kidzdoc is cutting down the mountain of unread books in 2012: part 2

Currently reading:



God's Philosophers: How the Medieval World Laid the Foundations of Modern Science by James Hannam
Who's Afraid of Post-Blackness?: What It Means to Be Black Now by Touré
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

Completed books:

January:
1. Volcano by Shusaku Endo (review)
2. False Friends: Book Two by Ellie Malet Spradbery (review)
3. A Disease Apart: Leprosy in the Modern World by Tony Gould (review)
4. Best Mets: Fifty Years of Highs and Lows from New York's Most Agonizingly Amazin' Team by Matthew Silverman (review)
5. Walkabout by James Vance Marshall (review)
6. Swamplandia! by Karen Russell (review)
7. Letter from the Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr.
8. Mister Blue by Jacques Poulin (review)
9. Stained Glass Elegies by Shusaku Endo (review)
10. Botchan (Master Darling) by Natsume Soseki (review)
11. The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson
12. Guadalajara by Quim Monzó (review)

What a wonderful quote for Martin Luther King Day!

You think you can escape my pineapple by getting a new thread?? I shall not be thwarted, damn you!!!!!



Take that

Sunday hugs for ol' crazybritches

>2 Linda92007: Thanks, Linda. It's one of my favorite quotes by Dr. King.

I plan to re-read Letter from the Birmingham Jail tomorrow, in honor of the King holiday.

>3 lunacat: Hmm. I may to create a dummy thread to thwart Jenny's attacks.

>4 richardderus: Hmph. Jenny gets hugs; what do I get?

The Packers benefited from a horrible call by the officials, which allowed them to score the tying TD. A Giants' short drive was thwarted by a blocked FG. So, it's 10-10, early in the 2nd quarter.

I hate to say it, Darryl, but I agree with you about that call. It was terrible. I also think the Giants were correct when they said, pre-game, that they thought the hiatus would hurt (rather than help) the Packers' cause. The Packers do not look like a 15-1 team.

eta: Incredible NY touchdown catch with no time left in the first half. Sigh.

Woo hoo!!! Eli Manning completed an incredible Hail Mary TD pass to Hakeem Nicks on the last play of the second quarter, giving the Giants a 20-10 lead at halftime (although it should be 20-3, and it could have been 23-3 without the blocked FG). Go Big Blue!!!

Nice MLK tribute, Darryl.

Nice new thread and a great quote to start off!! :)

This game is aging me....

Katiekrug: because you too are a Packers fan? We will pull it off.

Nope, because I'm a Giants fan!

(Though I don't hate the Packers like I hate some other teams....)

When I was stationed on Guam we would sometimes fly to Hawaii where we would stock up on fresh pineapple and fresh milk. When we got back to Guam we had a party wherein we ate and drank our fill. Nobody disliked pineapple. Until now I didn't know that anybody disliked pineapple.

Robert

I agree. That was a terrible call. All Seahawks fans are familiar with referee Bill Leavy:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/15/giants-seahawks-fans-now-share-a...

Wow. I just received an "attaboy" call from the medical director of the hospital, who is also one of my partners, about a now 9 day old baby that I took care of last week. He presented to the hospital early Thursday morning with a fever, and was started on antibiotics for a presumptive bacterial infection. Even though his admission labs looked good and there was no indication for it, I decided to start him on acyclovir on the day of admission, for presumptive herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection, which can be deadly in the neonate (a baby aged 4 weeks or less). He started to get sicker on Friday, as he had periods where he stopped breathing and needed to be placed on supplemental oxygen. On Saturday his HSV test from his spinal fluid came back positive, so he has herpes encephalitis (infection of the brain) and he had evidence of herpes hepatitis, with a sharp rise in his liver injury tests, so he also has disseminated HSV infection. Fortunately he is doing better today than he was on Friday and Saturday. Had we waited until the test came back positive on Saturday to start treatment, he probably would be extremely ill—or worse—by now. He'll have a brain MRI tomorrow, to see if he has any evidence of infection, which is quite likely. He hasn't had any seizures yet, so hopefully he'll have a good outcome.

Neonatal HSV is probably the scariest infection we see. I've taken care of several babies who were diagnosed promptly and treated appropriately; several of them died, others were permanently and severely affected by the illness. The infection is transmitted from a mother who has active genital HSV infection to the infant, usually during delivery. The difficulty is that in up to 40% of cases of neonatal herpes, the mother has no symptoms of HSV infection, so you can never be completely sure that a baby isn't infected, unless you test for it. Fortunately the ER doctor that saw the baby performed the test, although he wasn't started on acyclovir on admission.

More info: Neonatal Herpes Infection

>9 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle!

>10 katiekrug: Right. My heart rate is starting to rise dramatically.

>11 alphaorder: No way, Nancy!

>12 katiekrug: Yes! The Giants shall prevail. They still lead, 20-13, and have just moved the ball inside of the Packers' 30 yard line. We need a TD!

>13 Mr.Durick: I should say that I don't hate pineapple, and I will eat it, but I won't go out of my way for it. My favorite fruits are mangoes, kiwis, honeydews and canteloupes, and I can't think of a fruit that I won't eat (although that durian fruit seems like something I wouldn't want).

>14 DorsVenabili: Thanks for that link; wow, that was fast! I just hope that call doesn't affect the outcome of this game (which is very possible at this point).

Huge FG by the Giants, who now lead 23-13 with under 8 minutes to play in the 4th quarter.

YES!!! The Packers fumbled, again, and the Giants scored a TD on the next play. It's now 30-13 Giants, with less than 7 minutes to go. That might just do it!

Arrggh!!! Another horrible call (phantom penalty) by Bill Leavy keeps a Packers drive alive. WTH is wrong with this guy?

#15 Again Darryl thanks for sharing. Hope and trust in your care that the infant makes a full recovery. Some things are more important than even books mate well done. Btw Good call on the MLK quote.

It's over! The Giants score the biggest upset of the playoffs, beating the 15-1 Packers 37-20! The G-Men will now go to San Francisco, and play the 49ers in the NFC championship game.

Fortunately the two horrible calls by Bill Leavy, which led to Green Bay's two touchdowns, did not affect the outcome of the game. However, he should not be allowed to referee another playoff game this season, based on this pathetic performance.

>19 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. The reason I got the "attaboy" call is that I decided to start him on acyclovir, after the ER doctor and one of my partners saw him before I did, even though there was no evidence that he had HSV. I pray that he continues to do well, and won't have any long term sequelae as a result.

#20 - Congrats Darryl! I will be cheering for the Giants next week!

I do love those Manning boys!

Darryl, I seem to recall reading your thread that you would be coming to Wisconsin in the next couple of weeks. Given all your comments favoring the Giants, you'd better come incognito or wear a disguise.

>21 DorsVenabili: Thanks, Kerri! It should be a good game, particularly if Alex Smith, the 49ers' QB, plays as well as he did in yesterday's game against the Saints. I like the Giants' chances though, as they are playing as well as the team that won the Super Bowl in 2008.

>22 thornton37814: Besides being clutch quarterbacks who have each won a Super Bowl, Peyton and Eli are class acts, as is their father Archie, who would have been a Hall of Fame quarterback if he didn't spend his career with the sad sack New Orleans Saints.

>23 xieouyang: No way! I will buy the gaudiest Giants baseball cap I can find, and wear it proudly for the entire time that I'm in Madison. My best friend that I'm visiting is also from North Jersey, so I'll buy him one as well.

Unfortunately I didn't place a bet on the game with nurse Amy, the rabid Packers fan whose cheesehead I had to wear last year. I'll buy her a Giants cap, too.

How do you actually read this many books? Seriously, I want your secret. I am only on two books for my seventy-five! You guys are animals!

>25 SweetbriarPoet: My colleagues at work have asked me the same question. My answer has been that I don't watch as much TV as they do, and I often spend at least a couple of hours reading nearly every day, even on work days that aren't exceptionally long, as they often are during the busy late fall and winter seasons. Other than the Giants-Packers game today (~3 hours) and the end of the 49ers-Saints game yesterday (less than 1 hour) I haven't watched any significant amount of TV since last Sunday's football games.

Ah, that's true. I do watch a significant amount of television and play video games here and there. Probably because in graduate school all I do is read articles and write, so I don't necessarily want to come home and read a book right after. But at nights and during the day, at work and school, I love reading! I probably read about three hours a day. But I guess that just isn't cutting it for me. Maybe I'll tone down my TV time (although I do consider television an art form). :)

Was glad to see that the Giants won against the officials Packers. Honestly, that was one of the worst officiated games I've ever seen! Good grief!

Love your thread topper, Darryl! And kudos on the excellent medical call.

***

I have to say Darryl, there have been some exciting games the last two weekends. I enjoyed the last minute Niners win yesterday, the OT Denver win last weekend and the Giants win today. I hate the Patriots (as do all Bills fans) so didn't
Watch that one. But I did enjoy the Gqiants win today also in spite of the officiating.

lucky me - I was tuned in when Manning made that incredible pass that Nicks caught while the Greenbay boys stood and watched. Jim and I turned to other things at half-time - thanks for letting me know who won.

Good job with the baby....a doctor who isn't afraid to dx? Rare.

Wow, Darryl ... how do you read Warmth of Other Suns and 1Q84 at the same time? Do you keep one for a morning read and one for the evening? Swamplandia during your lunch break? At least Swamplandia isn't taxing on the mind.

>27 SweetbriarPoet: I've never watched much TV (and my local friends joke that my television is a wasted piece of furniture).

>28 tymfos: It would have been a tragedy if that game had been decided by that horrible referee. The final score should properly have been 37-6. An obvious fumble by the Packers which was recovered by the Giants was overruled, which led to the Packers' first TD, and another drive that resulted in a Packers TD was kept alive by a roughing the passer penalty, in which the Giants' defender was flagged for an illegal head-to-head hit; the defender hit him legally, and the Packers would have punted the ball away if that call hadn't been made. Given his screw ups in the Seahawks-Steelers Super Bowl that Ellen referred to, Bill Leavy should not be allowed to referee another game in this year's playoffs (or any other year, for that matter).

>29 LauraBrook: Silence? Despair? Unprintable foul language?

>30 brenzi: The Giants were very impressive yesterday. If they continue to play at the top of their game, as they have done the past four weeks when every game was essentially an elimination game (as a loss to either the Jets or the Cowboys at the end of the regular season would have eliminated them from the playoffs), they have a very good chance of winning the Super Bowl. I read an article that suggested that this team should not be compared with the 2007-08 club that won Super Bowl XLII, as this year's team is considerably better than that one.

I'm an NFC guy (except for the Steelers, but I'm a fair weather fan of the Black and Gold at best), so I don't have the same level of hatred for AFC teams, although I dislike that cheater Bill Belichick (sorry, Caroline).

>31 ffortsa: I honestly expected that the Giants would win the game, as their defense was far superior to that of the Packers, who were the worst defensive team in the NFL. They only rarely pressured Eli Manning, and allowed him to pick them apart except for the few times they were able to get in his face. Aaron Rodgers never looked comfortable in the pocket, and it was obvious that he was getting frustrated by the Giants' pressure, his receivers' numerous dropped passes, and those costly turnovers. I don't believe that the Packers ever faced adversity in a meaningful game all season, whereas the Giants routinely had to mount 4th quarter comebacks to pull out must win games.

>30 brenzi:, 32 Thanks; however, I didn't make the diagnosis or think that the baby had HSV, and I thought that he had a simple febrile upper respiratory infection, based on his symptoms. I did want to cover the baby with acyclovir for that unlikely possibility, since the ER doc had ordered the test. I had read an article in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, last month which indicated that babies who were tested for and later found to have HSV infection had a much better outcome (i.e., decreased morbidity and mortality) when acyclovir was started promptly compared to those who didn't receive it until the diagnosis was made one or more days later. Had I not read that article I may not have started him on acyclovir, and he would probably have had a poor prognosis as a result (neonatal HSV is fatal in 60% of all cases, and this baby already had multi-organ system involvement (brain, liver and lungs) by Friday). This is a perfect example of why it's extremely important for physicians and others who care for patients to stay up to date with the medical literature, particularly journal and review articles in reputable publications, so that they can provide the best care to their patients (evidence based medicine).

Sorry...that's probably TMI.

>33 cameling: I should really remove 1Q84 from my currently reading list, as I still haven't started it yet. I keep thinking that today will be the day that I start reading it. I still plan to read it this month, and I'll probably start it next Monday, after I finish my upcoming stretch of work days (Tuesday-Sunday).

Yesterday was a lousy reading day, but I'm off from work today and have no plans to go anywhere, since it looks as though we'll have off and on rain all day. I'll get started reading soon, and I plan to finish Swamplandia!, and Letter from the Birmingham Jail for the King holiday (I downloaded a free version from The Online Books Page yesterday).

>34 kidzdoc:....Glad you read that journal article!! Tho' even w/o tv, I can't imagine how you keep up with the professional literature and still have the gumption for pleasure reading. Do you get any exercise beyond running around the hospital?

Darryl, your medical notes are never TMI for me. I found your explanation of treatment most interesting. How is the little one doing?

That's one thing (among many) that I need to do more of, although I have been doing better than in years past. I try to go for power walks at least three times per week, and it helps that the city's largest park, Piedmont Park, is only a couple of blocks from where I live:



You can't see the building I live in from this photo, but it's directly across the street from the twin high rises in the center of the picture.

>36 ffortsa: Fortunately we use an EMR (electronic medical record) system, and I can access it from home. It looks as though he did well last night, with no fever and no increase in his supplemental oxygen requirement (he's on 1/8 liter per minute of oxygen via nasal cannula, which isn't much for a neonate). It looks as though his MRI will be done tomorrow; our Radiology department only does emergent MRIs on holidays and weekends. His liver enzymes (which are released from liver cells that have been killed, in this case by the HSV infection) are still very high (over 10 fold the upper limit of normal), but much lower than they were on Sunday. One of my partners will see him today, but she hasn't written a progress note on him yet.

BTW, here's a photo of a baby receiving oxygen via a nasal cannula:



ETA: That baby will need to stay in the hospital for at least 21 days, to receive a full course of acyclovir, so I'll certainly see him later this week.

>230 lunacat: on your last thread: The Tim Tebow Magical Mystery Tour ends tonight. I watched this with my son in Denver. It was a sad ending to a great 3-day trip there.

I too love the MLK quote you posted. I'll look for one - there are so many good ones - to put up on my thread. I borrow some of my best ideas from you, Darryl!

I'm pulling for your sick baby. Good call on the acyclovir. I know you'll keep us updated.

One more thing... what a beautiful place to walk. I'm lucky enough to have a nature trail that snakes through my residential area to walk on daily. I walk in all kinds of weather as I absolutely hate the treadmill that gathers dust in our basement.

Great job on the acyclovir and the journal reading Darryl! I really hope he recovers fully. 21 days in hospital at that tiny age will feel so long to his parents.

Darryl, just wanted to say that I enjoyed your snow poem at the end of the last thread, but I couldn't read it at first--I got too engrossed in figuring out the structure! What a creative rhyming scheme and so well done, too.

Good news: I just finished Swamplandia!, my Orange January book. Bad news: I hated it; I'll give it 2 stars for now. Review to come.

>39 Donna828: While I'm glad that Tim Tebow had some success this season, I don't think he is an NFL caliber QB, at least not at this stage in his career. I'm still stunned by what he was able to accomplish against the Steelers, and the other teams he beat in the latter half of the regular season. He can hold his head high, and I hope he continues to improve and have a successful career in the league.

I'm glad that you liked that MLK quote.

The baby continues to do well, and is asymptomatic except for his continued oxygen requirement. He'll get an MRI of the brain tomorrow morning and repeat labs.

Your park sounds like a great place to walk, too. I stayed inside all day, as my asthma flared up again last night (not badly, though).

>40 lunacat: Ick! My stomach is doing flip flops. Okay, you win.

>41 cushlareads: Right. He'll have to stay in the hospital until at least Feb 2, as he needs to receive intravenous (instead of oral) acyclovir.

>42 ronincats: Thanks, Roni. I receive the Poem-A-Day as a daily e-mail, and most of the poems don't appeal to me the way that this one did.

Oh Boo, that sucks that you didn't like Swamplandia. I almost bought that one the other day, kinda glad I didn't. I started reading a different Orange The Inheritance of Loss because I already owned it.

I've been a bit wary of Swamplandia and not long ago, Jill (mrstreme) told me I would hate it. I think she liked it, but knows my reading tastes well enough to make the call. Chances are if you hated it Darryl, I would too.

Book #6: Swamplandia! by Karen Russell



My rating:

2011 Orange Prize longlist
Purchased 3/28/11 at Borders Books & Music, Atlanta

Thirteen year old Ava is the youngest member of the Bigtree tribe, who lives on an isolated south Florida island along the Gulf Coast, and operates the Swamplandia! theme park, which is dedicated to the 98 gators, or Seths, that live in its large tank. Ava's mother Hilola, the star of the daily performances, has died, leaving Ava and her two older siblings Ossie and Kiwi rudderless, as the show loses its appeal and fan base to the nearby World of Darkness amusement park. Their father, known to them and visitors as Chief, hatches a plan to revive the flagging show, and leaves the three to fend for themselves as the park temporarily suspends its operations.

The brainy but naïve Kiwi leaves for the mainland to earn money for the family and seek an education at Harvard. Ossie is influenced by the occult, and meets a ghost boyfriend who meets her in the surrounding swamps. Ava, the most grounded of the four Bigtrees, is left to care for the Seths and watch over the increasingly erratic behavior of her sister.

Swamplandia! was a disturbing novel, which was filled with characters that were too strange to be likeable, and plots that were too odd to be believable. The best parts of the book were the superb painting on the front of the dust jacket, and the enticing reviews on the back. Karen Russell is clearly a very talented writer, and many readers will enjoy this book far better than I did, so I would not want to discourage anyone from giving this book a try.

Darryl, I liked Swamplandia! better than you did, but it is validating to read your review. I found it less appealing than so many did, despite the wonderful Florida-irony aspect of it. I ended up liking it, but it was pretty weird. Perhaps too weird.

Thanks for the review Darryl - it does seem a strange one to be truthful and I don't place it very high in my list of priorities. As usual you are not afraid to assert your opinions of books that others liked but you feel to be a stinker!

>46 kidzdoc:: would you call this magical realism, Darryl? It sounds like it, and I usually don't care for that sort of thing.

#46 - Sorry to read that you didn't like it! I was planning to read it this month, if possible.

>37 kidzdoc:...Lovely park to walk in!! It's been 40 degrees and damp here in Michigan...my "perfect" asthma weather.

Thanks for the Swamplandia review. I think I'll pass on that one.

Waiting to hear your thoughts on Warmth of Other Suns and still nudging you to read The Arc of Justice shortly after you read Warmth.

Darryl - I have been swinging from one side of the fence to the other on Swamplandia. Thanks to your cogent observations, I think I'll take a detour and go on to other more enticing reads.

Well Darryl, I liked Swamplandia better than you did but HATED the totally disgusting (and unnecessary incident towards the end of the book.

>47 EBT1002: I found it less appealing than so many did, despite the wonderful Florida-irony aspect of it. I ended up liking it, but it was pretty weird. Perhaps too weird.

Right. I do like quirky novels, and I enjoyed The Flying Troutmans far more than Swamplandia!, though I can't say why at the moment.

>48 PaulCranswick: As usual you are not afraid to assert your opinions of books that others liked but you feel to be a stinker!

I can only give you my opinion of it, and I'd hate to dissuade anyone from reading it based on my dislike of it. I'm also disappointed, as I thought I would like the book, so I can't say that I was prejudiced against Swamplandia! before I read it.

>49 lauralkeet: would you call this magical realism, Darryl?

Yes I would, since fantastic elements (e.g., Ossie's ghost boyfriend) are melded with the real world. Some of these books work for me, such as The Obscene Bird of Night by José Donoso, Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie, and most of Murakami's novels, especially The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and A Wild Sheep Chase; others leave me cold, such as Life of Pi, Love in the Time of Cholera and Swamplandia!.

>50 DorsVenabili: I'd encourage you to form your own opinion about Swamplandia!, Kerri. A lot of people liked this book, on LT and elsewhere (and it was selected as one of the 10 Best Books of 2011 by The New York Times).

>51 tangledthread: It's 40 degrees and damp in Michigan? What a weird winter it's been so far! I see that Madison has been warm, although the temperature has already begin to plummet. Tonight's low will be zero degrees F, and it will only get up to 7 degrees on Thursday, with a low of -4 degrees. I'll be very disappointed if I don't see snow and single digit temperatures while I'm up there later this month.

>52 tututhefirst: I think that's a good idea, Tina.

>53 brenzi: I liked Swamplandia better than you did but HATED the totally disgusting (and unnecessary incident towards the end of the book.

Was that the incident with Ava (which I also found to be very disturbing and quite unnecessary)? Or the all too tidy ending? Or both?

>55 kidzdoc: I myownself am a "both" boy on that last question, Darryl.

I finally reviewed...sort of...The Night Circus, over in thread three of the cocktail party. The peanut hounds have already got the post count over 100.

I was thinking of the incident with Ava Darryl.

Darryl, I really liked your review of Swamplandia! because I feel justified now in not completing the book. I had started to read it but I couldn't get into it and wasn't enjoying it. So I employed the Pearl Rule of 50 and left it. However, after reading all the other reviews prior to yours I was wondering if maybe I hadn't given it enough of a chance.

>56 richardderus: Thanks for the heads up about your review of The Night Circus; I'll check it out soon.

>57 brenzi: I thought so.

>58 cameling: I thought about employing the Pearl Rule when I was just past page 50 of Swamplandia! and wasn't enjoying it. I decided to press on, because I hoped that it would get better (which it didn't; it actually got weirder and became more disturbing), and because I wanted to finish a book for Orange January (as I don't think I'll have time to read another Orange book this month).

I look forward to your thoughts on Night Circus

Interesting difference of opinion. Since I loved Love in the Time of Cholera, I might give Swamplandia! a chance.

#54 - I think I'm a little weird-weary right now, due to some of my recent choices. Currently, I'm happily reading a Coetzee novel. I might save Swamplandia! for later in the year.

Appreciate the honest review of Swamplandia, Darryl. It's appears to be one of the those books that incites lively conversation based on readers' responses of love it or hate it.

Beautiful city park you have to walk in! I'm also a walker; it's the only form of regular exercise I can say I look forward to!

Gave your review a thumb, Darryl. I also hated the incident with Ava and didn't think it did a thing for the story. I liked the Seths, though. :-|

I'm interested in your list of magically-real books that you've liked or not. I loved Life of Pi. One of my planned reads this spring is The Wind-up Bird Chronicle (although I was encouraged to start with Kafka on the Shore -- your thoughts?). And I've been meaning to give Midnight's Children a second try. I think I'll like it but the first time I tried, I was not in the right emotional space.

I like your review of Swamplandia!, Darryl, and interesting comments. I can't say I either loved it or hated it. I thought on the one hand it was a very poignant story about grief and adapting to change, and I enjoyed the writing, but some of the over-the-top wackiness drove me a little crazy, and, yes, there was that incident...Not one of my top 10 books of 2011 or even my top 50.

On magical realism--I enjoyed Life of Pi but wouldn't automatically say it involved magical realism, although I know that's how it's usually classified. One of the more interesting and animated book conversations I've gotten into outside of a classroom focused on whether it was ultimately a magical or a psychological story.
I wondered this about Ossie's ghost boyfriend too--magical realism or mental illness?

65: I wondered this about Ossie's ghost boyfriend too--magical realism or mental illness?
I wondered the same thing. I never decided one way or the other, so perhaps the answer is "both."

Ha! I am not the only one who didn't like Swamplandia! Ffortsa--Beware, 'cause I liked Love in the Time of Cholera and loved Life of Pi.

D-- Nice job with the meds and, Darn!, I wish you had bet the nurse. ; )

Thanks for the review of Swamplandia. I kept wondering whether I should purchase and read it. I'll think I'll pass.

>60 mckait: I look forward to your thoughts on The Night Circus.

Will do. I'm not sure when I'll get to it, though.

>61 ffortsa: Judy, I'm not a fan of Gabriel García Márquez (who is vastly overrated, IMO, particularly in comparison to Mario Vargas Llosa). It's been at least 20 years since I read Love in the Time of Cholera, but I remember that I wasn't impressed by it. One of these days I'll eventually read One Hundred Years of Solitude, but it's pretty low on my TBR list.

>62 DorsVenabili: I think I'm a little weird-weary right now, due to some of my recent choices.

I'm always up for a quirky novel that I like, especially at this time of year when my reading time is at a minimum (longer work days, and less days off from work, since we need 2-3 more doctors at work every day from late fall to early spring). It seems that I either love a quirky novel or dislike it, with not much middle ground between. I commend Karen Russell for taking the big risk of writing Swamplandia!, and I'm glad she received such high praise for it; it just wasn't for me, and (again) I wouldn't want to dissuade anyone from giving it a try.

>63 lit_chick: I like walking, as well. I don't do as much of it in Atlanta as I did when I lived in Pittsburgh or NYC, as those are much more pedestrian friendly cities. I have started to walk to the local rail station and take the train to and from work, which gives me more exercise, and allows me to read The New York Times everyday instead of staring at the bumper of the car in front of me on the drive to and from work.

>64 EBT1002: I was encouraged to start with Kafka on the Shore -- your thoughts?

Um...I don't think I've read it, looking at the description of it. If I did, it wasn't a memorable read, as I don't remember any of the characters, particularly Colonel Sanders. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle was the first book I read by Murakami, which completely blew me away. There is one rather disturbing section, although it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. It's easily a 5 star read, and I'm pretty sure it would be amongst my top 25 all time favorite novels.

>65 AnneDC: On magical realism--I enjoyed Life of Pi but wouldn't automatically say it involved magical realism, although I know that's how it's usually classified. One of the more interesting and animated book conversations I've gotten into outside of a classroom focused on whether it was ultimately a magical or a psychological story.

Interesting comment, Anne. I wish I could remember enough of the details of the book to give you a better opinion, but it seemed to be more of a magical story to me.

>65 AnneDC:, 66 I wondered this about Ossie's ghost boyfriend too--magical realism or mental illness?

I'd say both, although the denouement would suggest the latter.

>67 Berly: I wish you had bet the nurse. ; )

I did see Amy at work today, for the first time since last weekend's Giants-Packers game. I'm still struggling to come up with an appropriate "punishment" for her team's loss. I suggested that she fly to NYC, go to Junior's in Brooklyn and bring back cheesecakes for me, her husband (who hates the Packers), and the nurses on the 3rd floor. Unfortunately she loved that idea, and was all too willing to make that trip.

Ooh, this is Junior's Valentine's day cheesecake:



Drool...

>68 dsstukes: You're welcome, Deseree. I'd suggest borrowing it rather than buying it.

Darryl, I found One Hundred Years of Solitude quite a slog, and wouldn't recommend it to you if Garcia Marquez isn't a favorite author.

I adored Love in the Time of Cholera and yet completely agree with Judy that One Hundred Years of Solitude was a slog. It seemed to me they were written by very different people. Perhaps Garcia Marquez was a multiple personality.

Swamplandia! made me mad because of the Ava incident, and the anti-man message that sent. I thought Ossie's BF was probably real, as I suspect Ava wasn't wrong about much. I've mentally excised the ending.

I skipped most of what appeared to be sports-talk, but wanted to give you a little cheer for following your guy about the HSV case. I am so relieved to read that he is on the mend.

Also, your MLK quote reminds me of "Mother to Son" by Hughes. I really love his poetry.

>70 ffortsa:, 71 Thanks, Richard and Judy (Richard and Judy: hmm...). Maybe I won't read One Hundred Years of Solitude after all. It's one of those books that I feel I should read, mainly because some of my non-LT friends are surprised that I haven't read it yet. On to the discard pile it goes.

>72 London_StJ: Thanks, Luxx. I haven't seen him yet this week, but I do know that he's doing great, with no seizures or other worrisome neurological signs, and that the MRI of his brain was completely normal. He'll need to stay in the hospital for another week and half, but he should make a full recovery.

Let me intrude on 71-73. I don't know if I'd call One hundred years of solitude a slog, but it is hard to read because of the complexity of the story, the multitude of characters, mixing reality with imagination and magic, plus circular time. Several generations of the Buendia family are part of the story, many of them with the same name. Times are confused intentionally, the past and the present mixed, plus a lot of magical characters and magic events occur. Although I read the book in the late 60s in Spanish, when it first came out, I still have some vivid images of it.

It's a good story to read, but it's very convoluted and not an easy read in my opinion. However, I should add, this is not a book that I'd want to read again myself.

I am in the minority again, it seems, because I liked One Hundred Years of Solitude quite a bit, Darryl .. and I liked Love in the Time of Cholera as well.

Delurking to say that you are likely to know whether you'll enjoy One Hundred Years of Solitude after reading only a couple of pages, maybe in the library before checking it out or as an e-book test chapter. I absolutely loved it, but it needed slow reading and more concentration on the language than on the plot. I read it twice and both times it took me almost two weeks. Oh - and my edition had a family tree which helped enormously with the names.

I noticed only yesterday that you started a group read of Life: A User's Manual in 2011 which then seems to have stopped (or the links in the wiki are not correct). Did you ever finish that book? I am having quite a struggle with it.

For what it's worth, I too found One Hundred Years of Solitude a slog. It is also the book that made me realize I don't like magical realism. Blech.

I'm another one who likes Gabriel Garcia Marquez's books, Darryl, including One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera. In contrast to Laura on this one, the former probably is the first book that made me realize I do like magical realism.

I liked Love in the Time of Cholera MUCH better than One Hundred Years of Solitude, but 100 years was more interesting after I read the first (and so far only) installment of Garcia Marquez's autobiography, Living to Tell the Tale. I also really liked his novella Chronicle of a Death Foretold.

Adding my thumb for Love in the Time of Cholera - I loved the story, and I remember the vocabulary was absolutely exquisite! Haven't read One Hundred Years.

One Hundred Years of Solitude is not one of my favourites and I am another who found it heavy going. Will, however, try to read Love in the Time of Cholera sometime soon as consensus amongst my friends is that it is far more engaging.

Go Giants! They must win today!

I am SO loving this discussion. I decided to reread *100* a couple of years ago and I was so disappointed. Slog is an understatement. *Love/Cholera* on the other hand, I loved, and have no doubt would love again. Why is *100* so well regarded? We're all pretty discerning readers, no?????

Now I'm going to put you on the spot. After your comment in #69 - what is on your list of top 25 all time novels? If you are making a declaration such as that, you have to be able to compose said list ;)

This might be my latest way of tormenting you. Making you choose only a few books.

Checking in, Darryl. Given your thoughts on Swamplandia!, I think I will continue to give the book a pass. It is a book that has been on the fence for me for a while. I think I will put it on my 'Do Not Read' list and leave it at that.

Well, this discussion is certainly encouraging me to give Love in the Time of Cholera a try, even though it's One Hundred Years of Solitude which is sitting on my shelf......

Go 49ers.

*slinks away*

>86 EBT1002: *lights torch*sharpens pitchfork*

AFTER HER!!!!!

I fear not.

While Love in the time of cholera remains one of my favourite reading experiences, I have to say that 100YoS was a hard slog for me too, I was so relieved to finish that book.

87> If I could, um, sing like Madeline Kahn, I would do so.

>90 EBT1002: LOL

But you are not spared, o heathen 49er fan.

91> We west-coasters are ferocious. Just warning you.

Although I might note that Vernon Davis should simply be sent to the trenches.

Hi Darryl.

TGIS (Thank God it's Sunday)!!! I'm home from work, after what should be my last work day of the month. I'm on back up call on Thursday, and I would only have to work if one of my partners called out sick (highly unlikely) or had a psychotic break from overwork (entirely possible). I won't have to go to work until the Saturday after next (Feb 3), so I'll be able to recharge my battery over the next 12 days (and hopefully get a lot of reading done!).

The Giants lead the 49ers at halftime 10-7, in a predictably low scoring and tough matchup. It's anyone's ball game, but I'm glad that New York has the lead and is playing well. Go Big Blue!!!

I'm a bit more relaxed after an extraordinarily painful day at work, now that I've had a good dinner (chicken Pad Thai) and a sizable dose of Bacardi Select dark rum (for medicinal purposes only).

Catching up on posts...

>74 xieouyang: Thanks for those thoughtful comments about One Hundred Years of Solitude, Manuel. I'll keep my copy for now, but I doubt that I'll read it anytime soon without a good reason.

>75 cameling: Hmm...that's interesting that you liked it too, Caroline...

>76 Deern: And you too, Nathalie. Okay, I suppose that I'll have to read it and form my own opinion about it.

I noticed only yesterday that you started a group read of Life A User's Manual in 2011 which then seems to have stopped (or the links in the wiki are not correct). Did you ever finish that book? I am having quite a struggle with it.

No; I barely started it. I chose a bad time for a group read (August), as that was the time that I created the Booker Prize group and my focus was on the Booker longlist at that time. I do want to read it at some point in the near future, though (maybe in late spring?).

>77 lauralkeet: That doesn't surprise me, Laura.

>78 jnwelch: Interesting comment, Joe; I'll have to think of which book of magical realism made me a fan(?) of the genre. I would guess it would be The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.

Chicken pad thai and medicinal run. Well done.

I read One Hundred Years of Solitude in high school, Darryl, and it was my first book like that. I was an ambitious reader back then, but I don't think I would have been ready for The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle at that age!

I'm sorry to hear you had a difficult day, Darryl. Also sorry that the Giants are behind right now.

Glad you'll have a chance for R&R now.

Argh. The 49ers have regained the lead 14-10 late in the 3rd quarter, on another TD pass to Vernon Davis. It's still anybody's ball game, but the 49ers defense is giving Eli Manning fits in the second half.

>79 rebeccanyc: There are some novels by GGM that I have liked, but none have been particularly memorable, particularly in comparison to Mario Vargas Llosa's novels.

>80 lit_chick:, 81 I suppose I should consider re-reading Love in the Time of Cholera. It won't be anytime soon, though.

>82 DorsVenabili: This has been a tough game so far. The Giants are still in it, of course, but the 49ers have had a much better 3rd quarter than the Giants did. Eli Manning has proven to be one of the best comeback and 4th quarter QBs in the NFL, so the Giants still have a good chance to pull this one out.

>83 sibylline: Why is *100* so well regarded? We're all pretty discerning readers, no?????

Great question, Lucy. That's not one I can answer; anyone want to take a crack at it?

>84 lunacat: what is on your list of top 25 all time novels?

I had started to think about this early last week, but work got in the way. I'll think about this in the next couple of days, and post a list here. Hmm, maybe this question is worthy of a separate thread...

>85 alcottacre: I was quite disappointed by Swamplandia!, so I think that's a wise decision, Stasia.

>86 EBT1002: et al. Boo 49ers!!! The Giants are threatening to take the lead, after a 49ers turnover. It's still 14-10, San Francisco.

Yes!!! Eli does it again! A TD to Mario Manningham has given the Giants a 17-14 lead!!!

Three points against the 49ers isn't really a lead, more of a head start.

Um, forward progress? Just sayin'. :-P

49ers: 0-11 on third down in this game. Give the Giants defense credit.

This game is killing me.

OT

Incredible.

ETA: If the Giants lose, I'll root for them in the Superbowl. Since the Seahawks never made it, and the Packers and Saints are long gone, I'll root for the Big Blue over the Patriots. :-)

Well, #10 Williams just gave the Giants the game. Again. Rats. Eli has so much more experience than Alex Smith (who has even heard of him?). Oh well.

Meanwhile, I'm very much enjoying The Tiger's Wife. :-)

Oh, my, what a game!

NFC Champions!!! Bring on the Patriots!

Unbelievable. Great game.

Bye bye Pats.

Congrats, Darryl! Great game! I hope you get a lot of reading and relaxing done in the next few days.

Bring it on, Richard ... revenge will be so sweet this time around when the Pats slash the living daylights out of the Giants

My favourite Marquez so far has been News of a kidnapping, not magical realism, not at all.

I'll have to cheer for Eli! I'm a huge fan of Archie and sons!

Congrats, Darryl! *hides his Patriots hat*

I fell dead asleep in my glider just after the game ended; the excitement must have been too much for this old man.

So, of course this sets up a rematch of Super Bowl XLII in 2008, when the underdog New York Giants upset the undefeated New England Patriots 17-14. There will be numerous replays of the ridiculous catch of a Eli Manning pass by David Tyree during the game winning drive in that game, which is one of the greatest receptions of all time:



Hopefully the Giants won't need any last minute heroics in Super Bowl XLVI.

>108 katiekrug: Yep, definitely a great game. Although I'm glad the Giants won, I do feel badly for Kyle Williams, the 49ers backup kick returner, whose two critical mistakes on punt returns led directly to the Giants' go ahead TD in the 4th quarter, and the game winning FG in OT.

>109 richardderus: Bye bye Pats is right! I don't think their defense is good enough to stop Eli Manning, and I expect that the Giants' D will harass Tom Brady as they did in Super Bowl XLII and this year's regular season game, both of which were won by the Giants, and as the Ravens did in yesterday's game. Advantage Giants.

>110 DorsVenabili: Thanks, Kerry. I'm looking forward to being off for probably 12 straight days! My brother is in town this week for a conference, so we'll get together a couple of times, depending on his schedule. And, I'm eagerly awaiting my trip to Madison on Saturday, as I haven't seen my best friends and their kids in over a year, an extremely long time compared to past years.

>111 cameling: Tom Coughlin, the head coach of the Giants, has a favorite saying that is included in an article in today's New York Times: 'The sword will always be conquered by the spirit.'

Those are some nice boots that Brady is wearing, but that sword looks a bit heavy for him. He really does need a haircut.

>112 trandism: I haven't read News of a Kidnapping. I thought I owned it, but it's not in my LT library. I'll bet it's in one of my boxes of older books that I haven't yet catalogued.

>113 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori!

>114 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe; I'd appreciate it if you burned that Patriots hat, though.

Hah! *puts hat behind his back* Sure thing!

Back to books for a moment. The finalists for this year's National Book Critics Circle Awards were announced last night:

Fiction

Teju Cole, Open City (Random House)
Jeffrey Eugenides, The Marriage Plot (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
Alan Hollinghurst, The Stranger’s Child (Knopf)
Edith Pearlman, Binocular Vision (Lookout Books)
Dana Spiotta, Stone Arabia (Scribner)


Nonfiction

Amanda Foreman, A World on Fire: Britain’s Crucial Role in the American Civil War (Random)
James Gleick, The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood (Pantheon)
Adam Hochschild, To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918 (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Maya Jasanoff, Liberty's Exiles: American Loyalists in the Revolutionary World (Knopf)
John Jeremiah Sullivan, Pulphead: Essays (Farrar, Straus, & Giroux)

Autobiography

Diane Ackerman, One Hundred Names for Love: A Stroke, A Marriage, and the Language of Healing (W.W. Norton)
Mira Bartók, The Memory Palace (Free Press)
Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts, Harlem Is Nowhere: A Journey to the Mecca of Black America (Little, Brown)
Luis J. Rodríguez, It Calls You Back: An Odyssey Through Love, Addiction, Revolutions, and Healing (Touchstone)
Deb Olin Unferth, Revolution: The Year I Fell in Love and Went to Join the War (Henry Holt)

Biography

Mary Gabriel, Love and Capital: Karl and Jenny Marx and the Birth of the Revolution (Little, Brown)
John Lewis Gaddis, George F. Kennan: An American Life (Penguin Press)
Paul Hendrickson, Hemingway’s Boat: Everything He Loved in Life, and Lost, 1934-1961 (Knopf)
Manning Marable, Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention (Viking)
Ezra F. Vogel, Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China (Belknap Press: Harvard University Press)

Criticism

David Bellos, Is That a Fish in Your Ear?: Translation and the Meaning of Everything (Faber & Faber)
Geoff Dyer, Otherwise Known as the Human Condition: Selected Essays and Reviews (Graywolf)
Jonathan Lethem, The Ecstasy of Influence (Doubleday)
Dubravka Ugresic, Karaoke Culture (Open Letter)
Ellen Willis, Out of the Vinyl Deeps: Ellen Willis on Rock Music (University of Minnesota Press)

Poetry

Forrest Gander, Core Samples from the World (New Directions)
Aracelis Girmay, Kingdom Animalia (BOA Editions)
Laura Kasischke, Space, in Chains (Copper Canyon Press)
Yusef Komunyakaa, The Chameleon Couch (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux)
Bruce Smith, Devotions (University of Chicago Press)

The winners will be announced on March 8. More info: http://bookcritics.org/blog/archive/press-release-draft

This year's John Newbery and Randolph Caldecott winners have just been announced. Jack Gantos won the Newbery Medal (best children's book of 2011) for Dead End in Norvelt, and Chris Raschka won the Caldecott Award (best illustrated children's story) for A Ball for Daisy.

#115 - Have fun in Madison! We were there this past August for a most excellent beer festival. We've also spent a weekend in New Glarus, which is a short drive from Madison. It's where the New Glarus brewery is located. I promise that all of our tourism doesn't revolve around beer. It just seems that way. Ha!

>119 DorsVenabili: Thanks, Kerri. My best friends live in Middleton, which is just west of Madison. I'm eager to see them and especially the kids; I think I'm their favorite "uncle", even though I'm not related to them. I'll land at MSN late Saturday morning, and I imagine that we'll stop at one of our favorite restaurants, Hong Kong Wok in the Hilldale Mall on the western edge of Madison. It has great congee and steamed dumplings, perfect comfort foods for a cold winter's day.

Oh, I almost forgot:

#117 A lot of great stuff to go at Darryl for the next year and beyond. I remember you enjoying the Hollinghurst - what are the qualification criteria for the awards as I didn't realise he would be eligible?

Hi Darryl, I had warned you about Swamplandia!. 25 best books ever got me thinking about my favs over the years.

Looking forward to some reviews.

>121 richardderus: Thanks for the link to your Homeless Reviews thread, Richard. I'm no longer a member of the What Are You Reading Now? group, so that explains why I didn't know about this thread.

>122 PaulCranswick: Any book that has been published in the US, except for books in certain categories (cook books, self help books, reference books, picture books or children's books), are eligible for the six NBCC Awards. Books written by non-US authors are eligible, as are translated books; for example, 2666 by Roberto Bolaño won the fiction award for 2008, and Wolf Hall won in 2009.

I've read Open City and The Stranger's Child from the fiction list, and I liked both books. I read Harlem Is Nowhere from the autobiography list, but I was lukewarm about it. I'll read Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention next month, and Is That a Fish in Your Ear? and The Chameleon Couch later this year.

>123 mausergem: Right; you did warn me about Swamplandia!, Gautam. I still thought I would like it, though.

I haven't read anything (other than journal articles and January issues of The New Yorker) since last Monday. I think that Swamplandia! and Walkabout put me in a bit of a reading rut, as I'm not very interested in any books at the moment (although it could also be that I don't have the mental focus to concentrate on reading just yet, after a long work week). I'll pick up a relatively short novel, Mister Blue by Jacques Poulin, now; hopefully it will get me back on track.

Yes it will, Darryl. I liked Mister Blue ... and perhaps after you read it, you can tell me why you think it's titled after the cat.

Oh ...and Darryl ...

>126 cameling: Yes, dear?



Victor Cruuuuuz all day long, baby.

I hope the Superbowl is soon ! Football is crazy!

>128 mckait: LOL! Super Bowl XLVI isn't soon enough for any of us, fans or not. It will be played on February 5, the Sunday after next, so there's sure to be plenty of trash talking and Patriots and Giants gifs on this thread for the next two weeks.

Ooh! I found a web site that has dozens of animated New York Giants gifs, including the one of Giants' WR Victor Cruz making a sliding catch above, and the clutch Eli Manning to Mario Manningham TD pass on 3rd and 15 in the 4th quarter that gave the Giants a 17-14 lead:

I'm much more awake today, and I'm eager to get back to The Warmth of Other Suns, which I'd like to finish by Friday. I'll try to read Mister Blue by Jacques Poulin today as well, as Lisa and Caroline both liked it.

One of my unstated goals for this year was to read some of the best articles and short stories that appeared in The New Yorker in years past, particularly those written by legendary authors such as A.J. Liebling, Joseph Mitchell, Lillian Ross, James Baldwin, John Cheever, John Updike, John McPhee, Ann Beattie and others. Subscribers to the magazine can read back issues on line for free, and I own The Complete New Yorker, a compilation of eight DVD-ROMs that contain all of the issues from the first 80 years (I love the ads, cartoons and illustrations from the old issues, which can also be viewed via the digital online edition of the magazine.

I'll review these articles and short stories here, as well, starting with:

"The Swimmer" by John Cheever (The New Yorker, July 18, 1964)



Neddy Merrill, a suburbanite blessed by wealth, good looks and an athletic physique, lounges at the edge of a friend's pool on a lazy midsummer afternoon in suburban New York. He is as content as a man can be, and he decides to prolong this perfect day by swimming across the county, from one pool to another, meeting friends and sharing drinks with them.

He is initially greeted warmly by his neighbors and their guests. However, as his journey progresses, several cracks begin to appear in this idyllic setting: "For Sale" signs mysteriously appear, former friends treat him with indifference and disdain and make accusations against him, and the weather takes on an autumnal appearance. Neddy becomes increasingly bewildered and exhausted, until he reaches home, where a final surprise awaits him.

"The Swimmer" is considered to be one of Cheever's best short stories, and it was later made into a 1968 movie that starred Burt Lancaster. I thoroughly enjoyed this dark, surrealist story, which is the first work by John Cheever that I've read. (4½ stars)

#131 - That sounds wonderful! I really want to know the final surprise now. It appears to be in The Stories of John Cheever, which I'm thinking about reading for my short stories category, based on an LT person's recommendation.

I think perusing some back issues of The New Yorker could be the antidote to the reading blues, Darryl.

>132 DorsVenabili: Yes, "The Swimmer" is included in The Stories of John Cheever. Club Read member fuzzy_patters is reading that book now, and has been commenting about some of the better stories in this collection. This reminded me that I had wanted to read some of his New Yorker stories, including this one and "The Enormous Radio" from the May 17, 1947 issue.

BTW, The New Yorker has an audio podcast from last year, in which Anne Enright reads "The Swimmer" and discusses it with the magazine's fiction editor, Deborah Treisman, afterward:

Voices Over Water

I haven't listened to this podcast yet, but I'll do so sometime this week.

>133 EBT1002: I think you're right, Ellen. Although The Warmth of Other Suns looks good, I'm very tempted to start Just Enough Liebling, a compilation of A. J. Liebling's best New Yorker pieces.

Can't go wrong reading The New Yorker...good or bad, it's never likely to leave you unmoved.

Football fans can be nutty, my family included!
My dad's 60th birthday is on the 5th and he refuses to let us throw him a party because that would interfere with superbowl! So we get to have lunch with him and then I guess a superbowl-slash-60th birthday party together.

>137 ChelleBearss: What? Who are you calling nutty, my dear Chelle? I'm quite tame compared to the rabid college football fans here in the deep South, some of whom don't seem to own any items of clothing (other than Sunday church clothes, maybe) that aren't inscribed with the logos or colors of their favorite teams. This is a photo of nurse Amy's baby daughter, sporting a Green Bay Packers cheerleader's outfit:



Even her pacifier next to her feet is green!

I support your father's decision to delay his birthday party until after the game. Completely normal behavior, if you ask me.

Whew, Darryl, I just caught up on 1 and 3/4 threads - haven't checked in since before 1st January, what a lot I missed. I can skim over the sports stuff (no knowledge of or interest in that) but the rest as usual is fascinating. Loved the snow poem.

On Marquez, I read 100 years in my teens and loved it then - though it was weird and unlike anything else I'd read. Read Love in the time of Cholera about 10 years later, and enjoyed that though not as much. If I were to re-read either, it would probably be 100 years, just to see how it stood up to the early experience. But one go at the obsessive love in Cholera was enough for me.

But as you keep telling us that Llosa is so much better than Marques, I really must try something of his. Where's a good place to start?

Also, the title of Is that a fish in your ear? caught my eye, and sounds like one I'd like to try; translation is a fascinating process and one which makes you very aware of the limitations of language as well as its possibilities.

Hi, Genny! I would probably suggest starting with Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter, a semi-autobiographical novel about his youth and his ultimate marriage to his older divorced aunt. It's a superb novel, but my favorite ones by MVL are The War of the End of the World, Conversation in the Cathedral, The Feast of the Goat, and The Time of the Hero. I'm curious to find out which book Rebecca would recommend first; I think that she & I are among the biggest MVL fans on LT and, as I've probably mentioned previously, he's my favorite living writer.

I started to buy Is That a Fish in Your Ear? in London this past summer, and I regret not making it to David Bellos' talk at Foyles when I was there.

Ok, Nurse Amy's daughter is pretty cute in her little cheerleader uniform!

But I still think my dad is loopy for passing up a birthday party for a football game. Oh well, we will take him for lunch and then watch the game together.
(And by watch the game, I mean I'll eat the snacks and chat with the girls while the game is on in the background ;)

Wow, I didn't know Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter was semi-autobiographical, Darryl! I really enjoyed that one. How interesting to think it tracked his life to some extent. And it's good to know there are others of his you recommend. I read his Death in the Andes, but didn't like it as well as AJATS.

I had to look Vargas Llosa up after you said he married his aunt. Actually she was his uncle's sister-in-law - a bit more reasonable. However, after they divorced, he married his first cousin. The guy likes to stick close to home.

Thanks for the recommendation. I find I do have Death in the Andes and The Time of the Hero already in my TBR pile, so if I'm to stick with my 'buying fewer books' resolution (which many of us seem to share this year) I might have to start with them - or see if my library has a copy of Aunt Julia.

The winner of this year's Costa Book Award is Pure by Andrew Miller, a historical novel set on the eve of the French Revolution, which is centered around a young engineer who is ordered by the king to demolish Paris' oldest cemetery. It was one of the novels picked by the Guardian for its prospective Booker Prize longlist last year, which was passed over by the Booker judges in favor of more deserving works of literature, including The Testament of Jessie Lamb and Snowdrops.

Costa book award: Andrew Miller wins for sixth novel, Pure

I bought this in London last summer, and I'll read it soon.

>141 ChelleBearss: But I still think my dad is loopy for passing up a birthday party for a football game.

This isn't just any football game; it's the Super Bowl, one of the most important sporting events of the year. This would be similar to missing the World Cup final for most of the world, so I'm still in agreement with your father. :)

Oh well, we will take him for lunch and then watch the game together. (And by watch the game, I mean I'll eat the snacks and chat with the girls while the game is on in the background ;) )

He'll probably want the women who don't like football to stay in the background so that he can watch the game without distractions. ;-)

>142 jnwelch: Wow, I didn't know Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter was semi-autobiographical, Darryl!

From Wikipedia:

It is based in part on the author's first marriage, to Julia Urquidi. Urquidi later wrote a memoir, Lo que Varguitas no dijo (What little Vargas didn't say), in which she provided her own version of their relationship.

Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter combines a fictional account of a period in Vargas' own life with a picture of Lima in the 1950s, a satirical look at Peruvian radio soap operas, and an examination of both the practical and creative aspects of writing.

I read his Death in the Andes, but didn't like it as well as AJATS.

I agree; Death in the Andes is one of my least favorite novels by MVL. However, it was still a four star read for me, and it surpasses anything I've read by GGM.

>143 ffortsa: I had to look Vargas Llosa up after you said he married his aunt. Actually she was his uncle's sister-in-law - a bit more reasonable.

I think that the 'Aunt' in the novel was also an in-law to 'Mario' in the story. I know that 'cuñada' is 'sister-in-law' and 'cuñado' is 'brother-in-law', but I'm not sure if there is a Spanish word for 'aunt-in-law', so 'tía' may stand for 'aunt' or 'aunt-in-law'. Checking...Babel fish translations converts 'aunt-in-law' to 'tía-en-ley', which makes sense, but I suspect that this isn't a widely used phrase (and 'La tía-en-ley Julia y el escribidor' certainly is an awkward sounding title for a novel).

>144 gennyt: Genny, I liked The Time of the Hero better than Death in the Andes. I think it would be a very good choice for a first MVL novel to read. Aunt Julia is a lighter read, which gives more background about MVL's younger days, but The Time of the Hero is more typical of his best work, IMO.

La tia en ley - that would be a hoot. And far less tasty than the original.

#139, 140 I'm curious to find out which book Rebecca would recommend first; I think that she & I are among the biggest MVL fans on LT

Strangely enough, I haven't yet read Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter so I can't comment on that as a first choice. The first one I read was The War of the End of the World, which remains my favorite, but it is a tough and long read so I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to start. For a flavor of MVL's style and themes, in a shorter and less complex book, I would recommend Death in the Andes which has grown on me since I read it, so I have to disagree with Darryl's feelings about it I also highly recommend Conversation in the Cathedral (just as hard to follow as The War of the End of the World) and, for humor, the unbeatable Captain Pantoja and the Secret Service. I also really enjoyed The Green House, which is possibly even harder to follow than the two tomes. Unlike Darryl, I really didn't like The Time of the Hero and am lukewarm on The Feast of the Goat. The Storyteller is short and has a fantastic sense of place, but is a little didactic. In Praise of the Stepmother and The Notebooks of Don Rigoberto are completely different from all the rest, and while I'm glad I read them, I probably wouldn't have if they weren't by MVL.

>147 ffortsa: Right.

>148 rebeccanyc: I'm mildly surprised that you haven't read Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter yet, Rebecca. Then again, I owned The War of the End of the World for at least five years before I read it. I'd give a slight nod to it over Conversation in the Cathedral as my favorite MVL novel. I read The Feast of the Goat, my first MVL novel, at least 7-8 years ago, when I wasn't as discerning a reader. It was a powerful read, and I remember literally shaking with dread and excitement at the book's end, so it was one of the most powerful books I've ever read (although that doesn't necessarily make it one of the best). I read The Notebooks of Don Rigoberto, which is the only MVL book that I disliked, and I'm in no rush to read In Praise of the Stepmother, which I do own. Fortunately I have several MVL novels that I haven't read yet: The Green House, Captain Pantoja and the Special Service, The Way to Paradise, and The Bad Girl. The Dream of the Celt will be published in early June, and I'll definitely buy it as soon as it is available.

V cute baby!!!

Busy thread, as is usual.

Book #8: Mister Blue by Jacques Poulin



My rating:

Jim, the narrator of this outstanding novel, is a writer and former professor, who lives in his isolated childhood home alongside the St. Lawrence River, close to Quebec City. He lives alone, save for his old feline companion Mister Blue, as he attempts to write a "the most beautiful love story in the world." However, he has never been truly in love, and he struggles to provide a face and a voice to the woman in his novel.

One day Jim walks on the bank of the river, and he is surprised to see footsteps in the sand, leading to a nearby cave. He enters, and finds evidence that someone is living there. A copy of The Arabian Nights is alongside remnants of a campfire, which has been inscribed with the name "Marie K." The novelist changes her name in his mind to "Marika", and she serves as the inspiration for the woman in his novel.

He later meets a matronly woman, who knows Marika and gives him an enticing description of her. As he is befriended by the matron and a young woman, referred to as La Petite, Jim's heart is filled with Marika's presence and his growing love for her, while he awaits a reply to his letters of invitation. His friendship with La Petite deepens, as the two damaged souls find kinship and draw each other out of their emotional shells:

In spite of the difference in age and the other differences, which were many, La Petite and I had several things in common. And the most important of these common points, at least the one that brought me closest to her, was perhaps this: most of the time we were, both of us, walled up inside ourselves and busy trying to stick back together the fragments of our past.

Jim continues to search for the elusive Marika, as his heart progressively fills with love, longing and despair.

Mister Blue is a richly layered, haunting and deeply moving novel of love and memory, in which reality and fantasy blur and merge. It is both beautifully and simply written, and I adored and identified closely with Jim and La Petite, who will reside in my heart for many days. I can't recommend this novel highly enough, and I look forward to reading more of Poulin's translated works.

Hi Darryl- I fell woefully behind over here. Thanks for posting the National Book Critics Circle Awards list. There are a few I would love to get to, Open city & the Marriage Plot to name 2.
I finished The Warmth of Other Suns a few days ago. It's an incredible piece of work. I can't wait until you get to it.
BTW- Great review of Mister Blue.

You're welcome, Mark. I'm curious to get your take on Open City and The Marriage Plot.

I enjoyed your review of The Warmth of Other Suns. I won't finish it by Friday, so I'll bring it with me when I fly to Madison (via Chicago) on Saturday. Speaking of Chicago, I'll have a long layover at O'Hare on Thursday. I haven't found any good restaurants or places to hang for a few hours there; do you (or any other Chicagolanders) have any good recommendations? (How about you, Caroline?)

Mister Blue was superb, and it's my favorite book of the year so far. I also enjoyed his book Translation Is a Love Affair, and I'll be on the lookout for several of his other books in the near future. Lisa (labfs39) also loved it; she reviewed it a day or two ago, and also gave it 4½ stars (and Caroline read and reviewed it recently as well). It was published by Archipelago Books last month, so several other LTers, particularly Rebecca, Ilana and (I think) Deborah (arubabookwoman), should also have received it.

>151 kidzdoc: Thumbs-upped your stellar review of Mister Blue, Darryl, and have requested it from the liberry.

Fantastic!

Thank you, sir!

great review!

That I was once in love in Quebec City had nothing to do with it, you bet. Mr. Blue is now on my wishlist.

Thank you,

Robert

#151 - Good review, Darryl. That sounds beautiful. Wishlist!

Great review of Mister Blue, Darryl. I'll get after it in the near future.

Lurking but stopped to thumb yr review!

I'm not quite ready to read another Jacques Poulin novel yet, although that sounds interesting.

Completely agree with yr assessment of Swamplandia, which was def. one of my most underwhelming reads from last year. High concept, but the execution was flawed. And the more high concept something is, the more skill it takes to pull it off. I think I gave it a higher rating (maybe 3 stars?) because of the caliber of the writing, which was still v. good.

Re Marquez, read "100" in high school, and should probably try him again. No aversion, but nothing is really compelling me to pick it up again, either.

I made the mistake of calling a football obsessed friend on Sunday, not realizing that this was a big football night. He was icily polite and hustled me off the phone rapidly. Frankly, that's what DVRs are for, no? So you don't offend your friends & family by thinking a game is more important than they are...

Wonderful review of Mister Blue, Darryl.

Great review of Mister Blue, Darryl. Big thumbs up!

Great review, Darryl. I have Mister Blue and The Inheritance of Loss waiting for me at the library and I'm excited to read them.

ahhh, just completely caught up with this thread and I am exhausted!
I'm happy to see you will not be donning a swiss cheese head this year, Darryl.
I may have missed it, but do you have a bet going at work this year?

Wow; thanks Chelle, Robert, Kerri, Joe, Lucy, Suz, Nancy, Pat and Ellen! I hope that all of you pick up Mister Blue and enjoy it as much as Lisa, Caroline and I did.

>161 Chatterbox: Why aren't you ready to "read another Jacques Poulin novel yet"? Which one(s) have you already read?

Right. Karen Russell did take big risks in writing Swamplandia!, for which she deserves a lot of credit. This seems similar to an athlete performing a dive with a higher degree of difficulty than her competitors, who doesn't quite stick the entry. I should probably increase my rating by ½ star.

I think that 100 Years of Solitude is one for the discard pile, thanks for the collective input here. There are hundreds of books I already own that I'd rather read ahead of it, and I don't have the right attitude toward it.

I made the mistake of calling a football obsessed friend on Sunday, not realizing that this was a big football night. He was icily polite and hustled me off the phone rapidly. Frankly, that's what DVRs are for, no? So you don't offend your friends & family by thinking a game is more important than they are...

It is blasphemous to suggest that a football fanatic tape a vitally important game so that he could be available to his friends on a PRN basis. I'm amazed that he answered the phone; I would have let it roll over to voice mail, and listened to the message during a time out or significant stoppage in play, unless I had a sense that it was an urgent call. Surely there must be a book of proper football etiquette for you and Chelle! ;-)

>165 Carmenere: Nurse Amy and I didn't have a formal bet going on the Packers-Giants game, unfortunately. I can't think of anyone at work who is from New England and/or is a known Patriots fan.

I finished Stained Glass Elegies by Shusaku Endo last night, and Botchan (Master Darling) by Natsume Soseki earlier this morning; I read both books for the Author Theme Reads group. Both books were disappointing, and Botchan was a painful read. I'll review them after I venture out for groceries, ahead of the coming deluge of rain we'll receive from late afternoon through tomorrow morning.

I'll be the naysayer, Darryl, and hope that you pick One Hundred Years of Solitude back up from the discard pile some day. I thought it was an exceptional and beautiful book. But I know what you mean about "not having the right attitude toward it". I've certainly experienced that. Don't read it now, but I hope you get to it when the time is right.

Book #9: Stained Glass Elegies by Shusaku Endo



My rating:

Purchased at Strand Bookstore, NYC on 12/26/11

Stained Glass Elegies is a compilation of 11 short stories that Endo wrote between 1959 and 1977, which were largely taken from his earlier short story collections Aika (Elegies) and Juichi no iro garasu (Eleven Stained-Glass Segments). Most of the stories touch on Endo's main themes: chronic illness and death; the indifference and paternalism that patients in the modern hospital are afforded; the effect of barbarism and imperialism on Catholics in feudal and wartime Japan; and the internal struggles of Japanese Catholics, who attempt to reconcile Western religious beliefs in a cultural tradition that is seemingly at odds with it.

Many of the stories, unfortunately, are uneven, repetitive and inferior to the two Endo novels I've read so far, The Sea and Poison and Volcano. The main character of several of the stories was Suguro, which also made subsequent stories more difficult (is this the same Suguro as the one two stories past?). The best stories are A Forty-Year-Old Man (1964), in which (you guessed it) Suguro is a hospitalized invalid with tuberculosis, who faces his own mortality and irrelevance as he undergoes a third major operation which may claim his life; Incredible Voyage (1968), a science fiction tale based on the 1960s American television series Fantastic Voyage, which concerns a newly minted doctor and a team of surgeons, who board a submarine that is shrunken to the size of a flea, in order to perform a life saving operation on a beautiful young woman; and Unzen (1965), in which a tourist from Tokyo visits the site where thousands of Christians were tortured and killed during the 17th century Shimbara Rebellion, which centers on Kichijiro, the main character of Endo's most famous and highly regarded novel Silence.

Although Stained Glass Elegies could be considered a good introduction, I would not recommend it to the reader who has not read Endo before. Those who wish to focus on Endo's works, such as the members of this year's Author Theme Reads group, may wish to purchase it, but I suspect that those readers, and novices to Endo, will be better served by reading his translated novels instead.

Darryl
I'm sorry I'm so darn far behind on the threads.

Belated Happy New Year to you!

Book #10: Botchan (Master Darling) by Natsume Soseki



My review:

Downloaded to my Amazon Kindle on 12/11/11

Botchan was written by Soseki in 1905, and it is widely considered to be one of the most important works of Japanese literature, as it was one of the first modern works that touches on the conflict between traditional values and beliefs found in remote Japanese villages, and the influence of the West and a modern society in a major city such as Tokyo.

The narrator is a young man of slight build but feisty spirit who has recently graduated from university with a degree in physics, who has been hired to teach mathematics in a middle school in a small rural town. Botchan is guided by his personal moral code and sense of duty, which is exceeded only by his self importance and pomposity. Almost immediately he runs afoul of several of the students in his classes, who torment him with blackboard comments and juvenile tricks. He subsequently angers his immediate supervisor, the principal of the school, and several of his fellow teachers, who conspire against him and his supervisor. Botchan strikes out against his accusers and foes, as he longs to return to Tokyo and to the old woman who served as the family maid during his troubled childhood, as she is the only person who nurtured and believed in him.

Despite its short length of 92 pages, Botchan was a tedious read that seemed at least twice as long as its actual length. Not recommended.

>167 jnwelch: Thanks for the recommendation of 100 Years of Solitude, Joe. I think the only way I would read it, at least in the short term, is in a group setting, such as a group read on LT or a continuing education course, such as Evenings at Emory.

>169 Whisper1: Hi, Linda! And a Happy New Year to you, as well. Although I obviously love LT, this time of year is very difficult, due to the new threads, members and challenges. Sometimes I feel as if I'm playing Whack-A-Mole, as I delete new threads that are of little interest to me and attempt to catch up with people and groups I do want to follow. Hopefully things will slow down in the next few weeks.

Here are my planned reads for February, and the groups and challenges that I'm reading them for (as always, subject to revision and derision). Books marked with an asterisk are books I'm currently reading, which may or may not be completed by the end of this month. I'll bring those books with me to Madison, WI on Saturday.

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson (Non-Fiction)
* A Mind at Peace by Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar (Reading Globally)
* 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (Author Theme Reads)
God's Philosophers: How the Medieval World Laid the Foundations of Modern Science by James Hannam (JanetinLondon memorial thread group read)
Snow by Orhan Pamuk (Reading Globally)
Kokoro by Natsume Soseki (Author Theme Reads)
The Three-Cornered World by Natsume Soseki (Author Theme Reads)
Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon (Black History Month/Club Read Jan-Feb theme: Read a book in the year that you were born)
Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marable (Black History Month)
Death in a Small Package: A Short History of Anthrax by Susan D. Jones (Medicine)
Erasure by Percival Everett (African/African American Literature)

This may be an overly optimistic list, as I'll have an exceptionally busy month in the hospital. I'll work at least a portion of all four weekends, including at least two Sunday overnight calls.

ERASURE?!? Really?! Oh dear.

Wretched of the Earth has been on my TBR list for forever. I'm hoping to do an African history category next year (It's so refreshing to be in a place where planning next year's reading in January doesn't sound a bit odd or crazy.)

I read Wretched of the Earth a million years ago, that is, when I was in high school. I'm sure it could bear a rereading! Did you ever read the Frantz Fanon biography, by David Macey, Darryl? I know we discussed it (I found it heavy going), but I can't remember whether you eventually read it or not.

>173 richardderus: Yep. Erasure has been very high on my wish list, and I downloaded it to my Kindle on Christmas Day. It's received high ratings on LT, as well; 50 of the 63 people that rated it gave it 4 stars or higher. You can't argue with statistics.

>174 DorsVenabili: I've wanted to read The Wretched of the Earth for years, but I've never gotten around to it. I'll be interested to see which African history books you choose to read next year, as I might want to read books that we share and haven't read yet alongside you.

>175 rebeccanyc: I haven't read the Frantz Fanon biography yet, Rebecca. I had intended to read it last February for Black History Month, but I never got to it. I'll probably read it over the summer.

#176 - Yes - I would love that! The two (that I currently own) and would like to read are How Europe Underdeveloped Africa by Walter Rodney and Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britain's Gulag in Kenya by Caroline Elkins (Pulitzer prize-winner). I am open to other suggestions, of course.

Putting Imperial Reckoning and God's Philosopher on my wish list. Thanks for the suggestions.

I think that February would be a good time for me to read The Warmth of Other Suns too. Other than that I am very reluctant actually to make a reading schedule. Good luck with yours.

Robert

I liked Snow by Orhan Pamuk- I think that it is one of his very " dense" books-( if you read Black Book- you would see what I mean) . I would recommend reading his memoir/travel book, Istanbul one of his best in my opinion.

Hi there Darryl

Stopping by, waving hi.

#177 I have Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britain's Gulag. My sweetie, who has a strong stomach, started it and said it was too grim for him, so I haven't tried it yet. I'd like to think I have a feeling for it from reading so much Ngugi wa Thiong'o, but I suppose I'll have to get to it one of these days.

Imperial Reckoning is one of those on my must-read-soon list, but I'm currently reading Emperor of Lies, which is a very bleak read as well, so it may be a while before I'm able to get to it!

>177 DorsVenabili: Kerri, I don't have either book that you mentioned, but both sound interesting; Imperial Reckoning has been on my wish list for at least a year, and I was surprised that I hadn't purchased it yet. I'll take a look at my library, as I know that I have a hefty collection of books on African history. I used the tag "African history" to search my LT library, but it came up with a fraction of the books I know I have.

>178 dsstukes: I hope that you get both books. Someone (I can't remember who) recommended Imperial Reckoning to me after I read A Grain of Wheat by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o in 2009, his novel about the Kenyan independence movement. I bought God's Philosophers after JanetinLondon read and commented about it on her thread last year. Several of us are planning to read it, in her memory, next month. BTW, God's Philosophers is the title of the UK edition; the US edition is The Genesis of Science: How the Christian Middle Ages Launched the Scientific Revolution.

>179 Mr.Durick: Thanks, Robert. I may not finish The Warmth of Other Suns by Tuesday, as I'd ideally like to complete 1Q84 and leave it with my friends before I leave Madison on Thursday. I'll have to be an especially productive reader next month if I expect to finish the books in that list, as my February work schedule, starting next Saturday, is brutal.

>180 torontoc: Thanks for your comments, Cyrel. If Snow is a dense read I may be better putting it off until March, and substitute another book about the Balkans & Turkey instead, maybe The Bridge on the Drina or Memed, My Hawk.

>181 Whisper1: Hi Linda! I hope that you have an enjoyable weekend.

>182 rebeccanyc: I had originally thought that you had recommended Imperial Reckoning to me, Rebecca. I might have read about it elsewhere.

>183 Chatterbox: I encourage all of you to read Suz's excellent review of The Emperor of Lies on her thread!

Planned reading makes my teeth itch. The very idea is terrifying!
I hope you manage your list :)

Yesterday was a bit of a wacky day. I unknowingly left the trunk of my car partially open, which discharged the battery. I was able to get a jump from a local AAA tow truck, and it started up right away. However, I wasn't completely sure that it would start up today, so I decided to alter my flight plans to Madison. Long story short: after a couple of missteps, I'm booked on a direct flight from Atlanta to Madison on Delta tonight.

I'm also glad that I changed my flight, as I slept poorly early this morning. I've become a terrible sleeper since medical school, and especially during my pediatric residency, as the residents who stayed overnight in the hospital couldn't afford to sleep through pages or phone calls. I had intended to get out early, but I need more sleep.

I won't be on LT much when I'm in Madison, but I'll try to check in once or twice a day.

>185 mckait: Kath, I use that list to keep track of what books I intend to read for a given month, but I do permit myself a good amount of flexibility. Typically I read about half of the books I intend to read. Let's see...five of the 10 books I've read so far this month came from my monthly list; right on target.

I'm not surprised that you would find planned lists abhorrent, given your dislike of spreadsheets. :-)

No, Darryl, I wasn't the one who recommended Imperial Reckoning, although I might have mentioned it a few years ago. As for sleeping, I was a great sleeper until I hit my 40s, and I've been a poor one ever since. I really miss sleeping well. I was going to write that there's a great essay in the wonderful Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman (which is chock full of great essays) about insomnia, until I checked, and found that it's in her other collection, At Large and at Small (which isn't quite as great) and that the essay is actually about people who stay up late, with only a few paragraphs on what people do to fall asleep when they can't. So much for my great memory!

Have a wonderful trip!

PS We had a similar problem with out car recently, but we think the overnight guy in the garage where we keep it was sitting in it and listening to the radio because it wasn't on the station we listen to. It was fine after a jump start and driving it around. (Not that our car is in the same league as yours.)

spreadsheets *shudder*

hey, ty for the comments on my thread ...appreciate the interest.

Have a great time on your trip!

>188 rebeccanyc: Fortunately (and oddly) I almost always sleep well at my friends' house in Madison, especially during the winter.

Several of my partners are also insomniacs, and take medication for it (e.g., Ambien, Lunesta or melatonin). I've avoided taking anything for insomnia, but I'm tempted to give melatonin a try.

My car has begun to show its age in the past year or two. I still love it, but I wouldn't use it for anything other than local driving (189 You're welcome, Kath; and thanks for the good wish for my upcoming trip. I love going to Madison to visit my friends, and being "Uncle Darryl" to their two kids (and Charlie, the perpetually hungry and love starved dog). I won't get to see the kids until tomorrow, as my flight doesn't land in Madison until 8:30 pm, unless Mary not so silently tip toes downstairs to look for me. She'll frequently come downstairs at night, as quietly as a doormouse bear, to see what the adults are up to, especially if I'm there. She thinks that no one has heard her, while Murielle rolls her eyes and Dave shakes his head, and will not so silently put her fingers to her lips when she sees me, so that I don't let her parents know. Invariably Murielle or Dave will ask her what she is doing; she'll have a look of utter surprise, then fly upstairs and say that she's going to the bathroom once she makes it to the upper level. Kids are too funny.

Have a great trip, Darryl! I will make a note about possible African history shared reading for next year.

As quiet as a dormouse, Darryl? Here's an irresistible dose of dormouse cuteness for you:
Snoring Dormouse

>176 kidzdoc: I can, and most often do, argue with statistics...Erasure is on my list to review this month. *evil Muttley laugh*

I landed in Madison safely on Saturday night, and I'm having a great time with my friends. The newest addition to the family is Millie, a 2 year old cat that the got from a local rescue mission last fall. She is easily the friendliest and most affectionate cat I've met, who took to me immediately (to the mild chagrin of their dog Charlie, who now has more competition for love and affection). Millie is sleeping on my lap as I'm typing this, using only my left hand as I'm holding her with my right hand and arm, so please excuse any typos.

Today has been a superb reading day, as I've read over 350 pages of The Warmth of Other Suns while my friends took the kids to a variety of different planned activities. I'll definitely finish it tomorrow.

>191 DorsVenabili: Thanks, Kerry! I'm looking forward to reading African history with you next year.

>192 lauralkeet: Ack! A dormouse with upper airway obstruction! He needs inhaled racemic epinephrine and a shot of Decadron STAT, and possibly a sleep study if that doesn't help.

>193 richardderus: I'm eager to get your take on Erasure. I'll probably read it toward the middle of the month.

Enjoy what's left of your weekend in Madison Darryl.

Have a great time in Madison Darryl! 350 pages in one day? You are a very prolific reader. I think I'm actually a pretty slow reader. I never thought so until I joined LT and noticed how fast others seem to read. Even given all my extra time since retiring, I'll never achieve the numbers most others do.

Given the new feline addition, Darryl, I do hope you packed a lot of asthma meds!!

Add me to the crowd of people who have come to battle sleeping problems. Mine started when I was in my late 30s and moving back to NY from London. At the time I blamed outside noise (and later, living above a restaurant that played thumpy music that reverberated up to my apartment) and now I blame the lunatics on the street corner and the street noise, but I think something just snapped in my ability to sleep. If only I could get six or seven straight hours of uninterrupted sleep, that would be bliss. As it is, my sleep schedule is so wacky it interferes with my life. I'll occasionally become so exhausted mid-day that I need to nap; then be up (as now) until the wee hours. Sigh.

I agree re kids... Theo, the nearly 4-year-old upstairs, I have known since he was just a few months old and on Friday he came and knocked on my window to tell me I have to come to his birthday party (in April). "Or I will be sad and cry," he said. And then he told me about his (still invisible to adult eyes) cat called "Jas" (presumably after Jasper, but white, whereas Jasper is a mostly black tuxedo cat) and his new robot. "Jas and Tigger are going on the plane to Colorado" this summer, he tells me, when he goes off to visit his cousins. That'll be news to Tigger... *grin*

I am laplocked myself, right now... Angus as usual..
I am glad your friends gave the kitty a home...

sounds like a great weekend for you! It must be great to be around healthy kids for a fresh perspective....toss in the kitty and the puppy, you might just be cuddled to death!

PS...thinking about The Warmth of Other Suns and wondering if you see archetypes of people you have known or know of in the stories related there? It really is a wonderful book.

Hi Darryl .. was Charlie beside himself with excitement seeing his old pal again after a long hiatus? Glad you're having some time with your friends again. How long are you staying this time?

>195 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. Fortunately my "weekend" will extend through this coming Friday. I'll be in Madison until Thursday afternoon. The weather here will be unseasonably warm and practically balmy for southern Wisconsin all week. It got down to 12 degrees F last night, which is the normal low for this time of year, but it's already 40 degrees and sunny just before 2 pm; the normal high temperatures are in the upper 20s. It will be in the upper 30s to low 40s all week, with no snow or other precipitation in the forecast. So, I definitely won't see any snow (other than the white stuff that's already on the ground) or below zero temperatures on this trip.

>196 brenzi: 350 pages in one day? You are a very prolific reader.

I probably get more reading done when I visit my friends than I do when I'm on vacation elsewhere or at home on days that I'm off from work. All of them, particularly the mother (Murielle) and daughter (Mary), are prolific and avid readers; they also both own Kindles and there are probably 1000+ books in the house. The house is modest but roomy and comfy, located in a quiet suburban neighborhood just west of Madison, and I can focus on reading both when everyone is here and reading, or, as now, when Dave is at work, the kids are at school, and Murielle is running errands.

The Warmth of Other Suns (which I just finished, BTW) was an easy read, as it was well written and didn't require much thought or reflection, so I was able to fly through it. There are many other books that require more attention, and reading 150-200 pages in a day would be a major accomplishment.

>197 Chatterbox: I have all of the asthma meds I need with me (albuterol, Advair, and prednisone). I forgot my Zyrtec, though; I might need some if Dave doesn't have any here. He and Mary have environmental allergies and eczema, so I've already used their hydrocortisone cream for contact dermatitis (rash with itchy bumps that I got on my neck when Millie perched herself there). I had no idea that they had gotten a cat until I heard this persistent mewing I arrived here Saturday night. Millie looked at me and mewed repeatedly at me until I reach my hand in her direction, and we've been buddies since then.

I slept great here last night, with 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep until the kids came downstairs to get ready for school. I feel well rested now, but I might take a nap a bit later. Murielle went to pick up the kids from school, but they have violin lessons until late afternoon, so they probably won't be back home for another 2-1/2 to 3 hours.

Aww! I'm sure that you'll make Theo's birthday party, even if you have to cancel other plans. Several years ago during a visit here, Mary repeatedly played a pretend game in which she or her favorite stuffed animals went to the MSN airport and took a flight to Georgia to visit "Uncle Darryl", which Murielle and I noticed with a bit of trepidation. Sure enough, when it came time for me to leave for the airport, she flew upstairs, and grabbed her My Little Pony suitcase, which was packed with clothes, a book and my boarding pass for my ATL-MSN flight. When we reached the airport, she took off her seat belt, and was in the process of getting out of the car. Murielle & I told her that she couldn't go with me; she bowed her head in defeat and sorrow, as tiny tears dripped onto her lap. I was at the same time amused, deeply touched, and quite sad to leave.

>198 mckait: Murielle didn't want a cat, but Dave asked Mary if she wanted one, so Murielle couldn't refuse in good conscience. I'm now seriously thinking of getting one, despite my cat allergy and asthma.

>199 tangledthread: It must be great to be around healthy kids for a fresh perspective....toss in the kitty and the puppy, you might just be cuddled to death!

Absolutely! And it's great to be away from medicine, as much as I enjoy it. Dave (a pediatric neurologist at the U. of Wisconsin) and I will talk about patients and medicine at times, but usually at night after Murielle and the kids have gone to bed. Being here recharges my batteries, and reminds me of what's truly important in life.

>200 tangledthread: thinking about The Warmth of Other Suns and wondering if you see archetypes of people you have known or know of in the stories related there?

Yes, and I don't have to look very far. My maternal grandmother brought her three daughters (including my mother, the middle one) from Troy, Alabama to NYC in the late 1930s or early 1940s, to escape the oppressive conditions in the Jim Crow South. "Nana" cleaned the homes of several wealthy white families in Manhattan, while "Dan Daddy", my grandfather, ran a glazier shop and worked odd jobs in the Bronx. I'm planning to include this in my review of The Warmth of Other Suns, but I'll ask my mother about some details first. I'll do this on Friday, after I return to Atlanta, and I'll write my review then.

I don't know much about the paternal side of my family, as my (deceased) paternal grandfather did not share that information with my father, or his three siblings, who have all died. I do know that my paternal great-grandmother was an Irish immigrant to NYC in the late 19th century who married an African-American man there, and that my grandfather and his children were all born in Jersey City, NJ, where I was born, but I don't know much more than that.

>200 tangledthread: Charlie was excited to see me, but he took a temporary back seat to Millie, the new addition to the family. I've been playing with both animals today, although Charlie gets a bit jealous when I played with Millie (using a stuffed mouse tied to a string, which she would chase and capture). He kept putting himself between me and Millie, and rolled over to be petted on his belly, until he finally gave up, and went back to his bed after several groans of protest.

Interestingly, the kids were a bit distant when I first saw them on Sunday morning, I guess because it has been so long since I last saw them (~13 months), which was a bit awkward. Fortunately, this passed very quickly, and all was back to normal by the end of breakfast.

I'm loving all your stories of life at your friends' house in Madison, Darryl. Have a wonderful week!

Yay for the cat love :)

If you're serious about getting a cat despite the allergies, light-coloured females supposedly produce less allergens than males or dark fur cats. Keeping them well groomed and washed also helps, as it's the skin secretions and loose dander that set off the reaction.

Of course, I don't think you will........you'll get home, the cat love will fade and the memories of the rash and sneezing will stay!

How old are the kids, Darryl?

Before you get a cat, spare a thought for what you're going to do about its care when you travel. If you have to put them in a rooming kennel each time, your cat may resent you. If you have a friend who can come in a feed it and change the litter box everyday, then I say, go for it .....and who knows, maybe your allergies will go away if you're around cats all the time. I suffer from pet dander allergies unless the pets have been regularly bathed. I never knew I was allergic to pet dander growing up and when I had my own cats later on, because we'd always bathed our dogs and cats at least once a week. I used to wonder why I would sneeze and have itching eyes whenever I went to visit certain homes with pets .. and thought my friends' moms just didn't do a good job dusting. haha

Darryl - enjoyed reading your anecdotes of your Grandma's experiences of life in a frankly harsher and less tolerant world. We must be thankful that society had improved markedly over a couple of generations - from my own point of view with a "mixed marriage" of Malay/English - I read some of the "ironic" stories of Somerset Maugham which relates the awful experiences of mixed children and I cringe. My own father for example is a bigot who we have tried very hard to forgive and come to terms with over the years - in the early part of our marriage the children were dismissed as "half-breeds" and my dear wife's village home relegated her family as "coming from a swamp"! After 2 failed marriages (his fault both times) his latest girlfriend has made him a better person and Hani has tried hard to forgive (but not quite forget). I was sad when I went to his office last year and he had photos of all his grandchildren on his desk...except my three rascals!

I am sad for him, Paul because he doesn't know how much joy and love he is missing in his life by not being able to get past his bigotry and embrace your family fully. We can only but continue to fight against racial discrimination on all fronts. A friend who also has bi-racial kids says his family always gets odd looks whenever he visits his wife's small hometown in Minnesota because there it's a mainly white town and there aren't any African Americans there.

It's too bad about your father's inability to embrace your part of his extended family, and I'm sure it chafes when you have occasion to see him. As Caro said, he's the one who's missing out, but that doesn't mean his attitude is easy to forgive. Sigh.

chortle chortle chortle -- re the cat creeping on little cat paws into Darryl's life...

You might think about fostering a cat to start off with. Check with a vet's office; mine, for instance, has ties to shelters and is always looking for foster parents.

but not chortling about Paul's papa. That's v. sad for all concerned. It is obviously his loss, but also your children's loss, at some point.

Suz - to be absolutely fair to him he did until quite recently make some effort towards making amends - and knows how to get to Belle's heart (buy ice cream basically does it!) but he has had a relapse and now turned on my brother and his young family for reasons only known to him. All joking aside Hani has a very big and forgiving heart and was prepared to set aside the hurt caused for the sake of both children and grandparent but he seems to have reverted to type again. You will appreciate that my three are sometimes my bane but always my pride and joy and it hurt very much to see their photos missing and to hear some of the things said.

Paul, I can't even begin to imagine. It's one thing if a grandchild does things as an adult that his family struggle to deal with, but to take issue with young kids?? My mind boggles. I have a father who isn't the world's easiest person -- his oldest friend, who has known him since they were five years old, no longer really wants to spend time with him because he is so self-involved -- and who has no sense of how his actions affect others. But while there are things for which I find it difficult to forgive him, I can't imagine him playing those kinds of games -- certainly not with his grandchildren. Now as the kids get older and require more work to relate to, he'll probably be frustrated because they won't be an admiring audience, but I do believe he does love them. Sigh. Families.

Yep Suz sighs in abundance - sorry to hijack Darryl but you did start this with your well informed comments on The Warmth of Other Suns.

Sorry to hear about your dad being unloving Paul...
There is never any reason for it, is there? Yet it happens more often than some
can imagine...
Darryl.. Maybe you and my Adam should share a kitty?
That way you would both have a pet, and you would be able to share
duties when traveling!

I forgot to mention yesterday that I loved The Warmth of Other Suns, although I agree with Mark's and Katherine's view that the end was longer than it needed to be. I'll give it 4½ stars.

I've also been reading selected articles from the January 2012 issues of The New Yorker. So far I've read the 1/9 and 1/16 issues, and I'll read then 1/23 issue over the next two days. The article that I liked the most was the profile of Egyptian author Alaa Al Aswany, author of The Yacoubian Building (which I enjoyed) and Chicago (which I haven't read yet, mainly due to its numerous unfavorable reviews). Unfortunately only the abstract is available to nonsubscribers, but I'll list it here anyway:

Writing the Revolution

I've read 40 pages of 1Q84, which I'm enjoying so far. I'll finish the month with a collection of short stories by Catalonian(?) author Quim Monzó, entitled Guadalajara.

>203 phebj: Thanks, Pat! I only have two more full days here, so my trip will end sooner than we would like. The weather here continues to be unbelievably warm; it's already 43º just before 8:30 am CST, and it's supposed to hit 53º, about 25º above normal.

>204 lunacat: As much as I love Millie in particular and cats in general, I'll probably have to give up my plan to get a cat, at least for the time being. My allergies and asthma definitely flared up yesterday, although the asthma has been easy to manage, since I have everything I need with me. I can deal with the sneezing and runny nose, but the thing that's been driving me batty is getting cat hair in my eyes when I mistakenly rub them. That has made my conjunctiva (lining of the eyes) quite red and swollen, similar to (but worse than) this:



Fortunately I did bring my Visine eye allergy drops with me, so the symptoms resolve once I'm able to get the cat hair flushed out.

*achoo achoo achoo achoo...achoo achoo*

you'll get home, the cat love will fade and the memories of the rash and sneezing will stay!

I think that the cat love will outweigh the allergy symptoms. Next time, though, I'll be better prepared! I'm not allergic to Charlie the dog, and I had no idea that my friends had bought a cat, so I didn't think I needed an allergy medicine here.

>205 cameling: How old are the kids, Darryl?

Mary is 9, and Tommy is 7. They won't have any more kids; Dave is in his early 50s, and Murielle is in her late 40s.

Before you get a cat, spare a thought for what you're going to do about its care when you travel.

Right. Dave, Murielle & I were talking about that yesterday. I don't know my nearest neighbors as well as I know several other people who live on my floor, and there is no one who I would wish to ask to provide cat with food, water and fresh kitty litter. I'd be reluctant to put a cat in a kennel for the length of one of my long trips (2-4 weeks), or to leave her alone at home for that long (that seems a bit cruel). That, combined with my allergy, makes it unlikely that I'll get a cat anytime soon (sigh).

I never knew I was allergic to pet dander growing up

I've had environmental allergies since childhood. We had gerbils for about a year when we still lived in Jersey City, and I would always sneeze and have a drippy nose whenever I cleaned the cage.

May I suggest Patanol for the eye irritation of allergies? I can't live (well... see) without out...esp. during pollen season.

There's another prescription drug that I had a sample of but it burned and didn't work as well for me as Patanol.

De-lurking to say:
Wait, what? You're in Madison right now? You're only about an hour away from me!
Enjoy this lovely unseasonable weather!

There will probably be cat-sitting services in Atlanta as there are here, Darryl. Some of them are v. good -- get references via a vet. I left my felines for nearly a month once for a work trip in Asia -- I think it helped that they had each other for company and they were v.v. glad to have me back, but I know that the cat-sitter was spending at least an hour a day with them. I have left them for 36 hours or so with just food & water and they have been fine. I'm VERY lucky now that I have a neighbor who is willing to do the food & water & litter for me and who won't take payment, but the most I've ever imposed on him is a week at a time, perhaps once a year. Here, cat sitters are about $20 a day.

Darryl, as much as you might enjoy a cat, your allergist might not agree that you would get LESS allergic as time goes by. My allergist told me that if I weren't allergic to cats already, if I got one, I would get that way, because my many other allergies show me so disposed. And it's really hard to get rid of a pet, even to a great home, after you've had one around for a while.

I'm waiting for the new technology of desensitization that I read about in various popular journals a few years ago. Scientists bred mice that were allergic to cats (yeah, that makes sense!) and then 'turned off' their immune system responses permanently by splicing an instruction molecule to the cat allergen. According to reports, it worked great - so I'm on line for cats, peanuts, treenuts, dust mites, and anything else I can think of. Now, if I could only find out where the line starts....

Paul, I cannot cannot cannot *fathom* how anyone could be so hideously hurtful to his child, his grandchild, or really anyone without suffering from some form of illness. Do you know if your father has been screened for cancer? Is he of an age to be in the early phases of dementia?

Your good grace, which is to say "absence of vituperative rhetoric aimed at the old so-and-so," does you great credit.

Actually RD he has a slow developing form of leukaemia (not immediately life threatening). His girlfriend was a decent influence upon him but he suddenly decided that he wanted to cash out from the family business and has made a complicated attempt to cheat my brother from his share of the company - they have 46% each - I stayed where I was and run my modest business in Malaysia as I know he cannot be trusted with money either - it seems he gave inducements to a third fellow (terminally ill himself) to use his 5% to vote Peter off the board of the company (he had been CEO) in a frenetic attempt to sell the company from under him. You couldn't write thrillers with such a storyline as people wouldn't believe it. I had gone back to UK in September to work at an exit plan for him which he had agreed with only to oust my brother over the Christmas holidays!

I finished Guadalajara by Quim Monzó, which was pretty good (4 stars). Review soon.

So, I finished 12 books in January, which is probably the most number of books I've ever read in the first month of the year. *pats self on back*

Everyone is out of the house at the moment (except for me, and the sleepy heads Charlie and Millie), so I'll try to catch up with as many posts as I can (including mine).

>206 PaulCranswick:, 210 Paul, I feel sorry for you, Hani and your kids. However, your father is the one who has missed out the most. I can't find words to express my feeling about his decision to not post your kids' photos in his office.

>207 cameling:-209 Agreed.

>212 PaulCranswick: Hijack away!

>213 mckait: That's not a bad idea, Kath. However, as I mentioned in (unfinished) message #214 I'll have to rethink my idea of getting a cat, at least for the time being.

>215 tangledthread: Thanks for mentioning Patanol. However, the Visine eye allergy drops, which also contain an antihistamine, worked very well for me. Fortunately Murielle was able to find Children's Claritin, and my sneezing and runny nose have significantly decreased today.

>216 scaifea: Hello (temporary) neighbor! Yes, I'm in Middleton until Thursday afternoon. I usually visit my friends here every 3-4 months, so hopefully I can make it back here in late spring or early summer, depending mainly on their schedule.

>217 Chatterbox: Right, I'm certain that there are pet sitting services close to where I live. If I decide to get a cat I'll certainly take your suggestion and get advice from a local vet, or from neighbors.

>218 ffortsa: Yes, I have proven repeatedly to myself that my responses toward particular allergens only worsen with repeated exposures, including dear Millie. These symptoms are manageable a week at a time, but I wouldn't want to have to go through this, or worse, on an every day basis. I've also found that repeated allergen exposures leads to increased asthma symptoms, which is significantly more concerning.

I would be interested in allergen desensitization, but I'd probably only do it if I decided to marry someone who has a cat. I doubt I could handle more than one, though!

>219 richardderus: I agree with Richard; Paul's good grace in this manner is beyond commendable.

You mean................you won't marry me because I've got five cats????

Darryl -- there are these truly wonderful cats that are often OK for people with allergies (they don't shed much and don't have the 'undercoat')- they're called 'ragdolls' - the child of a friend of ours who is truly allergic to everything HAD to have a cat because he loves them and they found out about them. I know their cat pretty well and he is a complete darling! Here is a link, which I just read -- learned a lot I didn't know. Ragdoll

>220 PaulCranswick: Wow. It's slightly short of miraculous that you are such a good guy with such a bad role model for a father, Paul.

>222 lunacat: What? You would still consider marriage now that you know what I'm really like???

>223 sibylline: Thanks, Lucy! I thought that there were one or more breeds of hypoallergenic cats. I'll look into this.

Don't know about that Darryl but I guess the only way was up. To be fair he was a good family provider when we were kids and has (or had) a tremendous work ethic. He was largely absent when we were growing up and the nature of his divorce from Mum meant that I told myself I will never do the same to my wife (she cut off my appendage anyways)

I'm only after you for your books ;)

Get a short haired light colored cat :) There have been studies showing that light hair cats are better
for those who have allergies .. Don't give up on kitty love too easily !

>225 PaulCranswick: Good for you to maintain a balanced view of your father, and to learn from his mistakes, Paul.

>226 lunacat: Ah hah! I'm on to your nefarious plan, Jenny. Marry the old guy, bring your five cats across the pond, and inherit the books and $$$ after he succumbs to a cat-induced asthma attack one week later.

>227 mckait: Sorry, I can't respond now. I have a purring cat on my lap that needs to be petted. *sniff achoo*

Hi Darryl! It sounds like you're having a lovely time in Madison. Have a New Glarus Belgian Red for me. It's great, even if you don't like beer. They don't sell it in Illinois : (

http://www.newglarusbrewing.com/index.cfm/beers/OurBeers/Beer/wisconsin-belgian-...

Darn it, I've been rumbled. Hmm........phase two shall have to commence..........mind control.

P.s - can you ensure your life insurance is current please ;)

>229 DorsVenabili: I think that my friends have New Glarus Belgian Red here. I'll check after Millie decides to abandon my lap.

>230 lunacat:, 231 Hmph! *leaves thread red- and teary-eyed with a runny nose*

Darryl...your body is telling you something...refined and pure-souled people have cat allergies. They serve as a means of reminding you that the source of human suffering is real and wishes ill upon us mere mortals.

Cats are the Devil. That's why your body rejects their toxic, spiritually unclean effluvia.

*cough cough*

>233 richardderus: I'm having less allergy symptoms, thanks to Claritin, but I'm coughing and wheezing more, and my intercostal (rib) muscles hurt from all of this coughing. Despite that, I still love cats (which may mean that I'm partially demonic as well).

I've created a group thread for anyone who is interested in reading God's Philosophers: How the Medieval World Laid the Foundations of Modern Science by James Hannam, in memory of JanetinLondon. We'll probably get started later this month.

'God's Philosophers' group read (in memory of JanetinLondon)

Does that mean that I am five times as demonic as a 'normal person'?

>235 lunacat: At least.

I ordered a New York Nostalgia gift package from Russ and Daughters for myself my friends, and I just finished eating smoked sable (similar to sturgeon) and cream cheese with scallions on a toasted everything bagel, pickled herring in cream sauce, raspberry rugelach and marble halvah. I've just died and gone to heaven.

How could I possibly be considered any more demonic that five times as much?!?

Are you sure you didn't grow up with my grandparents?

>238 lunacat: Right, I was clearly exaggerating. You're only three times as demonic.

>239 ffortsa: Ha! I didn't, but my mother might have. One of my mother's two best friends in grade school, when her family lived in Alphabet City, was Jewish (the other girl was Irish), and the fare from Russ and Daughters and similar places would have been right up her alley (and she continues to enjoy it). My father used to shop for electronics and other items in the Lower East Side when we lived in Jersey City and he worked in Brooklyn, and he would sometimes take us kids to one of the Jewish dairy restaurants on weekends there.

I think I'll have a piece of halvah with coffee now.

We had Russ and Daughters for dinner last night, and it was a hit for the most part. The smoked sable and smoked salmon are nearly gone and the bagels are a distant memory. Mary did not like the pickled herring in cream sauce as she did when I ordered it from Barney Greengrass several years ago, but Dave & I ate it. No one except me was overly fond of the halvah, due to its aftertaste, so I'll probably bring it back to Atlanta this afternoon.

I didn't get much reading done, since Murielle and the kids were home for most of the afternoon. I'm 1/4 of the way through 1Q84, which is increasingly good. With a concerted effort I may finish it as early as Saturday.

Halvah is an acquired taste, but I've always been a fan. What a lovely feast that was!

mumblesfreakish cat lover

I'm back in Hotlanta (51 degrees just before 11 pm), after my visit to balmy Madison and a layover in toasty warm Chicago. For the first time in a dozen or so trips to or through O'Hare in winter, there was no snow to be seen on the ground or in the air in Chicagoland. I will be ordering supplies for the 2012 apocalypse shortly.

>251 cameling: So, in one breath you refer to me as "refined and pure-souled", and in the next moment you're calling me a "freakish cat lover"???

Millie the cat was totally adorable, but she played havoc with my allergies and asthma this week.

The visit to Madison was wonderful, as usual, but it was disappointing to everyone, particularly the kids, who complained to their parents about the brevity of my stay. Their parents and I agreed with them, so hopefully I'll be able to see them again in the spring.

I did get a lot of reading done today, although it didn't seem like I accomplished very much. I read about 150 pages of 1Q84, which continues to be captivating and superb. I'm only 40% of the way through, which is both good and bad. I definitely won't finish it by Saturday, as I have over 550 pages to go, but I'm not eager for it to end anytime soon.

Statistics for January:

Books completed: 12
TBR books owned less than 6 months: 6
TBR books owned for at least 6 months: 4
Fiction: 7
Nonfiction: 4
Other: 1
Female author: 3
Male author: 9
US author: 4
Non-US author: 8 (Japan 3, UK 3, Canada 1, Spain 1)
Book of the month: The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
Worst book of the month: Swamplandia! by Karen Russell

Books received this month: 17 (bold indicates book purchased in January)

1. Michel Houellebecq, The Map and the Territory (1/3) {Kindle e-book, pre-ordered 12/25, delivered 1/3}
2. Charles Warren Stoddard, The Lepers of Molokai (1/7) {Kindle e-book, free download}
3. John Berendt, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1/8) {hardback, gift}
4. James Vance Marshall, Walkabout (1/8) {paperback, NYRB Book Club}
5. Ali Smith, There but for the (1/9) {audio, alibris.com 12/30}
6. Natsume Soseki, I Am a Cat (1/9) {paperback, alibris.com 12/30}
7. Shusaku Endo, The Samurai (1/9) {paperback, alibris.com 12/30}
8. Yukio Mishima, Confessions of a Mask (1/9) {paperback, alibris.com 12/30}
9. Ryu Murakami, Coin Locker Babies (1/9) {paperback, alibris.com 12/30}
10. Erin Aubry Kaplan, Black Talk, Blue Thoughts, and Walking the Color Line: Dispatches from a Black Journalista (1/10) {paperback, LTER}
11. Joseph Mitchell, Up in the Old House (1/11) {paperback, strandbooks.com 12/27}
12. Yukio Mishima, Runaway Horses (1/11) {paperback, strandbooks.com 12/27}
13. Yukio Mishima, The Temple of Dawn (1/11) {paperback, strandbooks.com 12/27}
14. Shusaku Endo, The Golden Country (1/11) {paperback, strandbooks.com 12/27}
15. Shusaku Endo, Deep River (1/11) {paperback, strandbooks.com 12/27}
16. Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from the Birmingham Jail (1/15) {Kindle e-book, free download}
17. Shusaku Endo, Scandal (1/19) {paperback, alibris.com 12/30}

Amount spent on books this month: $13.99

Books purchased this month: 1
Books given away or discarded: 0
Net reduction of TBR pile this month: -5 (12 books read, 17 books received)

I wasn't billed for The Map and the Territory until it was available from the Kindle store on 1/3, so it does count as a January book. I ordered 11 books online from the Strand and Alibris late last year, as I knew that I would read them in 2012.

It wasn't a good month in terms of my TBR reduction plans, but that was due entirely to the online book orders. I don't plan to purchase any books this month, and I'll probably only receive my February NYRB Book Club selection (title?) and possibly my January LTER book, India Becoming: A Portrait of Life in Modern India by Akash Kapur, in addition to the book that I received from LT member avaland (who is hell bent on wrecking the TBR reduction plans of the tormented souls on Club Read), Panther Baby by Jamal Joseph, which was waiting for me when I returned to Atlanta last night.

I'm going to modify my TBR ticker to only count books that I've owned for at least 6 months, as I had originally planned to do.

Book #12: Guadalajara by Quim Monzó



My rating:

Quim Monzó (1952-) is an award winning Catalan novelist, short story writer and journalist who was born in Barcelona, where he continues to reside. This collection of short stories was originally published in 1996, and was subsequently translated into English by Peter Bush for Open Letter Books, who published it last year.

Guadalajara consists of a mixture of surreal, sometimes grotesque, and occasionally wickedly funny tales about the absurdities of everyday life and past and present customs. In the first story, "Family Life", a nine year old boy openly questions a longstanding family ritual on the eve of his ceremony, which leads to unexpected consequences. "Life Is So Short" concerns a chance meeting between a man and a woman who find themselves alone and attracted to each in a temporarily disabled elevator. In "Centripetal Force", a man is unable to leave his apartment on an ordinary day, and his subsequent attempts draw his girlfriend, neighbors and others into his plight.

Also included are several satirical tales about well known characters and stories. In "Gregor", a beetle is suddenly transformed into a boy; in "Outside the Gates of Troy" the Greeks within the Trojan horse are faced with an unexpected complication to their plan to enter the city; and "A Hunger and Thirst for Justice" concerns Robin Hood's attempts to rob the rich, who are increasingly bored by his exploits, and help the local peasants, who question his ethics and are unappreciative of his efforts.

I enjoyed this clever collection of stories, and I look forward to reading his novel Gasoline, which has also been recently published by Open Letter Press.

Love your round-up -- I am so impressed by your Jan book budget!

Congratulations on a very successful January, Darryl!

Amount spent on books this month: $13.99

that's pretty decent! I'm afraid to keep track of what I spend

>245 sibylline: Thanks, Lucy. I'll bet that my December book budget is at least 20 times as much, though. Let's see...wow. Make that 30 times as much! If my calculation is right, I spent nearly $450 on books in December (Boxing Day trip to the Strand ($130.64), online orders from Alibris ($85.32) and the Strand ($79.48), NYRB Book Club subscription ($150)).

*faints*

There are several books that I've placed on my wishlist since January, but I intend to restrict my book purchases to only those books I plan to read this calendar year, or year end purchases for books to be read in 2013.

>246 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura!

>247 ChelleBearss: The tally of my December spending will be good for me, to help me realize how much money I'm spending on books that are being added to the pile of unread books. Later this year I may attempt to determine how much money I spent on books in 2010 and 2011.

BTW, I assume that everyone has heard the news that the Nobel laureate and poet Wislawa Szymborska of Poland died earlier this week. I'm familiar with her name, but I haven't read anything by her. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Do mine eyes deceiveth me? It's been hours and hours, and no one has posted on your thread.

So I just felt I needed to interrupt the peace and quiet. Obviously. I'm like that.

*boo* he said, just to be post #250.

Darryl, I watched a Japanese movie about a doctor and his dedication to his patients on my flight back from Tokyo and it just blew me away. It made me think of you, and if you can get a copy of the DVD, I'm sure you'd really enjoy this film.

It's Japanese title is: Kamisama no Karute and the English title could be 'Chart of God' or 'In His Chart' depending on the distributor, I think.

But it's a very good story of a young dedicated doctor who works really hard, almost to the exclusion of a life outside the hospital. He is married to an understanding and beautiful young wife who takes beautiful photographs, and they live in an old inn with 2 others, an unfulfilled artist, and a writer. It's a simple story about patient care and if doctors can do more for a patients by being their medical providers or by working in medical research to find better cures for fatal illnesses like cancer.

What a great roundup! I should do this, but it looks exhausting. A goal for 2013. This year, I will just read yours, and read books off my shelves - while I purchase a few more.

>249 lunacat: Thanks for the always welcome interruption, Jenny!

>250 richardderus: Uh oh, the thread policeman is watching. I'm getting ready to create a new thread, Offisa.

>251 cameling: Wait. I don't have an understanding and beautiful young wife (UBYW). Was I supposed to have received one with my medical school diploma? I always wondered what that other line at the end of the graduation ceremony was for (return cap and gown, pick up UBYW). Damn.

That sounds like an interesting movie. Needless to say, both types of physicians, the clinician and the researcher, are vital. My best friend in Madison wears these two hats, as he is a rising star in the research field of pediatric neurology at the U of Wisconsin School of Medicine, but he also sees patients in a variety of clinics and on the inpatient service at the children's hospital at UW.

>252 alphaorder: I'm hoping to stick to my goals this year, Nancy. Last year was a spectacular failure, unfortunately.

On to thread 3!