Mary's (bell7) Reading in 2012, 2nd quarter

The end of April just seemed a good time to transition into the new thread. Now that I'm done some reading/judging of nonfiction for an award, I'm looking forward to reading a bit more serendipitously for the rest of the year.

I do plan on trying to keep my personal books read about even with my library books read. (If you knew the state of my library holds list right now, you would laugh...)

Oh, and I should say that if you post a comment on my thread, I will star yours and try to keep up, but I don't always post. So - welcome! And do feel free to post your comments; I love to talk about books!

Here's a rough guide to my entirely subjective star ratings:

1 star - Forced myself to finish it
2 stars - Dislike
2.5 stars - A solid "meh"
3 stars - Sort of liked it; or didn't, but admired something about it despite not liking it
3.5 stars - An OK read (generally this is a rating of splitting hairs - it's either better than my last 3 star read or worse than my last 4 star read)
4 stars - I liked it, but would only reread under special circumstances (ie., a series book)
4.5 stars - Excellent, a satisfying read, a title I would consider rereading
5 stars - A book that I absolutely loved, would absolutely reread, and just all-around floored me

I've gotten more picky with my ratings, so a four star book from 3 years ago is generally not as good as one from this year. That's just the way it is, I'm afraid.

Books read in 2012, as reported on my threads:




The race of library and personal books:

Just in case you missed by April report on my 1st thread -

21. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
22. A Passion for Books edited by Harold Rabinowitz and Rob Kaplan
23. Best American Short Stories 2011 edited by Geraldine Brooks
24. And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
25. Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon
26. Across Many Mountains by Yangzom Brauen
27. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
28. Manuscript by a library patron

Number of books read: 8
Number of e-books read: 0
Number of audiobooks listened to: 0

Standouts - The Screwtape Letters is one of my all-time favorites
Memorable - reading my patron's manuscript was pretty cool

Fiction/Nonfiction: 6/2
Children's/YA/Adult: 0/1/7 (This is a tough one - I'm putting the manuscript as YA even though it kind of wasn't)
Library/Mine/Borrowed: 4/3/1

Publication dates I've read to year-to-date:

*undated* - 1
2012 - 2
2011 - 7
2010 - 4
2007 - 2
2005 - 2
2003 - 2
2001 - 1

1998 - 1
1995 - 1
1978 - 1
1951 - 1
1943 - 1

1764 - 1

Nice new thread you've got here. And I like the looks of the stack of books you netted at the book sale (on previous thread) - can't wait to hear what you pick up at the $1/bag sale!

>3 scaifea: Thanks, Amber! I was especially excited to get Great Expectations and Middlemarch, as I have more than a hunch that I'll need more time than a library borrow to read either of them.

Congrats on the new thread, Mary! I love looking at everyone's stats and lists - it's almost as fun as compiling my own.

>5 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! It is interesting seeing everyone's summaries, isn't it?

I love the list of publication dates for the books you've read! It's making me curious about my own...

>7 dk_phoenix: Hi Faith! I forget whose thread I saw that on first -Jeremy's (jbd1) maybe? But it made me curious enough to keep track. I've had to make some judgment calls, though. For the most part, I have put the original publication date, but what about the book originally published in 2009 but not available in English until 2011 (I put it in 2011)?

29. Insurgent by Veronica Roth

**Spoiler warning for the first in the series, Divergent**

On the run from the old Dauntless compound, Tris, Tobias, and the others go to Amity for help. Will the faction that wants peace and accord above all else ally with them against Erudite? While there, Tris discovers that Tobias' father, Marcus, knows something important about why Jeanine attacked Abnegation, and she's determined to find out what's going on.

Ever since a friend had me read Divergent, I've been waiting for the sequel, so when Insurgent came in to the library, I snagged it immediately and started reading it on my first break. The story picks up exactly where Divergent left off, and I was a little afraid I would lose out because I hadn't reread the first book and couldn't remember who everyone was and what had happened. But Roth does a good job of reintroducing characters and their situations in a natural way, and I was soon speeding along, lost in the story. I liked the development of Tris and Tobias; they each have secrets, and they have to deal with how that affects their relationship. The narrative clips along at a fast pace, taking turns here and there which sometimes surprised me and sometimes didn't, but I was enjoying myself so much I didn't mind when the revelations were not entirely unexpected. Can't wait for the next book! 4.5 stars.

OOh, I have that and am dying to get to it! It was delivered to our door Tuesday, but our oldest daughter snagged it.

>10 Crazymamie: haha... I did that when the delivery box of new YA titles came into the library on May 1. There were a couple that I had on hold, and Insurgent and Bitterblue were books that one of my co-workers wanted, too. I took Insurgent and she took Bitterblue and now we're switching. (Well, I read faster, so now I'm giving her Insurgent and I'll probably get Bitterblue by sometime next week.)

>11 bell7:: Mary, I'm glad to see librarians get some "perks" as they do so much for the community of readers. Now I know why I have to wait so long to get my books on reserve. Lol.

You are in for a treat when you get to the Marilynne Robinson books. I'm currently reading her new essay collection, and much of it is going right over my head, but her fiction is delightful imo.

>12 Donna828: Donna, I wouldn't put it past us sneaky librarians. ;)
I enjoy working with books and readers, and seeing new books first is one of my perks (though, honestly, I usually do not put myself ahead of people who "got there first" on the holds list). In this case, the teen librarian had ordered two copies, so we put the first copies out and took the second. (I know you were teasing, but I just realized how bad what I wrote sounds...) :)

I have had Gilead and Home on my TBR list for a long time, and am looking forward to reading them. I liked-but-didn't-love Housekeeping - it was more of my youngest brother's type of book, one with beautiful sentences and a bit of melancholy. I want to read When I was a Child, I Read Books, too, but oh dear, if it's over your head I'm sure it will be over mine too.

Mary, I think as a librarian you have a responsibility to read the books first in case there are any questions. Aren't you supposed to be able to answer questions?!

Or there could be missing pages! Someone has to protect the patrons from Interrupted Plot Development Syndrome, after all.

Oh, yes, I agree with Mamie and Julia - you have a duty to your reading public to read those books first! :)

>14 Crazymamie: - 16 Thank you all for that laugh to start out my day!

>14 Crazymamie: I do indeed make a practice of knowing about new books to be able to answer questions - and that often involves reading them from cover to cover! :)

>15 rosalita: "Interrupted Plot Development Syndrome" - I like that! They would have a tough time with If on a Winter's Night a Traveler...

>16 scaifea: LOL a duty to my reading public, huh? My excuse is that when I read it in two days, I'm not really making them wait that long, am I? ;)

Yesterday was the first day of fill a bag for $2 at the library book sale (the price went up slightly, but considering how many books you can fit into a plastic bag, believe me, it's not a big deal).

So here's the list of books I got for myself:

As You Like It by William Shakespeare
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
The Wives of Henry VIII by Antonia Fraser
Zlata's Diary by Zlata Filipovic
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
My Own Country by Abraham Verghese
At the Crossing Places by Kevin Crossley-Holland
King of the Middle March by Kevin Crossley-Holland

For my brothers to pick through:
Richard III by William Shakespeare (bought for myself, but turns out I have it)
Run by Ann Patchett
The Color of Water by James McBride
Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Homer & Langley by E.L. Doctorow
Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout
Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler

and for good measure, one book for a friend:
King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard

All of those, I managed to fit into two bags, so my haul cost me $4 which goes to the Friends of the Library, who buy our DVDs and CDs and museum passes. That's my excuse, anyway, for buying eleven books that I have no room for. So one of my goals for the rest of the year is going to be to read more of my own books...

Wow - what an incredible haul, and all for $4. AMAZING!! I love Hamlet; it's one of my favorites, although I also have a soft spot for Macbeth. I am really wanting to read My Own Country and The English Patient. Drooling over your successful venture. Well Done!

Two thumbs up on your book sale catch. Some great choices there. Hey, at those prices you can't afford not to buy them!

:)

What a deal! And kudos on supporting your library to boot.

Wow -=- can't do better than that! Enjoy your books, Mary!

18: LOVE library book sales! That reminds me I should go see when the next one here is... :)

Hello Mamie, Julia, Roni, Anne and Marie! Glad to see you all here.

This book sale is really the only time I completely let go as far as book acquisition goes. I'd have to mess with my stats a bit to figure it out exactly, but I estimate that about half the books I own and haven't read are books that I've bought at the sale... Right now, for instance, I'm reading Seabiscuit, which I bought at the sale at least five years ago. I'd put it aside as a book to donate, but after reading and loving Unbroken I, ahem, rescued it from that pile to read instead.

Mary
What a great haul! Lots of wonderful, interesting books in your aquistion(s). I really enjoyed Bud, Not Buddy. I'll be curious to learn of your impressions when you read it.

>25 Whisper1: Hello Linda, so nice to see you here! I hope to read Bud, Not Buddy fairly soon - I feel like I've gotten behind on my Newbery reading this year, though I've been enjoying your thoughts on your reads. Oh, and I can't remember if I told you, but I absolutely loved The Wednesday Wars so thanks much for recommending it to me. I primarily listened to the audiobook, and highly recommend that format! The reader was excellent. :)

My library book sale prices went up too. Including membership! It was $15 this year but only $10 last year. I mentioned something about the price going up and the cashier completely denied it . . . despite the fact that I had a carbon copy of the $10 check that I wrote them last year!

Glad to see you enjoyed Insurgent, Mary.

Hi Mary, that's a great haul from the library sale! I discovered Kevin Crossley-Holland last year and plan on reading more of him. I also have Zlata's Diary on my wishlist, so looking forword to your thoughts on these books. (Of course, no pressure - I know it can take a long time to get to those new books!)

>27 norabelle414: It's $20 to join the Friends group as an individual, but that only gets me into the sale on the very first day (which I did, of course). All other days are open to the public. The funny thing is, the paperback prices went down to 3 for $1 because they had so many donations, but instead of fill a bag for a dollar they wanted $2? Eh, whatever. Still the best prices I can get anywhere.

>28 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky!

>29 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy! My SantaThing gave me the first book in the trilogy, and I read it last year. I'd been meaning to go to the library to borrow the others, but the library copies were for sale, so.... And I won't take your comments as pressure. I have so many books unread on my shelves that I'm starting to put pressure on myself to finish them rather than borrow more library books (or at least to hold the lovely new library book out like a carrot "You can't read that 'til you've finished one of your own books...").

I almost forgot - I'd come here to report on a book finished!

30. Gillespie and I by Jane Harris

Miss Harriet Baxter, in 1933, is writing her memoirs recounting events in 1888 when she traveled to Glasgow and befriending struggling artist Ned Gillespie and his family.

This is a difficult book to talk about without giving spoilers, but I shall try. I've given only a bare bones account of the plot because the brilliance of the book is the way the story unfolds as Harriet narrates her story and how the reader's interpretations evolve in the course of the story. As I was reading, I was struck by the thought that in young adult literature a first-person narration means that you can get to know a character because you're in their heads and reading their thoughts while in adult or literary fiction, you actually know the character less. It's a good book to read slowly, partly because of the writing, but mostly because it's deceptively complex. I'm still pondering the book, not sure exactly how much I liked it, but at the same time I want to find someone who's finished it so I can talk about it. 4 stars.

31. Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand

In the mid-1930s, an unlikely team of men and horse took the racing world by storm. Charles Howard made his fortune selling cars, but purchased racing horses and loved the limelight. Tom Smith was a horse trainer with a unique horse sense and methods. Jockey Red Pollard was a witty, hard-fighting competitor who read classics and affectionately referred to Emerson as "Old Waldo." And then there was Seabiscuit: a stocky, short-legged horse who loved to sleep but also loved to run.

I bought this book years ago at the library book sale and it has languished on my shelves unread. In fact, I had it so long I finally put it in the box of books ready to donate back to the book sale. Then I read Unbroken, and was so completely blown away I had to dig this book out and put it back on my shelves. So, needless to say, I'm a bit behind the times in reading and loving this book. Hillenbrand deftly paints a picture of a moment in history, of a detail that makes it come alive, and of the people involved in these events. This is true in both of her books, though the subjects are very different. Seabiscuit's story is both inspiring and bittersweet, and if you happened to have put it on your pile of books that has been there so long you've nearly given up - give it a chance. You may, like me, be glad you did. 4.5 stars.

Hi Mary

Many of the members of our group have read Gillespie and I. I hope to read it soon.

Hello, Linda, it's wonderful to see you here! I look forward to your thoughts on Gillespie and I when you get to it.

So now that the Massachusetts Library Association had their annual conference, and the "must reads" of each category have been announced, I can say a little bit more about the nonfiction I've been reading.

Late in December and early this year, I received about 65 nonfiction books in three shipments. My fellow judges and I (all volunteers) read at least part of all of these books and determined a list of twelve "must reads." At the same time, other judges were doing this for adult fiction, children's and young adult books, and poetry. The must reads were announced at MLA on May 9th, and for the lovely poster and a brief look at the "Speed Dating with MA Authors" event, check out the following blog posts here and here.

Just to be a tease...you may be able to make out some of the titles in the photo in part 1 linked to above, and the list of must reads for all categories should be available on the Massachusetts Center for the Book website soon. The winners will be announced in September, I think.

Mary - That is really exciting! You're right, the poster is a tease, although I was ecstatic to recognize the cover of Binocular Vision and a few other favorites. Wow though, so you read parts of of all of 65 nonfiction books?! Incredible! I liked the idea of the speed dating authors - fun!

>36 Crazymamie: Mamie, I tried to read a minimum of 50 pages before making my decision (it didn't always happen - some were clearly for niche audiences, for example). Once we had the 12 books nailed down, I went back and read more before we made the determination of the winner. And yes, Binocular Vision was on the must-read fiction list, so now I have to move it up on my TBR list!

The speed dating event was a lot of fun! At the beginning, we were handed a number and told to sit at a numbered table (which had nothing to do with the number we were given). There were several people crowded around the tables (maybe 12 at mine?), pulling up chairs to squeeze in, and six authors came to talk about their books. After four and a half minutes, they'd get up and go to the next table. At the end, each of the authors took the number from the table where they finished, and each of our numbers corresponded with a book that we received and was signed by the author! I ended up with All Cry Chaos by Leonard Rosen, and had brought along In Search of Motif No. 1, which I was fortunate enough to have Larry Vincent sign for me as well.

That is just such a clever idea - and a signed book to boot as a prize! I bet you had a great time!

>38 Crazymamie: Yeah, that was a blast, as was the rest of the conference. I came back to work yesterday feeling invigorated and ready to jump in to new projects.

32. Hit Lit by James W. Hall

When I think of capital-L Literature, I usually think of what you read in high school and college: tomes or thematically difficult books that I analyzed to death as an English major. So it surprised me to discover in the foreword of Hit Lit, an exploration of bestsellers, that author James W. Hall had his start in academia with a specialization in postmodern literature. When he had this idea to teach bestsellers - and not just your run-of-the-mill gets on the list for a few weeks and then drops away, but multimillion copies selling still popular books - he discovered that these books had several things in common.

He focuses on the following twelve titles:
Gone with the Wind
The Godfather
The Dead Zone
Valley of the Dolls
The Hunt for Red October
The Exorcist
Jaws
Peyton Place
To Kill A Mockingbird
Bridges of Madison County
The Firm
The Da Vinci Code

I recommend that you read the books on the list that you intend to before tackling Hit Lit, unless you don't mind massive spoilers. If you haven't read some titles, or don't intend to, the Appendix has an overview of the plot of each. Hall explains why he chose each book, and then goes on to argue what they have in common and what the American public finds so appealing about them, including elements such as the pace and sympathetic characters. Hall's points are thought-provoking, though his comments about each book did get a little repetitive; since I tended to read it in large chunks, I hadn't had time to forget the last time he mentioned some examples that get repeated when making a different point later. He is tongue-in-cheek at times, but generally is not snobby in his approach and truly seems to have respect for popular reading. An entertaining and sometimes thought-provoking read. 4 stars.

Edited to add - I first saw the book on Suzanne's (Chatterbox) thread.

I have a case of eye strain from trying to read the titles on the book poster! I recognized Lost In Shangri-la and The Night Circus. Would you want to be a judge again? I think it would be fun but exhausting.

Author speed-dating. What will they think of next? Sounds like a lot of fun!

Loved your review of Hit Lit and gave it a thumb. Adding it to my WL, but I will take your advice and read the books from the list that I have yet to read first.

>41 Donna828: You got two, Donna! :) I think I wouldn't mind being a judge again a few years from now, and probably not for nonfiction again. At the time I volunteered, I made recommendations for our library to buy nonfiction, which is no longer true, and it's not representative of my normal reading (maybe about 10% of my reading is typically nonfiction). Also, by the end, even when I was enjoying a book it started to feel like I was back in school with this pile of "have to" reads. I'm very relieved to have my own choice of book back. Even so, it was fun to go through the process and to see how the final list we came up with - an excellent list, if I do say so myself - reflects our taste as a group instead of entirely conforming to one individual. And it was incredibly fun to open each new box of books and now I would get to keep whatever I liked. (I even saved a few titles that didn't make the "must reads" that I want to go back and read.)

>42 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! I hope you enjoy it when you get to it. Fortunately, I was not particularly interested in reading any of the books that I hadn't already. I might go back and read The Dead Zone someday, but not for a few years so I can forget what Hall discussed. :)

33. Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

**Spoiler warning for Graceling.**

When we first met Bitterblue, she was a scared ten-year-old girl fleeing her father, King Leck, who had the terrifying ability to change people's perception of reality. Katsa and Po rescued her then; eight years later, they are still her friends as she attempts to heal Monsea from Leck's reign and determine the truth of what happened while he was king. She starts leaving the castle dressed as a servant, and finds that someone does not want to let the truth get out.

Bitterblue brings together the stories of Graceling and Fire, showing us the aftereffects of the rule of a twisted, sick man. She is young, though, and doesn't know a lot about what happened during her father's reign, nor can she lean on her memories as being accurate because of Leck's Grace. I read this fast - over two evenings - so I'm still reeling a little bit trying to frame my thoughts in a way that make sense. I had some niggling issues with how it seemed that Bitterblue's escapades in the city are at the convenience of moving the plot forward, but again, since I was reading so fast I'm not sure that there weren't some clues as to why she leaves when that I skipped right over in my thirst to know what happens next. Overall, I found it a satisfying read and would probably reread the series in a few years given the change. 4.5 stars.

Still pondering Bitterblue a bit. I enjoyed reading Zoe's review and the ensuing comments.

I think I would need to give the series a few years off and revisit it to be able to complete my thoughts. When I was reading (all of the books), I was clipping along at such a pace that I left alone some things that kind of bugged me. I wonder if a reread in which I remembered the main storyline would make those issues stand out more or if I would still consider them reread worthy?

Anyway...
I have a couple more YA fantasy books on my library bookshelf, including The Serpent's Shadow and The Goblin War. But I've decided I want something completely different and am off to start reading my Early Reviewer book (I'm very late on this...), Super Bowl Monday.

Hi Mary

I'm simply stopping by and waving hi. Happy Monday.

I'm glad you enjoyed the review! I'm so happy to have someone else who I can talk about the book with. I'll pass it off to my sister when I see her, but that won't be for more than a month.

I do think that Graceling stands up to rereading, since I just reread it myself and enjoyed it possibly even more the second time. I had forgotten a lot of the major plot points, but I did remember at least what happened with Po, so I was more appreciative of things like his comments at the beginning of the book about how beautiful his home is.

>46 Whisper1: A happy Monday to you, too, Linda. I hope things are going well for you!

>47 _Zoe_: Well, I'm glad you didn't mind a few of us descending on your thread to discuss it. :) It's tough to finish a book that you want to talk out (whether you liked it or didn't) and not know anyone who finished it, isn't it? Fire was my favorite of the three, for sure. I thought the moral struggles that Fire has were thought-provoking and I didn't expect as much out of the story as I did of Graceling, because sooooo many people had read and loved it. I will probably reread the series in the future, though I daresay my ultimate ratings will change when that happens.

34. The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan

In the final book of the Kane Chronicles, Sadie and Carter must battle Apophis, the snake of Chaos, and return order to the world. Apophis rose in the last book, but he's been going around destroying scrolls, which they figure must have the secret to destroying him. In an attempt to save the last scroll, someone appears to Sadie and tells her that while they won't save the scroll, she should save a box that looks nearly empty. Does it really hold the key to victory?

I was not in the mood for this book, so the following reaction is not particularly fair. The wisecracks didn't tend to strike me as funny, the over-the-top plot kept me turning pages quickly but rolling my eyes a little. I thought the resolution of Sadie's boy troubles was just weird. It's much the same as the rest of the series, but for some reason just didn't work for me as well as the fast-paced and humor-filled books have in the past. 3.5 stars.

I think reading so many fast-paced fantasy/dystopia books in a row (Insurgent, Bitterblue, The Serpent's Shadow) was probably a mistake. Even though I knew exactly the sort of story I was in for, I was slightly dissatisfied.

35. Defending Jacob by William Landay

Andy Barber, the first assistant DA in Newton, recounts the horrible murder of his son's classmate, Ben Rifkin, and his attempt to find Ben's killer, until he is taken off the case because evidence seems to point to his son, Jacob.

Can you imagine a more terrible thing than your child being accused of murder? Barber's story is harrowing in more ways than one. We jump right into the story with Andy being interviewed by a former co-worker in a grand jury indictment - just exactly what this indictment is and for whom, we don't know, but the pace drives towards the merging of these two story lines as the reader starts to imagine what really happened one fall day before school started. This is the rare book that I'm absolutely wowed by but don't think I could ever reread because it was so emotionally draining. 4.5 stars.

Just had to share -

The new Louise Penny that's coming out in August is available to put on hold at my library system! YAY! I put The Beautiful Mystery on hold yesterday at work. I'd been sitting reading review journals and found out the title in one of the articles I was reading (on series audiobooks), gasped aloud, jumped up to go to the computer to see if I could put the hold on, and otherwise making my co-workers think something was wrong....

Mary, your review prompted me to put a hold on Defending Jacob at the library, but there are 150 people ahead of me so I won't be getting to it anytime soon! Although the library does have 25 copies, so perhaps it won't be as long as I think. Anyway, well done!

I have heard nothing but cheers for Defending Jacob and its emotional character seems to be one of its strengths. I am happy you enjoyed it. I will have to read it when I don't have much going on so I can focus and take in its intensity..maybe winter.

Hi Mary- I finally found my way over here. I love your choice of books. We have a spanking copy of Insurgent sitting nearby but I'm not sure when I'll be able to squeeze it in. I'm so glad you loved Defending Jacob. That one I'll be starting tomorrow.
I also FINALLY landed a copy of Graceling and hope to get to it in a few weeks. Fingers crossed.

>52 rosalita: Hi, Julia! I hope you enjoy it when you get to it - my library system has about 50 holds on 70 some-odd copies, and it seems to be all-around popular.

>53 mks27: Sounds like a good plan, Michelle! It is intense, but I read it at a good time for me.

>54 msf59: Hi, Mark, thanks for visiting! I took a peek at your latest thread - whoo, 11 already?! I hope you enjoy Insurgent, Defending Jacob, and Graceling, and I'll be looking forward to your thoughts on them.

36. The Goblin War by Hilari Bell

Makenna, Tobin and the goblins want to leave the Otherworld before it drains their magic and their lives. Tobin is so sick that Makenna is desperate to cast another gate. Meanwhile, Jeriah begins to realize that despite Master Lazur's contemptible methods, he was right about one thing: the barbarian threat makes relocation necessary, despite the fact that none of the lords want to leave their lands. Can he convince the Hierarch that anything Lazur wanted could be good for the Realm?

The Goblin War wraps up The Goblin Wood trilogy fairly satisfactorily. All three characters are given equal time as they work apart but together to save the Realm from the Duri (the barbarians) and their odd magic. This series is a bit younger and not as complex as some of Bell's others, which may be why it's not one of my favorites. The ending was a bit rushed after the climax, and I still had some questions about what would happen when I turned the last page. Still, this is a fast-paced, imaginative fantasy, and I enjoyed the time spent reading it. 4 stars.

Hurray hurray hurray hurray!
There's going to be another Knight and Rogue novel!
(Oh, and if you're wondering....that is one of my favorite Hilari Bell series...the other is the Farsala Trilogy)
It's only in draft form, according to her website, but it EXISTS and that makes me happy!

37. Magic Under Stone by Jaclyn Dolamore

**Spoiler warning for the first book, Magic Under Glass**

Erris has been awakened, but he is still under an enchantment and stuck in a clockwork body that Nimira must wind daily. Both Nim and Erris travel to Mr. Valdana, a man who may hold the key to freeing Erris once and for all. Meanwhile, the ruthless king of the fairy court has acquired a jinn, and he is very interested in knowing that Erris - the true heir to the throne - is still alive.

This book was an easy, breezy read. I enjoyed it and liked the characters, especially Ifra, the jinn. I cared enough about the characters to read the whole thing, despite its shortcomings. Perhaps part of my problem was that I hadn't read Magic Under Glass in over two years, but often things were introduced without really being explained - the workings of magic, for example - and I thought more world-building would have made my reading experience richer. As it was, some things happened fast with little explanation that really seemed to make sense - I felt as if the plot was being shoved into the direction the author wanted to take rather than convincing me with details, if that makes sense. Recommended if you enjoy the genre. 3.5 stars.

Hi Mary- I really liked your review of Defending Jacob. I posted my mini-review too. This is one you can't say much about. Divulging anything could hurt the experience.
I hope you are having a nice weekend.

>59 msf59: Thanks, Mark! That was one book that was really hard to review without giving away anything, and I agree that telling too much would hurt the experience. At the same time, it's the sort of book that I wanted to talk about with someone after reading...

Happy Memorial Day / Decoration Day, everyone!

I hope you are having a pleasant weekend. I've been enjoying my long weekend, with a trip to a small-town parade today and hanging out at home. It's too hot to do much of anything, but I've gotten a bit of crocheting and reading in.

38. Frontier Wolf by Rosemary Sutcliff

Alexios is twenty-three, young to be as highly ranked as he is in the Roman Eagles, but his uncle is the Dux Britanniarum, and he has risen quickly. When his superior, Centurion Critos, is killed in battle young Alexios suddenly finds himself in command, and he makes an ill-fated decision. Now, he faces the consequences and is sent to the north to lead the Frontier Wolves. Can he ever recover from his mistakes and earn the respect of these men?

I've been slowly reading through the Dolphin Cycle series in chronological order, leading up to the book that I own, The Lantern Bearers. Up until this title, I've been enjoying the books alright, but a little bemused at how lauded Rosemary Sutcliff is. Frontier Wolf changed that for me. I found myself drawn in by the rich descriptions, slowing my reading down so that I could pick up on details (if I blinked and scanned a page too fast, I found that I had missed key information about a character or a season change). The plot unfolds slowly, so that for the first half of the book I wondered where it was going to end, and for the second half I realized how inevitable the results were. There is nothing to mark these as exclusively children's books: the main character is in his twenties, and the pace develops slowly while the characters and description carry the book for some time. Not to mention, this one deals with war in a very realistic way and had such a melancholy tone. I don't think most children would pick up on the nuances of the story, but perhaps I do not give young readers as much credit as the author obviously does. While it's not perfect - the dialog still sounds stilted at times, for example - this book left me excited to read the next book in the series. 4 stars.

May in review -

29. Insurgent by Veronica Roth
30. Gillespie and I by Jane Harris
31. Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand
32. Hit Lit by James W. Hall
33. Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
34. The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan
35. Defending Jacob by William Landay
36. The Goblin War by Hilari Bell
37. Magic Under Stone by Jaclyn Dolamore
38. Frontier Wolf by Rosemary Sutcliff

Books read: 10
E-books read: 0
Audiobooks listened to: 0
Graphic novels/manga: 0

Standouts - Defending Jacob, by far

Fiction/Nonfiction: 8/2
Children's/YA/Adult: 1/5/4
Library/Mine/Borrowed: 9/1/0

Books' publication dates, year-to-date:

*undated* - 1 (manuscript)
2012 - 9
2011 - 8
2010 - 4
2007 - 2
2005 - 2
2003 - 2
2001 - 2

1998 - 1
1995 - 1
1980 - 1
1978 - 1
1951 - 1
1943 - 1

1764 - 1

39. Wonder by R.J. Palacio

August Pullman, Auggie for short, is going to start fifth grade this year. He's been homeschooled all along, because he's needed multiple surgeries and has a genetic disorder that means he just doesn't look like other people. Told in multiple voices, Wonder tells the story of his first year in school, dealing with the challenges of family and friends from the perspective of a person whom people look at differently because of his appearance.

I found this story heartwarming and powerful. I rooted for Auggie, and really loved him as a character. He acknowledges that people see him as different, but because of the parts of the story in his perspective, we also see that inside, he's just a normal 10-year-old kid. We can also see the perspectives of his sister, Via, and a boy at school, Jack. Each voice is unique and adds to the overall picture readers have of Auggie and the challenges he faces in school. If you loved Rules, I highly recommend this book as well. Not many books make me cry: this one did. 4.5 stars.

40. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

***SPOILERS***

A tree loves a boy, and keeps giving of itself as the boy grows up.

I read this picture book yesterday afternoon because a couple of librarians convinced me I should. I confess, I don't get what all the fuss is about. On one level, it's a story about a very nice tree that never asks for anything and always gives of itself, til all it can give is a stump for an old man to sit upon. On another, it's unsettling, and I think it's supposed to be. The tree is anthropomorphized, and I can't help but think it's describing a very one-sided friendship between a lovely tree and a greedy & taking boy-then-man. I was left a little unsure what to think, whether I was reading too much into it or being given a lesson.

Mary - You did some good reading in May! Nice reviews of both Wonder and The Giving Tree. I was familiar with the Shel Silverstein book as we read a lot of his stuff when the kids were younger - we LOVE his poetry! Wonder sounds like one for my WL - someone else was getting ready to read that; I think Mark. Anyway, I loved Rules, so I am taking your advice and adding it to my list.

Ooh, Wonder looks like a perfect book for me and for my class this summer. I loved Rules.

I didn't know the Kane Chronicles are only a three-book series. I have The Serpent's Shadow home from the library right ow for the girls, but since I never got around to reading The Throne of Fire I probably won't read it right now. Your comments and criticisms express my frustration with Riorden's writing in general.

>66 Crazymamie: Thanks for all your kind words, Mamie! I thought May was a fantastic reading month overall. I do enjoy Shel Silverstein's poetry - what a wicked sense of humor - and I hope you enjoy Wonder when you get to it.

>67 AMQS: Anne, I hope you & your class enjoy Wonder. I loved Rules, too, and while it's been a few years since I read the latter, I seem to remember quite a bit of thematic overlap - they're different stories, but both very positive and dealing with an aspect of being normal underneath your skin.

The funny thing about my criticisms of The Serpent's Shadow is that I notice but usually don't care about those aspects of Riordan's writing because I'm enjoying the story and humor and references to mythology. But for some reason, I wasn't in the mood for it so those little niggling things became bigger-than-usual annoyances. Plus, in general, I like the Greek/Roman mythology better. I think the Kane Chronicles is a sort-of three book series - there was a sense that the story might continue in a new series, a la the Percy Jackson books versus The Lost Hero books, where the main character shifted but, in a sense, the series continues.

A reading update - what I'm reading now:

1. Super Bowl Monday - off and on for a couple of weeks. This was an Early Reviewer book, and it details Super Bowl XXV, between the NY Giants and the Buffalo Bills. The subtitle is a little misleading, as the Persian Gulf war is mentioned but is not the focus of the narrative, but I'm a Giants football fan and I remember a lot of these players, so I'm finding it very enjoyable.

2. The Elegant Universe - for some reason I'm a sucker for physics books that I can barely understand on my own. This is a tutored read for me with drneutron, so if you're interested in the subject, take a gander. I just finished Chapter 3.

3. The Book Thief - a reread for a book discussion at the library. I'm leading the discussion a week from today, so I gotta get moving on this one.

Mary, you are covering lots of literary ground these days moving from The Giving Tree to The Elegant Universe. I'll take a peek at your tutored read but I suspect it will be way over my head.

The Book Thief made it to my Top Ten of the 21st Century list. I remember trying to resist the hype that surrounded it; apparently I failed. Wish I could sit in on next week's book discussion!

>70 Donna828: Ha, yeah I'm "all over the place" on a blunt day and "eclectic" every other. :) I like my variety, though. I was afraid The Elegant Universe would be way over my head, so I appreciate the help of a tutored read. I can ask whatever questions I have, and make sure that I understand what I think I do! I first read The Book Thief on the recommendation of a co-worker years ago, and I remember really loving it - it's been a slower start this time around, but I think that's mainly because I've been more scattered and not able to read a huge chunk in one sitting.

Home from the DC meetup! I'm exhausted, but it was definitely worth it. I meant to only buy a few books, but a library book sale defeated me...

So here's what I ended up with at the sale:

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
The Genesis Trilogy by Madeleine L'Engle
In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick
The Gift of the Magi and Other Short Stories by O. Henry
Selected Stories by Nadine Gordimer
Across the Wall by Garth Nix
Silver on the Tree by Susan Cooper and
The King of Shadows by Susan Cooper

And at Capitol Hill books -
That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis (attenders of the Boston Meetup may remember that I bought the first two books in the trilogy when book shopping there)

The last three on the library book sale list were left behind at my sister's place to come up with my parents when they visit her in July. My dad is going to look rather askance when told, bring them up and give me a hard time, I'm sure. Not for buying books, but for making him the delivery boy.

Mary - Those are some very fine books you got there! And I'm sure the meet up was a lot of fun. So, what will you read first?

>73 Crazymamie: Actually, I picked up the short stories of O. Henry when I was sitting in the Folger Shakespeare Library, so technically I think that one's the first. (And if you're wondering why on earth I was reading while on a group meetup, well, everyone else was too!)

Yeah. It was funny to see everyone reading when we were supposed to be looking at the exhibits instead. :)

I'm so glad I had the chance to meet you and your sister this weekend and hope we have more opportunities to meet up in the future.

Hi Madeline! It was great to meet you too, and I certainly hope to get together again in the future. In my defense, I had been through the exhibits (and the gift shop). I was so excited to have seen a First Folio! And a highlight for me, too, was the Gutenberg Bible at the LOC - imagine, without that printing press, we probably wouldn't be able to read nearly as many books as we do!

41. The Book Thief by Martin Zusak

Death narrates the story of Liesel Meminger, a nine-year-old girl who goes to live with foster parents Hans and Rosa Hubermann in the late 1930s Germany.

I first read this when it came out in the United States in 2006, and read it this time around for a book group. I was shocked to find that while I had the impression of the book - a thought-and-tear-provoking read - deeply ingrained, I didn't remember much of the story at all. As a result, this reread was just as powerful and moving as I remember my first being. Death as the narrator is eminently appropriate, not only because of the subject matter but because we can see human behavior through inhuman eyes and think about its observations. This is at once a troubling and beautiful read that I highly recommend. 5 stars.

I loved that book, too.

Hi Mary, I loved seeing the pics of you and your sister from the DC meetup. Great book acquisitions, too. I'll be looking for the first two books in the C. S. Lewis trilogy at my own meetup in Kansas City on Thursday. I don't have a copy of The Book Thief. It seems like that one should be in my permanent library. It's a good thing I have unlimited room in my car for the trip home. ;-)

Hi Mary--it was nice to meet you and your sister this weekend. And great books--I think I saw some of those while I was selecting my own stack.

77: Just thinking about that books make me emotional. I think I will re-read it next year though because it is so, so good!

>78 Crazymamie: Hello, Mamie! I loved it when I first read it, and I found it held up well upon rereading.

>79 Donna828: Donna, I think you might like it. It was billed as "YA" in the US, but it doesn't strike me as a very YA book, even though the main character is young.

>80 AnneDC: It was great to meet you too, Anne! It was fun to see what others had bought, and think to myself, "Oh, I remember seeing that book" or "Missed that one!"

>81 RosyLibrarian: I hope you love it just as much rereading it, Marie. I certainly did!

42. Super Bowl Monday by Adam Lazarus

Super Bowl XXV was held at the end of the 1990 season, a fantastic game between the Buffalo Bills - the new team on the block with a dynamic offense - and the New York Giants - the old guard, big on defense and a running game. Headed up by Jim Kelly and backup quarterback Jeff Hostetler, these teams competed in an exciting, closely contested game devoid of turnovers.

The subtitle "From the Persian Gulf to the Shores of West Florida: The New York Giants, the Buffalo Bulls, and Super Bowl XXV" is a little misleading. The Persian Gulf War is more of a backdrop, going on behind the scenes, and affecting the game in such ways as increasing security, and the discussion over whether or not the game should go on during a war. Really, it's all about the football. Lazarus begins by showing Hostetler and Kelly rising through the ranks in college to play in the NFL, overviews the season and playoffs, before diving in to the heart of the narrative: Super Bowl XXV. The play-by-play of this game is at the heart of the book and where Lazarus' writing really shines. He throws in other things, too, such as flashbacks to previous Super Bowls and a chapter on the assistant coaches working with the Giants who would go on to have fantastic careers of their own (Belichick and Coughlin, anyone?), but I found this gave the narrative a staccato rhythm, instead of building up momentum to the final play of the game. Also, he goes on a bit too long in the final chapters of "after" the big game, and I started to lose interest. Lazarus has clearly done his research and extensive interviews in 2010, so the inclusion of players' and coaches' reminiscences add a lot. If you're a Giants or a Bills fan - or even if you're just a football fan - it's worth a look. 4 stars.

43. Hexwood by Diana Wynne Jones

All is not well at Hexwood Farm, and Sector Controller Boranus is not happy. The Reigners won't be happy if they realize some underling awoke the Bannus, a machine that can create theta space and cause real people to go through somewhat manufactured events in order to see the best course of action. Meanwhile, on Earth, Ann Stavely has been sick and, the first day she feels better, she enters a wood where she meets Mordion, a strange man who says he has been in stasis for years and Hume, a boy she seems to have some responsibility for. But odd things seem to be happening with time and the sequence of events when she goes in the wood...

If that sounds confusing, well, let's just say this is the sort of complex story that doesn't sound at all right when I try to sum it up without spoilers. It's got a little bit of everything: complex storyline, sympathetic characters, and a dash of humor. I've been making my way through Diana Wynne Jones' oeuvre, and thought I'd found my favorites already, but this book surprised me by turning out to be one of the contenders. 4.5 stars.

I'd have to keep rereading them to know my favorites, but these are the top three - Hexwood, The Dark Lord of Derkholm and Howl's Moving Castle.

I have got to read something by her - Heather was praising her books, too.

>85 Crazymamie: Yes, you should! Diana Wynne Jones is one of my all-time favorite authors. Her fantasy is smart and funny and inventive and I haven't come across any of her books that I've actively disliked, though I do like some more than others. :)

Hi Mary. I hope all is well with you!

>87 Whisper1: Hello, Linda! Great to "see" you and hope your meet up goes (went? sorry, I lost track) well! Life is busy, but good. How are things with you?

HI Mary

I finally have time to check some threads tonight. I've felt so darn out of touch with my LT friends. The meet up with Cheli today was wonderful.

I told her about the lovely time at Richard's party and how we all felt so comfortable with each other. The same thing happened today. It was as though I knew Cheli for a long, long time.

I hope things are more calm for you now that the semester's over.
It still amazes me how quickly we felt comfortable in conversation with each other. Reading is such a big part of all of our lives that having that in common - and especially if we've been reading each others' threads - is enough to form a friendship. I told folks at the DC meetup last weekend that I read much more than anyone I know if day-to-day life, but LT makes me feel about average and perfectly normal. :) I'm glad you enjoyed your time with Cheli.

So, I've been enjoying everyone's lists of favorites by decade, and of course had to make some of my own. These aren't "best" books in terms of anything other than my own enjoyment, and as such are entirely subjective, particularly to my mood of the day. :)

I had to separate out SFF and nonfiction into their own lists. Here's the 21st Century lists in no particular order:

Favorite books of 2011-
Defending Jacob by William Landay (2012)
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (2011)
11/22/63 by Stephen King (2011)

Favorite books of 2001-2010
The Book Thief by Martin Zusak (2006)
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (2007)
Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny (2010)
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (2009)
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (2004)
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonsen (2010)
Labor Day by Joyce Maynard (2009)
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta (2006)
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (2008)
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation: The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson (2006)

Favorite Fantasy and Science Fiction of 2001-2010
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (2007)
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (2008)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005)
Ptolemy's Gate by Jonathan Stroud (2006)
His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik (2006)
Soulless by Gail Carriger (2009)
The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner (2001)
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (2004)
Fire by Kristin Cashore (2009)
Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale (2007)

Favorite Nonfiction of 2001-2010
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (2010)
Little Princes by Conor Grennan (2010)
My Reading Life by Pat Conroy (2010)
So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson (2003)
The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede (2002)
Shelf Life by Suzanne Strempek Shea (2004)
The Library at Night by Alberto Manguel (2008)
The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby (2004)
The Ring of Words: Tolkien and the Oxford English Dictionary (2006)
How to Read a Novel: A User's Guide by John Sutherland (2006)

The 1990s and 1980s (showing my youth clearly, since I have not read much contemporary fiction in either decade):

Favorite books of 1991-2000
In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez (1994)
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1998)

Favorite Fantasy and Science Fiction of 1991-2000
To Say Nothing of the Dog; or, How We Found the Bishop's Bird Stump at Last by Connie Willis (1998)
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (1996)
Hexwood by Diana Wynne Jones (1994)
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (1992)
Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett (1992)
Stardust by Neil Gaiman (1999)
Deep Secret by Diana Wynne Jones (1999)
Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynne Jones (1998)
The Giver by Lois Lowry (1993)

Favorite Nonfiction of 1991-2000
Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman (1998)
The Pleasure of Reading edited by Antonia Fraser (1992)
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott (1994)
The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester (1998)
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (1998)

Favorite books of 1981-1990
Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (1989)
If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino (1981)

Favorite Fantasy and Science Fiction of 1981-1990
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (1986)
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (1985)

Nice lists here, Mary! I love seeing what everyone includes on theirs - I am getting lots of ideas for my WL.

Hi Mary, many of many favorites are included in your lists, as well as lots that are both on my wishlist or soon will be.

>93 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! It's been so much fun looking at others' lists, I finally gave in with my own. It took me a few hours spent here and there between work and other necessary stuff before I had it done, and now that I look at it, I still have a date wrong (The Night Circus was 2010). Ah well... I'm leaving it for now....

>94 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy! I looked over your lists again to remind myself - your YA list overlaps with my fantasy quite a bit, but I admit I haven't read a lot on your other lists. I'll have to remedy that. :)

44. Below Stairs by Margaret Powell

Originally written in the 1960s, Margaret Powell's first memoir as a kitchen maid and then cook in the 1920s and 30s is newly reprinted with a subtitle touting it as the inspiration for "Upstairs, Downstairs" and "Downton Abbey."

At first, I had a hard time believing this could be the inspiration, as it's very different from "Downton Abbey." An introduction with an explanation for the claim and a quick overview of the class system - though it's changed when Powell is writing, it's assumed you understand - would have been helpful to me as a young American. Besides enjoying "Downton Abbey," I've done some research in family history and know I had relatives in service in the late 1800s to early 1900s, so I was interested in her perspective. Powell pulls no punches in talking about her several positions with employers who were bad, worse or indifferent (I think there was one or two nice ones in there). She's not bitter, though, and she's often funny so once I got over the fact that it was different from what I expected, I did enjoy reading her thoughts and observations. Powell is clearly intelligent and curious and a reader. She has a sort of meandering, oral style and I could almost picture an older woman talking to someone, reminiscing about life when she was younger. The cover of the reissue - a woman dressed as a maid with a feather duster in hand and three young children in the background - has nothing to do with the contents (I imagine it's from "Upstairs, Downstairs") and felt tacked on. If you're a fan of the "below stairs" aspect of "Downton Abbey," this eyewitness account will definitely be of interest. 4 stars.

I tried looking into my library system to see if the other (two?) volumes of Powell's memoirs are available. The only material I could find was an audiocassette (really? cassette?) version of a book called Maids and Mistresses. (no touchstone)

And now I will give my poor overheating computer a break and bask in air conditioning and the fact that other people are cooking tonight!

Yesterday got up to 104 degrees in the sun, and today's supposed to be another scorcher with a high of 97. There's AC a work (thank goodness) but judging from yesterday, it's not equipped to deal with temperatures like this (the building was built in 1969 and I'm pretty sure the heater/AC unit is original to the building), so I've just decided I'm wearing a dress today.

Most air conditioning systems can only lower temperatures to 20 lower than the outside temp.

I've just decided I'm wearing a dress today.
Get it, girl! I haven't worn pants all week. Hot days at work are one of the few times that women's clothes are way more comfortable than men's.

>98 norabelle414: Well, apparently what happened with ours this time around was a family of mice got into the works and got electrocuted and generally wreaked havoc in the system (whether in their life or death, I don't know... possibly both). So the guy from the company that fixes it is coming back with gloves and strong chemicals to clean up the general disgustingness.

Hmm. Exciting?

96: That one looks interesting! Might I recommend Rose: My Life In Service by Rosina Harrison? I loved her account of life in service right around the same time frame.

Enjoy your toasty day!

>100 norabelle414: Haha, yeah. At least I didn't have to clean it up. Oh, and I meant to say, I totally agree with you that skirts/dresses are only more comfortable in the heat - and when that's the case, I'm very glad I have a dress or two I can wear!

>101 RosyLibrarian: Thanks, I've put a hold on it and I'm looking forward to reading it. If I remember correctly, that was the title that was mentioned in the bibliography of The World of Downton Abbey (I'd have to double check my notebook of book lists to be sure). I'm not sure why it's not nearly as popular in my library system as the title I read, as it was republished in 2011 and sounds very similar...

99 It's amazing the havoc mice can create when they get into the wrong places.

Super Bowl Monday sounds like one that my hubby the Giants fan might like.

It's amazing the havoc mice can create when they get into the wrong places.

Isn't it, though? :)

I hope your husband does enjoy it if he reads it. My dad liked it pretty well, but we both agreed that the jumping back to other Super Bowls made it a little hard to keep track of what was going on in the Giants/Bills game. I enjoyed the fact that it was about players I could remember watching as a kid, but I was so young that a lot of the information was new to me (of course, I still knew the result... I couldn't have been a member of my family and not known the score, for example).

45. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

The year is 2044. The most popular video game: OASIS. It's not just a video game, it's a full-immersion MMOG on a huge scale. Real life has become so wretched that a lot of people find relief playing the game and searching for the "egg." One of these people is Wade Watts, the narrator, whose life dream is winning the game - and, as a result, all of the creator's money.

This was a really entertaining story with a lot of 1980s and other trivia thrown into the mix. The creator of the game, James Halliday, was a pop culture nut and "wanted people to like the same thing he liked," so of course, the solutions to his puzzles often have an answer in 80s movies, songs, and more. As Wade and his friends get closer to his goal, the stakes rise and the plot gains momentum 'til the end. Sure to satisfy your inner geek. 4 stars.

Edited to fix touchstone.

Mary, I have that book in my TBR, so nice to read that you liked it- and if it is sure to satisfy my inner geek, how could I possibly resist?! Nice review.

I saw this one on the shelf at the bookstore yesterday, and I know I want to read it eventually, but I resisted the purchase (I've spent too much on books lately!). I'll get to it eventually...

Hi Mary, I'm another one who knows that Ready Player One is in my future, just don't know yet when I will get around to it.

>106 Crazymamie: I do hope you enjoy it. Thanks, Mamie!

>107 scaifea: haha... good for you, resisting a purchase, Amber! I'm terrible about cheap buys myself... garage sales, Friends of the Library book sales - but I'm pretty good about not buying full price unless I know I want to own the book. Fortunately my local library had it on the shelf when I was in the right mood for it.

>108 DeltaQueen50: I hope you enjoy it when you get to it, Judy!

Oh, and I raved about it so much while I was reading that a couple of friends decided they want to read it too, so I'm lending out my library book to each of them.

Anyone watching Wimbledon? I've been trying to catch it in the morning before work, and came home today to find the big news - Nadal was knocked out in the second round! I have the draws printed out and update them daily (I know, I'm weird), and it's shaping up to be a very interesting half with Nadal gone. I can't help but think that the other semi is a foregone conclusion, however.

Oh, right, and I should update on what I'm reading:
The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene - still going slowly but surely. I'm hoping to finish up Chapter 6 and post my latest round of questions by tomorrow night.

All Cry Chaos by Leonard Rosen - one of the 12 Massachusetts Books Awards "Must Read" Fiction titles, which I received at the Massachusetts Library Association conference. I'm very much enjoying it so far, as Interpol agent Henri Poincare looks into the murder of a mathematician who's been studying fractals.

Darn... now I want to read them both at once!

Mary - I also am a Wimbledon fanatic! I printed out the draws, too!! Still in shock that Nadal is out - that was some match wasn't it? I think he would have won if they hadn't stopped the match to close the roof.

Mary- Glad you liked Ready Player One. I loved it. Highly inventive and highly entertaining.

>111 Crazymamie: Mamie, I only got to watch the highlights, but it seems that it was quite something. My brother said that Nadal bumped his opponent (!) at one time during a changeover. I'm glad to know I'm not the only strange one who prints out the draws and updates them. (Kind of like my reading, I don't know anyone in real life who does it quite like I do...)

>112 msf59: Hi Mark! It was really entertaining, wasn't it? I had a tough time deciding between 4 stars and 4.5 - just couldn't see myself rereading it in the end (mostly for a few things that I didn't like personally, but wouldn't necessarily bother other reads), but I enjoyed it thoroughly. I've found myself getting more and more stingy with 4.5 and 5 stars this year....

46. All Cry Chaos by Leonard Rosen

When a mathematician, James Fenster, is found murdered in his hotel room, Interpol agent Henri Poincaré is on the case. Fenster was in Amsterdam for a World Trade Organization meeting, and Poincaré is left wondering: what was Fenster going to say in an economics speech? Who would want a mathematician dead?

Usually I write a review almost directly after finishing a book. I've sat on this one for a few days, unsure of how to summarize my thoughts. There is a lot going on, which is both a blessing and a curse. In addition to the central mystery, a man put behind bars earlier threatens Poincarés family, and philosophical (and mathematical) ruminations on whether there is order in the universe abound. On the one hand, it made for a somewhat complex plot; on the other, I sometimes lost track of where Poincaré was going, and what particular part of the mystery he was following up. The parts I was most interested in turned out to be those involving the Poincaré family: I felt most connected to the characters when I saw the inspector as a father and grandfather, and I loved how his relationship with his wife and son and grandkids was portrayed. The mathematical portions were interesting, but I wish they had been explored in more depth, a sort of trusting of the readers to be able to follow a more technical explanation of why the veins of a leaf are like the veins of a hand are like the ridges of a mountain range. I was engaged while reading, but except for a portion in the middle, I very seldom felt a need to grab the book as soon as I could. As a first novel, however, the book interested me enough to look for more forthcoming from this author. 3.5 stars.

Free book received at the Massachusetts Library Association, and signed by the author (which was cool). Also, it made the 2012 Massachusetts Book Award "Must Read" list for fiction.

June in review -

39. Wonder by R.J. Palacio
40. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
41. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - Mine
42. Super Bowl Monday by Adam Lazarus - Mine
43. Hexwood by Diana Wynne Jones - Mine
44. Below Stairs by Margaret Powell
45. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
46. All Cry Chaos by Leonard Rosen - Mine

Number of books read: 8
Number of e-books read: 0
Number of audiobooks listened to: 0

Standouts - Hexwood as new-to-me, The Book Thief as a reread

Fiction/Nonfiction: 6/2
Children's/YA/Adult: 2/1/5
Library/Mine/Borrowed: 3/4/1

Publication dates I've read to year-to-date:

*undated* - 1
2012 - 3
2011 - 9
2010 - 4
2007 - 2
2006 - 1
2005 - 2
2003 - 2
2001 - 1

1998 - 1
1995 - 1
1993 - 1
1978 - 1
1968 - 1
1964 - 1
1951 - 1
1943 - 1

1764 - 1

47. Black Heart by Holly Black

Cassel Sharpe is back in this third book of the "Curse Workers" series. Now Cassel knows he is a transformation worker, and finds his loyalties divided between Lila & his family on the one hand and the federal agents who promise him a life on the right side of the law on the other. Meanwhile, a schoolmate asks for his help when someone blackmails her. As a con artist from a family of workers, Cassel knows she's not telling him the whole truth, and he's not sure who to trust.

I've enjoyed this series because Cassel is such an interesting character, someone who is genuinely conflicted between the life he's always known, loyalty to family, and a desire to do the right thing. The pace is fast, keeping me up late turning pages and, even though Cassel is the narrator, surprising me with what he holds back. The end was such that I wasn't sure whether to expect more or not, but either way it's a satisfying read. 4 stars.

48. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Patroclus is the son of a king, but early on he knew he disappointed his father. He could never match up to Achilles, the son ofo a goddess and the one destined to be the greatest Greek fighter ever. When Patroclus accidentally kills a boy, he is exiled to Achilles' father's kingdom. As these boys become friends and companions, Patroclus narrates their story leading up to events that will be familiar to anyone who knows their Greek mythology.

Full confession: I still haven't read The Iliad and The Odyssey. I still could see where events were going, to some extent, but I couldn't tell you where the author diverges from or imagines additions to the original story. While I didn't always like what happened, I never could imagine things differently, one of the highest compliments I can give to a story. The writing was wonderfully evocative, and I think this is the sort of book that I might have rated in my mind lower directly after finishing it, but it will linger in my mind awhile longer and come out as a stronger read several months later when I've had time to fully digest it. At the very least, it made me eager to pick up some of the original Greek myths. 4 stars.

Great reviews, Mary! All Cry Chaos sounds really intriguing. I am planning to give The Song of Achilles to my husband for his birthday tomorrow -- nice to see another positive review here. Have a great week!

Nice job on the reviews! I am really wanting to get to The Song of Achilles, but I decided to reread The Iliad first. It's very good - I recommend the Fagles translation.

Hi Mary. I've yet to see anyone who didn't love The Song of Achilles, must make an effort to move this one up the list! Great review.

I really enjoyed Ready Player One when I read it earlier this year, and just read the first of the Curse Workers books at the end of June.

>118 AMQS: Thanks for stopping by, Anne! I hope your husband enjoys The Song of Achilles (does that mean you'll be reading it, too?)

>119 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! I have a translation of The Iliad and The Odyssey that I picked up and read the first page and thought 1. it's still in verse and 2. I can actually understand it! I don't remember who did it, though. I bought them a couple of years ago thinking that maybe owning them would prompt me to read them (no pressure on the due date)... hasn't happened yet! :)

>120 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy - I hope you do move it up & enjoy it when you get to it!

>121 ronincats: Wasn't Ready Player One fun, Roni? One of my roommates is reading it now, and she said she's really liking it a lot. If you decide to continue, I hope you enjoy them - they're quick reads.

49. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Meghan Chase finds her world has more than meets the eye when he brother is taken by faeries and a changeling with a mean streak takes his place. With only her friend Robbie to help her, she leaves her family behind to find her brother in the Nevernever.

As a reader of the fantasy genre, some of the early revelations in the story were not unexpected (if you've read A Midsummer Night's Dream, Robbie's full name is meaningful the first time you see it, for example). But the simple truth is, I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed seeing Meghan grapple with new challenges, and I enjoyed the surprising and unsurprising plot twists, both the invention and the expected tropes. It was just...fun. And I hope the rest of the series has more of the same. 4.5 stars.

Mary - my daughter loves those books, but I haven't read them yet.

>124 Crazymamie: I'm really looking forward to reading the rest. There are not many holds on the e-editions of the books, so I might stick with that format since it worked well in the first. :)

50. A Matter of Profit by Hilari Bell

Ahvren returns from war with a compulsion for telling the truth and an extreme aversion to going back to war. He goes to T'Chin, a planet recently conquered by his people, the Vivitare, when his foster sibling, Sabri, asks for his help. Ahvren's father makes a deal with him: find out if the rumor regarding a rebellion against the emperor is true. If Ahvren can figure it out, he will have a whole year to figure out what to do with his life instead of going to Zodan to continue conquering, and he might even save Sabri from marriage to the odious son of the emperor.

I will try to be fair to this book, but the simple truth is, at least part of my rating has to do with the fact that this is one of my favorite authors, one of her first books, and not one of the first I've read. It just doesn't measure up to some of her later writing; I don't expect it to. The plot and characters were engaging, but there were definitely some shaky moments from an author who hadn't quite found her stride in plot development. Also, I may read a lot of fantasy and a fair amount of sf, but that doesn't mean I have a high tolerance for apostrophes in the middle of words, and the proliferation (T'Chin, K'Moth, N'Ssser to name a few) got old fast. An entertaining, quick read, but not Bell's best. 3.5 stars.

I won't be posting for a little over a week, leaving early tomorrow for Workcamp. I call it vacation, but I'll be busy volunteering with a bunch of teens/youth groups, and come home exhausted. It's a blast, and I haven't done it in a couple of years, so I'm really excited to go back!

Yay! Have fun!

Thanks, Nora, I'm sure I will!

Have fun, Mary - we will miss you! Sounds like a good time!

Thanks, Mamie!

I had a great time. I'm still catching up on sleep a little bit, and didn't finish a book. That should be rectified shortly, as I'm only 80 pages or so away from finishing The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks for a book discussion tomorrow.

I thought The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks was fascinating, on so many levels. I look forward to your comments on it!

Mary, I hope you have a wonderful time!

>133 AMQS: Thanks, Anne, I did! I shall post a few pics shortly to show off what a fun time I had. :)

So, I went to Ohio for Workcamp, which is put on all over the United States (and some other countries) every year through a non-profit organization. Our youth group at church has participated in this for 11 years since I've been involved (I've got on 8, missing the last 3 years for various reasons), and others before I went to this church.

Here's the group of folks that came this time, forty-two of us in all:



We're all split up into crews of people from all different groups, so most likely we've never met before (I've heard of two people on a crew not only going to the same Workcamp the next year but also being on the same crew - this has been the exception, in my experience). Mine included folks from North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Wisconsin. If the task is really big, a double crew may work together. This is what happened on our house



You can't quite see how much scraping we had to do in this shot, but suffice it to say it was the biggest job I've been on. Our job description at the beginning of the week told us straight out we weren't expected to finish it. It took our two crews and a third crew that came out to help us on Wednesday, but we did it! There was just a little part at the top that we couldn't reach on the ladders (the porch roofed was sloped). Any job that's started and not finished is generally completed by local organizations - I'm pretty sure AmeriCorps was there to finish the job at this Workcamp.

Here's one last shot of all three crews after the job was done (see the pretty yellow the house is now?):



I was so proud of us! It was a lot of hard work, but fun too. Our resident was extremely appreciative and a really sweet woman. I came home tired, but it was so worth it!

51. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Henrietta Lacks died of cervical cancer in the 1950s. Before she died, a doctor took cancerous cells and used them to create the first cell culture of human cells, which has gone on to advance medical science tremendously. But most people only knew these as HeLa, and not the woman behind the cells - her family didn't even know her cells were still alive.

Skloot tells the story of Henrietta and her family as well as delving into science and ethics in the medical profession. Her take is very personal, as she describes the way in which she gained the trust of the Lacks family and the conversations she had with them in addition to recreating the events of the 1950s and on. This truly thought-provoking book has a little bit of everything, and will make for a compelling book discussion. 4.5 stars.

52. Renegade Magic by Stephanie Burgis

In the second book of her adventures, Kat Stephenson gets whisked to Bath after the mother of Frederick Carlyle dashes Angeline's hopes at marriage.

It's been awhile since I read the first book in the series, but it turns out not to matter much. Burgis deftly reminded me who characters were and what was going on, as well as introducing new fun. Kat may be rather precocious for her age, but the setting of early 1800s England makes some of her vocabulary more believable and this was just plain fun to read. 4 stars.

Edited to correct my numbering.

Looks like your crew did an amazing job, Mary. The house looks very pretty. :)

Very cool work program! Where in Ohio were you working?

Wow, amazing work camp experience! Kudos on your good work!

I'm glad you enjoyed the Henrietta Lacks book as much as I did.

>138 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky!

>139 scaifea: Amber, we were in Hamilton, Ohio, I think about 20 minutes north of Cincinnati.

>140 tymfos: Thanks, Terri! I always have a blast, and I was super excited to go again after having not gone the past 3 summers for various reasons. Henrietta Lacks made for a really fascinating book discussion - we usually finish up around 8, and went over time this month!

53. Rose: My Life in Service by Rosina Harrison

Rosina (Rose) Harrison was born in 1899, in a time and class where she was expected to go into service. She determined early on to be a ladies' maid in order to travel, eventually working for Nancy, Lady Astor, for over 30 years.

This is my second memoir of life in service, and it made an interesting contrast to Below Stairs, which I read about a month ago. Marie (mbellerose) recommended this one, and it was also suggested as "Further Reading" in The World of Downton Abbey. Rose, unlike Margaret Powell, calls herself a "career woman," and unlike many of her time, decides that she wants her profession over marriage. Though Lady Astor is headstrong and difficult, Rose is a match for her and loves her, too. Rose takes great pride in her work, and seems happy and content; she doesn't overlook disparity, but doesn't seem to think that she's owed anything either. Her anecdotes are often eye-opening or funny. I learned a lot and enjoyed myself along the way. 4 stars.

54. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce

I'm not sure whether the book or the movie came first. Reading the note about the author indicates that Joyce has been working on this story - a tribute to library promotion pioneer Bill Morris - since 1999, but also leads me to believe that the award-winning short film was available before the picture book.

Be that as it may, this is a delightful book about the power of books and storytelling. The text and illustrations work together perfectly, making you want to linger and soak up the details of every page. The multimedia illustrations often use muted colors, with a lot of creams and browns, evoking the look of an old book itself. This is a wonderfully crafted book I would love to put on my personal library bookshelves. 4.5 stars.

Hi Mary - gosh I haven't visited your thread since May. I'm so sorry :-(

#62 I'd put Sutcliff's Dolphin Ring series on hold for a while but glad to see you enjoyed Frontier Wolf so much - I'll edge it a little nearer the top of the pile!

I agree with your comments about whether they're children's books - I think she said she wrote for all children aged 8 to 88!

#84 Hexwood is a DWJ book that I still haven't read - it's nice to know there are some really good ones still waiting for me :-)

#135 Great job on the house Mary - you should all feel proud.

#137 I've just got a copy of the first in Stephanie Burgis' series so I'm glad to see you enjoyed the sequel.

>144 souloftherose: Glad you stopped by, Heather! I've gotten awfully behind myself, so don't worry about it - I'm glad you've caught up. :) I've been reading the Dolphin Ring series slowly, but I own book 4 so I'll read it whenever the mood strikes. I'm working my way through DWJ's oeuvre, and Hexwood just happened to be one that one of the libraries I was working at last year discarded. We did indeed feel proud about that house, especially after the description made it clear we weren't expected to finish! And finally, I hope you enjoy Kat, Incorrigible (which is what it's called in the US - I think its original title is A Most Improper Magick) when you get to it.

55. You Can Tell Your Kid Will Grow Up to be a Librarian When... by Richard Lee - Mine

A collection of cartoons about the library profession that was published in 1992. Kind of like Unshelved, it's much more funny if you're actually in the profession; this one references some out-of-date technology (DIALOG, anyone?) that may or may not ring a bell to librarians that are my age.

Not all of the cartoons have to do with kids who will become librarians, though the first part of the collection is about that. There's also a section on parents who are librarians, patrons, library school, and more. The ones that really gave me a laugh were the ones I related to, like the one that says "You know your parents are librarians when they make you take pictures in front of boring buildings," with a picture of an annoyed kid, hand to his face, with his excited parents taking a picture outside of the library. Seeing as I did that at an LT meetup in DC, I actually laughed aloud at that one. The line drawings are simple but humorous. Overall, I prefer Unshelved, though I spent a pleasant few hours paging through this one. 4 stars.

142: So glad you liked it! I loved Rose's attitude and outlook on life. Her story really stuck with me.

146: Ooo, I need to find this one. I think outdated references are kind of funny.

>147 RosyLibrarian: The funny thing about the reference to DIALOG was that I actually got the joke it was making, having used it in exactly ONE course that I took as an elective. I hope you enjoy it if you can hunt down a copy!

I did like Rose's attitude, she was very positive and I could imagine myself sitting down and talking with her, you know?

56. Open by Andre Agassi

Tennis star Andre Agassi bares all in his account of his life, from young phenom whose father pushed him to "Hit harder" and asked (or coerced) players to hit with his son, to troubled teen at the Bollettieri Academy to revered veteran of the game.

My father read this soon after it came out, and recommended it to me. Whenever it came up, he'd talk to me about Agassi's father, or what Agassi said about other players - he was not a fan of Connors, for example. The one phrase that kept coming to mind while reading his memoir was "brutal honesty." This is a candid account for sure, as Agassi literally opens up about his struggles and how he comes to terms with who he is. His present-tense narrative with no quotation marks for speech could have been distracting, but instead it made the past events all the more immediate. It's hard to say I enjoyed it, but I found it compelling and would definitely recommend it to sports fans and biography fans alike.

Charlie has the Morris Lessmore iPad app, which is, as far as I can tell since I've not seen the movie, an interactive version of the movie. It's *amazing* and we both love it.

>150 scaifea: I haven't seen the interactive iPad app, but I thought the movie was adorable so I would imagine the app is wonderful too! :)

Hi Mary, I'm another one who hasn't been around much lately due to travelling. Catching up is practically a full time job! Your group did an amazing job on the house pictured above, it looks great.

Rose: My Life in Service sounds interesting, I may already have this on my wishlist, it sounds familiar, but if not, I am definitely adding it.

Hi Judy! I've just caught up on threads myself, so now I'm thinking "OK nobody post so I can go away and read!" :) Thanks for stopping by. We had a great time working together on the house. I hope you enjoy Rose: My Life in Service when you get to it, whether I was the one who put it on your wishlist or not. I think I'll be reading some of the books from the bibliography I mentioned above, since that time period (between the wars in Britain) really fascinates me anyway.

57. Winter's Passage by Julie Kagawa

This e-book-only short story fits in between books one and two of the Iron Fey trilogy, telling the story of Meghan's journey into Winter with Ash.

I'm not sure why, perhaps because I didn't really think it worked well as a short story, or maybe because the important part was repeated word for word in book 2 anyways, but I did not enjoy this nearly as much as the first book in the series. I was in that sort of midpoint, where I didn't hate it enough to put it down but never really sunk into the story and bought it or cared about what was happening. I found myself a little bit annoyed with Meghan, instead. I hope this doesn't carry into book 2, which I'm reading now mainly because the e-book from the library will expire soon. 3 stars.

58. Homeland by R.A. Salvatore

Drizzt is born a Dark Elf, or drow, living in a world of caves and evil, where status is everything and you can trample - and murder - anyone to get in your way, as long as you're not caught. Will revelations about his world break or twist him? How can he survive in the dog-eat-dog world of the drow?

While I was reading, I kept wondering to myself why I didn't like it more. Another fantasy fan recommended the book to me as one of his favorite, and perhaps it gave me high expectations. Perhaps I was just in the wrong mood. But while I liked Drizzt and cared enough to keep reading the book, I wasn't bowled over. I kept nitpicking every time the narrator rather bluntly gave me information about a character or event, instead of working it into the story more subtly, and noticing every clunky bit of dialog. I might try some of Salvatore's newer books to see if his writing is improved, because I liked the premise and world-building, but while it sometimes interested me, it never had me enthralled. 3.5 stars.

I dearly hope this isn't the start of a book funk. I've started Dandelion Wine in addition to reading Iron Daughter, and I think that the former is suiting me better than the fantasy I've been reading lately. In the warm, sticky days it's been nice to relax with a cold drink and an homage to summer.

Hi Mary, I'll be reading Dandelion Wine sometime this month. I'm all for an homage to summer..and moving on to autumn! It has been brutal here in Missouri.

Donna, I hope you enjoy Dandelion Wine. I've been taking it slowly and savoring it. I'm not quite halfway through, but unless I miss my guess, I'll be adding it to my wishlist.

59. The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

Taking up soon after The Iron King left off, Meghan Chase is now in Tir Na Nog, the home of Mab Queen of the Unseelies. After all, that's the deal she made with Prince Ash: help rescue her brother, Ethan, and she would return with him - and you can't get out of bargains made with faeries. But Ash, one of Mab's sons, has been strangely distant, and Meghan isn't sure what to do, especially since the threat of the iron fey is still present.

It's hard to say exactly why this didn't work for me as well as the first one did, so I am going to chalk it up to my reading mood. This is truly more of the same as the first book - Meghan going off into an adventure trying to defeat the iron fey, while worrying over boys. I found myself quicker to criticize her, mainly when she was being a boy-obsessed (faery-obsessed?) teenage girl or when she never seems to be able to contribute to a fight before someone gets injured. Can't we give the girl a sword or a bow and arrows? Still, it was a fairly engaging story and while I may not hunt down the third book to read immediately, I do want to see where the trilogy series ultimately ends. 4 stars.

In all fairness, this was more of the same as the first book. I think that was part of my frustration - very little seems to move forward - but at the same time, it's tough to rate this lower and say it was pretty much the same, but that's ultimately how I ended up feeling about it. So that's my caveat. :)

60. The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

A mysterious man shows up at Sempere & Sons book store looking for Fermin, setting Daniel on a quest to find out about his friend's past. He has no idea how intertwined his own story is with Fermin's.

This is the third in the connected stories in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books cycle. While it's not necessary to have read The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel's Game beforehand, I think I would have been a little lost and not as emotionally connected to events if I had not. Of the three, I think this book stands alone the least, though it still could, as the author intends, be the introduction to the cycle set in 1950s Barcelona. In fact (and I never thought I'd say this), it made me want to go back and reread The Angel's Game because I have the feeling I completely misunderstood it the first time around. While it still doesn't hold a candle to The Shadow of the Wind, I loved getting Fermin's back story and am truly looking forward to seeing where the next book takes these characters. 4.5 stars.

#159: I have got to get my hands on a copy of that one! I love The Shadow of the Wind! Glad to see you enjoyed this book so much, Mary.

I read and enjoyed Shadow of the Wind a few years ago (i.e., pre-LT) and didn't even realize it was part of a series. But of course it is; the curse of my life is to continually start new series of books!

>160 alcottacre: Hi Stasia! I hope you enjoy it as much when you get to it. :)

>161 rosalita: haha... I laugh, but I feel your pain, Julia. It seems an awful lot of books I've been reading lately are beginning series, catching up with series.... The Shadow of the Wind may have originally been planned as a standalone, I'm not sure, but when The Angel's Game came out a few years ago, I believe the plan was four? books all set in Barcelona in a cycle with interconnected characters - kind of an almost-series, because they're connected, but can be read in any order. And, honestly, as I told one of my co-workers, I think you can go ahead and read The Prisoner of Heaven before The Angel's Game, and you may even enjoy the latter more if you read it after the former.

#159 Glad you enjoyed that one! I loved the first two books in that series.

>163 souloftherose: I didn't love The Angel's Game when I first read it, but I think I misunderstood and (possible spoiler) took it too literally, thus thinking it extremely strange and confusing. I have a feeling I'd have a different take on it if I were to read it now, however. And I DO love The Shadow of the Wind. :)

#162: Thanks, Mary. I hope so too!

Hi Mary, congratulations to your Workcamp group -- wow! What a lot of hard work that came together beautifully.

I enjoyed your review of The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. That sounds like fun!

>165 alcottacre: Glad to see you posting a Sunday list, Stasia. Are you enjoying your break so far?

>166 AMQS: Thanks, Anne! The Fantastic Flying Books... was really fun. If you can get your hands on the short film, it's sweet, too.

61. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

Here's my review upon finishing the book last year (almost to the day):

Francie lives with her brother Neeley and their parents, Katie and Johnny, in Brooklyn in the early 1900s. They're a poor but hardworking family determined to make better for each generation. Though we're given information about both parents and their families, this is primarily Francie's book, as we see her grow from a child into a teenager with big dreams.

This is the type of story that's primarily about character and writing. Francie is the one we're rooting for primarily, but we're given enough information to sympathize with her family, such as her hardworking, no-nonsense mother Katie, and even her father, Johnny, a talented singer who has a weakness for drink. I felt with her every roadblock, every trial and joy. I enjoyed the style of writing, a descriptive narration that would often tell me a back-story or information about what a secondary character was thinking, and sometimes tended towards the flowery, but I could definitely see this style annoying someone else (even me, if I was in a different mood). This was my first time reading this classic, and certainly won't be the last.

I didn't quite expect my next experience reading it to come so soon, but my library book discussion voted on this as one of the books to read this year, and the discussion will be tomorrow. It was quite a different experience reading it again, this time focusing my energy on what I was going to ask and talk about at the book discussion. It's such a rich book. I made tons of notes, half of which I probably won't use or we'll go over time, and was so glad I could slow down and appreciate the intricacies of the text since I already knew the story. I fell in love with Francie and the other characters all over again, and I'm very much looking forward to the discussion tomorrow.

Hi Mary

I really must read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

>169 Whisper1: Oh I hope you do, I think you'll enjoy it, Linda! :)

62. Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury

In the summer of 1928, Doug and Tom Spaulding experience all the full life that summertime brings, from making dandelion wine with their grandfather to new shoes to discovering that old people have amazing stories to tell.

I've never read another book that so perfectly captures the feeling of summer as a child, when school is out and there are no responsibilities, when you can have lazy days or full ones, and you make discoveries about yourself and others. Countless times I wanted to write down a passage, but didn't when I realized that, just like a summer's day, if you took the words out of the story, out of the context, and looked at a sentence or two alone, it just didn't have that same feeling or essence anymore. It was beautiful, but suddenly only a shadow and memory of itself. Green Town is a sleepy mid-western town based on the one in which Bradbury himself grew up, and we get to know many of its inhabitants. If I were to identify a main character, it would be twelve-year-old Douglas Spaulding, though the tone of the book is so nostalgic that I would not call it a children's or teen book. I will definitely be returning to Dandelion Wine when I need a dose of summer again. 4.5 stars.

I've decided it's not, strictly speaking, historical fiction. It was written in 1946 and set in 1928, when the author was actually eight years old.

Oh I loved A Tree Grows in Brooklyn -- I loved it as a child, and loved it just as much when I reread it a couple of years ago. I loved your review of Dandelion Wine, too -- need to rescue that one from the pile!

>172 AMQS: I hope you enjoy Dandelion Wine when you get to it, Anne. I thought it was a very appropriate summer read and was glad that all the LT folks reading it made me aware of the story I never would have heard of otherwise.

Speaking of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, I finally made it out to a nearby town to request the death record of my great-great-grandmother and discovered that, according to her husband who gave the information on the certificate, she was born in Brooklyn. Never knew...

63. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Alina and Mal have been best friends ever since they were orphans in Duke Keramsov's household. They are in the army together about to journey to the Shadow Fold, a dangerous place inhabited by man-eating volcra. When Alina suddenly exhibits power, she finds she may be one of the elite Grisha, people with powers that frighten the peasants, and an ability that will separate her from all she knows and holds dear.

This inventive fantasy is set in an alternate world with similarities to Russia. Alina is our narrator, and because we're following her point of view we slowly see the world of the Grisha as she discovers it. Because of this, even 80 pages into the novel I was hard put to explain what it was about, but was still fascinated by the world-building and discoveries she was making even though I felt like I spent quite a bit of the time almost as confused as Alina is. This story leaves a few loose ends that will, of course, be addressed in sequels, but at the same time it was satisfying on its own and didn't leave me with any brutal cliffhangers. Recommended to those who enjoy young adult fantasy and don't mind a focus on characters over driving plot. 4 stars.

64. The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima

*** As the third book in the Seven Realms series, this review will necessarily have spoilers for The Demon King and The Exiled Queen. ***

Having avoided the assassins' attempt on her life, Raisa is now alone. She's trying to travel back home while also allowing Amon Byrne to find her, and avoiding areas of war in the Seven Realms not to mention the other assassins sent by someone who clearly prefers having her sister, Mellony, on the throne. Meanwhile, Han Alister is trying to find Raisa - whom he knew as Rebecca - as well, but he's afraid her trail may have grown cold.

If you enjoyed the first two books in this series, then The Gray Wolf Throne will not disappoint. The author finds an excellent balance between action and character development, as Raisa and Han each have to find their way in the midst of political turmoil to, well, avoid death at the hands of their enemies. They are both compelling characters, and alternating between their perspectives with third-person narration allows readers to nearly get into their heads but get a slightly more holistic view of events because we know what they think about themselves and each other. I'm looking forward to reading The Crimson Crown when it comes out in October. 4.5 stars.

Hi Mary, I have set up the September Series & Sequels once again, I hope you can come and join us.

Thanks, Judy! I've starred the thread for now and will definitely have some sequels I'm hoping to read in September. I'll have to take a look at my possible reads to post them. :)

65. Out of the Blue by Victor Cruz with Peter Schrager

If you follow football at all, you probably heard about Victor Cruz. He was an undrafted rookie free agent who signed with the New York Giants' football team, only to sit out most of the 2010 season with a hamstring injury. But in 2011, he made headlines, apparently coming out of nowhere to become Eli Manning's go-to receiver on third down. Cruz's autobiography details exactly where he came from, starting in a rough neighborhood in Paterson, New Jersey to go to the University of Massachusetts, through all the hardship and determination to make it in the NFL.

As a huge Giants fan from a family of Giants fans and a UMass alum, I may be biased, but I think even non-football fans would enjoy this read. He has a sense of where he's come from and knows he's a role model. Cruz shows how many times he could have ended in failure by bad decisions or just pure bad luck, and how hard his mother and his coaches worked to make him the young man he is today. The style of writing is chatty and personable (in my head, I could often hear Cruz's voice from the highlights). An entertaining and inspiring read I'll be recommending to my family. 4.5 stars.

66. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

A young woman, captured by the Gestapo in Ormaie, writes her confession in an attempt to prolong her life.

It's really hard for me to form my thoughts on this complex narrative without giving spoilers, which is why my summary is shorter than usual. There is a lot of historical fiction about World War 2, and every now and then one stands out to me as exceptional. Code Name Verity is one of these. By focusing on women in wartime roles that were historically accurate but not often mentioned, the author truly captured my interest. She doesn't waste time explaining, but throws you right into the historical time period. The captured woman, nicknamed "Queenie" and her friend, Maddie, are truly compelling characters I enjoyed getting to know. 4.5 stars.

Hi Mary. I really need to get hold of a copy of Dandelion Wine as everyone has been singing its praises recently. Code Name Verity has also caught my eye - I'll look out for a copy at the library.

>180 souloftherose: Hi Heather! I hope you enjoy Dandelion Wine and Code Name Verity when you get to them! I wouldn't have found the former if it hadn't been for a lot of folks on LT reading it this summer. So far the books I've found in this way have been real winners!

67. The Broken Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin

Oree, a blind young woman who can see only magic. She has left her family behind to live in Shadow, the city below the World Tree in Sky, and sell her wares to tourists. When she finds a godling in the alley, dead, the Order Keepers are suddenly interested in Oree - and there interest can be dangerous.

Though this is the second in a series, you can read it without having read the first (though it will have spoilers for the first story, should you decide to go back). It takes place about ten years later, and the reader slowly (re)discovers what happened in the interim as Oree either shares or learns more about what's really going on. It's a compelling story with really excellent worldbuilding. The Gods are at the same time human and separate, and make for interesting interactions whenever they show up. I will definitely not be waiting a year and a half before reading the next book in the series. 4.5 stars.

I'd have to revisit my thoughts on this after some time has gone by to gauge whether it's a 4 star or 4.5 star for me, but the truth is it's a really solid fantasy, I really enjoyed it, I'm just not sure if I'd reread it.

I keep hearing good things about Shadow and Bone, and I think your description has finally convinced me to read it. I've moved Code Name Verity up my wishlist on the strength of your recommendation as well.

>183 _Zoe_: I hope you enjoy both, Zoe!

I'm really looking forward to talking to one of my co-workers at work tomorrow that read Code Name Verity. I kept touching base with her to tell her how far along I was, and now we can finally talk about the complete book (carefully, of course, so no potential readers overhear...).

68. The Chosen by Chaim Potok

Fifteen-year-old Reuven Malter plays softball for his yeshiva, and gets hurt when Danny Saunders hits a ball right to his eye. He may lose sight in the eye, and he's naturally extremely angry at first. But the accident turns out to be the beginning of an incredible friendship between two Jewish boys from very different backgrounds and belief systems.

I can't remember any more precisely why I had this book on my ever-growing list of books to read. I certainly didn't know a thing about the plot; I knew about the author a little only by reputation. I loved Potok's writing style, the way you see everything through Reuven's eyes but still get a window into the other characters through how they act and speak - there's no paragraph explaining who each of them is or where they came from, just a slow unveiling of Danny, Reb Saunders, Reuven's father, and other secondary characters. Set during World War 2 and just after, despite some of the heartbreaking occurrences, at its heart this is a warm story that I would enjoy revisiting often. 5 stars.

Oh, I loved, loved, loved The Chosen. I'm so glad you did, too!

Adding Code Name Verity to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation, Mary.

I am glad to see that you enjoyed both Dandelion Wine and The Chosen, two of my favorite books.

>186 AMQS: I did! I may need to get myself a new reading copy, however, as the one I read was one that I got from work (I thought it was a donation or something, it turned up mysteriously in a drawer) - and it's a signed copy. Well, I read it carefully once, but I don't think I could put myself through that again! I was so afraid I'd mess it up.

>187 alcottacre: Hi Stasia! I'm so proud to have hit you with a book bullet. :) I hope you enjoy Code Name Verity. And yes, I really enjoyed Dandelion Wine and The Chosen. They were two standouts in an all-around great month of reading (and to think that I was worried about a slump!).

69. Legend by Marie Lu

Day has been on the run ever since he failed his Trial. He's a wanted criminal according to the Republic, but he cares for an orphan, Tess, and still checks in on his family in a poor section of Los Angeles. June is a prodigy; she scored a perfect 1500 on the Trial and is the youngest in her class by a few years. She hopes to eventually enter the military like her brother, Metias. When tragedy strikes their lives are unexpectedly brought together.

This teen dystopia has a little bit of everything: adventure, romance, two sympathetic narrators that each get to tell their side of the story. As a reader, you know more than they do, and I've read enough of the genre to pick up on the clues and only be surprised by one or two revelations. There were a few moments that I had to really suspend disbelief, as they seemed to coincidental to be real. While not a perfect book, it's fast-paced and kept my interest throughout. I can see why it's a popular choice for teen readers looking for something after The Hunger Games, and I'll still continue reading when Prodigy when it comes out in January. 4 stars.

Read for the TIOLI challenge and recommended to me by our teen librarian.
Originally it was going to be in the "warrior" challenge, but that turned out not to fit, so I moved it to the "alternate world" and decided I didn't like it there, either. If anything, it might fit in the brown/boring/uninspiring cover challenge, but I'm not sure I trust my own judgment about that because now I'm just trying to make it fit somewhere. (Any thoughts on the cover? It's mostly gray with a fancy goldy "R," I'm assuming for "Republic.")

The Chosen sounds marvelous! I think I've been hit by another book bullet. Fortunately, the library has this one.

#189: I think I will pass on the book for now - at least until the series is complete. I normally do wait but did not with Cinder and now I am stuck waiting. I hate waiting:)

>190 tymfos: Woohoo! Hope you enjoy it, Terri!

>191 alcottacre: Stasia, I'm in the middle of so many series that I think it might be better if I follow your example. :) To be in the middle somewhere and either have no idea what's going on when the next book comes out or reread the whole series every time a new book arrives gets old fast.

70. The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald

In 1959 in a village in England, Mrs. Florence Green decides to purchase the Old House and turn it into a book store. There isn't another in town, nor in the surrounding towns, so you'd think everyone would be thrilled at this development. But when Florence disrupts the plans of a rather important person in town who wanted the Old House to be an Arts Centre, she inadvertently sets off a quiet war.

I knew nothing about this book when I picked it up at the fill-a-bag-for-$2 day at my local library, but picked it up solely because of it's title. I found out later that it was first published in 1979 and was shortlisted for the Booker prize. I also discovered it was not nearly as happy and bookish as I'd hoped. It's much more about the feel of a small, busybody town where unhappiness and fights are under the surface, masked by fake smiles and friendships/alliances. 3.5 stars.

Happily giving it back to the library book sale and hoping the next owner likes it more.

It's time for August in review, and I've only just gotten around to July! (Oops)

Well, August may have to wait 'til after I get back from work, but here's a quick July in review:

47. Black Heart by Holly Black
48. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
49. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa - e-book
50. A Matter of Profit by Hilari Bell - mine
51. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot - e-book and mine
52. Renegade Magic by Stephanie Burgis
53. Rose: My Life in Service by Rosina Harrison
54. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce
55. "You Can Tell Your Kid Will Grow Up to be a Librarian When" by Richard Lee

Number of books read: 7
Number of e-books read: 2
Number of audiobooks listened to: 0

Standouts - The Fantastic Flying Books... and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Fiction/Nonfiction: 7/2
Children's/YA/Adult: 1/4/4
Library/Mine/Borrowed: 7/2/0

Publication dates I've read to year-to-date:

*undated* - 1
2012 - 6
2011 - 10
2010 - 6
2007 - 2
2006 - 1
2005 - 2
2003 - 2
2001 - 2

1998 - 1
1995 - 1
1993 - 1
1991 - 1
1978 - 1
1975 - 1
1968 - 1
1964 - 1
1951 - 1
1943 - 1

1764 - 1

The Chosen is languishing on my bookshelf--I really want to get to it one of these days, having heard nothing but good of it.

>195 ronincats: Oh, I hope you do, Roni. I look forward to hearing what you think of it.

August in review -

56. Open by Andre Agassi
57. Winter's Passage by Julie Kagawa - e-book
58. Homeland by R.A. Salvatore
59. The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa - e-book
60. The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
61. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith - re-read
62. Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
63. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
64. The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima
65. Out of the Blue by Victor Cruz
66. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
67. The Broken Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
68. The Chosen by Chaim Potok - mine
69. Legend by Marie Lu
70. The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald

Number of books read: 13
Number of e-books read: 2
Number of audiobooks listened to: 0

Standouts - Wow, it was a standout month. I absolutely loved Open, Dandelion Wine, Code Name Verity and The Chosen. Quite a few others were excellent.

Fiction/Nonfiction: 13/2
Children's/YA/Adult: 0/6/9
Library/Mine/Borrowed: 14/1/0

Publication dates I've read to year-to-date:

*undated* - 1
2012 - 10
2011 - 13
2010 - 8
2009 - 1
2007 - 2
2006 - 1
2005 - 2
2003 - 2
2001 - 2

1998 - 1
1995 - 1
1993 - 1
1991 - 1
1990 - 1
1978 - 2
1975 - 1
1968 - 1
1967 - 1
1964 - 1
1957 - 1
1951 - 1
1943 - 2

1764 - 1

71. The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny (audio + book)

A body of a man, who appears to be a transient, is found in Olivier's bistro. When Inspector Gamache and his team arrive, they seem to come up with more questions than answers. Why is the dead man in the bistro, and how did he get there? Who is the man, and why is he in Three Pines? And what does Olivier know that he does not want to tell investigators, or even his friends?

Even on a reread, I find this one of the most emotionally draining of the Inspector Gamache series, because it is the first one in which the reader knows the murder was probably committed by a known character, rather than a stranger. It's an incredibly well-crafted story that has held up on a rereading when I'm actually further on the series and know more than I did the first time I read it. I enjoyed listening to the audio version, interspersed with reading when I became too impatient to slow down or knit while hearing the denouement. This series just gets better and better. 4.5 stars.

72. The Pursuit of Alice Thrift by Elinor Lipman

Dr. Alice Thrift doesn't excel at interpersonal communication. Actually, that's putting it lightly. She's an intern who wants to become a surgeon, works long hours, and takes everything seriously. When Ray Russo, a former near-patient for a nose job, starts calling her and asking her out, she's rather flattered and can't quite see how this could go wrong, despite the advice of everyone around her.

I was in the mood for something light and knew an Elinor Lipman book would fit the bill. Despite, or perhaps because of, her serious nature, Alice was a really fun heroine. I'm not so great at reading people either, but even I was a step ahead of Alice and sometimes laughing at her naivete. She tells you on the very first page that her relationship with Ray doesn't work out, so reading this felt kind of like watching a car wreck - you just can't look away. 4 stars.

I just got The Beautiful Mystery from the library! **happy dance**

If you don't see me on the threads, you know where I am...

I can't wait to read it! It has arrived at our library, but is still "in process." (The process is momentarily stalled because we're waiting for a supply order containing plastic book covers of the needed size!)

>202 tymfos: Too bad you can't talk them into taking it "just for the weekend" and having it back in time to process, huh? :)

73. The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny

Chief Inspector Gamache and his second in command, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, are on another case. When a monk dies, they go to Saint Gilbert Entre les Loups, a monastery where few have ever been allowed access. This order of Gilbertines is known for their amazing Gregorian chants, plain songs but whose affect on those who sing or listen - the "beautiful mystery" - can be profound.

As much as I enjoy Three Pines and the characters from the village, I find that some of my favorite Inspector Gamache stories are set away from there. Because of the unique setting, we really focus on two familiar characters exclusively - Gamache and Beauvoir. I had so many highs and lows I felt like these were real people, real friends of mine. Meanwhile the story, the mystery unfolds slowly until I found myself drawn in and so completely immersed that I want to listen to some plainchants myself just to hear what was described throughout the book. 4.5 stars.

Gah, I'm trying so hard not to give spoilers but of course what I really want to talk about covers the second half of the book...

Glad to see another high rating for this Gamache installment. I'm getting ready to begin reading it.

I hope you enjoy it, Lori! I look forward to reading your thoughts.

I really look forward to reading The Beautiful Mystery -- glad to hear that it's so good. But I need to get through some of the books to which I'm already committed.

>207 tymfos: But I need to get through some of the books to which I'm already committed.
I hear you on this one. I have purposely kept the number of library books that I have out low so that I could immediately read this one with no guilt. But now I really have to buckle down and read a book for book group (Silent Spring which I'm finding dry dry dry) and a book to brush up on genealogy before I have a program on searching Ancestry Library Edition (the program's in ten days and it's already full - I have more people coming that I have computers at the library).

I have Silent Spring which a friend mailed to me a very long time ago. Every time I open its pages up, however, it doesn't look as if it's a book I'd enjoy reading (despite my green leaning). :(

It's not one I would've picked for myself, Madeline. Our library's partnering with another for a group read, and this is one of two that we're reading, so I made it the book group choice for this month. It's not that it's bad - I can see how it was important 40 years ago in making people aware of the problems with pesticides containing DDT and other poisons. But it gets repetitive, and I don't know enough of what has changed to know which parts are still relevant and which are not. Ah well, I have four chapters to go and need to be finished in a week. I can make it.

Seemed to me you needed to see this.

>211 richardderus: Richard, that brought a huge smile to my face. Thank you!

For all the complaining I've done about the books that I have to read, I should add a good word for Among Others which I'm reading purely for fun. I'm really enjoying the many SF and fantasy book lists and comments, and how much this character enjoys reading and the library. ("Interlibrary loans are a wonder of the world and a glory of civilization.")

And "interlibrary" is so definitely a word, whatever spell check may say! :)

Lemme see here...does Chrome know interlibrary is a word...no! Stupid browser.

>213 richardderus: LOL! Too bad browsers don't come complete with an unabridged dictionary. :) Their spell checks are rather limited in my experience.

Aren't they! Seems to me someone somewhere would create a browser whose spell-check was the OED.

Wouldn't that be AWESOME?!

Oh my gosh, YES!

> 210

I can make it.

Well, more power to you. Silent Spring was a book I had previously wishlisted, and a fellow Bookcrosser sent it to me from Canada. I feel guilty about not reading it yet!

>217 SqueakyChu: Your perspective may be completely different from mine, Madeline, so I won't counsel you not to try it! I'd say if it's not working for you by Chapter 3, it won't. But hey, I may have a different take on it myself after the book group discussion!

74. Among Others by Jo Walton

Morwenna Phelps Markova ran away from her crazy mother after her sister's death and her own injury, and is now living with the father she never met. Her father's sisters send her to boarding school, and her diary is filled with what she does at school, what she ran from in the past, and how she deals with her world by reading tons of fantasy and SF in 1979 to 1980.

Though most of the book reads like a standard coming-of-age novel, there are two major differences. One, there are fairies. Two, Morwenna reads a lot of fantasy and SF - I counted around 100 books mentioned - and if you're at all interested in the genre, you will enjoy her discussion of books. The fairies are a bit harder to describe, but I thought it was done with a light touch making this a sort-of fantasy because of the presence of magic. A diary format can be hard to pull off, but this read really naturally as Morwenna's thoughts and recounting of the day to day, and lent itself to only marginally explaining what had happened in the past. Like Speak, it's more about the aftermath than the actual happening. I enjoyed it on a first read, but I think I would have to reread it to better articulate exactly what I thought about it. 4.5 stars.

Among Others has already made my wishlist and your review just seems to confirm that it is a very enjoyable book.

>220 DeltaQueen50: Very cool! I hope you do enjoy it when you get to it, Judy. :) I've just finished listing all the books mentioned, so now I'll go through again and decide which ones I want to read...

#219: I bought that one recently for myself. Now all I have to do is find the time to read it!

Stasia, I hope you do. It was a quick read, so you might be able to get it in, though I know school keeps you awfully busy...

75. Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

In 1962, Carson argues that the wide use of spraying chemicals over crops and regions has far-reaching consequences beyond controlling the insects they are meant to kill. The spraying causes the deaths of birds, fish, and other wildlife, and does not have the intended result of eradicating the harmful insects, but instead seems to be only a temporary fix.

This book is on some of the lists of most influential books of the 20th century, and essentially backed up the eventual banning of DDT, though Carson herself does not argue that insecticides should not be used, merely that their use needs to be done carefully, specifically (ie., killing the intended insect without upsetting the ecosystem more than necessary), and with full understanding of the dangers of the chemicals. While I am not sorry to have read it and I understand that it was an important work for its time, much of the specifics that Carson focuses on are dry and not as relevant today as they were forty years ago. Her chapters on cancer and genetics in particular have not aged well as our understanding of both have developed significantly. Since the book began as a series of articles written the New Yorker, the chapters are extremely topical and somewhat repetitive. In the end, I was rather bored and wishing for a Cliffs Notes version. 3 stars.

It will be interesting to see if my opinion changes after the book discussion on Wednesday.

>224 bell7: That book was discussed heatedly my entire childhood. Made a lasting impression on me because of that.

>225 richardderus: That may very well be the sort of discussion that changes my opinion somewhat, as many in the book discussion will have that perspective (of an impact in child- or adulthood) that I simply don't.

ARR! I forgot it was Talk Like a Pirate Day until I logged in. Of course I had to change to log in to piratical LT ... nice way of adding levity to a 9-8 work day (my own fault, I should add, and I'll be taking time off on another day to make up for it).

76. Lark and Termite by Jayne Anne Phillips

Robert Leavitt, Lark, Termite, and Nonie are the four characters at the heart of this book. Leavitt is a soldier in the Korean War, and his portions are set in 1950. Termite is his son; Lark is Termite's half-sister, with another father. Nonie is their aunt, who takes care of both of them, and their story is set in 1959. The narration follows only a few days in July, in different years, seen through each of these characters' eyes.

This story received a lot of praise when it first came out in 2009, and was even a National Book Award finalist, but I never really connected with it. The writing is beautiful, and is more central than a plot. Termite is severely disabled, and the parts of the story from his perspective were especially crafted rather than straightforward narration. The tone is melancholy, as we're surrounded by unhappy people living out their daily lives, leaving me feeling unsettled and a little depressed in the end. 3.5 stars.

I'm trying to think of how to explain this... I was somewhat engaged, but almost never enjoyed it. It's the sort of book I feel "outside" of somehow, analyzing or thinking of who I would recommend it to - and while it's not a book I like for myself, it is one I could think of recommending to people who would love it (or at least, like it more than I did). I'm passing it on to my brother, but I'm taking it off the list of books I'll suggest for next year's book club at the library - I just don't think I can stand to read it twice in a year.

I enjoyed Among Others, especially her love of reading science fiction, and was glad to see it win the Hugo Award this year.

It was really enjoyable, Roni. I generally read more fantasy than SF, but some of her descriptions intrigued me. I've been making a list of all the books she mentions... I'm sure I won't even want to read all of them, but I'd like it to refer to and get ideas of books to try. :)

Mary, I think I had the same reaction you did to Lark and Termite. It's hard to put my finger on it, but I didn't *love* it in the same way that many enthusiastic reviewers did.

I agree, Anne, something just didn't connect with me to love it wholeheartedly like some folks did. Ah well... that's why there's so many different types of books to read - it would be boring if we all liked the same things!

*dusts off thread*

Well, if I have another gap like this between finishing books, I surely will have the lowest reading numbers I've had since keeping track. I mostly let myself off the hook for getting a full-time job and being b-u-s-y with life. A few weeks ago, for example, the folks I board with had an exchange student come in from Brazil, which has been a lot of fun though communication can be challenging (he speaks decent English, but he and I have often used an English/Portuguese dictionary or Google translate to make sure we understand each other). And now we're planning a move in about a month - granted, I don't have that much packing to do (other than my books), but the to-do in the household in the coming weeks will surely impact my reading time and ability to focus! :)

So, a bit about what I'm reading now...
Still slowly making my way through The Elegant Universe for my tutored read. I have two chapters left and am hoping to finish up soon, as I've been reading it since June!
Binocular Vision by Edith Pearlman, a collection of short stories that I believe Mamie and several others have read and loved. I'm really enjoying these stories too - so many about ordinary lives can be depressing, but hers while sometimes sad also seem infused with hope and sometimes optimism, which is quite refreshing.
Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks is for book club in a couple of weeks, and I'm really enjoying this as well. In fact, I'm trying to slow myself down a little bit because I don't want to finish it too far in advance. It's the story of Bethia, the daughter of a preacher on Martha's Vineyard, and Caleb, one of the first Wampanoag Indian to go to Harvard. Really fascinating historical fiction, and I'm looking forward to discussing it.
Finally, Curse of the Blue Tattoo by L.A. Meyer is my audiobook while I'm knitting. It's a fabulously done audiobook, read by Katherine Kellgren, who does an amazing job of narrating and dealing with many characters' voices and accents. But the story has so many different things going on and is so over-the-top (I suppose I should have expected that, this being a teen adventure book about a girl who disguised herself as a boy in the British navy and all). So I'm not inclined to continue reading in the series, though I remember enjoying the first book, Bloody Jack. One CD left - should happen over the weekend sometime.

Also, I've started listening to Pimsleur Brazilian Portuguese lessons. I haven't even said "Bom dia" to our Brazilian student, but I just have this need to feel like I have a grasp on the place and culture, so I've read a short children's book about Brazil and - oh yeah - also have a book on the culture and etiquette of Brazil going in the midst of all my other reading.

*fans self* My lands, Miss Mary ma'am, I get the vapours thinkin' about that whirlwind!

*fall smooch*

I also enjoyed Bloody Jack, but was less than impressed with the sequel. I do want to continue the series one day, but I think I'd have to start over at this point.

>234 richardderus: Yeah, it's been a little nuts lately. Hopefully things will calm down in time for the holidays! *smooch* back to you.

>235 _Zoe_: I just finished Curse of the Blue Tattoo. I'm still pretty ambivalent about it - the audio production was great, the story itself much less so.

Hmmm.... I could've sworn I hit "Post message" but maybe I navigated away from the page without doing so (oops).

>234 richardderus: Yeah, things have been a bit nuts lately. I'm hoping things calm down in time for the holidays! *Smooch* back at you. :)

>235 _Zoe_: I guess I haven't yet decided if I will bother to continue. I thought the story rather scattered and not all that great, though the audio was fabulous - so in the end, I'm rather ambivalent. I suppose I can always take a good long break and then continue the series in audio once I've caught up on a few others.

My library has a few of the Bloody Jack books in OverDrive . . . I'll probably listen to them eventually, because pirates.

>238 norabelle414: The audio presentations are definitely worthwhile - I believe the series as a whole has won multiple Odyssey awards.

Join me on my new thread! :)