calm reading 75 and beyond in 2012 - part 4

Welcome to any visitors. I appreciate any comments and recommendations. I must admit to being a great lurker on other people's threads but I do try to say something occasionally. Though I tend to just sit in the corner and read:)


glitter-graphics.com

I'm aiming for a double 75 - so here's the ticker




I also take part in the 12 in 12 and the thread is here http://www.librarything.com/topic/127110

I will also be tracking number of books read per category here




The categories are

Current affairs - contemporary fiction (10 of 12)
About the past - non-fiction history (7 of 12)
Long ago and far away - historical fiction (medieval and earlier) (8 of 12)
More from the past - historical fiction (post-medieval) (8 of 12)
Chills down my spine - horror and mysteries (10 of 12)
Once upon a time - mythology, folklore and fairytales (8 of 12)
Unlikely things - fantasy (9 of 12)
New friends/Old friends - recommendations, early reviewers, continuing series, favourite authors and re-reads that don't fit anywhere else (9 of 12)
To space and beyond - science fiction (7 of 12)
It's Greek to me - books in translation (7 of 12)
Need to know - non-fiction (8 of 12)
Great books I should have read - classics and prizewinners/nominees (8 of 12)

and I can't abandon last year's book worm so here he is



Let the reading continue:)

Book List

June

71) Now You See Me by S. J. Bolton (post 14) 395 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
72) Religion Explained by Pascal Boyer (post 32) 430 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
73) Imajica by Clive Barker (post 35) 1136 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
74) Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury (post 49) 184 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
75) Stonemouth by Iain Banks (post 58) 356 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
76) Silk by Alessandro Baricco (post 77) 104 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
77) An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears (post 92) 698 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
78) A Room Full of Bones by Elly Griffiths (post 98) 346 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
79) Illywhacker by Peter Carey (post 112) 600 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
80) Thirty-Three Teeth by Colin Cotterill (post 120) 244 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
81) From the Holy Mountain by William Dalrymple (post 121) 483 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
82) Peaches for Monsieur le Curé by Joanne Harris (post 122) 459 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)

July

83) The Book of Madness and Cures by Regina O'Melveney (post 155) 320 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
84) The Ruby in Her Navel by Barry Unsworth (post 168) 328 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
85) Dead Scared by S. J. Bolton (post 169) 378 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
86) Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury (post 172) 220 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12; Group Read)
87) The Swerve by Stephen Greenblatt (post 175) 356 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
88) Lies by Enrique De Heriz (post 203) 401 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
89) The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter (post 205) 344 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
90) The Garden of Martyrs by Michael C White (post 210) 359 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
91) The Blue Girl by Charles de Lint (post 231) 368 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
92) Infinite West Travels in South Dakota by Fraser Harrison (post 260) 188 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12; ER)
93) East of Eden by John Steinbeck (post 261) 567 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12; Steinbeckathon)
94) Life Before Man by Margaret Atwood (post 262) 317 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
95) Ash by Malinda Lo (post 263) 291 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
96) History and Romance by Richard Barber (post 264) 258 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
97) Spiderweb by Penelope Lively (post 265) 218 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
98) Coraline by Neil Gaiman (post 266) 171 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
99) Morality Play by Barry Unsworth (post 267) 188 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)

Book list for previous threads

No touchstones here, when there are comments they will be in the post numbered. I am also tracking number of pages and other challenges.

Books read in Part 1 http://www.librarything.com/topic/129166

January

1) North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (post 74) 502 pages (TIOLI; 12 in12; group read)
2) The Idea of Prehistory by Glyn Daniel (post 94) 190 pages (12 in 12)
3) The Russian Dreambook of Colour and Flight by Gina Ochsner (post 95) 370 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
4) Confessions of a Pagan Nun by Kate Horsley (post 111) 191 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
5) The Earthquake Bird by Susanna Jones (post 125) 257 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
6) Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah (post 133) 274 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
7) Sea Dragon Heir by Storm Constantine (post 134) 343 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
8) The Underpainter by Jane Urquhart (post 143) 340 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
9) Marvels and Magic edited by Richard Barber (post 171) 191 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
10) Brother to Demons, Brother to Gods by Jack Williamson (post 182) 184 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
11) Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris (post 189) 363 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
12) Soul Mountain by Gao Xingjian (post 200) 510 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
13) People of the Lake: Mankind & Its Beginnings by Richard E. Leakey (post 210) 226 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
14) Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (post 214) 318 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)

February

15) The Kingdom of the Wicked by Anthony Burgess (post 229) 391 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
16) White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi (post 245) 245 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)

Books read in Part 2 http://www.librarything.com/topic/132388

February continued

17) Crown of Silence by Storm Constantine (post 34) 424 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
18) Ragnarok The End of the Gods by A. S. Byatt (post 42) 177 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
19) Blow on a Dead Man's Embers by Mari Strachan (post 51) 312 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
20) Shadow's End by Sheri S Tepper (post 81) 388 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
21) The Wayward Bus by John Steinbeck (post 88) 288 pages(TIOLI; 12 in 12; Group Read - Steinbeckathon)
22) The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (post 98) 257 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
23) Bleak House by Charles Dickens (post 114) 808 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
24) The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman (post 115) 504 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
25) God's Philosophers By James Hannam (post 116) 435 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12; group read)
26) We Never Make Mistakes by Alexander Solzhenitsyn (post 126) 138 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)

March
27) London Under by Peter Ackroyd (post 143) 202 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
28) Kil'n People by David Brin (post 144) 612 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
29) The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths (post 145) 304 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
30) The Girl in the Box by Sheila Dalton (post 155) 382 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12; ER)
31) Tallis' Third Tune by Ellen L Ekstrom (post 180) 248 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
32) The Cure for Death by Lightning by Gail Anderson-Dargatz (post 181) 294 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
33) The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal (post 182) 354 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
34) The Way of Light by Storm Constantine (post 198) 408 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
35) Fasting, Feasting by Anita Desai (post 199) 228 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
36) In a Dark Wood Wandering by Hella S. Haasse (post 200) 574 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
37) The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck (post 227) 366 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12; Group Read - Steinbeckathon)
38) Helen of Troy by Margaret George (post ?) 755 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)

Books read in part 3 http://www.librarything.com/topic/135586

April

39) The Tale of Murasaki by Liza Dalby (post 25) 416 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
40) On the Black Hill by Bruce Chatwin (post 26) 249 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
41) The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths (post 27) 327 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
42) Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant (post 28) 471 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
43) Blackwater by Kerstin Ekman (post 44) 444 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
44) Britain BC: Life in Britain and Ireland before the Romans by Francis Pryor (post 50) 500 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
45) State of Wonder by Ann Patchett (post 58) 353 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
46) Heroes and Saints edited by Richard Barber(post 67) 252 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
47) The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon (post 76) 431 pages - 411 text + 20 pages of additional stuff (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
48) Abbeys, Priories and Cathedrals (post 79) 96 pages (12 in 12)
49) Stardust by Neil Gaiman (post 86) 210 pages - 196 + 14 pages additional stuff (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
50) The Stars My Destination (Tiger, Tiger) by Alfred Bester (post 87) 258 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
51) Women in the Wall by Julia O'Faolain (post 99) 326 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
52) A Place of Secrets by Rachel Hore (post 100) 456 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
53) In the Shape of a Boar by Lawrence Norfolk (post 106) 322 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)

May

54) One Blood by Qwantu Amaru (post 117) 478 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12; ER)
55) The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter (post 125) 200 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
56) The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths (post 135) 356 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
57) Eva by Peter Dickinson (post 141) 249 pages (TIOLI: 12 in 12)
58) The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (post 142) 352 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
59) The Master of Whitestorm by Janny Wurts (post 143) 413 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
60) The Making of the British Landscape by Francis Pryor (post 144) 812 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
61) It's Time by Pavel Kostin (post 145) 245 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12; ER)
62) In Praise of Cats by Max Cryer (post 166) 212 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
63) Katherine by Anya Seton (post 168) 575 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
64) The Knot Garden by Gabriel King (post 192) 495 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
65) A.D. 500 A Journey Through the Dark Isles of Britain and Ireland by Simon Young (post 193) 260 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
66) Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (post 194) 604 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
67) The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill (post 202) 271 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
68) Fieldwork by Mischa Berlinski (post 214) 501 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
69) Dewey by Vicki Myron (post 215) 277 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12)
70) The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (post 217) 476 pages (TIOLI; 12 in 12; Steinbeckathon)

Good Morning to you

May was a blur for me with little time on LT. I hope to follow your thread more often now that the semester is over and hopefully life will settle.

Congratulations on reading 70 books!

Nice new thread :)

So far there is no indication that Circus will want you to invite friends... but it is early days, I guess.
I just popped into Pottermore. IT seems to be very similar, just a quietly progressing one player game. Time will tell I guess.

Hi Linda and Kath, thanks for finding the new thread:)

Thanks Linda - good to see that you have some time for the threads. I hope that life does settle down for you.

Hello Kath - You sent me back to the game to see if I could find the right card and choice. I did:)

'I am glad to see you again.'

You approach the little group. Yes, they're rêveurs - each is wearing an accent of red somewhere, be it a hat or a scarf or a jewel. One lady has a deep scarlet carnation tucked in her hair. In midwinter!

The lady you met before smiles in greeting. You try to give her her notebook back, but she shakes her head, still smiling. 'I would like it to go to a good home,' she says. 'Over the years, I have introduced many people to the circus and watched them fall in love with it. I do hope you will carry on the tradition. The circus thrives on the people that attend it, and it also depends on them.'

You can invite friends to join you at the Night Circus here. As you do so, your Rêveur Rank will rise, and new opportunities and stories will be unlocked.

With an "invite friends from Twitter" button

Of course that means I'm back in the Night Circus!

See you later:)

Hi calm, nice to see your new thread. You seem well on track for your 2012 challenges, have a nice Jubilee reading weekend.

Hi Calm, impressive lot of books read so far for you. So here I am pulling up a chair for the next round, and I'm looking forward to it.

Calm - congrats on your latest thread - have a lovely weekend in one of my favourite parts of the world.

Greetings, calm! Lovely new thread, and congrats on 70 books! You rock! :0)

Hi John - thank you. Yes the 2012 challenges are well on track:)

Hi Megan - settle in and thanks for stopping by.

Paul - a bit damp and rainy here (again) - perfect for settling in with a book or two:)

Lynda - Greetings - what are you doing up at such a time! I'm sure it is the middle of the night where you are.

Thoughts on number 71 should be up later today:)

Hmm. I haven't found that card yet. You must be well ahead of me :)

Hi Kath - I checked the FAQ - the only way to increase your reveur rank is if someone joins the Night Circus via an invitation you send to Twitter or Facebook (whichever one is linked to your profile) and then signs up from your profile not the main page. Guess that means I'm stuck on Rank 1. It is still a pleasant way to pass some time:)

71) Now You See Me by S. J. Bolton (31 May - 1 June)

I started reading Bolton's work last year and finally managed to borrow her fourth book from the library. This is different but still good. Lacey Flint is a young policewoman in London who, as she is returning to her car one night, discovers a dying woman. Drawn into a murder investigation it seems as though there is a copy cat killer out there - one who shares Lacey's fascination and knowledge of Jack the Ripper. As the police and a journalist are pulled deeper into the hunt Lacey is trying to protect a secret from her past.

There are enough twists and turns; red herrings and interesting characters; the story kept me turning the pages wanting to know what was going to happen; all in all a very enjoyable read and I am happy to say that I will be reading more from S. J. Bolton. Up next Dead Scared.

....racing to 75 with a good one :)

Hello to the new thread, calm, and thank you for the never-ending mystery recommendations that I get here. I'll start The Crossing Places soon, which I'm sure I learned about here.

Hi Megan - I hadn't thought of that I wonder if I can pick a good one for number 75. Number 72 will be finished in the next day or two as I am about to start the last chapter of Religion Explained But 75 is unlikely to be this week as I am reading the 1000+ pages of Imajica.

Thanks Kerri - The Crossing Places is a good one ... hope you enjoy it:) When I've finished the books I've got out of (and requested) from the library I'm going to have to take it easy on the mysteries or my 12 in 12 will be completely unbalanced (I read a few for Mark's Murder and Mayhem) so will have to see if there will be a theme later in the year that let's me focus on one of the other categories:)

hmmm.. well let me know if you want to invite me.. I am on both. You could actually
sign for twitter and not use it ? Or not.. I agree.. it is pleasant as is.. I might invite my niece
if it comes up. She loved the book as well.. Keith is reading it now, and I will be interested in
hearing his thoughts :)

I think I have a Bolton or two somewere?
Maybe somewhere electronic. I almost never seem to get those
listed here at LT unless I review them. They look good so I have to
investigate.

Hi Kath - I'll think about the Twitter thing ... definitely don't fancy Facebook:)

Bolton - yes you do as I started them on your recommendation of Awakening - the one about the vet and the snakes.

Hi Calm! Good review of Now You See Me. I've not heard of SJ Bolton before but the first book is on my wishlist now, thanks :)

Thanks Chelle. Hope you like them and at least up to now they have been standalones, though there were a couple of characters from a previous book in this last one and the next one is also a Lacey Flint book so I guess Bolton might be starting a series:)

Car boot sale/Market in the village today so I got my 4 Thingaversary books - two I was sort of looking for and two that looked interesting.

March by Geraldine Brooks - I suppose I should probably read Little Women first, though I think I did when I was younger and have definitely seen a film.
Silk by Alessandro Baricco - I've heard lots of good things about this.
Three Continents by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala - Recognised the name (turns out she was a Booker prize winner for Heat and Dust which I haven't read) so thought I would give this one a go. Not much info available on LT
Witch Child by Celia Rees - a YA historical about Salem - looked interesting enough to take a chance on - looking at LT though looks like I will need to find the second book Sorceress for the complete story.

It is now very wet and windy so I think I'll settle in for the day, browse LT, watch the French Open and maybe get some reading done:)

Maybe back later with thoughts on Religion Explained though I might need to think it over for a day or two.

Happy, happy Thingaversary, Calm! Another great boot buy! I'm not familiar with boot sales but I'm guessing random people open their boots/trunks (is it only in a market setting or will street corner do) and sell their used books. yes?

Hi Lynda - a Car Boot Sale is usually held in a field and people have tables in front of their cars which they load with all kinds of bric-a-brac. There are usually a few with books, this was the first one of the year in the village and as it was a bit cold and wet there weren't many people and only one with books. Hopefully later in the summer it will get a bit busier and I can find some more bargains:)

Happy Thingaversary calm! Looks like you got some good books to celebrate - I hadn't realised that you'd joined just a few months before I did :-)

I really enjoyed Baricco's Silk, wasn't as taken with March but everyone else at my F2F reading group enjoyed it a lot. I don't think any of them had read Little Women before reading it so I think you could probably get away without reading that.

It has been pretty rubbish weather for a long bank holiday weekend hasn't it?

Hi Heather - my Thingaversary was last week but Kath told me that I couldn't count any books bought before the date! I knew that the Car Boot Sale started this week so I didn't mind too much:) You joined in October so it will be your third before too long:) I'm always surprised in how long some people have been here.

Silk sounds like it will be a wonderful read (and it's short!). I think I know enough about Little Women to skip it before reading March ... but it is one of those I've been ambivalent about reading - the American Civil War is not my favourite part of history:)

The weather has been horrible - a complete contrast to last week. I think we might have already had summer:) Last Monday when I was in town there were people in bikinis and shorts on the beach! Today I almost wished I had worn a heavier jacket.

Oh well at least the weather in Paris has been better for the tennis:)

Hi calm - Happy Thingaversary and nice job at the car boot sale!

Thanks Kerri:)

Well I managed to sign up for Twitter and have also created a new Night Circus account:) I was just getting too many - you can't do this without a friend (or increasing my reveur rank) choices:(

If any one wants to give it a go please follow me on Twitter (calmwales) and I'll send you an invite.

Get away without reading Little Women? Read March (which I have but haven't read)
instead of Little Women? *aghast*

Kath I'm reasonably sure that I read Little Women when I was younger and I do own a copy:) So if I read it it would be only to refresh my memory before reading March ... which is the one that is likely to stay on the shelves of shame for a while:)

Hey calm, I'm not snubbing your twitter acct. I'm just the only person in the universe that didn't fall into the Night Circus spell. Have fun with it!

That's OK Lynda. The Night Circus isn't for everyone:)

72) Religion Explained by Pascal Boyer (21 May - 4 June)

Does Boyer really explain religion? Not really but he does present some arguments for aspects of the human mind that mean that what we call religion (or the supernatural) are part and parcel of what makes us human. I did find the book interesting though it was repetitive in places.

Hi calm - Stopping by to say hello. I hope you're having an enjoyable weekend!

Hi Kerri thanks. Not bad been sorting out the following, watching the tennis and doing a bit of reading:)

My list of 10 11 favourite/memorable books of the 21st century:)
Only one book per author and nearly all of these are books I've read since discovering LT. The two exceptions are the de Lint and the Tepper but they are two of my favourite authors and I couldn't leave them out.

Perdido Street Station by China Mieville
The Fresco by Sheri S. Tepper
Holy Fools by Joanne Harris
The End of Mr Y by Scarlett Thomas
Widdershins by Charles de Lint
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
The Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier
Nation by Terry Pratchett
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Read Dandelion Wine yesterday for the Ray Bradbury Memorial Read, also owe comments for the 1000+ Imajica. Watching the Roland Garros final but hope to be back sometime soon with book thoughts. No promises though:)

73) Imajica by Clive Barker (2- 8 June)

A wonderful, awe inspiring trip through the Five Dominions. Earth is the Unreconciled Fifth and as the 200th anniversary of the last unsuccessful Reconciliation approaches two people are drawn into the other Dominions.

Barker has given us a picture of bizarre and compelling worlds. As we journey more and more mysteries are uncovered and the wonders of the Dominions are a delight to read. It is dark in places and there are some sex scenes but it all fits the story. I love Barker's imagination and this was well worth the re-read.

#34 Nice list calm. I don't think we have much overlap on our top ten but a lot of your reads were also ones I enjoyed. Not sure if that makes sense - what I mean is that lots of them were almost on my list. Picking a Terry Pratchett for that decade was tough - Nation is another favourite. I'm hoping to read my first Sheri S. Tepper this month with Beauty.

#35 Imajica sounds very good. I've only read Barker's young adult series, Abarat, so far. I'd avoided his adult books because I thought they were horror and I'm very easily scared but Imajica sounds like it might be ok?

Hi Heather - It was tricksy choosing a list and I narrowed it down by only picking from what is actually in my library. I'm sure there are lots of other books I could have chosen:) I picked that Pratchett because it was a standalone it would have been too difficult to pick one from Discworld:) Maybe Maurice or was that 90's?

I hope you enjoy the Tepper. I must say that The Fresco would be in my top ten of all time.

It is hard to say about Barker. There are some similarities to Abarat and Imajica isn't strictly horror. I think that and Weaveworld are my favourites ... both dark fantasy and I would say that there are touches of scary things ... but he has such a wonderful imagination. I should warn you that Imajica, in my edition, was 1136 pages so, if you fancy giving him a try, I think I would suggest trying Weaveworld first as that is "only" around 700 pages:)

oh, I did love Imajica when I read it, too. I should think about rereading it sometime as well :)
Sheri Tepper is so good! I don't believe I read that particular book, but I have read a few of hers and really enjoyed them. You of course, know that I have been madly in love with de Lint for decades :)
sigh. I want to read your books. lol

Hi Kath -Imajica is good well worth a re-read:)

I'm still missing some de Lint's. His work isn't easy to find over here and I also haven't read any of his writing as Samuel M Key. I have pretty much all of Tepper's though not the ones she wrote under pseudonyms or the one she published last year. I'll get that eventually:)

I think I would love to have access to your book shelve as well:)

I read one of his Key books. It was very dark and un de Lint like.. did not like it.

Kath That's what I thought so don't think I'm missing out by not reading them:)

Dropping by to see that you're still there and you haven't been flooded out? I'm sure this month is on course for the wettest June or record as well as the wettest May on record!

I like your list - I've added Widdershins to my wishlist. I've had The End of Mr Y on my TBR shelf for ever, as well as The Night Train to Lisbon which was a book club read that I didn't manage to get around to. And Clive Barker is someone that I keep meaning to try too!

Hi Rhian - I'm fine. I live south of Aberystwyth and nowhere near a river:) Scary further north though.

Thanks for liking the list. I don't know if you have read any Charles de Lint but if not I wouldn't recommend starting with Widdershins as it is one of the later Newford Stories. They are loosely linked but there are recurring characters and for this one you definitely need to read at least The Onion Girl first.

The End of Mr Y was very different but I enjoyed it. The Night Train to Lisbon is just one of those that gave me a strong reaction ... completely inexplicable but I loved it. Clive Barker is one I recommend trying at least once.

HI Calm! Imajica is another one that I have yet to read, although I do enjoy Barker's stuff

I've added you on twitter now (gogs81, same as here). I hardly post on it but I like to check and see what is going on sometimes :)

Pleased to see more love for Barker:)

Thanks for the Twitter add. I'm following you as well now:)

OK local market/car boot sale in the village today so more additions to the shelves of shame

The Memory Garden by Rachel Hore - liked A Place of Secrets enough to read more of her work
The Colour by Rose Tremain - heard good things about this though can't remember where or who by. Worth a try though:)
Local Girls by Alice Hoffman - liked The Dovekeepers and thought I would like to read more of her work

Hopefully back later with book thoughts.

Hi calm, glad you enjoyed A Place of Secrets and got The Memory Garden, i enjoyed both. I started with The Glass Painters Daughter and am now hooked on Rachel Hore's books. Glad to see that you have not been greatly affected by the terrible weather in your neck of the woods but feel really sorry for all those that have. Keep up the reading i love your posts.

Hi John - good to know that others have enjoyed some of the books I've added to the shelves:)

It has been very wet and rainy, fortunately I'm nowhere near any place that could flood. The damage in other places has been absolutely terrible. Much as I love water I don't think I would want to live on low lying ground.

Reading never stops ... at least a few pages every day:)

74) Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury (8 - 9 June)

Read as part of the memorial group read for Ray Bradbury there have been some excellent reviews of this recently. I can't imagine anyone not being drawn into Doug Spaulding's twelfth summer in 1928. From bottling Dandelion Wine with his grandfather; the feel of new tennis shoes and the possibilities they bring; to darker and lighter incidents throughout those three months this is a wonderfully evocative read. Beautifully written it captures the magic and delight of memory. There is definitely going to be more Bradbury in my future - just so sorry that this master wordsmith is with us no more but at least we can still read his books.

May I suggest Something Wicked This Way Comes for your next Bradbury?

It's sitting right by the computer, Kath:) Just need to read some other things first.

thumbs up !

:)

Hi calm!
everyone is talking about Bradbury again and I have not read one of his books :(
I think yours is the 3rd great review of Dandelion Wine that I have seen :) so I might have to jump on the band wagon and get it- just checked and my library has it!
I will reserve it for my next pick up :)

oh, according to Kath, you, me, Caro, and Kath need to live in the same neighborhood ;) think it has something to do with the types of books we share/like :)

Hi Kara - I've got a few Bradbury's on the shelf ... inherited from a friend ... so I've got a few more to read. I did read Martian Chronicles and Fahrenheit 451 when I was younger. I'm sure you will like Dandelion Wine:)

I guess it would be good to live close enough to meet up in person and pass the books around but I love where I live ... fancy moving to Wales:)

Kara - I can also plug Dandelion Wine. Don't like sci-fi much, but this book is magical.
Calm - enjoyed your succinct and on the point review.

Thanks Paul:)

warning NOT for Kath!



75) Stonemouth by Iain Banks (10 - 12 June)

From the back cover:
Welcome to
Stonemouth
Home to
A Five mile beach
Gangsters
Lost Love
and a suspension bridge

Iain Banks has created a surprisingly sympathetic character in Stewart Gilmour. Returning to his home town of Stonemouth, after five years away, we first meet him on the suspension bridge and we know not all is well. As we progress further into the story, and Stewart's past, we discover a world of drugs, alcohol, sex and violence. Will Stewart survive his visit to Stonemouth and will he, and we, get the answers to the reason for his exile.

I really like the world Banks creates. It is not a lifestyle I am overly familiar with and I wasn't too sure how I would connect to the company of 25 year olds but Banks has created some appealing characters and a vivid sense of place and time. Definitely not one for those uncomfortable with violence and substance abuse but both fit into the story and I, for one, found it well worth reading. Not perfect but still a very good story.

Nice review calm- thumbed!

Oh Banks.....he is a weird duck- in a good way :)
The Wasp Factory I read, can't say I enjoyed the story because it was so dark and disturbing but it was a good book- gave it 4 stars.
The Crow Road by him looks good also.

Bradbury did not consider his writing sci fi.. for the most part.

Thumbed review..sounds good :)

I like Wales...

Congratulations on reaching the 75 book mark!!!

Thanks Kara. The Crow Road is my favourite Banks:)

Bradbury's a great writer Kath whatever label is put on his work. Thanks for the thumb:) I know you like Wales ... though the weather is crazier than usual this year ... it's raining again:(

Thanks Roni.

Hi Calm! Good review and congrats on hitting 75!!

Thanks Chelle:)

Well I went into town today and of course that means I got some more books:)

From the library
Thirty Three Teeth by Colin Cotterill (definitely on the bandwagon with these)
Dead Scared by S J Bolton (recently read Now You See Me)
Peaches For Monsieur le Cure by Joanne Harris (the third Vianne Rocher novel)
and From the Holy Mountain by William Dalrymple (recommended by Suzanne)

and onto the shelves of shame
An Experiment in Love by Hilary Mantel (love her writing)
Silence by Shūsaku Endō (was this one of Darryl's?)
The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova (been looking out for this after reading The Historian)
Where Time Winds Blow by Robert Holdstock (loved Mythago Wood when I read it and thought I would give this a try)
Across the Face of the World by Russell Kirkpatrick (had books 2 and 3 of this trilogy so was pleased to find the first)
The Woman who Loved an Octopus and other Saints' Tales by Imogen Rhia Herrad (couldn't resist the title and the subject is one I'm interested in)

probably more than I should be buying but there are worse addictions:) Also I was browsing charity shops looking for something suitable for a themed wedding later this year and couldn't resist looking at books and it feels wrong to just walk out without buying something ... it is for a good cause:)

Extra rain is better yet...
Any empty cottages nearby ?

:)

I think so Kath ... or at least there are some for sale. Or there is the old school just down the road from me that is being renovated at the moment ... that is going to be a rental when it is done. :)

Lovely little thing to dream about! *sigh*

Agreed:) Actually there are a couple I would love to own but unless I win the lottery it will never happen:( At least my landlady leaves me in peace.

Hi calm, congrats on getting to 75, i've just completed number 21.

So what is it that is keeping you busy today? Hope it's good :)

Hi Kath Not a lot to keep me busy ... well nothing overly interesting ... listening to the rain lashing down; dealing with a cat who has cabin fever who sticks her claws in me every time I pick up a book:) plus usual household things, lurking on threads, playing spider solitaire or Night Circus.

How about you ... anything good?

Some time with the nephlets .... now I'm sleepy :P

OK Kath ... pleased you had some time with them:)

I was offered a lift into town today ... so I went to the library again.

I picked up The Ruby in Her Navel by Barry Unsworth, this was inspired by the recent conversation on Darryl's thread and The Book of Madness and Cures by Regina O'Melveney, based on Tina's (Tutu) recommendation.

Also some more second hand book browsing
Gate of Ivory by Robert Holdstock (only 2 more until I have the entire Mythago Wood Cycle - the first and the last)
Wolfsangel by M. D. Lachlan

and what I thought was a fantasy trilogy until I checked the work page and discovered they are part of a longer series:( Should have looked closer - books 1 and 3 are the start of one series and the book marked 2 is part of a second series. Oh well only 50p each so not a major disaster:)

Nice! A surprise visit to the library sounds like a good thing..
and looks successful :)

Thanks Kath - yes I'm pleased with that visit:)

76) Silk by Alessandro Baricco (14 June)

Short and charming with the quality of a fairy tale this story of an 19th Century Frenchman and his repetitive trips to Japan to buy silkworm eggs was a delightful read. His fascination with the concubine of the man who supplies the eggs is strange and wonderful. His wife at home always hopes for his return and the ending is fitting.

This is a bizarre little tale but one I am pleased to have read. I will definitely be looking out for more from this author.

HI calm - Stonemouth sounds like a good one. I've already put The Crow Road on my wishlist, based on your recommendation. See? I remembered that I've already asked you for Iain Banks recommendations at least twice! : )

Wonderful batch of books up there as well. I'm going to start on the Colin Cotterill books too - I recently purchased The Coroner's Lunch, since I've heard so many good things about the series on LT.

Im drawn to Dandelion Wine, it seems a must now, as might not get to the famous Fahrenheit 451 anytime soon. And, Silk? I think missed something with that one. Actually, more like my expectations were too high when I read it. I remember it more fondly than my review would suggest.

Belated Happy Thingaversary, Calm.

Congrats on passing the 75 book goal!

Hi Kerri - Stonemouth was unexpectedly good given the subject ... but then I like Banks. I think the reaction to the Dr Siri books has been universally popular ... at least I haven't seen a bad reaction:) I've got the second out of the library already ... along with a few others that I need to get to:)

Hi Megan - Dandelion Wine is a good one hope you enjoy it. I can't find your review of Silk on the work page ... actually looking further you don't post reviews ... oh well ... a two and a half star rating isn't brilliant.

Hi Terri - thanks)

Belatedly adding my congratulations on passing the 75 mark Calm and the Banks looks a good one to have done it with - will add it to my unwieldy hitlist.

Thanks Paul:) Hope you like it.

yay! it's back!

https://www.facebook.com/RichardandJudyBookClub

Erin Morgenstern is doing a live Q&A today...

Yay indeed - I hate it when LT goes down:(

Thanks for the link but I don't do Facebook:(

I'll have to see if I can find a non-Facebook link ... just had a look and it seems to be just Facebook. Oh well.

Oh, Sorry.. I didn't do FB for a long time. Finally though, I wanted to
be there to keep up with my kids and share pictures and things. I have my account
set to just friends.. and my posts, too. Also, it's a way to keep up with local events and
find free ebooks, so I am glad that I finally joined, It has been a few years now.
It does suck time though!

Nothing much happening here.. How are you doing??

Hi Kath I'm sure there are useful things there but it isn't something that appeals to me and, as far as I know, none of my family do Facebook. Though most of us have Skype so we do use that sometimes.

Not doing much here. Can't seem to concentrate on anything... even the reading has slowed down:( Not sure whether to blame the new medication or not so I'll have to talk to the doctor soon. Ugh - that means going out.

Same issue here.. concentration is lacking..

We all have skype too.. but for some reason we use the phone more..
*skype*

FB isn't for everyone :)

Belated congrats on the 1st 75!! And your Thingaversary. : ) I loved Silk when I read it. What a quirky, enchanting novel. Have a great weekend.

#87 Sorry to hear that calm - I hope you feel better soon.

Congratulations on reading 75 books!

Hi Kath - Skype is useful (and cheaper than using the phone). I think I just got worried about FB and, not knowing anyone close who uses it it just doesn't seem worth it.

Hi Kim - Thanks - yes quirky and enchanting does fit Silk. Hope you have had a wonderful weekend.

Hi Heather - The local health authority decided that my surgery was over-prescribing a certain drug so I'm trying an alternative which doesn't have the same affect on me - yet. Just really hate not being able to read at my usual pace:(

Thanks for the congrats on the 75:)

Well I have finished a couple of books, even if they are taking me a bit longer than usual.



77) An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears (12 - 20 June)

The same story from four different view points builds up to an answer about the death of Robert Grove a fellow at Oxford in the 17th century and why someone pleaded guilty to the crime. This is an intriguing novel and I did enjoy how the different perspectives come to different ideas. I think that Pears has successfully recreated the town and the times though his narrators are not particularly sympathetic. I also liked how Pears used real people for most of the story and his fictional characters fit into the tale well.

Belated congrats on hitting 75!

>91 calm: I wouldnt use FaceBook if all my friends didnt, it really was a case of being peer-presurised into it :)

FB like anything else.. pros and cons. And personal choice :) Like books !
Very much personal choice.... thank goodness!

Hi calm, belated congrats for reaching 75 books. How's the reading going, i seem to have picked up the pace a little bit in June and am on track to get to Fifty but would like to push it up to the Sixty mark in preparation for joining the 75ers group next year. Hope you are well and the weather near you has picked up over the last few days.

Thanks Dr Newt:)

It does seem pretty pointless unless there are people you know, Megan, but that is just my opinion. I don't do enough to share things and there are other ways for people to contact me if there is something I need to know:)

Kath - personal choice is very important and what works for one doesn't work for somebody else. No problem:)

Thanks John. Hope you reach your target but the 75ers are not really about the number ... more sharing some great and not so great reads and what is going on generally (if you want!)

Reading has slowed down, weather is better and Wimbledon has started. I've got a stack of library books to read and I guess I need to try and find a bit of concentration:)

Hopefully back later with thoughts on the latest book:)

78) A Room Full of Bones by Elly Griffiths (20 - 21 June)

The fourth of the Ruth Galloway series sees Ruth still struggling with being a single mother; Harry Nelson and his team investigating a drug smuggling case; the discovery of a medieval bishop's coffin and the Elginists - a group of people seeking the return of Aboriginal bones from the local museum to their homeland. Just before the opening of the coffin the curator of the museum is discovered dead by Ruth.

I find these books a quick and easy read but the strength is in the characterisation and sense of place but I must admit that I don't really like what motherhood has done to Ruth. Still we have Harry, Cathbad, Judy and others including new people who seem like interesting characters. For me the mystery wasn't the strongest but I won't let it stop me from reading any more in the series, when they are published. I just hope that as Kate, Ruth's daughter, gets older Ruth will be a more appealing character to me.

Well I managed to get to the doctor's today. Still have to keep trying the new drug ... but at the same time as I am taking the old one. Just hope I'll be able to get my concentration back:)

Of course as I am not reading very much I didn't bother to get any books from the library ... too much pressure to have a deadline! I did pick up one second hand book for my shelves even if I have no idea when I'll get around to reading it:)

So the addition to my collection is a Penguin Classics edition of The History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides.

In reading news I am about half way through From the Holy Mountain and three quarters of the way through Illywhacker both are good but I must say that I don't like the fact that I am having to re-read bits:( Maybe when I finish these I'll have to find some light reading.

I hope you enjoy From the Holy Mountain. I really liked that book. You seem to read some really good non-fiction.

Thanks Rhian ... of course without the 75ers I wouldn't have looked at half of what I am now reading. This was one of Suzanne's (Chatterbox) recommendations and it is good. I am hoping to finish it before the end of the month.

Forgot to say that I managed to snag an ER this month Infinite West: Travels in South Dakota by Fraser Harrison. My first NON-fiction win:)

Oh goodie! The new one.. I have to jump through a few hoops and get that one. I like
Ruth well enough most of the time.. I have trouble picturing her as a mom, though :)

Hi Kath - yes she isn't the same as in the first couple of books ... though having children can change a person ... I'm not sure if I like her as much but it is still a good series.

#99 Hope they can sort the medication out soon calm. The History of the Peloponnesian War doesn't sound like it will be light reading - shame there isn't another Elly Griffiths' book out that you could dive into.

Thanks Heather ... so do I:)

No I don't expect the Thucydides to be light reading but I have been on the lookout for a second-hand copy for a while now so grabbed it when I saw it. I'm sure I'll get around to reading it ... someday!

I've got the second Dr Siri book, a S. J. Bolton book and the latest Joanne Harris (amongst others) out from the library so I think I'm covered for some light reading. I did just get a call to say that The Swerve is ready for me to pick up ... I don't think that is going to be light reading though:)

Only fifty pages to go in Illywhacker so I expect to finish that sometime today, not much progress in From the Holy Mountain though. Oh well at least I am getting some reading in. It gives me something to do while half watching Wimbledon:)

Still haven't read a word today. So hard when Dan is home..
PT, haircut and shopping done, though... I have high hopes for later...
I myself am still on brain candy reads.. and plan to be for some time to come.

Hi Kath - I haven't read much since I was last here - well I have been lurking reading LT threads and have managed another 10 or so pages of Illywhacker. Sounds like your day has been more productive than mine:)

Hi calm - I also hope that the medication issue gets sorted out.

#98 - Hmm. It's somewhat difficult to imagine Ruth Galloway with a baby, but I'll probably get to a few more from that series at some point (I've only read the first so far). I agree that the characterization (and the setting) are largely responsible for its charm.

Back to FB....I only have people as a friend if I would stop on the street to talk to them. Funny though how I havent made my dad my friend, that doenst fit my rule at all, but none of my step sisters are fb friends, and that fits my rule very well.
Me and my dad have a long running Mexican Standoff about who is going to ask who to be their fb friend. It has become quite funny.

Hi Kerri - I'm feeling better already for being back on the old medication - though I am taking the new one as well and will probably have to cut back eventually.

Yes Ruth with a baby doesn't seem right but I hope that the issues I have with her work out in later books but the rest of the characters and the setting are still worth it:)

Megan - Sounds like a good idea and as far as I know people I actually talk to don't do FB ... well it has never come up in conversation.

Went into town today (lunch with a couple of friends) managed to pick up The Swerve from the library and a few more second hand books. The shelves of shame are well and truly overloaded but I would rather have a weighty TBR pile than run out of books to read:)

The new additions are:

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier
Nammah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey
and Chaga (which seems to come up as Evolution's Shore) by Ian McDonald

In other news I am reading again - I finished Illywhacker yesterday and dived straight into Thirty Three Teeth which I finished earlier today. I think I'll work through the rest of the library books before reserving the next one in this series:)

Book thoughts can wait a while though - Off to see what everyone else has been up to and find out if Madeline has posted the July TIOLI yet:)

79) Illywhacker by Peter Carey (21 - 27 June)

At the start of the novel we meet Herbert Badgery, who warns us that he is probably an unreliable narrator. During the course of the story we meet other characters and get their family history so, in some ways, the book takes us in various directions. It does all link and builds a picture of Australian life during the Twentieth Century. I'm don't know what else to say about this ... except that this is a very strange, bizarre and quirky novel. I did enjoy it but I'm not entirely certain why.

#112 - I'm almost done writing my review and that was basically my impression too. It was strange, I liked it quite a bit, and I'm not quite sure why, especially since a lot of the Australian national identity stuff goes over my head. Great writer and story-teller though.

I look forward to seeing your review Kerri - thanks for listing it for TIOLI as it bumped it to the top of my reading pile:)

I think he's a very good story teller:) I think there will be more of Peter Carey's books read sometime in the not too distant future, just not sure which one to try next.

Calm/Kerri - quirky and Carey seem to go together quite nicely. I love Jack Maggs but The Tax Inspector is too quirky even for my taste.
Wishing you a lovely weekend.

Hi Paul - pleased to see someone loved Jack Maggs - it didn't quite work for me when I read it:( Though I did like the quality of the writing which is why I was willing to give Carey another go:)

hmmm quirky is good... I usually like quirky :)

I finished one yesterday, and will start another today... I am reading much less than I usually do.
Not sure why?

ACK! Somehow I "ignored" your thread when I meant to "star" it! Many apologies, will try to be more vigilant from now on. Hope you're having a nice Saturday evening!

Hi Laura - not a bad Saturday - watching Wimbledon and trying to get my last TIOLI's of the month finished before midnight:)

No worries about the accidental ignore ... I'm sure we've all done it at one time or another:)

Just putting up the last June Reads so that I can work out the stats for the month. Hopefully back later with book thoughts.



80) Thirty-Three Teeth by Colin Cotterill (27 - 28 June)

This is a very enjoyable second book in the Dr Siri series. An escaped Malay Black Bear; some mysterious deaths and some supernatural goings-on lead Siri and his team into danger. Great sense of place and time, appealing characters and a page turning story mean that this is one series I am pleased to have discovered and I look forward to reading more of. Great stuff!

81) From the Holy Mountain by William Dalrymple (16 - 30 June)

In 1994 William Dalrymple spent five months travelling in the footsteps of John Moschos, the 6th/7th century Byzantine author of The Spiritual Meadow. This book was also a travel book - one detailing the state of Christianity of the time. As Dalrymple crosses the lands that were once part of the Byzantine Empire - from Greece to Egypt he meets different Christians and talks to them about the changes and if there is a hope for Christianity surviving in the Middle East.

Written in a diary format with historical information Dalrymple is a very good writer with a great eye for the people he meets. His travels are not always straightforward and the story he tells is a sad one in places but there are touches of humour that help to lift the mood. There are also photographs of the places he visits and some of the people which add to the text.

Sadly I know very little about what has happened to Christianity in the Middle East since this book was written nearly twenty years ago but as a picture of the time when it was written and the historical context for the different religions in the region this is still well worth reading.

82) Peaches for Monsieur le Curé by Joanne Harris (28 - 30 June)

A letter from Armande sends Vianne and her daughters back to Lansquenet. Things are different since she was last there and once again Vianne's presence will bring change.

I love Joanne Harris's work, her characters and the stories she tells. In this one the conflict between the Muslim incomers and the villagers is well described. I like the way the story progressed with touches of the trademark Chocolat magic but also a honest reflection of changing times. I can only hope that Joanne Harris returns to these characters sometime as I would love to know what happens next.

Nice cover on that last one ...

June Summary -

Books read - 12

10 - fiction
2 - nonfiction

Pages read - 5435

Number of books read and pages read are down from last month ... but I am not surprised as I had a couple of weeks of not being able to concentrate so it took me ages to read a book.

Book list
(All books marked with * were from the library, all others from my own shelves.)

1) *Now You See Me by S. J. Bolton
2) *Religion Explained by Pascal Boyer
3) Imajica by Clive Barker
4) Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
5) *Stonemouth by Iain Banks
6) Silk by Alessandro Baricco
7) An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears
8) *A Room Full of Bones by Elly Griffiths
9) Illywhacker by Peter Carey
10) *Thirty-Three Teeth by Colin Cotterill
11) *From the Holy Mountain by William Dalrymple
12) *Peaches for Monsieur le Curé by Joanne Harris

They all fitted into TIOLI categories and I am still on track for my 12 in 12 challenge with at least 6 books read per category so far. Which means that I have hit my original 12 in 12 target of a minimum of 6 books per category - looking good for the full 12 in 12:)

7 from the library and 5 from my shelves. Not so good:(

Books into the house -I borrowed 7 books from the library and have read 3 of them but I also bought 21 books. So that is 28 books into the house versus 12 read. Really Not Good!

From the library

Thirty Three Teeth by Colin Cotterill - Read
Dead Scared by S J Bolton
Peaches For Monsieur le Cure by Joanne Harris - Read
From the Holy Mountain by William Dalrymple - Read
The Ruby in Her Navel by Barry Unsworth
The Book of Madness and Cures by Regina O'Melveney - Currently Reading
The Swerve by Stephen Greenblatt

Onto the shelves of shame

March by Geraldine Brooks
Silk by Alessandro Baricco - Read
Three Continents by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Witch Child by Celia Rees
The Memory Garden by Rachel Hore
The Colour by Rose Tremain
Local Girls by Alice Hoffman
An Experiment in Love by Hilary Mantel
Silence by Shūsaku Endō
The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova
Where Time Winds Blow by Robert Holdstock
Across the Face of the World by Russell Kirkpatrick
The Woman who Loved an Octopus and other Saints' Tales by Imogen Rhia Herrad
Gate of Ivory by Robert Holdstock
Wolfsangel by M. D. Lachlan
The History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier
Nammah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey
Chaga (AKA Evolution's Shore) by Ian McDonald

Well I still have to write book thoughts for the last three books of June and shortly I will post my list of planned TIOLI reads for July - of course what I actually end up reading will probably be different:)

Thanks Kath - good book as well:)

Planned July TIOLI reads - so far:)

The ones I have already entered on the wiki and am mostly likely to read this month as they are a mix of library books and group reads:)

Challenge #1: Read a rainbow colored book
The Swerve : how the Renaissance began - Stephen Greenblatt (library book - currently reading)

Challenge #7: Read a book of *more than 300 pages* with *a multiple word title*
*East of Eden (608) - John Steinbeck (group read for the Steinbeckathon)
The Garden of Martyrs - (359) - Michael C. White (library book)

Challenge #9: Read a book with a Deckle Edge
*Something Wicked This Way Comes - Ray Bradbury (group read)

Challenge #14: In honor of 'Don't Step on A Bee Day' - Read a book whose title begins with a 'B'
The Book of Madness and Cures - Regina O'Melveny (library book - currently reading)

Challenge #18: Read a book where the author's Surname is also a Place name
*Dead Scared - S. J. Bolton (library book)
The Ruby in Her Navel - Barry Unsworth (library book)

I also have some others lined up as potential reads which are all resident on the shelves of shame and I do hope to read some of them:)

Challenge #3: Read a book set in one of the countries or regions that comprise the traditional Middle East
Eight Months on Ghazzah Street by Hilary Mantel

Challenge #5: Read a book with a title or author name that includes the letter Q
Lies by Enrique De Heriz

Challenge #6: Read a book with the word “boy” or “man” (or a synonym) in the title or author's name
Life Before Man by Margaret Atwood

Challenge #11: Read a book with a title that includes one or more colors of the olympic rings
*Half of a Yellow Sun - Chimamanda Adichie (there is a group read and this has been on the shelf for a while but I'm not sure if I can manage to read it this month)

So that is a list of 11 books - I should be able to read that many in a month but as always I reserve the right to Leave It!

I'm also sure that I will be keeping an eye on the wiki to spot any potential matched reads:)

Nice list of planned reads for July, calm. I'm just doing 1 TIOLI this month I think, but 2 books for the rainbow challenge. I've started on The China Governess since it has an indigo cover and when it comes round to red again on the rainbow thread, I'll do Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter.

Glad to see you're going to be with us for the Bradbury GR next weekend. :-)

Thanks Caro - it is a long time since I read Something Wicked and I think it will be good to see other people's reactions:)

Managed to write a few comments for Thirty Three Teeth and From the Holy Mountain (posts 120 and 121). Only one more to go to finish up for June but don't feel up to it just yet. Well I did only finish Peaches for Monsieur le Curé shortly before midnight yesterday ... hopefully I'll know what to say in the next day or two:)

Hi calm, loving your book reviews, they are giving me lots of food for thought for future book buying or to get from the library.

#126 - Looks like a great month of TIOLI reading. Something Wicked This Way Comes is a good one.
And I'll definitely read Half of a Yellow Sun next year when I do my Sub-Saharan African fiction category.

Hi John - thanks and I hope you like the books:)

Thanks Kerri - It is years since I read Something Wicked and I'm really looking forward to the read. Half of a Yellow Sun seems to be a much loved book so I hope to get to it soon. The group read thread already has a lot of messages so I think I better avoid it until I've read the book:)

And the first book of the month has arrived! My latest ER Infinite West Travels in South Dakota by Fraser Harrison

Very interesting lists and reading plan. As a,ways, kudos to you for having such a great plan and
participating in so many challenges. Amazing :)

Hope life is treating you well !

Hi Kath - it's just a way of selecting from the books on the shelves of shame and if I'm reading a book at the same time as other people it is a way of feeling connected to the outside world.

Hope you are having a great day.

Hi Calm! I'm happy to see that you enjoyed the second Dr Siri book! I would like to get to that one sometime soon
Looks like you have some great books set aside for July too!

Thanks Chelle - I'm enjoying the Dr Siri books unfortunately the third is one I'm going to have to request in person. Hope I remember next time I visit the library.

I hope they turn out to be great books:) Things are going well so far ... maybe not quite as quickly as usual but I've signed up for the Readathon that starts later today and there is a week long Readthing later this month as well. Just hope the cat lets me get some daytime reading in:)

Hi calm, just wizzing through to catchup a bit. Your planned TIOLI's for July look great.
I really need to check into Something wicked this way comes. The title alone sounds intriguing.

Hi Lynda - nice to see you here:)

Yes Something Wicked has a great title:) I read it about thirty years ago and don't remember very much about it. The Group Read is next weekend and I'm really looking forward to it.

Something Wicked This Way Comes is a reread for me too.. It has been a long time.. less than 30 years
though, since the last time I read it. Love it!

Hot here.. I think it's going to be a long, hot summer.

Very wet here ...but not too cold:) I think I would like to see some sun ... though not as hot as it is over there.

I would like to send you some sun. I could send a years worth, I'm pretty sure.

Thanks for the offer but I'm not sure if I would want quite that much ... it's all this rain that keeps Wales so green:) Just a little bit would be nice though.

I have now put some book thoughts up in post 122 for Peaches for Monsieur le Curé. So that is June's reads finished with. Still haven't finished a book in July but the Readathon will start in a couple of hours and I expect that means a couple of books will be read:)

Hi calm. The Dr Siri of course sounds good and From the Holy Mountain.

I've never read any Joanne Harris but I think my Mum has quite a few of her books - I'll have to borrow some!

Hi Heather - yes they are good books:)

I really like Joanne Harris's books - at least the ones I've read so far. Hope you like them.

Well I'm Readathoning just taking a short break to see what is happening on the threads. Hope everyone is having a good day.

Happy readathoning!!

It rained last night.. yay!

Hope it's a good day for you...

Thanks Kim - unfortunately not very much reading:( Not feeling at my best and am also watching Wimbledon. But this readathon goes on until tomorrow so I hope to pick up the pace:)

Hooray for rain Kath - sounds like you need it over there. Amazingly it has actually stopped here ... for now.

Hope you are having a great day.

Sorry to hear that you are't feeling well.. hope that changes soon!

Yes feeling better now - I think it was just one of those short cold like things.

I did manage to finish a couple of books during the Readathon but I am going to watch the men's semifinals at Wimbledon so no book thoughts at the moment

Hopefully back later today.

Hi Calm! Here's to me trying to catch up and staying current..haha!
Looking forward to your reads as always. :)

Hi Valerie - good to see you back on the threads:)

Going to try to fit in some quick book thoughts before Wimbledon starts.

Hi calm.. I will see you around the SWTWC thread today :)

83) The Book of Madness and Cures by Regina O'Melveney (1 - 3 July)

This is a strange one - I'm not entirely sure what I think of it but I did keep turning the pages wanting to know where it was going. So the story starts in Venice in 1590 when Gabrielle Mondini, a single 30 year old doctor, receives a letter from her father. He has been gone ten years researching his Book of Diseases and finally says that he is not going to come home. Gabrielle decides to follow in his footsteps and find him. What follows is a trip through Europe interspersed by entries from the Book of Diseases.

Now, for a debut novel, I found this an interesting read. There was definitely a flavour of the times but I just could not get over some issues. I can understand why Gabrielle became a doctor but she was only twenty when her father left would she really have had enough knowledge and experience to be allowed to practice unsupervised for all those years. Also if you are looking for someone who has been gone for ten years would you really start from the first place he went to in order to find him rather than the last place you knew he was? I never really got over these minor quibbles but I did enjoy Gabrielle's journey and the characters.

Overall this was worth reading and I will look out for what Regina O'Melveny does next.

Thanks Kath - I'll be there:)

Hi calm - Glad to hear you're feeling better. I think I'll skip The Book of Madness and Cures, but Peaches for Monsieur le Curé sounds promising. Enjoy Wimbledon!

Hi calm!
nice list of books for July :)
I like strange and The Book of Madness and Cures looks like something I might like but I think that one will go on a maybe list.

Hi calm, thought I'd drop by and try to catch up a little. I've only read one book by Peter Carey so far, True History of the Kelly Gang, but have others by him on the tbr like Oscar and Lucinda I look forward to getting to. He's a very prolific writer, and I get the impression he likes to play around with various styles and approaches, from the little I know of him.

I've been intrigued by William Dalrymple since I saw one of his books at a book shop ages ago. Noticed it because of the beautiful cover and then was intrigued by the title City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi, which has been on my wishlist ever since. Have you read that one? Or anything else by him?

With everyone raving about the Dr Siri series, I finally broke down and reserved the first book at the library. Even though I'm way overbooked this month, with several doorstoppers on the go. But it seems it's a must and I can't wait to see for myself what all the fuss is about!

Kerri - nice to see you. Yes Peaches is a good one though it is the third Vianne book - have you read Chocolat and The Lollipop Shoes (AKA - The Girl with No Shadow)? I can't see them in your library. If you haven't I would start at the beginning:)

Madness and Cures has its flaws but I did finish it:)

Thanks Kara - I think it is one to borrow rather than buy. If you spot it I guess it is worth giving a go:)

Ilana - thanks for visiting:) That was my second Carey - after Jack Maggs - and I'll definitely be reading more ... someday.

So far I've read 2 Dalrymple books From the Holy Mountain and Nine Lives. I found both interesting and I liked his style. I haven't read City of Djinns though I am able to get some it, and more of his work, from the library and will sometime. I know that Suz (Chatterbox) is a fan - maybe she can tell you more.

Dr Siri is a good one, in my opinion, it is also a fast read so will make a nice break from all those doorstoppers! Hope you like it.

#160 - Thank you for the tip - I didn't quite realize it was a series.

I see they have several Dalrymple books at the library, all of them about India, which I guess is what he wrote about most. I look forward to exploring Dr Siri's world. Should be sometime soon as I requested the book sometime last week.

That's what I was thinking, kara.. definitely one to consider...
Hi calm!

That's alright Kerri - I don't think I was clear about that in my book thoughts. Hope you like them if you decide to read them:)

The same with my library - I'm just not sure which one to try next ... but I'm not in a hurry I don't read non-fiction that quickly.

Hi Kath - definitely worth considering I think O'Melveny has promise as an author.

Not got around to any book thoughts today - watched the Wimbledon final which had some great tennis. I'm sad that Andy didn't win but Federer came back from the rain break so strong and he is a worthy champion.

As I said on the group read thread I finished Something Wicked This Way Comes and I have nearly finished The Swerve, hopefully I will be able to get some thoughts down tomorrow. I am getting a bit far behind:(

Off to see what everyone else has been up to today - I doubt if I will write many (if any) comments as my wrist is playing up - but I will be reading threads:)

Sorry to hear about your wrist Calm. Hope you feel better soon!

Hi Calm! Love Wimbledon and am happy for the winners. Spoiler Alert This means Federer will be tied for most weeks ranked at number one with Sampras! And I know it has been a rough time for Serena, so congrats to her too.

Valerie - it's just a carpal tunnel flare up - I am used to them but it does make certain things more difficult - like typing as I am a complete klutz while just using my left hand:)

Hi Kim - yes I enjoyed both finals - I might have been supporting the losers but there are other years for Andy and Radwanska. Also both Serena and Roger are probably coming to the end of their tennis careers (no offence but it does seem like both are having health problems and tennis is a very physical game). I will be sorry when Roger has to retire though as he is wonderful to watch.

About a month ago Barry Unsworth died and following a conversation on Darryl's thread I decided that I should read something of his as he was an author I had not come across before.



84) The Ruby in Her Navel by Barry Unsworth (3 - 5 July)

Twelfth century Sicily is a multicultural society — King Roger is the Norman ruler but his subjects and advisers include Muslims, Jews and Christians (both Catholic and Orthodox). Unfortunately the Second Crusade has just come to its unfortunate, for the Catholics, end and tensions are rising. Our narrator for this story is Thurstan Beauchamp, son of a Norman knight, but thwarted in his desire to become a knight himself. He has ended up working in one of the king's ministries working for a Muslim. He is idealistic and slightly naive. Into his life come two women - the dancer Nesrin and his first love Alicia, who is recently widowed.

This is very good historical fiction. I liked the way Unsworth built his picture of the times. I might have wanted to kick Thurstan sometimes as he doesn't seem to be able to see what is happening around him. But, for me, that is one of the signs of a good book as I wanted his story to come out in a positive way.

I'll definitely be reading more of Barry Unsworth's work in the future. I am just sorry I didn't discover his books before his death.

85) Dead Scared by S. J. Bolton (5 - 7 July)

Well the title is certainly accurate. S. J. Bolton's second Lacey Flint novel has the young policewoman undercover as a vulnerable Cambridge student. There has been a series of increasingly violent suicides and the police want to know if someone is persuading the victims or if there is something more sinister going on.

From the opening scene of Lacey high on one of tallest towers in Cambridge we go back a few days to discover what has led her to this place. From start to end I loved this book — the characters; the pace of the story; the ending. A brilliantly scary novel, closer to the psychological thriller of Bolton's earlier work than the police procedural of the first Lacey Flint story. Now all I have to do is wait for S. J. Bolton's next book - I'm really looking forward to see what this author does next.

Both books look good, the first one has a great cover!
How is life treating you ? Nothing much going on here.. which is good!

Thanks Kath - yes I liked the cover of that one as well:)

Wishing that the rain would stop and we had a bit of nicer weather here. Talked to my mother this morning - arrangements for my brother's wedding seem to be coming along. Still rather dreading it though:(

Trying to catch up on the reviews before I go to town tomorrow but the wrist still isn't at its best:(

Only two to go though and only one of those is a library book. Might just put in a placeholder for Something Wicked. Going to do some catching up on threads first though.

Back later:)

86) Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury (7 - 8 July)

Will and Jim are best friends with only minutes between their births - one born shortly before midnight and the other just after. There are differences and when a carnival comes to town the boys are drawn into a dark place. People in town change or disappear, can the boys and their friendship survive this experience.

Bradbury is a genius. I loved the atmosphere he created and the way his language builds pictures in your mind. This was a scarily beautiful read. I've got some Bradbury short story collections on the shelf - I think they won't stay there long:)

Ahhh...so many great books Calm! Dead Scared will probably be a library book though since I can't imagine I'd want to read a scary book more than once.
I'd be willing to trade weathers with you to get a break from this crazy heat we are having and will be having for the rest of the week. :)

Hi Valerie - I hate putting spoilers in book comments but I guess I should say I think that if anyone has Coulrophobia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coulrophobia) I would say give it a miss - as that is one of the freakiest scenes. Also there are some scenes involving animals and quite vivid descriptions of falconry. I still think it is a good scary novel:)

I nearly always borrow mysteries, crime and horror rather than buying them as the are the kind of books I am less likely to re-read.

Not sure about trading weather - how about combining them so you get some rain, rather than the deluge that Britain is experiencing, and some sun here, rather than the extreme heat in the US.

One more review to go ... still thinking though. I'm almost tempted to check out other reviews first to see if I can focus my thoughts:)

87) The Swerve : how the Renaissance began by Stephen Greenblatt (1 - 8 July)

This is a book that has different subtitles - How the World Became Modern is the one that comes up in the touchstone I prefer the one that is used on the copy I read - How the Renaissance Began. The book tells the story of a Roman poem that survived through chance and the efforts of an Italian book hunter of the 15th century. The poem was Lucretius' De Rerum Natura (On the Nature of Things); the man Poggio Bracciolini. Bracciolini didn't know what he found, he just wanted to rescue any Classical works that he could find - before time and accident could destroy the vulnerable manuscipts but the ideas expressed in the poem led to a shift or "Swerve" in how people thought.

This is literary history of the highest order. I loved how Greenblatt described the life of Poggio and the ideas of Epicurean philosophy expressed in the poem. This leads to a discussion of people known to have read (or owned) a copy of De Rerum Natura; the effort of the Catholic church to suppress the influence of the poem and how ideas we find common today were first expressed over two thousand years ago.

I did have a minor problem with the notes as there is no indication in the text that they exist. In the notes section there was just a page number and a small quote from the text. I ended up having to use three bookmarks in this book - one for the page I was reading; one in the notes and the third on the next page where the note was more than just a reference. Other editions may not have this problem but this is the only reason I cannot give this book the full five stars.

I will soon be reading De Rerum Natura again. It must be nearly twenty years since I first read it and I should definitely do so again.

#169 - Dead Scared sounds promising, although perhaps more scary than I'm used to. I put it on my wishlist anyway.

I'm glad you enjoyed Something Wicked This Way Comes. I remember liking that years ago. There's also a decent movie I think.

Hi Kerri - Have you read any S.J Bolton before? - this is the second Lacey Flint story (after Now You See Me) and there is a character from Blood Harvest but I don't think you have to read that one first.

Something Wicked is a good one:) The edition I read is one with the movie tie-in cover though I haven't seen it.

The rain stopped long enough for me to go to town today. So, naturally, I visited the library and a couple of other places:)

Library books
The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
Spiderweb by Penelope Lively
and The Cathars by Malcolm Lambert

Onto the shelves of shame
True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey
The Fall of Troy by Peter Ackroyd
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
and The Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell

Oooh, The Long Earth is on my wishlist so I'll be curious to see what you think of it. I don't think I've even read a Terry Pratchett book before, but his name is all over the fantasy sections at the bookstores.

Hi Valerie - I think I've read most of Pratchett's work. I really enjoy his stuff, I'm looking forward to seeing how this collaboration works, as it is a library book it shouldn't be too long until I read it:) Looking at the inside front cover text it says "the first in an exciting new collaboration" so it looks like there might be more to come.

Calm - some great recent reviews. Barry Unsworth was a favourite of mine. Sacred Hunger is of course rightly lauded but I enjoyed Morality Play even better which was exceptional historical lit.

Thanks Paul - I think that you were one of the people talking about Unsworth's work recently ... that was the one that was on the local library shelf but I'm definitely going to be looking for more of his books. Your recommendations are noted and I've put in a request for Morality Play - there is meant to be a copy at another branch ... just hope they can find it:)

>172 calm: so few people have this book on LT, i keep wondering if it is the wrong touchstone. But I think it must not be.

I knew i'd heard of Peter Carey (was wondering from #112), you've answered my question with your latest shelves of shame documentation, he wrote that Booker Winner True History of the Kelly Gang.

Megan - I think I've got the right touchstone on that post it goes to http://www.librarything.com/work/3397 with 5293 members, which actually doesn't seem to be very many for such a great book. But if you use the touchstone the first option is Something Wicked This Way Comes - http://www.librarything.com/work/12009785 which only has 13 members and from the tags might be the DVD.

Yes Carey won the Booker for that one. I seem to be reading a few of them but I'm not going out of my way to find them:) I also could have got Oscar and Lucinda but decided one per author was a reasonable buy for one day:)

#177 - Oh good grief! I'm always doing that with series books. No, I haven't read any S.J Bolton, but I think I do prefer to read series in order, even if you don't really have to, which seems to be the case with some mystery/thriller/crime novel series, or so it seems to someone fairly new to the genre.

Have a lovely weekend!

SWTWC
This was a scarily beautiful read
Sold! that was the push I needed to get to it quicker.
I will reserve this on my next go around at the library :)

Kerri - no worries. Bolton's first three books were stand-alones. It is only her last two that are about the same person - though characters from her earlier books do appear I don't think it is necessary to have read them to read the Lacey Flint's - unless you intend to go back to the earlier ones sometime as those characters appear and we are given a little bit of their back stories they do contain spoilers for the earlier books.

Kara - Bradbury is well worth reading. I'm just sorry that it was his death that was the nudge to take the books off the shelf (both were re-reads) and I do have some of his other books that I have not read, yet!

Hi calm! Hope all is well with you and your little corner of the world is finally drying out. Rumor has it there's some huge sporting event beginning shortly nearby. ;0) Don't know why but I've always been put off by Bradbury, but it looks like it's tme to check him out.

Hi calm, hope you are well and the weather has been as good for you as it has for us this weekend.

Hi calm - some great book reviews. The Ruby in Her Navel, The Swerve and Something Wicked This Way Comes have all gone on my wishlist. In fact I want all the Bradbury books in that trilogy.

Just checking Calm! Hope you are doing well. :)

Hi Lynda; John; Heather and Valerie - thanks for stopping by:)

Lynda - Sporting event? I think I can avoid it in this quiet part of the world:)

Well I (and a few others) like Bradbury so I hope you do too.

John - if I remember there was actually a bit of sun on Sunday, followed by rain; rain and more rain. Though it has actually stopped at the moment! Maybe if it holds off I'll risk a trip down the hill and see if the village has been flooded!

Heather - Thanks for liking the book thoughts:)

I hadn't even heard about the second Green Town book, from what people are saying it is more of a sequel to DW. SWTWC's seems to be just set in the same town but it is very good.

Valerie - a bit meh:( it is just so wet here that it's getting me down and I'm feeling a bit anti-social; still doing some reading and have finally started East of Eden for the Steinbeckathon. Don't think it is fair to the books to be writing anything about them while I'm feeling low so I hope to feel better soon. Hope all is well in your world:)

Sorry to hear bout the meh feeling. I totally get that when it gets all grey and dreary for any extended amount of time. Sending you some sunshine from my part of the world. We have too much of it as is....

I need to read East of Eden at some point. I've started it at least 3 times and for some reason I always end up not finishing it and not because it's a bad book or anything...

Catching up....

Re William Dalrymple; he seems to have shifted for a short while into writing straight history books, such as The Last Mughal, which I enjoy but which are different from his others. IMO, Nine Lives was his least successful book -- one in which the concept overwhelmed the story. I think From the Holy Mountain holds up very well indeed -- reading it when the paperback came out in 1998 inspired me to go to Turkey the next year (including Cappadocia) and then, a few years later, to both Jordan and Syria. I met an Egyption Copt recently who was talking to me about how, since the revolution there, violence against the Christian minority has escalated.

The City of Djinns is a good book, as is The Age of Kali. His debut was In Xanadu, which is a fairly straightforward travel narrative; good -- it won awards -- but to me not quite as gripping.

I have to get on with An Instance at the Fingerpost; I had hoped to finish it last month, but was struggling with my reading across the board. But I have a couple of other chunksters that it appears I'll be reading first.

Checking in... not really quite caught up...
Glad that you liked the Bradbury though :)

Thankfully, I am already in the middle of Something Wicked so you can't get me there; I just found out the Greenblatt is one of the authors coming to Portland next season for Literary Arts so now I really must read The Swerve and you got me with the Bolton books, too. Dangerous thread you got here lady!! Hope the meh goes away soon.

Valerie - I'm enjoying East of Eden but have made it my "in bed" book, so it is going slowly which I actually think might be the best way to read it. I'm into part two now so have been introduced to the Trasks and Hamiltons (and Cathy!). Love his descriptions of life and the Salinas Valley. I'm interested to see where it goes.

Thanks for that Suz - I'll make City of Djinns the next Dalrymple I read then. Probably not too soon as I want to mix up my NF reading a bit and am reading a travel book at the moment.

I can understand about not wanting to read too many chunksters. Fortunately books are patient and I'm sure you'll get to The Instance of the Fingerpost someday:)

Thanks for checking in Kath - not much going on here. Yes I'm liking Bradbury ... an author I have neglected for too long ... but there are so many books out there:(

Hi Kim - pleased you dodge a BB:) Hope you get to see Greenblatt at the Literary Arts I think The Swerve was an interesting read though he seems to be better known as a Shakespearian scholar. It will be interesting to find out what he talks about.

I can blame Kath for making me aware of Bolton:) I like me a bit of psychological thriller/mystery/supernatural reading and I like the atmosphere Bolton creates, hope you do as well.

Hopefully I'll be up to writing some book thoughts later but first I'm trying to catch up on commenting on other people's threads. So we'll have to see how well the wrist holds up:)

Back later:)

Hello, hello! Stopping in to try and catch up... interesting stuff you've been reading lately!

Nice to see you Faith. I'm doing a bit of catch up as well:) Thanks for stopping by.

Stopping in with a quick hello :)

Hi calm - I'm just popping in to say hello. I hope the meh-ness has cleared up a bit and you get some sunshine soon. I look forward to your reviews, which always seem to land several books on my wishlist!

Hello Kath:)

Hi Kerri - yes the sun is shining, not feeling so meh:) Will definitely be writing some book thoughts later today! I hope:)

Stopping by to say hello, looking forward to more reviews.

88) Lies by Enrique De Heriz (8 - 12 July)

This was an interesting one - told from two points of view. Isabel Garcia Luna is in Guatemala when she is mistakenly reported dead and, as she spends some time reflecting on her life, work and family, she has to decide whether to return to her life. Meanwhile at the family home in Spain her children have gathered and her daughter Serena delves into the family past with a particular focus on the story of Simon, her grandfather who died before his son's birth.

Translated from Spanish by John Cullen the prose flows nicely. I was only baffled by one sentence which I presume was a translation of a Spanish saying. The importance of family stories and what is left unsaid is an intriguing premise and I really liked the way things developed. The story is told well with the layers of lies being uncovered slowly. I must say though that I never really got to know the other main characters, Isabel's husband, sons and grandson. Apart from that I did like reading this. So. all in all, not an outstanding read but also one I'm not sorry to have read.

Thanks John - one down three more to go:)

89) The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter (12 - 14 July)

I am a huge Pratchett fan though I haven't read very much of Stephen Baxter's work but when I heard about this novel I had to read it. The basic premise is that there is a series of parallel Earths and, after the plans are posted on the internet, a simple machine allows most people to step into the adjacent world and then the next and the next.

This is a very imaginative piece of fiction. I loved the idea and how the authors have created the possible worlds especially as we get deeper into the alternate worlds. If there is a flaw about this novel it is the fact that some character's stories are started and we do not return to them often enough so this is a novel that left me wanting more. Fortunately it is the first of a series and I can only hope that the rest will be as interesting and intriguing as this one.

Hi calm, enjoyed your review of The Long Earth, i have been considering getting this as i found the premise of the book interesting and the fact it is part of a series. I stuggled a bit with the first discworld novel but was not put off so i will continue when i can get round to the next few.

I'm so, so happy you liked The Long Earth. Undoubtably, this will be one book that I will be eagerly waiting till it comes out in paperback and then I'm snatching it up as soon as I can. I'm okay with questions not being answered or some characters not being fully fleshed out if there is other books to follow up on it!

Hi John - Pratchett is worth persevering with. He hadn't found his voice in the first few Discworld books but they do get a lot better. If you like SF The Long Earth is a promising start to a new series. I just hope that he can keep writing.

Valerie - I grabbed it from the library as I didn't want to wait for the paperback release but it is definitely on my wishlist as I will want my own copy someday. I like to own series books so that I can re-read and not have to depend on the library keeping the books.

Two more sets of book thoughts to come later. I've also near to the end of my latest ER and hope to finish it today. About half way through East of Eden so that will take me a few more days:)

Off to catch up on what other people have been doing (AKA - lurking!). Back later:)

Sunday greetings, calm. The Long Earth sounds like a very different kind of story and since it's the first in a series I hope to pick it up and give Pratchett a try, finallyl.
Hope you're doing well :0)

90) The Garden of Martyrs by Michael C White (14 - 17 July)

This is quality historical fiction. Set in early nineteenth century America White uses the true case of James Halligan and Dominic Daley, two Irish Catholic immigrants to Boston, who were charged with murder. This is the story of their trial and the affect that anti-Catholic feeling had at the time on the verdict. White also focuses on a third character, Father Chevereus, one of the two priests in Boston at the time. Both of whom had escaped from France during the French Revolution.

This is well written and well researched. As the characters are mostly real people White has had to use his imagination to flesh out their motivations but he seems to have given some thought to this and the end result rings true. The picture of the times and what brought these men to this point is fascinating. This is wonderful story telling that highlights a period of history that I knew very little about. If you have any interest in religious, political, social or legal history I definitely recommend this book.

Hi Lynda - great to see you:) The Long Earth was interesting and I really hope that there isn't too long to wait before the next one is published.

#210: Wow, that one sounds terrific! I will have to see if my local library has it. Thanks for the recommendation, calm.

Stasia! - wonderful to see you:) I really hope you like the book - it is a long time since I hit you with a BB:)

#213: I already checked and my local library does not have the book. Rats.

Sorry to hear that:( If I hadn't borrowed it from the library myself I would offer to send it to you but I don't think they would be very pleased if one of their books ended up in Texas!

#215: I promise not to tell if you don't!

LOL! I don't think I could borrow it for long enough to get it to the States and back before they noticed it was missing:)

#217: How many times can you renew it? lol

So sorry your library didn't have it, Stasia. I've put in a request at my library. They have four but they are all checked out so it could be 3 days or three weeks, who knows. I've got enough to keep me busy til it shows up.

Unfortunately I'm at the end of the renewals - I have to take it back tomorrow:( I left it sitting too long before reading it.

There we go Lynda's library has it - maybe she could send it to you - Hopefully her library loan should give you both time to read it!

#221: Pretty soon we will have books circumnavigating the globe if I stick around too long!

Sounds good to me:)

#223: No, I want to be the thing circumnavigating the globe. I will just rush around and pick books up and deliver them to people :)

OK - sounds like a great thing to do and of course you could read the books while travelling to the next person:)

See? Works for me!

Now, if only Santa would allow me to borrow his sleigh. . .

The Garden of Martyrs does look good..

Stasia - Santa's sleigh would be perfect:)

Kath - well I thought so:) Actually I've already requested another of his books from the library Soul Catcher which looks like it will be good as well.

Hi calm - glad you enjoyed The Long Earth. The Garden of Martyrs also looks interesting and I love the cover!

Hi Heather - yes The Long Earth was very good - eagerly awaiting the next one though:)

I think it was partly the cover of The Garden of Martyrs that caught my attention at the library. I was quite surprised by how few copies there are on LT though. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of his work.

91) The Blue Girl by Charles de Lint (17 - 18 July)

This is one of de Lint's Newford stories but this time it is a Young Adult novel, though probably more suited to the older teen as there are some elements that might be too grown up for younger readers.

Seventeen year old Imogene has had an unusual upbringing - her parents were part of a hippy commune and when they moved to a city she became part of a street gang. Moving to Newford with her mother and older brother is supposed to be a fresh start, she is going to keep out of trouble and not get involved in any high school cliques. Unfortunately this being Newford things aren't quite that simple. Her friendship with Maxine, the good girl with an overprotective mother, is a positive but gaining the attention of the school bullies and a ghost challenge her intentions.

This is a lighter book than de Lint's adult stories. He deals with the issues well and, as always, his fiction is grounded in reality with the supernatural and faerie elements well integrated into the world he creates. Some of the regular Newford characters do make an appearance but I don't think knowing the back stories is too important or will spoil them if you haven't read them yet.

I still prefer his adult stories but I really like de Lint's work and this is no exception. The three narrators, Imogene, Maxine and Adrian (the ghost), give different viewpoints and build the plot well. I liked the characters and the way the story developed. It turned out to be a good book about friendship and being yourself.

Great review of TGOM. I'm adding that one to my list. I hope you're having a fantastic day, Calm.

Hi Valerie, thanks:)

Yesterday was quiet but today I went to town and then out to the Red Kite Centre for feeding time. Still an amazing sight:) I also saw a duck with her ducklings - very cute.

Of course town meant more books

From the library

Morality Play by Barry Unsworth (Paul's recommendation after I read Ruby in her Navel)
Ark by Stephen Baxter (fancied trying one of Baxter's solo works after reading The Long Earth but didn't realise until I got onto LT that this was a sequel - so I've put in a request for Flood and will try to hold onto this one for long enough to read both)
Jezebel by Eleanor de Jong (looked interesting and fits a category for my 12 in 12)

Second hand books

Carnevale by M. R. Lovric (On my wishlist as I like her books)
Godiva by Nerys Jones (this author's one and only novel but it looks good)
and The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon by Richard Zimler (loved the cover and the story looks interesting)

I'm delurking to say that I really enjoyed both Morality Play and The Last Kabbalist in Lisbon.

Godiva makes me think of chocolates. :)

Ahhh! a de Lint! I liked that one, too.

Kerry - Thanks for delurking (something I don't do often enough!) good to have confirmation that I picked up a couple of good ones:)

Valerie - Chocolate? The only association I have is the naked lady riding through the streets of Coventry:)

Kath - I really like de Lint, he is one of my favourite authors.

LOL. Yeah, over here in Canada we have a chocolate company (apparently to die for from my sister in law) called Godiva Chocolates. I guess now you can just imagine the naked lady covered with premium but overpriced chocolate. ;)

Don't think I really fancy that image in my head:) There are much better things to do with chocolate ... especially the overpriced premium kind:)

>210 calm: great review, nice cover :)

Just popping in to say hello!

Thanks Megan:)

Hi Kath - good to see you.

I finished my most recent ER and East of Eden so I have got two books to write comments about but I am finally catching up on some chores around the house that I have been neglecting. Today I finally managed to get around to replacing the tiles behind the cooker (They fell off last year!).

Taking a short break to see what everyone else is up to. I might be back here later:)

Ugh, house chores! I've been doing them off and on all day, and while it looks a little spiffier around here, there is still so much to do! Maybe I'll take a nap and see what really needs to be done once I get up. Otherwise, I think it may be time for me to just take it easy and read!

Looking forward to your comments, and hoping you enjoy your break!

Hi calm - The Long Earth sounds intriguing, but a particular U.S. television show that I watch (against my better judgement) may be souring me a bit on alternate universes. Still, I think I'll put it on the wish list. I've never read either author.

Hmmmm..catching up on chores...story of my life. :)

I'm looking forward to your comments on East of Eden, Calm!

*Wink* hi Calm some very interesting reviews the last three, gone straight onto my wishlist.

Sorry I haven't been back sooner. Housework and Carpal Tunnel do not mix:( Typing is very difficult and I'm still not up to writing book comments. I am taking part in the Readathing though so I'm sure that backlog will pile up even more:)

Laura - I've got a while before the house needs to be "spiffy" but I'm just doing a little bit at a time. It will get there:)

Kerri - Which TV show? Hope you like the book ... if you get around to reading it:)

Valerie - Fortunately (or unfortunately) living alone means that certain things get neglected. Especially the spare room which mostly gets used as a dumping ground but, apart from the last minute making of the bed and a quick vacuum and polish that room is ready. Just need to do some cleaning around the rest of the house - at least I can't think of anything else that needs repairing.

East of Eden was very good.

drachenbraut23 - always pleased to add to other's wishlists:) Hope you like the books.

I read the last chapter of my ER book this morning. I thought it was really good. I didn't get to it last night, I watched the Olympics instead :)

I feel like I am constantly doing house chores.. but with a shedding dog like Dunkers and four kitties..
there is a lot to do. I truly appreciate my vacuum cleaner :P

It's been a while since I stopped by. I vow to try to spend more time checking threads, even if only for 1/2 hour a day.

Charles de Lint is a great author. I haven't read The Blue Girl, but I think I own it and will try to find it amid the 100's, no more likely 1,000 books scattered throughout the house.

I liked A Circle of Cats. I know Tad (TadAd) and Kath have read some of his books.

#247 - Fringe. Ugh. It started off well (like all J.J. Abrams projects) and then got ridiculous (like all J.J. Abrams projects). We were going to give it up, but it's gotten better towards the end of the last season, so we're sticking with it.

I know what you mean about carpal tunnel and housework; rheumatoid arthritis and housework do not mix easily, also. I hate the vacuum cleaner not for what it can do but for what it does to my wrists! Bah humbug.

I hope you are feeling more rested and can read in peace.

Kath - I only vacuum when I think there is too much cat hair or I know someone is visiting:)

Linda - good to see you and thanks for visiting. Yes de Lint is great. I haven't read A Circle of Cats yet as his books aren't the easiest to find over here and I refuse to start buying books online as I'm sure I would go completely out of control if I did so:)

Kerri - Haven't heard of that one. But I must admit that I tend not to watch the US SF or fantasy shows as, sometimes, they get cancelled without completing the story arc. Having said that I am getting into Once Upon a Time as they are showing the first season here.

Still Readathinging and am finishing more books:) I'm updating the list in the second message and will get around to book comments sooner or later.

Taking a short break from the books to see what is happening on the threads.

Karen - you slipped in there. Yes manhandling the vacuum cleaner does make things hurt. It is trying to find the balance between how much pain I can handle and how bad I let things get because if I let things get too far out of hand it will hurt more to get things done:(

Oh well it is not as if I have to do these things and I would much rather be reading anyway:)

yes, calm, I know what you mean. Balance... balance.... and follow your passions. (my passion is not for house cleaning)

Thanks Karen:)

yeah... I didn't used to be a vacuum fanatic... but Duncan and sometimes Morgan have the ability
to shed in poofs of hair. I don't vac every day, but I could and probably should :P Since Dunkers came home, my vacuuming has increased by a lot!

I recently snagged a stick vac from Vine, and I tucked it behind the door in my dining room. I adore it.
I can skip a time or two a week of the using the big guns.

Hi calm, how are you doing my dear. Had a hectic weekend what with the Olympic opening ceremony on T.V and then doing all the catering for my daughters engagement party on saturday night in York, but it was a good evening apart from the fact that i could only have one drink as i had to do the driving but it was nice to see all of their friends and family and having a good chat. Hope you have had a nice weekend. The weather is a bit mixed in Wakefield, been sunny now we are having a light shower, oh well back to the books.

Greatings calm. I saw you reading away during the readathing. I will be back for more of it Wednesday or Thurs.

Godiva choc. is to die for! So rich, so creamy, so expensive. We had a Godiva store in one of our pricier shopping malls where you could by one or two at a time, but I could never stop at one so I began ignoring that side of the mall.

I like the de Lint cover of Blue Girl and it makes me want to read it.

Kath - the stick vac sounds good. I do "spot" clean sometimes and that would be easier I think:)

John - good to see you and congratulations on being the 3000th Green Dragoneer! So you've got a family wedding coming up - what fun:) The weather is incredibly changeable, rainy here again now though.

Hi Lynda - yes lots of reading going on:) With the carpal flare up I've been reading short books, easier to hold. I'm now 8 books behind on book comments:(

Think it might be time to take a break from the reading and start writing!

The Godiva chocolate does sound good. There is a Thornton's Chocolate shop in town but I don't go in:)

The de Lint does have a nice cover, hope you like it if you do get around to reading it.

Needed to get a couple of things from the village shop today. Tuesday is also supposed to be market/car boot sale day though the weather is definitely affecting things. There were no market stalls and only 2 car boot stalls! I still managed to find some books:)

Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving
The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
and The Rediscovery of Man by Cordwainer Smith

Next up covers and dates. Thoughts pending. I would like to keep July's reads to this thread and will probably start a new thread tomorrow.

92) Infinite West Travels in South Dakota by Fraser Harrison (9 - 22 July)

I received this book from ER and looked forward to seeing South Dakota through an Englishman's eyes. What started out as more about the author turned into a look at the history of several tourist destinations but with, what seemed to me, an emphasis on what happened to the indigenous people when settlers and gold hunters arrived.

This is a very personal story but I did learn some of the history of places like Mount Rushmore; Deadwood and Wounded Knee. This is not so much about the experience of travelling but the places you travel to. I must say that I would have appreciated some photographs in the book, especially as the author talks about the pictures he took in the Badlands and other places, but this was an ARC and maybe the publisher will consider including them in the completed book.

93) East of Eden by John Steinbeck (18 - 25 July)

Using his own family history and combining it with the story of the fictional Trask's Steinbeck covers over fifty years of the lives of these two families. A story of good and evil strongly rooted in the biblical story of Cain and Abel.

Once again Steinbeck weaves his story well. His mastery of language and character; his sense of place and time meant that from the opening scene describing the setting for this novel to the final scene I was drawn along on the story that Steinbeck wanted to tell. Steinbeck is surely one of the greatest writers of the Twentieth Century.

94) Life Before Man by Margaret Atwood (23 - 28 July)

This is a novel is about relationships, love and grief. It covers two years in the lives of three people. Short, dated sections are narrated by Elizabeth and Nate, who are a married couple, and Lesje who works in the same museum as Elizabeth. Nate and Elizabeth have an "open" marriage, both have lovers but stay together for the sake of the children. Shortly before the opening of the story Elizabeth's last lover commits suicide and this is a catalyst for change within the relationship.

I must say that it is important to pay attention to the dates as the story skips months and occasionally Nate's sections cover things that occurred earlier. I appreciate Atwood's ability to make unappealing characters interesting,. The story is well written and, though I can't call this enjoyable, it is definitely a thought provoking read.

95) Ash by Malinda Lo (28 - 29 July)

This a re-imagining of the tale of Cinderella and I liked what Malinda Lo did with the story. As the story starts Aisling's mother has recently died and we are introduced to the beliefs about the fairy in this world. Other things happen but we do end up with the traditional part of the tale with Ash living as a servant in her stepmother's house. From there things divert from the traditional tale and I really enjoyed where Lo's imagination takes us. The weaving of the fairy tale into the world building works very well. Maybe the characterisation isn't the strongest but it is still an appealing book.

96) History and Romance by Richard Barber (6 June - 29 July)

The third and final collection edited by Richard Barber. In this one we have a mix of real and fictional characters - King Harold; Hereward the Wake; Richard the Lionheart; King Horn; Havelock the Dane; Guy of Warwick; Bevis of Hampton; Sir Gawain; Robin Hood; Macbeth and Lady Godiva. As in all these collections some of the tales were familiar to me and others were not - or presented in an unfamiliar fashion.

I did enjoy reading these but I do think that they are for dipping in and out of not reading straight through. The Folio edition was a delight to read and I recommend it to anyone with an interest in the Myths and Legends of Britain.

Warning not for Kath!!!

I read this after reading Dee's (Soupdragon's) thoughts.



97) Spiderweb by Penelope Lively (29 - 30 July)

This is a story told from two points of view. Newly retired social anthropologist Stella Brentwood moves to a small Somerset cottage. Her past means that she is used to observing communities, not being part of them. We learn some of Stella's history and what lead her to this place. After a lifetime of travel and teaching will she be able to settle? The other strand to the story is that of the two teenage sons of Stella's closest neighbour and extracts from the local paper help to move the story along.

This is a short and deceptively simple book. There are questions unanswered but that is life. I enjoyed Stella's story and will be reading more from Lively in the future.

98) Coraline by Neil Gaiman (30 July)

This is a short YA novel from Neil Gaiman. Young Coraline has just moved to a flat in an old house. Bored and lonely, as her parents are preoccupied and the neighbours are rather strange, she discovers a secret door into a parallel world. There her "other" mother has button eyes and lots of nice things for a little girl to do. Unfortunately returning to the real world means that Coraline has more problems.

I'll start off by saying that I do prefer his adult novels. I do think this feeds off childhood fears and has a touch of Gaiman's quirky and dark atmosphere but, for me, there was something missing. So it was a quick read but not quite to my personal taste.

99) Morality Play by Barry Unsworth (30 - 31 July)

Another winner from Barry Unsworth. Late Fourteenth Century England and Nicholas Barber, a young cleric, falls in with a group of travelling players. They move on to a small town where there has recently been a murder and choose to create a play of the events.

This a short but fascinating story, one step follows another in a logical fashion as the characters learn more about the death. Unsworth has created a vivid picture of these actors and the situation they find themselves in. A great feel for the time and history made this a book I am very pleased to have read. I will definitely be reading more Barry Unsworth.

Back sometime with book comments. Probably also need to compile the July stats as I am not going to finish another book today.

See you soon(ish)

July Summary -

Books read - 17

15 - fiction
2 - nonfiction

Pages read - 5054

Number of books read up but pages read down from last month ... but I am not surprised as I had a carpal tunnel attack and chose to read shorter (lighter and more easily handled) books.

Book list
(All books marked with * were from the library, all others from my own shelves.)

1) * The Book of Madness and Cures by Regina O'Melveney
2) * The Ruby in Her Navel by Barry Unsworth
3) * Dead Scared by S. J. Bolton
4) Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
5) * The Swerve by Stephen Greenblatt
6) Lies by Enrique De Heriz
7) * The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
8) * The Garden of Martyrs by Michael C White
9) The Blue Girl by Charles de Lint
10) Infinite West Travels in South Dakota by Fraser Harrison
11) East of Eden by John Steinbeck
12) Life Before Man by Margaret Atwood
13) Ash by Malinda Lo
14) History and Romance by Richard Barber
15) * Spiderweb by Penelope Lively
16) Coraline by Neil Gaiman
17) * Morality Play by Barry Unsworth

All except one (History and Romance) fitted into TIOLI categories and I am still on track for my 12 in 12 challenge with at least 7 books read per category so far.

8 from the library and 9 from my shelves. Not too bad.

Books into the house -I received one book from ER; I borrowed 6 books from the library (and have read 3 of them); I also bought 10 books. So that is 17 books into the house versus 17 read. At least the numbers balance this month:)

From ER

Infinite West Travels in South Dakota by Fraser Harrison - read

From the library

The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter - read
Spiderweb by Penelope Lively - read
The Cathars by Malcolm Lambert - currently reading
Morality Play by Barry Unsworth - read
Ark by Stephen Baxter - waiting until I go to the library to pick up the first book - Flood
Jezebel by Eleanor de Jong

Onto the shelves of shame

True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey
The Fall of Troy by Peter Ackroyd
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
The Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell
Carnevale by M. R. Lovric
Godiva by Nerys Jones
The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon by Richard Zimler
Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving
The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
and The Rediscovery of Man by Cordwainer Smith

Not a bad month for reading though I am still 8 books behind on comments:( I'll just have to fill them in when I feel up to it.

Tomorrow is a new month and I'll set up a new thread then with a list of potential TIOLI reads.

There are still some book comments to write and I do hope to get around to them sooner or later.

But it is a new month and past time for a new thread:) So I've moved over here http://www.librarything.com/topic/140400.

Hope to see you over there:)