Kara's 75 in 2012....#4

The Secret Garden

by Kirsty Mitchell Photography
Blog entry about this shoot - http://www.kirstymitchellphotography.com/diary/?p=1007

This year I will have 2 tickers. One to track my goal of 75 books in 2012 and the other to read 10 books off my shelf. I figured that I really need to set a goal for my BOTS because I'm a compulsive book buyer and Library user and my TBR stack(s) are getting obnoxious looking. Pretty sure most of us on LT have that sort of problem in one way or another. :) I'm starting out small with my BOTS goal to give myself incentive to read past that goal and increase it next year.

January:
1. The Sojourn by Andrew Krivak (3.75 stars)
2. The Last Days of Dogtown by Anita Diamant (4 stars)
3. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie (3.5 stars)
4. Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens by J.M. Barrie (3.75 stars)
5. BOTS Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith (4 stars)
6. A Thousand Country Roads by Robert James Waller (2.5 stars)
7. The Wood Wife by Terri Windling (3.75 stars)
8. Troll's-Eye View by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling (3 stars)
9. Confessions of a pagan nun by Kate Horsley (4.5 stars)

Favorites for Jan


February:
10. The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman (3 stars)
11. BOTS The Hundred and Ninety-Nine Steps by Michel Faber (3.5 stars)
12. BOTS/ER Touch by Alexi Zentner (4 stars)
13. BOTS/ER Nightwoods by Charles Frazier (3 stars)
14. BOTS The Well by Elizabeth Jolley (3.5 stars)
15. BOTS The Front by Patricia Cornwell (2.5 stars)
16. The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasmussen (4.5 stars)
17. The Curious Incident by Mark Haddon (2.5 stars)
18. NF Winging It by Jenny Gardiner (4 stars)
19. Dope by Sara Gran (4 stars)

Favorites for Feb


March
20. The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff (2.5 stars)
21. The Grotesque by Patrick McGrath (3.5 stars)
22. Blacklands by Belinda Bauer (3 stars)
23. NF Some Girls My Life in a Harem by Jillian Lauren (3 stars)
24. The Cutting Room by Louise Welsh (3.75 stars)
25. The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy (4.5 stars)
26. Renfield: Slave of Dracula by Barbara Hambly (4 stars)
27. NF The Circus Fire by Stewart O'Nan (3 stars)

Favorites for March


April
28. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill (3.75 stars)
29. Geek Love by Katherine Dunn (4.5 stars)
30. War Horse by Michael Morpurgo (4.5 stars)
31. Montana 1948 by Larry Watson (5 stars)
32. NF Alex & Me by Irene Pepperberg (3.75 stars)
33. Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce (3 stars)
34. Sweetly by Jackson Pearce (3 stars)
35. The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho (3.5 stars)

Favorites for April

May
36. A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah (4 stars)
37. Bottomfeeder by Bob Fingerman (4 stars)
38. The Seventh Well by Fred Wander (5 stars)
39. The Society of S by Susan Hubbard (3 stars)
40. The Year of Disappearances by Susan Hubbard (3 stars)
41. The Season of Risks by Susan Hubbard (3.5 stars)
42. BOTS/YA Gossamer by Lois Lowry (4.5 stars)

Favorites for May


June
43. BOTS/ER Harbor by John Ajvide Lindqvist (3.5 stars)
44. BOTS Keeper of Light and Dust by Natasha Mostert (3 stars)
45. BOTS Mudbound by Hillary Jordan (4.5 stars)
46. The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka (4 stars)
47. A Prayer for the Dying by Stewart O'Nan (5 stars)
48. NF The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases From A state Hospital Attic by Darby Penney (4 stars)
49. Damage by Josephine Hart (3.75 stars)

Favorites for June


July
50. NF Underboss: Sammy the Bull Gravano's Story of Life in the Mafia by Peter Maas (3 stars)
51. Rose in A Storm by Jon Katz (3.5 stars)
52. In Zanesville by Jo Ann Beard (3.5 stars)
53. One Foot in Eden by Ron Rash (4 stars)
54. Saints at the River by Ron Rash (3 stars)
55. Black Fly Season by Giles Blunt (3.75 stars)

Favorites for July


August
56. Unless by Carol Shields (2.5 stars)
57. Shelter by Jayne Anne Phillips (3.5 stars)
58. Dawn by Octavia Butler (4 stars)
59. BOTS/ER The Whisperer by Donato Carrisi (3 stars)
60. BOTS/ER Gathering of Waters by Bernice McFadden (4.5 stars)
61. BOTS Some Kind of Fairy Tale by Graham Joyce (3 stars)
62. When the Emperor was Divine by Julie Otsuka (3.5 stars)
63. YA Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson (3.5 stars)

Favorites for August

September
64. The Man Who Lives with Wolves by Shaun Ellis (3.5 stars)
65. Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson (3 stars)
66. NF Paranormal State: My Journey into the Unknown by Ryan Buell (3 stars)
67. The Speed Queen by Stewart O'Nan (4 stars)
68. The Resort by Bentley Little (2 stars)
69. Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill (4.5 stars)
70. The Collector by John Fowles (3.5 stars)
71. White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi (3.5 stars)

Favorites for September


October
72. Tortilla Flat from The Short Novels of John Steinbeck (2.75 stars)
73. The Red Pony from The Short Novels of John Steinbeck (3 stars)
74. Through Violet Eyes by Stephen Woodworth (3 stars)
75. Joe by Larry Brown (4.5 stars)
76. Before Women Had Wings by Connie May Fowler (4.5 stars)

November
77. Adulthood Rites by Octavia Butler (3.5 stars)
78. The Wake Forgiveness by Bruce Machart (4 stars)

December
79. All That Lives: A Novel of the Bell Witch by Melissa Sanders-Self (1.5 stars)
80. The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian (3.5 stars)

Love the picture up top, Kara!

Hi Stasia!
early bird you are :)
working on more
be back

Ooo! Gorgeous hydrangea pic!

Isn't it!
Check out her blog, which will go into detail about the "Wonderland" pictures she is doing.
They are stunning and the back stories are touching.
She is putting them into a book called Wonderland :) I so want it!

I see why. Wow.

wow is right
girl has talent
one to watch I tell you

eta: here is the link to the Wonderland gallery
http://www.kirstymitchellphotography.com/gallery.php?album=5

ok
I need to catch up on my posts for the reading I have done
I have 6 I think *ouch*

I was already there...Gemmysomething's daughter, in the lilacs? OOOOOOOO

Oh I know!!!!
and the Brier Rose one OOOOOOO

ETA The White Queen! The White Queen!

*swoon* That ruff dingus! Oh my heck!

57. Shelter

LT description
In a West Virginia girls' camp in July 1963, a group of children experience an unexpected rite of passage. Shelter is an astonishing portrayal of an American loss of innocence as witnessed by a drifter named Parson, two young sisters, Lenny and Alma, and a feral boy. Like Buddy, the wide-eyed boy so at home in the natural bower of the forest, Lenny and Alma are forever transformed by violence, by family secrets, by surprising turns of love.
What they choose to remember, what they meet within and around the boundaries of the camp, will determine the rest of their lives. In a leafy wilderness undiminished by societal rules and dilemmas, Lenny and Alma confront a terrible darkness and find in themselves a knowledge never lent to them by the adult world.

My thoughts
The story of two sisters at a summer camp in West Virginia and their unlikely relationship with a poor local boy, Shelter unpacks each character's sentimental history, then herds the trio into a grown-up crisis in which they prove their heroism and vulnerability. This is an ambitious, often beautiful book but something was just a little bit off for me and I'm not sure what it was. Nevertheless, a suspenseful and oddly captivating work.
3.5 stars

I just love that she did this to remember her mother and that she and only a couple of people make all the costumes and bust their ass to get the picture!

are you reading the diary behind the individual shots? I thought it was interesting how she thought up each picture and the step by step process it took.
The White Queens costume/accessories are incredible!
I admire people that can do that sort of stuff

I'm astonished by people who can do that sort of stuff. I can't sew on a button! Cut all that stuff out?!? Oh HELL no!

I think I'll savor the site over time. It's so amazing!

It is amazing!
She works so hard with so little and produces beautiful art.
Glad you like it :)
I passed it to Jude also- the creepy picture with the girl with 4 legs :)

58. Dawn

LT description
In a world devastated by nuclear war with humanity on the edge of extinction, aliens finally make contact. They rescue those humans they can, keeping most survivors in suspended animation while the aliens begin the slow process of rehabilitating the planet. When Lilith Iyapo is "awakened," she finds that she has been chosen to revive her fellow humans in small groups by first preparing them to meet the utterly terrifying aliens, then training them to survive on the wilderness that the planet has become. But the aliens cannot help humanity without altering it forever. Bonded to the aliens in ways no human has ever known, Lilith tries to fight them even as her own species comes to fear and loathe her. A stunning story of invasion and alien contact by one of science fiction's finest writers.

My thoughts
I am not a big reader of sci fi. I don't think I have any books in my collection that I would classify as sci fi. I don't care for Star Trek, Star Wars or Dr Who *ducks* but this book was recommended to me by our 75er Kath and I will say that I enjoyed it very much. Thank you! It was creepy and uncomfortable enough for me to continue with the series.
4 stars

59. The Whisperer
BOTS/ER 3 stars

I will post a formal review later since it is an ER but for now I will say that I think Carrisi has the goods to make a REALLY good book. This one had all the makings but it got too crazy, to the point that I felt it was overdone and silly.
No reference to place or time? Guess I had to figure that out. My guess was Europe somewhere. Possibly Germany or Italy. dunno.
Needed some editing- 400 pages was too long IMO.

60. Gathering of Waters
BOTS/ER 4.5 stars

Another ER that I will post a formal review later. Informally- I love Bernice McFadden's work. This one is narrated by the town of Money Mississippi in 1955. It is a tangling of fact and fiction, harsh reality and the fantastical, and the moment in time where they converge.
On the stack of re reads :)

61. Some Kind of Fairy Tale
BOTS 3 stars

The story is simple: A teenage girl disappears in the woods near her English home, then returns to her family 20 years later, barely aged, and with the outlandish explanation that she was abducted by fairies. It slowly builds up an account of just how much Tara’s disappearance has shaped the lives of those around her and how her reappearance impacts the lives they’ve made for themselves since. The last quarter of the book didn't live up to the beauty of everything that had come before but it was a satisfying read. Thank you Kath for sending me this one :)

Love the photo up top . . . and the chain reader pic.

Your reaction to The Whisperer sounds a lot like how I remember reacting. Too much weirdness, not enough reality. Even and time and place to help ground it might have helped a little.

Hope Leila is better and able to come home soon!

ETA to add: (BTW, why didn't you use the thread continuation thingy? I've gotten so used to it, I almost forgot I needed to star this thread!)

62. When the Emperor Was Divine
3.5 stars

This short novel tells the story of a Japanese-American family’s internment during World War II. They are living comfortably in Berkeley, California, when their nightmare begins. The story is told through the eyes of each family member, none of whom is named--the boy, the girl, the woman. Hence it is the tale of a group as well as of individuals. The most moving and vivid narrative is that of the boy, perhaps because his perspective is that of the youngest and most dependent family member. I really enjoyed Otsuka's book The Buddha in the Attic however, this one didn't capture my attention the way Buddha did. There are similarities between the two books in subject matter (Japanese in California, discrimination, family) and in writing style (we don't really know the characters' names and the narration changes), but the plot just didn't capture me as much in this one.

63. Fever 1793
YA 3.5 stars

This is the story of the 1793 epidemic of Yellow Fever in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania told from the perspective of a young girl, Mattie (Matilda). Mattie lives a simple but very happy life which mainly consists of helping run the family coffee shop, along with her mother and grandfather. When rumors of “the fever” begin sweeping the area, the family really isn’t sure what to expect. But when Mattie’s mother shows signs of being ill, she orders Mattie and her grandfather to leave the city and the disease. What Mattie finds is that there is just as much terror and disease outside the city as in it. And she quickly realizes that it is up to her to figure out how to survive the epidemic. This was a worthwhile read and the historical notes at the end of the book were interesting and helpful.

Hi Terri!
too much mumbo jumbo-just too much. Maybe it had to do with the translation? It felt really sensational, which is too bad because I like the story just not how it was carried out.
Thanks, I hope she is better tomorrow and I can pick her up *fingers crossed*
I don't know why I didn't use the thread continuation thingy.
Never done it before, didn't think about it :/
I'll probably screw it up the first time that I do :)
next thread I'll try it- remind me ;)

Was notified that I snagged Cold Light for Aug ER :)

currently reading The Man Who Lives With Wolves

I'm caught up enough now that I'm comfortable :)

So I think I'm going to grab a glass a milk and the package of double stuffed Oreo cookies :)

Beautiful opening image Kara.

Well done for catching up.

Hope all is well - enjoy your milk and cookies:)

Maybe it had to do with the translation? It felt really sensational,

Exactly!!!

Glad you got an ER that makes you smile this month, Kara. Hope this one lives up to your expectations.

Best wishes to Leila.

Hi Kara! I felt the same as you about When The Emperor Was Divine. Have you read Tall Grass by S. Dallas? I liked that one more.

Hope Laila is doing better today!!!!

Gorgeous picture.. wonderful books...!
Did I miss a Laila update? Sending energy her way.

You didn't miss a Laila update Kath :) I called this morning to check on her. They said she did well last night and this morning she is up walking but a little sore with that right leg. She ate breakfast and went potty outside. Dr J called around 12 and said she is ready to come home :) Guess Laila was escaping from her cage or looking out of her cage so someone would think she needed to go outside and when they tried to get her back in she put the brakes on :)
So I just picked her up and she practically dragged me to the car! She's walking like her usual self, not acting like she is in pain, so that's good. I just need to keep the activity down so she doesn't pull at the stitches. It's nap time for us all right now. I went to bed at 3:30am up at 6:30am o-O

Thanks Calm! I love her pictures :) do you know her? I believe she lives across the pond and has had some showings in London.

Thanks Terri! I have made the announcement to all fur/feather kids that's it's nap time. rest is good for the body and soul :)

Tammy! Hi :) No I have not read Tall Grass but I just looked at it and I think I would like it so I have added it! I read her book Chili Queen awhile back and gave it 3 stars. Laila is better and home with mom :) Thanks!

Oh, Kath two of those wonderful books are from you! Did you notice? :)

Thanks for all the healing energy everyone!

ha! No, I didn't. It's funny, but once I set a book free, or give it away.. it leaves my head who I gave it to. I no longer have to worry because it has gone to a good home :)

I am VERY very very pleased to hear that Laila is home and doing okay :) Did they give you abx or meds for pain? How on earth will you keep her down... restricted space? Good problem to have though..
hugs to you both...

Glad to hear that Laila is home, Kara. Hope you all can get some rest now.

I came in to the thread to check on Laila and am glad to hear that she has finally made it home!

Kath, the only one you gave to me was Some Kind of Fairy Tale - Dawn you recommended :)
Dr J gave her 2 Rx. Tramadol for pain twice daily or PRN. Previcox once daily for inflammation. no ABX. the sites look good, no s/s of infection, no drainage. Stitches out in 10-14 days. She's not acting like she is in pain. Just tentative when she goes to lie down. She took a nap with me on my bed :) I put a non slip rug in front of the loveseat for when she gets off of it. I help her up tho. She rarely goes to lick any of the areas and stops when I call to her. So, I think the cone will stay off :) Looks like it could be more trouble then it's worth- plus they did not use it on her last night and she did well :)
We have ceramic tile in the house except for the bedrooms so I have been keeping things quiet in the living areas so she doesn't get what we boxer peeps call the "kidney bean wiggle". She has been quiet not too rambunctious and wants to be with me :) I'm fine with that.
Looks like the right call was made for Dr J to keep her overnight (It killed me tho) because she is much better then yesterday!

Thanks Terri :) we did get some afternoon rest then I got up and made a pineapple upside down cake for Sun. dinner at my sister's house :) It looks and smells so good!

Thank you Stasia :) yep she's home where she belongs and sleeping on her loveseat!

Pineapple upside down cake -- Yum!

So, how goes the healing?

She's moving slow which is expected but not doing anything crazy which is good! Eating and drinking well. No cone last night!! She is leaving the areas pretty much alone :)

Fabulous!!!!! Good girl :) I hate those cones :PPPPPPPP eating and drinking is good.

WOW I love your opening photo!

Glad to see that Laila is doing well. Hopefully she heals up quickly!

Yeah, well, Kath guess what? I'm taking her back to the vet today. She popped I think maybe 2 stitches so now she has a 3cmx3cm hole. :( It has some slough (yellow/greyish) material in and around the hole and it smells like it's starting to get "funky". A restitch and some ABT I think is in order. *sigh* Of course she is now licking the area because of the hole so I tried the cone lat night. Ha! what a joke that is. She was in panic mode so I removed it and threw it on the table where it will stay! Never a dull moment.
Other then that she's good. I decided to give her no more pain meds since she did her run/jump you can't catch me routine this weekend. "Oh feeling better I see" I said to her as I banished her to my room for quiet time ;)

Chelle!!! the bride has arrived :) Welcome back! I need to check your thread for pictures which I'm sure are awesome! Trash the dress? Did you do that? My husband saw something about that on TV and made the comment that that was a silly thing to do. Men, they don't get it ;)

Favorites for August


Currently reading Housekeeping

64. The Man Who Lives with Wolves
NF 3.5 stars

Shaun Ellis talks about his upbringing in the wilds of Norfolk, England, to his survival training with British Army Special Forces to the Nez Percé Indian lands in Idaho, where he first ran with a wolf pack for nearly two years. He shares how he ate raw kill–and little else; washed rarely, and only in plain water; learned to bury his face into the carcasses of prey–and, when necessary, to defend his share of the kill; communicated with the pack by his howls and body language, which over time became seemingly identical to theirs; and observed from this unique vantage point how wolves give birth to and raise their young, and enforce order among the pack.
I am a lover of wolves and my first introduction to Mr. Ellis was the Animal Planet series Living with the Wolfman (2008). He captivated me. He truly has a love for these animals and it shows.

Everything has a place in this world and we can’t be naïve enough to think we can safeguard ourselves if we let other species fail.

(Note: Shaun Ellis' life inspired the character Luke Warren in Jodi Picoult's newest novel Lone Wolf)

You know what? When Dunkers had his mass removed, he just would not heal.. it seeped. I cleaned it and covered it ( he wore a shirt) .. Finally I took him in and had them take the sutures out, because i felt like he was allergic to them. While it was open i poured wound cleaner / water in it.. and it healed in days.
fingers crossed.

I think she's allergic to rest and relaxation not stitches Kath :p
she ripped at least 4 stitches causing a pretty hole. The incision is about 5 inches long, the hole is about 2 inches *sigh* Now mommy has daily dressing changes and baby is on antibiotics (750mg Keflex BID). She's damn lucky I love her and that I'm a nurse :)
dressing changes should be fun since it took 4 of us at the vets to do it because she thought it was play time! Jorge and I might have a problem LOL but Dr J said I could bring her in and WE can all do it :)

Aw widdle pinkie puppums *woobiewoobiewoobie*smoochsmooch*

ahem

I am quite pleased to learn of Laila's excellent progress.

Sounds like a handful! But she is, indeed, very lucky to have someone as patient and medically skilled as you are to care for her, Kara!

awww poor puppy!! But hey, at least her bandages are pink lol

Yes we did do the trash the dress the day after, but I don't have any pictures of that yet :(
It was crazy though, a few days before the wedding a bride in Quebec died while doing a trash the dress photo shoot. so my family was very worried (and annoying) about me going in the water. I only went out about 2 feet into the water so I wasn't deep at all. The water was pretty cold though!

Had to come looking for you and Laila! Star got unstarred??? or some fool thing.

Glad Laila is feeling better enough to cause trouble LOL
Cute hiney shot!
I'm sure you will see to it that the wound heals nicely - or else!
Good luck...

Getting a we bit dusty in here.... oh Kara!

Just stopping by . . .

...Kara...? Wooooooooohoooooooooo!

Hi Kara,
Lost you there for a bit, but found you again now (it keeps happening to me lately?)
A lot of books reviewed in the top half of the thread!

I was wondering why I haven't seen any activity from your thread for so long and of course I check the threadbook and realized you had a NEW thread and it wasn't starred. (error has been corrected!) *Palm Smack*. Of course I catch and your first 2 reviews alone are a BB with me...
So, so, dangerous your thread is for me!
Glad to see you are reading and reviewing. :)

Hi, Kara. It has been a while, even on this thread. . . I hope you are OK!

I've made the stuffing. I've prepped the brussels sprouts with apples. I've got the noxious bird-meat brining in my own souped-up whiskey brine mixture. Yam nastiness baking now. Must roast the sprouts, some white potatoes with garlic, oil and rosemary, and birdie. Sweet potato pie, pecan pie, southern mincemeat pie, and apple pie all done. Life is good, but my knees and feet are killin' me! Happy holiday for you and all those you love.

Hi Kara - hope things are OK.

Noticed that you are updating your reads - congratulations on passing the 75!

Hope to hear from you soon.

Missing you my friend...
I hope it is a wonderful day today for you and your family...
hugs

I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving, Kara!

And congrats on passing 75!

Miss you!

Hi Kara!
You passed your 75 goal and it's all icing from here to end of year! Congratulations
Hope you are well - miss ya!

Merry Christmas Kara!! Hope you are having a wonderful holiday season!

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas, Kara!


glitter-graphics.com

Happy Holidays to you and yours Kara. Hope everything is going well.


glitter-graphics.com

Miss you kara......

I did miss all of you and thank you for the holiday wishes! I hope all of you had a great holiday with loved ones!

The last part of 2012 was not kind to me but I have made a 2013 thread here if you wish to follow.