EBT1002's 75 in 2012 - Part 1

Tunnels Beach on Kauai ---- I'll be there in February.

My reading plans for the first part of 2012: (always subject to change)

January
Half of a Yellow Sun - Orange January and TIOLI Challenge #16 - Completed
Fried Green Tomatoes as the Whistle Stop Cafe (re-read) - TIOLI Challenge #1 Completed
Wolf Hall - Orange January and TIOLI Challenge #6
Bel Canto - Orange January and TIOLI Challenge #6
The Tiger's Wife - Orange January and TIOLI Challenge #6 - Completed
The Worst Hard Time - Narrative Nonfiction Group and TIOLI Challenge #11 - Completed
Cannery Row - Steinbeck-a-thon and TIOLI Challenge #1 - Completed
Swamplandia! - Orange January and TIOLI Challenge #10 - Completed
Snow - Reading Globally (Europe IV - Turkey + The Balkans) and TIOLI Challenge #4
The Sisters Brothers - TIOLI Challenge #20 - Completed
January 2, 2012 Issue of The New Yorker

February
The Pleasures of Japanese Literature by Donald Keene
The Wayward Bus - Steinbeck-a-thon
I Am a Cat - Author Theme Reads (1st Quarter Mini-Author: Soseki Natsume)
Deep River - Author Theme Reads (Year-long: Shusaku Endo)

March
The Winter of Our Discontent - Steinbeck-a-thon
Silence - Author Theme Reads (Year-long: Shusaku Endo)

April
David Copperfield - Dickens GR
The Moon is Down - Steinbeck-a-thon
River of Smoke - Possible Group Read

May
The Grapes of Wrath - Steinbeck--thon

Completed in January 2012

1. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
2. Swamplandia! by Karen Russell
3. The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan
4. Dogs by Emily Gravett
5. Wolves by Emily Gravett
6. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
7. Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
8. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt
9. Letter From a Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
10. Still Life by Louise Penny
11. The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht

Reserved --- for what, I have no idea.....

Is this one reserved for me? I sure hope so! 2011 was a lot of fun, let's do it again!

Happy New Year, Ellen!!

Hi Ellen, dropping off a star for your thread

Oh Ellen, I can hang out on your thread all day long just to star at Tunnels Beach. Here's to a great reading year in 2012!

Super picture, Ellen. Some good reading ideas; I'm so confused, I don't have any idea where I'm going with books in 2012.

Welcome back!

Hi Ellen! Glad I found you again. :)

*STARRED*

Mark, Chelle, Carmenere, Gail, Jim, Valerie - thanks for stopping by. I'm already excited about 2012 reading and I plan to put more pictures on my thread in the New Year. Hooray for basic HTML!

Glad to see you back for 2012, Ellen!

Hi Ellen. I look forward to reading about your reading especially those Orange books!

First thing tomorrow, I'll complete my first book in 2012: Half of a Yellow Sun for Orange January.

Wow Ellen what a lovely beach. Hope to keep up again in 2012. Happy new year!

Almost over my cold. Check.
Semi-sunny day out. Check.
Took a walk outside for the first time in a week. Check.
Champagne in fridge. Check.
Cat curled up next to me on the couch. Check.
Too many books in the January reading stack. Check.

It must be New Years Eve.

HAPPY 2012, EVERYONE!

Hi Ellen. your January reading includes a bunch of books I really like including Wolf Hall, Bel Canto, Swamplandia, The Tiger's Wife, and The Worst Hard Time. Good reading ahead for you.

Happy New Year, Ellen! I want to be at that beach!

I'm glad to hear you're almost over your cold. Hope the champagne bubbles send the last remaining germ out the door!

I'll be there in February.

Seriously! I'm so jealous! Bring me with you? Sounds like you're having a pretty good day and hurray for basic html!

You know I'll be back, don't you? ;-)

HI Ellen! Hoping you have a great New Year!!

Starred for a new year!

Happy New Year, Ellen!

Well, it's not yet midnight here on the west coast, but it's been a lovely evening. Popcorn, a bottle of real Champagne, and reading quietly by the fire. I doubt I'll still be awake at midnight (although P and I talked about walking 10 minutes up to the little neighborhood view park from whence we could watch the fireworks at the Space Needle). This is truly my kind of New Year's Eve.

I almost finished Half of a Yellow Sun and started Swamplandia!, which I think I'm going to very much enjoy. As a Native Floridian, I find myself chuckling at some of her local humor.

Happy New Year, Ellen. That is one beautiful beach, lucky you in February! Dropped my star and looking forward to following along with you in 2012.

At ten minutes past midnight, I completed my first book for 2012: Half of a Yellow Sun. Although I felt somewhat bored about 3/5 through this tragic and heroic novel, at the end it left me with feelings of deep sadness and deep satisfaction. It will get at least 4 stars and maybe more, depending on how it sits with me over the next day or two. Regardless, I highly recommend this insightful work.

#25: I am already dodging BBs in the new year. I have already read that one. Whew!

Happy New Year, Ellen! I'll join you in reading Swamplandia! this month, I Am a Cat in February, and Silence in March. Now if I could only join you in Hawai'i in February...

It's New Year's Day and I am *fighting* the urge to go to my favorite bookstore for a browse (yeah, right...). Maybe I should check - they're probably closed today. ;-)

Oddly enough Barnes and Noble were closed last night. I was really surprised that they'd be closed on NY's Eve, thus depriving me of my last attempt at squeezing in some book purchases before the new year started.

29> Truly some nerve they've got. I guess they were all out drinking champagne (and probably reading from their own tbr mountains!).

Elliott Bay Books is open 11-5 today. I'm going to try to settle down on the couch with the book I'm already reading and resist the urge to go spend money. The books will still be there later in the month, I'm sure.

>29 cameling: That was really not very nice of Barnes & Noble.

>30 EBT1002: Hopefully they won't sell out of the ones you want!

Dropping in to say Happy New Year, Ellen!

I've got Swamplandia! lined up for January as well! Looking forward to seeing what you think of it. :)

Happy New Years Ellen!

Oh, I can't wait to hear what you think of Swamplandia!. I'm on the fence about whether to pick it up or not.

This has been a good first day of the new year. I'm still not 100% over the cold, so I took it pretty easy physcially (tomorrow I hope to go for my first run of 2012). Mid-morning, I did get hit with an urge to do some clearing out -- put together a bag for the women's shelter in town, a bag for the animal shelter, and a bag for Good Will. The animal shelter will be getting a pile of unused cat toys because I used to buy them kind of like books (that is, I would buy them at a far faster rate than Edgar and Abby could or would play with them). It was a tearful endeavor, but a bit healing, too. Abby investigated the pile and noted that I'm keeping all the "suede-ey mouses", so she's fine with giving away the rest of the toys.

I also got to spend a few hours reading and have made good progress on Swamplandia!. It's a quirky book. I've laughed out loud or chuckled a few times and I've had at least one moment of thinking "now wait a minute, what's happening here?" I'm very much enjoying it, but it's different than anything else I recall reading. I'm usually a fan of good Florida-based literature and I think this will end up on the good list.

We're having black-eye peas and corn muffins for dinner and I opened a Bordeaux. Tomorrow is my last day off before "back to real life." I think I'll build in a trip to the library. :-)

Ellen- I read and enjoyed Swamplandia last year! I especially loved the 1st half. I really need to track her short story collection down. I heard it's fabulous.
Glad you are feeling better.

Sounds like you've been having a great day Ellen. I don't know if Swamplandia! would make me laugh... I don't know anything about Floridian humour...

Good for you, Ellen. You actually did the things I am only thinking of - cleaning up and clearing out!
I did vacuum up a tornado today. Don't ask me why I feel like cleaning on holidays - it's a mystery to me!
I need to gather stuff for GoodWill, the Working League white elephant table at the fair next summer, and the Fire Dept Auction. Too bad it's 9 PM right now - I'M IN THE MOOD!

Have not picked up Swamplandia yet... not sure I want to read it? Waiting for your review.

I hope you enjoy your last day off Ellen and I hope you feel better too! :)

Black-eyed peas on New Year's Day--I thought that was a southern tradition! Just delurking to say I live near Seattle too.

41> It is, indeed, a southern tradition. I grew up in Florida and my mother was a Tennesseean. However, we didn't actually grow up eating Black Eyes on New Years Day. Oddly enough, it's a "tradition" I picked up while living in the midwest during graduate school. It's just become something I do every year. This year's batch was particularly yummy, I must say.

So, arubabookwoman, perhaps we can put together an LT meetup along with Lisa and some others in the area? (*gulp*)

We had blackeyed peas at my house New Years too, Ellen, to satisfy the southerners. Of course, we had pork chops and sauerkraut too, since I am from the north :)

I'm terribly impressed - and a bit jealous - that you've completed your first book of the year. And one of my favorites! I'm looking forward to following you again this year. I'd love to follow you to Tunnel Beach. ;-)

Happy New Year, Ellen.

38> I don't know if it's "Florida humor," exactly, Ilana (I think of Carl Hiaasen as an excellent example of that, though, especially Tourist Season), but it's quirky and the descriptions of the swamp are very vivid for me. I didn't grow up in a swamp, mind you, but I did canoe with alligators. I'm enjoying the novel even though I find myself thinking "how in the world am I going to review this??"

39> Claudia, I don't know whether I'll recommend Swamplandia! even though I think it's headed toward a 4-star rating. I will say that I don't have a lot of experience with magical realism and I think this falls in that category, so that might help people decide whether they would like it or not. There, I figured out what to call it: quirky, funny, indescribable magical realism. Huh.

40> Thanks, Valerie. We're both still coughing our way through the new year. Sigh.

43> Sounds like a good melding of traditions, Stasia! You're in Texas now, right? That's neither south nor north, culturally, is it? ;-)

44> Donna, Well, I'm one of those who started the book in 2011 and finished it in2012, and I've been sick throughout the holidays which has given me a jump start on my reading. I'm ambivalent about that, as you can imagine.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We're very emotionally watching the news about the situation in Mt. Rainier National Park this morning. A nutcase shot and killed a Park Ranger yesterday (with an assault rifle!!!!) and they still have 140 visitors sequestered in the Visitors' Center because they haven't tracked him down yet. He abandoned his car during the shoot-out, so they know who he is. I feel so badly for the family of the Park Ranger - she had a husband and two small children. That park is "home" for us - truly one of the most special places on earth for me. I'm heartbroken that it's the scene of this tragedy and drama.

It's a little too Nevada Barr comes true.

Yeah, we have to strike a balance here, so just adding the blackeyed peas to the traditional Northern meals works well for us. I have no idea if Texas is either north or south culturally ;)

ETA: I had not heard about the Park Ranger's death. How sad.

Ellen--it would be great fun to get together with you and Lisa, who I had the pleasure of meeting once. Bonniebooks, who is not as active here as she once was, also lives in Seattle, and might like to join us.

I did go for a run today. Ugh. This cold has kicked my butt. The painful run was followed by a frustrating stop at the library (actually, I ran to the library) -- what? My copy of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn still not in? Rats. Oh well, then we went out for Pho. It was some consolation.

I watched some football (stupid Nikeducks) and read my book. I have to say that I think I'm missing something in Swamplandia! at this point. Is this an allegory? I always have a hard time with allegories.

Ellen I can see I am going to have to do a lot of travelling to gatecrash some of these LT meet-ups! Story about the park ranger is a sad one. At a time of year when people are looking forward with optimism to the future what must his poor family be facing?

Ilana has created threads for the Steinbeck-a-thon!!:

Steinbeckathon Main Thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/130105

Cannery Row: http://www.librarything.com/topic/130108

Dropping by with a star, and noting that we have a couple of reads in common this month.

I *loved* Half of a Yellow Sun and quite enjoyed Swamplandia! too--congratulations on being two books into the year already!

Hi Ellen, I saw this morning that they found the shooter dead? Is that right?

Sorry I didn't come by your thread to post those links myself. January is even nuttier than usual in terms of sheer amount of threads to keep up with, though I try to prioritize certain people including you.

Hope you're feeling better today. Two of you sick really sucks (!) since neither of you are in shape to be caretakers. This too shall pass, as my mum likes to say.

Wish I could join your meet-up. I love the West Coast. Think I've mentioned that before.

52> You could, um, fly out here when we get a meet-up scheduled and join us. We have a guest room, curious and friendly cat included.

Just sayin'.

Oh my... don't tempt me Ellen. For one, I'd love to meet you and P, and Abby too of course. Could I bring Coco do you think?

But back to reality, I doubt I can afford a ticket without getting deeper into debt... though if you're serious about the offer, I would seriously consider it. ♥

Obviously, it will depend on timing and all, but if we can get a PNW (and PSW for the BC folks) meet-up scheduled and it works for you to join us, I am certainly serious. I'll have to work hard on P for permission for Coco to attend......

How do you put the little heart in your post?

Excuse me: PNW? PSW?

Hearts and icons: if you're on Mac, at the very top of the screen there's a "show character viewer" with all kinds of icons (arrows, special characters etc), so I just drag the one I want into the message box. If you're on PC, then sorry, me no speak PC. ;-)

eta: should have said you can just copy and paste the heart from your thread as you like if you can't access it otherwise.

PNW = Pacific NorthWest
PSW = southern British Columbia? Not really, but I once referred to this part of the world (Seattle, Vancouver area) as the Pacific Northwest (very much my geographical identity) and Vancouverdeb noted that this langauage didn't work for her. I had to stand corrected. :-)

Gotcha. ;-)

Hope you're feeling better, Ellen. I hate being ill and if you're at work today as well, then that must doubly suck.

Wish I could join you guys on your Meet up but I'm unlikely to be any further north on the west coast than San Francisco whenever I do make it out there ...which, incidentally will be next Monday.

Ooooh, next Monday. In San Francisco? Lovely.
Maybe we could plan a meet up in Hawaii in February since I'm going to be there anyway. Anyone? ;-)

Uh oh. In addition to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which I'm committed to reading for Madeline's January TIOLI challenge, it appears that The Sisters Brothers is also waiting for me on the hold shelf at the library. I have already developed a January list that is far too ambitious considering how busy January is at work for me.....

Well, we'll just see how this goes.

Not like you'll get punished if you don't get through all your books this month, right? ;-)

I'm overbooked too. Join the club.

62> Truly, I just laughed out loud. :-)

I've always wanted to go to Hawaii. When will you be there and which island, Ellen?

I wonder if I could stop over in Hawaii for a couple of days on my way over to Seoul. hmmm...

...Or maybe we could arrange a punishment of your choice...

☺San Diego is always available.

Ellen- I hope you can somehow squeeze in The Sisters Brothers. It's a fast read and on of my favorites from last year.

Roni- We are heading to San Diego, mid-Feb. I'll be dying for some warmer climes by that point.

My library finally has The Sisters Brothers and I am now on the hold list for it! I am looking forward to reading the book after seeing so many good reviews of it here in the group. I hope you enjoy it, Ellen.

Hey everyone -- Caro, Ilana, Mark, Stasia, Roni ----- thanks for stopping by. I just opened LT for the first time since yesterday afternoon and the starred threads have gone nuts!!!! It thought everyone had gone back to work......

In any case, I'm happy to "see" y'all. Tunnels Beach is on Kauai, where we spent a delightful week last February. We're doing it again this year. Hopefully, we'll again see dozens of whales, turtles, birds, fish, etc. I can't wait. And it's a great place to sit outside and read!!!! :-)

I completed Swamplandia! last night and will write a review. I ended up loving it but it wasn't without its moments. With about 160 pages to go, I almost gave up. I'm glad I finished it.

Then, though it was almost midnight, I started The Worst Hard Time and read some more of it on the bus this morning. I think it's going to live up to its promise.

I was going to put the image of the cover for The Worst Hard Time here, but I'm having no luck. :-(

I also went to the bookstore just now. Yep, lunchtime and it's pouring rain. I couldn't help myself. I bought two new books (why wait for one's Thingaversary??): Zeitoun by Dave Eggers and The Summer Book by Tove Jansson. The latter is a lovely little NYRB edition. Nice.

Okay, back to work for me!

I thought The Worst Hard Time was terrific, Ellen. I hope you like the book.

I had to force myself to set aside The Worst Hard Time and turn out the light last night. So far, it's an excellent read!!

If you had to force yourself to put the book down, I would say that it is a goodie!

Ellen The Worst Hard Time has been on my hitlist for a while. Good to see that you find it so riveting.

I need to ignore all these blue words ... i will ignore all these blue words .... i HAVE to ignore all these blue words!

Ellen- Zeitoun is another winner! One of my top reads of '10. Enjoy!

Stasia -- and last night it helped me through a bout of insomnia (I'm a bit stressed about what's waiting for me at work today....). It's definitely a goodie.

Hi Paul!!!

Caro - I don't think you should ignore these blue words....... Well, maybe you should, but none of the rest of us are very good at it, either!

Mark - Oh good. It looked good and I've loved everything I've read by Eggers, so out the credit card came....

Work is heating up so my LT activity is cooling down. But I'm still reading and still around!

I hope you continue to enjoy The Worst Hard Time, Ellen (now that just sounds wrong somehow!) It was one of my top reads a couple of years ago.

(((hugs)))

Hi Ellen!
Luckily most of the books you've mentioned are already on my shelves or WL. :)

re "I had to force myself to set aside The Worst Hard Time and turn out the light last night." I think if I did that, I'd never get to sleep. Luckily (or not) my eyes get tired more easily now. Reading into the wee hours of the morning are a thing of the past.

Have a good weekend! Hope everyone is all better?

I'm still enjoying The Worst Hard Time (which does, indeed, sound wrong somehow, but is true nonetheless). I also picked up The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Sisters Brothers at the library today. I did not realize that in 1990 an additional half of Huck Finn was discovered in a trunk in California, and the entire novel is quite a tome! The edition I have includes the original illustrations. I'm feeling a bit ambivalent about reading it, but I haven't found anything else that I want to read (and have not already read) from one of those "I Have a Dream" states. So, it's the 7th day of the month and I'm still figuring out what I want to do about Madeline's challenge. :-|

Sorry I'm so late catching up on your thread. It's been busy!

I loved Kauai and would love to go back. On what part of the island is Tunnels Beach?

Keep me in the loop about any meet-ups. I think it would be a lot of fun.

Sorry for the stress. Maybe that's why your cold is lingering?

Where in the Midwest did you go to school? I was at Indiana University as a grad student and then as an employee.

Ellen, I enjoyed my reread of Huck Finn last year. Granted, I had to read it for a class. I might not have picked it up on my own, but I'm so glad I was forced to.

Huck Finn is one of my go-to reads when I'm in a book funk, Ellen. Never fails to put me back on my book-reading feet again.

Lisa, I did my grad work at Illinois - mid-80s to '91 (I was not very disciplined....). Did some road trips to Bloomington way back then. Tunnels Beach is on the north side, a bit challenging to get to, but it's an amazing snorkeling beach!

Donna and Caro ---- hmmm, well I may still give ole Huck a try. However, I realized that Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe is set in Alabama and Georgia, and it's been years since I read it (I was living in Illinois at the time! -- one of those "let's avoid working on the dissertation" reads from that part of my life). I think I'll read it for Madeline's challenge, then I can get to Cannery Row for her challenge and for the Steinbeck-a-thon, and then if I want to read Huck Finn, I can do so.

That list up in post #2? Yeah, well, it's getting all mixed up. I may need to reel back on, um, list-making. In any case, I now have three books going:

1. I'm almost done with The Worst Hard Time which is likely to get my much-coveted 5-star rating. I'm just starting two others:

2. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe which is a re-read for me but will get me through phase one of Madeline's challenge so I can read Cannery Row (and besides, Fried Green Tomatoes is a fun, easy read and that's perhaps what I need right now!) ---- and

3. The Sisters Brothers, which came available via my hold at the public library and will fit into TIOLI challenge #20.

Ooh Ooh.... Fried Green Tomatoes is one of my favorite all time reads and the book is a resident of my re-read shelf, Ellen. I loved the book and the movie.

I have The Sisters Brothers on hold at the library too, Ellen. I am hoping it comes in soon so that I can join in with you on the TIOLI challenge.

Caro, I agree. I remember basically sitting in my little apartment in Champagne, IL, for an entire day, unable to put the book down. I hope I enjoy it as much this time around.

Stasia, I hope you get it soon, too. I think it's going to be a bit different than my usual style, so I'll look forward to reading company.

***********************************

I completed The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan and I haven't decided whether to give it the full five-star monty, but it will get at least 4.5 stars. It's a wonderful account of the Dust Bowl. I love that Egan tells the story of the land and the story of the people. It's a fascinating look at the impact humans can have on the land, but without judgment or shrillness. And it seemed timely, somehow, as I (a state employee) hunker down for at least another 1-3 years of relative austerity -- nothing compared to what the residents of that section of the High Plains experienced during the 1930s. Reading it made me hungry, too. :-|

Hey Ellen, found you and have got you starred. The books you're discussing are right up my alley, so I'll be sure to pay close attention. I remember following up my reading of The Worst Hard Time with an extensive YouTube viewing spree-- powerful images. I would also recommend a little read novel called Harpsong that fictionalizes perfectly the Dust Bowl trauma. And of course you can't get any better than Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath. Happy reading! :o)

#84 When we were in Kauai, we drove to Hanelei as well as to the southernmost part of the Napali coast, but spent most of our time in the south near Poipu. The snorkeling there was great for the three-year-olds (we were travelling with another family). I'll forward to seeing some pictures!

I hadn't read anything by Fannie Flagg until I picked up her Christmas book, A Redbird Christmas and I really enjoyed her warm, homey style. I'll be looking forward to hearing about Fried Green Tomatoes as I am sure that one will be added to my wishlist.

Found you and starred! LOL at British Columbia not being the Pacific Northwest!;) As you might imagine, being north of the 49th parallel, we think of Vancouver as " southern Canada!;) We've just had a " pineapple express" - that is a deluge of water with warm temps that originate in Hawaii. We think that we live in Lotus Land of Canada here!;)

I've not read The Worst Hard Time, but I think its Canadian equivalent would be Under This Unbroken Sky. It's the story of homesteaders in northern Alberta or Saskatchewan. wow! It was a great read, but very depressing and I really had new appreciation for those that homesteaded.

Ellen- I loved your thoughts on The Worst Hard Time. It's an amazing read and of course my favorite of last year. I think that's perfect narrative NF. I also have his The Big Burn waiting nearby.
I hope you enjoy The Sisters Brothers. It's a terrific read.

Currently re-reading (and laughing out loud):

#94 I too loved both the book and movie. It's rare that I like both, but I love Jessica Tandy and the entire cast did a wonderful job.

I never knew the movie was based on a book (I bet I'll be saying that phrase so many more times this year) and it does look like a goodie. I've already had The Worst Hard Time on my radar from someone's great review last year so your thoughts on this book just cement its place on my wish list.

Completed Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe and thoroughly enjoyed it. I think I read some things differently than I would have in my first read, back in '87, and will talk about that in my review, to be written later today.

Today I will start Cannery Row for our Steinbeck-a-thon and my second book for Madeline's TIOLI Challenge.

I'm giving Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg 4 stars. This was a re-read for me and one I'm glad I got cornered into doing (I know, I know, they're "Take It Or Leave It" challenges).

This novel is laugh-out-loud funny and poignant and irreverent. In some ways, it seemed dated. Evelyn's emerging feminist consciousness definitely feels like it fits in the 1980s (when the book was published), but that's part of the appeal. The book captures that particular era of the development of feminism, the dynamics of post-Gloria Steinem notions of the female gender role.

Still, the much more interesting and less time-worn parts of the novel are those that take place in the past --- in Whistle Stop, Alabama, during the Depression and through WWII. Idgie is a delightful character, challenging gender roles and fighting bigotry and injustice even while committing any number of micro-aggressions herself. Her love for Ruth is sweet, although much about that love is left ambiguous. The African-American characters are too stereotyped, but so are the good old boys. And I loved the descriptions of the trains: the comforting sound of a train whistle blowing in the distance, the pleasures of riding on a train through the dark countryside, and the importance of the railroad to small communities throughout the south (and other regions of the country, I suppose). Frank gets his come-uppance and as a reader I was perfectly glad that he does.

I winced much more now than I did 25 years ago at Mrs. Threadgoode's unthinking micro-aggressions, too. But Flagg seems to be doing all this on purpose: getting us to think about the evolution of consciousness. Good people live in a place and a time. Idgie and Ruth were about as radical as they could be in a small Alabama town in the 1920s (in truth, they were more radical than possible), and Mrs. Threadgoode teaches Evelyn to shift her perspective on what it means to be a woman in the 1980s. That's not to let any of them off the hook and I wonder how Flagg would portray them now, but it is to say that I very much enjoyed the adventures of Idgie and her friends and family, and I laughed out loud at times. The book glosses over the very real pain of poor folks during the Depression, of African-Americans living during Jim Crow in the deep south, and of women trapped in horribly abusive marriages. It also exposes the classism, racism, and misogyny that ever allowed (and still allows) such horrors to occur. And it does so with warmth and humor.

It also made me hungry.

I'm about a quarter of the way through Cannery Row. So far, so good.

Ellen - enjoyed your review of "Fried Green Tomatoes." Not a book I'm familiar with to be honest but you make it seem appealing....another one for the humungous Hitlist.

You're forging ahead with the reading already this year, Ellen! And none of them are ones I've read yet, though I've been aware of Fried Green Tomatoes for so long, I really should read it one day... Interesting to hear how it has and hasn't dated.

Morning Ellen! A visit to your thread held much danger for me today. Although, I was trying to avoid wishlisting I can't keep myself from wanting The Worst Hard Times so to the WL it went. I'm reading 3 books simultaneously as well, something I never, ever did befor LT. I guess our brains are getting bigger :}

#102 - LOL Lynda! That's what I'll tell my husband when he stands there shaking his head as he sees me lugging two or more books around the house. "My brain's getting bigger!"

Nice review, Ellen.

I enjoyed this one too and gave it 4 stars myself.

Nice review, Ellen!

Hi Ellen, Fried Green Tomatoes sure sounds interesting, and your review is really good, but I'm not sure it's for me... my view is "when in doubt, don't put in on the wishlist", if only because it keeps growing exponentially! :-)

Hey everyone. Thanks for the comments. I'm actually not very happy with my review, so I'm pleased that y'all liked it (nod to my southern roots). The more succinct review would read: "Loved this! Read it! Ignore the micro-aggressions, given time & place of both setting and publication. It's a fun, funny, easy read."

Did I get you with that one, Ilana? ;-)

Hi Ellen: I'm about halfway through Cannery Row. I am enjoying this.

Hi Linda. I completed Cannery Row last night and I gave it 5 stars.

I feel unsure how to approach reviewing of this novel. Maybe I can start by thinking about what I loved about it:
-- Steinbeck's clean and elegant (and yes, poetic!) prose, his descriptions of setting and of people -- especially his descriptions of characters who only briefly people the narrative, add to its depth and vividness, but who don't actually advance the story,
-- his deep compassion and insight into the good hearts of men overcome by their addiction to booze,
-- his descriptions of the internal experience of dogs, cats, gophers, mice..... but without sentimentality or anthropomorphizing, and
-- the fact that he added to the cast of characters who will stay with me, who have become real: Mack, Doc, Lee Chong -- they feel so real.

I started The Sisters Brothers in the wee hours of the morning, after completing Cannery Row and I can see why folks have been encouraging me to read it.

A bit of life:

I had a really tough day yesterday. I am determinedly optimistic, "happy by choice," and yesterday all that just crumbled for me. Working at a state university, managing nothing but budget cuts since I came here four years ago, loving the work that I do and feeling solid in my sense that I'm good at what I do, yet feeling exhausted from constantly digging deep and staying positive.... I just couldn't do it for one more hour yesterday. I love my job when I focus on the job; when I focus on the institution, I feel like a sap.

So, as I tried to read Cannery Row on the bus ride home, I could just feel the sadness, regret (for taking this job in the first place), and despair enveloping me. Then, the "last straw": the bus driver on the second leg of my homeward journey was so nice to me! He was warm and cheerful and genuine, and as I disembarked for the short walk home, he seemed to sense that I was in a bad space, and we ended up having a very brief chat with the theme of "it's going to be okay." I cry so rarely but tears were just streaming down my face as I walked the two blocks to my house.

I'm better today, but beginning to think about how to come to terms with the fact that I'm simply not as happy in my current job, and my current life, as I convince myself that I am. I miss the mid-sized town in which we lived for 13 years, I miss the self-sustaining budget that I managed there, and I miss the easy access to running trails. This city has much to love about it: amazing restaurants, wonderful theater and a top-notch Symphony, more than one interesting bookseller, a world-class public market, an incredible International Film Festival......

My sister, who lives 3000 miles away, will be visiting next week. I will be able to talk with her about this, and I know that I want to start looking for career opportunities closer to her. I think it's good that I'm acknowledging to myself that I want to seriously consider a change. I don't have to be in a hurry, but I need to keep my eyes out. And at least I can stop pretending that everything is just fine the way it is.

Whew.

As far as reading goes, I'm getting into The Sisters Brothers and it's quite possibly just what I need right now: quirky, plot-driven enough to be absorbing, ironic, and amusing. I'm only on page 63, so I don't yet know "where it's heading," but I'm glad it was next on my stack.

{{{{{hugs}}}}} Even considering change can be so traumatic. I'm glad your sister is coming.

I'm sorry you are having a rough time. Maybe recognition of your unhappiness will lead to positive change. I'm thinking of you. Where is your sister coming from? My sisters (and the rest of the family) are in Maine, 3000 miles away too. One of them had her 40th birthday today.

First and hardest step taken - being honest with yourself :)
Now you are on square one - roll the dice and see what happens!
Good your sister is coming - she probably knows you very well and will be a good sounding board and help.
Hugs for you -
{{{Ellen}}}

Wow, thanks for sharing that Ellen. Sounds like it was a watershed moment that will lead you to make the changes you need. I really admire and envy people who were born with that can-do positive streak, but of course, everybody has their difficult times to go through, and it's great, as Cee said, that you can be honest with yourself and let yourself feel sad when you recognize all is not as perfect as you convinced yourself it was.

You have all my empathy and sympathy (they're not quite the same, are they?) and if ever you want to share more with me, I'll always be there to listen.

Big hugs.

Oh and by the way...

#107 Did I get you with that one, Ilana?

Almost. ;-)

And... I guess I should hurry up and fly over if I want to visit you in Seattle! (just kidding, can't afford it at all).

Roni, Lisa, Claudia (Cee? -is that what you prefer?), and Ilana --
THANK YOU for stopping by and for all the good thoughts. I'm doing a lot of thinking, a bit more crying, and just sorting through all my mixed feelings. I'm still a bit blue, but at least feeling more in touch with myself. As each of you said, that's a good first step. Even though it means I'm aware of feeling unhappy, it still feels better. I'm a psychologist, and yet I learn this over and over......

P woke me up this morning by opening the blinds onto a snowy scene out the window. I LOVE SNOW (I know you, do, as well, Cee!). It's still coming and going and everything is covered with about an inch of the white stuff. Lovely! It's a perfect day to "turn on the fire" and hunker down with a good book (The Sisters Brothers) and a mug of tea (the water is on). We do have a show at the Paramount Theater this evening --- "West Side Story" --- but with Light Rail, we'll be able to get there.

My sister expressed interest in going to Elliott Bay Books when she's here, so we'll be doing that on my "Thingaversary." :-)
She is 17 years older than I, so we have an unusual relationship. She has been a huge influence in my life (in fact, I remember her telling me when I was a teenager "you can choose to be happy" -- an alternative to our very depressed mother who, while she certainly struggled with some biologically-determined depression, also embraced it). She will be a good sounding board. She lives in Asheville, NC, a town in which I wouldn't mind finding my next job.

Regarding The Sisters Brothers, I love the narrator's voice.

Ellen, it was so good to read your post. It does take courage to sit with sad feelings and it sounds like you're doing exactly what you need to now. I'm so glad your sister is someone who can help you sort all this out.

I grew up with very depressed and anxious parents and it took me a long time and alot of therapy to realize I really could choose to be happy (not that I'm always able to do it).

I think your snow is headed our way so I'm hoping I'll be able to look out on a similar scene tomorrow morning.

I've never been to Asheville, NC but I keep hearing it's a wonderful place to live.

Have a wonderful day of reading, theater and reflecting.

Sorry to hear you are a bit down! Hopefully your sister's visit and the new snow will bring you mood up!
Sending hugs!

Pat -- I grew up with very depressed and anxious parents and it took me a long time and alot of therapy to realize I really could choose to be happy (not that I'm always able to do it).

Yes!! -- and I was just downstairs (moving the laundry from washer to dryer) and came back up to write a bit more about what I mean when I talk about "choosing to be happy," because I think it would be easy for anyone reading this to misunderstand.

My mother was very depressed, clinically so, and I believe that much of that was beyond her control. And her helplessness was tenacious. It was the helplessness that I believe my sister was encouraging me to challenge. That, and her fear of the world. She (our mother) was so fearful and I was learning that as I grew up. I'm so grateful that my sister's primary message to me was "you have choices about how you live your life and you're not destined to be our mother." It took me many years of therapy, myself, to sort this out. And I'm certainly not immune to the blues, to anxiety, to mind-numbing insomnia. But I refuse to let it own me. And, once again, I'm learning that sometimes, the depression is telling me something to which I need to listen.

Ellen, one thing therapy helped me with (and probably just getting older and a little wiser) was having a better understanding of my parents. Neither was ever in therapy or took anti-depressants both of which have helped me immensely. Both my parents were very fearful but it took me a long time to realize that this was where my father's anger and my mother's helplessness came from. Growing up I hated my mother's helplessness especially when I could see it in myself. My mother has had Alzheimer's disease for the last 10 years and one of the silver linings to that experience is that she's finally taking anti-anxiety medication. Her attitude is so much more positive that our relationship has improved dramatically. I only wish she could have gotten some help when we were both younger.

I forgot to add that your sister sounds like a wonderful influence in your life.

Thank you for sharing the difficult time you are going through; I hope spending time with your sister soon will help you to sift through the experience and what you are feeling and needing to decide. It's so important to have people like that you can trust to share these deep things with.

Thanks for he support, Genny.

It's continuing to SNOW and it's now coming down with gusto. I think we have a couple of inches on the ground and this will add to it. Earlier, it seemed to have shifted to a sleet-y mix. I hope the temps drop a couple of degrees so that we just get snow. And more snow. :-)

Ellen- You normally don't get this much snow do you? Well, enjoy it. Glad you are enjoying The sisters Brothers. It's a heck of a book!

Unfortunately, this is one of those days when I can't think of anything clever or helpful to say, but I just want you to know I'm reading and relating to what you're saying. There are things I want to say about depression, since goodness knows it is no stranger to me, but I'm not sure that would be entirely appropriate or that my thoughts are very clear either with a migraine getting in the way.

Sending you hugs for now Ellen. Enjoy the snow... I'm also a big fan!

Ellen, I'm sorry that you are having some down time but glad that you can share it with us here on LT. It seems like you have a lot to think and plan, so it is good that your sister is coming to help you sift through your ideas and come up with a plan to help you move forward.

Hugs to you and I hope The Sisters Brothers helps to bring you to a better place.

Ellen - I just want to add my good thoughts to everyone else's. I work at a public university too, and I know how hard the budget cuts have been over the past few years. I hope that your visit with your sister, some snow, and a good book help you through this hard time. By the way, I have The Sisters Brothers on my TBR pileI'll look forward to seeing your thoughts about it.

How interesting that you have a sister who is 17 years older than you, because I have one who is 17 years younger! And one who is four years younger. Are you going to the UBookstore for your Thingaversary? Have fun. How much snow did you end up getting? Here in Woodinville we have about 5" so far.

Ellen - lovely descriptiveness ...."tenacious helplessness". Sorry to hear that work has been something of a chore at present. We do seem increasingly to inhabit a world where short-termism and cold bottom lines hold sway in preference to the pursuit of excellence and I hope that the institution you work for see the light and don't cut cut cut for cutting's sake. Hope it doesn't become too much of a grind and that your natural and normal positivity reasserts itself soon. xx

>98 EBT1002:: Hi Ellen, I'm also a fan of Fried Green Tomatoes. I hung onto it for a reread. It will be interesting to see if it holds up for me. I also enjoyed (and kept) Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man when I read it years ago.

>110 EBT1002:: I'm glad your sister will be visiting soon and you can talk about the big decisions you are pondering. It's so hard to give up on a job but, in your case, it sounds like that is a necessary step. I'd better make some plans to visit Seattle for our west-coast meetup fairly soon. Drats, it will have to be in late spring after my C.S. Lewis class is over. Can you hang on that long?

Hi Mark, Ilana, Judy, Amy, Lisa, Paul, and Donna---

We ended up with about 3" of snow which is now a bit slushy. This is not entirely unheard of here; we get anywhere between zero and, say, four snows a year. A couple of years ago we got 15" and they actually closed the university (that is unheard of!). Anyway, I do love it.

I don't need anything clever, Ilana, just knowing you're there and you stopped by helps.

Lisa, how interesting that you have a sister 17 years younger than you! It's a fairly rare age-span for siblings. I would love to be able to talk sometime about how that's been for you (from the other side of the span). Carol (my sis) is so incredibly important to me, and we never had sibling issues that quite mapped the "more typical" -- but issues to be worked through nonetheless. I'm so glad she and I did work through them, especially since my mom died at age 61 when I was just 22 years old, so she and I never got to work through our "stuff" (not that I'm sure we would have been able to).

I'll be going to Elliott Bay Books for my "Thingaversary" - this Friday. Really, I'll be going there because Carol wants to go there, but it means I can give myself permission to buy two books. :-)

Paul, thanks for the compliment. I don't think I have the talent (and I know I don't have the disposition), but I do sometimes wish I'd followed that part of my heart that wanted to major in English. I doubt I'm alone in this group in fantasizing about being a writer. My father, in his wisdom (he was a writer, in fact, but not a very successful one), asked me once "Do you want to be a writer or do you want to write? Because if you want to write, nothing will keep you from it."

*********
I'm in somewhat better emotional space, if still a bit fragile. The three-day weekend has helped. I very much enjoyed "West Side Story" last night and today we went downtown to do a bit of shopping and I had the best curry ever!!!! at a little hole-in-the-wall Thai place. I've eaten some wonderful meals in this city, but this was exceptional. Yum.

*********
I completed The Sisters Brothers this morning and, while I thoroughly enjoyed it, I'm not sure what to think of it. I loved Eli's voice. His syntax and rhythm seemed unique to me, and they contributed to my sense of him as a character. There was more than one scene that made my toes curl to read (the eye surgery, especially) but I was struck by the matter-of-fact manner in which these somewhat gory scenes were described --- and this contributed to the development of Eli's character. So it's a fun story with complex characters and interesting explorations of morality. It's also one of the more honest explorations of the relationship between two brothers that I believe I've read. Given the place (Oregon Territory and San Francisco) and time (1851), the intimate connection between Eli and Charlie is particularly touching (although not literally, mind you). So, having written this, I guess I do know what to think about it, but I wish I could answer the question "what is the author saying?" That's not a question I typically feel confident answering; this is no exception.

Hi Ellen- I'm glad you enjoyed the Sisters Brothers. I liked your comments. I don't think every book has to have a "message", as long it delivers in storytelling or inventiveness. For a quirky Western snap-shot, I thought it worked perfectly. And yes, that was a great brotherly relationship.

Ellen, I certainly hope things go better for you soon, and that you can make a decision that is right for you. I'm so glad that your sister will soon be visiting. Hugs from me!

I'm so glad that you enjoyed The Sisters Brothers. I'm not sure if the book had a message exactly - maybe just a great fun genre bending western. I guess one could say it has a lot to say about the love of a family and that Western's as we usually read them ( and I don't! ;) usually) are not as multidimensional they should be. That's my take on that book and I gave it 5 stars last year when I read. I laughed out loud the whole way along while I read it! Loved it!

Mark and Deb, I forgot to mention that I gave The Sisters Brothers 4.5 stars. I really did love it.

I've just spent two hours on LibraryThing. Incredible. And fun!

I was here. ♥

134: :-) xo

#130 Weirder yet, she was born on my 17th birthday! My youngest sister and I have an interesting relationship as well. I would love to talk. Maybe after the snow, we can get together for tea or something. I can get downtown fairly easily, it's just the parking that is the problem. Maybe I'll take the express bus.

I had much the similar ? reaction to The Sisters Brothers, and then I got to the ending, which made me drop my rating. If you are interested, my review is here.

Did you get any more snow today? We did this morning. We now have 7" even.

I am SOOOOO disappointed!!!! My sister changed her travel plans due to the great snowstorm that we're supposed to get tomorrow. I'm so disappointed and angry and just plain sad.

We got about 3" at my house on Sunday and it's all melted now. The city is bracing for this 4-12" we're supposed to get. Hmph. I'll believe it when I see it. Of course, now that my sister isn't coming anyway, I hope we get just dumped on.

Lisa, I'd love to meet downtown or we can find a place more northerly if that would help. I'm a great fan of the buses. And the ending with the mom thing seemed a bit tacked on, didn't it?

Ellen- Sorry to hear about the disappointment! Bummer! Did she reschedule? Good luck with the snowstorm!

Oh Ellen, I'm so sorry about that. I'd be majorly upset too, and I understand you combination of negative emotions, especially since you were counting on her to help you through a rough time. That really sucks.

On the other hand, am I seeing an LT meet up in the works? If money and snowstorms were of no concern, I'd hop on a plane (with Coco of course) and we'd come over and try to cheer you up. Or at least lend you our support.

Big hugs to you.

I'm happy you ended up loving The Sisters Brothers, and I agree the mom thing seemed tacked on. Felt like it came from a completely different book or something.

Ellen - I'm sorry to hear that the weather has made your sister change her plans! That's so disappointing! I hope that you can do something nice for yourself and that the snowstorm is not too much of a hassle.

Rats. I can understand your sister not wanting to get rerouted or stuck on a runway, but rats. I could come over, and we could still go to Elliot Bay. :-)

Isn't Puget Sound weather funny? We probably live 15-20 miles apart, and you have no snow, whereas we have more than 7" and it's coming down hard as I speak.

Oh so sorry about your sister, Ellen! What a big disappointment! Like 141 - isn't the weather around here strange? We did not have any snow overnight, but it's supposed to go down to brrrrr - 20 F tomorrow. Dreadful!!! The rain is supposed to be back by Sat - Sun and I'll be glad!!!!
We have just a centimentre or so of snow - mainly it is icy.

Thanks, Mark, Ilana, Amy, Lisa, and Deb. I spent the evening watching the second episode of season 2 of Downton Abbey, then read a few chapters of Still Life by Louise Penny. It's set in a village south of Montreal and is, so far, a perfect read for my mood. So far, not a flake of snow but they say we'll get hit starting around 3am.

I'm still deciding what to do about Friday. I had marked myself out for the day, planning to spend it with Carol, eating Pho, going to the bookseller...... I haven't yet decided whether to go ahead and take the day off as planned or go ahead and work. Maybe I'll just take the day off. I can go for a run, do some reading, go to Elliott Bay Books (Lisa, want to come into the city? -- or maybe we could meet at Third Place Books or another one in your neighborhood - I'm easy). It's my first Thingaversary and, silly as it is, I want to buy two books that day (like I need an excuse).

I'm enjoying Still Life. It's a pleasant bit of fluff. I'll start another Orange for January when I finish this light read.

Ilana, you and Coco are welcome out here in the supposedly snowy western part of the continent!

Let's do it! I sent you a pm. Do you have your books picked out or is it to be serendipitous?

Definitely serendipitous. :-)

The university just closed for tomorrow. Incredible. A reading day for Ellen! Hooray!

*grumble, grumble* ... popped in for a little visit and ended up having to add The Sisters Brothers to my obese wish list after reading your review.

Hip hip hooray.. a reading day sounds absolutely wonderful!

Bad news one day and good news the next. University closed; book open and pages turning and all is well with the world.

Sorry Caro (ha).

Yes, Paul, I'm a happy camper in terms of how I get to spend today. It's snowing cats & dogs right now, although they say it will stop by noon (and my sister was to arrive around 9pm tonight - rats).

It is what it is.

I will spend the day with a book and perhaps put on my yak trax and go for a walk later. Really just a couple of inches on the ground at my house now, but Seattle with its hills really shuts down with the snow.

It's still snowing! :-D

Hi Ellen. It's snowing here too and it's so beautiful. Do the yak trax make a big difference? I've seen them advertised but never tried them.

I'm sorry your sister can't make it in but smiled at your comment "It is what it is." That's one of my new favorite phrases.

Enjoy a nice cozy day of reading.

Pat, yak trax are fabulous! They really work like snow chains for your shoes or boots. My partner had to go to work today, and it was *snowing* when she left the house. She walked down the hill (because it's Seattle, right?) and caught the light rail, then had to walk through downtown. The text I got later was just "I heart my yak trax." I recommend them for winter hiking or for inclement weather like we're having today.

As often happens with these fantasy snow days, I'm restless and getting less reading done than I would like. I'm doing a bit of laundry, keeping the birds fed, watching the snow fall,......

They're still saying it will ease up by noon and I'm still cheering for another five inches. :-|

I will still get to see my sister as she and her partner will stay with us for two nights on their way back from Hawaii. It's terrible to admit, but I was particularly looking forward to this Friday because P would be working and I suspected Carol's partner might hang out at the house, giving Carol and me some "just us two" time. I was really looking forward to a good, honest conversation about life. She says she'll use some frequent flyer miles to come visit in the spring, and it'll be nice to have her here when Seattle is in bloom.

Okay, back to my book and my New Yorker.

>151 EBT1002:: Know that feeling of being sort of selfish and just wanting the person for oneself. It's hard, isn't it? We used to try to pair off our spouses with one another for chats so my brother and I could have "alone time". Luckily Dh was pretty understanding and Brother and I could just go for a beach walk for a few hours. My word, 14 years since his death and I still miss him every single day.

Anyway, I'm sorry about the down mood, and of course working for the state educational system. I think it's pretty brave to be considering that kind of huge change in your life.

{{{Ellen}}}

152: 14 years since his death and I still miss him every single day. Oh, I hear ya absolutely and completely. ♥

Thanks for the support. The change, if I make it, will certainly be at least a year or two out and will depend a lot on what happens here. I feel such a love-hate relationship with my current institution. Also, I want to be careful about the old frying-pan-into-the-fire phenomenon! But I feel cleaner inside having acknowledged that, as upbeat and positive as I will be, everything is not sunshine and bunny rabbits.

I heart LibraryThing.

Just sayin'.

#151 Well, I think you may have just sold me a pair of yak trax, Ellen. I'm a big baby when it comes to slippery or icy conditions but having a dog, his daily walk is usually non-negotiable.

My husband and I were in Seattle in December 2010 for the first time in about 20 years. I somehow had forgotten (or maybe never really focused on when I was younger) how many hills Seattle has. We stayed in a hotel near the water and after a visit to your great public library, it was all I could do to stay upright walking down the hill for the 4 or so blocks back to the hotel. Those are some major hills.

In the silver lining department, it's nice you'll have two visits from your sister to look forward to. :)

If I lived in a snowy climate and had a dog to walk, I'd definitely own a pair of Yak Trax.

I went out and shoveled the front walk (and did our elderly neighbor's walk while I was at it). Of course, now I look out the front window and think I may have shoveled a bit prematurely.

I'm finally really enjoying my day. Lunch was eaten at the kitchen table with book in hand and consisted of a huge organic Fuji apple, a hearty slice of extra sharp Tillamook cheddar, and (decadence of decadence) a winter ale. If they're going to give me the day off, I might as well revel in it!

Never mind.

Well, this was an odd day off. Restless though I was, I read several chapters of Still Life and I'm finding it to be a pleasurable read. Penny's writing has ups and downs for me, but I like Gamache. And the character of Myrna makes me want to pack up my stuff, head for a village somewhere, and open a bookshop. Mine would have two shop cats. As with my lottery fantasy, I'm sure it's more complicated and not as fun as it sounds, but still. A woman's gotta have her fantasies.

Ah Ellen, yes, a person has to have her/ his fantasies. :)Personally and I feel badly about saying this, I liked the first of couple of books by Louise Penny and then I lost interest in Three Pines. Who knows why? And you know, I felt that Gamache was just too full of himself! ;0 The very opposite to you. We were not supposed to get any snow today, but what do you know, but it started snowing at about 7 am!!! I'll be glad to see that last of it.

I'm so sorry that your sister could not make it in to town. The west coast is not for everybody, with all of the grey skies and rain and the stickershock of the house prices, that's for sure.

Glad you are enjoying Still Life! I agree, Myrna has it pretty good! I would love to own a book store and have enough money that I didn't actually have to worry about selling any of the books!
The fellows that run the B&B sound like they lead a good life too!

I always thought that I would like to run a B & B - except I hate to get up really early and I don't like making breakfasts. So how about a L & L - lunch and lite nap!

Judy, you may be on to something there! I, too, have a romanticized idea of running a B&B. It would mean living somewhere pretty and/or interesting and meeting lots of people. But there's the making of beds. Not so down with that.

Chelle, I agree that the two men (Gabri & Olivier?) seem to have a good life. I love all the descriptions of food.

Deb, I have a feeling I may end up in a similar place - enjoying the first, but not willing to commit too much time to the series. That's how I felt about Flavia (with whom I know you spent your December). Still, both may go in the category of "good to have around when you need a chin-up read."

I think I have to go back to work tomorrow. Bummer.

I just have to say: the descriptions of Lucy, the Golden Retriever, grieving her murdered mistress, are breaking my heart! And making me want a dog.

Ellen, I can't believe I never heard of Yak trax before. I need some. Stat. It's dangerously icy here and has been so most of the winter so far. Where do I get them? Online?

I felt more or less the same way as you do about Still Life. Apparently they get better as the series progresses, so that's something to look forward to. But. Yet ANOTHER series. Oy.

I'm so sorry I missed out on your day off. I'd have gladly chit chatted with you throughout. We could maybe have set up a Skype chat even. Gulp. :-)

You're sounding good. I'm sure you're still heartsore, but you're doing all the right things and taking good care of yourself. Good girl! :-D

Ilana: http://www.yaktrax.com/
Actually, I ended up with a different brand and they work just fine, but if you can get the real deal, it's probably worth finding them. I looked and I'm not sure you can get them near Montreal, but I can get them at REI here in Seattle and send them to you. Really! I'd be happy to do so -- and consider it a gift for Coco. :-) Let me know if you can't find them or something like them in your area. Check hiking/outdoor retailers. ?? They would be perfect for you and Coco to be out and about!

WHOA - I just got an alert that the university is closed again tomorrow!! Another day off!
Weird. Really weird.

WOOHOO!!! PARTY TIME*! :-D

* more like reading time I'm sure.

and

#165 thanks for the offer, I'll look into it asap. I shouldn't be here. Busy blogging. So so tired. But... must... get it... done... !

What a day. I did complete Still Life and gave it 3.5 stars but mostly P and I have been watching the freezing rain fall, trying to keep the birds in accessible seed and water, and wondering when this weather will transition! They are predicting warming temps as we get into tonight, but right now the ground, tree branches, and power lines are all encased in about 0.75" of ice!

Ellen- Freezing rain is the worst and it's dangerous. Stay inside. We were issued a pair of snow cleats for our shoes. Funny, I've never wore them before. They are a simple design, nothing fancy like the yak-trax. Hey, enjoy your long weekend!

We're doing kind of the same thing--watching the snow pile up and keeping our birds in seeds, hoping the power stays on.

Glad you enjoyed Still Life, hope you continue with it as the series gets better with the second one!
I'm debating starting the third book tonight or starting the first of the Alan Bradley books.

Hope you don't lose your power! Freezing rain is nasty

Good heavens, Ellen!
I missed so much in the last few days... your disappointment re sister's visit - then new plans, the snow!, days off!, Sisters Brothers and Still Life, freezing rain - reading this thread is a roller coaster ride. Living all this must be even crazier!
Consoling hugs and happy hugs {{{Ellen}}}
Will try to keep up with your thread better.

re the Penny series - I think I gave the first book 3.5 but all in all the books did get better. If it seems Gamache is "full of himself" I'd guess that might be because Penny modeled him after her hubby somewhat and she may have overdone it a bit. He's obviously the hero... though her other characters do become more complete as time goes on.

Have a wonderful day tomorrow, buy a couple great books,
and... Happy Thingaversary!

We're supposed to get a couple inches of snow tonight :)

Hi Mark, Ren, Chelle, & Cee!! The freezing rain turned to snow, and now the snow is finally letting up and they're predicting rain tomorrow. I went for a walk around the neighborhood this afternoon during one of the snowy periods and it was so lovely. I was starting to develop cabin fever...... I guess I'll have to go back to work tomorrow. :-P

On the reading front, I will give the second Louise Penny a try at some point. I still very much enjoy a good mystery but I do seem to be a bit more demanding of them. I'm not sure what that's about, exactly. Some combination of late-life snobbery and a growing realization that life is short so I want to spend my time reading really good things? On the other hand, since the point of reading is not only to expand one's experience but also to have fun.

I started The Tiger's Wife this afternoon and I think I'm going to enjoy it. Maybe I'll get just one more day off to do some reading. I'd like that. And I do still hope to buy a couple of books for my Thingaversary. :-)

(((((HUGS)))))

must... get... to bed. zzzzzzzzzzzz

Forgot to put in the image of my current read:



G'night, Ilana. Sleep well! ♥

Hi Ellen
I liked Tiger's Wife a lot - hope you do too.

Today marks one year since I "joined" LibraryThing. I was looking for a site on which to track my reading. I found that and so much more. Here I have found a place to journal about my reading life, a source of endless(!) book recommendations and reviews, and most importantly, I have found a community of kind, intelligent, welcoming, and thoughtful book-lovers. This community has revitalized my reading and enhanced my day-to-day experience. Thanks to you all!

I ♥ LT.

Happy Thingaversary!! Did I miss a post on what books you bought to celebrate?

Happy Thingaversary, Ellen! So glad you found us.

Happy first thingaversary, Ellen!!

Thanks, y'all!! Chelle, I haven't yet gone shopping and may not do so as Seattle is still digging/melting out from our huge snow and ice storm. Once I get my two books, though, I will definitely post. :-)

I'm loving The Tiger's Wife.

A description of a biology teacher trying to dissect a pair of lungs for a dumbfounded class: "Then the lung slipped out of her hands and slid across the aluminum foil and over the edge of the table, onto the ground. It lay there, heavy and definite."

As the protagonist feels a little girl's forehead for fever: "There was no way of telling when and if [the fever] would spike again or how high it had been, but the strain in her eyes had unbuckled...."

"definite" and "unbuckled" --- nice.

Note to self: Don't listen to Adele on your third snow day when you're already feeling cabin fever.

Happy Thingaversary, Ellen! I'm sorry we weren't able to meet today. I have an all wheel drive Subaru and am from Maine and therefore used to snow, so I thought I would go to my PT appointment today. How embarrassing to have to call them and tell them I was stuck in my driveway! A foot of snow and a thick layer of ice crushed my New England pride.

I was delighted to hear you talking about your birds. We too are trying to keep them fed and watered, but they are eating us out of house and home. The hardest is keeping the hummingbird feeder from freezing. I worry about the little Anna's relying on us and dying if they don't get enough. It has been fun to see some rare species. Supposedly the bad weather in the mountains is driving them down to the foothills and to backyard feeders.

Well, have another good reading day, and keep us posted if you make it to Elliot Bay!
Lisa

Happy Thingaversary, Ellen. I'm so glad you joined LT and the 75ers.

Thanks, Lisa & Pat!

Lisa, I know what you mean about the hummingbird feeder. We were bringing it in at night so it would be fresh in the morning, but I forgot to put it out on Tuesday (when I did actually go to work) so they had to go all day without. I felt terrible --- and very glad when they returned.

"I know you haven't made your mind up yet
But I will never do you wrong.
I've known it from the moment that we met
No doubt in my mind where you belong."

Damn, I miss that cat!!!!

Sigh. Oh well. I'm off to a nice dinner at a favorite restaurant. After I scrape the snow and ice off the Subaru.

Enjoy your evening out. :)

Happy Thingaversary, Ellen! And wasn't joining the 75ers an outstanding idea?

I'm glad you joined LT and this group Ellen. And I'm glad you're enjoying The Tiger's Wife, which I absolutely loved.

Ellen also want to add my Happy Thingaversary wish and would add that you are already an indispensable part of the group and your thread is one of the first I look for among the vast array of stars that meet my eyes when I open the group page.

Ellen--I'm sorry to hear about your "blues" and your sister having to cancel her visit. Major bummer! I too am getting cabin fever--I'm a total snow wimp, and haven't left the house since Monday!

I'm guessing you work at the UW. My son who is a senior in accounting there works parttime in one of the university's accounts payable depts, and my daughter who graduated from UW a couple of years ago is a research scientist at a lab at the med school--maybe you've crossed paths. (Unlikely, I know). I can understand your pain and frustration with the cuts--we as students and parents of students feel each and every one of them.

I still would like to get together with you and Lisa, so I hope you'll include me in any meetups. I'm usually good to go, as long as there's no snow on the ground.

P.S. This is the dark time of year that gets a lot of Seattlites down--I suffer S.A.D., and have to use my "special" light. It helps a lot.

*waving* at Ellen

Happy Thingaversary, Ellen ..and a good weekend too. Hope you manage to get out for a spell and break the cabin fever.

Happy Thingaversary!! Sounds like you have had the exact same weather that we have had -and no wonder! Freezing rain yesterday, though not a lot of it and now it has warmed up and we are back to rain!! Have a great weekend Ellen!

Ren, thanks. It was quite nice (and good to get out of the house!).

Mark, I think joining LT was one of my best moves, ever, but I'm not sure DP would agree.... Oh well, I know not everyone understands the notion of have conversations --- and developing relationships --- on line.

Ilana, Oh, my dear, you are one of my anchors in this group. Thank you for welcoming me so warmly. ♥

Paul, the feelings are oh, so mutual. I love visiting your thread even though I feel a bit over my head trying to keep up with the humor. Perhaps I'm developing some new neuronal pathways. :-)

Deborah, we'd love to have you join us for a meet-up! We'll keep working on a date for it. I love hearing about your son and daughter and their connections to the UW. It's such a fine institution on so many levels, and it's heartbreaking to watch it being so affected. I don't doubt that there were excesses, but I can tell you with 100% confidence that they were not in Student Life or undergraduate education and those areas are being hard hit. The dark days affect me, too, but I can feel the 2-3 minutes of extra light we're getting each day now! And I do love our long summer evenings. :-)

Hi Stasia!!!

Caro, thank you so much. I'll definitely be getting out and (hopefully) going for a slushy run later today.

Deb, Yep, I think this whole area got hit by this storm. At our house, when all was said and done, we had about 4" of snow, with about 0.75" of ice on top of that, with about 0.5" of snow on top of that. I did get the car out of its space on our street last night to go out for dinner and the arterials are just fine now, but the hilly neighborhood roads are a slushy, icy mess. I kind of like it when Mother Nature reminds us of just exactly who is in charge. :-)

I was so sleepy last night that I only read about five pages of The Tiger's Wife before turning out the light. Today looks much more like Seattle in January and I think I'll get to do some reading, go for a run, go to a movie perhaps. You know, normal Saturday stuff. Oh wait, that means laundry, too......

Don't let the winter get you down. The days are getting longer. Soon it will be spring--That's my mantra as the sleet comes down.

Ellen, I just read my last message to you and wanted to say (as I hope you know) that it did not by any means express how much I appreciate your presence here. I was in a state of extreme exhaustion yesterday and didn't really know what I was writing.

I hope you got to get outside today and do some fun stuff, sounds like you really needed to treat yourself a little (or a lot). xx

Hi Ellen, belated congratulations on your first LT anniversary. I know joining LT was one of the best things I ever did, never thought I would meet so many book-lovers, they seem few and far between in real life.

Glad your weather has turned milder and hopefully winter is a thing of the past. We had a spell of weak sunshine this afternoon and I really enjoyed all our West Coast greenness!

Ren -- I'm pretty good at overcoming the dreary winter days (they are so short here for about a 6-week period, but we're getting past that now). One thing I love about this part of the world is that I get outside most of the time. My outdoor runs are at the core of my sanity -- as much as, or even more than reading! -- so when it's so dark in the morning and in the evening that I can't get them in, my stress and anxiety can start to take up more space in my life than I like. Anyone who knows me will tell you -- if Ellen can get her runs in, she's a pretty cheerful person to be around!

Yesterday I had a wonderful 36-minute run, finding my footing on the slushy ice, and today I did a much easier 32-minute run with no footing issues at all. So, my mood is good. :-)

Ilana -- thanks for the check-back. I'm sorry you were having such an exhausted day, but the truth is I appreciate you stopping back by and saying, essentially, "no, really, I love having your here on LT." I think you know how much I love our connection. Hugs to you, always.

Judy, thanks for stopping by! Yep, LT is weirdly central to my life now. It's filled a need for me to have friends and acquaintances with whom I can talk about books. Two things I love are: (1) the pervasively nonjudgmental stance almost everyone takes. It doesn't matter what one likes to read; it only matters that we read, and that we're willing to say what we like and what we don't. How many places in the world do we find that? And (2) that I have learned so much about authors and genres and works I would not otherwise have discovered. This site is full of wise, thoughtful, brain-using folks. I love it.

**************
I'm very much enjoying The Tiger's Wife. I like how fluidly Obreht moves between the story of her grandfather's childhood, living with a tiger in the woods on the ridge above the village (I just read about the blacksmith's excursion to said ridge), and Natalia's present-time excursion to learn about her grandfather, with whom she was quite close. The writing is exquisite and the story is engaging. I don't know how old Obreht was when she wrote this, but judging by the picture on the back of my edition, I'm impressed with the depth of her writing. Of course, Carson McCullers wrote The Heart is a Lonely Hunter at age 22, I believe.....

We watched the DVD of the 1982 film "Ghandi" last night. I had not seen it before and I'm glad I finally did so. Wow. I now want to read more about him and about India's quest for independence from the British empire -- and the creation of Pakistan and India as two separate countries. I wonder if anyone on LT could recommend anything for me. *smirks*

#199 I'm that way about walking. I like long walks. Where I am right now (at the base of Mt. Shasta) is famous for its cold winds; I have to admit I let those gales keep me inside too much. :(

Ren, that's what modern-day hi-tech fabrics are for! Get thee to an REI and get thee out there for your (thy? thine?) walk!!!! :-)

Watching the NFL playoffs (embarrassed to say).

Drinking Pinot Noir and smelling the Coq au vin being cooked by DP. I am so spoiled.

Trying to read The Tiger's Wife, but my concentration is, um, impaired.

Ghandi! Oh my. I remember seeing the movie at the cinema when it came out (I couldn't have been older than 12 or 13), and being deeply moved by it. A few novels set in India that I've read in the past few years talk about partition and mention Ghandi, but are not specifically on those topics so I hesitate to suggest them to you here.

I remember whenever I kept to a rigorous exercise routine I felt quite "up" too, but then, it could just as well have been the mania... :-|

Ellen don't waste too much of the Pinot Noir on the Coq! Have a great day!

Ilana, it was a big-impact 3 hours, that's for sure.

Paul, no fears. I admit that we open a bottle of Two Vines for the recipe and drink all the Pinot. It was a really nice Willamette Valley Pinot that we purchased a few years ago, when we lived in that region. Yet another reason I sometimes regret having made this move. We lived in beautiful Oregon wine country. Sigh. Oh well, I'll be down there for a short conference in April and I plan to come back with a case of the yummy stuff.

It's back to real life today. Stayed up too late watching Downton Abbey, then reading The Tiger's Wife. Dear, sweet, innocent Abby decided to wake us up around 3:20am and I never did really get back to sleep as my anxiety about work kicked in. Just Monday anxiety, but exacerbated by the snow days at the end of last week (making me feel less in touch with what to expect).

BUT --- I can kick it into high gear for a few intense work weeks, then it's off to Kauai for a week of relaxation and reading. Nice to have that to look forward to!

Just wanted to say hi, Ellen! *Waves* :)

For a well-written novel about how the creation of the state of Pakistan resulted in a disastrous forced migration, I would recommend Partitions by Amit Majmudar.

Hi Ellen- I plan on watching DA tonight and I have The Tiger's Wife saved on audio. I've heard mixed reports on this one, so I keep moving it up and down on the list.

Ellen - good wine is one of my many weaknesses so I will be looking up Oregon wines and I my try to persuade my new friend from there to bring me some over when he goes there soon.

"...off to Kauai for a week of relaxation and reading..."

Ahhhhhhhhh.... how perfectly wonderful to anticipate! Helps you get through these last few work weeks. Hold that thought.

I'm so jealous ;-) and happy for you!

How wonderful! I've never been to Kauai ... hope we get some photos of you reading and relaxing there, Ellen.

Stopping by to say hi! Sorry to hear that the anxiety kicks in for work -but the thought of Kauai for a week of sun and reading sounds rather lovely!

Stephen, Lisa, Mark, Paul, Cee, Caro, Deb ---- Thanks for all your visits (and the book recommendation, Lisa). I have had another tough couple of days at work. I know this is a phase, but I feel like my usually-boundless patience is now a very short fuse. I don't even understand all the reasons, but I'll figure it out. I know I can hang in there, get a lot done, and prepare to enjoy my February vacation. For now, I feel like I'm constantly on the verge of tears or an angry outburst. So unlike me. I hate it.

Paul, if you can get your hands on a bottle of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, you will be a happy soul. They can be so elegant.

More about life and reading to come later.

Ellen....as usual I have done my homework and your taste in wine is almost as good as your taste for books. Seems the Willamette Valley winery was named as winery of the year by a prestigious magazine last year.

http://wvv.com/whatsnew/#news147

By the way their head winemaker has just passed away so hopefully the wine will stay as good.

Ellen, the way you describe your latest mood shifts sounds to me like Week-before-vacation syndrome, don't you think? I used to get that a lot, and so did most of my co-workers back in the day. I'm really happy for you that you'll get some great R&R and be in such beautiful settings, but also slightly anxious about all that time without news from you... :-( Unless you'll still be keeping up with us? :-)

A late but sincere Happy Thingaversary, Ellen. I too am amazed at how important LT has become to me; so many great people...and so many prospective books!

Mmmm...Hawaii. Best vacation I ever hope to have. So beautiful and so peaceful, but with plenty of excitement available if one wants.

Interesting take on Gamache. I hadn't considered him in that way so far; in some later works he's not as perfect, but still kind of unbelievable.

Oh, and I absolutely loved that movie. We've seen it twice.

Hi Ellen, it certainly sounds like you not only deserve some time in Hawaii, you need it as well. Hopefully some time away will help.

Hey Paul, Ilana, Gail, and Judy (isn't it cool how many friends one makes on LT??) --
Just for clarification, the trip to Hawaii is still three weeks away. I've got much work to do in those three weeks, so....
Still, you are all correct that it's a much needed vacation and it will do much to improve my mood. And no fear, Ilana, I'm taking my laptop just so I can stay in touch with y'all.

AND: I got a raise today!! I got a raise today!! This was totally and absolutely unexpected. I was "promoted" in August, took on significant additional responsibilities with NO additional compensation. I have really been feeling like a sap and that has been contributing to my frustration levels - and today, out of the blue, I got a raise! It's about a third what I think I deserve for the level of responsibilty I now have, but I will take it. And the emotional boost, the sense of having my hard work recognized, that's all huge. Whew. More money to spend on books! Ha.

I almost finished The Tiger's Wife during my insomnia last night, but didn't quite get there. I will complete it tonight and then I get the very fun task of deciding what to read next. That's one of my favorite decisions to make. :-)

YAY! You got a raise today!!
Congrats on your much deserved raise! And wishes for many more hefty raises in your future :)

I love picking new reads too! Have fun!

Woohoo! Congratulations on the raise!

Oh goody, Ellen got a raise, which means she'll buy more books to tempt me with!

Ellen - great new on the promo and especially the pay rise. Hopefully you'll be willing to share with those less deserving!

Congratulations on the raise--that must be very satisfying.

For books about the partition I can recommend Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh. Paul Scott's Raj Quartet which deals (fictionally) with the final years of the British in India is also relevant, and is one (four?) of my favorite books.

Cee, Dejah, Judy, Paul, and Deborah -- Thank you so much for the congrats! It's hard to articulate how tremendously I'm feeling this boost. It's not that much money, but I feel less used by the institution. I will continue to keep an eye out for opportunities that will take me closer to my sister, but the resentment factor has been alleviated. Whew.

Deborah, thanks for the recommendations! I'll check out Train to Pakistan and the Quartet. And yes, I will give myself permission to splurge on a little stack of new books (as if that has ever been a problem....).

Big congratulations on the raise from me too, Ellen. I'm glad it's making you feel better about your job.

Awesome news about the raise Ellen. I can see how it would improve your general outlook.

Didn't realize your trip was still several weeks away. I must've misread something. Very relieved to know you'll still be keeping in touch!

Congrats on the raise. And I love Kauai! Prepare to enjoy.

Pat, Ilana, and Roni -- thanks for the congrats!

I've been absolutely snorkeling at work this week and haven't had adequate time for reading, much less checking in on LT. I miss everyone!

But, the good news is that I'll be picking up my sister at the airport this evening. We'll have less than 48 hours together and I'm going to make the most of the hours we do have!

xo to everyone out there -----

Ellen- Congrats on the raise! Congrats on the raise! Yipee! And congrats on making a bunch of new LT friends. Friendships can become pretty deep over here!
Have a great weekend with your sister!

Have a wonderful weekend with your sister, Ellen!

Ellen have a great weekend and hope you can celebrate your successful week with your Sis.

Oh that's awesome! A raise and a visit from your sister in the same week! Have a great time Ellen.

xox

I might be able to make this thread last the entire month of January.....
Meanwhile, I'm heading home soon to do the last mad dash of house cleaning for my sister. I just realized that her plane gets in about 90 minutes earlier than I had thought! Yikes!

On the bus home, I hope to finally complete The Tiger's Wife. It's been a wonderful read, but my week has been too busy and too emotional for much reading to get done.

Looks like super news for you! A raise (to help with improving mood at work); a visit with sister---I'm so glad for you, Ellen. Can't wait for your reaction to The Tiger's Wife.

I completed The Tiger's Wife last night. I liked it but not as much as many did. I think part of this is due to my emotionally up-and-down week, making it hard to concentrate and track the movement between story lines. I loved the Deathless man and I thought Obreht's writing was beautiful. I think there were things "going on" in this novel that I just missed. I will keep it for a possible re-read in the future.

Picked up three books at the library today (which means my sister got to see our cute little branch of the SPL). I'll start The Inheritance of Loss tonight in the hope that I can complete it before the end of January. I also picked up Lying Awake by Mark Salzman (which will be a re-read for me) and All Quiet on the Western Front.

Cheers, everyone!

Hi Ellen, Sorry to be MIA the last few days... Am catching up! (the catch phrase around LT lately)
Glad to hear your sister is visiting - have fun with her as only sisters can!
:-)

Congragulations on the raise, Ellen! I'm so glad that you will be getting away to Hawaii in a couple of weeks. I wonder if in part the rain and the gloomy days might be affecting you? I've lived on the West Coast all of my life and it used to get to me. Not so much any more, with my big full spectrum reading light!;)

Thanks, Gail and Cee!!

eta: and Deb! (we were cross posting) :-)

Actually, I had a major ah-ha moment on Thursday. I believe my emotional fragility is due to the fact that I have not been running. One thing I know about myself is that running is my very best coping tool. I can do other forms of exercise (and swimming does work pretty well, too) but getting in some regular runs is really key for my mood management. I have done a wee bit of rearranging my schedule in the next week in the hope that I can get two mid-week runs in. If I can do that plus two on the weekend, I'll cope better.

Of course, the salary increase associated with my promotion does help. :-)

Congrats on the raise! That's so fun when it comes out of nowhere and cheers you up!

Glad you liked the Tiger's Wife. I loved it, but I read it at a time when I had not much going on a could focus. Sometimes it's hard to give a book your attention when there is so much going on!

Enjoy your upcoming trip!!

Ellen...Your comment in #234 is almost guaranteed to ensure that you won't! I seem to recall Lucy (Sibyx) saying something similar on her thread. Have a lovely weekend.

Congrats on the promotion!

It's so nice to hear your smiling voice. It's wonderful that you got a raise--especially where you work in this economic climate. They must appreciate you! Although I tease my husband that the only time he gets a raise or promotion is when he begins looking for another job. Somehow Boeing always knows....

I hope your visit with your sister was fabulous. Did you get to Elliot Bay with her too? Once things are settled for you, let's try to get together again, shall we?

219: Congratulations on the well-deserved raise, Ellen. It is nice to be appreciated. Speaking of which, I so appreciate you joining LT a year ago. I enjoy my visits with you.

I will second Deborah's rec for The Raj Quartet, I've only read the first one but plan to get back to Scott's world soon. I think you would also like A Passage to India, both book and movie.

Chelle, Paul, Jim, Lisa, and Donna ---
I so appreciate your stopping by my thread! I had a wonderful time with my sister. We did get to the bookstore, but I had accidentally recycled my little list of books to buy, so I went with serendipity. Picked up a copy of The Woman in White, The Mangan Inheritance, and one other that's escaping me right now. I was disappointed that they didn't have anything by Jacques Poulin on the shelves. But, we made it to Molly Moon for an ice cream sundae on a very gray and rainy Sunday afternoon so it was, overall, a great day. :-)

I started The Inheritance of Loss over the weekend. With my sister here, I didn't make much headway, but I'll have more time for it this week.

My job is crazy hectic right now. Winter quarter is always the toughest and with the promotion, I'm juggling even more. As long as I keep in mind which of the balls I'm juggling are made of rubber..... and which are made of glass.... and which of them are hand grenades! I'll be fine.

Lisa, You made me laugh with the comment about your husband getting an increase when he starts looking around. I was in that very boat. I have been excited about the promotion, and it took a while to realize that I really did think they should compensate me a bit for the extra duties!

Okay, home to dinner and Downton Abbey, and then a bit of reading.

Ellen- At least you have the best spot to drop by for a little R&R. Glad you had a nice weekend with your sister. I just finished the latest DA. Good stuff. A bit of a tear-jerker. I left some comments on it, over on my thread.

Great description of a cat, from The Inheritance of Loss:

"Then there was the cat, Mustafa, a sooty hirsute fellow demonstrating a perfection of containment no amount of love or science could penetrate. He was, at this moment, starting up like a lorry on Sai's lap, but his eyes looked blankly right into hers, warning her against mistaking this for intimacy."

Very nice.

I tried to give blood today but my iron was too low. So, off to the pub for a real burger (and a bourbon) before going to the cinema. We had a bit of time to kill, so we went into the Capitol Hill branch of the SPL. Very nice. I couldn't help myself; I chose three books to bring home with me. Started reading True Grit in the theater before the lights went down (not that they were very bright, mind you, but I managed the first chapter). I'm going to go ahead and read it, along with finishing The Inheritance of Loss, even though it hasn't been in my planned reads. I also picked up Losing Battles by Eudora Welty and Pale Horse, Pale Rider: Three Short Novels by Katherine Anne Porter. Oh, and the third book I purchased at the bookstore the other day was A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cosse.

The film we saw tonight was "Albert Nobbs." I liked it although I was disappointed in some aspects of it. Glenn Close did a pretty magnificent acting job, but was almost too subtle as she portrayed Albert's intense repression and gradual discovery of emotion. Janet McTeer stole the show.

Hi Ellen

I'm so pleased that you got to meet up with your sister after your recent disappointment and that you had some good news about your job. I know what you mean about crazy hectic at work though!

I was interested to read your thoughts on The Tiger's Wife. I have it to read but it's not calling me too loudly at the moment.

Albert Nobbs does sound worth seeing.

Hi Ellen, just a long overdue catching up. Happy belated Thingaversary! Congrats on your raise, woo hoo!!! Kaui? I can come along as your book valet! I turn pages really well, can fetch a new read at the drop of a bookmark in fact I can be the bookmark when you jaunt off into the surf to cool down!

OH boy, I stayed up waaay too late reading last night. Got sucked right into True Grit. I'm paying for it this morning.
*roots around in kitchen drawer for toothpicks with which to prop open eyes*

Dee and Lynda, thanks for stopping by! I'm definitely one of the more lukewarm readers of The Tiger's Wife and I would love to have a book valet while I'm on Kauai!

The next two weeks need to be work, work, work, as I prepare for that wonderful February vacation in the sun. I'll start my February thread this evening.

Hi Ellen, glad to hear you were able to spend some time with your sister.

Is this the first time you have started a new thread with the continuation feature? I'll be watching carefully as I will be starting a new thread soon as well. I'm a little nervous after I saw that Paul managed to get an extra thread for the second time.

Ellen- I also loved True Grit. I'm glad I finally read it. A classic western and better than both films. Glad you are enjoying it.

Ellen - True Grit is also on my list - think I will get to it in March all being well.

So glad you had a good visit with your sister, and congrats on the raise!

Judy - yep, first time. I'm nervous because of Paul's experience, too, but he says I won't have any problem.....

Mark and Paul - True Grit is a fun read! I liked the 2010 film but the book is better, so far.

Thanks, Roni!!

It's after 6:30 and I'm still at work. I've put in my 10.5 hours for today.
:-|
I think I'll go home.

That's a looooong day at work Ellen. Hope you get the rest you need tonight. I'm glad I caught you before you started your new thread, or I wouldn't have forgiven myself; I visited your thread recently as a lurker, which is why there's been no sign of me, but I'm up on the goings on!

You're the last thread I can manage tonight. That's meant as a compliment. For what it's worth. ;-)

xx

Eek! Have I lost you? Have you started your new thread?

Phew, I'm now caught up and hoping there isn't a new thread out there that I have missed. You've had some ups and downs recently Ellen but it sounds like the ups are winning at the moment which is excellent. Oh and pinot noir, you must be my soul sister, best wine varietal ever!

No new thread yet, folks. Too overworked and tired to manage it in the evening. This weekend, I promise. Luckily, I post few enough pics that the thread police haven't gotten to me yet......

It's been a long time since I've so looked forward to a weekend. I'm loving my job again (funny how getting a bit of compensation for taking on tons of new duties can help morale) but I'm putting in about 55-60 hours a week right now. That has implications for the stack of six library books sitting on my dresser (not to mention the three or four that are waiting for me at the library).

I'm almost through True Grit and then I'll decide whether I'm going to complete The Inheritance of Loss or give it up for now.

Thanks for stopping by, Ilana, Lisa, and Leonie.

Leonie, living in the Oregon Willamette Valley for 13 years was such a treat. The Pinot Noir from that region is really nice. I will be down there for a conference in April and I plan to bring back a few bottles. :-)

I'm so glad you are enjoying your job more. It's amazing what a little recognition can do for our feelings (and a few days of sun!)

Ellen - I sense your a bit worried about multiple continuations like me. Just go for it. If you finish up with four threads we'll find them all!

Ellen, hi. Glad to know you liked True Grit, as it's on my WL and I don't read many westerns. That one looks intriguing, though.

Also glad your work is going better even if it's still a LOT of work.

SUNNY AND 61 today ----- aaaahhhhh. On a day like this, Seattle is one of the most beautiful cities on earth.

Friends from out of town coming in this evening. Dinner out. Food, wine, stories about old times. It will be great (and who knows when I'll ever finish my books?).