The_Hibernator's Attempt at Growing Up

FIRST TRIMESTER BOOKS

2012 "Children's or YA" Book 32: To Darkness Fled, by Jill Williamson (4/28/2012)

Reason for Reading: Second book in a trilogy

My Review 3/5 stars
In this second installment of The Blood of Kings trilogy, our heroes Achan and Vrell gather an army with the help of the Old Kingsguard Knights. The romantic tension between Achan and Vrell intensifies. I didn’t feel that this book was as good as the first. The religious message got a bit heavy-handed, and the plot barely moved forward at all. Sure, progress was made, but it was progress that was outlined by Sir Gavin as their “future plans” in the end of the first book. There were only two small plot-thickening events. On the other hand, there was much character development, and the reader becomes very familiar with the setting (i.e. which cities are where, who’s in charge of them, who’s on our side). I was also a little irked by the cliffhanger ending. I’m not a big fan of cliffhangers—I lose my patience with them quickly, especially if the entire series hasn’t been published. Luckily, this series has been published so I was able to start the third (and last) book with only a few grumblings about people-who-don’t-know-how-to-end-a-book. Despite these shortcomings, I think the story is very good, and the characters are well developed for a young adult novel. I think it may have worked out better had Williamson shortened the trilogy into ONE book, and edited out a lot of stuff. I realize editing is hard, but there’s really only enough plot for one book!

2012 "Adult" Book 37: Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe (4/29/2012)

Reason for Reading: 12 in 12 group read

My Review 4/5 stars
Despite (or because of) embarrassment about his father’s laziness, Okonkwo works hard to be a respected farmer and warrior in his Nigerian village of Umuofia. When Christian Missionaries bring their strange religion and customs and laws, Okonkwo and his fellow villagers are first amused, then frustrated. In this heart-rending masterpiece, Achebe brings to life a powerful, though flawed, protagonist who fights for what he believes is right.

2012 "Children's or YA" Book 33: Dave at night, by Gail Carson Levine (4/30/2012)

Reason for Reading: Because it was there

My Review 3.5/5 stars
When Dave’s father dies, Dave is separated from his brother and sent to an orphanage. Dave finds a way to sneak over the wall of the orphanage and wanders the streets at night, where he meets many interesting characters (both high society and from his own social class). In his adventures at the orphanage and the streets, Dave learns a little bit about himself and what he needs in life, he grows to accept his problems and embrace his gifts. This is a sweet little book.

Since I just spent a lot of time on my trimester collage, I'll make this short.

April Review: 15 books total

Favorite Adult Fiction: Left Neglected, by Lisa Genova

Favorite YA Fiction: Marcelo in the Real World, by Francisco X. Stork

Favorite Non-fiction: Animals in Translation, by Temple Grandin

I also read the following magazines :)

2012 "Children's or YA" Book 34: Zorgamazoo, by Robert Paul Weston (5/1/2012)

Reason for Reading: It was there

My Review 4.5/5 stars
Katrina Katrell suffers under the spiteful eye of her guardian Mrs. Krabone. When Krabby decides to get Katrina a lobotomy to get rid of her wild imagination, she runs away. She find Mortimer Yorgle, who is (unwillingly) on a quest to save the Yorgles of Zorgamazoo who have mysteriously vanished. They team up and have many fun adventures. This book is written entirely in rhyme—reminiscent of Dr. Seuss. It’s the kind of book that really ought to be read aloud. I was lucky enough to get it in audiobook form, which was VERY well read. Some of the rhymes were rather clever, and the book was lighthearted and silly. Very enjoyable!

2012 "Children's or YA" Book 35: Odd and the Frost Giants, Neil Gaiman (5/1/2012)

Reason for Reading: It was there

My Review 4/5 stars
Odd, a boy with a bum leg and an odd personality, runs away from home after his father dies and his mother remarries. In the forest, he finds a fox, a bear, and an eagle, whom he befriends. With these new pals, Odd recaptures Asgard from the Frost Giants. A short and sweet fairy-tale like story.

Wow, Rachel!! I'm impressed with your brand new thread. First let me say that your collage up top is eye-popping. That must have taken you a bit of time, but I, for one, appreciate it - GORGEOUS! And then 5 new reviews...I should just hang my head in shame. I really like how you always manage to say so much in just a few sentences.

I agree with Mamie, Rachel, a gorgeous collage!

I LOVE the collage!

I immediately ran off to RSI and asked them to automate the code for that sort of cover collage, because I'm way too lazy to do it myself. Fingers crossed.

Gorgeous collage!

Glad you liked Animals in Translation. It was one of my favorite books last year. Have you been able to watch the movie about her life?

Thanks everyone for your appreciation of my collage! It took some work, but I'm happy I did it. :)

Streamsong-I didn't know she had a movie. I'll check it out next time I reactivate my subscription to Netflix.

Wowwww, I'm super impressed with the collage as well! I want to do one too but I'm not sure I'd have the time... fantastic!

What code do you use for that? Do LT comments allow tables?

I just pasted the html code for each image in a series. I resized them all to the same size. It took a while, but luckily I already had all of the html codes in my thread (with my reviews). So it was just a matter of copy-pasting and resizing.

Huh. Whenever I do IMG tags, the pictures end up all in a long line down the page.

Rachel, your book collage is a feast for the eyes. Thanks for taking the time to post it. I'm tempted to do something similar for printing and framing. Hmmm...I wonder if a year's worth of reading would fit on one page.

Cynara:

{img src="imagelocation.jpg" alt="Title" width="100" height="131"/}{img src="imagelocation" alt="Title" width="100" height="131"/}

With no space or return in between. Replace } with >. Should work!

Donna: That all depends on how small you make the images. ;)

Facepalm. Thank you!

#19 Thanks - I was going to ask how you did it as well!

I love the collage. Pondering doing it on my own thread.

Brilliant collage!

Ah, Rachel, you have a new thread, too! And yours is positively stunning! What a marvelous collage!

ETA to get your name right! Duh!

Such a great visual impact!

Hi there, Rachel! You know, I meant to star you in the middle of your last thread, I think I visited after you posted on mine or something, but for whatever reason I accidentally bookmarked you with my browser and promptly forgot/lost. Just stumbled upon it in my big huge giant bookmark list. I'm posting now just in case I hit the wrong button again. :P

Thanks for the compliments on the collage everyone! And thanks for joining us Stephen!

2012 "Children's or Young Adult" Book 36: From Darkness Won, by Jill Williamson. (5/6/2012)

Reason for Reading: Third book in the Blood of Kings Trilogy

My Review 3/5 stars
In this final installment of the Blood of Kings trilogy, Vrell and Achan battle their adolescent romantic problems as well as the forces of evil. I was happy with the outcome of the book, but felt the story dragged a bit. Like I said in my review of the second book, To Darkness Fled, although the story is fantastic, this trilogy does not have enough plot to last three books. It could have made such a sweet standalone book! On the other hand, the characters are very well-developed and lovable (even though their adolescent vices are a tad frustrating at times). And there was a good story to it. The trilogy would appeal only to readers of Christian Fiction—the religious message gets to the point of sermonizing at a couple of points.

2012 "Adult" Book 38: Guns, Germs, and Steel, by Jared Diamond (5/11/2012)

Reason for Reading: This has been on my reading list for years—since before I watched the documentary.

My Review 4/5stars
In this Pulitzer Prize winning book, Diamond attempts to answer the question of why the Western Civilization rose to power instead of other civilizations. His answer is that they lucked out on geography and ecology. Western civilizations were better able to domesticate animals and plants due to the varieties that they had available, and were therefore able to develop larger farming societies, allowing for development of crafts and “scientific exploration.” Also, because they were in larger groups, they were exposed at low levels to many germs, and developed immunity. Because of these factors, they were able to harness the power of guns, germs, and steel in their pursuit of world power. This was a fascinating book, and definitely worth reading even after watching the documentary. It’s just packed full of information, the writing is smooth and articulate, and the research is extensive.

2012 "Adult" Book 39: Surrender the Dawn, by MaryLu Tyndall (5/12/2012)

Reason for Reading: ACFW bookclub choice for May

My Review 4/5stars
Because all the men in her family have left to fight in the War of 1812, Cassandra Channing must financially support her family. She desperately decides to invest the rest of the family’s money in a privateering ship captained by the town rake Luke Heaton. Because she is forced to trust someone outwardly untrustworthy, she is forced to come to grips with the fact that not everything is as it seems…and sometimes she should have more faith. This is the third book in the Surrender to Destiny trilogy, but I read it as a stand-alone book. (It works fine that way.) However, I liked it so much, I’m planning on reading the first two in the series, as well…just so I can get a complete picture of all the characters. This book is a sweet romance with an interesting historical backdrop. It definitely has a religious message, but it is never preachy. I think it was just what I needed at the moment.

SIDE NOTE: This is my 75th book if I were going for 75 books total instead of 75 adult books. :)

Yay on the 75!

And thanks for the interesting reviews.

I've had both Collapse and Guns, Germs and Steel on the TBR shelf for quite a whle. I heard Diamond give a talk not too long after Collapse came out. (I think he has a summer place somewhere in this area). He's an interesting and articulate speaker--worth going to if he ever gives a talk near you.

I need to quit buying books and get to the treasure already on my shelves.

streamsong: I feel the same way. I have a lot of excellent unread books on my shelves, but for some reason I always rush out to read books that are at the library or that I have to buy. I have NO idea why this happens, but it certainly does!

heehee. Seems to be a common complaint here on LT.

I'm not doing too badly this year.
So far, I've read 38 with half a dozen in progress. 21 were from my TBR shelf before the start of 2012 and I've purchased/acquired/given homes to 20 books. 2 were from the llibrary. The BOMBs (Books OFF My Bookshelf) challenge and the TIOLI challenges are helping to keep me focused (somewhat).

Well it looks like I re-found you at the perfect time. Congrats on the 75! Even if it isn't what you're shooting for it's still quite an accomplishment. :)

>29 The_Hibernator: I found Guns, Germs, and Steel repetitive at times. Did you notice that?

>35 Morphidae: Yeah, it was a bit repetitive. Though I thought I might be imagining some of that because I'd already seen the documentary. :)

Good work with the 75 you've read so far -- and I'm impressed with your ambition to do 75 in each category, adult and YA.

Thanks Terri! The challenge is really to read 75 "Adult" books...75 YA books just happens passively. :)

2012 "Children's or YA" Book 37: Exile, by Kathryn Lasky (5/13/2012)

Reason for Reading: 14th book in 15 book series (almost done!!!)

My Review 3.5/4 stars
The Band is exiled from the Tree when an evil blue owl (the Striga) gizzard-washes the young King Coryn. Can The Band get rid of the Striga before it’s too late for Coryn? I was pleasantly surprised by this fourteenth installment of the Ga’Hoole series. There’s a little life left in this series after all! Like The Golden Tree (the 12th book), this installment was an allegorical critique of organized religion (this time it criticized witch hunts, censorship, and apocalypticism). I was a little disappointed at what Lasky did with the Striga’s character…he seemed so nice in The River of Wind, and since we were omniscient (and could therefore hear his thoughts) you’d think we would have noticed that he had an evil streak in him? After all, can someone go from wonderful kindness to pure evil in a period of one month? In fact, time makes no sense in Lasky’s world. But I guess that’s what I get for reading children’s fantasy. :)

2012 "Adult" Book 40: Iron Lake, by William Kent Krueger (5/14/2012)

Reason for Reading: I wanted to read a book set in Aurora, MN :) I’ve been there many times in my childhood.

My Review 4/5 stars
Cork O’Connor, the former sheriff of Aurora, MN, investigates the disappearance of a young boy at the request of a friend. While looking for the boy, he stumbles upon a mystery (and possible conspiracy) within his tiny town. This first book in the Cork O’Connor series was intriguing. Although I sort of guessed who the big baddie was, it was a total mystery to me how Kreuger’d get there. The characterizations were fantastic, and Kreuger did a good job of mood setting (with his cold MN winter). I DID wonder why most of the characters seemed to have redish hair, though? Also, Kreuger might as well have picked a non-existent town for all the similarity his Aurora had to the real Aurora, but I suppose that’s just fiction for you. :) I’m excited to move on to the second book and see how Kreuger manages to fit another mystery into the small town of Aurora.

Also want to add my congrats on passing 75 with such aplomb. Notice that you separate adult and YA but a book is a book is a book!

Thanks Paul!

Just quiickly passing through - Congratulations on reaching 75 books!

Thanks Judy!

Ah! Terrible news! In my post-interview-will-I-get-the-job-stress I have broken down in self-discipline. I bought a frozen pizza and a 2L bottle of Diet Mountain Dew. Soon I will be back to grad-school DMD consumption levels of 2L/day. And I've been caffeine-free for 2 months!

Hi, my name is Hibernator, and I am a caffeineacholic.

DIET Mountain Dew? Wow, that is bad. *Hugs*

Seriously though, two months of decaffeination is pretty impressive after that amount of daily consumption. I'm sure you can get back on track, right? If not, you can always post here whenever you breakdown and we can virtually shake our heads at you in disappointment. Unless you are one of those 'positive reinforcement' types, in which case we'll treat you to smaller cans of Diet Mountain Dew whenever you don't drink any for awhile. Hmmm...that doesn't really sound as effective, though....

Hi Rachel, I have the Krueger books on my WL for the time I feel I need another series to read. And I've never been to Aurora, MN so I guess the lack of authenticity won't bother me. ;-)

My husband likes the caffeine free Mtn. Dew - but what's the point, right?

Stephen--My decaf phase lasted a week and was pretty painful. Hopefully it won't have to happen again!

Donna--Mmmmm, how about Diet Caffeine Free Mountain Dew? My tastebuds are watering at the idea of that acidy deliciousness....

Haha, I so cannot drink Mountain Dew that's be dietified. My sister tried drinking it for awhile, but she told me every time she bought it she'd have to check the expiration date because they'd be old from no one buying them for so long.

I haven't had a Mountain Dew in awhile, and now I'm craving one...

Just checked: Expiration July 2012. :p

I haven't had a Mountain Dew in awhile, and now I'm craving one...

I am fantastic at transfering my bad habits to others ;)

I like to think of caffeine as essential to life- I'll give it up when I'm dead.

I don't drink coffee or anything, so surely I'm allowed a 2L or two of Mountain Dew per day...

Stephen: I don't drink coffee either...but Mountain Dew got me through grad school, so it's not ALL bad. :)

Mamie: I've heard that from a lot of people. I figured I'd detox for a while and then try recreational use. ;)

Recreational use - LOL!!

Diet Pepsi is my caffeine of choice. 2L a day... no problem! Some people give me a hard time about it, but I figure that every gets to have a vice, and this is pretty tame.

:) Mostly, I'm just afraid my teeth will rot out of my head before I'm 40.

44: In my post-interview-will-I-get-the-job-stress I have broken down in self-discipline.
Well, as long as you confine the breakdowns to such times.... But what will you do to celebrate when you do get a job?

But what will you do to celebrate when you do get a job?

Oh, I'll probably go to the local snazzy pizza place and have a nice large pizza with some diet coke. ;) Kidding! About the coke, not about the pizza.

I love Diet Coke - Pepsi is dead to me. *looks over shoulder to see if mob is forming, slinks off*

Yay! I learned how to format my new blog! I'm so proud of myself. :) :) :) I'll have to buff it up with a few more interesting posts, but it's there in skeletal form! That took ALL morning!

http://rachelreadingnthinking.blogspot.com/

There are few better ways to celebrate than pizza and Mountain Dew. There's a place in Lancaster, Ohio called Fat Cats pizza that is divine! Granted we don't have any 'snazzy pizza places' in my small town so just about any non-chain pizza is delicious...

Really? You live in Lancaster? That's not that far away from Columbus...I'd figure your library system would have some sort of deal with ours...you complain about your libabry not having books, don't they do ILL with Columbus?

And I agree, pizza is the best celebration. So is Mountain Dew. haha There's a place called Dewey's not far from my place that has AWESOME pizza and has nice selection of beer.So I might have to try alcohol in order to abstain from caffeine. ;)

Actually I live in Logan, but it's a teeny tiny town and most shopping and (good) pizza eating is done in Lancaster, which is about 20 minutes away.

2012 "Children's or YA" Book 38: Pictures of Hollis Woods, by Patricia Reilly Giff (5/17/2012)

Reason for Reading: It was there

My Review 4/5 stars
Hollis Woods is a 12-year-old orphan who has run away from every foster home she's ever lived in. As a last-ditch effort, she is placed with an elderly lady who is "good with girls like you." In her new home, Hollis is finally happy, until she realizes that her foster mother has a fading memory, and she must hid this fact from the state in order to stay where she is. This book is simply precious. Hollis seems so real--snarky but sad, brave but insecure, and willing to do whatever it takes to care for her foster mother. This short book could be appreciated by adults as well as people in 5-8th grades.

2012 "Children's or YA" Book 39: Islands of the Blessed, by Nancy Farmer (5/18/2012)

Reason for Reading: Third, and final, book in the Sea of Trolls trilogy

My Review 3.5/4 stars
When an angry ghost arrives on the shores of Jack's village, he, Thorgill, and the Bard must go on a dangerous voyage to pacify her spirit before she hurts anyone. Like the first two books of this series, Islands of the Blessed is packed with adventure after adventure, a vast array of creatures from Celtic, Norse, and Christian mythologies, and an engaging historical background. Like the second book, The Land of the Silver Apples, Farmer may have tried a little too hard to pack in extra adventures and creatures...this makes the book fun and entertaining, but it has the disconnected-wandering-adventures feel of Homer's The Odyssey instead of the tight every-event-has-a-reason feel of Harry Potter. Overall, an excellent book for perhaps the 5th through 8th grades.

2012 "Adult" Book 41: In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote (5/24/2012)

Reason for Reading: Murder and Mayhem in May

My Review 4/5 stars
In Cold Blood is a first-of-its-kind true crime book where journalism was written in novel-form. In a small Kansas town in 1959, four members of the Clutter family were brutally slaughtered in their home. The book begins by personifying the members of the Clutter family and laying out the last couple days of their lives. It also brings to life (disturbingly) the two murderers, outlining their histories and motivations. This is a work of genius in real-life characterization. The author clearly had compassion for at least one of the murderers, so much so that he was accused of being "obsessed." I don't find this obsession as shocking as some people, I suppose, because I understand that psychopaths are generally EXTREMELY charming and are able to manipulate people into feeling empathetic towards them. I wonder, though, if Capote knew as much about the diagnostic criteria of psychopaths back then as a good journalist-doing-his-job would have today, would he have portrayed the two men the same way? While reading, I kept saying, "these men are psychopaths, and yet they are portrayed as having (very tiny!) consciences..." If the book were written today, I don't think it would be the same book. Regardless, I think it's a classic that will stay with us forever simply BECAUSE it portrays a world that was perhaps less complex and more innocent than today's.

Three very nice reviews, Rachel. I haven't read any of those books, although I have been tempted by In Cold Blood before. I love the way Capote crafts a sentence, but could never quite decide if I wanted to read that particular book or not. I do like his fiction, though.

My aunt tried reading it when she was a teenager and was so horrified by the psychopaths that she couldn't finish it...but the horror of it stayed with her to this day. It's actually kind of funny because when I was a young teenager I remember her telling me that she tried reading "a book" once and described a scene with a dog. Her description of that scene stayed with me all these years. Then when I was reading In Cold Blood I realized that THIS was the book she was talking about! I had to call her up and confirm. haha. So I guess it IS a rather disturbing book to some people. :)

Great review of In Cold Blood - I think it would have been written so differently today, such a good point.

Thanks Lucy!

2012 "Children's or YA" Book 40: The Green Man, by Michael Bedard (5/27/2012)

Reason for Reading: LibraryThing Early Review

My Review 4/5 stars
When her father temporarily moves to Italy, O is sent to live with her reclusive aunt Emily--so that O can take care of her aunt after a heart attack, and Emily can take care of O. In her eccentric way, Emily encourages O to get in touch with her inner poet, and O helps out by cleaning up her aunt's dusty used book shop. However, there is a deeper evil that is creeping in to town...The Green Man was a very interesting specimen since it defies genres. In some ways, it's a psychological mystery, in others a fantasy, and in others magical realism. Its deeper message is to encourage the poets in its readers--though you don't have to appreciate poetry to enjoy the book. I think this book would be enjoyable to adults and budding young cerebrals of ages 10-13ish.

So I had an awful day…the guy who interviewed me for a job that I really thought I was well-qualified for—he emailed me at 7am to set up a phone chat for 2pm. I rearranged my whole day around that phone call, and all he had to say is that they chose someone else for the position, but REALLY there was nothing wrong with me, I was very well-qualified, in fact I was short-listed and he hopes he can contact me if things change with the other person. REALLY?! He built up an entire day of suspense to say THAT? And what does “short-listed” even mean when he only interviewed four people to begin with?!

I was so pissy that not even a young man in a junky truck honking at me because I’m hot cheered me up. Haha

On the flip side, I just donated blood and DIDN’T faint during the donation process for the first time EVER! :) I’m not squeamish, I just get light-headed easily…it lasts for about 3 days after giving blood. :(

I should post my May summary, but I'm too pissy.... :p This is all the summary you guys are gonna get this month.

So sorry that happened, Rachel. That really stinks!

Ugh, really? I suppose he thought he was doing the right thing by not telling you through email but what kind of person creates that kind of anticipation for a negative phone call?

I young man honking at me because he thought I was hot would definitely cheer me up though! Errr, well, it'd probably creep me out more than cheer me up, but still!

Glad you didn't pass out! Obviously there is a connection here between being angry and not passing out. Maybe every time you donate you should break something or lose a prized possession. Then you won't have to worry about anything. What? It's a great idea... :P

Hope you start feeling better soon, and good luck whenever you land your next interview. :)

Well, yes...he seems like a nice guy, so I assume he thought it was polite to tell me on the phone. Or MAYBE I really am second on his list, and he's concerned that if he told me over email and something DID happen to choice number 1, that I'd give him the hand and say "You only get one chance with me buddy! You blew it!" Which is a very valid conern. ;)

Young men don't honk at you all the time? How strange....

Tell me about it. With my feminine hips and occasionally-lengthy hair you would think SOMEONE would make the mistake from behind, but noooOOOooo. *Hmph* And women's response to seeing me on the sidewalk is to stomp on the accelerator and get the hell out of there. I tell ya, it's depressing.

He may have had good intentions, but the decision to email you to set up a disappointing phone call was still an oafish move. I think you still have a right to be angry. Hmmm, I suggest setting something on fire! You can't half-ass it though and set something small and meaningless on fire...but then again, don't go all crazy and set the interviewers house on fire either. That would be...excessive. Do you think his mailbox is flammable?

:P

Wow...uh...Stephen.....so.....piss you off and you set fire to people's homes......but yet you attack people you like with a scalpel.......hmmmmm....... *making no sudden movements, begins to back away*

Ah, yes, I'm a very dangerous man...errrr, on the internet. In person I rescue butterflies from spider webs. (True story.)

Ha! Well, I'm worse! I rescue worms that got caught on the sidewalk after a rain. :p

Oh, damn. Difficult to strike the right tone in an email rejection, but still, 7am and half the day hanging? Grrr.

Yeah, that's exactly it! I spent 7 hours wondering what on earth he was going to say...since I felt like if he were making an offer he would have said something about it in the email....but yet, I didn't think he would possibly make a phone date to give me a rejection!

78: Yeah, we're hopeless. :)

The only things I refuse to rescue are spiders, which get killed on sight indoors and glared at with disdain in their NATURAL habitat. Although once there was a spider web on my porch that was empty several consecutive days so I caught worthless little nameless pest insects and flicked them into the web. *Sigh* This is what happens when you don't interact with humans. :P

I'll release spiders into the "wild," but I not centipedes. I wouldn't rescue a cockroach, either, but luckily I've never seen a cockroach in my home....

I rarely see centipedes but surely millipedes are rescuable. They're harmless and awesome, after all... :D

Yes, wholesale cockroach obliteration is something I would be in support of, for sure.

I'm sorry to hear about that job experience, Rachel. That was an exceptionally poor job by that guy of handling the issue; I think I'd prefer it if he e-mailed me at 7 am to give me that information, instead of making me wait with fevered anticipation for the day.

Hmm, I haven't donated blood in awhile. Oddly enough, the hospital I work at rarely sponsors blood drives.

I hope that your weekend is filled with admirers honking their horns at you, but preferably in nicer vehicles. :-)

Thanks for your thoughts everyone! I feel much better this morning, though I seem to have applied to every biomedical research position within 50 miles of Columbus already....Perhaps a change of location really will be necessary!

What a lousy experience, but Stephen has a good point, that he was trying to be personal and responsible with you.

Job hunting is a tough-- a real emotional roller coaster, equal if not worse than dating.

And it's not easy with the cutbacks in the field due to the economy. The engineer who cares for our confocal scope was very unhappy about program cutbacks affecting his job when he was last here doing maintenance.

Yeah, it's hard for me because I've finished up my post-doc and am looking for another job that fits my qualifications in a small region which has very little to offer. But hopefully the job market will pick up a little faster....

It'll come your way. Here's hoping you find the perfect fit, soon!

2012 "Children's or YA" Book 41: Divergent, by Veronica Roth (6/2/2012)

Reason for Reading: Curiosity

My Review 5/5 stars
The future Chicago has 5 factions of people, each representing a moral value: Amity, Dauntless, Candor, Erudite, and Abnegation. At the age of 16, Beatrice Prior and all her classmates must choose which faction to join. Beatrice struggles with the choice—does she follow her desires or does she choose to stay with her family? I was deeply impressed by this book. This isn’t ANY YA-dystopia-with-strong-female-lead. This is an amazing coming-of-age story that explores the meanings of morals, identity, and courage. Furthermore, Roth has managed to create a female lead who is strong while still leaving her human AND keeping her morals intact. Beatrice is an admirable and courageous young woman, despite her youthful identity crisis. Roth has also written a suspenseful and intriguing tale—I read the book in one sitting because I simply didn’t want to stop. The action is exciting without being gore-spittingly violent. Sure, there’s violence…there has to be for the plot to work. But Roth describes the scenes so well that people can imagine as much (or as little) gore as they wish. Gore is not inserted for its shock value. Divergent is exciting enough that all action-lovers should be thrilled, and the people who appreciate a more deeply meaningful story will be satisfied. I can’t wait to read the next!

PS FYI I'm comparing it to The Hunger Games, which I found to be tastelessly violent with a rather unlikeable main character. But that's just me! :)

Rachel, so thrilled you loved Divergent - I read it last year in a single day and then passed it around to my kids who also loved it. Although I did love The Hunger Games, I loved Divergent more. Very nice review.

Mamie, I read The Hunger Games in one day, as well. It was very suspenseful...I just didn't expect the violence. Possibly if I'd had a better idea what I was getting myself into, I would have liked it better. Too late now! ;)

Wow -- I am going to look for Divergent for sure. I hope my library has it.

:) I'm sure your library will have it. It's a pretty popular book right now.

Rachel, I don't blame you for being annoyed over the way that interviewer wrecked your whole day just to deliver bad news. Ugh!

Glad to know I'm not the only one who has difficulty giving blood. The last time I gave, the nurse told me to never come back; my fainting and nausea was too much trouble for her to deal with. She wasn't a very bright nurse -- you don't deal with someone's low blood sugar by denying them juice/food for fear of them throwing up.

Great review of In Cold Blood. That's one I read that really stayed with me for a while.

Hi Rachel, I just skimmed your review of Divergent since I am reading it now as well. I did see you gave it 5 stars and I am pretty certain that I will be doing so as well. Can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the trilogy.

2012 "Children's or YA" Book 42: Insurgent, by Veronica Roth (6/7/2012)

Reason for Reading: Second book in the Divergent trilogy

My Review 4.5/5 stars
The second book in the Divergent trilogy picks up almost immediately after the end of the first book. Tris explores the boundaries of friendship and betrayal as she fights to reestablish balance in her torn-up world. Like Divergent, Insurgent isn't JUST an exciting dystopic novel with unique world-building and enticing protagonists, it is also a deeper book which will make the reader see areas of grey the in the choices the characters make. It's a suspenseful, fun, and thoughtful book. I definitely recommend it to anyone who reads dystopic YA lit.

2012 "Adult" Book 42: Wolf Hall, by Hilary Mantel (6/13/2012)

Reason for Reading: 12 in 12 group read

My Review 4/5 stars
Wolf Hall is a highly acclaimed historical novel about Thomas Cromwell's early career first working for Wolsey and then for Henry VIII, engineering the rise of Anne Boleyn as Queen. Mantel brings various historical characters to vivacious life, expertly highlighting their virtues and vices. Her lyrical prose sweeps the reader into the story. I loved this book and am eager to start Bring up the Bodies, the second book in the trilogy. However, I'll note for the sake of potential readers: this book is heavy reading and has a unique writing style which many people find confusing. I listened to the audiobook, which was particularly difficult to follow because of Mantel's unique use of pronouns. Although Simon Slater's performance is exceptional, I think the physical book may be easier to follow. Knowledge of the events described is not necessary for enjoyment of the book, but would greatly enhance it.

I couldn't get into Wolf Hall at all. I got through 2/3 of it before finally putting it aside. I think that's the farthest I've gotten into a book and not finished it.

I like all the discussion on Wolf Hall. It's next up for me as the RL book club will be discussing it at the end of the month.

I don't know much English history, so I'm feeling a little intimidated--hopefully the tutored read will help get me through.

I love audiobooks, but sometimes certain books in that format just don't work for me. My attention will wander a bit and then I feel I have missed something. I wish audiobook (CD's which I listen to in the car) were capable of 'rewinding' just a small bit instead of only to the beginning of the tract. I swore I wasn't going to listen to any more mysteries on audiobook... but three guesses what genre I'm listening to now.

Morphy--I understand that feeling. It is not a book for everyone.

Janet--I'm sure you'll do fine. I am not intimately familiar with the history...though I had a basic idea starting out. I think you'll find it interesting as a way of familiarizing yourself with the history, too. :) The tutored read is fantastic!

I listen to a lot of YA lit on audiobook (that's part of the reason I read SO much YA). Light stuff like that works out really well. But since the reason I started listening to audiobooks was to improve my listening comprehension, I try to listen to more difficult literature as well. In cases like Wolf Hall, I'm left with the feeling that I ought to re-read the book...but maybe I'll do that when the third comes out. :)

I honestly don't know how you made it all the way through on audio - I'm amazed! I had to constantly reread passages at first because her writing style is so different and because the pronoun usage without an antecedent was strange and confusing. If I had listened to it on audio, I think I would have given up.

Well, I seriouly considered giving up. A few times. But I'm glad I pulled through. :) It got easier once I'd gotten used to the questionable "he." :)

Wow, I am also amazed that you got through Wolf Hall in audio! I loved the story but never grew comfortable with her writing style. I found myself often re-reading passages over again to figure out exactly who was saying what.

Well, the nice thing about the audio is that Slater had voices for each of the characters. So I generally knew who was talking...my main problem was keeping track of the date (because I couldn't flip back and look at dates at the beginning of chapters) and when the word "he" was used in the narrative (i.e. in Slater's normal reading voice). So I guess in some ways the audiobook was really good. :)

I'm also impressed that you finished the audio version of Wolf Hall; there's no way I could have done that. I loved it, although it took a second attempt during a vacation before I could appreciate it fully.

>>106 kidzdoc: Well, I plan on waiting for the third book to come out and then I'll re-read them physically, along with a good history text. I'm sure there's a lot of things I missed the first time around that I'd pick up in a re-read!

2012 "Adult" Book 43: Revelations: Visions, Prophecy, and Politics in the Book of Revelation, by Elaine Pagels (6/17/2012)

Reason for Reading: General interest in Church history and apocalyptic literature

My Review: 4/5 stars
In her newest book, Pagels explores the history of John of Patmos' Book of Revelation. She outlines what we know about John of Patmos, what he was trying to say with his preaching, and how contemporaries may have responded. The second half of the book covers the history of Christianity in the first two centuries C.E., with emphasis on Pagels' favorite topic of disparate beliefs among early groups. She completes the book with a description of how the Bible Cannon was chosen, with some suggestions about why John of Patmos' Book of Revelation was the only apocalyptic literature included. Pagels' writing is clear and interesting, though a bit repetitive--especially if you've read some of her earlier works. If you're interested in early church history, especially the disparate groups of Christians, then this is the book for you. If you're interested in apocalyptic literature in early Christian history, then the first half of this book, and the tail end, is for you.

2012 "Children's or YA" Book 43: Rage of Lions, by Curtis Jobling (6/17/2012)

Reason for Reading: Second book in the Wereworld series

My Review 3.5/5 stars
In this second installment of the Wereworld series, young Wolflord Drew goes on a mission to capture his angry half-brother, the Werelion Lucas. Meanwhile, civil war is brewing in Lyssia. I was really impressed with the world-building of the first book of this series, Rise of the Wolf, so I eagerly rushed to get the second book as soon as it was published. Rage of Lions was action-packed, while thickening the plot by introducing moral dilemmas--the consequences of bad choices with good intentions. I think this book didn't quite hold par with the first one, but it was certainly enough to keep me eager for the third installment, Shadow of the Hawk, which is coming soon. I was a little disappointed with the cliff-hanger ending. I understand that Jobling can't tie up all his loose ends, but certainly he could have made it a little more satisfying.

2012 "Adult" Book 44: Complete Triathlon Guide, compiled by USA Triathlon (6/17/2012)

Reason for Reading: LibraryThing ER book. I'm training for a triathlon and was hoping this book would provide some useful tips--but it was for athletes more advanced than I.

My Review 4/5 stars
This is a comprehensive guide to training and competing in triathlons. It begins by covering the basics of creating a yearly training regime, then describes training strategies and technique drills, it discusses techniques to use prior to and during races, and finally discusses injuries, nutrition, choosing gear, and choosing a coach. Although this book is advertised for triathletes of all levels, it would be most helpful to experienced (or very determined) athletes or for coaches. This is not a book for beginners or for people who just want to train for triathlons simply "for fun" or to get into good shape.

Personal Note: I was sort of hoping that this book would help me improve my running...but it assumed that the readers already knew how to run and just needed to become more efficient. My problem is that I have sucky lungs, and I can't seem to pace myself so that I can run an entire mile without gasping for breath and seeing little sparklies in front of my eyes. The end result is that I end up feeling lightheaded with burning lungs, but my legs feel perfectly fine. Maybe I need to weight lift to get them nice and sore, and then try running. :)

Heh. I can breathe OK but I can't get my legs to go any faster.

Ooh, fun. I'd like to do a triathlon eventually, but the logistics are too much for me right now.

What are you doing for running training right now? Some things you might want to try:
a) Go slower (I was never any good at this--I'm slow enough already)
b) Run until you have to stop to catch your breath, then walk a bit and start running again after a minute or so. Repeat. After doing this enough times, your legs will hopefully start to feel a bit tired; I don't think they recover nearly as quickly as breath.
c) Occasionally try going as fast as you can for a very short distance (say, four lamp posts). This may get your lungs accustomed to working harder, so that the lesser exertion doesn't seem as bad? (And if you're anything like me in terms of speed, it's also satisfying to feel like you're "really" running occasionally.)

Kathryn: I could say "Ah! if only I had that problem!" but I suppose if you've reached a plateau in improvement (as I have) then it's just as frustrating as my problem!

Zoe: Yeah, triathlon training is a lot of fun...especially for those of us with short attention spans. I like to keep things variable. :) I'm not a great swimmer, either, but that's just because I need more practice. Thanks for the advice...I really do TRY going slower, but I think I must unconsciously speed up as I run. When I run on a treadmill I can go continuously for miles, but only if I run so slowly that I keep bumping into the front of the machine. :) I alternate between running and walking, though maybe I shouldn't walk as long between running bouts. I'll try that out. I haven't tried sprinting yet...you think that will help my lungs? I'll try it out.

Heh, I have the opposite problem--I can't manage to run on the treadmill for more than a couple of miles! I start getting bored way too quickly (like, after five minutes), and the only interesting thing is the numbers on the screen, and I want to keep going faster and faster, and it's just not a good combination overall.

I found a link about how sprinting improves aerobic capacity and endurance, so it looks like I'm not just making it up :D

114: You're definitely not making it up. My maintenance pace improves if I do speed workouts once or twice per week. (Note that "speed" is relative...)
I HATE the treadmill. I joined a gym so I could use the treadmill in the winter, but it turned out that I'd rather run in 15 degrees.

I hate the treadmill too, but I've managed to run for an hour and a half on them before. :) I listen to an audiobook while I'm running, so that helps a little.

ETA: Thanks for the link Zoe!

I'm the same as you Q -- I shelled out big bucks when we were living in the city, and then ran outside anyway. I did come in sometimes to row...... but it was out of pure 'gotta get my money's worth' but each row was about $5 given how much I was paying!

When I started up this spring I could barely run at all - my run (after a short warm-up) involves going up a pretty steep hill for a bit and at first I couldn't get far at all - I think it has the same effect as sprinting - I have asthma so I know all about being short of breath. Anyhow, I'm more or less bounding up that hill to my usual turn off, but I've recently realized I maybe need to add a bit more hill and go higher to the second turn off; it's actually getting too easy, which is unbelievable to me after how it was in March!

And ... maybe this is silly, but I visualize the air going into my blood and pumping energy into the system, right down to my toes. It might even be helping!

Good for you Lucy! It sounds like you're improving. I think I'm improving in my recovery (I can now do more running bouts per day) but not in distance per running bout. We'll see if Zoe's advice pays off. :)

I'm going to be reading Half of a Yellow Sun, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in July and I think it would be an interesting book for discussing with other people. Would anybody be interested in a group read?

ETA: It's an Orange Prize winner, in case that entices anyone....

You may want to pose this question in the Orange January/July group, Rachel. Its members will be reading books for Orange July, and I'll bet you could find some takers there.

Thanks Darryl, I didn't even know that group existed. I'll post a message now. I got Half of a Yellow Sun on my Nook yesterday. I share my account with my father (it's a nice way to share books long distance), and he got all excited and asked if he could join in my book discussion. I told him there wasn't a book discussion, but now I feel that I ought to find one. :) He was staying in Nigeria in the era that the book is about, so he finds the topic very interesting.

I'm glad to point out the Orange January/July group to you, Rachel. I'm also a member, and it's run by our own Jill (mrstreme). It's a lively and entertaining group, and many of us had fun reading this year's Orange Prize shortlist and participating in the first LT Orange Prize shadow jury.

BTW, if you're interested, I (re)created the Booker Prize group last summer, building on Jill's successful model. The activity there will pick up in the coming weeks, particularly once this year's Booker longlist is announced, on July 25th.

:) I just joined that one, too. I think the Booker Prize winners tend to look a lot more interesting to me than Pulitzer Prize winners for some reason...

2012 "Adult" Book 45: The Old Gringo, by Carlos Fuentes (6/19/2012)

Reason for Reading: In celebration of the life of Carlos Fuetes (November 11, 1928 – May 15, 2012). This was a group read on 75ers.

My Review 4/5 stars
The Old Gringo is a biographical novel about the alleged disappearance of Ambrose Bierce in Mexico during the revolution. Bierce travels to Mexico because he wants to be killed--and to be a good-looking corpse. Despite these simple desires, Bierce ends up in a dangerous triangle with a General of the Revolution and an American woman. This is a very difficult book to review because it is so deeply symbolic. I think the main idea is that life is like a dream--a dream in which people are prisoners of their pasts. Because of the dream-like quality of the prose, the book is heavy reading; it's not for everybody. However, those who appreciate symbolic and tragic literature will certainly enjoy The Old Gringo.

Ok, anyone who's interested in a group read of Half of a Yellow Sun, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in July can join in here. :)

Rachel, I just posted on the thread you set up, but thought I'd let you know that I'll join in the group read. After reading books by two different Nigerian authors this year, this looks like an excellent book to follow up with. Thanks for setting it up!

Great Mamie! I'm looking forward to this book...it looks really good. :)

Nigerian, hah? Is't in English?

Rubber Ducky: You found my thread! :)

ETA: Now I'm going to have to stop talking about you....

2012 "Children's or YA" Book 44: The Last Vampire, by Christopher Pike (6/20/2012)

Reason for Reading: I used to read Christopher Pike when I was in middle school. Around the 7th grade, I decided he wrote trash and moved on to bigger and better books (literally). A few years back, I saw this book and whimsically bought it. I've finally gotten around to it...and come to the conclusion: My 7th grade self was very discerning. And my 30-something self should be ashamed of not trusting 7th grade self. Serves me right for reading a book entitled Thirst No. 1.

My Review 1/5 stars
Thirst No. 1 is a compilation of the first three books in a series written by Pike in the mid-90's. I only made it through the first book, The Last Vampire, so that's what I'm basing this review on. The basic plot-line is that a 5000-year-old vampire falls in love with a teenager and fights for her life against another 5000-year-old vampire. At first, I was impressed that Pike incorporated Hindu mythology into his plot (albeit with no dedication to the spirit of Hinduism). And the writing wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. But then I realized how flat the characters were and how many loopholes the story had. I remembered why I didn't like Christopher Pike--he scandalized me with his sexually active teenagers. I was less scandalized at 32 than I was at 12, but I still feel the casual "of course they're sexually active" style was inappropriate for teen literature. I simply don't think writers of teen books should make sex look like such a casual, unimportant act. However, I was prepared to finish Thirst No. 1 until the end of the first book. Total cliffhanger! And unnecessarily so. The only purpose of this cliffhanger was to leave the readers incomplete so that they'd rush into the next novel. One or two more sentences would have left the reader feeling complete. Personally, I feel authors should FINISH THEIR BOOKS!!!! What trash! Blagh!

2012 "Adult" Book 46: Bring up the Bodies, by Hilary Mantel (6/21/2012)

Reason for Reading: Second book in the Wolf Hall Trilogy. Group read in the 75ers.

My Review 4/5 stars
In this second book of the Wolf Hall Trilogy, Mantel brings to life Thomas Cromwell during the reign and fall of Anne Boleyn. I've noticed a few reviews saying that Bring Up the Bodies isn't quite as good as Wolf Hall, though I'm not sure why people feel this is so. This book is slightly lighter reading, and much more straightforward, than Wolf Hall, and I think that makes up for any slight loss of lyricism. Also, some people may not have liked Cromwell's character as much in this book as in the first, but this was necessary for historical accuracy. If anything, Mantel has made Cromwell more human and likable than I'd ever imagined him to be. And this, I think, is the magic of Mantel's writing. This book is about the people, not the events. And she has taken a rather slimy, vengeful, self-serving historical figure and delivered a man that we can relate to...and even like. So, personally, I think this book was slightly better than the first.

Nice review of Bring Up the Bodies, Rachel. I enjoyed your analysis of Cromwell, as well. I'll start reading it early next week.

Very nice review review, Rachel. I am looking forward to reading Bring Up the Bodies.

Rachel nice reviews - especially The Old Gringo which I was planning to read this month but which my darling eldest daughter gave away to her school library by mistake and which was immediately taken out on loan by one of her pals!

Thanks Darryl, Judy, and Paul!

Paul: I'm sure my dad made many similar complaints against me when I was a teenager. :) I hope you get to read it soon!

Well, I have another interview coming up, but he wants to Skype it. And I'm not set up for Skype! I've simply never had the need for that much connectivity. Now I've got to spend the weekend figuring out if I've even got the correct equipment! :( I guess it serves me right for ignoring the whole Skype/Webcam/Smartphone era. *sigh*

Really? Skype? For an interview? For serious?

Well, at least you don't have to put pants on for that.

Skype is pretty easy--just do the free download unless you see a need/desire to do a threeway or conference call.

DD downloaded it for me before she went to Shanghai. We never tried it out before she left so I figured most of it out on my own (proudly says the ancient non-technical person).

If you have a built in camera, you should be good to go. If no built in camera, a camera and microphone only costs about $30 from a geek store. :-)

Let me know if you want to practice call someone after you have it set up.......

Happy Saturday! And congrats on the interview!

Stephen: Yeah, wearing pants was exactly what I was worried about. :p The reason he wants Skype is because he's currently at Yale and is moving to Ohio soon. Clearly, he doesn't want to fly me out to see him in person for an interview. ;)

Janet: Thanks. I'll let you know if I need to practice call. I've probably got lots of friends who know how to use it! :) I feel better now. My "work" laptop has a built in camera, so it probably has a built in mic too? The problem is that THAT computer isn't hooked up to the internet at my apartment so I need to call them up on Monday and get a new password for it. But I'm sure I'll have plenty of time to get things worked out. *deep calming sigh* I interview SO much better in person!

I'm also a little disconcerted by the fact that he continues to call me "Dr Bradford" even after I've signed my emails "Rachel." He must be a very formal person, and I tend to be a rather informal person...Butt beggars can't be choosers! In this economy (and city) I'm lucky to be getting interviews!

139: He must be a very formal person
Or respectful of your professional credentials. This is a good thing!

Or respectful of your professional credentials. This is a good thing!
:) Perhaps. I'm just not used to it. We'll see what he's like when I interview with him...

>Butt beggars

Bwhahahahaha!

Butt beggar. I don't even want to ask.

*wanders off still snickering*

haha :)

I'm going to start calling you Dr. Hibernator.

It's true though, butt beggars rarely get to be choosey.

You would probably be very experienced in that, Stephen. :p

Well...being a perpetually awkward, self-conscious, socially inept 24-year-old virgin...yeah, you're totally right. :P

Hey, Dr. Bradford. When you have a PhD in Hibernation, one has to wonder whether you're very smart or just sleep a lot.

Stephen: Yeah, I figured. ;) Maybe you should move out of your mom's house to the big city? All the girls probably know who you are out there in your tiny town. :p

Hi Mr. Bradford. Well, I need to conserve energy during this period of famine. And don't blame me for providing the identity of the infamous Rubber Ducky, since your name is on your profile for all to see. :p

My name may be on my profile, but your picture is on my profile. :P

Yes, it is. Unfortunate bangs and all. :)

Wait, huh? *Clicks on Bob's profile again* Oh dearie me! Nobody said... I didn't know... Why didn't anyone tell me... Ahem! Ummmm, errrrr... hello there, uhhhh sir Mr. Bradford...sir.

Gulp.

Don't worry Stephen, you can probably run faster than Rubber Ducky. :)

Re: 124
Why do you say Ambrose Bierce's "alleged" disappearance in Mexico?

Do you think maybe he died before he crossed into Mexico or that he may have faked his disappearance?

The Wikipedia article on Ambrose Bierce suggested that there was no concrete evidence that he had actually gone to Mexico (alleged letters from Mexico had been "destroyed"). But there was no evidence that he'd gone anywhere else, either, and no reason to believe that he DIDN'T go to Mexico. So I said "alleged."

ETA: Should I have said: "the disappearance of Ambrose Bierce allegedly in Mexico"?

And does the question mark belong on the inside or outside of the quotation marks in that context? To think! I was the only one who got a 98% on that horrid punctuation test in high school, and I don't know such things! I suppose punctuation always belongs on the inside of quotation marks. *le sigh*

154: And does the question mark belong on the inside or outside of the quotation marks in that context?
There was a discussion about this on a 75er thread last year... Hah! Found it: http://www.librarything.com/topic/122273#2917912.

Ha! Thanks Q! There was some wiggly thought in the back of my head that said: "question marks belong on the outside if they refer to the entire sentence," but it's been so long since I was in high school, and my wiggly thoughts are often wrong. I think that's why they wiggle. :)

re: 154
Ambrose Bierce was some kind of weirdo. (Just look at his dictionary.) He'd made his name as a Civil War photog/reporter. It's often supposed that he wanted into that again and went down to cover some of the fighting in the Mexican Civil War. He seems to have gotten as far as Presidio, TX, but whether he made it across the border into Ojinaga is unprovable. But he never seems to have gotten beyond Ojinaga, even though he made as many appearances afterward as Elvis.

Ojinaga started out badly for the rebels. They attacked it with about 2000 troops, of whom about 700 (according to Villa) were killed. Then after a two day rest, Pancho Villa came with reinforcements, and Ojinaga was won. Pancho Villa claims about 500 federales and a "few" of his own troops were killed. Villa then conferred with Col. Pershing in Presidio who took some wounded federales and offered to take some of Pershing's troops into hospitals in Texas. Villa declined saying he'd take care of his own.

All that was part of the fight for Chihuahua (the federal sympathizers in Chihuahua had fled to Ojinaga.) They were heading, perhaps, for Texas. But incursions across the border were common. This was the context for where Bierce disappeared, and most people assume he got killed somewhere in the Ojinaga conflict which occurred right after they last heard from Bierce.

Hmmm, you know, that's a lot more clear than the Wikipedia article. Sometimes I wish Wikipedia were intelligent so that it knew exactly what information I was looking for. :)

2012 "Children's or Young Adult" Book 45: The War of the Ember, by Kathryn Lasky (6/23/2012)

Reason for Reading: 15th and FINAL book in the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series

My Review 3/5 stars
In this final installment of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, King Coryn and the Band must fight a final war against the Nyra and the Striga, who've teamed up to raise an army of hagsfiends. This was a good ending to the series, although it was perhaps a little too sad.

2012 "Adult" Book 47: Religion Explained, by Pascal Boyer (6/24/2012)

Reason for Reading: Science, Religion, and History group read with the 75ers

My Review 2/5 stars
The intent of this book is to use anthropology and cognitive science to "explain" why religious beliefs developed (and are still common) in humans. I started reading this book with the expectation that it was intended as popular science; but it assumed that the reader already had a background in anthropology and cognitive science. Boyer made his explanations using terminology that was unnecessarily complex; and although the meaning could be discerned from the context, it made the narrative into very heavy reading. Furthermore, he made many bold statements without providing evidence, possibly because he figured his readers had a background in this area and knew where he was coming from. The examples he did provide often fell short for me as a scientist--I felt there were too many obvious loopholes to the experiments described, and it was unclear whether these loopholes were addressed. Overall, I think this book may be interesting to someone who has already read a lot of literature in this field, but I wouldn't recommend it to someone with a casual interest, nor as introductory material.

2012 "Adult" Book 48: Cro-Magnon, by Brian Fagan (6/24/2012)

Reason for Reading: Interest in the evolution of humans

My Review 4/5 stars
Cro-Magnon, by Brian Fagan introduces what is currently known (and speculated) about Cro-Magnons and Neanderthals. Fagan spices up his narrative with imaginative vignettes of Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons as they may have lived. I imagine such vignettes would appeal to most everyone in the general public, including teens, though they may be a little irritating to a hard-core scientist who isn't interested in imaginative speculation (just a guess...I loved them!). Another excellent feature of this book is that it has incorporated historic scientific discoveries about prehistoric peoples with modern science like mitochondrial DNA tracing. Again, this feature would be of interest to most of the general public, but isn't meant for experts--there are a lot of simplifications for the sake of clarity. I think this book is an excellent introduction to prehistoric peoples that could be enjoyed by both adults and teens (even precocious pre-teens).

Short Story: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, by Ambrose Bierce (6/24/2012)

Reason for Reading: Thought I'd check out this story by Bierce since I just finished reading The Old Gringo which was a biographical novel about Bierce's disappearance. I think the story was interesting, though not really the type of story I like to read. It was too cynical. I'm glad I read it, though. :)

#161 Cro-Magnon looks interesting. I've read another book by Brian Fagan which I really enjoyed The Little Ice Age: How Climate made History, so I think I'll add this one to the wishlist.

Edited to add - I've just found it was already on my wishlist!

163: I've just found it was already on my wishlist!
I find this often.

The Incident of the Dog in the Night at Owl Creek? Cynical???
Ambrose Bierce? Cynical???

Cynic, n: A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they really are, not as they ought to be.


Ambrose Bierce, Devil's Dictionary

Or is that The Occurrence of Dogs at Night Owl Creek. You know how I am at getting titles right. Real Picky!!!!

Rhian: I hope you like it! I was just looking at The Little Ice Age: How Climate Made History when I finished Cro-Magnon. It looks good. :)

Rubber Ducky: :) Yeah, I glanced through some of the definitions in The Devil's Dictionary...

2012 "Children's or YA" Book 46: Chosen, by Ted Dekker (6/26/2012)

Reason for Reading: Ted Dekker is my FAVORITE Christian Fiction author. He's very good at getting a message across allegorically (and not with preachy lectures). Plus his stories are awesome. This is the first book in a young adult spin-off series from his most popular books Circle Trilogy: Black / Red / White.

My Review 3/5 stars
Johnis was disappointed, but relieved, when he was deemed "too small" to fight in the Forest Guard against the evil Horde. However, due to a chance encounter, the supreme leader Thomas Hunter chooses Johnis as one of his four new captains of the Forest Guard. He, and the 3 other new teenaged captains, are sent out on a mission to prove themselves. They end up proving a lot more than Hunter bargained for. Chosen is the first book in a young adult spin-off series from Ted Dekker's popular series Circle Trilogy: Black / Red / White, and is also related to the Paradise series (of which Showdown is the first). This series is meant to work as a stand-alone, but I would highly recommend reading the Circle Trilogy first, since these are the books that build Dekker's fantasy world and Chosen takes place after the events in Red. However, based on reviews of other readers, it's clear that people can enjoy this book even without reading the original trilogy. Either way, this book is good wholesome adventure.

2012 "Children's or YA" Book 47: The Storm Dragon's Heart, by David Alastair Hayden (6/26/2012)

Reason for Reading: This book was provided by the author in exchange for a review. The ideas, of course, are my own. I am not compensated for a good review. :)

My Review: 4/5 stars
Turesobei is the High Wizard-in-waiting for the Chondra tribe, but he dreams of dropping his boring lessons and going on adventures with his father. Then he is given his chance: his father takes him on a quest to retrieve an ancient and powerful artifact that is also being sought by a dangerous cult. Turesobei must learn to be an independent wizard and to trust his companions on this dangerous mission. The Storm Dragon's Heart is a good-old classic high fantasy for children. It was cute and fun, with lots of adventure and young romance. It was a complete story in itself, but left me curious about how the series would continue.

I'm going to keep a sharp eye out for Cro Magnon! Thanks for the write up/

Hope you enjoy it if you find it Lucy!

2012 "Children's or YA" Book 48: Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher (6/28/2012)

Reason for Reading: This has been one of my top 5 LT recommendations for a while now, so I thought I'd try it out.

My Review 4/5 stars
Upon returning home from school one afternoon, Clay Jenkins discovers a box of cassette tapes in which his crush Hannah Baker explains the thirteen reasons why she committed suicide. Over the course of one night, Clay's perception of life morphs as he reacts to Hannah's tragic story. I was prepared to be annoyed at this book--I thought it would glorify vengeful suicide. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I was immediately drawn in to Hannah's story. I could hardly put it down. I was impressed that there was very little bitter vengefulness expressed. Mostly, she just wanted to be understood. Her story shows the reader in horrifying detail how the little not-so-nice things we do might have a huge impact on others. It's a story that tells us to look at the way we treat other people...and to pay attention to the signals that they're sending. It is a heartrending story, and was emotionally difficult for me to get through, but I think it has the potential to change the way teenagers view their own actions. It's also an amazing hard-to-put-down story.

What's the status of Skype an the interview?

Thanks for asking. It should happen next week. It's taking a little bit of time to set up because he's using a middleman arrange everything. :) At least I've got my Skype all up and running so I'm just waiting on him now.

2012 "Adult" Book 49: The Septembers of Shiraz, by Dalia Sofer (6/30/2012)

Reason for Reading: I read this for Orange July as well as for the Middle Eastern literature theme read

My Review 3.5/5 stars
As an Iranian secular Jew, Isaac Amin's life is swept off-course by the Iranian revolution when he is arrested on false charges of being a Zionist spy. Septembers of Shiraz follows the stories of Isaac, his wife Farnaz, and his two children. I should have really liked this story: the cultural setting is interesting and the frightening circumstances should be emotionally engaging. Unfortunately, I didn't feel any emotion about the characters until the last third of the book. I'm not sure why this was...they just seemed distant. This fact is unfortunate since an emotional bond to the characters is really all this book had to offer me. I didn't learn anything new about the Iranian revolution or the types of problems non-revolutionary citizens faced, since I've already read other books on the subject. Not that the story is boring or unoriginal, quite the contrary. I think it would be an excellent book for someone who hasn't read much on the subject of the Iranian Revolution, or for someone who loves reading books on the subject.

2012 "Children's or YA" Book 49: The Bronze Bow, by Elizabeth George Speare (6/30/2012)

Reason for Reading: I'm participating in the Middle Eastern literature theme read, and this book fits the theme because it takes place in Israel; however, I'm not sure they're really interested in children's literature, so this was really for my own edification.

My Review 5/5 stars
Daniel has been living for years as a member of a band of Zealots who wish to free the Israelis from Roman oppression. When he meets a preacher named Jesus, he realizes that perhaps his path of violence and thievery isn't quite as logical as he'd thought it was. This is a fun book for kids, with adventure, interesting moral lessons, and new friendships. Although Jesus is a character in the book, he is only a minor one--the book is mainly historical fiction, and I think the lessons Daniel learns (violence, thievery, and hatred don't accomplish anything good) are appropriate for kids of all religions or lack thereof. This is a must-read.

A controversial side-note: This book has been banned from many public school library on the following charges: 1) It's too Christian, 2) It promotes bigotry against Jews, and 3) It suggests that Christianity is "right" and Judaism is "wrong." I thought I'd address these issues.

1)Too Christian: Kids are intelligent, we need to have more faith in them. They are not going to convert to Christianity just because they read one Christian fiction book. This book isn't even Christian fiction, though it does get close. Kids will be better people in the end if they are introduced to all world religions, as well as many different cultural ways of looking at the world...it will make them LESS racist and more empathetic towards people with different beliefs.

2) Hostile towards Jews: I'm not sure how? I've read a few arguments on this subject, and the people who claim that it promotes bigotry or that it is hostile towards Jews don't provide examples. Or, when they do provide examples, they quote the book out of context to such extremes that it seems purposeful. But I'm going to assume that SOMEONE (who is actually honest) must have been insulted by this book at some point? I see only two reasons why that would be.

First, the characters in the book are mostly Zealots who are angry about the oppressive Roman regime. It could be perceived as portraying Jews as angry or racist. However, the book did a good job of showing that this anger is rightfully aimed at an oppressive regime. People under oppressive regimes get angry. That's a fact. So this book is both sociologically and historically accurate when it portrays some of its characters this way. Furthermore, the book is very sympathetic towards the characters and is rather more hostile towards Romans than Jews.

Second, there was a very short (maybe 3 sentence) passage in which it said that the priests from the synagogue were angry at Jesus and might try to get him killed. I understand that this pokes at the let's-blame-the-Jews-for-the-death-of-Jesus wound that is still open and festering among some Jewish people (and some Christians???). I'm truly sorry about this open festering wound, but the passage in The Bronze Bow was very short and there's no way it will encourage kids to blame currently living Jews for the death of Jesus.

I grew up hearing these stories for my entire life, and I never realized this was an open, festering wound until I was 23 and talking to a rather onerous Israeli friend who (for reason still unknown to me) was trying to start an argument. He said to me: "You should hate me because, after all, I'm Jewish and we killed Jesus." I was completely floored by this comment because the idea of blaming the Jews for Jesus' death was foreign to me. I answered "But the Romans killed Jesus." I had a Catholic education, heard all the stories from the Bible and still never considered the idea that Jewish people alive today could be blamed for the death of Jesus. It seemed preposterous. As far as I was concerned, Jesus was killed by Romans for political reasons that I didn't quite understand. Though I know now that this is not just an issue with my Israeli friend...I came across the same idea in the book The Faith Club.

I think that books like this with very short passages that reference well-known stories out of the New Testament aren't going to encourage kids to be bigoted. It's bigoted parents, teachers, and role models that will encourage kids to be bigots, not The Bronze Bow.

3) Christianity is right, Judaism is wrong: Well, it DOES imply that Christianity is right. That doesn't mean that it implies Judaism is wrong. It never says that anywhere. There are scenes when the kids break rules, like washing hands before eating...but if kids breaking rules proves that they're right to do so, then the Harry Potter books imply that kids are "right" and schools are "wrong."

2012 "Adult" Book 50: Cleopatra: A Life, by Stacy Schiff (7/4/2012)

Reason for Reading: I needed to buff up my "Memoir and Biography" category in 12 in 12 group, and this book fit into the Reading Globally theme read for Middle Eastern literature since it took place in Egypt.

My Review: 3.5/5 stars
Cleopatra: A Life is a light biography which is appropriate for the popular reader...not so much for historians or people who have already read a lot on the subject. There is a lot of speculation (Schiff admits as much) because there is not a contemporary information on the topic. Schiff's thesis is that Cleopatra is not the conniving seductress that historians have suggested. The first third of the book covers her early life and relationship with Julius Ceasar, but this part not well organized. Schiff's narrative jumps from subject to subject and does not do a very good job of explaining the political background. In fact, this section focuses mainly on how rich Cleopatra was and dwells in great detail on opulence. The last two thirds of the book come together in a tighter, more interesting narrative, however. This is where Schiff discusses Cleopatra's relationship with Antony and its political ramifications. This is a good book to read for the "popular" reader who does't have a specific interest in the subject. However, I 'm guessing there may be biographies that better describe her relationship with Ceasar and the political ongoings at that time.

2012 "Adult" Book 51: Half of a Yellow Sun, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (7/5/2012)

Reason for Reading: Mostly, I read this book because I was interested it in...but it fit in nicely with Orange July.

My Review 5/5 stars
Half of a Yellow Sun takes place in Nigeria during the Nigeria/Biafa civil war. The narrative follows 3 characters: Ugwu, a village boy who is taken in by some politically-inclined academics as a house boy; Olanna, Ugwu's mistress and a rich heiress; and Richard, a British expat who desperately wants to be accepted by the Biafrans as one of them. The stories of these three characters are superbly and tragically woven together on a backdrop of war, racial hatred, and famine. This is one of the most impressive books I've read in quite a while. The characters were so deep that I felt I knew them. The events described had an eerie realism to them that comes from the author's intimate knowledge of the history and people. This is one of those books that makes you feel like every incident described is important and well-planned. This is a story not only of war, but of people--their dreams, their loves, their fears, their strengths and weaknesses. Half of a Yellow Sun is a must-read for anyone interested in international literature.

Good review :) Describes exactely the same emotions I had.

Nice reviews of Cleopatra: A Life and Half a Yellow Sun, Rachel!

Thanks Darryl and drachenbraut23. :)

My Skype interview went well today. Dr. Dr. Huang MD PhD and I got along quite well...he seems like a nice guy. We'll wait for a few weeks though and see how it turns out.

My camera is broken so I haven't been able to take recent photos of my kitties...but since I was playing around with my camera for my Skype interview today, I got these.


This is Myra, she's about 3 years old and just woke up (rather unexpectedly) from her nap.


Othello is about 9 months old and doesn't like holding still yet. This is really the best I could do.

Your cats are beautiful :) Yes, you can see that your Myra just woke up, she looks very grumpy :)

Brilliant that your Skype interview went well, although it must have been very odd to do an interview that way. ***Grin*** The only good thing is if you are nervous and fidgety they can not see, because you only see the head :)

Awwwwww cuuuutte! Oh, and look, there are books. A whole pile of them...

Sorry, it's literally impossible for me to not notice books in the background.

Haha, yeah, I need to get another bookcase. :) But then I'd have to call the Mormon missionaries to set it up for me...they did a fantastic job on my desk. ;) Gotta love those friendly-helpful Mormons.

Bookshevles are overrated. The money you spend on them you could spend on...well, MORE BOOKS! :)

SUCCESS! Myra's lying on the pile of "currently-reading" books in the background. For some reason it's her favorite bed.

Your cats are stunning :)

:)

Myra is a classic beauty, but Othello.... wow! Love his markings!

Ohhhh, Othello's markings are beautiful. Especially the 'stripes' leading from the eyes. Very cool.

Thanks Carol and Stephen! :) Personally, I'm rather fond of the black skin on the paw pads. It adds nicely to the effect.

Hehe, the black 'fingertips' makes him look like he was just fingerprtined for a dastardly kitty crime. :P

Actually, he's a she. :) I named her Othello when I found her in a sewer when she was 4-weeks old. She was rather dirty and VERY pissy (she was terrified). She wouldn't let me pick her out of the sewer drain, so I had to dangle my gym shirt down and when she attacked it, I pulled her up and dropped it on her. I figured any cat that was so yicky and pissed off must be a boy, and I instantly named her Othello. I make snap judgments like that. She doesn't mind, she's a cat and doesn't have a sense of name-gender. :p

Besides, I mainly call my cats Fatso and Bratso anyway. :D

Ha! My mom has a female cat named Simon because she saw it, decided it was a boy and named it that within about a minute or so.

Rachel - Enjoyed your review of Half of a Yellow Sun - it was my favourite read last year and glad you liked it too.

Superb photos of the cats with their mistress.

>181 The_Hibernator: Lovely photos!

>193 The_Hibernator: I figured any cat that was so yicky and pissed off must be a boy

Hmph!

You had to show us Myra after reading about Ugwu and the black cat, didn't you. I suppose next you're going to tell us you've been to see the idibia/i.

Rachel, I just wanted to stop by and say that I told you I'm halfway through Half the Sun is Yellow. Actually, I've finished the second chapter of the second Early Sixties. That's a few pages more than halfway through. I stopped to read Holes with Johnny. I think "Girl Scout Camps" are more interesting than war, anyway. I was also reading some of Chinua Achebe's early essays and some essays about An American Tragedy, which is supposedly a fixionalized account of the murder of Grace Brown and the resultant execution of Chester Gillette in 1906. At least that's what all the essays say. Theodore Dreiser had different ideas of what the book was about, and sued Paramount to make his point.

Thanks Darryl and Paul!

Dad: I'm not sure what sort of magic you pulled up there, but clearly you didn't use pointy brackets around your html code. What did you use? It turned them a lovely blue.

I loved Holes! I'm glad Johnny liked it. It has a sequel, too, called Small Steps which is about Armpit trying to reintegrate society after camp. It's a little too mature for Johnny. But I really liked it because I appreciate books that show how difficult it is for "juvenile delinquents" to live a normal life with all the stigma that's attached to them.

I also know very little about An American Tragedy. Are you reading it, or just reading about it?

ETA: Ha! Your code links to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix! How did you do that?

"I also know very little about An American Tragedy. Are you reading it, or just reading about it?"
I'm reading about Dreiser mainly. You know that right now I'm into history of Reconstruction, The Gilded Era, and the Progressive Era. From about 1865 to 1914. You know that reading the literature of an era is the very best way to get a feel for the people of that era. If you remember, last year I read Dreiser's Cowperwood trilogy (Financier and Titan were in that era; Stoic was written 1947). Dreiser isn't really one of the muckrakers, but that trilogy comes close--it's based on the life of Charles T. Yerkes, a boodler of the era. American Tragedy was written in the 20's, but it was written based on a 1905 murder, and was his best known work. I'd like to get into Sister Carrie too.

The Sun is Half Yellow is an interruption of my directed reading rather than the turn-of-the-century stuff being an interruption of Old Yeller Sun as you can see.

And then there's Johnny and Holes. It's just a little above his level yet, and that's what makes it interesting.

2012 Children's or YA Book 50: Samir and Yonatan, by Daniella Carmi (7/7/2012)

Reason for Reading: I read this for the Middle Eastern literature theme for Reading Globally

My Review
When Palestinian boy Samir breaks his knee, he must stay in a Jewish hospital for a special surgery. There, he faces his fears of Israelis and make a new friend. This is a cute story with the we're-not-so-different-after-all moral. Although it may resonate more strongly with the Israeli kids for whom it was originally written, its translation is a good addition to English-language children's literature as well. It was enjoyable and cute, and has a moral that every child in the world can benefit from.

2012 Adult Book 52: The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller (7/8/2012)

Reason for Reading: This book won the Orange prize this year.

My Review
On the outside, this book is a retelling of Achilles' actions in Troy; however, Miller has incorporated deeper elements to the well-known story. The Song of Achilles is a celebration of Achilles' humanity, rather than of his God-like martial skills. It is a touching love story between Achilles and his companion Patroclus. It is a story of forgiveness for human flaws. And it shows the reader that sometimes the best part of the story is forgotten in legends. Above all, it's one of those books that sucks you right in...and then leaves you breathless when it's over. Although Song of Achilles is technically fantasy, it is also a book that can be enjoyed by literary snobs and by people who don't know much about Greek mythology. I loved it.

There's one word in Johnny just can't say. It is no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather.

(He also has a problem with "one smart fellow, he felt smart.")

Haha. I'm imagining Johnny trying to read aloud: "no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather." :D

ETA: It's always tempting to laugh at him, but he gets SOOOO upset when people laugh.

Oh! I've been dying to read The Song of Achilles ever since I saw Richard read it. My library has a copy but it's not where it's supposed to be, it's floating about inside that building somewhere, I just have to find it...

You know, I never browse the library anymore. I just put books on reserve and let the librarians do the work of finding the books. But then, my library system has more libraries connected to it than yours, so they have most everything I want...just not at my branch.

My library doesn't have an online request system (yet) so the only way to request books is by calling them. On the phone. Which is...difficult, for me. *Shudders*

There is another library, about an equal distance from "my" local library, that has an online request feature and they are connected to tons of library, even ones in Columbus, but I haven't been using it as a way to conserve money on gas.

Five 'fingers' on those paws??? Othello looks completely sentient. What a character - radiates out of the photo, for sure.

Othello is VERY intelligent. She's also a bit of a brat, but I think that comes with adolescence. :)

Wow - lots going on here! Glad that your interview went well. Love the kitties -so fabulous! I have yet to start Half a Yellow Sun, but I hope to get to it this week. Nice review of Song of Achilles, which I am very much wanting to read, but I know that I won't get to it this month. Hope today is off to a great start.

It's time for a new thread!! This one is taking forever for me to load with all the images at the top; I can't imagine how Stephen gets to post in here. :p

Your kittehs are mahvelous dahlink.

I don't clear my recent internet files often so the images are saved and load instantly. Until one day I do something horrible on my computer that forces me to delete all my history and recently downloaded files in a fit of utter shame and regret.

But that rarely happens...

Since UnrulySun asked so nicely (and pointed out a conundrum about Stephen that I have not yet figured out), I have started a NEW THREAD

ETA: In the meantime, I see that Stephen cross-posted to explain the conundrum. :D