the rents must be cheaper than in Salem. I'll help him move.

#115 : I would think attempting to take a book from the middle or of the bottom of those piles would be a nerve quaking experience, Darryl.

#116 : I'm a fellow lurker, Donna ... there are just too many threads I like to follow but have so little time to do more than lurk most of the time. We're just such a prolific bunch here in this 75er group. :-)

#117 : Book funk is over ..thankfully, Kath. I'm stuck in the middle of 2 really interesting books, so much so that I've got to really just stop one of them so I can concentrate on the other for the time being. Both being non-fiction, they're not really books I can put aside and pick up without forgetting some salient bits.

Can't wait for tomorrow afternoon when my weekend begins! Whoohoooo!

#119 : Isn't it nuts, Jenn? Can you imagine a room in your house like that?!

#120 : Charlotte, you know that's what I couldn't figure out because he's got a mix (from what I could see), of used and new books and his store is downtown Salem, so surely it can't be too cheap... unless his grandfather signed some 200 year rent control lease.

The rain has finally stopped. No flooding in my area, thankfully.. but some friends south of Boston have had a bad time of things with flooded basements. Will be happy for some dry weather this weekend.

I received The Lace Reader and The Spiral Staircase in the mail today.

Hermione the snake in the office shed her skin last night. We now have, in the snake tank (previously known as the disgusting frog tank) a full snake skin. Very cool. My colleague who looks after the baby snakes and Hermione, has taken the skin out and has tacked it up onto his corkboard.

I would be lost in that bookstore for days. I would absolutely have to eyeball every title, just in case there might be one that would make a good addition to my teetering tower. Amazing!

I find a snake skin about every other year... we have snakes in the yard...
You have one at work? Interesting that..

I loved Lace Reader !

Spiral Staircase looks good...

I got The Crimson Petal and the White in the mail, today.

:)

OMG - I would love to have something like that tacked up in my cubicle. I can hear the screaming now. You should have seen the way they all carried on over the little mouse we had a couple of years ago. Even a little tiny spider-let gets them all into a girly swivet.

Hi Caro- Glad to hear the book funk was short-lived. I'm very blessed not to suffer from this nasty malady. What kind of snake is it?

Hi There Caro...

126 posts since I last checked in. Re. snakes, the only ones in my office are the two legged kind.

I love, love Salem, Mass. One year we visited there during Halloween. It was a blast!

That book store looks spooky out of order, but very interesting.

#123 : Cee, I wouldn't be surprised if that bookstore is the old guy's personal TBR Tower!! Maybe that's what I wandered into .. it wasn't a store, it was his living room! :-)

#124 : Kath, I loved The Crimson Petal and the White when I read it some years back. You're in for a treat.

As for the Hermione and her snakelets, one of my coworkers found it in his yard and decided to bring it to work, another decided to keep it in his tank by the window since his last frog was released this summer into the pond by our parking lot. But lo and behold, over one weekend, the snake we had initially named Harold, surprised us with 6 wee snakelets over the weekend, and so Harold became Hermione.

#125 : Charlotte, we had a small cute brown mouse named Bob one year. We'd see him running around a little, but nobody thought to catch him. Instead, we left little bits of chocolate and bread on paper plates on the floor around various parts of the office. Someone at some point must have said something to our building manager though (and a pox has been flung at this unidentified person) and one morning some of my coworkers came in to find poor Bob dead and stuck to flypaper. There were quite a few tears in the office that day, and I work in a male dominated company .... much to the alarm of our HR director (oddly nobody told him about the mouse for the weeks we'd been feeding him).

#126 : Yeah, book funks are no fun, Marky-Mark. I'm glad it's over too ... I thought I'd have to pick up another JD Robb book in the In Death series to get over it.

Hermione's a common brown snake. She's very petite, so maybe she's young? No snake experts in my office, so we're all trying to figure out if that's the regular size of her kind of snake, or if she's going to grow any bigger.

#121 - Unfortunately, yes. I can imagine a room with books just like that, and a room with fabric and yarn just like that. Not quite Hoarders, but some days it feels a little wild.

FYI on the snakes - they are excellent at getting out of containers. My brothers used to keep King snakes and garter snakes and every now and then I'd have one crawl over my foot while I was sitting on the couch reading. Check under your desk before you stick your feet in there. :)

The zoologist in me just can't resist. Is it this one? http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/snakes/stodek.htm

As a side note, while I was looking up your snake, I found some scary articles about the common brown snake that lives in Australia, including this lovely one: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2052530/Tourist-bitten-o.... Sadly, there is no information regarding the survival of the appendage.

Pretty little snake.. thanks for that link, Jen

So what did you do with the babies? I am utterly intrigued by the snake at work.. what a great
office you have. I remember, years ago.. when I lived out in the "country" we found mice in the
garage. We lived in a wierd little community that would take too long to describe here.. but..
instead of trying to kill the mice, I bought a bag of cat food and tore it open and left it there for them
to eat. My neighbors kids were country fold through and through and appalled at my behavior.. :)
Their parents never did warm up to me. ( the kids were teenagers, I was 22)

Poor Bob.. too bad he fell victim to some hater :(

Jenn : When in Australia, I take care not to touch or get too close to spiders, reptiles or scorpions. I believe of the top 10 most poisonous creatures in the world, a majority live in Australia. It's too bad the article didn't include a photograph of the Aussie brown snake. And I do wonder what happened to the man's appendage and

The picture you have of the little brown snake is exactly the ones we have in the office. :-)

Kath : The snakelets are in the tank together with Hermione ... we didn't know if they could survive on their own. Mike, who's the principal snake carer, has been reading up on what snakes eat and has redecorated the tank with mulch, soil from someone's garden, a couple of little plants, a dish of water, and he brings in little bugs and mealworms.

love the snake stories..

hope you're having a good weekend, my friend :)

I hear you Caro - every time someone talks about wanting to go to Australia, that's all I can think about - the top 10 most poisonous creatures in the world. *Shiver*

#132 : Had a wonderful weekend, thanks, Kath. Spent Saturday reading and lying on the couch watching the US Open tennis all day. Wish there was a different outcome to one of the men's matches, but all in all, an exciting day for tennis.

Went for brunch with a couple of friends this morning and then spent the afternoon at the beach. Windy, sunny and a little cool ... perfect for reading and snoozing off the food coma. Took a quick swim ... the water was actually pretty warm .. it was getting out into the windy cooling evening air that had me quickly reaching for a sweatshirt. And we can't do a beach day without ending it at one of our favorite lobster shacks for lobster, clams and beer. :-)

#133 : Jenn - I was hiking in the Blue Mountains in New South Wales some years back and our guide said if we saw anything that slithered, don't move. We stayed overnight in a camping lodge and I woke up to go to the bathroom and almost stepped on a scorpion. Needless to say, I kept my shoes on for the rest of the night!

Nothing to Lose - Lee Child.
Ex-military MP, Jack Reacher decides to live his life encumbered by belongings. He doesn't want to live in one place, doesn't want to own anything but the clothes on his back and travels whereever he pleases, stays a long as he wants and moves on. Or so he thought when he decided one day to walk across the country from Maine to California. With just his passport, his ATM card and some cash in his pocket, he passes through the town of Hope and crosses into the town of Despair. The name of the town itself should have given him pause for thought but then Jack doesn't like turning back, so he walks on ... and finds himself in a strange and hostile town that doesn't welcome strangers. In a span of minutes, he manages to punch a deputy sheriff, gets himself arrested for vagrancy, jailed for the night, appears before a judge and is unceremoniously informed he is not welcome in the town of Despair and is driven back to Hope with firm instructions not to return.....ever!

Now if ever there was a challenge, that's one for Jack. He needs to know what the town of Despair is hiding that they need to keep throwing people out of their town. With the reluctant help of a Hope policewoman, Jack starts to discover some very strange goings-on indeed in Despair, after he stumbles over a dead body in the dark, and a plane that flies in and out of a metal plant every night.

In typical Jack Reacher fashion, his tenaciousness uncovers military secrets, bullies he gets to beat up, people he tries to help and odd mysteries to solve.

Not as exciting as some of the others in the Reacher series, but still enjoyable.
3.5 stars

For All the Tea in China : How England Stole the World's Favorite Drink and Changed History by Sarah Rose is a wonderful book tracing the origins of tea since the 1800s. The journey of green and black tea from the mountains of China to the slopes of the Himalayas to the common teapots in England is outlined in detail, thanks to the memoir and copious notes taken by Robert Fortune, the man responsible for not only bringing high quality teas to England but also for bringing back many flowering plants and hedgerows that are now found in many an English garden.

For such a slim volume, this book packs a great deal of fascinating information. There's the journeys of Robert Fortune itself and his adventures among the Chinese during the mid 1800s, how he disguised himself as a mandarin to avoid hostilities, his brush with pirates in the high seas, and his experiments which improved the success rate in transporting delicate plants and seeds from China to India and back to England. In addition to this, bearing in mind the focus of this book being tea, we are also treated to an insight into the secrets of tea growing and harvesting, which had remained closely guarded secrets by the Chinese, until they were uncovered by Robert Fortune and smuggled out of China. We're even given tips to the proper way to brew a good pot of tea.

Lest you think this is nothing but a horticultural lesson, Ms Rose, includes relevant historical notes on the Taiping Revolution, the Opium Wars, the beginnings of the Indian movement towards independence, Britain's economic and industrial growth and the smuggling of Chinese coolies out of China to other parts of the world. She explains not only what these events are, but what caused them and why they were important events.

Robert Fortune's notes on the Chinese secrets of tea-growing and harvesting, in addition to his hiring and transporting Chinese tea experts to India, can be considered industrial espionage, for surely if he had been discovered by the Chinese government, he would have been arrested and possibly executed.

Fascinating read.
4.5 stars

Hi Caro! I have sworn off blue print for awhile, but... well... I'm not very strong.
For All The Tea in China sounds interesting. *heavy sigh* maybe later

Caro, once again, you've come up with something that sounds exquisitely interesting....AND our library system has it available in audio. I have to get it ILL, but it should be arriving just about the time I get back from my California trip coming up. Thanks for the lead.

Ooh - For All the Tea in China sounds great! adding to the towering TBR pile. Thanks!

Cee : In certain lights, the print isn't really blue, but more ...teal. :-)

Tina : I couldn't put it down once I got started on it. Who'da thunk reading about tea would be that engrossing, but Ms Rose has done a fabulous job with this topic. Enjoy California and I hope you enjoy the audio-book when you get back. I wonder how it'll read as an audiobook though ...hmmm.... I'll be even more interested if they get some of the Chinese words pronounced properly.

OK, OK For All the Tea in China goes onto the teetering tower Caro. Once again you present an ultra interesting book and who am I to stick to my guns about trying to get control of my WL.

Caro- Great review of For All the Tea in China. This one sounds right up my alley. Glad you had such a nice weekend!

I agree that For All the Tea in China sounds fascinating. Onto the wishlist it goes!

For All the Tea in China sounds great; I'll also add it to my wish list.

Sometimes, when I am teetering on that line, to add or not to add, some small thing will tip
me in one direction. Such has it been with the tea book!

Hope you have a wonderful monday Caro.. at least as nice as your weekend!

Caro, I've joined the bandwagon for 'All The Tea...' Great review, and it does sound fascinating.

drive-by hug

Poor Bob. *sniff*

#140 : The nice thing about wish lists ... there is no need to be in control of them. Without a wish list, how is Santa to know what to bring you at Christmas time, Bonnie?

#141 : Oh I know you'd like this for sure, Marky-Mark.

#142 : Roni .. maybe it'll inspire you to make a teapot and cups at pottery class? ;-)

#143 : Wish list? You're not running out to buy it, Darryl? You've only got a little head cold! ;-) Foyles will surely serve you a cuppa while you're there.

#144 : What small thing was it about the tea book that made you add it to your wish list, Kath?

Monday .. hmm.... what happened yesterday? Oh yes, it wasn't too bad. I managed to get a workout at the end of the day and had a long online chat with a cousin in Australia.

#145 : I think I'm getting a little nervous about all you folks wanting to read this book now. I hope you find it as fascinating as I did, Judy.

#146 : *drive-by hug back* ... is this because I've found out you volunteering me for a BBQ MA meet up next year, rdear?

#147 : Thanks, Charlotte. We were devastated when it happened too. I like to think the person who snitched on him has had some of the worst luck for a really long time. Grrr...

"Without a wish list, how is Santa to know what to bring you at Christmas time..."
EXACTLY!!! My thoughts, exactly!
;-)

Glad all is well.. wouldn't it be great if we did manage to pull of a get together next year :)

I must be on the wrong side of the tracks on Lampshades by Carole Morin. I detested this book. Sophira, a Scottish teen is obsessed with cleanliness and Adolf Hitler. The book is a constant teenage rant against blacks, Jews, the middle-aged, fat people, her mother, uncle and other relatives. I'm not sure why this has been touted as funny and witty book when I found so much of it left a nasty taste in my mouth.
0 stars

The Wave : In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks and Giants of the Ocean by Susan Casey, very very kindly sent to me by Mark, opened my eyes to what really goes on beneath the waves. Despite my love for beaches and swimming in the sea, I'd never really given much thought to waves except that to me, they ranged from gentle rolls, exciting crests to thunderous and dangerous walls. What I got out of this book was an engaging look at Laird Hamilton and his surfing philosophy, some really interesting interviews with scientists on how global warming is likely resulting in larger waves being formed, including some freakishly sudden waves that seemingly leap out without warning, and an armchair journey around the globe to visit some of the world's big waves and the big named surfing stars who flock in to try and conquer them, the failure of which sometimes end tragically.
4 stars

- Thanks Marky-Mark. I loved reading this .. on the beach too, no less. :-) And now I want to learn how to surf!

Caro- I completely forgot that I sent it to you! LOL. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Actually I wish she would have focused more on the science, which I found fascinating.

Cee : I use my wish list for my in-laws as well since they never know what to get me for Christmas and I do so don't like them wasting money on things I'd either have to return or grit my teeth and try to regift later. :-)

Kath : That would, indeed, be fabulous. Are you really planning on attending the Salem Lit Festival?

Marky-Mark - It took me quite a while to get to the book. Thank you so very much. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I liked the science bits but I really loved the surfing stories and she painted such wonderful visuals that had me starting to seriously plan a holiday in Hawaii to take surfing lessons. Oh dear ... can you imagine calamity caro on a surf board?

Hoping to, with my Amy....I asked her to go this year, she said no can do...but next year she said she would... crossing crossables

Good point, Caroline. The Charing Cross Road Foyles bookshop does have For All the Tea in China in stock, so I'll pick it up today or tomorrow (and the cafe promised me a cuppa if I buy it there).

Crossing all my crossables too, Kath and beseeching all the Fates to align things so it happens.

Huh.. Barnes & Nobel doesn't give me cuppas when I go and pick up books I've asked them to put aside for me to come pick up. You'll have a different appreciation for the cuppa after you read the book, Darryl.

Having fallen to Kath's devilish temptation, I succumbed and brought home a copy of Bachelor Brothers' Bed & Breakfast by Bill Richardson and had a great time with this fun read last night. Fraternal twins decide to convert the house they grew up in into a bed & breakfast, a refuge for holiday makers who want quiet and a place to read. Guests are encouraged to not just sign a guest book, but write their own little stories in it. And this is what it is ... a compilation of little stories, from Hector and Virgil, the brothers, and from their guests. It's quirky and deliciously cozy.
3 stars

Thanks Kath .. I'm glad I didn't ignore this one.

Glad you liked it :) I gave mine to my sister.. she gave it to her daughter.. so it is
being appreciated widely in my family :)

I have Waiting for Gertrude by the same author on my tbr

Just catching up with you, Caro! Love the book store picture...

I just passed mine on to a friend at work, Kath .. this is definitely a pass it forward book for those in the doldrums in need of uplifting. ;-)

Hi Angela .. thanks for stopping in.

back at 'cha, Stefano.

Track of Sand by Andrea Camilleri. *sigh* I don't think I can get enough of dear Inspector Salvo Montalbano and his quirky team in Sicily. This time the Inspector wakes up to find a dead horse on the beach. However, after his team arrive to take a look at the horse and leave it for a few while, they come back and the horse is gone. Then things really get crazy. Montalbano is caught up with trying to find who took the dead horse, being pursued by a beautiful woman, identifying various unsavory characters who may have had something to do with stealing a couple of horses from a stable, and finding himself the victim of some surprising attacks. As always, there are some great comic moments as well as surprises.
3.8 stars

Thornyhold by Mary Stewart is a wonderful cozy read. A woman inherits a house from her favorite aunt and godmother. In moving in though, she discovers that her aunt may have been a healer to the town and considered a good witch. Strange things start to happen and she starts to wonder if she's inherited some healing or witchy talents as well. Does someone wish her harm though? The suspense builds nicely in this story. I could have wished for part of the ending to be a little different because I didn't like one of the characters, but it's just a minor nit.
3 stars

Oh I loved Thornyhold :) Perfectly cozy read!

Agreed.. a pass it on book is BBB&B :)

Ditto on Thornyhold. I do enjoy Mary Stewart.

Cozy and fluffy are good..
Thrillers are good..
Mysteries, also good..
Non-fiction, good

Thank goodness for variety in books !

I read Mary Higgins Clark many many moons ago and while I don't remember the title, I do remember that it didn't wow me. She's my MIL's favorite author after Nelson DeMille, and she's been nagging me to give her another shot. So here's my shot: I picked up a copy of Moonlight Becomes You at the library book sale where I was volunteering this weekend, and read it last night. And all I can say is, she still doesn't wow me. I can't even class her as a cozy mystery. She does a fairly good job of building some suspense, but there's just something about her writing that I find falling just on the other side of a good gripping mystery.

In this book, a photographer accidentally meets her ex-stepmother after more than 20 years and is thrilled to be invited for a 2 week visit to her house in Newport. Maggie arrives to find her stepmother murdered just before the dinner party that was to be held in her honor. The cast of characters invited to the dinner party (apart from Maggie) all bear secrets, some of which might even be considered motive for murder. A next door neighbor comes forward with her stepmother's change of will, leaving the house and most of her assets to Maggie. Maggie decides to stay and not convinced that the murder was the result of a burglary, she starts to ask some of her stepmother's friends, but soon bodies start to pile up. Maggie makes some cemetery visits and finds little metal bells on certain grave sites and she puts herself in the crosshairs of the murderer.

I'll give this 3 stars because she did a fairly good job of providing interesting side complexities with some of the characters in her attempt to keep us guessing.

My opinion remains unchanged though ... MHC's writing doesn't much interest me.

I can't recall if I actually read and disliked MHC, or if I just assume I wouldn't like her based on the taste of the people who recommend her to me. Since two of them are my sister-in-law and my sister, I should probably try her out before closing my mind. Not that I need any other authors on the list just now, of course.

Yeah, I read one of her novels last year (Nighttime is My Time) and wasn't exactly impressed by it.

I read my first MHC whenI was 13? Maybe? It scared me then, whichever book it was. I tried another about 10 years ago on an airplane and wasn't too impressed. At 30 it felt more predictable than scary. And who wants MHC when we have Louise Penny?

I have read several of MHC's books.. same same same, but still..
fluffy interesting ...light no brainer reads.

Today I am reading an Orson Scott Card...Homebody.
I have read it before..don't know when..don't remember it much..
so decided to go ahead had read it gain..

I just ate too much.. ugh! Gorgeous day today!
some porching.. not much doing..

LOL at the pirate speak.. forgot what I was going to say:P

Whew .... I have to say I'm chuffed and a little relieved that I'm not the only one unimpressed with MHC. With her books always being on the bestseller list, I was wondering if I was just not getting something in her books.

I love Orson Scott Card, Kath. My favorite is Magic Street.

Busy day today...clearing work for the day and tomorrow, conference call today and cooking up some food for the hubster so he doesn't starve while I'm away .. or go broke eating out every day and night for a week. Made pulled pork in the slow cooker this morning, thai beef salad, eggplant parm and a bit pot of broccoli and cheddar soup.

Off to Hong Kong tomorrow for a week. Got to pick out some books to bring with me and charge my Kindle and iPod.

What's pirate speak for plane? Arrr...ahoist me mateys?

Safe travels, Caro! Don't forget your passport... we want you back! :)

Have a safe trip, but please don't make the captain walk the plank during the flight.

Arrived safely in HK ... and with a bonus. A couple were fighting in the departure lounge while I was waiting for my flight and chucked their freshly bought breakfast sandwiches and coffee into my hands ... literally. One guy stormed off in one direction, and the other guy stormed off with their (his?) luggage in the other ... they didn't come back by the time I had to board the flight ... so what was I to do? I ate their breakfast on the plane. ;-)

No captains walking off any planks on my flight please, Darryl! Can you imagine the look on the passengers' faces if a pilot were to emerge from the cockpit with his parachute strapped to his back? I imagine utter chaos in a matter of minutes. I have to admit when I was standing by the emergency exit waiting to use the bathroom, I looked over at the handle and wondered briefly (very briefly, i promise) how quickly things and people would get sucked out of the plane if I (or someone else) were to actually turn that large lever from closed to open.

Read my ER book Until Thy Wrath Be Past by Åsa Larsson on the plane.
Imagine diving for a sunken Nazi transport plane in a frozen lake, and discovering the safety line has been cut, swimming to the surface only to find that someone has place a door over the hole in the ice and is standing over it, watching you slowly drown.

That's how this book starts. The body of Wilma Persson is found months later during the start of the Spring thaw in Sweden, but in a river. As the public prosecutor and police attempt to find answers, secrets that have been kept for years over the identity of the resistance fighters, the sympathizers who spied on them for the Nazis and profited by their association before the tide turned against Germany, are reluctantly divulged. Interestingly, the ghost of Wilma provides her own narrative as she remains in this world, observing her loved ones, her murderers, and those who will find the answers to set her free.

Dark crime fiction appear to be a staple with Scandinavian writers and this one does not disappoint.
3.5 stars

I think this is the first in a series?

Wow.. that sounds like some book!

Glad you had that free breakfast :) That sure doesn't happen often,
but I am not al all surprised that it happened to you.

I have two words for you

Life Vest

Good gawd! The start of that book is enough to make me consider it the end! The one way I don't want to die is drowning - and I have a fascination for the ocean! go figure.
Have a great whatever-day-it-is over there! ;-)

Let's just say the book is a page turner, ladies.

Good but long day of meetings, and the last was with someone who felt compelled to attend the meeting even though he was suffering from a stomach bug. Nice .... NOT! I was breathing as shallowly as possible, and dashed off to the bathroom as quickly as I could after leaving their building to wash my hands.

I'm 12 hours ahead of ET, Cee ... so it's now Thursday night for me. Can't wait for tomorrow 4pm ... because that's when my last meeting ends and I'm going to party with an old friend who moved to HK 10 years ago. She came here on a whim, loved it and managed to find a job as a private anesthetist with different hospitals. She has great hospital stories.

>174 cameling: Actually, Until Thy Wrath Be Past is the fourth in a series with the character Rebekka Maartinson. I received the same ER book, and picked up the first and third in the series at the library. The first was pretty good, and I'm waiting now for the second, as order seems to be interesting.

Counting the days.... way too quiet here without your shenanigans!

I remember reading a couple of Mary Higgins Clark books in the early 80s but then....they were so predictable so I never went any further.

Waving Hello!

Boo on people who think they should come to work when they are sick. Boo.

I enjoy MHC now and then for a fluffy read..
Still too quiet.. soon now though, right?

Hi Caro!!! Missing ya! Hope you are having some good times!

(This is in case you can peek in...)

#178: Hi Judy ... gosh, so now I've got to go look for the first 3 in the series. Thanks for the heads up ... oh wait.. what am I saying? Arrgghhh....more to add to my series wish list. *sigh ..... there is no light at the end of this tunnel*.

#179 : Hey there Kath.. I'm back ... my initial days in HK gave me a false sense of complacency. Things were going so well I assumed they'd continue along the same vein. Why don't I ever learn?! I should never take time for granted. Work-wise, my week in HK was productive and good, with potential to develop into interesting revenue generating opportunities. Socially, I had a blast because I managed to hook up with some old friends, met some new ones and a few new and very odd ones. So all in all, it left me with very little reading and personal internet (and sleeping) time.

#180 : Bonnie. you have no idea how comforted I am by the remarks I'm finding here on LT about MHC. I no longer feel alone.... it's almost making me want to build a campfire so we can all sit around it and sing kumbaya. ;-)

#181 : *waves back, Jenn* I agree.. a pox on them .. oh wait, they probably already have some form of pox. There was a meeting that got cancelled at the last minute (thankfully before I set out in a cab for it since it's miles away and not on the subway route) because the boss had to go home with a debilitating stomach bug. I jokingly suggested ebola ... and discovered his secretary has no sense of humor.

#182 : I enjoy fluff every once in a while too.... probably more often than I think. But there's just something about MHC that seems to aggravate me.

#183 : I miss you too, Cee. It's amazing how much LT has become part of my life. I feel so out of touch when I'm not able to log in for a couple of days.

So as you may guess, I'm back in soggy MA! Arrived last night .... although I almost didn't make it because the agent at the desk when I first checked in at Boston last week, somehow decided to cancel my return to the US! Hmm... he took it upon himself to deport me? So after a long and confusing kerfluffle at the HK airport, they managed to issue me a new ticket to come home ....and the agent there (she must have been smoking something really good) even attempted to charge me for the new ticket. I have to give her kudos for trying and even attempting to apply some weird logic to why i ought to pay for a new ticket when I was supposed to have a perfectly good one before her colleague F'ed up royally. Since I was equally adamant about not paying, she called her manager over and lo and behold ... she was told to go take an early lunch break. :-) Apologies were offered while I am not ashamed to admit pulling a somewhat frantic distressed (considered hyperventilation but decided it might be overkill) stunt with the manager, wringing my hands and clutching my case. Manager was very sweet .... upgraded me to a business class seat as compensation for the airline causing me such acute distress. :-)

I'm being made to pay for my comfortable flight back though (can't beat sleeping on a flat bed with real pillows and comfy thick duvets) because today at work has been sheer hell. Back to back meetings, tons of emails and reports to go through, sign, edit, approve or reject and on top of that, I've got some out of town business visitors who my staff have been entertaining while I've been out... and they're dropping them back into my lap now that i'm back.

So if I'm lucky, I might be able to log back in again on Sunday. I'm leaving for Albuquerque on Saturday with the hubster for a few days of (hopefully) rest and relaxation at the annual balloon festival in New Mexico. I'm tiredly excited about it because I've always wanted to go. I hope I'm not sleeping it away. :-)

I did manage to read a really good but somewhat horrific book The Red Market which I will review in the next couple of days.

Welcome home Caro! Thanks for checking in. It sounds like you've been in a bit of a whirlwind lately. Hope you can relax on the weekend! Hugs!

Hi There Caro.

Rest, relax, read. Have a great weekend.

Hi Caro! Oh, so lucky! The ballon festival in NM. It should be grrrreat! I want to go someday too.
We used to go every year to the festival in the Berkshires. I didn't mind getting up early - REALLY EARLY - to shiver in the excitement of the day since we spent the nights in sleeping bags, in tents. Not my style.
I expect Albuquerque will be a bit more luxurious??? Have fun!

Ooh, take lots of pictures!

The balloon festival sounds great. The getting home drama not great... But yay for an upgrade!

Had to check the date on your message #184 cuz ALL the days since you've been gone have been soggy. (Might have been a few shreds of sun getting through, but most of it was gray, gray, gray.)

The Red Market looks interesting.

#188 --Claudia-- did you know that there's a hot air balloon festival in Lewiston every year - usually in early to mid August?

Tina, Saw that... and definitely want to go someday. Have to wait til the conditions are right and we can overnight beforehand. Have you been?

Oh! hi again Caro... ;-)

Hey, Caro, glad you are safely back and sorry your first day back was such a bear! Hope you enjoy your trip with hubby to Albuquerque.

I can hardly wait to hear about your trip to Albuquerque !
Then off for new adventures, righ? HK is it?

*dusts* *fluffs pillows* *puts fresh flowers in a vase*

*leaves*

Wave to the north while you're in NM. I'll wave back.

I love Albuquerque. Enjoy!

hello all, thanks for keeping my thread warm. How lovely to come back to a clean, freshly dusted and flowered little room. Thanks, Kath for the housekeeping. ;-)

I'm home ...for 2 days and then I'm off to Hong Kong for a week ... again. *sigh* This is a crazy month for me. The day after I come home, I'm off to a hotel in Woburn for a week (thankfully still in MA) for our company's sales summit where we will suffer death by powerpoint by our executives and various teams, to try and gear us up for the next fiscal year.

But I had a fantastic time in NM. I loved the balloon festival. Will post some of the pictures i took next. The desert was absolutely beautiful and we were blessed with a double rainbow on our last day driving from Sante Fe to Albuquerque after a rainstorm.

I've got 2 books to review, both I really really liked, but I'm so tired after a long day at work today that I think I'm going to hold off on the review until probably Monday next week.

Here are some pics I took at the 40th Albuquerque balloon fiesta:

And this one was taken at night when about 300 balloons stayed grounded, but filled and at dusk they flickered their burners to light the balloons periodically.

I couldn't resist taking my new friend home. I love burros.



and I had to take a little time out to visit the very pretty public library in Sante Fe. They wouldn't let me take photos inside, so I had to make do with this shot outside ...just as I tripped on a step.

My beautiful double rainbow



about 10 mins down the road, I looked to my right and saw clouds lowered down the mountains



further down the road as the sun started to set

and finally ..twilight

You're home, you're home! All's well, at least for a few days.

Oh how supernaturally beautiful the balloons look. Things from myths giddily soaring over us groundlings. No wonder ancient man's gods lived in the sky!

Gorgeous pictures, Caro!

Cool pics! I've been to Albuquerque a bunch for work, but haven't ever managed to do it during the balloon fest. Looks like a lot of fun!

Hi Caro!!!! Thanks so much for the very cool pictures! Great shots!
We have GOT to go someday - this is a much larger scale than the festival in the Berkshires. I'm so glad you had such a good time. Welcome home for as long as it lasts! :)

I love the pictures you posted, Caro. I've been to Albuquerque (what a quirky name!) several times but never for the balloon festival. They used to do one in Colorado Springs when I lived there. I liked the balloons when they fired up at dusk; the early morning takeoffs were a challenge. Sometimes I just waited until some of them ventured over my neighborhood!

What a great trip you had! Flying among the clouds..
visiting the library.. and pretty much everything in between, I think?
Perfect! Love the burro :)
did he have his own seat?

Caro.. what is the time diff from here to Munich? Do you know?
Amy is leaving at 6:45 pm tonight and getting there at 9:05 am..
so ? Are they 6 hours ahead of eastern?

Balloon photos - wonderful!

What beautiful photos, Caro! And it's nice to finally see your beautiful face! :)

Lovely photos. They might tempt me to go ballooning one of these days, and ignore that little flutter in the tummy that comes whenever I think of it.

Caro darling...I've just reviewed the extraordinarily beautiful and quite moving book Hurricane Story in my thread...post #85. Please, go and read the review so you will be forced, forced I say, to spend the measly $12 that Amazon wants for the book...please please pretty please with baking soda on it?

xoxoxo

Great photos!

I love the photos, Caro! I'm glad you had a good time.

Caro, I'm so sorry I've been away from your incredibly enjoyable thread for so long!
Your pics of all that hot air are amazing. I never realized balloons came in so many shapes and sizes.
There's something about NM that is so mystical.

I love the photos, too...

And I am sad that you are once again on the road.. sigh.

Take care out there!

Oh, fun photos! You are making miss Albuquerque really bad. :)

Thanks for the photos, Caroline! We have relatives in Albequerque. Must think of visiting them for the next balloon festival! And I love your hat.

I love your burro. Where did you put him?

Great photos, Caroline! I love the hat.

oh caro? Just wanted to let you know that I am not the only one missing you :)

So two weeks go by and not a peep. Uh-huh. I see how it is.

After being sick, she ran when she should have walked today, according to Facebook. Poor Caro!

mmmmmm hmmmmm a victim of her ownself she is today.

Hi Caro- We miss you, my friend! There is a vacancy on LT that needs filling. Hugs!!

Hello all! Thanks so much for keeping my thread warm with all your comments. It's just been a really crazy couple of weeks. 2 days after coming back from Albuquerque, I had to fly out to Hong Kong for a week and there things just went in all sorts of odd directions, leaving me extremely sleep deprived and almost not able to return because the airline accidentally cancelled my return! Yup ... I won't go into details because it'll just bore you, but it took me an hour on the phone with them before they realized it was their mistake and find me another flight ...but I missed the one I was supposed to be one and could only take the flight that would bring back the night before I had to attend a conference here in MA. Oh but the airline 'graciously' waived my change fee and gave me a seat in business class but would 'graciously' waive the upgrade fee ..... hmmm... which part of it was their fault did the agent not understand?

Anyhoo...back home, conference to attend and I started feeling achy all over the day after and feverish. Thought I was coming down with the flu, especially since half the people had some horrifying coughs, but nope. Not a sniffle or tickle in my throat. I did have more nose bleeds this past week than I've had in the last 10 years. Finally had to leave on the last day of the workshop because I was feeling really dizzy and just went home.

Been in bed for the last 3 days, with no appetite... i hate being sick. BUT .... *drumroll* ... woke up this morning, headache-free, feeling a little peckish, no temperature and no dizzy spell. Ta da! I'm cured!

Yes, Roni's right ... I thought I was better yesterday, it was sunny, I had cabin-fever and went out for a run ...well, not really... a trot more like...and a very short one at that ... far for an ant maybe but certainly nothing a squirrel would be wheezing at. Didn't get too far when I could feel myself starting to black out, so had to stop and when the world righted itself again, i dolefully turned and walked back to the car..... and once home, resumed my position on the couch, wrapped in my blanket. *sigh*

so no running today yet, but I will go out with the hubster (who's been really good about keeping me well supplied with hot tea, water and soup) to Cambridge to watch the last day's races at the Head of the Charles.

Oh noes! I had the same thing! Same symptoms (except I don't go running, for me it was going to the supermarket for dog food and falling into my basket with the dog food), same sense of achy malaise, plus buboes and pneumonia and hemorrhaging! Well, okay, it was a zit, a cough, and a nosebleed. I'm a man. I get to exaggerate my ills.

I hope your native good health means it won't last the three-plus weeks mine did. But no matter, I'm just glad to see you back here and more yourself than before.

Ewwww! What is this evil disease?! Is ti the pre-cursor to some kind of zombie pandemic? Are there more symptoms to come? Do I have to go into full bird-flu mode the way I did a couple of years ago when all of my co-workers wanted to kill me? I need info, people!

Oh - and I'm glad to hear you are better, Caroline. You too RD.

Hi Caro! So glad you made it back! So sorry you were sick. Sounds like you had a rough couple of weeks. Thank goodness for blankets! They're the best! :)

Take good care!

Hope you're feeling better Caro! RD too. Are you sure you weren't just having a reaction to watching Contagion or something?
I've been really not around the last bit, so I'm running around trying to catch up on everyone's thread.
*waves manically and runs out of the room*

If we each chipped in $20 could we buy Caroline a guardian angel?

so good to see you here :) I was missing you, even though I see you on FB... still.. different :)

blackouts and nosebleeds - yuck. So sorry you're going through that. Can you sneak a book onto the couch? Such downtime should not go to waste!

Feel better soon.

#229 : I'm definitely glad to be back to my chirpy self, rdear .... sooo glad I didn't have whatever 3 week evil germs you paid host to. I do so hate being ill, and it's even worse when I can't even define the illness. Then again, I suppose if I took myself to the doctor I might have had a diagnosis, but really, what could the doctor have prescribed? Probably nothing more than bed rest, which I was doing anyway ...eventually that is. So I saved myself the copay and whatever prescription she would have given me, which I probably wouldn't have bothered getting filled anyway.

#230 : I did consider that, Charlotte .. especially since I had watched the movie a couple of days before leaving for HK. But I didn't have the sneezing, watery eyes or cough. And today, my colleague in the office next to mine is definitely coming down with the flu .. he's got the watery eyes and started sneezing. *wonders if it's too late to buy a surgical mask*

#232 : Thanks, Cee. I love blankets in the fall and there's always one or two folded at one end of each couch, so I always have one within reach. :-)

#233 : No, don't run, Jenn, just walk maniacally... it's safer. This was definitely not psychosomatic. I've never felt this weak before and I had night sweats almost every night. The nose bleeds too were weird ... I've never been one to have them and then suddenly last week it was as if I had a sprung a leak or something. The folks who knew me and were with me at the conference said they'd never seen me so subdued before, and one even said I looked sad. There were a few who said I looked as green as Kermit, and one threatened me with bodily harm if he fell ill after the conference since he was sitting next to me.

#234 : Darryl .. I'm not so sure you'll be able to find a Guardian Angel who'll take the job once you confess that it's me they'll need to be protecting without guaranteeing a 30 day annual vacation at a heavenly spa. In fact, you'll probably need to hire 2 GAs .... so they can split the day and night between them. Even GAs need a bit of rest to remain effective.

#235 : Am glad to be back, Kath. I've missed being here. Peeps I know are nicer to me here than most of my peeps on fb... haha.

#236 : Judy - I didn't get to read more than 2 books while I was ill. Couldn't concentrate and kept falling asleep. So I stuck to light reads. But I did finish about 5 others before I fell into the bosom of the mysterious disease. I'm just trying to motivate myself to writing the reviews.

#237 : Thank you, Ren. I'm much better today.

So how'd I know I'm back to norm? I made a pot of chicken soup this morning in the slow cooker ... and this evening, didn't feel like it. Instead, Edd brought home BBQ brisket, bacony baked beans and collard greens from our favorite BBQ place, and I made a mound of buttery roasted garlic mashed potatoes and an onion pie. Ate a full plate ... my first one in exactly 7 days! Whoohoooooo!

I'm getting tired just watching that nasty skinny figure. Good thing it's time for bed.

So glad you are feeling better, Caro!

Caro- Nice to have you back! And eating too! Yah!

so.... I hesitate to ask, but am wondering..
any trips on the horizon?

YAY! Our Caro back to herownself :)

Stay healthy... stay home for a bit!

#241 : Totally back to normal today, Roni. Thanks.

#242 : Yup, definitely making up for lost meals, Marky-Mark. Haha

#243 : Not until the middle of November, Kath. I'm home until November 8, when I leave for Singapore for a week and a half. Well, I'll be in NY next weekend, but the hubster and I are driving down for his high school reunion .. well he's going to his high school reunion, i'm hanging with some girlfriends, and then we're staying with a friend for the weekend.

#244 : I plan to, Cee. It's a good day today ... cool but not cold, perfect weather for some Vietnamese beef pho which I had for lunch today. Perfect. I love the soup. I tossed some ox tail, carrots and onions in my crockpot. Came home from work, added some peas, made garlic bread and that was dinner in front of the tv .. watching the weather forecasting some snow tomorrow?

Ok, here are the books I've read while I've been absent from LT:

The Red Market : On the Trail of the World's Organ Brokers, Bone Thieves, Blood Farmers, and Child Traffickers by Scott Carney.
I watched Scott Carney being interviewed on Charlie Rose and when I was working at my library's book sale, I happened to see this on the shelf ... well, that surely was a sign, right? So I borrowed it and what a read it was.

This is a market that nobody really talks about, is not fully regulated and is highly profitable for everyone except the donors. While the author concentrates on the market for whole skeletons, fresh organs, blood and young children and babies in India, he does mention that there are other countries who also traffic in these areas.

He certainly doesn't hold anything back, and while really interesting, I wouldn't recommend this as pre-mealtime reading. The research and interviews he's conducted with parents whose children were kidnapped, only to be found having been adopted through legitimate adoption agencies in countries like the USA and the UK are very touching. The research into blood factories where farmers and villagers are sometimes kidnapped, chained to beds in a barn next to cows while drained of their blood puts even Dracula in the pale. Then there are the bone factories, where cadavers, having been stolen from graves, are cleaned and polished by people so medical colleges around the world have whole, whitened skeletons for their students to study. Even hair has a market, and there's remy hair from people who pledge their hair as a sacrifice and have it removed from their heads at a temple, but there's also hair that's collected from other locations which, because of their condition, have uses I had never once considered. The chapters dedicated to villagers in India who sell their kidneys, part of their liver or eye were eye-openers for me, not that I was unaware that there are people who still sell their organs on the black market, but more about how some hospitals cover up the fact that they're trading in purchased organs or about the number of people who will risk surgery in countries just so they can purchase their translated organs on the red market.

Fascinating if sometimes really horrific reading. But I'm glad I read this because I'm much more aware of what some people will do to make a buck at the expense of someone else or to prolong their own lives.

4 stars

>246 cameling: Upgethumbed!

Great review of The Red Market, Caroline; I've added it to my wish list.

Eye donors???

Thanks, Rdear. Now go get a copy.

Darryl ... the eyes weren't used for transplants but for other purposes. I don't want to spoil your read. ;-) I think you'll enjoy this book.

Another book read : Robbing the Bees : A Biography of Honey -- The Sweet Liquid Gold that Seduced the World by Holley Bishop.

All through history, we find references to our industrious bees, as military weapons, as nature's first aid box, as the world's first sweetener and as pollinators of plants.

Providing in-depth information about how to build your own apiary and keep your bees happy and healthy through the seasons, we follow one particular bee-keeper in Florida as he moves his hives from feeding ground to feeding ground, smokes his bees to remove the honey, repairs or builds new hives during the winter when the bees rest, and learn of his concern about the African bees are aggressively destroying the more docile European bees who produce better honey in the US.

We learn of the role of bees and their honey through history across countries. We're taken on a bee's journey through life, how the drones are made to leave the hive, how queens leave their hives just to mate and return to continuous egg-laying, and how the worker bees are all females. Through their labor to keep their combs filled with food, they pollinate flowers and plants.

Entertainingly written while providing great information on the science and history of bee-keeping and honey production and use.
Totally enjoyable!
4.5 stars

Caro - the honey book looks like one that a friend of mine would really like. She's just started bee keeping and blogging, so I recommended it to her. Thanks for the hint.

>249 cameling: Another thumbs up, albeit this time with a grimace of distaste for the subject.

Just saying hey and getting caught up on you around the world adventures.
The Red Market looks rather intriguing but ewwwww. I want to know, but I don't want to know. I'll think on that one.

Well, Caro - I don't think I could get through The Red Market but the Bees sound interesting. Your reading is all over the place - just like you! lol

The Red Market...*shudders*

Hi, Caroline! Glad you're feeling better.

#250 : Tina, the bees book totally captivated me. It got me so I've been slowly replacing sugar with honey at home and considering perhaps taking up bee-keeping. :-) Considering only because I'm the world's worst gardener and there'd be no flowers for my bees to feed on, and they'd end up starving to death. So I'm just going to buy my honey from the farm and stores like I usually do. After reading this book, I realized my mother wasn't just spouting bits of nonsense when she tried to get me to drink a spoon of honey in hot water in the mornings ... she's been doing this for years and has credited her good health to it.

#251 : No likee honey, or bees, rdear?

#252 : Lynda .. I know what you mean. I didn't think it was going to be as graphic as it turned out to be in some chapters. I am, however, glad I read the book although I'm never going to be able to look certain things in the eye again. (not telling so I don't spoil it if you do read it)

#253 : haha Cee.... it's funny you should say that ... but one of my friends said the same thing the other day when I was telling them about the bees book a week or so after I was telling them about the red market. They wanted to know why I was reading a book about bees. My answer? I read a book about mushrooms, so why not bees? haha...

#254 : Definitely not a warm fuzzy read, Kath ... but still a good one. Just don't read it before a meal.

#255 : Thanks, Terri .... I'm back to normal now ......my apologies to all who thought I was going to be mellow a while longer. :-)

Charlemagne's Tablecloth : A Piquant History of Feasting - Nichola Fletcher.

Interesting look through the centuries on the importance a gathering of people around food has on the community and a leader's role in commanding his tribe or kingdom. Some of the feasts were excessive and were put on as a show of power. Some of the rituals from these feasts of old have carried over to present day, such as a waiter sweeping crumbs off the table before dessert.

Interesting material on the types of foods that were served during feasts across Greece, Rome, England and China, the difference between food for presentation and food that was meant to be eaten (this brought to my mind today's plastic food in front of restaurants made popular by the Japanese), what they did with the leftovers, and the distinction between food served to guests-of-honor sitting on the high table, and food served to general guests.

Apart from the food preparations and service over the years, we're also treated to anecdotes of people who were set on fire during a feast, details of the entertainment accompanying feasts and fights that have broken out during feasts.

Good fun read.
3 stars

Honey has many healing and health benefits.. so ask me why I know this but do not use it daily?

Hi Caro- I loved your reviews of both the Red Market & Robbing the Bees. As usual, I admire your book choices. Both of these would be perfect for audios.

Oops ... thread is starting to get klunky.

New thread is here