Jolerie's Book Hoarding Version 5

Thread 1 Books: 8 - 9
Thread 1.A Books: 10 - 26
Thread 2 Books: 27 - 36
Thread 3 Books: 37 - 45
Thread 4 Books: 46 - 53



Currently Reading: Fire - Kristin Cashore/The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom

Planned Reading for October:

#1: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night - Mark Haddon*
#1: The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald*
#2: Olive Kitteridge - Elizabeth Strout*
#2: The Woman in White- Wilkie Collins*
#2: The Year of the Flood - Margaret Atwood*
#11: Saving Fish from Drowning - Amy Tan
#11: The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom*
#15: Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe
#15: City of Bones - Cassandra Clare*
#18: The Rose Garden - Susanna Kearsley
#18: Eon - Allison Goodman
#18: Lamplighter - D.M. Cornish
#18: Radioactive - Lauren Redniss

**All books are OTS unless otherwise noted.**

January 2011
1. Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
2. Speaker for the Dead - Orson Scott Card
3. Xenocide - Orson Scott Card
4. Children of the Mind - Orson Scott Card
5. Mariana - Susanna Kearsley
6. The Queen's Fool - Philippa Gregory
7. The Last Unicorn - Peter S. Beagle
Favourite Read:


February 2011
8. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
9. The Last of the Mohican - James Fenimore Cooper
10. The Perfect Storm - Sebastian Junger
11. The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan
12. The Sea of Monsters - Rick Riordan
13. The Titan's Curse - Rick Riordan
14. The Battle of the Labyrinth - Rick Riordan
15. The Last Olympian - Rick Riordan
16. Anne of Green Gables - Lucy Maud Montgomery
17. Anne of Avonlea - Lucy Maud Montgomery
18. Anne of the Island - Lucy Maud Montgomery
Favourite Reads:


March 2011
19. Magic Kingdom for Sale - SOLD! by Terry Brooks
20. The Black Unicorn - Terry Brooks
21. Wizard at Large - Terry Brooks
22. The Birth of Venus - Sarah Dunant
23. Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles - Margaret George
24. Snow Falling on Cedars - David Guterson
Favourite Reads:

April 2011
25. The Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley
26. Ysabel - Guy Gavriel Kay
27. The Sugar Queen - Sarah Addison Allen
Favourite Reads:


May 2011
28. Inkheart - Cornelia Funke
29. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
30. Mansfield Park - Jane Austen
31. Inkspell - Corneila Funke
32. 1984 - George Orwell
33. Secret Daughter - Shilpi Somaya Gowda
34. Inkdeath - Cornelia Funke
Favourite Reads:


June 2011
35. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - Lisa See
36. The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
37. Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip--Confessions of a Cynical Waiter - Steve Dublanica
38. The Postmistress - Sarah Blake
39. 2001: A Space Odyssey - Arthur C. Clarke
40. The Wives of Henry Oades - Johanna Moran
41. Coraline - Neil Gaiman
Favourite Read:

July 2011
42. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
43. Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
44. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
45. Annabel- Kathleen Winter
Favourite Read:


August 2011
46. Graceling - Kristin Cashore **Library**
47. Thirteenth Child - Patricia C. Wrede **Library**
48. Blankets - Craig Thompson **Library**
49. The Children's Book - A. S. Byatt
50. Virtual War - Gloria Skurzynski **Library**
51. The Clones - Gloria Skurzynski **Library**
52. Lullabies for Little Criminals - Heather O'Neill
53. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - Alan Bradley
Favourite Reads:


September 2011
54. Book of Shadows - Cate Tiernan **Library**
55. The Coven - Cate Tiernan **Library**
56. Blood Witch - Cate Tiernan **Library**
57. Ender's Shadow - Orson Scott Card
58. The Good Earth - Pearl S. Buck
59. The Midnight Charter - David Whitley **Library**
60. Foundling - D.M. Cornish **Library**
61. 2010: Odyssey Two - Arthur C. Clarke
62. The Maze Runner - James Dashner **Library**
63. The Arrival - Shaun Tan **Library**
64. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
65. Empress Orchid - Anchee Min
66. Dark Magick - Cate Tiernan **Library**
67. Awakening - Cate Tiernan **Library**
68. Spellbound - Cate Tiernan **Library**
69. The Elephant Mountains - Scott Ely **ER**
Favourite Read:

October 2011
70. Eon: Dragoneye Reborn - Allison Goodman **Library**
71. Radioactive: A Tale of Love and Fallout - Lauren Redniss **Library**

November 2011
December 2011

Oooh, I think I'm first!

Hi Valerie. Like the layout for your monthly lists!

Hi Valerie- I like the colorful New Thread! Hope you are enjoying your holiday!

Hi Valerie! :)

I love the way you organize your books with those little cover icons. I wouldn't mind stealing that idea but I wonder would it be too much since my threads are already so laden with visuals?

Anyway, starred! :-)

Yay, looks good this thread!

Hi Valerie, just checking in and leaving my star. Looks like you have a busy reading month planned.

Hey Valerie! Just checking out the new digs! I agree with Ilana about how you organize your books with the mini-covers. I just don't have that type of computer knowledge (or patience!).

Love the art you opened your new thread with, Valerie. And I second (third, fourth, fifth?) your wonderful organization of monthly reads and book covers. I hope you enjoyed The Good Earth - I did, very much. The sequels, well - discussion for another time.

Hi Valerie and I will fourth, fifth or sixth the fantastic layout, so easy to read and it immediately draws you in.

Hi Valerie! I found your new thread. I always look forward to seeing what image you'll start with and I like this month's almost as much as last month's. :-) Nice!!

I've got The Good Earth on my September stack of books, too.

*Big wave* to Katie, Micky, Mark, Stephen, Ilana, Megan, Judy, Brit, Nancy, Leonie, and Ellen. So glad to have you guys here.

Hi Valerie - very pretty image to start your thread.

Love your picture, too.

Hi Calm and Roni! :)

Okay so the September Batch of ER books are out and I'm noticing a trend. Most of the books that I'd be interested in are only available to you guys in the US. I can't say I'm not a bit jealous about that but I figure that the rest of the world has EVEN less selection which, in my opinion, sucks. :/

Valerie I noticed the same, not signing up for anything this month :(

Hi Valerie. I notice the same thing about ER books every month it seems; the selection available in the UK, let alone anywhere else in the world, is very small. I don't even look at the US available ones now as it's too disappointing to see interesting books and then realise they are not available here. Mind you, until I get my one and only ER book read and reviewed, I can't expect to receive any more in any case!

I always automatically limit the list to those available in Canada so I can't come down with a case of book envy. However, this month was actually pretty decent in terms of books I'd like to try and I think I put in four requests (usually I only have one or two).

#57 Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card
TIOLI Challenge #3: Read a book tagged with a word which brings to mind "school"
Source: OTS
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 467
Rating: 4 Stars
Recommend: Pure SF at its best!

Ender's second in command - Bean. A small, impoverished runt that grew up in the slums of Rotterdam, Bean makes up for his miniature status with his extraordinary brilliance and intuition. It is not long before the recruiters of Battle school start to notice this boy with "special" abilities, skills that set Bean apart from the rest of the competition and are rivalled by no other child except for the great Ender himself. Carving a place for himself at Battle School, Bean begins to discover the secrets behind his origins, the motives behind the plans that the instructors have for the students, and ultimately, his faithfulness and loyalty to the greatest commander the world has ever seen - Ender Wiggins.

Ender's Shadow is a companion book to the original book in the Ender's series, Ender's Game. The author notes that there it makes no difference to the order in which you read the book, but I would beg to differ that the stories are much more cohesive if you read Ender's Game before you read Ender's Shadow
The entire premise of the Ender series is fascinating as boys are bred to be heroes and expected to behave, think, and respond as men. The fate of all humanity rests on their abilities to strategize, to wage and to win a war that could mean the extinction or the elevation of the human race. The Ender world is Science Fiction gold and I would highly recommend to anyone who is new to the genre or a die hard fanatic.

Nice review, couldn't agree more. I loved the Ender books, the first two especially, but then you move on to the parallel Shadow books and they are just as good. I love Bean as a character although I always imagine Linus from Peanuts in my head when I think of him!

Hi Valerie, nice new thread! I'll be reading The Good Earth later this (school) year as a read along with my daughter. Hope you're enjoying it!

Gotcha starred again, Valerie. Ditto to all the accolades above.

Ok, sister, it's time you come clean. I'm sure the pictures in your opening posts do not come from Glitter Graphics so where do you find such great images?

Val, you inspire me reading science fiction! It's not a genre I've ever been attracted to. Perhaps that's something else LT will change : ).

I've only read one book of Orson Scott Card's. It was called Pastwatch and I remember really liking it. Many people have recommended Ender's Game to me.

I've added Ender's Game to the wish list.

Haven't looked at ER yet, but I do the same—right away select the offerings for Canada. Sometimes I can't help myself and want to see what U.S. residents have access to, but I end up feeling jealous, so pointless. Besides, I can barely fit in the ER books when I DO win some. I'm sure I'm not the only one with this problem...

I'd like to know where you got the picture in your first post from. I like it a lot.

>21 ChelleBearss: Despite my envy, I was still able to choose a couple from the selection available for Canada.

>22 gennyt: Haha, that's funny Genny and I think a lot of people have the same problems of not reading and reviewing their books before getting the next batch so I guess limited selection does come with its advantages.

>23 MickyFine: Micky! You are one smart cookie! I actually went back and changed my settings as well since it was getting rather annoying to read the descriptions and getting all excited and then groaning when I look to the side and see that it's not even available!
I saw a book on this month's selection that I snickered and thought to myself, "Micky must have requested this one." Can you guess which one??

>25 KiwiNyx: Hi Leonie! I loved Bean as a character in this one as well and I'm so glad that I read this one because I don't think I noticed him overly much in Ender's Game since everything was from Ender's perspective. I was worried that as a parallel book, that I wouldn't enjoy it as much but was pleasantly proven wrong.

>26 AMQS: Hi Anne! That's really cool that you will be able to read that along side your daughter. I definitely think it's a book that can generate some good discussions between the two of you. Looking forward to what you think of it.

>27 Donna828: Nice to have you Donna!

>28 Carmenere: Thanks Lynda. Haha, yeah no glitter graphics.com. Honestly I just google whatever is on my mind and then scroll down and find pictures that hit me. There is no one place that I get all my pictures from.

>29 lit_chick: Nancy, I hope you do get a chance to give SF a chance. I know that I personally enjoy it a lot since its speculative fiction and really can go anywhere. Plus I am a sucker for space travel so thats a major drawing factor for me.

>30 weejane: Thanks for the recommendation Brit! I looked that one up and I'm adding that to my list for sure. Sounds like something right up my alley.

>31 Smiler69: I hope you enjoy it when you get a chance to read it Ilana! Yeah I've done what you and Micky did and just filtered my results such to prevent the envy from taking over. But I must say that I would have overloaded with ER choices if I was from the States with all those good books available.

>32 Morphidae: Hi Morphy! I was telling Lynda that I just google whatever image I'm looking for and just choose from that selection. So for the one at the top of the thread, I just searched "cartoon fall" themes and there were a lot but usually only 1 or 2 really stick out to me or is what I'm looking for and that one was one of them. I can give you the URL for this specific one if you are interested. :)

Yes, please. I'd like the URL.

Left the link on your thread Morphy. :)

>33 jolerie: I'm not sure which one you immediately picked out for me. I could tell you the four I did request and then find out if you're right? :)

It was A Lasting Impression just based on the cover with the girl. ;)

Hi Valerie. Not much of a sci-fi fan here (have I said this before?) but your review of Enders Shadow and reference back to Enders Game is tempting. I particularly enjoy novels with interesting or fun characters, and Bean sounds like one of those. Besides, "Bean" is my favorite nickname for my beloved tuxedo cat, Abby! (long story of morphing nicknames there).

Hi Valerie! What a cool thread! I love your little book covers! I've yet to figure out how add the covers, even though I think I've followed the instructions. I'll get my 21 year old son to help me later on! Lullabies for Little Criminals - I really loved that book too!

>38 EBT1002: Yeah, SF isn't everyone cup of tea so I if you want to give it another go, then Ender's Game would be a safe place to start. :) Now my head is spinning trying to figure out how you when from Abby to Bean??

>39 vancouverdeb: Thanks Deb. It is actually quite easy once you get the hang of it. I'm sure your son could show you a few nifty tricks as well. I forgot whether it was your thread or Nancy's thread that made me want to try Pigeon English since I enjoyed Lullabies for Little Criminals so I've added that to my wishlist.

>37 jolerie: I did like the cover art for that one, but I didn't request it because the plot summary didn't really catch my fancy. So I say you get half a point for recognizing the visual appeal. ;)

#58 The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
TIOLI Challenge #12: Read a book whose title has word appearing as a link on the wikipedia page about the Mid-Autumn Festival or Equinox
Source: OTS
Genre: Contemporary Classic Fiction (Pulitzer Prize Winner)
Pages: 357
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Recommend: An honest and thought provoking look at one man's family at end of the dynastic period of China's history.

Wang Lung is an average Chinese farmer whose life and livelihood is tied to the land. His father and his father before him were all farmers and in their footsteps, Wang Lung attempts to build a life that will hopefully, god-willingly, one day provide a better life for his sons after him. O-lan is his plain looking, humble, and industrious wife who bears her burdens silently alongside her husband. Her hope is to provide Wang Lung with heirs to carry on the family name and to be impeccable in her duties as a filial wife and mother. There is nothing spectacular about the family, nothing that sets them apart from the millions of other farmers and their families trying to scrape a life out of the land, but it is their common story, their common griefs and joys, that resonates and speaks of a world long past but deeply unforgettable.

I have always been mesmerized by the stories of Ancient China. There are folklores, legends and myths galore that speak of virtues, morality, and ethics, and yet this story of one family and their struggle to thrive, speaks volumes about the values that the Chinese culture holds in high regards - filial duties, perseverance, honesty, and long-suffering. All those aspects make The Good Earth a compelling read, worthy of all the accolades and awards that it has garnered, but at the heart of it all, it is a story of human weakness, human frailties, human expectations, and how the human spirit is the rarest gift, worth cherishing and passing onto the next generation.

I'll be honest and say that I didn't care for Wang Lung as a husband. He is indicative of many men of his generations and only lived what the was taught and modelled and yet my heart still ached for O-Lan. I wanted to rise up and fight on her behalf and yet how many countless woman of that time shared in the same fate of being cast aside when age caught up, when beauty is but a distant memory, only to be replaced by a younger, fresher version.
I became fascinated with what the different woman from the various dynasties were portrayed so a little digging presented some breathtaking results. Please keep in mind that these are only artistic renditions so I don't think all woman really looked like this back then, but it as interesting nonetheless to see how beauty was defined. If we were to do a direct comparison, these would probably be the "Cosmo Girls" of ancient China. :)


Qing Dynasty


Tang Dynasty


Song Dynasty

O-Lan would have been part of the end of the Qing Dynasty, the last Dynasty of China.

Wonderful review of The Good Earth, Valerie! I also really enoyed it and am delighted you have too. Thumb!

Great review and gorgeous pictures. That book is already on my wishlist but your review cements it there.

Valerie- Excellent review of The Good Earth. First Ilana recently raved about it and now you. I have to read this one and I own a copy. Yah! Love the pix!

>Thanks for the thumb Nancy! I think I have a soft spot for any book that speaks of the Asian world or Asian influences so it wasn't hard at all to enjoy The Good Earth.

>Hi Leonie! I hope you enjoy it when you get a chance to read it.

>Mark! I am surprised that you haven't read this one yet although I would be curious as to what you think of it. It's a book that has been sitting on my shelves for years now so it was about time since I really want to read the sequels in the series eventually.

Excellent review, Valerie. I also really like the images in 43. So pretty!

The "Cosmo Girls" are gorgeous, Valerie. I read The Good Earth so long ago that I hardly remember the story at all, I only know it was a good book. Perhaps a reread is in order.

OK, I'm going to try your technique on my next thread which should be sometime in the not too distant future.

>Thanks Micky! Yes those girls are drool worthy, at least for me. :)

>Looking forward to what you find Lynda. Although be warned that searching that way does sometimes pull up some "questionable" material. Maybe a reread if you decide to read the other books in the series. :)

Wonderful review of The Good Earth, and fun pictures. If you haven't read other books by Pearl Buck, I recommend more. She is one of my favorite authors ever, so I admit to bias. Some of my favorites are:

Pavilion of Women - some fabulous strong female characters in this one
The Living Reed - pre-Korean War, set in Korea
The Three Daughters of Madame Liang - early years of Communist China, interesting perspective
Peony - set in Henan. The novel follows Peony, a Chinese bondmaid of the prominent Jewish family of Ezra ben Israel, and shows through her eyes how the Jewish community was regarded in Kaifeng at a time when most of the Jews had come to think of themselves as Chinese.

Sorry. I don't mean to sabotage your bookcases. I get all excited about Pearl Buck. :)

Just caught up on your previous thread - somehow I'd lost the end of that one. I loved the picture of your little monkey at his first birthday, and am pleased to hear you are able to do what you want and stay home with him.

Between you and Ilana (and now add nittnut), I'm really looking forward to reading The Good Earth. I bought a copy a couple of weeks ago. Love your review and your research into images of beauty from the different dynasties. I feel like I have much to learn about Chinese history.

>53 EBT1002: I feel like I have much to learn about Chinese history.

There are probably very few people in the world who could say they know all there is to know about Chinese history!

I loved your review of The Good Earth, Valerie. I really must get round to reading Pearl Buck.

Great review of The Good Earth! I look forward to this one next spring.

>52 gennyt: Thanks Genny! It has been such a relief to finally make that decision and then see how God is going to provide. :)

>53 EBT1002: Hey Ellen! I can't wait till you read and see what you think of it. Yes, Chinese history is so long and complicated that even with a specialization it would still take a really long time to study it all.

>54 LovingLit: True! True! It could end up being a life long quest of knowledge and still not be done.

>55 Soupdragon: Thanks for visiting Dee! :) I hope you enjoy it when you get the chance to read it.

>56 AMQS: Hi Anne. I hope both you and your daughter will enjoy the time reading it together and hopefully it will lead to a lot of good discussions.

>51 nittnut: Thanks Jenn for that great list! I noticed from the list that the author really likes to write about books with Asian content so that definitely interests me so I will be looking up those other books. Thanks for all the recommendations. :) And don't worry, there is no shame in promoting your favourite authors. ;)

Pearl Buck has a very large number of books about China and a few about Korea and India. She grew up in China, her father was a missionary. She was really raised by the help - Chinese was her first language. I have read some of her American stories, and I don't like them as well. I think she felt more Chinese than American, and it shows in her writing.
I can definitely trace my fascination with Asia and Asian history to reading books by Pearl Buck. I clearly remember after reading The Good Earth, feeling wonder at this amazing country and culture so completely different from my own and wanting to learn more. I still feel it. I love this about reading, this ability to experience on some level things that we can't truly experience in real life. I can go to China, but it's certainly not the China we read about in Pearl Buck's books. That China is gone, but not lost, you know?

I did read a bit of her biography at the back of the book and was thoroughly fascinated at her life. The fact that she is fluent in Chinese is inspiring and amazing and just reading her book, I would have no idea that she wasn't Asian descent. She has a way of understanding the culture that shows that she has spent considerable time in China. You are so right about the fact that it's a China that no longer exists but it still so fresh and real to so many people as that its a China that my husband's father and father before him would have known and lived.
I did take one history course in university on ancient China and remembered thinking to myself that it wasn't just "facts" or "stories" but this is my heritage and my roots so it just made it all that much more interesting and fascinating to me.

#59 The Midnight Charter by David Whitley
TIOLI Challenge #6: Read a book whose cover is primarily one of the 3 prime colors of RED, BLUE or YELLOW
Source: Public Library
Genre: YA/Dystopian Fantasy
Pages: 319
Rating: 2.5 Stars
Recommend: If you don't mind feeling a little lost and out of place...

"Charity is nothing to do with buying the feeling of virtue; compassion is not something you can measure. It's there when we don't check that we're always getting the best deal, when we stop seeing others as traders or merchandise, and see them as people, as those who deserve to live. Charity knows that humanity is worth more than the market price."

The City of Agora is divided into districts, each named for a sign of the zodiac. Each district has it's distinct quality and nature, each one different from the one next to it. The people and the city are governed by one central government and director located within the city's glorious Directory of Receipts. Mark and Lily are two orphaned children growing up in this world where emotions are bottled and sold as drugs, where skills are traded, bartered, and exchanged as commodities, where the value of a human life is based solely on what they personally have to offer. Mark and Lily discover that being orphans is not the only thing they have in common and that the government is more connected to them than they had ever imagined. Together, they will uncover a secret that may threaten the very existence of the City of Agora, it's people, and the only place they've ever called home.

Reading this book felt like I was dropped off in the middle of nowhere and told to find my way to nowhere. It felt like reading the middle of a book, in the middle of a series, with no knowledge of the beginning and no clue of the ending. Halfway through the book I was so disoriented that I had to double check to ensure that I hadn't actually been reading the first book in the series. The most frustrating part of it all was that I really, really enjoyed the story since the concept was incredibly creative and intriguing, the characters interesting and fascinating, but I was left feeling very confused from the first to the last page. In the end, I really don't know what to make of the entire experience except that now I realized that I can like a book that seems to be missing context, I can get lost and still arrive, I can give a 2.5 star rating and still want to read the next book in the series.

The book sounds like a couple of other popular YA dystopian novels (Divergent and Hunger Games come to mind), so I think I'll skip the potential confusion and try one of the others. Great review though, Valerie! :)

Wow! Great review of The Good Earth! Thumb up from me! You are making me think I need to read Pearl S . Buck. If I may make a possible suggestion, Snowflower and The Secret Fan by Lisa See was the most intriguing tale of China in the 1800's. Foot binding is covered in the most unsettling way, and the emotional pairing of two young girls for life , known as lao-tong, or "old same" is also covered. It's a lovely but very sad book to read.

Thanks for visiting my thread!

I was excited to see that you had a new thread that I'm only partially behind in, but then after seeing your list of books I had to revisit your old one anyway to look at a couple of the reviews. Happy belated birthday to your adorable little monkey! He is really too cute.

I've been meaning to read Lullabies for Little Criminals for ages now, so I'm glad that you thought it was worthwhile. And I had never even looked at the back cover of The Good Earth before, but now I think I'll have to read it.

Hi Valerie, I'll add some more love for Pearl Buck and The Good Earth. I read it ages ago and then my hubby and I listened to it on a road trip a few years ago. There are two more in the trilogy that I'll get to someday. I also made note of some of the titles Jenn listed. I think there was a new bio of her published in the last year. I don't read many biographies, but this one looked excellent.

>62 MickyFine: Micky have you read those other books? I plan on reading The Hunger Games sometime this month and I'm hoping it doesn't have the same plopped in the middle of nowhere feeling.

>63 vancouverdeb: Thanks for the thumb Deb! I actually read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan earlier this year and it was one of my few 5 star reads of this year. I definitely want to read the other books that Lisa See has written.

>64 _Zoe_: Thanks for the belated birthday wishes Zoe! It's very nice to have you back. I do hope you give Lullabies for Little Criminals and The Good Earth a read some day and hopefully they will be good reads as well.

>65 Donna828: Hi Donna! I saw her some reviews for her biography here on LT and it does look like it would be a really good read. I will have to check to see if my library has the book. Yes, I too want to read the rest of the books in the series someday and until I joined LT, I didn't even know it was a trilogy.

Great review of The Good Earth Valerie. It's been on my wishlist for a while now but you've made me itch to read it!

>66 jolerie: I've read the entire Hunger Games trilogy and really enjoyed it. I don't think you'll have the same issues with confusion with it either. I haven't read Divergent yet, but I want to. Soon. You know, the kind of soon when your TBR list is ever-growing.

Just catching up with you Valerie. :) I loved the "Mine" poem and picture of Monkey!
I have Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie here on my shelves and haven't gotten to read it yet. Must do that soon.

(Oh, and glad you will be able to have more time with your little guy.)

Val, your review of The Good Earth was great, though I almost wish I'd held off on reading it until I'd written my own, because having read it first forced me to work twice as hard on mine so I wouldn't basically repeat everything you said! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Isn't it just amazing? I still can't get over it. If I didn't have so many other books I want to read right now, I'd start reading it all over again.

I'll pass on the latest book however... thanks for going through the effort so I don't have to. :-)

Valerie, I really liked The Hunger Games trilogy and am looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it.

Yes, Valerie, I can hardly wait until you pick up The Hunger Games. I predict you will love it and not be able to put it down.

>68 MickyFine: Heather, I hope you get to relieve the "itch" sooner than later and hopefully it will be worth it! :)

>69 BookAngel_a: Hi Angela! Great to see you around. Yes I think most if not all of us suffer from the neglected books sitting on the shelves syndrome. :) Maybe that's why we all get along so well..hehe

>70 Smiler69: Hi Ilana! Yes, I think TGE will garner a reread sometime in the future once my TBR shelves have settled down or at least until I stop buying books at rates that I can't possibly keep up with and not to mention all the library books that I'm adding to the piles now, oiy.....

>71 weejane: I'm looking forward to the books as well Brit!

#60 Foundling by D.M. Cornish
TIOLI Challenge #6: Read a book whose cover is primarily one of the 3 prime colors of RED, BLUE or YELLOW
Source: Public Library
Genre: YA/Fantasy
Pages: 312 (excluding Explicarium - being a glossary of terms & explanations including appendices)
Rating: 3 Stars
Recommend: If you are looking for a extremely detailed world that is not our own...



Rossamund, a boy, with the unfortunate luck of having a girl's name, is an orphan at Madam Opera's Estimable Marine Society for Foundling Boys & Girls. Foundlings are children without homes who are destitute and are destined to be vagrants roaming the streets unless they are fortunate enough to find themselves accepted at an orphanage such as Madame Opera's. Here, the children are taught suitable skills and trade that will one day enable them to be contributing members of society instead of being homeless in a world filled with monsters that threaten the civilized empires bordering the wilderness. Rossamund, despite his desire to be a vinegaroon, a life of adventure on the high seas, is called upon to be a lamplighter, in service of the High Emperor himself. Before even arriving at his post to begin his duties, Rossamund encounters death and monsters, abduction and escape, friends and foes, and choices that will alter the course of his life.

Foundling was a quick read due to the fact that one third of the book is actually an explicarium, which truly is a labour of love from the author. Filled within these numerous pages are explanations, definitions, maps, charts, and character drawings, all to expand the world of the Half-Continent. This truly is a world not like our own, with its own myths and lore, but there is a part of me that wished that some of the content that was given in the appendices had been weaved throughout the story instead. With a couple of tweaks and upgrades, this story could have easily been a fantastic adult fantasy fiction with a world filled with detailed history and a rich culture, instead of a rather watered down YA version that left me wanting that much more story. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the book enough to keep reading the next book in the series.

#50 I never knew The Good Earth was part of a series, Valerie, so I certainly would include them in a reread. Thanks for the heads up.

I recently ordered The Hunger Games because the movie trailer looks so amazing and I hope to read it before it is released.

Nice review and an interesting sounding book. Hope the other books in the series improve for you. :)

#74 I think Kerry (avatiakh) recommended that series to me last year. I like the sound of the explicarium :-) The library near where I work has a copy so next time I'm there I'll check it out. Hopefully the rest of the series will pick up for you.

>75 Carmenere: I didn't know either Lynda, but it's so great that there are so many people here on LT who can let us know about stuff like that! :) I haven't watched the trailer yet but that will be the first thing I do once I read the book this month. Just have to get through all my library books first!

>76 MickyFine: Thanks Micky! I think the next books in the series should be pretty good as I have a feeling the first one was just a starting point to build up the world and the characters.

>77 souloftherose: Hi Heather. Yes, I think people who are into world building would be interested in the level of details and explanations the author goes into at the end of the book. Hopefully you will enjoy it when get a chance to get your hands on it.

Just stopping by to say hello!!!

Excellent review of Foundling there. Despite the 3 stars I am curious, the artwork alone is pretty fantastic.

I'm with Leonie, the artwork on Founding is fabulous!

I'm not sure I've sampled enough fantasy yet to get into world building... that notion is a bit scary to me and reminds me too much of my incredibly nerdy (in a really not cool way) step-brothers who used to hole themselves up for DAYS playing D&D. UGH!

I really enjoyed your review of Foundling and added it to the ever expanding TBR. Thanks!

>79 EBT1002: Thanks for dropping by Ellen. :)

>80 KiwiNyx: You know Leonie, after thinking about it, I think I was a bit harsh with the 3 stars. I think in my mind I kept thinking about what could have been instead of enjoying it for what it was which was generally a really good story with interesting characters and lots of actions. If I could put away my "what ifs" it probably would have easily been a 4 star read.

>81 lit_chick: Yes I was quite impressed with the drawings and it was always a pleasant surprise to turn the pages and have what was so eloquently written translated into a beautiful picture.

>82 Smiler69: Ilana, I'm sure you would enjoy world building. Just think of it along the lines of what Martin did and even though I haven't read what he wrote, I know he must be an expert at world building just based on the reviews I've read and how intricate the plot is. If anything, GoT would be considered intense world building and this is really just the tip of the iceberg in YA form. :)
Ahhh, I never played D&D but my hubby back in the days loved WOW and would probably play it now if we didn't have a baby to care for..haha!

>83 weejane: Thanks Brit! I hope it doesn't topple over Mount TBR. :)

Stopping by to say hi, you young thing, you! ;)I don't know much about feminism either, to tell you the truth.

Such wonderful graphics on your thread! Wow! Thanks for dropping a star on my new thread!

Hi Deb! Young? I feel old, but really that's my fault for sitting too much and not getting out more often.
Yeah, I think the good ol' feminists might want my head for saying that I like being at home and being a housewife. It gives me a great sense of accomplishment to have a neat and tidy house and to have dinner ready for when my husband gets home from work. ;)

There is NOTHING wrong with being a female and liking a tidy house and enjoying cooking dinner for your husband, just as there would be nothing wrong with a man who likes to do those same things. I'm no feminist, but I'm a strong believer in equality.

I believe everyone should have equal rights, and I believe everyone has the right to do in life what makes them the most happy. If you want to go out and get a job, no one should say you can't just because you are a woman. That would be VERY offensive. However, if you like to cook for your husband and keep your house tidy, then no one should tell you not to like that just because you are a woman either.

I think what is most important about equality is that there aren't expectations for people to act a certain way based on their gender. It's not the woman who is a happy housewife that's sexist, it's the person who expects woman to be housewives. The same is true for people who expect men to be the workers in the family. If it's best for a family for the man to make the money because he makes more and the woman to take care of the house because she's better at it, then that's fine. And if the woman makes more so she provides the income while the man takes care of the house, well, heck, that's fine too. But people who expect men and women to do a certain thing based on nothing but their gender...well, those people are silly.

Well, that post turned out a bit longer than I intended it. My point is, do whatever makes you happy and is best for your family. Anyone who would tell you to do otherwise, feminist or whatever, are not worth your time. :)

I highly agree with Stephen (shocking, I know. Don't tell him).

In fairness to feminists (of which, I consider myself to be), only a small minority would start screaming "off with her head" for you wanting to be a stay-at-home mom. Wikipedia's article on feminism is actually quite informative. I also highly recommend looking at first, second, and third-wave feminism if you're really interested in the development of the movement. For reference, I'd put myself amongst third-wave feminists. :)

>87 Ape: Stephen, you are right that is what makes you happy. Some woman love being in the workplace. I have friends who gave birth around the same that I did and are anxious to get back to work whereas I was scrambling and trying to find a way to keep staying at home. I don't think there is a wrong or a right way to do things as long as you are true to yourself. I love being at home and I love the traditional aspects of being a wife, cooking, the cleaning part, I'm still learning to love, but I know it's not for anyone and I don't think anyone should pass any judgement on anybody else for what choices they make as a family.

>88 MickyFine: Micky I remember taking this one course and I totally forgot what the course was about or what the heck we were talking about in the first place, but I just remember a bunch of women expressing about how they didn't think a woman's place should be in the home and about how it's not fair that men get paid more than women and you know where those conversations quickly go. I totally understood what they were trying to say, but the way they were saying it made it seem like deciding to stay at home was the inferior choice and a waste in comparison to what you could achieve outside the home. I'm all for equal rights and the freedom to make choices, but there are differences between men and women and I don't think saying women can do EVERYTHING men does or better really accurate, nor can men say I can do everything women do but better any more true.

#61 2010: Odyssey Two by Arthur C. Clarke
TIOLI Challenge #3: Read a book tagged with a word which brings to mind "school"
Source: OTS
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 332
Rating: 4 Stars
Recommend: Definitely for those who like space exploration, and the possibility that we are not quite alone

...And because in all the galaxy, they had found nothing more precious than Mind, they encouraged its dawning everywhere. They became farmers in the fields of stars; they sowed, and sometimes they reaped.
And sometimes, dispassionately, they had to weed.

Heywood Floyd and a crew of Russian astronauts are on a mission to the outer reaches of our solar system to retrieve a dilapidated spaceship and to salvage whatever information that was left behind by the long dead crew of the Discovery. Furthermore, they are to monitor and study the twin monolith, dubbed Big Brother that has been circulating Jupiter since the discovery of an exact replica was unearthed on Earth's moon. The mission should be a routine event with their objectives clearly defined and outlined by mission control on earth but everything begins to unravel when Floyd receives an ominous warning from a crew member on the Discovery, who should by all accounts be dead. With an unknown threat forcing the team to abort the mission early, the crew of the Russian spaceship Leonov unexpectedly become front row spectators in the cataclysmic destruction of Jupiter and the creation of a new star within our own solar system. The question of whether we are truly alone in the universe is answered; the answer a loud and resounding no.

The second instalment of Odyssey series is just as good, if not better than 2001: A Space Odyssey. Questions and mysteries left unanswered in the first book are explained in 2010, but like any compelling story, events that transpire in the book lead us to ask even more questions. The subtle presence of an intelligence higher than our own creates an enjoyable tension that undoubtedly will leave me searching for the explanations in the subsequent followup books in the series. I have a sense, the journey is just beginning and I can't wait to see how Clarke will resolve the age old question - are we alone, and if we are not, who is out there and what do they want with us?

I just remember a bunch of women expressing about how they didn't think a woman's place should be in the home and about how it's not fair that men get paid more than women and you know where those conversations quickly go.

This is the very reason I don't support feminism. I'm not saying all feminists are like this, of course not, but too many are. I frequently advocate an 'equality movement,' one where it isn't the promotion of one gender/race/religion/sexual preference/etc but instead encourages the acceptance and equal treatment of EVERYONE. And yes, I know many feminist writers cover these sorts of things, but too many people associate feminism with anti-male, pro-women sentiments...and, well, it's just the wrong way of going about things.

I stress that I do believe women are still under more pressure than men in many situations, and they probably do deserve a bit more attention than men when it comes to equality, but I have no intention of becoming a promoter of a certain group of people based on one aspect of their humanity.

>90 jolerie: Great review, Valerie. I don't read much SF anymore (tons of ST:TNG novels in my pre-teens) but that one sounds enjoyable. Seeing the mention of Russians though makes me wonder how dated it felt? Or was there little Us vs. Them sentiment in the novel?

Good review Valerie, another classic I have to read, next year maybe.

I have to agree with Stephen and his comments, as a woman feminism has never appealed to me but equality for all people no matter what race, gender, religion etc. is what I believe in.

I'm with you Ape,Stephen, and Valerie and Leonie about the whole feminism thing . I'm hoping folks stop all that feminism stuff off my thread -but it seems that a few people are feel differently than we do about feminism than we do - and I've still got a bit of a challenge on my thread... oh sigh!!!

I agree with your statement : as a woman feminism has never appealed to me but equality for all people no matter what race, gender, religion etc. is what I believe in. Just reading A Handmaid Tale on my thread has brought out a lot of feminists. Yikes.......

Ah, well, looks like I missed all the talk on your thread, Deb. Is that a good or bad thing? :P

>91 Ape: Great, great points Stephen. :) Equality for ALL people sounds like a great ideal for all of us to work towards.

>92 MickyFine: I'm not familiar to ST:ING? Are you less interested in SF nowadays? You know I didn't even think about the Russian aspect of it but yes when I think about it there was the subtle hint of them versus us, but when you are stuck in space far away from home and together every single day, you quickly learn to work as a team or else you kill each other. :) The author also makes a point in the book about the rise of China as a power as well too which makes me think, wow, he had some major foresight.

>93 KiwiNyx: Oh Leonie, if you enjoyed 2010, I don't think you will want to miss this one. :)

>94 vancouverdeb: You just remind me that I need to read A Handmaid's Tale to see what all this kurffle is for myself.

Great review on 2010: Odyssey Two, Val. I confess I haven't even read the original book; but it's great when a second novel not only lives up to but surpasses the first!

Thanks Nancy! I think it's a series worth reading and I do feel like the second one was even better than the first so I hope you will give them a chance one day. :)

>96 jolerie: Sorry, ST:TNG is just short hand for Star Trek: The Next Generation. I don't avoid SF, but I don't avidly hunt it down much. I tend enjoy SF more in television or film than in novels. Odd quirk, I guess. It's always interesting to read older novels looking at the future to see what they got right and wrong. :)

>99 MickyFine: :) I was just smiling to myself but I was trying to so hard to figure out what that stood for but I don't think I would have guessed it in a million years. It's ironic, for someone who enjoys SF so much, I never really got into ST, the shows or the books. But we did watch the movie and I thought it was enjoyable but that's probably because I walked in with no expectations and no knowledge of the history of ST. Yup, I love that about SF as well and it's quite eerie sometimes how accurate they are...

Love the discussion of feminism. I just finished reading The Girls from Ames and a lot of the research cited on female friendships was based in feminist studies. It was interesting to consider whether, as the author interpreted it, my friendships were more meaningful than my mother's friendships, mine having been formed after the feminist movement really got moving.

Not being a big fan of the "bra-burner" brand of feminist (I quite like my bra, thank you) I struggle with being identified with/as a feminist. I'm sure that if I made a study of it I could find a definition of feminism I felt comfortable with. I like Stephen's assessment - that men or women should feel free to pursue the thing that makes them happy, regardless of the expectations of others. Mostly it's hard for me to get all fired up about something that doesn't impact my life too much. I don't feel oppressed or disadvantaged. I suppose if I did, I'd do something about it. I heartily supported my SiL's decision to divorce a man who felt that she should have no input in financial decisions for their family. That was just the tip of the iceberg. That kind of thing can definitely get me all fired up.

Probably due to the 1970's/1980's being my formative decades, more of my world view is influenced by feminism than I realize. I do feel pretty free to pursue anything that interests me. I like being a SAHM, most days, and I liked my job when I worked outside the home, most days. :) I remember that when I started college I was very focused on having a career. Even after I got married, I worked and continued my education, working toward that "great job" that everyone hopes for. I got that great job. Then, I adopted a baby. I stayed home with him for 6 weeks, fully intending to go back to work. When I went back to work, it was awful. I hated leaving my baby. Hated it. Nobody was as surprised by that as I was. I've been home ever since - going on 13 years. Suddenly it's time to look to when the 5 year old is in school all day and I will go back to work.

That said, don't get me started on the subject of the co-ed 7th grade wrestling team.
http://movieclips.com/SgHL-diary-of-a-wimpy-kid-movie-new-opponent/

I don't feel oppressed or disadvantaged. I suppose if I did, I'd do something about it.

I think right now, the biggest problems with sexism are more along the lines of prejudices instead of outright discrimination. It's not like employers say "Ok, we're going to hire this man and this woman, and we're going to pay the woman less." But studies show that men DO tend to make more at the same jobs. I assume this is because men tend to get promotions and pay raises more, and while it COULD be they are better negotiators overall, it could be more likely a social prejudice against women.

I can say that, around here, men don't seem to get hired very often. Walk into any national chain store, Walmart, Krogers, Target, Speedway, anywhere, and everyone at the cash registers are women. It's very rare for me to see men working in the public eye, they always seem tucked back in the warehouse where the customers can't see them. However, it always seems the upper management positions are men.

These aren't outright discriminations, but there does seem to be an underlying... problem, still.

The problem is this isn't some law, something that someone can point to and say "This needs to change." It's a social problem, and it's not something you can fix in a courtroom.

Overall, however, there is a fair amount of this prejudice to go around. It seems every person deals with some kind of prejudice or another, based on their color/size/age/creed/whatever.

But, to be honest, right now I think the one's who suffer the most are homosexuals. They can't even get married in most places, based on their sexual orientation alone! How horrible is that? :( I think gay men in particular suffer the most when it comes to social prejudice as well. People are coming around, especially lately, but...it's still pretty bad.

>101 nittnut: It's funny how labels work, whether they have a positive connotation or a negative. And no matter what you do, they exist. If someone said to you they were a police man, you would think of things like protector, law enforcement and when those people don't fit into the labels that we put on them, then we tend to judge. I don't think we can ever get away from labels but I think we can all strive to be more open-minded and not boxing people into fix categories that are unchangeable, feminists, or not.
Yeah, and I like my bras too so no burning for me either. :)

>102 Ape: You bring up some great points Stephen. I think people get judged all the time. No matter what you do, someone is judging. For example, just thinking about the conversation on your thread, when we are jogging, someone is bound to be thinking oh well, look at that guy all motivated, I should really do it some time. Others may not be so positive and then there are those who are thinking nothing at all. I think as long as we aware that people are going to make statements (some bound to out of ignorance and intolerance), but that we are strong enough in who we are and what we stand for, then hopefully all the negative is just background noise. Is it a problem we can fix overnight? I don't think so as long as we are all free to think out own thoughts. But I think we can go a long ways to educate our children and to be examples in our own lives.

**On a side note, I was up till 2am last night reading The Maze Runner because I just couldn't put it down! I don't know how it compares to The Hunger Games, but if it as good as what I'm reading right now, I'm more than excited to get that started before the end of the month. I'm paying for it today but hopefully the coffee will be enough to get me through the rest of the afternoon.

Hi Valerie.
I had not read of The Maze Runner before but it looks good! Added to the wishlist :)

Hi Valerie, I loved The Maze Runner, in fact I am trying to fit the next book, The Scorch Trials in this month.

But, I loved The Hunger Games even more!! :)

>104 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle! If it is the type of book that you enjoy, you will LOVE it.

>105 DeltaQueen50: Judy, I just did a marathon afternoon of reading, child neglect and all to finish the book and I have to say it is probably my favourite YA read thus far and by a huge margin! I will read The Hunger Games next as a comparison, but I have to say The Maze Runner was pretty amazing. No doubt, a five star read for me. I will let it sit a bit and then try to do it some justice in my review. I placed a hold for the next book in the series at the library but I'm like number 90 something so I think it's going to be awhile.

The horror movie, The Cube, popped into my head when I started reading The Maze Runner. They are similar in that the hero wakes up in a bizarre location not knowing how or why they are there and they face great danger trying to get out.

Rushed off to add The Maze Runner to my list and it's already there, this is happening so much recently..

Valerie- Child neglect? Oh no!! I really liked The Maze Runner too, although, IMHO, The Hunger Games is much better. Funny, a friend from work is reading my copy of The Maze Runner and enjoying it too! I also need to read the sequel.

>107 mamzel: I haven't seen that movie but I was thinking the book would make a great movie as I was reading it.

>108 KiwiNyx: I believe I originally saw the book on Judy (DeltaQueen' thread) and thought it was a great premise. The book did not disappoint.

>109 msf59: Hi Mark! By neglect I mean he played by himself and I was on the couch for most of the morning. :) I am starting my read of The Hunger Games as we speak and it should be interesting to compare the books afterwards.

#62 The Maze Runner by James Dashner
TIOLI Challenge #19: A book with similar tags to one of the books in your library
Source: Public Library
Genre: YA/Dystopian
Pages: 374
Rating: 5 Stars
Recommend: Go read it NOW!

Thomas wakes up in a metal box in the middle of the Glade with no recollection of who he is and where he came from. Like a void shell, empty of its contents, Thomas finds himself in the Glade surrounded by boys who although arrived in the Glade before him, are just as lost and confused as to why they are there. Every morning the Glade's large walls infested with lush ivy slide open with a deafening crunch of rock sliding against rock, and every night the walls announce its closure with a resounding thud - keeping the boys from leaving the Glade, but more importantly, to keep out the part mechanical part animal hybrid monsters that roam the maze surrounding their home. For two years, the inhabitants of the Glade exist in a societal structure they've created for themselves with a semblance of government and normalcy, until Thomas, and a mysterious girl arrives, triggering irrevocable changes in the Glade. Time is running out as Thomas and the rest of the boys are forced with solving the mystery of the maze, or die trying.

This is by far one of the best YA fiction that I've read in a long, long time. From the first page to the very last, my heart was palpitating and my white knuckled fingers were grasping the pages tightly for fear of missing something important. The story was filled with surprise upon surprise, twist upon twist, action upon action, and I had to constantly force my eyes to stay within the lines I was reading instead of jumping ahead and revealing events before their unfolding. I am itching to get my hands on the next book in the series but since I'm way down on the queue list, I will have to sit on my hands in the meantime and hope the anticipation doesn't eat me alive.

wow, sounds like a full on read.

Liking the feminism discussion up-thread too.

The Maze Runner is one of those books I've wanted to read, but didn't. I do hope it's already in my Wishlist...the author, if I recall, is a LibraryThing author.

Sorry Double Post

>112 LovingLit: I don't mind full on reads when they are such good reads. :)

>113 DragonFreak: Nathan, I really think you would enjoy this one a lot. Hope you can get your hands on a copy sometime soon.

Good Review for The Maze Runner! Makes me really want to read it! :)

Great review of The Maze Runner, Valerie! Wow! It had you white knuckled. Gave it the thumb!

I'm ashamed I'm just not a fan of Sci Fi or Dystopian Lit. I don't know why.. Watching Star Trek back in the late 60's - early70's with my family is about how far I've delved into Sci - Fi.

As for Bra Burning -no, not me either. I quite like my bra.

Valerie, if The Maze Runner wasn't already on my wish list, I'd have probably added it after reading your review. Can't get to it quite yet, but have added your name as a recommender. I'll be curious to see how it compares to The Hunger Games though.

Not joining in the discussion on feminism. Having been raised by a mum who was a very strong feminist in a province known for a very strong wave of feminism back in the 70s, and having my own chequered past as far as feminist issues go, my feelings about it are too complicated to fit into a neat comment, which is why I'll abstain. That said, while I wouldn't exactly burn my bras, I hate wearing the damn things... they're just so uncomfortable when you need real support, so I don't wear em when I can get away with it.

>118 Smiler69: LOL, Ilana! Taking or leaving feminism (and I do take it), removing the bra when I get home may well be my favorite moment of the day! (sorry guys who may be checking Valerie's thread)

Valerie, I love your review of The Maze Runner. It's definitely a different genre than I usually lean toward, but your review makes it sound like a worthwhile investment of time! Five stars and "go read it now" -- love it.

>115 jolerie: More than likely I could get it soon. Just need to memorize the author's name. Or write it down on my hand.

Ellen, I hear 'ya about the bra removal. If I could afford plastic surgery, I'd just have them reduced to an A or B so I can go braless like I used to, Frenchie style, when I was a slender wisp of a thing. Or at least wear those comfy pretty little numbers that need only be nice to look at. *Sigh*

About feminism, I'm not one to want to lecture anyone about that, because there have been plenty of times in my life where I'm sure I've put women on edge with my questionable choices, but I do want to say that it's really easy for us Westerners to say "I'll take it or leave it, I'm not really a feminist" (mea culpa: I've said that too), because the fact is that those bra-burners back in the 60s-70s (and never mind the suffragettes back in the 19th century brought about women's right to vote and to own their own bodies!) brought about radical and very important changes for women and made it so we can take our freedom for granted nowadays. Let's not just forget that and dismiss the bra-burners as a distasteful bunch of man-bashers. There is still plenty of misogyny out there and it's no laughing matter.

/soapbox session ended.

eta: so much for not getting involved in the feminist discussion!

I, too, would be interested in hearing how The Maze Runner measures up again The Hunger Games. Oh dear Valerie! You have added another book to my TBR list!!

I fully acknowledge the importance of feminism in history, 50 years ago it was absolutely necessary and the things it achieved should be appreciated by all of us. NOW, however, I prefer an overall 'equality for everyone' movement over feminism.

I think it is, indeed, also important that there are other countries where women ARE still oppressed, and in such places women's rights activists should absolutely be encouraged.

Here, now, in my country, feminism seems...well, ineffective.

Let me give you an example. Lets say that a male dwarf has a hard time getting a job, and he thinks this is discrimination. Do you really think he's gong to say to himself 'hey, maybe I'll become a feminist so I can inform people of this problem!'? Most likely, no.

Another problem with individualized equal rights groups is...well, it seems silly to argue for equal rights but to do it separately. Not only that, but it's easy to get people to argue for rights for themselves. It's easy to get a group of women together to fight for their rights, and a group of African Americans to argue for their rights, and a group of homosexuals to argue for their rights, etc.

Instead of having all these individual groups, and others not fitting in them feeling like outsiders, why not abandon feminism and have one big equality movement where EVERYONE is welcome. If you can get a white homosexual man to argue against female discrimination, and an African American woman condemning typical white male stereotypes in beer commercials, and a basketball player pointing out how a dwarf has a hard time seeing into mirrors in hotel rooms...well, NOW you've got a much more successful equality movement.

Feminism, for me, is just inefficient. I adore it and everyone who took part in it, all those women who fought for what they believed in, but it just isn't effective right now. EQUALITY, not feminism. That's what I believe in.

I'm not saying there aren't discriminations against women, THERE ARE, I'm just saying there are discriminations against just about everyone and feminism is an effective way of combating it. =/

...errr, oops, sorry for the huge post Valerie. *blushes*

>123 Ape: Stephen, I thoroughly appreciate your views and do agree equality for everyone should be the ultimate goal. However, at the same time, actual activism that results in change is often more efficient when advocating for a specific group or population. An equality for everyone movement would be immobilized by the vastness of the various groups encompassed within it. In terms of actually getting things done, which even in North America continues to be an issue, advocacy groups for specific populations be it women, visible minorities, GLBTQ, etc. are more effective.

Think of it this way: there are thousands of charities in existence, which aid diverse groups from abandoned animals to the homeless to kids in Darfur. Consolidating all of those charities into one conglomerate charity would result in something totally ineffectual. More time would be spent deciding which groups deserved what than actually doing something. The same can be said for rights for different groups. In order to actually effect change, there need to be definite, obtainable goals. The larger the group you're advocating for, the more difficult it is to tackle whose rights should be equalized first and the needs are so different from one group to the next. And that's my argument for why feminism (or any other population-specific rights group) is still necessary.

Hi Valerie! Hope you're keeping warm with the cooler fall weather. :)

That makes, sense, Micky, but I think the biggest hurdle individualized groups have to face is convincing those outside of their group to sympathize with their demands.

For example, a group of women presenting a list of discrimination to a group of (potentially resistant) men might be difficult, whereas if you can get those men to JOIN the group for their own intentions they have a better chance of being...enlightened.

I guess what I feel is most important is that you get the most diverse group possible for discussions, instead of women pitching to other women and men pitching to other men and so forth. *Shrug*

Well, whichever the case, things are better than they ever have been in a lot of countries, and I hope the progress we have made continues to progress where it has been established and spread to places where it hasn't.

Agreed. :)

waving hello!

Added The Maze Runner as ordered!

Glad you enjoyed The Maze Runner Valerie and I have duly wishlisted it. In the UK we're about a year behind the US publication so the second book has only just been released and because I hate having to wait for the next book when I'm reading a series I am going to leave it until next year when hopefully we will get the final book (which I think is out next month in the US).

I'm following the feminist/equal rights discussion and enjoying it but don't think I have anything to add that someone else hasn't said. Just nodding along.

Actually I've changed my mind because I just thought of something to say. I think I also feel a bit uncomfortable with feminism because it feels like promoting women's rights could be unfair to men and therefore sexist (I don't think this is what feminism is necessarily about just something I'm trying to figure out in my mind).

Having said that, I work in a firm which has fantastic equal rights and flexible working programmes (on paper) so that it should be no more difficult for a woman to get promoted than a man. And yet, there are far fewer senior women than men. Many fewer. Is this because there is still some kind of fundamental sexism at work or is it because women have chosen not to advance in this firm because of the cost to other areas of their life (the obvious one I suppose being children). And have they chosen not to advance willingly or because it's been made too difficult for them? Have they chosen to be the main carer for children and family because they genuinely want to or because society expects them to do that? I think in the UK the rules around maternity leave and paternity leave have changed so that you can share the leave entitlement out between the two parents but 90% of the time the father takes the standard two weeks (if that) and the mother takes the 6-12 months. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that if that's what people prefer to do - having never had a baby I can't tell if I would feel incredibly jealous or relieved to go back to work and leave the husband looking after the baby!

Does that show our society is still fundamentally sexist or just that men and women are different? I honestly don't know.

I suppose what I mean is that where there are inequalities people generally work to try and overcome them by promoting the group that is (perhaps unintentionally) being discriminated against. So there is a group in my firm which works with women who are identified as 'high-achievers' in the firm through networking and team-building stuff. I suppose you could just make it a general programme to identify high-achievers and help them develop but the risk is that a higher proportion of the high-achievers identified would be male and the imbalance would still remain.

Same with the stories of teenage boys in the UK underperforming in schools (compared to girls). You could just try a general programme to make sure everyone achieves their potential but the risk is that you might just end up helping the girls outperform the boys even more. The average performance overall would go up but the imbalance of girls performing better than boys would remain. So they set up a specific programme or focus attention just on the boys to try and redress the balance.

it feels like promoting women's rights could be unfair to men and therefore sexist

There is the danger exactly in over-promoting one group over another, which is why I generally agree with Stephen's idea of Equality All Around. For example, my husband's work. He is an engineer. Let's face it. The number of male engineers far exceeds the number of female engineers. He has been passed over for promotion at least twice in his 20 year career in favor of a woman who was less qualified. Also, they just remodeled all the bathrooms in his building. Guess what? Where once there was a male restroom and a female restroom, on each floor there are now two female restrooms with 4 stalls each and there is 1 male restroom with 4 stalls. There are 4 women and 54 men on his floor. The men are now regularly visiting other floors to use the restroom.

Naturally, I am grateful for the women who were willing to go to prison so that I have the right to vote today. We certainly have a tendency to take for granted the privileges we have never been without.

130: That does sound a bit odd.

129: Definitely, sort of like what I said in post 102. Men do seem to get promotions/pay raises more often than women, and they seem to always be the ones in management positions.

As I said before, around here women seem to get ALL the jobs. They work everywhere, and you rarely see men. However, when you do see a man, he's wearing the fancy pants of a management position.

So...why? If it's a sexist thing, why would women get hired in the first place? I know people want to say it's because men in management positions are sexist and are discriminating against women, but if that were the case would they hire the women in the first place?

Maybe it's a subtle, subconscious sort of thing? Maybe women make better first impressions during job interviews. Maybe they seem more approachable and friendly. And maybe men appear to have a leadership quality simply because they are taller/bigger.

Neither of these are good indicators of someone's ability to do the job, but all of it could just be a psychological thing, as opposed to intentional sexism. In my mind that's still a form of sexism, or a prejudice at least, but it at least might explain why women get hired and men get promotions. *Shrug*

Pure hypothesis, that is, by the way, don't take my word for it. :P

Men just like to boss women around.

JUST KIDDING! the opposite may be a little more true at my house, but I'm not admitting to anything...

Hi Valerie!
:-)

The Maze Runner ? Never even heard of it, Valerie, but your enthusiastic review has me wishlisting it.

I just purchased The Hunger Games and also hope to get to it quickly. I'd like to see the movie and won't allow myself to do so until said book is digested.

Thank you Micky, Stephen, Heather, Ilana, and Jenn for keeping the discussions so lively here. :) I appreciate all your thoughts and points. I think that inequality and prejudices are so inherent in our culture and not something that can be a quick fix situation. As long as there are discussions and people who are passionate about seeing changes in our world, I think we stand a chance of making this world a better place for the generations after us. To think our great grandparents, and even our grandparents probably couldn't even imagine what the world is today. In some ways we have made some great advancements and in some ways we haven't changed at all, but like a pendulum that swings back and forth, I think we as a society are hopefully moving in the right direction. Even if it's two steps forward and one steps backwards, the point is we are still moving forwards, slowly but surely.

Hi Linda, Lucy, Ellen, Nathan, Brit, and Lynda!

>134 Carmenere: Lynda, I've finished The Hunger Games and I think I will probably be in the minority here, but I actually enjoyed The Maze Runner even more in comparison, but I will have to let it sink in my head a bit about why I enjoyed it that much more. And like you I had to read The Hunger Games before I'd be willing to watch the movie so now I can just sit and wait for the movie to come out. I did watch the trailer on youtube and it looks promising!

#63 The Arrival by Shaun Tan
TIOLI Challenge #3: Read a book tagged with a word which brings to mind "school"
Source: Public Library
Genre: Graphic Novel
Pages: 128
Rating: 4 Stars
Recommend: A picture is worth a thousand words, and in this case, possibly more



The Arrival is a breathtaking experience without words. The pictures alone are enough to convey the message of finding one's place in the world. An immigrant's journey of finding a semblance of home in a strange place is not unlike each of our own desire to find a sense of belonging in our wanderings and explorations. The artwork is stunning, the story universal. The Arrival is truly a gem among the genre of graphic novels. A definite must read or anyone who is interested in immersing themselves in the beauty of drawings, and the complexity of storytelling without the need to utter a single word.

Wow! That certainly looks amazing... I wonder if my library has it.

Oh! My library does have it...but...it's in the CHILDREN'S section. *Shudders* Oh, the horror...

Oh mine was in the YA section and I was curious about that as well. I wonder if all my GN's are from the YA section....

Not in my library, there is a collection of graphic novels in the nonfiction section. listed under art (Call number 741 I think), but that one is in the horrid, brightly-colored pit of unpleasantness known as the children's section.

Don't worry, children don't bite. Well actually, they do. Just wear extra padding and you should be okay. :)

Valerie- The Arrival was one of my 1st graphics and I loved it. And yes, "A picture is worth a thousand words". And what pictures!!
Sorry to hear that you were not blown away with Hunger Games. I was crazy for it.

Hi Valerie. I liked the Hunger Games, but won't say I was crazy about it. It was good entertainment. Don't know if I'm interested in the movie. The preview doesn't give me anything to go on.

The Arrival is awesome. I'm glad I bought my own copy to keep. Totally worth it.

Well, I have to admit I am scratching my head over your "not being crazy over Hunger Games" probably just too much hype to live up to. Sometimes the books we know nothing about, that just come out of nowhere, are the ones that we hold dearest.

I have a graphic novel category in my next years 12/12 Challenge, and The Arrival is definitely one of my planned reads.

Glad you enjoyed The Arrival, I read it earlier this year and I've been meaning to get round to getting some of Shaun Tan's other books out of the library.

I wish I had known about The Arrival when I was tutoring. I think a wordless book has so many possibilities for developing language skills... not to mention fostering imagination.

I don't have a thing to add to the discussion on feminism, but I'm finding it very intriguing. You have a lively thread here, Valerie. Keep up the good work!

Woot, busy thread, Valerie! The Arrival looks fascinating; thanks for review! I need to get past my mental block which assures me that books need words - lots of words.

>142 msf59: Hey Mark! I think maybe it was one of those hearing so much hype about it that when it came time to read it for myself, there was no way to live up to what I had in mind of how good it was. I really enjoyed it but I think I was more captivated by The Maze Runner.

>143 Smiler69: Hi Ilana. I think I still want to watch the movie just to see some of the scenes described in the books on the big screen would be kind of cool.

>144 DeltaQueen50: Yeah Judy, I knew that I would probably be in the minority on this one but it didn't blow me away. I enjoyed it quite a bit but it was the nail biting affair that I had imagined it would be. I definitely do want to continue the series to see how it all comes together.

>145 souloftherose: Hi Heather. I have no idea what other stuff Shaun Tan has done so I will definitely see what else is out there. He is a pretty talented artist to say the least.

>146 Donna828: That is very true Donna! In some ways, having no words really lets you make up the story as you see it. It allows for the imagination to fill in the gaps so in that sense, it is a really different but cool way to "read".

>147 lit_chick: Hi Nancy! The lack of words is more than made up in the expressions and body language of the characters in the book. Tan does an incredible job of delivering the story without having the write a single word down. It's also a really quick read if you ever want to give it a try. :)

#64 The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
TIOLI Challenge #3: Read a book tagged with a word which brings to mind "school"
Source: OTS
Genre: YA
Pages: 374
Rating: 4 Stars
Recommend: Better than your average YA fiction

What used to be North America is now the Capitol city of Panem. Surrounding this powerful city are twelve tribute districts who are under no circumstances allowed to exhibit any sense of freewill or rebellion. The once thirteenth district was once ruthlessly punished for that expression of freedom and is now a charred ruin of a city. To ensure and to remind the citizens of their submission, Panem holds a yearly festival called the Hunger Games and each of the twelve district is responsible for providing one boy and one girl, making it a total of 24 contestants who will engage in a battle for their lives. Katniss Everdeen, from District 12 has volunteered herself for the Hunger Games this year and the only way she will survive, against all the odds, is to be the last one standing at the end of the games.

I waited a long time to read The Hunger Games. In all that time of waiting, I've read rave reviews from family and friends about how great the book. For the most part, I concur wholeheartedly. The premise of the story, the battles to survive, the heart wrenching choice between life or love, are all aspects of The Hunger Games that will keep a reader riveted to the pages of the book. My only hesitation is that I read the book right after another great book and undoubtably that has skewed and biased my opinion in the reading of what would probably have been a five star read, if I had read it at a different time. The tension that is a large part of what should make The Hunger Games a nail biter of a book became a bit predictable at the most critical parts of the drama, and the fact that I knew that Katniss will inevitably survive the games (otherwise, this wouldn't be a trilogy), in some ways decreased the level of anticipation and became just a matter of how she was going to accomplish that feat. Regardless of my mixed feelings, nothing can diminish the fact that The Hunger Games was an enjoyable, above average read, and a series worth pursuing.

#149 Enticing review, Valerie. The Hunger Games seems to have taken on iconic status; not sure where I'm getting that idea from - partly from reader raves but I think it may also have become (or is about to become) a Hollywood brag? In any case, I think it's the uber-popularity that has made me hesitate in picking it up. But you may have changed my mind!!

Glad you enjoyed your latest reads, Valerie. The images from The Arrival look really rich and enjoyable. As for Hunger Games, I think my opinions of the book were different because I went into it from a different approach. I had heard all the hype and knew the basic gist of the plot but I was unsure whether I'd like it. Gladiator games mixed with Survivor did not seem like a compelling narrative. But I found it enjoyable for that same commentary on reality television. And of course, I got really attached to the characters (can I have Peeta? Puh-lease?) which helped as well. Hope you enjoy the rest of the series when you get to it.

Hi Valerie! Just enjoying the graphics on your page ! Gorgeous! Thanks for visiting my thread. I'm just reading the chat on your thread - and I'll admit I'm not the least interested in the Hunger Games. But then I' m not a fan of science fiction. ;) Ah oh!

Yes, unfortunately The Cat's Table was not much of a read. It has some interesting characters, but the book really never goes anywhere, emotionally or plost wise.

As for my new kindle , I'm still getting used to it , and in any case, I'm reading a book right now. I've got plenty of books
TBR, so for know it's like a supplemental book for me ;) I think I'll do fine with my kindle -but I admit I'm a little nervous! :) I've just dug into what I think is going to be a " ripsnorting ' yarn , a Scandi mystery When the Devil Holds the Candle. I had two not so great books in a row - so I need some excitement:)

TheArrival looks fabulous!

>150 lit_chick: Thanks Nancy! I find with books that have gotten a lot of hype usually live up to that hype and I like it a lot or it ends up falling flat for me since it doesn't live up to the hype in my mind. I think this one is closer to the living up to the hype than falling flat. I definitely enjoyed it but not as much as I thought I would have based on other reviews.

>151 MickyFine: Hi Micky! I think I would have had a much different reaction to the book had I read it at a different time. I think a reread sometime in the future will give me a better gauge on my reactions without any influences.

>152 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb! Good on you to know what genre's you won't like and don't like. I think I'm a rather all over the place kind of reader. I don't think there's any genre that I would avoid if it has a good story. I used to be much more narrower in terms of my reading genres but all the great reviews here on LT have definitely help me ease out of my comfort zones.

Glad you enjoyed The Hunger Games even if it wasn't a 5 star read for you. I will be interested to see what you think of the remaining books in the trilogy.

The Hunger Games got a solid 4 stars from me too Valerie. And I agree that knowing Cat is bound to survive kind of minimizes the tension and drama.

>154 weejane: Hi Brit! Thanks for swinging by. :) Hopefully I can get around to those books while my memory of the first one is still fresh in my mind.

>155 Smiler69: Glad to see we felt similarly about the book Ilana. I'll be interested to see what the rest of the series is about now that the Hunger Games part of it is over. And since the last book got such mixed reviews, I am even more curious to read it and make my own opinions about it.

This is probably one of the last weeks we will have of gorgeous sunny and warm weather. I will probably take advantage of it and go for a nice long walk with the little guy to the library to pick up some items we have on hold. Oh how I am dreading what the winter is going to bring since I don't have access to a vehicle during the day. Jail bird syndrome anyone??

Nah, you just bundle up like the abominable snowman and go out anyway like a true Canadian. ;)

Hi Valerie, I always seem to be catching up these days but just wanted to say HI!

Great review of Hunger Games! I also gave it 4 stars. My son (13) gave it 5. :)

>157 MickyFine: You are right. Half of the workout is spent on getting read to go for a walk. :) If people shovelled their sidewalks, then walking in the winter actually isn't a bad idea.

>158 KiwiNyx: Hi Leonie. It is always nice to have your visit! Of course half the time spent and half of the fun on LT is trying to catch up on people's thread.

>159 nittnut: Hey Jenn! Yeah I can imagine a teenage boy giving the book a 5 star rating. Actually with this book and the last book, I was quite surprised at the level of violence in the book. It got me thinking that since they put ratings on video games because of the level of violence, what about some books that are perhaps even more violent? But maybe there isn't enough kids reading the books as much as those who play the games. Nonetheless, it is an interesting phenomenon.

I think I liked The Hunger Games more than I first read it because I discovered it had one of my favorite themes: "Good societies going bad (because of government takeovers)".

>161 DragonFreak: Governments going bad always makes for a good dystopian. Now I wonder if it's possible to have one with a good government? Would that be possible and if yes, would it make for a good book??

#65 Empress Orchid by Anchee Min
TIOLI Challenge #6: Read a book whose cover is primarily one of the 3 prime colors of RED, BLUE or YELLOW
Source: OTS
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 336
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Recommend: An indepth look at one of woman's ascension from life as one of many imperial concubines to being one of the last ruling Empress during China's last great dynasty.


Real photograph of the infamous Empress Dowager Tzu Hsi

China is being raped by foreigners. Her ports are being thrown open to trades with countries that hold a sword to her throat, and she is helpless to make any kind of reform that would protect her economy and her people. Within this tumultuous period of China's history is the story of a concubine called Orchid. History will remember her as the manipulative, scheming, power hungry, and ruthless Empress Tzu Hsi, but in Empress Orchid, she shares with us a story of desperation, of the shattering of innocence, of sharing a man with thousands of other woman who are also vying for attention and love, of helplessly watching a once proud and powerful country being torn apart, one traitorous breath after another.

The Forbidden City is a fortress with walls that are meant to keep the outside world at arms length. Through Empress Orchid we are able to experience the culture and customs of a world thousands of years old and whom few have access. The historical richness from the descriptions of the grand palatial residents to the decadent costumes, invites us to enter into a world of unparallel luxury and grandeur. Tzu Hsi may forever be immortalized as the wicked ruler who brought an end to the last dynasty of Imperial China, but at the heart of it all is still a woman who navigated her way through an arena that has long served to be the battle ground for men, and men alone. Regardless of the means or method, undoubtably her legacy as the last Empress has been imprinted upon the annals of China's glorious past.

Great book review Val. I'm currently trying to finish up Min's Pearl of China (my first Anchee Min book) two or three chapters at a time... slow progress because of too little time for reading (it's all spent here on LT!)

I have Empress Orchid in my stacks, and look forward to it, even though I'm not really 'buying' Pearl of China. I think the way she tried to weave the real-life Pearl S. Buck into a work of fiction wasn't very satisfactory, but maybe I'm the one who's to blame as I might be due for a factual biography about Buck instead (hardly EVER read non-fiction, but this is a case where it might have been a better choice). It's an ER book, so I'm taking it to the end, though I would have regardless since I must say there is a very interesting narration of the of the history of China in the early 20th century, with the rise of the wave of communism which at this point of the book, is still only in it's infancy, but threatens to take over any minute.

Back to Empress Tzu Hsi, I had a quick look at wikipedia to see what years she lived in, and was a bit taken aback by her portrait there:



In the one you posted, she looks like a loveable granny-type in comparison!

Some great reviews, Valerie. I want to read Empress Orchid. It sounds very interesting.

Great review of Empress Orchid, Valerie! Thanks for that. You are reading really varied stuff, and it's such fun to follow along!

Hello Valerie - just stopping by to say 'hi': you have tempted me to add The Arrival to my WL - my first graphic novel!

>162 jolerie: I never seen a dystopian book with a good government. I guess I have, but that would probably an apocalypse book where someone besides the government was involved. I also have no idea if it would be good...

#161 I think, like Nathan said, if it had a good government it wouldn't strictly be a dystopia anymore. The wikipedia definition of a dystopia is "the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state". I don't know how you'd have that repressive state with a good government? Hmm.

I also enjoyed this list of dystopian fiction. I know it's always easier to think of contemporary examples but it looks like the number of dystopias being written has really exploded over the last couple of years.

Just popping in to say hi Valerie! Gorgeous art work on your thread. I'm so embarrassed to be one of the few that is not interested in the Hunger Games or the series, or Vampires, or any of the current fashionable books.. slinks away...... ;)

Another interesting review, Valerie. Have a great weekend!

>164 Smiler69: Hi Ilana! I'll be curious to read what you think of your ER book as well as Empress Orchid when you get around to it. I know Anchee Min has written some other books such as Becoming Madame Mao which I think is more well known and I'll be curious to read some day. The Last Empress is the followup book which follows the life of Tzu Hsi in the years where she is infamous for what some may call her political savviness and others her ruthlessness in trying to maintain control and power over the government. I have that on my shelf and hopefully will get to it sooner than later while the events in the books are still fresh in my mind.
Because of her reputation, I don't think any pictures of her will make me think of her as a cozy grandma, but she was portrayed as a loving and devoted mother in Empress Orchid.

>165 EBT1002: Hi Ellen, I hope you enjoy it when you get a chance to read it!

>166 lit_chick: Thanks Nancy. You know when I look at my selection of books I realize that I am quite all over the map but that's the great thing about reading. You can go to so many places and meet so many people without leaving the comforts of home. :)

>167 PrueGallagher: Hi Prue. I hope you enjoy it as it truly is a feast for the eyes.

>168 DragonFreak: Hey Nathan. I don't think I have either and I don't think it's even possible as it seems like it would be a total oxymoron.

>169 souloftherose: Thanks for the list Heather! I guess if we stick to a true definition of a dystopian book, then I guess it's not possible to have a controlling and suppressing government that was good. Or maybe if they were suppressing for a good reason or had good motivation? That would make an interesting spin on the entire genre and not something you would expect.

>170 vancouverdeb: Hey Deb! There is no shame in going against the stream! We all have different tastes so as long as you enjoy reading it's all good. If anything, if you aren't reading the typical bestsellers then we will get to know the more lesser known books through your reading list. :)

>171 MickyFine: Hi Micky! Thanks for dropping by. I hope you have a great weekend as well. :)

I do think it's entirely possible to write a dystopian book about a "good" government, for the simple reason that "you can please some people some of the time, but you can't please all the people all of the time". What is good for some can be hell for others. The Nazis had some wonderful ideas about living a healthful life, were interested in nutrition and the benefits of exercise and much more life-affirming things I can't think about right now... and had Hitler not been the madman that he was, things might have gone very differently, but I'm sure that even if they hadn't exterminated millions of people on purpose, things would have gone awfully wrong one way or another. I mean... look at our current governments and all the screwups they're responsible for. But maybe I'm just being fatalistic tonight. So I'll stop right there.

>163 jolerie: that one looks very interesting. Will check it out

Hi Valerie! Great review of Empress Orchid. I really enjoyed both it and The Last Empress, which made Pearl of China all the more disappointing (164).

On the subject of Hunger Games, I completely agree about the violence. I found the violence stunning. It was hard for me to let my son read it. Probably the reason he did get to read it was that last spring when I was home schooling him, he was studying literature with a friend of mine who had him read it after reading Julius Caesar. They then talked about society and violence and how it was justified or not justified in the two stories from very different eras. She also spent some time on media and violence. Given what he is exposed to on a regular basis, even as careful as we are, I thought it was a really good exercise for him.

Oh, my goodness, did I ever fall behind! You have had some wonderful discussions going on here, Valierie, and some terrific reading as well. I particularly enjoyed your reviews of The Maze Runner and The Arrival. Hope you have a great weekend!

>169 souloftherose: Oh, thanks for that list! I need to add some to my Wishlist!

>172 jolerie: I did create this phrase recently called a "utopian dystopia" which my definition is a dystopia where to the citizens is a utopia or they don't know what's wrong with it.

>177 DragonFreak: A good example of "utopian dystopia" is Ursula K. Le Guin's short story "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas."

SPOILER ALERT

It's the story of a perfect city that is enabled to be perfect by abject mistreatment of one child. It's a brilliant story.

I'm thinking perhaps Ayn Rands Anthem would be an utopian dystopia?

Hi Valerie, more good reviews as always, hope you're having a great day.

I don't try to go against the stream - I guess my tastes must just vary. I love to pick up a debut novel by an author, or I love to read through a certain number of the " Prize Winners" - like the Orange List, Booker List, or now the Giller List. I do love my mysteries though and there I have a number of series that I am reading through.
Hmm - an untopian dystopia... interesting concept. I've never read Ayn Rand.

Glad to see you liked The Arrival, Valerie. I thought it was pretty amazing.

I skimmed your review of the Hunger Games and I'm very excited to get to it. I think I'll be able to in October.

Just stopping by to say Hi! I hope you are doing well!

Me too! I'm saying Hi and checking up on you (in a good way lol...)

Hi Valerie, saying Hi and hope everything is OK in your part of the world.

Popping by to say and I hope all is well! I bet you are just enjoying a last fling with summer! :)

Hi Valerie, Just popping by after all your great contributions on my thread. Love the sound of The Maze Runner and Hunger Games. The plot of Hunger Games reminded me of the story of the Japanese film from a few years ago called Battle Royale. It's rather violent, but a really good satire on reality TV style programmes, where a group of randomly chosen high school children have to fight to the death on a remote island.
Also, I am seriously excited about The Arrival. I think I might have found a brilliant and surprising gift for my husband. He isn't a graphic novel reader usually, but he is living in a foreign country, and his recent thesis was all about film stars that worked in Hollywood but where exiled from their homelands, so it's a subject very close to his heart. Plus the illustrations look stunning! That's 3 for the wishlist then - thanks!

It's always a pleasure to come here, Valerie, and see what interesting conversation has developed. I must remember "Utopian Dystopian" - even though I'm a bit unclear as to what books would qualify, I love the way it sounds!

Hmmm... I'll be reading The Handmaid's Tale this fall for an upcoming book group. I'm wondering if that will be a Utopian Dystopian? Oooh ooh, I may have thought of one: The Giver?

I'm adding Empress Orchid to the wishlist. Several years ago, I read all of the Amy Tan books and became very interested in China. It was a culture that previously I had known almost nothing about. I also enjoyed The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck, so maybe I will check out Pearl of China as well.

I have to say that I am not a fan of dystopian lit AT ALL. I read The Handmaid's Tale years ago and it sort of left me cold. I don't know, dystopian lit is just too depressing or dark for me. I think it's also the science fiction aspect of it. Why do others like it so much? I am really curious.

Sandy K

>173 Smiler69: Hi Ilana! Your comments really remind me of the fact that not everything is black and white. Yes, Hitler was evil and what he did is unconscionable but you take away the evil and look deep, deep underneath, was a desire to better the human race (although for only for a very narrow and specific group of people and the way he wanted to carry that out was beyond redemption). I shudder to think of what kind of world we live in to think that we would let someone like that wreck the kind of destruction on humanity and yet the even scarier thought that maybe we haven't learned our lesson yet. There are still civil wars around the world, and genocide that is occurring this very minute, which makes me think the world we live in today may rival the horrors that we read about in books.

>174 LovingLit: I hope you enjoy it Megan when you get a chance. :)

>175 nittnut: That's really great that you were able to have discussions about violence with your son. I sometimes cringe at some of the subject matter that appears in YA books and think to myself, I don't think I would be okay with them watching a movie with those kind of scenes, but at the end of the day, I would rather have an open dialogue rather than straight up censorship. I believe there is a lot to be learned just by hearing what they have to say about what they are reading rather than just saying it's not appropriate and not giving them the opportunity to grow and exercise discernment.

>176 AMQS: Thank Anne! I hope you enjoy those two books when you get around to them. :)

>177 DragonFreak: I wonder if that term already exists in the literary world. Very interesting concept though Nathan!

>178 casvelyn: That sounds like an interesting premise for a book. I will definitely look into that one. Thanks!

>179 KiwiNyx: Hi Leonie! Ayn Rands is another author that I need to check out since I've seen her name pop up in a couple of the threads already.

>180 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb. I think mysteries to me are like dystopian/sci-fi novels are to you. :) I don't read a lot of them but I am definitely not against trying it. I still have to get my hands on an Atkinson book or maybe a Christie since I've heard great things about book authors.

>181 Carmenere: I look forward to reading what you think about The Hunger Games Lynda.

>182 weejane: Hi Brit! I need to swing by your thread to see how you are doing. :)

>183 BookAngel_a: Thanks for the check up (in a good way) Angela! ;)

>184 KiwiNyx: Hi Leonie! Wow, I know I've been away from LT for a while when I don't get a chance to respond to the original message! I thought summer was going to be busy, but who knew that fall would be kicking my butt! :)

>185 vancouverdeb: I am definitely flinging away Deb. :)

>186 HanGerg: Hi HanGerg. :) I am happy to be able to add to your wishlist. Hanging out the threads will definitely add to that list rather quickly! I must say, I've seen some Japanese game shows here and there online, and it seems like they have an affinity for creating some of the oddest shows I've ever seen. There was one show where 4 men lined up to a mike and the host would ask the contestants ridiculously hard questions where they have no chance of getting it correct and when they answer it wrong, this contraption thing with a glove swings up from the ground to nail them where it hurts...suffice to say, I didn't get the show at all.

>187 Donna828: Hi Donna! Thanks for dropping by since I know you are busy with your classes. A Handmaid's Tale and The Giver are two books that are sitting on TBR shelves and I keep meaning to read them but you know how it goes with the new and shinier books distracting us... ;)

>188 sandykaypax: Hi Sandy! I haven't ready any of Amy Tan's books but coincidently I just picked up Saving Fish from Drowning from the library this past week so hopefully I can get around to it soon. I think dystopian is something that people either really like and really dislike. I fall into the like category. I just find it fascinating to read about a society where we get to imagine how we would like to solve the problems that exist in the world in a way that may not be feasible and all the moral and ethical implications that come with that. And well, it's always fun to play the "what if" game even if sometimes it ends up being rather bleak and grey, the exploration of human nature is always one that fascinates me.

Hi Valerie- Nice to see you back! You were missed! Hope you are feeling better.

>190 msf59: You are very sweet Mark!

#66/#67/#68 Dark Magick/Awakening/Spellbound by Cate Tiernan
TIOLI Challenge #5: Read a book by an author who has never been read for any TIOLI challenge by any challenger
Source: Public Library
Genre: YA
Pages: 564
Rating: 3 Stars
Recommend: If you are like me and need to finish what you started

Morgan Rowlands continues on a quest to understand her ancient witch heritage while discovering that the love of her life may be hiding the truth from her. With her friendships, heart, and life on the line, Morgan is faced with some of the most difficult choices in her life. To continue her search for knowledge may spell the end of those dearest to her heart.

This is your typical YA fare, nothing brilliant, but nothing horrible at the same time. Only recommended if you are absolutely in love with witchlore, or you are OCD to complete a series like I am.

#179 - Just had to comment that I thought Anthem was a very powerful book. It could be considered "utopian dystopia", maybe... do all the citizens have to think it's Utopia?

No bullet for me there. No in love with witch lore and not compelled to finish a series if it's not doing that much for me either. There's just too many other great books out there.

Hope all is well with you and the monkey :-)

>193 nittnut: I would think that since it's a utopian dystopia that there would be some people who don't feel that it's a Utopia but at this point, I just completely making that up. :) I've heard some good things about Anthem on the threads so the question now is whether it's a borrow from the library book or purchase a copy for myself kind of book.

>193 nittnut: Thanks Ilana! I will have to find the time to catch up on your thread some time soon.
Yeah, I don't think it will be a book bullet for many people but I'm certain the genre must appeal to some people out there. I know that I was quite interested in the occult stuff like tarot cards and the ouija board when I was much younger and experimenting. Now, I personally don't want to go near any of that stuff.

So completely random question for those out there who are part of the LT ER program. When you write a review for the book, how do you put that little tag at the top where it says, "This review is posted for LT ER..."? I've seen in on other reviews but have no idea how people do it!

Think I'll be passing on your latest read, Valerie. I hope you're doing well! What's your monkey been up to these days?

Hi Valerie! Nice to see you back. As for ER books, I believe the tag is added automatically? At least, from what I can tell, because it appears on the review that I wrote for one of my ER books, and I have no memory of doing anything to get it there.

Hope your next read is a bit more exciting than your last one. :D

Hi Valerie. Yes, the ER tags started appearing automatically some months back. I "heard" someone say that they didn't get one when they wrote a very overdue ER review though.

Hi Valerie
I finished my ER book and submitted the review on the books information page. I went in to check my reviews after I read your question here and my review does have the little tag, so it does it automatically.
Hope you enjoy the book :)

Hi Valerie, it looks like you have been busy, I hope all is well with you and your family.

I noticed that HanGerg mentioned the film Battle Royale upthread, I have the book of the same name sitting on my shelf, which I admit I picked up after I saw someone say Hunger Games reminded them of it. I must try to give it a little nudge closer to the top.

LOL!! Yes, I think you maybe correct - Dystopian/ Sci/Fi reads are just right off my radar and I don't like them!;) and you have every right to dislike mysteries!Great comparison!!!

I just read my first graphic novel - Stitches and I loved it! I know my library has Blankets which I see you enjoyed. I'll have to borrow a copy of that.

Good for you, doing so much library reading!!

>196 weejane: Hi Brit! Thanks for dropping by. The little guy is doing well except I'm wondering if he is going through his terrible twos a year early because the past couple of days he has been on a whining rampage...oh my ears! And now I'm sitting here wandering how do you teach the little ones appropriate behaviour and appropriate responses when they have such limited understanding.

>197 MickyFine: Thanks Micky! Well that definitely makes my life a whole lot easier. :)

>198 Soupdragon: Dee, I wonder if it's one of those things that there is a time limit on that automatic feature. So after like six months, the book then is just reviewed normally with no extra lines. Otherwise every review the book receives would be entered as an ER book which wouldn't make sense after awhile.

>199 ChelleBearss: Chelle, I had to go check out your review for the book and I have to agree with the rating you gave the book. Now I just have to sit down and write mine.

>200 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy! Glad to have you back from vacations. You remind me that I have to finish the other 2 books in the Hunger Trilogy.

>201 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb! I am truly milking my library for all its worth and enjoying every second of it. :) The best part is being able to put items on hold and being able to pick it up at the library that is closest to my home. It almost feels like online shopping except you don't get to keep the goods permanently.
I have every intention of going out of my comfort zone to try to a mystery sometime in the new year!

>189 jolerie: Kind of late, but I think I should look it up, and if I can't find any term that's like that, I should somehow coin it, and I'll pretty much own the rights to that word! But now to make it catch on...that's going to be the hard part.

Hi Valerie, Going way up your thread, regarding Anchee Min. I have not read anything by this author, but her subjects and writing seem interesting.

I recently finished Catching Fire, but am putting off Mockingjay until I have fit in a few other books in. I did like it very much, but not quite as good as the first.

Hello Valerie - trying madly to catch up...puff puff - really interesting discussions...must visit more often!

>205 PrueGallagher: there's a lot that goes on here with or without Valerie!

Also catching up Valerie, glad to hear the wee guy is all good and happy to see I avoided the bullet on your last read.

>203 DragonFreak: Let me know if you've just coined a new term Nathan. ;)

>204 mks27: Hi Michelle! I want to read Catching Fire sooner than later so that the details of the first book is still fresh in my mind. Knowing me, I will probably be in the minority again and enjoy the second and third book more than the first. Empress Orchid was my first Anchee Min book as well, but I fully intend on reading her other books

>205 PrueGallagher: Please do! Your thoughts and comments are always a joy to read. :)

>206 LovingLit: Megan, I tempted to say my absence seems to generate more scintillating conversations. ;)

>207 KiwiNyx: Hi Leonie! The little guy is hopefully getting over a minor sniffle and it's been amazing just watching him develop and start to understand simple instructions as well as let us know simple things with sign language. :)

#69 The Elephant Mountains by Scott Ely
TIOLI Challenge #5: Read a book by an author who has never been read for any TIOLI challenge by any challenger
Source: LT ER
Genre: YA
Pages: 203
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Recommend: Hopelessness brings out the worse in some and the best in others...

"You cut yourself off from those you kill," his father said. "They're just targets but if you push too hard on that, then you cut yourself off from everyone."
"Everyone?" Stephen asked.
"Yes, from love. Do you understand"

The Southern United States has been inundated with a battering of hurricanes that have flooded people out of their homes and left the country in a state of emergency. Anarchy and chaos is rampant, and hope is found a fifteen year old Stephen and a college student Angela, both orphans, both on the search for any shred of humanity left behind in the wake of the destruction. They are surrounded by bloated death drifting along the flooded waters, witness the indiscriminate murdering of people who will kill to survive, and against all odds, they are hoping to survive, to find the Elephant Mountains, a place where hope and a new life is still a possibility.

The story of Stephen and Angela's survival is a bleak one. It seems that when the laws that regulate our humanity collapses in the face of uncontrollable forces, we will fight against the instinct to just give up and die, but in the process of survival, do we end up sacrificing the very heart of what makes us human? The Elephant Mountains was an enjoyable and reflective read that begs us to ask the question of what hope is, what we do with it when we finally find it, or when we discover that it never existed in the first place.

Good review of The Elephant Mountains, Valerie. It sounds interesting.

HI Valerie, great review!

I was really glad to find Elephant Mountains was a decent read as I haven't found any to ask for in September and October!

Hey Valerie, just catching up on your thread. It's possible that your kidd-o is growing or something which may account for his fussy mood lately. It's hard to teach them "good" behavior when they have no concept of behavior - good or otherwise. The current learning thing is our house is how to be quiet during Meeting for Worship. It's a struggle, but he's getting better. Thank goodness he's only in Meeting for 15 minutes before First Day School (aka Sunday School) starts!

Great review, Valerie!

Elephant Mountains looks most interesting! One day I'll have to go out of MY comfort zone and try a bit of Science Fiction! I"ve got my first ER book today and I'm a bit anxious about it all. And excited. A bit of both..... and it's not a mystery, but a memoir. Great review!

I saw a copy of Elephant Mountains in the bookstore the other day and thought it looked interesting. I was trying to show some restraint so I didn't purchase it, but your review makes me wonder if maybe I want to go back. It sounds quite good and hope is a theme in which I'm interested.

Excellent review, Valerie. You got a thumb from me, although the book sounds a little too bleak for my tastes so I probably won't pick it up. Hope you and the monkey are enjoying the fall weather. Here's hoping you get some jumping into piles of leaves in soon. :)

Hi Valerie, I quickly skimmed your review of Elephant Mountains as I also have to read and review it. Hope to get to it later this month. I did see out of the corner of my eye that you gave it 3.5 stars so that looks promising.

I agree, Elephant Mountains looks very interesting.

Hi! Just catching up.

Great review and I love that title of the book. Elephants just happen to be my favourite animals.

Phew! Caught up after being miles behind!

Your Elephant Mountain review makes it sound very interesting. Sounds a bit like the same theme that The Road was exploring - how does our humanity survive when every security and support is stripped away?

>210 katiekrug: Thanks Katie!

>211 ChelleBearss: Thanks Chelle! The pickings are definitely slimmer for October. I only ended up requesting one book.

>212 weejane: I hear ya Brit. When I think about it now, the pregnancy and the birthing part was easy compared to the questions I have now about raising him. And of course everyone says that it only gets harder and harder! For someone like me who has control issues, it's a huge learning process to understand that there is only so much I can do, and learning that there are some things that I have let go of eventually.

>213 AMQS: Thanks Anne!

>214 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb. I hope you do venture out of your comfort zone and try some SF. Even if you don't like it, no big deal, just drop the book and move on, but on the slight chance you do find something you enjoy, then it's all worth it. :)

>215 EBT1002: Hi Ellen. I didn't know if the book was out in stores yet. That makes me curious if they corrected some spelling and grammer errors that I saw in the book but since it was an ER book, I wasn't too bothered by it. If I actually had bought the book from the stores with the same errors, my reaction would be quite different.

>216 MickyFine: Hi Micky! We are slowly and gently easing our way in fall and that is fine by me. :) I'm hoping the snow stays away at least until the end of the November. Which reminds me, we, and by we, I really mean my husband, really has to put up our Christmas lights before it gets too cold!

>217 DeltaQueen50: Judy, I look forward to seeing what you think of the book!

>218 Whisper1: Hi Linda!

>219 nittnut: Hi Jenn!

>220 KiwiNyx: I was going to say that I didn't realize that they were your favourite, but then I remember you saying that elephants was your favourite animal on your thread and of course that gorgeous painting.

>221 gennyt: Genny, you read my mind! When I was reading the book, I kept thinking it was reminiscent of The Road in terms of theme, but in terms of writing, I think The Road is in a whole different class. :)

September Round-up
**This is the most amount of books I've EVER read in a month and if I were to be honest with myself, I am totally trying to pad my stats by reading a whole lot of YA's and the occasional GN so that I can comfortably reach 75 by the end of the year. I have no shame whatsoever. :)

Total Books Read: 16
Nonfiction: 0
Fiction: 16

*Contemporary Fiction: 1
*Historical Fiction: 2
*YA: 10
*Science Fiction: 2
*Graphic Novel: 1

*OTS: 6
*Public Library: 10

Total Pages Read: 4,329

Favourite Read:

The Maze Runner by James Dashner
This YA book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time and the only thing holding me back from ripping into the sequel is the fact that I don't actually own the book and I'm currently number 30 on the library waiting list.

Honourable Second Places:

Very nice reading month, Valerie. Glad you're enjoying your forays into YA fiction. :D

Just dropping by, Valerie. Enjoyed your review of The Elephant Mountains - looks interesting!

>224 MickyFine: I am definitely enjoying my excessive YA binge. :) It's a jolly good time and it helps me get to 75 faster so a win win on all counts.

>225 lit_chick: Thanks for dropping by Nancy!

Hi Valerie! I understand your anxiety about getting to the magic 75! So far I haven't ventured into the YA reads, but I think often times the line is blurred between some YA and adult books. At least that is what I'm seeing as far as reading goes.

Thanks for stopping by my thread! I think I'm on book 66 - cross your fingers for me!

Hey Valerie, I'm so impressed with you churning out the reviews. I'm so far behind, I think I'll never catch up.

I'll be starting THG's this weekend, for sure.

I think I'm on track to read 75 this year, thanks to GN's and YA's. It's really such a struggle for me and I find I neglect a lot of other things just to reach my goal. But I will, just so I accomplish this goal at least once and earn my spot on the 75er's. I know it's not the numbers that count but I really want to do it.

How's the little guy?

>227 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb! I do hope you give YA a chance. Some of them admittedly I find rather mind numbing and shallow but there are lots out there that such great reads that I forget that they are YA! You are so right about the blurred lines because so often the YA books deal with really mature subject matters but I guess in a way that is relatable for a younger audience.

>228 Carmenere: Thanks Lynda! My unofficial rule is that I will write a review for a book before I finished the current book that I'm reading otherwise I just won't do it. If anything this whole writing reviews has really helped me with my discipline. Now if only I had this mindset when I was in school. @.@
I can't wait to see what you think of THG's after you finish it. I'm betting it will be a pretty quick read for you.
I know what you mean. Noone is holding a gun saying we have to reach 75 but it's one of those personal accomplishment kind of things that I just want to say I've done at least once! I've been purposely avoiding the chunkster in the second half of the year just so I don't get bogged down but hopefully if I get to 75 before the end of the year, I can enjoy some of my larger tomes.
The monkey is just starting to "toddle" around but gives me a heart attack every time he takes a tumble, but I guess that's part of growing up for him. I am just so thankful that I didn't have to go back to work otherwise I would have missed all of this!

I'm never surprised at how excellent YA fiction can be. Teens often read across "borders," picking up adult novels just as much as any adult reader. So I think it's only logical that authors would craft teen novels that have just as much depth as one aimed at adults. Just because someone is under the age of 18 doesn't mean that they're brain dead are incapable of picking out good fiction from bad regardless of its intended audience.

>230 MickyFine: Very true Micky. If you asked me a couple of years go, I wouldn't ever think that I would read YA books and I would shudder at the thought of reading children's book but that along with so many other things have changed. I definitely have a new found appreciation for those books that I once snubbed my nose at and I'm so glad because since then, some of my best reads have been YA/children's books. Who would have thought?? :)

>230 MickyFine: When I was a teen, I read adult books almost exclusively (partly because I liked it and partly because I had a lot of immature kids in my classes at school and I got tired of being treated like a child because my peers behaved childishly - I thought that reading things like Dickens, Plato, and other authors of "difficult" books would show that I was different), and I'm just now getting into YA in my mid-20s. Both then and now I look for quality writing in genres I like and ignore suggested age ranges. Then again, I still read children's books. There's been so many wonderful ones written since I was a child. Why should I have to wait until I have kids to discover them?

Selections for October
*Indicates shared reads

#1: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night - Mark Haddon*
#1: The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald*
#2: Olive Kitteridge - Elizabeth Strout*
#2: The Woman in White- Wilkie Collins*
#2: The Year of the Flood - Margaret Atwood*
#11: Saving Fish from Drowning - Amy Tan
#11: The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom*
#15: Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe
#15: City of Bones - Cassandra Clare*
#18: The Rose Garden - Susanna Kearsley
#18: Eon - Allison Goodman
#18: Lamplighter - D.M. Cornish
#18: Radioactive - Lauren Redniss

Hello Valerie - you really plough through the books! And great reviews too!

Hi Valerie! You have picked some great books for October! I loved The Year of the Flood and The Five People You Meet in Heaven. Hope you enjoy!!
I'll be interested to see what you think of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night. I have it sitting on my sad shelf, waiting to be read!

Hi Valerie, playing catchup on LT tonight. Great reading month in September and looks like you've got great reading ahead too! Radioactive was so highly recommended on Mark's thread and then by others that it's been on my WL for a while. I'll look forward to your comments too.

Cuddles to the tumbling monkey! :-)

eta: your comment about reviews only stresses to me how hard it is to keep up with everyone here AND write my reviews, which are always incredibly late and which I promised myself I'd do something about today... *sigh*

Hi Valerie. I was thinking of your mention of reading YA adult books - and a book that I read to my sons when the eldest was in grade 7 came to mind. I really enjoyed it, and it was I think dystopian and I suppose speculative fiction . Anyway, I loved the story, as did my eldest - my other son is 5 1/2 years younger, so I' m not sure if it might have been beyond him at that time. In case you have not already read it, the title is The Giver by Lois Lowry. It was excellent!

You've got a great line up for reads for October.

As for worrying about your little one falling - I remember my mom telling that one of my sisters was so daring with her walking and fell so often my dad thought they ought to get her a helmet for her head to prevent brain damage -and that was way back in the late 60's! :) My dad never did get that helmet for her -and she's bright as button today.. ;)

You do have some great reads lined up for October! I just finished The Woman In White and overall, I really liked it. I have to admit that I had to read the first 100 pages or so before I really got into it, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. There is a group read of The Woman in White over at the 11 in 11 Group that you might want to check out.

I am another one who has discovered YA reading over the last few years, I think there are some truly great reads out there. And Valerie, just think of the great children's book's you will soon be reading to your son! I loved reading aloud to my daughters, we shared some great books that they still remember today, many years later.

Another YA fan, here. While there is a lot of fluff, there is some great literature out there. Just like adult books, I guess. Same goes for children's literature -- wonderful books out there!

>232 casvelyn: I was the same. I read a lot of YA's when I was actually a teen but very quickly wandered over to the main Fiction section of the library and never really looked back. I do feel like the variety and scope of YA is much larger than it was when I was growing up. I felt like I was confined to books like Nancy Drew/Sweet Valley High/Christopher Pike books, but now the variety that you can choose from is mind boggling!

>234 PrueGallagher: Thanks Prue! I see Decemeber 31st looming on the horizon and so there's the extra push to read as much as I can to get to that magical 75! :)

>235 ChelleBearss: I'm really excited for this month's reading as well. A lot of those books have turned grey just sitting on my shelves so hopefully I won't disappoint them and are able to read them all this month.

>236 Smiler69: It seems so wrong on some level that we get stressed about writing those reviews since this whole experience of reading and interacting with other LT members is so enjoyable. I'd say, don't stress about writing those reviews except I can't even take my own advice so I'll just join you in that stress. The longer I put it off, the more agitated I get that I haven't written it yet. If I can't help you, I might as well join you. :)

>237 vancouverdeb: Hey Deb! The Giver is one that I have sitting on my TBR shelf and I really want to get around to it since the premise sounds like something right up my alley. And the fact that it's short makes it all the more enticing to me at this point.
As for the falling monkey, on the carpet I'm not as worried, it's in the kitchen that I get a tad nervous. Especially when he is excited he tends to want to propel himself forward faster then his little legs can carry him so of course he ends up falling face first. Tough little monkey, hopefully he learns his balance before his face is flat as a pancake..haha

>238 DeltaQueen50: Thanks Judy! I might have to wander over to the 11 in 11 thread to check out the group read if I start having troubles with the book. I've been reading so many YA's lately that I'm looking forward to reading something a bit heavier.
It's actually very convenient that I'm getting to read all these YA books now so that hopefully, fingers crossed when my son becomes a book lover when he grows up, I will have some good ones to recommend and like you said, to read to him. I'm really looking forward to that experience and hopefully I will be successful in imparting to him my love of books.

>239 AMQS: Yes Anne, I too am so glad I discovered this whole other world of books. It definitely gives us so much variety and choices. :)

#70 Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Allison Goodman
TIOLI Challenge #18: Read a book that has been mentioned in 150 conversations or less on the book's main page
Source: Public Library
Genre: YA
Pages: 531
Rating: 4 Stars
Recommend: A fusion of Chinese mythology, court intrigue, and dragon lore

The Empire of Celestial Dragons is home to an Imperial family on the verge of being overthrown, the Dragoneyes, powerful men who have studied and mastered the art of connecting and drawing magical forces contained within one of twelve dragons, and Eona disguised as Eon, an orphan girl masquerading as a boy. She is the one and only person who can see all twelve dragons. This rare gift is also a curse in that only men are called and permitted to be Dragoneyes, and yet risking life and death to those around her, Eon will infiltrate the council of Dragoneyes. The fate of the empire rests upon her crippled body; her task is to summon powers far beyond her understanding in order to restore order and balance to an imperial court that is rife with plots, schemes, corruption and betrayal.

I am typically not a fan of dragon lore. I usually find the subject too cliche and repetitive and yet Goodman was able to infuse new life and energy into a story that otherwise would have been left on the stacks to collect dust. The combination of mythical dragons and an alternate ancient Chinese world comprising of a mixture of facts and fiction made for a delightful read. The relationship between the dragons and the humans they imbued with their powers was intelligently delivered and captivating to read. Undoubtably, I will be returning to this fantasy world, if only to be graced by these majestic creatures who are the kings of the spiritual realm.

Hi Valerie! Just stopping by to say hello, and happy thanksgiving!

I actually got an email from Chapters.ca this morning suggesting some YA dystopian books, because I had bought The Hunger Games online. There looks to be some great ones on the list! I think I will have to splurge next paycheque and get a couple! Blood Red Road, The Eleventh Plague and Delirium all look pretty good! YA has come along way from The Babysitters Club and the RL Stine books!

ETA
Your last read Eon: Dragoneye Reborn looks quite good too!

Hi Valerie! Just swinging by. Your October list looks like a good one! I seem to be in the minority in having felt a bit "meh" about Olive Kitteridge -- although the stories and characters have stayed with me even though I read it a couple of years ago, so maybe that suggests it was better than I thought at the time.

Nice review, Valerie! Have a really great Thanksgiving!

Hi Valerie, just dropping by to wish you a great Thanksgiving weekend.

Passing through, waving hello.

Hi Valerie, wow, your September round-up was good, your October reading plan looks excellent, and I really liked your last two reviews. I always come away here with my virtual shopping bags filled!

You caught me with an Eon book bullet. Dang it.

Oh man! I stop by for a quick hello and I get hit by another BB!! Eon is going on the never-ending TBR pile. I've also been telling many of my friends about your great review of The Maze Runner. Thanks for such great recommendations!

Hi Valerie - I just picked up The Maze Runner on audio from the library and am enjoying it. Thanks for the recommendation!

Hi Valerie! Thanks for sharing the trials of straight hair with me. As you say, whatever kind of hair that you are born with, it's the opposite of what one wanted! :)

Happy Thanksgiving! I just finished reading my second graphic novel - Two Generals , a non- fiction account of the Battle of Normandy written by the grandson of a soldier who fought in WW11. I'm really enjoying trying out Graphic novels.

Enjoy your Sci -Fi! So many people do!

I could never get into Olive Kitteridge. Let me know what you think of it. I'm pretty sure it's still in one of my many TBR piles! ;)

>242 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle! I hope you're having a great Thanksgiving as well. :) I haven't heard of those YA titles before so I will have to look those up. I've decided that since I've gotten my library card that I would't actually purchase anymore YA books and just borrow them from the library. Since buying books is now a luxury, I really want to make my purchases count! Wow, you totally brought back such fond memories for me with The Babysitters Club and R. L. Stine.

>243 EBT1002: Hi Ellen. It seems like you are not the only person that struggled with Olive Kitteridge. It definitely makes me all the curious to read the book and form my own opinions about it.

>244 MickyFine: I hope you have a great Thanksgiving as well Micky!

>245 DeltaQueen50: Judy, have yourself a wonderful Thanksgiving as well. :)

>246 nittnut: Thanks for passing through Jenn!

>247 KiwiNyx: Glad I can be of service Leonie. :)

>248 Morphidae: Book bullets is a wound that I'm sure most of us around here are willing to be riddled with. ;)

>249 weejane: No problem Brit. I think spreading the word about a book we particularly enjoy is just one of the great features of this community.

>250 katiekrug: Hi Katie! I look forward to your review once you finish with The Maze Runner.

>251 vancouverdeb: Happy Thanksgiving to you too Deb! I am too really enjoying the exploration into the world of GN's. I think the best part of using the Library recently is being able to just experiment without feeling any guilt about how much it is going to cost me. :D

Time for a new Thread. Hope to see everyone there! :)