katy's catches for 2012

There we go, I'm going to try something different for the new year, inspired by maggie. I'd like to try and read 75 books this year. Last year I read 41 and listened to 18. It'll be interesting to see how I do.

At the moment I'm reading Drood by Dan Simmons, Spencer Tracy: A Biography by James Curtis and listening to A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold. I'm enjoying all three tremendously and am kinda begrudging my time away from books to do other things, like put away all the Christmas stuff, house clean and cook. Guess it would help if I didn't indulge in quite so much computer time too... ;)

Yeah! What's with all this 'work' business.
*begrudges time spent in the hidey hole aka the office*

I'll be here to cheer you on.

Um, you know how I feel about Dickens. Do you think I'd like Drood?

Drood is written from Wilkie Collins's persepective and he/the writer is no way near as verbose as good ol' C.D. was. I like Dan Simmons' writing, and I think you'd enjoy this. But give me time, I'm only about 1/3 of the way through so far. I'll keep you posted.

Welcome back!

Thanks Dr. Newt!

I'm still plugging away at Spencer Tracy and Drood, they're both hefty books. But yesterday I was taking a bit of a time-out and sitting in my library. Browsing through my shelves I found a little book I'd bought at a local museum last summer, The Ferryman's Wife by Patti Miller. So I just sat back and read it. Only 127 pages long, it didn't take me very long. I enjoyed it as a light, interesting read. It's about the murder of a Rideau River ferryman in the early 1800's that took place about 20 kms from where I live. The author took the few facts known and built a story around it, even using photographs of the river and houses where the characters lived.

I also finished A Civil Campaign last night and now have started Komarr, which I realize I should have listened to before A Civil Campaign *sigh*. Oh well, it doesn't bother me too much as I enjoy all the Vorkosigan books, even out of order.

I'm really enjoying the ST biography. It's fun to read about casting choices that were considered. Did you know (if you're interested) that Tracy filmed a version of The Yearling before the war, playing the father? The production ran into problems and didn't get finished, and was finally shelved. After seeing Gregory Peck in the role, it's hard to imagine ST doing it. Tracy was also considered for The Keys of the Kingdom (another Gregory Peck one), and he really wanted to do Of Mice and Men.

He was a complex man, that's for sure.

Finished up Spencer Tracy last night. This was a great book, the author was very even in his depiction of the actor, not hiding the the less attractive characteristics, but not harping on them either. I felt it was presented as objectively as possible, presenting all who were involved with Tracy as simple human beings, foibles, admirable qualities and all.

I`m going to focus more on Drood now, but I always like to have a non-fiction book in the works too, so I pulled out Madness, Betrayal and the Lash: The Epic Voyage of Captain George Vancouver to dip in to every once in awhile.

oh! Katherine, I've got your thread starred and look forward to seeing what you are reading! And trying, of course, to duck as many Book Bullets (BBs) as I reasonably can; however, you got me once already with Spencer Tracy. Is it the one by Curtis?

I love Hollywood biographies, especially of the classic actors. This goes on my wish list!

Yes, the Tracy book is by James Curtis - excellent writer. I like the Hollywood biographies too, and yeah, the classic ones.

Keep reading about Miles! I just finished the series, and I hope there are more to come. In my opinion, the series got better with each book.

We saw The Woman in Black on Monday, and while I enjoyed it (except for the ending), it bugged me 'cause of the differences from the book. So I had to go back and read the book again. Much better story - why do they insist on changing a good story for the movie versions?

I'm also reading The English Ghost: Spectres Through Time by Peter Ackroyd. It's compiled of mostly short anecdotes of ghostly encounters, supposedly true. It's really delightful actually, Ackroyd has taken actual diary and testamony accounts, hence using the language of the day, whether it be from 1975 or 1661.

I had to take a break from Drood, it's a very dark story, with gruesome descriptions of the dark side of Victorian London and I needed something to pull me out of the muck.

I've finished listening to Miles and have started Ethan of Athos, same narrator, same universe. I miss Miles' antics though.

Hmm, after seeing the movie, I was hesitant about reading The Woman in Black. Maybe I'll still give it a try.

No more Miles, at all? I've got a couple more Miles books, then I'll have read them all as well. Hopefully he shows up again in the Ivan book. LMB wouldn't keep him out completely, would she? Either way, I'm looking forward to a story from Ivan's POV.

#12 I have not seen the latest Woman in Black movie, but did see an older version that I liked a lot. I've also read the book, many moons ago, alas, but remember liking it very much.

I would highly recommend the book MrsLee, it's much better than the movie, as is the first version of the movie, as majkia mentions. I liked that one better.

I'm looking forward to Ivan's POV too sandragon, and I do hope that Miles makes an appearance. I think I might just go back and start at the beginning again when I'm finished Ethan of Athos, just so I can stay in Miles' company, :)

"why do they insist on changing a good story for the movie versions?"

This would be a great topic for another thread.

Might have to keep an eye out for Woman in Black, then. LT seems to compare it to The Haunting of Hill House!

Yeah, that's a good comparison, although I remember Hill House being scarier. Both are my kind of ghost story though, creepy with no blood, guts and gore.

I got my copy of The Woman in Black from Gutenberg Press, I think. As I recall, it was near The Woman in White. I needed them both. ;)

LOL...

Poop. I just got back from picking up Oryx and Crake and 39 discs worth of Drums of Autumn from the library. I completely forget to look for The Woman in Black. :o(

MrsLee, is the edition of The Woman in Black from Gutenberg written by Susan Hill?

Aahhh, no! Proper title is Woman in Black. It is by E.C. Bentley, who is an author I've had recommended to me for years, but is very difficult to find. Hmm, don't think I'll bother with the modern story. Not much into scary stories anyway.

Argh!!! Lost my post >:( I finished Drood at last. While I'm glad I read it, it's definitely not going to be a re-read anytime soon, if ever. As I mentioned earlier, it's written in the first person with Wilkie Collins telling the story. Like both Collins and Dickens's actual writing, this is a book heavy with meandering descriptions, small incidents and many diverse characters. The story begins with Charles Dickens's experience in a train derailment, and how he meets a mysterious man at the accident site, named Drood who captivates Dickens with his odd, dark, behaviour and appearance. Dickens tells Wilkie all about it and we are left to wonder, with Wilkie, at the reality of Drood, or is he just another work of Dickens's fiction? We follow the pair through the gutters of Victorian London, the inspirations for their works, the demands of their personal lives. All the while Drood is lurking in the shadows.

Simmons definitely does not portray Collins in a favourable light, revealing him as petty, egotistical, selfish ... and more which I can't really tell without giving spoilers. But Collins does not come across as a pleasant person, which is probably why it's taken me so long to finish this book, just not a nice character to spend time with. But the depiction of Charles Dickens was delightful and I enjoyed the twists and turns the story took.

I finished listening to Ethan of Athos last night too. Another delightful story, Lois McMaster Bujold has never disappointed me yet, I enjoy her characters, stories and writing tremendously. Now I have to decide on either Falling Free or The Sharing Knife to start next.

Next up for reading is What Ho Automaton, an ARC from last year that I've got to get read and reviewed.

I noticed on Facebook a couple of days ago that Guy Gavriel Kay is working on another book that should be released sometime next year. This is Excellent news! :)

Yes, I too saw that :)
Now he just need to get it done, so we can read it! ;)

Oh Yayyy! I hope this means another GGK tour as well. Then we just need to decide where to see him, Victoria or Ottawa ;o)

Falling Free is the next Miles-ish book for me to read, after I'm done with The Riddle-Master of Hed. After a false start, I'm starting to enjoy Riddle-Master, but I'm already looking forward to Falling Free.

I've been listening to Flashback by Dan Simmons and I'm not finding the characters enjoyable to know either. Simmons also gets sidetracked on the socio-political atmosphere of the time and how it got there, which I normally don't mind but he rambles on so. And it's dark and bleak, maybe too much for me. I'll keep with it for a while longer, but maybe Simmons is not the author for me.

I'm down to The Spirit Ring, The Sharing Knife: Passage and Horizon and then there is nothing left of Bujold to read!

Until November when Lord Vorpatril's Alliance comes out!

Yeah, it'll be great to see GGK again, either in Victoria or Ottawa. Maybe he'll ONLY do Victoria and I'll just have to come there ;-) (I can always dream). So much to look forward to eh? The movie of The Hobbit coming, the next Patrick Rothfus, and now a new GGK!

I really enjoyed The Sharing Knife, Volume One, finishing up as I painted today and am going to start Volume 2 while I apply the second coat (I'm redecorating my library). I am acutely aware of a lack of new Bujold's ahead of me, so plan on going slowly with The Sharing Knife series. After it's finished, then I only have Falling Free and I'll be counting the days until Lord Vorpatril's Alliance comes out too! She truly is a wonderful writer.

I also finished up What Ho! Automaton and enjoyed it. Very light, fun read, like reading a new P.G. Wodehouse with a little sci-fi twist. On to my next ARC now, The Heiress Companion, something out of the ordinary for me as this is a regency romance. I'm still dipping into Madness, Betrayal and the Lash every once and again, but for non-fiction I've been focusing more on The English Ghost: Spectres Through Time and just finished it this afternoon. It is an interesting little book, full of anecdotes of "actual" hauntings at various locations throughout England. Peter Ackroyd has been pretty thorough in searching out lots of accounts throughout history, and some of them are pretty creepy.

Ooh, The English Ghost sounds wonderful.

Sounds like you've been having good reading times.

And I'm hoping we will see pictures of the newly decorated library, too!

I didn't want to hog in on the weekend thread, so I'll post my before and after library pics here. The furniture didn't change, just the colour, curtains, new rug and electric woodstove and lots less clutter. It's a pretty small room, so it's kinda hard to get a good perspective of it. But it turned out just the way I wanted, it's cozy and soothing now, I can see me spending lots of time here reading and knitting :)

Before: ,
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After:

Lovely! I thoroughly approve of the new color, and I can imagine you will have many happy hours in that chair!!!

How's that heater? I almost bought one for my great room, but settled for the much cheaper (and very unattractive) oil-filled heater.

looks very cozy!

Love it. I foresee hours and hours of peace and pleasure...

Yes, new colors is great! And the little heater is so cute. I have been debating which kind to get for my bed room and you may have inspired me! I love your library.

Your new library looks very warm and cozy. I see you enjoying many content hours there. I'm envious but I'll happily enjoy it vicariously through you... Until I can finangle my own :o)

Lovely, peaceful, warm, snugly goodness!

I can understand why you didn't like the old colours... they feel cold! The new one is so much cosier :)

You're right, the mauve did feel cold. I also don't like purple very much at all, so it always irritated me, as much as I loved sitting with all my books surrounding me. Now it's much better.

Thank you everybody, I wish you could all come for a visit and join me for a cup of tea. The heater is a great little thing. The fan is a tad noisy, but not too bad. (I sorta pretend it's the engine noise from the Enterprise (lol). I love the colour, a lovely cranberry red, but it was also available in black. Got it from Sears and it does warm up the room very nicely. The "fire" isn't too realistic, but it's prettier than the more functional oil heater (we've had those before too). With my room so small, I didn't need anything too heavy duty.

It's now official. LT contributes to sleep deprivation. Reading clammy's reading thread convinced me (at last) to get The Hunger Games trilogy for my Kindle. Started it last night and low and behold! Suddenly it's 1:30 a.m. and I'm still reading. I'm just a little groggy at the moment, but going to get my coffee and start reading again. Have to find out what happens next, and I think we're going to see the movie tomorrow.

I finished The Heiress Companion lickety split. It was an enjoyable, light read, but very predictable.

I know what you mean!

Yup, finished the first book this morning (so dishes, laundry, etc has not been started yet) and the second book is near-abouts screaming at me to pick it up. No! No! Must do work first!!

:oD

I'm thinking about re-reading the series. I remember the first book quite well, but the next two are more of a blur, probably because I sped through them so quickly.

T wants to read them too and is put out that I gave my copies away to our niece (the one whose homework suffered when she started the series. I sense a trend here...) I will probably get another set, but I still have reservations about him reading them. I think I could handle him reading them in a couple more years when he turns 13. Oh well. I just have to remember: he's a good kid, responsible, kind to the younger kids on our block, and has watched the Blade movies with his father. (I found about that after the fact. I'd say I didn't feel like watching a movie, go to the other room to read, and they'd decide to watch a Blade movie. Arggg! But better with one of us than trying to hide something from us.)

#42 - ROFL!!! Well, hope you get that work polished off and get back to the book ASAP! :oD

#43 - Yeah, one of parenting's hardest jobs is determining at what age to let them read what. I pretty much gave my daughter free reign, but tried to watch for signs of books being too much for her.

44 - Clamairy, did you ever catch your daughter reading something that may have been too much for her? What kinds of signs were there? What did you do then?

This hasn't happened with T yet. So far's he's been very agreeable when I say he may want to wait a bit to read a book. He's stopped reading books on his own when he finds them uninteresting or too scarey or too sad. He tends to stay away from real-life-based books where cruelty or abuse or bullying is described. But he knows how much I and his cousins have enjoyed the Hunger Games trilogy, and one of his friends has read it and raved about it. I'm thinking I'll just have to let him try them and talk about them with him afterwards.

Sandragon, my ex-teacher self is saying, "yes, let him have a go at it, and be sure to check with him often to see how he is handling it". He is smart, and sensitive, and he'll let you know if he is really bothered by something.

#45 - She knew when to stop on her own, thankfully. In fact her shelves are full of half-read books. :oD Only once did she ever hate something so much she asked me to return it to Barnes & Noble.

Yes, I second what maggie said.

Thanks, Maggie. Thanks, Clamairy. He's a good kid who will (most of the time) talk to us about 'things', so I know I shouldn't worry too much about it. Like Little Clam, he's pretty good at screening his own reading material.

Of course, after all that worry, he'll be fine with it and I'll probably worry that he's not bothered enough by the violence and gruesome details!
*rolls eyes at self*

47 - Oh, what book did she hate enough to return it to the store?

Oh, it was back when she was in a manga phase. Manga was one of the few things I really didn't wholeheartedly approve of her spending her money on. I know they're cheaper than books, but still. This was the first in a series she wasn't that familiar with. Some of what she bought back in those days she still loves, like the Bizenghast series. But some I think she wishes she hadn't bought.

Well, I think The Hunger Games trilogy was the fastest read for me in ages. They were great.

One of my favourite bookstores in Ottawa is closing next week, due to a 72% increase in their rent! :( I love Nicholas Hoare and am so sad there will be only one, in Toronto, from now on. But I had to visit one last time, and naturally bought some great books. Below the Stairs and Climbing the Stairs, memoirs of a British maid working in a big house in the 1920's, The Return of Captain John Emmett, which is compared to Birdsong, a mystery taking place just after WW1, and last, but not least, Hancox, about the history of a big house that's been in one family since the 1880's. The family never threw anything out (sounds like my grandmother) and consequently the current owner/author has all this wonderful paperwork, diairies, letters, bills, recipes ... you name it - to use as her research. The family was very interesting too, related to Florence Nightingale, very active, well-to-do people. I should be finishing up my ARCs, but I started reading this and just cannot put it down. It's absolutely wonderful. Fulfills all my own yearnings for a lovely old house, deep-seated roots, character and history.

I'm also listening to Emma Brown, a novel about a mysterious, sad little girl in late Victorian England. It's really good too, Jenny Agutter is the narrator and does a splendid job.

#51 - I am so happy that you liked them, katylit! :o)

So sorry to hear about the bookstore. :o( Glad you got some books, at least.

Hancox sounds wonderful (scuttles off to add to the TBR pile).

Katylit, I almost always want to run right out and grab all the books you are reading. I love what you love, I guess. Old houses, history, family histories in old houses. Hahahahah

I definitely recommend Hancox if the subject is of interest to you. It's very well written, lovely, interesting anecdotes, fascinating people and a who's who of Victorian England. Just a treasure of a reading experience.

I had a DNBR day yesterday and immersed myself in The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet, a sci fi/fantasy book from the 1950s that I loved as a child. It hasn't worsened with age and was fun to read again. I also finished up Dark Remains, which I had thought was an ARC, but actually I received it from the Member's Giveaway. It was good too, an interesting, Victorian mystery-type story about two orphaned children trying to survive on the streets of London, rescued by a mysterious Countess who showers them with largesse, but has her own agenda. Some good twists and well written. I'm going to focus on Hancox today and finish it up, although I'll be sorry to finish it too, it's a wonderful escape.

I picked up a book at Chapters the other evening The Haunting of Maddy Clare and started reading it almost as soon as we got home. Finished it up last night and found it quite satisfying. The story takes place in 1920's England, a young woman, working with a temp agency gets a call to fill a position. Turns out her new employer is a ghost hunter, or what would be called a parapsychologist today I guess. He has a full-time assistant who has to be away for family reasons and he needs a temp as he's been called to help exorcise a ghost.

There was a bit too much romance for me, but the ghost story was a bit creepy and fun. Another book by the same author is due out next year and I think I'll probably get it. I'm a sucker for a good ghost story.

I'm now going to start Unhallowed Ground, my most recent ARC. I read the second one in the series and enjoyed it, so I'm looking forward to reading this next one.

Wait...I thought Chapters was the name for your Borders. Why are your stores still in existence? :o/

Never mind. I did some Googling. Similar, but not the same.

I wouldn't be surprised if Chapters was inspired by Borders. Actually I believe Chapters/Indigo bought out W.H. Smith here in Canada and then Coles Bookstores as well and has just kept expanding ever since. I love them, but try to keep going to the independents still too.

Independents! I remember those... :o/

Yeah, there's fewer and fewer now. Victoria has so many and they're lovely.

I can vouch for the Victoria indies as well. But I'm also looking forward to finding out what the Ottawa area has to offer come September.

#62, me too!! :D

I finished up Hancox the other day and I find that it's really staying with me. I love books (and movies) that do that. Charlotte Moore has written an amazing book about her home and ancestors. Every generation of my family from my great-grandparents to ours has moved. From England to Canada, from Manitoba to Ontario, from Ontario to Manitoba! and then us - all across the country. While we have roots, my great-grandfather was a stone mason who laid the floor in the Royal Bank building in Montreal, my grandparents all lived in a small town in Manitoba where they are part of the building of that town, our family is now spread out hither and yon. So to read about a family that still has the same home after 5 generations, that there are stories of people who knew someone who patrolled the coast of England against Napoleon's forces, watched Queen Victoria's funeral procession, lost loved ones in WW1, knew Florence Nightingale, Rudyard Kipling, George Eliot...it leaves me boggled, gob-smacked and awed. Living history, the links, the memories, the treasures, how absolutely magnificent.

I get teased for keeping greeting cards for years and years, some letters, even emails now. But Charlotte Moore's family kept everything! Such an amazing record of rich lives lived. This is a wonderful, wonderful book, well-written, fascinating, engrossing. I simply cannot recommend it highly enough.

I read The Man in the Picture yesterday, a short little ghost story by Susan Hill. Very enjoyable, a little creepy (kinda predictable), but good. I like how Hill tries to recapture the aura of Victorian ghost stories, the setting in a cozy, fire-lit room, whiskey at hand, a good story forthcoming.

I also read Tea with the Black Dragon too and enjoyed it. I'm reading the sequel now, Twisting the Rope, which I'm enjoying, but finding very aggravating 'cause it's on my Kindle and the ebook editing is dreadful! All kinds of silly spelling and grammar mistakes (like "oil" instead of "on") and it's distracting and annoying.

Today I had to take my car in for servicing and my Kindle needed recharging so I took along Below Stairs to read while I waited. What a hoot! The author, Margaret Powell was a kitchen maid in the 1920's and she wrote this book as though she's sitting with you, having tea and reminiscing. She's quite acerbic and "fiesty" as one reviewer calls her and there were times when I was chuckling out loud to the curious looks of other people in the waiting room. Some of the things she was called upon to do, sound more like routines in military basic training: polishing shoes so you can see your smile, ironing shoe laces (!!!!!), polishing the bass on the front door and mail box every day, scrubbing the front steps. She grumbles about the haves and have-nots, what luxuries upstairs had compared to the "cast-offs" downstairs. All the hard work, lack of gratitude, concern for the servants' moral well-being, while not being at all concerned about their physical well-being. Definitely a far cry from dear Lord Grantham at Downton Abbey. LOL.

It's a quick read - I finished it while still at the garage. Now I've got to read the sequel, Climbing the Stairs.

Ah, I finished Passage, The Sharing Knife #3 on audio the other night too. Now I'm already well into Horizon, #4, and torn again, as I always seem to be with Bujold, I can't stop listening, but don't want the story to end. My goodness I love her writing, her story telling, her characters, everything is always a delight from start to finish.

I need to get caught up on my ARCs, so have been reading Unhallowed Ground by Mel Starr. I really love this series, about a surgeon/bailiff in mediaeval England who lives in a very deadly village apparently as there are quite the mysteries he is called upon to solve. This latest one involves an apparent suicide of a man greatly disliked by everyone, so, when Hugh de Singleton believes it is murder rather than suicide, he has plenty of suspects to consider. The language used in the books is easily read while capturing the sense of a long-ago way of speaking. It's one of the characteristics of this series that endears me to them, as well as Hugh himself, a very likeable fellow. I finished it up this morning and now have two last ARCs to finish, one long overdue for review The Story of Charlotte's Web: E.B. White's Eccentric Life in Nature and the Birth of an American Classic and one just received The Green Man by Michael Bedard. Then I'll be able to move on to The Night Circus with a clear conscience.

I finished listening to Horizon, the fourth Sharing Knife book last night and enjoyed it as much as the first three. I know it's been called a romance, and I guess it is, but the ever looming threat of "malices" and the dynamics between the farmers and lake-walkers keeps the story from being too saccarine. I'm going to start Blackout by Connie Willis tonight.

I'll be curious to see what you think of Blackout--I loved it, but then again I'm enough of a Connie Willis fangirl that I'd probably read her grocery lists.

The E.B. White looks interesting.

I loved Doomsday Book, so I've been looking forward to reading more of Connie Willis.

If you haven't read much of her, To Say Nothing of the Dog might be a good choice as well--maybe even better than Blackout, which a lot of people thought was too long. I know that a lot of American readers who weren't familiar with the course of the war in England struggled with it (I'm American, but have read a good deal of war history)--in a way, I think it's Ms. Willis's love letter to the people of England who survived Dunkirk and the Blitz and the V1s and V2s so gallantly.

Thanks Marissa, I'm a bit of an Anglophile, devour English history constantly and grew up with stories from my family of the War in England. So far I'm enjoying Blackout very much.

I polished off both The Green Man and The Story of Charlotte's Web in the last couple of days. Both are delightful books and I'm so pleased to be able to be part of the ARC program here on LT so that I received them. The Green Man is YA fiction with a splash of fantasy or the supernatural about it. The story takes place in a used-book store which I enjoyed identifying with, having worked in one until recently. The protagonist is a teenage girl, O (please do NOT call her Ophelia) who comes to stay with her elderly, ailing aunt for the summer. Her aunt is a published poet and the book has lovely dollops of poetry scattered throughout, as well as mystery, danger and magic. I could not put it down and read it in almost one sitting.

The Story of Charlotte's Web is very good too. It reads more like a story than a biography, yet Michael Sims covers all the pertinent information that anyone would want to know about the author of such beloved books as Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little. The sub-title of the book is "E.B. White's eccentric life in nature and the birth of an American Classic". I didn't find too much eccentric about his "life in nature", unless my own childhood adventures in nature and most others I know, were eccentric too. Nonetheless, a very well-written book and very enjoyable.

Now on to The Night Circus :)

#68 - "Now on to The Night Circus"

w00t!

I'm currently reading The Night Circus too. I like it!

The green man sounds very good, I'll have to look out for it. Add me to those who loved The night circus!

I am enjoying The Night Circus, but I do find it a bit irritating, how it jumps around so much. The story is very intriguing though. Almost done it, plan on finishing it up tonight.

I think all the magic in the story left me yearning to leave the muggle world for a while, so I grabbed Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone the other day (wow! those are wild touchstones) and gobbled it up in one sitting. I'm going to keep going I think, it's time for a re-read of the whole series.

I am loving Blackout. Historian time-travellers from 2060 Oxford travel back to WWII England to witness various key events, the Dunkirk evacuation, the Blitz, the evacuee children. It's fascinating to hear (I'm listening to the audio version) their impressions, their confusions, their frustrations, their experiences. I especially love the difficulties they encounter trying to get around. My dad was posted in England for awhile during the war and while he never talked about the fighting, he had some great stories of trying to get around in England, during blackout, and even during the day. Once he had some leave, so left his regiment to go down to London to visit his aunt. When he came back his regiment was gone and of course no one would tell him where they'd gone - "loose lips sink ships" you know. He said it took him weeks of riding 'round the countryside to find them. All these little incidents that aren't in the history books (at least the ones I've read), Blackout has some good ones too.

I'm so glad you're enjoying Blackout! I'm reading The Story of Charlotte's Web right now and love the lyrical touch to the author's style.

I just finished The Void by Brett J. Talley, an ARC I received last month. It's a science fiction horror story. About 150 years from now, warp drive has been developed, but the only way to use it safely is for all passengers to go into stasis for the jump. Every time passengers fall asleep during a warp jump they experience the dream. For each it is the same dream, every time. For many when they wake up the dream has been so horrifying that they go mad. The Void is a story of a seemingly routine voyage on a civilian ship and what happens to the crew and passengers. It was quite well written, a very interesting story, reminding me a bit of the movie Event Horizon. It is pretty scary to think of experiencing an horrific event when being out in the vastness of space. There is that added bit of vulnerability, aloneness and down-right fear. Good book.

Now I'm going to focus on finishing up two books I've been dipping into every once in a while. Twisting the Rope, the sequel to Tea with the Dragon, and A Conspiracy of Kings the fourth in the Megan Whalen Turner YA series about The Thief.

I've been meaning to "google" this for awhile, it was mentioned in Blackout. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/15/benares-sunk-war-81-children-dead So sad, and horrifying. This is why I enjoy historical fiction (if it's well done and researched properly), you can learn a lot. I had never heard of this sinking before, one of many I know, but I guess particularly sad because of all the children.

I enjoyed Twisting the Rope a little bit more than Tea with the Dragon, but they're both good, with fun, interesting characters, Long especially is my favourite. Conspiracy of Kings was good too, following a separate story of a character introduced in The Thief. Lots of politics in a make-believe land, but the characters were very interesting and there were a few surprises along the way. I really enjoy Megan Whalen Turner's writing style.

I've now started Grange House by Sarah Blake, a modern novel written in a Victorian style, about a haunted inn in New England. The story is compelling, but I'm finding the writing style a bit contrived and difficult at the moment. But I'm only a little bit of the way into it, so will give it more of a chance.

I was out and only had my Kindle with me the other day, so started reading a new book called Desperate Passage: The Donner Party's Perilous Journey West. It is fascinating, not merely focusing on the marooned time in the Sierras, but covering the whole journey, from Independence, Missouri to California, discussing the nature of the pioneer wagon trains, the encounters with Native Americans, the background of some of the families, etc. I'm finding I can't put it down, and read one night until 2 a.m. Think I'll be finished this one today.

I'm listening to All Clear now too, the sequel to Blackout. Excellent story! Connie Willis is now a confirmed favourite author of mine.

I agree with you in preferring Twisting the rope to Tea with the black dragon. I liked the musical background and the dynamics between the group of characters.

Okay, twist my arm. I liked Tea with the Black Dragon so I'll try Twisting the Rope.

LOL, yeah, that was a tough sell eh Morphie? ;) At the rate you read, it will not take you long to read it at all. And by the way, I ended up enjoying The Night Circus very much, it all came together, made sense, and was a very satisfying, original, well-written story. Definitely a keeper.

And, yeah Sakerfalcon, I think it was the musical background story that helped me enjoy this story more too.

*phew* I was worried about whether or not you would enjoy it. :oS Such stress...

OK, ok, I tried to reserve Twisting the Rope at the county library system. No go. They only had Death and Resurrection by MacAvoy but it sounded kinda good so I requested it. There is one request in front of me so it will be a while, but I'll let you know how it is.

I've been trying to decide what to read next. It's been a couple of days since I finished the last book (not including the audio I'm listening to) and I can't make up my mind on the next. Maybe I should give The Night Circus a try. I keep getting recommendations for it, on LT and in RL.

I think you'd enjoy it sandragon, it's a pretty unique, interesting story.

Jodyreadseverything mentioned a scary book she was reading and it peaked my interest. I couldn't find the same title for my Kindle, but found another by the same author, The Sentinel by Jeremy Bishop, so I'm going to give it a try today. Hmmm, maybe this is an indication that Grange House just isn't grabbing me, or maybe I`m just not in the right frame of mind for that type of writing at the moment. I`ll lay it aside and try again later.

Well I gobbled up The Sentinel pretty quick. A woman working under cover on a Save the Whales boat deals with the crew and then calamity as disaster happens in an encounter with a Scandinavian whaling boat. The survivors manage to make it to shore on an island just off the coast of Greenland. Then the unthinkable happens when they come face to face with an ancient myth that's not too friendly.

The heroine, Jane Harper, is a fun, gutsy woman and while I had a hard time believing anyone would be thinking romance at a time like this, it was an okay story, good escapism for an afternoon or two.

I finished listening to All Clear last night and am so sorry it's over that I've already started listening to another Connie Willis book, Passage, a story of a doctor who participates in a near-death-experience study.

I'm almost finished Grange House and am so glad I stuck with it, as it certainly has improved. Now I'm finding the writing lyrical and compelling, for the most part, while at times, I must confess, it still is a bit over-wrought. But I'm really enjoying the main character, Maisie, and need to find out what she learns, and what decisions she makes about her life.

On my Kindle I've started Progeny by our own R.T. Kaelin and even though I'm just in the early stages, I had a hard time putting it down last night, and read waaaay past sleep-time!

I dropped into a used-bookshop/cafe yesterday and picked up a little history book by a local author. Unsinkable Bridget: Titanic Survivor's Life Story is about the author's mother, a survivor of the Titanic sinking, as the title says. I read it this morning, (it's only 43 pages long) and it's an interesting account of challenges faced by a courageous young Irish woman, leaving the potato famine and hoping for a new life in the States.

*happy sigh* I do love reading!

I always love when you report reading a historical book. Your tastes and my interests are very similar and although I am not adding any books to my "buying list" right now, I do enjoy reading about books that seem interesting.

So glad you liked All Clear! Wasn't the ending splendid (especially the bit about Alf?) Passage is amazing as well, but in very different ways. I'll be curious to see what you think of it.

I'm a bit envious of all the reading you are able to do right now! But glad for you, it sounds great. :)

I loved Passage...thought it was fascinating.

I could hardly put Passage down when I read it. So gripping.

I keep mistakenly thinking you guys are talking about The Passage and you're not! LOL

And ditto what MrsLee said. I am jealous but happy for you.

I know what you mean Sakerfalcon. I listened to it today when I had to drive into the city for some errands. When I got home, I sat, parked in the driveway, for almost 1/2 hour listening, didn't want to stop. I love finding wonderful new authors, and now Connie Willis is one for sure.

LOL, MrsLee and clam, I just have changed my habits, so instead of vegging in front of the tv all night now, I watch a show or maybe two with DH and then head up to my library and read. Much nicer routine. I'm thinking maybe DH isn't quite so fond of my library as I am, but he comes up and visits me from time to time ;)

Sounds wonderful! And yeah, that is part of my problem. I have no place to read!!! My son has his PC in my library and is in there much of the evening. I need to put a reading chair in my daughter's room or something. I do try to sneak out onto the deck with my book, but heat & sun is are issue during the day and lack of lighting & bugs are an issue later on.

I did the "chair in my daughter's room" thing for awhile. It works, but beware, she will probably take the chair when she moves out for good! Now I have my main chair in the living room and a chair in my den, but sadly, not much left over energy for reading in the evenings.

Move out and find a small house just for you, and your reading chairs? That is my home! Love it.

But, I do know, family has its special rewards, too.

#92 Don't bug-proof yellow lights work your end of the world? They're a standard outdoor item here.

Bug-proof yellow lights?! Never heard about but I'm all ears :)
We have a Skeetervac but the standard here in Sweden is mosquito spirals - those green things that you burn, to keep the bastards away.

(Sorry for hijacking the thread but keeping bugs away is high on my list atm...)

Here you can get bugproof (well, maybe 75% bugproof) yellowish light bulbs at any hardware store. Supposedly they shine in a band the bugs can't see. At least one manufacturer of camping gas-powered gear sells bug-proof filters for gas lamps, too. You can also get citronella soap and candles for the same purpose. (I may be sailing a bit close to the wind if I note that one brand of these rejoices in the name Bug Geroff).

Lol at the name!
I did some fast search and realise that yellow, as you say, is great against bugs but alas not against mozzies. And on the whole mozzies is THE big issue here in Sweden - not insects in general. I guess that's why I hadn't heard about it before.
Oh well.

For mozzies you use citronella stuff if you're determinedly organic, DEET if you're not (both work, the latter more so). At least yours aren't malarial.

May I say Vitamin B Complex? Or have I said that here already? mozzies do not like the smell of a big Vitamin B complex fan.

I've never heard that before maggie! Will definitely give it a try. Our mosquitoes are dreadful, as well as deer flies and horse flies (they don't just bite, they take chunks! And it hurts!!) You have my complete understanding and sympathy Busifer. And Hugh, we'll have to look for yellow bulbs here, we've left the outside light on for our daughter and then the whole door is covered in June bugs, moths, and other flying, creeping critters *shudder* Yuck!!

clam and MrsLee, this is the very first time I've ever had my own special place to read, and it's because both children moved out of the house (granted one has moved back, but I'd already set up my library before that happened, hehehe). So you know that your time will come too, empty nester, special room (or space).

And please! Everyone, anyone, hijack the thread to your heart's content. I love digression and discussion, on just about anything :)

I finished up Grange House today and it was a pleasurable read. Not as supernatural as I had believed it would be, but very Victorian in it's style and story, a bit of Bronte and Wilkie Collins mixed together.

I'm still reading Progeny on my Kindle, but have also started The Haunted Bookshop having received a copy from an old friend who knows my tastes well.
"THIS SHOP IS HAUNTED by the ghosts
Of all great literature, in hosts;
We sell no fakes or trashes.
Lovers of books are welcome here,
No clerks will babble in your ear,
Please smoke - but don't drop ashes!

Browse as long as you like.
Prices of all books plainly marked.
If you want to ask questions, you'll find the proprietor
where the tobacco smoke is thickest.
We pay cash for books.
We have what you want, though you may not know
you want it.
Malnutrition of the reading faculty is a serious thing.

Let us prescribe for you.
By R.&H. Mifflin,

Proprs."

The book was published in 1919, hence ref to tobacco, but isn't that a wonderful start to a book?

Katy, if you're looking for yellow bulbs and the store give you the "third eye" when you ask for bugproof or outdoor yellow, it's a shade tending towards orange rather than lemon. Bugs can see green.

Many of the anti-mozzie products include citronella; we use a roll-on (looks like a deo stick) which has been very efficient in for example Thailand. Up in Norrland, where we are, it is working but not as well. While we don't have malaria *knock on wood* the bites swell and itch (husband looks like he has the chicken pox)...

"On my Kindle I've started Progeny by our own R.T. Kaelin and even though I'm just in the early stages, I had a hard time putting it down last night, and read waaaay past sleep-time!"

Success!

Glad you're enjoying it. Book 2 is on its way...

I've finally been able to get back to some reading, after an hiatus due to family visits, niece's wedding and various other distractions. After reluctantly leaving Progeny so often at exciting cliff-hanger moments I was very glad to spend yesterday and today just reading and finishing up this great story. I'm really looking forward to Book 2 rtkaelin, Book 1 swept me away with wonderful characters and interesting adventures.

I also finished listening to Passage and find that the story is still staying with me. Very interesting take on the near-death experience. Willis's writing is incredibly griping.

I tried to listen to something a little different on the audio book side, Swan Song by Robert McCammon. This is a post-apocolyptic story of survivors of nuclear holocaust. The Road was grim, so I was prepared, but this is grim in other ways, lacking that redeeming feature of father/son abiding love. It's just too dark a story for me at this time, so I've put it aside and am listening to To Say Nothing of the Dog, another delight by Connie Willis.

And I've started another ghost story Greatcoat by Helen Dunmore. This story takes place a few years after WW2, in England. A newlywed doctor's wife finds an RAF greatcoat in their rented flat and strange things start to happen. So far it's very good.

Every time you post, katylit, I buy another book. Grumble grumble grumble. :) I just preordered The Greatcoat, as it won't be released in the US till October.

Enjoy To Say Nothing of the Dog!!

LOL, Marissa, I know what you mean. Reading everybody's reading threads is very dangerous. I'm a little groggy this morning 'cause I stayed up late reading The Greatcoat. I'm also so delighted when I find a really good, creepy ghost story :)

What is it about creepy ghost stories? I am a skeptic, but they're just so much fun!!! I'll have to try to get my hands on that one!

I know. It's not that I really believe them, but I love the suspense, the unknown possibilites and the little thrill of shivers I get when I read them. :)

Yup. I think it brings me back to my childhood to let myself get scared like that.

It's very satisfying to be able to spend lots of time reading again. I've missed it these last few weeks. The Greatcoat was wonderful, my only complaint is that it's very short *sigh*. But Helen Dunmore crafted a very good story, it kept me enthralled until the end.

I spent today reading the last of The Haunted Bookshop which has been waiting patiently for me. What a superb story it is, with such gorgeous wordsmithing. There are so many passages I've written down and will read it again most definitely. The story is about a dear man of a bookseller, his wife, their apprentice (a young, beautiful rich girl) and an advertising agent who befriends them. What follows is a rhapsody to books, a mystery, and a love story. Roger Mifflin, the bookseller, truly does philosophize and wax rhapsodic about books and I kept thinking of all my friends here and how we all share that love too. MrsLee, I think you in particular would really enjoy this book. It is a delight. "Books are the immortality of the race, the father and mother of most that is worth while cherishing in our hearts. To spread good books about, to sow them on fertile minds, to propagate understanding and a carefulness of life and beauty, isn't that a high enough mission for man?"

Now it's on to something light and fun. I picked up The Time Travelers, Book One in The Gideon Trilogy. It's a YA book about a boy and a girl from the 21st Century being sucked back in time to the late 18th Century. I'm always a sucker for good time travel stories and I'm hopeful this will be one.

The Haunted Bookshop sounds delightful. I think I'll put it on my wish list! Maybe a Christmas present from a family member?

*sigh* I trust your judgement, katylit, it sounds wonderful and has duly been added to my wishlist, as well. After all, SantaThing is coming up, right?

Re 111-113 - I got a copy of The Haunted Bookshop for my e-reader through Project Gutenberg. Someone here had said enough about it to grab my interest, and I did enjoy it. There are lots of great older books available there, most available in epub format.

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/172

I was also lucky enough to find a copy of To Say Nothing of the Dog in a used book store a while ago - loved it, but a really good idea to read Three Men in a Boat first (also available from Project Gutenberg).

"I've finally been able to get back to some reading, after an hiatus due to family visits, niece's wedding and various other distractions. After reluctantly leaving Progeny so often at exciting cliff-hanger moments I was very glad to spend yesterday and today just reading and finishing up this great story. I'm really looking forward to Book 2 rtkaelin, Book 1 swept me away with wonderful characters and interesting adventures."

katylit -

Good news for you:

http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/2985128-september-25th-prophecy-s-rel...

Please don't shoot me for using GoodReads for my blog postings, but, well, I do...

115- LOL, I missed the quotation marks above, and wasn't bothered until it got to "I'm really looking forward to Book 2 rtkaelin" :D

I cannot wait to have Prophesy resting on the shelf next to its big brother, Progeny, after I read it straight through!

Why is it sometimes when one is feeling gloomy a funny book is just the thing to pull you out of the doldrums, while other times, it just grates and makes you feel worse? I'm going to take you up on your advice NorthernStar and read Three Men and a Boat first (at least, again, as I read it, but years and years ago) before I listen to To Say Nothing of the Dog. Much as I've loved Connie Willis, I just have not been able to get into this one. So instead, in keeping with my general gloomyness (gloominess?) I finished listening to Swan Song. As I mentioned, this is a post-apocolyptic story, pretty graphic and gory at times, the bad guys are BAD and the good guys are refreshingly human and save the story, in more ways than one, from being pulled down into gore and total violence. Swan (Sue Wanda) is a little girl that survives a world-wide nuclear holocaust, one of a diverse group of characters that make up this story. It is a battle between good and evil, with a bit of magic/fantasy/miracles mixed in for good measure. I ended up enjoying it very much (although I could have done with a little less descriptive violence and bloodshed).

I read the YA story of The Time Travellers, aka Gideon the Cutpurse in a jiffy. It is a fun book, lots of adventures the girl and boy have in 18th century England and it leaves enough of a cliff-hanger for me to want to read the rest of the trilogy.

Then I polished off another Susanna Kearsley, The Shadowy Horses. This is a story of an archeologist who is called to work at a site in southern Scotland with an eccentric who believes he has found the site where the ancient Roman Ninth Legion disappeared. Susanna writes wonderfully evocative descriptions of cozy houses and atmospheric situations, whether they be romantic, haunting or fearful. I find it easy to get drawn into her stories and gobble them up like candy. I've started listening to Mariana which is the first book of hers that I ever read. It's been long enough now since I read it, that listening to it will be a pleasurable reminder.

Now I'm not sure whether to read my next ARC which is The Raven's Seal, or Harriet a Persephone Book publication of a fictionalized story about an actual murder that happened in the 1860's. When I took it off the shelf MrsLee, I couldn't help but think of you and your matching bookmarks. Persephone Books are beautiful, plain grey books with gorgeous end-papers patterned after vintage fabric and wallpaper design. When you order one of their books they always include a bookmark that matches the end-paper. Love it.

There's a few other books calling to me too, my SIL loaned me Room by Emma Donoghue which I've been wanting to read for ages, and another is Death Comes to Pemberly, P.D. James' newest book.

Not sure which one I'll end up with next...I have over 400 on Mt TBR, so there's one or two to chose from ;)

katylit - As other people on LT have remarked, sometimes a great book is not the right book at a particular time. If you're not getting into something, sometimes it's best to leave it for a bit. BTW, I enjoyed Death comes to Pemberly, but would put it in the good, not great, class, and can see it would be one that might appeal in some moods, and not in others. Sounds like you have lots of good books waiting!

I'm intrigued by The Shadowy Horses - did you ever read Rosemary Sutcliff's The Eagle of the Ninth?

Hi, Katharine, I'm just lurking my way along. I have recently increased my TBR piles so much that I'm trying to not have my friends' books suddently become my next "must have". Not easy.

I hope all is well with you and yours. How is the grand baby doing?

I think The Shadowy Horses would qualify for the "Well-written Fluff" thread NorthernStar, and it's a quick read too. I read The Eagle of the Ninth years and years ago, in public school. I got a new Folio Society edition last year and it's been calling to me - I should re-read it again soon. I hadn't realized that it's part of a trilogy, Folio has published all three books now and they are certainly lovely editions.

hey maggie! Good to hear from you. We're all great and grandbaby is perfect. Proud parents report that she said "I love you" clearly and precisely the other day. She is a joy and a delight. Her first birthday is next week - how'd that happen so fast??!!

Such a pretty baby! I love her back, and you tell her, too! Happy 1st Birthday very soon, young lady!

Thanks maggie :)

I devoured Harriet, OMG what a fabulous book. If you like Alfred Hitchcock's movies, then I can NOT recommend Harriet highly enough. It is fictionalized account of an actual murder that happened in England in the late 1860's. Elizabeth Jenkins builds the suspense and horror so carefully and subtly, it's what she doesn't say that leaves the reader breathless and horrorstruck. Awesome, awesome book.

Hard to know what to follow up with, so I went in a completely different direction and, based on such glowing recommendations from here, I read Redshirts. Again, fabulous book. I just loved it, reminded me vividly of the movie Galaxy Quest, and I couldn't help but wonder how many times John Scalzi must have watched the Star Treks. LOL.

Now I'm reading Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling by Michael Boccacino.

I've been thinking about our conversation about Harriet and you've almost got me convinced to give it a try. Partly because of your enthusiam for it, partly because I'm enjoying Miss Pettigrew quite a bit and figure Harriet is another Persephone book so it must be worth a try. I'm *this* close to hunting up a copy.

I've finally made it to #4 on the waiting list for Redshirts at the library. I'm really looking forward to reading it *taps fingers impatiently*. Any tribbles in Redshirts? :oD

I just finished Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling and I closed the book with a sigh of contented satisfaction. Interestingly enough, while reading it I couldn't help but think of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell and other gothic/fairytale-types, like Jane Eyre and The Book of Lost Things. Low and behold, but at the back of Boccacino's book he lists further reading, recommending just these books. A man of good taste ;) So, in comparing it to JSaMN and Jane Eyre, you're probably getting the idea it's about a governess, in Victorian times who encounters magical adventures. Yup, that just about sums it up. Charlotte Markham is a young widow, working as a governess to two boys in a country manor house. The two boys are motherless, their own dying the year before. Their father is still grief-stricken and Charlotte strives to be a strength and comfort to him, while educating and caring for his sons. A terrible murder happens in the opening chapter and after that, death never seems to leave the pages of this original story, either personified as a man in black, or as a person dead but alive again, or a whole, weird and wonderful house in the land of The Ending.

I've been watching Lark Rise to Candleford on PBS for quite a while now and do enjoy it's peaceful, innocent charm. So I've decided it's about time I read the book too and that's what I've started now. One of these days I might come back to the present, but for now, Victorian times for me.

#123, sandragon, Harriet is a wonderful story, but as we discussed, it is on the dark side, especially as it's based on a real case. But, so well-written. Like I said, if you enjoy Hitchcock - especially his best movies, like Vertigo, Rope and Rear Window, then I think you would enjoy this.

So nice to see your last book was satisfying and a joy to read. Would that they were all like that, eh?

I've been really lucky this year maggie, so many good books. I thought about your comment that you weren't going to worry about making your 75 book goal, but just love the books you're reading. I think I might just get both this year - great books and reach my goal. But I have found I've "cheated" a little, by reading some short ones, or YA (which are quicker reads) in trying to get to 75. Conversely, setting that goal has been a good motivator for me. I think I'll give it a try again next year.

Last year I did the YA trick but am not willing this year. There are just so many really good adult books sitting on my shelves. I will get to them eventually.

I'm packing up another box of books to sell, and I am having to say "well, I don't think I'm going to read that, ever". James Joyce's Dubliners is going away as I just don't think I'll get to him. My copy is James Joyce's Dubliners: An Illustrated Edition With Annotations and I hope this makes it worth something to the used book sellers.

Sigh. Another book I have to buy because you make 'em sound so tempting. :)

I love the book Lark Rise to Candleford, but from what I understand (I haven't seen it), the miniseries is very, very different from the book, which is as much social history as memoir.

124 - I've never watched a Hitchcock movie, so I can't use them to compare with. Miss Pettigrew was definitely a light-hearted book and I know I shouldn't use it as an indication of whether I'll enjoy Harriet. I would like to find more like Miss Pettigrew, though. Maybe Georgette Heyer? Have you read any by her?

Charlotte Marham just popped onto my TBR!

Marissa, I undestand that's the case too, but I've enjoyed the mini-series and while the book has the same characters (for the most part), it is very different, but so good too. Stayed up late last night reading "just one more page..."

Sandra, I don't think Harriet would be your cup of tea, it is pretty dark. I've got a Georgette Heyer but haven't read it yet, she does sound very good though. And Persephone has a category of books called "Social Comedy" http://www.persephonebooks.co.uk/product-category/grey-books/social-comedy/ of which Miss Pettigrew is one, all the books in the list sound wonderful...but then ALL Persephone books sound wonderful to me ;)

Dr Newt and Marissa, hope you enjoy Charlotte if/when you get a chance. It's not a long book, but a fun escape.

The Halloween reading thread led me to get The Unseen by Alexandra Sokoloff (thanks drneutron!). A lovely ghost story, full of haunted house, parapsychologists, students and chills. I enjoyed it so much I downloaded another one of hers today, The Harrowing, just the right kind of reading for this month. I'm still reading Lark Rise to Candleford too and enjoying it.

I also listened to Caveat Emptor by Ruth Downie, the most recent in the Medicus Russo mystery series. I think I'm listening to these now 'cause they're light, I do like the main character Russo and the complications he encounters being married to a native Briton in Roman times.

I was very busy this past weekend reading boardbooks to my granddaughter. Wow, if I were to use those in my count, I'd be up to 150 books in a year in no time! LOL. But she does have her favourites already, so I'm not really reading them any more, just reciting "Round and round the garden", "Old MacDonald had a Farm", "To Market, To Market". And I'm not quite sure it's the *ahem* very talented reader *ahem* that she's enjoying, but rather the pictures and turning the pages!

#132 - Oh, the ghost stories sound great. I need to visit that Halloween thread, but I am afraid to. And not because the books are frightening, but because of the impact it might have on my wishlist/TBR stacks!!!

Yes, be warned, dangerous thread ;)

I took a workshop from Alex Sokoloff this summer, but hadn't read any of her work--they sound good. Love me a good ghost story!

I've been feeling sort of like a cow/sheep/goat lately, grazing through my books, rather than settling down on just one. So I've read some stories from Robertson Davies's High Spirits which have been wonderfully droll, and stories here and there from my supernatural collection. On my Kindle I downloaded The Home by Scott Nicholson, about a boy in a very creepy institutional "home", and now that Halloween is over I'm going to finish it up today and move on to an ER book, Raven's Seal.

In the listening department I've finished Joplin's Ghost by Tananarive Due, which I found so, so. It's two stories, one of a modern day pop star and the other about Scott Joplin. Some parts were a bit spooky, but on the whole ... meh.

I also finished Crucible of Gold and enjoyed this latest book in the Temeraire series very much. Lawrence actually shows appropriate emotion in this one, not completely prim and proper as in the last book. And I love the dragon storyline, it's great fun.

Now I'm going to start Damiano by R.A. MacAvoy. I read this one years and years ago and was very pleased to see it's been released as an audiobook. I have the trilogy and been wanting to read them again, so this is a good way to go.

Marissa, how cool to have had a workshop with Alex Sokoloff. I really enjoyed her writing and plan to read more of hers.

I enjoyed The Raven's Seal very much, good Victorian-styled mystery. I read Vale of Stars next, another ARC. The story is of a population of people who leave Earth for a planet 100 years of travelling away. Generations are born and die on the voyage, the story then follows the development of their society on their new home planet, through the perspective of 4 generations of women. It was a good story, but I found the writing kinda stilted, I wasn't engaged as much as I wanted to be.

Then yesterday I picked up Room by Emma Donoghue, lent to me by my sister-in-law. I started it with my morning coffee, refused to stop to make supper for my DH (so uncomplainingly we had eggs - he truly is a very dear man) and finished it by bedtime. Oh. My. Goodness! This is such an excellent book. I was completely blown away, captivated and engrossed. Do you remember a few years ago a girl (from Germany I believe?) escaped from being held prisoner by a man for years and years, even having children by him? Well this inspired Donoghue to write Room. It's written from the perspective of a 5 year old boy, whose whole life has been spent, as a captive, in a garden shed with his mother. The language took me a bit to get used to, as it's written as if by a precocious little boy, but that also enhances the experience. There are turns of phrase, descriptions, reactions that can only be expressed by the innocence, honesty and imagination of a child. It's a heart-breaking, amazingly courageous, wonderful story and I thoroughly recommend it.

Damiano was very good too, the story of a medieval young man, trained in magic by his father and taught music by an angel (literally). His town is invaded and he goes on a journey of discovery. I read it years ago and thankfully the suck fairy has not touched this one, still a treasure.

Now I'm listening to Captain Vorpatril's Alliance by Lois McMaster Bujold and relishing being in this world again. Great story.

And I have to pick another book to read - ah, so many books to choose from....I'm very tempted to read The Hobbit again, in anticipation of the movie - 2 weeks to go!!!!!!, but there's so many others, perhaps I should just settle down and finish Lark Rise to Candleford and the Captain Vancouver biography. Yup, probably best to do those first.

"I'm very tempted to read The Hobbit again"

Oh, do!!! Hmmm. Maybe I can compress and send you the audio files. Do you use an iPod?

I use an iPod, but I've got the audio version, and the BBC radio play of it too. Do you think I'm maybe just a little Tolkien obsessed? ;) But I got a new Folio edition of The Hobbit last year and I think it is definitely calling to me to read it. I do not think one can ever have enough editions of a most favourite book. So, yeah, as soon as I have finished Lark Rise, Middle Earth here I come.

Thank you very much for the offer though.

No problemo. I think I shall start a dedicated thread. Jill is reading it, and I believe Busifer is planning to as well.

I just finished re-reading it. I'll go check out the new thread.

Katy, I've been wondering about picking up Room. But I'm not sure I could handle it. The thought of a little boy with his mother stuck in the a shed until he is 5(?) years old. May be too much anger and frustration and sadness on my part. You make it sound worthwhile though.

I was a bit hesitant too sandragon, especially when my SIL kinda made a face when she mentioned it, not sure she enjoyed it very much. But I didn't find it too difficult, emotionally speaking. I was in awe of the mom's courage and devotion, and the little boy - well, it's all he ever knew until then, so ....

clam, a dedicated Hobbit thread sounds perfect. I took out my edition and thought, well, I'll just read the beginning. :D Lovely, like sitting in your favourite chair (which I was), with your favourite sweater, and tea and visiting with a long-loved, best friend. "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." Yup, perfection.