justchris may be vertiginous in 2012

Reading isn't the problem. Following through with reviews is the real challenge. I'll try to procrastinate less and write more, here and elsewhere.

January

1. Among Thieves by Douglas Hulick
2. Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs*
3. The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry*
4. Bright-Sided: How Positive Thinking Is Undermining America by Barbara Ehrenreich #19
5. The Witches of Karres by James H. Schmitz*
6. Kris Longknife: Deserter by Mike Shepherd*
7. Kris Longknife: Mutineer by Mike Shepherd*

February

8. Kris Longknife: Defiant by Mike Shepherd*
9. Kris Longknife: Resolute by Mike Shepherd*
10. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
11. Kris Longknife: Audacious by Mike Shepherd*
12. Kris Longknife: Intrepid by Mike Shepherd*
13. Kris Longknife: Undaunted by Mike Shepherd*
14. Honor's Paradox by P. C. Hodgell
15. River Marked by Patricia Briggs
16. Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold
17. A Highly Respectable Marriage by Sheila Walsh*
18. Autumn Countess by Catherine Coulter*
19. Kris Longknife: Redoubtable by Mike Shepherd*

March

20. Seeker's Mask by P. C. Hodgell*
21. All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris
22. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
23. Agent of Vega by James H. Scmitz*
24. The Ardent Lady Amelia by Laura Matthews
25. Jade Darcy and the Zen Pirates by Stephen Goldin and Mary Mason*
26. Jade Darcy and the Affair of Honor by Stephen Goldin and Mary Mason*
27. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
28. From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris
29. Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey*
30. StarBridge by A. C. Crispin*
31. Silent Dances by A. C. Crispin and Kathleen O'Malley*

April

32. Shadow World by A. C. Crispin and Jannean Elliott*
33. Serpent's Gift by A. C. Crispin and Deborah A. Marshall(*)
34. Those Who Can: A Science Fiction Reader edited by Robin Scott Wilson
35. The Quiet Gentleman by Georgette Heyer*
36. Arabella by Georgette Heyer*
37. These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer*
38. Knight's Wyrd by Debra Doyle and James D. McDonald*
16b. Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold*
39. Powder and Patch by Georgette Heyer
40. Venetia by Georgette Heyer

May

41. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen*
42. Kris Longknife: Daring by Mike Shepherd
43. The Long Hunt by Debra Doyle and James D. MacDonald
44. Heir of Sea and Fire by Patricia McKillip*
45. Harpist in the Wind by Patricia McKillip*
46. The Stars Asunder by Debra Doyle and James D. MacDonald
47. Fair Game by Patricia Briggs

June

48. The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker NF
49. Silence by Michelle Sagara
50. Ashes To Ashes by Mary Monica Mulver*
51. The Beast Master by Andre Norton*
52. Lord of Thunder by Andre Norton*
53. Dancer's Rise by Jo Clayton*
54. Serpent Waltz by Jo Clayton*
55. Dance Down the Stars by Jo Clayton*

July

56. The Reluctant Widow by Georgette Heyer
57. Beast Master's Ark by Andre Norton and Lyn McConchie
58. Frederica by Georgette Heyer*
59. The Phantom Lover by Elizabeth Mansfield*
60. Emma by Jane Austen*
61. April Lady by Georgette Heyer*
62. Sprig Muslin by Georgette Heyer*

August

63. The Sword of Winter by Marta Randall*
64. Kate by Veronica Heley*
65. Dark Matter: Reading the Bones edited by Sheree R. Thomas
66. The Witches of Wenshar by Barbara Hambly*
67. The Substitute Bridegroom by Charlotte Louise Dolan*
68. Gender Outlaw by Kate Bornstein NF
69. Deliverer by C. J. Cherryh*
70. Betrayer by C. J. Cherryh*

September

71. The Epistle on Singing-Girls of Jahiz edited and translated by A. F. L. Beeston NF
72. Strong Poison by Dorothy Sayers*
73. White Like Me by Tim Wise
74. Sunshine by Robin McKinley*
75. The Changeling Sea by Patricia McKillip*
76. A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold*

October

77. Racial Healing by Reginald Newkirk and Nathan Rutstein NF
78. Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs*
79. Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart*
80. Uprooting Racism by Paul Kivel NF
81. Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson NF
82. Taoism by Jennifer Oldstone-Moore #28 NF
83. The Illustrated Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, translated by Mah-Ho Kwok, Martin Palmer, Jay Ramsay NF
84. Honor's Paradox by P. C. Hodgell*

November

85. The Throme of Erril of Sherill by Patricia McKillip*
86. Dragon Blood by Patricia Briggs*
87. Daughter of Empire by Janny Wurts and Raymond E. Feist*
88. Zen in the Martial Arts by Joe Hyams NF

December

89. Lies My Teacher Told Me by James K. Loewen NF
90. Servant of the Empire by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts*
91. Snow White, Blood Red by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling
92. Mistress of the Empire by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts*
93. The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold*
94. The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold*
95. Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold*
96. Brothers in Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold*
97. Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold*
98. Borders of Infinity by Lois McMaster Bujold*
99. The Woman's Migraine Toolkit by Dawn A. Marcus NF
100. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

And the conclusion for the year? Review procrastination fail!

Key:

* reread
(*) I know I read it before, but I sure as hell don't remember much if anything
+ not in English (such ambition!)
NF nonfiction (going to try harder this year)
P poetry (definitely need to expand)
~P text contains significant chunks of poetry

My previous 75 Book Challenge threads:

2011

2010

2009

Glad to see you joining us again in 2012, Chris!

@2: You're fast, Stasia! I haven't even finished scrolling through the intros. Thanks for the welcome.

It was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

Hi, Chris, delighted to see you here!

@5: Hey, Roni, good to see you too. I'm afraid this is the most time I've spent on LT in quite awhile, but I gotta go to bed now. Take care, and Happy New Year! (You too, Stasia!)

Thanks, Chris. Happy New Year to you too!

I saw your intro thread and thought I'd pop over here to say hello, since I've just recently moved to Wisconsin! My husband and I are wondering where all this allegedly normal-for-this-area snow is... :)

@8: Hello, Amber. I saw in your intro that you had recently moved to this area and meant to say hello, so thanks for beating me to it.

Yeah, I thought we'd have record snowfalls because it was a La Nina year, but I guess not so much. That's okay right now, because we have a lot of lumber that needs to move off our property, and it's far more likely to happen if the roads and the yard up to our shed are both clear. And it lets me commute by bike longer. But I like the snow and miss it.

Welcome to Wisconsin. I hope you settle in and get comfortable. How long have you been here now? My querido would love to chat you up sometimes since he's a wannabe classicist who has hopes of someday returning to college to finish a degree...

We moved from Ohio in June, so even though we live just about as far south in Wisconsin as you can get, it's still the farthest north I've ever lived. I'd be happy to chat about classics anytime!

Starred!

Welcome back Chris :-)

@10: I hope you enjoy the north. While the lack of snow is disappointing, this is an unexpected extension of my bike commuting season...

@11-12: Thanks for making me welcome. I hope to do a better job of staying in touch, on LT and elsewhere.

Borrowing from Faith's thread:

Describe yourself: Explorer

Describe how you feel: Her Healing Ways

Describe where you currently live: The Kingdom of the Cats

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Medieval Andalusian Courtly Culture in the Mediterranean

Your favorite form of transportation: To Ride the Rathorn

Your best friend is: Sister Light, Sister Dark

You and your friends are: Bound in Blood

What’s the weather like: Sunshine

You fear: Persuasion

What is the best advice you have to give: Dr. Ruth's Guide for Married Lovers

Thought for the day: The Aliens Among Us

How I would like to die: Holiday in Bath

My soul’s present condition: The Magic Colours

I would like to die on Holiday in Bath too, Chris!

@14: Yes, I've never been to Europe, but would like to make that trip someday. Let's both hope we someday make it, Stasia. Alternatively, I am referring to drowning after Calgon takes me away.

LOL

Hello Chris, I just read your piece on the intros thread and like your culinary metaphor regarding light and serious reading. I hope you manage a good balanced diet this year!

@17: Thanks. Genny! I can be a bit of a foodie, so in my brain there's a lot of overlap between food and books in terms of human nourishment and cultural products.

And now my first review of the year...I am starting with the library book that must be returned.

Bright-Sided: How Positive Thinking Is Undermining America is another small, quick book by Barbara Ehrenreich. In 2010, I read Bait and Switch, and she refers to atis book as well as Nickel and Dimed in Bright-Sided. An interesting trivia item: Nickel and Dimed made the American Library Association's top 10 banned books list in 2010 for the following concerns: "drugs, inaccurate, offensive language, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint." I believe that Bait and Switch has also raised the ire of social conservatives for a single sentence referring to Jesus as a drunkard with the communion wine. All of the books are critiques of American cultural and economic practices.

Barbara Ehrenreich's books are a form of investigative journalism. She generally interweaves statistics and other hard data, largely drawn from media sources but occasionally directly from research papers, with sound bites from interviews, and personal narrative based on her own experiences as a result of short-term (a year or less) immersion in the research topic. In the case of Nickel and Dimed, she took various minimum wage jobs and tried to support herself on the income. Bait and Switch describes her attempts to get a white collar job in the private sector. She attended "executive bootcamps" and high-end job fairs and hired consultants to help her with the resume. I read that one after I'd received my own layoff notice from my first significant white collar job. Both of these books challenge capitalism, corporate culture, and the concept of the American meritocracy. Bright-Sided continues in that vein but within the context of larger cultural patterns. I became interested in this most recent book after reading a reprint of "Welcome to Cancerland," an essay that appeared in Harper's Magazine in 2001, which comprises chapter 1 of the book. This was after I had come out the other side of cancer treatment, so I certainly could agree with many of her observations.

Bright-Sided consists of 207 pages of text divided into eight chapters followed by endnotes and acknowledgments. The prose is engaging and easy to follow, with extensive footnotes, if the reader wants to check out her sources. The main premise of the book is that the current worldwide economic recession is largely the product of a form of magical thinking that evolved from the New Thought movement that emerged in reaction to the dourness of Calvinism. In addition to the chapters on positive thinking in the cancer community and the intellectual origins of positive thinking, she describes the motivational speaking industry, the growth of megachurches, the connections to private businesses, and the development of positive psychology research. Positive thinking at its worst can combines the mysticisms of religious revival meetings and New Age magics and pseudoscience by invoking quantum mechanics, the law of attraction, and divine will.

The author has a clear agenda, proposing her thesis and offering a broad array of evidence in support of her arguments. This is not an attempt at "objective" reporting offering "fair and balanced" coverage of the topic. It is very much subjective and passionate, a critique coming from a definite position on the issues. She is very persuasive but I tend to mislike the ad hominem attacks implicit in the descriptions of the people she interviews and classifies as malefactors preying on the gullible. She calls for pragmatism and realism as an antidote to the willful denial of people who refuse to acknowledge much less address real problems and who surround themselves with yes men who will offer only positive affirmations and avoid anyone who might mention anything unpleasant.

However, I believe it is important to try to avoid toxic situations, abusive relationships, and manipulative people as part of self-care, recovery, and long-term health. This necessarily entails following some of the prescriptions of positive thinking. And I am starting to think that there's a lot of that out there in the world, far more than healthy, supportive environments that encourage us to be our best selves and grow into our potential. Plus a lot of people have awful, awful inner voices that try to crush them. Antidepressants are the most prescribed drug in the United States, as mentioned in Bright-Sided. This does seem to be an indication of a systemic problem that affects many, many individuals. Therefore effective solutions need to occur on a larger scale than a single person. The first step is defining the problem. This book is an attempt to do exactly that.

Chris, that was an excellent review of Bright-Sided and I just gave it a thumb. And thank you for the link to Ehrenreich's article in Harper's ("Welcome to Cancerland"). I'm in the middle of breast cancer treatments at the moment and could relate to alot of what she said, especially the cult-like extremes of the support industry. Although I'm happy for all the support available, I am aware that it can get bizarre and delusional at times.

@20: Thank you for the thumbs up, Pat. I hope the treatments are going well, and you're not experiencing too many side effects. My side effects were minimal, and I was able to keep working through a couple years of treatment, but my cancer mentor wasn't nearly as fortunate. Her life pretty much shut down for an extended period, and then she developed significant lymphedema that had profound effects on her quality of life. But everyone is different, and each experience is unique. Tomorrow I am getting my port removed. Good luck to you with your treatment.

With respect to the book and what Barbara Ehrenreich describes, I have certainly seen some of what she talks about. But I haven't immersed myself too deeply in cancer culture, so I think I've avoided some of the worst aspects. And I rarely post on my support list, which is certainly filled with exactly some of the problematic attitudes she highlights. But it's not just patients. my breast surgeon told me today at our meeting that the most important part of my recovery is a positive attitude. I need to not worry myself with numbers like median survival. But hey, I get to pick my own benchmarks, and if that's what I care about then I ignore everyone else's feel-good message. I'll be as optimistic or pessimistic as I want to be at that moment, thank you.

everyone is different, and each experience is unique

As I go through this experience, I realize how true that statement is. It used to madden me in the beginning when the doctors would tell me that in response to my questions about exactly what was going to happen to me (i.e., they couldn't tell me, I'd just have to wait and see).

Before I got breast cancer, I didn't realize how different each person's cancer could be and how differently people reacted to the same treatments. So far things have gone better than I expected (I've had surgery, just finished chemo and am waiting to start radiation) but then I tend to be someone who expects the worst and then is pleasantly surprised.

I did sort of immerse myself in cancer culture in the beginning and found it helpful but then I started to realize how unknowable my situation is, even to my doctors, so sometimes I'm very aware of the disconnect between all the cheeriness and the uncertainty of the future.

I'm sorry your friend has had a hard time but glad to hear your side effects have been minimal.

Thanks for your thoughtful response.

@22: I tend to have a similar mindset--I prefer to be pleasantly surprised. I went through a year of treatment for IBC on my left side and started to return to my usual activities when I was diagnosed with BC on my right side at my first checkup. That was much harder than my initial diagnosis. But I thought that at least I knew everything to expect, having been through it once. Nope. It was new and different, though similar. My friend died last year because her disease metastasized, and she chose not to pursue further treatment. I am still dealing with that, because she had a less advanced disease than mine when she was diagnosed. So it's hard for me to truly believe that I am doing well now. But several clear checkups at this point...

Oh Chris, I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. I didn't realize she had died. And I'm also sorry you've had to deal with two diagnoses relatively close together.

Last July, I found out I had IDC on my right side as well as in the lymph nodes under my arm so I'm a Stage III. My cancer was found at what I expected to be a routine mammogram. I felt great and still do most of the time but often wonder now if I can trust how I feel.

I've gone to the counselor at the hospital I'm being treated at several times and keep hearing that I need to develop a relationship with uncertainty. Well, I've always hated uncertainty. My way of dealing with things is either to find out as much as I can or be in denial. The denial part seems like a bad idea with cancer but knowing more has it's downsides too. I'm expecting to have a lot of ups and downs emotionally thoughout this process.

It's good to know your recent checkups have gone well. I hope your future ones do too.

@24: Thank you for the kind words. Although I am doing well, I'll spend the rest of my life waiting for the other shoe to drop, as it were, but the odds do improve the further each of us gets from the date of diagnosis. And strangely, my feeling is akin to Ronald Reagan's expression, "Trust, but verify." Yes, I am going about my life as if I'll be around for a long time, but I also am making arrangement as if I won't be, to cover all my bases. Certainly, I am much, much less worried about my lack of retirement savings.

It is indeed a rollercoaster process with lots of hilly emotional terrain. Good luck with your own treatment and figuring out how much cancer knowledge helps you cope with the situation. The uncertainty is a little daunting, it's true. I hope you are able to find the support and the sources of information you need as you decide what you want at each step. Take care.

Certainly, I am much, much less worried about my lack of retirement savings.

I got a chuckle out of that. In the silver lining department, I realized the other day, that I probably don't need to worry so much about getting Alzheimer's disease in my old age (something that runs in my family).

And I like your version of "Trust, but verify."

Did you guys ever get any snow in Wisconsin? We totally dodged the storm that just slammed into Colorado and have been having a very dry winter which I'm not complaining about but it is strange.

I'll be looking forward to your future book reviews but I certainly know how hard it can be to keep up with them. I've basically given up on doing them but I'm finding it hard to even keep up with commenting on my books. Partly it's because I'm following so many new threads for 2012 (like yours :)) that always are so much more interesting than updating my own reading.

Have a great weekend!

@26: We've had 3-4 snowfalls this season. The first two were limited and melted away fairly quickly. The last couple have been more substantial, and there's still snow on the ground. The weather's mostly been above freezing for the last week, and most of the snow has disappeared. What's left is largely percolating into the soil rather than running onto pavement and freezing overnight, which makes it a little safer now. Unfortunately, each time I have planned to travel north to visit family, it's been bad weather, and I've cancelled the trip. We're due to try again this month...

Thanks for the interest. Good luck following the many threads, Pat. I always star a bunch, but then quickly fall behind. The only ones I stick with are others like mine that aren't very active. If I get my work done tonight, I'll try to review Among Thieves tomorrow. I'm trying to hold off on reading much so I can cherish a little longer the illusion of catching up on reviews. Plus, I have a lot of work these days, which doesn't leave me much leisure time.

Well, it looks like I've managed to drop out of LT. I'm afraid that working full-time and dealing with ongoing medical concerns, as well as a summer of drama, has left me with little time and energy for such pursuits. My hobbies have dropped away to nothing too.

But here's a quick and easy review:

Taoism by Jennifer Oldstone-Moore is very digestible introduction to this world religion-philosophy originating in China that has millions of adherents. It is the spiritual aspect of tai chi and qigong, which is why I decided to learn a little more. This little glossy book is a very brief overview comprising the chapters "Origins and Historical Development," "aspects of the Divine," "Sacred Texts," "Sacred Persons," "Ethical Principles, "Sacred Space," "Sacred Time," "Death and the Afterlife," and "Society and Religion," along with an introduction, transliterations glossary, bibliography, index, acknowledgments, and picture credits. Each chapter includes photos of one or more art objects or people and places associated with Taoism and translations of brief passages from Taoist literature and accompanying commentary. The book describes key historical and mythical figures; important sites, festivals, and rituals; the roles of spiritual leaders; the influences and connections with other traditions, including folk religions, Buddhism, and Confucianism; the key concepts, including ch'i, yin, and yang; and so on. This book appears to be a good place to start, if one wants to learn more about this tradition and Chinese culture in general.

Sorry to hear the medical problems are still with you, and too bad about the drama, but the full-time job is hopefully going well. We miss you.

@29: Thank you, Roni. The medical stuff isn't serious, just ongoing and complicated. I got my port out in the spring because it wasn't working anymore. Turns out the catheter had broken off and gotten lodged in my heart. But then I got diagnosed with hereditary hemochromatosis, and the best treatment is regular phlebotomy. Well, thanks to the bilateral lymphedema in my arms, I don't even get blood pressure measured there, so needle-sticks are right out. In went a new port a couple of weeks ago, so they could start taking out pints of blood to improve my iron stats. And the lymphedema has been an issue for over a year now, and only recently has there been any sign of improvement. Plus IBS flare-ups and some insomnia. In other words, I now have a tangle of interlocking chronic health conditions. But hey, no cancer at the moment. It's meant an endless series of appointments with various specialists and complementary medicine practitioners. And fatigue and subclinical symptoms that sap my resources.

The good news is that none of the drama is mine or my partner's. The bad news is that it's a symptom of larger systemic problems, largely economic, that ripple through various communities that intersect our lives. It's been a bunch of hospitalizations, funerals, job losses, foreclosures, relocations, etc. We've tried to provide what support we can, but we're both running on empty. And it means that we haven't dealt with much of our own business for most of the year, so frustration on top of fatigue. Oh well, we do the best we can.

The job is going great. I love it, and it pays me really well. For the first time, unlike pretty much everyone we know, we have very few money worries. So that is a huge stress that I am not dealing with, and I am profoundly thankful. Plus, it's a five-year contract, so I have at least short-term job security. My first performance evaluation went swimmingly. I love going to work every day. And I feel like what I do contributes to the greater good while suiting my skills and temperament. It's all good. The only frustration is how much time I've missed because of appointments and occasionally feeling poorly. It makes it hard to move ahead with projects. I am mostly just managing to handle the routine tasks but not much more. Hopefully, next year will be better.

I hope that you're enjoying retirement. I miss interacting with all of you too. I keep meaning to drop over to the 75 group to see what the Halloween reads are this year. It was great to hear from you so quickly after my post.

After looking up the 4 and 6 syllable words, I think I now have a pretty good idea of what you've been coping with. And I'm glad you went into the detail, as I'd have no idea otherwise! Sorry about the constant sapping of your energy and the drag that all the appointments make both at home and at work. But, as you say, still cancer-free and life is good. I am delighted that work is going so well for you--that can balance a lot, and that none of the drama is directly in your home, so you have a little distance.

I am indeed enjoying retirement. I need to exercise more and eat less--but that is nothing new. We are heading off on a 10 day trip to the Northwest midweek, so I've been busy packing and making arrangements. Good stuff!

Again, stay in touch when you can, please!

Gosh Chris - that does sound like a heck of a lot to deal with. I'm glad things are going well on the job front and financially. We miss you but understand that LT is not necessarily something you have the time or energy for at the moment. Hoping 2013 is a better year for you!

Hi Chris, I had missed you all these months but assumed what you said was happening- a lot of problems piling up on you. It's good to know that at least on the financial side you are doing well and that you enjoy the job- that's critical and very important. I don't know what I'd do if I had a job that I disliked. Fortunately for me, every job I had both teaching and in business, I have enjoyed. Naturally, it's not 100% everyday happy time, but enough to look forward to going to work when I get up in the morning.
I decided to hang the towel next year-- my time has come and announced at the company my retirement at the beginning of April. They are looking for a replacement that I hope they can find soon so I can just rest the next few months. Meanwhile I keep working, and enjoying it still. Next week I go to China for about a week, to my wife's regret who does not like to be left alone. But this is the last time that I can take a trip to China on the company card. Afterwards it'll be my money so the trips will probably be more frugal!
Again, let me know if you are ever around the Sheboygan area so we can get together. If you come next year after April, you'll probably see me in the front porch sitting in my rocking chair drinking a glass of wine.

@32: Heather, thank you so much for the good wishes and for stopping by this so very inactive thread of mine.

@33: Congratulations on the impending retirement, and I hope you have a fabulous time in China. I have not forgotten the promised visit to Sheboygan. After so much travelling to deal with crises in the spring and early summer, I put a moratorium on leaving town, which has helped. So I just haven't gone north for purely social reasons. One would think with the impending holidays that the visit would be looming, but I have decided to stay home for Thanksgiving, and we'll be travelling to New York by train for Christmas. However, I know that I will need to see my family once between now and February. I'll let you know when we figure that out. We have another burst of travel right now, which means I really don't want to deal with planning anything else for awhile. The present I so carefully wrapped a year ago is still waiting to be delivered to you. It will happen. Maybe even before you retire.

Glitterfy.com - Christmas Glitter Graphics

I want to wish you a glorious celebration of that time of year when we all try to unite around a desire for Peace on Earth and Good Will Toward All. Merry Christmas, Chris!