MickyFine's 2012 Reads: Sixth Quarto

Ophelia - Alexandre Cabanel

Time for a new thread again. It's starting to get chilly so grab a cuppa and cozy up.

In case you're new or just need a reminder, I'm working my way through the complete works of Shakespeare and chronicling my progress in my blog, Blitzing Through the Bard. I am also hoping to read 75 books that have nothing to do with the Shakespeare challenge, but we'll see.

So come on in and fill up the space with lots of chatter, book related and not. I'm always happy to have visitors.

Books of 2012

January
1. Sundays at Tiffany's - James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet
2. Will Grayson, Will Grayson - John Green and David Levithan
3. One for the Money - Janet Evanovich
4. Q-in-Law - Peter David (re-read)
5. Studying Students: The Undergraduate Research Project at the University of Rochester - Nancy Fried Foster and Susan Gibbons (ed.)
6. The Fault in Our Stars - John Green
7. Talk to the Hand - Lynne Truss
8. Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare (re-read)
Shakespeare
The Tempest
Two Gentlemen of Verona
Merry Wives of Windsor
Twelfth Night
Measure for Measure
Favourite read(s):


February
9. Clockwork Prince - Cassandra Clare
10. Little Dorrit - Charles Dickens
11. Along for the Ride - Sarah Dessen
12. Running in the Family - Michael Ondaatje
13. The Sherlockian - Graham Moore
Shakespeare
Much Ado About Nothing
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Love's Labour's Lost
Favourite read(s):


March
14. Keeping the Moon - Sarah Dessen
15. The Uncommon Reader - Alan Bennett
16. War Horse - Michael Morpurgo
17. 0.4 - Mike Lancaster
18. Silence - Becca Fitzpatrick
19. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - John le Carre
20. Jane Austen's Letters - Jane Austen
21. Timeless - Gail Carriger
Shakespeare
The Merchant of Venice
As You Like It
All's Well That Ends Well
The Taming of the Shrew
Favourite read(s):

April
22. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
23. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist - Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
24. A Death in the Family - James Agee
25. Divergent - Veronica Roth
26. The Fault in Our Stars - John Green (re-read)
Shakespeare
The Winter's Tale
The Comedy of Errors
King John
Richard II
Favourite read(s):


May
27. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes - Edith Hamilton
28. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight - Jennifer E. Smith
29. The Iliad - Homer (trans. Stanley Lombardo)
30. Insatiable - Meg Cabot
31. Avalon High - Meg Cabot
32. Your Favorite Seuss - Dr. Seuss
Shakespeare
Henry IV Part 1
Henry IV Part 2
Henry V
Henry VI Part 1
Favourite read(s):


June
33. The Adoration of Jenna Fox - Mary E. Pearson
34. Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books - Azar Nafisi
35. Abandon - Meg Cabot
36. Overbite - Meg Cabot
37. Cotillion - Georgette Heyer
38. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks - E. Lockhart
39. Frederica - Georgette Heyer
Shakespeare
Henry VI Part 2
Henry VI Part 3
Richard III
Henry VIII
Favourite read(s):

July
40. The Room and The Dumb Waiter - Harold Pinter
41. Girl at Sea - Maureen Johnson
42. Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) - Sarah Mlynowski
43. The Boyfriend List - E. Lockhart
44. The Boy Book - E. Lockhart
45. The Treasure Map of Boys - E. Lockhart
46. Real Live Boyfriends - E. Lockhart
47. Insurgent - Veronica Roth
48. How to Ditch Your Fairy - Justine Larbalestier
49. The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde
Shakespeare
Troilus and Cressida
Timon of Athens
Coriolanus
Julius Caesar
Favourite read(s):


August
50. Imzadi - Peter David (re-read)
51. Bitterblue - Kristin Cashore
52. Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
53. City of Lost Souls - Cassandra Clare
54. The Cat's Table - Michael Ondaatje
55. The Twits - Roald Dahl
56. The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me - Roald Dahl
Shakespeare
Antony and Cleopatra
Cymbeline
Titus Andronicus
Favourite read(s):


September
57. The Fry Chronicles - Stephen Fry
58. Beauvallet - Georgette Heyer
59. Size 12 Is Not Fat - Meg Cabot (re-read)
60. Size 14 Is Not Fat Either - Meg Cabot (re-read)
61. Big Boned - Meg Cabot (re-read)
Shakespeare
Pericles, Prince of Tyre
King Lear
Favourite read(s):

October
62. Size 12 and Ready to Rock - Meg Cabot
63. The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway
64. The Girl in the Steel Corset - Kady Cross
65. The Girl in the Clockwork Collar - Kady Cross
Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet
Macbeth
Hamlet
Othello
Favourite read(s):


November
66. Twilight - Stephenie Meyer (re-read)
67. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer (re-read)
68. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer (re-read)
69. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer (re-read)
70. Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins
71. Enshadowed - Kelly Creagh
72. Lola and the Boy Next Door - Stephanie Perkins
Shakespeare
Venus and Adonis
Favourite read(s):


December
73. Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman
74. The Last Little Blue Envelope - Maureen Johnson
75. Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Shakespeare
The Rape of Lucrece
Sonnets
A Lover's Complaint
The Passionate Pilgrim
Sonnets to Sundry Notes of Music
The Phoenix and the Turtle
Favourite read(s):

My rating system:

/ = Ran screaming in the other direction (aka did not finish)
* = Suffered through it for reasons I'm still not sure of
** = Had far more flaws than virtues
*** = A read I don't regret but could use some improvement
**** = A good, solid read that I might revisit
***** = Loved it beyond reason and will probably re-read in short order

Checking in; been hit by a book bullet - I think I'll have to check out Katy Cross's series. This thread is deadly.

ETA : I was so traumatised by BBs that I forgot to tell you I was admiring the way the artist has done the fabric on Ophelia's dress; they've caught the pattern and the play of light, and the way the fabric falls. Like Morphy, I was thinking - therefore - that it's posed, to be able to capture that detail.

Hi Micky, checking out the new thread and love your opening pic... now that is a keeper!

You know, all I could think of when looking at that picture was, "That is obviously posed. The lady was on a couch or something because nothing floats on top of water like that."

:)

HI Micky! Happy new thread :)

Hi Micky! I hope I haven't missed too many books with covers that make me shudder while I've been absent.

>6 humouress: Huh, I never really thought of my thread as deadly before, humouress. Hopefully it's a good book bullet for you.

>7 lkernagh: Hi Lori! I am actually quite fond of several different paintings of Ophelia's death scene (morbid I know) but this one struck my fancy when I was picking one for the thread.

>8 Morphidae: Realist. :P Lovely to see you, Morphy.

>9 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle! Nice to see you.

>10 Ape: Hi Stephen! You haven't really missed much in the way of books. As for covers that make you shudder, there have been some with people on them, but I think they may just strike your fancy anyways. See the book below for an example.

Lovely new thread, Micky! Stay warm and have a great weekend. :)

Book 65



The Girl in the Clockwork Collar - Kady Cross

Finley, Griffin, Sam, and Emily have travelled to New York City to unravel the mystery surrounding Jasper and his potential status as a murderer. The group are quickly embroiled in a complex ring that involves the gangs in the slums of New York, the mysterious Reno Dalton, and Mei whose clockwork collar threatens her very life. Finding the answers to their questions may hurt the small group of friends far more than they could ever imagine.

The second book in the Steampunk Chronicles is just as good as the first. The characters remain strong, their relationships continue to develop, and the plot churns a long at a decent pace. While the novel held no major twists or surprises for me, it was still an enjoyable read in the lovely steampunk world that Kady Cross has created.

Rating: ****

From your last thread: yes, I was in Girl Scouts, and sadly, no, we never learned how to tie knots like that. Or knots, period. How sad is my childhood. :(

>14 saraslibrary: I wouldn't say your childhood is sad, just your Girl Scout troop. ;) If it makes you feel better, I have no complex knot knowledge either (and man do I love that alliteration).

13: Okay, fine, I do like the model, for once... :)

Happy to see that book 2 in the Steampunk Chronicles continues to be a good one! I hate it when a series starts out well with the first book and then fizzles out with book 2......

Hi Micky! Just catching up, but as usual, I find something fascinating: Steampunk Chronicles? (dreadful name - probably designed by marketers).

Good Shakespeares this month too. Macbeth is my all time favourite (actually that's more marketing - 17th century style).

I spotted a six word story recently you might like (http://www.fleetingmagazine.com/six-word-story-competition-shortlist/):

Macbeth divorced her for wasting soap

Look at your forging ahead with the series! I almost never request to put any YA books on hold at the library because I always manage to find a way to walk out with an armload of books just scanning the shelves. It will probably be a while before the second book in the series starts showing up, but I'm definitely keen on reading it at some point.

#15: I wouldn't say your childhood is sad, just your Girl Scout troop. -- Agreed! Especially since they made us wear these. So kidding. :)

#16: Oookay, what did Micky slip in your drink?

>16 Ape: Be still my beating heart. Did Stephen just say he liked a book cover with a person on it? Are you sure you're still Stephen?

>17 lkernagh: I totally understand, Lori. I'd say the quality remains about the same from book one to book two.

>18 JenMacPen: Hi Jen. The Steampunk Chronicles are definitely worth a look if it piques your fancy. As for Shakespeare, I actually just finished reading the last of the plays yesterday (although I am super behind on blog posts and posts here about them). On to the poetry! Love the six word story though. :)

>19 jolerie: I'm actually the opposite, Valerie. Although I work in the library, I'm rarely out on the floor because of the work I do so I almost never browse and currently get most of my books by placing holds. But I hope you happen to pick up the next book while you're browsing. :)

>20 saraslibrary: Honestly, I could see you wearing that now. :P And I gave absolutely no beverages to Stephen at all.

Shakespeare #32

I'm ages behind on blog posts for Shakespeare so there will probably be a lot of posts in here in the next few weeks.

Pericles, Prince of Tyre is highly episodic and a little reminiscent of Henry V (although not nearly as cool). Reading the play for the first time I was in honest suspense as to whether it would have a tragic or comic ending and have to admit that after reading many, many, many tragic endings, it was nice to have everything turn out right in the end. But due to the episodic nature of the play, the action feels extremely over the top. Each plot development feels even more insane than the last until we get to Marina in the brothel who avoids losing her virtue by shaming her potential clients for wanting to take away her virtue. Not super realistic that (I would guess). The play definitely has a heavy dose of Greek drama around it with each act opening with the equivalent of a chorus delineating the action but it never reaches the empathetic emotional heights that Shakespeare is capable of.

#21: Yeah, I'd probably wear it. :D My mom would disown me, but it's much more conservative compared to some other Girl Scout costumes out there. Don't worry; I won't post those. :)

I think Ophelia looks like she's ordering another pinot noir from the swim-up bar.

Don't still your beating heart, it's supposed to do that!

>23 saraslibrary: I appreciate that. :)

>24 Cynara: Lol.

>25 Ape: Oooooh. Huh. I guess it does do that all the time. ;)

Shakespeare #33

King Lear is fascinating study of madness and family relations. Lear himself goes really far round the bend and big chunks of his dialogue are truly batty. The parallel plots of Goneril and Regan betraying their father for more extensive power while Edmund does the same to Gloster provides for some truly heinous actions from some repulsive human beings. Admittedly, I have issues keeping Edmund and Edgar straight (dear Shakespeare, couldn’t you make their names a little more distinctive?) but Edgar is intriguing as one of the more heroic characters as he doesn’t just reveal himself to his father or Lear right away but maintains his disguise of madmen for much of the play after his banishment. And of course Cordelia is just the lovely human being who loves her father the right amount, is punished for not lying and saying she loves him more, still gets to marry a French royal, but ends up dead after doing her daughterly duty. Really, King Lear is all about the daughters and Cordelia is the best of them in the intriguing but horrifying mess that her sisters create.

King Lear is the best! I re-read it every couple years and it never disappoints.

>28 norabelle414: I don't think I'm quite as big a fan of it as you are, Nora. I like it but more in a "if it happens to come my way or I'm stuck on a deserted island with it I'll probably read it again" kind of way.

Shakespeare #34

I’m an unabashed lover of Romeo and Juliet. Their relationship is brief and (I’ll admit freely) highly unrealistic, but the dialogue is so beautiful and romantic and the plot puts all emotions at such a fevered pitch that it’s just irresistibly enjoyable. The conflict between the Montagues and Capulets serves as a brilliant counterpoint to Romeo and Juliet’s relationship and the tragedy is heightened by its inevitability as the entire plot is outlined in the prologue. The play is so familiar to me (from multiple readings and viewings – theatre and film) that the play is one of the few where I anticipate and relish in the dialogue. Whether I enjoy it because the plot and dialogue is so embedded in the social consciousness or just for its own merits, the results are the same: I heart me some Romeo and Juliet.

>29 MickyFine: I saw it performed once, perfectly, and I've been in love with it ever since. Cordelia's and Edgar's refusal to give up on their fathers despite their rejection gets me every time. And Edmund, Goneril, and Regan are the epitome of evil. And I love when Gloucester has his eyeballs ripped out! and Lear is wandering crazily through the storm and they're both really blind now just like they were "blind" to the true love of their children! So good!

Oooh now I really want to read it again.

Glad I encourage the re-reading bug. :)

Haha..whenever I think of RJ, I think of that really, really old school movie where they used virtually nobodies, but then the movie was a hit. And of course I think of Leo and Claire and their portrayals.... :)

Ditched


It's not a bad book, I'm just not really feeling it at the moment. Luckily, it's one of mine so it'll go back in the stack until I feel like tackling it again.

Rating: /

>33 jolerie: Leo and Claire is my go-to version. I'm really fond of it. And I will be watching it (again) in the next month or so for the blog. :)

I'm not a big fan of Leo and Claire. I love this one, which I'm guess is what Valerie is talking about

> 34 - I have that one on my TBR bookcase.... *whimper*.

I did thoroughly enjoy The Glass of Time when I read it back in 2009 - yes, I now realize I have read these books out of sequence order! - so I am going to go with your gut instinct Micky that you are just not feeling up to it right now.

;-)

I directed King Lear in college (it was my Senior Project, basically), and I will always love it. Kent is my favorite character, with Edgar/Poor Tom and Cordelia coming in close behind.

>36 norabelle414: I haven't seen that one and I know I should watch it eventually but I just can't resist Leo and Claire... :)

>37 lkernagh: It was a decent read Lori, it was just taking a while to get through and I wasn't in the mood for that kind of book. I'm sure you'll like it.

>38 foggidawn: What kind of interpretation did you do for your production, foggi? I'm curious.

#39 -- We stuck with early medieval for the setting, and played it pretty straight -- it's such an intimidating play to mount, especially when you're an inexperienced 21-year-old director! I didn't want to do anything too complicated, but let the material really speak for itself. (And fortunately one of the English faculty played Lear, rather than a student.) I also knew it was going to be a first exposure to Lear for much of the audience (a first exposure to live Shakespeare for some, though we had done The Taming of the Shrew a few years before). In the years since I've seen a few fantastic high-concept interpretations of various shows (Midsummer Night's Dream is one that's particularly versatile, and I saw a Richard III that was what I would call "Edwardian Gothic" -- very Edward Gorey, and it was fabulous). Perhaps someday I'll get back into theatre and directing, and do something more interesting with some of the plays, but I think sometimes it's good to just let Shakespeare be Shakespeare.

Hi Micky, I'm so impressed that you're reading Shakespeare. I remember loving King Lear in high school, as well as the films: we saw one with James Earl Jones as Lear, and Kurosawa's amazing Ran. I'm trying to read through my daughter's English class titles, as so many of them are classics I somehow missed, so I hope to read Romeo and Juliet with her this spring.

>40 foggidawn: I've always found setting interpretations for Shakespeare fascinating. Every summer I go to the outdoor Shakespeare festival here and you really get a whole range (although I don't think I've ever seen a real Elizabethan interpretation). I think my favourite was last year when there was a steampunk Twelfth Night.

>41 AMQS: Thanks, Anne. Reading the English titles with your daughter is such a cool idea. I've enjoyed Shakespeare since I was 12 so some of the plays are really familiar while others are new to me. It's been a fun trek.

October Summary



Number in brackets total for the year thus far. Note total pages read does not include Shakespeare plays.

Books read: 4 (65)
Fiction: 4 (57)
Non-fiction: 0 (8)
Library/Borrowed/Mine: 2/0/2 (44/0/21)
Re-reads: 0 (7)
Shakespeare plays read: 4 (37)
Pages read: 1531 (22 333)

Favourite book(s) this month: The newest Heather Wells mystery, Size 12 and Ready to Rock definitely gets a nod as does The Girl in the Steel Corset for being a different but equally delightful start to a different series.

Book 66


Twilight - Stephenie Meyer (re-read)

I like them. Get over it.

Heh, I feel the same way about the Fifty Shades books. I'm really liking them.

Good for both of you. I enjoyed Twilight too. The intensity of the hate around both confuses me.

I liked them too and don't feel like I need to defend that choice. Don't care for the writing, but the story was enjoyable (well at least the last 150 pages of each book was) and I have full intentions of watching the last movie when it comes out later this month. :)

It's 2 in the afternoon and I've already gone out twice to shovel. :/

>45 Morphidae: That's great, Morphy. :)

>46 Cynara: I don't get it either, Cynara. They're books. You can like them or not like them but there's no need to spit vitriol over them (from either side).

>47 jolerie: I already have a mother-daughter date with a group set up to go and see the last film. We'll have to compare thoughts after we've seen them both. I lucked out in the snow department as our neighbour with the snowblower did our front walk. Now I just have to work up the willpower to do the driveway. :/

I thought Twilight was just fine; what I don't like is people getting all obsessed with it.

I haven't read Twilight, but there are always people who just hate anything popular. Doesn't matter whether it's good or not, if it's well-liked by masses of people then they automatically hate it, without having any knowledge about it.

I should know, I'm one of them.

>49 norabelle414: I'm of the school that everyone has their fandom and they can get obsessed with it all they like. Do I think it's weird sometimes? Sure, but if it makes them happy...

>50 Ape: Such a contrarian. Shouldn't you be telling kids to get off your lawn? ;)

Book 67



New Moon - Stephenie Meyer (re-read)

Yup, still like them.

LOL. You are awesome Micky! Are you rereading in preparation for the movie or just cus?

Yeah we definitely are Canadians with all this snow talk. The stuff we got today was much heavier than what we got yesterday and my back is definitely feeling it! I actually went out with the car today and even though we have winter tires on, boy were we slipping around. I don't know how people can drive if they don't have winter tires...crazy!

I'm guessing you'll probably re-read Breaking Dawn before I ever get around to starting it. I swear I'll finish that book--really! :) Maybe I'll listen to the rest of the soundtracks first, then try starting it.

51: I'm not old enough yet, I don't think. Maybe in 3-4 decades though... :)

>53 jolerie: I'm rereading partly because I felt like it and partly because the movie is coming out. Also NO SNOW TODAY!!! And I finally cleared the driveway (the parentals are out of town so I'm responsible for all snow removal duties). *fist pump of victory* Of course, I may never be able to lift my arms above my head again. ;) As for icy roads, I don't drive so it makes my life much easier. However transit has been on the slower side the past few days.

>54 saraslibrary: You can do it, Sara! *shakes pom poms*

>55 Ape: Oh c'mon. I bet secretly, in your head, you're already doing it. :P

I don't really have pedestrians where I live, considering I'm so far away from civilization, but I can always hang up a sign warning people from not walking on my lawn. ... *Hangs dead chicken in his lawn*

I'm not even going to ask why you have spare dead chickens hanging around to stick on your lawn. Plus, wouldn't that just attract magpies/crows/other annoying scavengers?

Oh, good point, annoying scavengers would keep people off my yard too I bet... :)

Checking in after an absence of 8 days and I see that winter has well and truly arrived in Alberta.... with quite the dumping! I received the weather low down from my folks when I called them this afternoon. Kudos on your efforts for snow removal. I can still remember the years in Calgary when storms would hit and I would have to go out every 2-3 hours to shovel snow - I gripped at the time but now, I am thinking that is better than any workout at a fitness centre!

Nice to see you are enjoying the Meyer's books - yet another author I have yet to dip into!

Ugh, I think it sucks that you and Val have snow!! We only had one light dusting so far and it melted right away. It's getting pretty cold now though so I see a real snow in my future :(:(

Snow? What's that? We were out in the pool just last week ;-)

>59 Ape: Probably. Of course, they might drive you off your own property... that might be a problem.

>60 lkernagh: Hi Lori. Yup winter arrived with a vengeance back on Wednesday. Winter actually is my favourite season (a legitimate excuse to stay inside as much as possible ;)) and the snow looks super pretty. It's just moving it around I don't like. I'll be interested to see what you think if you ever try the Twilight series as people tend to have one of two major reactions.

>61 ChelleBearss: Yes, but I was talking with one of my coworkers who just moved to Edmonton from Halifax and she says the major difference is that you might get a huge dump of snow out there but it's usually gone in a week whereas here, this snow may not disappear until March.

>62 humouress: You are the kinds of people that we drop snow down their backs. ;)

Seriously, you like winter? Coolness. :) Me too.

Whoa, something in common. ;)

Next Stephen'll say he loves your book covers. And then the world will end. Kaboom! So I take it back. I hate winter. I love summer. (cringes @ the thought of cancer and sweat)

Oh, but the pictures really are quite lovely, I just wouldn't want to see them on my book covers. So there, I think now only half the world will end.

Book 68


Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer (re-read)

My favourite of the series.

>66 saraslibrary: I'm pretty sure the world will end if Stephen likes my book covers either way. So it's ok if we both like winter.

>67 Ape: Which half?

I don't know, perhaps we could flip a coin?

I like winter, too! The only thing I don't like about spring is that I'm dreading summer....

>70 Ape: Mmm, I'm pretty sure whichever side I call you're going to make it dirty. :P

>71 Cynara: I get that. I don't have strong hateful feelings towards any particular season, but winter has always been my favourite.

Book 69


Yeah, there are some weird plot twists in this one. But I still like it.

The end of half the world is serious business. I don't know why you have to have your mind in the gutter all the time, sheesh. :P

All right. So what happens if I say tails?

*snort*

*Giggles* Micky said tails.

But is heads any better? *double snort* Poor, poor Micky. She just can't win with that one.

This is why I objected to a coin toss in the first place. :P Can't we... throw darts or something?

I am all for a dart game between the two of you....

*looks around for safe place to watch and avoid being hit by - 'ahem' - misdirected darts.*

Okay! *Removes pants*

You are a serious masochist, Stephen. Where's my dart?? Hurry! Before he pulls his pants back up. You'll love having a piercing down there. It's a great conservation starter with the girls. :)

>80 lkernagh: *sets up giant metal wall* You should be ok behind here.

>81 Ape: Ummm, what?

>82 saraslibrary: Here ya go! I recommend you throw it at Stephen and then duck behind the wall with Lori because my hand-eye coordination verges on the non-existent.

Delurking to ... oh my gosh! *disappears again*

I have a feeling I completely misinterpreted this situation. This always happens! *Sighs and puts pants back on dejectedly*

>84 humouress: I'll let you know when I've stopped throwing pointy objects, humouress. :)

>85 Ape: Yeah it always happens. Because I am not pervy. And you are. Also, am super glad you always wear two pairs of pants. Otherwise that whole pant removal thing would have been... far more scarring.

I wasn't wearing two pairs of pants, but I can understand how you would be mistaken. *Weeps*

I suppose I'm the safest person in the room, since I'm the one being aimed at? :P

LOL! So not laughing at you, Stephen. Laughing with you. XD

>87 Ape: Wait. I'm throwing darts at you? I thought we were throwing darts at a dart board to decide which half of the world was ending because of... something? I've lost track of what started this in the first place.

>88 saraslibrary: *is suspicious*

I've always assumed that Stephen is a Never-Nude...

More like an always-nude

I'm more like an only-nude-when-absolutely-necessary. Like showering, and...hmmm, nope, can't think of anything else.

>90 scaifea: I agree, Amber.

>91 norabelle414: Only on your thread, Nora. ;)

>92 Ape: You could shower in a swimsuit, Stephen. You are not as committed to not being nude as I would expect.

Aww man, the white stuff just won't quit. More shovelling for me!

Yeah, I saw you guys had another snowfall warning. I'm far enough north that we aren't getting it. Just a light smattering last night.

Nonsense, I'm perfectly comfortable being nude in my own house...in a room with no windows...most of the time...so long as the door is closed...

Avoiding the nude discussion..... Micky, would it be too much to ask you and Valerie to keep the white stuff stay on your side of the Rockies..... ? asks cheekily from the 'rainy zone' of Canada.

#96: ...and locked. Some people don't knock. Micky. :P

Oh yes, I actually do lock the door, even though I live alone. *Sighs pathetically*

Lori, I'll try to send Mother Nature a note, but seeing how she didn't do anything about the one I sent about laying off the snow for now in Alberta, I doubt she will respond kindly to any further correspondences. ;)

I'll try to send Mother Nature a note

That's littering!

She has a mail slot so it's okay :)

Hi Stephen, just dropping by to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.

Whoops, wrong thread. Since we have already had our Thanksgiving, I'll just wish you a nice day, Mickey!

>97 lkernagh: Lori, I have almost no powers over snow at all. Unfortunately. But if I suddenly get that power, I'll try to fulfill your request. ;)

>98 saraslibrary: I am very good about knocking. Unlike Sara. :P

>99 Ape: There, there, Stephen.

>100 jolerie: I hear ya, Valerie. Mother Nature is a bit vindictive and uncommunicative. As any woman can tell you. ;)

>103 DeltaQueen50: Happy Thursday back at ya, Judy. :)

Book 70



Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins

Anna is less than thrilled when her father (the novelist who writes best-sellers about people dying from cancer) decides to send her to boarding school in Paris for her senior year without asking her. Anna's life in Atlanta is good; she has her amazing best friend, Bridge, and an almost-relationship with Toph. But as she settles into a routine in Paris she finds a great group friends including Etienne St. Clair who quickly becomes her best friend, with the hint that there might be something more between them. But with romantic entanglements on both sides, will they ever get past near misses and finally get that French kiss?

This book was a pure delight from start to finish. Anna is a wonderful narrator with her small quirks and her extreme caution as she slowly acclimatizes to a country where she doesn't speak the language. Paris as a backdrop is absolutely lovely and will definitely spark a desire to visit the City of Lights (or another visit in my case). But the best part of this novel is Etienne St. Clair. The boy is the definition of swoonworthy even with his flaws. And the sparks that fly between him and Anna are utterly delectable.

Rating: *****

I just love those YA covers where you can't quite tell if someone's a certain gender or not. I say Guy on the Left is actually a butch lesbian. :P But cover aside, the book sounds cute. I'd probably read it.

He has a big hand and a hairy forearm (it appears) so it's either a man or a big hairy lesbian, you are right. :P I think the point was so that the reader could plant their own fantasy-head on the hunky guy, as they do with female models a lot of times.

105: SO funny that you just read this book because I met the author a few weeks ago at a book festival. She has bright pink hair and is really funny. I've actually never read her books before, but judging from your review I should get to it...

>106 saraslibrary:/108 I want to tell everyone to read this book. Because it is so great. There is, in fact, a Vlogbrother's video where John Green discusses how much he loves this book and describes it as what would happen if he and Maureen Johnson were to have a baby. Which is very true. Definitely give it a try if you're even slightly interested. You won't be sorry. :)

>107 Ape: Yeah, I totally planted a fantasy head on that pretty awesome arm. ;)

>108 RosyLibrarian: Hi Marie! I'm kind of jealous you got to meet the author. She seems extremely cool. In her author photo in the back of this book she has technicolor hair which looks very awesome. Also, she's a former librarian which makes her even cooler in my books. ;)

Hi Micky! I'm attempting yet again to get caught up with the threads - I fear I won't make it very far, but as yours was at the bottom of my "commented on" list, I thought I'd start with you. So, um... hi!

The Anna book has been on my TBR list since it came out, and I think I'm in the top 10 people to get it next from PaperbackSwap, so it should hopefully be winging its' way to Wisconsin in the next couple of months! With all of the books that I "have to" read for my 12-12 challenge (most of them I really really do not want to read), some of these fun, girly reads are very tempting.

I saw the new Twilight movie today, and liked it more than I thought I would (though I did laugh/snort unbelievably at more than a few things that probably weren't supposed to be funny). Did you see it yet? Been thinking about rereading the series too, but there are so many others on my shelves (including Stephanie's The Host) that I should probably postpone it for awhile. Plus, there were 2 trailers for movies based on YA series that I haven't read yet so those should also get bumped ahead of a Twilight reread. *sigh* Even though I barely have a job, there just is not enough time in the day to read everything I want to!

Feel free to keep the white stuff - I really like winter too, but shoveling and snowblowing are dreaded activities for me. Especially as I live on a corner (no sidewalks) at the far West side of my city and not only get enormous snow/ice boulders dumped at the end of my driveway, but I'm also usually the last subdivision to get plowed out, so things have a chance to ice over first. Ugh. If I could afford it, I'd totally hire someone to do it for me.

>110 LauraBrook: Hi Laura! Lovely to see you!

The Anna book is great so I hope you manage to find some time to squeeze it in. I've sort of only been reading fun, girly things for the past month and a half because that's all I feel up to at the moment. Although I'm going to try and squeeze in Les Miserables before Christmas.

I did go see the new Twilight film on Sunday and enjoyed it. The only awkward moments for me were with creepy baby (we just had me chanting "Creepy baby, creepy baby" under my breath to my mom). The Canadian trailers before the movie were very different because I know in the States you guys are getting the City of Bones trailer before the film and we didn't (and I'm jealous). I say if you're in the mood for a re-read do it, because they often go by quickly, refresh your palate, and then you're ready to tackle something fresh.

I don't think I get much of a choice about keeping the white stuff. We've got a solid base layer now so unless we have a major heat wave, I think we'll be white around these parts for Christmas. Which warrants a big YAY from me. Gotta have a white Christmas. :)

Book 71


Enshadowed - Kelly Creagh

This book is the second in a trilogy so the review below will contain spoilers for Nevermore. Read at your own peril.

Isobel's life has been severely altered since the events of Halloween and with Varen stuck in the dreamworld, she remains off-balance. As she prepares to go to Baltimore and confront the Poe Toaster in order to get Varen back, the major question remains: will Varen remain unchanged by that shadowy other world?

The second in the Nevermore trilogy, this book suffers a bit from sequel syndrome. The plot feels a bit stretched out, particularly as very little happens that is a major plot twist. The novel is also much lighter on the Poe references and elements which made the novel less ominous, although regular appearances from Pinfeathers did make things a bit better. However, the most difficult element of the novel is that Varen is so absent. His Goth darkness really helped balance out Isobel's cheerleader lightness in the last novel and, while Isobel has grown in this book and her friend, Gwen, does bring the sarcasm, the book suffers from his absence. That said, I think the book is enjoyable for what it is. But if you're desperate for more of Isobel and Varen, I'd suggest holding off on reading this book until the final book in the trilogy comes out and then reading them together, because many of the same plot threads that were unresolved at the end of Nevermore remain so at the end of Enshadowed.

Rating: ***

Book 72



Lola and the Boy Next Door - Stephanie Perkins

Lola only wants three things from life: 1) she wants to be a costume designer, 2) she wants her parents to finally accept her boyrfriend, Max, 3) she never wants to see the Bell twins (Calliope and Cricket) ever again. But when the Bell family moves back to the neighbourhood, Lola discovers that her feelings for Cricket, the boy next door, are not as clear cut as she thought they were.

Stephanie Perkins is brilliant. She excels at creating adorable characters with flaws that keep them human. Lola is a delightful protagonist with her ever changing costumes, her slightly overprotective dads, and budding detective best friend. Cricket, of course, is a brilliant counterpart (ignore the slightly ridiculous name) with his inventions, his writing on the back of his hand, and the baggage that comes with being the sibling of an Olympic contender. Put Lola and Cricket together and there is great drama and so many moments worthy of swoonage. Thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish.

Rating: *****

I like her hair. A lot.

Yes, and I think the author is freaking adorable, partially because of the hair. :)

I got my hair professionally dyed purple once and it stayed in for a whole day and a half. I don't know how they do it.

You could shave your head and wear a purple wig.

That sounds itchy.

Hmmmmm... butter?

I've never dyed my hair at all, but when my hair goes completely gray, I think I will try dying it wild colors like pink and purple. (Of course, I have some years until that happens -- it may be that, by the time my hair does that, all of the little old ladies will have wild hair colors, and I will not want to do it because it's too trendy.)

:-)

I just got Anna and the French Kiss out of the library! Your good reviews have made me excited :)

I saw the movie this past week as well. There were definitely moments where I thought I snickered and thought it was rather silly, but I don't think you can take the series really seriously to begin with, but I enjoyed it! I felt like that chapter of my life can now be closed and I can move on. Somewhere out there, Bella and Edward can enjoy an eternity together in peace and that makes me glad..hahaha! :)

>120 foggidawn:: I'm afraid I have to tell you you're behind the curve. Maybe it's only in the UK that we have the blue rinse brigade?

Way back in the 70's, when I was but a filly, we only had black-and-white TV. Imagine our surprise and delight to find that Big Bird was bright yellow, and that Mrs Slocombe of 'Are You Being Served' changed her hair colour every week!

ETA: Author bullet *groan* ;)

>114 norabelle414: Yeah, I loved Lola as a character because she always wears a different costume every day (including wigs) and it was fun to imagine some of her outfits. :)

>115 Ape: Isn't she? You know what makes Stephanie Perkins even better? She's a former librarian. *fist pump of victory for my profession*

>120 foggidawn: I've considered that option too, foggi. But I'm not sure I'm confident enough to pull it off.

>121 curioussquared: Hope it lives up to the expectations I've given you, Natalie. :D

>122 jolerie: Oh I own all the films on DVD so I can go through the whole series whenever. But I'm glad the HEA was sufficient for you, Valerie. :)

>123 humouress: You are very, very welcome, humouress. *evil grin*

She's was a librarians too? *Jaw drop* That's it, I want to stalk her now. :P

November Summary




Number in brackets total for the year thus far. Note total pages read does not include Shakespeare plays.

Books read: 7 (72)
Fiction: 7 (64)
Non-fiction: 0 (8)
Library/Borrowed/Mine: 3/0/4 (47/0/25)
Re-reads: 4 (11)
Shakespeare plays/poems read: 1 (38)
Pages read: 3780 (26 113)

Favourite book(s) this month: Absolutely enjoyable from start to finish Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door were big favourites this month.

Haha, funny, we read the same number of books but you read well over 3 times the number of pages I did. Yep, I'm in full cheaty-face mode. :P

>125 Ape: Yup, she is pretty much the definition of awesome sauce in my books. :)

>127 Ape: Haha. Those Twilight books are quick and easy reads but they are FAT. Goes a long way towards that page count. :)

She's awesome sauce in mine too! Now if only they'd stop putting PEOPLE on her book covers. Poor girl. :(

One of my office mates is also amongst the anti-people on covers contingent. I don't get it. Yes, the books look like rom-com movie posters and I can understand that being a deterrent for some people. But if you know the inside is good, just ignore the cover and it'll be fine.

But I don't know the inside is good, and I can't find out if the inside is good unless they make the cover peopleless...

You mean photos of real people instead of drawn pictures? Yeah - you never know when they might be looking back at you.

Personally, I miss the 'high-fantasy' style covers of the 80's. Just looking at them started opening the doors of my imagination.

Oh yes, definitely photos, drawn people are fine. And I agree with you about the covers, although the style of text was ultra cheesy I always thought the imagery did a great job of depicting what the book was about.

On the other hand, the 80's science ficton covers were dreadful! :P

I really like some of this newer art, though. Digital art has been bad for so long, but this new high definition, ultra-textured stuff looks beautiful. I would post an example, but I don't read a lot of it so no covers are coming to mind...

On the other hand, the 80's science ficton covers were dreadful! :P

Well, I'm a high-fantasist, myself. Maybe that's why (I steered away from sci-fi).

ETA: spelling

I used to worry about the covers of my books. Then at some point I stopped, and now I feel so liberated. I can read anything I want! It doesn't matter what the cover looks like!

Thanks for the nudge to get Anna and the French Kiss out from the library! So cute!

See and I'm the opposite. I'll take a photo-esque cover over one of those drawn covers any day. Particularly ones that look like 80s high fantasy. Of course, that could just be my issues with high fantasy rearing their heads.

>135 norabelle414: I'm like that most of the time. Although there is the occasional racy romance cover that I do open very quickly on the bus.

>136 alsvidur: You are very welcome! Glad you liked it. :D

On a totally different note, I watched the version of Hamlet with David Tennant and Sir Patrick Stewart last night and I just had to share how awesome it was. Admittedly, I'm biased as I have a lot of love for David Tennant and Hamlet is my favourite of the tragedies. But the production is just brilliant and it made three hours fly by.

Oooh, agreed about Tennant's Hamlet - it's *amazing*. Love him, and Hamlet is my favorite of the tragedies, too. It's a perfect match.

*squees along with Amber*

Hi Micky! Here I am *Ta DA*

Anna and the French Kiss sounds cute and my library has it, on audio and in print. Good deal.

I'll have to look up that Hamlet, as I do like David Tennant, but I'll admit to preferring Macbeth and King Lear to Hamlet.

Hi Katie! Lovely to see you not lurking! :D

Anna and the French Kiss is the definition of cute. And I think liking David Tennant is enough to make watching Hamlet worthwhile even if it's not your fave.

Book 73


Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman

Richard Mayhew's life is perfectly ordinary. A transplant from Scotland living in London he has a perfectly normal job and is engaged to Jessica, who likes to drag him around art museums on weekends. But on one evening, Richard finds a young woman bleeding on the sidewalk and decides to help. In doing so he discovers a whole other world beneath the city. But in becoming entangled with events in London Below, Richard discovers that the darker life there may never allow him to return to London Above.

Gaiman's fantasy alternate London is a brilliant and dark world that is at turns delightful and disgusting and at all times utterly fascinating. In some ways, Neverwhere is a dark take on Alice in Wonderland with Richard pulled into a strange world that almost never makes sense to him. With a riveting plot and detailed characters, there isn't anymore to ask for from this book. But Gaiman also adds in his tremendous way with words, his delight in playing with the English language, that is an extra bonus on an already delightful package.

Rating: ****

Glad you liked Neverwhere. :) That's one of my favorite fantasy books ever.

Ugh. Neverwhere. I *lovelovelove* Gaiman, but I read this one while pregnant and nauseous 24 hours every day, so I can't even think about the book without feeling ill. It's tragic, really.

Yup, Neverwhere was pretty awesome and my favourite Gaiman thus far. So glad you enjoyed it as well. :)

"Fantastic news! Neil Gaiman has assembled a dream cast together to create a radio play of his wonderful urban fantasy Neverwhere. This talent comes straight out of the heavens and includes Benedict Cumberbatch, James McAvoy, Anthony Stewart Head, David Harewood, Christopher Lee, and Natalie Dormer. It's just perfect.

Gaiman announced the news on his website explaining that the radio play wil air on BBC Radio 4/Radio 4 within the first four months of 2013. The adaptation was manned by Dirk Maggs, who did the last three Hitchhiker's Guide Radio adaptations."

Article

Oh boy! Another Neverwhere fan here. That's great news on the radio play. The BBC tv series dvd (where it all started) is very good, too.

>144 saraslibrary: It's a pretty good book to have as a favourite, Sara. :)

>145 scaifea: That is sad, Amber. Although I totally understand. There are some gross moments that had me wrinkling my nose in distaste. I can only imagine the reaction if you were suffering from morning sickness.

>146 jolerie: I think it's my favourite Gaiman novel as well, although I've only read one other. So really, I think this novel finally validated the feeling that I should really like Gaiman and didn't like him enough.

>147 norabelle414: I saw Gaiman tweet about the radio play which is what prompted me to pick up the book in the first place, Nora. :) I'm pretty excited.

>148 jnwelch: Glad I could join a club of such nice people, Joe. :)

Book 74


The Last Little Blue Envelope - Maureen Johnson

This book is a sequel to 13 Little Blue Envelopes and may contain spoilers for that book. You've been warned.

Ginny is prepping for college and life after high school when she receives an email from someone who claims to have found her stolen backpack and the letters from her now-deceased aunt. With little ado, Ginny finds herself back in Europe, once again following the mad instructions of her aunt and back amongst the friends and family she discovered on her last journey. But as Ginny follows the directions of the last little blue envelope, she'll discover that going back to the same places doesn't always bring the same experiences.

The Last Little Blue Envelope is a wonderful sequel and Maureen Johnson's quirky wit and great skill continue to shine. While characters that I was very attached to in the previous novel reappear, none of them remain static and everyone grows. Ginny, who truly came into her own in the last novel, also continues to grow up in different ways from the last novel. Of course, it's not all serious character growth. There's mad antics and cross-Europe capers that provide a lovely bit of humour and will spark wanderlust in any reader. A great follow-up that will make any fan of the first novel very happy.

Rating: ****

New posts about books are going to be a little thin around here for a bit. I just started the chunkster that is Les Miserables for my 75th book. I'm also almost finished The Complete Works of Shakespeare but I still have a few more poems to go yet. So y'all have to just chat about other things to keep my thread from getting cold. :P

Good for you for taking on a chunkster for #75! But Les Miserables? Really? Um, you could see the movie and call it good ;-)

#151: So y'all have to just chat about other things to keep my thread from getting cold. :P -- Or we could all join a group hug to keep it from freezing. Or not.... (eyeballs Stephen) I'll cuddle with Mo instead. :P

#152: I'm with katiekrug on that one. :D j/k, Micky. Best of luck with it!

Les Miserables for book 75 - I look forward to seeing what you think of it once you have finished it!

You are reading Les Miserables for your 75th book? Uhhh, you do realize it is DECEMBER, right? :P

That is a seriously impressive goal, Micky. I failed miserably when I tried to read that (in a month) for one of my bookclubs last year. You've got mad skillz, yo! Between reading the complete Shakespeare works AND tackling Les Mis - you're my reading hero!

Think I'll just cuddle up on the other side of Mo. Hi Sara!

Hi Laura! :) Mo doesn't mind sharing.

Les Miserables! I am rooting for you! I have been drooling over the movie trailers...

I've been wanting to get round to reading Lis Miserables for years. The musical has a special place in my heart, since in high school we played music from it in marching band (I know, I know - Geek Alert!) and won the state finals that year. Sigh.

Hey! I just picked up a copy of the book a few weeks back when I saw the trailer for the movie on TV. Boy are you right it being a chunkster! Looking forward to seeing what you think of it when you are done. It looks like one epic read! :)

>152 katiekrug: Nuh-uh, Katie. I always read it first.

>153 saraslibrary: Thanks, Sara. Glad you and Mo are getting along.

>154 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori. It's going well so far.

>155 Ape: *looks at calendar* Yup, it's still December. I have 21 days to go. I can totally do this, Stephen. Just watch.

>156 LauraBrook: Thanks, Laura. I managed to do Little Dorrit in a little over two weeks earlier this year, so I think I can pull off finishing Les Mis before the end of the month.

>157 saraslibrary: Nope. Mo really loves hanging out with the ladies. :P

>158 RosyLibrarian: Thanks, Marie! I've seen the trailer in theatres a couple times and it's given me chills every time.

>159 scaifea: I've actually never seen the musical before, Amber. But don't worry about the nerdery. We totally embrace it around here. :)

>160 jolerie: It's definitely on the epic end of the scale, that's for sure, Valerie. :)

Post my morning commute today, I have finished 80 pages (of 1232) in Les Mis. Quite enjoying it so far. Liking the translation of my Penguin edition (man, do I love me some Penguin Classics).

>151 MickyFine:: Go Micky! Go Micky!

(Les Miz rubs a sore spot for me, because when I applied for auditions at one of the local theatre companies, they had had to close them, as so many people had applied. :( )

I've just started Les Mis too. Boy, Victor Hugo is...verbose. I have the unabridged Signet Classics paperback version translated by MacAfee and Fahnestock. Do you know how the two different translations compare?

HI Micky! Hope you aren't buried under too much snow these days! We had freezing rain today and my mountain was a slippery mess! Thankfully I didn't need to leave the house!

>162 humouress: Thanks Nina! Bummer about the sore spot, I totally understand.

>163 alsvidur: I haven't found it too bad yet in terms of verbosity. It's about on scale with other chunky classic novels I've read. I did find one passage tedious but that was the character and not the translation. My copy is a movie tie-in edition so there's not too much detail about the translation other than it's done by Norman Denny. However, I will say that I find Penguin Classic editions to be one of the best out there. Oxford Classics are usually pretty good as well. But I tend to prefer the cover art on Penguin Editions.

>164 ChelleBearss: Snow has been pretty fluffy lately when we get it, thankfully Chelle *knocks on wood*. It's actually weirdly warm here today. And for those not native to Edmonton, weirdly warm is 0C. Of course, tomorrow we're supposed to go back to about -14C. *shrug*

So excited for you challenging yourself for your 75th book. I was planning on doing that by reading War and Peace this year but, um, that's not going well.

>166 norabelle414: Thanks, Nora! And don't worry about War and Peace. Some chunksters take a couple years to get through. It took me three years to get through Don Quixote reading off and on. It'll be a huge accomplishment whenever you finish it. :)

I am almost done my Christmas shopping! How's everyone else doing? And if you're not doing gifts this year (or at all) tell me something interesting. :)

I'm nearly done shopping. I still have one homemade gift for my brother that I'm working on, but I should finish it up over the next few days.

I'm nearly done. Just have to get a few small things (candy bars my Dad likes, chapstick for my friends, etc), and wrap the gifts for my clients and I should be set!

Popping in to say I'm thrilled you've been reading some fantastic books lately! I also loved The Last Little Blue Envelope and Neverwhere, and I have Anna and the French Kiss and The Girl in the Clockwork Collar sitting on the shelf to read. Whoo-hoooooo!!!

My family hasn't done gift-giving since I was a kid, and I rarely have anything interesting to say, so I'll just eat your wrapping paper. Nom nom nom.

>168 foggidawn: Are you knitting, foggi?

>169 LauraBrook: I'm sort of in the same zone, Laura. Although I tend to procrastinate on the wrapping.

>170 dk_phoenix: Thanks, Faith! Nice to see you! I look forward to your reviews on those books. I really enjoyed both of them.

>171 Ape: Stephen, you are frequently interesting. Also, that's not my wrapping paper you're eating. I'm an extreme procrastinator and wrap gifts maybe a day or two before Christmas. I think you're chowing down on Sara's wrapping paper.

#172 -- No, I'm not a knitter. My brother is (like me) a Harry Potter fan -- so I made him a wand, and now am working on making the box to put it in, because I couldn't find a gift box of a suitable size anywhere.

Just because you find me interesting (I would say curious) doesn't mean I have anything interesting to say. But I suppose I can give it a try, okay?

*Ponders*

Ummmmmm...

*Ponders*

Mmmmmmm...

*Ponders*

Errrrrrrrrrrrrr...

Banans taste better if you slice them first.

Love that "Read It First" pledge! My comment was tongue in cheek, of course.

My aunt took me to see Les Mis on Broadway for my 16th birthday. Treated me to a whole day in New York, really. Best.Gift.Ever.

>173 foggidawn: Very cool, foggi. What kind of core in the wand? Unicorn hair? Phoenix feather? Dragon's heart string? ;)

>174 Ape: Is this a subjective statement or has someone actually done a study on the fact that bananas are better sliced?

>175 katiekrug: I figured, Katie. The "Read It First" pledge is very delightful. Unsurprisingly, started by the lovely Vlogbrothers. And very jealous of your day in New York. One day I'll have to visit there. :)

Oh Mickey, you misread - Stephen is talking about "banans", that most elusive fruit and distant cousin to the common banana. They're really only edible when sliced. Kind of like plantains have to be cooked.

Micky: It's my opinion, which of course makes it fact. ;)

Amber: Ha! I should just go along with what you said, but it was actually a typo. D'oh!

>177 scaifea: Oh that makes so much more sense, Amber. Thanks for clearing that up. ;)

>178 Ape: *snorts* Sadly, Stephen, it definitely doesn't work that way.

Big News
As of 8:45ish MST on December 14 I have finished The Complete Works of William Shakespeare!!! Huzzah!!!!

Awesome!!!!! That's incredibly impressive!

>179 MickyFine: Congrats! How long did it take you?

Congratulations, Micky! It must be a great feeling to finish up a project you set for yourself (I wouldn't know as I always fizzle out halfway through things...).

Huzzah! Congrats on your big reading goal!!

Congratulations on finishing The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Micky!!!! That is awesome!

Going back to your earlier question, I am still doing some last minute gift shopping, but should be finished on Monday - one of the stores I need to get a gift at isn't open on weekends, just Mondays to Fridays, during the hours that I work at my own job..... my techie/handy other half was rather specific about this gift so a special trip will be made.

Wow that's quite an achievement! Good job :)

Massive CONGRATULATIONS, Micky!!!! I'm raising the roof for ya'!

Chiming in with my congratulations as well, Mickey. Well done!

#172: He's chowing down on my what?? Is that Canadian for something I don't want to know?

#174: And preferably without the skin.

#179: Congratulations! You get a naked guy butt for that. Well, I was going to link to Alex Pettyfer's behind from Magic Mike, but I'm sure that wouldn't go over so well with some people. :P So here you go: (_|_) The PG version of his butt. You're welcome. ;)

What I like about that butt is it is very unisex.

Congrats, Micky!

#189: Yep, can't offend anyone with a unisex butt. :P

>180 Ape: Thanks, Stephen!

>181 Morphidae: Thanks! I started back in January so slightly less than a year, Morphy.

>182 katiekrug: It does feel good, Katie. Of course, the blogging part of the project sort of did fizzle so the goal only gets one out of two check marks. ;)

>183 RosyLibrarian: Thanks, Marie!

>184 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori! Sounds like you'll be having adventures getting the right gift for your other half. But I'm sure it'll go over really well. :)

>185 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle!

>186 LauraBrook: Thanks, Laura! We can totally have a dance party. Shakespeare would definitely approve. ;)

>187 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy.

>188 saraslibrary: I don't think it's Canadian for anything, Sara. But I'm pretty innocent, so I can't say for sure. :P And thanks for the congrats and the generic emoticon butt. ;)

>190 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie!

Well done, Micky!

Thanks, Nina!

Les Mis Update I'm on page 403 of 1232. Need to pick up the pace to finish by the end of the year. :)

That's only 69 pages a day, isn't it? (*snort*) Totally innocent number. I'm sure you'll finish. :)

69 pages? At that rate you'll be on page 1231 of 1232 at the end of the year. You are so doomed! :P

I think I was doing average, smartass. :P

No no, really. 69 pages per day times 12 days of reading left (as of yesterday) = 828 pages read (at her current pace) plus the 403 she has already read means she'll be on page 1231 out of 1232 on the 31st. Nope, she is totally not going to make it. :P

I'm so taking your calculator away. And no pom poms for you either. You're a very bad cheerleader. :P

*Pulls open the front of his pants and drops his calculator inside* No! My calculator!

Quick! Turn it off before you wear the battery down! (pokes Stephen's crotch with her fist)

But I'm still using it... Give me a math problem to solve! :D

Um, thanks for the encouragement?

Also, Stephen take the calculator out of your pants. Who knows what it might do?

*waves at Sara*

Haha, yeah, I've heard about that. All these expensive and dangerous treatments and all this time all meen needed was warm air blowing on their testicles. Whatever works! *Dumps a box of calculators in his pants*

#202: How many days left until the end of the world?

#203: Um, you're welcome. :) Blame Stephen if you don't make it, what with all that mojo he's putting out there. Bad, Stephen, bad bad.

Infertility in an already overpopulated planet...um, I really don't see the problem there. I say we take away all men's desks. That'll solve everything! :P

(waves back) Care to punch Stephen in the groin? He apparently feels nothing.

#204: You'll be sterile in no time. Well done. :)

There are currently -1 days left until the end of the world. This prediction may be wrong, however, so we'll have to look at some of the other predictions. The apocalypse might happen in 2 days, 3 days, 7 days, 12 days, 15 days, 17 days, 18 days, 23 days, 26 days...

*ten hours later*

751 days, 753 days, 760 days, 764 days, 771 days, 772 days...

*ten hours later*

1500 days, 1501 days, 1503 days, 1505 days, 1506 days...

*ten hours later*

2004 days, 2010 days, 2018 days, or maybe perhaps 2025 days. Depending on who you ask.

It'd be a lot sooner if those mad scientists would just hurry up and release some zombies on society already. (taps foot impatiently)

No zombies on my thread! Stephen can have them all. :P

As of last night, I've read 538 pages of Les Mis. And I discovered that the last 30ish pages of the book are actually appendices which I may or may not read. So I'm getting close to the halfway point and I still have 9 days to go. :)

Hooooray!

Awesome!! I totally knew you could do it. :)



(mock gasp) How did that get on here?? For shame.

>209 norabelle414: Thanks, Nora!

>210 saraslibrary: Well, obviously it's Stephen's fault. :P

> 120 - I don't know if I should laugh, cry or just stare dumbstruck at that image.... staring at it isn't going to turn me into a zombie, is it?

Hi Micky - Stopping by wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

#211: Absolutely. He somehow hacked into my account and posted that pic. Totally his doing. ;)

#212: Hmm, good question. Keep staring and let us know when you start feeling ravenous for human flesh....

I'm willing to take the blame, I guess. So what's my punishment? :D

Merry Christmas Micky!! Hope Santa spoils you this year :)

Have a Merry Christmas, Mickey.

>212 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori! Merry Christmas to you too!

>213 saraslibrary: I knew it.

>214 Ape: Coal.

>215 ChelleBearss: Merry Christmas, Chelle! I'm sure Santa will be very kind to you this year.

>216 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy. Merry Christmas to you as well!

#214: Read the rest of Les Miserables to Micky. In the nude. I don't know who that's punishing, but it's punishment. ;)

#215: Hey, it's Mo! :) Hanging ornaments on the moose--animal abuse! :P

#217: Yes, a big, steaming pile of...coal. That's exactly what I meant. ;)

Merry, merry Christmas, Micky!

Merry Christmas Micky!

217: Awwww, can't it be Coal instead? I want to read that one...

Merrrry Christmas, Micky!

>218 saraslibrary: I think that's punishment all around, Sara, and I did nothing wrong. :P

>219 AMQS: Thanks, Anne. Merry Christmas to you!

>220 norabelle414: Thanks, Nora. Back at ya. :)

>221 Ape: No, you have to read the festive and adorable children's book.

>222 RosyLibrarian: Thanks, Marie. Merry Christmas to you as well.

I hope your Christmas has been a nice one. :)

#223: Ok, ok. No nude readings then. How's it going with the book, though?

Merry Christmas, Micky! May we all have peaceful and prosperous new years, too - peaceful to provide time for reading, that is, and prosperous to provide lots of new books!

Hope you had a good Christmas, Micky!

>224 Ape: My Christmas was lovely. Thanks, Stephen. :)

>225 saraslibrary: Well. I'm on page 700 (500 more pages to go). Just have to do some serious reading over the weekend and I should have it all done by New Year's Eve. *fingers crossed*

>226 Cynara: Thanks, Cynara!

>227 curioussquared: I had an excellent Christmas, Natalie. Hope yours was good as well.

Merry Belated Christmas, Micky! Glad it was so nice, and good luck with finishing LM in time!

#228: I'm sure you'll get it done by then. :) And, no, I won't do the math on that one, because Stephen'll just correct me and say I'm wrong. :P

You are wrong, Sara, I would never correct you.

:P

>229 LauraBrook: Thanks Laura for the wishes and the good luck. :)

>230 saraslibrary: Thanks, Sara. Shall we team up and torture Stephen by making him do the most dreaded of all things? Watch chick flicks I mean.

>231 Ape: Such a brat.

I'm at 816 pages or so for Les Mis. I'm trying to get in about 100 pages a day to finish before the new year but I don't know if I'll hit that today as I have my grandfather's birthday dinner tonight.

What is your definition of chick flick? The ones I see always mostly feature topless men with big...abs. *Shudders*

I'm surprised you didn't imply chick flick meant lesbian porn, Stephen.

And I'll be nice and let you choose from one of these movies (how did The Hunger Games get on there?).

>233 Ape: We could do one of those. Or we could go for some tear jerkers. The Way We Were. An Affair to Remember. The Notebook (ok, that one has Ryan Gosling but the end is sad).

>234 saraslibrary: You're no help at all, Sara. :P

Book 75


Les Misérables - Victor Hugo

In this epic tale of 19th century France, Jean Valjean is an ex-convict mercilessly hunted by the police inspector, Javert. Over the course of nearly twenty years, Valjean continuously attempts to better himself and move beyond his past and in the course of his journey touches the lives of several individuals enveloped in the vicissitudes of poverty.

A hefty tome, Victor Hugo's novel is rightfully a classic. His exploration of the character of Jean Valjean and the individuals who surround him is a fascinating read. France in the early 19th century is brilliantly evoked and Hugo is highly capable of writing beautiful prose and a riveting narrative. And some of his asides on society and humanity are an intriguing reflection of the conflict between the ideals of Romanticism and the influx of realism and humanism that emerged during the Industrial Revolution. That being said, the novel does have a few weaknesses. First, is the female characters whose moments of superficiality and stupidity, with Hugo rhapsodizing on the innocence and childlike nature of women, is enough to make you long for a Dickensian heroine. The other major flaw for a modern reader are the regular tangents that break up the flow of the narrative. An in-depth description of the battle of Waterloo and a brief history of the Paris sewers are significant offenders I could have done without. But these two flaws aside, which are signs of the novel's age, Les Misérables is a classic that should be experienced at least once.

Rating: ****

I'm major help (in making people go crazy, that is). That's still help. :P And where did my link to chick flicks go. (sigh) Brb... gotta fix that.

ETA: Fixed. And CONGRATS! You did it. :) Awesome!

*reviews list of chick flicks* Yup, I've seen well over three quarters of those.

And thanks!

Ewwww, The Notebook. *Shudders* I hate those "sometimes infidelity is justified" stories. Ew no no no ick!

Congratulation for completing the challenge, Micky! Woooohoooo! I knew you could do it! I was behind you the whole way. :)

Congrats on 75, Micky!

Congrats!

An impressive book 75! Congratulations! It has been on my TBR pile for awhile now and one day it will stop intimidating me long enough to pick it up...

Congrats, Micky!

Congratulations on finishing your challenge, Micky! I am looking forward to following your 2013 thread. Happy New Year!

Micky, big time CONGRATULATIONS to you both for finishing the doorstopper that is Les Mis, and for reaching 75 books this year!

>239 Ape: Thanks, Stephen! But what exactly were you doing behind me? O_o

>240 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!

>241 drneutron: Thanks, Doc!

>242 RosyLibrarian: Thanks, Marie! It is a big scary chunkster and they can take a while to get through but just think of it as four books in a series. Much easier to tackle that way. :)

>243 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie!

>244 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori. Happy New Year to you as well!

>245 LauraBrook: Thanks, Laura. The pic made me giggle.

Year end stats and the meme coming up shortly.

December Summary



Books read: 3
Fiction: 3
Non-fiction: 0
Library/Borrowed/Mine: 2/0/1
Re-reads: 0 (11)
Shakespeare plays/poems read: 6
Pages read: 3 101

Favourite book(s) this month: For all the sly funny and the brilliant fantasy world created, Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman wins the prize this month.

Year End Summary

Books read: 75

Fiction: 67
Non-fiction: 8

Library: 49
Mine: 26

Re-reads: 11

Shakespeare plays read: 37
Shakespeare works of poetry read: 7

Total pages read: 29 214

Favourite Shakespeare Comedy: Much Ado About Nothing
Favourite Shakespeare History: Henry V
Favourite Shakespeare Tragedy: Hamlet

Favourite books of the year: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, Frederica by Georgette Heyer, Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens, The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde, and Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.

Describe yourself: The Girl in the Steel Corset

Describe how you feel: Girl at Sea

Describe where you currently live: City of Lost Souls

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: A Midsummer Night's Dream

Your favorite form of transportation: War Horse

Your best friend is: Timeless

You and your friends are: The Twits

What’s the weather like: Enshadowed

You fear: A Death in the Family

What is the best advice you have to give: How to Ditch Your Fairy

Thought for the day: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

How I would like to die: Insatiable

My soul’s present condition: As You Like It

246: Uhhhh, supporting you, of course... *Ahem*

Your answers are AMAZING! :)

No pressure, but are you doing a 75 thread for next year, Micky?

>250 Ape: *dubious look* Ok. Suddenly I can't get that line from Grease out of my head: "If you can't be an athlete, be an athletic supporter."

>251 saraslibrary: I sure am! I'm just being stubborn and not starting a thread until January 1 (which is still an hour and fifteen minutes away in this time zone). I'll probably dive in tomorrow after breakfast. :)

Is that where that line came from? Who knew. Great quote. :)

I'm the same way. It's still officially 2012 here, and I'm wrapping up 1 more book and 1 more movie. Let us know when you start one.