brenzi's 2012 Reading - The Dog Days of Summer - Part 8

“Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
― Apple Inc.







MY ORANGE JANUARY THREAD

MY NON-FICTION CHALLENGE THREAD

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

L - library book

NF - Non-fiction

Books Read in 2012

56. Summer - Edith Wharton - e book - 4 stars
55. Sugar Street - Naguib Mahfouz - Egypt - 4 stars
54. The Warden - Anthony Trollope - e book - 4 stars
53. In the Shadow of the Banyan - L - 4.8 stars
52. Columbine - Dave Cullen - OTS - NF - 5 stars
51. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith - OTS - 4 stars
50. Palace of Desire - Naguib Mahfouz - OTS - Egypt - 4 stars
49. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - Muriel Spark - OTS - UK - 4 stars
48. Escape From Camp14:One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West - L - Blaine Harden - NF - North Korea - 4 stars
47. Juliet in August - Dianne Warren - ER - Canada - 4.8 stars
46. When I Lived in Modern Times - Linda Grant - OTS - Palestine - 4 stars
45. Palace Walk - Naguib Mahfouz - OTS - Egypt - 5 stars
44. The Age of Miracles - Karen Thompson Walker - L - 3.7 stars
43. The Septembers of Shiraz - Dalia Sofer - Iran - OTS - 4 stars
42. Finding Nouf - Zoe Ferraris - Saudi Arabia - OTS - 3.6 stars
41. The Pickwick Papers - Charles Dickens - UK - ebook - 4 stars
40. Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn - L - 4 stars
39. The Missing - Tim Gautreaux - OTS - 4 stars
38 The Memory Chalet - Tony Judt - NF - OTS - 4 stars
The Balkan Trilogy - Olivia Manning - OTS - 4.4 stars
37. Friends and Heroes - Greece
36. The Spoilt City - Romania
35. The Great Fortune -Romania
34. I Shall Not Want - Julia Spencer-Fleming - L - 4.5 stars
33. Bring Up the Bodies - Hilary Mantel - UK - ER - 7 stars
32. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down - Anne Fadiman - NF - OTS - 4 stars
31. Salvage the Bones - Jessmyn Ward - L - ebook - 4.5 stars
30. Remarkable Creatures - Tracy Chevalier - OTS - 4.6 stars
29. Broken Glass Park - Alina Bronsky - Germany - OTS - 4.1 stars
28. The Fault in Our Stars - John Green - L - 4.2 stars
27. A Wreath of Roses - Elizabeth Taylor - UK - 4 stars
26. The Leopard - Giuseppe Di Lampedusa - Italy - OTS - 3.7 stars
25. The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller - Greece - L - 4.6 stars
24. Voyagers of the Titanic - Richard P. Davenport-Hines - NF - ER - 4.2 stars
23. Binocular Vision - Edith Pearlman - 4.3 stars - L
22. Sovereign - C. J. Sansom - UK - 4.6 stars - OTS
21. There But For The - Ali Smith - UK - 3.5 stars - L
20. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption - Laura Hillenbrand - Japan - 5 stars - NF - OTS
19. All Mortal Flesh - Julia Spencer-Fleming - 4.3 stars - L
18. A View of the Harbour - Elizabeth Taylor - UK - 4.5 stars - OTS
17. Gillespie and I - Jane Harris - Scotland - 4.8 stars - L
16. How to Breathe Underwater - Julie Orringer - 3.5 stars - OTS
15. The Artist of Disappearance - Anita Desai -India - 3 stars
14. Silk - Allesandro Baricco - France/Japan - 4 stars - OTS
13. Emma - Jane Austen - UK - 4.3 stars - OTS
12. Inferno: The World at War 1939-1945 - Max Hastings - 5 stars - NF - e book - L
11. The Frozen Thames - Helen Humphreys - UK - 4.5 stars - L
10. Bleak House - Charles Dickens - UK - 5 stars - e book
9. Bossypants - Tina Fey - 3.5 stars- audio - NF
8. The Scapegoat - Daphne duMaurier - France - 4.5 stars - OTS
7. The Orphan Master's Son - Adam Johnson - North Korea - 4.3 stars - L
6. Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader - Anne Fadiman - 4 stars - NF - L
5. Old Filth by Jane Gardam - UK - 4 stars
4. The Observations by Jane Harris - Scotland - 4.5 stars - OTS
3. Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff - Egypt - 4.2 stars NF - OTS
2. White Teeth by Zadie Smith - UK - 4.3 stars -OTS
1. Sorry by Gail Jones - Australia - 4.5 stars

CURRENTLY READING:

Best of Second Quarter



JULY SUMMARY

Finding Nouf by Zoe Ferraris – murder mystery set in Saudi Arabia that brought to light the elements of the Saudi culture that represses women. First in a series but I’m not sure I’ll follow along.

The Septembers of Shiraz by Dalia Sofer – set during the years immediately following the fall of the Shah in 1981, this debut novel, written in hauntingly beautiful prose, explores the effects of the Iranian Revolution on the general population and particularly, on one family.

Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker - What if we’re preparing for the wrong disaster? What if it isn’t global warming that spells doom for our planet but something altogether different? These are the questions posed by Karen Thompson Walker in her very intriguing debut novel. It’s also the coming of age story of the eleven year old narrator, Julia, who is suffering from sixth grade angst that leaves her feeling isolated and lonely. The earth’s rotation is slowing and the effects this produces on the population are enumerated in a not so successful debut novel.

Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz – Book One of Nobel Laureate Mahfouz’s Cairo Trilogy introduces us to the Sayid family, and its tyrannical patriarch, al-Sayid Ahmad Abd al-Jawad. Set in Cairo during the years during and just after WWI and the British occupation, this family saga provides the vehicle for a dissertation on the repression of women in the Muslim culture. Slated to be one of my Top Ten Reads this year.

When I Lived in Modern Times by Linda Grant – Winner of the 2000 Orange Prize, Linda Grant’s evocative and fascinating coming of age story of both 20 year old Evelyn Sert as well as the state of Israel, had me furiously turning pages as I learned, at the feet of a masterful storyteller, about one year (1946) in the history of the country carved out of British-run Palestine after WWII. Her evocative prose left tremendous visual images of “the White City,” Tel Aviv.

Juliet in August by Dianne Warren was my surprise hit of the month. Winner of Canada’s prestigious Governor General’s Award in 2010, the book has just been released in the U.S. and was an ER offering. Juliet, Saskatchewan is a small (pop. 1,011), nondescript town on the edge of the Little Snake sand hills, virtually a desert in Canada. Warren narrates her story through the overlapping lives of several of its residents, each struggling with life in different ways, during a twenty-four hour period. Nearly 5 stars, I was impressed with Warren’s luminous prose and the way she wove together the disparate stories of the town’s residents into the tapestry that is Juliet.

Escape from Camp 14: One Man’s Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West by Blaine Harden – How is it that years after the revelation of the death camps during WWII and many years after the demise of the Soviet gulags, the prison camps in North Korea continue to exist? Shin Dong-hyuk’s searing story of his life growing up under the most terrifying conditions imaginable coupled with the amazing account of his escape and life in the West, is truly unputdownable.

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is full of dark satire, complex characters that are not necessarily likable, and intricate plotting. She and her hand-picked students, known as the “Brodie set,” approach education from an unusual point of view and as loyal as her set is, someone betrays Miss Jean Brodie. But who?

My Buddy



Favorite Reads of the 2000s

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
The Siege by Helen Dunmore
**Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes
American Salvage by Bonnie Jo Campbell
Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
The Idea of Perfection by Kate Grenville
Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna
White Teeth by Zadie Smith
Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich
Small Island by Andrea Levy
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

**Also my nominee for Best Debut Novel.

90s favorites. These are books published in the 90s but I may have read them anytime up to this year:

Not in any particular order:

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
Voyage of the Narwhal by Andrea Barrett
The Living by Annie Dillard
Colony of Unrequited Dreams by Wayne Johnston
No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod
Sacred Hunger by Barry Unsworth

My "BEST of THE 80s

Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich
Dinner at the HomesickRestaurant by Anne Tyler
Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Stones for Ibarra by Harriet Doerr
Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally (later they changed the title to Schindler's Ark; same book(?)
Sophie's Choice by William Styron
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Paris Trout by Pete Dexter
Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

Planned August Reads

For the Reading Globally Middle East Theme Read:

Palace of Desire by Naguib Mahfouz (Book 2 in The Cairo Trilogy - TIOLI #13
Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa TIOLI #17

The Warden by Anthony Trollope - TIOLI #4
The Fire Dwellers by Margaret Laurence - TIOLI #8
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith - TIOLI #10
Columbine by Dave Cullen - TIOLI #17
Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell - TIOLI #12

Have you seen this comparison between LT and Goodreads? Very interesting. And LT looks pretty darn good, as if we all didn't know that already.

Hi Bonnie- Love the new thread! The Basset Hound has the right idea. Good boy! I loved the LT & GR link, although I'm partial to LT, like Duh! I'm also on GR but we rule on the social level, no question. Do you mind if I post that on my thread?
I LOVED Binocular Vision. Your winning streak continues...

Ok. Another chance to catch up with you. I utterly failed on your last thread. :-(

Finding Nouf was definitely better than the sequel, IMO. She has published a third in the series, but I'm not tempted. After only 9 months in Saudi Arabia, how accurate did you feel her perspective to be? Currently reading and loving Palace Walk and can't wait to read Escape from Camp 14. Mornings in Jenin was a four star read for me. I'll look forward to your comments.

Nice new thread, Bonnie! I LOVE the photo up top and the quote - FABULOUS!! Also loved reading through your lists and the picture of Buddy. This thread is like a Who's Who of good books! I saw on Mark's thread that you were going to go looking for the group read thread for ATGiB - thought I'd save you the trouble. Here's the link:

GR Thread for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Hi Bonnie!

Lisa took the words right out of my mouth:
"Ok. Another chance to catch up with you. I utterly failed on your last thread. :-(

NOT that I need any more suggestions for great books. But. Well. If I can't get to them myself, would at least want to hear about them :}

btw... Buddy is so dang adorable!

Bonnie - great new thread. What a lucky pup to get that fan.

>6 msf59: Hi Mark, here's my experience with GR: when I started to look around for an online cataloging site I found GR to be confusing and hard to access. LT, OTOH, seemed easy to use and straight forward. Now that seems to be the opposite of most others who find GR a lot easier to use. Anyway, I have a GR account with some books and I occasionally post a review there but my life is over here. Post away.

>7 labfs39: Well I need to catch up on your thread too Lisa. IDK there was just something about Finding Nouf that didn't quite ring true. I couldn't put my finger on it but the fact that she was in and out of Saudi Arabia in nine months kept leering its ugly head. Palace Walk OTOH, is certainly authentic.

>8 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie, This thread is like a Who's Who of good books! Well I can only thank the people here on LT who give me such great recommendations. Thanks for the link to A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

>9 -Cee-: Hi Cee, Buddy is the master of his universe, that's all I'll say about that. And you know I'm going to tell you about any good books I read;-)

>10 PaulCranswick: He looks like he's loving that fan doesn't he Paul:)

Hey Bonnie. Love the doggie! Just popping in to say that I've had the Diane Warren book on my TBR for a while now, but didn't recognize the U.S. title until I read the description. Here, it's called Cool Water. Thanks for the reminder/nudge that I should get to that one soon. Hope you're enjoying these HOT summer days :)

Interesting comparison of LT and GR, Bonnie. It never occurred to me that you could use your LT Library for insurance documentation purposes. In my opinion, GR is very, very inferior to LT. And did you notice that the reviewer did not include the 75ers in his reference to the most active LT groups? So how can we trust anything he says!

Hi Bonnie - I love your recap of your July reading -- very inspirational. I have Juliet in August on reserve at the library. You're almost tempting me to try Palace Walk again; I wasn't a big fan the first time I read it. It looks like you have some good reads planned for August, too.

Bonnie, I decided to check out the LT/GR comparison link, although I knew beforehand that LT was a 'sure thing' for me. I also have a mostly ignored GR account. Ha...I would have to look up my user name over there. I'll stick with the 'brainy conversations' right here!

Interesting comparison, Bonnie, thanks for that. I've often wondered if I'm missing anything over there. I like our 'brainy conversations' too! LT suits me just fine ...

Hilarious photo up top, Bonnie (and fitting), and nice one of your buddy.

I'm going to need to try A Tree Grows in Brooklyn sometime, but it just doesn't work right now.

>12 L-Anne: Hi there Louanne, yes I know it was called Cool Water but whatever name it goes by, it's a winner. Are you keeping cool across the border?

>13 Linda92007: Yes Linda, I caught that too. I think LT is for the brainiacs (come on, we all fall into that category!) and GR is for people who like to read less challenging books. That's my opinion anyway.

>14 BLBera: I'm wondering what you didn't like about Palace Walk the first time Beth? Maybe you were turned off by the protagonist who is a tyrannical bully who treated both his wife and children as doormats. I hated him too but that's just terrific characterization as far as I'm concerned.

>15 Donna828: Yep, brainy conversations. You've got it Donna.

>16 lauralkeet: I don't think we're missing anything Laura.

Bonnie: To be honest, it was so long ago, I don't remember. From everything that you said about it, it sounds like The Palace Walk was the kind of book I would love. I think I might have to revisit.

>17 jnwelch: Hi Joe. I've had A Tree Grows in Brooklyn on my WL for eons but whether or not it will really happen this month is anybody's guess. I'm good at planning my reads but many times I just grab a book off the shelf on a whim.

>19 BLBera: Well I have some books like that too Beth; books that I really should revisit. But there are so many other books out there..............

Linda- "And did you notice that the reviewer did not include the 75ers in his reference to the most active LT groups? So how can we trust anything he says!"
LOL. Perfectly said!

Bonnie- You will go gaga over A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I can't believe I've taken this long to get to it. LT is the ideal motivator.

Hi Bonnie! Just de-lurking to say that I tried GoodReads at one point before I found LT and it just wasn't the same experience for me. One thing that it doesn't compare for me is the community. The 75 group is just too awesome. :)

Hi Bonnie! Marking my place. LOVE your new thread. The beagle with the fan is priceless, and Apple's quote is spot on. Your buddy, too, is a showstopper : ).

Hi, Bonnie! Lovely new thread, adorable buddy dog. Happy reading!

>21 msf59: Hmmm can't remember the last time I went gaga but you've certainly got me looking forward to it Mark:)

>22 jolerie: Hi Valerie, I'm glad you spoke up. Yes there's nothing like the 75ers; must find your thread.

>23 lit_chick: Hi Nancy, Buddy a showstopper?? Never thought of that, but sure, why not. He certainly thinks he's in charge of everything in his world, which would include any shows that go on;-)

>24 tymfos: Hi Terri!!

Bonnie- I'm sorry, I thought you went gaga occasionally! Even if you don't quite go gaga, I'm sure you will love ATGIB!

And yes, the 75ers Rule! I wonder if any social network site even comes close?

Not as far as I'm concerned Mark. LOL.

50.



Palace of Desire by Naguib Mahfouz (Book 2 of The Cairo Trilogy) 4 stars

MY REVIEW

Palace of Desire continues the epic story begun in the first book of Nobel Laureate Naguib Mahfouz’s highly acclaimed Cairo Trilogy. It picks up five years after the end of the first book. The Sayid family is undergoing great change, much like the country of Egypt in which it is set, and this book appears to serve as a transition volume. Although it was not as compelling a read as Palace Walk, its transitional role has me very eagerly anticipating the last book of the trilogy, Sugar Street.

The family is still grieving the death of son Fahmy that provided the shocking conclusion to the first book, but the tyrannical patriarch, who has thankfully eased his stranglehold on the lives of his wife and children, has reverted to the nightly carousing that he had stopped during the five years since Fahmy’s death. Son Yasin, continues in his father’s footsteps with a twist: he is not happy with any woman he marries so he divorces, twice, and is proving to be an embarrassment to his family.

Mahfouz’s shimmering prose continues to impress as he derides Yasin’s poor choices:

”Matters quickly sorted themselves out, probably faster than he had imagined possible. He had gone along with her, thinking that the novelty of her charms would be enough to sustain her appeal for several weeks or a month, but he must have miscalculated. Although her appearance was seductive, it had caused him to commit the greatest folly of a life littered with them. Her years lay concealed behind that beauty like a fever disguised by rosy cheeks. The pounds and pounds of flesh treasured in layers under the folds of her clothes were, as he put it, not quite as appealing when seen stripped naked, for nothing records the effects of a sad life so graphically as the human body.” (Page 129)

The book’s title comes from the house that Yasin inherits from his deceased mother. Although the house does not play a large role in the story, it is a complete dichotomy from the staid residence that his father maintains. Younger son Kamal is heartsick over the loss of a girl and disappoints his father by deciding to become a teacher and attend the lowly Teachers’ College rather than go on to a career in law. The novel ends with the death of Egyptian leader Sa'd Zaghlul, and the spread of a typhoid epidemic, producing uncertainty about Egypt’s future.

You would not be able to enjoy this novel had you not read the first novel in the trilogy. I don’t believe it would make much sense to a reader unfamiliar with Palace Walk. But as a bridge to the last book, it is very well done and provides an interesting transition piece as the dynamics of the family, and of Egypt, change. Highly recommended.

An excellent review of Palace of Desire, Bonnie. It would be great to see yours and Darryl's both be hot reviews at the same time. I wonder if that can happen. Thumbs to both!

>28 brenzi: Thumbs-upped your review, Bonnie. I liked Palace of Desire a good deal less than you did.

Loved the LT/GR comparo piece, thanks for the link!

>29 Linda92007:. Thanks Linda, I don't see why they couldn't both be up at the same time. I don't think whatever computer generated system they use even recognizes titles. It just counts thumbs.

>30 richardderus:. Thanks Richard. I could've gone as low as 3.5 but the last hundred pages redeemed the book in my estimation.

I expect you'll really like Sugar Street, Bonnie, it ended the saga just right...lots of excitement.

Well, I'm caught up for now anyway on your (sort of) new, fabulous thread! Love the dog with fan. Love Buddy! Love your lists! Really appreciate the GR vs LT discussion. I found LT to work so much more intuitively than GR the only time that I tried it, that I never went back! Besides, this is home.
You're inspiring me to get back with Mahfouz. I don't know what my problem was in January, but I hope it's resolved itself so that I can enjoy *Cairo Trilogy* too.

Exceptional review of Palace of Desire, Bonnie : ). This caught my eye from your quote: nothing records the effects of a sad life so graphically as the human body. Astute observation, and how true!

Nice review of Palace of Desire, Bonnie! I'll read Sugar Street by next week at the latest.

Hi there Bonnie, I'm very happy that Mamie linked you to the ATGiB thread. I don't think you'll be sorry if you're able to squeeze this one in.
I cracked up when I saw your opening pic this morning and the quote is a real keeper.
Buddy looks in fine shape as well.
Have a great day!

>32 richardderus: Hmmm I was going to hold off on it until September Richard, but maybe I should move it up. I could use some excitement in my life LOL.

>33 LizzieD: Thanks Peggy, LT is intuitive, you say? That's exactly it and I'm glad you said that because I've been trying to pin down what it was that didn't appeal about GR, which now seems to be LT Light from what I gather but I just found it hard to navigate. I never participated in any kind of "Talk" until I'd had an account for six months or so and tentatively entered the 50 book challenge. I had no experience with forums of any kind back in 2009. But you're right. This is home. I hope you have a better experience with The Cairo Trilogy if you decide to give it another try.

>34 lit_chick: Thanks Nancy, yeah I cracked up when I read that passage. Mahfouz is a very "astute" writer and Yasin comes off as a comic character.

>35 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl, now you're tempting me to push that up and read it in August rather than September. Hmmm....

>36 Carmenere: Hi there Lynda, I'm actually a little over a hundred pages into A Tree Grows in Brooklyn which I've had on my teetering tower for eons. I was glad for the excuse to get to it and so far, I'm enjoying it.

Oh, I forgot to say earlier that I have an account on GR, and I sometimes post reviews there, but I have never connected with anyone. I did get spammed a lot. Did you see that Part 2 of her comparison is now up?

Thanks for the link to the latest update on the LT/GR comparison Lisa. I think it's clearer than ever that LT is the place to be, for me anyway. I like being surrounded by brainiacs;-)

Fabulous review, Bonnie! Of course, I expected nothing less. You are really having a phenomenal reading year so far.

Oh boy, I have really got to get back to the Mahfouz books.

I agree with everyone else so nothing really to add! Another stunning review of a must-read book and Palace Walk goes further up the wishlist.

Bonnie- Good review of Palace of Desire. I finished A Tree Grows in Brooklyn yesterday. It is a classic and I'm glad you are enjoying it.

>42 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie, yes, absolutely, a phenomenal year. And the hits just keep on coming:)

>43 alcottacre: Yes you do Stasia, you certainly do.

>44 Soupdragon: Thanks so much Dee. I hope you squeeze it in some time soon.

>45 msf59: Thanks Mark, maybe I should check out the thread for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, see if I can contribute something.

Bonnie - Reliably wonderful review of Palace of Desire. I am just starting it and your review has whetted my appetite for it just nicely.

I need to re-read the trilogy...

Interesting LT vs GR comparison. I have a GR account, but am hardly ever there unless someone posts something and I get a notification. It's too clique-y and full of promotion, with reviewers angry with authors and vice versa.

>48 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul, I'm happy to be whetting your appetite:)

>49 Chatterbox: Hmmm I think you have some experience with authors getting angry with reviewers, don't you Suzanne;-)

41: I like being surrounded by brainiacs too, Bonnie. I keep hoping it will rub off on me!

>51 Donna828: Uh, Donna you're one of the brainiacs I count on.

51.



A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith 4 stars

By the end of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Betty Smith’s mostly autobiographical coming of age novel, sixteen year old Francie Nolan has packed more living into her young life than most 80 year old Americans. Smith’s turn of the century tale tells precocious Francie’s story as well as that of her mother, the grimly realistic Katie, alcoholic and dreamy-eyed father Johnny and brother Neeley as they endure their hardscrabble lives and manage to make it seem to those of us on the other side of the page, as though their love and respect for each other overcomes the dire poverty that surrounds them. Katie’s philosophy of life sums up very neatly all that she wants for her children:

”Everything struggles to live. Look at that tree growing up there out of the grating. It gets no sun, and water only when it rains. It’s growing out of sour earth. And it’s strong because its hard struggle to live is making it strong. My children will be strong that way.” (Page 95)

And she toughens them up in every possible way; as if life wasn’t tough enough already. Katie’s imagination keeps her from succumbing from the depression that engulfs their lives as she scrubs the floors of one of several tenement buildings that she cleans daily:

”Katie had this same flair for coloring an incident and Johnny himself lived in a half-dream world, yet they tried to squelch these things in their child. Maybe they had a good reason. Maybe they knew their own gift of imagination colored too rosily the poverty and brutality of their lives and made them able to endure it. Perhaps Katie thought that if they did not have this faculty, they would be clearer-minded; see things as they really were, and seeing them loathe them and somehow find a way to make them better.” (Page 199)

The book could only have been written by someone who had lived through the experience. The descriptions of life at this time, just before WWI, are too vivid to have not have been experienced by the author. She manages to convey an appreciation for the small things of life that are normally taken for granted. And she’s created in bright, gifted Francie, an unbelievably appealing child who endures all life throws at her and manages to come out on top. Highly recommended.

Aww, your Buddy is so adorable!

You had a great month of reading in July. Half of your best of books were favorites of mine, too (Unbroken, Remarkable Creatures and Song of Achilles). I really should reread A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Yours is another great review that's turning my head.

I hope Columbine is a quick read for you.

Love the bassett hound up top!

Great review of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Bonnie. One of these days I'll get to it.

I'll add my thumb to another wonderful review, too, Bonnie. I have A Tree Grows in Brooklyn on request from the library, and I think I'm only second on the list. So .... soon.

Oh snap, your last two reviews were very tempting! I'll have to go find out more about the Cairo trilogy and of course I'll eventually get my hands on a copy of ATGiB. Thanks Bonnie!

>54 Copperskye: Thanks Joanne, I'm not too surprised that many of my favorites are also your favorites. Ah yes, Buddy is under the opinion that he is in charge and most of the time he is;-)

>55 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl, I hope you do.

>56 lit_chick: Thanks Nancy, I hope you enjoy it when you get to it.

>57 jolerie: Happy to oblige Valerie. There's a GR of The Cairo Trilogy going on right now right here, if you're interested.

Hi Bonnie, Loved your review of ATGiB and thumbed! Glad you enjoyed it.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is one of those classics that I tend to forget about until I see a wonderful review, such as yours, Bonnie.

>60 Carmenere:. Thanks Lynda for giving me the push I needed to finally read this classic. I can see why so many people adore the book.

>61 Linda92007:. Thanks Linda, you've probably already read it but I was coming at it with fresh eyes and although it's a little dated Francie is an unforgettable character.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was one of those novels I read, and re-read over and over and over, until the pages fell out in my hands, as a teenager. I should go back to it, but it's still so vivid in my mind that in some ways I'm almost fearful it wouldn't stand up to the challenge!

>53 brenzi:: That's a book I've had sitting on a shelf for a decade, always saying, "It's a classic and I should read it." But, somehow, I never get around to it. I guess I'll take your post as a nudge.

>63 Chatterbox: Hi Suzanne, reading it "until the pages fell out in my hands" would probably assure a reread that would either solidify the book's standing in your favorites category OR serve as a big let down. I bet it won't be a let down.

>64 TadAD: Hi Tad, I know you're really busy but it is worth reading.

I'm always looking for interesting new bookshelf ideas and here's an easy one. If there's one thing we have plenty of around here, it's ladders (that we don't need anymore since we retired and hubby sold his home uilding business).

Oh here's another one...

Oh...that is actually brilliant!
You could totally paint it over to update it and snazz it up a bit as well. :)

Brilliant! Love the ladders as bookshelves AND decor! The second photo really appeals to me : ).

And, side benefit, it's still a ladder should something require it to be used as one!

>68 jolerie: Yes Valerie, I don't know if you'd want to use a beat up, paint covered piece of junk, which is mostly what we have haha.

>69 lit_chick: Yes Nancy, although I have to say fro sheer book cramming power, the first one would be better;-)

>70 richardderus: Yes Richard, makes great use of the re-use concept.

This meme is making the rounds:

Hardback or trade paperback or mass market paperback?
Trade paperback, hands down.

Amazon or brick and mortar?
Hmmm, we really don't have that many brick and mortar so I have a fair to middling used books store and Barnes and Noble so I use those and Amazon.

Barnes & Noble or Borders?
Uh, no Borders anymore.

Bookmark or dogear?
Dogear????? Oh my no, never. Ever.

Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random?
Alphabetize by author.

Keep, throw away, or sell?
Sell or trade, on PBS or at my used book store.

Keep dust jacket or toss it?
Keep. Do some people actually throw them away? Why?

Read with dust jacket or remove it?
Read with dust jacket, always. I wasn't even aware that people removed them but I guess I can see that.

Short story or novel?
Depends on what I feel like but I read many more novels than short story collections.

Collection (short stories by same author) or anthology (short stories by different authors)?
Collection.

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?
Neither.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
Both, depending on the time of day.

"It was a dark and stormy night" or "Once upon a time"?
It was a dark and stormy night.

Buy or Borrow?
Well I'm trying to read the 400+ unread books I already own but I am still regularly using the library.

New or used?
Used.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
Both or either.

Morning reading, afternoon reading or nighttime reading?
All of the above. Hey, I'm retired.

Stand-alone or series?
Stand alone for the most part.

Favorite series?
Three Pines by Louise Penny

Favorite children's book?
Good Night Moon and the Anne of Green Gables

Favorite book of which "nobody" else has heard?
Hmmm that's a tough one but The Missing by Tim Gautreaux, which I read earlier this year was good and I don't think too many people are familiar with it.

Favorite books read last year?
The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer
Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada
Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna
Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes
Every Man in this Village is a Liar by Megan Stack
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie

Favourite books of all time?
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Stones for Ibarra by Harriet Doerr
Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich
Sacred Hunger by Barry Unsworth
Sophie's Choice by William Styron
The Idea of Perfection by Kate Grenville
Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes

Least favorite book you finished last year?
Nat Tate by William Boyd

What are you reading right now?
Columbine by Dave Cullen

What are you reading next?
In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner

Fun meme. I may have to try it. I loved In the Shadow of the Banyan.

Hi Bonnie!
Love the ladder ideas - see, that way, I could put books in Ron's workshop and maybe he wouldn't notice???
I should have thought of the first one myself since I'm always putting things on the ladder in the garage - much to Ron's dismay when he wants to use it!

Why is trade paperback your first choice? just wondering

>73 labfs39: I don't usually do these memes Lisa but you're right. It was fun. I know you liked In the Shadow of the Banyan. So did Suzanne. I'm nobody's fool;-)

>74 -Cee-: I think these ladder bookshelves would solve your space problem Cee. I thought of you immediately. I love the way trade paperbacks feel in my hands: soft, comfy, just perfect. hardbacks=too hard, not comfortable and mass market paperbacks=too small and the print is too tiny.

I'm with you, Bonnie. I love the trades. They're just the right size -- both the print and to hold. I do dogear though:) And write in books. In the Shadow of the Banyan does look good.

Ladders as bookcases is a great idea. Sadly I don't own any ladders except one short step-ladder.

Interesting comments on book formats. Before LT, I'd never heard the terms 'trade paperback' and 'mass market paperback'. We don't have quite the same distinction over here in the UK. Some new paperbacks seem to be in an extra-large size (which I've always regarded as unnecessarily large) - maybe those are closer to trade paperbacks? I prefer the smaller paperbacks - easier to hold and you can fit them onto shelves more easily. But I think the quality of average size UK paperbacks is generally better than what I have seen of MMPs, which seem to be (from the ones I've got through Bookmooch etc) printed on rather poor quality paper.

That is a fun meme, Bonnie. I agreed with many of your responses, until the specific book titles.

Bookmark or dogear?
Dogear????? Oh my no, never. Ever.
Dogear? Writing in a book? For me, the mere idea is sheer blasphemy!

Morning reading, afternoon reading or nighttime reading?
All of the above. Hey, I'm retired.
Yes, hallelujah!

>76 BLBera: Hi Beth, I've always loved the trades and don't worry your secret about the dogears and writing is safe with me;-)

>77 gennyt: Hi Genny, great to see you. Now you have me curious about how paperbacks differ in the UK. You're right about the MM paperbacks. They are definitely printed on cheaper paper.

I guess if you don't own a ladder you must not have to do the kind of house maintenance and chores that we have to do here around our place. In that case, lucky you.

>78 Linda92007: Hi Linda, are you saying you didn't care for any of those books I listed? That's surprising to me. As far as the writing in the book, I love to use those little post-its which allow me to mark passages w/o marking the book. Best of both worlds:)

Bonnie, enjoyed reading your meme! Love that Three Pines is your favourite series : ). Just about time for another one of those ... I'm dawdling my way through (maybe savouring is a better word?).

I shy away from paperbacks (unless I can see them before I buy) because of print size. Never used to bother me when I was younger - but it's a major annoyance now to try to read the tiny print.
So, you say this is not a problem with trade pbs? Good to know.

Oh, I love trade paperbacks - they are my favorite. And some of them even have deckle edged pages, which for some reason always calls to me. Love the ladders as bookcases idea!

>81 lit_chick: Yep Nancy, The Beautiful Mystery will be released in two weeks and I'm on my library's request list but can't see where I am until the day they have it in stock. Grrr. I think I'll get it in the first batch because I requested it quite a while ago and I don't think there are many rabid Penny fans here.

>82 -Cee-: That's right Cee, trade PBs are entirely different in quality from the MM PBs, much higher quality IMO. But you should check them out yourself in a bookstore, before you actually buy any.

>83 Crazymamie: Hi there Mamie, we're in agreement on the trade PBs and I received a deckle edged trade PB in the mail today...my ER book City of Women which I can't wait to get to. OK technically it's not really a trade PB since the book hasn't even been published yet but still, it sure looks like one.

Hi Bonnie- How was BB? I haven't' seen it yet. Hopefully I can squeeze it in, tomorrow sometime. Did not have cable for a few days.
I hope you enjoying Columbine. It's an incredible book. One of my favorite NF titles.

BB was great Mark. Jessee came up with another brilliant idea. There's a shocking twist at the end that'll knock your socks off and has me very disturbed.

ETA I'm nearing the end of Columbine and it has been phenomenal just like you said it would be.

I love your picture! We have a dog ourselves and tommorow and the next day are supposed to be around 27 - 30 c which I think is around? 84 - 90F!! Much to hot for me and little Daisy! I like about - oh - 70 - 72 F maximum....
OH! I've got Shadow of the Banyan in my TBR pile - just purchased it on the weekend. I can't wait to see what you think of it!

>80 brenzi: Oh, no,no, Bonnie. That wasn't what I meant at all. Just that my lists would have been different. Actually, I have only read four of those you listed. Guess I better get to work!

>88 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb, actually it's been 84-90F here almost constantly since June and I thought we were pretty lucky in that regard, compared to others in the middle of the country and in the big cities on the East coast who were hovering around 100 degrees. Yep, I'll be starting In The Shadow of the Banyan later tonight after I finish my review of the absolutely chilling Columbine.

>89 Linda92007: Oh now I see now Linda, it's so easy to misunderstand when you're not actually speaking to someone in person.

52.



Columbine by Dave Cullen 5 stars

A big thanks to Caro, Mark and Joanne for recommending this heartbreaking book that explained so much that I never understood.

”A fundamental nature of a psychopath is a failure to feel.” (page 415)

Dave Cullen’s ten year stint, meticulously researching the 1999 shooting massacre at Columbine High School produced the most chilling narrative non-fiction account of murder I’ve ever read. And that includes In Cold Blood and Helter Skelter. You just can’t help but be impressed by the thoroughness of Cullen’s research and his gift as a prose writer of non-fiction. No mind-numbing list of facts with end notes on top of end notes and little thought about the interest of the reader for this author. Despite the depressing subject matter, Cullen made the characters in the narrative very real.

I thought I knew the story fairly well but apparently I just bought into the propaganda put out by the police (and reported by main stream news sources), who flaunted the very laws they were sworn to uphold by covering up and trying to deflect criticism from the fact that they knew about the two perpetrators as early as 1997 and failed to follow simple police procedure in following up on an investigation. They not only stone-walled, making the relations of the murdered furious, but they destroyed evidence linked to their earlier inquiry.

Cullen’s descriptions of the killers, the psychological background of each, their deliberate and painstaking planning over a two-year period, their devious methods of getting guns and making pipe bombs is documented thoroughly and so well written that it took my breath away.

He quickly and thoroughly debunked the myths that have grown up around the massacre such as the idea that the murderers were bullied, that they targeted jocks, that they were racists. A fascinating section of the book was devoted to the effects of trauma on witnesses of a horrific event and how memories are affected by trauma.

”Investigators identified nearly a dozen common misconceptions among library survivors. Distortion of time was rampant, particularly chronology. Witnesses recalled less once the killers approached them, not more. Terror stops the brain from forming new memories. A staggering number insisted they were the last ones out of the library---once they were out, it was over. Similarly, most of those injured, even superficially, believed they were the last ones hit. Survivors also clung to reassuring concepts: that they were actually hiding by crouching under tables in plain sight. Memory is notoriously unreliable.” (Page 351)

Cullen documented the effects of the massacre on the survivors, those badly injured and the bereaved left behind. It took years for all of the information to be released and the public is fortunate indeed to have had this author to document the long painful process. Not an easy read by any stretch but important, and part of the history of our country. Very highly recommended.

Wonderful review, Bonnie, of a very deeply disturbing book. I don't feel the need to read it after reading your review.

(Actually, I'm just a big chicken.)

Thanks Richard. You don't feel the need to read it? Bah, apparently I gave too much information. I hate when that happens.

I wouldn't read it even if you'd said only "it's a five-star read and I will curse you and your family with shingles unto the seventh generation if you don't read it."

I am that big a coward when it comes to sociopath stories. I've known several sociopaths and feel that I'm lucky I got away before any psychotic breaks occurred.

Bonnie, thumb for a 5* review of Columbine. Absolutely chilling. If the murders themselves weren't enough, the police coverup and intentional misreporting by mainstream media is sickening.

Thanks Nancy, I know! I was stunned by all the information that I knew nothing about. But honestly it took years for everything to be revealed and only people living in the area would have been paying attention by that time. Quite the page turner though.

Wow, Bonnie! Thumb! What Richard said in his first post - I love chilling fiction, not sure I'm brave enough for it in nonfiction that hits so close to home.

Superb review of Columbine, Bonnie. It sounds like an essential read, so I'll add it to my wish list.

>98 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie, this is non-fiction at its best. Just superbly written.

>99 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl, I've had this book sitting on my shelf for too long but after the Aurora killings I thought maybe I should read it. One of the things they learned from Columbine was that the SWAT team shouldn't just sit outside setting up a perimeter and wait out the killer(s) but rather, charge in and stop whatever they can stop.

Thanks for the great review of Columbine. I have it around here, so will have to move it closer to the top of the pile.

Well, what did you think of "The Closer" finale? I was glad they didn't kill her, and I was wrong about how it was going to end. Do you think "Major Crimes" will be any good? I have no show to follow now.

Thanks Beth, move it on up:) Well I've already set up major Crimes to record so we'll have to see if it's any good but it'll be tough w/o Brenda Lee Johnson. The last episode was good I thought. I'm glad she nailed the rapist/lawyer that I hated last season LOL.

Hi Bonnie,
I have been avoiding Columbine ever since it came out. Many have raved about it and I accept that it is a well written account. Like Richard, I am too cowardly to actually read it.
Anything "chilling" makes me very sad... despite the subject, this was a good review. But of course! You're so good at this reviewing thing :)

Great review Bonnie! Books like that make me all paranoid and I end up having to double check to make sure all my windows and doors are locked. Chilling.

Thanks Cee. I've had the book on my shelf for some time and can't say that I've ever been cowardly about tackling it. It was more a matter of other books pushing it out of the way. It's a part of our history and maybe we can learn something so that this doesn't happen again. But I'm afraid as long as people can just walk into a gun show and buy a gun this will probably continue to be a problem.

Thanks Valerie. Hmmm, I don't think I checked my locks at all during the time I read it so no paranoia here:)

Bonnie- Great review of Columbine. Like you, I hesitated to read this one for various reasons but once I decided I was drawn in immediately. It's a VERY important work and I'm so glad you put it in the same league as In cold Blood and Helter Skelter. This one should be studied and discussed in every school and I'm glad to see Cullen has made this book and this horrific event a life mission.

Thanks Mark, it was everything you promised and more. I'm so glad I read it although at times I thought it was very tough reading, I learned an awful lot that I didn't know.

Wow, what a great review of Columbine, Bonnie. Thumb from me, too. I share Richard's aversion to tales of sociopaths, but I have read In Cold Blood and Helter Skelter. My daughter (a true crime aficionado) thought, like you, this one was exceptional. I will find my way to it at some point.

Thank you Joe. I'm not really a true crime aficionado. I read In Cold Blood and Helter Skelter when I was much younger but this book really spoke to me and I was fascinated by so much of what Cullen brought to bear. I will certainly be looking for his next project.

Yours was an excellent review of Columbine, Bonnie. Not sure I have the stomach for it at the moment, however.

ETA: The book that is - not your review!

Thank you Linda, I'm glad you had the stomach for the review at least LOL. It's funny but it didn't turn out to be that kind of book for me. It was just a fascinating look at how such a thing could happen, the reactions of all those affected, and the years long process of getting at the horrible truth of the police withholding vital information.

Your list above Bonnie reminds me of what fantastic reading you did last year. Your lastest review is up to your usual standard and the book is going straight on my hitlist. Have a great weekend dear lady.

Hi Paul, I've had one great reading year after another ever since I found this fabulous group with their spot-on recommendations. You have a great weekend too.

I am a little more than a hundred pages into In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner and I'm not sure there's ever been a more beautiful book written. Ever. The language is just stunning.

More fabulous bookshelves. These are invisible.

Ooh, pretty! And so organized, which I guess you'd have to be with shelves like those.

Yes Laura, it looks like they're organized by color which I'm afraid would never happen in my house. It looks nice but I must have alphabetical order. It's the OCD bear, rearing its ugly head again;-)

Great bookshelves!

Columbine was such a difficult read but certainly worth the effort. Great review, Bonnie.

Bonnie - I keep lurking on your thread because the picture at the top just makes me so happy!

Oh I just love those invisible bookshelves.

>119 Copperskye: Thanks Joanne, I think it was an important read for anyone interested in this country's history.

>120 Crazymamie: Haha, yes Mamie he's quite the charmer

>121 cameling: I would love to have those bookshelves Caro. They're just so clean looking.

Thumbs up from me for your incredible review of Columbine.

Your dog is so lovely.

Thanks for posting all these book shelf ideas. Alas, there are so many books in this house, in closets, on shelves, under the bed and on end tables -- I long for a large house with one huge wall containing built in book cases.

I was so good at not adding more to the collection and then lately I've gone on book buying sprees.

Hugs to you dear one!

Thanks Linda, and Buddy thanks you too. I always seem to have close to enough bookshelves, but not quite so there's always overflow. Then I get more bookshelves and that works for awhile until they're no longer enough. Do you see the problem here?

Yes, I see the problem-- a severe book addiction. Thank God it isn't alcohol that I consume at the rate that I accumulate books. I'd be on skid row for sure.

Yes well I guess I'd be right there with you. My daughter and hubby always make fun of me by saying that that's how all the hoarders they document on tv started...with a book hoard. Apparently they even had a show on last year that featured a husband and wife who were both book hoarders and their home was completely consumed with books. As long as I can avoid that I'll be happy.

53.



In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner 4.9 stars

Pretty darn unusual to follow a five star read with another practically 5 star read. Thanks to Suzanne and Lisa for bringing this book to my attention.

MY REVIEW

In this book, hope and change is not just an empty campaign promise. Hope and change are the difference between life and death. They keep it from being just another example of maudlin narrative that takes you down to the depths of deep despair, never to recover. Yes, there are heavy doses of hope and change and it is this promise of rebirth that, in the end, provides for one of the most satisfying endings of any book in my recent memory.

Raami is seven years old in 1975, living happily with her family in Phnom Penh, when her world comes crashing down around her. Civil war has broken out and with the rise of the Khmer Rouge she begins a four year existence filled with such horror, loss and deprivation that the extent of it would be unbelievable if it weren’t founded in historical fact. During the Khmer Rouge regime upwards of two million people lost their lives between 1975 and 1979. The survivors had endured hellish conditions where they saw their identities stripped away in favor of the “Organization,” as they were forced into unbearable labor.

Raami’s father, taken into custody at the beginning of the story as a member of the elite class that the “Organization” was swiftly eliminating, provides the memories that enable her to bear this time in her life. His stories, poetry and legends resonate with her and lift her up.

It doesn’t hurt that the author has the capability to string together the most luscious prose imaginable. I could quote reams and reams of her staggeringly beautiful language:

”From her corner, Tata watched the whole scene with wide-eyed dismay, as if death, like a stranger uprooted and misplaced, had appeared out of nowhere and taken up residence with us, competing for its shared space in this refuge already haunted by so many ghosts.” (Page 124)

Or maybe:

”As he neared, I saw that both his ankles were tied with an arm-length rope, which had the effect of making him waddle instead of walk. With his injuries, it seemed, he couldn’t run even if he wanted to. He brushed past our car. The soldiers took turns whacking him with the butts of their guns to hurry him on. He didn’t retaliate or react but plodded on, dragging his despair with him.” (Page 40)

Steeped in myth and legend, heartbreakingly sad, yet hopeful, In the Shadow of the Banyan is very highly recommended.

As if I need to add another book to my WL this week. I think you're review makes this my most busy week in terms of adding books left, right, and centre! Thanks for the great review. :)

Thanks Valerie, I really don't think you can go wrong with this one. The writing is just so incredibly beautiful.

Great review of In the Shadow of the Banyan. I have in my TBR pile, so thanks for your review! Thumbs up from me! Practically a 5 star read! Wow! I'll have to move it up the pile! ;)

Thanks so much Deb, yep almost 5 stars. It is a very hard to read book about a horrifying time in a child's life but the payoff is definitely worth it:)

Bonnie - If you could squeeze in just a couple of loser books, my WL would be ever so grateful! Another wonderful review that has me reaching for my WL to add yet another recommendation by you. What a gift you have for sharing what you like about a book - they should be paying you.

I quickly skimmed your review but did zero in on the 4.9 rating. Wow! I requested it yesterday, after hearing your comments, so hopefully I can get to it in the next couple weeks. You yield much POWER over here, my friend! Are you sure your not a Sorceress?

I finally saw last weeks Breaking Bad. The train heist episode. It was excellent but what a gut-wrenching ending! I plan on watching the latest tonight. Did you see it?

Well surprisingly Mamie, I try my best to avoid the loser books, if at all possible. I know it seems that some people go out of their way to find them, but that's not me. I search out all the gems my LT friends unearth and just follow along.

they should be paying you. hahaha yes I'm sure they're lining up right now;-)

>133 msf59: Are you sure your not a Sorceress? Now there's a sentence I've never heard anyone say to me before Mark.

We'll be watching BB at around 9:00 but I thought that ending last week went over the line. I'll have to see how they handle it now.

HI Bonnie - I'm on the waiting list for In the Shadow of the Banyan. The story reminds me of First They Killed My Father -- did you every read that? I imagine a lot of young girls who lived in Cambodia around that time would have had a similar experience.

Hi Beth, I've never read that one but it certainly looks like a good autobiography so I think I'll put it on my teetering tower. I'm sure there is a large population of Cambodian girls who have shared this experience but the difference is that Vaddey Ratner is such an incredible literary writer that only she, or someone with similar abilities, could have written a book like this.

Wonderful review of Columbine, Bonnie. I, too, thought Cullen did an excellent job in presenting so much information in a thoroughly readable way, and dispelling so many misconceptions.

Thanks Terri, it was amazing how meticulously he researched his subject and how easy to comprehend the end notes were. It was easily one of my favorite non-fiction reads of the last few years.

Another persuasive review, Bonnie, and the book's list is up a name at the liberry.

Fab review of In the Shadow of the Banyan, Bonnie. Prose is "lucious" indeed! Quotes are something else!

Just joining the chorus, Bonnie. Great review of In the Shadow of the Banyan. It is heartbreaking what the Cambodian people had to endure. I found an interesting website (below) that lists books regarding Cambodia, several of which I have read that were excellent, including The Gate.

http://www.mekong.net/cambodia/reading.htm

Two great reviews in a row! And a pretty picture of floating books. : )

>140 richardderus: Well I guess I paid attention when the teacher was talking about persuasive paragraphs Richard. LOL. And I got it from the library too:)

>141 lit_chick: Thanks Nancy, the writing is quite impressive but that's only part of the story. Of course it's the story too.

>142 Linda92007: Thanks Linda, I'm always amazed at the genocide that occurs throughout the world that we sit back and do nothing about. North Korea comes to mind. Off to check out that website...

Thanks Kim, those floating bookshelves are pretty darn amazing aren't they. I know they do it with bookends but I'm wondering why they don't show up at all.

Loved your review, Bonnie. I absolutely need to add this to my obese wish list. I loved the quotations too ... they were the tipping point to me pushing this to the top of my WL.

Thank you Caro, I don't think you'll be disappointed. It's the kind of book with staying power too; always happy to add to your obeses WL ;-)

Bonnie, you make it difficult to keep up with you, but I'm trying my best. I have the Banyan Tree book on hold, but others must have read your review and reserved it ahead of me. It may be awhile before I can get my hands on it. No worries, though, as I still have a long list of "Bonnie recommendations" to read! Keep up the good work. ;-)

>148 Donna828: Well Donna, I do my best. I'm glad you have a long list of recommendations because I'm not sure what I'll read when I finish Trollope's The Warden either tonight or tomorrow.

54.



The Warden by Anthony Trollope 4 stars

I read this book and followed the tutored read that lyzard (Liz) and Heather were doing and benefited greatly from Liz's knowledge about Trollope and the topics covered in the book. Thanks Liz. And Heather for asking great questions and Genny for providing info about the early church. It all added greatly to my appreciation of the book.

Absolutely delightful! Maybe because there is such a shortage of people with true moral character, but the eponymous warden, Septimus Harding, whose courage and sense of honor and fair play will not allow him to continue in his job, won my heart very early on in Trollope’s book that serves as an introductory volume to his well-known Chronicles of Barsetshire series.

Harding serves as the warden in an almshouse for 12 elderly men who have no source of income. His employment, as well as the maintenance of the twelve residents, was spelled out in a charitable bequest. John Bold decides to initiate a campaign to rectify what he sees as an injustice in the way the funds are disbursed especially the inflated amount that Harding receives for, what appears to be, very little toil. To complicate matters, Bold and Harding’s younger daughter Eleanor, are romantically involved and he knows Harding to be a conscientious employee with whom he has a cordial relationship. Add in the fact that Harding’s son-in-law is the archdeacon whose intractable opinion on the case, as the lawsuit proceeds, creates an atmosphere that Harding can’t tolerate. As the case advances Trollope skewers The Jupiter, a newspaper modeled after The Times, which has taken up the case as just another example of the misuse of funds by the Church in general and Harding in particular. Mr. Popular Sentiment (Charles Dickens) and Dr Pessimist Anticant (Thomas Carlyle) also take up the case and are caricatured by Trollope.

The writing is spectacular and I will certainly be continuing on with the series. But it’s the development of the Harding character that really stands out. It had me wondering how many brave, honest, upright people I know who would stand up for what is right the way Harding did. And the fact that I had a smile on my face throughout the book didn’t hurt either.

”The bishop did not whistle: we believe that they lose the power of doing so on being consecrated; and that in these days one might as easily meet a corrupt judge as a whistling bishop; but he looked as though he would have done so, but for his apron.”

So….a quiet little book but a compelling look at a microcosm of British church life, from a time that is long gone. Witty and ironic, sweet and moving it couldn’t have been a better introduction to an author I will continue to explore. Highly recommended.

Wonderful review Bonnie! It definitely sounds like a book that one would enjoy more with the help of those who are more knowledgable in the time. I wonder if that's what I need to do with most of my classical readings :)

Thanks Valerie. If you're interested the thread for the tutored read is RIGHT HERE. It was my first time doing anything like that and I really enjoyed it.

Great review, Bonnie -- I'm off to thumb it. And now I'm even more excited to begin reading The Warden!

Barchester Towers is next, which contains one of Trollope's most memorable characters: Mrs. Proudie. Mr. Popular Sentiment is an especial favourite of mine, too....

I really loved reading these books. The Duke of Omnium, seat at Gatherum Castle (!). Mr. Harding his good self. Eleanor Bold, so perfectly limned.

Hi Bonnie - As usual, a wonderful review.

>153 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura, I think this quiet little book will be right up your alley:)

>154 richardderus: I am really looking forward to continuing my exploration of Trollope. As a matter of fact, I don't know if I can wait until December when Liz will do another tutored read, this time of Barchester Towers:)

>155 BLBera: Thanks Beth, I know I'm late getting to the party but now that I'm here I'm having the time of my life:)

Loved that review of Trollope... I'm also heading off to give it a thumbs up!

Thanks Tina, good to see you:)

An excellent reminder of a classic author. Thanks Bonnie!

>158 brenzi: Thanks, brenzi. Just found you!

Frankly, Bonnie, I fear coming over here! LOL
In the Shadow of the Banyan is going on my WL.
Great, enticing review.
What made it 4.9 instead of 5? Just wondering. So close.

>159 Linda92007: You are very welcome Linda. He may be a classic author but he's also an author that I had yet to experience. I'm looking forward to more of his work.

>160 TinaV95: Yay Tina!

>161 -Cee-: Thanks Cee. And have no fear coming over here. After all, you don't have to read every book I recommend. Use your judgement. Pick and choose. Skip a few. You know;-)

I'm not sure why I chose 4.9 it could have just as easily been 4.8 or 4.7. I just wasn't quite 5. Oh the vagaries of deciding on a rating:)

"...you don't have to read every book I recommend..."
I don't??? But.. but... they all sound so good!

"Use your judgement. Pick and choose. "
Srsly??? Don't know if I can really be that hard-hearted!

" Skip a few. "
On purpose???? I don't know...

I blogged about In the Shadow of the Banyan; it will be on my best books of the year list, so I'm glad you like it! I've been lurking, waiting to read your comments, a bit nervous...

http://www.uncommonreading.blogspot.com/2012/07/genocide-fiction-yes-it-can-work...

My next "you must read this" blog post will be about The Headmaster's Wager, so I'm obviously finding a lot of winners set in SE Asia this year!

>163 -Cee-: It looks like you're a woman of indecision Cee. I'm not purposely trying to be a temptress. It just happens;-)

>164 Chatterbox: I'll have to check out the blog post Suzanne. I think I read about it on your thread. I'll also look for The Headmaster's Wager. So it's not enough that I add books when on your thread and blog. Now you come right here to push your books?? And I happily lap them up:)

I wish LT would make Likes available to use.

So I'm reading the last book in the Cairo Trilogy, Sugar Street and I really like the way I read this trilogy compared to others I've read. Instead of reading it right straight through Like I did for The Balkan Trilogy earlier this year, I spread the book out over the last two months, reading lots of other books in between each book of the trilogy. When I got to this last book, it was like meeting up with an old friend. I think I'm enjoying it more.

Bonnie - Good to know. Sometimes it works to read books together; I was really happy I read Old Filth and The Man in the Wooden Hat one after the other, but sometimes I feel like I need a break.

Hi Bonnie. No, I'm not working my way through all of the Bookers, but some of the Booker's that grab my interest I hope to read. So far I've just read The Unlikely Pilgrimage and The Lighthouse by Alison Moore. I must admit that I am interested in Swimming Home by Deborah Levy , Philida by Andre Brink as well as The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng. But I'll see how many of those I eventually get to read.

I've got the In the Shadow of the Banyan Tree in my TBR pile along with many others. Eventually I think I'll be interested in reading The Cairo Trilogy -enjoy!

>168 BLBera:. Thanks for reminding me Beth that I wanted to read The Man in the Wooden Hat because I read Old Filth I think back in January? I wish I would have read it closer to when I read it's companion book but now I just want to get it to read before I completely forget what the first book was about.

>169 vancouverdeb:. Actually Deb, I usually wait for the short list before I start reading the Bookers but a couple of them are calling my name and I may get to them before the short list comes out. I'm actually waiting for Painter of Silence from the library because it will be published here (finally) in September and that was from the Orange short list so I'm not terribly good at getting to the prize lists speedily. It's just another case of too many books again..

>170 brenzi:: I'm not terribly good at getting to the prize lists speedily.
Me neither, but I get there eventually! Like you Bonnie, there are some from the 2012 Booker Longlist that are calling my name already (I'm reading Bring up the Bodies right now). But more often I read books nominated many years ago. Playing catch up I guess.

Hi Bonnie - Prize lists can be a mixed bag, too. Sometimes I look and none of the books appeal to me at the time. The list that seems to work best for me is the Orange list. This year, for example, I could have read all of the books. Who knows? Maybe I will get to them eventually.

>171 lauralkeet:, 172 Hello Laura and Beth, in addition, many of the Booker nominees aren't available in this country yet. I don't buy many hard cover books so that means I get most of the prize nominees from the library when they become available and that may mean having to wait in a long queue.

As far as the Booker winners go, they are often not the best book nominated, in my opinion. I like to mine the long and short lists for other gems that, for one reason or another, didn't come out on top.

The Orange Prize is more to my liking too Beth. I've read most of the winners and many from the short and long lists. I know they tend to include some popular fiction in addition to literary fiction and, for some, that diminishes its prestige, but I can usually tell the difference and choose accordingly. I just hope they secure a new sponsor who will continue to promote women writers.

That said, both prizes constitute a large part of my reading every year and I would certainly miss them if they weren't around.

Trying to catch up here and what do I find? One book (In the Shadow of the Banyan) to add to my wish list ( or maybe request from the library ASAP), one (Columbine) to retrieve from its spot on some shelf, and one (The Warden) on which we perfectly agree.

Plus some stunning (though perfectly impractical for me) floating bookshelves. I'm an alphabetizer too plus I can't help but wonder how long it would take me to add so many books to each stack that all the white space was gone.

>174 AnneDC: I have the same concern re: the floating bookshelves Anne. Impractical but just so darn eye-catching. I wouldn't begin to be able to find my books without alphabetizing them. I need order. In all aspects of my life I guess. My last three books were all terribly different from each other and yet all so good. I was particularly surprised at how much I loved Trollope. I had avoided him because of some vague bias that I can't even explain.

I hope you enjoy In the Shadow of the Banyan and Columbine whenever you get to them.

Bonnie, I know just what you mean. When the lists come out - be they the Oranges, The Bookers, or some or our Canadian prize lists. I try to read some of the books - but only the ones that actually appeal to me. I have Painter of Silence in my TBR pile, along with - embarrassingly, The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller , the book that actually won this year's Orange prize. But I read a couple of the long listed oranges that I really loved. Like you I suppose, I find the prizes to be a great guide to wonderful reading, but I certainly do not get to them all. :)

I've got In The Shadow of The Banyan waiting, as well as The Light Between Oceans. It's difficult to get to them all! My eyes are bigger than my reading capacity! :)

Very true about so many of the Booker's not being available yet.

Hi Deb, I hope you get to both The Song of Achilles and In the Shadow of the Banyan because they are both amazing books and SOA definitely deserved the Orange.

55.



Sugar Street by Naguib Mahfouz 4 stars

Volume 3 of The Cairo Trilogy

The final book in The Cairo Trilogy begins about eight years after the close of the previous volume and provides, somewhat, an end to the story begun many pages ago in Palace Walk. My initial enthusiasm for the trilogy has been somewhat dimmed as the author tried espousing the opposing political views at that time, which did not provide for a driving narrative. The tyrannical patriarch of the first volume, al-Sayyid Ahmad Abd al-Jawad, is now an old man, sick and confined to his bed for the most part, his lively band of friends, either dead or soon to be. As vile a character as he initially was, he’s now a shell of his former self and I actually missed the stories of his antics that had provided so much of the interest of the previous books.

His son Kamal is no live wire either. Although it has been years since the love of his life (who never returned his affection) has been married and living in Europe, he still dwells on thoughts of her and ends up actually stalking her younger sister, unable to actually make an advance to her that might result in an actual relationship. She eventually gives up on him and marries another. And Amina, the humble, untiring wife of Ahmad, who wanted only to be able to visit the shrine and pray has also changed:

”Visits to the al-Husayn and to the other saints and their shrines were the only relief she found. Thanks to al-Sayid Ahmad, who no longer restricted her movements, she was allowed to hurry off to God’s sanctuaries whenever she felt the need. Amina herself was no longer the same woman she has once been. Grief and ill-health had changed her considerably. With the passing years she had lost her amazing diligence and her extraordinary capacity for tidying up, cleaning and running her home.” (Page 6)

Most of the narrative focuses on Kamal’s sister Khadija’s sons, their generation and the political upheaval occurring in Egypt in the waning years of WWII. Abd al-Muni'm and Ahmad choose entirely different paths in life, Ahmad becoming a journalist with Marxist ties and, much to his mother’s chagrin, he chooses to marry a working woman who holds the same views. Abd al-Munim, on the other hand, is a fundamentalist Muslim who joins the Muslim Brethren and marries a very traditional choice---his Uncle Yasin’s daughter. Yasin’s son, Ridwan, rises quickly in the ranks of the bureaucracy, quickly surpassing his father and Uncle Kamal, not because of his skills but, rather, because of his inclusion in a homosexual faction that he happily becomes a part of.

With the emphasis on this new generation, which we learn about very quickly over a couple hundred pages, and the demise of the old generation, which dominated the narrative in the first two books, I found it difficult to embrace characters that hadn’t already been firmly in place in my subconscious. That brings up another important point: the speed with which the narrative flows in this volume compared to the slow unwinding of the story in the first two volumes. I’m sure Mahfouz meant this to be a reflection of the changes Egypt was also undergoing, but the sacrifice was a brief introduction to characters you don’t really get to know very well. Kamal seems to be a part of an older generation and his plodding ways, in both romance and his journal articles, separate him completely from the precocious, lively child we were introduced to in Palace Walk.

Taken as a whole, the trilogy provided an appealing look at Egyptian family life, surrounded by the political atmosphere in Egypt during the early to mid-twentieth century but it seems that the story told, really wasn’t complete and probably could have used a longer narrative to address the imprisonment of Ahmad and his brother Abd al-Munim, as well as the ongoing hostilities occurring in Egypt in the late 1940s. Still, an amzing accomplishment and highly recommended.

Very much liked the review, and Sugar Street. Thanks for bringing back a pleasant reading memory.

Thumbed your review of Sugar Street, Kim. You've picked some amazing reads this month.

I'll be interested to see what you think of Man in the Wooden Hat because while I loved Old Filth, I couldn't like this one as much.

>179 richardderus: Thanks Richard and you are welcome.

>180 cameling: Thanks Caro, well I don't own The Man in the Wooden Hat so I'm probably not getting to it very soon. So mixed reviews eh? Interesting.

Bonnie- Did you see the latest BB? I just finished it. Another good one and a totally unexpected ending. Wow! One more left before the break!

I knew Walt was going to do it as soon as he pulled up in the car. I can't believe Mike was caught off guard though.

#180 I'll be interested to see what you think of Man in the Wooden Hat because while I loved Old Filth, I couldn't like this one as much.

I had the same feeling about The Man in the Wooden Hat - to me it seemed to be covering old ground (albeit from a different perspective).

Excellent review of Sugar Street, Bonnie, and congrats on finishing the trilogy. It seems that Palace Walk is the still the consensus favorite of the three books.

>184 SandDune: Hi there Rhiann, it's starting to look like there are two camps re: The Man in the Wooden Hat. I read another book that had a companion book but of course I'm drawing a complete blank as far as what the books were. It'll come to me at some point when the subject will no longer have any bearing on anything. Gah, the vagaries of old age.

>185 Linda92007: Thanks Linda, yep I would certainly agree with that, although both Palace of Desire and Sugar Street have strong points. For me, the descriptions of family life and the detailed character development are what set the first book apart from the other two. Their dependence on the political upheaval, especially the last volume, just wasn't that compelling.

Sooooo, I decided to take the plunge and audit a class at the university and the class I chose after much deliberation is entitled: The Novel in the U.S. They don’t make it very easy to sign up for these free Sixty and Over opportunities. I get the feeling the professors aren’t that anxious for people to make use of this option. The course descriptions are vague, to say the least. So the first course I thought looked interesting was called Women Writers. In my head I pictured Wharton, Eliot, Woolf, Austen, Cather, Morrison, you get my drift. So I e mail the instructor and ask for a copy of the syllabus which he kindly sends me. Imagine my surprise when it arrived in my inbox and I discovered that it was an in depth exploration about gender issues involving lesbians and transgender. Interesting and important, but so far from what I expected the course to be about that I was stunned. Anyway, back to the drawing board. The next couple of classes I tried were total losses as the professors either A.) never responded; or B.) told me the syllabus was not done yet. OK I can understand that I guess. But class starts in two weeks. Shouldn’t that kind of thing be ready to go by now?

Now here is the real kicker. Guess who is in charge of the entire 60 and Over program (among other things)?? My own daughter, the Assistant Registrar! So to complain about a program that seems not to be user friendly I call the number at the bottom of the form and someone in her office answers. Well, apparently this is a REALLY busy time in the Registrar’s Office so she wasn’t really very happy to get a complaint about, really, anything. Oh well, I finally found a course that I am happy with and yesterday I attended the first class and I think I’m really going to enjoy this.

More about this will be forthcoming including the first book I will read (which I’m actually reading now), Summer by Edith Wharton.

Kudos to you for taking one of those classes despite little help from the registrar's office. I hope you enjoy the class, Bonnie!

I have heard very good things about Summer. I will be interested in seeing what you think of it.

That's exciting that you are taking the auditing plunge, Bonnie! Is it at University at Buffalo? I have thought about doing that also and last year spoke with two different professors (Astrobiology and Japanese Literature), both of whom were very open to the idea. But the scheduling of several early mornings a week with a 45 minute commute just felt too much like going back to work. There are also possibilities at a closer college, but they conflict with a series of seminars for which I am already enrolled. So it will remain a future goal for the time being.

>189 alcottacre: Hi Stasia, I think I'm going to love it actually, at least if the first class is any indication. I didn't look at the clock even once. That reminds me of a time when I taught sixth grade and a particularly rowdy group of boys who couldn't wait for for the class to be over prompting me to cover the clock with a sign that said, "Time passes. Will you?" Ah just one of the tender memories of a long career in education;-)

>190 Linda92007: Yes Linda, the University at Buffalo. This is one of the things I have been looking forward to since I retired so I'm glad I'm able to do it. Astrobiology?? Wow! I want to expand my mind but that might make my mind explode;-) Asian Literature is one of the courses where the professor didn't respond to me.

That sounds like a lot fun, Bonnie! It is totally something I would love to do one day in the far off future. :) Will be interested to see what kind of readings you will be doing for the class.
I took a fantasy course in university as extra credit and it became one of my favourite classes in all my university years. Got to read, explore, and discuss some great books!

Hi Valerie, Now fantasy literature is an area that is completely out of my comfort zone so that makes it an area I really should explore. Any suggestions for a jumping off point?

Bonnie- I think Mike was just frazzled, especially after having to run off on his granddaughter. Maybe just sick and tired. At least the little girl will be well taken care of.
Mike was a great character. He will be missed.

You're probably right Mark. Is anyone taking bets on the ending of the series? My money's on Walt going up in flames and Jessee being a hero.

#193: I have enjoyed my forays back into the science fiction and fantasy realms after not having read the genres for 35+ years. I hope you dip your toes into the waters too, Bonnie.

I've come to realize that Fantasy is such a BROAD term with so many sub genres (urban, punk, high and so on) within it and all are so, so, different! Have you tried any before that you liked or disliked because that would make it easier to find a book that you'll have a greater chance of liking.

>196 alcottacre: Well that's certainly a long break but probably you had read everything that had been written in the genre so you gave it some time to build up the stock again. Right Stasia;-)

>197 jolerie: Nope Valerie, I've never read anything in that genre unless you count Cloud Atlas and I know some people do. If you do count that, I loved it.

Oh...haha! I would never have thought to label Cloud Atlas as a fantasy....
That is one that I've been meaning to read....

Well the hot fantasy book that is cycling through the 75 group would be A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. Martin. Patrick Rothfuss seems to also be name that is getting a lot of buzz. The Mistborn Trilogy by Sanderson is also another one that consistently gets positive ratings. And of course, Harry Potter seems also be the quintessential fantasy book that is a must read.
My absolute favourite fantasy book has got to be Gavriel's Tigana. It's a monster of a book, and takes about 100 pages to kick off, but the ending made me gasp. If you like the epic, historical flavour, that one might interest. As well Gaiman's Neverwhere was one I recently read which is like an Alice in Wonderland kind of feel but with modern day London.
I know there are so many other people out there who have read much more, so hopefully they can also add to the suggestions, because there is that many good fantasy books out there!

Wow that's a lot to chew on Valerie. I know Katie recently read Martin's book Game of Thrones and she wrote a pretty compelling review so maybe I'll try that. I'm going to favorite this message so I can refer back to it. You are a wealth of information. Thanks.

I can't wait to hear more about your course, Bonnie! Summer is a good book.

Bonnie, I finally caught up!!! This should count as a whole book or at least as a magazine or two!
I am truly going to read *Cairo Trilogy* - your reviews make me sure of it.
Your attempted forays into the university are fascinating, and I can't wait to see what you make of The Novel in the US. I'm sure that your daughter will be glad to have heard from you when she comes up for air.
I second Valerie's suggestion of Tigana, by far my favorite stand-alone fantasy of all time. (Don't read reviews. There's no way to make this world sound like it was written for an adult, but it was and is.) I'm really, really enjoying The Castings Trilogy, so I think that you should add it to your list. The thing about the GRRRRRRR Martin is that he has sort of dropped the ball in the last couple of books, but you should enjoy the first 3 anyway.
Happy Reading!

>200 brenzi: - Love me some Game of Thrones! I'm hoping to get to the second book in the series during September Sequels & Series...

Valerie's description of Tigana is enticing, because what I loved about GoT was the historical feel and broad scope of the story...

>201 lauralkeet:. I am fairly far along in Summer Laurs and am really enjoying it. I'm starting to figure out why it's considered a companion book to Ethan Frome.

>202 LizzieD:. Hi Peggy, and apparently another post to favorite with suggestions for sf/fantasy. Oh I think Sara values my opinion about this program as well as giving me advice as to how to behave in a classroom. Such as:

Do yourself a favor, Mom, and don't be one of these older students who ask a million questions especially towards the end of class when every other student is chomping at the bit to get out of class and, instead, have to be content to listen to the professor go on and on to answer your question.

She and Kevin think it's hysterical that I would take a course that I'll get no credit for. Here's a funny story she told me: An eighty year old man was registered for a class and had paid the tuition for it. Sara asked one of her staff to call the man and explain the 60 and Over program to him so that he could take the course for free. He told them, "no thanks, I want the credit.". Haha I don't know why anyone that age would really want the credit but there you go. It'll look good on his resume I guess LOL.

>203 katiekrug:. Hi Katie, that's what I found compelling about your review of GoT, the historical aspect. And that's why I think I'll start with that one. Historical fiction is my favorite genre anyway.

I would bear in mind that the Game of Thrones is a long series that isn't complete ... yet.

As a fantasy starter for someone who likes historical fiction I would second Guy Gavriel Kay - Tigana or The Lions of Al-Rassan would be good choices. At least with those you get a complete story:)

Excellent review of Sugar Street, Bonnie, and I completely agree with your assessment of it and The Cairo Trilogy as a whole. Although it was a good novel it was the least readable of the three, and it ended rather abruptly, as if the saga was meant to continue in a fourth book. Overall, though, The Cairo Trilogy was a superb accomplishment, and I'm glad that I've read it and that so many others are also enjoying it.

What television series are you guys talking about????

re universities & over 60s... My grandfather had to leave university after two years as he wasn't in the top half of his class. This was after WW1 and the returning servicemen meant there were too many students, so classes were cut in half at the end of every year. He always regretted this, and finally after retiring was able to start taking courses at University of Toronto. He didn't quite get to his BA, but adored the classes he took -- languages, literature, history -- and was a real live wire in the classes themselves, challenging the professors, who all adored him. (luckily!) Someone at the Toronto Star even wrote a story about him. I think one or two of my classes had local seniors in them, but I can't remember them adding to the discussions.

>206 calm: Who knew there were so many fantasy readers in this 75er group?? Not me apparently. Thanks for pointing that out, calm. I'm not much of a series reader anyway so that's a very good point. So I guess if you, Valerie and Peggy all suggest Tigana that's the one I'll try.

>207 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl, and I have you to thank for giving me the nudge I needed to read the trilogy and other books that take place in the Middle East. I'm really enjoying the theme read and hope to try other theme reads as well.

>208 Chatterbox: What television series are you guys talking about???? Breaking Bad, Suzanne. It'll be ending in January after a five year run.

Your grandfather sounds like a very special person Suzanne. I don't know how much I'll add to the classroom discussions or challenge the teacher but I'm really enjoying the class so far and hope I can contribute in some way. It certainly didn't take long to feel right at home sitting in the class rather than in front of the class. And I really like the teacher. You can tell he loves his subject he's teaching.

*timid hand-raise* I dislike fantasy novels. I read Tigana and wasn't impressed. But later, and NO ONE TELL CAROLINE THIS, I went back and finished it. It's very good.

Caroline roped me into reading it, and I made her feel lousy about hurting my eyes so much. So she cannot know. Promise now!

Richard I'll promise anything you want. Sure. Fine. But you do realize that with the thread continuation feature Caro will never, ever lose my thread and she's liable to mosey on back here at any time and see...........but never mind. Sure I'll promise. **Adds Richard's name to the recomended by tag for Tigana**

>210 richardderus: lol, OOOOO kaaaay RD, I wont tell :)

>208 Chatterbox: Hi Suzanne, your grandfather going back to university reminds me of the book Life is so Good by George Dawson. He went to elementary school as a 70? 80? year old and continued on with his education up to high school level. It is such a good story about it never being too late!

And Hi Bonnie, count me as another Cairo Trilogy convert, although drat it, I didnt find a copy today at the book fair or any of the three. Dont worry though, Im going back in the weekend to have a thorough search!

Hi Megan, I hope your search proves to be successful. It is definitely worth reading.

I am chuckling at your post 188! What a fun set of circumstances ( kind of ) . LOL!!! Oh kids! And yes, as to your comment re Strengths Finder 2.0, I agree, the vast - if not all - business type books and " self - help" kind of book are essentially just a re-hash of old largely meaningless stuff. It was the fact that my son's new employer purchased a bunch of StrengthsFinder 2.0 and reading that book and doing the quiz was required part of his job... that got me curious enough to have a read and do the quiz!

Bonnie, that's great about your return to the university classroom. I thoroughly enjoyed the three courses I've taken. I didn't find anything that grabbed me this semester. I hope to get back in the groove in January. Are you going to post a list of books that you'll be reading for class?

>214 vancouverdeb: Chuckle away Deb:) So your nephew's employer must have felt there was something of value in those books. Seldom do corporations waste money on things that will not directly impact their bottom line.

>215 Donna828: Hi Donna, well honestly I'm just following in your footsteps. You seemed to be having such a great time. If you follow me to my new thread, I'll post some more info about my course.

#198: Yeah, right, Bonnie. LOL!

I'm a pretty shade of green, Bonnie, as I have started to think seriously of auditing classes. I miss classes. So I will be watching your comments and see how it goes for you. It's sounding good already.

Now. I love fantasy. And have never heard of Tigana. So many recs for that one. Where have I been?

Congrats on finishing your trilogy. Great review. ;-)