LXXV and Beyond - brenzi's 2012 Reading

Literature is my Utopia. Here I am not disenfranchised. No barrier of the senses shuts me out from the sweet, gracious discourses of my book friends. They talk to me without embarrassment or awkwardness.
----------------------Helen Keller

Thank you Ms. Keller, I couldn't have said it better. I am so thankful to have found you, my book friends. On, then, to 2012.








MY ORANGE JANUARY THREAD

MY NON-FICTION CHALLENGE THREAD

OTS - Off the Shelf (purchased at least 6 months ago)

L - library book

NF - Non-fiction

Books Read in 2012

8. The Scapegoat - Daphne duMaurier - France - 4.2 stars - OTS
7. The Orphan Master's Son - Adam Johnson - North Korea - 4.3 stars - L
6. Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader - Anne Fadiman - 4 stars - NF - L
5. Old Filth by Jane Gardam - UK - 4 stars
4. The Observations by Jane Harris - Scotland - 4.5 stars - OTS
3. Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff - Egypt - 4.2 stars NF - OTS
2. White Teeth by Zadie Smith - UK - 4.3 stars -OTS
1. Sorry by Gail Jones - Australia - 4.5 stars

Hi Bonnie! Dropping off a star for your thread

Eeeek, I can see by the Roman Numerals that you're going to have me using my noodle all 2012. Thanks Bonnie, I need a little brain induced thought now and then.

Welcome back!

Hi Bonnie!

Love the gorgeous book display up top, Bonnie! Glad to see you joining us again for 2012!

Found you - I think if I did a spreadsheet looking at people who add the most books to my WL, you'd be close to the top. Out of your top books last year, the 4 I've read all got 5 stars from me... I'd better get to the others!

Hi there Chelle, Lynda, Jim, Richard, Stasia and Cushla. It's great to see familiar friends as I cross to the other side.

>8 cushlareads: Well Cushla, I probably read those 5 star reads because I picked them up from your thread haha.

Cool books and quote, Bonnie. Happy New Year!

Hi Joe, thanks and Happy New Year to you!

I love the picture of the books, Bonnie. I am looking forward to following your thread again in 2012 and the books that you're reading.

as I cross to the other side

*snerk* It's a milestone, but not that particular milestone! :)

>12 cameling: Hi Caro.

>13 drneutron: Hahaha thought I'd just sneak that in Jim.

Happy New Year everyone!

Hi Bonnie, and a Happy New Year to you! I love your new thread. I'm beginning with an Orange book, too!

Hi Bonnie, happy reading!

Hi Bonnie! Hoping you have a great New Year!!

Happy New Year Bonnie!
I fear and crave your thread - pls be gentle this year :)

You are definitely starred!

*STARRED*

HAPPY NEW YEAR, dear Bonnie!
I"m bringing a star and a hope that 2012 bests 2011 in wonderful books and conversation!

Happy New Year to you Bonnie.

Ah! Here you are Bonnie. Pleasure making your acquaintance last year and look forward to your company again. Happy new year to you and your lovely family!

Hi Bonnie, Happy New Year! Quite a few of your favourites of 2011 are either on my shelves or on my wishlist. That always pleases me for some reason! :-)

Happy New Year, Bonnie!

Happy New Year Bonnie. As it is now 2012 I think it's time to start dropping off some



Here's to another good year of reading:)

What they said! :)

Happy New Year, Bonnie!

Happy New Year, Bonnie! You know I'll be following along with you again this year! My inner GPS is set on Brenzi! You've never steered me wrong.
The Invisible Bridge will be my next read.

Hi Bonnie!!

Happy New Year, Bonnie! Many blessings and happy hours reading for 2012.

Welcome to 2012 Kath, Donna, Nancy, Chelle, Claudia, Katie, Peggy, Deborah, Paul, Ilana, Stasia Calm, Darryl, Mark, Tammy and Tui . I hope the new year brings you all much joy and happiness and unequaled reading pleasure. One of my greatest pleasures in life has been my getting to know each of you.

I love the book spines pic at the top of your thread! I lurked all over your threads in 2011. Got you starred!

Sandy K

I found you! Happy New Year.

Hi Terri and thanks for speaking up Sandy. I'd love to hear more from you in 2012:)

Happy new year! Looking forward to some more great inspiration from your reading in 2012 - so I'll be starring your thread. But seriously, have you really managed 8 books in the first two days of the year?! No wonder I don't make it to 75!

Helen

Hi, Bonnie, yet another star for your thread:).

>37 helensq: Hahaha, no Helen, that's a 0 on the ticker although I know it does look like an 8. I couldn't figure out where you saw 8. Yeah I'm on my first book. And Happy New Year to you too.

>38 karspeak: Hi there karspeak.

Hi Bonnie- I might be starting the Invisible Bridge tomorrow or Wednesday. I just noticed: 750 pages. Yikes. I hope it's a fast narrative.

Oh Mark. as you may remember that was a 5 star read for me. The narrative flies by. Enjoy, my friend.

just trying to keep track of you and keep up...

1.



Sorry by Gail Jones 4.5 stars

I am not going to review this beautiful, haunting and heartbreaking book. I suggest you refer to Dee's, Laura's or Jill's excellent reviews. There's nothing I can add. I would like to share some of the beautiful prose contained in this story of loss, love, sacrifice and loyalty that takes place in the years before and during WWII in Australia.

"There was a dignity in libraries; it was an houourable job. She admired the atmosphere of muffled restraint and the beige, dusty light. She admired the way book-stacks constructed a mini-city, the labyrinths of silent, orderly words. To see the spines aligned, each with its title, author and organising number, was a particular comfort. When she looked down on the head of a child, bent intently over a book, she wanted to kiss the nape of her neck. When she handed a volume to an old lady she felt, in her very bones, continuities here, the families of readership." (Page 221)

And this:

"After my father died, my mother became gradually more boldly explorative; she opened books that she had been forbidden to touch, sought out those marked specifically as his own. Because we were stranded together, and because I stuttered, we read. There is no refuge so private, no asylum more sane. There is no facility of voices captured elsewhere so entire and so marvelous. My tongue was lumpish and fixed, but in reading, silent reading, there was a release, a flight, a wheeling off into the blue spaces of exclamatory experience, diffuse and improbable, gloriously homeless. All that was solid melted into air, all that was air reshaped, and gained plausibility." (Page 43)

Lovely, isn't it? I can't recommend this book highly enough.

Bonnie, I'm so glad you loved this. And thanks for the shout-out! :)

What great quotations, Bonnie. It certainly made me to read the other reviews and this is definitely going on my obese wish list.

Hi Bonnie,
I knew coming here would be dangerous :)
I need a bullet-proof helmet.

>44 lauralkeet: You are very welcome Laura:)

>45 cameling: I had post-its on just about every page Caroline, tagging the beautiful language in this book Caro. I think you would enjoy it.

>46 -Cee-: Haha well Claudia I believe you give as good as you get;-)

Love the quotes you shared, Bonnie. One of these days I will get hold of Sorry. It has been in the BlackHole far too long.

>43 brenzi: Very, very effective review, Bonnie. Lovely selections.

Lovely quotes. Thanks, Bonnie.

>48 alcottacre: The book was so quotable Stasia that I ended up with post-its on just about every other page.

>49 richardderus: Well thank you Richard. Not really much of a review but her words are just so lovely.

>50 lit_chick: You are very welcome Nancy:)

Bonnie- This one looks like another winner! Love the quotes. On the WL it goes. what is your feeling about the title? It sounds...vague?

51: Having post-it notes on just about every page speaks for itself!

So my new son-in law has planned a SURPRISE 30th birthday party for his new bride tomorrow night. Well, let's just say he called the restaurant and made the arrangements and hopefully he will pay LOL. His mother sent out the invitations using addresses from the wedding list. I ordered the cake and went to Party City and picked up some decorations.

The the other day he sent me an e mail saying, "Hey do you have any pictures of her growing up over the years?" DO I HAVE ANY PICTURES?? Of course I have pictures. What, am I the worst parent in the world who never took a single picture of her children?? hahaha Anyway. I have another job now...taking the pictures and making up a collage, which I did this afternoon. So tomorrow I have to pick up some balloons, pick up the cake, get to the place early, put up the decorations (hopefully, his mother comes early to help) so Kevin can bring here when everyone is already there so we can all yell,"Surprise!"

So who's giving this party anyway? Hmmm.

>52 msf59: Hi Mark, I think you'd like this one. It's very, very dark. In the end Sorry is an apology to the Aboriginal people but there's so much more to it than that.

>53 alcottacre: There you go Stasia.

Bonnie, I had to laugh at your description of the surprise party. Your party planning skills are not going to get a chance to get rusty.

I've been noting your comments about the Buffalo area winter weather or lack thereof. I'm so used to hearing about Buffalo getting tons of snow each year that your reports are somewhat alarming! We actually don't get alot of snow near Boise but we've usually seen some by now and this year nothing so far. Our local ski resorts are also hurting because they don't have snow making equipment.

Anyway, hope you have a great time surprising your daughter.

The party sounds like great fun!

>58 brenzi: Yes Pat, I don't know when we've had a winter like this. Every year in January they have this Pond Hockey Tournament and it takes place on the ice in the small boat harbor; except this year there is no ice, at least not a thick enough for 300-400 teams to play hockey on so they officially canceled it yesterday. They're trying to see if any of the indoor hockey facilities can accommodate them. Anyway, we have a bit of snow now but it'll be gone by tomorrow when the temps rise into the upper 40s and stay there for the next several days.

We'll have fun at the party I'm sure. She's going to absolutely die!

>57 lauralkeet: Cross-posting Laura. Yes should be great fun:)

Bonnie, good review of Sorry. Looks definitely one to seek out based on your comments.

Thanks Paul, I do hope you enjoy it.

O.K. You've convinced me that I have to read Sorry. Thanks, Bonnie. Oh. It's already on my wish list, but now I really, really have to read it. Have you read The Bone People? Again, I haven't, but I want to before I die.
I LOVE that your Sil is giving a birthday party for your daughter. That's hilarious! You will all have a wonderful time, and Sara will know without a doubt who has done the work.

What, am I the worst parent in the world who never took a single picture of her children??

LOL... funny, Bonnie.

Have fun at the surprise party and I certainly hope it will be a surprise party and no cats get let out of the bag before she gets to the restaurant.

>61 LizzieD: Nope, have not read The Bone People Peggy...yet. It's sitting on my shelf patiently waiting. Oh yes, she'll know;-)

>62 cameling: As of right now she doesn't have a clue Caro. Fingers crossed...

Sara's party sounds like fun even though it was a lot of work for someone! Years ago my niece's husband asked for my help giving her a surprise party. All I had to do was make and deliver the cake while they and some friends went out to eat. Someone had to be at home to light the candles for the surprise when the came into a dark house. ;-(

I hope the birthday party turns out to be a huge success, Bonnie!

Laughed at your b/day party story - who's planning this party anyway? Enjoy : ).

Hi Bonnie! Hope the party goes off without a hitch!

Bonnie - Can't wait to hear how the party went! Hope you are still a good parent and got some pictures!

I like how your SIL was so inclusive in planning your daughter's party. Have a good time!

Hello Donna, Stasia, Nancy, Chelle, Claudia and Lynda, oh my, the party was soooo much fun. She didn't have a clue. As a matter of fact she looked behind her to see if someone was walking in that all the people were yelling "Surprise!" to. haha. And here's the funniest part, she wondered, "what in the world is my mother doing here and why does she have a camera??"

Here are a couple pics from the party. L to R Sara's friend, Sara, Kevin.



I don't know if you have Wegman's Grocery stores in your town but if not, you have my sympathy. Anyway that's a Wegman's cake with their whipped cream frosting and cannoli filling. Mmmmmm; to die for.

Oh, Bonnie, how perfect! what in the world is my mother doing here and why does she have a camera?? LOL!

Oh, what fun! I do not have a Wegman's here - but I want to :)

>71 lit_chick: Yes Nancy that really said it all LOL.

>72 alcottacre: Yes you really do want one Stasia although I do find myself unable to stop buying when I'm there so it's not very good for the pocketbook haha.

#7: Yeah, there is always that pocketbook problem unfortunately.

Sorry sounds lovely..
Pics are beautiful and the party sounds like a success.. and fun!

I LOVE your Sara's big smile! And that cake looks yummy. Frankly, I'm glad we don't have a Wegman's grocery here. Too much temptation.

>74 alcottacre: Stasia, some stores are just really good at displaying goods and making them irresistible and others are easy to resist. When you walk into Wegman's you want to buy every item in the produce section, it all looks so wonderful.

>75 mckait: Hi Kath!

>76 Donna828: Temptation is exactly what I mean Donna. See my comment above to Stasia.

Hi Bonnie- I'm glad the party went well! Love the pix! I'm really enjoying The Invisible Bridge, in between LT visits.
Have you read her short story collection? I bet it's incredible.

Love the picture, Bonnie! How wonderful that she was so totally surprised. Those are the best parties! But... where's a photo of you and the birthday girl?

I do not need a Wegman's ... no, I do not, no I really don't ...even if I want one. :-(

Loved the party story and pics!

>78 msf59: Hi Mark, I went out and picked up her ss collection, How to Breathe Underwater right aftert I read Invisible Bridge but haven't read it yet. Hmmm, thanks for reminding me:)

>79 cameling: Well you know I was taking the pics and never thought to get aone of me w/the party girl.

I do not need a Wegman's ... no, I do not, no I really don't Uh, yes you do Caroline. Are you kidding me? A foodie like you would LOVE Wegman's. And, of course you can't go wrong with one of their desserts, maybe like this one:



>80 cushlareads: Hi Cushla!!

I could see myself getting lost in the produce section in Wegman's. I am not really all that big on sweets - except for my nemesis, cheesecake. I could eat that all day long.

When we lived farther north in Pennsylvania, I used to love to visit the Wegman's in Williamsport after it opened. It was a bit of a drive to get there, but it was such a marvelous store. And they had my husband's favorite natural-casing hot dogs, Hoffman Franks.

Great picture! Great party! Great cake!

Do the parties ever stop over there? lol
Now for a week of R&R?

>82 alcottacre: The produce section is unbelievable and goes on for as far as the eye can see Stasia.

>83 tymfos: And they had my husband's favorite natural-casing hot dogs, Hoffman Franks. Yep, anything you want is probably available at Wegman's LOL.

>84 -Cee-: Hahaha Claudia, we're really not much into parties.

Bonnie - I had never heard of Wegman's but the cake in #81 looks like diabetes on a plate - scrummy.

Bonnie - I have finally found you! A thousand apologies for not stopping by sooner. What a wonderful new husband your daughter has! Love the pictures. And oh, those cakes - yum!

>86 PaulCranswick: Haha diabetes on a plate So funny Paul.

>87 Copperskye: Hi Joanne, it's pretty easy to get lost around here so I'm glad you were able to find me. She does have a good husband in many, many ways.

2.



White Teeth by Zadie Smith 4.3 stars

MY REVIEW:

Zadie Smith’s White Teeth is a wild, raucous, rollicking, joyful, sad, funny tale about life in immigrant families in North London in the years leading up to the start of the 21st century. That it is as important and timely today as when it was published twelve years ago only solidifies her reputation as a gifted and talented writer.

The book opens in 1975 as Archie Jones is sitting in his car, trying to asphyxiate himself with a vacuum cleaner hose that’s attached to the car’s exhaust system. His wife has divorced him and life doesn’t seem worth living. He’s saved because he parked his car (inconveniently) next to the Halal butcher who was waiting for a load of bovine and this just will not do. Archie is thankful to be saved and goes on to marry Clara Bowden, whose black roots go back to Jamaica and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Archie, friends with Samad Iqbal sine the war, whose roots, along with those of his wife Alsana go back to Bangladesh. For the most part, the book is about these two families and the problems faced by immigrants across the world and through the generations. Later in the story, another purely British family, liberal intellectuals, is introduced and, paradoxically, the pot really begins to boil. Their interference in the lives of the Jones and Iqbal children, at the expense of their own children, provides another interesting look at the diversity of modern society.

”This has been the century of strangers, brown, yellow and white. This has been the century of the great immigrant experience. It is only this late in the day that you can walk into a playground and find Isaac Leung by the fish pond, Danny Rahman in the football cage, Quang O’Rourke bouncing a basketball and Irie Jones humming a tune. Children with first and last names on a direct collision course. Names that secrete within them mass exodus, cramped boats and planes, cold arrivals, medical checkups. It is only this late in the day, and only in Willesden, that you can find best friends Sita and Sharon, constantly mistaken for each other because Sita is white (her mother liked the name) and Sharon is Pakistani (her mother thought it best---less trouble). Yet despite all the mixing up, despite the fact that we have finally slipped into each other’s lives with reasonable comfort (like a man returning to his lover’s bed after a midnight walk), despite all this, it is still hard to admit that there is no one more English than the Indian, no one more Indian than the English. There are still young white men who are angry about that; who will roll out at closing time into the poorly lit streets with a kitchen knife wrapped in a tight fist.” (Page 272)

Smith’s forte is characterization and, I must say, she is wizard-like as she develops these characters and, through them, explores the issues of race, sex and class facing, not only the UK, but countries all over the world. Delving into multiculturalism through multiple points of view allows the reader a unique perspective. The white teeth of the title expound on this theme.

I found White Teeth to be wildly funny and yet terribly thought provoking and prescient (this was, after all published before 9/11). Highly recommended.

oh Bonnie, isn't Zadie Smith amazing?! Loved White Teeth when I read it a few months ago-- made my "almost made the top reads" list! I just checked to see if she's got a new book due out this year, but didn't find anything. :o(

Fabulous review, Bonnie! Smith's writing talents sound as diverse as the characters she creates! You had me with wild, raucous, rollicking, joyful, sad, funny tale. Thumb!

>90 GCPLreader: Hi Jenny, I read somewhere that her fourth novel will come out later this year but I can't find it now. (naturally)

>91 lit_chick: Thanks Nancy, it actually reminded me of something else I read (just for being big and larger than life) but I can't put my finger on it.

Bonnie- Great review of White Teeth! You nailed it perfectly. I read and enjoyed it about 10 years ago. Funny, I never tried her other books.

Your Topic Heading keeps tricking me into thinking your someone else...Luxx maybe? Hey, as long as I can find you, I'll be ok!

Thanks Mark, actually I read her On Beauty quite a few years ago and liked that one too.

I just wanted to keep you guessing;-)

I was just going to ask you if you'd read On Beauty. That's the only one I've read by Zadie Smith but I loved it. Your review has convinced me to try White Teeth too. Actually, as I was reading your review it reminded me of The White Family by Maggie Gee in terms of the multiculturalism issues.

Great review!

Thanks so much Pat. Yes definitely on the multicultural issues you could draw comparisons to The White Family. But this ends on a much more hopeful note. As I recall, Gee's novel was a real downer (although I really liked the book).

Loved your review, Bonnie.

Zadie Smith is one I have to check out sometime. Have heard so much good.

Hi Bonnie
I always enjoy your family photos!

And, of course I love visiting here and reading your excellent reviews.

On a personal note, my daughter is currently serving as an Assistant Principal in a poverty stricken middle school near Dayton Ohio. The administration is encouraging her to go for her principals lisence. She is not so sure she wants to do this. Any words of encouragement, and/or discouragement you might add?

HA! Thought you could hide from me did you? Errr......sorry it took me so long to find you. Starred as per usual. Happy New Year! Love/hate your thread already because I had to add Sorry and White Teeth (love Zadie Smith) to the WL. What is orange January? Love the surprise B-day and the pictures. The cake looks YUMMY!! and your daughter looks just SOOO happy. Nice job all around. Pat yourself on the back. : )

>97 -Cee-: Thanks Claudia. I think you'd enjoy White Teeth because, well, you like to laugh:)

>98 Whisper1: Hi Linda, thanks for visiting. I'll PM you.

>99 Berly: Hey there Kim, excuse me while I pat myself on the back. Ah, that felt good. Anyway, go GO HERE to find out more about Orange July. Lots of good reading.

Bonnie, you did a wonderful job capturing the essence of multicultural London that Z. Smith writes about in White Teeth. I am very interested in knowing more about a new release from her.

Btw, I picked up No Great Mischief, another Bonnie rec, at the used bookstore today. I like it when you read books I've already read!

Thanks for the link to Orange readings. Makes perfect sense! I don't think I want a separate thread there, but after I finish my Steinbeck book, I will see if I can find an Orange book for January and list it on my 75 thread.

>101 Donna828: Well thanks Donna, and if there's a book that I'm sure you will love it's got to be No Great Mischief. That's practically a guarantee;-)

>102 Berly: It does make perfect sense, doesn't it? Then in July we do it all over again. Whoopee!

Ah, No Great Mischief. I have to second (third?) the recommendation. It is fabulous!

Wonderful review as always... stopping by to say hellp :)

Great review, Bonnie. Thumb from me.

>104 lit_chick: :)

>105 mckait: Thank you Kath:)

>106 jnwelch: And thank you Joe!

OK so I am now reading my first NF of the year Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff. I've had the book for over a year and, although it received a lot of buzz at the time, somehow other books pushed it out of the way. Anyway, I'm reading it now and it is really fascinating. To say I don't know much about Cleopatra or this era in history would be a major understatement but some of the things that are revealed in the book that are just said in passing are, well, somewhat....shocking. For instance, when looking for a wet nurse:

The nurse should be congenial and clean...Ideally she should be Greek, which was to say educated. Typically she was the lucky wife of a court official. Hers was a well-remunerated, prestigious post, several years in duration. To it she brought generations' worth of wisdom. Teething trouble? The standard cure was to feed the child a fried mouse. Excessive crying? A paste of fly dirt and poppy could be counted on to silence the most miserable of infants."

Hmmm I wonder if they had the 5 second rule back then???

Interested to see what you think. I have it and bailed at about 100 pages. Granted I am not a big NF person, could have been right book wrong time, IKD. So hope you like it and can talk me back into reading it. I love the idea of Cleopatra!!

Well Kim if you bailed at 100 pages you must have read the part I quoted above. Didn't that make you sit up and take notice??

I'm gradually becoming a slightly more prolific NF reader but this book is not the same kind of Narrative Non-Fiction that really sucked me in when I read my last NF book, Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, death and hope in a Mumbai undercity.

A field mouse! Good grief! Hmm, chuckled at the 5 second rule - I'm thinking probably didn't have it back then, LOL. Sounds like the Cleopatra read is more textbook-ish (for lack of a better expression) than narrative non-fiction.

I'm curious - what's IKD?

Bonnie, I added Cleopatra to my wish list after it was reviewed in the NY Times (ages ago) but never got around to reading it. Will be interested in your review!

Hi Bonnie,
After learning a bit about Cleopatra awhile back, I was hot to read the book about her. Haven't bought it yet. Will be looking forward to what you think of it.

Field mouse??? fly dirt???? eeeeooooo

Hi Bonnie- I'm glad you are enjoying Cleopatra. I have this one saved in my audio archives. After I read a couple lackluster reviews, I moved it back down the pile, but now YOU are loving it, it's a whole different story.
I'm about 2/3rds done with The Invisible Bridge. It's long but very good.

>111 lit_chick: Well Nancy, it's not NNF but I'm finding that it holds my interest quite well. I think Kim probably meant to type IDK.

>112 lauralkeet: Ohhhhh the pressure's on;-)

>113 -Cee-: I'm thinking we spoil our babies too much Claudia LOL.

>114 msf59: Hi Mark, actually, a year ago when I got the book, I had read a lot of glowing reviews. We'll just have to see how this plays out:)

#93 is White Teeth really 10 years ago?! Remember that I really enjoyed it when it came out and even more surprising therefore that I haven't read her other stuff yet. Btw Excellent review Bonnie - prescient is one of my favourite words.

Thank you Paul, hmmm I don't know if I have a favorite word unless possibly mellifluous; love how it flows off the tongue.

Shenanigans is a favorite word of mine... and willow is another. I have a lot though.. lol

Great review of White Teeth, Bonnie! I absolutely loved that book, and it's high on my list of books to re-read in the near future.

Zadie Smith's new book is entitled NW, which will be released in the UK in September; I read about it in an article in the Guardian last week, Literary events in 2012. According to the article, NW "follows the fortunes of a group of friends on an estate in north-west London through school and into adulthood. Though they stay faithful to this most diverse of postcodes, their adult lives diverge dramatically."

3.



Cleopatra: A life by Stacy Schiff 4.2 stars

MY REVIEW

There have been volumes written about Cleopatra VII, so why I was drawn to this particular one is a mystery. I love history but what I know about the time of the Egyptian queen could be written on the head of a pin. So it’s good that I chose a book that is so readable and so easy for a novice to follow and understand. But what Stacy Schiff set out to do was to set the record straight because to say that information about her subject is convoluted and questionable is putting it mildly. A myth has built up around Cleopatra, helped in no little part by Elizabeth Taylor so in building her narrative, the author went back to sources that were writing at the time history was being made (Cicero) and sources that wrote centuries after Cleopatra’s reign (Dio and Plutarch) and tried to filter out that which proved to be implausible.

Here was a woman who married twice (brothers both, who she ruled jointly with, briefly), but had only two lovers. They just happened to be Julius Caesar and Marc Antony and with them she produced four children. She also murdered her sister and brother to assure her place on the throne. She came from a long line of murderers so I guess we should cut her some slack. And her love affairs with the two Roman generals occurred when they were both married. You can draw your own conclusions from that.

Cleopatra’s many accomplishments far outweigh the bad behaviors she may also be remembered for. She acquired an empire that was in decline at the age of eighteen and managed to expand it so that she ruled over the entire eastern Mediterranean. She was highly intelligent and a savvy political opponent. Even in defeat:

She was neither humbled nor panic-stricken but every bit as inventive as she had as she had been when the first reverse of her life landed her in the desert. The word “formidable” sooner or later attaches itself to Cleopatra and here it comes: she was formidable---spirited, disciplined, resourceful---in her retreat. There were no hints of despair. Two thousand years after the fact, you can still hear the fertile mind pulsing with ideas.” Page 264

You can’t come away from this book without commenting on the true differences between Rome and Alexandria. The beauty, inventiveness, and uniqueness of the Egyptian city were staggering. The rights of Egyptian women were unheard of and surprised me:

Egyptian women enjoyed the right to make their own marriage. Over time their liberties increased, to levels unprecedented in the ancient world. They inherited equally and held property independently. Married women did not submit to their husbands control. They enjoyed the right to divorce and to be supported after a divorce. Until the time and ex-wife’s dowry was returned, she was entitled to be lodged in the house of her choice. Her property remained hers; not to be squandered by a wastrel husband.” Page 24

Thoroughly researched (but really, how would I know?), sparkling prose, not quite narrative non-fiction but very close in flow, this book both entertains and informs. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know a woman and an era of which I was woefully uninformed. Highly recommended.

>119 mckait: Oh yes, shenanigans is a good one Kath.

>120 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl. I knew I had seen it somewhere so I guess it was on the Guardian site which I probably went to after you mentioned it LOL.

>121 brenzi:: She came from a long line of murderers so I guess we should cut her some slack.
LOL! Great review, Bonnie. This book has been on my wish list for some time and thanks to you, it remains there. Someday I'll get around to reading it :)

Thanks Laura I should have mentioned that Schiff writes very humorously throughout the book.

Bonnie- Great review of Cleopatra: A life. I've had this one saved on audio forever, so you are inspiring me to finally slot it in.
I saw Schiff on the Daily Show early last year and they were talking about the cover and Schiff mentioned that no one really knows what she looked like, other than her face on a couple of coins, which may not be very accurate.

Actually, that's very accurate Mark and thank you. I think you'll enjoy it. The writing is just luscious.

Oh, Bonnie, thumb for the stellar review of Cleopatra. Sounds fascinating! I am most pleasantly astounded by the contemporary rights of Egyptian women. Thanks : ).

Bonnie, wonderful reviews of Cleopatra: A Life and White Teeth.

>127 lit_chick: Thanks so much Nancy. I know, I couldn't believe the rights they had. They must have gone backwards through time;-)

>128 tymfos: Thanks Terri!

Great review Bonnie. Cleopatra has been sort of on my wishlist since it came out, and now I'll add it properly.

Thanks Cushla, go ahead and do that. I think you'll enjoy it.

Oh, Bonnie! I just got this book in the mail today! (after being on my WL for a long time) I'm excited.

So glad you liked this book. Great review.

"She came from a long line of murderers so I guess we should cut her some slack. " Love it!

Yet another great review, Bonnie. I'm so far behind; I can't even keep up over in the Orange group where each thread is so much shorter. Alas.

Found you! (rather belatedly) I loved your reviews, as usual. Put Sorry on the list, White Teeth has been there since Darryl read it, but I just moved it up, and I've heard such good things about Cleopatra: A Life, and I heard an NPR interview with her that was great. I'm glad you started off the year with three good reads.

>132 -Cee-: Thanks Claudia, I didn't mean to suggest that murderers are OK; at one point Schiff said (I'm paraphrasing) Cleopatra realized that you are just as likely to be killed by your relatives as by your enemies. The justice system at that time was apparently non-existent where the people at the top were concerned.

>133 LizzieD: Thanks Peggy, I have just about given up on keeping up so I know what you're saying. I can't understand how the people who do keep up, have any time to read. Yet they manage to read twice as much as I do (or more). I'm a slow reader, in general so maybe that explains it, IDK.

>134 labfs39: Thanks Lisa. And don't worry about finding me because, actually, I haven't found you yet. But I will! I'm going to look for the Schiff interview.

Bonnie - What a nice string of good books. I have White Teeth on my shelf (found it at my fvorite used book store last year) and need to get to it soon. Cleopatra sounds like a good one too!

Hi Amy, White Teeth sat on my shelf for about five years before I finally got to it. Don't let that happen to you;-)

Great review of Cleopatra: It was one I both read and listened to in audio (I won the audio version in a blog contest). For those who need another dose, Margaret George's Memoirs of Cleopatra is another chunkster that follows this story line pretty nicely, but in in Cleopatra's voice = pure fiction. I read it years ago, and have the audio stored on my MP3 for a re=listen/read some day when I get in a reading funk.

Fascinating woman our Cleo....

Bonnie, I'm not sure how I managed to miss this thread before but have now found you and starred you. I will jump back to the top after writing this and catch up. I'm up-to-date with your Orange reads but not your others and there seems to have been a party...

The Cleopatra book sounds great--added to my wishlist.

4.



The Observations by Jane Harris 4.5 stars

MY REVIEW

Move over Sarah Waters. There’s a new creepy Gothic writer and she doesn’t pull any punches. Jane Harris’s debut novel is a bawdy mystery complete with creaking attic, locked drawer, secret journals, mistaken identities, sordid pasts but the thing that really catapults this novel to the top of the Gothic genre is the inimitable voice of the story’s narrator. And she had me hooked from the first page.

”My missus was always after me for to write things down in a little book. She give me the book and pen and ink the day I arrived…This was after she found out I could read and write. When she found that out her face lit up like she’d lost a penny and found sixpence, ‘Oh!’ says she, ‘and who taught you?’ And I told her it was my poor dead mother, which was a lie for my mother was alive and most likely blind drunk down the Gallowgate as usual and even if she was sober she could barely have wrote her own name on a magistrates summons. But my mother never was sober if she was awake. And when she was asleep, she was unconscious.”

It’s 1863 and Bessy Buckley is a fifteen year old prostitute (introduced to the trade by her loving mother) tired of the life she’s been living so she’s off to Edinburgh where she will end up taking on the job of house maid at the Castle Haivers, which is not nearly as elegant as its name suggests. The young mistress of the estate, Arabella Reid, happens to be composing her magnum opus The Observations, a study of the "habits and nature of the Domestic Class,” and Bessy will be the latest subject. But when Bessy steals the key and reads what her mistress has written about her she takes on the task of scaring the bejesus out of her and the story takes the first of many dark turns.

I can’t say enough about the skill with which Harris pulls off the first person narrative but I will say that to read the story and enjoy it to its fullest, you have to just go with the flow of the narration. If you slow down, you’ll get bogged down. On second thought, don’t even think about that because once you pick this book up, you won’t slow down until you’re at the end of its 416 pages. Very highly recommended.

Great review! Another book bullet for me!

>138 tututhefirst: Hi Tina, actually I remember well your review last year when I first heard about the book. I'll have to look for the George book. Yes indeedy, she was absolutely fascinating:)

>139 Soupdragon: Hi Dee!!

>140 carlym: I hope you enjoy it carlym.

Woo hoo! I gave you the first star on this fine review. You had me with the first sentence, Bonnie.

Hi Chelle, I think you'll like it.

Hello there Donna, and thanks for the thumb.

Move over Sarah Waters. There’s a new creepy Gothic writer and she doesn’t pull any punches.

You sold me on Observations with that line and that line only! Yes, I did still read the rest of your review - Nice!

Haha Lori, deal closed then, I guess:)

Excellent review of The Observations -- I'll be requesting it from the library as soon as they finish the system update that was supposed to be completed Monday night....

You get a thumbs up from me. Thanks for pointing me toward this one.

Thank you Dejah. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Great review of The Observations, Bonnie! Thumb up from me! I've got in my TBR file, but so far I have read The Siege and now The Hero's Walk for Orange January.

I'll hope I'll get to The Observations sooner than later!

Woot! Love your review of The Observations, Bonnie! Sounds like one to plan on ...

The Observations will be up for me in July Bonnie. Wonderful review and looking forward to it even more now!

After reading your great reviews, back to the top of the TBR Tower goes Cleopatra and then, just to keep it company, I have added The Observations. I think they make an obvious pairing, what with the icky mouse in the first one and the high praise for a new, creepy Gothic writer in the second. LOL. Thanks Bonnie.

Hi there Deb, Nancy, Paul and Kim,thanks for visiting and I hope you all enjoy The Observations when you get to it. Matching up Cleopatra and The Observations Kim?? Well I never thought about that but I like your logic;-)

Okay, okay! I admit the link was tenuous at best. I don't know. I was just thinking of mice and creepy old houses and...never mind. They both sound like great books. : )

Oh Bonnie, how could I possibly resist The Observations after reading your wonderful review?! On to the wishlist it goes. Sounds right up my alley.

What a fabulous review, Bonnie! I own The Observations and will move it up the stack to be read.

>156 Berly:. :)

>157 Copperskye:. Thanks Joanne. I think youa're absolutely right about it being right up your alley:)

>158 katiekrug:. Why thank you Katie, I hope you like it as much as I did.

Ya did it again, Bonnie! The Observations is on my WL and your great review gets a

If this book gets your approval and it's up Joanne's alley, I'm all over it. When I will get to it? Dunno. But I will...

Oh I think you'll like it Claudia. (And thanks for the thumb.) I mean what's not to like: extreme creepiness, ghosts, suspicious deaths, bizarre behavior....it's all good!

Uh, oh. Hit by another book bullet!

Great review of The Observations!

ETA to add Yippee! Our library actually has that one!

Hi Bonnie- Sorry, I forgot to also sing my praises on The Observations. It sounds very good. Wow, what is up with all this excellent historical fiction? It's really kicking serious butt.

Some great reading lately for you, Bonnie! Luckily, I already have all three of them in the BlackHole or you would have been dinging me with BBs big time!

Nice review ofThe Observations Bonnie. I haven't read a good gothic mystery in awhile, so I'll give this one a try.

The Observations
uh oh... "move over Sarah Waters"!?!?!?!
Them's fightin' words for a huge Water's fan.
I might have to read that one just to prove you wrong!
Or right.. lol ~ drat it.

Cleopatra is already on my WL
sigh

eta

Hmmm upon further investigation...
I have read it! My obsession with Waters is safe!
:)

I found it to be a good solid read but...was not quite as enthusiastic as you..
whew!

Good review of The Observations, Bonnie. I'm thinking my daughter might like this one.

>162 tymfos: I hope you find it to your liking Terri:)

>163 msf59: Hi Mark, you can't beat good historical fiction IMO;-)

>164 alcottacre: It's been a great start to the new year Stasia.

>165 tjblue: I hope you enjoy it Tammy.

>166 mckait: Well I'm a Waters fan too Kath. I only meant to suggest that it's good to have another choice. I don't think anything could beat that plot twist in Fingersmith:)

>167 jnwelch: Thanks Joe, I hope she likes it.

Adding my huzzahs to the chorus re: The Observations review, Miss Bonnie!

Huzzahs are always appreciated Richard:)

Have a lovely weekend Bonnie

5.



Old Filth by Jane Gardam 4.3 stars

MY REVIEW

This is a very, very English novel; very stiff upper lip very British. I mean what in the world are Raj orphans? Never heard of it. And Gillow furniture??For an American, this novel tested my limited knowledge of the UK. But fortunately, with some help from Wikipedia and Google, and because of the elegant writing style employed by Jane Gardam, my enjoyment of this novel wasn’t really hampered by my ignorance.

It is a tale told from both ends of Sir Edward Feathers life and Gardam takes us eloquently back and forth in time and space. He was born to English parents stationed in Malaya in 1914. His mother died as a result of the birth. His father was remote and showed no interest in or love of the boy. Eddie was a Raj Orphan, as were so many Brits born in the far-flung East. That meant he was hustled away from his parent when he was a preschooler back to England where he would be raised by a foster family, then on to boarding school. Eddie’s experience was nightmarish and haunts him for the rest of his life.

Even so, he goes on to be a good lawyer and judge in Hong Kong, where he comes to be known as Old Filth, the term Filth, an acronym for Failed In London Try Hong Kong. And we’re introduced to him, fairly close to the end of his life, in Dorset, where he and his wife Betty have retired. I loved the unique way that Gardam approached his life from both ends until they finally meet about ¾ of the way into the book. In a lesser author, this could have been dicey but Jane Gardam hasn’t won the Whitbred prize twice (the only writer to do so) for nothing. She has finely tuned her craft.

At any rate, Eddie has been abandoned and left on his own too many times throughout his young life to not have the results of that neglect leave a lasting impression. His feelings of invisibility and failure to connect with anyone leave him in an emotionally precarious place. Now, at the end of his life, he still is feeling those effects:

Loss’s defection was the metaphor for Eddie’s life. It was Eddie’s fate always to be left. Always to be left and forgotten. Everyone gone, now. Out of his reach. For the first time, Eddie was utterly on his own.” (Page 230)

I was so impressed at Gardam’s writing and the lovely way she seamed together all the threads of her unique and sad story that I’m already looking for more of her work.

First thumb from me. :) I have this book patiently waiting to be read and I'm looking forward to getting to it after all the love it's been getting from the 75ers.

Thanks Pat. It's certainly a good book to have patiently waiting for you.

Oh, Bonnie, another fabulous review for Old Filth. I'm addicted to your writing! Everything's a thumb when I come over here : ). You are having a fabulous Orange Jan, and I'm delighted!

You get a thumb from me Bonnie! If Old Filth wasn't already on my wishlist, your review would certainly have landed it there. I'll add you as one of the recommenders so I can thank you when I get to it.

Wanted to say I loved your review of Cleopatra (another one that's already on the WL, but adding you to my tags!), and that you did manage to hit me with a book bullet with The Observations, which sounds quite gripping!

I've been wondering why the book was called Old Filth. Luckily it's already on my list, so I dodged that one!

Read Old Filth probably 5 years ago now, your review brought it back. It's veddy English, all right!

Glad you liked Old Filth, Kim. I've got The Man in the Wooden Hat in my TBR Tower at home, and I'm planning on reading that some time this year.

Loved your review of The Observations and it's definitely swished its way to my obese wish list. I might even have to make that one of my purchases this year.

>175 lit_chick: Thanks Nancy. I'm glad you're addicted LOL. I really did have a great OJ.

>176 Smiler69: Sooooo three for three Ilana?? LOL Thanks for the thumb.

>177 labfs39: Hi Lisa lots of dodging going on around here haha.

>178 lauralkeet: Veddy English and yet very appealing Laura.

Hi Caro, I actually got two PMs from people not in the 75ers telling me to make sure I read The Man in the Wooden Hat. Hope you enjoy The Observations.

Bonnie good review of Old Filth. Will definitely make it onto my July Orange list.

Bonnie, I'm not sure I've ever been this far behind on your thread. Heck, I can barely keep up with your reviews! Can you please take up knitting so I can stay more current with you?

Bonnie, I'm just stopping by to see if you are still interested in reading Emma in February? If so, do you plan to start reading it at the beginning of the month, or later? I'm definitely re-reading it next month, and we don't necessarily need to be joined at the hip but I thought I'd ask.

>182 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul. I'm sure you will have no trouble with the very British stuff.

>183 Donna828: Knitting?? Surely you jest Donna. I'm having too much fun right now. And anyway, I think I'm still trying to keep up with you:)

>184 lauralkeet: Hi Laura, yes I'm still planning on Emma, probably more towards the end of the month. I'm going to start the month with Bleak House.

Nice review of Old Filth, Bonnie. I gave it nearly the identical rating you did - 4.25 stars vs 4.3 stars, so we are pretty close ;)

6.



Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman

This book has been recommended by so many here on LT I don't know why it took me so long to get to it. Simply a delightful book of essays about Fadiman's love of books and the role they've played in her life. And, surprise, it resonated with me just as much as any of the other wonderful books about books that I've read. Funny? Oh my yes.

Fadiman, who is hooked on books about polar explorations, on John Franklin's expedition:

"Who but an Englishman,Sir John Franklin, could have managed to die of starvation and scurvy along with all 129 of his men in a region of the Canadian Arctic whose game had supported an Eskimo colony for centuries? When the corpses of some of Franklin's officers and crew were later discovered, miles from their ships, the men were found to have left behind their guns but to have lugged such essentials as monogrammed silver cutlery, a backgammon board, a cigar case, a clothes brush, a tin of button polish, and a copy of The Vicar of Wakefield. These men may have been incompetent bunglers, but, by God, they were gentleman." (Page 25)

Oh my, she really knows how to turn a phrase. And who of us, has not found themselves in a similar situation and reacted exactly as she did here:

"I have spent many a lonely night in small town hotel rooms consoled by the Yellow Pages. Once, long ago, I bested a desperate bout of insomnia by studying the only piece of written material in my apartment that I had not already read twice: my roommate's 1974 Toyota Corolla manual. Under the circumstances (addiction, withdrawal, craving, panic), the section on the manual gearshift was as beautiful to me as Dante's vision of the Sempiternal in canto XXXI of Paradiso.(Page 113)

My husband has accused me of studying the phone book on more than one occasion. But my absolute favorite has got to be the essay about proofreading. My hubby has walked away from me in embarrassment as I pulled out a black marker and corrected a sign or three in the produce department at the local grocery store so I laughed out loud at this, as a pedant could only be expected to do, because it hit so close to home. Fadiman is lucky to be joined by her immediate family in the proofreading business:

"Of course, if you are a compulsive proofreader yourself---and if you are, you know it, since for the afflicted it is a reflex no more avoidable than a sneeze---you are thinking something quite different: What a fine, public-spirited family are the Fadimans! How generous, in these slipshod times, to share their perspicacity with the unenlightened!"

Why can't my hubby be more understanding? Anyway, if you want to laugh and pass a couple of hours in sheer delight, do pick up this little gem. Highly recommended.

>186 alcottacre: Thanks Stasia, brilliant minds and all that...

Anyway, if you want to laugh and pass a couple of hours with in sheer delight, do pick up this little gem.

Oh Bonnie, how could I possibly resist...? I'm sorry, but I can no longer visit your thread. It's way too dangerous... :)

Love the review and excerpts, Bonnie! My goodness that was a fun read.

>189 Copperskye: Joanne, come back...please. I promise not to read any more good appealing delightful tempting interesting, can't do it. I will keep reading terrific books and hope you will come back and just close your eyes to the blue print;-)

>190 jnwelch: Wasn't it Joe? I know you read it recently and now i will check out you review:)

I'm way, way behind - but both the last two are going on my library book wishlist! (They were already sort of kind of there but now they are moving up...)

Bonnie: You've had a great start to the year. I am happy to say I have read Ex LIbris, so I don't have to add it to my list. It is a gem. Loved it.

>192 cushlareads: Hi there Cushla, happy to be able to oblige:)

>193 BLBera: I have had a great start, but in honesty, all of the books have been recommended to me right here on LT Beth.

>191 brenzi: LOL! And miss something really good? - I will suffer through. :)

Great review, Bonnie. Love the excerpts!

(If the book wasn't already on my list, I'd add it!)

Bonnie,
There's just something about your reviews - they get me everytime! I'm just happy you are reading great books. Would hate to feel compelled to read mediocre stuff just because you rote a great review on it ;-)

Old Filthgoing on the WL! Thanks!

>191 brenzi: :)

>192 cushlareads: Thanks Terri; not really a review, just some of my favorite parts of a lovely little book.

Cross-posted Claudia and thank you. I think you'll like Old Filth.

I loved Ex-Libris and am so glad you did too. It's so fun to read people's reactions to it. As I said to Joe, when I read his comments, it's interesting to see which parts resonate with different readers.

>185 brenzi:: Got it, Bonnie! I'll plan to start Emma in the 2nd half of February.
Ex Libris is wonderful, someday I should re-read it.

Hilariousquotes from Ex Libris, Bonnie! I can so relate to the proof reading! (all one word, but my iPad keeps "helping" me!

Bonnie- You are plowing through some great books, my friend! You must be in high gear. Terrific review of Old Filth. I've had this one on the WL for years. Fortunately, I read Ex-Libris a few years ago. Whew!

Dodged your BB, but only because I own and have already read Ex-libris. It will certainly always appear on any of my best books lists.

love the ex libris review!!

Bonnie
I read Ex-Libris a few weeks ago. I agree -- the funniest story was the one about compulsive proofreading.

Hello Pat, Laura, Nancy, Mark, Tina, Kath, and Linda, I'm not surprised that so many of us find that Ex Libris feeds that desire we all have to make a connection with books and reading. Books about books are dear to all of us, which is one of the things that sets us apart from other, er, less intense readers.

You Hot Reviewer, you!

OMG look who's talking, he who has one, two, three Hot Reviews at a time;-)

Congratulations to you dear one! Two hot reviews posted today on LT home page!

Of course, I'm not surprised! Your reviews are always stellar.

Isn't it great to be able to write about something you enjoy rather than those dreaded reports you had to compile as a school principal.

OMG somebody help me here.......................I posted the above comments about Ex Libris on this thread and in the comments section of YOUR BOOKS and somehow it got entered as a review by...............WHOM? It's not much more than a bunch of quotes from the book and I'm embarrassed that it is listed as a review. But my biggest question is how in the world did it get posted as a review?

>210 Whisper1: You are too kind Linda. I certainly have a lot of fun writing reviews. I wouldn't do it otherwise:)

Great and very persuasive review of Ex Libris Bonnie. Must read this soon ~ it sounds like great fun.

#211 Hmm, I didn't know that "comments" posted in "Your Books" showed up as reviews. Will have to remember that! -- Not sure I like that at all, actually. It doesn't leave anywhere for personal notes.

Hi Paul and Nancy, great to see you here. Well mystery solved. I got in touch with Jeremy and apparently I mistakenly went into Your Books, posted it into the Review column instead of the Comments column and even though I deleted it and then posted it in the Comments section I failed to save it so it stayed in the review column and automatically was posted as a review. Oh well. At least I've learned that I have to save any changes I make to those columns.

#187: I am so glad to see you liked Ex Libris, Bonnie. It is one of my all-time favorite books. I may just have to dig out my cop and give it another re-read.

Hi Stasia, it is a lovely little book, isn't it? And it resonated with so many people.

Yes, it is a lovely little book. I have given multiple copies of it away just because I want other people to know about the joy of the book.

**sigh**

So right Stasia.

>214 brenzi: That sounds like the story of my whole life, Bonnie! Anyway, I think it's nifty to have that review out for the rest of LT to enjoy. You enjoy the fame!
You have really started '12 with a bang. I've read all of your latest except The Observations, but scattered over several years. I'm not sure that I could deal with the euphoria of reading them one after another!

I have Ex Libris, I guess I should read it!

"...Ex Libris, I guess I should read it!"

I've been thinking the same thing, Lisa. :-}
It's so hard to choose among my "paper children"! Who gets to sit on my lap next?

(Bonnie does this to me ALL the time... :D )

>219 LizzieD: I'm not sure that I could deal with the euphoria of reading them one after another! Haha Peggy I think I'm handling it just fine. Actually, I hope the streak continues far, far into the future. How would that be? No clunkers ever.

>220 labfs39: I guess you should Lisa;-)

>221 -Cee-: Bonnie does this to me ALL the time I keep trying Claudia:)

I'm glad we don't have LT gremlins causing mischief, Bonnie. Your comments are much longer and more thought out than mine! I'm glad you are still having fun writing reviews. It was getting to be a real drag for me. Writing has always been a chore -- that's why I "specialize" in reading!

Donna I thought I was going crazy so I'm glad it just boils down to my ineptness at using a computer;-)

Well Bonnie, whatever happened with Ex Libris, a copy is winging its way to me from my good friends at amazon... :)

Yay Joanne, you're going to like this book!

Hi Bonnie- I hope you are still enjoying The Orphan Master. I am copying the audio, as I type this and I already have Nothing to Envy all ready to go, although I might not get to it for a couple weeks.

So my sister sent me this yesterday and I thought it was good so I'm posting it here for you enjoyment my friends:

Where I've been..

---------- I always knew I was in good company! I've been working on plans for a trip and I was reviewing where I've been lately. Enjoy.

I have been in many places, but I've never been in Cahoots. Apparently, you can't go alone. You have to be in Cahoots with someone.

I've also never been in Cognito. I hear no one recognizes you there.

I have, however, been in Sane. They don't have an airport; you have to be driven there. I have made several trips there, thanks to my friends, family and work.

I would like to go to Conclusions, but you have to jump, and I'm not too much on physical activity anymore.

I have also been in Doubt. That is a sad place to go, and I try not to visit there too often.

I've been in Flexible, but only when it was very important to stand firm.

Sometimes I'm in Capable, and I go there more often as I'm getting older.

One of my favorite places to be is in Suspense! It really gets the adrenalin flowing and pumps up the old heart! At my age I need all the stimuli I can get!

I may have been in Continent, and I don't remember what country I was in. It's an age thing.

Today is one of the many National Mental Health Days throughout the year. You can do your bit by remembering to send an e-mail to at least one unstable person. My job is done! Life is too short for negative drama & petty things. So laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly! From one unstable person to another... I hope everyone is happy in your head - we're all doing pretty good in mine!

Hi Mark, I should finish up The Orphan Master's Son tomorrow. It's been a terrifying read. I'll have to tell Claudia to skip this one or she may have nightmares;-)

Bonnie, thanks for posting that! It gave me a much-needed chuckle!

Sandy K

#228 Love that! I've been all of those places! hehe

Hi Bonnie - I've seen that one (#228) and I loved it too!

and... consider me warned! No Orphan Master's Son for me! Thanks for saving me, my friend! :)
That makes up for a few of the BBs you've sent my way.

>230 sandykaypax: Hi Sandy, we have to laugh; otherwise life's not worth living;-)

>231 lit_chick:`All those places Nancy?? Oh my!

>232 -Cee-: Yes I Claudia, 'm sorry to say that I don't think this one is for you LOL.

b

Hi Bonnie- Everything okay, my friend?

Oh hi Mark, well for whatever reason it won't let me post this review.

7.



The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson 4.3 stars

MY REVIEW

Harrowing. Terrifying And probably, for the most part, not at all far-fetched. Adam Johnson’s novel of life in the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea during the Kim Jong Il era follows the life of Pak Jun Do, whose mother was a singer, stolen away to Pyongyang. At the Long Tomorrows work camp for orphans, which his father runs, Jun Do decided “which boys would eat first and which were left with watery spoonfuls…it was he who assigned the bunks next to the stove and the ones in the hall where blackfinger lurked.” Soon he comes to the attention of higher ups and is used as a kidnapper of unsuspecting Japanese as they stroll the sometimes lonely coast between the two countries. Soon he is trained in language school and assigned to a fishing boat where, using a radio, he tracks other ships and the elusive American woman who is rowing around the world. He becomes a national hero when one of his shipmates defects in a lifeboat and the crew makes up a story whereby the American Navy boarded their ship, threw the crewmate overboard and Jun Do, in trying to save his friend, suffers severe injuries during a shark attack. Being a hero in North Korea comes with grave responsibilities and from there he accompanies a delegation to Texas where he gets his first glimpse of life outside of North Korea. And that’s just in Part One.

Part Two is longer and we find our hero with a new identity. It takes a few pages to realize that we’re still talking about Jun Do although he is now known as Commander Gah. This part of the book continues the third person narrative alternately with the first person narrative of Gah’s interrogator. And it is in Part Two that Gah finds love, family and sacrifices all to overcome the desires of Kim Jong Il.

Throughout the book the overriding theme is the oppression of the North Korean people until you want to throw your hands up in the air and cry, “Can’t anything be done about this?” Just like in Barbara Demick’s non-fiction account of life in North Korea, Nothing to Envy, Johnson brings out all the gruesome facts: torture, starvation, and the overriding influence and power of “Our Dear Leader.” So much so that I started to wonder if this wasn’t over kill. Every apartment is equipped with a loudspeaker where the state bombastically spews their views every day, several times a day. And the citizens had better be listening:

“Citizens, we bring good news! In your kitchens, in your offices, on your factory floors—wherever you hear this broadcast, turn up the volume! The first success we have to report is that our Grass into Meat Campaign is a complete triumph. Still, much more soil needs to be hauled to the rooftops, so all housing-block managers are instructed to schedule extra motivation meetings.” (Page 218)

This is not a perfect book by any means but riveting? Heart-pounding? Oh my, yes. I couldn’t put it down. It moves back and forth in time and is somewhat hard to follow at times, and then there’s all that torture, but the terrific writing and the sheer adrenalin rush make it very worthwhile. And in years to come if you want to consider what kind of impact Kim Jong Il had on the people he abused for so many year you can turn to this book and see what the unfortunate citizens of North Korea endured. Very highly recommended for those who are not squeamish.

Bonnie- I did a very quick glance of your review, since I'll be reading it in a few weeks. I'm glad the flaws in the writing weren't enough to turn you off. Do you think these mistakes were due to being a 1st novel?

No it's not a first novel and actually the writing is very good. I guess the only thing I found a teensy bit, uh, IDK, unnerving was the fine line between fact and fiction and the (very little bit of) magical realism but that's just me quibbling Mark.

Another excellent review, Bonnie. Sounds riveting, indeed! Thumb!

Thanks Nancy, yes absolutely RIVETING!

You got to The Orphan master's Son pretty fast, Bonnie. I've been hearing a lot of good things about it and nothing bad. Like Mark, I only skimmed your review. I don't know when I'll ever get to it... Glad to hear you liked it!

eta - My copy of Ex Libris came today!

Yes Joanne, I requested it from the library while they still had it on order so as soon as they received it, I got it. That often happens here. I think most Buffalonians are a little bit late in realizing what the next hot book will be;-)

Wow, another stunning review Bonnie! The Orphan Master's Son sounds quite a book. I loved those quotes from Ex-Libris too!

I still have Emma to read so may well read it alongside you and Laura. It seems somehow wrong that I still haven't read three of Austen's novels when I love the ones I have read and I have read Pride and Prejudice multiple times- it's one of my comfort reads.

>245 brenzi:: "Buffalonians" ... never thought about it before but I guess you don't want to be called "Buffaloes," do you?

way too far behind... so starting again from here, sorry :(

Nice review, Bonnie. That's part of the world that is so hidden from us.

Great review of The Orphan Master's Son, Bonnie. It's received quite a bit of buzz recently, including a glowing review in The New York Times by Michiko Kakutani (who never writes glowing reviews about anything). I think I'll use my B&N Christmas gift card to buy it.

>246 Soupdragon: Thank you Dee. Oh I hope you do join us for Emma.

>247 lauralkeet: Ohhhh Laura we are proud to be Buffalonians. Buffalos? Really?? Seriously? LOL

>248 mckait: Ahhh I know the feeling Kath.

>249 jnwelch: Hidden from them too Joe. The people from North Korea think they have the wonderful Democratic society and America has the repressed society.

>250 kidzdoc: Thank you Darryl, yes all the reviews I read (including two in the NYT were glowing.

>246 Soupdragon:: oh yes, Dee, do join in!

When's the Emma read?

Wonderful review, Bonnie .... sounds rather harrowing and depressing though. Is there a happy ending?

251 & 252: Would love to!

>253 lit_chick:: Nancy, it's pretty informal ... at some point Bonnie & I realized we both planned to read it early in 2012 and thought February would be good. More recently Bonnie suggested the 2nd half of February, so that's what I'm aiming for as well. Hope you'll join us! We could even start a thread ...

Weighing in on American society ... it is losing a bit of it's shine these last decades..
it is my understanding that greed and lies will do that :(

Bonnie, I wasn't sure about The Orphan Master's Son but your review has convinced me to put it on my library list.

#256 Thanks, Laura! I may very well join in : ).

228 Love it! :)

239 Great Review, Bonnie! (Glad LT finally let you post it!)

>259 lit_chick:: yay!

Hello Laura, Nancy, Caro, Dee, Kath, Katie, and Terri, Thanks for visiting.

Laura, Nancy and Dee, if you call that thing we're doing with Emma a GR it is doomed to failure. I'm terrible at Group Reads. Just sayin'.

>254 cameling: Happy ending? Hmmm, well sort of. I guess. Kim Jong Il is dead, so there's that, Caro. But yes, there is a certain satisfying element to the ending.

>257 mckait: American society may be losing its shine but, as far as I know Kath, it's a long, long fall to the level of North Korea. I don't have to be worried while I'm on my way to work that I will be among those rounded up to go harvest crops for the next 15 hours, just as one example.

Bonnie: Great review of The Orphan Master's Son.

Hi Bonnie!
Bit of a blip in my LT attendance - now I need to catch up and move ahead.
Many, many thanks for having pity on me and reading a book I have no interest in right now - perhaps not in this lifetime. ;-)

Point taken, Bonnie. There shall be NO group read of Emma!

>263 BLBera: Thanks Beth!

>264 -Cee-: I didn't exactly have pity on you Claudia but I can assure you that some time in the next few weeks I'll get you with another book or two. Promise;-)

>265 lit_chick: LOL

>262 brenzi:: OK, it's not a group read. Just a few of us who happen to be reading the same book!

Great review of Old Filth, Bonnie! I've made a second hand online purchase of the book, thanks to you! :)

Bonnie, I have The Orphan Masrer's Son on reserve at the library. I heard a lot about life in Korea from my father who was stationed there in the 50s. It doesn't sound like much has changed.

Enjoy your non-group read of Emma, my favorite Austen after P&P. That is assuming Pride and Prejudice would hold up after my initial reading of it in high school!

OMGoodness! I haven't paid you a visit since your daughter's party. She has such a lovely smile.

Excellent review of OMS. I think I want to read this book but its chunksterishness will have to wait for another year, perhaps.

>267 lauralkeet: Haha ok, there you go Laura.

>268 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb, I hope you enjoy Old Filth.

>269 Donna828: OMS is a tough read Donna. I learned most of what I had previously known about North Korea from Barbara Demick's book, Nothing to Envy. So my only very small quibble with OMS was my difficulty walking the fine line between fact and fiction. I'd like to read Barbara Demick's take on that. Hmmm another e mail to an author is composing itself in my head;-)

I'm looking forward to Emma with my other non-Group Readers:)

>270 Carmenere: Well thank you Lynda. As far as OMS being chunksterish (well, a little over 400 pp) it's a really fast read.

I see it's time for me to think about another thread but unlike some others, I hate starting a new thread because I have few ideas of a clever opening at the top of the thread. Why can't I be as creative as everyone else? Oh well until I can come up with....something........anything....I guess this'll be it.