Paul's Race to 75 Part 33

Richard liked this project that I worked on around eight years ago. This is a view in the evening.

Some reason this photo has posted twice so I'll think of something to put here.

Books read so far:
1 North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
2 The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff
3 The Guards by Ken Bruen
4 Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
5 Lyrics Alley by Leila Aboulela
6 Shadow by Karin Alvtegen
7 The Road Home by Rose Tremain
8 One Pair of Hands by Monica Dickens
9 Pure by Andrew Miller
10 The Appointment by Herta Muller
11 The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
12 The Battle of Pollocks Crossing by J.L. Carr
13 No Glossing Over It by Gary Edwards
14 Unknown by Mari Jungstedt
15 The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
16 Offshore by Penelope Fitzgerald
17 Zoo Station by David Downing
18 The Troubled Man by Henning Mankell
19 Jack Sheppard by William Ainsworth
20 An Idiot Abroad by Karl Pilkington
21 The Fourth Man by K.O. Dahl
22 Christine Falls by Benjamin Black
23 Troubles by J.G. Farrell
24 My Life in Cricket by Dennis Lillee
25 Voyageurs by Margaret Elphinstone
26 The Affair by Lee Child
27 The Potter's Field by Andrea Camilleri
28 The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
29 The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman
30 Praying Mantis by Andre Brink
31 Parky by Michael Parkinson
32 All Men Are Liars by Alberto Manguel
33 The Detour by Gerbrand Bakker
34 The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin
35 Legion of the Damned by Sven Hassel
36 Treblinka : A Survivor's Memory by Chil Rajchman
37 L'Enver de Treblinka by Vasily Grossman
38 Open Season by C.J. Box
39 Divorcing Jack by Colin Bateman
40 The Chalk-Circle Man by Fred Vargas
41 Lovely Green Eyes by Arnost Lustig
42 The Devil in the Kitchen by Marco Pierre White
43 Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
44 Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
45 The Butterfly Effect by Pernille Rygg
46 Twist of Gold by Michael Morpurgo
47 Eternal by Craig Russell
48 Life by Keith Richards
49 The Caretaker by Harold Pinter
50 Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
51 The Half-Finished Heaven by Tomas Transtromer
52 Doctor Who and the Tenth Planet by Gerry Davis
53 War Horse by Michael Morpurgo
54 In the Heart of the Country by J.M. Coetzee
55 Doctor Who and the Loch Ness Monster by Terrance Dicks
56 The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill
57 The Day of the Daleks by Terrance Dicks
58 We Were Young and Carefree by Laurent Fignon
59 River of Smoke by Amitav Ghosh
60 Thirty Three Teeth by Colin Cotterill
61 Doctor Who and the Ice Warriors by Brian Hayles
62 Bad Intentions by Karin Fossum
63 Sharpe's Eagle by Bernard Cornwell
64 Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne
65 Disgrace by Jussi Adler-Olson
66 Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times by H.W. Brands
67 The Deep Dark Sleep by Craig Russell
68 Burned by Thomas Enger
69 Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C.S. Forester
70 The Age of Doubt by Andrea Camilleri
71 The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey
72 An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor
73 Room by Emma Donoghue
74 Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
75 The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier
76 Doctor Who and the Three Doctors by Terrance Dicks
77 The Good Doctor by Damon Galgut
78 Beauty and Sadness by Yasunari Kawabata
79 The Sun King by Nancy Mitford
80 Death in August by Marco Vichi
81 Ratcatcher by James McGee
82 Hypothermia by Arnaldur Indriadson
83 Boudicca and her Barmy Army by Valerie Wilding
84 Doctor Who and the Crusaders by David Whitaker
85 Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kastner
86 Love and Summer by William Trevor
87 She's Never Coming Back by Hans Koppel
88 God's Own Country by Ross Raisin
89 August by Bernard Beckett

Best Books of the Year so far:
Literary Fiction
1. The Road Home
2 Lyrics Alley
3 Room
4 Dandelion Wine
5 Sea of Poppies
Thrillers
1. Zoo Station
2. The Deep Dark Sleep
3. The Potter's Field
4 Divorcing Jack
5 Disgrace

12 in 12 categories

1: Historical Fiction 9/12
2: 19th Century Fiction 4/12
3: Biography 10/12
4: In translation 9/12
5: Series Starts 10/12
6: Scandicrimesters 9/12
7: Sci-Fi 9/12
8: Noughties 7/12
9: One Word Titles 7/12
10: African Born Writers 5/12
11: Bought and Read in 2012 10/12
12: Off the Shelves 0/12 (IN RESERVE FOR THE END OF THE YEAR)

Currently reading:



The Joke by Milan Kundera



Two on a Tower by Thomas Hardy


Ivanhoe by Walter Scott


Devil's Peak by Deon Meyer

List of my active series. Doesn't include series I own books but haven't started (far too many) or series that I have read all - Sherlock, Poirot, Marple, Dr. Who, Wallender, John Carter, Richard Hannay, Father Brown, Rougon MacQuart, etc etc etc

WRITER SERIES NEXT BOOK UP

1 Abbott, Jeff // Whit Mosley Black Jack Point 2/3
2 Adler-Olsen, Jussi // Department Q Disgrace 2/3
3 Akunin, Boris //Erast Fandorin Special Assignments 5/10
4 Atkinson, Kate //Jackson Brodie When Will There Be Good News 3/4
5 Aubert, Brigitte //Elise Andrioli Death from the Snows 2/2
6 Auel, JM //Earth's Children The Valley of Horses 2/6
7 Bateman, Colin //Dan Starkey Of Wee Sweetie Mice and Men 2/7
8 Billingham, Mark //Tom Thorne Good as Dead 10/10
9 Black, Benjamin //Quirke The Silver Swan 2/5
10 Black, Cara //Aimee Leduc Murder in Belleville 2/13
11 Blake, Nicholas //Nigel Strangeways A Question of Proof 2/16
12 Block, Lawrence //Matt Scudder A Drop of the Hard Stuff 17/17
13 Block, Lawrence //Bernie Rhodenbarr The Burglar in the Closet 3/10
14 Blunt, Giles //John Cardinal Crime Machine 5/6
15 Box, C.J. //Joe Pickett Savage Run 2/12
16 Brand, Christianna //Inspector Cockrill Heads You Lose 2/6
17 Brookmyre, Christopher //Jack Parlabane Country of the Blind 2/5
18 Brown, Dan //Robert Langdon The Lost Symbol 3/3
19 Bruen, Ken //Jack Taylor The Killing of the Tinkers 2/9
20 Burke, James Lee //Robicheaux Neon Rain 2/19
21 Camilleri, Andrea //Montalbano The Dance of the Seagull 15/15
22 Carr, Caleb //Kreizler The Angel of Darkness 2/2
23 Chandler, Raymond //Philip Marlowe The High Window 4/7
24 Child, Lee //Jack Reacher A Wanted Man 17/17
25 Cornwell, Bernard //Saxon Chronicles The Burning Land 5/6
26 Cotterill, Colin //Dr. Siri Disco for the Departed 3/8
27 Crispin, Edmund //Gervase Fen The Case of the Gilded Fly 3/9
28 Dahl, KO //Frank Frolich The Man in the Window 2/3
29 Deaver, Jeffrey //Rune Death of a Blue Movie Star 2/3
30 Deighton, Len //Harry Palmer Horse Under Water 3/6
31 Deighton, Len //Bernard Samson Faith 7/9
32 DeMille, Nelson //John Corey Plum Island 2/6
33 Dibdin, Michael //Aurelio Zen Medusa 9/11
34 Downing, David //John Russell Silesian Station 2/5
35 Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan //Brigadier Gerard Adventures of Gerard 2/2
36 Dunnett, Dorothy //Francis Lymond Queen's Play 2/6
37 Eastland, Sam //Pekkala The Red Coffin 2/4
38 Edwardson, Ake //Erik Winter Frozen Tracks 3/6
39 Eisler, Barry //John Rain The Detachment 7/7
40 Finder, Joseph //Nick Heller Buried Secrets 2/3
41 Forbes, Colin //Tweed Double Jeopardy 3/24
42 Ford, Richard //Bascombe Independence Day 2/3
43 Fossum, Karin //Sejer The Caller 8/9
44 Fraser, George MacDonald //Flashman Flashman in the Great Game 5/12
45 Freeling, Nicholas //Van der Valk Because of the Cats 2/13
46 Fyfield, Francis //Helen West Shadow Play 2/6
47 Gadney, Reg //Alan Rosslyn Immaculate Deception 5/6
48 Ghosh, Amitav //Ibis Trilogy River of Smoke 2/3
49 Gilman, George G //Edge Hell's Seven 9/61
50 Gray, Alex //Lorimer A Small Weeping 2/9
51 Harvey, John //Resnick Cold in Hand 11/11
52 Harvey, John //Elder Ash and Bone 2/3
53 Hewson, David //Nic Costa The Seventh Sacrament 5/9
54 Hill, Reginald //Pascoe and Dalziell Ruling Passion 3/24
55 Hillerman, Tony //Leaphorn / Chee Dancehall of the Dead 2/18
56 Holt, Anne //Vik and Stubo The Final Murder 2/4
57 Hurley, Graham //Faraday and Winter Cut to Black 5/12
58 Iggulden, Conn //Conqueror Bones of the Hills 3/5
59 Indriadson, Arnadur //Erlendur Hypothermia 6/8
60 James, PD //Dalgleish A Taste for Death 7/14
61 James, Peter //Roy Grace Dead Tomorrow 5/8
62 Jardine, Quintin //Bob Skinner Skinner's Ordeal 5/22
63 Jecks, Michael //Medieval Mysteries The Merchant's Partner 2/31
64 Johnstone, William W //Mountain Man Ordeal of the Mountain Man 17/32
65 Jungstedt, Mari //Knutas The Killer's Art 4/7
66 Kerr, Philip //Bernie Gunther A Quiet Flame 5/8
67 Leon, Donna //Brunetti The Girl of His Dreams 17/21
68 Lovesey, Peter //Peter Diamond The Summons 3/13
69 Lucarelli, Carlos //Negro Day after Day 2/2
70 Ludlum, Robert //Bourne The Bourne Supremacy 2/3
71 MacBride, Stuart //Logan McRae Shatter the Bones 7/7
72 MacDonald, Ross //Lew Archer The Way Some People Die 3/18
73 Mahfouz, Naguib //Cairo Trilogy Palace of Desire 2/3
74 Manning, Olivia //The Levant Trilogy The Battle Lost and Won 2/3
75 Mantel, Hilary //Cromwell Series Bring Up the Bodies 2/3
76 Marklund, Liza //Bengtzon Paradise 2/6
77 Martin, Andrew //Jim Stringer The Blackpool Highflyer 2/8
78 McBain, Ed //87th Precinct Killer's Choice 5/55
79 McCall-Smith, Alexander Tears of the Giraffe 2/13
80 Nabb, Magdalen //Guarnaccia Death of a Dutchman 2/14
81 Nadel, Barbara //Ikmen Deep Waters 4/15
82 Napier, William //Attila The Gathering of the Storm 2/3
83 Nesbo, Jo //Harry Hole Phantom 7/8
84 Nesser, Hakan //Van Veeteren The Inspector and Silence 5/7
85 O'Brian, Patrick //Aubrey Post Captain 2/21
86 O'Brien, Martin //Jacquot Confession 5/7
87 Plaidy, Jean //Tudor Saga Uneasy Lies the Head 2/11
88 Price, Anthony //Audley The Alamut Ambush 2/19
89 Rankin, Ian //Rebus The Hanging Garden 10/18
90 Rees, Matt //Omar Yussef The Saladin Murders 2/4
91 Rendell, Ruth //Wexford From Doon With Death 3/23
92 Rickman, Phil //Merrily Watkins Midwinter of the Spirit 2/11
93 Robinson, Peter //Banks Watching the Dark 20/20
94 Russell, Craig //Lennox The Deep Dark Sleep 3/4
95 Russell, Craig //Jan Fabel The Carnival Master 4/6
96 Sandford, John //Lucas Davenport Buried Prey 21/22
97 Sansom, CJ // Shardlake Dark Fire 2/5
98 Sayers, Dorothy L //Lord Peter Wimsey Whose Body? 2/14
99 Sigurdottir, Yrsa Thora //Gudmundsdottir Ashes to Dust 3/4
100 Silva, Daniel //Gabriel Allon Portrait of a Spy 11/12
101 Simenon, Georges //Maigret The Crime of Inspector Maigret 9/98
102 Sjowall, Maj //Beck The Man Who Went Up in Smoke 2/10
103 Smith, Tom Rob //Demidov Agent 6 3/3
104 Taylor, Andrew //Dougal Waiting for the End of the World 2/8
105 Temple, Peter //Jack Irish Black Tide 2/4
106 Vargas, Fred //Adamsberg Have Mercy on Us All 2/7
107 Waites, Martyn //Joe Donovan Bone Machine 2/4
108 White, Stephen //Alan Gregory Privelged Information 2/19
109 Wilson, Robert //Javier Falcon The Silent and the Damned 2/4
110 Wingfield, RD //Jack Frost Frost at Christmas 3/6
111 Cornwell, Bernard // Richard Sharpe Sharpe's Gold 2/21
112 Enger, Thomas // Henning Juul Pierced 2/2
113 Forester, C.S. // Hornblower Lieutenant Hornblower 2/11
114 Tey, Josephine // Alan Grant
115 Taylor, Patrick // Dr. Laverty
116 Vichi, Marco // Inspector Bordelli
117 McGee, James // Matthew Hawkswood

ALTERNATIVELY LOOK ME UP ON FICTFACT.COM WHICH HAS A FULLER LIST INCLUDING THOSE COMPLETED AND THOSE WHERE I HAVE THE BOOK BUT HAVEN'T STARTED THE SERIES YET (THERE'S A LOT OF THOSE)

NOBEL CHALLENGE

NOBEL WINNERS READ WITH FAVOURITE WORK READ SO FAR:
2011 The Half-Finished Heaven by Tomas Transtromer
2009 The Appointment by Herta Muller
2007 The Good Terrorist by Doris Lessing
2006 Snow by Orhan Pamuk
2005 The Caretaker by Harold Pinter
2003 The Master of Petersburg by J.M.Coetzee
2001 A House for Mr. Biswas by V.S. Naipaul
1998 The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis by Jose Saramago
1995 Station Island by Seamus Heaney
1994 A Quiet Life by Kenzaburo Oe
1991 July's People by Nadine Gordimer
1988 Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz
1987 On Grief and Reason by Joseph Brodsky
1983 Lord of the Flies by William Golding
1982 A Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
1976 Herzog by Saul Bellow
1972 Billiards at Half-Past Nine by Heinrich Boll
1970 Cancer Ward by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
1968 Beauty and Sadness by Yasunari Kawabata
1964 The Age of Reason by Jean-Paul Sartre
1962 Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
1961 Bridge On the Drina by Ivo Andric
1958 Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
1957 The Plague by Albert Camus
1955 The Atom Station by Halldor Laxness
1954 The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemmingway
1953 History of the English Speaking Peoples by Winston Churchill
1949 The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
1948 The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot
1947 The Counterfeiters by Andre Gide
1946 Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse
1938 The Good Earth by Pearl Buck
1932 A Man of Property by John Galsworthy
1930 Main Street by Sinclair Lewis
1925 Man and Superman by George Bernard Shaw
1923 Collected Poems by W.B. Yeats
1921 And the Gods Will Have Blood by Anatole France
1907 Kim by Rudyard Kipling

UNREAD NOBEL WINNERS ON THE SHELVES

2012 Red Sorghum by Ha Jin
2010 The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa
2008 The Interrogation by J.M.G. Le Clezio
2004 The Piano Teacher by Elfriede Jelinek
2002 Fatelessness by Imre Kertesz
2000 Soul Mountain by Gao Xingjian
1999 The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass
1993 Jazz by Toni Morrison
1992 Collected Poems 1948-1984 by Derek Walcott
1990 The Labyrinth of Solitude by Octavio Paz
1986 Ake: The Years of Childhood by Wole Soyinka
1985 Flanders Road by Claude Simon
1981 Auto de Fe by Elias Canetti
1978 The Family Moskat by Isaac Bashevis Singer
1973 Voss by Patrick White
1969 Molloy by Samuel Beckett
1965 And Slowly Flows the Don by Mikhail Sholokhov
1952 Vipers' Tangle by Francois Mauriac
1950 A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell
1937 Jean Barois by Roger Martin du Gard
1936 The Iceman Cometh by Eugene O'Neill
1934 Six Characters in Search of an Author by Luigi Pirandello
1933 The Village by Ivan Bunin
1929 Doctor Faustus by Thomas Mann
1920 Hunger by Knut Hamsun
1915 Jean-Christophe by Romain Rolland
1913 He (Shey) by Rabindranath Tagore
1905 Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz

Congrats on the new thread, Mr. Stat-Man! Love the opening photo. Stunning!

It is indeed stunning! Nice new thread, Paul!!

Mark - Thanks mate; first up - well done.

Mamie - Thanks my dear. RD actually pinpointed one of my own favourite projects.

I'm late to bed after uploading holiday photos for too long, and so just in time to catch your new thread before I switch off.

Is that building on a hill or just imitating the leaning tower of Pisa? Viewing it from my mobile doesn't do it justice, I suspect!

New thread, love the opening photo too.

I don't get the whole double post thing with LT. My last thread did the same thing where my first message magically multiplied, but then I just added the quote and picture of Ray Bradbury instead. :)

Magnificent building and happy new thread, Paul!

No Genny it is built on level ground in Putrajaya; the new administrative capital. Looking forward to seeing your holiday photos.

Kerry - Thanks and nice to see you. I am reading a book by a kiwi writier Bernard Beckett and have noted that his other novel Genesis seems hugely popular. So far so good.

Valerie - It is not the first time it has happened to me - I must have done something wrong but I can't think what it was.

As far as I can figure, I don't think WE did anything wrong in so much as the LT gods have it out for us. ;) I blame my inability to properly change the title of my thread on the LT gods as well...

Hi Paul, I've been completely impressed by all your projects but that one at the top is eye-popping. Makes for such a lovely new thread too:)

Valerie - That sounds much better; blame the Gods - since Song of Achilles was so hot this year it is quite aprapos.

Bonnie - Thank you. I cannot adorn my thread with beautiful reviews as you do so I have to find something else to intrigue.

Hi Paul, absolutely stunning picture to start your 33rd thread. I have been busy with RL this last week and so both my reading and my LT time has suffered. I enjoyed checking out all the stats at the end of your last thread.

What part of this did you work on and what is it?

I am impressed with your reading list. My own reading has suffered this fall due to work projects and life. But then I have read some big books. 1Q84 at 905 pages and now Team of Rivals with 750. I guess that is lots of material even if it is few titles. Did I see that you got Black Swan Green a few threads back. I was going to tell you to bump that up on your reading list as I heard it was a good one. It is one I want to read as well.

Judy - Always nice to see you here. It cannot be seen too easily from the stats that your reading has suffered any!

Benita - I was adviser to the steelwork contractors who created the arch - the project's centrepiece undoubtedly.
No I haven't got Black Swan Green yet but I did buy Cloud Atlas fairly recently and read his Ghost Written which I loved for 9/10ths of the novel.
It is true that the doorstoppers drop your numbers unfairly!

I do love Bernard Beckett's upside down book cover, I was one who recently read Genesis having never heard of Beckett before that. I liked it. I hope you like his one too.
Happy threading to you Paul :)

Hurray, a new thread! I'm over a 100 messages behind on the old one. And that is one gorgeous photograph, Paul!

Since we are talking numbers here is the updated book reading list - apologies for any inadvertent mistakes and I look forward to updates from Luci and Dejah amongst others who are not quite as updated as others:

1 Suzanne 368
2 Susan (suslyn) 315
3 Amber 288
4 Emilie (alsvidur) 281
5 Morphy 249
6 kathy (kmartin) 235
7 Selene (mene) 209
8 Lori (Thornton) 205
9 Foggidawn 197
10 Kerry 192
11 Brenda (brenpike) 183
12 Anne (AnneDC) 171
13 Kim (lilkim) 165
14 Judy (Delta Queen) 162
15 Heather 160
16 Melis (kassilim) 158
Rachel (Hibernator) 158
18 Ilana 156
Jeremy (JBD1) 156
20 Bianca 151
Jenn (Nittnut) 151
Richard 151
23 Terri (tloeffler) 150
24 James (Eyejaybee) 146
25 Karen O. 145
Roni 145
27 Susan J 144
28 Carrie (cbl_tn) 138
Cindy (Countrylife) 138
Mark 138
31 Luci (Elkidee) 137
32 Kerry (CDVicarage) 135
33 kkunker 134
Tina (tututhefirst) 134
35 Calm 133
Caro 133
37 LauraBrook 131
Rachel (aktakukac) 131
39 Cynara 130
Hugehorrorfan 130
41 Kath 129
42 Kriti 128
43 Cyrel (torontoc) 127
44 Mary (storeettlr) 126
45 Blue 123
Joe 123
47 Liz (Lyzard) 121
Nathalie 121
49 Stasia 120
50 Karenmarie 118
Rosalita 118
52 Lulu 116
53 Becca (seasonoflove) 115
54 G 114
Linda (Whisper) 114
56 Cheli (cyderry) 113
Lucy (Sibyx) 113
58 Beth 110
Dejah 110
Terri (tymfos) 110
61 swynn 109
62 Chelle 107
Fuzzi 107
64 Darryl 105
65 Micky 104
66 Bumpersmoms 100
Kathy (archerygirl) 100
68 Genny 99
69 Amy (PorchReader) 98
70 Susie (susiesharp) 97
71 Jim (drneutron) 96
Rebecca (Rebeccanyc) 96
73 Donna 94
Jenny (Lunacat) 94
75 Susanna 93
76 Anne (AMQS) 92
Carol (srcreekranch) 92
Daneille 92
Ellen (kittenfish) 92
Valerie 92
81 Mamie 91
82 Janet (Streamsong) 90
Linda (Lindapanzo) 90
84 Deborah 88
Mary (bell7) 88
Paul 88
87 Paul (paulstalder) 85
88 Bohemiangirl 84
Judy (ffortsa) 84
Musicmom 84
91 David (tapestry100) 83
Gail 83
Kelly (Violet Bramble) 83
Megan 83
95 Monica (justjoey) 82
96 Charlotte (fourpawz2) 80
97 Ellen 79
Kerri (DorsVenabili) 79
99 Faith (Dk_Phoenix) 78
Katie 78
Mike (mldavis) 78
ninetiger 78
Randy 78
104 Kara 77
Peggy 77
106 Bonnie 76
Cariola 76
Dee 76
Linda (L/woman3rd) 76
Markon 76
Reba 76
112 Librarylover 75
Lori (Ikernagh) 75
Unrulysun 75
115 Claudia 74
116 Tangledthread 73
117 Tui (Tiffin) 72
118 applebook 70
Carrie (cal8769) 70
Rhian (SandDune) 70
121 Luxx 69
Steve (sclvad) 69
123 Nora 68
Stephen (Ape) 68
125 chexmix 67
126 roro8 66
127 Deb 65
Katherine (qebo) 65
mstrust 65
Tammy (tjblue) 65
131 Jenthepen 64
Kathy (persephone) 64
133 Carly M 63
Jean (majika) 63
135 Joanne 62
136 Lynda (Carmenere) 61
Stephen (TomKitten) 61
Tad 61
139 Laura (lycomayflower) 60
Marcia 60
141 kindlekapers 59
142 fiberjean 58
143 Piyush 57
144 Guy (someguy) 56
Laura 56
146 Brenda (Beeg) 55
Cindy (Georgiadawn) 55
sandykaypax 55
149 BJ (billiejean) 54
Sara (Saraslibrary) 54
Zoe 54
152 Angela (bookangel) 53
Bekka 53
154 Marie (mbellerose) 53
155 Kim (Berly) 52
Nina (humouress) 52
157 Sandy (sjmccreary) 51
158 Helenoel 50
Mary Beth 50
160 flissp 49
161 Caroline McElwee 48
Jill (mrstreme) 48
Leonie 48
164 Anita (FAMeulstee) 47
Ellie 47
Katelism 47
Madeline (squeakychu) 47
168 Jechtshot 46
Karen (maggie1944) 46
170 feca67 45
Linda (Linda92007) 45
Sarah (beserene) 45
173 Karen (karspeak) 44
174 Carsten 43
Eris 43
176 Leah 42
177 mausergem 41
178 Hannah (hannahgerg) 40
179 Samantha 39
180 Becky (labwriter) 38
181 Alex (roundballnz) 37
Cushla 37
Monica (mskeens) 37
184 Brit 36
Caty (CatyM) 36
186 PLT 35
187 Nancy 32
188 Lisa (kiwiflowa) 30
189 Monica (crazy4reading)28
Porua 28
191 Pat 26
Prue 26
193 Blackdogbooks 25
194 Michelle (mks) 24
Ursula 24
196 Jude 23
197 Jenny (gcpl) 18
198 Tom (ty1997) 13

Megan - I do remember your review of Beckett's book and so far the other one is good too. It was in the YA section of the bookstore which is bizarre given the subject matter.

Roni - 100 posts do seem to go by quite quickly at the moment on some of the threads. Joe and RD are setting a blistering pace at the moment, closely followed by Mamie and Mark and Kath with me gasping for breath trying to keep alongside.

So... many... posts... can't... breathe. *falls out of window*

NaNoWriMo has taken my time and my soul, but I'm trying to get caught up on all my LT threads, though. What a gorgeous building up top! You worked on that? Amazing!

And the hedgehog from last thread is adorable. I hope the little guy/gal is going to be all right.

ditto. I'd say I love that project up top too, but don't want to agree with that other person. :-b

Oh wow Paul, that angle makes the gateway even more beautiful. The texture of it! So satisfying to see it at night, too, as it's clearly a 24-hour structure.

Paul, I've read all Bernard Beckett's books except for his adult novel, Acid Song, must move that up the old Mt tbr. His last two YAs Genesis and August are strongly philosophical and like MT Anderson's Octavian Nothing novels are challenging reads for teenagers.

Eris - I was wondering where dear old Tom Baker had gotten too. I look forward to you being just as busy as always next month.

Dear Ilana - hahaha even where there is discord there can be agreement, if that makes any sense at all! When I was at school there was one boy who irritated the heck out of me to the extent that we had engaged in fisticuffs the terms earlier (not something I was particularly adept at either I might add) - came across him at the local bookshop some time later buying The Quiet American and I had just read Our Man in Havana - surprise surprise I still couldn't stand him but I realised he had great taste in fiction!

RD - The excellent lighting is a new innovation to the building and wasn't part of the scheme originally. The last time I saw the building close up was on a site visit arguing about the quality of the stainless steel finish (which was actually anything other than stainless).

Kerry - It is very well written but the subject matter of seminary meets prostitute has life threatening accident is, you are right, a bit challenging for teenagers.

Good morning Paul, and again another adorable picture at the top. The front arch looks absolutely stunning with the lights reflecting off it. Are that chris-crossed steel beams giving it it's glittery effects?

What did you think about Snow by Orhan Pamuk - one of my books on my neverending TBR pile :)

I am curious what you think about The Joke by Milan Kundera I read that one decades ago..... well, at least it feels like that. :)

Nice photo. De-lurking to check in.

My goodness, but that building up top is lovely. Always look forward to these mini-trips to Paul Land.

Hi Paul - another stunning building to open your thread. Impressive stats list - thanks for doing it:)

Hope all is well in KL.

Another one who has just read their first Beckett, looking forward to seeing what you make of August - must see if the library has any more of his books.

Yes, that building is stunning!

Thanks as always for posting those stats.

I will add that I like the building as well. All that steel. Very nice. But what makes it outstanding is that it fits into the background. It does not dominate or overpower. It does not underwelm or fade away into the surrounding sturctures. It enhances what is around it. I can't tell if it is structural or purely decorative? It looks to be part of an office complex.

Not to flog a dead horse, but is everything in KL that well lit? If so how do they afford to keep all that lighting going? I think that cities tend to overly lit here in the U. S. and am much in favor of decreasing the amount of lighting, but I know that I am in a minority.

*waving, and passing on through on the way to the BEACH*

Bianca - It is made of criss crossed steel members to give its unique effect.
Snow was a novel I read about 5 years ago and I liked and admired it without really being blown away by it.

Nina - thanks and nice to see you as always.

Amber - Paul land is a happy place today at the start of the islamic new year. Yet another public holiday here has been enjoyed away.

Calm - Everything is well in Kuala Lumpur today. Your statistics make interesting reading and a stellar performance for St. David's country. You're running solidly in the top 20% or so in both the book reading and threading leagues, one of only 12 to do so.

Darryl - The national day celebrations have been held recently in the shadow of this building rather than in Independence Square in Kuala Lumpur.

Benita - It is structural AND decorative.
To be succinct, I would have to say that, no, buildings in KL are not all so blessed as that one with its lighting but it is a city that does look beautiful in the night.

Karen - I am splendidly jealous ~ long may it continue as you enjoy the perfect holiday.

This is for Benita.

Love the picture for this new thread, looks like it's been a hard day in the field for England and a good job Swanny is playing as he seems to have bowled well. Could he end up with all ten? I think he will get his 200th test wicket during this match and we are going to have to bat really well because i think the follow-on target could be around the 400 mark. Hope this message finds you well mate.

Hi John - I did expect England to toil somewhat but it is not good to be proven right! Swann bowled well without ever looking like tearing through their team. I am worried what their spinners will do especially as they rather unsportingly didn't allow us any practice against them.

Got home late last night and turned on my local NPR station. After 10:00 p.m. it plays the BBC World News. There was some talk about a fantastic football goal scored by somebody in Sweden. It was refreshing after all unbearable continuous cacophony surrounding collage football in the town in which I live so I decided to stay up and listen to the story. It finally came on after 11:00 p.m. (Don't you hate it when the TV and radio titillate and tantalize you only to delay the one article you want to see or hear until after endless other things?) I found out it was a man named Ibrahamovich who plays for a Swedish team. He scored all four goals for the Swedes, beating England. The last goal was a fantastic aerial bicycle kick. I couldn't find it on-line this morning but tonight I managed to find it and boy is it pretty. It has been called the best goal ever. I guess it unseats the previous one which was scored by an Englishman. (His name escapes me right now, as it is the end of my work day and I am brain dead.)

Hahaha Benita it is strange also to see the english media giving the soccer team an easy time after the goal scored by Ibrahimovic. He is a well travelled fellow having played in both Italy and Spain amongst others. The goal was a stunner indeed and it was lucky for us that it came in a friendly game.

Well, I blinked and your new thread is up to 43 messages! Stunning building to begin your newish thread, Paul. I think I'll go read because there is no way I can keep up.

*waves* at Paul
RL is a little crazy right now. I love the beautiful archway!

Hahaha Donna - happy reading!

Roberta - Waving right back at yer. I trust that RL settles down comfortably for you as soon as possible. x

Mini-mini-splurge yesterday of only 4 books as SWMBO was in attendance:

Autumn Killing by Mons Kallentoft
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (finally in paperback here!)
The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay
In A Glass Darkly by Sheridan Le Fanu

*waving as she lurks, briefly*

38> Nice pic ! ......... flyby visit but have a great weekend

Paul, the picture at the top of your thread is truly beautiful! I love that it's a project you worked on. And going back to your prior thread, I very much enjoyed the photos of the condos, etc. Modern architecture has become pretty again.

I'm also enjoying your various statistics. Projecting me for 91 completed reads this year, eh? It will be interesting to see how close I can come to that. I think I'm reading more slowly this fall than I did during some other seasons this year, what with work being so busy, but I also have the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays coming up. For the latter, I will have two long plane rides since I'll be visiting my sister in NC, plus the week off..... We'll be doing a bit of visiting, of course, but I always get to read a lot at my sister's house because she and her partner are also avid readers. :-)

Good morning Paul :)

*big smile* and very interesting mini-mini splurge :)

I have to agree the photos in this new thread are absolutely stunning. I hope you will keep them coming :)

Karen - You must have much more interesting things to do than to lurk over here!

Same to you Alex - I hope things are going ok for you in sunny (?) NZ.

Ellen - I thought you would like the projected totals - prove me wrong and hit triple figures! I believe the level of architectural design quality in Malaysia is very high. People will point out the foreign involvement in KLCC (Cesar Pelli) but the title shot is 100% local.

Bianca - I will do my best to keep the photos coming as that means that my little empire remains busy.

89.

August by Bernard Beckett

This is billed as YA fiction but it is, in my opinion not suitable for the genre dealing as it does with Augustian theory (hence, I think, the title), faith, free will and prostitution.
The novel works on one level to promote philosophical debate but I am not entirely convinced that it wholly succeeds as a story. Tristan is uprooted from a life of illiteracy and poverty and taken into an Augustian centre of learning. Grace is studying in a nearby convent. They are star-crossed and their questioning of the church's strict doctrine that those outside the confines of the church are soullessly condemned means that their meeting is inevitable and tragic.
Well written but I am still a little conflicted as to whether Beckett was trying to make a point through the story rather than have the story convey its own point - if you see the subtle difference.

7/10

Another Friday prayer time and another book splurge, albeit fairly restrained:

The Monk by M.G. Lewis
Inferno : The World at War 1939-1945 by Max Hastings
Post Everything by Luke Haines
Racing Through the Dark by David Millar
Possessed : Adventures with Russian Books and the People who Read Them by Elif Batuman
If Morning Ever Comes by Anne Tyler
Island in the Centre by Rex Shelley

Nice mini-book hauls! The Hastings book is high on my TBR list, since Bonnie raved about it.

It's Friday, Paul, although mine is just beginning and your's is nearing its end. I am happy to usher it in - long, busy week. Really enjoyed your review above - especially your last point: "I am still a little conflicted as to whether Beckett was trying to make a point through the story rather than have the story convey its own point". I think this spoils the story for me very often - hate to feel like I'm reading a book with an agenda.

Thanks for sharing you mini book hauls! Love to live vicariously! Wishing you a lovely and hopefully relaxing weekend!

The edition I bought Mark of the Hastings book has some brilliant photographs in it and looks like it may be an excellent history. I read the first half a dozen pages in the store and was almost walking into things going back down the escalator to find Halim.

Mamie - We cross posted! I will have a fairly busy morning tomorrow but I am hoping for a relaxing Sunday with plenty of reading and LT.
What are the book stores like in Georgia?

I have commenced a data base to study the books the group has read this year. Which is the most read book; the most read author, etc. Going from the top of my threads league table and have only done Myself, Richard and Kath and 350 books later here would appear to be no book shared by all three of us. Richard and I have shared only three. It will take a while but I should have it up to speed by the New Year!!

Paul - Are you sitting down? I have not yet been to a bookstore in Georgia! I know, right?! I do have a library card, but have not yet checked anything out. I know that there is a Books a Million store in the Albany mall. I NEED to investigate!

Oh, your data base sounds fascinating - can't wait to see the results of that!!

Stumbled but didn't fall! Trust you will put right the oversight on the books when all the pecans have been harvested!

#1 Wow!
Nice new thread - you are nuts! But happy, I imagine.
You don't have enough to do, I guess... so you are finding more statistical projects??? I admit, your new idea is more interesting to me. I am not surprised you, Kath, and RD are reading very different books. I like that our group has variety.

btw - notice the caps I'm throwing in? Trying to type two handed :)

>57 PaulCranswick: That's going to be fascinating. Can't wait to see what gold you prospect out of the dirt.

Possessed : Adventures with Russian Books and the People who Read Them by Elif Batuman looks very interesting. Not that I've read many Russian books, but I keep intending to do so. :-)

You remind me I need to update my ticker!

Oh my inner geek is beyond tickled that you are compiling another database and on the books we read, no less! Can't wait to see what you come up with. Have a great weekend, Paul! :)

Cee - Guilty as charged. Glad to see the capitalisation so I thought I had better reciprocate. I too love the groups variety and it will be interesting to see which are the most popularly read books, authors, whose reading is closest to whom etc.

RD - Another one for you from your thread - what are pearl lined books?

Ellen - It does look a fascinating little book and I had marked it down from my Literary Review reading as a potential buy.

Roni - Please do; I notice that everytime I put up a table it does seem to prompt you, coincidentally or not, to update your numbers and render mine obsolete!

Valerie - I cannot contain my geek inside anymore as you have noticed!

Paul, I love all the pictures of your projects and Malaysia in general. You have single-handedly taught me more about your area of the world that anyone or anything else.

Dropping by to wish you a good weekend. Congratulations on thread #33 Paul. There is still the potential for you to hit 52 threads for the year.... ;-)

Nice book haul again Paul. I had a try at reading Batuman's book but decided that I should read a few more Russian authors instead, still intending to do that at some stage.
I felt a bit the same with the Beckett book, just didn't quite make the cut. When it came out here and in Australia it was marketed as both an adult book and a YA.

>52 PaulCranswick: but I am still a little conflicted as to whether Beckett was trying to make a point through the story rather than have the story convey its own point
Interesting. I think I would like a story better if the story made the point, and all the better if it was subtlety made.

Oh, and all those with an inner geek, please feel free to let them out. Then those with an inner sloth can indulge in all your hard work :)

The new stats sound like the most interesting you've done Paul. I can't wait to see what you come up with. I don't know how you do the stats even though you have thoroughly explained it but being tech-resistant like I am none of the info sinks in or, if it does, none of it makes sense. That's not your fault, just my brain's inability to compute:-)

oh my gosh Paul - I would love to see the database when you are done, or rather a selection of the most shared etc. My inner sloth is intrigued lol.

Pat - what lovely words! I really ought to seek out the tourism ministry and seek a cut of revenue!

Lori - Simple projection would show me falling well short of that - 38 or 39 at the present rate; if I can keep that up before I keel over!

Kerry - Thanks. I couldn't make my mind up as to whether it was intended to be really a novel or not - the unnamed country didn't help. The target audience is also a bit of a puzzler - don't think I would be happy with Yasmyne reading that one just yet.

Hahaha Megan I wouldn't swap your full time job of running around after three boys (two smallish ones and a much bigger one).

Bonnie - the book reading lists are hard work - the books read by the group will be even more so. I have so far covered the five most active threads (my own, RD, Kath, Joe and Mark) - altogether 571 books - 45 of which have been read by more than one; 16 read by three or more and only 1 read by four of the five so far. Guesses anyone?.......Dr. Siri Thirty Three Teeth by Colin Cotterill; Most books by a single author (9) John Steinbeck, Reader with most shared reads Mark (33).

Lisa - I will send it to you when it is done. If it is done.

>65 PaulCranswick: Pearl RULED books are the ones I don't finish but still review. Nancy Pearl, America's Librarian, popularized the Rule of Fifty, so I call it the Pearl Rule. I don't count them towards any totals, but I like to keep track of them.

Hi, its early morning here, travel mates still sleeping! I love Nancy Pearl! Her Pearl-rule has saved me many a guilty feeling. Your statistical project is so interesting.

OK, that's it, all the lurking I'll do here. I'm almost caught up on reading the threads I normally try to read. I'm off to finish........

Woo, got behind on your supertrain thread, Paul! Hope you're having a good weekend.

What an amazing place at night - that building. Wow.

The books read stats are fantastic and inspiring. Thank you for putting it all together.

Hi Paul! Stopping by and getting caught up. I hope you're doing well and having a lovely weekend.

The new reading spreadsheet sounds fascinating and I look forward to the learning the results. I'm sort of spreadsheet-y myself.

Thanks for that RD - I can learn something new everyday.

Karen - thanks for dropping by - must get over to yours after this to see if you've got your camera fixed.

Joe - The train is a little out of steam this weekend - a bit over tired from a quite difficult work week.

Lucy - thanks; don't know whether I will get the thing done in time. Just finished Ilana (so to speak!) the ninth busiest thread so I have ONLY 189 still to go (and there are about 20 more threads with 90 or so posts).

Kerri - I realised that the 198 threads with over 100 posts have so far collectively read 18,214 books at the last update which is an average of 92 books each. The top nine busiest threads which have been logged already account for 1,049 books or 117 books each. I am almost 6% through preparing the database so let's see if I can finish it in time. Still the same book is the most widely read.

Colin Cotterill should come and entertain us all in the 75er world, given that most of us have supported his series!

So far with the top ten busiest threads logged. Cotterill books have been read 29 times with Mamie having read 6 of them. (Stephen, Kath and Darryl have not succumbed to Dr. Siri's charms thus far).
Cannot however beat Steinbeck. 31 reads of his books logged so far over 13 different titles. 13 is also the most number of different books logged by the same (Gaiman has 12 thanks to Stephen who has read eleven of them which is also the most books read of the same author by one reader).

It looks like this year's Steinbeckathon is a big success. I've certainly enjoyed reading some of the books I've neglected by one of my favorite authors. Your book research is fascinating, Paul. I own the first Dr. Siri book but I'm almost afraid to read it because it seems like an addictive series. Early next year for sure!

Hope you are having a wonderful Sunday, Paul. My husband is on his way home from China. It's only a 24-hour trip! He goes out of the way to fly through Chicago. He likes his million mile status on United Airlines! I do, too, as we sometimes get upgraded to first class. ;-)

80> Nice to see that our Steinbeckathon has been so successful. It's been a highlight for me this year. I've never before focused so intentionally on an author (unless you count my compulsive push through the mystery novels of John D. MacDonald back in the late 70s when I first discovered him).

I have the third Dr. Siri novel sitting on my bedside table, in the same stack as The Pearl. I will try to read both of them this month.

Donna - Don't forget I'm only ten threads in out of at least 200 so the results are a bit like calling the election after only Maine and Kansas have declared!
I do expect that Steinbeck will prove to be there as a result of the Steinbeckathon.
Trust your husband has a safe journey home to you and the grandkids and that you take advantage of all those air miles by making a trip out here where this threader will make you both most welcome.

Ellen - I can empathise as, if I like a series, I will blitz it - Sandford, Robinson, Mankell, Silva, Camilleri, Block have all been given the treatment over the last few years.

Both Donna and Ellen will most likely get "logged" today!

Your work on the database is amazing, Paul!

I have commenced a data base to study the books the group has read this year. Which is the most read book; the most read author, That is incredible, I have noticed again that you are such a busy bee and I have to say that I DO find your statistics very, very interesting.

I very much enjoyed your review on August I just got Genesis because most people talked very positive about the book.

I wish you a lovely Sunday with your family.

Hi mate, just finished listening to TMS and England have redeemed themselves a bit but it's still going to be touch and go tomorrow but if Cook (168 n.o.) and Prior ( 84 n.o.) can carry on till mid afternoon then we should get a draw and hopefully have a bit of confidence going into the next test.

Your stats work is phenomenal mate, keep them coming but how do you manage to fit everything in, work, stats, posting and most essential reading and then the family,lol.

I have commenced a data base to study the books the group has read this year. Which is the most read book; the most read author

Oh, man. I can't wait to see that list. I hope you do a top ten. Then I can add another list to my lists of books to read. Whoo hoo!

OMG, that photo is Stunning... you worked on that?

wow.

Hope all are well and happy at your house!

Paul- Hope you had a good weekend. Got some relaxing and some reading in. I plan on reading the 5th Dr. Siri book next month. I'm crazy about that series.

Okay, loving all of these new stats that you are compiling for us - and just in time for the holidays! Morphy's right - a top ten list would be oh, so fabulous!!

Ellen, Thanks - Caro finished now onto the very difficult task of Amber whose list includes no authors names; so I have to read through all the posts to get to them all - still with nearly 300 books between her and Charley it should be interesting.

Thanks Bianca since I am following my list of the most active threads and you started late in the year I will not get to you for a week or two! I have heard tell that Genesis is much the better of Beckett's books.

John - The umpires decision making has been strange. Cook and Prior both survived close calls whilst poor old Patel got "done" twice in 2 innings. The stats work will take up a bit of time and I am sure that SWMBO will grumble about some of the midnight oil burning.

Morphy - I think a few top ten lists can be arranged.

Kath - Yep that was one of the jobs I was involved in and argued over!
Sunday evening is winding down and Belle and Hani are doing Belle's school project for the Great Wall of China - I think SWMBO is more concerned about the project than her daughter!

Mark - Hi mate; we had a discussion this lunchtime (excellent Japanese food Hokkaido style - I had six scoops of their ice cream with flavours such as muscat wine sorbet) on our trip to the States next year and I was told that they will only agree to three weeks tops and that I have to choose West Coast or East Coast. I managed to get them to agree to two trips next year.
1st LA-SF-Portland-Chicago-Phoenix-Denver-Las Vegas-LA
2nd NYC-Boston-Philadelphia-Washington-New Orleans-Minneapolis-Montreal-Toronto-NYC
First one will be in Springtime to coincide with Easter holidays
2nd one late summer Aug/Sept

Will be working itinery out a bit better but looks like three weeks for each.

Mamie - I will try to oblige!

Well, that 's all I can ask! Hope your weekend was fabulous!

>91 PaulCranswick: Let me know if you just want an Excel list of my 2012 read books.

Hi Paul, yours is the only thread I am reading today as I get back to work on my novel. Awesome picture up top! On your book snags-Yay! You got Gone Girl-I just finished Dark Places and loved it, but the reviews of Gone Girl have been varied. Interested to see what you think. Can't wait to see the results of your latest data-base, also. I have several lists of books acquired recently on my thread if you are interested...Have a great week or until I'm here again!

I had hopes that you would be I Chicago in June. the American Library Association has its summer conference in late June and his year it is in Chicago. I thought that we could do a meet up since I will be there. It is a great place to snag ARC's because you can go to the exhibit hall for $25.00 per day. And you can meet the LT Gods. They attend and like to meet users. I am sure that Tim would like to talk with you about all your stats. If you want more details on the conference e-mail me.

strange about the Dr. Siri series being so popular as there are others that are equally deserving of such a readership. The Station Series by David Downing is one that comes to mind.

Mamie - Weekend has been great but seems to be over too soon.

Morphy - Would be great - you have my email address right?

Mary Beth - Good luck with the novel and I hope my stats laden domain is not too much of a distraction for you. Gillian Flynn's three novels are all with me now and I haven't read any of them.

Benita - The details are not cast in stone as yet but I do think that June would be a bit difficult.
The Downing series has its supporters too as does Camilleri and Penny so it will be interesting to see what pans out.

I have contributed to the Steinbeck total amongst us, but not by as many as I would have liked to! The gorgeous collected short novels that I bought, have allowed me to be more patient than I need to be about getting to them :)
One of the hazards in purchasing I guess. I get through library books that much faster.

Megan - Funnily enough I have just finished logging yours complete with a fair few Steinbeck books indeed.

Paul - I also have a spreadsheet of my books read this year, if that would help. I don't have your email, so PM it, if you want the spreadsheet.

This has been a great year for reading Steinbeck, Paul. I'd gotten off the Steinbeck train years ago, and I've really enjoyed getting back on. The Steinbeckathon has been terrific.

Paul- I got worried there for a second, when I read "West Coast or East Coast "! I thought you might be skipping Chicago. Whew. Please let me know the dates as soon as you figure it out, so I can put in for a couple days off, during that time. Actually I usually do me Meet-Up in the Spring. Wouldn't that be nice?

Have you read the Garden of the Evening Mists? It opens up in Kuala Lampur, in the Supreme Court Building.

Ummm...Paul...I hate to do this to you...I'm done with Curse of the Pogo Stick now, so there's another Cotterill to add.

My head reels from your statistics -- love them but wow, where do you find the time!!!???

Hi Paul, looking forward to whatever stats you choose to deliver, they are always interesting and insightful, just like the guy that delivers them!

I love that you managed to convince them that Chicago is part of the "west coast." Well done!
And I, too, will be watching for your itinerary, hoping I can take a jog (not literally) down to Portland when you're there. I have a bit of travel planned in the spring but if I can get there, I will be there with bells on. Powell's City of Books, here we come!

Looks like your anticipated trips to the US will be THE events of 2013. I, myownself, will try hard to be wherever you wind up...

re stats: Aren't you glad I did not read 300 books? LOL Hopefully I am an easy addition for you.

Wishing you a great week :D

Kerri - Would save me time thanks - I will PM you my email address.

Joe - Running total so far
Cotterill - 34 reads (including RD's latest see below)
Steinbeck - 35 reads (13 threads including Megan)
You read your share of both 5 of each in fact.

Mark - I wouldn't miss Chicago where so many of the 75ers I am friends with hail from. Will give exact dates when I can and look forward to comparing notes on books and beer and Bears!
I haven't read it yet as I have made a 13 in 13 for next year including this years Booker longlist - it is likely to get read in January.

Richard - no sooner said as done!

Reba - Something to do with insomnia and obsession if I'm not too mistaken!

Judy - Aw shucks thanks so much!

Ellen - I did notice that they weren't too strong on the geography of North America! Portland is on the list for three reasons - Powells is one of them; the LTers including your lovely self who are close enough to get to it is another and it also looks quite an interestingly different place to stopover.

Hahaha Cee - I may still be able to slip Maine into the itinery as I do want to see that bathroom! You have been safely logged - let's say considerably less time than Amber.

Good decision leaving Texas off your list, Paul (says the unhappily transplanted New Yorker living in Texas)! There is very little of interest to see here. I'll be interested to see your detailed itineraries and figuring out which meet-up I can most easily crash. Hell, no kids here and tons of unused vacation time may allow me to hit one on each coast :)

I do hope so Katie - I must admit casting a wistful eye at some of the places (Tha Alamo for example) that, because of time and budget I will have to excise. I did want to slip in Canada too and Vancouver may get added to the first trip if I can organise it and Montreal/Toronto on the second.

Eh, I found The Alamo disappointing. It's tiny and surrounded by crappy tourist things.

LOL Paul the Alamo is a little bit overrated, but San Antonio is a really great city with lots to do and see. The River Walk is beautiful and the mission trail is nice and historical. Maybe someday you can get to Texas but like Katie I too would not mind traveling to meet up elsewhere.

Katie - Thanks for making me feel a bit better about crossing it off for now!

Roberta - Would love to meet-up - I guess Phoenix or New Orleans are closest but it is still one heck of a distance.

Past 10% in numbers of books read and so far the following on the reading habits:

Most Read Book (Changed) - Dandelion Wine - 9 reads
Thirty-Three Teeth 8
The Coroner's Lunch 7
Anarchy and Old Dogs 7
Disco for the Departed 6
River of Smoke 6
Something Wicked This Way Comes 5
Song of Achilles 5
11/22/63 5
Sea of Poppies 5
Curse of the Pogo Stick 5
Behind the Beautiful Forevers 5
A Tree Grows in Brooklin 5
Iron and Silk 5
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry 5

Most Read Author - Steinbeck 41 reads, Cotterill 34, Bradbury 18, Gaiman 14, Clearly 13, Ghosh 11, Lewis 10, Camilleri 10

Most works by one author - Steinbeck 13, Clearly 13 (all Amber), Gaiman 13

Most shared reads - Mark 62, Ilana 55, Mamie 51
Least shared reads - Amber 5, Ape 11, Kath 17

fascinating.....you just never know what your stats are going to reveal.
All those lone wolves who have the least shared reads :)

I'm loving the gradual reveal of the books read stats as you work your way through. The prominence of Steinbeck is not surprising because of the Steinbeckathon, but the Coterill shows the effect of an unplanned shared buzz in this group. I'd not heard of Coterill last year, but after several glowing reviews about the series I started to keep an eye out for him, and was keen to pick up a copy of the first book when I spotted it in my local charity shop.

Re Texas : We spent several days in San Antonio (a fair few years ago, now) and, as luvamystery says, the Riverwalk is wonderful; magical, even. And Texas portion sizes are twice those in the rest of the States - you could probably feed your whole family on one portion ;-)

But if you're going to Houston, please remember to check your firearm at the door.

Paul - wouldn't worry to much about Eng Cricket team - NZ current playing Sri lanka are 221 & 96/8 - am beyond words they find new depths every time .....

Megan - Amber's reading has been fascinating this year as you will agree if you have been following it. A self-confessed classicist - she has put most of that to one side this year and her reading with Charley is endearing and interesting but will not bother the statisticians looking for shared reads. Don't know about Amber and Kath as lone wolves though! (Stephen may welcome the moniker).

Genny - I am a little surprised so far with the extent of Cotterill's popularity. Like you and, despite geographical proximity, I was not familiar with him but the acclaim has been infectious.

Nina - We have good friends who used to live in Houston and they do not recommend it for a visit! San Antonio does appeal and was on my list originally. Kyran is the next generation Man Vs Food so portions will not faze him at all.

Alex - At least the Black Caps are consistent - you never know what you'll get with the England team.

Okay, I've sent my spreadsheet. Let me know if you don't get it and I'll try the other email address. I figured with the number of my books it would be easier this way.

Thanks Morphy!

So interesting to see those stats, Paul! I am thinking that Mr. Steinbeck will come out on top with one of his books being the book most read because of the Steinbeckathon. So looking forward to seeing which book ends up on top of the podium! I am not surprised that I have such a high number of shared reads - more than half of my reads have been shared according to your numbers. This is my first year on LT, so it was like a feast of literature for me - everywhere I turned there were lovely recommendations and suggestions for books by authors that I had never read before. To date I have tried 56 new authors this year -so thanks everyone. I feel like my reading has been a group project!

Mamie - I also think Steinbeck will prove to be the most read novelist. The propensity of shared reads could be something to do with the interests of the most active threaders. Some of the readers with different tastes (Sci-fi and fantasy especially) are more voracious in their reading than their posting and their details will impact the stats for sure.

I thought I would offer a little clarification on the Pearl Rule. Nancy Pearl is a librarian who lives in Seattle, Washington. She is famous for her books titled Book Lust and More Book Lust and she has her own web site at nancypearl.com. She also has a radio program titled Book Lust and she regularly appears on other radio and TV shows with book recommendations. She also appeared regularly on NPR with book recommendations. She is a firm believer in using other media to get the message out about books. She is so famous here that she has her own Wikipedia page and her action doll. (I have one of the dolls, as she is sort of a hero of mine.) Here is the Pearl Rule. Pearl's Rule of 50 states "If you still don't like a book after slogging through the first 50 pages, set it aside. If you're more than 50 years old, subtract your age from 100 and only grant it that many pages."

As a librarian she has words of wisdom for other librarians like the following. Pearl says that the largest problem facing librarianship today is that "we have yet to balance the three important functions a library has in a community: information access, providing people with books and material for their recreational learning and reading, and offering quality programs for our patrons. The pendulum swung way over on the information access side and has yet to right itself. We graduate people from library schools (information schools) knowing how to build a website, but not knowing how to recommend a book to someone who comes in asking for something good to read." This is one of the problems I deal with everyday as people come to me asking for books for 4th graders about rocks. I better have a few titles stashed up my sleeve.

As usual Benita I am immensely grateful to you for your thoughtful and telling contributions to my thread. I would love to see a Benita thread in 2013 and I would hazard that I would regularly be first to celebrate each new thread extension!
Ms. Pearl sounds like quite the lady.

Benita's post was helpful for me, too, Paul, and I'm a U.S.-ian. I know of Nancy Pearl, but not a lot about her. Love that quote about librarians and libraries today here - seems very true to me.

Paul I live in the Houston area. It's not a prime vacation spot, but it is reasonable drive to New Orleans. A NOLA meet up may be possible! Woo!

>120 roundballnz: I dont want to talk about it
:)

Im kind of miffed that I didnt get on the list with the fewest shared reads, I'm a lone wolf wannabe.

>131 LovingLit: I'm a lone wolf wannabe. *pat shoulder* - Paul is not finished with that list yet. Still sorting all the reads out :) *smile*

Joe - Hi to a USian!

Roberta - our friends who used to live in Houston tell me that it is a dreadful place peopled by wonderful people.

Megan - I note your desire for some own-time. Book wise Amber and Stephen so far are doing lonesome far better than anyone else could.

Bianca - Not finished by a long chalk!

Paul, you are amazing. This project of yours can't get me any more excited.

I too, have not succumbed to Cotterill, although I have checked several times at the used bookstores.
As well, your list of most read books, I haven't read a single one of them! *shocked* Although, in my defence, several of them have been waiting patiently on my TBR mountain.

I was surprised by Houston -- not nearly as bad as I had expected (except for the weather) but I wouldn't go out of my way to go there. The very center of San Antonio (area around the river walk) is very nice but the rest is just same 'ole same 'ole suburban USA.

Interesting stats Paul. I admire your ability to actually figure all that stuff out. The mind boggles. Or at least mine does. Hmmm, I see I only read 2 of the most read books this year although some of them I read last year. That won't figure in your stats though. I like to think I'm a trend setter haha.

Luckily, hopping on the Dr. Siri bandwagon along with my love for Ray Bradbury has me at a goodly percentage of the top books. I'm thinking the first Steinbeck read, Cannery Row, should show up eventually as well.

>131 LovingLit:: That's my spot *warning growl*

As for Cotterill (and several others on my watch list), my library seems to have lots of books in the middle of series, so it looks like I'll have to take a deep breath and submit my list for interlibrary loans.

Roni - Cannery Row has 8 reads already (I have done 18 threads so far) - Dandelion Wine has 11.

Nina - hahaha you will both have to go some to get close to Amber's (now) 8 out of 300 reads shared. So far only 2.6%.
Bonnie has over 62% of her reads shared which is the highest proportion so far.

Hope life is being kind.. and no.. not really caught up, but I did skim a bit..

(post 1) Wow, spectacular!

Re: post 116 - Are you sure your last name is not Statswick?!

Kath - life is good. Business is good but too busy. The stats are good but doing my head in but I find them interesting. I know what its like now not to be able to keep up so I'm going to take a couple of days off the book stats to catch up back after having logged Suzanne's books (2% of the total of all 200 threaders above 100 posts or 4 times more reading than the average).

Lynda - hahaha I shall get new business cards printed!

I love the stats, Paul, and I'm pleased to see that I've contributed to some of the "mosts". I have Anarchy and Old Dogs sitting on my bedside table, to be opened as soon as I finish Skios, so I will bump that one up just a wee bit on the list.
Happy Tuesday, my friend.

Hi, Paul. I am in awe of your statistical work! So cool. I definitely have River of Smoke on my list of books I'd like to read but I am trying very hard to slow myself down in the Acquisitions Department, and focus on those shelves with all the books I've bought, and yet not read. I've not read any of the others but that does not surprise me as I'm more of a bio and nonfiction kind of a girl.

Now! When you are scheduled to set down for a bit in Portland, OR I will make every effort to join you in Powell's. We may not be able to talk much as I'll be in the stacks, but at least we can wave, and touch hands as we wander around there. I love that place!

Paul, I'm really excited to hear about your US tour plans. Like Karen, if you make it to Portland, I will do my best to get over there to meet you.

#144
Just remember that River of Smoke is the second in a trilogy of books. The first is Sea of Poppies. They are both fascinating books and well worth the time it takes to read them.

#135
I agree with you about San Antonio. And I would add that the River Walk is a totally fabricated tourist trap. The only thing San Antonio has going for it is the weather and a nicely designed central public library. Other than that it is an undistinguished city.

That being said, Paul I would recommend that you take it off your list and spend more time in Chicago, Seattle, Boston, or New Orleans.

Ellen - Happy Tuesday to you too. Skios is a dark horse certainly but the Cotterill books' popularity has surprised me a little.

Karen - I wish (and SWMBO certainly does) that I could tone down the acquisitions too and concentrate on the shelves and stacks and cupboards but I see no hope for my failing will power. I have another little splurge to report but since the books are hiding in the car for the moment I shall wait until I get to the office to inform you!
That leads me nicely on to Powells - I am an inverterate chatterbox and gossip but a magnificient bookshop like that would not do much for my ability to make conversation!

Pat - I have a feeling that Portland could be quite the meet-up! Nina (humouress) has a wiki on everyone's location and I can see I have a lot to look forward to.

Benita - I read both of them (The first two parts of the Ibis trilogy) this year and am looking forward to part three when it eventually comes out.
People also make places don't they? All the Texans I have ever met have been lovely, warm and effervescent individuals and I hope I can entice a few of them out of the Lone Star state if I can't get there.

I have the most shared reads, huh? I was wondering why these people keep following me around. I was starting to get worried and a little paranoid.
You are the Stat-Man, my friend!

Paul, I think your list of the most popular books in our group will guide my reading next year. Unless, of course, you don't get finished with the list. Are you planning to include everyone in the 75 Group? That may take you well into 2013. I'm thanking you in advance for all your hard work.

"I did want to slip in Canada too..."
Oh dear NO! I already did that. Don't do it. It hurts.

I am very much interested in all your hard stat work re books read - but you did bite off a huge chunk!
I'm not surprised - but happy to see - I have read most of the top books so far. Only missing 3 and they are on my TBR.

Hope this doesn't make you cross-eyed or lose your eyesight. Go easy there tiger!

Mark - So far you have the most shared reads but there are several big hitters still to be logged mate! I think it is a great compliment to your reading that I often come across comments in other threads that a certain book appealed "because Mark recced it". I have had first hand experience by delving into the world of Jack Taylor based on your prompting.

Donna - I will finish by the end of the year for sure. It will cover all threaders with over 100 posts. I will try to add a few other "fellow travellers" without their own 75er thread John Simpson, Benita and Tania spring to mind. I may be bleary eyed but I will get there!

Cee - hahaha and that was even not a Freudian slip! Not sure what the compilation of all the information is helping me with presently but it is fun revisiting all the fun (and sometimes disappointments) that you all had in your reading during the last 11 months.

Managed a medium splurge yesterday between meetings:

Shallows by Tim Winton
Bartleby & Co by Enrique Vila-Matas
Pig Earth by John Berger
A Drop of the Hard Stuff by Lawrence Block
The Old Gringo by Carlos Fuentes (to replace the one given away so nicely by my daughter to the school library)
In a Country of Mothers by A.M. Homes
The Emperor of Lies by Steve Sem-Sandberg (thanks to Suz after logging her books yesterday).
Phoenix by John Connor
Discovering China : 50 Amazing Places in China by Dong Huai

Paul, just swung by to catch your latest stats. Started reading all the fascinating responses by your many visitors, but it's very VERY late here, so I'll have to come back for more another time.

I've read 10 out of the 15 most read books on your list. I didn't think I was participating in very many group reads this year, so was very surprised to see I came second after Mark as far as shared reads. And here I thought I was one of the lone wolves...

Congrats on the book splurges my friend!

Paul, I've only read 7 of those most popular, but I'm getting ready to start Anarchy and Old Dogs. :-)

I love that you go to a bookstore and engage in a medium splurge between meetings. It's exactly my favorite thing to do in the middle of a workday if I can get away from the office.

Oh dear, I've only read 1 of the most popular. Wonderful endeavour you are doing on our behalf, when you finish you'll have to treat yourself with a visit to your favourite bookstore!
Another interesting book haul! And I bought one book today as I had a voucher burning a hole in my pocket, Questions of Travel by Michelle de Krestser.

I've only read one of the most popular books, although I have got a further three on the shelves. Not sure what that says about me as a reader.

I've only read two of the most popular books so far, and only one this year. I'm looking forward to seeing how much that list changes as you get the chance to log more of our threads.

I've read all of the Most Read books, but Song of Achilles and the 5th Dr. Siri book, which I plan to get to next month.

Hi Paul :) I have only read one of the most popular ones as well. Nevermind, I still be curious to see your list one's finished. *wave*

I didn't start the stats with any preconceptions about what it may or may not reveal. You would probably not like who you share most reads with other than I! Have been a little remiss in not getting around the threads as much as I normally like to do in the last few days but I should be back to normal soon.

Ellen - That is surely what the middle of the day is for! I am due to give myself a little bonus next week. I am buying the wife a new car (she will be quiet for a little while certainly) and am going to buy myself a new music system and knock off a few of my book targets in Kinokuniya. There are twenty six shelves of "serious fiction" and I am aiming for a target in each.

Kerry - I will pamper myself in one of the few ways I know how! Looking forward to going through your reading again soon.

Rhian - the most popular books will change a little I'm sure. I'm also not sure what our reading tells anyone about us either.

Genny - I'm interested to see that too!

Mark - I think this is one list you won't come fifth in mate.

Wave back to you Bianca! Hopefully I'll update a little progress later.

Also received I Kill by Giorgio Faletti from Book Depository today which I overlooked in my splurge recording.

I've only read 1 and 1/2 of the books on the list (I'm stuck in Dandelion due to switching from audio to book). I am loving this stat. It's going to be interesting to see how we all influence one another.

A beautiful graph might show how a discussion of a writer - like Steinbeck, spills around the threads. NOT SUGGESTING ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!

Paul, I'm glad to see that your trips to the US are starting to take shape. I'll be very interested to get details of your specific itinerary, so that I can meet you at least once, somewhere along the way. I'll be in New Orleans from August 1-4 for the Pediatric Hospital Medicine conference, and we're in the process of planning a large LT spring meet up in Philadelphia, probably in March or April. Other than that my schedule is wide open at present. The cities I'd be most likely to meet you in would be San Francisco, NYC, Philadelphia, and New Orleans, as I know all of them very well and will definitely visit each of them in 2013, but Chicago, Boston and Washington are also potentially doable.

There are twenty six shelves of "serious fiction" and I am aiming for a target in each.
Excellent goal!!

Your purchase of Bartleby & Co caught my eye, Paul. Last month I read Melville's Bartleby: The Scrivener in advance of a discussion of the story by Paul Auster and J.M. Coetzee. Yes, I know that's odd, isn't it? The Vila-Matas book looks interesting for its referencing of other authors.

>163 sibylline:: ooh, graphs ... !

Hooray! I don't want to go down in LT History as Mr. 5 Spot!

Lucy - One of the advantages of being a benevolent dictator in the office is that I can ask my small team of worthies to undertake any task within the law or their moral dictates. I have one or two in there dab hands at graphs so I may take you up on the suggestion!

Darryl - I would be so disappointed if I managed to get around the USA twice next year and we weren't able to meet up. I will get out detailed itineries when I can mate.

Ellen - Prue may remember walking those same shelves with me in August as I was picking up books from them for both of us.

Linda - The slim volume caught my eye too. I have heard so many good things about it I am looking forward to it sometime reasoably soon.

Laura - We'll see!

Mark - King of Recommendations has a more magisterial and striking tone than Mr. 5th Spot!

To all my friends in the US I want to wish you Happy Thanksgiving and to thank all of you that have made me smile or pause in reflection this year with your wonderful contributions to my threads. I will get to as many threads as I can today to wish you personally but if I overlook any inadvertently as SWMBO is chasing me for attention I wish to emphasise that you are nevertheless affectionately remembered today in a small part of Malaysia.

Thanks for the Thanksgiving greetings, Paul!

Don't mention it mate ~ it is probably about the only Public Holiday we don't celebrate with a day off here!

Love your "medium splurge" up there! And I am also loving the book stats. You have almost made it to Friday - will you have time to relax over the weekend or is it packed full of activity?

Thanks for the lovely Thanksgiving wishes, by the way - my very favorite holiday!

Thank you for the Thanksgiving wishes, Paul. We are thankful for you too.

Paul, Thanks for sharing your literary journey with me......

Mamie - Thanks as always for your lovely words - although your opening typo had me blushing a little! The weekend should be ok but I am hoping to get through the top 60 threads books read by then and the stats will really start taking shape.

Roni - It is a holiday that I wished we celebrated throughout the world - there is so much to be thankful for and this little piece of happiness I found for myself last year called LT is thanks to all of you lovely people.

Lynda - You too my dear. x

What typo? Just kidding - I'll fix it!

Paul- Thanks for you kind words. You are not only Mr. Stat-Man, you are also Mr. Congeniality. What a great addition you have been.

Hahaha Mamie - no need my dear love you too, in the nicest and most proper of ways of course.

Mark - Thanks to you too Sir for making me so welcome when I tiptoed into the group last year - if the world was a warm, welcoming, understanding and tolerant of each other as generally all the people are on here then it would be a real big Thanksgiving celebration.

Paul, I'm thankful to have found you in this group. Hope you're joining your American friends in giving thanks today!

Thank you so much Peggy - likewise I can assure you.

Just popping in with a quick hello....
Just thinking of all of those stats makes me tired!

Hi Paul, I know you don't celebrate Thanksgiving either, but still *big toothie smile* I wish you and your family a great weekend.

Hi Paul! Sorry I've been so behind. Looks like you have a lot of great books! Have a great weekend

It may not be "Thanksgiving" in England or Malaysia but I hope you have a great day, with much to be thankful for, anyway.

Thanks for the Thanksgiving wishes! I hope you are having a wonderful day with good food too!

It is a beautiful day here in Alabama and I am so glad that I have a day off. I will be spending it baking Christmas cookies later in the day. I also hope to have some time sitting in the sunshine to just read. This really is a good holiday. Not so commercialized as Christmas, and all those people who do their shopping on Friday choose to do it. I for one lament the fact that Walmart, and other stores, are going to open tonight, but also remember that they only do so because we, the public, demand it. It is our fault that there is a rush to Christmas. I think I will choose to spend part of the weekend at the movies, but will go to the afternoon matinee, and not go shopping. I am in the mood for a nice frothy cappuccino but will forgo that until tomorrow when the coffee shops are open again.

Happy Thanksgiving, Paul! Today is one of my most favorite days of the year (only outdone by Christmas) and I look forward to spending it with my family and a huge turkey.

Do I hear talk about graphs and being a benevolent dictator? Wonderful! I cannot wait to see whatever statistical offerings your minions create for you. :)

Hey, Mr. Congeniality. We'll make you an honorary U.S.-ian for the day, so you can join us in celebrating Thanksgiving. Thank you for the good wishes.

I second the honorary American citizenship for Paul.

I'll third it. Thanks for the good wishes for the holiday, Paul. You are definitely someone I'm thankful for. I love learning about your corner of the world on your threads and hope I get the chance to meet you next year.

Hej Paul, just wanted to say hello

Hi Paul, the Test cricket that is in play at the moment is a joy to the stat minded like us, just a shame it's not the English boys that have got us scrolling through Wisden. The South Africans look really poor and how Tahir got so many English wickets amazes me. Today he got carted for 159 runs off 21 overs, shocking but the Bangladeshi youngster on debut at No10 gets a ton, brilliant.

Hope you are well mate and not getting too bogged down with all the stats you are producing.

Happy Thanksgiving, honorary American!

Hi Paul,
For once your thread has got the better of me! I am a tad behind in the keeping up....but I have read almost every other post here this year, so I'll let myself off the hook!

My morning was spent making play dough for the kids to - lets face it - eat, probably....buying The Hobbit (thought I'd better read it given the hoo ha in relation to it being filmed here etc, its a cool edition, but I wont clog up your thread with the image, ill do it over on mine instead), and dropping a sad-faced Wilbur off at pre-school, then trying to sort out with his teachers about why he is sad-faced going to pre-school now. He has an intense dislike of one of the new teachers it turns out. Wants to chop down the preschool and stuff like that :(

You may now continue with your stats :)
Happy reading, and as everyone else is saying it today....happy Thanksgiving ;)

Kath - Hello to you too my dear; the last thing intended is to make you tired especially as you are always so overworked over there looking after your family.

Bianca - You seem to share my view that Thanksgiving would be the perfect festival for the world to come together and celebrate. The problem is that, other than May/Labour Day, most of the main holidays have a connection with one of the major religion and therefore excludes non-adherents. Thanksgiving is one for all.

Callia great to see you - I know well you are busy with singing and studenting but today at least you can put your feet up and read a non-textbook.

Reba - Thanks so much; I had a dinner with one of my clients to celebrate "winning" a dispute at arbitration on a project in the North of Malaysia and I had a glass too many of red wine. Still sufficiently compus mentis to continue reading Ivanhoe on the way home.

Thanks Jenn - SWMBO made me a Japanese curry last night with chicken meatballs and udon noodles and very nice it was too.

Benita - missed not having a thread of yours today (yesterday for me) to drop by and wish you a Happy Thanksgiving but I'm sure you know the wishes were intended anyhow. I have acted on your recommendations and started Devil's Peak by Deon Meyer and I must say I am hooked by it. Enjoy your coffee when those shops open.

Eris - The Benevolent Dictator will be busy today in the last day of the week and my poor guys were under the cosh yesterday getting a tender ready for a National Welding Test Centre for which we will have fingers crossed and preparing studies for our new American investors for the Langkawi project so I didn't have the heart to throw the preparation of book graphs into the equation just yet!

Joe - I may mention your recommendation when I go to the US Embassy for my visas later in the year! Mr. Congeniality has me picturing a sort of hirsute version of Sandra Bullock which I may not carry off so successfully!

Eris - You're a doll! There are insufficient Whovians over in the States?

Pat - Thanks so much I am indeed honoured by having so many lovely friends here on LT - that is certainly something I am thankful for today and throughout the year.

Paul - nice to see you in these parts. I am looking forward to logging the books of the original group Paul as part of my statistical analysis.

John - South Africa didn't look so good yesterday. 482 runs in a day of test cricket - the most by an Australian team since 1910. Michael Clarke who has rarely been fantatic against us has hit four test double centuries this year which is a feat not even the great Bradman managed. Wow! Have a great weekend mate if I don't hear from you before and I trust that you and yours are keeping warm enough as the temperatures descend over there.

Thanks Nora - I do like the sound of that I must say!

Megan - I don't recall my kids ever having too many issues with any of their teachers except I do remember Kyran as a particularly incorrect 5 year old asking his elder sister why her teacher was so black. Excruciatingly embarrasing as the very lovely teacher was in attendance. Admittedly Miss Stella (now a favourite teacher of his) is, being of Tamil origin, blessed with an ebony complexion and she realised that the little Tyke was exclaiming in wonder rather than from prejudice!

>197 PaulCranswick: aw sweet. Kids will say whatever is on their mind, wont they?
Wilbur sees a lot of people with disabilities at the local pool, we must have the same schedule as the care facility as we often see the same people there. He asks why someone walks funny, or what their wheel chair is for right in front of them. Its hard to tell him why in plain language without making the person feel uncomfortable. Mainly I fall back on that everyone is different and comes in different packages. *sweating* It is nice though, when the person talks to him or smiles to show they arent offended :)

Dear, dear, dear Paul, I thank you for your Thanksgiving message -- I am thankful for our wonderful LT community today and every day. WOW -- love the photo up top!

Congrats on winning at arbitration -- there's something to be thankful for :-)

Megan - Kids are wonderfully and usually unintentionally irrerevent aren't they? I remember Kyran informing a stunned old lady who lived next door to my Mum that "my God you'll soon be dead" after she smilingly informed him that she was 98 years old! I have a whole host of Kyranisms.

Anne - Thanks to you too - the people in this group are definitely special; a look at the stats (sorry those stats again!) shows that we are busier in terms of posting activity than the next 9 groups combined.

Reba - It was a little of a case of well intentioned incompetence from the other side. Our clients were contractors for a Sewerage Treatment Plant in the northern state of Kelantan and made claims for costs of project delay and additional works. It was comical during the hearings when I was giving "expert" witness testimony on the quantum being claimed. My staff Hana was stuck in traffic and I proceeded without her assistance as I am allowed a translator (most of the documents being in Malay). The other sides lawyer asked if I was able to proceed and we agreed. She immediately took me to one of the Malay documents and asked me to read it out which I did carefully. She then smugly asked me to translate it in the exectation of dismissing my credibility for not understanding the very documents I was giving evidence on. She looked particularly deflated when my Malay suddenly improved to give her a concise translation. She is a Chinese Malaysian and our lawyer an Indian Malaysian. Our lawyer started laughing and informed her happily that my Malay was actually better than both of theirs!

It's fun when you turn up speaking a language people don't expect you to speak, isn't it? I speak Dutch, which most non-Dutch people don't, and enjoy springing it on Dutch visitors from time to time

Reba, I enjoy from time to time sitting and listening to myself being roundly critiqued in the vernacular and then interjecting at a suitable moment in order to see blushes a plenty.

There are insufficient Whovians over in the States?

There used to be far too few Whovians, but with the reboot of the series in 2005, Doctor Who has been infiltrating everywhere and garnering a fanatical and loyal following. You should see the fangirls on Tumblr. *chuckle*

#203 and #204 - Haha! My dad likes to do that to his Russian coworkers. Too bad I likely won't be able to do that with Latin. :(

Nice start to the weekend with an office delivery from Book Depository, largely helping my intended assault on Nobel reads:

Accidental Death of an Anarchist by Dario Fo (Nobel Winner 1997)
The Family of Pascual Duarte by Camilo Jose Cela (Nobel Winner 1989)
Poems New and Collected by Wislawa Szymborska (Nobel Winner 1996)
Viper's Tangle by Francois Mauriac (Nobel Winner 1952)
River of Darkness by Rennie Airth - I would hazard will never get the Nobel

Eris - You may if we can get the Tardis working and take you back, like the First Doctor, to the time of the Romans.

That's an idea! I'd love to go bug Cicero! :D

Hi Paul, although River of Darkness will never win a nobel prize, I remember it as a very good historical mystery. Enjoy.

Eris - Knowing my luck I would get invited to Julius Caesar's Spring party down at the Forum and finish up with no cutlery for dinner.

Judy - I have looked at numbers two and three in the series which, maddeningly the shops here have but not the first so I caved and ordered it.

Hi Paul- Nice book haul! Looks like some serious reading there. I hope you have a great weekend.

Dario Fo! You are a glutton for punishment. Plays, no less. *shiver*

Mark - I have Linda to "thank" for the urge to do all the Nobel writers translated. Will be along later to wish you a great weekend in your new thread home.

RD - A just to add to my woes I added Luigi Pirandello at lunch time with his mercifully short Six Characters in Search of an Author. At least I added Spooner by Pete Dexter for a bit of proper enjoyment type reading!

Paul, I love the project to read Nobel winners. I am embarrassingly unfamiliar with the writers and works in your recent Book Depository delivery.

Paul, yes it is nice to be able to relax a little. I have all our Christmas concerts coming up so it's good to get relaxed now!

>204 PaulCranswick: Reba, I enjoy from time to time sitting and listening to myself being roundly critiqued in the vernacular and then interjecting at a suitable moment in order to see blushes a plenty.
Classic Paul! I love it.

My cousin is tall and blonde and speaks Arabic. When in an airport one day she overheard two guys discussing her frame.....mainly her long legs it was I believe, in Arabic. And she walked over to them and simply said "you should never presume somebody doenst speak your language" and walked away. lol, she is pretty cool.

>206 PaulCranswick: office delivery? Of course :)

Ellen, I must admit that I am sturggling to find work by some of the more "obscure" of the earlier winners but I like a challenge and it certainly is a challenge.

Callia - You are the nightingale of the group. Rest yourself and your vocal chords nicely for the christmas choral season.

Megan - From the few Arab friends I have I can well imagine that there comments on your cousin would have been extremely graphic so she would have done well to keep her cool and bring them so nicely to heel.
I have managed to transplant the books already but the four huge teetering towers of books on my bedside table have already occasioned a little comment from SWMBO.

Thank you Paul! We're singing some really cool songs this year so I'm very excited. Also for one of our Christmas dances, I am one of 10 dancers doing a solo dance on the stage so I'm very excited for that!

I moved my towering TBR piles to a less conspicuous place yesterday -- don't want to discourage Christmas and birthday contributions to them :-)

Good luck with the performance Callia - solo stints are always daunting.

Reba - Contributions to my towers from extraneous family sources are not envisaged!

Too bad! My step daughter usually gives me books for b'day and Christmas (but she doesn't live near enough to see the piles lol) but it could happen than my husband would buy some...couldn't it? (she asked hopefully)

Reba - Picked up Kyran from a birthday party on my way home from work yesterday armed with my book depository deliveries and the remnants of my recent mini splurge. He offered to assist me in secreting the books into the house so I guess I can expect some tapping up for pocket money this morning!

>222 PaulCranswick: He offered to assist me in secreting the books into the house so I guess I can expect some tapping up for pocket money this morning! Yes if he's like every other intelligent young man I know. Apparently your addiction is about as bad as mine Paul.

I love receiving those little book surprises from BD! Some very Nobel reading coming your way I would guess.

I had the same problem with the Rennie Airth series. My library had the third one but not the first. I finally caved and bought the first. Then said "what the heck" and bought all three. I really liked those Deon Meyer books. I think the third one on that series is out in the US, but I haven't bought, begged, or borrowed it ... Yet.

Life of Pi the movie version is doing quite well this weekend. ang Lee may have another winner.

Kyran knows which side his bread is buttered on. Clever lad, I would have tried to get away with the same as a youngster. Anything in the name of an increased pay packet!

I'm glad you have an assistant in your subterfuge.

Actually Bonnie he was quite well behaved yesterday - made no fuss at all when I arrived a little early to take him home from Hard Rock KL - I am still bracing myself for the backlash!

Kerry - Another thing that I have LT to thank for. Prue, dear Prue put me onto Book Depository and I have been boosting their profits ever since. Ordered 11 today including 10 Nobels that I don't have.

Benita - Those similar problems with series reading are one of the banes of my peculiar existence. It is not possible for me to knowingly read a book in a series out of order. You were right about Deon Meyer - his books are excellent. Cloud Atlas and Life of Pi will be here in the cinema soon and I am looking forward to both.

Megan - Did your old man have you smuggling photos? I was looking at your/my book last night with wistful longing for your lovely country.

Ellen - I'm not sure that I am so lucky as there is clearly calculation in his methodology.

Hi Paul - another great book haul and a willing accomplice:)

Hope you and yours are having a great weekend and that whatever Kyran wants isn't too troublesome:)

> LOL what a lovely story Paul, isn't it great to have a son who is so undertanding of your "addiction" to become your accomplice?

Wish you and your family a lovely weekend! *big smile* Your namesake Paul was very pleased about your greetings *grin*.

Thanks Paul! It should be very fun.

Love the language story! Thanks for sharing, it gave me a good laugh :D

Calm - He and his sister got to go out to the mall with their friends (cinema and bubble tea apparently - whatever the heck bubble tea is) and father was brought in as chauffeur. I had japanese food yet again (including that delicious muscat white wine ice cream) as Belle and her mother outvoted me easily (surprised they bothered giving me a vote at all). Also of note is that I spent a reasonably happy 45 minutes browsing in Borders without buying anything (now that doesn't happen often) but I suppose SWMBO was breathing down my neck somewhat.
Also very wistful as my baby Belle lobbied for the purchase of a training bra (my God she is only 8!). No one smiled when I asked her what she was training for.

Bianca - the children are a constant source of joy, fun and frustration. I wonder whether we can train Paul the Hedgehog to be like the Octopus and predict the results of sporting events ~ I do think Mark will be keen to see if the Bears are likely to make the Superbowl!

Callia - if we are lucky your mum will immortalise the event by recording it a la the Pink Floyd event you did.

Kath - I used to take the train into one particular clients offices in the CBD of KL. Of course I would invariably stand with one hand keeping me upright holding the pole and one holding my latest read. Two young boys lacking the good manners that Malays have becoming so famous for were having fun at my expense saying as I may translate - "look at the stupid white guy standing over there reading that book". I smiled at them and replied "Matsalleh bodoh ni memang nak sepak muka dua orang jehat kalua dua dua tak keluar stesen depan" - I will translate of course as "This stupid white guy will slap the faces of two naughty boys if they don't leave at the next station". They got off the train!

Good evening (I'm assuming), Paul. I just got a chuckle out of your story about Belle and her training bra and must agree 8 does sound too young. I'm also loving the language stories. Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Hi, Paul! I too love the comeuppance the boys received. I like it when children are given the lesson that assumptions are not always correct, and in a way which they will remember! No doubt.

That would be great!!!! The concert is also usually broadcasted on our radio, so we can probably record it and send a copy to you :)

Well it's been a week since I stopped by here and not surprisingly I am 50 posts behind on your last thread and 237 on this one!! Your thread moves like lightening!!

#65 Please don't ever try and contain your inner geek, we love it!! Let it shine :)

Hi Paul.

Pat - I don't know whether she is wanting to make a fashion statement or not. The decisions regarding the children's undergarments are of course the province of SWMBO but I do think that my youngest is growing up too quickly.

Karen - I would, of course been incapable of slapping the two youngsters but the shock of the ivory skinned foreigner speaking to them in something akin to a Johorean accent did the trick!

Callia - I don't know whether I told you or not but I used to sing myself in a Polish Jazz band many, many moons ago and often horrify the more reticent among my staff by insisting at fairly regular intervals we all go to the local mall's Red Box Karoake for supper and serenading. It is a great way of keeping morale high in my small team and helps them to be more confident in dealing with clients as I work on their conquering of inhibitions.

Chelle - I have not been as active in going round all the threads myself this week (in a gossipy sense anyway) as I am busy working out a new set of stats. I don't think my willpower is up to containing very much at all least of all my inner geek!

Ellen - On of your shorter contributions but as sweet as always ~ hi back. x

> 234 - now that would have been a golden moment ......

>233 PaulCranswick: Bubble (or boba) tea is made from flavored cold green or black tea, and it also contains tapioca balls. You drink it through a straw which is wide enough to allow the tapioca balls to pass through. It originated in Taiwan, and shops which sell bubble tea started appearing in the US roughly 10 years ago, especially in California.

I had my first bubble tea four or five years ago when I spent a day in San Francisco with a good friend of mine from medical school, who is originally from Taiwan. She called the tapioca balls "aspiration balls", as you could choke on them if you drank the tea too fast. So, sure enough, when I took my first sip of tea one of the balls nearly passed into my lungs, as I coughed and sputtered for several seconds while my friend chastized me for not heeding her warning.

Alex - I'm not normally so aggressive but I was at a good part in my book and irritated by being disturbed!

Darryl - Yes that's the stuff. Not had it I must admit as the thought of doing exactly as you did would be a very likely occurrence given my accident prone nature. Yasmyne loves it though.

baby Belle lobbied for the purchase of a training bra
Argh, scary indeed.
I was looking in the little kids section for some shorts for Wilbur one day recently and stumbles across some kids underwear including a tiny bra that as a little bit padded??!!?@#@ I couldnt believe it, and wanted to hand it to the cashier and complain. It is a little different than stuffing socks into your top like I did when I was 8......all in the name of dress-ups though.

I remember bubble tea, i never took to it.

Megan - Some issues of a ladies toilette should be well beyond the ken of the masculine breed!
Bubble tea is not on my list to do again I will say.

Update on the stats analysing the groups reading.
One sixth completed.
2265 different titles so far.
Most read authors
John Steinbeck 58
Colin Cotterill 41
Laurell Hamilton 32
Ray Bradbury 21
Louise Penny 20
Stephen King 18
Hilary Mantel 16
Elizabeth Taylor 15

Most Read Titles
10 The Coroner's Lunch
Dandelion Wine

9 Thirty Three Teeth
Gone Girl

8 Fault in Our Stars
Bring Up the Bodies
Cannery Row
The Wayward Bus

Most different titles from one author 31 Laurell Hamilton (thanks to Morphy).

Major splurge today which rewarded my reconnaisance of Kinokuniya the other day.
There are 26 serious fiction shelves, 2 classical fiction, 6 asian fiction, 2 new fiction, 2 historical fiction, 2 poetry, 2 plays (plus 40 sci-fi and thrillers)
So I decided to take 1 from each shelf and 10 from the sci-fi and thrillers making 52 in all. Today was stage one so 13 serious fiction, 1 classical, 3 asian, 1 new, 1 historical, 1 poetry, 1 play and 5 thrillers (26 in all):

Serious Fiction Shelves A-M
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty by Sebastian Barry
Ham on Rye by Charles Bukowski
The Virgin in the Garden by AS Byatt
Life and Times of Michael K by J.M. Coetzee
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
Salvage by Robert Edric
The Clearing by Tim Gautreaux
The Closed Harbour by James Hanley
The Fox in the Attic by Richard Hughes
The Debt to Pleasure by John Lanchester
The Great World by David Malouf
The Confessions of Edward Day by Valerie Martin

Plays
Long Day's Journey Into Night by Eugene O'Neill

Poetry
The Captain's Verses by Pablo Neruda

New Fiction
Kalimantaan by C.S. Godshalk

Asian Shelves
The Translator by Leila Aboulela (Actually Sudan but I think they count it as Middle East.
An Atlas of Impossible Longing by Anuradha Roy
A Walk Across the Sun by Corban Addison

Classic Shelves
Candide by Voltaire

Historical Shelves
The Breath of the Rose by Andrea H Japp

Thriller Shelves
For Special Services by John Gardner
The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths
The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George V Higgins
Hour of the Wolf by Hakan Nesser
Another Time, Another Life by Leif G.G. Persson

Serious splurge there mate, how you gonna get those past SWMBO.

Can I just say that I am secretly delighted by the way that you approach the bookstore!! And then you have to carry out your plan in stages! You're like our own secret agent of books - Cranswick, Paul Cranswick who takes his coffee stirred, not shaken. (Um...don't try shaking it because it just makes a mess, so you just have to do it the opposite of Bond, which makes sense since it's coffee, not a martini)

Stage one of your mission successfully accomplished - well done! And the stats are so interesting! Cotterill is much closer to Steinbeck than I would have thought. The only book that I have not read in the most read titles is Gone Girl, and I do have that in my TBR.

#247 Wow - great haul and more to come!

I'm glad to see Elizabeth Taylor has crept onto the most read authors list for this year.

Jaw droppingly fascinating. You are one serious book geek, my friend. So much fun to watch from afar.

Hi Paul! I hope your weekend is going well. Love the stats and the latest splurge, The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty is the only one I have read, but like everything Barry writes, I love it!

Mamie - I saw a lot of thanksgiving messages this past week but recurring one was giving thanks for the emergence this year of a star in the north (well Indiana) which gradually moved south and is one of the first things that many of us look for in the mornings - well along with my unstirred and unshaken coffee, that is.
The book shopping was a military operation today as Kyran and I had agreed to part ways with the ladies - Yasmyne is going to Bangkok tomorrow on a school trip so she simply had to buy new clothes to go with. Belly also had her eyes on training bras which were the last things I wanted to have my eyes upon. We agreed therefore that Hani could take the key and $300 whilst I would take Kyran and we would get the train home. Hani blithely stated "spend as long as you like in the bookstore if you give me another RM100" (about $30) which I did - to get to $300. Hahaha little did she know.

The plan was hit the store, take basket, take first half of literature shelves, centre section of thrillers, new books, Historical, Asian, Plays, Poetry and Classics in that order. Go pay and collect Kyran at the Manga section as always. The trick was to get the books and get the heck out of there on the train and home before the ladies had done and beat them back. Books upstairs, logged, and positioned/secreted. Job done.

I had to buy 2 Manga books for Kyran but it also helps that he thinks his dad is too old to carry too many bags so he insisted on carrying 2 of the 3 bags! I did feel a pang of remorse as the counter girl was a trainee and her poor face fell a mile faced with a crazy white guy with 28 books for her to check out.

The girls are back and happy too!

Heather - Elizabeth Taylor is getting steady numbers and some of her main adherents are still to come in my logging! Just finished with dear Stasia (if you know what I mean) which was a tad difficile as neither she nor I knew how many books she had listed this year.

Maggie - I had to smile in the bookshop as I was waiting in line to pay there was a little boy with, I suspect, his Gran who had bought him five new books (one storybook but mainly moral guidebooks). He looked amazed at the number of books in my basket and when I asked him if he liked to read he replied with a child's disarming certainty - "not as much as you!"

Orlaith - A weekend with a slurge is generally a good one my dear! I have only read A Long, Long Way by Barry but would agree that he does seem a good 'un.

One bit of less good news is that my brother, who regulars will know has had a very eventful year, has been diagnosed with haemochromatosis. This is essentially where the body produces and stores excessive quantities of iron in the blood. Sounds good but it is not apparently - can lead to liver failure and other issues. Apparently the way to treat it is not to eat much red meat, don't drink much alcohol and regularly give blood or let it out at least.
It is genetic and, as a twin, apparently it is extremely likely that I will have it myself if not already. I don't eat lamb much or pork at all and no offal anyway plus I am not too much of a drinker (over here anyway without English Ale). I don't give blood as much as I should and I may need to look into that. I am going to have it checked next week.

Ok, I am holding you "in the light" which means, I hope, that I'm picturing the best possible outcome for you in the health department. It is such a drag to be told certain foods are unhealthy. One always wants to eat what one wants, when one wants it, and in the quantities which one thinks is justified. BTW, I am also hoping everything else goes well, too.

ETA: can't have my fav book geek not healthy!

Thanks Karen. More worried for Peter than myself to be honest as he is not quite the toughie he believes himself to be.

eta - crossposted with your edit. I read back through all of Stasia's threads today to try to figure out what books she has read and smiled again at your staunch defence of your friend whom you felt had been slighted somewhat vide allegations (obviously as misplaced as the humour by Piyush, if I'm not mistaken, was wanting) that she had lacked endeavour in not extending her thread. I remember thinking at the time that it would be nice to have a friend like that and I am now honoured to be able to concede I have the same one already!

Mentioned over at Linda's thread that I'm impressed by your new Nobelist acquisitions -- now I find it's much wider than that!! I love the story about the little boy in the bookstore..and he doesn't know the half of it :-)

Thank you so much for your kind and generous words, Paul. Much appreciated. Sounds like stage one of your mission was successful due to adequate forethought and planning. Such stealth!! And Kyran has proved to be a worthy sidekick -you must be so proud! SO for the coffee, you could just say, "Unshaken, not stirred" and it would have that Bond ring to it!

Sorry to hear the news about your brother - keeping him in my thoughts, and you as well. So glad that you are getting it checked as well since it is genetic.

Fun and fascinating stats, cool binge, but not so happy to hear about hemochromatosis. Oh no indeed. Thank goodness for Islam and Malaysian cuisine, or it could easily have been thee who made this inconvenient discovery!

The good news is it's readily manageable. The better news is, given any kind or sort of compliance with the diet, the condition doesn't result in a lot of fatalities. You, abstemious poultry-loving Muslim, should be good to go for grandchildren and even a few great-grands.

Hi Paul. I love the idea of book shopping as military operation!

And I'm sorry to hear about your brother's health issues (and your potential ones) but a friend's husband has this condition and it is easily taken care of for him by donating blood regularly. Hope that turns out to be the case for your brother as well.

>247 PaulCranswick: your major splurge has made the 40 minute wandering-around-Borders-and-coming-out-with-nothing situation all make perfect sense.

I was suspicious about that one ;)

I am very interested in The Life and Times of Michael K, half because of its prize and half because I knew a guy at school called Michael Kay.

Bubble Tea looks.. well, GAK!

LOL at that language story. I have none, as I am ashamed to admit that I speak only one and one eight of a language ( the 1/8 being ASL a wee bit )

Cory is good, he speaks three languages fluently and one or two others enough to get by...
he made the day of a Japanese ( elderly) couple at the Drivers licensing center a few years ago :)

Paul, now that is a respectable splurge! Nicely done!

I love the stats. The Steinbeckathon has had its impact, as did the death of Ray Bradbury and all the talk around here about Colin Cotterill (I'm thinking he owes LT a hearty "thank you").

Paul, you rock at buying books! I agree with Karen, you are "one serious books geek".

Your stats are fantastic, and the popularity of authors like Cotterill just goes to show you can never underestimate the power of "word of mouth". And we 75ers are pretty good at getting that word out!

Noticed that I missed John's post above. As you can see John it was gotten past SWMBO with ridiculous ease. Panesar and Pietersen have been working wonders over in India. What do you think about the Bairstow dismissal. I think MS Dhoni should have agreed to reverse the decision and had they been winning I'm sure he would.

Reba - Actually the little boy's outing to the bookstore with his gran touched me as it brought back memories of trips with my gran to buy Dr. Who books from Woolworths when I was about the same age. Always followed by a pub lunch of steak and kidney pie nearby.

My sister is an adherent of Bubble Tea. She lives in El Paso, Texas and said that it is "the Thing" right now in that city. She, in turn, was surprised that I knew about it as she thought it was a local phenomena.

The hemochromatosis is a fairly easy condition with which to deal. A colleague of mine has it. She and I would often go to give blood together. She because she had to, I as a matter of conviction. (I have had many family members who needed blood due to chemo treatments for cancer). However, in cruel twist of the aging process I am now anemic so often that I am unable to give blood. (for most women that is the opposite.). It really bothers me because blood banks are desperate for healthy blood donors. Perhaps you will be able to take my place in those donor lines?

Hi Paul, i can't believe how easy you got those books past SWMBO. Your right about the Bairstow dismissal, Dhoni should have reversed the decision and was really worried that it would have cost him dearly. Monty has done wonders and should have played in the first test as India always play two spinners at home and the daft selection decision cost us the first test. Pietersen played very well and i am wondering what happened to him to play like this although he needs to watch his innings to make sure he continues to do this in the remaining Tests. I think Broad's place is up for grabs, and he was always going to lose the tweeting spat with Botham, what do you think.

Hope everything is ok with your brother and how is your mum.

Just echoing the delight at seeing Elizabeth Taylor make the list -- woo hoo!
I enjoyed your account of the book splurge, Paul, it did indeed sound quite Bondish. Well done!
And rough news about your brother, I hope he is able to manage the condition and also that you are not similarly afflicted!

By the way, I thought of you today as the New York Times Travel section included this Food Bloggers' Tour of Kuala Lumpur. I didn't even read the whole thing because I get my KL Foodie Fix through you!

Mamie - "Unshaken, not stirred" does have a nice ring to it doesn't it. With SWMBO as a terrifying Moneypenny though I don't envisage too many opportunities to use it!
Actually just got back from the school (its 5:30 a.m. here) dropping Yasmyne to go on her school trip to Bangkok. One of the teachers who wasn't going but for some reason seems to be permanently at the school told Hani that she would however be going on the trip for Year 9s later in the year to Sabah - "Oh good with Kyran", Hani replied; "Oh dear" she murmured with a feeble attempt to smile!

RD - The words "mutton" and "muslim" go together sickeningly over here and goat is apparently one of the worst things I could eat. But since it is one of the worst things I have ever eaten I stick with the chick.

Pat - I think Kyran would have got the Purple Heart yesterday especially after he was in recovery from having his hair cut. He is proud of his curly unmanageable locks and it is a real chore to get him to keep it under a semblance of control.
My brother is, of course, a Yorkshireman and they are not noted for generosity so hopefully he'll do ok with the giving of blood.

Megan - Busted! It wasn't MY bookshop of course - Borders is OK but Kino is Kino.
Love the Michael Kay story. There was a boy in school called Tom Sawyer but he had no adventures that I am aware of.

Kath - Japanese is a great one for outsiders to speak. It sounds so incongruous and the Japanese are painfully pleased to see you making the effort. We have a friend married to a Japanese and she apparently speaks the language perfectly.
Agree on the Bubble Tea.

Bears Win! Bears Win! Cutler looked sharp and healthy. We needed the perfect rebound.

Ellen - I thought it respectable too although I'm sure SWMBO would say that I have no shame!

Judy - thanks, I think! On the stats the power of the recommendation does seem to work in this close knit group. For Cotterill, not by any means, a big hitter sales wise, to be coasting in second place is pretty fascinating.

Benita - Does she drink it in Rosie's cantina?! It is great that the blood issues can be alleviated by undertaking a service to the public at the same time - not sure what they do with the blood overstuffed with iron though? I will donate blood with more regularity now for sure and you are right it is so often an absolute life-saver.

John I think that the selectors were hoping that Samit Patel would act as a second spinner but they are forgetting how good the Indians are traditionally against spin. To me that puts Panesar's performance into even greater perspective. Isn't it fascinating that it is Gambhir who wrongly caught out Johnny Barstow who is standing between England and a tied series. Saw something about a texting spat between ITB and Broad but you are right Botham's personality will prevail.

Laura - I always wallow in the warm afterglow of your visits - to be compared to James Bond and Egon Ronay in the same post is doing everything for my ego!

Good win indeed Mark and it is Kerri's boys next up if I'm not mistaken.

Now you're making me think about trips with my grandkids when they were really little. We'd go to both the library and bookstore. Sometimes when they'd ask to go to the library it would turn out that they meant "the one where you get to keep the books".

Reba - hahaha; Kids have a way of saying things that touch the spot perfectly don't they?