Donna828 is Overbooked: Chapter 13

The first picture is how our backyard looks right now; the second picture was taken last Thanksgiving. Those are snow geese on the pond. We've lived here 11 years and hadn't seen any until then! I hope they come back this year.

Sometimes, I Am Startled Out of Myself,

by Barbara Crooker

like this morning, when the wild geese came squawking,
flapping their rusty hinges, and something about their trek
across the sky made me think about my life, the places
of brokenness, the places of sorrow, the places where grief
has strung me out to dry. And then the geese come calling,
the leader falling back when tired, another taking her place.

Hope is borne on wings. Look at the trees. They turn to gold
for a brief while, then lose it all each November.
Through the cold months, they stand, take the worst
weather has to offer. And still, they put out shy green leaves
come April, come May. The geese glide over the cornfields,
land on the pond with its sedges and reeds.

You do not have to be wise. Even a goose knows how to find
shelter, where the corn still lies in the stubble and dried stalks.
All we do is pass through here, the best way we can.
They stitch up the sky, and it is whole again.

My tickers are hibernating!!!
So far this year I've read 116 books
consisting of a total of 37,309 pages.

Books read in October:
97. The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton. 3.9 stars.
98. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. 4.76 stars.
99. Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley. 4.1 stars.
100. The Haunted Bookshop by C. Morley. 3.3 stars.
101. Every Man In This Village Is A Liar by Megan Stack. 4.6 stars.
102. Cold Spring Harbor by Richard Yates. 3.4 stars.
103. Summer by Edith Wharton. 4.1 stars.
104. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson. 3.3 stars.
105. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. 4.5 stars.
106. The Moviegoer by Walker Percy. 4 stars.
107. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. 3.5 stars.

11 books read in October, 9 owned by me.
3,557 pages read.
Favorite fiction of the month: Lonesome Dove
Favorite non-fiction: Every Man in this Village is a Liar

Books read in November:
108. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. 4*
109. A Million Miles in A Thousand Years by Donald Miller. 3.5*
110. Such A Long Journey by Rohinton Mistry. 4.2 *
111. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell. 3.6*
112. Let's Take the Long Way Home by Gail Caldwell. 4.2*
113. The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman. 3.3*
114. Old New York by Edith Wharton. 3.9*
115. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes. 3.8*
116. The Jewel in the Crown by Paul Scott. 4*

Monthly recap:
9 books read in November, 7 owned by me.
2,559 pages read.
Favorite Fiction: Such A Long Journey
Favorite Non-fiction: Let's Take the Long Way Home.

"Whatever is silenced will clamor to be heard, though silently." (153)

Book No. 108: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. 4 stars.

What a wonderful discussion we had at last night's book group about this book. I wish you all could have been there! I read this about a decade ago for the first time and was quite distressed with the content. I gave it 3.5 stars because I recognize good writing when I see it, but it was one that I was glad to have behind me. "Ugh" was my main thought when it appeared on my book club agenda. Being the open-minded person that I'm trying to become, I read it again. This time I really enjoyed it. It may not be quite in my "love" category but it is definitely growing on me.

What can I say about it without giving the plot away? It's the story of Offred, whose true name is not revealed, in a chilling future that seemed too believable. Offred tells her story of submission and boredom, resignation and despair, while she struggles to maintain her sanity in a world gone insane.

Her body is held captive but her mind is not. She remembers her husband and daughter and knows that something precious has been lost. As she reconstructs her story, she nurtures her faint hope for a better future. Atwood has portrayed a bleak society using poetic language. Love the book or not, it's certainly one to read and remember.

Ooh, am I first?!?! I love both the photos at the top, Donna, as well as the poem. I read it out loud :)

I plan to read The Handmaid's Tale for my "Speculative Fiction" category in the 12 in 12 challenge next year.

What a lovely view you have! Thanks for sharing those beautiful photos, Donna!

Hi, Donna--I arrive early to the thread for a change.

Lovely photos and poem.

I read The Handmaid's Tale years ago. I appreciated it but did not love it. It would be interesting to see how it fares in a reread--although there are a lot of Atwood novels that possibly deserve my attention as well.

Wow, that's the view in your yard! Lovely!!

Hi Donna- Congrats on the New Thread! I love the photos. I would kill for a view like that, okay not kill, how about slightly maim for a view like that?
Like the poem too, perfect autumn tone!

lovely pictures Donna!
starred :)

Here you are. And what beautiful pictures. We watch the geese gather outside our windows every year as they get ready to leave the area. I don't know whether I've read The Handmaid's Tale or not. I read some of Atwood's books twenty years ago but I may be thinking of Cat's Eye. Anyway, at some point I decided I didn't much care for her. Until, that is, she wrote The Blind Assassin which I really liked.

Beautiful pictures and even more beautiful poem Donna! I have to say that I did not care for The Handmaid's Tale when I read it a couple of months ago. Intially I was going to give it 3. 5 stars for " effort" but then the ending was simply so hopeless, I could not abide the book. But that's just me! It certainly would make an excellent book for discussion - perhaps heated!;)

Wow! I didn't remember about the snow geese visiting last year -- what a treat! And that is a beautiful poem -- thanks for sharing it. :-)

Hi Donna! I enjoyed your review of The Handmaid's Tale. I haven't read any Atwood yet, but she's an author I want to get to. I picked up Oryx and Crake at a used bookstore not long ago. Now I just have to find time to read it!

How lovely the pictures and the poem! I would love to have a house on a pond or river in Kansas--we would like to fish our retirement away, when I wasn't sitting on the deck reading instead.

Not too productive. No jewelry, cleaned out a kitchen cupboard, caught up 3 days of newspapers, read LT threads and a chapter of American Gods. Think I will spend the evening reading, however.

Donna, those photos are fabulous. Oddly enough we had snow geese on our pond last fall, for the very first time in 7 years!

And I'm so glad you liked The Handmaid's Tale this time around. I thought it was really thought-provoking.

Lovely, Donna!
I am so behind on threads, but I'm off to catch up on the old and have starred the new!

Hi Katie, sorry but there's no prize for being No. 1. That poem begs to be read out loud. I "borrowed" it from The Writer's Almanac. I have a speculative fiction category for next year as well. It worries me as that is not my favorite genre.

You're very welcome... in more ways than one, Laura. It's good to see you again.

Hey there, Anne. I'm glad I gave The Handmaid's Tale another chance. It was such a good book for a group to discuss. I'm planning to read Oryx and Crake by Atwood in January. It came highly recommended by one of the group members last night.

It is a nice view, Chelle, especially this time of year when the cooler weather kills off the algae. We have a pair of swans on the lake that are mean as can be but fun to watch.

Mark, remind me to send you a picture of the view in mid-summer when the geese and swans have to compete with the pond scum. Not a pretty sight! It only lasts for a few months thank goodness.

Hi Kara, I paid you a visit on your new thread. Your picture is to die for! Don't let Mark see it or he will be maiming people in NC to get that view!

Bonnie, I'll share a little secret with you about The Blind Assassin. I couldn't stand the story-within-the-story... so I ended up skipping over those parts. I really liked the rest of the book. Someday I'll go back and read the entire book! Hey, wouldn't it be funny if your geese ended up in my backyard in Missouri?

>17 Donna828:: Donna, I've been lurking all this time for no good reason! And I did the same thing with The Blind Assassin, I couldn't get into those parts either.

I remember your dismay with The Handmaid's Tale, Deb. I felt much the same way the first time I read it. There were two people last night who couldn't finish the book because they were so disturbed by it. I'm glad they came anyway. One is going to try it again, and the other is done with it!

Nancy, I had forgotten about the snow geese until I was looking through my pictures to find something to go along with the poem. I think there were so many other things going on last Thanksgiving that I forgot to tell you about it. I was too busy bombarding you with tales of Haley meeting her cousins for the first time!

I'll be reading Oryx and Crake in January, Amy. I've enjoyed some of Atwood's books more than others. I think Cat's Eye is my favorite, probably because I read it first.

Roni, that would be great if you and your DH retired in Kansas. I'd get to see you more often that way! I can't believe you'd rather go on a cruise than meet up with us in Joplin after Thanksgiving. ;-)

That is odd, Laura. I remember how beautiful they were when they took off. If they hadn't made such a racket when they landed, I might have missed them, as I was very busy in the kitchen that morning. 'Thought provoking' is a great way to describe The Handmaid's Tale.

Hi Peggy, I run hot and cold on my thread hopping. I lurk much more than I post when I do get around to everyone's thread as I'm usually there after a discussion I'm able to add to has moved on. I do enjoy the variety of topics that come up on your thread... from pathetic but funny term papers to writing with fountain pens.

>18 lauralkeet:: Laura, your secret is safe with me. We are kindred souls in that respect. ;-)

Beautiful picture, Donna.

I can't add anything to the Margaret Atwood discussion as I hated The Handmaid's Tale and never tried another book by her. Being a Canadian, I suppose I should give her another chance.

Oh, Donna, what lovely pictures! Nice new thread, too. *starred*

Hi! Marking the new thread! :-)

Love the pics, especially the top one with the light/dark contrast. Lucky you . . .

Morning Donna- No, I will not be maiming anyone, maybe a pinch or a hard squeeze, that's it. I have traveled through North Carolina, it is gorgeous.

Lovely photos! And I enjoyed the poem as well.

My favorite Margaret Atwood book is Alias Grace, which my girls read for high school. They also read The Handmaid's Tale, but I haven't gotten to that one yet. Nice review!

Good morning, Judy. Yes, do give her another chance with one of her non-speculative (i.e., weird) books. Alias Grace and The Blind Assassin both have hints of mystery to them. Btw, there are many U.S. authors that I don't care for so I don't think nationality is a prerequisite for liking an author.

Thanks for the star, Anne.

Hi Porua. I must get over to your thread and see what you've been up to.

Why, thank you, Brenda. My pictures are hit and miss. I do the point and shoot thing so what you see is what you get!

Mark, I'm glad to hear that your threat was an idle one. I have never been to NC! If and when my DH retires, I'd like to visit some areas I've missed in my travels.

Good morning, BJ. If Missouri State offers an Atwood survey class, I'm in!

For all you Three Pines readers: I've probably mentioned this before but it bears repeating. Much (maybe all) of the poetry attributed to Ruth Zardo is written by Margaret Atwood.

Good morning, Donna! Hope you have a lovely Saturday - and thanks for that bit of info about the poetry in the Penny books. I was not aware of it!

Hi Donna, love the pictures and especially the poem! My only try with Atwood was The Blind Assassin and I gave up around page 200. I agree about not caring for the story within the story. I own a copy of Oryx and Crake so I'll be interested in what you end up thinking of it. Maybe I'll try that one next.

I am in awe you get to wake up each morning and look into your backyard and see that breathtaking view! :)

I have been meaning to get to The Handmaid's Tale and since I haven't read any books by Atwood, it seems like a good place to start!
Hope you are having a great weekend Donna.

Well, here you are! What a beautiful view you have. Let us know about the snow geese.

I'm really glad to hear that The Handmaid's Tale is growing on you. I've read it three times and it's an all-time favorite of mine. Horrific read, though. Offred. That always gets to me.

Just stopping by to say hi! Perhaps one day I will try Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood. But, not in the near future!;)

Hi Donna!
Isn't that the owl railing? Very nice pictures - isn't nature awesome? Did you try counting the snow geese? Sometimes I try counting the ducks in the cove and am amazed at the number of them! :)

Great poem!

Hi Katie, my Saturday turned out to be a busy day. I hope I get some good reading time in today. The extra hour will be put to good use!

Good morning, Pat. Isn't that a great poem? I think I mentioned somewhere that I'll be reading Oryx and Crake in January. It's another one of Atwood's dystopian books.

Valerie, that's the first thing I do each morning. I love living in the city with an almost-country kind of view.

Joanne, the first time I read The Handmaid's Tale it took me awhile to "get" that Offred meant Of Fred. I thought it was brilliant that Offred was a little "off" and dressed in red! I still think Atwood may have been playing with her readers. ;-)
There are lots of Canadian geese stopping by but no Snow Geese as yet.

Deb, I have to let the memory of a bad experience with an author pass before I pick up another book by them. I hope you do give Ms. Atwood another try someday.

Good memory, Cee, that is indeed the "owl railing." It shows up in many of my pictures. I took that one on Thanksgiving morning and was a bit busy in the kitchen cooking for the 12 immediate family members staying with us and the 6 others that were joining us for dinner! This year should be a lot quieter. I promise to try and count the Snow Geese if they return.

Hi, Donna! Such lovely photos on your new thread!

I want to sit on YOUR porch with my candy-coffee! What a gorgeous view. Loved the poem, too.

Donna just delurking to say hi and happy reading!

Thank you, Terri.

Cindy, you're only 3 or 4 hours southwest of me. Come on over!

Hi Paul, I'm always happy when I'm reading. ;-)
Thanks for the visit.

We finished our discussion of The Age of Innocence in our class today. I didn't glean anything earth shattering from Dr. C's comments. He compared Edith Wharton to Shakespeare in that they both understood the hearts of downtrodden men and women. He also pointed out that EW wrote this when she was 57 - the same age as Newland Archer at the end of the book.

I have the rest of the week off while the other class members are working on their papers. We'll begin our last Wharton book next Monday. I'm looking forward to reading the four novellas that make up Old New York.

"If the point of life is the same as the point of a story, the point of life is character transformation."

Book No. 109: A Million Miles In A Thousand Years by Donald Miller. 3.5 stars.

Is life a series of random events or something more? Donald Miller gets an opportunity to edit his life when an earlier memoir Blue Like Jazz is being adapted as a movie. The same concepts he reveals can be applied to a movie, a book, or a life. We are acting out a story in which our actions are more important than our intentions or thoughts. A story involves a character who wants to attempt something difficult and overcomes conflict to do it.

There is nothing new in those ideas. The real value of the book is how the author gets himself off the couch and actually does something about recreating the story of his life. His first efforts were small. Buying a bike and getting in shape. But as he achieved small successes, he increased his goals. Making a connection with the father who abandoned him. Riding his bike cross-country to raise money to build wells in Africa. He writes with humor and candor about the people he meets along the way and about the faith that sustains him. I like his approach in this book. It contains an important message, it's well written, and it doesn't preach. Donald Miller is a Christian who lets his life do his witnessing for him.

Hi Donna, I can't believe I neglected your thread this long! I'm glad you enjoyed The Handmaid's Tale that much more the second time around. I've read it a couple of times and thought it was brilliant. It's been a long time, so I'll be due for a re-read.

I finished Parnassus on Wheels tonight thought it was quite delightful. I'm tempted to try to get my hands on the next book, but I know you weren't that taken with it, and that you'd said that you probably would have enjoyed it more if you'd waited between the two books longer (or something of the sort). Looking at the work pages, I see that the first book gets a higher rating, so apparently there are plenty of others who feel it isn't as strong either.

Donna, sorry I got behind on your thread.

#1 Those photos are amazing - I can't believe you have all that in your backyard :-)

Hi Donna! I read Blue like Jazz a couple of years ago and remember appreciating his fresh perspective on life. I like what you wrote about him not being preachy and I think that was one of the reasons why I enjoyed Blue like Jazz as well. It felt like he was just sharing his life and not so much a doctrine. I don't recall the details of the book, but I think it was put together like little mini snippets of random things he had an opinion about. Is this book written in the similar fashion?

>40 Smiler69:: Hi Ilana, I'm glad you liked Parnassus. I hope I'm forgiven for calling you Madeline on the TIOLI thread. My fingers and brain don't always work together! Please do read The Haunted Bookshop. I'll be watching for your comments on it whenever you get around to reading it. I read your thread daily but don't post often.

>41 souloftherose:: Oh Heather, please don't apologize. I find that I'm perpetually behind on threads. I've taken to lurking more often so I can keep up better. My morning coffee time is getting longer and longer. Thanks for the kind words about my pics. I can't take credit for the pictures or the scenery. I just try to enjoy it.

>42 jolerie:: Valerie, you totally nailed Miller's writing style. He is pretty random in his thoughts, but I felt there was more substance to A Million Miles than Blue like Jazz. I remember putting a note on BLJ to reread it before I post anything about it. Guess I'll have to pick it up again someday. I forgot to mention in my review that Miller has some good comments in AMM about his writing process - something I find fascinating. I don't have the talent or the discipline to be a writer. I much prefer my "job" as reader!

Whoa! Two days w/o posting here. I'm alive and well. Just busy with life and my 'job' of reading.

I'm currently in India (in my book travels) alternating between The Jewel in the Crown and Rohinton Mistry's first book Such A Long Journey. Here are some favorite quotes about reading from Long Journey:

"What was six rupees for three classics?... One or two books at a time, and eventually I will have enough to fill that bookcase. It's all a family really needs. A small bookcase of the right books, and you are set for life." (103)

And one of Gustad's memories of his father's eyes... "Sometimes, when he was reading -- a kind of sadness, that the book was finishing too soon, without telling him everything he wanted to know." (230)

Thanks for those quotes from Such A Long Journey, Donna. I read it about 3 years ago so have forgotten the specifics but it's nice to remember a good read through your eyes!

Hi, Donna! Looking forward to seeing you in Joplin in a few weeks!

Big fan of Mistry but why the heck does he take so long to publish work?

>45 phebj:: Hi Pat, isn't it fun to have memories of good books revived from time to time? I find myself nodding (or sometimes shaking my head) a lot as I read the comments about books I've read here on LT. I love book talk!

>46 tloeffler::Me too, Terri! We're shaping up to have a good-sized group this year with representatives from four states. Good times ahead.

>47 PaulCranswick:: I agree, Paul. But I try to be patient for these well-written books... and I still have his short stories to look forward to. I'd rather wait years between books than read some of the formulaic fiction of the book-a-year writers.

"All religions were equal, he was taught; nevertheless, one had to remain true to one's own because religions were not like garment styles that could be changed at whim or to follow fashion. His parents had been painstaking on this point, conversion and apostasy being as rife as it was, and rooted in the very history of the land." (24)

Book No. 110: Such A Long Journey by Rohinton Mistry. 4.2 stars.

My review:

Gustad Noble lives with his wife of 21 years and his three children in Khodadad Building in Bombay. Mistry describes the sights, sounds and smells of city life with exquisite detail. 1971 is a tumultuous time in India's history and even a middle class bank employee can play a small role in the rampant political corruption.

The main story, however, is about the small miracles and large misfortunes of an ordinary man with a superstitious wife, a rebellious son, and a sick daughter. Gustad makes his noble journey through life with the help of his many friends who help him discover the value of loyalty. Recommended.

This one has been on my WL for awhile now, Donna. I loved A Fine Balance. Someday I will get to this one with great anticipation... though it's hard to read about the poverty of India.

Loved the debate over The Handmaid's Tale. I admit it's one of my fave Atwoods (another is the much earlier Lady Oracle, which was the first of her books I read. I think the reason it should be read is that it is terrifying -- so much of literature, including dystopian books, is enjoyable because of the level of improbability. Atwood pulls no punches. Amusingly, though, my mother still struggles with all her books because when she thinks of Atwood, she thinks of an annoying little girl named Peggy who along with her childhood friend Dennis (now poet Dennis Lee) used to spy on Dennis's big broher and his then-girlfriend, my mother. Go figure... Just shows how tiny a city Toronto can be; everyone does seem to know everyone else.

Rohinton Mistry is on my TBR mountain; dunno why I haven't done anything about his work ere now...

ETA: Absolutely STUNNING photos!

Nice review of Such a Long Journey. I realized recently (while trying to figure out my favorite living authors for the "Darryl's meme" thread) that I really love Mistry's writing, and he is my Top 10. Can't wait to see what he writes next.

I really must get to Rohinton Mistry. I have one of his books but don't think it's that one.

I haven't read any Mistry either. I'm about to read Between the Assassinations by Aravind Adiga, also set in India - perhaps I should follow that up with some Mistry soon...

I've also been very much enjoying watching the TV adaptation of the Raj Quartet - I've seen 6 episodes so far, out of about 12 I think, but have to wait a month for the next few as I've used up my allocation of time for streaming that comes with my LoveFilm package...

Well now you've done it Donna. Mashed tags from my tag list, picked a book from my Wishlist, written a very enticing review and given it 4.2 stars, thereby making me wish even harder for it. Thanks so much;-)

LOL, Bonnie -- #55.
Genny, Borders had one of its massive pre-bankruptcy sales and I was able to pick up the DVD series of the Raj Quartet for about 25% of the price. DVDs are one of the tiny handful of things cheaper on your side of the pond, I fear -- at least based on the Amazon.co.uk prices.

#56 They seem pricey enough to me most of the time - especially boxed sets. I mostly rent them via LoveFilm, and only hunt on Amazon or bid for them on eBay with a strict maximum of what I'm prepared to pay if I really want to own a permanent copy. A good series at 25% of normal cost seems a good deal whatever the starting price though!

I confess I have Downton Abbey #2 en route to me now... Think I ended up paying 12 quid plus a small shippping fee -- DVD shipping is a fraction of what it is for a book. I'm picky, though, and will pay only for things I know I'll watch over and over. My big score last winter was the complete set of Cadfael mysteries for just under 9 quid -- I think there are 4 or 5 DVDs, and perhaps 10/11 episodes. Mostly, I buy stuff that I can't stream as it's just not available here. My big blowout will be "Spooks 10", though I'm a bit annoyed that I inadvertently read a spoiler... I've been addicted to that series since it first aired.

Hi Cee, I loved A Fine Balance, too. Such A Long Journey highlights the middle class of India. They still have raw sewage in the gutters, but they have water closets in the houses, or in this case, apartments. ;-)

It's nice to see you here, Suzanne. I think it's so cool that your mother has a childhood memory of Margaret Atwood as a little stinker. Funny, I never thought of Toronto as a tiny city, but then I live in a tiny city!
Re your later post... I wish I owned the Raj Quartet on DVD. Luckily, I can get it in installments from my library. I'll treat myself to the first one after I finish The Jewel in the Crown. I'm also a fan of Downten Abby and can't wait until PBS broadcasts the next part. Uh, they sorta left us hanging!

Janet, I think now that I've read three books by Mistry and enjoyed all of them that I would have to include him in my top ten living author list as well. I've been thinking about my choices and will post on Daryll's meme one of these days.

Hi Dee, A Fine Balance is most definitely my favorite Mistry. If that's the one you have, do read it ASAP!

Genny, don't you just love books about India? It's amazing to me how all those religions can coincide in the same country. I'd like to read more about modern India to see if the caste system is still in place. I'm so glad you're enjoying the Raj Quartet adaptation. Have you read Paul Scott's books?

Bonnie, I seem to have graduated from following in your reading footsteps to being a downright reading stalker! I hope you get Such A Long Journey in Mark's Christmas Swap. Hint, hint to whomever gets Bonnie's name. ;-)

Delurking to say my piece: if the Raj Quartet is good on DVD (and it is!), it's even better on the printed page!!!
Hi, Donna! I was also going to say that I enjoyed earlier Atwoods better than later ones except for Alias Grace. Well, Oryx and Crake was good... I read The Blind Assassin, but I was mad at her for it most of the time. I know that's very helpful! My other beloved Canadian woman, whom I found here at LT, is Margaret Laurence.

>60 LizzieD: My other beloved Canadian woman, whom I found here at LT, is Margaret Laurence

Me too, me too. I recently finished her second book in the Manawaka series A Jest of God and immediately ordered up (from PBS) #3. She is a wonderful writer that I also only recently discovered.

>59 Donna828: I hope you get Such A Long Journey in Mark's Christmas Swap. Hint, hint to whomever gets Bonnie's name. ;-)

Uh, not going to happen Donna. I bowed out when I realized that I have 377 unread books on my shelves and a fistful of B&N gift cards from my retirement bash. So I'll get the book at some point but not vis the Christmas Swap.

Margaret Laurence seems to have faded somewhat in CanLit; dunno why. I loved A Jest of God; still have to read The Diviners, which is another classic. And then there is Mavis Gallant, whose short stories are extraordinary. All of which reminds me that I have a Katherine Govier novel hanging around here somewhere...

Downton Abbey just arrived!! I figure I spent less on it than I would have had I downloaded the episodes later via iTunes. The mail service is getting more and more idiotic. I finally heard the mail arrive at 7:40 p.m., and heard the tell-tale thump of a package arriving. So I raced downstairs (in my pyjamas, changed into in order to read comfortably) only to find the nincompoop had dropped three packages just inside the front gate, where anyone walking past could have stolen them. (Two PBS books and the DVD). Usually the mail arrives HOURS earlier, and the mail person is courteous enough to just toss them through the fence in front of my door, so that they are secure. Sigh.

In one of those funny bookoincidences, I just picked up two Virago copies of Margaret Laurence books last night - A Jest of God and The Stone Angel. Glad to know she gets some LT love!

The semester is winding down, so I may actually be able to catch up one day ... just in time for the next year's threads to start.

I hope you are having a lovely fall!

I'm glad you enjoyed Such a Long Journey Donna. Will add it to my freak "it grows and grows" wishlist, though I've yet to read A Fine Balance which has been in my possession for several years now. Next year I'll aim for less books so I feel more encouraged to read those huge volumes.

I think I'll follow your example and start lurking more often since I can NEVER keep up and need to start making more time for other things, like my art. I just don't like not leaving comments because then how does the person know they've had visitors?

Donna, such interesting reading choices, including a couple of my favourite Atwoods, The Handmaid's Tale and Oryx and Crake.

Want to mention on your busy thread ... a few of us (Megan, Paul, Carsten, and I so far) are doing a group read of North and South Dec 15-Jan 15. You're welcome to join. Pass it on!

eta: Fixed the touchstone for North and South; it's Gaskell we're reading.

I like A Fine Balance the most of his novels although his Family Matters is also worth a go.

Morning Donna- I NEED to get to Mistry. Sadly, I've had A fine Balance languishing on a shelf for a couple years now. Maybe you can give me a nudge once and awhile.
Hope you are enjoying your weekend.

Woo hoo! Lots of visitors. Welcome one and all... including lurkers. ;-)

Peggy, your comments are always helpful! I sometimes get mad at authors, too. ;-)
Margaret Laurence, huh? Must check her out.

If Bonnie is reading Margaret Laurence, I'll be right behind her! I wish I had a fistful
of B&N gift cards. I'm not doing the Christmas Swap because I'm a grinch.

I'm glad you heard that thump, Suzanne. I'd say racing downstairs in your pajamas paid off.

Enjoy the Margaret Laurence books, Katie. I like your 'bookoincidence' word!

My fall is going great, Luxx. I don't know how you manage to teach and keep up with
two active boys and a new baby boy. I'm glad you're getting a break from work in time for the
holidays.

I do leave the occasional message, Ilana, to keep my presence alive on others'
threads - just not on a daily basis. I plan to be more intensely involved with my books next
year, too. As if that's possible. It will be in keeping with my new thread title. Top Secret for now!

Thanks for the heads up, Nancy. I'll look for North and South at the meetup in Joplin.
I have the one by John Jakes but I'm sure you must mean the Elizabeth Gaskell title.
I've been wanting to read something by her after watching the excellent PBS production of Cranford.

I second your book choices, Paul, even though I don't remember Family Matters all
that well. I read it eight years ago and there have been quite a few books read in the meantime.
I do remember all those people living in one small apartment. It's hard for me to fathom as my husband and I
rattle around in this big house.

Consider yourself nudged, Mark. I'm excited about lurking on the newest group read. And maybe another one
next month for Sea of Poppies? You are quite the organizer. I'm glad we have some natural leaders in this group.
I'm happy to be a follower. I hope you have a wonderful day of rest today.

#69 Yes, I meant Gaskell, Donna. Thank you. Duh moment here. I'll have to see if I can find PBS production of Cranford. I watched BBC's North and South which I thoroughly enjoyed!

Now how did you know I'd be lurking? ;-)

Hi Donna!
I told my husband I was gonna only read the books I have next year and not buy anymore! LOL
Also, I'm gonna throw my laptop in the ocean so I'll have time to do it! Again LOL.
But seriously, I have to figure something out.... it's a "fine balance"

(btw Mark, I loved that book too!)

69: Funky spacing. Hmmm... Gremlins?

70: Nancy, those touchstones can be downright unpredictable. I hope you can locate Cranford. It was excellent.

71: Hi, other Nancy. Caught ya! Lol. Btw, it was a beautiful day here in the Ozarks, although probably not as pleasant as SC.

72: Hi Cee, I love your idea of a fine balance. Another nudge for Mark! I've been making progress this year with my OTS books. My biggest problem is that I keep buying replacements for the books I set free!

Why is it that whenever I am off LT for a few weeks some starred threads get lost? Donna, I missed at least two threads and am not sure if I'll ever catch up again.
Just want to say Hi for now and I hope things are going well.

Just stopping by to say hi! As far as Margaret Laurence goes, I really enjoyed The Stone Angel . That's worth a read. I cannot remember if it is a part of the Manawaka series, but it is great as a stand alone book.

>74 Deern:: Hi Nathalie, no worries. I've missed you around here and I'm glad you found me. I hope things are going better for you and your business in beautiful Italy.

>75 vancouverdeb:: Thanks, Deb, I'm going to be on the lookout for Margaret Laurence books.

It smells great in the house this morning. I've been baking! I just put banana bread in the freezer and cut up the brownies and pumpkin squares for the bereavement dinner I'm helping with tomorrow at church. I had to sample each kind, of course, and the pumpkin bars are declared the winner! They have cream cheese frosting, plus I only make them around Thanksgiving so they are a real treat.

My dog is so funny. I guess I don't bake often enough because he has been in the window all morning looking for the company that isn't coming! I have plenty of pumpkin bars to take some to next week's Thanksgiving dinner at my brother's house. I'm thankful I get this year off from preparing the meal. ;-)

"Iris, Iris. Esme says the word to herself, forming the shapes inside her mouth. It's a gentle word, secret almost, she hardly needs to move her tongue at all. She thinks of blue-purple petals, the muscular ring of an eye."

Book No. 111: The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell. 3.6 stars.

Lots and lots of reviews on this one. I've owned it quite awhile and finally got around to reading it after a nudge from Cindy (countrylife). I'm glad I did. It tells a very sad story, but the writing is so lovely. I loved the cover, too.

Imagine being put in an asylum at age 16 for no good reason. 61 years, 5 months, and 4 days later, the asylum is closing and a great-niece is found. The reunion of Esme and Iris is a quiet but hopeful one. We slowly unravel the family secrets through the memories of two sisters - one demented and one mentally ill. Iris has her own memories and problems but she graciously makes room in her life for a long lost relative. I got completely caught up in this family tragedy and read it in two sittings.

Wow you make this book sound really good Donna but I vowed not to add any books that earns less than 4 stars. Any chance you made a mistake with those skimpy stars hmmmm?

Let's see, Bonnie, I know there's a way around this. If you forget about the half-star rating, you can round up 3.6 to 4 stars! The reason I can't go any higher is because of the sentimentality factor... although that is also the reason that I couldn't put it down. You know, sometimes one is just in the mood for a sob story.

#76 The baking sounds lovely Donna even if they are being baked for a sad reason. Your story about your dog made me smile.

The Vanishing Act sounds like a good book.

>76 Donna828: Your dog, Donna... and my husband (who kept looking out the window as I was making cream puffs) ... now I get it!
LOL

wow, I wish I was at your house! Sounds like you have a ton of yummy treats ;)

That sounds uncannily like books by Sebastian Barry and William Trevor... Is this a theme??

Hi Heather, I'm glad today is winding down. No cooking of any kind got done today. It smelled better in here yesterday. ;-)

Hey Claudia... maybe we should bake more often. At least I think that's what Lucky and your husband are pining for!

Chelle, everything has either been consumed (at the funeral dinner) or is safely put into the freezer. I love that I have a loaf of banana bread and pumpkin bars stowed away. I can say I've started my Christmas baking.

Suzanne, do you suppose that Brits are better at keeping their family secrets than Americans who seem to like going on talk shows and airing their dirty laundry? Just a thought. Lol.

HI Donna - I loved your story about Lucky. Our dogs are all so smart! Who knows what else goes on in their heads while they try to figure us out!

Hi Joanne, speaking of dogs, I read a book you might recognize....


“It’s an old, old story: I had a friend and we shared everything, and then she died and so we shared that, too.”

Book No. 112: Let’s Take the Long Way Home by Gail Caldwell. 4.2 stars.

I think this is one of those books that you have to experience for yourself. If you’ve ever lost a good friend to death, the impact will be greater than if you are lucky enough not to have gone through something this horrific. This book comes highly recommended by so many LTers that I’ve probably left some names off the list. I promise to keep better records next year. My thanks to Pat, Claudia, Joanne, Mark, Bonnie R., Amy….and so on.

I can’t help but compare Long Way Home to an earlier much-loved book on the same subject by Ann Patchett, Truth and Beauty. They are both paeans to friendship and it just so happens that all the principal characters are authors. Both books are recommended by me as one way to deal with the grief of losing someone close to you.

Gail Caldwell and Caroline Knapp came about their friendship later in life through their love of dogs. There is a parallel friendship story in the book about Gail and her beloved Clementine. The two women spent their happiest times in nature with their furry friends. They were a pack of four… “planting flags all over the province of our rearranged lives. So much of what we valued was being played out in those woods, in what we were building with the dogs and with each other.” (86) Along with dogs, the two women shared a past history of alcohol addiction, they were both driven to excel in athletics, and were quiet introverts who needed their space.

So how do you go on after losing a soul mate? Caldwell writes on pp. 146-147 -- “We have to keep on: build bridges, learn language, have babies, beat a stick against a rock and find rhythm. When death shows up, the fragility of all this is revealed. But not for long. Remembering the suck and force of death is like trying to hold water in your hand.”

As I said above, it's a book that must be read and experienced for yourself. Just be sure and have the tissues handy.

Hi Donna- Great review of Let’s Take the Long Way Home. I'm so glad you liked it. I NEED to get to Knapp's memoir. I keep forgetting about it.
BTW- I think you might like my latest Colton H. Bryant. It's both beautiful and heart-rending. And the audio was fantastic. Have a great weekend.

Hi Donna: I just finished that Caldwell book a couple of days ago. Not my usual, though I enjoyed it. Cried quite a bit, too, which is sometimes a good thing.

Donna great review of Let's Take the Long Way Home incidentally the title of a song on Supertramp's landmark Breakfast in America album.

Thanks, Mark. When I read your review of The Legend of Colton H. Bryant, I thought it was my kind of book. I really liked Fuller's memoir.

Linda, we must have a shared read on TIOLI. I need to mosey over there and add it to the wiki.

I learn something new all the time here, Paul. A visit to iTunes is in order for a preview of the song.

I've been having iPad problems tonight with my orientation being locked in portrait mode. I said a prayer to Steve Jobs and rebooted it. It worked! I am a technophobe and hate it when I have to figure out electronic problems. At least this solution was fairly easy.

Praying to Steve Jobs is always a good idea Donna. I have to agree with everything you say about Let's Take the Long Way Home, a book that has stayed with me.

Great review of Let's Take the Long Way Home, Donna. I was urged to read it by a real life friend. Otherwise, I might have skipped it thinking it was too intense but I loved it!

I also like your solution for technical problems. ;-)

>91 brenzi:: Well, Bonnie, I had to send an apology to Steve Jobs first. I was not happy. Yes, I suspect that The Long Way Home will stay with me as well. I don't blame you for not trying to tackle the dog aspect in your review. I was horrified with the scene in the park!

>92 phebj:: Hi Pat, I think you were the first one I know that read it and talked it up here. It was intense but in a good way. Unfortunately, I was on my own with my tech problem. My husband was lucky to be in Los Angeles or it would have been his problem. ;-)

I just checked it again and it's still working. Hallelujah!

Really nice review, Donna.

Lovely review, Donna. Let's Take the Long Way Home sounds like a beautiful book.

I'm glad your iPad is now behaving itself. The text on LT is just too small to read on portrait mode! Do you think it was the rebooting or the prayer to Steve Jobs that did the trick then? :-)

A prayer to Steve Jobs? Hey, if it works go for it.
You've read two books that sound like they should be on my wishlist. I've been tempted to purchase Esme many times but put it back on the shelf. Same for Take the Long way Home. But now, after reading your reviews, they are a must.

I had the Supertramp album that Paul mentioned on 8-Track, eeesh!

Hi Donna, I am hopelessly behind, and will likely stay that way for awhile :( I loved your review of Let's Take the Long Way Home. Thank you! Hope you have a great weekend.

I also loved your review of Let's Take the Long Way Home, Donna.

Since I listened to the audio, I remember driving into work one morning in tears.

>94 lauralkeet:: Thank you, Laura.

>95 Soupdragon:: Hi Dee, it is a beautiful book. iPad woes seem to be straightened out. I'll keep Steve on the prayer line...but I'm really glad I learned how to reboot it!

>96 Carmenere:: Yay, two must-reads for Lynda! I have some cassette tapes that I couldn't part with but the 8-tracks are long gone. You should save them for posterity. Wow, electronics have come a long way in the past 30 years. Unbelievable.

>97 AMQS:: Hi Anne, your life sounds so busy these days. Heck, I'm busy and I don't do half the stuff that you do! I have to start Christmas shopping soon. I always say I'm going to do it online but that feels like cheating. First, I have to do birthday shopping for my grandson's 4th birthday in early December.

>98 Copperskye:: Oh Joanne, I would have been the same way. I usually don't shed a tear at these kinds of books. The human story was bad enough, but the dog story was the clincher. ;-)

Let's Take the Long Way Home sounds like a book I want to read, but I will be careful with my timing, sounds like it could easily overwhelm one.

I usually am a bit of a grinch about Christmas and don't get into the spirit of it until the week before, unlike my husband who is wanting to put the tree up already! I am trying this year to be more festive, and I am going Christmas shopping next Tuesday. I find if I can get the shopping done, I can then start to relax and enjoy the season.

Hi Judy, I did the birthday shopping today with a few little things picked up for Christmas "extras." The entire holiday season overwhelms me these days. Probably my own fault because I want to buy the perfect gifts for the little guys. That's difficult to do when they have too much stuff to begin with. The big kids are always happy with their gift cards, token gift, and a check from Santa. ;-)

I did get home in time to finish my current book. The rest of the evening will be spent reading for class tomorrow. I am procrastinating more like a typical college student, although I try to get to bed before midnight.

"...news will survive, and quality coverage will always earn a premium. Whatever you want to call it--news, text, content--someone has to report it, someone has to write it, someone has to edit it."

Book No. 113: The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman. 3.3 stars.

The author was being kind calling his characters imperfect. I would call most of them idiots something else. First of all, because their stories were told in a series of vignettes, I don't feel I know these people very well. What I do know is that the entire lot of them are deficient in backbone and initiative. No wonder their Rome-based English language newspaper was struggling.

This was the author's debut novel. I enjoyed his writing and will certainly read his next book. I hope it is a true novel rather than a series of events in the lives of people I didn't care about. I should have said up front that I am not a big fan of short stories in general which is basically what this is even though the sketches are connected to the ex-pat newspaper in various ways.

laughing at the second line of your review, Donna!-- good write up. I'd decided not to read this for the reason you stated-- not a short story lover. Wishing you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving--gobble, gobble! :o)

There is a nice segment on Joplin rebuilding on the CBS nightly news tonight!

Donna The Imperfectionists has been on my hitlist for a few months - looks like it is worth following up on - entertaining review.

Well here's one we can definitely disagree on Donna LOL. I loved this book. But then I'm a short story fan, especially the linked variety which is what these were. Tell me you didn't snort your way through the Cairo stringer story. I laughed out loud at that one especially but really, I thought all of them were entertaining. I'm laughing to myself right now just thinking about them.

Oh Donna, LOL, I loved your review!

But like Bonnie, I liked the book a whole lot more than you did. And the Cairo stringer story - I'm chuckling about that now. :)

BTW, We've been watching Downton Abbey. What a wonderful series! I don't want it to end.

I did love The Imperfectionists, even though I'm not a short story maven. (When it comes to short stories, it's very much of a matter of who the author is, and is it excellent; I don't gravitate to them automatically). The stories are linked, so it's like reading the perspectives of the different lives of people whose only real point of commonality is where they happen to work -- they are global drifters and journalists, a kind of weird expat. I've met oodles of this kind of person, and their woes are at least as much due to the vagaries of the economics of journalism, I have to say! (I also worked at a paper in Tokyo that reminded me of this -- there was a copy editor who read Brautigan, over and over again, obsessively, and never anything but that; Tokyo Rose's ex-husband; a failed kamikaze pilot, etc.) On a general front, what I really enjoyed about this book is the way it showed how little we may know about what goes on in the lives of others that we have an ostensibly close working relationship -- how divorced our personal and work lives have become.

>103 GCPLreader:: Gooble, gobble back at ya, Jenny! I used to love Thanksgiving break when I was teaching, although I had to be out there on Black Friday to get a jump on Christmas gift buying. Now I can do it a little bit at a time. Much easier on the nerves. I'm going to Toys-R-Us after class today. I didn't want to be there on a busy Sunday afternoon.

>104 ronincats:: Roni, I'm sorry I missed that Joplin story. I'll get to see it for myself in eight days!

>105 PaulCranswick:: I'm glad I didn't put you off The Imperfectionists, Paul. I was being a cranky old lady last night when I wrote my comments. I read the other reviews this morning and was glad to see that I was not the only one disappointed in the book. These polarizing books lead to good discussions.

>106 brenzi:: I may have snorted at the Cairo story, Bonnie, but it was a derisive snort! How could anybody let themselves be taken advantage of in that way? My realism classes have spoiled me for anything but looking at the world in a representational way. I don't see anyone being that gullible for so long. *Spoiler Alert* He gave his house keys and laptop to a virtual stranger? And didn't even get something to eat food was available and he was hungry? And acosted a Muslim woman on the street in a foreign country and asked about her private life because someone told him to? *End of spoilers* Sheesh!

Usually I don't let downtrodden characters get under my skin but I abhor stupid characters. For the record, I loved Olive Kitteridge, another book of linked character sketches about mostly disagreeable people. Go figure. Maybe it's because I'm becoming rather like Olive in my old age!

I'm hanging on to the book and may give it another read when I'm in a more accepting mood. Thanks for disagreeing with me in such an agreeable manner. ;-)

>107 Copperskye:: Good call, Joanne, with changing the subject. I LOVED Downton Abbey.

>108 Chatterbox:: Your comments make me see the book in a new light, Suzanne. I've never worked in a newsroom or anyplace that I had to get along with a large group of adults. Kids are much easier! My other job was as a legal secretary in a small office. That was a perfect fit for me. Thank you for sharing your POV as an ex-pat and a journalist.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I so appreciate the fact that in this group we can see a book in a different way and still like each other! I have been in a negative frame of mind recently. I woke up this morning with the resolve to "lighten up!" That's hard to do on a chilly, foggy day but I'm going to give it my best shot. ;-)

Hi Donna -
interesting variety of takes on The Imperfectionists.
Stupid can sometimes be funny - but after reading your spoiler alert I tend to think I would react much the same as you did. Dunno? I didn't really like Olive Kitteridge as much as others. Just did not care for the characters much.
Anyway - I had this terrific massage the other day and the aromas of the oils is heaven. So I asked her if there was an oil that I could use in the morning to perk up and give me some good energy to start the day. She suggested a few drops of lemon oil on arms (even a drop in tea)... so I'm going to try it! I love lemons anyway.

Mmmmm...lemons. I'm getting more energetic just thinking of them. I use a body lotion that is lemon flavored. It's very light. Perhaps my funk would benefit from the lemon oil. I tried the pure lemon that I use in baking (ha!) but the scent dissipated quickly...and I smelled like a cookie! Let me know if it works, Cee. I can certainly use more energy this time of year.

We finished our last Edith Wharton in class today. Sob! I'm going to miss her. I'll come back in the next day or so and give my final thoughts on Dame Edith. I'm switching into Thanksgiving mode after I have lunch with a friend tomorrow. It's my young friend that spent the last 18 months in China. She's working back here now and I'm glad she wants to take her lunch hour to see me. She is definitely a high energy person so maybe I'll get a boost from her. ;-)

I've got a massive bio of Edith by Hermione Lee, who wrote an equally massive but wonderful bio of Virginia Woolf. Have you seen it? Do you recommend??

The only times I get irritated with others on books is when they become dogmatic about books that the rest of the world needs to recognize are dire or are masterpieces. Of course, that means I have to work hard to try to keep my own enthusiasm or vituperation from slipping across the line into dogmatism... Gulp.

Here's hoping you get your energy boost!!!

>112 Chatterbox:: I have that same massive bio, Suz. I read a positive review online and soon thereafter found it in a used bookshop. I decided it was meant to be. But I haven't read it yet :)

Yup, yup to Suzanne and Laura. I too have that massive bio on Edith Wharton. I've dipped into it a few times to see what Lee has to say about my current Wharton book and I am going to get it read from cover to cover in 2012. There...my first reading goal for the new year that is coming up waaaay too quickly!

Hi, Donna! Just stopping by to say hello say that I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi Donna, just popping in to wish you and yours a happy Thanksgiving and safe travels if you're visiting Haley!

Thanks for those Thanksgiving wishes, Terri and Lynda. I'm thankful for so many things this year including the community of readers here on LT. We are having a 'grown-up' Thanksgiving this year over at my brother's house. My great-nephews will be there but somehow they have both turned into adults! Haley will be in Dodge City, Kansas, at her other grandparents' house tomorrow - but we get her - and the other grandkids - at Christmas.

I hope everyone visiting here has a great Thanksgiving, even those non-US visitors. It's a healthy way to look at life if you can find something to be thankful for each and every day.

Hi Donna, Happy Thanksgiving right back at you! Is this the brother whose pictures you've posted? Great photographer!

Happy Thanksgiving, Donna : ). Loved your review of Let's Take the Long Way Home. Caroline Knapp's story of recovery from alcoholism, Drinking: A Love Story is a compelling read, too.

Happy Thanksgiving Donna!!!

>117 Donna828: Donna, I do so agree about being thankful. I survived a heart attack and published my first book, so a lot to be thankful for. I am alive and kicking and expressing my creativity!
Thanks to the Lord! And thanks to those on LT who have bought my book!

Alan/TT

Hi Donna, just adding my wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving to your family. Enjoy your holiday.

Just dropping by to wish you a happy Thanksgiving, Donna!

Hello and Happy Thanksgiving to Pat, Nancy, Tammy, Judy, and Joanne.

>121 TheTortoise:: Hi Alan, it's great to see you here. I remember reading and offering (probably unwanted) advice on The Book Traveller when I was a newby here on LT. I'm glad to see you have continued your writing career. Congratulations on publishing your latest book...and surviving a heart attack. My goodness, you've been busy.

I added The Confession of Sandy Harris to my Amazon wishlist. It's all in Santa's hands now. ;-)

"The 'Hazeldean heart' was a proverbial boast in the family; the Hazeldeans privately considered it more distinguished than the Sillerton gout, and far more refined than the Wesson liver..." (281)
Book No: 114: Old New York by Edith Wharton. 3.9 stars.

This book of four novellas was the perfect ending to my Wharton reading at Missouri State. Each section was a slice of life among the aristocrats and upwardly mobile (i.e., new money) inhabitants of New York City in the mid-1800s. As with other collections, I liked some of the stories more than others, but all of them had the same intelligent writing that is a trademark of all her works. Here are my "in a nutshell" impressions:

*False Dawn (The Forties): An art lover's delight.
*The Old Maid (The Fifties): What makes a "real" mother?
*The Spark (The Sixties): Civil War memories.
*New Year's Day (The Seventies): Things aren't always the way they appear.

My favorite? Perhaps "New Year's Day" because the O'Henry type ending caught me by surprise.

A note on the cover art: Painting is from The St. Louis Art Museum - The Front Parlor by William McGregor Paxton.

Happy Thanksgiving, Donna. Holidays are so much nicer when someone else does most of the work ;-)

Hi Donna! I've really enjoyed following along with your Wharton reading! It has made me want to read more of her work.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!!!

Now what did I pick up the other day but Old New York. And it looks like I will like it when I get to it. Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving Donna!! One of the things I'm thankful for, is having a good friend like you on LT. We have some history, don't we?

Happy Thanksgiving, Donna!

>126 katiekrug:: So true, Katie. I'm not complaining.

>127 porch_reader:: Amy, I want to read more by Wharton, too... after a break. I'm particularly interested in The Children as Edith doesn't strike me as knowing much about children, never having any of her own or being close to any that I know of.

>128 brenzi:: Bonnie, you are becoming a true EW fan. I added her as one of my favorite authors on my profile page.

>129 msf59:: We do go way back to our first days here, Mark. It's been a real pleasure getting to know you and others here. Who says you can't be friends with people you've never met in person?

>130 LauraBrook:: Laura, how are you? I stopped by your thread earlier today. Did you see me lurking?

Happy Thanksgiving to my Wednesday night visitors!

Donna I'll also add my thanksgiving wishes. We don't celebrate here but will be casting envious thoughts across the water at the finest of victuals being imbibed and ingested.

>131 Donna828:: I added her as one of my favorite authors on my profile page.
Wouldn't it be nice if we could go to an author's page and see which of our friends had listed them as a favorite author?

The "shared favorites" feature on our profile pages doesn't quite do it.

Happy Thanksgiving, Donna!

Happy holiday!

>124 Donna828: Donna, I have a proof copy of The Book Traveller, which Mrs. Tortoise is proof-reading for me and I hope to publish it soon, but I am working on a Kindle version of The Confession of Sandy Harris, which I hope to be able to publish this coming weekend, if all goes well!

Happy Thanksgiving.

Alan/TT

Thanks for your Thanksgiving wishes to us non-Americans who are still basking in the celebrations thanks to all the joy and good wishes found on so many threads today.

I hope your have a wonderful day with your grown up family. Lots of good food and laughs and love all around to you and your loved ones Donna. xx

Happy Thanksgiving, Donna!

Mercy! I'm stuffed. Dinner was five hours ago and the thought of more food today doesn't sound good at all. My SIL is a wonderful cook. She was a Home Ec major in college and actually enjoys cooking. So I say... let her have all the family parties. The only drawback is that we have more room at our house so if there are more than 8-10 people involved, I get the "fun" by default.

>132 PaulCranswick:: Paul, thank goodness there are no boundaries placed on good food and thankfulness! Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday because the meal is easy to prepare and there are no gift expectations!

>133 lauralkeet:: Maybe we'll have that author capability one of these days, Laura. It sounds like a good idea if you ask me.

>134 London_StJ:: Thank you, Luxx. You too!

>135 TheTortoise:: Hi again, Alan. I wish you all the best on your books. That is so exciting for you!

>136 Smiler69:: Thanks, Ilana. I wish we celebrated our T-Day along with our friends up north. The Christmas rush begins while I'm still digesting the big meal. As you can see by the above picture, I didn't skimp! At least I don't have to leave the house tomorrow. Black Friday will have to go on without me.

>137 kidzdoc:: I hope you had a good Thanksgiving, Darryl. I know it's difficult when family is far away. I'm lucky to have my brother and his family in town but I wish my kids and grandchildren lived closer.

Donna, at the risk of missing out on some great read/reviews of yours, which undoubtably have occurred in my 90+ missed messages, I will have to for times sake, try to keep up with you from this point on. :)

Donna, how pretty you look in your picture!

Hi Donna- Great photo! You look happy & sated! Glad you had a nice Thanksgiving!

Lovely picture! Hope you had a good evening!

Lovely photo, Donna!

That's a very, very nice photo of you and Mr. Donna! The table setting looks beautiful, too. Sounds like you had a very nice Thanksgiving!

Oh, Donna... that is a lovely picture. That color sweater suits you wonderfully! very pretty -
oh, the food! That looks yummy too! Hope you had a little room left for dessert??

My day is getting off to a bright beginning with sunshine outside and visitors here. Thanks to Valerie, Jenny, Mark, Chelle, Nancy, Laura, and Cee for dropping by with compliments on my humble picture. I wanted one to send to my absent children! I'll try not to be too obnoxious with pics from my new iPhone. Santa came early this year!

What a great picture of you and Dave! (The food looks awfully good, too!) And I love the pumpkin-y sweater!

I love the Thanksgiving photo! I hope you are not feeling too stuffed today after all that lovely food yesterday...

Glad you had a good Thanksgiving yesterday. Great picture!

Hi Donna, some great reviews and some books for the TBR list. I love the view from your balcony. You and I, we got the our iPads at the same time. In any view if you double tap the text enlarges to fit the screen (response to LT text too small to be viewed in the portrait view comment).

147: Thanks, Nancy. It sounds like you're having a great time with the family. I envy you getting to play all those games. I have to play with my computer "friends."

148: Greetings Genny. Today was a day of work and getting my tummy back to normal. I've decided I don't like to pay the price for overindulgence.

149: Hi Roni, and thanks. I'm heading over to your thread to catch up.

150: That is so cool, Gautam! I really like that little trick. I love my iPad, but I know that I'm not using it to its full potential. I'm always learning something new about it.

Lovely holiday photo, Donna! Thank you for sharing it with us.

Hi Joanne, you're one of the people I have to thank for the recommendation for:


"History is that certainty produced at the point where the imperfections of memory meet the inadequacies of documentation." (18)

Book No. 115: The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes. 3.8 stars.

Tony Webster is of the age (60ish) when we try to justify our past actions. He looks back on his youth and reflects on friendships and young love. There are many quotable quotes from which to choose in this Booker Prize winner. Here is one that relates to the sample above:

"How often do we tell our own life story? How often do we adjust, embellish, make sly cuts? And the longer life goes on, the fewer are those around to challenge our account, to remind us that our life is not our life, merely the story we have told about our life. Told to others, but--mainly--to ourselves."

There is much more to this book than mere reflection. There's the remorse and responsibility that shadows our memories until the truth reveals itself. The story is adequate but the writing is superb. I'm adding Julian Barnes to my list of authors to explore further.

Thank you to Darryl (kidzdoc) who did such good promotion of this book earlier this year... and to the many other LTers that read and loved it. I'm not certain if the Booker Prize winner will carry as much prestige this year as it normally does due to the weak offerings, but it certainly was a good introduction to Julius Barnes for me. For those who have read other books by him:

Is this his best book in your opinion or do you have another J.B. favorite?

Great review, Donna, and I love that quote. I haven't read anything by Julian Barnes yet but I have this book on my hold list at the library. Which reminds me, I need to check where I am in the queue.

Lovely Thanksgiving photo Donna and lovely review of the Barnes book too. i especially liked There's the remorse and responsibility that shadows our memories until the truth reveals itself. I haven't read anything else that Barnes has written but I do have The Porcupine and I'd also like to read Flaubert's Parrot right after I read Madame Bovary.

Glad you liked the Barnes, Donna. The only other book of his I've read is England, England which is a satire and didn't quite work for me at the time. It's one of those books I feel like I might enjoy quite a bit more at a different time. Not sure it would be your cuppa.

I'm glad you enjoyed this too, Donna! I credit Darryl for steering me towards it also. It was so good! I've read Barnes' Arthur and George which was quite different from this one but I enjoyed it.

>154 phebj:: Hi Pat, I had to wait awhile for my copy -- but not nearly as long as I've been having to wait for Doc. I canceled my "order" and plan to buy the trade PB when it comes out!

>155 brenzi:: Thanks, Bonnie. Good luck with Madame B. That's one of those books I'm glad that I read but feel no need to revisit. Flaubert's Parrot, on the other hand, is a different story.

>156 katiekrug:: Hey Katie, you're so right about me and satire. I really have to be in a certain frame of mind to enjoy it so I'll probably pass on England, England.

>157 lauralkeet:: Laura, I'm quite interested in Arthur and George. I must give full credit to Robert Downey, Jr. for awakening my love for Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle. ;-)

Help! My tickers in Msg. 2 are refusing updates. In fact, they are refusing to open. I added books to the ticker on my profile page without a hitch. Anyone have suggestions for me?

Donna, that's a great review.

Even though I didn't like The Sense of an Ending, I had read Arthur and George and thought it quite good (although wished I'd read some Sherlock Holmes stories first though) and have every intention of reading Flaubert's Parrot, though, like Bonnie, AFTER I've read at least Madame Bovary, the one Flaubert book in my possession right now, though I'll try to get my hand on more. Oh yes, I also have A History of the World in 10½ Chapters, which I'll read eventually as well.

Hi Donna, I have also read Arthur and George and I loved it.

Did you get your tickers working? I had a similar problem once and not knowing what to do I just left it, the next day they worked fine. Hope yours start working again too.

Donna- Hope you had a nice weekend. I'm STILL waiting for my library copy of The Sense of an Ending. I'm not sure I've waited this long for a book. It's been at least 2 months.
I'm hoping it comes in, before the Sea of Poppies G.R. begins.

>159 Smiler69:: Of course I read the review about your distaste for The Sense of an Ending, Ilana, but it didn't keep me away from the book. I like to make up my own mind. ;-) I wasn't as enamored as some people but I did like it. Perhaps you have to be a bit older and in a more reflective frame of mind about Life?

>160 DeltaQueen50:: Alas, Judy, my tickers are still unresponsive today. Not a big deal, however. I'll leave them alone for awhile to do whatever turtles and rabbits do in tickerland. Maybe I'll have luck when I transfer them to a new thread. If that doesn't work, I'll be starting afresh in a little over a month anyway. I'll look for Arthur and George in Joplin tomorrow. Now, that's a funny line!

>161 msf59:: Mark, the book will come when you're at your busiest. That's Murphy's Law for library books! At least it is a quick read. It took me a little over three hours and I am a fairly slow reader by LT standards.

I have my copy of Sea of Poppies out and ready to go. That's about the same time the Missouri Readers will be discussing The Tender Land. Oh well, I'll be finished with my class so will have a bit more reading time.

>161 msf59:: Mark, the book will come when you're at your busiest.

AND you'll get three, four maybe more AT THE SAME TIME. At least that's usually what happens to me. Not as much of a problem for me now that I have so much time on my hands. To get lots and lots of reading done I highly recommend retiring. I wish I would have done it years and years ago;-)

Just dropping by to say hi! :-)

Hi Bonnie!
Hi Porua!

I'm tired after a lovely day in Joplin, MO, meeting up with 9 other LTers. We bought books, talked about books, and had a long lunch where we talked some more about books. The party is still going on with Stasia and Terri spending another night there. The rest of us were daytrippers.

I managed to keep my book buying in check with only four new acquisitions:
28 Barbary Lane by Armistead Maupin. I've been looking for this Tales of the City Omnibus for quite some time.
Marking the Sparrow's Fall - Wallace Stegner. A title I wasn't familiar with but can't go wrong with WS.
Traveling with Pomegranates - Sue Monk Kidd. I've enjoyed her other nonfiction books.
Short Stories - Edith Wharton. What can I say... my new favorite author!

I posted a few pictures over here. Sorry 'bout the poor quality. I think when I have the red-eye setting on, the camera has a slight delay and has to be held steady for a nanosecond - which I neglected to tell the photographers. Next time we'll go with red eyes. ;-)

YOu are the best, Donna! Love the pictures, glad you had a good time.

Donna, I love this line from your review of The Sense of an Ending:

The story is adequate but the writing is superb.

That's kind of my feeling, about 4/5 of the way through the audio book version. The story doesn't really grab me, but the idea behind it, about mutability of memory and and all, is handled well -- and his prose is priceless. I'm not quite ready to add him to my favorite authors yet, but he's one that definitely bears watching.

Donna - stopping by to say hi and re: your Barnes review and the question levied. My favourite Barnes is Arthur & George but I haven't yet got to his latest nor have I read Flaubert's Parrot which I recently purchased, but I've read the rest of his novels.
Good restrained purchases showing exemplary taste if I may be allowed to venture such.

What a thoughtful review of The Sense of an Ending! It was my first Barnes too and I've been wondering which of his to read next. Perhaps I'll act on Paul's recommendation and try Arthur and George.

Hi Donna. Great pics, looks like a fun time!

Hey to Roni (who is enroute to her Caribbean getaway), Terri, Paul, Dee, and Chelle. Thanks (in no particular order!) for the nice comments on my review of The Sense of an Ending, an answer to my question for a Julian Barnes rec, and thoughts about Joplin. Can you tell I'm in a hurry?

I'm going to throw up a few comments about my last book read in November. I won't do it justice, however, so just chalk up my remarks to being rushed.


"This is the story of a rape, of the events that led up to it and followed it and of the place in which it happened. There are the action, the people, and the place; all of which are interrelated but in their totality incommunicable in isolation from the moral continuum of human affairs." (Pg. 1)

Book No. 116: The Jewel in the Crown by Paul Scott. 4 stars.

The time is 1942, the place is Mayapore, India. The crux of the story is introduced in the quote above found on the first page, but it's how Scott gets to the rape scene that makes the book. Lots of characters are introduced and lots of background information is given on how the relations between England and Colonial India are deteriorating. Daphne Manners is a young English girl who falls in love with the Indian-born but English-raised Harry Coomer (or Hari Kumar as he is known in India). Their story is told through different perspectives and culminates in the wonderful journal of Miss Manners.

I've been reading this book all month. I have to say it is a bit dry in parts as it is educating the reader and setting up the story for the next three volumes. It took me awhile to get into it but I'm so glad that I persevered. I look forward to reading the next three books of The Raj Quartet.

This was on my list too for the month - I started it years ago and fell asleep outside and it rained I ran indoors forgot the book and the thing got ruined. Bought all four volumes just over a year ago and intended to start the first for the TIOLI this month but ran out of time as usual. Good review Donna!

Hi Donna!
Looks like a great time in Joplin! And thanks for the pictures. All those books and all that happiness :)

I heartily approve your choice of books and look forward to your comments on them.

I'm not entirely sure about The Raj Quartet. You noted The Jewel was "a bit dry" and Paul fell asleep reading it... hmmm

Hi Donna - Thanks so much for posting the Joplin pictures! What a lovely group of people! I wish I could have joined you.

Nice review of the Barnes book. I also felt that the writing (thankfully) carried a less than great story.

Wasn't The Jewel in the Crown a PBS or Masterpiece series many years ago?

Nice review, Donna. I hope you enjoy the series now that you're into it.
And yes it was a series, Joanne. I loved it and read the books after seeing it, so I had all this lush imagery in my head while reading. That may have helped with those dry spells.

Hi Donna, Im rediscovering people that I was following last year a little *ahem* .....well, late. :)
It's my memory you see.....but hello, and I hope not to lose you again.
PS that photo at the very top is amazing. Really really beautiful, you lucky thing.

Hi again, Paul. I've fallen asleep with many a book but it's usually in bed and no books have gotten ruined. Funny story. I think you'll like Jewel in the Crown when you get back to it.

Okay, Cee, just for you I am changing my adjective from "dry" to "challenging." And I mean challenging in a good way. I have very little background in Indian history and had to keep looking things up. I love a book which arouses my curiosity. I think the rest of the quartet will be easier going now that I have filled in some of my gaps in knowledge.

Yes, there was much happiness in Joplin. I smile when I think about the day spent with fellow readers.

Hi Joanne - I wish you could have been there, too. I'm grateful for my Missouri (which includes Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas) friends AND my wonderful Colorado friends who are gracious enough to work around my schedule when I visit my son.

Laura (and Joanne), thanks for mentioning the PBS series. My library has it in four parts and I plan to reward reading each book with viewing the appropriate DVD. I'm looking forward to the lush imagery.

Welcome back, Megan. I love being rediscovered! You have had your hands full this year with a new baby and keeping up with your older son as well. I have been lurking on your thread and love the Lenny pictures along with the pics of your budding rock star!

Okay, I'm cheating with multiple posts. I'm trying to get to 200 so I can use the nifty new transfer system of starting a new thread -- and I don't want to write about my December books on a November thread. Next year I plan to have a thread per month to keep my reading "diary" neater.

I almost wrote dairy, but then I am reading a book about cows! My Year of Meats started out delightfully funny but has now ventured into the dark side of meat. I had an orange for lunch! I bought some deli Pastrami yesterday which Lucky will be lucky enough to get on his dog food. I am seriously considering becoming a vegetarian because of this book - which I'm still reading for tonight's book group.

Adding to your post count :)

Also adding to the post count Donna

Claudia not sure that you should go by my sleeping habits - after all it is 10 past 3 in the morning here - just got back from the cinema and have a government presentation on my Langkawi project at 10 in the morning - and I'm far more interested in catching up on the LT threads......priorities well in order and not a yawn in sight.....maybe I should go look for the Raj Quartet.

Hi Donna! Adding to the post count too. I love the new thread continuation feature. Very easy to use and makes setting up the new thread so much faster.

Hahahaha, Paul! Did you find it? Did it work?

Ok, Donna. Just pulling your leg a bit. :)
I knew you meant "dry" in the nicest way. lol

(my contribution to adding to your thread)

Well that's as good a reason as any for rushing. I'm really glad to see your comments on The Jewel in the Crown as I have it patiently waiting on my shelf and I usually enjoy a challenging read. And although I'm no expert on Indian history, I do enjoy reading about it and really enjoy the Indian culture. Does this lead up to partition do you think?

I was going to just lurk here again, but will post for the cause.

Wayyyy up there, you asked about The Sense of an Ending Perhaps you have to be a bit older and in a more reflective frame of mind about Life? and I would tend to agree with you, if it were not for the fact that I've always felt like an old soul and reflected on my life a whole lot, and now that I'm middle-aged and have been on invalidity leave for so long, this is the case more than ever. I guess I just couldn't connect with that particular character and that as I reflected back on my own traumatic intense teenage years, I felt he was mostly playing god, taking on too much responsibility for events which transpired, completely putting aside the notion of free will, and this really irritated me.

I was going to publish a really big post, but decided to break it up into two messages, again, working for the cause! :-)

My Year of Meats will definitely challenge meat eaters into questioning their choices. I've toyed with vegetarianism all my life, was raised as one (my mum didn't eat meat for the first ten years of my life, though she allowed me meat if I wanted it, which I rarely did) and did cut out meat completely a few times, but I've found my balance now with eating mostly vegetarian meals (with LOTS of dairy) and having meat when the craving is there, a couple of times a week maybe.

I've also just recently switched to organic meats from animals that are treated humanely and raised on small farms, which takes away some of the anxiety I always have about mass-produced meats, since I can never get the images of what the animals have to go through out of my mind. Even so, I always question my choices, because as an animal lover and part-time buddhist (only when it suits me!), I feel I shouldn't consume flesh at all. The organic option is very expensive of course, but since I eat so little of it, it's not a huge financial burden.

Well... even though I'm going to see you in about 20 minutes when I pick you up for our library book group -- I'll add to your post count, too! :-)

>186 Smiler69:: interesting book, Ilana. I've been vegetarian for nearly 4 years -- I agree with your views on mass-production and making informed choices.

Woo hoo...almost there. Thanks to all my visitors!

Chelle - love the cute pig!

Hi Paul, Pat, and Claudia.

Bonnie, I'll be disappointed if The Raj Quartet doesn't continue up to partition. I haven't even peeked into the next three books.

Ilana - I had the same sense of disappointment in the story (can't resist the opportunity for a pun), but the writing made up for it.

Nancy, that was a meaty discussion tonight, wasn't it? *groan*...another bad pun.

Laura, the issues raised in the book make my desire for a juicy burger fade away.

I'm not ready to write about My Year of Meats quite yet. Tonight's discussion was interesting as always. There were a couple members who were quite vocal about their dislike of the book, but most of us were quite taken with both the story and the writing, particularly since it was a debut novel.

I have to switch gears now and finish Gentlemen Prefer Blondes for class tomorrow. Talk about a change of subject!

It'll be a few more months before I'll be trying the nifty new thread continuation feature and I'm happy to help you along, Donna. My guess is you'll get there by morning!

Doing my part to move the thread along. Loved seeing you again Tuesday. And you, too, Nancy! I joined LT with the hopes of improving the quality of my reading, and you have been instrumental in influencing me to continue doing just that. Thanks for the wonderful recommendations and insightful reviews.

Good morning, Joanne and Sandy.

Joanne - not quite there yet. Maybe this afternoon after I get home from class, lunch with friends, and grocery shopping. By then I may be too tired to start a new thread!

Sandy - awww, what a kind message. I'm directing those thoughts right back at you. I had the "bestest" time at our meet-up on Tuesday. I'm already looking forward to the next KC one... and maybe St. Louis. We won't have time to read if we keep meeting up like this. ;-)

#192 We won't have time to read if we keep meeting up like this. ;-) -- Perhaps not, but we'll be well-fed and happy!

Only 7 more posts to go :)

Hi Donna--doing my part to advance your thread, and I haven't been here in a while. It looks like you all had a great meet up--how wonderful that so many could attend!

Hi, Donna. I didn't even know about the new thread-transfer system, so here I go to help out and watch the doings. Had a great time in Joplin and really enjoyed meeting you and the others!

#194 Chelle that kitty is so cute! I can't stop staring at it! Reminds me of my Mimi who fancies herself quite the huntress, but can never catch anything either.

My Year of Meats - I will def read this one day when I think I can take it. The cover is eeewwww gross/horrid.
I wouldn't mind being a vegetarian. One of my daughters is, and some of the dishes she makes are interesting and yummy.

Oh! I forgot to say... cute kitty gif!

This post is for no other reason than to push you over the finish line of 200 posts!

Mine too!

Yay, we did it!!! This is so exciting. Thank you again to those who put me over the edge (lol) so I could try out the new handy-dandy magical continuation gadget. Here goes.... see you on the flip side!