brenzi's 2012 Reading - LXXV and Beyond - 3

FLORIDA 2012



Great fun and a nice respite. I managed to finish two short books while I was there.

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

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








MY ORANGE JANUARY THREAD

MY NON-FICTION CHALLENGE THREAD

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

L - library book

NF - Non-fiction

Books Read in 2012

21. There But For The - Ali Smith - 3.5 stars - L
20. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption - Laura Hillenbrand - Japan - 5 stars - OTS
19. All Mortal Flesh - Julia Spencer-Fleming - 4.3 stars - L
18. A View of the Harbour - Elizabeth Taylor - UK - 4.5 stars - OTS
17. Gillespie and I - Jane Harris - Scotland - 4.8 stars - L
16. How to Breathe Underwater - Julie Orringer - 3.5 stars - OTS
15. The Artist of Disappearance - Anita Desai -India - 3 stars
14. Silk - Allesandro Baricco - France/Japan - 4 stars - OTS
13. Emma - Jane Austen - UK - 4.3 stars - OTS
12. Inferno: The World at War 1939-1945 - Max Hastings - 5 stars - NF - e book - L
11. The Frozen Thames - Helen Humphreys - UK - 4.5 stars - L
10. Bleak House - Charles Dickens - UK - 5 stars - e book
9. Bossypants - Tina Fey - 3.5 stars- audio - NF
8. The Scapegoat - Daphne duMaurier - France - 4.5 stars - OTS
7. The Orphan Master's Son - Adam Johnson - North Korea - 4.3 stars - L
6. Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader - Anne Fadiman - 4 stars - NF - L
5. Old Filth by Jane Gardam - UK - 4 stars
4. The Observations by Jane Harris - Scotland - 4.5 stars - OTS
3. Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff - Egypt - 4.2 stars NF - OTS
2. White Teeth by Zadie Smith - UK - 4.3 stars -OTS
1. Sorry by Gail Jones - Australia - 4.5 stars

Currently reading:



February Summary

I only read six books last month but two of them were real doorstoppers: Bleak House - 912 pages and Inferno: The World at War - 729 pages.

Bossypants - Tina Fey - delightful memoirish book from Fey that had me laughing out loud. Read the chapter on her honeymoon cruise and you may well reconsider ever going on a cruise (again). I found out I'm not a fan of audio books. Huh, who knew?

Bleak House - Charles Dickens - cast of thousands, double narrative, finely crafted quirky characters with names to match. A wonderful, verbose yet captivating read deserving of the name "classic."

The Frozen Thames - Helen Humphreys - a little gem of a book with beautiful period art work and lovely prose. Humphreys' 40 vignettes describe the times in history when The Thames froze with the bravest thumbnail sketches of the characters. I love it more each time I think about it.

Inferno: The World at War 1939-1945 - Max Hastings - a comprehensive history of WWII told through letters, diaries and other communications. Hastings has written for those who think they don't like military history. Breathtaking.

Emma - Jane Austen`-`is this my favorite Austen?? Can't decide but I know I grew to love the meddlesome Emma who has a heart of gold.

Silk - Allesandro Baricco - lovely romantic love story with prose that had me holding my breath and a shocking twist.

Bonnie I hope I'm not jumping in too soon to give my congrats on your new thread. Nice to see your feet are back from your holidays in Florida and I trust they had a wonderful time there!

I hope your vacation was lovely!

Bonnie's back! Wow, what a beautiful sunset - or is it sunrise? Whatever.... it has palm trees. They make me happy. Those toes look pretty happy, too!

Can't wait--we are visiting my parents for Spring Break and they just happen to be in Florida!! I could use a little warm weather and sunshine.

>3 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, no you're not jumping in too soon at all.

>4 Whisper1: Thanks Linda it was.

>5 Donna828: Hi Donna, sunset and palm trees make me pretty giddy too:)

>6 Berly: Isn't it amazing how much difference sunshine and warm weather can make in your life?

Bonnie- Welcome home! I'm glad you had a nice week in the sun.

Hi Bonnie, glad you're back and that you had a good time.

Happy New Thread and Welcome back! Glad you had such a good time and eager to hear more about your reading!

Yay! Bonnie's back! Love the pics! My sister just got back from a week in the Ft Myer's area and they had lovely weather. Hope you did, too.

15



The Artist of Disappearance by Anita Desai 3 stars

16.



How to Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer 3.5 stars

I'm just going to make a few comments about these two books because I am not going to do them justice. I took along short stories because I knew I wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything heavier but I found that I should probably have just read magazines because I had a hard time getting into either of these books. After looking at the LT reviews it's apparent that it was just me not being able to focus on stories that I normally would have lapped up.

I normally love Anita Desai. Her lyrical writing, subtle humor and pitch perfect prose suck me right in but these three novellas in The Artist of Disappearance had me wondering what the point was. All the things I love about her were there but the plots of the stories left me scratching my head. I love reading about India, love the culture and the characteristics of the people. The best of the three was 'Translator Translated' where a woman lands a job, through a former school acquaintance (who outshone her in every way possible) and then proceeds to overstep her bounds and, in translating, rewrites, to the expected result.

Julie Orringer's debut collection of coming of age stories is scary good as she bravely takes on the grimmest topics in a brutally honest way. In "The Isabel Fish" young Maddie is willing (but terrified) to take scuba lessons if it will help her older brother get through the ordeal of coming to terms with his girlfriend's death when her car sinks in a local river after crashing through a barrier. It's a brave writer who will take on a topic like this and Orringer does it with aplomb. "Notes to Sixth Grade Self" is a guide for how not to be bullied and in "What We Save," young Helena tries to confront the horrible reality that is her mother's terminal cancer. In each and every story, the author takes on topics that a less skilled author would avoid, yet Orringer's handling rings true in every case.

>8 msf59: Thanks for the welcome home Mark.

>9 phebj: Thanks Pat.

>10 LizzieD: Thanks for the big welcome Peggy!

>11 Copperskye: The weather couldn't have been any better Joanne. Like much of the country, Florida is experiencing warmer than normal weather.

I think I missed a whole thread, Bonnie, but I'm trying to catch up. Silk was already on my wishlist, and I love the classics Bleak House and Emma, too. I just read Coventry by Helen Humphreys and picked up The Lost Garden. Did you read that one? *sigh* Inferno: The World at War 1939-1945 should probably go on my list, but I'm a bit tomed out at the moment!

Glad you had a relaxing time in FL.

The World at War is on my list, thanks to you, though I've got a bunch of other tomes here that I MUST read before I get it from the library. Suspect it will require at least one renewal, so waiting is a good idea anyway...

In the meantime, I expect to be picking up Gillespie and I from said library this week, so will be interested to hear your thoughts.

Hi Bonnie, I'm glad you had a nice break!

Short stories do require more concentration than you'd think, don't they? Continually having to pick up a whole new set of characters and new circumstances. Maybe that's why I like the ones with common themes and characters?!

Just stopping by to say welcome back! Glad your trip was good.

>2 brenzi: Only six books last month? I would have been quite happy with finishing that list!

>12 brenzi: I have consistently heard good things about How to Breathe Underwater and am adding it to my wishlist. I read The Invisible Bridge and quite enjoyed it. I also saw Julie Orringer and Karen Russell (Swamplandia!) speak together on a panel and thought Orringer was the more impressive of the two.

Bonnie

I read How to Breathe Underwater back in 2008. My notes indicate I gave it three stars. I remember that I liked it.

Hi Bonnie! Glad you had a good trip!

>14 labfs39: Hi Lisa, yes I have read The Lost Garden. It is another wonderful example of the lovely books Humphreys' is capable of producing. She may be my favorite living author at this point. I hear you about being tomed-out. I'm actually planning on another one this month but we'll have to see if I have the stamina haha.

>15 Chatterbox: Hi Suzanne, I was a huge fan of The Observations so I have high expectations for Gillespie and I. After a hundred pages, I've been completely drawn in.

>16 Soupdragon: Hi Dee, you're probably right and yet I thought short stories would be the better way to go. And apparently it wasn't. And I love the linked kind. (In Other Rooms, Other Wonders comes to mind.

>17 tymfos: Hi Terri!

>18 Linda92007: Yes I loved The Invisible Bridge too Linda. And the writing in these short stories is wonderful too.

>19 Whisper1: Hi Linda, I'm not surprised that I'm following in your footsteps.

>20 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle!

Hi Bonnie, nice to "see" you back from sunny Florida. Enjoyed your comments on The Artist of Disappearance and How to Breathe Underwater.

Hi Bonnie- Good reviews! You sold me on How to Breathe Underwater. I'll start scoping out a copy. Are you getting back into the groove at home?

>22 lit_chick: Hi Nancy, it was 64 degrees here today so I feel like I haven't left Florida:)

>23 msf59: Thanks Mark, I'm starting to get beck into the groove, yep.

Hi Bonnie. Welcome home. I love the pics at the top of your thread.

I liked your review of The Artist of Disappearance. Of the 3 stories, I liked the one about the guy and the museum the least and the female translator the most.

Hi Caro, yes me too. And thanks again for the book. I think I'm going to put this one on the retread shelf to give it another shot when I can appreciate it more.

Hi Bonnie! Nice of the weather to cooperate when you got home to help ease your transition!
I love, love, loved The Frozen Thames and The Lost Garden. Humphreys is a for sure favorite of mine too :)

That was a lot of great reading for you in Feb... I have yet to work up the courage to start Bleak House. Someday... but I think it will take a nice long and quiet vacation.

Hi there Claudia, I think I'm going to look for Humphreys' Wild Dogs next. She's such an interesting writer and so good at historical fiction. Coventry =WWII, The Lost Garden = post-WWII and The Frozen Thames = London history for the past thousand years, just such a good writer.

Don't be afraid of Bleak House. Dickens' prose will suck you in before you know it.

Hi Bonnie. *waves*

Bonnie...Yes, do read Wild Dogs. It was the first book I read of hers and I was hooked ever after.

Just stopping to say!!! Looks like you've been finding some good reads and a vacation to a sunny locale. Yay for Bonnie!!!

I added Silk to my WL and you reminded me I have yet to read The Frozen Thames.

I'm with you, Bonnie, on Silk and Bleak House, and you hooked me on The Frozen Thames. Now you've got me thinking about The Lost Garden (Wild Dogs may be a bit beyond my ambit, I'm not sure).

Hi there Kim, Linda, Tammy and Joe, I'm glad if you found something to tempt you on this thread. If so, I'm just returning the favor.

Bonnie- I am loving the Orphan Master. You know, I didn't even know what to expect, so it's all catching me by surprise. Johnson is really a terrific writer.

17.



MY REVIEW

Gillespie and I by Jane Harris 4.5 stars

I’m speechless. Seriously, I don’t know what to say. If I say too much I’m going to spoil it for everyone. Because this is a book you’re going to want to read. As a matter of fact when I finished it I turned back to the first page and started reading again and, really, I could easily read it again. And I will some day because it’s the kind of book that you can read again and discover new and different things that you never noticed the first time through.

Here’s what I will say: Harriet Baxter is a protagonist that will stay with me for a long time. She’s in my head like nobody’s business. I keep trying to shake her loose from my brain but she keeps hanging on. In the book, she’s an eighty year old spinster in 1933, writing her memoir about the time in 1888 when she befriended aspiring artist Ned Gillespie and his family.

But that’s all I’ll say about the plot because above all this is a book of secrets, and trapdoors, and twists and turns and unexpected developments and the reader is soon feeling like a pinball, bouncing back and forth, up and down as the narrative skids along at veritable breakneck speed, until you don’t know what to think about anything you’re being told because, well, apparently, anything’s possible. The slyness with which Harris manipulates her reader and drags them along through the creepy narrative is nothing short of brilliant. Just as you decide that things must be one way, you find yourself spinning out of control as you find that things must be heading in another direction entirely.

So go ahead, fasten your seatbelt and get on the Harriet Express. You’re in for the ride of your life.

Yay Mark, I'm glad to hear it. He certainly is an accomplished writer:)

Well, that was an extremely intriguing review Bonnie. I've only seen this book mentioned in the last couple of weeks so I'm assuming it's new. I now feel I must find a copy!

Roped in again by another stellar Bonnie review!

Thumbs up for a great review! I checked my LT list of books and found that Deborah (Cariola) recommended this last year and I added it to the tbr pile then.

I'm going to see if my local library has a copy!

I hope you are continuing to enjoy your retirement. I worked 9.5 hours today, not counting travel time. I'm exhausted and weary of work.

>36 brenzi:: I SIMPLY MUST READ THIS!!! Thanks for the great review, Bonnie.

>37 phebj: It's just been published in the U.S. Pat and last week was nominated for the Orange Prize.

>38 Berly: Hmmm My lassoing practice must be paying off Kim;-)

>39 Whisper1: Thanks Linda. I can't begin to tell you how much I'm enjoying retirement. It's not even the fact that I don't have to set my alarm, or the idea that I can linger over a second cup of coffee, or even the thought that I can stay up all night reading if I want. It's the total lack of stress and deadlines and responsibility that makes me sooooo happy. You'll have that to look forward to my friend.

>40 lauralkeet: Yes you must Laura. Did you read The Observations?

It's the total lack of stress and deadlines and responsibility that makes me sooooo happy.

You are so right Bonnie!

Last year was the first in 28 years of academic life that I felt near ready for retirement. This year pushed me over the edge. I have three-five years yet to go, but I am so ready!

Another great review, Bonnie! Good job! This one also makes it on the WL.

Nice review, Bonnie! I've been hearing good things about Gillespie and I and I had a feeling you'd be reading it soon since you loved The Observations. Now I know it's good!

I still haven't gotten to The Observations, but I'll add Gillespie and I to the list. Thanks!

Oh, delightful review of Gillespie and I, Bonnie. Thumb and thanks!

>43 phebj:. I'm glad you are appreciating the same things as me Pat.

>44 Whisper1:. Good luck getting through the next 3 years or so Linda. I know I was ready to retire long before I actually could.

>45 msf59:. Thanks Mark! I think it's one you would enjoy.

>46 Copperskye:' Thanks Joanne! Have you read The Observations?

>47 Dejah_Thoris:. I hope you get to enjoy them both Dejah.

>48 lit_chick:. And thank you Nancy!

What a wonderful review of Gillespie and I, Bonnie. It is a great read, isn't it? Talk about unreliable narrators!

>42 brenzi:: no I haven't, Bonnie, but it's on my list for Orange July. I may read both that month!

Bonnie, what a great review of Gillespie and I. You have me totally intrigued and I will be looking for this book.

Great review, Bonnie! She's a new author to me, and this book sounds awfully good.

>35 brenzi: Bonnie! That review! I ordered the book almost before I finished it, and can't wait to get started. Truly a triumph of the book-temptress's art.

>50 Soupdragon: Thanks Dee. I know you read it too but shhhh about the you know what. LOL.

>51 lauralkeet: Oh wow Laura you're going to have a stellar Orange July!

>52 Linda92007: Thanks Linda. My work here is done:)

>53 jnwelch: Thanks Joe. After you read this one you should look for her debut novel The Observations which had the most startling voice I've heard in ages in English maid Bessy.

>54 richardderus: Thanks Richard. Oh boy the pressure's on.

Bonnie: Great review of Gillespie and I. I will have to pick it up soon. Have you read Harris's other book?

Oh yes Beth I have and I loved that one too.

Bonnie: Another one to add to my list. First, though I have to finish The Various Haunts of Men.

Bonnie - I spotted Gillespie and I in the stores at the weekend and your enthusiastic review means that it will certainly be in the bag alongside my next purchases.

Uh, oh, struck by another book bullet! That infernal blue text . . . seriously, Bonnie, that was a wonderful review of Gillespie and I!

>56 BLBera: and 58 Well there you go Beth two for the price of one LOL.

>59 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, I do hope you enjoy it when you get to it.

>60 tymfos: Thank you Terri. That infernal blue text I know what you mean, but what's a person to do? Just read mediocre books so that I don't tempt anyone? Haha that's not going to happen. I believe I'm just returning the favor;-)

Hi there Bonnie,
How can you talk me into a book w/o telling me anything about it? :P!
and WL!

Holy cow! That was an enticing review. I'm glad you recovered your power of speech, Bonnie. I think a lot of us will be reading that book because of you.

So sorry :( I just skimmed, but I agree with Donna, that is an enticing review.

Yikes, I've been away from your thread so long I completely missed your vacation. Hope you had a great time and good weather.

Great review of Gillespie and I and duly wishlisted.

Great review of Gillespie and I , Bonnie. I have had both The Observations and Gillespie and I in my TBR pile for some months now - I think you nudged at least one of them forward.

>62 -Cee-: How can you talk me into a book w/o telling me anything about it? Uhh, I don't know the answer to that Claudia but I'm glad you found something to like:)

>63 Donna828: I'm glad you recovered your power of speech Yes well apparently Donna I didn't actually lose it. That was just hyperbole apparently;-)

>64 mckait: Think nothing of it Kath, I can't keep up either.

>65 Carmenere: Thanks Lynda. I certainly did have a great time and the weather was salubrious.

>66 vancouverdeb: Thanks Deb, you can't go wrong with either one of them.

Well lookie here: our crocuses are in bloom. Yes I took this picture myself and it's pretty much out of focus but the point is we have never, ever had crocuses blooming so early in the year. And it's looking like our forsythia will be blooming this weekend. Gotta love this weather.

On my previous thread we talked about e book reading and here's an article that points out some of the negatives of e reading:

'10 Things E-Books Won't Tell You'

Cautioning readers not to "dismantle those bookshelves just yet," SmartMoney considered the reasons "why e-reading is still far from perfect," summing them up in a slide show headlined "10 Things E-Books Won't Tell You":

1. "We're not one-reader-fits-all."
2. "Sometimes you're buying spam."
3. "Good luck grabbing our sales and freebies."
4. "Our prices are under investigation."
5. "Better watch your data bill."
6. "Borrowing isn't as easy as we make it out to be."
7. "We don't have much marketing clout..."
8. "...But our presence is still killing bookstores."
9. "The extras will cost you."
10. "E-books are the new latte."

THE ARTICLE points out why e readers are really not all they're cracked up to be.

Bonnie after so much enthusiasm about e-readers it is nice to see your post that makes me feel justified in sticking to my old paper ways for now!

Well Paul I know I'm glad I have an iPad that can be used for so many other things besides e reading, like just about anything that you can do on a computer. I do like the fact that it gives me the option of getting free classics but somehow I can't see myself paying more than a couple bucks for a book I can not put on a shelf and gaze at lovingly LOL.

I'm also sticking to real books for now. I use my husband's iPad for reading book previews but not whole books. I was surprised that people spend twice as much on Amazon with a Kindle. No wonder Amazon has a gigantic Kindle spread over its home page!

Thanks for the link, Bonnie.

I agree that ebooks and ereaders are far from perfect.. but
I love mine. I still have plenty of "real" books coming into my life..
but the ebooks work great for me. I do get a lot of freebies, and low cost books..
some are duds, but some are fantastic! Free is a good way to find new authors to
follow. I have only 2x paid more than 1.99 for an ebook.. most are free or .99

I love my nook.. and LOVE my iPad...and I am so grateful to have so many books..

I was surprised that people spend twice as much on Amazon with a Kindle.
I haven't noticed that.. and I look at both? Maybe it is just the books I investigate ?
As I said, I don't pay full price for kindle or nook books.

I was surprised that people spend twice as much on Amazon with a Kindle.

It was one of the claims in the article. I think it meant customers with Kindles bought more books rather than paid more for individual books. A difficult thing to qualify really though. You might instead claim that customers who buy more books are more likely to have a Kindle, I suppose.

Bonnie: Interesting article. I love my Nook for traveling and I use it in the gym. I've bought few books; most of the books I check out of the library, which is very easy. Still, when I'm home, I like turning pages. The ereader doesn't work well when I want to take notes either -- too cumbersome.

Someday, when my Kindle is jam packed with unread books, I'll pack it in my bag and run away for weeks...
(Ah, there I go dreaming again!)

While I prefer " real books" , I also love my Kindle. I love it because - I can press a button and have a new book in my hands in seconds. Since my Kindle is a 3 g - no data plan! I've had mine since last August and no problems. I did a lot of research and thinking before I purchased my kindle. No deals in Canada. I'll agree with Beth - taking notes on an ereader is more cumbersome - though I just highlighted and made a note in my kindle.

On the sad side, another independent bookstore is planning to close here in Vancouver.

Gorgeous pictures! Our crocuses are in bloom too - late I might add -and our daffodils are beginning to come out!

I'll sneak in here to post a book review and then come back to continue e-reader discussion folks.

Thank you to Laura for hosting the Elizabeth Taylor Centenary, here and on Facebook, and encouraging me to read the works of this terrific 20th century writer.

18.



A View of the Harbor by Elizabeth Taylor 4.5 stars

From my review:

We’ve all seen them: has-been sea-side resorts. They used to be THE place to go but over the years their charm has declined and their attraction has disappeared leaving behind a small populace of down on their luck, salt of the earth, hard-working people who care for each other in intimate ways. That’s a description of Newby, an English coastal fishing village in the years following WWII that serves as the setting of Elizabeth Taylor’s novel. It was her descriptions of this setting that initially drew me in:

”To the men on the boats the harbour was at first dingy and familiar, a row of buildings, shops, café, pub, with peeling plaster of apricot and sky blue; then as the boats steered purposefully from the harbour-mouth to sea, houses rose up in tiers, the church-tower extricated itself from the roofs, the lettering on the shops faded and the sordid became picturesque.” (Page 5)

But it was her finely tuned characterizations that really made this novel stand out and will send me scurrying to look for more of her novels. Taylor used a simple formula to produce the devastating sense of loneliness that is her main theme. The foreward in my edition pointed out that she allowed us into the minds of her main characters and utilized small vignettes to set the stage for their dilemmas with frequent breaks to other characters. It was incredibly effective.

READ MORE HERE

Bonnie - interesting conversation on e-books, I'll stick to paper for now as I have to justify somehow to SWMBO what the hell the 1500 unread books are doing taking up all that space if I can cram them all onto a computer/I-Pad or Kindle?
Excellent Elizabeth Taylor review, I really must get to some of her work soon.
Have a lovely weekend.

>72 Soupdragon: and 74 I thought they meant that people who own Kindles (or have the Kindle app) end up spending more and I would bet that that "Buy Now with 1 click" generates a ton of sales for them. It is absolutely seamless how fast and easy they can spend your money Dee.

>73 mckait: I know there is a concern Kath that some e books cost more than buying the paperback. For me, if I have to choose between an e book and a paperback, I'll get the pb every time. But as I said I haven't spent more than a couple bucks on an e book and practically all the ones I've downloaded have been free.

>75 BLBera: Yes Beth I agree the note taking is very cumbersome but OTOH I love the definition feature, which I found that, with library e books, is non-existent.

>76 -Cee-: Well we can dream, can't we Claudia?

>77 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb, daffodils already huh? I suppose it's not early for them either? You lucky west coaster:)

>79 PaulCranswick: Haha Paul I guess SWMBO would certainly have a point.

I had to stop by and say hi after reading Claudia's thread re renovations!!!! Gah! We TOTALLY renovated our first place - gutted it - every room... and we did the majority of the work, along with my dad , his friend, a general contractor and we're still married. I remember my husband and I disagreeing on what was to be done with the fireplace in the living room. My husband put up drywall and decided he would drywall over the brick. A year later I got fed up and yanked down that huge piece of drywall myself and painted the brick fireplace while my husband stood on saying " you call that painting!" Oh the memories!! The second house needed a lot of renovating - and yes, we're still married. Ten years ago we bought a townhouse that needed NO renovating and we hope to never move again!

The west coast - houses are expensive!

I am interested in reading an Elizabeth Taylor. Great review. I'm not certain yet which Elizabeth Taylor appeals to me the most.

Descriptions of settings, finely tuned characterisations....how I do love Elizabeth Taylor.

Hmm, I'm supposed to be reading A View of the Harbour this month. Must start soon...Seriously thinking about starting right now actually!

>78 brenzi:: Excellent review, Bonnie! I'm so glad you liked this book -- it's my favorite of the Taylors I've read so far.

Delurking to say I've definitely bought more books since I've had a kindle, but rarely pay full price. I'm finding it very useful in particular for my book group books - both my husband and myself are in the same book group so we're frequently wanting to read the same book at the same time, which at times in the past has led to us each buying our own copy. Both our kindles are set up on the same amazon account so now we can just buy one kindle book and still both read it. What I have tried to do since I've got my kindle though, is to order any physical books via the local bookshop rather than through Amazon - as I would hate it so much if the shop closed. For me that's not much of a problem as the shop is only a mile a way and I'm certain to be walking past it at least a couple of times a week. My son at least is still an avid physical book reader - he won't have anything to do with the idea of reading electronically.

In my opinion.. "real" books will be safe for some time to come.
I do love having the options though.. I just receive a freebie from author
Michael Palmer to load onto nook. I guess he offered it to me, since I have
read The Fifth Vial & The First Patient and liked them? But it is the first time I
accepted an ebook. The transfer to ereader sort of intimidated me, even though I do
it with library books with no problem. It was just as simple to download Oath of Office.

Frankly, I am just grateful to be living in a time when there is such a thing as a free book!
In fact, so any free books, that one could easily spend every day reading one :)

I have to cast a vote on the side of loving my Kindle - actually, both of them. First I bought a DX as I wanted a larger screen size and still use that mostly at home. I recently bought a Touch because I can fit it in my pocketbook and I needed its WiFi to access library e-books. I still buy plenty of paper books through local stores, but would not want to be without either of my Kindles! In terms of the impact on the book industry, I can safely say that I am buying more books than ever, now that I have both options, and despite trying to use the library more.

>81 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb, my hubby was a home builder all his life and in the beginning, before he built his business up, we renovated a few houses and did all the work ourselves, while I also held down a full time teaching job! God, to be young again! Anyway, last summer, yes, we remodeled both of our upstairs bathrooms and lived to tell the tale so there is life after renovation, as you say.

This was my first and certainly not my last, Elizabeth taylor.

>82 Soupdragon: Do make time for it Dee. I think you'll like it.

>83 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura. I went and read the other reviews and it seems everyone really liked it. Your review was excellent too:)

>84 SandDune: Hi Rhian and thanks for delurking. So with the same account, when you order a book it goes to both Kindles? Interesting. I'm surprised that your son is resisting e books. The young are usually so quick to embrace technology. Good for him!

#87 It doesn't go to both kindles automatically only to the one you were using to order it - but you can then download the book to the other one from the Amazon site. It is strange that my son is so resistant to the whole kindle idea - he's very keen on technology otherwise. But he completely refuses to even consider the idea of reading a book electronically.

>85 mckait: Free books are definitely a plus Kath. I've manage to load about 60 classics that I normally would have had to purchase which makes me very happy indeed.

>86 Linda92007: Hi Linda, it's a good time to be a voracious reader I guess. We can have it both ways.

>88 SandDune: OIC Rhian. Well the other day when I was reading an e book I said to my husband, "Well I have to charge the iPad. There's something you don't have to worry about with a real book."

Bonnie- I don't think you've steered me wrong yet! I finished and loved the Orphan Master's Son. I finally read your excellent review. You mentioned it not being perfect. What kept you from giving it the full-boat? The middle part got a bit confusing for me, with the narrative switches, I could have done with a little less of that, but there was brilliance throughout.
I'm also making great headway into the Boo book. Does NNF get any better? This might be the book to beat in 2012.

Hi Mark, my problem with The Orphan Master's Son was strictly because I decided that Johnson exaggerated the conditions that he depicted. Granted, I have nothing to base this on but I kept referring back to Nothing to Envy and something just didn't seem quite right. Then I read a couple reviews that also questioned some of his suggestions. I haven't really changed my mind about that and BTW I sent Barbara Demick an e mail asking her for her take but she didn't respond. For all I know they have the same publisher LOL.

The Boo book on the other hand, is just wonderful and such an expose of life in Mumbai. The writing is just exquisite. I went back to the New Yorker to look for some of her articles about life in Appalachia and was just stunned by how powerfully she writes w/o injecting herself into the narrative. That was the thing about the Mumbai book. She was able to write about what was happening so well w/o interjecting herself. You didn't even know she was there. Beautiful.

I actually read Behind the Beautiful Forevers at the end of 2011 so it was on my best list last year. So far this year it's Inferno: The World at War 1939-1945 by Max Hastings. You've got to make room for that one.

Hi Bonnie - just wanted to say thanks for two great reviews for Gillespie and I and A View of the Harbour - both now firmly on my tbr folder.

I haven't checked yet but I hope they are available as e-books as I am an avid fan of my kindle. For me, it is the message and the creative act of the author that matters, not the medium. If my experience is typical, and I think it is, I am supporting far more authors than I ever did when I had to get to a bookshop to choose a book and then make room for it on my bookshelves. That said, I have just bought a whole pile of books about Egypt for which the kindle would be completely unsuited. Horses for courses.

Okay, kindle folk.. I have the kindle app on my iPad. Dan has a kindle fire.
Even if I select my iPad from the drop down menue on the right of the book..
it goes to Dan's Fire, too. Doea anyone know how to fix this? I was going to call support, but..
if you can help me sort it, I won't :)

If any of you kind kindle folk can help.. will you post in my thread? I am fairly sure I will forget
where I posted this..

oh.. Hi Bonnie! Sorry to sneak this request into your thread :P but with all the kindle fans...

>92 helensq: Hi Helen, I'm always happy to add to someone's TBR pile but you really can't go wrong with these two. Horses for courses: well put!

>93 mckait: Hi Kath!

Your comments about Gillespie and I make me that much more eager to read it. I'll probably start it next week, or at the beginning of April.

Whew! A View of the Harbor is already on my WL!

Love my Kindle - love some of the cheap prices for decent books - but, I still go to my real books when I'm choosing the next thing to read. Somehow I need to make a hardcopy list of what's on my Kindle. I think I can do that using LT and the Kindle tag. Hmm.

Great review of A View of the Harbour Bonnie. I thumbed it the other day but don't think I ever came back to tell you how much I liked it. I'm actually about 50 pages into the book right now and agree that it may be my first ET but it certainly won't be my last. Just another example of a great author that I first heard about on LT.

>95 kidzdoc: Hi Darryl, are you making your way through all the orange nominees? I've got There But For The by Ali Smith up next.

>96 -Cee-: Well if it's on the WL Claudia, hunt it down and read it. You won't regret it. I need to make a hardcopy list of what's on my Kindle. I think I can do that using LT and the Kindle tag. Hmm. You could also create a collection and name it Kindle. That's what I did.

>97 phebj: Thanks Pat. I've lost track of all the great authors I've discovered as a result of LT.. Suffice it to say just about everything I've read over the last three years.

EXCITING NEWS!!

Ok well the news is exciting to me anyway. I was over on Linda's thread (Linda92007), bemoaning the fact that I never got to hear any well-known authors like she did and we have a university here too so what's up with that? Then I remembered that back in October I had wanted to go and see Amos Oz, but that event was scheduled two days before a certain wedding that I had a, er, semi-important role in, so I couldn't even consider going. So anyway, I started investigating and lo and behold I hit the jackpot! Tomorrow night I am going to see Amitav Ghosh. I can't wait! I am so excited, it's just crazy. But there's more because on Wednesday night I am going to see Zadie Smith. Isn't that unbelievable that in just one week two authors of their stature would be available to little old me (and anyone else who wants to go)? So anyway, I will report back here after i go and let you know how it was. And thank you to Linda for setting a fire under me to look into this kind of thing.

On another note, I just discovered that my Thingaversary came and went and I failed to observe it in any way. Feb. 21 was the date and who knows what I was thinking about in February but I will be getting 4 books very soon now:)

Double good news, Bonnie - author talks and new books - lucky you!

Can't wait to hear about the two events....

Enjoy the author talks - you've set a high benchmark for any given week!

Happy belated Thingaversary! I'll look forward to hearing about your four books!

Thanks Katie and Dejah, I am lucky, aren't I? I have to start thinking which books I'll get. Hmmmm....

Wow, Bonnie. That's fantastic news about the author talks (although my first thought was that your daughter was pregnant!). Happy Belated Thingaversary.

Hi Bonnie- That is great news! Very cool. Look forward to your thoughts on the author meets. If you talk to Mr. Ghosh, make sure you tell him we are big fans of his here on LT!

Enjoy your author talks :) sounds great!

Hi Bonnie! Our crocus are in full bloom as are my neighbor's daffodils. It is a bit daffy, but I can live with this, no problem!

I have a Kindle which I like, when I use it. I find my go to reads are mainly dead tree books. It's like we're old friends and the Kindle is the new kid at school and I need to get to know it better. My son and husband purchased an android tablet for me for my birthday and I'm itching to try it out but I have to wait for the big day. It has the B&N link on it so that will be another new friend at school.

Glad the author's are coming to visit! Enjoy!

Kath, I think that's the new "cloud" format between your Kindle and Dan's Kfire. Are you using the same e-mail address? I'm not a techie but it could be as simple as that.

>99 brenzi: Bonnie, I am so glad that you are finding author talks to attend, after all. Are they through the University and also free? I remember you saying that many in your area charge for tickets, which I thought would be outlandish for a State University. I can't wait for your comments, particularly on Ghosh. I also have two more this week: Margot Livesey (The Flight of Gemma Hardy) and John Matteson (The Lives of Margaret Fuller: A Biography). Isn't retirement grand?

Bonnie, I'm envious. We never seem to have any author events in my neck of the woods, we're just too out of the way. I probably need to get more plugged into the Philadelphia literary scene -- it's a 1-hour drive but may be worth it depending on the event.

Hi Bonnie! I haven't dropped by in ages, but when I saw and read your review of A View from the Harbour I gave it a HUGE thumb (even though that didn't show up!) and put it at the top of my TBR list. Thank you for calling that book to my attention! In the process of scrolling down and catching up on everything I've missed -- which took forever 'cause there were so many interesting posts to read -- I saw that you're going to hear Amitav Ghosh! I am soooo jealous -- but anxious to hear what you think!

Sorry, I got the title wrong -- it's A View of the Harbour. I rave about the review and then mess up the title. ;-( And I've never figured out how to edit.

Hi, Bonnie! Enjoy your author talks! And belated Happy Thingaversary!

>103 phebj: Well that kind of news would have really been over the top Pat. Unfortunately. I have not heard a peep in that department. If I do hear something, I will be shouting from the rooftops.

>104 msf59: Well I'll try to talk to him Mark, not sure the opportunity will present itself. But I'll be sure to mention LT him and say something pithy like, "All the intelligentsia is on LT and devouring your books my good man." Haha.

>105 mckait: Will do Kath.

>106 Carmenere: I have a Kindle which I like, when I use it. I find my go to reads are mainly dead tree books. It's like we're old friends and the Kindle is the new kid at school and I need to get to know it better
Oh old friends huh? Well that makes sense Linda. And when they're staring at me from my shelf for so long (10 years for some of them) they certainly are old friends so I like that simile.

>107 Linda92007: I have you to thank Linda. Ohhh Margot Livesey. I have two of her books on my shelf but haven't actually read anything she's written. I read somewhere that she's considered the most under appreciated British author. And yes, retirement certainly is grand. If I was workign I'd probably have some school function I'd have to go to tonight. Blech!

As far as the cost goes, the Ghosh event is free and is at the university but the Zadie Smith event is going to set me back $25 (that's with $10 off because I have a library card). It's at a concert hall.

>108 lauralkeet: Well you're no different than me Laura. When you're older and have more time on your hands you can determine how much out of your way you want to go but an hour is quite a bit I guess. I imagine Philadelphia would have quite a robust literary community.

>109 Nancy618:/110 Hi Nancy, it's good to see you. It's funny that you mistook the title in that way because Ms. Taylor made a point of saying that "the book is a view of the harbor not from the harbor." That will make more sense when you read the book.

>111 tymfos: Thanks Terri, will do.

Bonnie: I can't wait to hear about your author events. Happy belated anniversary. I'll be anxious to hear what books you decide on.

Happy belated Thingaversary Bonnie! Author events are so fun - can't wait to hear about them!

>113 BLBera: and 114 Hi Beth and Joanne.

Here are some of the highlights of a great night hanging around with Amitav Ghosh (o pronounced as a long o not the way I addressed him when I met him which was Hello Mr. Gosh as in Oh my golly gosh. Geesh!). First of all the man at the book table, who knew practically nothing about the books he was selling, kept dragging me back to talk to people who wanted to buy books but weren’t sure what to buy. Yes, I told him everything I remembered about the books I’d read and raved about the two-thirds of the trilogy that were published but I didn’t expect to become a salesperson LOL.

Anyway, the author (and he is quite handsome in person) was just standing around so I had the opportunity to speak to him and he is quite charming. I did mention that I was a bit disappointed that Deeti didn’t have more of a role in the second book (that’s not really a spoiler because you find out in the first few pages) but that it turned out not to matter to me and I mentioned how much I loved the two books. And he assured me that he was working on the third book but that he would not be giving away any of its secrets and he just laughed. I mentioned that he is wildly popular on Library Thing and naturally he was pleased but had never heard of it. And of course he signed my copy of the book. Don’t ask me why I didn’t think of having my picture taken with him.

Then we went in for his presentation. He talked about Canton in the time period that he wrote about in River of Smoke and I found him a little hard to understand but it didn’t really take away from my enjoyment much. He illustrated his address with period artwork. Here are the high points:

Canton is now known as Guangzhou and is near Hong Kong.

From the 17th into the 19th century, 10% of Great Britain’s revenues came from tax on tea, which was purchased from China. The Chinese insisted on being paid in bouillon (gold and silver) and didn’t want any goods mad in Europe, creating an enormous imbalance in trade, much like the trade gap that exists today between China and the U.S. China did import Indian cotton and opium from India.

There were thirteen factories that were part of the walled city in Canton and they were each owned by a different country including the U.S., Great Britain, Denmark, Holland and nine other countries.

No women were allowed in the walled city in Canton!

Chippendale furniture was probably made in Canton!

Many wealthy American families gained their wealth participating in the opium trade including the Calvin Coolidge family and Franklin Roosevelt’s family! (His grandfather was an important opium trader.)

In the question and answer period he made a couple of interesting statements. Someone asked how he developed his characters and he thought that a “character was made interesting by showing how he copes with his environment.” He added, “one should write the kinds of book one wants to read; a reader wants to follow a writer where the writer wants to go.”

About the air pollution in China: in Guangzhou a few years ago, “the sun was a small light in the sky and the air was dark and gray, everything was dimmed by the smog..” Last year when he visited, “the sun was shining brightly and there was no smog evident.”

He ended on a funny note. Apparently, he is disturbed by the use of prescription drugs by children and thinks they are pushed by the schools in the U.S. to keep students who misbehave, in line. (I would counter that parents are very often the ones who push for the drugs but never mind.) He said in talking to some Indian friends, he was asked if he thought India should make their schools more like American schools and he responded “that depends on whether or not you want to provide prescription drugs for students.”

OK I’ve written way too much, and if anyone is still reading, I’d be shocked. I’m now really looking forward to Zadie Smith.

Hah! I win - be shocked. I read all of it, Bonnie. All interesting stuff. Those darn British are always trying to tax tea; what are they thinking? Opium trade being a big part of presidential fortunes - who knew?

His take on prescription drugs for kids in the U.S. is interesting; I believe he's talking about ritalin and other medicines for ADD, right? I, too, sense that it's abused or overused sometimes, but not at the levels he seems to be suggesting. Schools "push" their use? But that's just an interesting digression. Sounds like you had a solid good time with him. I haven't read these books yet - I'd better get with it, eh?

19.



All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming 4.3 stars

This series just gets better and better. As the story opens, Russ and his wife have separated and Rev. Fergusson has a new deacon that the Bishop has assigned to look over her shoulder. And of course there is a horrific murder that has to be investigated, with more twists and turns than you can shake a stick at. Very entertaining. And once again the weather plays a big role in the plot so you know for sure it didn't happen this winter;-) If you enjoy Louise Penny you really should try this series. Highly recommended.

>116 jnwelch: Hi Joe, well I'll be darned someone did read all that stuff. Yes, I'm sure he's talking about all the ADHD drugs. It was so out of the blue he must have some personal experience with I would think. It was a terrific night.

Bonnie - very interesting review of your evening with Mr. Ghooooosh - it is great that we can all enjoy the evening vicariously through your goodself! A bit miffed that he had never heard of LT - I guess he will look us up now and realise was a tremendous resource it has been for plugging his books!
Agree with you on Zadie Smith - her White Teeth was a near classic but her subsequent work has been unfairly ignored. She should be quite feisty and IT savvy.
Also agree with Joe - what is it with my countrymen and the misconceived need to tax tea - we would still have been camped out in Yorktown if only.....!

Hi Paul, it's hard to imagine that anyone has not heard of LT but there you go and yes, I imagine he hurried back to his hotel to look us up LOL. So it looks like Great Britail was importing tea from China and then exporting it to the U.S. I'm wondering why we didn't just get it from China ourselves and cut out the middleman. Hmmm.

Bonnie
You are indeed enjoying your well-deserved retirement!

Chiming in on e readers vs. paper books. I have a Nook, but haven't used it often. I'm in the camp with Paul. I must have well over 1,000 books to read cramed full on shelves. I need to get to them, read them and give them away....

Bonnie- Thank you so much for sharing the highlights from the Ghosh talk. Yes, I read every word. I'm so glad you had a chance to speak to him and enlighten him about LT.
We have the River of smoke G.R. lined up for June. I can't wait.

Wow! That was great, Bonnie... I too read all you wrote about Ghosh's talk and it was interesting. Thanks so much for all that sharing. (Glad the smog is cleared!)

I do actually have a "Kindle" tag - but my computer is not always handy or turned on. Need a hard copy. I'm old fashioned to a fault. *heavy sigh*

>121 Whisper1: Hi there Linda, I must have well over 1,000 books to read crammed full on shelves. I need to get to them, read them and give them away....

Over 1,000? Wow that is a lot of books. The whole idea of how we accumulate books (I have close to 400 myself) is so fascinating.

>122 msf59: You are very welcome Mark. I think you'll enjoy River of Doubt.

>123 -Cee-: I'm glad you enjoyed that Claudia. It was very interesting to me but I wasn't sure it would be for others. I'm still old fashioned too. I have a notebook where I still record my reads (although my online reviews have taken the place of the notes I would write in my notebook).

What excitement! 115 is now favorited and I'll come back for a reread when I get to River of Smoke, probably this summer. Thanks for letting us in on it, Bonnie. Now I can't wait to hear about Z. Smith. (I didn't go hear Carla Neggers speak when she came here last month. I didn't even know who she was, but that's the caliber of writer that comes to my hometown.)
What I really stopped by to say is that I just finished your copy of The Siege, which I got from you through PBS in January of last year. I loved it! It has found its forever home.
As to Kindle vs dead tree, my decision is always for the cheaper copy. I do love Kindle for big, fat, bulky books though.

Thanks so much for sharing the interview with Mr. Ghosh. I so enjoyed Sea of Poppies and have the audio of River of Smoke already ripped and waiting for the GR in June.

Lizzie- We are doing a Group Read of River of Smoke, mid-June. You should join us.

Bonnie- I KNOW you are loving Unbroken.

It sounds like a good time, Bonnie :)
I am glad that you were able to meet up with an author you enjoy.
Were I to choose an author to meet..
( say for coffee :)
It would be Mary Doria Russell. No pondering required.
I adore her blog and fb posts, and think it would be more a
gabfest between 'could be friends' than anything.
As for author talks? I know I would love to hear
Luis Urrea and Alice Hoffman and probably some others that I can't
think of right now. What a nice way to spend an evening !

I too read and enjoyed your thoughts on the Ghosh talk, Bonnie. I'm so glad you were able to attend and even had a chance to speak with him. No women allowed in the walled city in Canton? Did he say why? I will soon be starting Sea of Poppies so that I will be ready for the June group read of River of Smoke.

I also read every word, Bonnie, and thought it was so interesting -- and educational! What a great evening, especially the chance to chat with him! And I'm sure you were an excellent salesperson. ;-)

All Mortal Flesh is next up on my Spencer-Fleming list, but I find myself slowing down a little on the series because I don't want it to end! I'm a very "delayed-gratification" kind of person!

I read every word, too, Bonnie. Thanks for posting every one of them! Clearly I need to read Sea of Poppies soon so I can be set for River of Smoke in June.

115: Bonnie, thank you for the detailed description of your OMG visit. How nice for the staff that they had a real book expert to advise their customers. You may be a tad envious about my meetups but I'm positively green with envy about your Ghosh experience.

I'm looking forward to reading River of Smoke with Mark and company. Like Peggy, I will refer back to your enlightening comments.

It looks like Julia S-F continues to make you happy. I'll catch up with you...one of these days.

>126 LizzieD: I agree with you totally Peggy, about using Kindle (in my case iPad) for long books. I read both Bleak House and Inferno: the World at War 1939-1945 in e book form and quite liked not having to lug around the big books. And I'm certainly glad to hear that you loved The Siege and will keep it in your permanent collection. As for River of Smoke, I think you're going to love that one as well.

>127 tututhefirst: Enjoy River of Smoke Tina. I'm pretty sure you will.

>128 msf59: You are absolutely right Mark. It is certainly my kind of NF.

>129 mckait: Oh Mary Doria Russell would be a joy to meet Kath. I love her newsletters and you can certainly tell she has a terrific sense of humor. Louise Penny would be good too.

>130 Linda92007: He didn't say why Linda but he did tell an interesting story. He told about an artist that he based one of his characters on in River of Smoke who left London for Calcutta, trying to escape his wife. Unfortunately, she followed him. In desperation , he he takes a friend's advice and goes to Canton, where he knows she won't be able to follow him. I don't think the Chinese had great respect for women.

>131 Nancy618: I know what you mean Nancy. I was excited when I finished this book and found that there are actually two books left. I thought there was only one.

>132 Dejah_Thoris: You can't go wrong with Sea of Poppies Dejah.

>133 Donna828: Haha Donna, well I'll continue to envy your meet-ups. Oh and BTW, three hours and counting to Zadie Smith;-)

Bonnie: Great comments on your Ghosh meeting. I read the whole thing, too. I started Sea of Poppies, got distracted and never picked it up again. I'll have to get back to it one of these days. I, too, enjoy Julia Spencer-Fleming. I thought her last book was the best one in a while. I loved White Teeth. I can't wait to hear about Zadie Smith.

>135 BLBera: Hi Beth, I do hope you'll give Sea of Poppies another chance. It does take some uninterrupted, concentrated time to really enjoy it.

I ended up loving Sea of Poppies; glad to hear that he gets to Guangzhou in River of Smoke! Chinese cities have "blue sky days" -- i.e. days when the smog clears enough to see the actual sky. The number is terrifyingly low. The first time I was in Beijing it was early summer, and I had a soar throat the whole time. The second time was winter, and it was much better (but freezing!)

Glad I already have Gillespie and I to hand; it's going to DC with me this weekend. I think it will be my "train book".

ETA: I have far too many real books -- half of them I can't find, because they're wasting away in the back row of a bookshelf. I've tried cataloging but... So a Kindle helps me cut down on shelf space and ensures that more actually get read. There are certainly some books I'll still want to own real copies of, but my Kindle books (if not the device) can't be damaged by water, cats or other things. Their pages don't get torn, they don't get borrowed and not returned. Best of all, they don't take up space and appear obediently when summoned!

>137 Chatterbox: Hi Suzanne, I'm wondering what you mean by "ended up loving Sea of Poppies?" Does that mean you started out not liking it?

I guess I'm not at the point yet where I can't find my books. They're all shelved in alphabetical order so I don't have trouble finding them. I group fiction, non-fiction, books of fewer than 200 pages, and series and then keep those alphabetically arranged. But I can see how an e reader would make life easier for you.

So about Zadie Smith……

Well to start with I was stunned at how many people showed up for this. Well, I don’t mean to say we’re just some provincial bywater with an absence of the intelligentsia; quite the contrary, in spite of the opinion of comedians and the such across the nation. After all, there are five colleges, two community colleges and one university within spitting distance of the venue and all those professors have to be people who appreciate good literature. Or at any rate, assign it to their students. Anyway, the venue was just about filled to capacity which means just about filled to the 2369 people that it would hold.

This was a much more formal affair than the Ghosh thing. I’m afraid I loved the informality of that and rubbing elbows with him was really quite….lovely. But I digress. She read from an essay of hers entitled “Why Write?” In it she talked about the fact that when you are a writer, you have no choice in the matter. You must write. She interspersed quotes on the subject from Nabokov, Virginia Woolf, Alexander Pope, and Phillip Roth, Don deLillo and Henry James. And in no time at all she had the audience eating out of her hand with her deprecating wit and absolute honesty about all the high falutin’ big wigs that she was quoting.

But the highlight was her informal conversation with the director of the Just Buffalo Literary Center, when she also answered questions from the audience.

About White Teeth: “I haven’t read it since I wrote it. That writer is a stranger to me.” Someone asked where the title came from. She laughed and said, like many young writers, she came up with the title first, and typed up a title page before she wrote a word. “You know, big title in the middle of the page, by Zadie Smith right below it,” she laughed. She thought she remembered her mother, who is Jamaican, saying when she was a child, that “you could see a black person in the dark because of their white teeth.” If she could write it over she would “shorten every sentence and take out all the semi-colons and just do some serious pruning.”

About 9/11: before 9/11 Muslim boys were thought of as “nerd, mathematician, heading for Oxford. After 9/11 that changed to “dangerous radical.”

About Downton Abbey: “My grandparents were servers ao I can’t really appreciate the show.”

About writing: She teaches at NYU and when someone complains to her about say, not being able to write dialogue I”I tell them you need to hide what you can’t do. If you can’t write dialogue then don’t.” There’s no reason to think you have to include a lot of dialogue.

About the 5 essential British novels a high school student should read: (from a high school student in the audience): she hemmed and hawed on this one and really didn’t want to commit. She took a stumbled “Clarrissa (although it’s terribly boring), Jane Eyre, The Mill on the Floss, but then you would need to read Middlemarch, Pride and Prejudice maybe. Graham Greene is really so good and that means The Quiet American. I really don’t know. Google it.” She went on to mention the Catholic novel (which I will have to look up) and talked about Graham Greene, Muriel Spark and Hilary Mantel.

She is fighting the closing of libraries in the UK.

She loves comedy especially stand up and sit coms, 30 Rock in particular. She didn’t realize she’d written a comic novel (White Teeth); hates depressing novels like The Road; you need to offer people hope.

She would love to teach poor kids “but just the rich seem to show up.” (at NYU)

I waited in an incredibly long line to have her sign my book (her book of essays Changing My Mind) and I asked her when her new novel, entitled NW would be published and she replied, “September 6.”

She was incredibly charming and funny and I’m so glad I got to see and hear her. So a very incredible week in my life is over. Now that I’ve gotten my feet wet, I will be looking for more author events.

The picture shows Zadie signing books. She’s built like a model, this tall, willowy figure in a yellow dress with a red turban; very elegant looking. This picture was in this morning’s paper.

Wow, Bonnie. What a great experience. Good to know a new novel is coming out. I will look for it.

What a great experience! It sounds as though she's an engaging speaker. Thanks for sharing.

Hi Beth and Dejah, she was a very engaging speaker and I'll be looking for her new novel too.

Bonnie, thanks so much for taking us along to your two author events. I can't even imagine what else will be available to you considering you could attend these two events in the same week! I'm also thrilled to know Zadie Smith has a new novel coming out. I've only read On Beauty but really liked it.

What an incredible book week you're having, Bonnie. I'm so grateful that you're taking notes - or is your memory that good? Whatever... I appreciate the vicarious experience. Hmmm... "NW"... Are we supposed to know what that stands for?

Thank you so much for your recommendation of No Great Mischief. I finished it a little while ago and absolutely loved it.

Bonnie, what a great literary week you've had! Thanks so much for giving us the full report.

>143 phebj: Well Pat, I know that Alexander McCall Smith The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency is coming in April but that;s not really calling my name. Although I did read the book and the next one in that series, it was quite some time ago and I don't see myself reading any of his other books.

>144 Donna828: I'm so grateful that you're taking notes - or is your memory that good? Surely you jest Donna. I have to take notes, copious notes. My memory is probably not any better or worse than any person of my age, but there's the problem....my age LOL.

Oh I'm so glad you liked No Great Mischief. That reminds me that I picked up a short story collection (Island) by MacLean after I read that and I need to get to it.

>145 lauralkeet: Hi Laura, You are very welcome. It was great fun (for a nerd, says hubby;-)

If I'm not mistook, the idea of the "Catholic novel" is kind of along the idea of Graham Greene -- the idea of religious themes (if not religion) being at the center of a novel. For instance, a moral issue or an ethical one, of the kind that Catholic theology might address in a religious context, but addressed in the context of characters in a novel. Think Waugh, Alice Thomas Ellis & David Lodge, etc. I think it originated in France post-WW1, a kind of response to the overheated anti-clericalism. Mauriac?

some provincial bywater that's where I live ! lol

Thanks for sharing these nights with us. it sounds like you had a good time
with the experiences :)

Bonnie- Wow, thanks for sharing another wonderful author experience. You describe everything so perfectly. I read and loved White Teeth quite a few years ago but did not read anything else by her. No explanation.
You may have mentioned this up there some where, but which of her books have you read and what were your favorites?

Good morning, Bonnie! It sounds like the author events you attended were both most excellent, though each in a different way. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. Very interesting!

Changing My Mind sounds interesting. I am very impressed by how quickly you have reported on your week's events, Bonnie. I have fallen behind on mine. Two talks and two book reviews due!

>148 Chatterbox: Nice clarification Suzanne. I have no doubt that you are right and have no inclination to look further. Interesting.

>149 mckait: Oh I had a great time Kath. I like thinking I'm expanding my horizons intellectually:)

>150 msf59: I've read White Teeth and On Beauty and it's hard to say which i liked better because there were several years in between. They were both very, very good. I will be reading Changing My Mind shortly Mark.

>151 tymfos: I'm glad you appreciated it Terri. I had a fabulous time.

>152 Linda92007: I always feel as if an axe is over my head and I have to do reviews of any kind as quickly as possible after the event or book, Linda. That's just me. I'm afraid to wait too long.

Me, too, on that last one, Bonnie.

Well Joe, great minds and all that....

Hi Bonnie! Looks like you've had a bit of excitement while I've been away!
Couple good authors have come to your town. I've not had a chance to read White Teeth but it's been on my wishlist for a while.

Hi Chelle, oh you should really read White Teeth. It's quite good.

Hi Bonnie - I loved reading about your book events. I still haven't read White Teeth but it's here somewhere, or Sea of Poppies. How fantastic to have both authors turn up the same week!

How fantastic to have both authors turn up the same week! Downright unbelievable Cushla LOL.

>153 brenzi:: I, too, have that "axe over my head must write a review" problem. Speaking of which, I have a review to write :)

What excitement! Two authors in one week - lucky you! I have had Sea of Poppies on my TBR forever. Lawrence Hill (Someone Knows My Name/Book of Negroes) will be featured at an event near my town, but it's already sold out.

Hmm, do you ever venture over the bridge from Buffalo to our Canadian side? (I live 20 mins away from the city of Niagara Falls and the border.) If so, there's a wonderful author series nearby that I'll give you information about. I know you like many Canadian authors. They've had amazing authors in the past such as Margaret Atwood and Wayne Johnston. It can be hard to get tickets, but you seem to be pretty lucky...

I always feel as if an axe is over my head and I have to do reviews of any kind as quickly as possible after the event or book

I think I recognize that feeling as a holdover from years of professional discipline. But now you are retired and can let it go! Believe me, no one will even know, except for yourself.

Thank you for your great summary of the Zadie Smith evening! I enjoyed it and the picture. It's great to have friends who take advantage of cultural offerings and are willing to talk about them. Ours are few and far between - now this is a provincial bywater!
I think that it was on somebody else's thread that I wrote that my mother has just finished Unbroken. I didn't get to read it before it had to go back to her book club. My father flew a B-24, and Ma had no idea that it was nicknamed "flying coffin." It was better than the glider program which he was about to graduate from when they discontinued it. Most (really) of those guys who were dropped in Europe never made it back. At any rate, what with having to do double training, he was late getting to the Pacific and flew only one bombing mission (Truk Lagoon). Then he and his crew flew our POWs back to the Philippines, maybe. At war's end, they took his plane and gave it to another crew that had been in service longer. He and his guys (They called him "Pappy" because at 24 he was the oldest and took responsibility for them) scrounged and bartered and stole parts to get a ditched B-24 air-worthy and they flew home. His co-pilot had been reassigned to his own crew by that time, but Daddy had never flown with the new co-pilot and didn't know whether he could trust him, so Pappy flew the whole way home except for rest breaks. Somewhere between Guam and California they started having engine problems, but Daddy and his navigator decided to go for it, and they did get in safely. So I am vastly grateful to have had my father to help me grow up. I thought you'd like to know! : )

>163 LizzieD:: GREAT story Peggy!

>160 lauralkeet: and 162 If I don't do it right away Laura, I'm afraid I'll never do it and that's the truth. And you're right Linda, I should relax and realize this isn't an assessment report that the state is waiting for with a looming deadline but what can I say. It's hard letting go. I am getting to see that I don't have to (or want to) review every book and just comment on some of them. But when a book speaks to me, as so many do now that I have excellent recommendations from so many of the 75ers, I want to get the review done ASAP. It also helps to solidify my thoughts about the book and I like having that opportunity to dwell on the mostly excellent books that I've read. But if I don't do it right away, I'm afraid I'd forget too much of what I'd read.

>165 brenzi:: that paragraph describes me exactly. Writing the review helps solidify my thoughts, and sort of "closes the door" on one book before I'm too far into the next one. If I were to let several books pile up I'm not sure I could write cogent reviews. Not to mention it would stress me out no end. I admire people who can do it, but it's not for me!

>161 L-Anne: You live 20 minutes from the border Louanne? So do I! Why in the world haven't we had our own LT meet-up yet? I know you're really busy but maybe in the summer? That would be amazing. If we could tie it in with an author appearance, that would be just short of unbelievable. If they're selling out these events, why don't they find bigger venues? Margaret Atwood and Lawrence Hill? I would go out of my way to see them. That goes without saying I guess LOL.

>166 lauralkeet: Why am I not surprised that you and I feel the same way about both books and review writing Laura? haha

>163 LizzieD: Oh my Peggy you really know how to sneak up on me and leave a powerhouse message. I'm wondering what your mother thought of the book. I am about coming up on the last hundred pages and, as you might imagine, am completely overwhelmed by another part of the WWII story that I had read very little about. I think enough is known about the book by the public who would be interested in reading it to say, and not spoil it by saying so, that the book tells the story of an AAF flyboy who spent way too long stranded at sea and then a much longer time as a Japanese POW. So thank God in heaven that your Dad didn't have to fly but the one Pacific mission, because we lost way too many of those kids. Yes, once again a book points out that we let kids fight these wars. That's a wonderful story about the war for your family to have though and thank you for sharing it here.

Bonnie - just caught up and must add my appreciation of your vivid recreation for all of us of the Ghoooooosh and Zadie Smith evenings.
Tremendous, almost like being there too.

I read and loved White Teeth quite a few years ago but did not read anything else by her. No explanation.
Amazingly Mark that is exactly my experience too.

Bonnie here'swishing you a lovely weekend.

Hi Paul, I'm glad you liked reading about Zadie and Amitav (yes, I', on a first name basis with them, especially after flubbing Ghoooooosh's name;-) As for the weekend, the summer weather`that` we enjoyed for so long has left us and it's raining with temps in the 60s---still significantly above average but not quite like the 80s that were so easy to get used to. They left, in their wake, flowers blooming quite a bit earlier than any previous spring so I have some nice pics for my April thread:)

20.



Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand 5 stars

MY REVIEW

If Louie Zamperini had been in your high school class he would have been one of those bad boys that every girl wanted for her boyfriend and every boy wanted to hang out with. Athletically gifted, good looking, highly intelligent, full of himself and yet getting himself into trouble at every turn. He can run like the wind and goes on to compete in the Olympics. He could probably be the first person to run a four minute mile but it’s now 1942 and there’s a World War going on. Soon after Louie’s appearance in Berlin his plans to prepare for the next Olympics are shelved as the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor and Louie is soon training for a different sort of endurance. As a member of the AAF, he is a bombardier assigned to serve his country aboard a B-24 (also known as “The flying coffin) in the Pacific.

The rest of the story, as they say, is history. What Laura Hillenbrand has done, much as she did in Seabiscuit, is to bring to life Zamperini’s story of tremendous courage against unlikely odds, as a castaway and a Japanese POW, and his struggle, after the war, to deal with the memories of his horrific experiences.

And what a story it is. As the narrative unfolds you can’t help but wonder how these young men coped with the shocking conditions they endured at the hands of their captors. But I won’t go into that because Hillenbrand is just so skilled at what she does and the story is so compelling that I’m sure that, like me, you will have a hard time putting this book aside even for a little bit. Very highly recommended.

I enjoyed your review of Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, Bonnie. This book has consistently received great reviews. Maybe I'll take a look.

Thanks Linda. It's a fast read, for sure, mostly because you just can't put it down.

Great review, Bonnie. Thumb from me. I loved that book. Lauren Hillenbrand is so skilled, and the story is compelling, as you say. I always feel grateful to an author like this; I never would've known Zamperini's remarkable story without her bringing it to light, and at the same time I learned so much about the war and other people involved in it.

Thanks Joe. I was just over on your thread. I feel like I know a lot more about WWII's European Theater rather than the Pacific so this book added greatly to my knowledge in that way. But what a story! How in the world did he survive? I don't think I could have.

That was a really good book ... very readable, just the way narrative nonfiction ought to be.
Which reminds me -- I'm loving The Worst Hard Time (a Bonnie recommendation!

Yes, I know a lot more about the European theater than the Pacific, too - and my dad served in the Pacific! So I'm trying to rectify that. Although operating on the periphery of the war, Lost in Shangri-la, set in Papua New Guinea, is another good one.

I've got The Worst Hard Time at my bedside. I need to get to that one.

Hi Bonnie,
I am currently reading Ghoooooosh's Sea of Poppies and loving it. Everytime I pick it up and see his name on the cover, I say to myself "Ghoooooosh". lol

I have not read anything by Zadie Smith yet... but I've heard great things about her books. Sounds like you had a fabulous time and I'd wager you got the most from your money... not only that, you passed it all on :) Thanks.

>177 lauralkeet: Yes laura, very much NNF much like The Worst Hard Time. Now there's another really good book. Did you figure out where you got the book yet?

>178 jnwelch: Lost in Shangri-la got it Joe. There are just so many good WWII books out there.

>179 -Cee-: I think you'd like Smith's White Teeth Claudia. Yes Mr. Gooooosh, that's right;-)

Bonnie- Great review of Unbroken. And yes, I agree 5 stars all the way. Ms. Hillenbrand is easily one of the top writers in NNF!

Of course, you know I have to chime in on The Worst Hard Time. Amazing and my favorite book of last year.

Well I may surprise you Mark and say that as much as I liked Unbroken my favorite book this year so far is Inferno: The World at War 1939-1945. God I loved that book. You would too;-)

Hey there Bonnie, flying through on my broom

Hi Bonnie! Good to see you! I"ve had reveiwer's writer's block, which I've finally overcome!:) Great review of Unbroken. My husband's work place has had a lot of labour unrest and between that and my review writer's block, I fallen dreadfully behind.

>183 richardderus: Broom?? I don't understand Richard. Are you suggesting that you're a......dare I say it.....witch?? Oh my.

>184 vancouverdeb: Thanks Deb. Oh no labour unrest and reviewer's block? Sounds grim.

Now why would my hubby send me this, hmmmm???

An old woman was sipping on a glass of wine, while sitting on her patio with her husband, and she says, "I love you so much, I don't know how I could ever live without you"...Her husband asks, "Is that you or the wine talking?"...She replies, "It's me...talking to the wine."

186 Whatever it is, I can't see it from my computer, Bonnie . . .

Busy over here ! And it seems all is well.. Good, take care :)

>187 tymfos: Hmmm not sure why you can't see it Terri or how to change it since I see it...

>188 mckait: Thanks Kath, **waves**

So my Thingaversary was on Feb. 21 and I totally missed it until last week when I realized I missed a chance to buy some books. I'd been showing great restraint so far this year but this was something I wasn't about to pass up. So I bought 4 books (3 years + one):

Changing My Mind: Occasional Essays by Zadie Smith - which I picked up at the event

Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman - a tome that I've wanted to get for quite a while

The Memory Chalet by Tony Judt - WL book

Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz - Vol 1 of the Cairo Trilogy - another WL book

So those were added to the other (gulp) 370 unread books on my shelves. I hope I live long enough to get them all read. It sounds do-able but I'm pretty much adding to those shelves at a fairly continuous rate. This is NOT a picture of my shelves, which are fairly well organized at the present time, but it does represent something I worry could happen:



Reading THIS ARTICLE only serves to remind me that there are many others out there with the same problem. Having an e reader hasn't helped, that's now loaded with about 70 books and climbing. The fact that typing "book clutter" into Google Images turns up over 5 million of these images certainly solidifies that I'm not alone with this, er, addiction.

A belated Happy Thinga, Bonnie, and congratulations on some great new books. I also have Palace Walk (well, the trilogy, really) and Life and Fate tapping their papery little toes as they wait for me to get to them.
That's a fine picture, and my shelves are mostly not quite that bad --- too packed to have the books all slumped over like that.
(I can't see whatever is in post 186 either...)

Thanks Peggy, my shelves are actually quite neatly arranged, even alphabetized, with non-fiction separately shelved. But I'm still afraid of things taking over. Well not me so much as hubby.LOL. Life and Fate is fairly intimidating.

Bonnie: I love the picture and the article. Yes, unread books are important, too. Just as we are better people for reading. I have a link to an NYT article that talks about what neuroscience has discovered about readers.

I have three bookcases in my bedroom that look quite a lot like that, plus one tidy one, plus four...hmmm, four and a half...stacks at least 30in high on the floor plus nine stacks 20in high on the blanket chest plus 40 books on the other side of the bed where the dog used to sleep plus over 1000 on the Kindle, all freebies. That's addiction, and I ain't tryin' to hear about some BS cure.

>193 BLBera:. Hi Beth, I loved the part where someone asked him if he'd read all the books and he replied "Hell no! Who would want a bookcase filled with books you'd already read!". LOL. I'll have to check that link out.

>194 richardderus:. Hi Richard, 1000 on the Kindle?? Now that is impressive my man. And free, no less. What could be better? I'm afraid we're all quite addicted with no cure in sight. The addict has to want to quit. Haha.

Hi Bonnie, I had a lot of catching up to do on your thread. Thanks for sharing the fun of your author meetups!

Wasn't Unbroken a joy?! I loved your review!

Post 186 = LOL!

my shelves are actually quite neatly arranged, even alphabetized, with non-fiction separately shelved

>192 brenzi: Hmm, if you're ever in the Albany area and feeling the need to arrange and alphabetize, I'd be happy to accommodate you..

>186 brenzi: That's hilarious, Bonnie! I'm sending it off to my bride immediately.

>197 Linda92007: Hi Linda, you know, my son lived in Niskayuna when he worked for Lockheed Martin from 2002-2006 and wouldn't it have been great to have had an LT meet-up and I would have loved to help you organize your shelves. I love doing that. Who knows, it could happen:)

>198 jnwelch: Help yourself Joe:)

21.



There But For The by Ali Smith 3.5 stars

MY REVIEW

Let me play devil’s advocate here. Does the fact that the part that made the most sense was told by an eighty year old woman with dementia tell you anything about this book? How about the idea of page after page of stream of consciousness? Paragraphs that are pages long? How about a premise that is absolutely laughable? Here it is:

A man accompanies another man to a dinner party. After being introduced to the hosts and other guests, partway through the meal, he excuses himself, goes upstairs into a spare room and locks himself in. For months! I’m sorry, but in the U.S. anyway, the police would have been called and the guy would have been hauled away; end of story.

But I have suspended disbelief before and enjoyed books with preposterous plots. So maybe I’m being too skeptical. How is the author going to handle this? It soon becomes apparent that the people who tell the story have only a miniscule remembrance of the intruder, one Miles Garth. Somewhere in history their paths crossed, however briefly.

Somehow I’m soon drawn into the story and charmed by both the author’s clever use of language and the star of the novel, ten year old Brooke, wise beyond her years, precocious, and utterly charming. She has only just met Miles at the dinner party but her world view and her troubles in school with a teacher, who has no idea how to reign in her galloping intellect, immediately sucked me in.

Anna is originally stunned to get an e mail from the party’s hostess, who found her e mail address in Miles’ phone. She racks her brain trying to remember who in the world he is. Finally, she remembers how he befriended her on a school trip in 1980, when she was lonely and friendless.

Eighty year old May, suffering from dementia and at the end of her days, knows Miles because he has been with her on the worst day of her life. I found her story absolutely gripping.

Sixty-ish Mark, who brought Miles to the party after meeting him at a theater production, is still anguishing over the long ago suicide of his mother.

These four narrators tell a compelling story about isolation and connections and in making the connections, as you most certainly do as the book progresses, you can’t help but smile at the way Smith has wrapped you around her finger. Right towards the end of the book, as Brooke and Miles are discussing deep philosophical questions, the author gives us this:

”That was a very clever dream you had. Yes, Brooke said, but maybe is it too clever? No, Mr. Garth said, not at all, there’s no such thing as too clever anyway.”

Wait, did the author just wink at me? Is she…pulling my leg? Is she mocking her own cleverness? Oh and did I mention there’s not a quotation mark in the whole book? So not a conventional novel by any stretch, but a book that will make you think (there are more hidden meanings than you can shake a stick at), and scratch your head and smile. As the crowds gather to wait to see what happens to the unwanted guest you can’t help but think of the Occupy movement. I’m pretty sure the book was written well before that all started but it certainly was oh, I don’t know, prophetic. Recommended for adventurous readers.

I happily bestowed the first thumbs up for your review - you almost make me want to read it!

Bonnie: I'm sold. I'm going to look for There But For the. It sounds.... interesting.

>201 Dejah_Thoris: Almost Dejah? Ah well I'll try harder next time. Thanks for the thumb:)

>202 BLBera: Go for it Beth. I'll be interested in your take on it.

A great review, Bonnie. Not using quotation marks must be the trend these days. I believe Lauren Groff has done the same thing in her latest novel, Arcadia (which I haven't read).

Hi Bonnie, I got quite a chuckle out of #186.
Nice book haul for celebrating your thingaversary. I've forgotten that I want to read The Memory Chalet as well. It seemed to be a real hot one around here awhile ago.

At times, I do tend to be adventurous and very much enjoy novels which make me think so I may have to look into There but For the.

>204 Linda92007: Oh I've read other books like that Linda (A Visit From the Goon Squad comes to mind.; just creates confusion as far as I'm concerned.

>205 Carmenere: Hey there Lynda, I'm glad that brought a smile to your face. Yes. I remember Darryl and Pat loving The Memory Chalet. And if you're adventurous well give it a whirl.

>203 brenzi:

There is nothing lacking in your wonderful review; it's just that I'm not feeling very adventurous at the moment. You review will certainly stay in my mind, though, and when I'm more in the mood I give There But For The a shot. BTW, I love the title.

No I understood what you meant Dejah. Should have used one of these ;-)

Bonnie- 370 books in the tbr pile, huh? And I just added a couple. Sorry. I haven't counted my books in awhile but I am hoping it's close to half of that, but I wouldn't count on it.
Good review of There But For The. Sounds interesting. I have not read this author. I loved Goon Squad and I've been seriously thinking of buying Arcadia.

Excellent review of There but for the, Bonnie! I completely agree with your assessment of it.

>209 msf59: Fear not Mark, I am determined to pare down that pile before the end of the year but I couldn't very well 1) Pass up your offer, or 2) ignore my Thingaversary could I?? I've heard good things about Arcadia too. I can't believe I passed it up as an ER. I'm not very good at predicting which books will prove to be good unless I'm familiar with the author.

>210 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl, you must have already read it then.

Well that's interesting, Bonnie. Having read "meh" reviews from both you and Jill (mrstreme), I'm less tempted to read this one that I once was. Didn't realize Darryl read it too. Even though I'm following his thread it must have passed me by.

>211 brenzi:, 212 I did read it, but I haven't written a review of it yet. I wasn't quite sure what to think of it, but I think that Bonnie's review is the one that best expresses my opinion of it.

>200 brenzi:: Dang it, Bonnie, I was going to bypass There But For The...until I read your review. That last sentence is almost a challenge. I want to be considered an adventurous reader so I might have to give this one a closer look.

I'm glad you rectified the Thingaversary lapse. I've been looking forward to mine all year. I finally received my Amazon order today with some of my haul. I had to cross my self-imposed embargo lines at B & N to make up the deficit.

>212 lauralkeet:, 213 When I closed the book I sat there thinking, "Did I like that book or not?" It had a lot of good points but it was hard to follow and I had to flip back quite a bit to see if I was understanding what was going on. So it was very difficult to review. Until I got going then I knew where I was headed.

>214 Donna828: Haha Donna, you want to be considered an adventurous reader eh? Well I hope you enjoy it. The best part about the Thingaversary was going to my favorite independent bookstore where I had the time to wander around, pick up about a dozen books and then will myself to limit my purchases to my Thingaversary number before I went to meet Sara for lunch. Altogether a perfect day:)

NOW I see what's in 186. *GRIN*
I hope to get to There But For The... this year or next year or sometime. Thanks for a solid review, Bonnie. Thumb. (I guess I should get to The Hotel and The Accidental first since I have copies of them.)
THE TWO TRENDS IN CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE THAT I MOST HATE
1. First person present tense narration. "I fly through the air furiously knitting a tea cosy." No, I don't. I write down what I'm doing. Nonsensical.
2. Dialogue without quotation marks. If I have to go back once to determine who is talking or where the talking starts, that's one time too many.
That said, I did enjoy Arcadia very much, and I hope to see it on the Orange long list next year.

>216 LizzieD:. I read The Accidental Peggy and Ali Smith seems to specialize in awkward social situations. In that one a stranger shows up and stays because each partner thinks she's known to the other partner. Strange to say the least.

The thing about the absence of quotation marks is that I don't understand the purpose of it. What is it supposed to represent? Maybe if I understood that, I could accept the trend more readily. Does anybody know?

Just stopping by to say thumbs up on There But The....However..... I'm not ready to read it!;) Hmm, I've seen Arcadia around. That is one I might consider. I agree with the trends that you dislike. Why the absence of quotation marks, I' ve no idea.

Bonnie, great review of There But For The. And belated Happy Thingaversary!

Happy Thingaversary!!!!
Nice choice of books - which I imagine you will (w/o trying too hard) get me with hook, line, and sinker.
"I hope I live long enough to get them all read." seems to be my latest refrain.... unread books give me more sense of my mortality than anything else. :(

Great reviews - as always! Unbroken is a must get to for 2012 for me. There But For The... may (or not) make it this year. I'm interested, but no real urgency. Depends if I see it for a good price somewhere.

#186 LOL

#216 "If I have to go back once to determine who is talking or where the talking starts, that's one time too many."
I TOTALLY agree! I don't have too many pet peeves - but that ranks near the top of my short list. Some authors can pull it off better than others - but why????

Thumb from me, too, Bonnie, for your fun review. You've got me at least considering one I had thought not for me.

I saw Arcadia performed and liked it. He's a clever playwright - too clever? There's no such thing as too clever. :-)

>218 vancouverdeb:. Hi Deb, I would say if you're just slightly interested in There But For The you might want to give it a pass. It takes a lot of energy LOL.

>219 tymfos:. Thanks Terri! Just three short years ago my life changed when I became a member of this wonderful "club":)

>220 -Cee-:. Thanks Claudia, Unbroken sat on my shelf for over a year before I finally pulled it down and read it. Why oh why I have no idea. As far as getting them all read before I die, I'm starting to think that will probably not happen. Some of them I bought at a time when my reading habits were somewhat different than they are now so I have no desire to read those books at all. I'm going to start getting rid of the books that fall into that category.

>221 jnwelch:. Thanks Joe, I guess we're talking about two different Arcadias. There's this Arcadia and then there's the play Arcadia that you're referring to and I've not read (or seen) either one.

Ah, my fault, sorry, Bonnie. I picked up on someone's touchstone and goofed.

I don't dare to look at blue text.. and I can't possibly catch up with everyone...
but I wanted to say hello and at least skim.. which I have sort of managed to do here..
:)

221 - 223 May I add that the Tom Stoppard's Arcadia is my favorite play of all time? I saw it on stage in 1995 during its first Broadway run, bought a copy at intermission and read it every few years. In fact, I'm planning to read it in May, if anyone wants to join me. Are ther ever group read of plays?

>223 jnwelch: No problem Joe:)

>224 mckait: Hi there Kath!

>225 Dejah_Thoris: Well this is the first I've heard of it Dejah and I'm not the one to put together a GR but I don't know why there couldn't be one. You should run the idea by Mark. He's the king of GRs.

Hi Bonnie, thumb for yet another delightful review of Unbroken: A WWII Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. Onto the list! Love your hubby's cartoon of the woman talking to the wine, LOL.

Thanks Nancy. You must be back from vacation.

Yes : ). We had a fab time!