Chatterbox's Adventures in Bibliomania in 2012 -- Episode One
This topic was continued by Chatterbox's Adventures in Bibliomania in 2012 -- Episode Two.
Talk 75 Books Challenge for 2012
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1Chatterbox
I had planned to start the new year with a funny poem by Al Purdy, the late great Canadian poet (he rode the rails during the Great Depression, dropped out of high school, was demoted by the Canadian Army, failed as a mattress salesman, but became an iconic poet little-known outside Canada by the late 60s and early 70s. Some of his poems are witty and ribald, but I couldn't resist posting this one to kick off a year of "thread poetry":
The Country of the Young
A.Y. Jackson for instance
83 years old
halfway up a mountain
standing in a patch of snow
to paint a picture that says
"Look here
You've never seen this country
it's not the way you thought it was
Look again"
And boozy traders
lost in a dream of money
crews of homesick seamen
moored to a China-vision
hunting the North West Passage
they didn't see it either
The colours I mean
for they're not bright Gauguin
or blazing Vincent
not even Breugel's "Hunters in the Snow"
where you can get lost
and found in five minutes
-- but the original colour-matrix
that after a giant's heartbeat
lighted the maple forests
in the country south
You have to stoop a little
bend over and then look up
-- dull orange on a cliff face
that says iron deposits
olive leaves of the ground willow
with grey silver catkins
minute wild flower beacons
sea blue as the world's eye --
and you can't be looking for something else
money or a night's lodging on earth
a stepping stone to death maybe
or you'll never find the place
hear an old man's voice
in the country of the young
that says
"Look here -- "
(I'll save the funny Al Purdy for later...!)
The Country of the Young
A.Y. Jackson for instance
83 years old
halfway up a mountain
standing in a patch of snow
to paint a picture that says
"Look here
You've never seen this country
it's not the way you thought it was
Look again"
And boozy traders
lost in a dream of money
crews of homesick seamen
moored to a China-vision
hunting the North West Passage
they didn't see it either
The colours I mean
for they're not bright Gauguin
or blazing Vincent
not even Breugel's "Hunters in the Snow"
where you can get lost
and found in five minutes
-- but the original colour-matrix
that after a giant's heartbeat
lighted the maple forests
in the country south
You have to stoop a little
bend over and then look up
-- dull orange on a cliff face
that says iron deposits
olive leaves of the ground willow
with grey silver catkins
minute wild flower beacons
sea blue as the world's eye --
and you can't be looking for something else
money or a night's lodging on earth
a stepping stone to death maybe
or you'll never find the place
hear an old man's voice
in the country of the young
that says
"Look here -- "
(I'll save the funny Al Purdy for later...!)
2Chatterbox
I'm baa-aaack! For my third year with the 75ers. This group may not affect the number of pages I read, but it certainly steers me towards books I might otherwise shrug off or never read otherwise. So I'm looking forward to another year in your collective company!
With 2011 approaching an end, I'm probably going to end up having read a total of about 460/465 books, down from 506 in 2010; in 2011, that added up to a nearly-complete 11 in 11 challenge plus four and a half groups of 75 books. So I'll use 475 as my target this year -- and we'll have to see how well I fare!
Here's a running tally of the books I've read in total for 2012:
And here's the number I have read for the current challenge.
I don't include books I will read for the 12 in 12 challenge toward the 75-book challenge, though I'll always report on everything that I have read in these threads: it's a "one-stop shopping" for my reading.
I like to balance my reading between non-fiction and fiction; between "serious" tomes and more frivolous fluffy books that provide great entertainment if little in the way of nutritional value. I'm a big mystery fan, I read historical fiction and chick lit and am tip-toeing into the worlds of fantasy and sci-fi, although VERY selectively. Any kind of book can be a "thumping good read"; I'd rather read a mystery that falls into that category than a much-acclaimed or buzzed-about book that I find pretentious or self-conscious (one in which the author seems more intent on telling the world how smart he or she is than on capturing the reader's full attention.) Good writing, good characters, a great plot are the keys to a good writing -- all need to be present and accounted for. When it comes to non-fiction, my expectations are a little lower -- I can cope with more clunky writing if the story being told is fabulous.
I rate my reading using fractions (eg 1.7, 3.9, etc.) and it's basically to try and capture the nuances. Some guidelines:
1.5 or less: A tree gave its life so that this book could be printed and distributed?
1.5 to 2.7: Are you really prepared to give up hours of your life for this?? I wouldn't recommend doing so...
2.8 to 3.3: Do you need something to fill in some time waiting to see the dentist? Either reasonably good within a ho-hum genre (chick lit or thrillers), something that's OK to read when you've nothing else with you, or that you'll find adequate to pass the time and forget later on.
3.4 to 3.8: Want to know what a thumping good read is like, or a book that has a fascinating premise, but doesn't quite deliver? This is where you'll find 'em.
3.9 to 4.4: So, you want a hearty endorsement? These books have what it takes to make me happy I read them.
4.5 to 5: The books that I wish I hadn't read yet, so I could experience the joy of discovering them again for the first time. Sometimes disquieting, sometimes sentimental faves, sometimes dramatic -- they are a highly personal/subjective group at the top of the pile in my judgment.
I've got a bit of an aversion to memoirs, so if I read one and like it, that's a rousing recommendation. You'll probably come across a number of galleys or advance review copies here as I'm getting a steady stream of these from NetGalley, Early Reviewers, Amazon Vine and the publishers themselves. I also get a lot of books from England, some of which might be harder to find in North America -- apologies in advance...
One of my New Year's resolutions is to get back to blogging, which I got derailed from in the fall when my phone & Internet service were buggered up and Verizon couldn't get them fixed. The blog can be found at www.uncommonreading.blogspot.com.
OK, the preliminaries have been dealt with. Come 12:01 a.m. on New Year's Day -- assuming I haven't found anything better to do -- I'll begin reading books that will show up on the list below!
1. Before the Poison by Peter Robinson, ****1/2, STARTED 1/1/12, FINISHED 1/2/12 (fiction)
2. The Painted Lady by Maeve Haran, ***, STARTED 12/30/11, FINISHED 1/2/12 (fiction)
3. All the Flowers in Shanghai by Duncan Jepson *1/2 STARTED 1/2/12, FINISHED 1/4/12 (fiction)
4. The People on Privilege Hill by Jane Gardam, ****1/2, STARTED 1/3/12, FINISHED 1/4/12 (fiction)
5. The Man in the Empty Boat by Mark Salzman, ****, READ 1/6/12 (non-fiction)
6. The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz, ****1/2, STARTED 1/6/12, FINISHED 1/7/12 (fiction)
7. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, ****1/2, STARTED 1/5/12, FINISHED 1/8/12 (fiction)
8. Maphead by Ken Jennings, ****1/2, STARTED 1/7/12, FINISHED 1/8/12 (non-fiction)
9. A Long Retreat by Andrew Krivak, **, STARTED 1/6/12, FINISHED 1/9/12 (non-fiction)
10. 66 North by Michael Ridpath, ****, STARTED 1/8/12, FINISHED 1/11/12 (fiction)
11. The Confession by Charles Todd, ****, STARTED 1/11/12, FINISHED 1/13/12 (fiction)
12. God's Jury by Cullen Murphy, ****1/2, STARTED 1/12/12, FINISHED 1/15/12 (non-fiction)
13. Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett, ****, STARTED 1/13/12, FINISHED 1/16/12 (fiction)
14. The End of Money by David Wolman, ***1/2, STARTED 1/16/12, FINISHED 1/19/12 (non-fiction)
15. The Fifth Servant by Kenneth Wishnia, **1/2, STARTED 12/10/11, FINISHED 1/21/12 (fiction)
16. The Sari Shop Widow by Shobhan Bhantwal, *1/2, STARTED 1/18/12, FINISHED 1/22/12 (fiction)
* - re-read.
With 2011 approaching an end, I'm probably going to end up having read a total of about 460/465 books, down from 506 in 2010; in 2011, that added up to a nearly-complete 11 in 11 challenge plus four and a half groups of 75 books. So I'll use 475 as my target this year -- and we'll have to see how well I fare!
Here's a running tally of the books I've read in total for 2012:
And here's the number I have read for the current challenge.
I don't include books I will read for the 12 in 12 challenge toward the 75-book challenge, though I'll always report on everything that I have read in these threads: it's a "one-stop shopping" for my reading.
I like to balance my reading between non-fiction and fiction; between "serious" tomes and more frivolous fluffy books that provide great entertainment if little in the way of nutritional value. I'm a big mystery fan, I read historical fiction and chick lit and am tip-toeing into the worlds of fantasy and sci-fi, although VERY selectively. Any kind of book can be a "thumping good read"; I'd rather read a mystery that falls into that category than a much-acclaimed or buzzed-about book that I find pretentious or self-conscious (one in which the author seems more intent on telling the world how smart he or she is than on capturing the reader's full attention.) Good writing, good characters, a great plot are the keys to a good writing -- all need to be present and accounted for. When it comes to non-fiction, my expectations are a little lower -- I can cope with more clunky writing if the story being told is fabulous.
I rate my reading using fractions (eg 1.7, 3.9, etc.) and it's basically to try and capture the nuances. Some guidelines:
1.5 or less: A tree gave its life so that this book could be printed and distributed?
1.5 to 2.7: Are you really prepared to give up hours of your life for this?? I wouldn't recommend doing so...
2.8 to 3.3: Do you need something to fill in some time waiting to see the dentist? Either reasonably good within a ho-hum genre (chick lit or thrillers), something that's OK to read when you've nothing else with you, or that you'll find adequate to pass the time and forget later on.
3.4 to 3.8: Want to know what a thumping good read is like, or a book that has a fascinating premise, but doesn't quite deliver? This is where you'll find 'em.
3.9 to 4.4: So, you want a hearty endorsement? These books have what it takes to make me happy I read them.
4.5 to 5: The books that I wish I hadn't read yet, so I could experience the joy of discovering them again for the first time. Sometimes disquieting, sometimes sentimental faves, sometimes dramatic -- they are a highly personal/subjective group at the top of the pile in my judgment.
I've got a bit of an aversion to memoirs, so if I read one and like it, that's a rousing recommendation. You'll probably come across a number of galleys or advance review copies here as I'm getting a steady stream of these from NetGalley, Early Reviewers, Amazon Vine and the publishers themselves. I also get a lot of books from England, some of which might be harder to find in North America -- apologies in advance...
One of my New Year's resolutions is to get back to blogging, which I got derailed from in the fall when my phone & Internet service were buggered up and Verizon couldn't get them fixed. The blog can be found at www.uncommonreading.blogspot.com.
OK, the preliminaries have been dealt with. Come 12:01 a.m. on New Year's Day -- assuming I haven't found anything better to do -- I'll begin reading books that will show up on the list below!
1. Before the Poison by Peter Robinson, ****1/2, STARTED 1/1/12, FINISHED 1/2/12 (fiction)
2. The Painted Lady by Maeve Haran, ***, STARTED 12/30/11, FINISHED 1/2/12 (fiction)
3. All the Flowers in Shanghai by Duncan Jepson *1/2 STARTED 1/2/12, FINISHED 1/4/12 (fiction)
4. The People on Privilege Hill by Jane Gardam, ****1/2, STARTED 1/3/12, FINISHED 1/4/12 (fiction)
5. The Man in the Empty Boat by Mark Salzman, ****, READ 1/6/12 (non-fiction)
6. The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz, ****1/2, STARTED 1/6/12, FINISHED 1/7/12 (fiction)
7. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, ****1/2, STARTED 1/5/12, FINISHED 1/8/12 (fiction)
8. Maphead by Ken Jennings, ****1/2, STARTED 1/7/12, FINISHED 1/8/12 (non-fiction)
9. A Long Retreat by Andrew Krivak, **, STARTED 1/6/12, FINISHED 1/9/12 (non-fiction)
10. 66 North by Michael Ridpath, ****, STARTED 1/8/12, FINISHED 1/11/12 (fiction)
11. The Confession by Charles Todd, ****, STARTED 1/11/12, FINISHED 1/13/12 (fiction)
12. God's Jury by Cullen Murphy, ****1/2, STARTED 1/12/12, FINISHED 1/15/12 (non-fiction)
13. Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett, ****, STARTED 1/13/12, FINISHED 1/16/12 (fiction)
14. The End of Money by David Wolman, ***1/2, STARTED 1/16/12, FINISHED 1/19/12 (non-fiction)
15. The Fifth Servant by Kenneth Wishnia, **1/2, STARTED 12/10/11, FINISHED 1/21/12 (fiction)
16. The Sari Shop Widow by Shobhan Bhantwal, *1/2, STARTED 1/18/12, FINISHED 1/22/12 (fiction)
* - re-read.
3ChelleBearss
HI Suzanne! Got you starred!! 
5Carmenere
Greetings Suzanne, I certainly hope I take the time to "Look here" more often in the new year and not be in such a rush, notice the little things. Well, thanks Suzanne, I think the Purdy just gave me ideas for my New Year's resolution list.
11richardderus
Thank GOODness you're doing this early.
13Chatterbox
Heavens, such a flurry of activity -- and it will be at least another five days before I'm actually ready to report any reading activity!!! I suppose we're all just anxious to bid farewell to 2011...
14cushlareads
Am waiting for the book bullet bonanza to begin... but first, back to your 2011 thread!
15alcottacre
Hey, Suz! Glad to see you back again!
16Chatterbox
Stasia! So glad you've come back out to play...
17alcottacre
Not sure how long play time will last, but I am trying to take advantage of it while I can!
19PaulCranswick
That veritable lady Suzanne
Made an exceedingly good plan.
Miffed with less than five hundred a year
Even though still well in the clear
Reduced the target tho' only she still can
Thought I would start your 2012 as I ended your 2011. Noticed you dropped your target by 25 from last year - slowcoach!
Made an exceedingly good plan.
Miffed with less than five hundred a year
Even though still well in the clear
Reduced the target tho' only she still can
Thought I would start your 2012 as I ended your 2011. Noticed you dropped your target by 25 from last year - slowcoach!
22alcottacre
Happy New Year, Suz! What Caro said. . .
23Chatterbox
Thanks, all!
The fireworks just started, the car horns started blaring and various and sundry other noises have begun to make themselves heard, so I suppose I can declare this thread open for business?
The fireworks just started, the car horns started blaring and various and sundry other noises have begun to make themselves heard, so I suppose I can declare this thread open for business?
27alcottacre
Got your 75 read yet?
28cushlareads
Happy new year Suz!
29Chatterbox
For those interested in the final tally for 2011, it stands at a total of 466 books read, including 124 for my 11 in 11 challenge. (That's below the 506 books I completed in 2010.) I fell short of completing my goal of 11 books in each of the 11 categories by two books -- one in my Great American novelists category; the other in my history category. I did end up reading more than the 121 total # of books as I read several "bonus books" in other categories.
Dunno if I'll try to analyze all that forensically (source of books, percentage that were ranked 4 stars or higher, etc.) but I will try to post my faves in the coming days.
OK, off to bed.
Dunno if I'll try to analyze all that forensically (source of books, percentage that were ranked 4 stars or higher, etc.) but I will try to post my faves in the coming days.
OK, off to bed.
30gennyt
Just come over from your last 2011 post to wish you well at the start of the new year and to post this traditional Wassailing Song sung by the lovely and very Yorkshire Kate Rusby, which I hope will enliven your New Year morning!
32Carmenere
very quietly tiptoes in to wish you a happy new year, Suzanne. tiptoes out and shuts the door.
34Donna828
I'll be lurking here with an occasional post to let you know I'm around. I'm a fan of your eclectic reading and thoughtfful reviews.
Happy New Year, Suzanne!
Happy New Year, Suzanne!
35tiffin
*enormous hug* for starting your new thread with Al Purdy, Suz! Happy New Year and many blessings for 2012. I know I won't keep up here because time is finite and books aren't the only things which fill my days but at the start of a new year, I raise my coffee mug and cheer "Huzzah for we readers"!
37arubabookwoman
Happy New Year Suzanne--I hope it's a better one for you than this past year!
38LauraBrook
Happy New Year, Suz! I hope you ended up with an okay evening last night. :) Looking forward to another year of following your reading! *Starred*
39Chatterbox
Thanks for the wassailing song, Genny! I know the song, but the setting is very different from anything I had heard before -- and Kate Rubsy certainly has a lovely Yorkshire accent!! Amusingly, the first book I picked up to read in the New Year is set in Yorkshire -- a stand-alone mystery by Peter Robinson, Before the Poison. I'm not very far into it but am really enjoying it. It's in galleys in the US so apologies in advance to anyone who has to wait to read it...
Happy new year, all -- promise to do a better job of keeping up with everyone else's threads in 2012 (oh no -- a resolution!!) though it's very very daunting, as you all know all too well...
Happy new year, all -- promise to do a better job of keeping up with everyone else's threads in 2012 (oh no -- a resolution!!) though it's very very daunting, as you all know all too well...
40Copperskye
Happy New Year Suz!!
41lkernagh
Joined the group, making the rounds and happily have come across your thread. Starred! Looking forward to more of your great reviews!
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
42alcottacre
Before the Poison sounds right up my alley. I look forward to your review, Suz!
43Chatterbox
Well, the year is getting off to a frustrating start on the work front (amazingly, lots of people are actually taking today off and Morningstar has locked me out of the premium data center that I need to access information in order to meet a deadline...) but at least the first book of the year was a winner!
I absolutely loved Before the Poison by Peter Robinson. I hadn't read any of his Inspector Banks series (but now I'll have to -- I've put a hold request on #1 at the library) so I didn't know what to expect. The premise -- a 60 year old composer for film scores returns to Yorkshire, his home, and buys an old manor house only to discover that a woman who lived there in the 40s and 50s was hanged for poisoning her husband -- was intriguing. To some, I imagine that the unfolding of the second-degree investigation by Chris (who is mourning the death of his own wife) will be a bit too undramatic for their taste. But it worked for me, because I never felt that I had to suspend disbelief in order to follow the intriguing plot. Chris becomes caught up in Grace Fox's fate: did she indeed murder her husband? If she was innocent, was he murdered at all? If guilty, was her motive really the one that prosecutors ascribed to her at her trial? Following the story is like peeling an onion -- as Chris probes more deeply, another layer of the story comes to light. I really enjoy novels of this kind, that combine a past crime and a present investigation (two of my absolute faves are Past Caring by Robert Goddard, that author's stellar debut, and A Place of Execution by Val McDermid), which when well done combine excellent writing and a completely different kind of suspense. The final twist took me completely by surprise. 4.3 stars.
Gah, Tigger just sat on the laptop while my back was turned & wiped out some more comments. An editorially-minded cat?? Or is he just expressing displeasure that I'm paying more attention to the computer than to him??
I absolutely loved Before the Poison by Peter Robinson. I hadn't read any of his Inspector Banks series (but now I'll have to -- I've put a hold request on #1 at the library) so I didn't know what to expect. The premise -- a 60 year old composer for film scores returns to Yorkshire, his home, and buys an old manor house only to discover that a woman who lived there in the 40s and 50s was hanged for poisoning her husband -- was intriguing. To some, I imagine that the unfolding of the second-degree investigation by Chris (who is mourning the death of his own wife) will be a bit too undramatic for their taste. But it worked for me, because I never felt that I had to suspend disbelief in order to follow the intriguing plot. Chris becomes caught up in Grace Fox's fate: did she indeed murder her husband? If she was innocent, was he murdered at all? If guilty, was her motive really the one that prosecutors ascribed to her at her trial? Following the story is like peeling an onion -- as Chris probes more deeply, another layer of the story comes to light. I really enjoy novels of this kind, that combine a past crime and a present investigation (two of my absolute faves are Past Caring by Robert Goddard, that author's stellar debut, and A Place of Execution by Val McDermid), which when well done combine excellent writing and a completely different kind of suspense. The final twist took me completely by surprise. 4.3 stars.
Gah, Tigger just sat on the laptop while my back was turned & wiped out some more comments. An editorially-minded cat?? Or is he just expressing displeasure that I'm paying more attention to the computer than to him??
44phebj
Happy New Year, Suzanne! Before the Poison is the first book on my WL for 2012. I'm off to check out Past Caring and A Place of Execution.
45lkernagh
Before the Poison looks good! Nice review!
46mckait
Every single time my eyes light on your thread title, I read
Chatterbox's Adventures in Bulimia
It throws me off more than a little....
Chatterbox's Adventures in Bulimia
It throws me off more than a little....
47Chatterbox
Kath, I'm a bit worried by this! After all, this was the working title of my threads last year, too... I don't have any brilliant alternatives to offer yet, I'm afraid.
48thornton37814
Suzanne, Before the Poison is going onto my wish list. Looks like I'll have to wait a couple of months before it comes out in the U.S.
49elkiedee
I can't believe you haven't read Peter Robinson before! I was a bit disappointed by his first Banks novel, Gallows' View - my first of his books read was a group read discussion on 4 Mystery Addicts and is a past case resurfacing - In a Dry Season. Although it's #10 in the series, it's not a bad place to start as it marks a turning point. Though I've enjoyed nearly all the earlier ones that I've read (I must get to the remaining two this year!) you get the follow through for the rest of the series by starting here.
50Chatterbox
I've got the first novel coming from the library, Luci, so I'll bear that in mind. I had seen Robinson's books on shelves, but nothing had driven me to pick them up -- and then the sheer length of the series became intimidating! I opted to get Before the Poison from Amazon Vine in large part because it was a stand-alone novel.
I've decided to number the books that I read in my mini-reviews, if only to help me keep track!
2. The Painted Lady by Maeve Haran is a novel I started reading over the weekend. Haran is best known for her chick-lit/English romances but seems to have taken a detour of late into historical novels. I should say historical romances, as her first book was about the battle by John Donne to get the world to accept he wanted to marry his wife; the latest is about Frances Stewart and the Duke of Lennox, who had an eerily similar struggle. In the latter case, it was because Frances had attracted the passion of Charles II, who was jealous enough to toss Lennox into the Tower at one point. I'd heard the story before, in bios of the time and in a novel version I read in the mid-60s, "Lady on a Coin" by Margaret Campbell Barnes. (I think it has been re-released under a different title.) The way Haran tells the story, it made me think of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn: a foreign queen who can't seem to conceive an heir; a beautiful young lady in waiting who refuses to consent to being a mystery and a lustful monarch... Still, the emphasis is on the romance and the atmosphere of Restoration London is perfunctory. At the end of the day, re-reading (or reading) Forever Amber is a better bet, IMO! 3 stars.
I've decided to number the books that I read in my mini-reviews, if only to help me keep track!
2. The Painted Lady by Maeve Haran is a novel I started reading over the weekend. Haran is best known for her chick-lit/English romances but seems to have taken a detour of late into historical novels. I should say historical romances, as her first book was about the battle by John Donne to get the world to accept he wanted to marry his wife; the latest is about Frances Stewart and the Duke of Lennox, who had an eerily similar struggle. In the latter case, it was because Frances had attracted the passion of Charles II, who was jealous enough to toss Lennox into the Tower at one point. I'd heard the story before, in bios of the time and in a novel version I read in the mid-60s, "Lady on a Coin" by Margaret Campbell Barnes. (I think it has been re-released under a different title.) The way Haran tells the story, it made me think of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn: a foreign queen who can't seem to conceive an heir; a beautiful young lady in waiting who refuses to consent to being a mystery and a lustful monarch... Still, the emphasis is on the romance and the atmosphere of Restoration London is perfunctory. At the end of the day, re-reading (or reading) Forever Amber is a better bet, IMO! 3 stars.
51PaulCranswick
Suz / Luci - Big fan of both Peter Robinson and Robert Goddard. His latest (Robbo) is in fact the only one I haven't read yet and I have read all of Robert Goddards.
DCI Banks is a sensible in-between for me. Not as ridiculously self-destructive as a John Rebus or even a Tom Thorne but hardly a goody-two-shoes either. Some of his decision making can at times be baffling but then again so is a lot of my own.
Love the sub-genre that Goddard inhabits which often involves the uncovering of past secrets and base family plots. All his 20 plus novels keep up a very high standard of storytelling and I think he is unfairly overlooked at times.
DCI Banks is a sensible in-between for me. Not as ridiculously self-destructive as a John Rebus or even a Tom Thorne but hardly a goody-two-shoes either. Some of his decision making can at times be baffling but then again so is a lot of my own.
Love the sub-genre that Goddard inhabits which often involves the uncovering of past secrets and base family plots. All his 20 plus novels keep up a very high standard of storytelling and I think he is unfairly overlooked at times.
52Chatterbox
I completely agree with you on Goddard, Paul -- have been a big fan of his since a friend pushed me to buy his first book waaay back when I was working in a bookstore in late '86. I then felt compelled to invest my scarce cash in his following books, whenever they appeared. Before Amazon, I'd have to lug them back from London as Goddard is still so little known. At least some of them are starting to appear. My only gripe is that they are tricky to re-read -- the plots are very complex. That said, my faves -- and very re-readable books -- are Hand in Glove and Into the Blue. A few I didn't like that much, such as Closed Circle.
Have you read John Harvey's books, Paul? I've got the new book coming from the UK, hopefully soon...
Have you read John Harvey's books, Paul? I've got the new book coming from the UK, hopefully soon...
53PaulCranswick
Suz - Yes I've read all the Resnicks and the first two Elders. Also good but prefer Robinson by a hair's breadth. Charlie is possibly a little too glum and lacking in ambition. Know Nottingham well though so I enjoy those parts. Eastvale is an imaginary town in the Yorkshire Dales near Leeds - which is my home city actually.
54Smiler69
Hi Suz, I don't recall who said they were interested in the Steinbeckathon or not anymore, but here are links to the threads I created tonight and put up on the wiki for those interested:
Steinbeckathon Main Thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/130105
Cannery Row: http://www.librarything.com/topic/130108
Steinbeckathon Main Thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/130105
Cannery Row: http://www.librarything.com/topic/130108
55Chatterbox
Ha -- Leeds is the hometown of the fictional protagonist in Before the Poison!
OK, since everyone else is doing it, I'll list my faves for 2011. This isn't a definitive list, but really more of an indication of things that really struck me. And it's not a hierarchy, from "best" downward.
FICTION
*Rondo by Kazimierz Brandys
Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden
Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden
Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon
The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje
*Death and the Penguin by Andrei Kurkov
March by Geraldine Brooks
The Good Muslim by Tahmima Anam
The German Mujahid by Boualem Sansal
*The Summer of the Bear by Bella Pollen
Cooking with Fernet Branca by James Hamilton-Paterson
A Jealous Ghost by A.N. Wilson
NON-FICTION
Unnatural Selection by Mara Hvistendahl
A Writer's Diary by Virginia Woolf
To End All Wars by Adam Hochschild
In the Garden of the Beasts by Erik Larson
A Most Dangerous Book by Christopher Krebs
*Objects of Our Affection by Lisa Tracy
Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer
Elizabeth and Hazel by David Margolick
Midnight Rising by Tony Horwitz
GENRE FICTION
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
Magician King by Lev Grossman
*The Pericles Commission by Gary Corby
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson (and its sequels)
*Theodora by Stella Duffy
*Undeservedly under-recognized, IMHO!
Interesting -- I had fewer really great non-fiction books in 2011 than I had expected...
OK, since everyone else is doing it, I'll list my faves for 2011. This isn't a definitive list, but really more of an indication of things that really struck me. And it's not a hierarchy, from "best" downward.
FICTION
*Rondo by Kazimierz Brandys
Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden
Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden
Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon
The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje
*Death and the Penguin by Andrei Kurkov
March by Geraldine Brooks
The Good Muslim by Tahmima Anam
The German Mujahid by Boualem Sansal
*The Summer of the Bear by Bella Pollen
Cooking with Fernet Branca by James Hamilton-Paterson
A Jealous Ghost by A.N. Wilson
NON-FICTION
Unnatural Selection by Mara Hvistendahl
A Writer's Diary by Virginia Woolf
To End All Wars by Adam Hochschild
In the Garden of the Beasts by Erik Larson
A Most Dangerous Book by Christopher Krebs
*Objects of Our Affection by Lisa Tracy
Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer
Elizabeth and Hazel by David Margolick
Midnight Rising by Tony Horwitz
GENRE FICTION
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
Magician King by Lev Grossman
*The Pericles Commission by Gary Corby
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson (and its sequels)
*Theodora by Stella Duffy
*Undeservedly under-recognized, IMHO!
Interesting -- I had fewer really great non-fiction books in 2011 than I had expected...
56richardderus
Hmmm
I haven't been able to finish The Pericles Commission. Just keeps slipping into the bookcase, after being bedsided repeatedly. I wonder why.
I haven't been able to finish The Pericles Commission. Just keeps slipping into the bookcase, after being bedsided repeatedly. I wonder why.
57alcottacre
Adding Before the Poison to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation, Suz!
58elliepotten
I really must read some Peter Robinson soon. I keep meaning to! I live in Derbyshire and went to university in York, so not that far away really. Ditto Stephen Booth, who writes crime set in Derbyshire itself. I keep hoping one will come into the shop but they always sell too fast! I'll have to get buying I think.
Happy New Year Suzanne! :)
Happy New Year Suzanne! :)
59sibylline
I'm glad to see your list! Cats sitting on computers, I'm very tolerant but I've discouraged that so they don't. One of them will come and sit beside it on the table though and bite my hair or like my chin, or put a loving claw on my cheek.......
60souloftherose
Hi Suzanne. I've started a discussion on this year's tutored reads thread about the tutored read of A Tale of Two Cities that we discussed last year. Would love to hear your thoughts if you're still interested.
61elkiedee
I think John Harvey is a much better writer than Peter Robinson. I've read the 11 Resnick novels, a standalone In a True Light, the first Frank Elder and the first of his third series. Also an early novel which wasn't very good, and a teen novel What About It, Sharon? I still have his Resnick short stories, another collection of short stories, two Frank Elders and one or two about Will and Helen.
Ellie, yes, you should read Stephen Booth as well as Robinson. I need to catch up, I've only read the first 2 of his books, there's about 9 (?) now. I know him a little bit. He's one of the almost founder members of 4_Mystery_Addicts (email discussion group) and always used to come and hang out with the gang for a meal at conventions (he probably still does, I just don't get to go any more).
Ellie, yes, you should read Stephen Booth as well as Robinson. I need to catch up, I've only read the first 2 of his books, there's about 9 (?) now. I know him a little bit. He's one of the almost founder members of 4_Mystery_Addicts (email discussion group) and always used to come and hang out with the gang for a meal at conventions (he probably still does, I just don't get to go any more).
62Chatterbox
After patting myself on my back for not really buying too many books (all things considered...) last year, I had to add five new books to my list today -- the new 1930s mystery set in Stalin's Russia, The Darkening Field by William Ryan, and four books from Amazon France... *sheepish grin*
63alcottacre
You should look sheepish, young lady! :)
64LizzieD
I'll put in my agreement with Luci that Banks #1 wasn't particularly good. I have bought and read most of the series, but I prefer Pasco/Dalziel. Although I haven't read any of the Resnicks, I have a couple, so maybe I'll get there. (And although I never ignore Stasia, "LALALALALALA")
65Chatterbox
Well, Stasia, I didn't take any book buying ban vows...
But speaking of sheepish, I have to admit I've yet to read a Dalziel/Pascoe novel. Another series that is intimidatingly long...
But speaking of sheepish, I have to admit I've yet to read a Dalziel/Pascoe novel. Another series that is intimidatingly long...
66alcottacre
I do not think I have read any Dalziel/Pascoe novels either, or if I have, it was so long ago that I do not remember the book.
I am not taking any book buying ban vows this year either, although I do plan on buying fewer than I read. I am not sure that is saying a whole lot.
I am not taking any book buying ban vows this year either, although I do plan on buying fewer than I read. I am not sure that is saying a whole lot.
67elkiedee
I've read A Clubbable Woman and the first in Hill's Joe Sixsmith series - I really need to read more of both, as my reading twin from 4MA who is my second most similar library on here now (after Dee) is a real fan, and I own quite a few Hill books, far more than the 2 displayed on LibraryThing.
68nittnut
Waving hello... and confessing to never having read a Dalziel/Pascoe either. Should I remedy this?
69flissp
Hi Suzanne and Happy New Year!
Enjoyed the poem.
...you've just reminded me that I read Death Comes to Pemberley over Christmas, which I'd completely forgotten and I have to say, I completely agree with pretty much all your comments last year (and both my parents, independently said the same thing - flat characters, not a real crime novel...). Still, it was a lot better than both the finished off version of The Watsons, and Emma Tennant's Pemberley, so I'm not going to complain too much, even if that's not saying very much!
Two things that did really irritate me - and I'll admit to nerdiness here - was that she'd got two basic facts wrong - 1) the deaths of Darcy's parents were switched (quite important to Darcy's character) and 2) that in-joke reference to Persuasion - she's married off Anne Elliot & Captain Wentworth before they'd even met for the first time (1806)! Sorry, just had to get that off my chest to someone else who's read it! ;o)
Glad you also enjoyed Death and the Penguin - I've been doing my best to educate my friends and family with it (and its sequel) ever since I read it (I think when it was first published in English - I've got a lovely edition). Great book. I've enjoyed the rest of his books too, but none of them live up to this (although I got a new one last year that I've still not got round to reading, so that may yet change!)
Enjoyed the poem.
...you've just reminded me that I read Death Comes to Pemberley over Christmas, which I'd completely forgotten and I have to say, I completely agree with pretty much all your comments last year (and both my parents, independently said the same thing - flat characters, not a real crime novel...). Still, it was a lot better than both the finished off version of The Watsons, and Emma Tennant's Pemberley, so I'm not going to complain too much, even if that's not saying very much!
Two things that did really irritate me - and I'll admit to nerdiness here - was that she'd got two basic facts wrong - 1) the deaths of Darcy's parents were switched (quite important to Darcy's character) and 2) that in-joke reference to Persuasion - she's married off Anne Elliot & Captain Wentworth before they'd even met for the first time (1806)! Sorry, just had to get that off my chest to someone else who's read it! ;o)
Glad you also enjoyed Death and the Penguin - I've been doing my best to educate my friends and family with it (and its sequel) ever since I read it (I think when it was first published in English - I've got a lovely edition). Great book. I've enjoyed the rest of his books too, but none of them live up to this (although I got a new one last year that I've still not got round to reading, so that may yet change!)
70LizzieD
READ REGINALD HILL's PASCO and DALZIEL series. He writes better than Robinson, and Pasco is married to a smart, feminist woman!
71Chatterbox
Well, here is a book to avoid at all costs.
3. What I expected when I picked up All the Flowers in Shanghai by Duncan Jepson was brain candy -- a lively novel with no nutritional value. What I got was my biblio-nightmare: a book that while it was adequately-written, had no redeeming value whatsoever. He commits nearly all the cardinal sins a novelist can: telling vs showing; introducing characters whose only purpose is to serve a purpose temporarily and who then vanish; characters whose motives & actions are unbelievable and obscure; a plot that takes giant moves all over the landscape; a historical novel that can't be located in any specific point in time (when he does allow the reader to guess when it's set, it's only because he refers blithely in passing to the end of a major war!!). I could go on, but I'm still angry at the waste of time. I did write a review on the book's LT page. Avoid this, even if you like Lisa See, Amy Tan, et al. 1.3 stars, only because I did finish it though I'm not sure how or why.
3. What I expected when I picked up All the Flowers in Shanghai by Duncan Jepson was brain candy -- a lively novel with no nutritional value. What I got was my biblio-nightmare: a book that while it was adequately-written, had no redeeming value whatsoever. He commits nearly all the cardinal sins a novelist can: telling vs showing; introducing characters whose only purpose is to serve a purpose temporarily and who then vanish; characters whose motives & actions are unbelievable and obscure; a plot that takes giant moves all over the landscape; a historical novel that can't be located in any specific point in time (when he does allow the reader to guess when it's set, it's only because he refers blithely in passing to the end of a major war!!). I could go on, but I'm still angry at the waste of time. I did write a review on the book's LT page. Avoid this, even if you like Lisa See, Amy Tan, et al. 1.3 stars, only because I did finish it though I'm not sure how or why.
72DeltaQueen50
It took me awhile but I finally got over here! I was thrilled that you rated Before the Poison so highly. I'm a big fan of Peter Robinson, even though I thought the last Inspector Banks that I read All the Colors of Darkness wasn't quite up to his usual standard.
I also loved your comment about re-reading Forever Amber one of my all time favorites from the days of sneaking my mother's books to read on the sly. It was actually considered quite risque in it's day!
I also loved your comment about re-reading Forever Amber one of my all time favorites from the days of sneaking my mother's books to read on the sly. It was actually considered quite risque in it's day!
73cameling
Thanks for the heads up, Suz.... avoiding All the Flowers in Shanghai. Hope your next read removes the nasty taste in your mouth left by this one. Was this an e-book or a dead tree book? *curious to know what you did with it after*
74alcottacre
#71: OK, All the Flowers in Shanghai is now planted firmly on my 'Do Not Read' list. Hopefully you will have better luck with your next book!
75Chatterbox
Well, it would have been flung into the bin, Caro, had it been my own. As it is I will be carrying it -- carefully, touching it only with my fingertips -- back to the library within the next hour or two. I'm reading Crowded with Genius for a non-fiction read, which is very good but dense, reminding me how little I know about the philosophies of the time vs the history. (I'm also getting confused by all the new names... it is in dire need of a crib sheet.) I have read a few pages of a couple other novels, but haven't yet immersed myself in one, so...
ETA: Gallows View by Peter Robinson, the debut to feature Insp. Banks, is waiting at the library for me to pick up. Along with House of Silk, the quasi-Sherlockian tome, and Reamde -- for the second time!! Maybe I'll get around to it this year??
ETA: Gallows View by Peter Robinson, the debut to feature Insp. Banks, is waiting at the library for me to pick up. Along with House of Silk, the quasi-Sherlockian tome, and Reamde -- for the second time!! Maybe I'll get around to it this year??
76alcottacre
I need to get to Reamde too, Suz. I had it out of the library last year and started on it, but was in the midst of a book funk at the time, so I returned the book unread.
77richardderus
>71 Chatterbox: Ooof. Ugh. *sympathetic twinge of book-ire*
Reamde for the second time...terrifyingly, I thought that meant you'd *read* it and were now *re*reading it! A kitten-squisher like that is a one-time-per-customer kind of read, I'd say.
Reamde for the second time...terrifyingly, I thought that meant you'd *read* it and were now *re*reading it! A kitten-squisher like that is a one-time-per-customer kind of read, I'd say.
78elkiedee
Ugh at kitten squishing, I don't approve anyway but I'd hate to borrow a book from the library and then find it had been used that way. My library copy of Sea of Poppies was pretty awful - I think people who want to read in the bath should stick to their own books.
79Chatterbox
Luci, books are safe with me in that respect! However irritating the resident felines and can be, I'd never use any book to squash 'em. Now, Richard, on the other hand... *grin* Let's just say that he's not a feline-friendly individual!
80Chatterbox
One more book finished; happily, a much better read.
4. The People on Privilege Hill is a collection of short stories by Jane Gardam, author of the fabulous Old Filth, one of my favorite books of 2011. This doesn't rise to quite that level (though there is one story featuring "Filth", it's not the best of the collection) but there are some astonishingly good stories in here. Some have a slightly surreal twinge to them; the best address, in some way, confronting age. A few will stick with me for a long time, such as "Pangbourne", in which a woman forms a kind of relationship with a gorilla in her local zoo after her husband, the Bounder, leaves her. "The Latter Days of Mr. Jones" is heartbreaking and poignant without ever lapsing into sentimental. Recommended; 4.3 stars.
4. The People on Privilege Hill is a collection of short stories by Jane Gardam, author of the fabulous Old Filth, one of my favorite books of 2011. This doesn't rise to quite that level (though there is one story featuring "Filth", it's not the best of the collection) but there are some astonishingly good stories in here. Some have a slightly surreal twinge to them; the best address, in some way, confronting age. A few will stick with me for a long time, such as "Pangbourne", in which a woman forms a kind of relationship with a gorilla in her local zoo after her husband, the Bounder, leaves her. "The Latter Days of Mr. Jones" is heartbreaking and poignant without ever lapsing into sentimental. Recommended; 4.3 stars.
81Chatterbox
Argh, been offered the St. Croix condo for a week btwn now and Jan 21 for a mere $175 a week.... But flights are much more expensive and I have no miles left. What to do??? My receivables are starting to arrive... I'm VERY tempted. I'm desperate for some R&R, and there's now a wi-fi connection in the condo, so I could work in the mornings...
82katiekrug
Don't ask me. I would go for it, then have second thoughts and not go, and then kick myself for months afterward for not going while taking pride in the fact that I acted responsibly. Responsibility is over-rated, but so is ill-advised spontaneity. So, yeah, I dunno...
83Chatterbox
Well, the friend is now offering to sell me his miles in a $500 package deal, so I think I'm going to do it. All I'd have to do is get to & from airports and buy food. Oh yeah, and go work at the beach and float in the ocean...
85ChelleBearss
Go Go Go!! And write us to say HI from there :)
86DeltaQueen50
Sounds like a wonderful opportunity - you should go - keep in touch with us here so we can live our fantasies out through you!
87Chatterbox
Well, if anyone has $175 and the airfare to spare, you can come & join me? St. Croix meetup!
ETA: I have done this before, but the last time was back in May 2010, just before the book came out. Probably my best trip was Jan 2008; I was really in the dumps and came back feeling completely renewed/revived. The downside this time is that I'd probably have to miss my book circle meeting next Thurs...
ETA: I have done this before, but the last time was back in May 2010, just before the book came out. Probably my best trip was Jan 2008; I was really in the dumps and came back feeling completely renewed/revived. The downside this time is that I'd probably have to miss my book circle meeting next Thurs...
89thornton37814
I just hope it's warmer in St. Croix than it is here in East Tennessee! It got to around 50 today, but the temps dipped pretty quickly the minute the sun went down.
90avatiakh
Go, you need this break to start the year in a good frame of mind.
P.S. After 3 months cat-free I'm 'shopping' for kittens.
P.S. After 3 months cat-free I'm 'shopping' for kittens.
91alcottacre
I am with everyone else - Go, woman!
93PaulCranswick
Suz - Dalziel & Pascoe / am three books in and not particularly overwhelmed. Don't quite agree with Luci on the relative merits of Robinson/Harvey although it is pretty close. As a Yorkie I am biased towards Robinson I suppose! Will read the first Stephen Booth Black Dog in the next few months. I used to live in an area of Derby called Littleover so I will want to enjoy the book.
Want to read more short story collections and have Donoghue, Munro, Barnes and others pending my attention soon.
Want to read more short story collections and have Donoghue, Munro, Barnes and others pending my attention soon.
94PaulCranswick
btw I also think you should avail yourself of the condo and some thinking and doing space.
97LizzieD
Paul, keep reading! I think Hill improved.
Suzanne, I've been meaning to say that I've been listening to Sibelius, not enough to form any real preferences yet, but with a lot of pleasure. Thank you for spurring that interest.
And Hooray for GOing!
Suzanne, I've been meaning to say that I've been listening to Sibelius, not enough to form any real preferences yet, but with a lot of pleasure. Thank you for spurring that interest.
And Hooray for GOing!
99ffortsa
Do you need another push? I too would overthink it, but go and have a great and restful time.
100Donna828
Have fun in St. Croix, Suzanne. I'm in the no-brainer camp!
I think a meetup sounds great, but I'll be attending one in Denver next week. I have to limit my air travel as I refuse to pay - and I don't want to use up all of DH's free miles until after I make my trip to China. Nope, no concrete plans yet. Just mulling it over.
I think a meetup sounds great, but I'll be attending one in Denver next week. I have to limit my air travel as I refuse to pay - and I don't want to use up all of DH's free miles until after I make my trip to China. Nope, no concrete plans yet. Just mulling it over.
102Chatterbox
Yup, well, that's just what I'm going to do -- miss book group for STX! The downside is that flying down I go through Atlanta to Miami and finally St. Croix, so it will be a v. long day. No really long layovers in any of them, but it adds 3 or 4 hours to the trip. So I'll be in the air or airports all day, nearly. That's next Thursday; flying back home the following Thursday afternoon, via one of the two more straightforward routes, to Miami and then NYC. (Can also go to San Juan and then to NYC.) Now just need to go argue with Target about refilling my migraine meds earlier than usual because after weeks of effort before Xmas they could only fill 1/2 of the previous one, meaning I've got about 2 weeks' of meds to last me 30 days. Ho hum. I do hope that will be the only "headache"!
OK, off to do some work.
OK, off to do some work.
104Chatterbox
You guys are a bunch of enablers! (for which I thank you...)
5. Book du jour was The Shadow Patrol by Alex Bernson. It's an ER book, so I'm off to write up that review (I'm astonishingly far behind on these...) The bottom line: I liked it, it's reasonably predictable spy thriller, pretty much what you'd expect from the genre, with good guy John Wells (deep undercover CIA, who in the first booked emerged from many years undercover with al-Qaeda having converted to Islam). Fine, but nothing really distinctive, so I'd give this 3.7 stars. If you've read the series, you'll know what to expect; if not, this isn't the place to start. For my 12 in 12 challenge, the galleys category.
5. Book du jour was The Shadow Patrol by Alex Bernson. It's an ER book, so I'm off to write up that review (I'm astonishingly far behind on these...) The bottom line: I liked it, it's reasonably predictable spy thriller, pretty much what you'd expect from the genre, with good guy John Wells (deep undercover CIA, who in the first booked emerged from many years undercover with al-Qaeda having converted to Islam). Fine, but nothing really distinctive, so I'd give this 3.7 stars. If you've read the series, you'll know what to expect; if not, this isn't the place to start. For my 12 in 12 challenge, the galleys category.
105Chatterbox
...and one more:
6.The Man in the Boat by Mark Salzman is a memoirish kind of book that I snaffled from NetGalley because I really loved his novel, Lying Awake. This isn't of the same caliber, except that the writing is excellent. (He concludes toward the end: "Let's face it: I'm a free will denier and a moral relativist and my personal savior is a farting dog.") It's a book revolving around the theme of existential angst -- which a lot of folks probably won't find appealing in its own right. Salzman isn't an appealing character in many ways -- he over analyzes, has panic attacks and battles writer's block. There book itself leads up to a crisis and an epiphany for Salzman. If you hate memoirs that involve death and loss, I'd steer clear, but it's a short book that is intriguing in its own way, and the writing is lively and amusing. 3.8 stars.
6.The Man in the Boat by Mark Salzman is a memoirish kind of book that I snaffled from NetGalley because I really loved his novel, Lying Awake. This isn't of the same caliber, except that the writing is excellent. (He concludes toward the end: "Let's face it: I'm a free will denier and a moral relativist and my personal savior is a farting dog.") It's a book revolving around the theme of existential angst -- which a lot of folks probably won't find appealing in its own right. Salzman isn't an appealing character in many ways -- he over analyzes, has panic attacks and battles writer's block. There book itself leads up to a crisis and an epiphany for Salzman. If you hate memoirs that involve death and loss, I'd steer clear, but it's a short book that is intriguing in its own way, and the writing is lively and amusing. 3.8 stars.
106Smiler69
Congrats on the St. Croix trip Suz! I'm sure it'll do you good. If I didn't have to save up to go see my mum this spring I wouldn't hesitate to get more in debt and join you! I could sure use to sun, sea and sand... enjoy it for me too, will you?
107alcottacre
I think I would like The Man in the Empty Boat, so I think I will give that one a try. Thanks for the recommendation, Suz.
Glad to see you are going to St. Croix. I hope you have a wonderful time!
Glad to see you are going to St. Croix. I hope you have a wonderful time!
108cushlareads
An so pleased that you've decided to go to St Croix - have a fantastic time!!
109jmaloney17
So glad you decided to go to St. Croix. The sun and ocean breeze will do you good. I am headed to St. Martin Feb. 3 to visit my sister for a week. I am super excited! I can't wait to get in the ocean and relax!
110Chatterbox
It's the ocean air and smell of the sea that I am literally addicted to, I'm afraid. (It also won't hurt at all to be in a mostly temperate climate, that's about 70 degrees at night and the low 80s, no higher, during the day.) The condo is set up on the hills above Christianstead, with a fabulous view -- www.saintcroixcondo.com -- and the breezes keep the air fresh.
111Chatterbox
#97 -- Peggy, keep meaning to comment on Sibelius! A lot of his music keeps coming up on my iPod and in the playlists I create for iTunes, mostly his orchestral works. (although there is a Naxos-recorded series of his complete music for piano, which is well done & intriguing.) I have to wonder why he composed virtually nothing in his last 30 years of life. In 1945, he apparently burned a lot of his own papers, and there's a suspicion that a draft of his 8th symphony was among them. I wonder if he just felt so overwhelmed by the modernist trends in music that gained so much strength in those decades??/ or did he run out of things to say, musically??
112jmaloney17
It looks like a lovely place with gorgeous views. Have a great time.
114tiffin
>111 Chatterbox:: I know he suffered from depression, Suz. Maybe his 7th was so good he didn't feel he could top it?
115Chatterbox
Tui, that would be a horrible feeling -- to feel so sure that you stop really trying...
That said, the 7th is a very very good symphony. In fact, I have an iTunes playlist that is composed of seventh symphonies, as there are so many with this # that are good -- Bruckner, Beethoven, Shostakovich and Sibelius, to name a few.
OK, time to update some books -- some v. good books! Ironic, because both are the kinds of books I would typically shy away from for various reasons.
7. The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz is a Sherlock Holmes sequel -- one approved by the Conan Doyle estate. And miraculously, it really works! OK, it isn't Conan Doyle, but it is true in both style and spirit to the original stories, which I devoured aged about 12 and 13, but haven't re-read much of late. The major difference is that Watson is apparently writing this MS during the early years of WW1, looking back at a case he and Holmes tackled 25 years earlier, that was too sensitive to put into print. So instead, he is writing it down to pass on to his heirs, with the proviso that it not be published for a century. It's a clever tactic, and explains why Watson is more omniscient in this novel -- referring to many other cases, pondering how he sees Mycroft, filling in gaps in the Holmes history and so on. The story itself? Well, spoilers aren't good, so I'll just say that in the process of exploring the kind of classic case of deception and identities that aren't what they appear to be that was so integral to Holmes, he stumbles on a second, even nastier, crime and puzzle that must be solved -- even if it costs him his life. Definitely read this if you like the Holmes books. 4.3 stars.
8. I succumbed and read The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and succumbed to the book's magical, whimsical charm as well. Just as the night circus itself, the Circus of Dreams, is impossible to describe (though Morgenstern does a compelling job, once I suspended my disbelief!) so the novel isn't quite like anything else you're likely to read. It's not Literature with a capital "L", and one of its core themes is Lurve (with a capital L), but it's not fluff either. It's one of a kind. At first I was irritated by the way the novel bounced around in time and place, but by the time I was about 100 pages into it, I was captivated and couldn't put it down. On to my list of best reads of the year -- recommended to anyone who enjoys a bit of the magical and fantastical! 4.6 stars, with half a star for sheer imaginative chutzpah and prowess.
That said, the 7th is a very very good symphony. In fact, I have an iTunes playlist that is composed of seventh symphonies, as there are so many with this # that are good -- Bruckner, Beethoven, Shostakovich and Sibelius, to name a few.
OK, time to update some books -- some v. good books! Ironic, because both are the kinds of books I would typically shy away from for various reasons.
7. The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz is a Sherlock Holmes sequel -- one approved by the Conan Doyle estate. And miraculously, it really works! OK, it isn't Conan Doyle, but it is true in both style and spirit to the original stories, which I devoured aged about 12 and 13, but haven't re-read much of late. The major difference is that Watson is apparently writing this MS during the early years of WW1, looking back at a case he and Holmes tackled 25 years earlier, that was too sensitive to put into print. So instead, he is writing it down to pass on to his heirs, with the proviso that it not be published for a century. It's a clever tactic, and explains why Watson is more omniscient in this novel -- referring to many other cases, pondering how he sees Mycroft, filling in gaps in the Holmes history and so on. The story itself? Well, spoilers aren't good, so I'll just say that in the process of exploring the kind of classic case of deception and identities that aren't what they appear to be that was so integral to Holmes, he stumbles on a second, even nastier, crime and puzzle that must be solved -- even if it costs him his life. Definitely read this if you like the Holmes books. 4.3 stars.
8. I succumbed and read The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and succumbed to the book's magical, whimsical charm as well. Just as the night circus itself, the Circus of Dreams, is impossible to describe (though Morgenstern does a compelling job, once I suspended my disbelief!) so the novel isn't quite like anything else you're likely to read. It's not Literature with a capital "L", and one of its core themes is Lurve (with a capital L), but it's not fluff either. It's one of a kind. At first I was irritated by the way the novel bounced around in time and place, but by the time I was about 100 pages into it, I was captivated and couldn't put it down. On to my list of best reads of the year -- recommended to anyone who enjoys a bit of the magical and fantastical! 4.6 stars, with half a star for sheer imaginative chutzpah and prowess.
116nittnut
Great review of The House of Silk. It's going on my list. I really liked Sherlock Holmes when I was a kid. Fun to see my son reading them now.
117alcottacre
I was sure I already had The House of Silk in the BlackHole, but nope. It is there now though!
118lkernagh
The Night Circus is a unique story and hard to classify when explaining it to someone who hasn't read it yet. Glad to see you enjoyed it!
119phebj
I'm going to have to give both The House of Silk and The Night Circus a try after reading your reviews.
Hope you have a wonderful time in St. Croix. :)
Hope you have a wonderful time in St. Croix. :)
120cushlareads
I'm reading my first ever Sherlock Holmes at the moment and really loving it, so when I've got through some more of them I'll look for this one. No idea what has taken me 40 years... I read so many Agatha Christie mysteries but didn't look at SH!
121Chatterbox
The book du jour was another winner -- reluctantly acknowledged as such.
9. Maphead by Ken Jennings (better known as the Jeopardy contestant who won so often he stayed on the show for six months straight) is a hymn of praise to maps and geography; an overview of the world. At first, Jennings's style -- he likes to accentuate every amusing or surprising factoid with an exclamation point! -- and too-often heavy handed "wit" irritated me beyond bearing. But I eventually got caught up in this lively review of how we "map" our worlds, including the imagined ones (yup, he delves into fantasy maps, like those of Middle Earth and Hogwarts). Jennings talks to map collectors, to geography bee participants, discovers he's addicted to geocaching and not good at all at map-based rally competitions. A very fun book indeed; 4.4 stars and onto my "best reads of 2012" list!
9. Maphead by Ken Jennings (better known as the Jeopardy contestant who won so often he stayed on the show for six months straight) is a hymn of praise to maps and geography; an overview of the world. At first, Jennings's style -- he likes to accentuate every amusing or surprising factoid with an exclamation point! -- and too-often heavy handed "wit" irritated me beyond bearing. But I eventually got caught up in this lively review of how we "map" our worlds, including the imagined ones (yup, he delves into fantasy maps, like those of Middle Earth and Hogwarts). Jennings talks to map collectors, to geography bee participants, discovers he's addicted to geocaching and not good at all at map-based rally competitions. A very fun book indeed; 4.4 stars and onto my "best reads of 2012" list!
122PaulCranswick
Suz, Maphead looks good fun, heavy handed wit notwithstanding. 9 books in 8 days is of course your normal speed but I was tickled somewhat that a week or so in you have read sufficiently to have a "best reads of 2012 list"!
123Chatterbox
Paul, well, that's a work in progress, that list! It's really any book that, as I read it, I feel might have a reasonable chance of ending up on a "best" list toward the end of the year. I consider anything that gets north of 4.1 or 4.2 stars as a candidate; about half of those will make it on to "the list"! As you will note, the first book of the year actually made it in 2012!
124richardderus
Love your review of Maphead! Also liked the review of The House of Silk.
xoxo on deciding to go to St. Croix.
xoxo on deciding to go to St. Croix.
125Chatterbox
Does that mean you won't miss my presence on Thursday night, Ricardus??
126richardderus
I won't be there, or I'd be hollerin' like a stuck pig. Livingston Press is actually asking for the MS of My True Adventures in the Porn Trade ASAP, despite the publisher running the Tartt short fiction contest and having HUNDREDS of MSS to read.
This opportunity I will NOT screw up! So I'm spending all my time on that, and haven't finished the Anatole France. Seems like a good book, I must admit.
This opportunity I will NOT screw up! So I'm spending all my time on that, and haven't finished the Anatole France. Seems like a good book, I must admit.
127Chatterbox
OOOOOh, that's fab, Richard! Yes, thank trumps book circle & Anatole France...
128richardderus
Don't it just! Although I confess I've been mulling the thought of "seeing you off" at the airport...in the British sense...and telling the gate agent that I am TOO Suzanne and I just started hormone replacement therapy, so it's impolite to stare. St. Croix sounds luscious!
129Chatterbox
*memo to self: do not tell Richard departure time or identify departure airport in NY area...*
130LizzieD
I'm giggling at Richard and Suz and contemplating Sibelius's piano music and The House of Silk - all very calming occupations for a Sunday night. Thanks!
Have a super-restful and energizing and safe trip!
Have a super-restful and energizing and safe trip!
131Chatterbox
Books that may accompany me to St Croix:
The Kindle -- complete with dozens of unread tomes!
I'm focusing on paperbacks, including ARCs, so the list is based on that==
Death at the Chateau Bremont by M.L. Longworth
Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee
Gallows View by Peter Robinson
Foursome by Jane Fallon
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka
The Black House by Peter May (no touchstone)
Shanghai Moon by SJ Rozan
The Provence Cure for the Broken-Hearted by Bridget Asher
Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak
Rack, Ruin and Murder by Ann Granger
Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
A tremendous mish-mash! I may add two big thick books, depending on what the suitcase feels like when I pack: the ARC of The Emperor of Lies and Reamde. After all, I have to plan for 1.5 to 2 books a day... :-)
The Kindle -- complete with dozens of unread tomes!
I'm focusing on paperbacks, including ARCs, so the list is based on that==
Death at the Chateau Bremont by M.L. Longworth
Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee
Gallows View by Peter Robinson
Foursome by Jane Fallon
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka
The Black House by Peter May (no touchstone)
Shanghai Moon by SJ Rozan
The Provence Cure for the Broken-Hearted by Bridget Asher
Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak
Rack, Ruin and Murder by Ann Granger
Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
A tremendous mish-mash! I may add two big thick books, depending on what the suitcase feels like when I pack: the ARC of The Emperor of Lies and Reamde. After all, I have to plan for 1.5 to 2 books a day... :-)
132PaulCranswick
A tremendous mish-mash is what keeps reading exciting isn't it? Read the Robinson and the Lewycka (both are from Yorkshire in one way or another) and Coetzee is up soon too. Happy reading, happy contemplation!
133richardderus
It being St. Croix, clothing need not be a priority, I suppose.
Oh, and The Divine Miss and her swain wish me to tell you that they cordially detest you as much as I now do.
Kiss kiss, sweetness, have "fun" there! *opens ancient grimoire to look up skin-boil spells*
Oh, and The Divine Miss and her swain wish me to tell you that they cordially detest you as much as I now do.
Kiss kiss, sweetness, have "fun" there! *opens ancient grimoire to look up skin-boil spells*
134elkiedee
I thought the Peter May title was The Blackhouse (it's one I'm probably going to download as it was quite cheap the last time I looked, and I have a £50 Amazon voucher).
135nittnut
http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Columns/2012/01/09/Nook-Books-on-Hook-Investors-Sh...
Well done. Especially the title.
Well done. Especially the title.
136ffortsa
Great article. Thanks for posting it. Of course, the uneasiness of consumers may accelerate the problems Nook has - who wants to buy a device that might be unsupported if the company fails? I do find the idea of spinning off the Nook component of the company odd - do they think their traditional book business is healthy enough to hold its own when so many large bookstores have failed? Borders collapse may feel like the loss of a competitor, but it may also mean the market is shrinking.
Not evident here, of course!
Not evident here, of course!
137flissp
Yay for St. Croix and the sea!
#115 Ah, I've been trying to decide whether or not to read The House of Silk - I've never read any Sherlock Holmes (or been particularly drawn to), but I did love Anthony Horowitz when I was growing up (Groosham Grange, not Alex Rider). Do you think I should give it a go?
...and The Night Circus was one of my top reads of last year too...
#131 It's important to have a mish-mash for holidays ;o) - I'll look forward to your comments on A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian - that's on my list of books to read this year (having been on my TBR pile for far too long).
#115 Ah, I've been trying to decide whether or not to read The House of Silk - I've never read any Sherlock Holmes (or been particularly drawn to), but I did love Anthony Horowitz when I was growing up (Groosham Grange, not Alex Rider). Do you think I should give it a go?
...and The Night Circus was one of my top reads of last year too...
#131 It's important to have a mish-mash for holidays ;o) - I'll look forward to your comments on A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian - that's on my list of books to read this year (having been on my TBR pile for far too long).
138Chatterbox
Judy, yes, some of those were the reasons I wrote the story. I'm not that worried as some might about the fate of Nook, as I figure that someone will buy them and the content will be "ported" onto next-gen devices anyway. (That has happened with Amazon and its generations of Kindles.) Anything that is solely device-dependent is going to be vulnerable, but my Kindle content is in the cloud, and now readable on multiple kinds of devices. Let's say Google buys Nook -- they'd keep supporting the devices & content and develop synergies with Google Books. But the really bad outlook is for Barnes & Noble -- to pour so much into the strategy only to de facto abandon it because it's not working out as much as/as rapidly as hoped??
Ah, Luci, that title difference might be why I couldn't find it readily! On my copy it looks as if the word is two words, as the break comes at the edge of the cover. I really liked Peter May's China mysteries, but could never get into his "Enzo" books, so I'm hoping this series is more like the former than the latter.
Fliss, why not give The House of Silk a try? You'd be coming to it completely fresh & be able to evaluate it on its merits and you've probably picked up enough about Watson & Holmes via general cultural stuff to understand the references. I'd not read anything by this author previously, so can't really comment on that.
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian is a book I've been aware of for eons, but until I read another of Lewycka's books (Strawberry Fields, about migrant workers in the UK), I hadn't been that interested.
OK, back to work. Tomorrow's fiscal times item will be about Alcoa and fourth-quarter earnings; a little less compelling to all here than the Nook item!
Ah, Luci, that title difference might be why I couldn't find it readily! On my copy it looks as if the word is two words, as the break comes at the edge of the cover. I really liked Peter May's China mysteries, but could never get into his "Enzo" books, so I'm hoping this series is more like the former than the latter.
Fliss, why not give The House of Silk a try? You'd be coming to it completely fresh & be able to evaluate it on its merits and you've probably picked up enough about Watson & Holmes via general cultural stuff to understand the references. I'd not read anything by this author previously, so can't really comment on that.
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian is a book I've been aware of for eons, but until I read another of Lewycka's books (Strawberry Fields, about migrant workers in the UK), I hadn't been that interested.
OK, back to work. Tomorrow's fiscal times item will be about Alcoa and fourth-quarter earnings; a little less compelling to all here than the Nook item!
139ffortsa
Ah, I'm always interested in the tidbits of finance. I even recently subscribed to the WSJ online. for a whole year. What was I thinking?
140arubabookwoman
Great article about the Nook. Makes me even happier that I have a Kindle (and just gave H for Christmas the Kindle Fire).
Tropical breezes, sea air, heavenly view, and Books! What else could you want. (missing Aruba).
Tropical breezes, sea air, heavenly view, and Books! What else could you want. (missing Aruba).
141markon
Ooh, Strawberry fields, I wanted to read that last year, but am going to add it to my mount TBR.
Have a great trip!
Have a great trip!
142sibylline
Don't forget some clothes and your bathing suit! I get so worked up about the books I sometimes forget some very essential items!
144Chatterbox
I invoice periodically for that, Roni -- waiting for payment for the last month or so of 2011, but finally got paid for Sept thru November. Now it seems that my other big new client LOST my W-9 form. So I have to resubmit it, and then I'll probably get paid for three months at once... sigh.
Thanks for the reminder, Lucy! Now I have to find or borrow a rollaboard suitcase, given that at least one of my connections is slightly less than an hour, making it unlikely a checked bag will keep up with me.
Thanks for the reminder, Lucy! Now I have to find or borrow a rollaboard suitcase, given that at least one of my connections is slightly less than an hour, making it unlikely a checked bag will keep up with me.
145Chatterbox
Belated book update...
10. A Long Retreat by Andrew Krivak was an odd kind of book. My curiosity in it was piqued by a couple of factors: Krivak's first novel was nominated for the National Book Award last year, and I recalled reading in John Julius Norwich's book about the papacy last year something about the Jesuits that made me curious. This book didn't satisfy much of that curiosity, and in many ways I found it a bit alienating. (That is in contrast to Karen Armstrong's two books, one about her time in a convent, and the sequel about her efforts to reconcile the dogma she been taught there with a more ecumenical view of faith and religion.) It's the story of Krivak's many years (eight or so) in training to become a Jesuit, and all I took away from it was a sense that here was -- still -- a rather smug man who for all the questioning he does of himself and his vocation for the priesthood, never really has a sense of the people around him. (And those include his potential readers...) I suppose the book would be a fabulous read for observant/devout Catholics, as it probably provides some insight into the process of "formation" and "discernment" involved in turning a young man into a priest. But what intrigued me was what he almost shrugged off as incidental -- the concept of faith itself. That is a given throughout, and it never seems to be challenged in any fundamental way. If you're not Catholic, if you don't know Krivak, I'm not sure why you'd want to read this book. There is endless to-ing and fro-ing over his vocation, loosely surrounded by details of daily life during his formation. While none of that dealt with the nasty underside the catholic church has shown of late (the abuse scandals/coverups), I actually came away with a less favorable view of the professed religious community than I had before. The completely unintentional portrait Krivak paints is of a bunch of people who embark on this admittedly spiritually intense journey for their own reasons that have nothing to do with the people whose souls they have in their charge. Over and over again, Krivak demonstrates his discomfort with real people and real situations; he loves his poetry, his philosophy and the intellectual immersion that is required of potential Jesuits, but not the mission. I ended up not caring that much how great a writer he is; he struck me as so self-involved that I thought it was lucky he ended up not becoming a priest. I went over to Amazon out of curiosity to see how the book had been reviewed there, and it seems as if most of those reviews were written by his intended audience, Catholics who were captivated by his spiritual quest and the ability to look behind the curtain at the formation of a Jesuit. There might be something there for a reader looking for spiritual reading, but not IMO. The tone is far too self-congratulatory. Now not sure whether I'll move on and read the novel just yet (although I got it out of the library at about the same time.) 2.2 stars. Not really recommended. Give me Armstrong any day of the week.
10. A Long Retreat by Andrew Krivak was an odd kind of book. My curiosity in it was piqued by a couple of factors: Krivak's first novel was nominated for the National Book Award last year, and I recalled reading in John Julius Norwich's book about the papacy last year something about the Jesuits that made me curious. This book didn't satisfy much of that curiosity, and in many ways I found it a bit alienating. (That is in contrast to Karen Armstrong's two books, one about her time in a convent, and the sequel about her efforts to reconcile the dogma she been taught there with a more ecumenical view of faith and religion.) It's the story of Krivak's many years (eight or so) in training to become a Jesuit, and all I took away from it was a sense that here was -- still -- a rather smug man who for all the questioning he does of himself and his vocation for the priesthood, never really has a sense of the people around him. (And those include his potential readers...) I suppose the book would be a fabulous read for observant/devout Catholics, as it probably provides some insight into the process of "formation" and "discernment" involved in turning a young man into a priest. But what intrigued me was what he almost shrugged off as incidental -- the concept of faith itself. That is a given throughout, and it never seems to be challenged in any fundamental way. If you're not Catholic, if you don't know Krivak, I'm not sure why you'd want to read this book. There is endless to-ing and fro-ing over his vocation, loosely surrounded by details of daily life during his formation. While none of that dealt with the nasty underside the catholic church has shown of late (the abuse scandals/coverups), I actually came away with a less favorable view of the professed religious community than I had before. The completely unintentional portrait Krivak paints is of a bunch of people who embark on this admittedly spiritually intense journey for their own reasons that have nothing to do with the people whose souls they have in their charge. Over and over again, Krivak demonstrates his discomfort with real people and real situations; he loves his poetry, his philosophy and the intellectual immersion that is required of potential Jesuits, but not the mission. I ended up not caring that much how great a writer he is; he struck me as so self-involved that I thought it was lucky he ended up not becoming a priest. I went over to Amazon out of curiosity to see how the book had been reviewed there, and it seems as if most of those reviews were written by his intended audience, Catholics who were captivated by his spiritual quest and the ability to look behind the curtain at the formation of a Jesuit. There might be something there for a reader looking for spiritual reading, but not IMO. The tone is far too self-congratulatory. Now not sure whether I'll move on and read the novel just yet (although I got it out of the library at about the same time.) 2.2 stars. Not really recommended. Give me Armstrong any day of the week.
146ffortsa
I've always thought the Jesuit order was a refuge for serious intellectuals rather than spiritual healers of actual people. Your review seems to point in that direction as well.
ETA to add: not that a person can't be both, of course. But the more outward-directed faith might take a person in a different direction.
ETA to add: not that a person can't be both, of course. But the more outward-directed faith might take a person in a different direction.
147Mr.Durick
I am not a Catholic for more reasons than I am not a Christian. But I have been on retreats with Jesuit leaders, and I have sought spiritual counsel from a Jesuit. I have found their faithful dealings to be rich and specific, with, among the many, only one who could not give rich, specific counsel outside the body of the Church. I know of the viciousness in Jesuit history, but I have not seen it in recent instances.
I think Krivak might have been a man among Jesuits, and it was his story, not the Jesuit story, that he put in his book. I am tempted by his book anyway and would wishlist it if I didn't already have 500 or so books on my wishlist already. The story of an individual vocation can be mighty informative even if we are not the person telling the story; both of the Theresas have inspired men for a long time now.
Thank you for bringing the book and the author to our attention.
Robert
I think Krivak might have been a man among Jesuits, and it was his story, not the Jesuit story, that he put in his book. I am tempted by his book anyway and would wishlist it if I didn't already have 500 or so books on my wishlist already. The story of an individual vocation can be mighty informative even if we are not the person telling the story; both of the Theresas have inspired men for a long time now.
Thank you for bringing the book and the author to our attention.
Robert
148Chatterbox
Robert, yes, I can certainly see that being the case, both in the case of the Jesuits and Krivak himself. I definitely didn't expect any kind of investigative probe into the Jesuits themselves; I did expect it to be his personal narrative. That said, I kept asking myself, what about this is interesting? The answer was, not much. If these are the Jesuits you have met, I can understand why Krivak ultimately didn't end up in their ranks -- he comes across as self-involved to the extreme. Now, there is a venerable tradition of coming-of-age novels, but this isn't a novel. Ultimately, I think there's an audience for this book, but that it's probably a very narrow one. I'm intensely curious about matters of faith, perhaps because I have none, and I should have been part of that audience, but reading this was deeply alienating.
My agent sent my galleys for David Wolman's new book (he's Wolman's agent as well), The End of Money. It's a short book, so I'll take that with me en vacances as well, and hope to report back on it soon!
My agent sent my galleys for David Wolman's new book (he's Wolman's agent as well), The End of Money. It's a short book, so I'll take that with me en vacances as well, and hope to report back on it soon!
149flissp
#138 OK, House of Silk duly added to the (rather long) library waiting list!
I had a similar experience with Marina Lewycka - I wasn't terribly interested until I read one of her short stories (about her mum making her wear thick, wooly socks over her tights for the school nativity play when she was little), which I thought was lovely, so I promptly went out and bought A Short History... ...and then didn't read it...
#145 Hmmm. I'll be keeping well clear of that one...
On the topic of religion, I came across this thread (What book would you give an atheist?) on LT last year. As an agnostic with atheist tendencies, I was both interested to see what people suggested and ready to take offence (the idea behind the thread - that atheists (or anyone else for that matter) need to be converted to Christianity - is, after all, verging on arrogance). However, while I've yet to read anything that has changed my mind, I've found the discussion fascinating. Yes, there are some militant (and sometimes deliberately provocative) opinions on there, as you might imagine (both for and against), but there are also some clearly very interesting and informative thoughts and conversations.
A bit of a random aside, I realise, but I bring it up because someone has just re-awakened the thread and it's been running through my mind over the last few posts on your thread and given your last post, thought you might be interested to check it out too.
I had a similar experience with Marina Lewycka - I wasn't terribly interested until I read one of her short stories (about her mum making her wear thick, wooly socks over her tights for the school nativity play when she was little), which I thought was lovely, so I promptly went out and bought A Short History... ...and then didn't read it...
#145 Hmmm. I'll be keeping well clear of that one...
On the topic of religion, I came across this thread (What book would you give an atheist?) on LT last year. As an agnostic with atheist tendencies, I was both interested to see what people suggested and ready to take offence (the idea behind the thread - that atheists (or anyone else for that matter) need to be converted to Christianity - is, after all, verging on arrogance). However, while I've yet to read anything that has changed my mind, I've found the discussion fascinating. Yes, there are some militant (and sometimes deliberately provocative) opinions on there, as you might imagine (both for and against), but there are also some clearly very interesting and informative thoughts and conversations.
A bit of a random aside, I realise, but I bring it up because someone has just re-awakened the thread and it's been running through my mind over the last few posts on your thread and given your last post, thought you might be interested to check it out too.
150Chatterbox
Fliss, thanks for the suggestion! Like you, I find the title simultaneously intriguing and offensive... I understand the thinking behind the idea that one might want to give a non-religious friend a book that will "awaken" them to something that the friend feels is vital, but the point where I end up is that it seems to be based on the assumption that agnostics are all smug & unquestioning about life, and incapable of reading/discovering stuff on their own. I think it's one thing to be given a book because someone thinks I would enjoy it; quite another to be given one because someone has an agenda... Nothing is more calculated to get my back up!! I suppose there is an analogy here to someone who is addicted to healthy eating and exercise, and knows in their bones that this has made their life much better -- but when they try and persuade their friends of that, they oversell like crazy. Both epiphanies are most helpful/lasting when reached on one's own...
151cushlareads
Oooh Fliss there goes 20 minutes of my life while I read that thread. Suz, I was just coming in to say have a great trip - don't you go today? Or is it next Thursday?
I loved Karen Armstrong's book about entering and leaving the convent.
I loved Karen Armstrong's book about entering and leaving the convent.
152Chatterbox
Cushla, you gave me a panicky moment, but it's only Weds here -- leaving tomorrow morning!
ETA: The DVD of "Christmas at Downton Abbey" just arrived, along with the latest mystery by Elly Griffiths, A Room Full of Bones. The latter, I'm going to HAVE to take with me; I may be tempted to watch the former here tonight while I pack, though...
ETA: The DVD of "Christmas at Downton Abbey" just arrived, along with the latest mystery by Elly Griffiths, A Room Full of Bones. The latter, I'm going to HAVE to take with me; I may be tempted to watch the former here tonight while I pack, though...
153DeltaQueen50
Hope you have a wonderfully relaxing trip, Suzanne.
156avatiakh
Have a great trip!
#151: Cushla - I took a peep at that thread too! Not my world at all.
#151: Cushla - I took a peep at that thread too! Not my world at all.
159Carmenere
As a Catholic I've come to know a few Jesuits in my lifetime and at face value, I liked them, but I certainly wouldn't want to know any more about them than what I gain from casual conversation. It's similar to McDonald's hamburgers, I like them but I don't want to know what's in them, blah.
Have a wonderfully, relaxing vacation, Suzanne! It sounds delightful.
Have a wonderfully, relaxing vacation, Suzanne! It sounds delightful.
160sibylline
Great discussion and I'm going to keep my 20 minutes and avoid that thread. Thomas Pynchon really scours the Jesuits in Mason and Dixon - and in college I delved around in the the Jesuit Chronicles (32 volumes......) as part of my studies - clearly the order's mission is to increase the power of the Catholic Church through knowledge - their mission in Canada was to convert, but also..... to know more than anyone else and thus accrue power - not to France, but to the Church ...... and of course, they are/were just people, so some were/are very good, some were/are not so good..... A good friend trained to be a Jesuit, finally admitted to himself that his retreat from the world was all about not dealing with the fact he was gay, left the order, duh. No longer a Catholic even, though I think it broke his heart, that part.
163ffortsa
Oh your enthusiastic advice, I've picked up Past Caring from the library. So far, I'm not really getting into it, but I'm not even 50 pages in, so I'm content to soldier on.
164Chatterbox
*waving from plane between Atlanta & Miami*
Had to log on to pick up some stuff for work and checked LT to find 11 new messages! Tks for all the good wishes, I think I'll need 'em. My NY to Atlanta leg was delayed by about an hour on takeoff, and then 20 mins plus while we waited for a gate, so I had to sprint to make my connection. I'm fairly sure it will take a few days for my checked bag -- the security people were VERY draconian today, even though I'm flying in first class on miles and have a v. small bag -- to catch up with me. Which is a pain, as it contains the swimsuit. And the flip flops. At least I made the plane!!
Judy, I hope you end up enjoying Past Caring. I know Paul is a fan of Goddard's, too, but he probably isn't to all tastes. It's a story with multiple layers, and each time you think you know what the solution might be, the story changes. It ain't Literature, but I found it intriguing and a good read.
After grumbling about the Jesuits, I opted to put Cullen Murphy's new book, God's Jury, in my carry-on to read when they don't let me use my Kindle. It's about the inquisition, and early on, he cites a joke that the Jesuits apparently tell. the origins of the inquisition (the original one) are in s. france in the 13th century, when St. Dominic founded the Dominicans to tackle the Cathar "heresy". The Jesuits, meanwhile, were created in the anti-Protestant era. The joke is about the relative merits of the two religious orders and their tactics and ruthlessness in their missions and boils down to: "well, have you ever met a Cathar?" 'nuff said!
11. I finished reading 66 North, the second in a series of Iceland-based mysteries written by a fave British mystery writer who has been AWOL for several years. Michael Ridpath wrote a solid series of thriller mysteries revolving around investment banking, trading, finance, etc.; the new series features an American detective who emigrated from Iceland as a child and now has returned to a country of which he's not quite a native to serve as an advisor to the Icelandic police. This is the second in the series, and I really enjoyed it -- Ridpath weaves together stories of revenge, decades old revenge sagas that involve Magnus's own family, and more modern revenge that deals with the "kreppa", the Icelandic word for the financial crisis that wiped out the country's financial infrastructure and will leave the country indebted for decades, perhaps a century. (And we think we've got it bad...) It's a typical kind of mystery, but Ridpath executes this very well. The first book is out in paperback in the UK and is worth ordering if you're a mystery fan. I'm now impatiently awaiting #3....
OK, off to do some work...
Had to log on to pick up some stuff for work and checked LT to find 11 new messages! Tks for all the good wishes, I think I'll need 'em. My NY to Atlanta leg was delayed by about an hour on takeoff, and then 20 mins plus while we waited for a gate, so I had to sprint to make my connection. I'm fairly sure it will take a few days for my checked bag -- the security people were VERY draconian today, even though I'm flying in first class on miles and have a v. small bag -- to catch up with me. Which is a pain, as it contains the swimsuit. And the flip flops. At least I made the plane!!
Judy, I hope you end up enjoying Past Caring. I know Paul is a fan of Goddard's, too, but he probably isn't to all tastes. It's a story with multiple layers, and each time you think you know what the solution might be, the story changes. It ain't Literature, but I found it intriguing and a good read.
After grumbling about the Jesuits, I opted to put Cullen Murphy's new book, God's Jury, in my carry-on to read when they don't let me use my Kindle. It's about the inquisition, and early on, he cites a joke that the Jesuits apparently tell. the origins of the inquisition (the original one) are in s. france in the 13th century, when St. Dominic founded the Dominicans to tackle the Cathar "heresy". The Jesuits, meanwhile, were created in the anti-Protestant era. The joke is about the relative merits of the two religious orders and their tactics and ruthlessness in their missions and boils down to: "well, have you ever met a Cathar?" 'nuff said!
11. I finished reading 66 North, the second in a series of Iceland-based mysteries written by a fave British mystery writer who has been AWOL for several years. Michael Ridpath wrote a solid series of thriller mysteries revolving around investment banking, trading, finance, etc.; the new series features an American detective who emigrated from Iceland as a child and now has returned to a country of which he's not quite a native to serve as an advisor to the Icelandic police. This is the second in the series, and I really enjoyed it -- Ridpath weaves together stories of revenge, decades old revenge sagas that involve Magnus's own family, and more modern revenge that deals with the "kreppa", the Icelandic word for the financial crisis that wiped out the country's financial infrastructure and will leave the country indebted for decades, perhaps a century. (And we think we've got it bad...) It's a typical kind of mystery, but Ridpath executes this very well. The first book is out in paperback in the UK and is worth ordering if you're a mystery fan. I'm now impatiently awaiting #3....
OK, off to do some work...
167Chatterbox
I made it -- and so, miraculously, did my suitcase!! The only thing missing is the "Christmas at Downton Abbey" DVD, which is deeply, profoundly annoying. I'm just hoping it's someplace v. visible at home, and not lost en route.
Temps in the mid 70s (low 20s for all of you what do Celsius stedda Fahrenheit); a bit humid but nice. Going to curl up and read and then sleep...
Temps in the mid 70s (low 20s for all of you what do Celsius stedda Fahrenheit); a bit humid but nice. Going to curl up and read and then sleep...
168cushlareads
Great news that the bag made it - bet the DVD is on your kitchen bench at home or somewhere... have fun!!
169ChelleBearss
Glad you made it! Enjoy your nice warm temperatures and make sure to do some reading in the sun!
Ohhh I wish I was down south!!
Ohhh I wish I was down south!!
172tungsten_peerts
Starred ya.
173Chatterbox
Lovely quiet peaceful day, and good news that I won't have to spend even part of Monday at my desk! I do have one magazine feature to write, but can do that in bits and pieces. The weather is supposed to deteriorate from Tuesday onward (probability of rain is 50% or so), so I'll take advantage of the nice stuff while I can!
Spent the afternoon down in Christiansted just puttering. Bought a woven beach bag and some sunscreen; took my Crucian bracelet in to be polished; had lunch -- lobster quesadilla. Tomorrow I'm going to Buccaneer, a resort which has a lovely sheltered and sandy beach with oodles of palm trees to hang out underneath, and that serves fab daiquiris.
Meanwhile...
12. The Confession by Charles Todd is the latest in the mother/son duo's series of mysteries featuring Ian Rutledge. It starts with, as the title suggests, a confession -- a bit of a contrast to the usual mystery, which ends with one! But is the confession accurate -- and what's the identity of the man doing the confessing? Because when his body is pulled out of the Thames a few days later with a gunshot in his back, Rutledge makes some surprising discoveries, that take him to an Essex village with an unsavory history and some very unwelcoming present inhabitants. Let's just say that the story links four men and a woman they all knew in one way or another, and it's not until the very end that you discover the identity of the perpetrator of this revenge tragedy. One of the better books in this series -- 4.2 stars.
I'm also reading God's Jury by Cullen Murphy, which comes out next week. Very good and very readable history of the inquisition; he's taking a step back and looking at what it takes to make an inquisition "work" -- eg, staff, decent communications infrastructure as well as an overwhelming moral certainty -- and extrapolating it to the 20th and 21st century. Intriguing. I've read the chapter about the medieval inquisition and am onto that discussing the Spanish inquisition, and the way it became tied to the interests of the state (i.e. being condemned to the galleys removed 'heretics' and put them to good use from the state's point of view.) Next up is a chapter about the Roman inquisition (the folks that interrogated Galileo and burned Giordano Bruno at the stake.)
Spent the afternoon down in Christiansted just puttering. Bought a woven beach bag and some sunscreen; took my Crucian bracelet in to be polished; had lunch -- lobster quesadilla. Tomorrow I'm going to Buccaneer, a resort which has a lovely sheltered and sandy beach with oodles of palm trees to hang out underneath, and that serves fab daiquiris.
Meanwhile...
12. The Confession by Charles Todd is the latest in the mother/son duo's series of mysteries featuring Ian Rutledge. It starts with, as the title suggests, a confession -- a bit of a contrast to the usual mystery, which ends with one! But is the confession accurate -- and what's the identity of the man doing the confessing? Because when his body is pulled out of the Thames a few days later with a gunshot in his back, Rutledge makes some surprising discoveries, that take him to an Essex village with an unsavory history and some very unwelcoming present inhabitants. Let's just say that the story links four men and a woman they all knew in one way or another, and it's not until the very end that you discover the identity of the perpetrator of this revenge tragedy. One of the better books in this series -- 4.2 stars.
I'm also reading God's Jury by Cullen Murphy, which comes out next week. Very good and very readable history of the inquisition; he's taking a step back and looking at what it takes to make an inquisition "work" -- eg, staff, decent communications infrastructure as well as an overwhelming moral certainty -- and extrapolating it to the 20th and 21st century. Intriguing. I've read the chapter about the medieval inquisition and am onto that discussing the Spanish inquisition, and the way it became tied to the interests of the state (i.e. being condemned to the galleys removed 'heretics' and put them to good use from the state's point of view.) Next up is a chapter about the Roman inquisition (the folks that interrogated Galileo and burned Giordano Bruno at the stake.)
174PaulCranswick
I know Paul is a fan of Goddard's, too, but he probably isn't to all tastes.
Suz, I do hope you're referring to Goddard here and not my poor self?!
Suz, I do hope you're referring to Goddard here and not my poor self?!
175Carmenere
I'll forgo the Todd book as I haven't read anything from the series and hesitate to begin as you sound like the others are hit and miss.
God's Jury \,however, does sound like a potential wishlister.
So happy to see one of the 75er's truly enjoying some time away from the same old, same old.
Please have a daiquiri for me!
God's Jury \,however, does sound like a potential wishlister.
So happy to see one of the 75er's truly enjoying some time away from the same old, same old.
Please have a daiquiri for me!
176phebj
Suzanne, your vacation truly sounds idyllic.
Do the Ian Rutledge mysteries have to be read in order? I'm not good at starting or sticking with series.
I started No Great Mischief the other day and I'm loving it. Thanks so much for picking it as one of my Christmas Swap gifts.
Do the Ian Rutledge mysteries have to be read in order? I'm not good at starting or sticking with series.
I started No Great Mischief the other day and I'm loving it. Thanks so much for picking it as one of my Christmas Swap gifts.
177Chatterbox
I would read the first one first, Pat, just so that you have all the background. Yes, the authors fill in the gaps, but only partially and not immediately, so you won't get the full flavor. Also, the earlier books in the series are mostly better than the later ones. So glad you're enjoying No Great Mischief!
I didn't sleep as well last night as I had hoped, so today has been spent recuperating from that & a minor migraine. It's starting to vanish now. So no daiquiris today -- will have to wait until tomorrow.
Paul, if we all decided that you were to our collective taste, I'm sure SWMBO would put out contracts on us... *grin*
I didn't sleep as well last night as I had hoped, so today has been spent recuperating from that & a minor migraine. It's starting to vanish now. So no daiquiris today -- will have to wait until tomorrow.
Paul, if we all decided that you were to our collective taste, I'm sure SWMBO would put out contracts on us... *grin*
179Smiler69
I'm working really hard to suppress the green monster of envy (or is it jealousy? I always forget). But I'm really happy for you—you were definitely due for a vacation and it sounds like you're having a lovely time of it so far, minus the minor migraine that is. At least it's minor... Of course I should have known that you'd keep posting throughout! :-)
181richardderus
>180 ffortsa: Judy is so right, horrible dreadful bad bad friend who left me behind in the freezy-frosty cold.
You scored a square-on hit with 66 North. The Ridpath series looks good!
jealous *smooch*
You scored a square-on hit with 66 North. The Ridpath series looks good!
jealous *smooch*
182ChelleBearss
Hope you are enjoying your vacation! It's currently -9c here in Ontario ... so enjoy the sun for me :)
183Chatterbox
Oh well, it is gonna rain down here on Tuesday and Weds, apparently... and we just got a brief shower.
*snicker*
OK, book update:
13. God's Jury by Cullen Murphy is a fascinating and lively history of the actual institution, blended with Murphy's insights into what made it work -- everything from an army of clerks to absolute moral certainty on the part of the inquisitors. He does a great job of distinguishing between the medieval inquisition, to the Spanish inquisition (closely tied to the state's interest) and the "Roman Inquisition" that ended up being more of a threat to freedom of thought & expression than life and limb and was directed more at dissenters than at relapsed Jews or Muslims. But he goes beyond the immediate history to draw attention to ways in which inquisition-like tactics, strategies and ways of thinking still exist today, from censorship to torture. (For instance, he mentions one academic who has his student finding a phrase in the vernacular of the medieval and Spanish inquisitions for each kind of torture or "enhanced interrogation" technique used today -- and has been able to find pretty much of all of them, including a candidate for "extraordinary rendition".) It's a book that forces you to think about the pre-existing conditions for an inquisition to exist, including the concept of moral certainty. I'd imagine that those on both sides of the political spectrum would find something to intrigue them here, whether it's the idea of a government dictating a conformist set of beliefs or a government that tortures people it deems to be potential enemies. 4.3 stars, recommended if you're a history junkie. Murphy's previous book, Are We Rome? is also recommended and offers a similar combination of history and current affairs, i.e. taking the idea of America as an empire and the question of whether it's about to decline and examining what causes an empire to decline.
14. The Shadow Prince by Terence Morgan is the sequel to the author's debut, The Master of Bruges, which I liked far more as a novel about a far less well known part of history (Burgundy & Bruges in the mid-15th century) and because its main character wasn't (thank god) a kind or queen or prince or princess, but a painter, Hans Memling. This time around, Morgan is dealing with the fate of the younger of the princes in the tower, Richard of York, who -- in Morgan's "what if?" view of history, escaped Henry VII's murderers and had a series of adventures under a false identity before escaping to claim his crown. Just as Morgan takes the improbable (but still possible) view that Richard lived to adulthood and was the pretender Perkin Warbeck, so he devises an ending for his novel that is a bit out of line with history. It's a spoiler, so I won't say more here, except that I wouldn't read this unless you've read The Master of Bruges and like me can't wait to read the sequel. This isn't a bad book, by any stretch, and the liberties that Morgan takes are squarely within what is reasonable (i.e. -- there are things that we can never know, and he's conceiving options that are possible, if not always probable) rather than bizarre hypotheses made up out of whole cloth. Still, it suffers by comparison with its predecessor, and I've just read too much about the wars of the roses, the princes in the tower, etc., in recent years to enjoy this quite as much. 3.9 stars; the predecessor would be 4.5 stars. For my 12 in 12 challenge.
*snicker*
OK, book update:
13. God's Jury by Cullen Murphy is a fascinating and lively history of the actual institution, blended with Murphy's insights into what made it work -- everything from an army of clerks to absolute moral certainty on the part of the inquisitors. He does a great job of distinguishing between the medieval inquisition, to the Spanish inquisition (closely tied to the state's interest) and the "Roman Inquisition" that ended up being more of a threat to freedom of thought & expression than life and limb and was directed more at dissenters than at relapsed Jews or Muslims. But he goes beyond the immediate history to draw attention to ways in which inquisition-like tactics, strategies and ways of thinking still exist today, from censorship to torture. (For instance, he mentions one academic who has his student finding a phrase in the vernacular of the medieval and Spanish inquisitions for each kind of torture or "enhanced interrogation" technique used today -- and has been able to find pretty much of all of them, including a candidate for "extraordinary rendition".) It's a book that forces you to think about the pre-existing conditions for an inquisition to exist, including the concept of moral certainty. I'd imagine that those on both sides of the political spectrum would find something to intrigue them here, whether it's the idea of a government dictating a conformist set of beliefs or a government that tortures people it deems to be potential enemies. 4.3 stars, recommended if you're a history junkie. Murphy's previous book, Are We Rome? is also recommended and offers a similar combination of history and current affairs, i.e. taking the idea of America as an empire and the question of whether it's about to decline and examining what causes an empire to decline.
14. The Shadow Prince by Terence Morgan is the sequel to the author's debut, The Master of Bruges, which I liked far more as a novel about a far less well known part of history (Burgundy & Bruges in the mid-15th century) and because its main character wasn't (thank god) a kind or queen or prince or princess, but a painter, Hans Memling. This time around, Morgan is dealing with the fate of the younger of the princes in the tower, Richard of York, who -- in Morgan's "what if?" view of history, escaped Henry VII's murderers and had a series of adventures under a false identity before escaping to claim his crown. Just as Morgan takes the improbable (but still possible) view that Richard lived to adulthood and was the pretender Perkin Warbeck, so he devises an ending for his novel that is a bit out of line with history. It's a spoiler, so I won't say more here, except that I wouldn't read this unless you've read The Master of Bruges and like me can't wait to read the sequel. This isn't a bad book, by any stretch, and the liberties that Morgan takes are squarely within what is reasonable (i.e. -- there are things that we can never know, and he's conceiving options that are possible, if not always probable) rather than bizarre hypotheses made up out of whole cloth. Still, it suffers by comparison with its predecessor, and I've just read too much about the wars of the roses, the princes in the tower, etc., in recent years to enjoy this quite as much. 3.9 stars; the predecessor would be 4.5 stars. For my 12 in 12 challenge.
184magicians_nephew
I'd like to read God's Jury
Reminds me a bit of Richard Rhodes' amazing book Masters of Death a book that fascinated me as well as repelled me - detailing the organization - the clerks and the bookkeepers - behind the Nazi Holocaust.
Reminds me a bit of Richard Rhodes' amazing book Masters of Death a book that fascinated me as well as repelled me - detailing the organization - the clerks and the bookkeepers - behind the Nazi Holocaust.
185Chatterbox
Will pass the ARC on to you, Jim. It's certainly less disturbing than the Holocaust-related books...
186richardderus
*smooch* for dear Suz
187gennyt
Catching up to find you have retreated to warmer climes - very wise! Enjoy your rest, and your reading!
188bell7
Hope you're enjoying yourself vacationing in the warmer weather! :) Sounds like you're reading some pretty good books, too.
189PaulCranswick
Sorry Suz I am a bit behind but must comment that your review of The Shadow Prince has me convinced to stick it on my burgeoning hitlist. Hope that your retreat continues to be therapeutic and find myself in rare agreement with RD in expressing distress that you left all of us behind!
190Chatterbox
We're having bouts of heavy rain here today, and the usual winds, with the result that I'm not going anywhere today, much less the beach! And that the power (and thus the Internet) keeps cutting out so I have to wait for the condo complex's backup generator to kick in. Oh well... Hopefully it will be nice tomorrow, so I can have lunch on the beach before I have to head to the airport...
Book update:
15. Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett was my first Pratchett/Discworld novel. Amusing, but at times I was utterly swamped by heavy-handed puns -- eg "don't we have to chant a mystic prune or something?" (i.e. rune) -- and various yuck-yuck lines, as when Pratchett writes of Carrot that he was "a young man heading for the city with all the openness, sincerity and innocence of purpose of an iceberg drifting into a major shipping lane". Eventually, some of these did become funny (eg: "Someone out there was about to find that their worst nightmare was a maddened Librarian") but not enough for me to really adore this book. That said, it was whimsical and entertaining, and I may well read more of the Watch series to see what happens to Captain Vimes, Carrot and the rest of the "rank" after their adventures with the noble dragon and young Errol, trying to rid Ankh-Morpork of a very nasty dragon infestation. 3.9 stars.
16. Gallows View is the first novel and first in the Inspector Banks series by Peter Robinson, and as several folks had warned me, I didn't like it quite as much as I did the stand-alone novel that I read as my first novel of the year. That said, it was a perfectly adequate mystery novel, in which Alan Banks has to solve a number of possibly related cases -- burglaries, a peeping Tom, a rape and a murder. Solutions aren't all that unexpected, so this was 3.6 stars. It was originally published in 1987, and it was interesting to see how dated that now feels -- computers are new (there are no PCs); no mobile phones; no real DNA testing; Margaret Thatcher is running the country, etc. etc. I've requested the next two or three books from Paperbackswap as I've got a bunch of credits still stacked up, and will then turn to the library to read through the series. 3.6 stars, for my 12 in 12 challenge.
Book update:
15. Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett was my first Pratchett/Discworld novel. Amusing, but at times I was utterly swamped by heavy-handed puns -- eg "don't we have to chant a mystic prune or something?" (i.e. rune) -- and various yuck-yuck lines, as when Pratchett writes of Carrot that he was "a young man heading for the city with all the openness, sincerity and innocence of purpose of an iceberg drifting into a major shipping lane". Eventually, some of these did become funny (eg: "Someone out there was about to find that their worst nightmare was a maddened Librarian") but not enough for me to really adore this book. That said, it was whimsical and entertaining, and I may well read more of the Watch series to see what happens to Captain Vimes, Carrot and the rest of the "rank" after their adventures with the noble dragon and young Errol, trying to rid Ankh-Morpork of a very nasty dragon infestation. 3.9 stars.
16. Gallows View is the first novel and first in the Inspector Banks series by Peter Robinson, and as several folks had warned me, I didn't like it quite as much as I did the stand-alone novel that I read as my first novel of the year. That said, it was a perfectly adequate mystery novel, in which Alan Banks has to solve a number of possibly related cases -- burglaries, a peeping Tom, a rape and a murder. Solutions aren't all that unexpected, so this was 3.6 stars. It was originally published in 1987, and it was interesting to see how dated that now feels -- computers are new (there are no PCs); no mobile phones; no real DNA testing; Margaret Thatcher is running the country, etc. etc. I've requested the next two or three books from Paperbackswap as I've got a bunch of credits still stacked up, and will then turn to the library to read through the series. 3.6 stars, for my 12 in 12 challenge.
191gennyt
I'm glad you'd been warned about the early Robinson compared with more recent. I started reading his in the middle of the series, and have recently gone back to the beginning, to find - as you did - that Gallows View is not so good, and rather dated. But I think these early ones are still a decent enough way to pass a few hours, and I've read the second, and have been collecting the rest of them in order to bring myself back up to where I first entered the series.
193Chatterbox
Tui, I don't know yet. I've just read the first -- Genny might be able to weigh in on this?
...meanwhile, one more book:
17. The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak, an ARC I've had sitting around for a few months, ended up being far more compelling reading than I had feared it might based on sampling the first few pages. The narrator, Barbara (or Varvara to the Russians), is the (fictional) Polish-born daughter of a book-binder who is brought to court and becomes an excellent "tongue", or spy, for the Empress Elizabeth and her chancellor. The novel documents the arrival of the German princess who would become Catherine the Great at the Russian court, and the double-dealing and Machiavellian intrigues of that court -- and in particular the alliance of Barbara and Catherine. Even though I'm fairly familiar with Catherine's early life (and I'm looking forward to reading Robert Massie's bio of her), I found this a novel take on these years, given that the story is narrated by an outsider -- a member of the court, who can see more of the ugly underside than most of the nobility through whose eyes such historical novels are usually narrated. Barbara becomes so good at her role, however, that she forgets the downside risks associated with knowing too many secrets... One of the better historical novels I have read of late; definitely recommended to anyone who is a historical fiction afficionado and interested in the period. 4.3 stars, for my 12 in 12 challenge.
...meanwhile, one more book:
17. The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak, an ARC I've had sitting around for a few months, ended up being far more compelling reading than I had feared it might based on sampling the first few pages. The narrator, Barbara (or Varvara to the Russians), is the (fictional) Polish-born daughter of a book-binder who is brought to court and becomes an excellent "tongue", or spy, for the Empress Elizabeth and her chancellor. The novel documents the arrival of the German princess who would become Catherine the Great at the Russian court, and the double-dealing and Machiavellian intrigues of that court -- and in particular the alliance of Barbara and Catherine. Even though I'm fairly familiar with Catherine's early life (and I'm looking forward to reading Robert Massie's bio of her), I found this a novel take on these years, given that the story is narrated by an outsider -- a member of the court, who can see more of the ugly underside than most of the nobility through whose eyes such historical novels are usually narrated. Barbara becomes so good at her role, however, that she forgets the downside risks associated with knowing too many secrets... One of the better historical novels I have read of late; definitely recommended to anyone who is a historical fiction afficionado and interested in the period. 4.3 stars, for my 12 in 12 challenge.
194Smiler69
Finally some historical fiction about a time, place, and people I at least have some inkling of! The Winter Palace sounds like it's right up my alley, and I too look forward to Robert Massie's Catherine the Great. We had an exhibit about her called Art of the Empire at the MMFA (Montreal Museum of Fine Arts) in 2006. To prepare for it, I read Henri Troyat's Catherine la Grande, which was a bit of a slog for me back then, but impeccable as far as research and information.
I'm surprised to see they already have Stachniak's book at the library. There's one I shouldn't need too much tutoring for! :-)
Speaking of which, when you have a chance, I'd like to discuss the Wolf Hall tutored read. I don't know if you're still up to it? We said June tentatively, and I see my reading calendar has already filled up with group and other tutored reads, so am hoping we can firm up the plans. Should we discuss this on the hookup thread, on the main tutored reads thread or privately?
I'm surprised to see they already have Stachniak's book at the library. There's one I shouldn't need too much tutoring for! :-)
Speaking of which, when you have a chance, I'd like to discuss the Wolf Hall tutored read. I don't know if you're still up to it? We said June tentatively, and I see my reading calendar has already filled up with group and other tutored reads, so am hoping we can firm up the plans. Should we discuss this on the hookup thread, on the main tutored reads thread or privately?
195Chatterbox
Hey Ilana, I'm open to starting whenever you are ready. I want to read Hutchinson's bio of Cromwell first, then I'll re-read Wolf Hall along with you. Just holler...
196lyzard
If you don't object to the thought of others butting in, please discuss it on the hook-up thread so interested parties can be alerted.
197LizzieD
>192 tiffin: I think that you need to read the Peter Robinson series in order for the changes to Banks and family. I think that you need to read Reginald Hill's Pascoe and Dalziel more - especially the middle books - but he's better read in order too. (Hill died only a few days ago, sad to say.)
198gennyt
#192, 197 I would agree with Peggy re reading the Robinson books in order, not only for the gradual development in Banks' life and circumstances, but also because the plot and characters of some later ones refer back to earlier books. Though if you don't want to read too long a series, you could do worse than start part way through and read in order from there. I began with In a dry season - number 10, and was not aware of missing out too much.
Not having read any Reginald Hill I can't comment on whether I agree or not with Peggy that he is superior to Peter Robinson!
Not having read any Reginald Hill I can't comment on whether I agree or not with Peggy that he is superior to Peter Robinson!
199Chatterbox
Home again... Fine flight from St Croix to Miami -- aside from having to bid farewell to the turquoise and green seas I had been swimming in so recently that my hair was still damp when I got on the plane... But the flight to NYC was a nightmare. Late departure, incredibly unnerving bumpy landing, woman next to me who'd been weird all flight wigged out and started screaming and throwing her arms around, hitting me and her son (on her other side). Jam packed flight, sardine style. Dude in front had his seat so far back I stared at his bald spot for 3 plus hours, six inches from my nose. This is why I dread long flights -- and this wasn't long! The upside was a very pleasant & interesting woman from Bolivia sitting across the way. She speaks impeccable French, does work with Belgian development programs in Bolivia, and is visiting family members here in NY for the next month (it's her kids' summer holidays...) So we're going to grab lunch while she is here.
I did do some reading but need sleep more than to update my list, so that will have to wait for tomorrow...
I'll read the Peter Robinson books in order. Genny, I promise to make another attempt at Hill's tomes; dunno why I haven't succeeded yet. I have a standalone of his here from the library -- The Woodcutter. I also have Henning Mankell to read...
Well, the cats seem happy to have me home, though they've been wreaking havoc in my absence!
I did do some reading but need sleep more than to update my list, so that will have to wait for tomorrow...
I'll read the Peter Robinson books in order. Genny, I promise to make another attempt at Hill's tomes; dunno why I haven't succeeded yet. I have a standalone of his here from the library -- The Woodcutter. I also have Henning Mankell to read...
Well, the cats seem happy to have me home, though they've been wreaking havoc in my absence!
200lauralkeet
Welcome home Suz ... I wonder, did the missing Downton Abbey DVD turned up?
201phebj
Glad you're home but what a flight. It gives me a feeling of claustrophobia just reading your description. But it does sound like St. Croix was worth it.
202Chatterbox
Laura -- yes, it was sitting right on top of some books I had decided to remove (yes, remove!) from my suitcase at the last minute. The cover was face-down, which is probably why I didn't realize it wasn't in my bag. Oh well, at least I'll have a treat to look forward to at the end of the day.
Woke up to find all the cats asleep around me, kind of stapling me to the bed under the duvet. Not sure if it's affection or a quest for warmth, however.
Still exhausted, with a lot of errands and stuff to run. There is NO FOOD in the house! But I can't get out until I finish a piece of editing. Gah...
Woke up to find all the cats asleep around me, kind of stapling me to the bed under the duvet. Not sure if it's affection or a quest for warmth, however.
Still exhausted, with a lot of errands and stuff to run. There is NO FOOD in the house! But I can't get out until I finish a piece of editing. Gah...
204lauralkeet
>202 Chatterbox:: *whew!* re: the DVD and *awww* re: the kitties!
206Donna828
Welcome home, Suz. It sounds like you had a good time in St. Croix despite some rain and internet interruptions. Ha, your flight from Miami sounds about like our flight home from Denver. I had a toddler kicking the back of my seat almost the whole way (less than a 2-hour flight), but that wasn't nearly as bad as the mother berating him for doing it. She had him in tears and, yes, kicking harder with frustration, about half the trip. Thank goodness, United has solved the problem of looking at the top of the head of the reclined passenger in front of you. I swear their seats recline only an inch - or two at the most. ;-)
I've been wondering about The Winter Palace. I do enjoy historical fiction when it's well done. Onto the wishlist it goes.
I've been wondering about The Winter Palace. I do enjoy historical fiction when it's well done. Onto the wishlist it goes.
207PaulCranswick
Hi Suz nice to see you safely home...hope you keep warm and can get yourself some provisions or at least something to eat. I would gladly get SWMBO to send over some of her delicacies if only we weren't so far away.
Sorry to see from Peggy that Reginald Hill has passed away. Not my favourite series writer but by no means unreadable.
Sorry to see from Peggy that Reginald Hill has passed away. Not my favourite series writer but by no means unreadable.
208Chatterbox
Ugh, migraine that started yesterday is persisting today. I'm sure it's because of the horrible trip (pressure changes, no time for dinner) and the fact that I didn't end up getting anything to eat until about 5 p.m. yesterday. Am reading in bits and pieces, but not consistently. Will have a pile of work to do tomorrow, assuming I feel human.
Quick book update, neither of these is wonderful & overwhelming, but both are decent reads.
18. The End of Money by David Wolman is a galley of a book due out next month, got it from my agent, who is Wolman's agent, too. Hmmm. This is a difficult one. On a number of micro planes this is fascinating stuff -- he writes about local "currencies" like the "dollars" residents of the Berkshires can use, and about the artists who have designed banknotes, about how when the Afghan police began electronic deposits, the cops thought they'd gotten a 30% raise because no one was skimming from their pay any more. But he has an absolute view that the demise of cash will be a very good thing, so that even when he dutifully presents evidence that this might not be so great (i.e. that behavioral scientists say we can treat cash with more respect than cyber-currency) he decides that surely we can learn to do better. Really?? It takes him most of the book before he gets to issues of fraud, and he only tangentially touches on what happens if there's a dictatorship that wants to cut off access of a citizen or group of citizens to cash -- much easier for that to happen if it's cyber cash instead of coins or something tangible. (Think it can't happen?? Remember when Mubarak crashed the entire Egyptian Internet a year or so ago? That didn't stick, but the Chinese have been scarily effective at blocking access to sites they don't want people to read, so why not block a dissident's access to their money?) What Wolman postulates may well be inevitable, but I'm not sure it's as desirable as he suggests, or at least that there are some significant tradeoffs, and what one group gains in one respect, it may lose in another. If he wasn't so insistent on his point of view, I'd rate this book more highly, but I got tired of the rose-tinted glasses. 3.6 stars.
19. A Room Full of Bones by Elly Griffiths, is the fourth in a series featuring forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway. This time around, the plot revolves around Aboriginal Australian skulls in a museum, the coffin of an ancient bishop, and a couple of mysterious deaths, and a drug smuggling ring. Griffiths ties them together well enough, but she doesn't have enough time to make the story develop organically and let the reader get interested in the situations and personalities. Some seem to be introduced only because she needs them to serve a purpose -- not great when that happens and it's visible to the reader. I loved the first book, enjoyed the last two, but was relatively disappointed by this one. Don't read it unless you've read the predecessors, which are worth your time, but this one... Well, I'm underwhelmed. I'll def. give Griffiths another chance because the first three were so good but she never really delivered on the promise of the plot elements. For the 12 in 12 challenge. 3.5 stars.
Quick book update, neither of these is wonderful & overwhelming, but both are decent reads.
18. The End of Money by David Wolman is a galley of a book due out next month, got it from my agent, who is Wolman's agent, too. Hmmm. This is a difficult one. On a number of micro planes this is fascinating stuff -- he writes about local "currencies" like the "dollars" residents of the Berkshires can use, and about the artists who have designed banknotes, about how when the Afghan police began electronic deposits, the cops thought they'd gotten a 30% raise because no one was skimming from their pay any more. But he has an absolute view that the demise of cash will be a very good thing, so that even when he dutifully presents evidence that this might not be so great (i.e. that behavioral scientists say we can treat cash with more respect than cyber-currency) he decides that surely we can learn to do better. Really?? It takes him most of the book before he gets to issues of fraud, and he only tangentially touches on what happens if there's a dictatorship that wants to cut off access of a citizen or group of citizens to cash -- much easier for that to happen if it's cyber cash instead of coins or something tangible. (Think it can't happen?? Remember when Mubarak crashed the entire Egyptian Internet a year or so ago? That didn't stick, but the Chinese have been scarily effective at blocking access to sites they don't want people to read, so why not block a dissident's access to their money?) What Wolman postulates may well be inevitable, but I'm not sure it's as desirable as he suggests, or at least that there are some significant tradeoffs, and what one group gains in one respect, it may lose in another. If he wasn't so insistent on his point of view, I'd rate this book more highly, but I got tired of the rose-tinted glasses. 3.6 stars.
19. A Room Full of Bones by Elly Griffiths, is the fourth in a series featuring forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway. This time around, the plot revolves around Aboriginal Australian skulls in a museum, the coffin of an ancient bishop, and a couple of mysterious deaths, and a drug smuggling ring. Griffiths ties them together well enough, but she doesn't have enough time to make the story develop organically and let the reader get interested in the situations and personalities. Some seem to be introduced only because she needs them to serve a purpose -- not great when that happens and it's visible to the reader. I loved the first book, enjoyed the last two, but was relatively disappointed by this one. Don't read it unless you've read the predecessors, which are worth your time, but this one... Well, I'm underwhelmed. I'll def. give Griffiths another chance because the first three were so good but she never really delivered on the promise of the plot elements. For the 12 in 12 challenge. 3.5 stars.
209Chatterbox
...and one more.
20. The Fifth Servant by Kenneth Wishnia was a deeply underwhelming historical mystery that I kept hoping would become more engaging than it ever did. Set in 16th century Prague, with a "shammes" or cross between a rabbi and a sexton (the precise role remained unclear), and with a plot revolving around the murder of a young Christian girl, this novel drifted waaay too far afield and became waaay too involved in theological debates within the Jewish community (and between them and the Christians). The author wears his scholarship heavily, alas. Ultimately, I felt as if I was plodding along and only stubbornness, not curiosity, got me to the end of this. Disappointing, with occasional glimpses of what could have been, but ultimately the only character I found intriguing proved little more than a walk-on character. There were some disturbing choices made here, too -- while two Jewish women are taken by the inquisitors and tortured, and a young Jewish man, only the women are shown as being tortured. I was also a bit bemused by the author's uncritical view of Judaism & women in this era -- he mentions at one point that teaching Torah to women is wrong, and yet shows some Christian women envying the Jewish respect for scholars and women. I suspect that had those female characters been born into Jewish families, they wouldn't have been encouraged to become scholarly any more than the vast majority of Christian women were at the time. A bit of wishful thinking on the author's part. I could go on, but why bother? 2.7 stars, for the imaginative plot/setting, even if it's not fulfilled.
20. The Fifth Servant by Kenneth Wishnia was a deeply underwhelming historical mystery that I kept hoping would become more engaging than it ever did. Set in 16th century Prague, with a "shammes" or cross between a rabbi and a sexton (the precise role remained unclear), and with a plot revolving around the murder of a young Christian girl, this novel drifted waaay too far afield and became waaay too involved in theological debates within the Jewish community (and between them and the Christians). The author wears his scholarship heavily, alas. Ultimately, I felt as if I was plodding along and only stubbornness, not curiosity, got me to the end of this. Disappointing, with occasional glimpses of what could have been, but ultimately the only character I found intriguing proved little more than a walk-on character. There were some disturbing choices made here, too -- while two Jewish women are taken by the inquisitors and tortured, and a young Jewish man, only the women are shown as being tortured. I was also a bit bemused by the author's uncritical view of Judaism & women in this era -- he mentions at one point that teaching Torah to women is wrong, and yet shows some Christian women envying the Jewish respect for scholars and women. I suspect that had those female characters been born into Jewish families, they wouldn't have been encouraged to become scholarly any more than the vast majority of Christian women were at the time. A bit of wishful thinking on the author's part. I could go on, but why bother? 2.7 stars, for the imaginative plot/setting, even if it's not fulfilled.
210avatiakh
Looks like you've taken this book bullet for the rest of us. I have Frances Sherwood's The Book of Splendour on my tbr which is set in Prague in a similar time period, hopefully it will prove a better read if I can ever make time for it.
212DeltaQueen50
Glad to see you home safe and sound, Suzanne.
213Chatterbox
I'm very worried about poor Jasper, who despite the insulin & special food, is fur & bones. Tonight he has taken up residence at the very back of my closet, refusing to come out. (It's pretty much impossible for a human to get in there, as it's about four feet from the door and off to the left -- without a flashlight, I wouldn't have found him.) He's awake and alert, but not much interested in me or food or anything. I foresee another (expensive) trip to the vet coming up.
Maybe I just need to find something better to read to cheer myself up! In search of something mindless, I decided to finish up:
21. The Sari Shop Widow by Shobhan Bantwal, which I got as a Kindle freebie a while ago. I was looking for something frivolous and silly but this was depressingly cliched. Widow and her family run sari shop in New Jersey; meddling uncle and his attractive business associate arrive from India to rescue it. Cue several immensely predictable plot twists and one not terribly credible romance. Ugh. Glad I didn't pay anything for it. And at least I can stick a book in the retail challenge for TIOLI designed by Luci/elkiedee. Admittedly, I didn't expect a lot, but hoped it would be a kind of Indian chick lit -- I've read a couple of this kind, like The Village Bride of Beverly Hills, which I enjoyed as mindless fluff, but this was a Harlequin in disguise, with barely mediocre writing, to boot. Perhaps only a romance fiend would love it.
For some reason, all the reading I have piled up here is either intense or serious fiction or a mystery. I'm not in a reading funk per se, but between my headache and worrying about Jasper, I'm just not in the mood for anything heavy. I may have to turn to Private Lives by Tasmina Perry. Hardly literature, but engaging and certainly the antithesis of "heavy".
Maybe I just need to find something better to read to cheer myself up! In search of something mindless, I decided to finish up:
21. The Sari Shop Widow by Shobhan Bantwal, which I got as a Kindle freebie a while ago. I was looking for something frivolous and silly but this was depressingly cliched. Widow and her family run sari shop in New Jersey; meddling uncle and his attractive business associate arrive from India to rescue it. Cue several immensely predictable plot twists and one not terribly credible romance. Ugh. Glad I didn't pay anything for it. And at least I can stick a book in the retail challenge for TIOLI designed by Luci/elkiedee. Admittedly, I didn't expect a lot, but hoped it would be a kind of Indian chick lit -- I've read a couple of this kind, like The Village Bride of Beverly Hills, which I enjoyed as mindless fluff, but this was a Harlequin in disguise, with barely mediocre writing, to boot. Perhaps only a romance fiend would love it.
For some reason, all the reading I have piled up here is either intense or serious fiction or a mystery. I'm not in a reading funk per se, but between my headache and worrying about Jasper, I'm just not in the mood for anything heavy. I may have to turn to Private Lives by Tasmina Perry. Hardly literature, but engaging and certainly the antithesis of "heavy".
215richardderus
*health whammy* for Jasper
*Migraine-B-Gon* spell for Suz
*eternal book oblivion* curse on unpleasant erudition and unimaginative romanticism alike
*Migraine-B-Gon* spell for Suz
*eternal book oblivion* curse on unpleasant erudition and unimaginative romanticism alike
216Chatterbox
Tks... I don't think the health whammy for Jasper is going to work. He isn't interested in food or water (though he finally came out of the closet, literally, not rhetorically). He doesn't even give a "chirrup" to announce his arrival anywhere. He waited for me to lift him on to the bed. I would be surprised if he's still with us by week's end. Will call the vet in the morning and see if I can get him in for a verdict.
217lauralkeet
I'm sorry to hear about Jasper, Suz.
218sibylline
Very very worrisome about Jasper.
Stay hydrated. I think the worst problem about coming home in winter from those southern trips is that you get dehydrated while traveling and then, exhausted, often forget what a shock it is to yr. body: the dry inside and out of houses due to winter.
Stay hydrated. I think the worst problem about coming home in winter from those southern trips is that you get dehydrated while traveling and then, exhausted, often forget what a shock it is to yr. body: the dry inside and out of houses due to winter.
220Chatterbox
no luck getting a vet appt for several days. I do live two buildings away from an ER for animals, but they are a franchise op that charge surreal amounts. Jasper no worse this morning, at least. And thankfully the headache is abating. Just remembered I have to do a book-related phone interview for radio early this evening. I have a horrible feeling that it's live and involves call-ins.
221gennyt
So sorry to hear that Jasper is unwell, though thankful he is not getting worse, and that your head is improving. I hope the interview goes well and that your head feels clear in time for it.
222richardderus
What Genny said. *smooch*
223lunacat
Poor Jasper. I hope - if it is his time - that he goes peacefully, and with no pain. It is the greatest gift we can give to our pets, and one that I often think we should be allowed to give to our loved ones as well.
224qebo
Oh, poor Jasper. Vet's office offer an opinion about insulin? I'd think hold off if he's not eating. (Been there.)
220: Just remembered I have to do a book-related phone interview for radio early this evening. I have a horrible feeling that it's live and involves call-ins.
Eeek. That's the down side of vacations. Reality hits.
220: Just remembered I have to do a book-related phone interview for radio early this evening. I have a horrible feeling that it's live and involves call-ins.
Eeek. That's the down side of vacations. Reality hits.
225Chatterbox
I just feel that I have let Jasper down... that I should have paid greater attention, taken him to the vet more frequently for more aggressive treatment (even tho I'm not sure how I would have paid for it... finances are far from stable around here...)
I walked down to the vet and they will see him at 5 tomorrow. I stood there and bawled, I'm afraid. Am now going to try to feed him some baby food.
ETA: About a spoonful of baby food was slurped up but then he lost interest completely.
I walked down to the vet and they will see him at 5 tomorrow. I stood there and bawled, I'm afraid. Am now going to try to feed him some baby food.
ETA: About a spoonful of baby food was slurped up but then he lost interest completely.
226qebo
I stood there and bawled, I'm afraid.
Been there too. I think vets see this a lot.
I just feel that I have let Jasper down...
You haven't. You're there.
Been there too. I think vets see this a lot.
I just feel that I have let Jasper down...
You haven't. You're there.
227phebj
Suzanne, I don't think you've let him down at all and I'm not sure more aggressive treatment is always the right course. (Our two previous dogs both had kidney disease at the same time and we kept them alive for months by doing a form of dialysis at home but the process of doing that was painful for one of the dogs and I was always conflicted about her quality of life.)
You obviously love Jasper very much and he knows that--that's the most important thing in my mind.
You obviously love Jasper very much and he knows that--that's the most important thing in my mind.
228jdthloue
I think I'm going to be the last "voice" you want to hear..but
....if you have been caring for a diabetic cat...for 18 months...given your financial situation...and, if he is "failing"...it's not your fault
cats are sensitive beasts.....how they deal with "health" issues depends, a lot, on Genetics
I don't know you that well, Suz...but you have done everything to me a good Mom to Jasper...i hate to say...maybe it's his time to go
the Vet visit will tell
****if this post means nothing..ignore it****
....if you have been caring for a diabetic cat...for 18 months...given your financial situation...and, if he is "failing"...it's not your fault
cats are sensitive beasts.....how they deal with "health" issues depends, a lot, on Genetics
I don't know you that well, Suz...but you have done everything to me a good Mom to Jasper...i hate to say...maybe it's his time to go
the Vet visit will tell
****if this post means nothing..ignore it****
229alcottacre
I am sorry to hear that Jasper is so unwell, Suz. I hope that there is some good news at the vet office tomorrow. ((Hugs))
230cushlareads
I'm really sorry to read about Jasper, Suz. Everyone who reads your thread regularly knows how much love you've shown him.
231sibylline
You've done all a person can do, worrying you could have should have done more, well we all do it, but it is rarely accurate. The main thing is to be with him now.
232Copperskye
Suz - I'm so sorry to hear that Jasper's health has taken a bad turn and wish you all the best with him. Although it's a natural reaction, please don't feel as if you've let him down. You've done the very best you could.
233lauralkeet
Suz, you've definitely NOT let Jasper down. As Katherine said, you're there for him. And you've been there for quite some time, actively treating his condition. I remember you reporting in last year on routine checks of his insulin level, and I thought wow, how does she do it? I think he's a lucky cat to have had you as his person.
234richardderus
{{{Suzanne}}}
235Chatterbox
Sigh. He is back at the back of the closet again, after spending most of the day on my bed. I moved downstairs so I wouldn't disturb him...
Tks all...
Tks all...
236DeltaQueen50
So sorry to hear Jasper's troubles. Thinking about you and hoping you are taking care of yourself as well.
237ronincats
As a long-time multiple cat owner who has come down from 10 cats to 3 over the last few years due to cancer, kidney failure, and old age, I truly do empathize with you, Suzanne. I'm so sorry that Jasper is doing poorly. Keep him hydrated--eyedroppers of water frequently--that's more important than food at this point, although his diabetes complicates matters. {{{more hugs}}}
238dk_phoenix
>213 Chatterbox:: I read The Sari Shop Widow a few years back, and was quite disappointed as well. It was cliched, and the main character's romantic choices didn't seem to jive with the rest of her character. I'm still looking for some good international chick lit, so to speak (though Girls of Riyadh was excellent).
...as for other things... {{{hugs}}}
...as for other things... {{{hugs}}}
239tungsten_peerts
Oh no, poor J. I am thinking good thoughts for him (and for you), for what that's worth.
240LauraBrook
Poor Jasper - I'm in tears at the thought of something happening to one of my cats, and can empathize with how you must be feeling. Having a diabetic cat is not easy, and you've been an outstanding Mom to him, Suz. (((Hugs))) for you and Jasper both.
241PaulCranswick
So sorry to hear of your travails with Jasper - it is both heartbreaking and frustrating not to be able to do much. Cats are such individuals that they tend to deal with their difficulties in their own way. Given the fact that you have plenty of issues going on at the moment Suz you can take pride in the fact that you care so much. Have my own problem with one of our cats Bambi who now realises that flying is difficult if not impossible - I am blessed in Malaysia with 24 hour vetenary services and costs that are not so prohibitive (Bambi broke, inter alia, three legs - and it cost me less than $400) - take care dear lady and don't overstress yourself as Jasper will decide what's best for himself!
242Chatterbox
Wow, Paul, a flying cat?? Can you recoup the medical costs by marketing the DVD???
Well, Jasper has the vet flummoxed. He looks like a diabetic cat who is in ketosis -- but none of the bloodwork agrees with that diagnosis. So after three hours chez vet we are home again, awaiting results of another blood test and for me to do a series of blood glucose tests every two hours in btwn insulin shots. That means sticking the little thing in his ear to draw enough blood to test eight times over 12 hours... But we need to get not just a static point but a range. Oh, and I've got antibiotics.
Now I must go and feed myself; haven't managed to do that yet today.
Well, Jasper has the vet flummoxed. He looks like a diabetic cat who is in ketosis -- but none of the bloodwork agrees with that diagnosis. So after three hours chez vet we are home again, awaiting results of another blood test and for me to do a series of blood glucose tests every two hours in btwn insulin shots. That means sticking the little thing in his ear to draw enough blood to test eight times over 12 hours... But we need to get not just a static point but a range. Oh, and I've got antibiotics.
Now I must go and feed myself; haven't managed to do that yet today.
243richardderus
More hugs for you and Jasper...through my haz-mat suit.
244qebo
242: That means sticking the little thing in his ear to draw enough blood to test eight times over 12 hours
Oh, poor Jasper. My cat didn't mind insulin shots, but would twist and squirm to avoid getting stabbed in the ear, which of course dragged out the ordeal. Do you have to do this overnight?
Oh, poor Jasper. My cat didn't mind insulin shots, but would twist and squirm to avoid getting stabbed in the ear, which of course dragged out the ordeal. Do you have to do this overnight?
245Chatterbox
No, I'll do the daytime run -- midday to midnight tomorrow. Yes, this is the one thing Jasper truly won't tolerate, but then as the vet pointed out, he's already v.v. lethargic. Still, it feels like adding insult to injury. the good news is that he ate about 8 "Greenies" (treats) when we finally got home.
246PaulCranswick
Wish that we had videoed it Suz, then I could run the same continuously next to their litter box to remind the three lunatics that their aeronautics are not a good idea. Not sure if Bambi is going to make it -fingers crossed.
247Chatterbox
Yes, indeed, Paul -- will keep the toes crossed too, when I get to sleep.
Critters -- they enrich our lives and then they mess 'em up...
Critters -- they enrich our lives and then they mess 'em up...
248brenzi
Oh Suzanne, don't feel you've let Jasper down. You've really gone overboard to do all you could for him. Here's hoping for the best.
249LizzieD
My sympathy too to you and Jasper. He sounds like he's holding on for you, and I know you are for him.
250Copperskye
Poor Jasper. And you, too. Hugs to you both.
251Chatterbox
Final book for this thread; will start the new one sometime tomorrow when my brain is a bit more clear.
22. Re-read The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson as the final part of my re-reading of this trilogy. OK, admit it didn't have the same impact on me as it did on the first reading, when I had just finished the first and second books and was on tenterhooks to see how it all was resolved, and of the three, I think it's the weakest, as it's all about investigations and procedures (or mostly so). Still, a good re-read. 4.3 stars, maybe? or 4.2? I dunno, I'm dithering. For my 12 in 12 re-reads category.
22. Re-read The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson as the final part of my re-reading of this trilogy. OK, admit it didn't have the same impact on me as it did on the first reading, when I had just finished the first and second books and was on tenterhooks to see how it all was resolved, and of the three, I think it's the weakest, as it's all about investigations and procedures (or mostly so). Still, a good re-read. 4.3 stars, maybe? or 4.2? I dunno, I'm dithering. For my 12 in 12 re-reads category.
252cameling
So sorry to hear Jasper's not getting better, Suz. Having had multiple cats, dogs and various other animals, it's always so stressful when they're ill and poorly, more so when the illness is severe and you feel so helpless. You always doubt that you have done enough for them and second guess whether or not you're really helping them or prolonging their suffering. {{Hugs}} to you and Jasper .... I feel for you, truly I do.
On the Larsson trilogy, i thought the 1st was the strongest. I've seen the Swedish movies too and although I hear the Hollywood version is good, I can't imagine the acting being as gritty and raw as the Swedish. Then again, maybe I'm just biased against remakes by Hollywood.
On the Larsson trilogy, i thought the 1st was the strongest. I've seen the Swedish movies too and although I hear the Hollywood version is good, I can't imagine the acting being as gritty and raw as the Swedish. Then again, maybe I'm just biased against remakes by Hollywood.
This topic was continued by Chatterbox's Adventures in Bibliomania in 2012 -- Episode Two.
