klobrien2 (Karen O.) Reads a Ton of Books in 2012 (page one)

Well, I'm late to the party, but I'm glad to be here! 2011 was an excellent reading year for me, due in no small part to my participation in this group. I know 2012 will be even better!

Karen O.

I like to start off a thread with a picture, so here is a picture of our new kittens, Phyllis and Lillian (Phyll and Lil, for any of you "Rugrats" fans). They were about two months old here; now they are five months old. They are a little blurry, but the cats are usually in motion--here they are playing with a red string.



This will be my fourth year participating in the 75 Books Challenge. In 2009, I read 94 books; in 2010, I made it to 148!); and I made it to 153 in 2011.

I'm also learning from the past, and I don't think I'll set any specific goals as to which books I will read--I have more fun just taking it as it comes. I am, however, trying to accomplish reads for the "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die" project, so that may guide my reading a little. What directs my reading more are my friends here on LT, so keep those recommendations coming!

Here's a ticker to keep track of my 2012 reads:




I am trying to read more books from "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die." Here's a ticker to keep track of my progress there:




Here's where I'll list the books I read, starting with:

1. The Necromancer: The Secrets of the the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott (book 4 in the series)
2. Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson - 12
3. The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley (ILL) - 15
4. Creepiosity: A Hilarious Guide to the Unintentionally Creepy by David Bickel (ILL) - 16
5. Beloved by Toni Morrison (Book 152 of 1001) - 25
6. Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr. - 28
7. The Art of Reading: Forty Illustrators Celebrate RIF's 40th Anniversary by Reading is Fundamental - 36
8. Firefly Gadroon: A Lovejoy Novel of Suspense by Jonathan Gash (Book #6) (ILL) - 38
9. No One Noticed the Cat by Anne McCaffrey - 38
10. Blue Chicken by Deborah Freedman by Deborah Freedman - 40
11. When Pigasso Met Mootisse by Nina Laden - 40
12. I, Crocodile by Fred Marcellino - 40
13. Cain by Jose Saramago - 41
14. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (reread) - 42
15. Aurora Consurgens (attributed to Thomas Aquinas) (ILL) - 42
16. The Warlock: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott (Book 5 of the series) - 47
17. Zheng He: Tracing the Epic Voyages of China's Greatest Explorer by Michael Yamashita (ILL) - 48
18. The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje - 49
19. Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick - 50
20. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - 56
21. The Sleepers of Erin: A Lovejoy Novel of Suspense by Jonathan Gash (Book #6) (ILL) - 58
22. Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx - 61
23. The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht - 62
24. Minneapolis Institute of Arts: Handbook of the Collection by MIA - 63
25. The Scarecrow of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Book #9) - 64
26. The Dog Who Came in from the Cold by Alexander McCall Smith - 65
27. The Wayward Bus by John Steinbeck - 66
28. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness - 67
29. Felting: The Complete Guide by Jane Davis - 74
30. In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming - 74
31. The Cat Who Cried for Help: Attitudes, Emotions, and the Psychology of Cats by Nicholas Dodman - 74
32. A Fountain Filled with Blood by Julia Spencer-Fleming - 75
33. Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James - 76
34. Out of the Deep I Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming - 82
35. The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman - 83
36. To Darkness and to Death by Julia Spencer-Fleming - 84
37. All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming - 84
38. The Gondola Scam by Jonathan Gash (Book #7) (ILL) - 88
39. The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck - 89
40. I Shall Not Want by Julia Spencer-Fleming - 90
41. Castle: Richard Castle's Deadly Storm by Brian Michael Bendis - 91
42. God's Philosophers: How the Medieval World Laid the Foundations of Modern Science by James Hannam (ILL) - 92
43. One Was a Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming - 93
44. The Unquiet Bones by Melvin Starr (ILL) - 94
45. Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton - 95
46. The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy by Mark Logue and Peter Conradi - 107
47. Is Sex Necessary? or, Why You Feel the Way You Do by James Thurber and E.B. White (ILL) - 108
48. Storm Front by Jim Butcher - 111
49. The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan - 120
50. The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck - 121
51. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken - 122
52. The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith - 124
53. Heat Rises by Richard Castle - 128
54. The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier - 131
55. Rinkitink in Oz by L. Frank Baum (#10 of 14) - 134
56. Storm Front Vol. 1 The Gathering Storm by Jim Butcher - 135
57. A Corpse at St. Andrew's Chapel: The Second Chronicle of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon by Mel Starr (ILL) - 136
58. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters - 139
59. Storm Front Vol. 2 Maelstrom by Jim Butcher - 139
60. A History of Witchcraft in England from 1558-1718 by Wallace Notestein (ILL) - 144
61. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (book 153 of 1001) - 145
62. We by Yevgeny Zamyatin (book 154 of 1001) - 150
63. The Discworld Graphic Novels (The Colour of Magic & The Light Fantastic) by Terry Pratchett, adapted by Scott Rockwell - 150
64. Confessions of a Pagan Nun: A Novel by Kate Horsley - 151
65. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson - 152
66. Revelations: Visions, Prophecy and Politics in the Book of Revelations by Elaine Pagels - 153
67. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness - 157
68. A Trail of Ink: The Third Chronicle of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon by Melvin R. Starr (ILL) - 158
69. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling - 159
70. The Pirates! Band of Misfits by Gideon Defoe (ILL) - 160
71. The Walking Dead, Vol. 14: No Way Out by Robert Kirkman - 161
72. The Walking Dead, Vol. 15: We Find Ourselves by Robert Kirkman - 161
73. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett - 162
74. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck - 163
75. Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes (book 155 of 1001) - 168

Here's my last thread from last year: http://www.librarything.com/topic/122919

Luxx has lists of books read in the prior years! I want to do that! I will list them here when I have them organized:

My 2003 "Books Read" list (casually kept, and probably incomplete): http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2003-reading-list.html
My 2004 "Books Read" list (see above caveats: things get better!):
http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2004-reading-list.html
My 2005 "Books Read" list (most pathetic list yet): http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2005-reading-list.html
My 2006 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2006-reading-list.htm
My 2007 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2007-reading-list.html
My 2008 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2008-reading-list.html
My 2009 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2009-reading-list.html
My 2010 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2010-reading-list.html

Welcome back!

Hey, Karen! Glad to see you back with us again!

Good to see you here :)

Starred you again. Happy Reading!

Hi Karen -- I look forward to following your reading again this year!

Hi Karen, I starred you. Happy reading!

Oh, good, glad to see responses! I will get organized and be back with you!

1. The Necromancer: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott

Book 4 of the series, and I am really enjoying these young adult reads. Now that the basic characters are established, the author seems to have fun introducing new lesser characters and challenges. The book's action all happens within a compact timeframe (a few days), but we are made aware of events of the past hundreds, thousands of years, and even before that.

Hi Karen! :)

Hi, Stephen! How nice to see you here! I'm a little slow in getting back into the reading thing, but I'll catch up. How many 2012 threads do you have now? Three? Four? 8>) Thanks again for stopping by to say "hi"!

Hehe, only 2...for now. :P

2. Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson

I feel a little foolish by including this in my count, but a book is a book, and everything seems to balance out in the end.

I loved this sweet little story of a kid's imaginary trip and return home. This will be a good one for my soon-to-be-here grandson (it's just a matter of days, now!)

Welcome back Karen - such cute kitties!

Thanks, soulofthe rose, they are cute, aren't they?! They're 3 months older now, so are looking more like cats and less kittenish. Still cute!



3. The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley

Loved this book, a follow-up to Parnassus on Wheels, which I also loved; I love it more for its musings on books and bookselling, and less for the mystery plot that makes up most of the second part of the book.

We find out where this bookshop got its name--"That's why I called this place the Haunted Bookshop. Haunted by the ghosts of the books I haven't read. Poor uneasy spirits, they walk and walk around me. There's only one way to lay the ghost of a book, and that is to read it."

The author describes the species of "bibliomaniac," who haunt a Philadelphia bookstore: "They seemed normal enough from behind, but in their eyes he detected the wild, peering glitter of the bibliomaniac."

A quote of Don Marquis (the bookshop owner is very fond of this poet's writings): "An idea isn't always to be blamed for the people who believe in it."

There are so many great phrasings and terms that I want to note! Terms like "book morality" and "biblio-bliss" and "in the name of Gutenberg" (used as an oath). The book has a strong anti-war bent to it, which I find refreshing.

The main character, the owner of the bookshop and bookseller extraordinaire, on war and peace: "Sometimes I used to feel as I think that truly noble simpleton Henry Ford may have felt when he organized his peace voyage--that I would do anything, however stupid, to stop it all. In a world where everyone was so wise and cynical and cruel, it was admirable to find a man so utterly simple and hopeful as Henry. A boob, they called him. Well, I say bravo for boobs! I daresay most of the apostles were boobs--or maybe they called them bolsheviks."

On single-loyalty patriotism: "That's the terrible hypnotism of war, the brute mass-impulse, the pride and national spirit, the instinctive simplicity of men that makes them worship what is their own above everything else. I've thrilled and shouted with patriotic pride, like everyone. Music and flags and men marching in step have bewitched me, as they do all of us. And then I've gone home and sworn to root this evil instinct out of my soul. God help us--let's love the world, love humanity--not just our own country!"

Last quotation, I promise! The following was posted on the bookshop walls, and I thought it would be wonderful as a bookplate in lent-out books:

ON THE RETURN OF A BOOK LENT TO A FRIEND

I GIVE humble and hearty thanks for the safe return of this book which having endured the perils of my friend's bookcase, and the bookcases of my friend's friends, now returns to me in reasonably good condition.

I GIVE humble and hearty thanks that my friend did not see fit to give this book to his infant as a plaything, nor use it as an ash-tray for his burning cigar, nor as a teething-ring for his mastiff.

WHEN I lent this book I deemed it as lost; I was resigned to the bitterness of the long parting; I never thought to look upon its pages again.

BUT NOW that my book is come back to me, I rejoice and am exceeding glad! Bring hither the fatted morocco and let us rebind the volume and set it on the shelf of honour; for this my book was lost, and is returned again.

PRESENTLY, therefore, I may return some of the books that I myself have borrowed.

4. Creepiosity: A Hilarious Guide to the Unintentionally Creepy by David Bickel

This was a very funny, clever book, and I might get my own copy (I had to ILL this one) to have on hand to dip into again. My fellow 75-booker, pbadeer, recommended this book, and I am very grateful for the recommendation. It really was laugh-out-loud funny for me (luckily, I was alone when I was reading).

There is even an index! I couldn't figure out the order at first (NOT alphabetic, NOT page order)--it's in order by the author's assigned "Creepiosity Index."

Pinpointing the Creepiosity Index is not easy task. To get an accurate number, my team will take a group of several dozen "volunteers" and strap them to a special sensory device (which, ironically, is pretty creepy in and of itself). A picture of the subject in question is projected on a screen in front of them, and then we implement this formula:

X x Y = Z + (0.10C)

X = The measurement of how many hairs per square inch stand up on their necks

Y = The number of times they wince at said pictures.

C = Add 10 percent if there's a clown involved.

And they say creepiology isn't a science. Pish posh!

What interesting books you've been reading!

Well, they certainly are diverse (and probably a little fluffy!) I have some meatier things currently in the soup (ooh, soup sounds good!)

After I'd named my thread ("reads a ton of books in 2012"), I thought it might be interested to weigh the books as I read them and see how quickly the total weight amasses. I swear, some of these chunksters will break your wrists after a while!

Thanks for stopping in, dk_phoenix!

Creepiosity is SOOOO right up my alley. In fact, I'm pretty certain I should be featured in the book. :D

Adding Creepiosity to my wishlist - looks like a lot of fun!

Hi Karen, I just found your thread and have starred it. Congratulations on your soon-to-arrive grandson - has he made his appearance yet? Looking forward to following your reading again this year.

No grandbaby yet! Arrrghh! Actually, I'm sure my daughter and son-in-law are even more anxious for him to show up. My husband went shopping for some baby clothes to bring with when we visit, and he did a great job--cute, cute, cute. And functional!

Creepiosity is a treat--reads very quickly, with lots of giggles. Ape and scaifea, I hope you like the book as much as pbadeer and I did!

It's your thread where I always find the most hilarious, laugh-out loud funny books. Don't get me wrong, I got a couple of great recommendations from you in different genres, but The Gallery of Regrettable Food alone has helped me through more than one crisis in the last year. And I also fondly remember Sh*t my Dad Says.
So I just got my test chapter of Creepiosity, I might make it one of my TA books.

Hi, Deern--I'm lucky because I get the recommendations for the LOL funny books from other LTers! What a great source for all kinds of reading.

Thanks for stopping by and chatting!

Ooh, grandson news! He's here! Daughter and son-in-law are up in Duluth, and we're in St. Paul and frozen tundra separates us, but we were up to visit yesterday (Riordan was born the day before). What a cutey! I'll post a picture (well, I'll probably post a few), but everyone is doing fine (phew!)

5. Beloved by Toni Morrison

A strange, affecting novel about slavery, the end of slavery, and the effects that remained and challenged the victims afterwards. There is some brutal inhumanity, but there are some lovely episodes, as well.

It took me a while to get through this not-that-long book; it's beautifully written; in fact, quite a bit is poetical and haunting. But I finished, and I'm glad that I read it.

Congratulations on your new grandson. Glad to hear all are well.

Picture time! I warned you!!

This is Riordan Murphy Bahls, my brand-new grandson. He's a tiny little guy now, but I'm sure he'll catch up to the big kids in short order. He's my daughter and son-in-law's first, as well as the first grandchild on either side. Will this kid be loved, or what?!

I think he's yawning here, or maybe just finding his mouth.



Here I am, holding him. He's just perfect!



Here he is, just got home from the hospital. Don't you love that little hat?!

6. Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr.

What an eloquent, magnificent piece of writing this is! Thanks to those who added this to TIOLI challenge 1 for this month--I'm so glad to share this read.

CUTE BABY AWWWWW!!! :D

OMG what a cute baby! Congratulations Karen, that's wonderful news! :-)

Congratulations on the new grandbaby!

Oh, congrats! He's beautiful!

There's nothing like holding that grandbaby in your arms for the first time! Enjoy your new (and gorgeous) grandson.

What wonderful photos! Such a little darling -- congratulations! I intended to comment that I had requested Creepiosity but got distracted by the wonderfully cute and sweet. Enjoy!

Boy, if there's one thing that LT-ers can't resist, it's pictures of babies...or cats...or dogs. Thank you all for you sweet words, and I'll try to restrain the baby-pic-posting.

7. The Art of Reading: Forty Illustrators Celebrate RIF's 40th Anniversary by Reading is Fundamental, with a foreword by Leonard S. Marcus

What a great book! I've been reading more childrens' books, and this book is kind of an index of great kid's books' illustrators. And it has history! Each contributor describes a book that was important to her or him in childhood, and then creates an illustration of that book.

I think it was Smiler (Ilana) who posted about this book, and I am very grateful to her for the recommendation. This was a very entertaining, beautiful, and informative book.

One of the artists, Susan Jeffers, closed her section with a lovely statement of what reading means to her:

What I am always looking for in a story is whether it moves me, changes my view of the world, or simply makes me laugh. I believe, at their best, art and literature encourage our inner growth, offer a resting place for us, and help us become whole. Reading is the key.

Congratulations on the grandbaby - and your interesting reading so far!

8. The Firefly Gadroon by Jonathan Gash

Another clever, though dated and very "British" Lovejoy novel. The author just blows me away with some of his phrasings:

Wainwright's our local lord of the manor, a cheery, beery bloke I'm rather fond of. He's famous for doing the exact opposite of what the government says. 'Can't go far wrong doing what they tell you not to,' he often remarks in the pub when people ask what he's playing at.

When he's in deep trouble, friends show up to come to his aid: "My allies had pluralled."

When Lovejoy accomplishes a difficult silversmithing job, his assistant is jubilant. "Drummer'll be smiling all over his face, Gawd rest him." Smiling all over his face. I love it.

This is the sixth book in the series--I think I have quite a few left to enjoy!



9. No One Noticed the Cat by Anne McCaffrey

I read this on Smiler's recommendation, for the TIOLI challenge. A short but sweet fantasy involving politics, love, mayhem, and murder between kingdoms. I'd read McCaffrey's dragon books, but this was something new for me. Really liked it!

Congratulations on the grandbaby Karen!

#38 I tried one of Mccaffrey's dragonrider novels for the first time last month and I've seen a lot of people enjoyed No One Noticed the Cat so I'll probably try that one too at some point.

10. Blue Chicken by Deborah Freedman
11. When Pigasso Met Mootisse by Nina Laden
12. I, Crocodile by Fred Marcellino

Three children's books, read with joy and laughter. Where were books like this when I was growing up? I hesitated to include them in my book count, but a book is a book. I'm currently rereading a 600-pager, so they all balance out.

13. Cain by Jose Saramago

I thoroughly enjoyed this magical realist "walk through the Old Testament" and I'm sure I'll be rereading it (probably soon).

This was Saramago's last book, and it is the first of his books that I've read. I just loved it. The author starts with the character of Cain, who, according to the Old Testament account, killed his brother Abel when Abel the hunter was more successful in pleasing God than Cain (a farmer). But the story doesn't end with the accepted account of Cain's story. Cain begins to move forward and backward in time, and we meet other characters from the OT and Cain actually is involved in a lot of the traditional stories.

For reasons it is not in our power to explain, mere repeaters as we are of ancient stories, constantly wavering between the most ingenuous credulity and the most resolute skepticism, cain found himself plunged into what we can, without exaggeration, call a tempest, a calendrical cyclone, a temporal hurricane.

And Cain gathers evidence for exactly how unlovable the God of the OT is.

The book reads kind of like a Pilgrim's Progress, or even Don Quixote (the lovely English translation of the Spanish original refers to an ass that Cain rides as a "rocinante"). There is quite a bit of really smart, funny writing. And the style of mostly-everything-in-lowercase, with no dialogue marked, is not as hard to read as you might think it will be.

I gave this one five stars--an excellent read.

Some high points of the book for me:

Then one day, the future decided that it was about time it put in an appearance.

You really are a good samaritan, said cain. A samaritan, asked the overseer, intrigued, what's that, You know, I'm not sure, the word just came out, I don't know what it means either, You obviously have more things in your head than one would think to look at you.

Yes, you read correctly, the lord ordered abraham to sacrifice his own son, and he did so as naturally as if he were asking for a glass of water to slake his thirst, which means it was a deep-seated habit of his. The logical, natural and simply human response would have been for abraham to tell the lord to piss off, but that isn't what happened.

The history of mankind is the history of our misunderstandings with god, for he doesn't understand us, and we don't understand him.

14. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

This was a reread of the book for me, and one that took place very soon after my first read, but I like this book so much. I intended just to refresh my memory for my run through Aurora Consurgens, a work that is referenced in the Harkness book, but once I got started, I didn't want to stop. And it felt great. I am so looking forward to reading the next volume in the series (due out this year).



15. Aurora Consurgens: A Document Attributed to Thomas Aquinas on the Problem of Opposites in Alchemy by Marie-Louise Von Franz

Now, you must know that I didn't read this from cover to cover (for one thing, the verso page of the text itself is in Latin). But I did dip through all of it, and read the actual translated text and much of the explanatory chapters to a large extent. The chapters dealing with Thomas Aquinas (was he the author?) and the ideas of alchemy I found terrifically interesting, especially to see the intersection between A Discovery of Witches and this scholarly text. I think I will do more reading on alchemy, especially on the study of alchemy as a transition phase between the worlds of religion-based and rationally-based thought. I might find myself way over my head, but the history of the thing is pretty interesting.

Hi Karen, re #40 above, I totally agree with you that there seems to be so many good children's books today, something for everyone. I hope it helps to make future readers!

#41 Cain sounds interesting, thanks Karen.

#41 I read my first Saramago: The Gospel according to Jesus Christ, last year, and also really enjoyed it. There's a similar theme, with God the father cast somewhat in the role of a demanding and violent being inexorably ensuring his will is carried out - it's a thought-provoking and imaginative re-working a familiar bit of the New Testament which raises all kinds of awkward and interesting questions.

I'm certainly curious to read Cain and some of his other works too.

Hi, DeltaQueen and souloftherose! Thanks for stopping by.

gennyt, I'll look for that Saramago next, I think (The Gospel According to Jesus Christ). Saramago seems like a sincere seeker of truth, but he's not adverse to seeing the humor in it, either. Thanks for the recommendation! I think you'd like Cain.

16. The Warlock: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott

This series will have six books in total, and The Warlock is the fifth book. Each book has gotten twistier in plot, and the cast of characters has grown and grown. I loved the ending in this one--I really didn't see it coming. Tension is building, and I'm looking forward to reading the resolving, final book.

This is a YA book; it's fun, but not deep. I gave it 3-1/2 stars.

17. Zheng He: Tracing the Epic Voyages of China's Greatest Explorer by Michael Yamashita

What a wonderful book! Citizenjoyce put me onto this one (thank you!), as part of last month's TIOLI challenge to read a book about China. This is a huge book, in all dimensions, and it's full of interesting information and glorious photographs of people, places, and things that the great organizer, Zheng He, encountered in the voyages he undertook in the early 15th century CE. Although the focus of the book is the photographs, the written portions are very informative and give structure to the book without weighing it down. Good book! I gave it 4-1/2 stars.

18. The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje

I read this book as a download from my local library: I prefer books made of paper, but this one became available to me in bits and bytes first, so I went with the flow.

I really liked the book. I can very easily visualize rereading this one. It is not a long book, and it is structured as a series of short chapters, with unusual formats every so often to break up the uniformity. For example, the narrator keeps track of conversations that he overhears onboard the ship taking him from Sri Lanka to England, and every once in a while, they are listed for the reader.

This is a story about a journey (of course), but about friendship, children and parents, love, and death. I thought it was very well written, and I very much enjoyed reading it.

Here is one of my favorite passages. Invernio is in charge of the dogs being kenneled on the voyage, and this is a description of Invernion and one special dog:

Invernio yelled, and the dog charged towards him in a slim gallop, and when two yards from him leapt for his head. All four paws simultaneously landed on Inverio's shoulders and chest, hard enough that the kennel keeper fell back, the dog overpowering him with scrabbling claws and loud barking.

Invernio struggled to get on top of the animal and growled into the dog's ear. Then he started kissing the dog, which responded like a woman who loved the kisser but did not want to be kissed. They rolled over each other several times. It took only a second to recognize the affection. Both of them were clearly besotted with each other. They bared their teeth. They laughed and barked.

19. Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

I was bowled over by The Invention of Hugo Cabret and now, also very impressed with Selznick's second book. I love the combination of writing and drawing, and I think that Selznick did a spectacular job with the plot and with the research to present the plot. I often found my eyes damp with tears, but was completely involved in the action (even though sad things happen, life goes on). Although this is a kid's book, this adult (well, in chronological terms, anyway) found plenty of "grownup" concepts: like love, dealing with loss, dealing with disability.

Selznick quotes Oscar Wilde early on: "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." I love this!

I love this passage from the book:

He wishes that he was with his mom in her library, where everything was safe and numbered and organized by the Dewey decimal system. That way you'd be able to find whatever you were looking for, like the meaning of your dream, or your dad.

#46 I hope you enjoy your next Saramago. I also want to try The Elephant's Journey which several people have recently enjoyed - but I'm not in a hurry to get to Blindness which most people seem to have disliked intensely.

I also would like to read The Cat's Table - I've read the English Patient and Anil's Ghost so far. Have you read others by Ondaatje?

Hi, gennyt!

No, this was my first Ondaatje, but maybe I'll try The English Patient next.

So many books, so little time, right?

Thanks for chatting!

"So many books, so little time, right?" - True indeed. I'm off to a fairly slow start with reading this year for some reason - I think stress at work making it hard for me to focus and relax into a book. So the ratio of time to books seems even worse at present.

Ren, your thread is a dangerous place for me!.

I am putting Cain & Discovery of Witches on my to read pile. I'd add Zheng He, but my public library doesn't own it, and I refuse to go look for it. Thankfully, I've read Cat's Table & Selznick's books are already on my list, or I'd be in big trouble!

I read and loved Saramago's Gospel according to Jesus Christ last year; hope you enjoy it when you get to it.

#51 Genny I would declare myself as one of those that really enjoyed Blindness, although perhaps enjoyed isn't the word. Yes, it was ugly, brutal and dark, but if that is a thing you are able to cope with, it has things to offer.

However, I can certainly understand how most people dislike it. It isn't for everyone.

20. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I finished this book yesterday, and I'm still feeling the sense of mystery and wonder that I felt while reading it. I found it a beautifully written, compelling read. While the circus is the star of the book, the relationship of the two main protagonists was wonderful. I will definitely consider reading this again, and I give it a strong recommendation.

She ran out of space for her library some time ago, but instead of making the room larger she has opted to let the books become the room. Piles of them function as tables, others hang suspended from the ceiling, along with large golden cages holding several live white doves.

Old stories have a habit of being told and retold and changed. Each subsequent storyteller puts his or her mark upon it. Whatever truth the story once had is buried in bias and embellishment. The reasons do not matter as much as the story itself.

The heart of the tale and the ideas behind it are simple. Time has altered and condensed their nuances, made them more than story, greater than the sums of their parts. But that requires time. The truest tales require time and familiarity to become what they are.

#56 Another strong recommendation - I really must get round to this one!

#55 I'm not ruling out reading Blindness - I'm quite intrigued by the strong reactions against it, but I think I will read others of Saramago first.

21. The Sleepers of Erin by Jonathan Gash

Another fun Lovejoy novel, this one set for the most part in Ireland. My favorite parts of the books have to do with the insights into local culture, history, and antiques; my least favorite parts to do with Lovejoy's womanizing and, really, misogyny. Oh, well, after all the books are 30-some years old. I keep hoping to see some enlightenment as I proceed through the series. But the author does have a real gift with words, and the books are a little vacation for my brain.

Wow -- great reading lately, Karen! Is it possible for a list to burst? My wish list has grown by leaps and bounds just on this thread :)

Hi, AMQS! No, I don't think a to-be-read list can burst (or I'd be in big trouble!) I'm glad that you are finding books to read--I have gotten so many recommendations from you, I know!

22. Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx

I found this little book, a reprint of the short story, on a cart that I was shelving at the library (it's a constant challenge to not take more home). I haven't seen the movie, but certainly had caught on to the cultural prominance of it.

I thought the story was very well-written, although I had to slow down during passages of dialogue that were written as the characters would speak. I was impressed by how real the characters seemed, and how evocative the story was. I don't know that I would call this a love story, but the author made me feel for the characters, and to want to understand them. This was a very good, quick read.

23. The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht

I read this for TIOLI (there was a blurb from Obreht on The Night Circus). I had a difficult time reading through this; it just didn't catch my interest. But I had rented a copy of the book from my library, and I didn't want the money to go to waste, so I finished the book.

I did find a few passages that I liked; in this first one, the author is describing a house that has seen better days: "The place looked leftover but not defeated."

Describing a character who has had issues to deal with: "Luka was the sixth son of a seventh son, born just shy of being blessed, and this almost luck sat at his shoulders all his life."

24. Minneapolis Institute of Arts: Handbook of the Collection by Minneapolis Institute of Arts

(The image is of one of Vincent van Gogh's Olive Trees; it is used on the book's cover, but the bookcover was not available for capture).

I lucked into this book at a garage sale. It's a treasure trove of the collection at the MIA, providing a tasty sampling of the collections. Each of the items presented is fully described, and makes for some very interesting and educational reading.

Here's one of my favorites from the book: Peace Concluded, by Sir John Everett Millais (celebrating the end of the Crimean War):

25. The Scarecrow of Oz by L. Frank Baum

This is the ninth "Oz" book, and it was a charmer. Most of the action took place outside of Oz, but several of the characters previously met by readers are back. The Books of Wonder series are just wonderful--they recreate the originals, illustrations and all.

26. The Dog Who Came in from the Cold by Alexander McCall Smith

This book continues the "Corduroy Mansions" series, and it is a pleasant, fun read. The author is quite prolific, and he has several series of books going; the "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" is one of my favorites.

The "Corduroy Mansions" series is set in London, with a good cast of characters, including the dog referenced in the title. The book structure is straightforward (short, succinct chapters, reading quite a bit like a serialized novel).

Here is one of my favorite spots in the book: Gillian has had a misunderstanding with a friend, and is talking about it with Basil:

Later, she had mentioned the disagreement to Basil, who had listened intently to her, and then sighed. "People don't understand," he said. "And of those who do not understand, there are some who do not understand because they will not understand."

Gillian agreed with this wholeheartedly. "But at least we understand," she said. "That is understood, I think."

Here's another one:

Americans do not mince their words--it is one of their great qualities, and indeed one of the great causes of misunderstanding between the United States and the United Kingdom, where words are regularly minced so finely as to be virtually unintelligible.

27. The Wayward Bus by John Steinbeck

I read this to participate in the year-long Steinbeckathon. I hadn't even heard of the book before encountering it in that challenge--another point for LibraryThing!

I enjoyed this novel a lot. Steinbeck excels at describing people and places, evoking sense of place so that you feel as if you are there. This novel seemed very movie-like and visual. I also noticed that the times that Steinbeck presents here seemed so like our own times; the post-war return of soldiers, the years of economic downturn, the divisions of "haves" and "have-nots."

I'd recommend this (I gave it four stars), and I'm really looking forward to The Winter of Our Discontent (March's Steinbeckathon read).

28. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

This is an amazing book. Thanks to all of the 75-bookers who recommended it (alcottacre, deern, etc.).

The book is a wonderful collaboration between the late Siobhan Dowd (who had the idea), Patrick Ness (who wrote the book), and illustrator Jim Kay. The illustrations are amazing and work so well to illuminate the writing. The book blurb states that Kay's images "use everything from beetles to breadboards to create interesting marks and textures." They are unlike anything I've seen before, but are just perfect for this book.

I'm still ruminating over the book, and my very emotional reaction to its reading. It was a very cathartic experience, and I feel like I will seek this book out again if I need to deal with feelings of loss or grief.

Here are some of my favorite passages from the book:

Stories are the wildest things of all, the monster rumbled. Stories chase and bite and hunt.

The nightmare feeling was rising in him, turning everything around him to darkness, making everything seem heavy and impossible, like he'd been asked to lift a mountain with his bare hands and no one would let him leave until he did.

You do not write your life with words, the monster said. You write it with actions. What you think is not important. It is only important what you do.

Definitely a 5-star read for me.

A Monster Calls sounds too interesting a read for me to ignore, I will start hunting for a copy.

Hmmm, I wasn't aware there was an on-going Steinbeck-a-thon but I sort of rediscovered him last year and loved all the books I read by him. I've been meaning to get to the chunkier novels (Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden) but haven't gotten around to them yet. He also has some King Arthur translations I really want to get around to. I checked the book out once from the library but didn't get to read it before it was due. :(

#67 So glad you enjoyed that one Karen.

Hi Karen, I'm playing catch-up on the threads today. I.m glad that you enjoyed The Night Circus, it was one of my best reads last year.

A Monster Calls is receiving rave reviews from everyone who has read it - that means I need to push it up the wish list.

The last quote is something I should write down and carry with me. "Monster" was a truly memorable read for me, "cathartic experience" describes it perfectly.
I have the audio book, so didn't know about the illustrations. I'll now put the paper version on my WL. It's a book I want to have on my shelf, with the possibility to mark and reread certain passages.

72: Deern: Omigosh, Deern, the illustrations are wonderful. But now I'm taken with the idea of listening to the book--I bet that was something, too! Maybe this is a book that excels in multiple formats.

71: Deltaqueen50: I loved Night Circus, and it has stayed with me, like the memory of a dream (hope I don't sound too starry-eyed there, but there was a lot of magic.)

70: Hi, souloftherose! Yes, A Monster Calls was something special.

69: Ape: Here is the main thread for the Steinbeck-a-thon: http://www.librarything.com/topic/130105

This month the group is reading The Winter of Our Discontent. Last month, was The Wayward Bus. I'd never even heard of that one, so this has been a real learning experience for me.

68: Piyush: My library has A Monster Calls as a Young Adult book--it can be read quickly, or you can spend more time on the illustrations. I hope you read it and love it as much as I did (and as did some of my reading heroes here at LT).

Thank you all for stopping by and posting! It made my day to see your posts!

29. Felting: The Complete Guide by Jane Davis

This is a great introduction to felting (using the propensity of wool fibers to bind together to create design, structure, and solidity). Beautiful book, with many projects, at different levels of expertise. I especially loved the amazing felt faces and felt toys!



30. In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Darn whoever put this in the TIOLI for March! (jk) I loved this series the first time and had been thinking about reading it again. I loved it just as much the second time around.



31. The Cat Who Cried for Help: Attitudes, Emotions, and the Psychology of Cats by Nicholas Dodman

Interesting peek into the minds of cats and their owners. We have four of the critters, and have had many cats over the years, so some of this was very familiar. But there was quite a bit that was new and worthy of a reread at some point in time.

32. A Fountain Filled with Blood by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Yup, I'm planning to read the whole series again, and finished this one quick as a flash. I will add this to TIOLI for the "two protagonists" challenge--the Rev. Clare Fergusson and police chief Russ Van Alstyne make a wonderful pair of intelligent, brave, and attractive heroes.

This series is such a treat for me--I would call it "brain candy" but it's more like a "brain molasses cookie," with the different ingredients making a delightfully spicy and satisfying read.

You've got a couple of heroic, complex characters, who happened to be falling in love but who do the right thing (or don't do the wrong thing) because he is married and not to her. There is usually a theme of social justice in the plot of the book (in this book, a series of attacks against gay men take place right at the start of the novel). The books are set in the Adirondacks, and so the plot unfolds against the beauty and the often-severe weather and terrain of that part of the country.

It all makes for one very good read.

33. Death Comes to Pemberley by P. D. James

I just finished Death Comes to Pemberley and I found it a good read. It got a little bogged down at points, but in a "classics" kind of way (e.g., its delineation of the English legal system).

I have read a few of the written-in-the-style-of-Jane-Austen books and the continuation-of-Pride-and-Prejudice books (even the horrendous Pride and Prejudice and Zombies but this one is the best. Not only does it have the dearly-loved characters of the original, but the style of the book definitely feels Austen-ish.

I loved the updates on the characters, and the plot developments. And the author presented a quite interesting mystery. I had suspicions as to the solution, but I was a long way from figuring it all out (which is what I like in a mystery).

I don't think that a non-fan of Pride and Prejudice would enjoy this novel as much. There is so much that ties back to the original (characters, plot, style, even phrasings).

Here's one of my favorite passages:

Elizabeth had never been popular, indeed the more perceptive of the Meryton ladies occasionally suspected that Miss Lizzy was privately laughing at them. They also accused her of being sardonic, and although there was uncertainty about the meaning of the word, they knew that it was not a desirable quality in a woman, being one which gentlemen particularly disliked.

Heh! That's a re-working of one of my favourite lines from Sense And Sensibility:

...because they were fond of reading, she fancied them satirical: perhaps without exactly knowing what it was to be satirical; but that did not signify. It was censure in common use, and easily given.

I see you're joining me for Tristram Shandy as well as tackling Northanger Abbey - excellent!!

It makes sense that James would be familiar with all of the Austen books. And I love that line! Thanks for posting it.

I have to tell you, lyzard (Liz?), I'm often happy to see your name attached to books on LT--it's a strong sign that I'll like the book. I'm pretty confident about Northanger Abbey (especially since I found the guided read thread!); Tristam Shandy is causing me a little concern, but from what I hear, I think I'll like it.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Liz, yes. I'm thrilled to hear that someone shares my tastes - I usually feel like I'm shouting into an abyss!! :)

Tristram Shandy is HARD WORK - I can warn you about that now - but good fun, too, if you get into the rhythm of it. I'm confident you'll like Northanger Abbey.

Hi Karen! I've enjoyed catching up with you and your reading. I really enjoyed The Wayward Bus, which like you, I had never heard of before now. Not sure I'll be able to do the March read. I'm not reading much these days if it's not on audio. Hope that changes soon!

Hi Anne! If it makes you feel better, the comments on the March read, The Winter of Our Discontent, are not all positive. I haven't started reading it yet (I suppose I'd better get a move on!)

Hope your reading opportunity situation improves! Are you still in school? Best wishes in all of your endeavors! And thanks for stopping by to chat.

34. Out of the Deep I Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming

...big sigh...

I'm just loving this reread of the Spencer-Fleming mysteries. This one dipped into history, Prohibition-era Adirondacks.

The lead character, Rev. Clare Fergusson, has a rich inner life that the reader is made privy to. The vicar was an Army helicopter pilot before she became a vicar, and she flashes back to advice from one of the instructors quite often (he helps her get out of some sticky situations). Here's one passage that I just love:

You know what your problem is, Fergusson? MSgt. Ashley "Hardball" Wright, her air force survival school instructor, had a tendency to leap into her thoughts at times like these. You need to have a face that says get outta my way or I'll kill you and eat your heart! Do you know what your face says, Fergusson? It says I'm a widdle bunny rabbit! Are you going to be a combat pilot or a widdle bunny rabbit, Fergusson?

"Yes?" she said to the protestor. Sir, a widdle bunny rabbit, sir.

35. The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman

What a little treat of a read! Mrs. Pollifax, a respectable, mature woman, finds life quite boring and volunteers with the CIA (circa 1960s). She takes on a routine courier task which unexpectedly (!) involves her in international intrigue.

I really like her character and look forward to reading more of Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax books.

Here's one sample from this book (She is having complex international politics explained to her):

"I didn't know," faltered Mrs. Pollifax. "The very idea--and to think that I subscribe to Time magazine. I really must stop skipping the Balkan news."

36. To Darkness and to Death by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Book 4 in the series. Again, this is a reread for me, and I'm really enjoying them. There are elements that I missed the first time around, and I remember most of the plotline which enables me to focus on the dialogue between the protagonists.

The plot gets a little wobbly in this volume--lots of stuff blowing up and it gets a little confusing, but overall, a great read.



37. All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Book 5. This is one of my favorites in the series. Clare and Russ reach a crossroads in their relationship, and there are issues of betrayal. What is family? What is friendship?

This novel contains a wonderful section on how quickly (and inaccurately) news (especially bad news) travels in a small town. I hadn't noticed on the first reading, but the author begins this major section of the book with the passage:

It is a cliche that there are no secrets in a small town. It is also false.

Then, at the very end of the book, she repeats (and contradicts) that first statement with:

It is a cliche that there are no secrets in a small town. It is also true.

I used to know what that literary structure was called (I will go look it up), but it was very clever.*

I am just chompin' at the bit to get the final two books, even though I've read them before. I must get these books for my own!

* ETA. The structure is called "inclusio" (I hope I'm using the term correctly, and my apologies if I'm not). It seems to add a little mathematics to writing.

Hi Karen, so far I have only read the first book in Julia Spencer-Fleming's series. She certainly has some of the most creative titles!

Hi DeltaQueen! I believe that all of Spencer-Fleming's titles are based on hymns, or on phrases from hymns. Come to think of it, musical motifs are all through the books--radios playing, choirs practicing, etc.

So, I urge you to keep reading! I guess her eighth book is in the works right now.

And thanks for stopping by to chat!

I usually read more than one book at a time, but I've got some fun ones "cooking" right now:

The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck

God's Philosophers: How the Medieval World Laid the Foundations of Modern Science by James Hannam

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

The Gondola Scam by Jonathan Gash (for something a little lighter!)

And what's funny is that I should finish three of them at about the same time. They're all easy enough to keep separate in my mind while I'm reading.

38. The Gondola Scam by Jonathan Gash

Another of the Lovejoy novels; a quick, fun read, rather dated in Lovejoy's attitudes toward women, but a lot of fun. I like the insights into antiques and the setting of the book. This one was set in Venice, and I really got a sense of the city and the culture.

39. The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck

I really liked this, the latest of the Steinbeckathon reads. I am still digesting the book, and trying to organize my thoughts about it. I really liked the main character, and his (Steinbeck's) gift with words. One of my favorite reads so far this year.

40. I Shall Not Want by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Book 6 of the beloved Reverend Clare Fergusson/Police chief Russ Van Alstyne series. This one is one of my favorites (well, I probably say that about them all) because both of the main characters come to terms with their pasts and each other (I hope that doesn't do any spoiling for anyone who might be reading this post). I have one more existing installment to reread (One Was a Soldier) and then will wait for the brand-new soon-to-be-published eighth book!

41. Castle: Richard Castle's Deadly Storm by Brian Michael Bendis

Graphic novel with tie-in to the television show "Castle" (I am a fan and never miss it). The graphic novel features a popular fictional character by the fictional author Richard Castle. The fictional character (Derrick Storm) is a private detective, and he's handsome, charming, and gets into all kinds of trouble.

The story was interesting, and the illustrating was very well done (I'm not an expert, but I liked it). This book was a nice change of pace.

42. God's Philosophers: How the Medieval World Laid the Foundations of Modern Science by James Hannam

I really liked this book. It was so refreshing to read about the intellectual life during the times erroneously labeled "The Dark Ages" when they really weren't without intellectual life! The author writes clearly and succinctly, avoids any pretentiousness, and knows his audience (intelligent readers, but probably not scientists).

Lots of extras--endnotes (but they contain only citations, NOT more information, so you don't have to keep flipping back and forth), index, further reading, timeline, bibliography...This is a very usable book, and I'd definitely read it again. (This is becoming my way of gauging my "liking" of a book--would I consider reading it again?)

One of my favorite passages in the book (I cried a little!) occurs at the end of the book:

Life in the Middle Ages was often short and violent. The common people were assailed by diseases they didn't understand; exploited by a distant ruling class; and dependent on a Christian church that rarely lived up to the ideals of its founder. It would be wrong to romanticize the period and we should be very grateful that we do not have to live in it. But the hard life that people had to bear only makes their progress in science and many other fields all the more impressive. We should not write them off as superstitious primitives. They deserve our gratitude.

43. One Was a Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Most current in the series of seven telling the tale of Reverend Clare and police chief Russ (and the cast of characters from the small North Country town of Millers Kill). This one deals with townspeople (including Clare) returning from the war in Iraq. Often heartrending yet hopeful in the face of war and its effects.

Can't wait for the new book.

44. The Unquiet Bones by Melvin Starr

Wow, a medieval mystery! I loved this "first chronicle of Hugh de Singleton, surgeon." It's a terrific mixture of history and mystery, and I've got the second book by the author requested and on its way (having to use ILL because, of course, my library doesn't carry too much of the non-bestseller variety).

45. Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton

Terrific collection of comics by a very funny Canadian (and her nationality does become important because Canadian history and culture are among her topics, as are history in general and literature).

Beaton is a talented artist, so good at capturing facial expressions and body language. Her spoofs of literary works made me laugh out loud. I hope to see more books from her (I'm searching for her first, Never Learn Anything From History--all right, LT knows about it!).

You've been busy - great books! I had no idea that they were doing Castle graphic novels. What a hoot!

ETA: I just requested Hark! A Vagrant - it looks like fun.

Dejah_Thoris--Hi! And I am totally in agreement with all of your statements. I haven't read a clunker book for a long time, having lots of fun reading. The Castle book IS a hoot--I hope there are more. And Hark! A Vagrant is wonderful.

See you around!

I have to confess I just requested the Castle graphic novel, too. Did you fit it in the TIOLI Challenges somewhere?

Hi Karen, more great books here -- I need to check out Ms. Spencer-Fleming's books. I've never read them. I never did get to read The Winter of our Discontent, though I may return to it at some point. I have the April read, The Moon is Down checked out, but at present I am reading The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck as a read-along with my daughter, who is reading it for her 7th grade English class. I thought reading it at the same time might help her understand and enjoy it more, but she does not need me at all. We started it at the same time, and both loved it. 24 hours later I was on chapter 5 and she was on chapter 27, and forsaking food, homework, and conversation because she was so absorbed in the book. Love it.

The Unexpected Mrs. Polifax is another of her favorites -- glad you enjoyed it, too! Are you still reading Northanger Abbey? I listened to it last year on audio and loved it.

Hi, Dejah_Thoris! Yes, I actually read the Castle graphic novel in March, and it fit under the author-name-divisible-by-three challenge of March. I don't know if it would fit into the April challenges...hmmm...but it's a fun read.

Hi, Anne! I also have The Moon is Down checked out, but I've only read a few pages at this point. Must get to that! I haven't read The Good Earth, but your daughter's enjoyment of the book makes a really strong argument for sooner-rather-than-later reading!

I'm stalled with Northanger Abbey. I get most of my books from the library, so I always need to pay attention to when books are due (especially the ILL books since they can't be renewed). But I will get back to "the Abbey" soon, I hope.

Currently, I'm reading these books:

The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan
The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy by Mark Logue
Is Sex Necessary? by James Thurber

And I'll probably end up finishing them all about the same time. Throne of Fire is a YA book, and is a little childish, I guess; The King's Speech is just fascinating; and the Thurber book is very funny. A nice assortment.

Thanks for stopping to chat, my friends!

Hi Karen. Looks like you have been doing some great reading! I'll be very interested in your thoughts on The King's Speech. We watched the film recently and loved it.

Hi, Heather! Wasn't The King's Speech (the movie) wonderful? I find myself recalling scenes from the film as I read the book. I'm really impressed by George VI (Bertie).

The book has quite a few photos, and they make the text come alive.

I'll probably be giving the book a pretty high rating--it's an interesting and fun read.

Thanks for stopping by to chat!

You must have put me in a Castle mood, Karen. I finally started Heat Rises today after having it around for weeks and Castle: Richard Castle's Deadly Storm has arrived at the library for me. I've had Heat Rises out for so long I can fit it into a TIOLI Challenge because I have no more renewals, but I'm not certain how to fit in the graphic novel. I just missed the M slot on Challenge #1, so I guess I'll have to wait and see!

I loved the movie The King's Speech so I'm mystified that it hadn't occurred to me to read it until I saw the mention of it here on your thread. I'm sure my library will have that, too....

That is a nice assortment, Karen -- enjoy! I think Throne of Fire is the only Riorden I haven't read.

Hi, Dejah! I laughed when I read what you said about Heat Rises because I got a copy for my birthday, way last year, and I haven't read it yet. If we could find a place for it on this month's TIOLI, I would definitely read it with you, and we could get a point! The April TIOLI challenges seem pretty tricky, though.

I just finished The King's Speech, and I'll have a few words about it in the next post, I think. It was a good read. I hope you get a chance to read it. I don't think I would have gone looking for it, but it was in my library's New Books section, with a picture of Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth on the cover. How could I resist?!

Anne, I'm not so sure how I feel about Throne of Fire yet--I'm only a hundred or so pages into it. I've only read one other Riordan book--The Red Pyramid, which was the first book in the Kane Chronicles series. And I think I felt the same way about that book; a little slow going when reading it, but I was glad to have read it by the time I finished.

Thanks for stopping by to chat!

>105 klobrien2:

Karen, I've got Heat Rises listed in Challenge #21 - I've had it out from the library for a while and it's due Friday with no renewals left so it counts! I didn't like it quite as well as I did the first two - maybe it was true that Stephan J. Cannell wrote the first two, and now someone else is carrying on. The style is different - well, you'll see. The mystery is good and there are tons of Season 3 elements in play, as well as a fun usage of the word Castle, a nod to Nathan Fillion's "Firefly" days. Hmm...I should use some of this in my review. At any rate it would be great to have a shared read - they seem to be few and far between for me this month.

I'll definitely be reading The King's Speech - I just don't know when. Have you found a Challenge to fit it?

46. The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy by Mark Logue and Peter Conradi

A great recounting of the history and times of King George VI and his relationship with his speech therapist and friend, Lionel Logue. The book can be seen on a parallel with the film starring Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth, but the book can, just by its nature, take a lot more time with details. The histories of both of the main protagonists are told, and there are many photographs from the archives of people, places, documents...they make the story come alive.

I finished the book and have a strong liking for all of the characters--Lionel Logue and King George VI ("Bertie"), of course, but also for George's wife Elizabeth, and the princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. The marriages of the royal couple and of Lionel Logue and his wife Myrtle were lovingly presented.

I'm not much of a royalty aficianado, but in this case, I found the details of being royal quite fascinating. The history of the times and of the friendship went all the way from WWI through WWII and beyond, until the deaths of both men in old age. I'd give a strong recommendation to this book--I rated it four stars.

Dejah, this is so funny! I went to add King's Speech to Challenge 21, and there I found your listing of Heat Rises! And I had the same real world situation with King's Speech--I've renewed it as much as I can, and it's due at the library!

I've added my read of Heat Rises to challenge 21--going to go grab that book off of the shelf right now!

47. Is Sex Necessary? Or, Why You Feel the Way You Do by James Thurber and E.B. White

This was a strange little book, a take-off on non-fiction books about sex and love. There were a few portions that I found funny, and the line drawings by Thurber were pretty hilarious. The book was first published in 1929, and I think its date shows. But it was quite short in length, so I stuck with it to the end.

One of my favorite passages:

Just the minute another person is drawn into some one's life, there begin to arise undreamed-of complexities, and from such a simple beginning as sexual desire we find built up such alarming yet familiar phaenomena as fetes, divirtissements, telephone conversations, arrangements, plans, sacrifices, train arrivals, meetings, appointments, tardinesses, delays, marriages, dinners, small pets and animals, calumny, children, music lessons, yellow shades for the windows, evasions, lethargy, cigarettes, candies, repetition of stories and anecdotes, infidelity, ineptitude, incompatibility, bronchial trouble, and many others, all of which are entirely foreign to the original urge and way off the subject.

Had a fun day yesterday, which included a visit to a "Huge Book Sale" (all of the books looked normal-sized to me, har har) at my library. Lots of lovely books at very small prices, but here's what I came away with:

Around the World in Eleven Years (Patience, Richard, and John Abbe) (I'd just read an article about Patience Abbe, so this felt very synchronistic)

Cleopatra's Needle (Steven Siebert)

Loving Frank (Nancy Horan)

The Reivers (William Faulkner)

Tales of the City (Armistead Maupin)

48. Storm Front by Jim Butcher

This is Book One of The Dresden Files, a series about wizard Harry Dresden, which a cover blurb describes as "magic and wizardry meet hard-boiled detective fiction." It was a fun read, and I'm looking forward to reading more books in the series.

I loved many passages for their descriptiveness and imagery: here's one of my favorites:

How can I explain what a wizard sees? It isn't something that lends itself readily to description...The only thing I can say is that I felt as though a veil of thick cloth had been lifted away from me as I opened my eyes again--and not only from my eyes, but from all of my senses. I could abruptly smell the mud and fish odor of the lake, the trees around the house, the fresh scent of the coming rain preceding the storm on the smoke-stained wind. I looked at the trees. Saw them, not just in the first green coat of spring, but in the full bloom of summer, the spendor of the fall, and the barren desolation of winter, all at the same time.

Elsewhere, Dresden is in terribly dire straits, and says that "I objected with fragile tenacity." What a great phrase!

Like I said, I'm looking forward to the next books in the series; I imagine that Butcher will gain in skill and polish.

#111 When I first read Storm Front, I was horribly disappointed and wouldn't have touched another book in the series, had it not been for assurances from someone in LT (I think Mac, can't be sure) and a friend in RL, who told me that the series gets progressively better with each book, something of an anomaly as far as sequels go. I was pleasantly surprised to note that this indeed was the case and I have read four books in the series till date.

Thank you, Piyush, so much for saying that (about the Harry Dresden books). I thought I'd read that someplace, that the books get better, but it's great to get confirmation from you (I really trust your recommendation!) I'm really fascinated by the Harry Dresden character, and can hardly wait to see how things develop! Yay for LT!

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Apr 12, 12:10am

Wake up! Wake up!

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Yesterday, 7:51pm

Is there a reason why you're waking up your 2010 thread?? ;)

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Today, 4:46pm

I'm busy making lists of my reading history. I saw that another LTer had included her lists in her current thread, and I thought that was pretty cool! So, I've gotten done through 2010, and the links are at the top of this thread.

So now I bet you want to go see the lists, eh? They're at my blog, http://librata.blogspot.com/ (librata stands for Library Ratatouille). I started the blog when I was learning all kinds of "Library 2.0" things, and it is definitely a beginner's blog, but it is what it is.

Thanks for asking the question, tymfos!

*waving* at Karen

Hi Karen, your reading history is very much like mine. Before 2008 when I discovered Library Thing, I averaged around 55 books a year. Since LT my reading has been increasing every year, with last year's total slightly over 200. Amazing what hanging out with other book lovers can do!

#113 Thank you Karen for your kind words :)
I am a fan of Mr. Dresden too, if only he would give up on whining, but I guess that is too much to ask *sigh*

#111: I have Storm Front here to read. Maybe I can dig it out while I am on break and give it a go. I am glad to see that overall you liked it.

Hey there, Stasia, Deltaqueen, and Piyush! Thanks for stopping by to chat!

Stasia, it's so great to see you here. I hope you're thoroughly enjoying your break from school. I think Storm Front would be an excellent choice for you right now--light, fun, a hero who is a nice guy (and a magician).

Piyush, I laughed out loud when you said that Dresden whines. I guess he does, but bad things seem to happen to him!

Deltaqueen, I was amazed when I hit 148 books read in 2010. And LT has been such a good source for recommendations and encouragement.

49. The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan

This was a reread for me, but it started out as an inadvertent reread--I forgot I had read it before. And it was only last year! But by the the time I realized I had read the book, I wanted to keep reading because I remembered how fun the book was.

This is the second book in the Kane Chronicles series by the author, a series that involves ancient Egyptians gods and a brother and sister who save the world but who are just kids at times, too.

One of my favorite passages this was a description of an ancient Egyptian old-folks-home for gods, in the underworld.

We stepped through the limestone gateway into a large open hall--the Egyptian version of assisted living. Rows of colorfully painted columns were studded with iron schonces holding blazing torches. Potted palms and flowering hibiscus plants were placed here and there in a failed attempt to make the place feel cheerful. Large windows looked out on the Lake of Fire, which I suppose was a nice view if you enjoyed brimstone. The walls were painted with scenes of the Egyptian afterlife, along with jolly hieroglyPhic mottos like IMMORTALITY WITH SECURITY and LIFE STARTS AT 3000!

It goes on from there, but it was sweet to see the juxtaposition of modern and ancient, and quite melancholy to see the ancient gods fading away because they had been forgotten.

I don't know when the next book in the series comes out, but I'll snap it up whenever it does.

50. The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck

I am so glad the Steinbeck-athon came along this year--I'm reading and enjoying so many great Steinbeck books. The Moon is Down is a short novel, telling the story of a small town that is taken over by an armed force, and where conquered and conquerors live in an uneasy balance. It is very much an anti-war, anti-military expansion "tract."

Steinbeck is now one of my favorite authors; I just love his facility with words and his cinematic descriptions. I like the way that Steinbeck seems to care about the people he writes about. Donald V. Coers, who wrote an Introduction to the Penguin edition that I read, says of Steinbeck, "among the writer's major attributes: his sure sense of audience, and his empathy with the oppressed."

51. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken

I thoroughly enjoyed this juvenile fiction, although it really wasn't so much about the wolves (they do play an important part, but the human "wolves" are the bigger danger to the heroic children of the book).

It was a very atmospheric and nail-biting read (and I helped earn a shared point for TIOLI challenge 15!)

#122 I love that book :-) Make sure you read the sequels!

52. The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith

Gosh, I love AMS's books! Especially "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series. The writing is so quiet, but so profound; the books are a tonic for the soul.

Here's one of my favorite passages. The main character's husband has just come home, and evidently it was a trying time driving the roads:

Mr. J.L.B. Maketoni came into the house and tossed the keys of his truck on to a table. "There are some people," he began, "who should not be allowed on the road. Maybe they shouldn't even be allowed to walk anywhere, either. Maybe we should hang a large sign around their neck saying Very Dangerous, or No Sense or something like that."

And another:

Pula, pula, pula! was the cry of triumph, of joy, that was universal in Botswana. It meant rain, rain, rain--just the right cry for a dry country that lived for the day that the first life-giving rains arrived--that day of ominous purple skies, and heat, and the wind that precedes the first drops of water splattering and dancing on the baked ground. Pula, pula, pula!

Can't you just smell that rain?!

123: souloftherose: I saw those sequels! I will definitely look for them.

#124 I've got behind with the No. 1 Ladies' series so I'm slowly rereading them to get myself up to date - can't believe he's on book #13 already! I do love the series, they're so evocative - definitely a tonic for the soul, just like you said.

souloftherose: I love 'em! This one was one of my favorites (although I probably say that about them all). Thirteen of these so far? The author is very prolific, that's for sure.

Have you read any of his other series? I try to stay caught up on them, but it takes constant vigilance!

53. Heat Rises by Richard Castle

The third of the Nikki Heat series by this fictional author, tied to the television series "Castle." The links between the books, the show, and the real actors who play the characters on the show are complex. Fans of the TV show will really like the series of books (I hope!)

The plot in this third book was a little convoluted, and things moved pretty slowly in the middle. It picked up two-thirds of the way through, and finished with a good twist. A fun read, although I could only give it 3-1/2 stars.

Hey Karen -- I haven't been on LT much the last few weeks, but I'm slowly catching up with everybody's threads.

I like Storm Front and read the next two (I think) but didn't care enough to keep going. On the other hand, I think Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series is brilliant, although I'll warn you, I think the first book is the weakest in that series (maybe that's a trend for him?).

I'm glad you enjoyed Heat Rises. I thought it read differently from the first two - did you? That would support the idea that the late Stephen J. Cannell wrote the first two, but not this one.

Hi, Dejah! Just what I need--another series! 8>) I've got the second Dresden Files book home from the library, so I'll see how I get on with them. Thanks for the heads-up on the Codex Alera series; I've got them written down for TBR.

I did think the third book read a little differently in the Nikki Heat series. This one seemed to flounder around a little in the middle. It reminded me of the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie--so many points of plot, it was like two or three different books.

Thanks for stopping by!

54. The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier

I really liked this book, the imagined story behind the set of tapestries from the Middle Ages. Chevalier is one of my favorite authors, ever since reading Girl with a Pearl Earring and, then, Remarkable Creatures. I love how she develops and presents the world that created the works of art.



The story is told from alternate viewpoints as one character and then another is narrating. In addition to the point of view of the narrator changing, the location of the story changes from Paris, where the patron, the painter, and the painter's agent live, to Brussels, where the family of weavers who create the tapestries from the paintings reside.

Good book!

Hi Karen, I am catching up here. I am reading The Moon is Down a well -- slow going when you only have time for 5 pages or so at a time :)

I LOVE The Wolves of Willoughby Chase! That was a favorite growing up, and I was delighted that it held up when I read it to my daughters last year. Glad you enjoyed it, too.

Anne, did I read about The Wolves of Willoughby Chase on your thread? (Wouldn't surprise me if I did.) Did your daughters get frustrated with all of the problems that the kids in the book came up against? I did! (lol) I wanted to slap those villains!

I hear that there are more books in the "Wolves Chronicles" but my library doesn't have any, so I need to search them out!

I found The Moon is Down a very worthwhile read, so I'd recommend you read when you can. I'm ready to start Grapes of Wrath, but I need to finish up a few little reads first.

Thanks for stopping by!

55. Rinkitink in Oz by L. Frank Baum (#10 of the Baum "Oz" books)

Once again, a Baum Oz book is a nice little treat of a read. The majority of this one takes place outside of Oz, and serves up a lot of adventure and social satire. However, Baum was compelled to add on the portion which occurs in Oz, and it feels completely tacked on the end. The opposite of seamless. Still, a good read, and the physical book design and illustrations are fantastic (this is one of the Books of Wonder series).

Baum's books usually have a main sentiment or theme, and here is Rinkitink's:

The beauty of life is its sudden changes. No one knows what is going to happen next, and so we are constantly being surprised and entertained. The many ups and downs should not discourage us, for if we are down, we know that a change is coming and we will go up again; while those who are up are almost certain to go down.

56. Storm Front Vol. 1 The Gathering Storm by Jim Butcher

Great graphic novel I picked up from the library simply on a whim--I'd just read the book. The adaptation by Mark Powers is great, and the illustrations by Ardian Syaf are fantastic. Volume 2 of the series is out and I've got it requested, but after that we wait for more volumes.

57. A Corpse at St. Andrew's Chapel: The Second Chronicle of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon by Mel Starr

The second book in the series about the medieval surgeon and bailiff. Good enough read--not stellar, but not too bad. Seemed to get stuck in the middle. But I'll be sure to read the next in the series.

#135 Gotta check this one out!

#127 I've read the first few books in McCall Smith's 44 Scotland Street series and his Isobel Dalhousie series, both set in Edinburgh. I liked both series but not enough to keep up to date with them! I think No. 1 Ladies' is my favourite. He is incredibly prolific - almost impossible to keep up with all the series!

#134 I've been meaning to read-through the Oz series for a while now, glad to hear you're enjoying them.

58. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters (First Brother Cadfael Chronicle)

I really enjoyed this medieval mystery. It seems I am into another series here! I'll certainly look for the next in the series.



59. Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files: Storm Front Volume 2 - Maelstrom

This completes the graphic rendition of Storm Front and the retelling and the illustrations are top-notch.

Piyush and souloftherose: Thanks for stopping by and chatting! I'm on my way to do some thread-reading so I can see what you've all been up to.

I'm currently reading a number of books, all of which I'll probably finish up at about the same time. Here's what I've got going:

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
We by Zemyeny Zamyatin
Revelations by Elaine Pagels
Discworld Graphic Novels: The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic (stories by Terry Pratchett, adapted by Scott Rockwell)

There's some great variety there which helps to keep them straight in my mind and keeps me interested.

Off to read!

Wow, Karen you have a lot of books going at once. My brain doesn't have that many compartments! Three at a time is my max...and one usually takes over from the rest.

I really enjoyed your thoughts about the various Julia Spencer-Fleming books upthread. I have five more to go. Maybe that will be my summer project.

And another one reading the Kundera! He is making quite a comeback here lately. I also requested a copy at my library and hope to get it soon.

Hi, Donna828! I usually don't have this many books going, so I'm glad to be finishing a few up, to simplify my life a little. I think that the Julia Spencer-Fleming books would be excellent summer reads. A lot of them are set in winter, in the mountains, so might help to keep you cool!

Hi, Deern! I'm finding it a little difficult to get into the Unbearable Lightness, but it sure seems it will be worth the effort. I hope you get your copy soon! I'd love to trade thoughts with you about the book.

Both of you, thanks so much for stopping and chatting! I read a lot of threads, but I have to be better at leaving evidence that I've been there! We LT-ers read a lot of things, but we probably don't read minds very well.

See you around!

60. History of Witchcraft in England from 1558 to 1718 by Wallace Notestein

I caught sight of this book in SomeguyinVirginia's thread, and thought it sounded like my kind of thing--history, especially English history, and very primary-source-ish. SGIV had gotten the book on his Kindle; I'm just amazed that such a book would be available as an ebook. I used my state's lovely ILL to get an old-fashioned paper copy.

I thought I'd just skim through, stopping to graze if something looked interesting, but I ended up reading pretty much the whole thing, including footnotes and appendices.

The book presents a survey of witch trials and literature from the 150 years in England. It was very informative and provided pointers to other primary source documents and books.

A few lovely quotes:

The Anglicans were fighting for their king, the Puritans for their religion. That religious fervor which very easily deepens into dementia was highly accentuated.

At the end of a chapter on the "Literature of Witchcraft from 1603-1660":

The course of opinion is a circuitous one. We have followed its windings in and out through more than half a century. We have listened as respectfully as possible to the vagaries of country parsons and university preachers, we have heard from scholars, from gentlemen, from jurists and men of affairs, from physicians and philosophers. It matters little now what they thought or said, but it did matter then.

Seems like a great reason to read history!

61. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

I read this classic as part of the 75-bookers' "Steinbeckathon" and was not disappointed. It is a great, great book, even though it was very painful to read at times. I am ashamed of my country and human nature; I see parallels with current economic times and I wonder if I could be doing more to help fill needs of those less-advantaged.

The book tells the story of the Joad family, set loose when their farm is taken from them, who join thousands of others in flight to California, where they hope to build a new life in "the Promised Land."

I really liked the structure of the book, which alternates a chapter of exposition and background with a chapter of narrative about the Joad family. The Joad narrative chapters illuminate and illustrate the exposition chapters; they bring the larger story down to earth and make it real for us.

I had been reading a chapter a day but found, as I neared the end of the book, that I couldn't wait to finish, that I had to find out what happen. It was an incredibly moving ending, and I sobbed aloud.

I have been reading through "The 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die" but have sadly fallen behind. I'm so glad that this book is the one that gets me back in the saddle for that project.

The bank is something else than men. It happens that every man in a bank hates what the bank does, and yet the bank does it. The bank is something more than men, I tell you. It's the monster. Men made it, but they can't control it.

"Don't you go a-sassin' me. I 'member you. You're one of these here troublemakers."

"Damn right," said Tom. "I'm bolshevisky."

(On the wasting of food to prop up the prices):

There is a crime here that goes beyond denunciation. There is a sorrow here that weeping cannot symbolize. There is a failure here that topples all our success. The fertile earth, the straight tree rows, the sturdy trunks, and the ripe fruit. And children dying of pellagra must die because a profit cannot be taken from an orange. And coroners must fill in the certificates--died of malnutrition--because the food must rot, must be forced to rot.

...in the eyes of the people there is the failure; and in the eyes of the hungry there is a growing wrath. In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage.

I'm very glad that I finally got around to reading this great book. I gave it a solid five stars.

>>#144 Heard from everybody but women, then? :)

Yeah, that's about it, lyzard! Women didn't get much of a chance to say anything back then. At least, not in the historical record.

Thanks for stopping by!

My pleasure!

Yes, I guess, given the context, that the only time people wanted to hear from women was if they were either accusing or confessing. :)

I love that first quote - it's both true and brilliant! :)

62. We by Yevgeny Zamyatin

A dystopian account of a world where happiness is believed to be guaranteed by unfreedom and lack of individuality--the "We" of the title. This was kind of a difficult read, but it was very powerful and moving. The book structure is a series of diary entries and it is not a long book--my copy has 218 pp., plus 24 introductory pp.

We was not only a TIOLI challenge-filler for me, but also one of those 1001 Books I'm trying to read more of (my 154th, yay!).

I think this book will stay with me for a long time; what is the cost of freedom? Is the price of safety too high to pay?



63. The Discworld Graphic Novels (The Colour of Magic & The Light Fantastic) by Terry Pratchett, adapted by Scott Rockwell

Excellent graphic novel! I haven't read any of the Pratchett Discworld novels, so this was a wonderful introduction to the first two in the series. Wonderful drawing, coloring, lettering (although there were a LOT of misspellings. Yikes--if I were the graphic artist, I'd want some proofreading going on, somewhere!)

The books were a real treat! One of my favorite pages showed a kind of debate between "Heroes" and "Wizards," with a representative of each seated on a dais:

It is a well-known fact that warriors and wizards do not get along.

Wizard: They (heroes) are a collection of bloodthirsty idiots who can't walk and think at the same time.

Hero: We tend to be suspicious of any body of men who mumble a lot and wear long dresses.

Wizard: Oh, if we're going to be like that, then, what about all those studded collars and oiled muscles down at the young men's pagan association?

Hero: That's a pretty good allegation coming from a bunch of wimpsoes who won't go near a woman on account, can you believe it, of their mystical power being sort of drained out!

Wizard: Right, that just about does it! You and your leather posing pouches. . .

Hero: Oh, yeah? Why don't you. . .

And so on. This sort of thing has been going on for centuries, and caused a number of major battles. . .which have left large tracts of land uninhabitable because of magical harmonics.

64. Confessions of a Pagan Nun: A Novel by Kate Horsley

This was a reread for me, but I think I liked the book even better the second time. It documents so well the conflicts between the pagan/naturalistic/non-Christian Ireland of the early centuries of the Common Era and the foreign/Christian forces who came to that island. The heroine of the book, Gwynneve, is an amazing character, and her story is wonderfully sad and beautiful.

It put me so much in mind of the current conflict between a foreign Roman Catholic church and American nuns (female) who, it seems, are now to be judged and monitored. I'm not RC myself, but I received part of my education at a RC university, and I have fond memories of the nuns that I met there.

Great book! A little jewel.

I loved this prayer from the beginning of the book:

The cross of Saint Brigit be under my feet.
The mantle of Mary be about my shoulders.
The protection of Michael over me, taking my hand.
In my heart, the peace of the Son of Grace.
In my soul, the protection of all good spirits in this fierce and beautiful land.

And here's another favorite passage:

That Christ fed fish and bread to the poor and spoke to the outcast whore makes me want his company on this dark night. The world is full of immortals but sorely lacking in kindness.

65. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Excellent juvenile fiction book that I, somehow, had never read (I've been trying to play catch up with these things. I was very moved by the story and the writing. I think I might look for a copy of the movie version next.

66. Revelations: Visions, Prophecy, & Politics in the Book of Revelation by Elaine Pagels

An involving account, full of analysis and history of John of Patmos' Revelation in the context of its time and all of the other books of revelation that surrounded it.

Pagels is a fine writer, orderly but interesting. She first delves into the Book of Revelation that is contained in the Christian New Testament, but my favorite part of the book was the section dealing with the other "secret" books. I was amazed by the politics of early Christianity (I guess I shouldn't be surprised).

From the book:

Recovering such lost and silenced voices, even when we don't accept everything they say, reminds us that even our clearest insights are more like glimpses "seen through a glass darkly" than maps of complete and indelible truth.

Unlike those who insist that they already have all the answers they'll ever need, these sources invite us to recognize our own truths, to find our own voice, and to seek revelation not only past, but ongoing.

Hi Karen, what interesting books you've been reading lately! I had to set The Grapes of Wrath aside when I just got too busy, and it looks like I'll stay busy for awhile, but I do hope to read it this year.

Hi Karen. I got We out of the library to read for last month's TIOLI challenge - didn't quite manage to squeeze it in but hopefully will get to it this month. It looks really interesting; I hadn't realised it inspired 1984

Hi, Anne! Thanks for stopping by. I really hope you get to Grapes of Wrath--it's one of the best books I've read in a long time.

Hi, souloftherose! I found We very interesting and moving. I hope you like it. It does take a little stick-to-it-ive-ness, if you know what I mean. It takes a bit of concentration. Thanks for reading here and chatting!

67. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Gosh, I love this book. I think this is my third read of it. I woke up the other day, saw the book on the shelf. In honor of the beginning of summer, I decided there and then to read it, no qualms or guilt. It's just such a terrific mix of love story, history, supernatural, humor, drama...you name it, this book has it!

It's not a short read, at almost 600 pages, but I can't think of anything that the author could have left out! Fast-paced, and incredibly fun.

68. A Trail of Ink: The Third Chronicle of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon by Melvin R. Starr

Another satisfying read of Hugh de Singleton, medieval surgeon and bailiff--this time, the mystery is a set of missing books.

Lots of little nuggets of humor and beauty. Here's one of my favorites:

...a round, florid face appeared beyond the clerk, peering at me through the open door from under a pair of the shaggiest eyebrows I have ever seen. On a bright day Sir Roger carries with him his own shade.

The character of de Singleton narrates the story, and it gets very repetitive and boring when he relates the content of every. single. meal. he eats. Maybe that's the point, to show the wide variance between the common meals for the common folks (they ate a LOT of bread and ale), and the meals of the nobles with whom de Singleton finds himself dining. Or maybe the recitation of meals is there to show off the author's knowledge, or to illustrate the character of de Singleton.

This was an okay read, and I'll look for the next in the series.

69. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

I really enjoyed this read; I've read some of the stories that make up the book at different times in my life, but it was great to read the complete volume here. The more famous "Jungle Book" characters are here (Mowgli the man-cub, Balou, Bagheera, etc.), as are lesser-known characters like The White Seal, Toomai of the Elephants, and my favorite, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi.

It is the hardest thing in the world to frighten a mongoose, because he is eaten up from nose to tail with curiosity. The motto of all the mongoose family is, "Run and find out"; and Rikki-tikki was a true mongoose.

Kipling include poetry all throughout the stories, and it is usually very rhythmic and powerful, often beautiful. Here is part of the "Song in Honor of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi":

Who hath deilvered us, who?
Tell me his nest and his name.
Rikki, the valiant, the true,
Tikki, with eyeballs of flame.
Rik-tikki-tikki, the ivory-fanged, the hunter with eyeballs of flame.

70. The Pirates! Band of Misfits (Movie Tie-in Edition): An Adventure with Scientists & An Adventure with Ahab by Gideon Defoe

Very funny omnibus of two of the "The Pirates!" juvenile fiction novels (although some parts are really pretty racy for juvenile labelling!) Fun and educational! What could be better?! There are a couple more of these around, but this one was pretty hard to find, and I find this really surprising. There's also a "Pirates!" movie, but I don't know if it's just too early to find it, or what the deal is.

If you can put your hands on this, do it! Really enjoyable reading. Ellie recommended this series--thanks, Ellie!

71. The Walking Dead, Vol. 14: No Way Out by Robert Kirkman



72. The Walking Dead, Vol. 15: We Find Ourselves by Robert Kirkman

I made my way through the first thirteen volumes of this series last year, but hadn't kept up with the updates since. I came across an older volume, which prompted me to look for any new books. I found these two.

I think the writing and illustrating are constantly improving, although I don't have any great knowledge of or familiarity with the graphic novel genre. I do know that the graphic novel is a very visual medium, and this series is quite violent and gory (although it is rendered in black and white, so there is no cheap sensationalistic gore).

The characters (those who have survived, anyway) are making a new society and finding out what will help them survive in the new world.

The books seem to be coming out every six months or so--there should be a volume 16 along soon, I hope!

73. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

The author shows us a clash of cultures, American doctors in the Amazonian rainforest. The main character, Dr. Marina Singh, a pharmacologist scientist in the employ of a pharmaceutical company, is sent to Brazil to follow up on the death of her fellow scientist and to track down the status of a drug development station there.

Throughout the book is the issue of "belonging"--Marina seems to bridge the world of the civilized West, and the wild South American jungle.

I enjoyed this read, although it bogged down in a few places. Nicely paced in the second half.

I'm not sure what the meaning of the title is, but I did pay attention when I came across the following:

Dr. Swenson shook her head. "You would be amazed at all the things that are possible in a state of deprivation. It's only a matter of thinking things through. Just take your time, Dr. Singh. There's no reason to rush this."

If you liked the author's book, Bel Canto, I think you'd like this book. I liked both of them.

74. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

June's read in the 75-Bookers' Steinbeckathon. I'd read this book most recently a few years back, and like a lot of Americans, I read it in high school. I'm glad I participated in the group read; this time, I tried to concentrate more on non-plot elements.

One thing that I noted was the setting of scene at the beginning of each chapter. The first and last chapters are set in the outdoors, "a few miles south of Soledad." The middle chapters are set indoors (bunkhouse, bunkhouse, Crooks' room (harness room), horse barn). I'm not sure exactly what it means: do the outdoor sections represent freedom? Do the problems of the protagonists arise when they are enclosed, "trapped"? George gives Lenny instructions for a safe place to go to if trouble arises--Lenny is to head for the brush, an outdoor place where he can hide.

This is a classic American novel, and it is a very sad story. The characters are needy, damaged, and their lives are violent.

I love this description of Slim, the "jerkline skinner":

A tall man stood in the doorway. He held a crushed Stetson hat under his arm while he combed his long, black, damp hair straight back. Like the others he wore blue jeans and a short denim jacket. When he had finished combing his hair he moved into the room, and he moved with a majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsmen. He was a jerline skinner, the prince of the ranch, capable of driving ten, sixteen, even twenty mules with a single line to the leaders. He was capable of killing a fly on the wheeler's butt with a bull whip without touching the mule. There was a gravity in his manner and a quiet so profound that all talk stopped when he spoke. His authority was so great that his word was taken on any subject, be it politics or love. This was Slim, the jerkline skinner. His hatchet face was ageless. He might have been thirty-five or fifty. His ear heard more than was said to him, and his slow speech had overtones not of thought, but of understanding beyond thought. His hands, large and lean, were as delicate in their action as those of a temple dancer.

Karen, I am impressed with the variety of books you've been reading: classics, mysteries, religion, recent award winners, and old favorites. I like to revisit books from time to time. I almost joined in the Steinbeckathons's group read Of Mice and Men, but I think I'll let my memory of a very sad book stand for now. I am looking forward to a reread of one of my favorites in August, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

I hope your summer is going well. How are the kitties?

Hi, Donna828! (I almost mistyped your name--Donna818!)

I guess I am quite eclectic in my reading! This year I have let myself do rereading if the spirit moves me, and what a treat that can be! I hope you feel that way about A Tree Grows in Brooklyn--how long has it been since you last read that book?

Summer is going great for me. My quilt guild (quilting is my other non-book passion) just had their annual show, so I'm winding things up with that (reports, newsletter articles, blah, blah, blah...) Work, house, family keeps me busy. The kitties are great--they're 10 months old now (I should post a more recent picture).

Oour daughter and son-in-law welcomed a baby boy in January, and he is definitely in the running for cutest baby.

Thanks for stopping by! I'll make sure that I'm caught up on your thread(s)--it sometimes seems hopeless. It was so nice to read your comments here.

Karen
Congratulations on reading 74 books thus far. One more and you reached the goal. This year is a difficult year for reading, work, health issues and real life seem to be getting in the way. I've only read 57 thus far -- way below the number I read last year.

I never read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and now I hope to read it soon.

Hi, Whisper1! Yeah, I'm excited about making my first 75 of the year. I think I'm right on track to match my last year's total - 153. I am lucky to have a lot of time for reading, and definitely have the inclination to do it.

My 75th book will be Flaubert's Parrot, and I'm just a few hours away from finishing it. It's a great book, but the reader has to pay attention.

When I finish that, I'll jump into a brand new copy of Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine, because it's summer, and Bradbury recently passed away, and it will be a shared read on TIOLI.

Yay! I made it through my first 75 for the year!

(Ooh...getting a little mesmerized by the dancing blue guy...)



75. Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes

I loved this book. I started out reading it on my computer, via my library's Ebook download, but I ran out of time, so went to the paper copy. I have to say, I preferred the paper (once again).

It's a remarkable book. It's nominally the search by the narrator to discover which of the possible stuffed parrots was "the" parrot referenced by Flaubert in his writings. In the process, the author examines the life of Flaubert (I assume that sources cited are real, although one of the questions addressed is Life versus Art, so I probably shouldn't be so quick to do so). The narrator also tells some of his own story, intertwined with that of Flaubert.

What is so special about this book is that Barnes uses many approaches, many different techniques to present the "facts." For example, there's a Chronology, a Bestiary, and an Examination Paper, which reads like a bizarre but very recognizable essay test for a college literary course.

Parts of the book are hilarious, parts are incredibly sad. Throughout, it's intriguing and compelling. I'd whole-heartedly recommend it to anyone who loves books.

When I read, I note passages that I really like, which I'd like to retain after the book goes back to the library or to my shelf (note to self: get a personal copy of this one!). With Flaubert's Parrot, it was very hard to keep myself from noting every other sentence. Here are some that I really liked:

Critics have sent in the ferrets.(I love that image.)

Exactly what species of bear was Flaubear? (Simple play on words, but funny.)

The greatest patriotism is to tell your country when it is behaving dishonourably, foolishly, viciously.

(On the death of a loved one): And then it happens to you. There's no glory in it. Mourning is full of time, nothing but time. . . .And there is always time. Have some more time. Take your time. Extra time. Time on your hands.

Books are where things are explained to you; life is where things aren't. I'm not surprised some people prefer books. Books make sense of life. The only problem is that the lives they make sense of are other people's lives, never your own.

Congratulations on the 75 Karen - I love the dancing blue guy:)

Congrats on reaching 75, Karen!

Thanks, calm and tymfos!

I'm going to start a new thread for my next 75 Books. I wonder if the star thing will work if I just start a new thread from here. Science experiment!

Karen - you need to be up to 200 posts for the automatic starring to carry over. I'm sure that there will be some helpful people who will help boost your thread to the magic number:)

I started a second thread, and you're right--the automatic starring didn't work. I think it would take forever to get to 200 (crickets chirping), so I'll do it the manual way, I guess. I hope you will follow me over there!

NEW THREAD! NEW THREAD! NEW THREAD!

Here's where I'll be posting now: http://www.librarything.com/topic/138897#