Ape's 2011 Challenge (24)

Prequel
Thread #1 (Book 1)
Thread #2 (Book 2)
Thread #3 (Books 3-5)
Thread #4 (Books 6-10)
Thread #5 (Books 11-13)
Thread #6 (Books 14-15)
Thread #7 (Books 16-22)
Thread #8 (Books 23-25)
Thread #9 (Books 26-28)
Thread #10 (Books 28-32)
Thread #11 (Books 33-34)
Thread #12 (Books 34-37)
Thread #13 (Books 38-41)
Thread #14 (Books 42-44)
Thread #15 (Books 44-48)
Thread #16 (Books 48-51)
Thread #17 (Books 52-55)
Thread #18 (Books 56-58)
Thread #19 (Books 59-61)
Thread #20 (Books 62-65)
Thread #21 (Books 66-67)
Thread #22 (Books 68-73)
Thread #24 (Book 74)

Books Read: 76
Pages Read: 18,647

January:
1. Wave of Terror by Theodore Odrach
2. Southern Storm by Terri Blackstock
3. The Ten Thousand by Michael Curtis Ford
4. The Medical Detective by Sandra Hempel
5. Biohazard by Ken Alibek

February:
6. The Atlantic Sound by Cary Phillips
7. The Killers Within by Michael Shnayerson
8. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
9. Book of Clouds by Chloe Aridjis
10. Victorian Painting by Julian Treuherz

March:
11. Perdido Street Station by China Mieville
12. Zombie Haiku by Ryan Mecum
13. Vampire Haiku by Ryan Mecum
14. Gods and Legions by Micahel Curtis Ford
15. Day by Day Armageddon by J. L. Bourne

April
16. Never Suck a Dead Man's Hand by Dana Kollmann
17. Terror on Troll Mountain by M.D. Spenser
18. Plague by Edward Marriott
19. Where the Sky Ends by M. G. Stephens
20. What I Was by Meg Rosoff
21. I Am Zoe Handke by Eric Larsen
22. Leonardo da Vinci (DK Art Book)
23. The End of the Alphabet by C. S. Richardson

May
24. The Bounty by Caroline Alexander
25. Muse of Fire by Dan Simmons
26. Peace by Richard Bausch
27. Prisons of Light by Kitty Ferguson
28. Van Gogh (DK Art Book)
29. Riddled with Life by Marlene Zuk
30. The Wild Trees by Richard Preston
31. The Pearl by John Steinbeck
32. Rembrandt (DK Art Book)

June
33. The Sword of Hannibal by Terry McCarthy
34. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
35. Greek Fire, Poison Arrows, and Scorpion Bombs by Adrienne Mayor
36. Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
37. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
38. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
39. The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck
40. Aristotle Leads the Way by Joy Hakim
41. Tribes by Arthur Slade

July
42. The Plague by Albert Camus
43. The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde
44. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
45. Charlatan by Pope Brock
46. Dead City by Joe McKinney
47. Wicked Bugs by Amy Stewart
48. Wicked Plants by Amy Stewart
49. Achilles by Elizabeth Cook

August
50. Dark Banquet by Bill Schutt
51. The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giordano
52. Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
53. America (The Book) by Jon Stewart
54. Plague Year by Jeff Carlson
55. Plague War by Jeff Carlson
56. Plague Zone by Jeff Carlson

September
57. Parasite Rex by Carl Zimmer
58. ESPN Guide to Psycho Fan Behavior by Warren St. John
59. The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell
60. Trauma by Graham Masterton
61. No Reservations by Anthony Bourdain
62. God of War by Matthew Stover
63. Second Genesis by Jeffrey Anderson
64. The Soul of a Man Under Socialism by Oscar Wilde
65. The Tattoo Chronicles by Kat Von D

October
66. Dead of Night by Jonathan Maberry
67. Midnight Mass by F. Paul Wilson
68. Shapeshifter by J. F. Gonzalez
69. The Man in the Picture by Susan Hill
70. The Taking by Dean Koontz
71. The Nightmare Factory by Thomas Ligotti
72. Arkham Asylum: Madness by Sam Kieth

November
73. Earth (The Book) by Jon Stewart
74. Harbor by John Ajvide Lindqvist
75. Montana 1948 by Larry Watson
76. Play Dead by Ryan Brown

I'll just drop off a star and then return to lurking:)

Ugh I have to CLICK on the star for this?!? So much work....

I am enjoying that creepy pic, trying to figure out what's attached to the head :)

Katie: Ha! When I opened this thread, I actually said out loud, "Oh, Creepy!" So, yeah, thanks a bunch, Stephen.

Hmmmmm, the swivel chair hat makes quite a statement but models should smile more and loose that death warmed over look..

Hey Stephen! Mo and I are equally creeped out by your pic. We may have to set up some Japanese screens around the Canadian corner this time around (yay for being a cultural mosaic!).

What I've gathered from this picture:
Someone is using her for steam power. . . but I think it's very impractical. Clearly, she was killed to harness this, so her body temp will drop and she will lose function.

OR (a more Stephen's-thread appropriate scenario)
There may just be some disturbed and perverted plumbers that wanted the pipes to be pretty.

Peeping out from behind Mickey's Japanese Screens ... I kind of like that picture, it makes you stop and look.

Hi Stephen, Happy Hump Day!

ETA: uh, dang, sorry, forgot it's thursday. oh well, happy hump day anyways!

Hey everyone! Thanks for stopping by. :)

I like the pic too, you can see the full size version here, I shrank it down for my thread so it's a little blurry.

Oh, and I finished a book! Hurray! Problem is I've been reading it for so long that I barely know what to say about it. You'd think I'd have spent more time thinking about my review, but I seemed to barely have time to READ it, let alone think about it.

Well, anyway, I'll probably write it tomorrow, don't feel like trying right now.

HEY COOL! I just checked my library's website and they changed their catalog structure, now it has wishlists and online requesting! Oh boy! :D

Wait, why am I excited about this. This is horrible! So, so horrible. I hope I don't make their servers explode with my enthusiastic list-making...

*hugs*

#1: I love the pic. It'd definitely go on my wall (if I had any wall space).

#12: We have lists, too, on our library catalog, but I never use it. The one feature I used to love was our private reading list of everything we'd checked out. Unfortunately, for chronic checker-outters like myself (not a word, I know), it only keeps a couple hundred things listed, then deletes the older items. :( Sucks when you're trying to remember a movie/book/song from a month or two ago.

But go ahead with the list making. Things need to blow up every now or then. It keeps people employed. And entertains the rest of us with the pretty lights.

Morning sunshine! Don't go adding that Zombie Survival Guide to your library wishlist, okay? Merry Christmas. :)

*drifts away with an enigmatic yet evil grin on her face*

P.S. Dark Banquet just arrived in the post, woohoo!

Hi Terri! *Hugs back*

Sara: Hmmm, the Big library I use keeps track of the things you've checked out, but I haven't quite reached 200 yet (Okay, I think I'm only at 6 or something, haven't used that library very much) so I'm not sure if it does the same. Anyway, that's what Librarything is for! :)

Ellie: Don't worry, my library doesn't carry it. :P

Hey, wait, stop, I'm the only one allowed to grin evilly on my thread! >:)

Ooooh, Dark Banquet! I really liked that one. ^_^

Stephen. If you move to the DC area I will employ you to deliver/pickup library books for me.

Nora: I'm there! How do I get payed, on salary or is it an hourly thing? Because I tend to 'get lost' in libraries and I don't want you to go broke. :)

>17 Ape: I know, that's why I ordered it. :P

>19 Ape: Why don't we say, $5 per book. Obviously not a living wage but it shouldn't take much time out of your work week and you'd probably be at the library anyway, so it would be a nice supplement. Plus jobs are much easier to find around here.

Ellie: I think it's so generous of you to order that book for my library. ;-P

Nora: $5 per book? But you like big chunksters that take too long to read! How about 1 cent per page, and there is a $3 fee for any books under 500 pages. :)

I'm paying you to go to the library. What more do you want?

Besides, it won't be worth it to me if it costs me more to get books from the library than to buy them used at the bookstore.

I can go to the bookstore for you too...

>22 Ape: - Whoah, cryptic. Dark Banquet should be good, and not too academic either by the looks of it. Freaked Mum out nicely anyway. And I'm so glad your library will enjoy the Brooks. I bet your library will devour it whole over the Christmas break and probably review it mysteriously via your LibraryThing account, right? Magic. :P

Ellie: Yep, all true. :P

74. Harbor by John Ajvide Lindqvist



Pages: 500
Rating: 4/5

Fiction

I was so happy to see I had one Lindqvist's Harbor through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program. I had been hearing a lot about the author and wanted to try one of his books, so it was great having a free advanced reading copy arrive in my mailbox, and only slightly passed the release date too...

I won't deny at first I was a little let-down when I realized the book doesn't exactly flow in chronological order. It's not that I don't like that sort of thing, but the author did such a good job of writing an engaging opening chapter that I was very disappointed when that story was abandoned for so many pages.

However, things begin to settle down eventually and the time shifting gives the reader a broader scope of the history of the archipelago, and ultimately it makes for a much more in-depth and memorable read. The writing is great regardless, so having the main story constantly interrupted with shorter stories didn't bother me at all.

To be honest, I found the ending to be a bit much. I won't spoil it for you, but I'll say it was bit over-the-top for me.

Still, I really liked the book. There is no question I'll go back and read through Lindqvist's previous books eventually, and I'll also be keeping an eye out for his future releases. Very enjoyable novel.

Glad to hear you liked this one - I've got Let The Right One In and Handling the Undead (zombies!) already on my TBR pile so maybe I should start with those first! I've heard only good things though, so I have high hopes...

I saw this and thought of you: A Brilliant List of Science Books for People Who Want Their Minds Blown: http://io9.com/5859727/a-brilliant-list-of-science-books-for-people-who-want-the...

#16: Anyway, that's what Librarything is for! :) -- Exactly! (hugs LT and cops a feel) But it's so frustrating trying to remember a title when all I remember about it is what the cover looked like. Darn my memory.

#27: Lucky that you actually got a physical book! :) I think I won a French-English ebook!?! Don't ask why I requested it; I don't know. :/

#28: I watched the original Let the Right One In movie a couple years ago, but when I was flipping through the book a few weeks ago, I was kind of meh about (and consequently didn't buy it). I hope that's not the case with you. Hope those two are good reads! :)

#29: (snickers at the title) Um, yes, I think I'll be passing on those books, but I could see how Stephen might like 'em. At first, I thought one said the "pain virus", but *sigh* it was only the panic virus. Nice covers on some of them.

Ellie: Yep, I have both of those on my wishlist as well. I nearly requested Handling the Undead a couple months ago but I opted for The Reapers are the Angels, which I really liked! :)

Nora: Awesome! *Bookmarks page* Thanks!

I won't deny having spent plenty of time in the past googling nerdy science tattoos. :)

Sara: Yeah, I have to be careful of what I request. I've already won a book or 2 I swear I never wanted to read, so now I make extra-sure a book isn't an electronic one.

That list is awesome! There is only 1 book there I don't want to read (the infidelity one) but all the others I MUST READ NOW!!! ...

Yay for really liking an ER book! Hope you have a lovely weekend, Stephen.

Hi Micky! Thanks. Both my football teams lost last week so it can only get better from there, I guess. :)

Hi Stephen- Long time no see! Good review of "Harbor"! Fortunately, I have a copy on my-Must Read Now Shelf. I also loved the original Swedish film version of Let The Right One In, although I have not yet read the book.
Zombies are still Red Hot! I also have Zone One waiting nearby, slotted for mid-December.

*waves*

*dazzled by the rad picture at top*
Hello!

Hey Mark, nice to see you! Nice of you to visit AND mention a zombie book I haven't heard of. Thanks! :)

*Waves at Tamara* Helloooo!

Megan: Hi there! Don't get too dazzled, it's dangerous to lose your concentration around my thread. Hard to say what'll step in or walk into... :)

So, I thought I'd pitch an idea I've been toying around with. I've thinking about creating 12 themes for next year, and then reading excluxively from that theme each month. What I would do is pair up fiction and nonfiction genres/topics, like history and historical fiction, science and science fiction, etc. I could even combine things like fantasy and mythology, mysteries and true crime, etc.

I'v been wanting to do something like this, but now I'm thinking about taking it a step further. I want to find a fiction and nonfiction book based on the same topic, and then read them that way. A good example of this would be An American Plague and Fever 1793, a nonfiction and fiction pairing of the 1793 Yellow Fever outbreak in Philadelphia.

I really like the idea of reading about a topic and then seeing what an author can do fictionalizing it, designating a pair for each month sounds both fun but not overwhelming, it shouldn't be any trouble at all finding 12 pairs of books like this, and it gives me plenty of room each month to read what I want in addition to this little mini-challenge. Sounds perfect.

If I decide to do it I'll let you know! :)

Cool idea! I can feel my wishlist expanding already... Dammit! :P

That sounds fun! I might try that myself if I find time over the summer :)

That's a fun idea!

Yeah, I think it'll help me soak in the information from the nonfiction better if I read a fictonal book about the same topic right after, and it might heigten my enjoyment of the fictional book having a bit more (and fresh) knowledge about it!

It might help me get some books off my TBR pile as well. Granted I'm technically doubling the number of books by pairing them off with another one, but it's still encouraging! :P

Sounds like an interesting idea! If others join in, we could add the themes and pairs to the wiki.

Cool! I confess to paying very little attention to all the other challenges that people take a part of, but if more people want to try it then sure, go for it. Much like the random number generation thing I had been doing for awhile! I need to get back into that, it was fun...

Good luck with the theme challenge! :) I never finish challenges, so I'll have to pass on that one.

Maybe if you challenge yourself to not finish a certain amount of challenges, you'll finish that challenge. Or not, and finish a challenge nonetheless.

Oh, what a cool idea! I don't really participate in the other challenges either, not because I'm not interested in them, but because my reading habits are already completely full of my own neurotic lists as it is. Sigh. I'll likely follow what you're reading and keep track of it as a list to work through later on, once I've finished up some of my own lists...

I'm the same, Amber. The 75 group is about as social as my reading gets, I'm not a huge fan of group reads or other group challenges. I'm always trying to find new ways to spice up my own reading life though.

Just as a sampler, here are some pairs I'm looking at:

Peloponnesian War:
Nonfiction: A War Like No Other
Fiction: Isle of Stone (Currently on TBR)

1793 Yellow Fever outbreak in Philadelphia:
Nonfiction: An American Plague
Fiction: Fever 1793

1906 earthquake in California:
Nonfiction: A Crack in the Edge of the World
FIction: The Last Nightingale

Scent/Smell:
Nonfiction: A Natural History of the Senses (Currently on TBR)
Fiction: Perfume

Have you read Thucydides? As a classicist, I can't not push you to read him first. Oh, and if I were you, I'd stay as far away from Hansen as possible. Ugh.

I likey that list(y). I have The Crack in the Edge of the World and A Natural History of the Senses already on my shelves, and I've read Perfume this year - it was really quite intriguing! There is at least one new book on perfumery out at the moment too, I think... And of course, I usually end up adding your fevery choices to my wishlist anyway. :P

I haven't, but I know plenty about the war itself (I was VERY interested in ancient history in school, before I discovered biology) so I can't say it'd make too much of a difference.

The Hanson book can be replaced, there are no shortage of books about the topic really...

Ellie: Yeah, I made the connection between Perfume and A Natural History of the Senses after I saw you read it. It seemed like an interesting combination! :)

Maybe I'll read along with the Ackerman then! I nicked the Winchester from the shop, naturally. The Ackerman was one of a massive load of donated books that a very kind old 90-something GP (who was my mum's doctor when she was a little girl) gave to the shop. I've got all sorts of fascinating fiction, psychology, natural history, science and biology books from him. He told me in no uncertain terms that I must siphon off anything I wanted to read before it hit the shop shelves, and of course I was only too happy to oblige by taking, like, everything... ;)

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer is SO GOOD and you will love it.

Oho, please tell me that you didn't just say that reading Thucydides wouldn't make any difference!
*takes a deep breath, ties to control herself*
Stephen, do yourself - and me - a favor, knock Hansen off the list and put Thucydides in its place. Seriously.

Ellie: I need a sugar daddy like that in my life. :)

Nora: Yeah, and I'm totally going to get around to it...sometime next year... maybe...

Amber: My library doesn't have Thucydides. :(

Maybe if you ask Richard really nicely? ;)

>56 Ape: But it's shortish! And good! And creepy! And there's a movie that you probably wouldn't like because it has orgies in it....

Ellie: Pffft, he already has young guys all over him, he certainly doesn't need to be lavishing gifts on people like me for that. :P

Nora: Oh dear...nothing is more horrifying than an orgy. It's like all the humiliation involved in normal sex multiplied by the number of people involved. Eek!

Not catching up.. just saving a spot..

What the what?! How can it call itself a library, for Pete's sake.

Hi Kath! :)

Amber: Oho, please tell me that you didn't just say that my library isn't a library!
*takes a deep breath, tries to control himself*

:P

I think having those connected reads is a great idea, even if you only did one set a month. I've already added one of your projected reads to my wish list, Stephen.

Interesting challenge for yourself, Stephen. I'd be tempted to try it out myself but I have a pretty big personal reading challenge already in mind for next year that's going to take up a good chunk of my reading time, I think. I look forward to seeing the final list though. :)

Judy: Neat! Which one?

Micky: What would that be? Or have you already posted it on your thread where I missed/ignored/forgot it?




So, remember when I said I was going to start reading more of my own books? Yeah, well, after having fun browsing my library's fancy new online catalog I'm itching for a visit, so I'm going tomorrow. Grrr!

:)

I haven't read Perfume yet but the movie freaked me out. The main character freaked me out.

>66 Ape: You haven't missed it, Stephen, don't worry. I won't accuse you of poor listening/thread neglect. But I think I'll keep you in suspense for now. *mysterious grin* However, if you're really desperate you could try and get it out of Mo. But he trained with CSIS so I doubt he'll give it up.

Tamara: See, I didn't even know it was made into a movie! :)

Micky: I heard lots of party music and I answered the door for two moose-prostitutes last night, so I'll wait until he gets over his hangover before bothering him about it.

Book #75 coming up!

75. Montana 1948 by Larry Watson



Pages: 175
Rating: 5/5

Fiction

David Hayden retells a story from his childhood growing up in Bentrock, Montana. In 1948 at the age of 12, the young Native American housekeeper his parents employ falls sick. It seems innocent enough when she adamantly refuses to see a doctor but the events that follow are teeming with things that are much more sinister.

What makes the book so effective is how believable the story is written. Initially I had to keep reminding myself it was a work of fiction I was reading. That combined with an exciting story and valuable insight reverberating throughout the novel is what makes for a very worthwhile read, one which might create an equal amount of reverberation throughout the life of the reader.

Congratulations on reaching 75!

Thanks! It was the perfect book to finish the challenge on too. Richard hit the nail on the head with that one. :)

Congratulations Stephen and a great book to hit the target with:)

Congrats on the 75! And you are so right.. that is a really good book, and a good one to end
the challenge .. well done young'un

Thanks!

I was planning on going to the library anyway, but I think as a sort of reward I might just go overboard and check out way too many books. Yippee. I'm even going to do my random number thing, and then probably not read them as usual. Here is what I rolled.

Nonfiction: 620 (Engineering & Applied operations)
Fiction: 9, 24 (Iw)

Good plan !

You mean that you're planning on going to that place that dares call itself a 'library'. Sheesh.

Congrats on the big 7-5, by the way.

Yep, and if I see Thucydides there I'm totally writing it off. :P

Thanks though. :)

Aaaargh!!

Your war-cry won't intimdate me! ...much...

Hooray!

I can't wait to see what engineering and applied operations book you decide to read for "fun" (*vomit*)

Haha, yeah, I'm worried about that one too. I won't get anything if there's nothing that seems interesting, and I could always jump to 610 (Medical Science) so it'll be alright. :)

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is a good one in the 620s.

The only 620 I have is Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam

Congrats!

Zoe: I've been wanting to read that one since I saw it on Jon Stewart, just haven't...yet...

Nora: That's what I got!! :D There were a few interesting ones though, like The Last Lone Inventor and a couple others I've forgotten already.

Jim: Thanks!

So, like I said to Nora, my nonfiction pick was Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam. The funny thing is when I got to looking at the books I actually forgot which number I was supposed to. Couldn't remember if it was 620 or 630, so I got one from 630 as well. Locust: The Devastating Rise and Mysterious Disappearance of the Insect That Shaped the American Frontier is what I picked. More likely than not I'll read the locust book and skip on Rocket Boys.

Oh, and I only got 5 books. Of course 4 of them were thick hardcovers and I couldn't really carry any more anyway, but still...obviously I'm in control of my addiction, ONLY 5...

ETA: Forgot to mention there weren't any Iw fiction writers and I didn't feel like picking anything else, so I didn't get anything.

Congrats on reaching the magic number, Stephen! Hope you picked up at least one or two winners in your stack of library books.

Congrats, Stefano! What a great book to reach your goal with.

So what did you bring back from the library?

Congrats Stephen on the big 75!! And like Caro said, what an excellent reading choice. I also loved Montana 1948.

Kudos on reaching your 75, and even better with such a highly rated book. I love historical mysteries so I have added The Last Nightingale to my wishlist, also will be adding both Perfume and Montana 1948.

Thanks Micky! I'm certainly enjoying my current book, about zombies playing (American) football. Yeah seriously. It's far from well-written by it's certainly enjoyable... :)

Thanks Caro! Here's my list of books checked out:

Locust
Rocket Boys
Play Dead (Currently Reading)
The Madonnas of Leningrad
Black Horses for the King

I read 100 pages in Play Dead yesterday, which is starting to feel like my old pace (I've been reading really slow this whole year), I think I'll be reading Madonnas of Leningrade next before turning to Locust, whether or not I get around to the other two will depend on how fast I read the first 3.

Thanks Mark! I won't disagree, it was the perfect book to finish on. :)

Thanks Judy! I'm glad I've had such an impact on your wishlist. Muahahaha... :)

Congrats on the Big 75 Stephen! The movie version of Perfume is a little more surreal than the book, perhaps, but definitely worth a watch after you've read the book. I found it quite moving too, and Grenouille is a fascinating character.

Apparently Mum's going Christmas shopping in the bigger town half an hour away on Tuesday, so that's my day for hitting the huge library there if I want to do it. No crutches - impossible to shop on crutches - so I'm already wondering if I can manage to cart away my full 16 books (bearing in mind that most of them will be hardbacks) and still make it back to the car without having to be carried!

There's just so much I want! They have ten times more good stuff than my local library! Let's see... V for Vendetta or Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes, for my graphic novel section of my challenge (my first one, wheeee!). Some of the other delights include Young Romantics by Daisy Hay, The Red Queen by Matt Ridley, Ape House by Sara Gruen, A Time to Dance, a Time to Die: The Extraordinary Story of the Dancing Plague of 1518 by John Waller, Parasite Rex AND Microcosm by Carl Zimmer, Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks... well, the list goes on for 3 A4 columns, so I have plenty to choose from! In my nerdily organised way, I'll check the catalogue on Monday to see what's actually on the shelf so I at least narrow it down a bit. :)

Thanks Ellie! Yay for Carl Zimmer! I was just about to complain that my local library only has 1 of his books and the rest I have to request from the bigger library, but I just checked and sometime recently they got in A Planet of Viruses. So yeah, looks like my wishlist is getting bigger too! Wish I had known they had it when I went yesterday.

Good luck with the library 'shopping' though. I definitely need to start bringing a shopping cart or something, 5 books is just isn't cutting it. I mean yeah, sure, I might not get to read them all as it is, but I still want to take more anyway! :)

I wonder... Last time I went I ended up with a bag in each hand and a big bag on my shoulder... Would it be TOO ridiculous to take a little suitcase-on-wheels? Yeah, probably. I guess I'm just going to have to try to be selective and pick SMALLER books as much as possible! My leg's already feeling painful just thinking about it, but this is my big pre-Christmas chance to go library-wild!

Haha, well have fun with it! I can't help but wonder how you'll get along walking with that many books on crutches, but an addict will always find a way am I right? :)

I won't take the crutches. I can't even browse with them really, I'd have to keep propping them up somewhere and they'd fall over and... well, it'd be fairly fruitless I think. Plus the town's half cobbles which would be a bit of a nightmare. I've got this brace thing now which is the neoprene equivalent to bandage and tape - it's very sexy. A massive black wrap that starts at my thigh, winds round the top of my leg and across round my waist, then pulls back down and fastens with some classy velcro. For some reason it always reminds me of Maid Marian and her chastity belt in Robin Hood: Men in Tights... :P

I suppose you've heard, but just in case you missed it....... http://weeklyworldnews.com/headlines/25286/zombie-turkeys/

and have a great T-day!

Have a great Thanksgiving, Stephen.

>92 elliepotten: ellie, I saw the movie version of Perfume, which I thought was very strange. I enjoyed it in a strange kind of way! :)

Alan/TT

Just stoppinjg by to say congrats on 75 books, Stephen. I loved Montana 1948.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Ellie: Cool! Even though it's nothing like what you described, I'm just picture you with some sort of steam powered robot leg. Dunno why, it's just entertaining. :P

Lynda: Oh dear! I'm sure their undead gobbling noises are simply terrifying. :o

Thanks Judy, and the same to you too. :)

Alan: OMG, a talking tortoise!

Have a nice Thanksgiving yourself, Joanne. :)

I'll be having a Thanksgiving dinner at my grandmother's house. Oh fun...

Oh yeah, American Thanksgiving. Have a good one of those.

Meanwhile, in the Canadian corner, I think it's time for a un-birthday party for all the Canucks. Who's with me? :D

Nice haul back from the library, Stefano. I loved Madonnas of Leningrad .. hope you enjoy reading it too. I haven't read any of the others .... and am a little tickled by idea of Play Dead ... *sits patiently to wait for review*

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanks Micky. I'm sorry you aren't American so you could celebrate too. :P

Caro: It's terrible but entertaining. That should be my review. :)

Hi Stephen! Apologies for the absenteeism, just life stuff. Happy Thanksgiving to you, and congrats on reaching 75!!!

Thanks Laura, and Thanksgiving happiness to you too! :)

Happy Thanksgiving,Stephen.

Just caught up with the first half of the posts Ive missed (70!!@#!!) and think your fiction/non-fiction reading challenge sounds great. Ill try and think of some others for you, but dont hold your breath. Im none too smart at ideas.

That is probably not the books I would choose.. but I hope that you enjoy making your way through them.. Going to your mom's today?

Thanks Cindy, and the same to you. :)

Megan: That's okay, ideas are overrated anyway. :P

Kath: Going to my mom's to be driven to my grandmother's. Worst part is my sister won't be there until later since she spent the night at her boyfriend's house, so I'll have to deposit myself in a corner somewhere and practice my transparency skills.

Happy Turkey Day! Just sit in a corner with a book. That usually works for me (or bringing my homework is good for that too). And wear a grouchy expression. Of course, these things might only work in my family. . . .

That cartoon made my eyes bleed

Katie: OH NO!! I cannot read. My grandmother reads...Christian fiction only, and whenever the topic of books comes up she showers me with shitty books I do not want to read. I have a box full (literally) of Left Behind series books that I refuse to acknowledge the existence of, sitting in my bedroom with a bag of leftover fireworks, my plan being that in the event of a house fire it will ensure those books cease to exist.

...which reminds me, I do so hope she doesn't ask whether or not I've read those yet...I've had them for months. Didn't ask for them. Didn't want them. Don't know what to do with them. The last time I was at my grandmother's I sat outside on the porch talking with my sister and her boyfriend the entire time, so I was able to avoid her. Kind of cold for that now, and my sister won't be there. Nooo...

Kath: Don't bleed on the turkey! :(

>111 Ape: That took my (and Mum) a minute but... hehe! Very clever.

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you survive dinner. Here in cloudy Eng-er-land I'm sitting twiddling my thumbs behind the desk, eating cookies and wondering if it's time to go home yet... :)

Hey Ellie! Nearly cross-posted there. Thanks! Sitting behind a desk eating cookies would definitely be preferable. Heck, sitting behind a cookie eating a desk would be preferable, but... *Shrug*

I'd have found a picture that was more appropriate (and by appropriate I mean perverse or obscene of course) but I was trying to be good. So a roasted childhood character was the worst I could do. :P

Happy Turkey Day, Stephen!

Remember, it's just ONE DAY...and life will return to all it's giddy weirdness tomorrow...unless you're planning on going shopping...in which case ALL HOPE IS LOST!

;-}

Haha, no worries Jude, no shopping in that kind of madness. I don't even like shopping on weekends because of the crowds, so... :P

Best beware of the zombie turkeys escaping their trash can graves over the next couple of days.

I was kidding..I don't like shopping, period...unless it's online shopping...no crowds, no screaming children, no pushing/shoving

;-)

Love the cartoon in 111.

I hope you survive the pushing, and can return to your plague books soon. I'm taking a stocked Kindle account to help alleviate the football-induced boredom.

:-*

>101 Ape: Ape, Not only a talking Tortoise, but a Tortoise who is an author! :)

Alan/TT

Like your Thanksgiving cartoon, Stephen, although it did take me a bit to notice all the details. :) Hope you get some tastiness to ameliorate the social awkwardness of your family gathering.

Hey everyone! Yeah, I survived.

I was fine at first, through sheer chance we arrived at the intersection (between two back roads) at the same time as my sister and her boyfriend coming from the other direction, so there was no awkwardness initially. The 3 of us huddled in the living room discussing video games and whatnot until the food was served, then we nabbed a corner in the back of the kitchen and did much the same. It was great, the food was delicious, had a great time.

Then they left early to go to her boyfriend's family's dinner, and it sucked. I had to suffer through my cousin (several years older than me) describe how nice it'd have been to have had a younger sister so he could have slept with her friends (something I obviously failed to take advantage of. *Rolls eyes.*) Then my 16-year-old cousin 'bragged' about being caught cheating on his girlfriend. *Rolls eyes* Then my 50-year-old uncle gave my 16-year-old cousin advice on how to cheat on his girlfriend without getting caught in the future. *Rolls eyes* Followed by him describing how he had 3 women at once when he was younger. *Rolls eyes* Then I was criticized for not talking along with the other guys during all this. *Rolls eyes*

Ugh. I'm not the only one who finds 99 PERCENT of men completely obnoxious, am I? I don't know how you straight ladies and gay men do it. Or why you do it. Surely putting up with such things is not worth the effort.

99% of all men are completely obnoxious. But the ones who aren't make it worth the wait.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well good. Thanks for encouraging my prejudice, Nora. :P

Thanks though, I'm home and have free pumpkin pie, so I can't complain. Hope you've been having a Happy one yourself.

Well, sorry to hear you had to put up with the uncle giving your cousin advice on how to behave like the kind of men most women make voodoo effigies of, Stefano. Still, you got free pie out of the ordeal. Happy Thanksgiving

Haha, Caro, you're really sending mixed messages with the text about voodoo effigies and the lady'n'alcohol gif. :P

Thanks though! :D

#128: That's what I was thinking, too (re: the lady'n'alcohol).

Anywho, I also recommend watching the Perfume movie if/when you get around to it. I even have the soundtrack (it's lovely), but I haven't started reading the book yet (and I own it! ::hangs head in shame::)

Well the voodoo effigies are of your cousin and uncle and the lady n alcohol are rewards for you for not joining in and for rolling your eyes at them. ;-)

More 130 messages behind?

Can you give me the coles notes version of what I missed?? :)

Sara: Why does the soundtrack to a movie about scent intrigue me so much? Hmmm...

Caro: Well, so long as it's a reward I guess it's okay. I'm really not very good with ladies and alcohol though. One makes my head fuzzy and the other has a weird taste I don't like very well, so...

Oh, errr, it's the alcohol that has a bad taste and women that make my hea fuzzy, just so there's no confusion. :P

Valerie: Nothing interesting happened as usual because I have no social life.

I pitched a challenge I'm considering doing next year. Go read post 38, it's important. :P

Don't drink so much alcohol and your head won't be fuzzy .. as for the taste of the other ... well .... ... ooooh... did you mean it the other way around? ;-)

Oh Stepnen.....your post #124

....could have been my damn family

In our case.nobody said anything "negative"...about anyone.....people smiled until their teeth hurt

The act that people were cheating on each other...wasn't acknowledged...

And, I don't know why I'm wasting my time on such BS

FAMILY is what each of us ....cobbles together

You be one of my FAMILY

like it or not, Stephen...you're in

;-P~~~~~~~

#132: I haven't a clue, but you should see if you can find a copy. I just love it because there are a few tracks on it that are so dark and creepy, I can't forget them.

Happy Thanksgiving Stepheno! Very quiet one here. In-laws didn't feel well so it was just immediate family. My daughter is home from college so all of us did a Glee-a-thon with her. Lots of card games and now we are going to watch Grimm, a new series based on the Grimm Fairy Tales filmed here in Portland. Gives a whole new meaning (at least for me) to Grimm Reaper. A guaranteed dead body each show and lots of creepy critters. Pretty good sense of humor -- my 11-year-old son loves it! Should be right up your alley. (Not because you act 11, but the ghoulie part) : )

If you find that you have to put up with some kind of behavior, then it's typically not worth it. Thankfully, I have very few men in my life who behave that way, and the ones that do are kept at a distance.

I'm glad you survived, and I'm glad your best response was an eyeroll. :-*

>124 Ape: that does sound like a sucky guy conversation, rest assured they only talk like this because they are actually scared and insecure and are terrified of this fact being discovered. Glad your sis provided some respite though :)

Poor Stephen. At least you managed not to attack anyone with the turkey carver.

Sara - The soundtrack IS nice, isn't it? I'd forgotten that I meant to buy it. I'm a bit of a sucker for a gorgeous ST. Also on my current soundtracky to buy list: Brideshead Revisited (also starring Ben Whishaw, who by the way was absolutely superb in 'The Hour') and 'The Village', which was recommended by Tessa Gratton when I interviewed her about Blood Magic.

I had a dream about you last night Stephen! Clearly I've been hanging around your thread too much recently. :)

Caro: Yes! I mean the other way around. I've never experienced either in the way you are describing, so I can't attest to those! :P

Jude: The whole concept of 'forced' family gatherings is rather alien to me. I think, when you are close to your family, it is a truly wonderful thing. I'm not against the idea of happy, close families. However, if there is fighting, I don't see why people can't just let it rest and separate for awhile. Pretending everyone is all nice and happy with each other seems like such a strange thing to do, and I don't really get what the benefit of such behavior is. Fortunately there isn't a lot of fighting in my family, and I don't dislike them, I'm just uncomfortable around people in general, especially when I'm expected to be socially active.

Sara: Well, I can't afford to put gas in my car to take trips to the library right now (I'm cutting back) so there will be no CD-buying in my future. And my library doesn't have the book, the movie, OR the CD.

As far as creepy instrumental tracks go, however, I'm kind of a huge fan of "Ad Astra" by Arcturus.

Hi Kim! Thanks. Grimm does look like something I would like but I have to really motivate myself to follow a TV series. I haven't even watched the newest episode of The Walking Dead, which aired last Sunday. Definitely have to do that this morning...

Luxx: Oh, I don't know, men are pretty good at hiding it from women. There's a reason they all go quiet when you walk into the room! Okay, there are two reasons they might do that, as I suppose 'stunned silence' is always a potential, but still!

Megan: Possibly, but I'd say if anyone is scared and insecure it's me. I'm just comfortable with admitting it.

Ellie: Oh dear! I wasn't naked, was I?

Grimm is AWESOME! I agree, you would love it.

*Crosses arms* I'll wait until my library gets the series DVD in...

There have only been 4 episodes or so. You'll be waiting a long time for the DVDs. It's on tonight, just watch it on tv.

>142 Ape: - Well now, that'd be telling, wouldn't it? :P

Ugh. Why do men brag about such things? And a lot of them are lying when they do it!? Oh well, there *are* good guys out there - they're just sitting quietly in the corners rolling their eyes...

Nora: 4 episodes! I couldn't possibly keep up now. I'll just have to wait. Darn.

Ellie: It's more the showing than the telling I'm worried about. :P

Amber: Pffft, the only reason I was so quiet was because I didn't have the energy to talk after having slept with a dozen 18-year-olds the night before. Pffft. Obviously. I mean, duh! *Grunts and crosses arms*

Okay, maybe it was only 5 or 6. Still...

...okay, fine, I was playing video games and reading books, and I was in bed by 9:30. Don't make fun of me! *Runs away crying*

I apologize, Grimm is not on tonight due to it being Evacuation Day. It'll be on in 2 weeks though. Plenty of time to go to the library and use their computers to watch the first 4 episodes on Hulu!

Ah, but I'm cutting back. I have books to last me a whole month so I'm good for awhile. No library visits for awhile for me, hopefully. (Hopefully, I can't believe I just said that. SOMEONE HIRE ME!!)

Sorry, no authority to do that. . . . and that commute would be ridiculous :P

Hi There! No library visits for awhile? Is that truly possible?

I know I could not accomplish this.

Katie: Fine, you can hire me as your driver.

Linda: It's easier when you're broke and begin considering gas a luxury to be spent wisely.

The library is on the complete opposite side of town as the grocery stores and stuff too. -.-

Stephen: hunkering down- living off beans and books. Sounds good, apart from the side effects of the beans maybe.

>148 Ape: - Well, obviously the dreamlike haze is fading from my memory now, but I BELIEVE we moved in together. In some kind of hotel. I'm a little uncertain of the details at this point but I'm sure your imagination will have a lovely Thanksgiving weekend filling in the gaps...

>154 LovingLit: - TOAST and books, if you want to avoid the bean problem. Plus, unlike beans, toast can be used for all three meals every day, AND snacks.

Megan: Not a huge bean guy. I'll stick with Rice and Ramen. :P

Ellie: Bread is expensive though! It's so much cheaper to just eat the peanut butter on a spoon. :P

See your profile, Ellie, your dream is eerily similar to one I had. I think you were also part of a dream I had about an LT meet-up I went to, and once I dreamt about Luxx's kids. The Big One kept arguing with me about the proper name of 'pizza,' which he absolutely refused to call anything but 'pizzaro bread' and kept getting on my case whenever I called it the wrong name. :)

It's possible that this may be a sign that we're spending far too long hanging around the LT threads on a daily basis. But I don't care, so the sign can go bother someone else! :)

I have a pretty good excuse though, Librarything is about the only social intereaction I get.

Yeah, AND I just made that sound like a positive thing. 8-)

LT is my escape... to socially interact with actual book people as opposed to what my customers usually are - idiots. Though I did have a nice girl in this afternoon who was very enthusiastic and lovely, which is always nice!

Enthusiastic and lovely girls are always nice, I agree! (You said it, not me.)

Book people are always pleasant. Wish I were capable of verbal communication, I'd talk more at the library. -.-

You're not supposed to talk more at the library, muppet! That's what second-hand bookshops are for... :)

If only there were second-hand bookshops around here... :(

Yet another reason for you to move to Derbyshire. I happen to know there's a bookshop here where the poor long-suffering women are used to talking ALL THE TIME. It'd probably be quite refreshing for them to have a nice bookish person to talk to instead of someone complaining about their eyesight/dodgy knee/multicultural Britain/relatives/us...

But if I'm over there why would I spend my time anywhere other than YOUR shop? :)

Two things. One: I have a review to post. Two: OMG Ohio State and Michigan are playing RIGHT NOW I have to go watch it RIGHT NOW and I can't focus on what I'm typing so I'm going to hurry up and paste it RIGHT in a few seconds......

76. Play Dead by Ryan Brown



Pages: 344
Rating: 2/5

Fiction: Horror, Zombies...playing football

Cole Logan is the star quarterback of the Killingston Jackrabbits high school football team. They have a history of being absolutely terrible and rarely finishing the season with a winning record. For the first time ever, they are 1 win away from the district championships. The small town is frenzied with excitement, the young boys who make up the team are swollen with pride, and Cole Logan finally feels like he has a chance to make something of himself.

On the night of the final game, on the way to the opposing teams stadium, the bus tragically crashes into a river, killing the entire team. Except Cole. Unwilling to accept what has happened, he seeks the help of a fan, a mysterious cat lady who is thought to be a witch who casts curses on people who cross her.

So is the plot to this rather ridiculous novel. Zombies. Playing American football. I knew going in that the plot would be silly, but my understanding was that it was going to be humorous. Well, it wasn't. Not only that, but it was just too over-the-top for me.

The plot was too absurd, not just because it was as preposterous as I expected but because there characters' behavior was completely unbelievable. The football players were about as obnoxious as a group of teenagers ought to be, but the adults weren't a whole lot better. There is a poorly written subplot, which was mostly just ridiculous at first, and it all leads up to a climactic football game which turned out to be incredibly dull. It was too predictable, so I was just waiting for it to end.

I won't say that the book wasn't entertaining. It's quick, and it's one of those books that'll make you want to read 'just one more chapter,' but it's too silly to take seriously and not funny enough to consider a comedy. It's just...mediocre. That's all I can say for it.

Zombie football players...hmmmm...kinda diminishes the athletic appeal. Instead of cute buns in tight pants I am imagining...well lets not go there. Bummer. :p

Well, that was worth waiting for... *slinks miserably back to her wishlist empty-handed*

Now, stop watching telly and get reading something GOOD already! Or you're going back in my laboratory.

Kim: Yeah, I know. It's like that Zombie Strippers movie. I mean, sure, strippers show lots of skin...but when that skin is decomposing it's a little less appealing...I assume.

Ellie: Sorry! I will say that I love the book cover, so even if I did own it I'd find it nice to look at. :)

ETA: Oh, and Ohio State is losing. Nooo! I suppose they have to lose EVENTUALLY, I mean they've won 9 out of the last 10 games against Michigan. About time Michigan wins, especially since Ohio State has one of the worst offenses in the NCAA right now. And still they're only down 3 points... :)

#140: Agreed: Brideshead Revisited is another good soundtrack! :)

Hey, Stephen, do you want me to share (e-mail) some of the tracks from the Perfume: Story of a Murderer CD? That way I won't realize you really don't live in Ohio. :P If you wanted to hear some excerpts, there are some floating around, like @ Amazon.com.

Btw, I did give that Ad Astra by Arcturus a try and it was ok. All I can say is it serves my coworkers right, since they were blasting Christmas music this a.m. before opening. :/ (grumble, grumble) Major Scrooge here, if you hadn't noticed.

#165: I see that one get checked out every once in awhile at work, but I think it's because of this*, not because it's a perfect zombie book.

*Just to be clear, that's the author of the book. I wasn't just spamming your thread with hot guys. Though I could if you really wanted me to.... >:)

Yeah, I know that's the author, he's face was plastered on the back cover. It was so weird to know a guy who looked like THAT could write a zombie novel. Yeah, prejudice me again. Of course, it was terrible so I guess my prejudice was well-founded. :P

I've mentioned my musical tastes on your thread before, Sara, so you'd know that song is pretty darn tame compared to...well...some of the other stuff I listen to... :)

>169 saraslibrary: Yay! A link on Stephen's thread I'm not afraid to click. And boy was I glad I did. ;)

Hope you're having a decent weekend, Stephen.

Thanks Micky! :) Well, I finished a 2-star book and my college football team lost in one of the biggest rivalry in the history of the sport. But, ummm, leftover pumpkin pie is more delicious when it's free.

Hope your weekend is better than mine, though less tasty as it might be. :)

Sara - Oh, hello... That is one NICE looking bloke. Shame about the duff book really!

Mornin' Stephen! I've never eaten pumpkin pie. I might add it to my bucket list - "Eat a Thanksgiving Dinner". Half the time I don't know what the hell this food is that you're talking about, but it always sounds yummy! :)

Ellie: He's actually an actor, did a soap opera for awhile and some other daytime television show here I've already forgotten about. Oh, and his mom is the author Sandra Brown.

Pumpkin pie is really a hit-or-miss dish. Some people love it and a lot of people hate it. I like to savor it in little bites, and I actually think it tastes better without the whip cream...although I'm in the vast majority there I think.

See, it's like your biscuits & gravy, we just don't have it here! Or at least, not outside of the occasional cookery programme on the telly...

So when are you moving to Derbyshire? Soon I hope? You can make ellie some biscuits and gravy !

Ellie: Mmmmm, biscuits and gravy. *Drools* I make mine out of a box thanks to Banquet Homestyle Bakes. I remove the mashed potatoes and I add some canned, pre-cooked chicken, you just get biscuits smothered and gravy and chunk of chicken. Delicious! Healthy, no, but definitely delicious. :)

Kath: I leave the cooking to you, Kath. I'm liable to set something on fire, mostly likely something connected to my body...like my face. :o

BUT WHAT THE HELL IS A BISCUIT?! We've had this conversation before, haven't we? Here 'biscuits' (or 'biccies', if you will) are cookies, and 'cookie' is a term reserved almost solely for the chocolate chip variety.

Mmmmm, cookies... :)

Yeah, the terminology is different. Bisquits are similar to rolls or muffins, only flaky and completely different. Alot of times they are hard, dry and crusty and the only way to make them pallatable is to smother them in fat. :P

Oh, Stephen. You've clearly been living a sad existence, one without proper biscuits. I learned to make biscuits and gravy from my mom, and they're anything but hard and dry and crusty. Shall I come over and bake some for you? Ellie can fly over and have some too! (They're delicious, Ellie, although I'd be happy to trade some for a package of digestives...)

Amber: You are probably right. I can't cook, and my mom wasn't much of one either. My grandmother's cooking is fantastic but I only eat there on Thanksgivings, so... *Shrug*

178: biscuits are like scones.

Well, it looks like the trip to Ohio just after Christmas is back on, and I'll be, I think, fairly close to you (Tomm's brother and his family have recently moved to Middletown), so...

Nora: Really? *Googles* Oooh! Yes, those do look very close! Scones with gravy, there you go. Close enough.

Amber: Pfft, Middletown is half the state away. You don't scare me! ... *Nervous laugh*

Hmm, sort of, but not exactly. The ingredients are close, but the technique (and the results) are a bit different, mostly in the texture. Biscuits are light, fluffy and flaky, whereas scones (at least the ones I've made) are more dense.

yeah, they're not exactly the same, but my British friend and and I have had long discussions about what British food "translates" to and that's what we decided biscuits were :-)

Stephen, have you ever been to North Carolina? They have a fast food restaurant on every streetcorner called Biscuitville. It's open from 6am to 2pm and serves any and all things biscuity.

Mmmm, they sound yummy! Do you ever eat, y'know, vegetables with them? Or do you just revel in the stodge?

They're usually served either sweet (butter and jam or fruit and whipped cream) or savory (meat or gravy), though sometimes they accompany a meal that includes vegetables

Vegetables? Is that another weird British-type food...? Sounds suspicious.

vegetables are DEFINITELY not British.

Biscuits and gravy with vegetables sound yummy! Maybe because 'meat and two veg' (NO, STEPHEN!) is such a British staple. Call me old-fashioned, but I like something with a fresher taste to accompany my stodge...

How did we get onto this subject again?

Of course you can add vegatables on the side, but you definitely don't want to add it to the gravy. No gravy dish should be soiled with such things!

I love veggies, but I rarely like them in the main dish of a meal. I want gravy and biscuits with carrots and broccoli on the side, not IN my wonderful delicious gravy. Carrots and broccoli is one of my all time favorite food combinations...but NOT in my gravy dish. Noooo...

don't forget biscuits and honey!

biscuits and honey is my FAVORITE

I dipped a KFC biscuit in honey mustard sauce once. It was terrible, just like KFC biscuits without the honey mustard sauce.

I don't know how you guys can talk about food just after a binge holiday. XP But carry on. I'll just imagine zombies nibbling on skulls instead.

I can talk about food quite comfortably, since I don't get a binge holiday until Christmas! *drifts off into fantasies of turkey and all the trimmings, mince pies and hot chocolate*

Sara: That meal has long since been digested I'm afraid, and since I had dinner at my grandmother's house there's no leftovers! I'm ready for the next binge holiday.

Ellie: It seems our roles have reversed, I've never had a mince pie.

Hmmmm, leftovers! Tomm does this amazing thing with Thanksgiving leftovers, which involves, somehow, adding, shredded turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes to a skillet, mixing them all together as they heat through, and then adding the cranberry sauce on top. Oh, and it's served over the bread of your choice. Sigh. Delicious.

I didn't binge.. didn't eat any differently than usual..

I love cheese biscuits.. yum!

Amber: Whenever I have leftovers, I just make sandwhiches. Last year my mom cooked and I got some of the leftovers, and I had sandwhich made with rolls-for-bread, turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. It was awesome. :)

Kath: You eat that much EVERY day?

:P

Stephen: Leftover sammiches are definitely delicious too!

*glares over eyeglasses*

No point in gorging.. the food isn't going anywhere... no company.. just us. Didn't even have pie until friday..

finishing off leftovers today..

Amber: And I don't have any, WAHHH! *Grumpily eats delicious free pumpkin pie*

Kath: Sorry to hear that! Although, of course, I have a hard time not considering you lucky. I apologize for that too! :(

Did someone say pie?

Mmm pie. I had some delicious pecan yesterday

>193 Ape:, um, aren't biscuits what you dip into your tea, what's this talk of biscuits and gravy? What constitutes a biscuit that would be fit for this purpose?
*adopts David Attenborough type investigative expression*

Micky: It's piessible that might have happened... ...sorry, I'll stop.

Nora: Pecan, I've never had pecan either. Weird, huh? It always LOOKS delicious, just never tried it.

Megan: I think your investigative expression is inhibiting your ability to read the WHOLE biscuit discussion we've already been through, dearie. *pat pat* :P

>209 Ape: I will admit to a brief chuckle at your pun, Stephen. Pecan is very tasty but my favourite kind of pie is a tie between lemon meringue and cherry. Mmm, now I want pie. Thanks for that. :P

Pecan pie is ooey gooey sugary caramelly amazingness with some nice pecans on top.

Micky: Sorry. Want me to find a horrible nauseating pie-related picture on Google to put a stop to that craving?

Nora: I know, sounds wonderful! *Tries not to think about pecan pie*

Ok, you guys are grossing me out with all this food talk, so I'm gonna have to post some edible nipple tassles.

Haha, talk about a serious sugar rush, geez...

Don't bother. Speaking as one who has worn the matching candy bra, it's not worth it. The sweets are hard enough to break your teeth, and then it all just gets STICKY. And even if you manage to eat the bloody things, you just end up wearing an elastic string. :(

Well, yes, that's why you buy the chocolate ones. They are softer, and they melt. AND they taste like chocolate!

>212 Ape: NO! Definitely not! I want to continue to like pie in the future.

Um, yeah, can we go back to pie though? The edible underwear is just... weird.

Okay, I confess I find edible underwear rather odd and almost completely pointless. Seems time-consuming and stomach ache-inducing really. Chocolate syrup sounds so much more convenient, don't you think?

>209 Ape: *rushes back to check*
Damn, I only just missed the talk. So biscuit/scone is practically interchangeable (with some lightness differences maybe). I (still dont) get it now!

Edible undies makes total sense to me--you need energy for marathon, um, thingies.

Btw: gross pumpkin pies ahoy! Poo pie #1. Poo pie #2 (tee hee). I'm really lovin' #2, and not just because it's, well, #2.

*snerk*

Actually LOLing (go #2!)

I know much better than to click potentially gross links that Sara posts. So I'll just remain oblivious. :)

Hehe, suddenly I'm not quite as keen to try pumpkin pie...

Megan: Me either. I'm thinking there are probably scones with the consistency of biscuits and biscuits with the consistency of scones, so I'll call it 'close enough' and be done with it!

Sara: Marathons! Of course. I guess '5 hour energy' just doesn't cut it for those. Right.

The pictures are funny, but I'm also glad I've already finished the pumpkin pie. Phew...

What is the book that #2 is reading!? I must know. Inxas? Pnxas? What? It's blurry, I can't read it, WAHHHHHH!!!

Hi Jim!

Micky: Oh, don't worry, they are carved pumpkins sat atop fake toilets with pumpkin pies positioned underneath as if...well, I think you get it.

Ellie: I don't blame you. Sara's as bad as Richard at ruining perfectly tasty foods!

Yes, but with a massive difference: Richard does it by eloquently tearing down any fondness and nostalgia you may have for a particular food; Sara does it by grossing you out for life. ;)

Haha, true. Although Richard describing cherry pie (I think) as something like bloody pies filled with engorged ticks was pretty gross...

Stephen, I could read 'into Texas' on there. Quick Google gave me this. I think it's a match.

*strings up a garland in Canadian corner*

Hiiiiiiii Stephen!

>229 katelisim: nice sleuthing

Katie: Ah! Well, yes, that makes sense I guess! *Bows to Katie's bookfinding mastery*

Micky: Helloooo Micky! Don't mention garland out loud! If Sara hears she post pictures that'll ruin it for us all! :o

*Waves at Megan*

Mmmmmwhy thank you. I have this super good eyesight. I like to pretend that if I had more focus ability I could be Sherlock-y, but Shawn Spencer ruined that.

#227: That's my aim! :)

#229: I think you're right.

#232: Oh believe me! I soooo wanted to post a nasty garland picture on here, but I'm at work and they block some of the weirdest pics on google.

Btw, Stephen: I'm sure this has already been mentioned, but have you seen Science Ink: Tattoos of the Science Obsessed by Carl Zimmer at your library yet? It's got a foreword by Mary Roach (takes a step back to avoid the drool--yes, let's hope it's drool).

Dear Stephen,

I have decided what I want you to get me for Christmas.*

Please and Thank you.
Nora



* Mandatory disclaimer: the above link will neither get you fired nor make you lose your lunch.

Speaking of Christmas presents, has yours arrived yet?

Katie: I have very good near-sight, but I can't see shit beyond a dozen feet or so.

Sara: Wait...WHAT!? Carl Zimmer...wrote a tattoo book...and Mary Roach did the foreword!?!? OMG! That's seriously a ridiculous combination, I NEED to find that one. Is it new? Not even the big library has it yet, but I'll be keeping an eye on it.

Nora: Sorry, you'll have to find someone else to buy it for you since that page isn't loading on my dial-up connection. :_(

Ellie: Yes! Yesterday. I was just about to send you a PM this morning. *Smooch* ^_^

I have terrible long-distance vision too. I'm constantly seeing ducks that are logs, seagulls that are carrier bags, dogs that are sheep... Sometimes when James the Owl Man is here he'll point up at the sky and say 'Look! A buzzard!' and I can't see a bloody thing. :(

I thought you already knew about the Science Tattoo book, Stephen? I definitely have, so I must have seen it around here somewhere... Did you notice that there are not one, but TWO Carl Zimmer books AND a book on the dancing plague on my library check-out list from Tuesday?

And I am VERY HAPPY to have armed you with all the zombie-fighting skills and tricks you'll need when the Zombie Apocalypse happens. What a gift for Christmas: survival. You're welcome. :)

Ellie: Yeah, those logs are tricky! I always see logs that are cats, or raccoons! I saw your library check-out list. *Grins maliciously* It's too bad few humans are capable of reading that much before they are due, hm? :P Yay for survival!

Nora: Ack! Huge image! Not loading, and killing my thread. :(

It's okay though, I need a new thread soon anyway.

I smallerized it, but now you can't see all the awesome detail :-(

November was a dismal month where reading is concerned. 4 books. FOUR! Ah well, I did finish the challenge, so I can't complain. :)

November Summary

Books: 4
Pages: 1,267

Fiction: 3
Nonfiction: 1

Male authors: 4
Female authors: 0

Sorry, Nora, still won't load. =( Shrinking the dimensions of an image doesn't affect it's weight. It's like taking a big heavy car, crushing it into a tiny block and saying "There, it's smaller, you should be able to lift it now." Still just as heavy as before, y'know?

Start a new thread already - it must have been AT LEAST ten minutes since the last one and I'm getting well impatient. *hops up and down excitedly*

*Hands on hips* 10 minutes? It's been more than 10 days! Although I understand time flies when people visit my thread. It's not that they're having fun though, there is actually a dimensional time warp in my oven so the cookies I bake in there have this weird side-effect...

aaaah, Montana 1948, been meaning to read that for ages

So are the cookies actually from Montana 1948 as well? Do they have her illness?

*stares at cookies with internal battle raging over whether or not to eat them*

Oh! Oh! Oh! It's a Timey-Wimey-Space problem. . . so, if I eat the cookies, Doctor Who will come, yeah? Cause it would be worth it then.

Megan: It's a good one, AND short. No excuses! :P

Katie: Yes yes, of course. *Searches closet for a passable Doctor Who costume*

OKay, that was weird.

Which one Ellie? Stephen dressing as Doctor Who or the space-time paradox cookies?

I think I may have accidentally ended up in 1955 as a result of eating one of those crazy cookies from Stephen. On the bright side, Marty McFly ought to be around here somewhere. :)

#235: Idk, norabelle. The pink outfit almost made my granola do a second round in my mouth, but the zombie Ken doll evened that out. ;) Yum. Now I have granola breath. Free smoochies!

#237: Yep, I think it's relatively new. Published this year maybe? Anyway, I was shelf reading that area (eg, goofing off), and I was surprised we had more than 1 tattoo book. (Usually those, the sex books, and the drug books get stolen the most. Big surprise.) I only got to flip through a few pages, but it definitely looks like something you'd like. If you google "science ink tattoos", you'll get quite a few pics from the book.

Hey, Micky, could you click on that link and see if it works or not? (innocent smile) I'm not sure I did the html right.

#238: Yay! Do I get to join the club too? I've got 20/50 vision AND I don't wear contacts/glasses, so I literally can't see shit until I step in it.

#242: Here, I'll make you feel better, Stephen. No no, wait! Not like that! Here's my November reading list. See? You're Stephen freakin' Hawking compared to me. Feel better now? :)

(skipping all the time warp cookie talk; it's over my dumb blonde head)

>251 saraslibrary: Hey, Micky, could you click on that link and see if it works or not? (innocent smile) I'm not sure I did the html right.

I may be innocent, but I'm not dumb enough to fall for that. So I will wait for someone else to click before I even think about it. :P

Ellie: Weird? On my thread? Are you sure? ;)

Micky: Or maybe she peeked in the closet. NEVER peek in the closet.

Okay, new thread coming. And a review. Just gimme a minute.

Just messing with you, Micky. :) You just happened to post as I was writing that. It's only the google image results page of some science tattooss. You see some skin, but not the where-the-sun-never-shines kind of skin. I promise. Unless your google restrictions are off. Then I promise nothing.

Hee hee, read that too fast. Never pee in the closet either.

Where's that thread, boy?

I've googled science tattoos before, they are indeed cool...but I doubt I'd ever want any of them on me permanently.

NEW THREAD NEW THREAD NEW THREAD!!

ETA: Ah, crap, forgot to use the thread continuation thing again. Oh well...

Not sure what the thread continuation thing is, but you're forgiven. For now.

It's that shiny blue html under the 'add a message' box that I just noticed yesterday. . . I wonder how long it's been there

Oh. I've seen it for a long time, but I had no idea what it was for, so I just ignored it. :)

I've never noticed it before! What does it do, exactly?
*skips over to the new thread to wait for an answer*