SqueakyChu just might read 75 books in 2012...or maybe not! :)

For 2012, I have the following going on. Please don't complicate my life with even more tempting challenges! ;)

In the meantime, see the white bunnies run...!

THE RACE OF THE FIVE WHITE RABBITS!

Rabbit #1. Read 75 books in 2012:



Rabbit #2. Read 20 books acquired before 2010 - now known as TBR bombs: (Msg #37)



Rabbit #3. Make one recipe each month from 12 never-before-used cookbooks - from the 12 in 12 mini-challenge:



Rabbit #4. Count down to 15,000 pages read in 2012:



Rabbit #5. My 2012 Calendar:



About the TIOLI challenges:
If you want to know what they are, please private message me for details.

Adding... my (unfinished from 2011) Orange Prize Challenge:

Orange #1: Read 5 Orange Prize winners or nominees:



Now follow my animal photos of monthly reads...

ETA: My Bar Graph to determine star ratings to the decimal point.

May...


Photo by SqueakyChu
I named this possum Possibility. Notice the black spot on his nose. So cute! He loves to steal food from the cat dish.

My bookish plans for May:
No time for bookish things this month - My younger son got married!

Books to be completed this month:
22. Intuition - Allegra Goodman - TIOLI: Read a book derived from a 75er's username (intuition) - 344 pages
23. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen - Paul Torday - TIOLI: Read a book which has the National Merit Scholarship Program acronym letters - NMSP - within its title + author's name - 321 pages
24. Preparing Your Heart for Passover - Kerry M. Olitsky - TIOLI: Read a book which has the National Merit Scholarship Program acronym letters - NMSP - within its title + author's name - 115 pages
25. I Saw Ramallah - Mourid Barghouti - TIOLI: Read a book whose ISBN has the same three numbers in a row - 184 pages
26. Devil in the Details* - Jennifer Traig - TIOLI: Read a book derived from a 75er's username - 246 pages

*Book Bomb - acquired 8/24/2008.

JUNE...


Photo by jans canon - Flickr, CC-A
Bunnies are sooooooooo cute! :)

My bookish plans for June:
1. An LT Meet-Up in DC, of course! It will be held June 9 and 10. More information on this thread.
2. An ongoing tutored read of Clermont with lyzard, my favorite tutor!

My reads for June:
27. Songs for the Butcher's Daughter - Peter Manseau - TIOLI: Read a book whose third word has exactly three letters - 370 pages
28. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot - TIOLI: Read a book whose title contains the word "of" - 369 pages

A whole TWO books finished this month! :/

July


Photo by Gilles Gunthier - Flickr - CCA
I like chipmunks, too!

My bookish plans for July:
1. A Bookcrossing meet-up in Westminster, Maryland on 7/21/12.
2. A visit to a Little Free Library in Finksburg, Maryland on 7/21/12.

My Reads for July:
29. Obervatory Mansions - Edward Carey - TIOLI: Read a book about something that can be blown by the wind (clouds) - 356 pages
30. Clermont - Regina Marie Roche - TIOLI: Read a book where the author's initials form a commonly used abbreviation or initialism - 394 pages

August


Baby bird photo by novemberwolf - Flickr, CC-A

My bookish plans for August:
1. A BookCrossing Meet-up at a coffee shop in DC.

My reads for August
31. Little Bee* - Chris Cleave - TIOLI: Read a book with an embedded first name in either the title or author's name - 271 pages
32. Blue Angel** - Francine Prose - TIOLI: Read a book whose title includes one or more of the colors from your country's flag - 314 pages
33. The Fifth Child*** - Doris Lessing - TIOLI: Read a book where the Title either begins with the same letter as the one above or ends with the same letter, alternating - 133 pages
34. The Last Child - John Hart - TIOLI: Read a book someone recommended to you in the last month - 419 pages

*Added to the book bomb
**Added to the book bomb
*** Added to the book bomb

September is in msg #7 below...

Hi Madeline. Love the wedding photos!
And a big thank you for your enthusiastic recommendation of Fieldwork, which I just finished. Like you, blown away by it . . .

September


Fawn - Photo by Manu_H, Flickr, CC-A

My bookish plans for September
1. The National Book Festival on the Mall in Washington, DC - September 22-23, 2012. Ask me about the LT Meet-Up to be held there both days of the festival!

My reads for September
35. I Am Not Sidney Poitier - Percival Everett - TIOLI: Read and hand off a book that is on someone else's wishlist - 234 pages
36. Emerging Arab Voices - Peter Clark - TIOLI: Read a book that has been on your TBR pile for at least six months--with a buddy who has also had the book on their TBR pile for at least six months! - 123 pages
37. Undressing the Moon* - Tammy Greenwood - TIOLI: Read a book whose title includes a piece of clothing - 241 pages
38. Round Mountain - Castle Freeman Jr. - 182 pages
39. The Art Forger - B.A. Shapiro - TIOLI: Read a book by an author who commonly published using his or her initials - 357 pages

*acquired in 2008 - good for the book bomb

Congratulations on the wedding! (and the new thread). Now you can count down to the DC meet up.

> 6

Wasn't that just a super book, Bonnie?! It was a debut novel, too. IwWonder if the author will ever come up with anything else that can match how good it is.

> 8

Thanks, Anne.

The meet-up won't be long now!! Very much looking forward to it!

-----------------Moving down the wedding pic-------------------

I want to read something fun. Coming away from my younger son's wedding this past weekend, I feel so uplifted and happy. I want my reading to reflect that! Suggestions, anyone?

And now...

A wedding pic for me to remember and you to enjoy...


Our cantor serenading the about-to-be married couple and the waiting crowd
prior to the signing of the ketubah - Photo by SqueakyChu

P.S. You can see more wedding pics by clicking on the picture above.

Madeline, your son looks very happy! Sounds like it was a wonderful day for you all.

It was a truly beautiful day.

Congratulations on what looks to have been a wonderfully happy wedding.
Not sure of a book that can follow that but will suggest My family and other animals which is full of humorous incidents and 'celebrates' family and the natural world of Corfu in the 1930s.

I really am in the mood for Gerald Durrell (or Lawrence Durell). I haven't read books by them since I lived in Israel in the 1970's. That was a great suggestion, Kerry!

Oh mazel tov! What a handsome couple.

Thanks, Judy.

So sorry you're not coming to DC in June. I'll have to meet you and Jim another time, I guess.

Congrats on the wedding and uplifted happiness!
What an excellent possum photo! My brother got a video of one in his back yard last year.
The Man Who Planted Trees is next up, as soon as I've reviewed the ER book that preceded it...

We were quite disappointed.to have.to pass.up.the opportunity. But we willbvet.back.to your.neck.of.the woods eventually. Have a great time.

> 16

Katherine, I can't seem to finish that "tree" book. I got it as an ER book as well. I keep picking it up and putting it down. Good luck with it. :(

> 17

Have a great time.

I plan to do that! :)

25. I Saw Ramallah - Mourid Barghouti



This was a painful read for me. My thoughts about this book can be found here.

Rating - 4 stars

18: I'm about 1/3 through, and really liking it.

Madeline, catching up and signing in for your latest thread. Congratulations to your son and daughter in law for their nuptials - I wish them a long, blessed and fruitful union.

>21 qebo:

I don't dislike that book. It's just that I keep being in the mood for reading somthing else. I need to stop requesting ER books as I haven't been very good about finishing some of them. :(

>22 PaulCranswick:

Thanks for your good wishes, Paul.

23: I'm making an effort to finish and review my two ER books this month so I can request more in good conscience. Though I'm ambivalent. I was eager to get these, and then I procrastinated, and they're both perfectly fine books.

I'm afraid I have a similar pattern. Two books are still waiting to be read, and a third, which I thought I'd received, is nowhere to be found. It's the press of all the other waiting tomes, I think.

Confession time:
I have three ER books unfinished (read half and always intended to finish them, though). My reading preferences always seem to be elsewhere. I have one book I never even read because, when it arrived, it seemed much fatter than the books I usually read.

How do I ever inspire myself to read these?

Another confession:
Not finishing those books ass not seemed to adversely affect whether or not I get more ER books. In good faith, though, I did not request more ER books for the past two months.

Mazel tov on the wedding! Nice photo!

I've got two ER books myself though in general I'm pretty good about getting them done. It's not my fault that I finally got my FEBRUARY book!

> 27

Thanks, Cyrel!

> 28

It's not my fault that I finally got my FEBRUARY book!

Heh!

I have a huge ER backlog, so I'm trying not even to look at the new lists. I still get occasional books despite the backlog, but in the past, I've definitely found that I get more when the backlog gets cleared out.

I didn't even want to admit to the number, but let's be honest: I have six. *Hides in shame*. Two I've made a significant start on, and one of those just turned out to be bad, so I should probably have given up and written a review. Then there was the Arab Voices one, which I chose because it was bilingual, but the layout doesn't support the sort of reading that I wanted--the translations should be on facing pages. I'll end up just reading the translations eventually. I have one book from 2009 that I may never read because it's just gotten such low ratings, but I think it's okay to leave one unread and it won't hurt your chances too much. And then I have two that I just haven't found time for yet. Eek.

I occasionally even try to make TIOLI challenges about getting through unfinished books, but it doesn't seem to help! I'm hoping for good things once summer break finally starts.

Yeah. I can't geth through that Arab voices one either. I think I only have two stories to go!

I occasionally even try to make TIOLI challenges about getting through unfinished books, but it doesn't seem to help!

Even that won't work for me. TIOLI is all about reading what I want when I want. :)

I have two unread ER books, with another one on the way. They look so good when I request them, and then they show up at my house and I don't want them . . . .

Hey Zoe, have you read the Quackenbush one yet? (I'm WAY too lazy to figure out the answer to that question myself)

I started that one when it first came, and was enjoying it more than I'd expected (somehow the physical format didn't appeal when I first saw it), but for some reason I put it down and didn't feel like picking it up again.

Lovely wedding picture - they look so wonderfully happy!! :) !!מזל טוב

Great review of I Saw Ramallah - sounds like a tough read.

> 33

for some reason I put it down and didn't feel like picking it up again.

I do that with a lot of books. It's rough when they are ER books because that makes me feel guilty. However, the guilt doesn't seem to be enough to make me want to pick them up again, though. :(

> 34

Thanks!!

Are you interested in reading I Saw Ramallah, Eva? If you are, I'll send it to you. I liked the opportunity to read it even though it was indeed a tough read. The only way to a just and lasting peace is to get to know those you fear. I think this author, a poet, makes some pretty salient points in his book. It's well worth reading and not at all offensive if you read it objectively. Just let me know.

Thank you so much for the offer - it's one I should read, but I'll pass for now. Too much on Mt. TBR as it is... :)

Okay. It's a kind of tough book to pass on. It needs to go to the right reader. My husband said no to reading it.

I just quit reading Heir to the Glimmering World by Cynthia Ozick. After reading 49 pages, I wasn't getting much out of this story so I'll pass it along to someone else via Bookcrossing. I found it kind of boring. I hope someone else will like it more than I did.

I read that and enjoyed it, the UK title was The Bear Boy. Not going to tell you to press on with it though.

26. Devil in the Details - Jennifer Traig



This was quite an enjoyable book, and a surprise at that. I picked it up off the shelf at The Book Thing, leafed through it, and thought I might read it one day. I was really surprised to learn that it was about how a young girl with obsessive compulsive disorder used her Jewish faith to practice her obsessions and compulsions. Not only that. This was a very funny book. Sounds odd, eh? Give it a try. It's a light read. Just what I was looking for. My full review has been posted.

Rating - 4 stars

> 40

Not going to tell you to press on with it though.

I gave it a second glance, but then I thought, "Nah!" I'm moving along to something else. But what?

A Gothic Novel:

Another "tutored read" thread...

An invitation to lurk:

Join lyzard and myself in a tutored read of Clermont by Regina Maria Roche.

Here it is!

Hmmm? I'm having a difficult time with the "flight of ideas" writing of Barbara Gowdy in Mister Sandman. Shall I continue this book or not?

I'm all the way up to page 16! :)

Ugh! Mr. Sandman by Barbara Gowdy has got to go as well. I'm not enjoying that bizarre story at all.

*sigh*

Off to pick another book...

I have so much respect for all you people who can put down a book that doesn't speak to you. I've wasted so much time on books I really didn't want to be reading :-(

So cool that I chose a bunny for June's picture (message #3)! Tonight was a ten-bunny night. In other words, my husband saw ten bunnies walking to the Metro to pick me up after work and then home again. That's a record!

The LibraryThing Spring Meet-Up here in Washington, DC, hosted by Norabelle414 this weekend, was soooooo much fun. Here is my favorite picture (click on the picture below to see even more pictures on Flickr)

FYI: Not pictured on Flickr, but also in attendence: SqueakyChu, gilroy, wildmaggie

Madeline, Love the pictures from the meet-up. Looks like a fun time was had by all (especially _Zoe_ )! It is so great to be able to attach faces to LT names . . .

Also love the photos, what a great meetup.

Great reviews, lots of thumbs.

Mazel tov for the new nuclear family within your larger family! Pictures are great.

Garden looks good too!

> 49

Hi Bonnie! I think the meetups we've been having from time to time are one of the highlights of LT membership. I always look forward to our gatherings and getting to know LT members in person. They (both the meetups and the members) are truly fun.

> 50

I wish you were closer, Kerri, so you could join us as well. I know you'd fit right in!! :)

> 51

Thanks for all your good wishes, Gail...on the reviews, the family, and the garden! It's been a fabulous year for me so far.

P.S. If I don't get to 75 books this year, at least you'll know why! ;)

Looks like a great time!! I'm not as far as Kerri, but far enough... :(

It was indeed fun.

Hey, Eva! Zoe's coming out to San Francisco this fall. Perhaps you and she can organize another meet-up out west this year. I'll be she'd be game! :)

Of course, you're nowhere near San Francisco, either, but SF is way closer than DC! :D

Funny thing is, I'm probably more likely to go to DC than to SF. :)

I'd love to see you. Tell me when you're coming!

Thanks for the pics! I love putting faces to the names and minds!

Peggy, it's even better meeting these terrific LTers in person. What a treat!

A melancholy passage from Clermont by Regina Maria Roche:

"Perhaps no sound strikes the heart with greater melancholy than the sound of the carriage which conveys from us the friends we tenderly love, in whose society we have been happy, and whom we know not when we shall behold again."

Come lurk on our tutored thread.

At this point of the month, it looks as if I'll be lucky if I finish even one book this month. I really like the two I'm actively reading (Songs for the Butcher's Daughter and Clermont), but I'm reading both very slowly and carefully.

A note to myself:
Watch this video of Joan Miro

Part of of our LT Meet-up included viewing the Joan Miro exhibit at the National Gallery of Art. That exhibit was just superb!

>>#59

...where you'll find many more melancholy passages! :)

I'm having a slow-ish reading month too; everything I pick up turns out to be a chunkster.

>61 SqueakyChu: That's the video that was playing in the exhibit. Very enlightening.

61,63: Guess I should've watched it at the museum. Pulls everything together.

> 63

I was too busy reading the write-ups on the walls and admiring the artwork. I usually don't take the time to read all that is printed with museum exhibits, but I was really fascinated by what was written about Miro and how his works of art morphed into different forms throughout his life. It was awesome!

P.S. I was also awed by the Gutenberg Bible in the Library of Congress.

I'm glad that you went to the Joan Miró exhibition at the National Gallery of Art. I saw it at the Tate Modern in London last year, and it was superb.

This experience was for me like the time I saw the Frida Kahlo or the Diego Rivera art exhibits (both at different times). I was suddenly confronted with more than just viewing paintings. Now I can think about how Miró's artwork reflected periods of his life and consider how his personal turmoil and surrounding political events worked their way into his paintings. Amazing!

There was one special painting by Joan Miró that blew me away. It was painted in Barcelona in the 1970's to honor students protesting Franco's rule. I can remember being in Barcelona in 1973 sitting in a bar with college students. They were singing drinking songs of political protest (although my Spanish was sketchy at best at that time so this I learned about this by their telling me to be very quiet about what they were doing). That painting took me on a whirlwind trip back in time.

I was also intrigued by Miró's many uses of symbolism in those paintings that I never clearly examined before. For example, the red teardrop-shaped object that is a Catalan peasant's hat or the ladders that represent escape. Fascinating!

27. Songs for the Butcher's Daughter - Peter Mansaeu



I don't feel like writing a review now, but I did have to say that I loved this book! It's a good companion book to Outwitting History which is a nonfiction book of a young man who tries to collect and save Yiddish books.

Songs for the Butcher's Daughter is a novel which tells the story of Itzik Malpesh, a poet from Russia who eventually is sent to the United States, thereby sparing him harm from further progroms. The idea of this book is that Itzik Malpesh is looking for a publisher and translator for his life story. The translator is a non-Jew who is conversant in Yiddish (much like the book's author, Peter Manseau). As Itzik's story progresses, so does the story of its translator as we see from the Translator's Notes, entered every so often throughout the book.

I think this novel is brilliant in its clever plotting, its use of the Yiddish language, and the richness of its characters.

Well, I guess I sort of wrote a review after all! Duh!

Rating 4.5 stars

28. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot



This was a wonderful literary fiction book. For me, it was perfect in all aspects. You can see my thoughts reflected here in my review.

Rating - 5 stars

I really liked The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - especially the relationship between between Skloot and Deborah.

> 70

That really was amazing as Deborah had so much reason not to trust Skloot.

I especially liked the book because the majority of the book takes place in Baltimore, the city in which I grew up. In addition, the doctors were from Johns Hopkins, the institution for which my best friend still works. This book was fascinating in all respects.

Henrietta Lacks is already on the wishlist - everyone who reads it seems to think it amazing!

> 72

Today I passed it along to two colleagues in my nursing office. I think the message that this book gives about informed consent and invasion of privacy is very important.

I have no time for this, but, if you're an avid reader of science fiction, this 10-week FREE course taught by University of Michigan Prof. Eric Rabkin might be for you!

Fantasy and Science Fiction: The Human Mind, Our Modern World

Coursera. Such an interesting concept!

Immortal Life is one of my favorite non-fiction reads . . . Also a 5 star for me. Glad you enjoyed it. I suggest it to everyone and anyone who will listen!

29. Observatory Mansions - Edward Carey



What an imaginative and terrific story, albeit a strange one! More here on my review.

I remember choosing this book for its opening lines to give away at a Bookcrossing party. We Bookcrossers have a game in which we gift-wrap each book and write the opening lines on the outside of the package. One person then reads the lines, and we get to choose books this way. All of these books are used and Bookcrossing-registered.

It turns out that, afterward, I was still haunted by those opening lines of this particular book and was glad when I found another copy of it for myself. It's a great read if you don't mind very odd characters.

Rating - 4.5 stars

On the TBR it goes...

It's a good one! :)

I'm giving up on The Silent Cry. Kenzaburo Oe may be a Nobel Prize in Literature winner, but I smiply cannot read this book any more. I'm totally not enjoying it although I pushed through about 160 pages. I read the part about the protagonist's sister and also the very ending of the book. Now I'm happily tossing it into a pile of books to be given away. Sorry. It was just not for me.

> 74
Madeline. Thanks for this link. I have signed up for this course and several others . What a great concept. Hope I can keep up wit the readings!

>80 ccookie:

Very cool! Keep me posted as to how you like that course. If I find others of interest, I'll post them here as well.

>>#79

It's no Clermont, huh?

Not at all! :)

*waving* at Madeline

Sorry to hear that your last book was not working for you. I hope the next one is terrific!

Hi Stasia!

I'm not doing well travelling across threads any more. Thanks for stopping by!

#85: Tell me about it. School is keeping me very busy!

How'd it go?

My daughter made ti through her first year of law school, but was somewhat disappointed in her class ranking at the end of this school year.

I'm hoping employment opportunities for both of you will pick up by the time you both graduate. It's really looking grim for lawyers. :(

Things are looking up in the reading department. After two false starts for my own TIOLI challenge (read a book with a rainbow colored cover), I finally hit a book I like. First I tossed the red book Trash; then I tossed the indigo book The Silent Cry. My orange book is Little Bee, and I'm finding it a fun read. Finally!

I decided that I want one of these.

Madeline, the city council in Iowa City just allocated funds for the construction and stocking of at least 9 Little Free Libraries in various neighborhoods, which will supplement the one already here. I think it's a terrific project. I hope it catches on everywhere.

I really want one of my own LFLs. I just love the idea. I'm going to try to talk either my husband or my younger son into building me one.

You know what I was just thinking of? A while ago, Tim (yes, our LT Tim) was considering doing something like this, but he never followed through with it (as happens with so many of his intended ideas). *sigh* I guess that's why I don't put much energy into new LT features any more. :(

That's a good idea idea, though. I think I'll send* a letter to Rockville (Maryland) council members to also do this!

*Done!

I already got a favorable response from one of my city council members about the Little Free Libraries!

That's great! I hope they will choose to fund it!

30. Clermont - Regina Maria Roche



For sure, this is not my regular read, but for a tutored read it was just right. With lyzard's help, I came to enjoy and appreciate this late 18th century Gothic novel very much - complete with its fainting characters, individuals who changed identities, people with the same names, and an overwhelming prevalence of "melancholy".

Rating - 4 stars

Ooh! Are you in Rockville? I've been dropping by Bethesda every few years, where I've got relatives. Will have to remember to catch up with you on the next (if ever - harder now with kids of my own) visit.

I am in Rockville. Let me know when you'll be in Bethesda, and we can do an ad hoc mini-meet-up. There are a few other LTers in town so it would be fun for all of us to meet you!

If there's any chance you can be here for the National Book Festival the weekend of September 22 and 23, that would be best because there will probably be an "official" LT meet-up here in DC that weekend.

Not planning to move around anywhere in the next year-ish, unless it's around Australia. Will let you know if I'm US-bound, though. I'd love to meet up.

National Book Festival? Slurp; I'd love that. Unfortunately, we usually only get to the States when my husband is there for conferences, which is usually October or March.

ETA : um ... isn't it about 4 in the a.m. where you are? Hmm ... I have an idea
*dashes off peremptorily*

*back again* sigh - no sign of the August TIOLI yet. I'll just go and haunt the board.

31. Little Bee - Chris Cleave



This is a book I thought I'd like better than I did. I'll tell you more in my review.

Rating - 3.5 stars

I can't finish What I Loved. It's too boring, and I could care less what happens to any of these characters. The only thing that caught my interest so far in this book was that Leo's father used to read the Aufbau, a German Jewish newspaper that my own dad used to read when I was young.

Has anyone else read this book? Do you have anything good to say about it?

I can't stand the parts where the author is describing Bill's works of art is so much excruciating detail.

Well, off to choose another book...

You're having a bit of a dry spell, Madeline. Here's hoping your next book is a real winner!

I just started Blue Angel, and it's much more entertaining than What I Loved. So, it looks as if I'm off to a good start now.

I hate to give up on books. I always wonder if there's somthing I might be missing. However, if I haven't hit that "something" 100 pages into a novel, I seriously doubt if I'll get to it later. :)

I agree! I've decided there are just too many wonderful books out there to spend too much time with ones that aren't hitting the sweet spot.

I haven't read anything by Siri Hustvedt yet, I have a couple of her books on my Mt tbr but don't feel drawn to them.

When you do read them, let me know what you think of them, especially this one. I felt bad about giving up as I especially have liked what I read of the writing by her husband, Paul Auster. However, their writing is completely different.

If anyone's wondering why my reading is lagging, you obviously haven't checked out my LT gardening thread! :)

105: Heh, me too! :-) I kept trying to read today, but then I'd go outside to look for my monarch caterpillar... And you had a nest of baby birds.

LOL!!

...and I had a bridal shower! :)

Here's another upcoming free online Coursera course. It starts September 10 from the University of Pennsylvania.

Modern & Contemporary American Poetry
...taught by Professor Al Filreis

"This course is a fast-paced introduction to modern and contemporary U.S. poetry, from Dickinson and Whitman to the present. Participants (who need no prior experience with poetry) will learn how to read poems that are supposedly 'difficult.'"

Information and sign-up here. Enjoy!

Thanks, Madeline. This sounds perfect as a warm-up for reading more poetry, something I've let slide for many years.

I'm reading Friendly Fire by A.B. Yehoshua, and I love it so far. Are there other books by him that you would recommend?

> 109

My pleasure, Judy!

> 110

Glad you're enjoying A.B. Yehosua, Darryl. My best friend would say that his best book is A Late Divorce. She thinks that the psychological aspects of that book are spot on. I guess she should know as she's a psychotherapist. :)

The books of Yehoshua's that I've read were from so long ago that I hardly remember the details of those stories. I've read Mr. Mani, Three Days and a Child, A Late Divorce, and Friendly Fire. Perhaps I should now pick up another book of his but I'm out of the mood to read about the middle east at this time. The feeling to do so only comes in spurts.

My son and daughter-in-law just got back from a three week honeymoon trip to Israel. They brought me back as a gift an anthology of Hebrew stories called 50 Stories (Zisi Stavi, editor). There's a short story by Yehoshua in that book called "Flood Tide". I should probably read it sooner rather than later.

>112 SqueakyChu: Thanks for those recommendations, Madeline.

There's a short story by Yehoshua in that book called "Flood Tide". I should probably read it sooner rather than later.

Yes; it would be perfect for Luci's short story TIOLI challenge!

Yes; it would be perfect for Luci's short story TIOLI challenge!

I knew you were going to say that!

Hi, Madeline! Read this (in Dorothy L. Sayers' Five Red Herrings) and thought of you!---

   "Early in the morning she began to feel that even the most disagreeable certainty was preferable to agitating suspicions. She got up, crept cautiously past the bedroom of the two Alcocks and went up to the top of the house again. She ventured a little way down the corridor, when she was rooted to the spot by the sound of a hollow groan."
   "Really, Bunter," said Wimsey, "your narrative style would do credit to The Castle Of Otranto."
   "Thank you, my lord. I am only acquainted by repute with the work you mention, but I understand that it enjoyed a considerable vogue in its day."

LOL!

It also has captured me as part of its contemporary audience. That was a fun book. I'd encourage others to have you as their tutor to work their way through that book. It was a lot less confusing than Clermont, though I enjoyed both...and am looking forward to reading The Monk in September.

Me too!

#114: Madeline, if you read Flood Tide I will too!
I'll have to move Friendly Fire up my tbr stack. I read a short story by Yehoshua, The Last Commander, in The Oxford Book of Hebrew Short Stories and from memory it was one of my favourites.

Okay, Kerry. I'll do it for Lucy's challenge if you'll do it, too. I'll start it tonight.

ETA: You do realize that, in order to get our short story into Lucy's challenge, we need to wait for the alphabet to cycle to "F"?

I'll pick it up tonight as well. I checked my comments on the Oxford Hebrew stories and I did put the Yehoshua story as my absolute favourite, I might have to read it again as well.

If that goes well, we might want to pick some other stories from that book.

Yes, I'll keep checking the wiki, but we can go ahead and read it anyway. I have his A journey to the end of the millennium marked to read for one of my 12in12 categories as well.

I started it...

32. Blue Angel - Francine Prose



This was a novel about a college creative writing professor whose place of employment set up a committee that wanted to put into practice sanctions against those who practice sexual harrassment. Wouldn't you know it, then, that the married professor in our story becomes attracted to Angeo Argo, one of his students! According to Professor Swenson, the reason is that she writes well. He thinks he feels that she is attracted to him as well. Not all goes acording to plan as you shall see when you read this story.

I found this an engaging read while my daughter thought it a "meh" book. Her fiance disliked the book completely and ranted that its ending was no ending at all. I was satisfied with it. You decide for yourself.

Rating - 4 stars

33. The Fifth Child - Dorris Lessing



I found this book to be quite unsettling. The story begins with a young couple, Harriet and David, who, although not the sociable type, met at an office party and eventually ended up falling in love and marrying. Their hope was to have a very large family. This was frowned upon by various friends and relatives. However, they made it all the way up to five children until...

Well, the fifth child was not what they bargained for. This was a child who was described in such a way as to seem to be a monster, but the most horrible thing of all for me was that he seemed too human. I kept changing this fantasy story in my mind into a memoir and felt this child named Ben suffered from autism. He, at times, seemed to cross the boundary back and forth between human and monster. So what was he?

The book had very little, if any, ending. Just know that there is a sequel. It's probably one that I will read with the hope that all will go well for Ben in the future.

Rating - 4 stars

Notes to myself as I wait for Lucy's alphabetical challenge to roll around again:

Short Story Summary:

1. "Flood Tide", a short story by A.B. Yehoshua as a shared read with avatiakh. It's found in the book 50 stories from Israel, edited by Zisi Stavi. (Finished 8/25/12) - added to wiki

2. "Lusus Natura" by Margaret Atwood from McSweeney's Enchanted Chamber of Astonishing Stories, edited by Michael Chabon. (finished 8/29/12) - waiting to add to the wiki = L

3. "Nomad and Viper" by Amos Oz from 50 stories from Israel, edited by Zisi Stavi (finished 8/25/12) - waiting to add to wiki = N

4. "You'll Be Dead" - Uzi Weill - (finished 8/26/12) - from 50 stories from Israel, edited by Zisi Stavi - added to the wiki

5. "A Familiar Face" - Hanoch Bartov from 50 stories from Israel, edited by Zisi Stavi - (finished 8/26/12) - waiting to add to wiki = F

6. " Berger" - Yitzhak Ben-Ner from 50 stories from Israel, edited by Zisi Stavi - (finished 8/26/12) - waiting to add to wiki = B

7. "Once I Was Faced with a Dilemma" - Yossl Birnstein from 50 stories from Israel, edited by Zisi Stavi - (finished 8/27/12) - added to the wiki

8. "Rachely's Father Who Was an Actor - Yitzhak Laor - from 50 stories from Israel, edited by Zisi Stavi - TBR = R

9. "Departure" - Yaakov Shabtai - from 50 stories from Israel, edited by Zisi Stavi - TBR = D

>125 SqueakyChu: I remember being very creeped out when I read The Fifth Child too. Scary stuff . . .

Madeline, I was able to add 'Flood Tide' to the wiki.

Hooray!

Quote of the Day:

"People touch, stamp themselves on one another and then vanish, but the imprint endures forever, changing the image of the person whose heart has been imprinted."

Uzi Weill (see next message), "You'll Be Dead", 50 stories from Israel : an anthology , Zisi Stavi, editor

Uzi Weill (photo) is an Israeli author who was raised in Tel Aviv where he still lives. He's a writer, journalist, translator, and TV scriptwriter.

I just discovered that there are actually 52 stories in the book titled 50 Stories From Israel : An Anthology! :)

34. The Last Child - John Hart



- - - - - - - - - - - -

There is this backgournd story to my reading this novel.

I was all set to not like this book, myself not being a fan of detective novels, however, I was determined to give it a chance because it had been recommended to me by Curt Finch. Curt Finch was the owner of an indie book store in Emerald Isle, North Carolina, where I've gone yearly for summer vacation with my family. Curt Finch is also a retired Baptist minister who self-published a book called The Accusation last year. I decided, upon seeing it in his bookstore at that time to give it a chance. Well, I read it, and was highly impressed with it. Then I learned that Reverend Finch was leaving Emerald Isle to move to Raleigh, near his family, where he would move his bookstore. I was sad that my favorite beach bookstore would be gone.

This year back at the beach, I found that Emerald Isle Books & Toys had returned! Apparently there was too much book store competition in Raleigh so Reverend Finch brought his bookstore back to Emerald Isle. In celebration, I asked him to recommend a North Carolina author that I'd never read before, and I would purchase that book. This is the book he selected for me. I found it very entertaining, despite my prejudice against detective novels. It's a win-win for both of us!

- - - - - -

Hart's novel was of the search for what happened to Alyssa, a girl who disappeared. The two individuals who were conducting the separate searches for this girl were her twin brother Johnny and a police detective named Clyde Hunt who felt personally attracted to this case. There were so many tangents to this book that I wasn't sure I'd be able to follow it all, being the kind of person who usually rejects detective novels. However, I found it an engaging read in that I could never figure out ahead of time what was going to happen so found the untangling of the mystery very satisfying. If I liked this book, I'm sure that my mystery-loving husband will like it even more than I did. He's next in line for it now.

Rating - 4 stars

Love the story about the bookshop and I'm glad you enjoyed his recommendation.

That's a great story, Madeline. I'm glad the book lived up to it.

Interesting story and glad you liked the book. I read it a couple of years ago on my mother's recommendation and really liked it. It's very different from your usual type of reading.

Just passing by to say *Hello*.

> 124, 135, 136, 137.

Hi all!

It's very different from your usual type of reading.

It sure it. It's the type of book my husband would like so I'm saving it for him.

I just today bought a book newly written by a colleague at work. She said that another co-worker read her book and "couldn't put it down".

I'm proud of my co-worker, D. Marietta Williams, who wrote Andrew's Gift. I'm not sure how I'll do with Christian religious fiction, but since I lived in Jerusalem, and only a quick walk across an olive field to Bethlehem, at one time, I'll give her book a try.

I hope I like it.

picture of the book's author

At the rate I'm reading now, I should finish 58 books by the end of the year. :(

I've been too busy chasing butterflies with my camera, I guess! :)

*giggle* That's lovely. I have got a wildflower garden with lots of butterflies, I love watching. But, I love to chase froggies and like to examine their different colourings (and personalities). Although, lately they got a bit fed up of being "manhandled" and looked at. *Sniff* they always appear to hide now.

Yeah, I'm on track to finish only 62 books. But at least there were many good ones. And I still hold out hope for a magical year-end surge.

> 142

I wish I had frogs, Bianca, but my I don't have a natural water source in my yard. Frogs would dehydrate in my garden. The plants barely survive in this heat!

> 143

Well, there won't be any butterflies in mindwinter, Zoe, so maybe I'll pull out some more books. Maybe even one or two ER books. But...only maybe!

>140 SqueakyChu:, 141 : That's funny :-)

Me, I calculate I might hit my traditional 50. :-( I had hopes for this year.

> 144

Well, it may be funny to you, but it's for real! See this thread on the Gardens & Books group. I've really gone off on a tangent this year. It's amazing that I still remember to read a few books and continue to put up a TIOLI challenge monthly! :)

Oh mei, yes I know that group and thread I have been watching it since I heard it first mentioned. *Nod* , it IS amazing that you still remember to read and organize everything else. One, of the reasons I deceided against joining - I would NOT be able to read.

>145 SqueakyChu: : Oh, sorry. I was mainly referring to drachenbraut's comment "*Sniff* they always appear to hide now."

ETA : Oh, wow. Just had a look at the Butterfly thread, and they are amazing. Not to mention the good photography; if I tried to take a picture of a butterfly, it'd probably be a vague blur in the distance, in the centre of a field of green.

> 147

Nina, as a result of that thread and that competition, I took the time to actually read the manual of the camera that I've owned for years! That helped a bit, too! :)

>148 SqueakyChu: : Ah, well; I haven't done that in years - and I'm the one in my family who is known for being conscientious ("How do you that with this thing?" "Ask Nina. She would have read the instructions")

>149 humouress: humouress - Oh mei, you sound so much like my sister. She does not do anything with any electrical equipment without reading the "complete instructions". So, whenever we want to know how to do something we refer to her :).
Well, when I saw the instructions of my camera I felt so daunted by that fat manual, that I only looked for the things I thought I ought to know. Well, so far, so good.

And here something which happened to me a few weeks back *grin*. Just to entertain you a little.

This is a ? lime tree (Lindenbaum) caterpillar. (I have not taken the photo), but one of those fell onto my car window some weeks back. At that time I was sitting already in my car and was really startled when I saw this HUGE (he was about 7 or 8 cm long and as thick as one of my little fingers) fellow with the blue horn. So, I left my car and thought (you poor fellow- come on aunty Bianca is going to rescue you) - AND you know what happened? I picked him up from my car window, just wanted to examine him a tiny little bit closer - AND he got really aggressiv and started to punch me with that blue horn of his - and that hurt - well, and then he sort of was stuck to my hand and I could not get him off anymore and he kept thrashing with that horn - so, to make long story short "My dad had to rescue me" and all he said was "Oh well, you never learn. One day that will bring you into trouble". *laugh*

Well, I'm obviously much more cautious around creepy crawlies than all of you; especially ones carrying weaponry! I wonder what it does with that horn in adulthood?

> 150

Great story, Bianca! Very cool-looking caterpillar! Daunting-looking horn! Excellent photo (by whoever took it)!

A Lindenbaum is probably what I know as a linden tree.

#150 Bianca that is very funny!

Well, _Zoe_ got me back to reading Emerging Arab Voices, an ER book I started when I received it in May, 2011. I'm sad to say that the stories haven't improved now that I've resumed reading it.

*sigh*

What am I going to write in my review? Each story is worse than the one that precedes it. I liked Darryl's review in which he identified the book for what it was (a compilation of excerpts of experimental writing) and merely stated that the anthology was "interesting". :)

What is cool about the book, though, is that it is a bilingual edition. I have a neighbor who speaks Arabic. I'll see if he wants my book next.

Quota of the Day:

“He would take the first sip, deliberately crying out loud with the pleasure of its special taste.”

"My Own Sana'a" by Nadiah Alkokabany - in Emerging Arab Voices, editor Peter Clark

The first thing I'm going to say is that it fails as a bilingual edition. I was interested in it specifically because I've studied a bit of Arabic, and I wanted to work through the Arabic text while having the English on hand. But when the two different languages aren't on facing pages, it's too annoying to bother with.

Also, I think "Each story is worse than the one that precedes it" is a fair thing to say in a review. Only 15 more words to go!

> 156

I'm speechless about the other stories. I read another one today, and it put me to sleep! :(

One more story, but I don't have the fortitude to face it now. This is one of the two worst ER books I've read since this program began.

...which is really sad because I'd love to read emerging Arab voices that write interesting,well-written stories. I know these are excerpts, but they are so out of context that they are totally meaningless (to me, at least).

To those of you who have taken a Coursera course (or thought about it), you might be interested in reading the thoughts of this Princeton university professor after his experience of being the instructor for a Soc 101 Coursera course. His article is in this copy of the The Chronicle of Higher Education.

We here at LT, through our group reads and tutored reads, already know the fun and value of free online education. Well, maybe on a less intensive level!

If you're not familiar with Coursera, it's not too late to check it out!

That's a great article, Madeline! It encourages me to sign up, although I now see that it may be a more intense and more interactive experience than I had imagined.

Okay, here's your review:

This is one of the two worst ER books I've read since this program began. Each story is worse than the one that precedes it. ...which is really sad because I'd love to read emerging Arab voices that write interesting, well-written stories. I know these are excerpts, but they are so out of context that they are totally meaningless (to me, at least).

All done! ;)

Hi Madeline, this article is really brilliant, and I only can say that I enjoy my current course with coursera as well.
The only thing I have to say is that I found it very hard at the beginning of the course, we had quite a few students complaining about people and English as a second language - such as in my case. Some of them felt it was horrible to read essay's from people like "us" - Well, where is us?
However, I am very glad that it ceased now.

Here one of the comments we had to put up with - "sweet" isn't it?

I have really tried to accommodate students who speak English as a second language. I will forgive and overlook a lot in this area. I understand that English word order is a bit strange of speakers of other languages, particularly Romance Languages (French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, etc). What I will not forgive is consistent spelling errors, especially in simple words.

Well, what they did not understandd was that even people with English as a second language, especially doing a literary class, expect to get constructive feedback on their writing. How else are we to improve? And, well, spelling mistakes are not necessary, only, typical for non-native English speakers *grin* .

All in all the course is great, very enlightening to get so many different views, especially from so many cultural backgrounds. Very often, I found that the interpretation of some of the text was interlaced with cultural beliefs, which is in my opinion very fascinating.

Which course are/were you taking?

> 160

LOL @ Zoe! I want to see your review of it first.

Just checking in, Madeline!

> 161

Wow! That really makes me upset...that English speakers have the nerve to criticize those who speak English as a second language when all they are trying to do is learn. I wonder how many of the "critics" can even speak a second language themselves.

Spelling errors occur because not all words are spelled alike in different languages. How did the professor handle this issue?

Well, where is us?

There is no "where". If it's an internet course, it reaches globally. English speakers do not have a monopoly on the world. Even *if* a course in Coursera is taught in English.

I think it does help to identify the people for whom English is a second language right up front. Rather than be critical, it would be nice if others would be helpful. People can improve their spelling you know. Even without "spell check"!

How many people are taking the course that you are, Bianca?

> 164

Hi, Stasia!

*waves*

I can only echo Madeline's comments — it is really awful to be impatient with someone who may make a few grammar or spelling mistakes when they are attempting to communicate in a language that isn't their own. I have to say that while I may see a few errors in the writing of non-native English speakers/writers, I see far more sloppy writing and poorly expressed ideas from people who have been speaking and writing English since they were children!

I salute you for persevering, drachenbraut23! You are an inspiration to me.

> 162 ffortsa - it's the Fantasy and Science Fiction - The Human Mind, Our Modern World. I really can recommend this course, because it is very interesting. The course is over a time period of 10 weeks - so it is quite hard to keep on track with the reading - and being able to do some background research on the books and authors.

> 165 Madeline - some of the people were quite helpful and the majority of people on this course disagreed with the "complaining" students. On the other hand - the non-native English speaker made it quite clear that they did not want to treated any differently - but indeed expect honest and constructive feedback. I have been lucky so far and my reviewers were all really good, and I got much higher grades than anticipated.

The response on my Alice in wonderland essay from one of the students was - your English grammar is absolutely awful and therefore makes your essay unintelligable - *laugh, hickup*

I do believe that we are more than 2000 students - if I am not mistaken.

> 167 Thank you very much Rosalita :)

> 165

So who grades your quizes and exams, Bianca? The professor or just other students? Do they grade fairly? Since the course is free, do you get a grade at the end? Do you get a certificate of completion that you can print out?

It sounds fabulous. I wish I had more free time to do one of them.

#165 It strikes me that the person who was so rude had obviously never tried to learn a language themselves, or even been much around people whose first language is something other than English. If they had they'd suddenly realise that those so-called simple words aren't so simple after all!

> 169 I don't think that the quizzes are graded, because you can take them several times. The grading is done by the students.
You can get 3 points for form - grammar, spelling, style, are thesis and argument laid out clearly
and 3 points for content.
I do believe that all students grade all other students to their best abillity. However, I am not to fussed about the grades.
Yes, we do get a certificate at the end, acknowledging that you took part and a grade.

> 170 AGREED! Although, I have to admit that my grammar in my own language is not good either, grammar was never my strongest part in any language. :)

I've finally started reading Emerging Arab Voices! I read two stories today. I figure I just need to read two each week to be done by the end of the month, after which there will be much rejoicing.

The first one was bad and pretty incomprehensible. There was some odd use of language. Lots of images, but no really coherent thread tying them together. I'd like to either get inside a character's mind or follow some sort of plot, and this story didn't really offer either, just disjointed scenes. There's a crazy guy who climbs a clock tower and creates a big disturbance; a couple of years before he had randomly shot some people at the funeral(?)/tomb of The Leader, and then while running away he was captured(?) by some mysterious person. We don't learn the details of what happened then, but we do learn that he was an orphan, but adopted, and was not treated kindly by other children when he was young. There's an outline of a story there, but it wasn't fleshed out at all, just described in random pieces.

A line that stood out to me: "He melts into a white smile like the skull of a man who has never been heard of." I'm not following the comparison here. Is it just that skulls are white, or are the skulls of unknown men particularly white, or do they tend to melt? The rest of the story was similar.

The second one, though, had some redeeming qualities. It was partially about Marguerite Duras facing the decline of her body with age, which was at least a concept that I could understand. And it even led me to do some minimal research about who Yann Andrea was. And this led me to the realization of how vastly different English wikipedia is from French wikipedia. He doesn't even have an English wikipedia page, while the French page gives a rough outline of his relationship with Duras. Interesting stuff.

I'm going to follow your discussion of Emerging Arab Voices carefully. I can't even remember those stories you described above (nor am I going back to reread them).

35. I Am Not Sidney Poitier - Percival Everett



Thank you, Darryl (kidzdoc), for recommending such a good book. What a delightful read! I am now passing this book along to cameling as part of my TIOLI challenge to read a book on someone else's wishlist and send it on. I've posted it to her on BookMooch and am only waiting for that special "mooch" to come along.

This is a really fine and funny story about the life of a young black man in the American south. For more details, do read my review.

Rating - 4 stars

ETA: Got your "mooch", Caro!

36. Emerging Arab Voices - Peter Clark



Dreadful. I can say that this is the book that I have least enjoyed of anything I've read in the past two years. It took me 16 moths to finish these eight short stories. I only did so due to the "push" by Zoe who made this a personal challenge to me as a September 2012 TIOLI challenge. It was with great effort that I read the last three stories (a total of 28 pages).

Thank you, Zoe, for helping me get this dead wood off of my TBR list. I see that others have enjoyed this book much more than I did. Sadly, I do love reading books by middle eastern authors. However, this was *not* the kind of book to fill the bill for me.

My more detailed review is here

Rating - 1 star

Congratulations, you're free from it at last! And I'm relieved that you feel thankful rather than angry for the push to pick it up again.

I'll keep updating you with my thoughts as I work through it, but I don't expect to enjoy it either.

What a relief! :)

I'm really very wary what I choose as an ER book any more. I hate to be stuck with books I don't want to read and feel guilty about abandoning. :(

In return for free ER books, I feel as if I should read through the whole book if I'm going to post a fair review.

I'm trying to be more cautious about my ER selections as well. Fortunately(?) I have such a big backlog at this point that I don't tend to win books anymore. I'd really like to get through most of the backlog by the end of this year, and then start fresh.

I'm finding that I like the Amazon Vine system much more than ER. The reviewing requirements there are absolutely clear: if you've reviewed 80% of the books you've received, you can get more; otherwise you can't. I find that having such a strict line for eligibility makes me much more eager to get my reviews done, because I can see the benefits immediately. I also like their quicker turnaround time; we receive books about a week after requesting them, rather than waiting a month for the drawing before they even ship. By the time more than a month has passed, my reading mood has often changed completely. I guess I should get in the habit of reviewing the ER list just before the selection period closes.

Oh, you added more to your post while I was writing: I don't necessarily feel obligated to finish a book before reviewing it, but I do put in more of an effort than with regular books. The problem is that this leads to half-read books sitting around for months when I probably just should have written a review immediately saying that I didn't like it.

> 180

The problem is that this leads to half-read books sitting around for months when I probably just should have written a review immediately saying that I didn't like it.

Yeah...but I always hope the end of a book that I put by the wayside might have some redeeming features in the end.

In addition, it's not always that the books are slow or bad. Sometimes, it's just that I decide to read something more to my interest at the time. I forget about those half read books...even if they are on a list.

I probably should not even sign up for the ER program. The killer was last month when I won a book and didn't even remember signing up for it!

Of one ER book, I haven't even read the first page. Not that I don't think I'd like it. It just turned out to be a big, fat book. I don't want to invest my time in chunkster books now. Had I known its size ahead of time. I'd probably not have requested it at all.

I just did the stats. I reviewed 30 of 35 books. That's 86%. I really do want to review all of them. I'd hate to be an author of a book I gave away free in return for a review which was never forthcoming.

I'm now reading a book that was written by a colleague at my work. That book is exceptionally slow going for me as well. I probably will not review it here on LT as it's really not my cup of tea. It's a simplistic tale about the story of Joseph and Mary and baby Jesus as seen through the eyes of the son of the innkeeper. *sigh*

ETA: I just picked up another novel which is *excellent* reading. That is exactly how my ER books never get completely read.

Hi Madeline,
some interesting reviews up there. So Emerging Arab Voices nothing for myself then.
I have not tried to get an ER book for over a year now, because there are always to many tempting reviews on LT. However, since I got my kindle last year I started to have a severe TBR pile. I NEVER; EVER used to have more than 40 "dead trees" on my TBR pile.
To come back to the ER books - if I did not like it - I did not feel compelled to finish it. I wrote my review accordingly and tried to give some "constructive feedback" and why I was unable to finish it. However, that only happened once to me.

Nice review of I Am Not Sidney Poitier, Madeline; I'm glad that you also enjoyed it!

> 183

Biana,

In a way, it's kind of oppressive to have so many TBR books. I know I'll never finish all of mine...ever! :(

> 184

Thanks, Darryl.

Don't despair - scaifea told me some weeks ago:
I've already decided that I can't die until I've read all the books I want to, which will work out well for my longevity, I think... ;)

I decided that it is just the right attitude *grin*

Sounds good to me!

I really wish my local library would get a copy of I Am Not Sidney Poitier. I have had it in the BlackHole forever!

37. Undressing the Moon - Tammy Greenwood



Don't read this book if you're depressed. It will make you even sadder. But if you think you can handle a beautifully written story about a schoolgirl, then a young woman, both with real problems, then this is the book to read. More about it here in my review.

Rating - 4 stars.

Good morning Madeline,
what a wonderful book review, it just looks like the kind of book I would like (but only with a box of tissues next to me), gone already into my little black book.

> 190

Bianca,

Undressing the Moon is a book about a girl/woman in a situation which is always tough, but Piper, the protagonist, has a resiliant spirit, so this is not a tear-jerker kind of book. It is the kind of book that makes you wish you could reach inside that book when Piper was a kid and move her somewhere else. Later in the book, we realize that the best thing that someone else can do for an individual in less fortunate circumstances is be of support. That idea clearly shimmers through.

I definitely am up for reading more books by this author. Her writing style is so readable.

I read three more stories from Emerging Arab Voices today. The best part of this is that it means I have only three left, which should be able to be done in one sitting--next weekend, probably.

The stories themselves were not very memorable, as you know. When I got to the end of the third one I really had to put in an effort to remember what the first one was about. That's because it was so disjointed, with a few separate story lines that didn't really seem to fit together well: a man is present at the death of his friend(?), a decent start which could have been even more powerful if we'd actually known who these people were; and then there's something about a proofreader who listened to the rantings of the man and may have gathered some information about the dead friend, or brought his body somewhere; and finally there's a police officer-type (possibly the same man? I can't remember) who generally hosts parties for a corrupt ruler on Thursday nights, and is annoyed when he actually gets called to go out for an investigation. I'm not really sure what the connection was between these things, or what the overarching point was.

The second story was about a wealthy old woman who used to be young and attractive and glamourous, and now takes on poor lovers. She behaves extremely strangely towards them, but they tend to stick around anyway because she gives them money. I'm not really sure what else to say about this one.

The third story, set in Riyadh, was the only one that really offered meaningful glimpses into its middle eastern setting: a family left behind a village to move to the big city; the woman married very young; the uneducated husband was disappointed when the first child was a girl; there was an economic boom in the 80s; the first child was born on the floor while the second was born in a new hospital. I would have liked more detail about the setting and the history and the culture, but at least this one did clearly get across a sense of place, which is more than I can say for the others.

I'm still not enjoying this book, but I'm at least satisfied to think that I'll be done with it soon.

I'm still not enjoying this book, but I'm at least satisfied to think that I'll be done with it soon

There will be a real sense of accomplishment when you reach the end of this book...the feeling of utter gratitude that you'll never have to pick it up again. Go, Zoe! You're doing really well!!

I'm reading The Art Forger tonight. That's the ER book I won without even knowing I'd chosen it! I'm glad to say it's a pleasant read so far. What a relief!

Notes to myself as I wait for Lucy's alphabetical challenge to roll around again:

& # 10004 ; equals a check mark which equals me getting those stories into Luci's challenge! :)

Short Story Summary:

1. E - "The Sister's Tale" in Round Mountain by Castle Freeman Jr.

2. G - "An Incident That's Over and Done With is Usually Boring" by Shulamit Gilboa in 50 Stories from Israel by Zisi Stavi, editor - ✔

3. G - "Charity Suffers Long" in Round Mountain by Castle Freeman Jr.

4. N - "Round Mountain" in Round Mountain by Castle Freeman Jr.

5. T - "The Hat" by T.C. Boyle in T.C. Boyle Stories

6. Y - "The Deer at the End of the Day" in Round Mountain by Castle Freeman Jr.

I have to say thanks to Lucy (elkiedee) whose short story challenge has made me finish this long overdue book this month. I don't know how many of my stories will ultimately make their way into her challenge, but...hey!...I've been trying. Here it is...

38. Round Mountain - Castle Freeman Jr.



Just because this is a Concord Free Press book, don't think that the writing is mediocre. This is a book of short stories about folks of a rural Vermont town in which their constanble is an Andy Griffith-type character. The stories are very detailed. Some are painful; others are funny. All show the flawed characters of this town and how they relate to one another. It's a great read.

Since this book carries with it a promise to contribute to charity, it's about time I got it moving. My $25 contribution went to The Vermont Community Foundation. My book has been promised to tiatia of BookCrossing next.

If you've never heard of Concord free Press, take some time to check out their website. It's a great idea!

Sounds like this one was more successful for you than Emerging Arab Voices. Delurking here; didn't mean to startle you.

Just *lurking* - Unfortunately I am not a great fan of short stories.

> 196

Heh! Yeah. Much better!

> 197

Actually, these short stories were interrelated so that they had characters which appeared in more than one. That makes Round Mountain sort of a cross between a novel and a book of short stories. Some were more vignettes than they were short stories, though. I thought Round Mountain was very well done.

Unfortunately I am not a great fan of short stories.

That's what makes Luci's TIOLI short story challenges last month and this month so great. They stimulate TIOLI challengers into trying at least one short story (and hopefully even more) per month.

Me, I like anthologies. They let you get a flavour of authors you might not have read, especially if - like Legends - the stories are by different people, so you get a mix of those you've not read before, which is a good introduction to their work, and some of your favourite authors.

Ok, I see your points. I have been already VERY good this month because I read The Martian Chronicles, some of the stories were good, and some (sorry) I didn't care much about, because they left me sort of bereft and with an unsatisfied feeling. I do read some anthologies - at least some belonging to particular series - and some of them are good and others I just feel it was a waste of time. IMO short stories are the most difficult to write, because as an author you have to be able to convey, within a short text, what you want to say. Unfortunately, again IMO that doesn't always work (at least not for me).

I usually prefer short stories by the same author in a book. Although, in that case, the stories have to be good. Otherwise, such a book always remains only half read, then tossed aside.

I will settle for an anthology if I know and really like the majority of authors.

I don't mind trying out a book of short stories by an author I don't know. I do, however, take the time to browse through such books to be sure that they'll suit my fancy.

I posted some PICTURES (!) from the National Book Festival starting here.

I was only briefly at the meet-up on Saturday and totally missed Sunday's brunch due to one tracking and bus shuttling on the Metro red line. Better luck for me next meet-up, I hope!

Thank you so much for sharing the beautiful pictures of the National Book Festival. I am sure that must have been so much fun. I have never been to a book festival, but I hope I will be able to visit one in the future.

Book festivals are so much fun. Most of them in my area are free. In a few of them, my Bookcrossing group takes out a book and spends the whole day giving out free, gently used books. I find it most most exciting to see and hear in person the authors I admire.

Love the pictures from the book festival, Madeline. Thanks for sharing them!

You're welcome, Stasia. That festival is always so worthwhile to attend...even with the poor Metro transportation this weekend.

Great photos, Madeline! Thanks for posting them.

My pleasure, Darryl. It was a great festival!

Please come to lurk on the new TUTORED READ thread here where lyzard will be tutoring me through Matthew Lewis's The Monk, an 18th century British novel full of sex and blasphemy! If you have never followed a tutored thread taught by lyzard before, you're in for a great treat.