ffortsa's first for 2013

Back again! I can't wait to start - but work does interfere, doesn't it?

My reading ticker - that froggie is still hopping.




The Warden - Anthony Trollope
In the Shadow of the Glacier - Vicki Delaney
Maisie Dobbs - Jacqueline Winspear
The Coffin Trail - Martin Edwards
The Golden Ass - Apuleius
Pago Pago Tango - John Enwright
The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag - Alan Bradley
Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy, P&V translation
The coroner's lunch - Colin Cotterill
The Bridge of San Luis Rey - Thornton Wilder

One Writer's Beginnings - Eudora Welky
the Razor's Edge - W. Somerset Maugham
The Golden Scales - Parker Bilal
Poker Face - Katy Lederer
Thirty Three Teeth - Colin Cotterill
A Door in the River - Inger Ash Wolfe
The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit - Sloan Wilson
The Corrections - Jonathan Franzen
Disco for the Departed - Colin Cotterill
The Iceman Cometh - Eugene O'Neill

A Red Herring Without Mustard - Alan Bradley
The Hangman's Daughter - Oliver Potzsch
Hadji Murad- Leo Tolstoy
Life and Fate - Vasily Grossman
The Doctor Stories - William Carlos Williams
My Antonia - Willa Cather
The Spellman Files: Document #1 - Lisa Lutz
Case Histories - Kate Atkinson
In The Garden Of Beasts - Erik Parson
Birds of a Feather - Jacqueline Winspear

The Upside of Irrationality - Dan Ariely
The Boy in the Suitcase - Lena Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis
The Bostonians - Henry James
Celebrity in Death - J. D. Robb
Manhattan Noir 2: The Classics - ed. Lawrence Block
The Patience of the Spider - Andrea Camilleri
The Paper Moon - Andrea Camilleri
A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess

These books need to roll out of here




(Oops - haven't kept track, but a good number have left the building.)

I'm not sure I'm going to count acquisitions this year. Most of my book buying has been on Kindle, or I get my books from the library. And the Kindle books just seem to land on that mysterious device... so why bother counting?

Judy look forward to seeing more of you next year.

Hi Judy, can't wait to see what you're going to read in 2013.

Welcome back!

Hi Judy -found your thread.

Hi Judy!

Here's hoping to meet you in May!

Hiya Judy!

Happy New Year, Judy!

Dear Judy

What a joy it is to see your thread. I hope to be able to follow you more often in 2013.

Sending light and love

Hi there Judy .. just checking in to star your thread till I come back on Jan 1.

Well, against my better judgement I took a run at the 2013 threads, and of course I'm miles behind. But I won't despair. It's the nature of this beast.

Besides, I must turn my attention to the warden for my January 9 book group. As I was the one who chose it, I'd better show up!

I hope you enjoy your Trollope!

Happy New year from over here too Judy!

Happy New Year, Judy!

。☆ 。☆。☆
★。＼｜／。★
Happy New Year!
★。／｜＼。★

Oooh - fireworks!

Happy new year, Judy!

Happy New Year, Judy! Great to see your new thread. Looking forward to a fun 2013 on LT, including theater reviews. :-)

I haven't been here yet? Apparently not. Still getting organized. Wishing you a happy 2013!

Stopping by to star you so I can keep track of how life is treating you. Hope the New Year is starting out to be a good one.

Dropping a star here, Judy, so I can find my way back again!

Hi Judy

I look forward to learning about your great reads in 2013.

Hi Judy, got you starred so I can try keeping up this year. Happy New Year!

oh dear. I've been reading threads instead of books. It's a hazard of this oh so quiet place, isn't it?

And I've had to go back to work. Well, not really 'go' yet - still working from my living room. This may last another two weeks or so. The bummer is that when I finally get to the new office, I will have to ration my time on LT, because the management has created an 'open office', which means much less privacy for goofing off - oh I mean reading threads. I'm bound to get terribly behind on everyone. Sigh.

I could retire. But I don't think I'm quite ready for that. Another year or two, I think. Working from home has gotten me used to fewer people around, so the thought isn't too scary. Or do I repeat myself? Hm.

In the meantime, I'm making good progress on The Warden, poor man. And I need to start Anna Karenina soon. And some short stories. And a mystery, maybe. and...

Ah yes, returning to work at home. Do you get what-I-did-over-the-holidays chitchat with colleagues to ease the transition, or are you more isolated?

Wow, Judy, another 2 weeks of working from home in pjs? Sweet! But I know what you mean though ... once you log into LT, you sort of get into a time warp. I don't think I managed to get much work done today because I logged at the office during a lull in my workload ..and before I knew it, it was almost 4pm and I'd half the items on my to-do list yet to be finished. Yikes!

I'll be interested to see what you think of Anna Karenina. My MIL watched the movie (hated it) and tried reading the book (didn't like it either and gave up). I loved it, so I think, like War and Peace, it's one you either really like or hate... I haven't noticed many on-the-fencers with this one. I hope you do like it though.

>25 qebo: No, not much chit-chat. In fact, I've only talked to one person on my team so far, although I've exchanged some Lync messages with others. It's not the same as being there, that's for sure. I'll always ask, but I get the 'fine, and yours?' back mostly. I think we're not that accustomed to remote team conversation yet.

>26 cameling: I've read AK before - or at least I'm pretty sure I have = but I want to read the new translation, and it's scheduled for one of my March book meetings anyway. I thought I'd start early.

A BIG THANK-YOU to all of you who stopped by my new thread: Paul, Caro, Dr. N, Rhian, Madeline, RD, Stasia (between classes!), Linda, Diana, Kath, Joe, Katherine, Tina, Mamie and Bonnie. Wow! I will do my best to keep up with everyone.

And now, the first book of the year:

1. The Warden by Anthony Trollope

I've never read any Trollope, although I was devoted to 'The Pallisers' TV series years ago (that was Trollope, wasn't it?). So I've started at the beginning. I'll have more to say about it next week when my book circle meets.

I am chomping at the bit to post my review of The Warden, but will wait like a good boy.

*clench*

>24 ffortsa:: management has created an 'open office'
We went through that transition last year. I actually like the open environment a lot, much more than I expected to. But yes, it does make it more difficult to sneak a few minutes to check LT, or play that YouTube cat video everyone is talking about. I noticed our cyber security team members all have these covers on their screens that greatly limit over-the-shoulder visibility. So I guess they're watching cat videos all day.

Just realized this is my first visit here, so I should also say Happy New Year!

Thanks for the encouragement. I generally prefer a fairly open office. The one I inhabited before the current one had partially lower cubicle walls, which I preferred to full height. But this new office plan goes even farther - no place to pin up a phone list, for instance, or a database layout, because the walls are so low. Well, we'll get used to it, I assume. I'll have to monitor my usually booming voice , and I'm sure that will get mentioned!

Richard, if you can't stand it, you can always PM your review to me. I won't tell anyone.

Judy - Tells us what Richard thinks of it - I wont tell him you told us! You too, thumbs up or down.
RD has his issues with Chuckles. Trollope has more economy of phrase but will he pass muster with the grouch?
Have a lovely weekend.

2. In the Shadow of the Glacier by Vicki Delany

This is the first of series of police procedurals set in a small town in British Columbia. The daughter of parents who escaped to Canada during the Vietnam war decides to become a local policewoman, much to the dismay of her activist mother. This book focuses on her first encounter with a murder (of course), a seargent from the big city (Vancouver) and the idea that you can't trust people. As a first, it's ok, although sometimes the writing gets out of hand (run-on sentences in a couple of places), and the characters seem a little more naive than they should be. Still, it's a series that might be worth following - I'll give a couple more a try.

I loved this Vicki Delany book, and am looking forward to reading more of this series. I have two more on my e=reader as ARCs from Net Galley. Thanks for reminding me.

Adding my star and a Happy New Year wish!! Enjoy the PJs while they last.

Well, this year is starting with a bang. We just heard about layoffs in my company. Quite a few names were known to me (I've managed to identify 12 people), and I suspect a few of them volunteered, or didn't mind, considering their age and tenure. Still, it's demoralizing to the people looking for another 10 or 15 years on the job. And we're still scattered and working from home, so we can't exactly drown our sorrows together.

In terms of reading, I'm in the middle of How to Read Literature Like a Professor, and enjoying it very much. Foster has a very easy style and a good sense of humor, allowing me to breeze through my refresher course. This evening book group #1 discusses Cain by Jose Saramago, which I read the last week of the year, and tomorrow book group #2 discusses The Warden by Trollope, and then I should be able to start AK.

Still enjoying work while wearing the sweatpants I hemmed on my new sewing machine last month. Why do I have so many clothes in the closet?

>35 ffortsa:: oh it's a shame you're all scattered while this is going on. Not to diminish the hardship for those who are let go, but "survivors" generally benefit from having a support system. Where I work the informal discussion with colleagues has been helpful, although it does sometimes devolve into unhealthy gossip.

Hang in there -- at least you have some good books on the go.

Aha, I saw my name mentioned in regard to a GR of Heart of Darkness. I am hoping to set one up, but not until March. Between now and then, I need to read four books for my f2f book groups, including Anna Karenina, and that will take some time. Can you all wait until March?

Hi Judy! Suz isn't going to the Circle tonight, so I wondered if you'd look at my review of The Warden and print him out for sharing? My thread...post #16. It would be a help!

Sorry Richard - I didn't look at this thread in time and so we were without your words of wisdom. More comment after I have time to read those words.

35: What a way to start the year, though I suppose they waited until after the holidays. Was this a surprise?

Why do I have so many clothes in the closet?
I wear pretty much the same thing every day, and it’s a bit distressing how much has accumulated over the years.

The cuts had been intended for November, but postponed. We knew they were.coming, just not who would get the chop.

BTW, I dragged my laptop to the new office, and it's much nicer than I had imagined. So I'm sure it will be comfy once I actually move.here and have two screens to play with.

Ah. Home in 25 minutes, quite satisfactory as NYC commutes go. I'm quite pleased with the new digs, although I won't have a permanent seat for another six weeks or so. Walls not as low as predicted, excellent adjustable keyboard trays, and I think enough storage if I'm careful. And LIGHT! Wonderful daylight from huge windows everywhere. What a difference that makes.

Talking again about the warden by Trollope, I did enjoy it quite a lot. The author is not above inserting his opinions into his own story, which I liked, and his irony, while clear, is not laid on with a malicious hand. The plot is very much concerned with unintended consequences of righteous reform zeal, and centers on a minor clergyman, well-loved by parishoners , his daughters and his bishop, who is castigated for being in possession of a living far above what might have been foreseen by the original benefactor, several centuries before. His conscience, once awakened, will not let him alone.

No characters are completely wicked, or unjustified in their opinions and actions, although some are weaker or more venal than others. It, in its way, a very modern tale, and I hope to find time to read the rest of the series.

Oh oh .. there are suddenly lots of Trollope references on LT recently. Ok, I get the hint... I will cave and start reading of my Trollops that has been in my TBR Tower for a couple of years. *sigh* and people wonder why I never keep to my reading plan .... ok, maybe it's just me that wonders why I never keep to my reading plan.

I finished the six Barsetshire novels last year--much fun!

Hi Judy- Welcome to 2013! I'm looking forward to another stellar reading year. How about you?

Happy weekend, Judy!

Judy, I'm glad to hear the new digs exceed your expectation! I, too, was surprised by ours when we moved last year. Like yours, our offices have lots of light. I almost find it a pleasure to go to work. :)

Also glad to see you enjoyed The Warden. Not sure if you are aware, but last year there were a couple of tutored reads with lyzard as tutor:
1) Tutored Read for The Warden
2) Tutored Read for Barchester Towers

You might enjoy reading #1 as it provides a great deal of ecclesiastical context, and then if you move on to BT you can refer to the tutored read as you go -- it's organized by chapter.

Now that we are well acquainted with Barsetshire, a group read of Dr Thorne is planned for March.

37: March for Heart of Darkness is fine with me.
43: What a difference that makes.
Oh, it does, especially in winter. I’ve had several episodes of offices around the perimeter with the windows, and cubicles in the middle.

I did a Trollope stint some 30+ years ago. Of course I remember nothing, and discussions here aren't triggering anything.

>37 ffortsa: Judy, I'm reading Heart of Darkness now, but have no problem discussing it in a March group read also. It feels like the kind of book where I may want to do some re-reading anyway and it's short enough. I am also hoping to pick up King Leopold's Ghost which was recommended to me as a companion read.

>51 Linda92007: Linda, the Conrad definitely can sustain interest in a rereading. My edition had some critical essays which were very good, and pointed out subtle touches that are bound to be clearer on a rereading than they would be during a first experience.

>50 qebo: Katharine, there were times during my career when being isolated from daylight could send me into a real tailspin. I've come a long way since then, but I still find the amount of light very exciting.

In respect to the move, I discovered the value of a programming background when reading a memo from the company, in which instructions were given to those staying permanently in the old office, those whose offices were on the flooded floors, and those already working in the new office. Notice any gaps? No word on all the folks who won't get to the new place until the middle of next month. I'd be very happy to work in my old office again for a month, but so far, the opportunity has not been sactioned. Grump. I did point out the omission to the relevant admininstrative person. I'll see if she responds to me on Monday.

>49 lauralkeet: I hadn't realized or remembered that! And I had questions about ecclesiastical terms almost from the beginning, which didn't inhibit my understanding, but did make me wonder. I'll have to check out that thread.

This is a quiet weekend for us principally because Jim is sick, some sort of mild virus that nevertheless is giving him fever (and he's a big guy to run a fever). So we do not have plans to see a movie tonight. If he can stay awake, we will watch the DVR recording of Downton Abbey. I'll be interested to see how the writers keep some sort of arc going, since the big romantic one was resolved in the last episode, and the war is over.

3. Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

This was certainly a pleasure to read. I often don't like historical fiction, but Maisie felt quite real to me, if her luck with the upstairs folks was a little hard to believe. There wasn't all that much mystery in the part of the book set in 1929, but the flashback to Maisie's earlier life and to World War I was very engaging. The uses of psychology were a little too optimistic for my taste - treatment for what we now call PTSD and depression was represented as more successful than our current experience has shown. Still, a very good beginning to what I am assured is a good series. I look forward to the next one.

Glad to hear you enjoyed The Warden, Judy; I hope you do go on to Barchester Towers - and beyond!

Please do feel free to "re-open" the tutored read threads for the Trollope novels if you have any questions or comments. They are there as a resource for everyone. the ecclesiastical content of the first two Barset novels can be a bit bewildering for modern readers.

Judy

Layoffs demoralize the workers. Like you, I'm not ready to retire, but easing into the process might be nice.

52: Oops.

Judy, I finished Heart of Darkness last night and definitely felt like I should go back and re-read at least a few sections. Then this morning I saw Jennifer (japaul22) reference reading the critical edition and I looked that up on Amazon. I think I should buy that one for the Group Read.

I think that's the one I have, although mine is pretty old. There may be an updated one. Let me know what you find.

Well, here I go again instigating drama.

I was at the new office in Jersey City today, and realized that the way the cubicle walls were engineered, they could not provide support if I needed to lower my desktop. Now I've had my employers lower my desktop for about 30 years now, whenever I worked in a modular, cubicle-like environment, and it hasn't been that big an issue. But this time, the desktop is supported by brackets that fit in a channel in the wall, and the lowest channel is already being used, so unless they swap the upper and lower parts of the wall, there's no way to lower the desk.

So I dug up the email in which a woman in the appropriate office had assured me that the desk could be modified, and I asked her, considering the evidence, if she still thought that it could be done. And because he had specifically asked me to, I copied my old boss, who is now several levels up the ladder.

(I did not mention the bright idea of putting a bookshelf under the desktop, perpendicular to the length of the desk, so the only way the shelves are useful is if you crawl under the desk. Of course, the desktop rests on the bookshelf.)

You would have thought I had threatened to bring in both OSHA and two guys with bulging muscles and tattoos. I got called in to my supervisor's office and asked please, please wait until I had a formal cubicle assignment before mentioning this again (that's all of a month away), not to make waves, etc. etc.

Sheesh. I just asked a question!

Is everyone feeling a little frazzled and overwhelmed? What are the laws about such things? Less hazardous than getting your arm chewed off in a machine, but a desk at an awkward height can cause chronic problems. I recall at one job someone made a fuss about getting an ergonomic chair, and suddenly everyone was offered the option.

Yep, it always amazes me that more people do not ask for adjustments, especially when the furniture is designed to adjust. I'm sure we'll get this straightened out. And I'm also sure that a lot of people at my company are feeling intensely frazzled, by the move and by the storm that forced us to speed the move up.

Now, not any too soon,
4. How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster
Oh, why doesn't Foster teach in New York City? I can't attend his classes in Detroit! This wonderfully witty, relaxed, accessible explanation of what all of our lit professors were talking about contains all of the play and enthusiasm that led me to a degree in English lo these many years ago, and serves as a gentle reminder of what it was I knew and focussed on back then. Foster is just delightful, or he makes me full of delight, or both. I heartily recommend this to everyone, even some of our most accomplished reviewers and readers. Delicious. My only complaint was that it wasn't longer.

And that he teaches in Detroit.

5 stars.

Judy - wonderful, inspiring review. To the pile this book goes! Jersey City, huh? I'm sorry but I loved the description of the desk and the bookshelves underneath. I can definitely envision that kind of desk/cubicle. You have to hand it to the designers of these cubicle furnishings. They have a sense of humor.

Jersey city isn't a problem. The trip on the path is equivalent to my former commute, and I'm a block away from a mall with excellent shopping, should the mood strike. But that bookshelf...

You know, I think I have this book! (How to Read Literature Like a Professor) I haven't catalogued it yet, but it looks so familiar. One of my bosses attended a library convention, and brought back free books, and I think I ended up with this one. Haven't read it yet, but I just put it on my TBR list, and I'll look for it. Thanks for your terrific review!

Karen O.

Hi Judy--the windows and higher-than-expected walls sound great! Good luck with the desk. Stop being such a whiner! (JK) Love the review.

The sun is out, even though winter is truly here at 27 degrees and windy - but the SUN IS OUT. So I promise not to whine too much today.

Judy - I don't especially want to read literature like a professor but I do want to read the book by Thomas C Foster after your eloquent and enthusiastic review.
Have a lovely weekend, sadly some distance from Detroit.

Hi Judy - You're starting off the year with some good reads. I've looked at the Delaney. Maybe I'll give it a try. A Foster book that I enjoyed last year was Twenty-Five Books that Shaped America. He is very easy to read -- even if I didn't agree with all of his choices.

I liked Barchester Towers a lot, Judy, but for some reason I wasn't enticed to go on and read The Warden and the others. From what I've seen on LT, if you liked The Warden, you're likely to enjoy Barchester Towers.

Popping in to wish you a happy Saturday!

Happy Birthday, Judy!

Judy - on a rare visit to FB, I noticed it was your birthday - Happy birthday my dear and I hope it is the start of a lovely week.

Thanks for the birthday wishes. I've invited some people in for drinks and such this afternoon. First time in ages. Part of my resolutions for the year. And so nice to have my birthday off work.

Happy Birthday, Judy!

Happy birthday! Nice that you have the day off.

Happy Birthday!

Happy belated birthday, Judy! I hope it was a good one.

ah, Peg - book sweets!

Thanks, Mary, it was a very nice day.

Hope you are celebrating Mardi Gras style--that means it is still your birthday for a week and I don't have to feel bad wishing it to you late: Happy Birthday!!!

Oh, I celebrate all month! It's been a little too cold to dance in the street, however.

By some miracle I actually had people in for a little wine and nibbles. I would say wine and cheese, except I forgot to put the cheese out. LOL. ah, well, more for me.

I did go in to work at the old place yesterday, and packed up three large crates to go to my new office and one carton to ship home. A good portion of the stuff I'm moving could have been tossed out, I'm sure, but which portion? Always a question. It was fun to see some of my team there as well.

I missed your birthday too, and hope it's continuing to be a happy one and also the new year for you in your new surroundings. Ah. Getting to the what-to-toss after it's boxed is the big deal for me.....witness four or five boxes of school stuff still sitting on the library floor going on five years following retirement.
Hooray for wine and cheese (or not) and friends!

There's been a dearth of reading around here lately, but I did get through one book:

4: The Coffin Trail - Martin Edwards

I did like this mystery. It's the first of a series that takes place in the Lake country in England, and I liked the characters introduced very much. We've got a professor on the run from Oxford, his current enamorata on the run from London, some wealthy folks, some not wealthy folks, a savvy policewoman and her childish living partner who buys and sells rare books. And the landscape - wow, I need to go see this for myself. It was just the thing to read wrapped in blankets on a cold winter night.

I'm sorry I missed your birthday! I hope you rec'd. lots of books!



I hope your day was special...just like you!

The Coffin Trail sounds wonderful. It is now on the tbr pile.

I glanced at my Facebook page and found all my friends wishing me a happy birthday there too. Very satisfying. Thanks.

Not much reading going on. I've started The Golden Ass for a book group meeting in February. So far, I can't say it has engaged me much. I should be reading Anna Karenina for a meetup in March, but can't quite bring myself to start. Mostly I've been reading threads (addiction alert!).

Small excuse: we went to the theater on Friday and took in a movie yesterday, so it's not like I was staring into space. But I need to do some work around this apartment, and that's always hard for me to start. And tomorrow is Monday already! Sigh.

85: And tomorrow is Monday already! Sigh.
Annoying how this happens every week. Sighing with you.

Hm. Still having some trouble starting any reading. My plan is to finish up the Apulius and start AK this week. Since AK is so long, I hope to make notes as I go.

Farther ahead, I want to read some Iris Murdoch this year. I have a number of her books, but have read only a few, and have no real memory of the ones I did read. Reading them in some sort of order, I hope to elicit her themes and preoccupations.

I also want to read some of my fine print and first editions. No big values among the firsts, I think. They are generally popular fiction I happened to find as firsts, but I haven't read a lot of them. The fine print books (I have about 30 of them) are variable in value, but beautifully designed and illustrated, truly meant to be read as I sit in luxury with my feet up, a fine lap robe across my legs and generous lighting over my shoulder. Most of them are true classics, if a little off my usual path.

Well, it's a plan. That probably means I won't follow it.

Yikes. Today was a big surprise. My supervisor called me and announced that I'm being transferred to another team! No one, including me, was given the option, even the VP three levels up.

I don't really mind. I've been working on a single set of systems for a long time, and the new assignment is in a potentially very interesting area. But it's a bad time for my team to lose a member. We're up to our eyeballs in work, and we've worked together for a long time - about 13 years. It's a very congenial group.

I hope to get some new technology and business knowledge in the new spot, but I'll keep an eye on my friends.

What this will do to my reading is anyone's guess!

Wow, sounds like quite a change for you, Judy. Hope the transition is smooth & you enjoy the new assignment.

Well that sounds both exciting and sad. Does the new team work with the old team at all?

The borders aren't really fuzzy at all, but sometimes there are interfacing functions. It's not like I'll be far away - if I move to the new team, which would be ideal, it will only be 1 floor up. I just hope the work is to my liking, the manager is to my liking, and so forth. Those members of my team who know this is happening are very upset, which makes me feel both bad and good - it's nice to feel the appreciation.

Congratulations! Hope the new work and group prove interesting and congenial. Hope you keep in touch with your old favorites. And that you don't neglect us here. ; ) Best wishes.

Mmmm. Congratulations on what must be a promotion! I do hope that you like everything and everybody and learn a lot and do well!
Do you know that a group of us from here have moved into the Iris Murdoch group? I'll send you an invitation if you're not already a member. We are reading what we want at our own speed and hoping that reading different things will lead to some interesting cross-fertilization of ideas. I'll probably start a new Murdoch Friday, but I have no idea what it will be.
AND I own a copy of The Coffin Trail, and your comments make me eager to give it a look.

Thanks for all your congratulations. As far as I know, it's not a promotion, but it increases the possibility of one. That would be nice, but I'm more interested in the
learning opportunities. I've been a little too comfortable with things I know well and sometimes it gets boring.

Peggy, thanks for the reminder about the IM group. I need to read Anna Karenina first!

Congratulations, Judy! Will you still be working in Jersey City?

Yes, probably one floor up from my old team. It's not such a big building, so I'm sure to see them often.

cross post from Joe'soBook Cafe:

Thinking caps at the ready, folks. My sister is starting a side business to do academic indexing and editing, and she has a prospective client so she needs a company name fast! Something a little funky but clear and to the point. All suggestions will be passed on to the ambitious creature asap so get your best in now.

And thanks.

Medaphor?
MedMotif?
Medadata?

In case you didn't figure it out, the above are my (lame) suggestions for your sister's business name. Also, for some reason I can't exactly figure out, many "information" companies end in "iva" or "ica", so for example, medaphorica or medMotiva.

Thanks. I'll pass them on.

My sister has chosen the business name 'StudioText' after much crowdsourcing and mushing of names. thanks to all who offered their ideas.

A friend of mine called yesterday morning with news. He had had a Camry years ago. He and his wife live on a curve on a street that leads to a major thoroughfare, and one day someone came around the curve carelessly and hit the Camry, propelling it into a truck parked ahead of it. Totalled the car.

Well, a year ago I sold him my old Camry, and he really liked the car. So one day last month, someone came around the curve carelessly and... This time the perpetrator didn't even stop. Bye bye car. It's a pity. But Rob said he was able to donate it to the Vietnam Veterans association, and they told him they'd get a good amount for the parts that weren't damaged. So it will live on by virtue of transplant.

Reading, did you ask? Oh, well I started Anna Karenina, and I'm finding it an easy read, but not as gripping as I thought it would be. Of course, I'm still in the set-up part of the book. Anna has met Vronsky and their immediate attraction is evident to Kitty, who thought Vronsky was going to propose marriage to her (Kitty). I was too sleepy last night to get farther along. It's due on the first Tuesday in March, so I should have plenty of time to read it. And, I've learned how to read the footnotes on my Kindle Touch, so all is not wasted!

I've also started a mystery story. I figured I would pace myself through AK unless it really caught fire for me, and give myself some indulgence in between sessions. So far, so good.

And I'm fielding the transition from one team to another at work, which is very confusing, with separate demands on me. Now my new boss wants a draft of what I think I can do for the team on his desk by end of the day tomorrow. Sheesh. Doesn't he know? Oh well, new team, new rules.

I'm checking in to see how you survived the storm.

It was really almost a non-event for us here in Manhattan. We got about 8" of snow, but living in an apartment means never having to shovel it yourself. I was at the gym at 9AM that Saturday, just about the only member there at that time, but the sidewalks were clear, slush at the corners (of course).

The storm inspired me to stock up on some food in my bare refrigerator, so I'm more poised than usual for eating in. And that came in handy when I hosted a bridge game last night, even though almost none of us ate. At least it looked like I knew how to be a host! And I even remembered how to play bridge.

103: At least it looked like I knew how to be a host!
An excellent accomplishment! I knew how to play bridge when I was in elementary school (because my parents had a bridge group that rotated among the houses), but I've forgotten. :-(

5. Pago Pago Tango by John Enright

A police procedural in Samoa! The island atmosphere, the racial and tribal distinctions, the modern troubles and old customs are interwoven to form a vivid picture of Samoa through the eyes of Apulo, a seargeant in the local police. First of what I hope will become a series.

My AK read continues, along with a slow read of Predictably Irrational.

Oh, it looks like i forgot to include
6. The Golden Ass by Lucius Apuleius, translated by Robert Graves

We'll be discussing this in one of my f2f groups this Tuesday. Can't say I have much to say about it. Sort of picaresque and comic.

Popping in to say Hi! Man, that was bad luck with the car. DO you think he will park there again? With a camry? How is work going?

Stopping by to wave hello.

I was a little nervous parking my zip car in front of my friend's house this weekend, but no crunching ensued.

The new job has me floundering a little, especially since half the people I work with work in florida - little body language to go on. But I'm hoping to feel on my feet in a week or so. Thanks for asking, Kim.

7. The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley

Number 2 in the Flavia de Luce series. I found it a bit contrived and some aspects unbelievable, but Flavia herself is so much fun I didn't care.

8. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy, Pevear and Volokhonsky translation

I had a lot of trouble getting through this novel, partly, I think, because I knew the fate of the title character and wasn't expecting so much more in the story. Book discussion scheduled for tomorrow - more after then.

In the meantime, as a reward, I finally got my hands on The Coroner's Lunch!

Congrats on finishing AK, Judy! The first Dr. Siri is a great choice of reward for crossing the finish line on that one.

Oh Judy, you're in for a treat. Dr. Siri showed up on my ten favorite detectives list last month. Enjoy........

Update on AK. the last quarter of the book flew by, so fascinating. I think part of the problem was that I tended to read just before bedtime, and was really tired. I'll definitely go back and read this novel again - and I'm sure it will be better the second time - and third - and...

For those folks who watch Jeopardy, did you notice that the final Jeopardy 'answer' on Tuesday was a reference to AK? Jim and I shouted it out right away. We were actually discussing the book when the show aired, but had recorded it for our nightly dinnertime entertainment.

Judy, I'm heading into NYC on Saturday and will be there until Tuesday noon.

I'm attending a conference of college media advisers. I'm not sure how busy the schedule will be, or if you have time to meet. If you think we might connect, please connect with me.

9. The Coroner's Lunch - colin cotterill

Well worth waiting for! Dr. Siri is a hoot, and although I'm usually not interested in ghosts, demons, spirits, etc., these were irresistible. unfortunately, I kept getting interrupted, soi might just read it again before returning it to the library.

So glad to hear we have another Dr. Siri fan. I promise they just keep getting better, funnier, and just plain good.

10. The Bridge of San Luis Rey - Thornton Wilder

Read for one of my f2f book groups. More later.

Just to make sure you know:

"When Hemon’s work is funny, it can make you laugh in spite of everything, and when it is sad, it’s hard to stand up afterward.” —John Jeremiah Sullivan

Please join PEN for this exclusive pairing. Aleksandar Hemon will discuss his new memoir, The Book of My Lives, a book of essays which records his various “lives.” In his first nonfiction work, Hemon tries to restore the memories of his youth and follow the threads that link his Bosnian past with his American present. Raw, questioning, and alive with compassion, The Book of My Lives is a portrait of a world lost to one of history’s darkest conflicts and that rarest of things: a necessary book by one of our most important writers. Hemon will be in conversation with fellow writer Colum McCann, author of the acclaimed novel Let the Great World Spin and the forthcoming Transatlantic.

Friday, March 29, 7pm
McNally Jackson Books
52 Prince St.
NYC

11. One Writer's Beginnings by Eudora Welty

My favorite reading chair is next to a set of bookshelves with TBRs, and while I had other books slated, I reached back to select this slight paperback instead. It's a delight. Welty has an extraordinary voice and the gentle humor of someone looking back at herself, as a child, with great sympathy. She gives us wonderful, nuanced portraits of her parents and where they came from, her grandparents and their great differences, and all how they influenced, guided, and supported her.

I've always thought of her as a writer inextricable with the deep south, so her descriptions of her mother's home in the mountains of North Carolina and her own visits there were a complete surprise to me. Her mother's family in particular was beautifully explicated, and sometimes very subtle. For instance, her five uncles lived with her grandmother until she died, and seemed content to be men of the mountain, but upon her demise they all left the mountain for modern careers of note. That alone says more about the connections and commitment of family than any dramatic portrait could.

And her portrayal of her father is equally loving and discerning. Coming from a very different, silent,almost grim family in Ohio, he too felt the obligations of son to father and brother to brother. Welty's stories of train trips with him up to Ohio from Jackson, Mississippi are samples of her storyteller's eye and curiosity, little stories themselves. What she finds out after he has died is all the more poignant for the silence he kept about himself and his past.

A little book, but five happy stars. And off my shelf! a bonus!

Onto my ever-growing TBR list--thanks! How could I resist a rating of "five happy stars"!

Karen O.

p.s. I love your way of picking the next book to read. I love letting the spirit guide me. I always have a ton of books out from the library because I never know what I will feel like reading at any given time.

Nice review of One Writer's Beginnings, Judy. It sounds like one I would enjoy, but reminds me also that I have not actually read anything by Eudora Welty.

Nice review there, and I hadn't heard of that one by Welty. Good job!

Thanks! I also have a book of her essays, titled The Eye of the Story (and why does the touchstone come up for 'Wuthering Heights'????). I'm hoping for some insight into the short story.

I'm currently reading The Razor's Edge for a book group meeting next week. I haven't read Maugham in a long time, and it's a real pleasure so far. I should finish it by tomorrow, but I won't write anything on it until we meet on Tuesday.

I'll be reading some professional books too, but I don't know that I'd count Kimball's The Data Warehouse Toolkit as a 'read'. More like a swallow.

Nice and enticing review of One Writer's Beginnings, Judy. I've wanted to read Eudora Welty's works, and this may be a good one to start with. Onto my wish list it goes.

12. The Razor's Edge - W. Somerset Maugham

comments after Tuesday.

Oh, you make me want the Welty! I'm going to order it now from PBS!!! I love what I've read of her.
OOOO! I get it in an omnibus that also includes John Gardner's On Becoming a Novelist and Dorothea Brande's Becoming a Writer. I don't know Brande, but I'm delighted to take her with the other two.
Like you, I'm sure, I look forward to Dr. Siri #2 when I get to him. And you almost inspire me to pick up AK again. I absolutely have to live to 105! With mind! And eyesight!

Update on my sister's new venture. Most of the names she liked were already taken, so she has settled on 'Current Indexing'. She's really energized by this project - very exciting for me to see, and it points up the fact that I am not progressing very far on my own projects.

For instance, I have enrolled in a Coursera course on modeling (the kind that models real life, not dresses!), and I really liked the first few lectures, but then I simply forgot to make time to keep up. So maybe this afternoon I'll take in a big gulp of that course.

And although I'm not going to retire soon, I'm envious of her various activities outside of work. In spite of my love of reading, I couldn't read all day, every day. So I've pledged to get more organized in my everyday life to make room for more interests.

Reading has been sort of slow, and almost exclusively for my various f2f groups. But when I was down doing the laundry yesterday, I found three books on the swap shelves that I just couldn't resist"

How to be Alone by Jonathan Franzen
Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund
Poker Face by Katy Lederer

The last interests me greatly. I have heard her father many times, both in comic riffs on words and on radio programs about grammar and word origins. But her siblings are also familiar to me, from the times I was mesmerized by the broadcasts of Texas Hold'm gambling of the last few years. It will be nice to get an inside perspective on this family.

I had promised myself that I wouldn't buy physical books unless they were very compelling in their form. But this isn't buying, right? This is scrounging.

Now you've been with the new team and new boss for about a month, how goes the job, Judy?

Btw, have you been to Eataly on 5th Ave between 23rd & 24th St? It looks amazing. A friend of mine was just there and took photos. I can't wait to hit up the store with an empty backpack the next time I'm in Manhattan.

Work drama is stressful. The only adjustments I ever asked for were for safety reasons for the preschoolers I worked with. After getting what I wanted, and feeling better about the safety issue.. life at work became truly unbearable. Perhaps some people are afraid of similar retribution? I can't think of a single person that I know who has had any luck in that area, aside from a cousin. She is a force to be reckoned with.. she insisted on a chair that cost them over 2 grand and then managed to get on disability, and only sat in it for a week. I bet there was a battle royal over it after she left :P

So you have a new job? I am missing if it is within the same company? At any rate, I hope that soon you are in a nice environment, where you can work in comfort.

The work is good - interesting and with good folks, at least so far. I'm reading Kimball on dimensional modeling, and I'm angling to go to a conference in NYC in the middle of the month. After all, no travel involved, and it's on exactly what we are doing.

The work station situation is evolving in unexpected ways. I am trying out a new keyboard (Microsoft 4000) but my wrists keep sliding off the cushioning - what a pain. I have the footrest, but now the keyboard tray, when pushed under the desktop, presses on my thighs, so I may have to ask the building guys to raise the desk back a couple of inches. I don't think I can get a chair that goes any lower, although my old chair did go down another two inches. And the mouse bridge is too low, even at its highest, so I can't really have it over the keyboard, but have to extend my arm out to use the mouse. Bummer. But the company seems to be trying to accommodate.

The only thing driving me nuts is the time it is taking to 'onboard' me to all the servers and such. Unbelievable how fragmented the process is. I'm really annoyed not to have access to the data - it's like in bridge, a peek is worth two finesses (for those of us who play bridge).

(For those who don't, it means actually seeing the data is better than asking others about it.)

Caro, I meant to answer you about Eataly. I haven't been inside, but I know where it is. Just not much of a foodie. However, if you come to New York, I will do my best to join you in a reconnoiter.

To return to The Razor's Edge, now that we've discussed it.

Although Maugham published this in the early 1940s, it actually chronicles society between the wars. We meet a set of well-off socialites and social climbers circa 1920, among them Eliot, who makes it his life's work to be in society in Paris, his young relative Isabel, in the fashionable set in Chicago, and a curiously unnamed narrator we are meant to assume is the author himself, in general bearing witness to the next decade or two in which these characters swim. Moving through this is a young wartime pilot named Larry looking for the meaning of life, or God, or something.

Toward the end of the book, Maugham treats us to Larry's story of his wanderings in Europe and spiritual adventures in India; it must have been the first time many readers encountered a description of Eastern philosophy and mysticism. (Maugham the narrator suggests the reader skip that chapter!) The rest is much more classic: the various ways in which people find or do not find a sort of salvation, or happiness, or completeness in their lives, and what they are made of.

Maugham is a favorite stylist of mine, but I know him most from his wonderful short stories. I am also fond of the games a writer can play with narrative voice as Maugam does here. Even with the ga-ga over India, it was a delight to read. I'll take off half a star for the breathless sojourn in India, so 4.5 stars.

That was number 12 - how could I be reading so little this year?? Well two more to record.

13. The Golden Scales by Parker Bilal was recommended by Chatterbox, I think, and I am so glad I listened. A very noir mystery that takes place in Cairo, Egypt, with all the requisite components of noir: an emotionally wounded detective, a society consumed with greed and poverty, a missing celebrity who doesn't know who he really is, a lost girl, a clash of cultures, as well as the religious upheaval we hear so much about in the Muslim world. I hope Bilal writes a dozen more of them. 4.5 stars? 5? I"m not so good with fractions.

14. Poker Face by Katy Lederer

When I first heard the name Lederer, it referred to her father Richard, who is a punning, word-obsessed writer and comic. Then I heard about his offspring in the poker world, Howard and Annie, in the Texas Hold'em tournaments on TV in recent years. Katy is the youngest of the kids. Here she chronicles the family from her childhood, when Richard taught English at a New England prep-school, through the family's dissolution and obsessions. She seems to have escaped. If I hadn't known of the other members of her family, it might have seemed just one more tale of substance abuse and obsession, but I do know of them, and the writing is lovely. And she seems to have escaped to tell the tale.
4.5. Maybe I'm just stuck on that number today.

I loved reading your thoughts on The Razor's Edge, Judy. I have read Of Human Bondage and The Painted Veil and would like to reread both and others by Maugham.

Thanks for stopping by, Linda!

131: Annoying work woes, but seems that once they're resolved, you'll be happy with the situation you've switched into. I work for a company that consists of three full time people and an occasional IT guy, and even in this tiny world, getting server access can be a frustration. Are other people having ergonomic issues? Seems the components aren't adjustable enough.

The ergonomics seem to be getting better or I'm adjusting to the shock. Either way, it's ok. The company gave me one of these footrests that have a variable angle positiont but that just increased my muscle tension. I found a cardboard keyboard box that suits much more, LOL! And so far the work is quite absorbing.

On the reading side, I've got my hands on the second Dr. Siri book. Hooray. I have two books due for book groups, but he comes first.

Judy...so glad you're enjoying Dr. Siri. Have you read any of Tarquin Hall's Vish Puru series? The Case of the Missing Servant is the first one. I just got the 3rd and am anxious to have my funny bone tickled by this eccentric detective. I think you'd like them.

I did read the first Vish Puru book, but it didn't grab me. Something about the dialog annoyed me, alas. Dr. Siri, on the other hand, enchants me.

15. Thirty Three Teeth by Colin Cotterill

Oh my. OH MY. Can I give this one 10 stars? So delicious, I'm not going to mention ANYTHING that might spoil the fun for anyone else. Just read it!

Oh my. OH MY! I have it in hand and am trying to make a hole for it. Soon ----------- very soon!

16. A Door in the River: A Hazel Micallef Mystery - Inger Ash Wolfe

Did I read somewhere that the author's name is an anagram of another name? oh well, an investigation for another time. I do like these police procedurals a lot. This is the third, and Wolfe strays into somewhat sensationalist territory, but she makes it quite compelling. Equally compelling, of course, is her detective inspector Hazel Micallef, stubborn, instinctual, in-your-face, and definitely in a tough place in a changing department and a changing Canada. Wolfe doesn't shy away from complicated characters, and although the villains here are rather flatly created, they aren't the only menaces in the story. Some complications were a bit more than expected, I found, but the story overall is a real gallop. 4.5 stars, I think.

Hi There Judy

I've added The Coroner's Lunch to the tbr pile. It sounds like a book I would enjoy.

Happy Spring!

I'm sure you will. The characters are such fun, so quirky, and the way they skirt the bureaucracy so clever.

I was at the dentist's yesterday, getting all sorts of lovely things done to both sides of a tooth at the gum line, and all I can say is that I love my dentist, but I thought the antibiotics he gave me would take care of this miserable something-or-other-sore-throat-with-occasional-ripping-cough that's happening at the same time. So far, no relief.

Walking back to the subway after my appointment, I passed a Strand book stall. They have these at the edge of Central Park along 5th Ave, and it is always heaven to browse through the books in the sunshine. So many interesting titles.

But I was strong. I just have no more room for new books at this point. And besides, I found two on Sunday on the building's swap shelves when i was doing the laundry.

It was hard, though. They all looked so good. Even the ones I already have.

Ha! I've had that happen, Judy. I'll really want to get one (most recently, an inexpensive used copy of Plainsong), and my wife will logically point out I already have it (I bought it anyway - good to have a copy to loan out, don't you think?)

I didn't know about the Strand book stalls. We'll look for those. We're having a short biz trip to NYC (no time for a meetup this time, unfortunately). We are going to squeeze in the Bill Irwin play/show/whatever and Peter and the Starcatchers.

I know. When I see a nice copy of something I love, I feel so sorry for it sitting there unread and unappreciated that I have to be very firm with myself to avoid it. Strand book stalls! How dare they?
I really liked Hazel Micallef in the first installment; thanks for the reminder that I would enjoy getting back to her.
Hope your tooth is well and that your cough is better.

Feel better!

Thanks, my well-wishing visitors. I think I'm coming around, but I'm a restless patient. I may go into work tomorrow, just to set things up so I could work more from home.

I've started reading the corrections. So far, alas, it feels glib.

I should mention that Jim and I saw two plays recently. 'The Nance' features Nathan Lane in a story of a gay vaudeville player during the run up to the 1939 world's fair, when Mayor LaGuardia got interested in making the city friendly to Mr. And Mrs. America, a and cracked down on vaudeville as well as the gay community. The playwright and director make use of classic vaudeville routines to comment on the situations that arise. The politics a little obvious, but the acting is a dream. Lane can be a self-indulgeant actor, but not here.

We also saw 'Nikokai and the others', about the Russian artistic emigres in 1948 US, wrestling with the strangeness of exile and the cruelties of the cold war at its rabid best. Jim wasn't so sure of it, but I appreciated the Chekhovian feel to it. Very large cast - 18 roles - and I bet you'll see it in various college ensembles, for it has lots of juicy parts.

I just discovered that my tablet has a smile icon button.
:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) &:-)

Judy - I love your review of Thirty Three Teeth .. that was just perfect! And if that doesn't entice others to pick up Cotterill, I don't know what will.

I've read some great reviews of 'Nikolai and the others'. I'm hoping to get to NYC to catch it on my next Manhattan visit... which is..... when I'm not quite sure yet. My travel schedule has gotten a little bizarre.

The Nance sounds interesting, and I do like Nathan Lane when he is at his best.

>152 kidzdoc:: I first read about Nathan Lane in The Nance in the Sunday NYT Arts & Leisure section. Interesting article here.

Judy

I hope you are feeling better!

What will power -- you walked past a cart of books and avoided the lure of buying.

Judy -- enticing review of The Nance (and of course, the book reviews too). I was a little hesitant because of Lane's overacting tendencies, but your review addresses that nicely!
Congrats on finding the smiley icon.

Yay for Thirty-three Teeth! Laughed at your enthusiastic one line review, Judy! Yes, indeed. And you've got more fun reading ahead of you with that series.

The Nance does sound interesting, and the Chekhov-like one, too.

Peg, I've seen seen Lane at his worst, which can be pretty awful, and yet when I saw him in 'waiting for Godot', it was clear he could do wonderful things if a director could keep him in check.

17. The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit - Sloan Wilson

If I hadn't had to read this for a book group I attend, I would have Pearl ruled it about a third of the way in.

A young man comes back from WWII and gets swept up in the money-grubbing social drives of the time, with typical consequences.

Some of the secondary characters were very interesting, and the war flashbacks were excellent, but otherwise I found the characters hard to believe and harder to like. The story has a Pollyanna habit of allowing the protagonist to 'be honest' and then rewarding him, or promising to reward him, in consequence, which I found quite unbelievable as written. Interesting complications were disposed of quickly with neither exploration nor drama.

Although some people in the discussion group thought the style was appropriately clear and American, I just found it flat.

So half a star? This was a huge success in its time, but I'm afraid no one learned its very obvious lessons.

...but the movie had a great cast...

*waving* at Judy

Sorry to hear your last read was such a bust for you. I hope your next read is better!

Well, I've got the third Dr. Siri cued up, so I have hope. Also New York to Dallas, and Sacrifice Fly. Not to mention I'm about halfway through The Corrections. So I've got a chance.

A small break in the action for jury duty. It used to be that you couldn't take in a cellphone if it had a camera, and certainly not any more sophisticated electronic device. Well, those days are past. The literature and the clerks do warn you that no photographs are allowed, but other than that, you can pile your whole electronic life in your backpack. Wifi is unsecured but free, and all they do is ask that you not use your cellphone, as a phone, in the jury waiting room. of course, if you get on a case, all bets are off.

So I was called in for yesterday, and instead of being bored out of my mind sitting on hard wooden benches, or reading myself into fantastic bliss, I spent most of the day working on my netbook, logged in to work. One voir dire - is that the right spelling - which I seem to have talked myself out of simply by asking too many questions. Then at 12:30 today, after another morning working remotely, I was sprung. Why oh why was I so conscientious? I decided to walk home and pretend I was still at the courthouse. That let me treat myself to a real sit down and read afternoon.

And thank you, RD, for that recommendation to Sacrifice Fly. I'm a little over half-way through it, and if there are punctuation errors in my hardback library copy, the story is strong enough that I've missed them. I'm especially attracted by the mention of the moribund pool at McCarren Park, which I used to hear a lot of from one of my erstwhile bridge opponents who took the L train in from Greenpoint. Then last year when the pool was finally opened again, to much fanfare, gang violence and/or racial tensions made the headlines. I hope it will be open again this summer. I'll let you know what I think of the ending.

Taking the afternoon off to read was very alluring, and made me reconsider my plans not to retire. However, before we were dismissed, I was quite absorbed by a technical book I do have to get through. Just when my understanding was coming together, we were let out. Ah well.

woohoo. I've won an ER copy of Survival Stories!

congrats!

I've been meandering around lately, reading some technical books, and whatever comes to hand. Today I brought to work The Signet Classic Book of Southern Short Stories, which starts way back with a story from 1829 by William Gilmore Simms titled "Confessions of a Murderer". So far, the stories are lovely. I'm up to a story by George Washington Cable, published in 1875, that takes place in New Orleans as the city grows and the old French plantations are being absorbed into the city.

I'm also reading The Corrections, but I have a copy of that in hard cover and don't carry it around to work and back. It's easy to put down, but also easy to read. I'm about two thirds of the way through it, for a book group next Tuesday.

And I've got two books from the library which should go back next week or the week after - two mysteries, one a Dr. Siri and one an Eve Dallas. Can't wait to get to them, but the Franzen has to come first.

Reviews on all to come in good time.

Still working on the short story collection. It's very interesting to read these in chronological order, as the South goes through its well-known social upheavals and adjustments.

And I finished
18. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

Franzen does a very bold thing in this book - he shows you the unlikeable underbelly of his characters first. That makes it an easy book to put down, dislike, shrug off. But as I persevered (after all, it was for a book discussion), the characters got more and more real and therefore knowable and therefore if not lovable, recognizable, and in some ways pitiable.

In one sense the book is a discourse on the falsity, the trap of the 'American dream' as a standard of how one's life should go. Assumptions, other people's real and imagined opinions, the absence of expressed love all create a soul-destroying life for the parents and children of this story, a story of an unhappy marriage and the unhappy children it produced, the story of an era where it was only permissible to be remarkable in approved ways.
Enid and Alfred are mismatched in the most intimate parts of their life together; Alfred falls apart from Parkinsons and dementia; the seemingly stable lives of their children come apart in self-destructive acts.

But the book isn't called 'The Corrections' for nothing. Everyone is making course corrections, or trying to, from the first pages, and as I came to be involved with their sometimes awful, sometimes funny plights, I wanted them to find a course correction that would work.

Several people in my book group were reading this for the second time, and they all found they enjoyed it more for having read it before. A sign of quality, surely.

Great review of The Corrections, Judy. I have it languishing on my TBR list, but probably deserves a bump up.

Just make sure to give it some time. I put it down a lot in the beginning, but it's worth hanging in.

Just checked my progress for the same date last year, and 2013 has been a much slower reading time. I'm about 15 books behind last year's pace. Oh well. It's not a race.

Right now, I have two books due for book groups, but one I read a few months ago, the other is a play that I can read closer to the meeting date. So I get to choose! Mt. TBR is offering an embarrassment of options. I'll report in later.

Tonight we attend the last concert of the series that we bought last year, and our theater going schedule is freeing up considerably. One play tomorrow ('On Your Toes' in a concert revival), and a few more scattered through May and June. I'm glad, because these last few months have been crazy busy, and I could do with some quiet evenings and weekends.

Of course, this next week is the meetup in Phillie! Train ride in both directions should make for good reading. And I'm sure there will be bookstore browsing and coffee drinking and - I hope - a few name tags. So many people are coming! Very exciting.

Judy, I'm waaaaay behind my pace from previous years. It niggles at me from time to time, but I think I'm mostly OK with it because I understand why. It's a combination of work, family, and knitting/gardening -- some by choice, some of necessity. The hardest part about it is my TBR continues to grow exponentially and I know I have even less hope of reading it all.

Read it all? I'm supposed to read it all????? oh NO!
What an interesting time you're having, ma'am. I wish you the joy of the meet up and devoutly wish that I were going to be one of the ones met with.
Must read The Corrections.

I'm too lazy to check, but I think that by June 1, I will be about 25 books behind last year.
oops!

Ironic that the library causes my reading to be limited. :-/

I'm surely in good company. Thanks to you all for stopping by. Peggy, I wish you were coming to Philadelphia too. Maybe the next one will be a better fit.

Every once in a while, I think of starting a journal. For some reason, I suddenly thought of Anais Nin this morning, with her compulsive journalling, carrying around that journal all the time. Think what she could have done with modern technology!

I'm currently reading Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking: The Antidote by Oliver Burkeman. It's a book derived from his articles in the Guardian, and I"m finding it very pertinent to my current way of life. I wonder if I can fit in meditation and still find the time to read?? LOL - boy do I need it.

Oh no. I'm being punished for my lovely visit to Philadelphia. I am in a class all this week on what is called the IBM Financial Services Data Model. I'm supposed to be a data modeler. As of this afternoon, my brain is officially tangled. This stuff looks SO COMPLICATED. And I'm supposed to be the person who fits our data into it. AAAAAAUUUUUUUUGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously, it's a great opportunity, and I'll have 5 weeks of coaching after this, and other people are being brought on board who have more experience with it - but everyone is looking at me to understand this. Maybe I should try rock-climbing instead.

Good luck with your class Judy! I'm sure you will do a super job!

It was lovely to see you and Jim and spend time together!

Hi Judy. It was so wonderful to meet you and Jim this weekend. I really enjoyed my time with you and our little visits. It was nice to meet everyone and I hope that I can hook up with you and Jim again some day. Til then, I will try to keep up with your thread. I have you starred now.
hugs,
belva

Hi Judy,

The reports and photos of the Philly meet-up sound wonderful. Would love to meet in NYC if you ever have time/inclination. My summers tend to be a whole lot more flexible than the rest of the year.

Yes,I think there's more than enough critical mass for a meet up in NYC any time. Our summer weekends are pretty flexible, too, although I anticipate busy times at work. Do you like going out to brunch?

Here you go Judy...a lovely, lovely photo of you and Jim:



There are more posted on my thread. I finally had a few minutes today to take them off my camera.

Judy, it was wonderful meeting you and Jim in Philly.

Great photo, Linda!

We were very glad to meet you and all the others. It was a great trip.

>179 ffortsa:. Yup, brunch works.

Happy Memorial Day week-end!

A Memorial Day post

First of all, it's a gorgeous day. I've spent all afternoon in the park on the next block, where the city thoughtfully puts out cafe chairs if you don't like the benches. The lawn is still off-limits, and to my surprise no one tested the park police by jumping the low iron fence to sit on the grass. Bird and squirrels abounded - unless some toddler charges the pigeons, they ignore us while keeping an eye out for bits of food. I've seen some people feed the squirrels by hand on quieter days.

Second, I finished 20. The Iceman Cometh by Eugene O'Neill for tomorrow's Book Circle f2f meeting. I'll say more later, but it is a rather one-note play. I think Nathan Lane is appearing in a production this year, one that originated in Chicago(?). He might be quite good at it.

Third, I finished 21. A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley. Could I be getting a little tired of Flavia de Luce? She seems to be beginning to reach a raproachment with her sisters, but that's going rather slowly. The central mystery was ok, but not stellar. Maybe I wasn't in the mood for it, but I had bought it when I needed to buy a book to attend the interview of George Packer by Brooke Gladstone at Barnes and Noble last Monday. Nothing for free anymore.

Actually, that's not true. I get mailings from a service named 'Clubfreetime', listing free events in New York, but Jim and I are often so busy that we really don't pay attention to it. Or more properly, I don't pay attention to it, since I haven't shared the listings with Jim. We went to one concert in the fall at a local church, and it was very good. I note that free stuff like that does tend to attract what my mother used to call the blue-haired crowd - most of whom are not blue-haired anymore. White seems to be more stylish these days. And that's only reasonable - the rest of us working folk are running around like chickens or collapsing exhausted on the couch in the evenings. It's amazing that I can't decide to retire.

Fourth, I attended that class I mentioned above, and start my 5 weeks of coaching tomorrow. The class itself was partly sales pitch and mostly a very good intro to what is called the IBM Financial Services Data Model, which is a deeply worked out scheme for categorizing and relating data in the financial services business, as the name implies. Tomorrow, I start to map our data to that scheme - it will be interesting. Some of my fellow classmates have taken to calling me 'poor Judy' as they regard the task to come, but I'm rather excited.

One good thing about the class was that my teammates from our Florida office flew up to take it with me, so we got to meet each other face to face at last. We've been working using phone and videoconferencing until now, so this was a very pleasant change.

I suspect my new task will mean quite a lot of hours over the next 5 weeks, and very little reading. Seems to be this year's pattern. Five twelfth of the year gone and only 21 books. That will have to do. I'm not in competition for any prizes!

Oh, and a fifth. Jim and I saw 'Iron Man Three' last night at a local movie house. OK, not great. The first one is still the best, but then, as Jim says, origin stories usually are.

This is Manhattan-henge week one this year, when the sunset lines up with the Manhattan street grid to provide some impressive sunset photo ops. I'm going to try to take a shot today, although it's already a day off. There are still two days in July. I wonder if there are days when the sun rises in alignment with the grid? Hm.

An extra hello to all the folks from the Phillie meetup. We had a great time, didn't we? Let's do this more!

Judy, my reading is plodding along this year too. A couple years ago I was reading 6 books per month, sometimes more, and would usually beat the 75 books "goal." Last year I slowed down somewhat and the trend continued this year. I'll be happy to read 60 books.

I'm glad to see you're excited about your new project!

Will you be vying for Shakespeare in the Park tickets this year? I just saw a mention of the performances in the Sunday NYT.

yes, we probably will try for Shakespeare in the Park again. There's a daily lottery, and maybe one of us will wake up early one day and wait in the park for the 1:00 ticket distribution. Jim thinks the lack of big names in 'Comedy of Errors' will keep the crowds down. (I think that's what comes first.)

We've been a little disappointed in the most recent productions, but summer is a quiet(er) time for us at the theater, so we'll probably go. That's if we don't fill up our dance card with other things!

Judy, I've loved seeing the pictures of you and Jim. Please get to Shakespeare in the Park for all the LTers like me who can't but who get a vicarious thrill from having somebody whom we know there.
And take a deep breath. You'll get your data modeled just fine!

22. The Hangman's Daughter - Oliver Potzsch

Just when I needed brain candy, here it was. The first in a series, I loved the characters, especially the hangman and the young doctor, and the historical setting at the time of a breather between religious wars, on the verge of great advances in science. The plot was good; although I figured out the villains earlier than usual, it didn't diminish my enjoyment. Definitely recommended, and available on Kindle to boot.

Whew. Work has been really intense this past week - witness that I'm at work again today! But it's very interesting, and I'm mostly not panicking yet.

I did have a melt-down on Wednesday. We were talking about out proposed European trip, and my f2f book club decided to read Life and Fate, all 900 pages of it, for July. Between work, reading, and the prospect of travel in a tight window, I melted. Lots of tears and feelings of inadequacy.

Then I decided I didn't have to read the Grossman book if I didn't want to, and I certainly didn't have to finish it. My friend in Georgia said next spring would be a better time to visit, and Jim proposed a cruise up the northeast coast in the fall to see the leaves, etc. He's a good guy, that Jim.

So I'm more optimistic, even thought the tools I'm using at work aren't doing too well, and I still have a mamoth amount to get done.

BTW, I almost typed 'Life and Fat' - but that is definitely another story. Maybe I was thinking of the chocolate I brought to work with me!

Judy, I'm so sorry work is crazy for you. Meltdowns are necessary at times.

Here is something to make you smile. We had such a lovely time together in Philadelphia. Darryl took this photo after, or before our brunch at the Italian Market.

I hope that the Phila. meet up becomes a regular thing.



Mainly, I hope that next week is a better one for you.

I hope the weekend is long enough for you to decompress.
I would add that I am reading *L&F* now and enjoying (well, that's not quite the right word, but I pick it up eagerly every day) it a lot. I hope that you try it when you have less stress. OR If you wanted to fly me up, I could take your place in your f2f group??? Maybe not.
(*L&F* does NOT mean *Life & Fat*!)

LOL. I have been nibbling at the edges of L&T, Peggy. But it would be a hoot to fly you up for the discussion.

I had just begun thinking that I had a handle on the melting down thing and then I had a whopper on tuesday/wednesday. Glad your stressors worked out though.

I'm cancelling things left and right to give myself some room to breathe. That's hard for me to do - I hate telling people I can't join them, and I am always afraid of being left out. But first things first. Until the end of the month, I'm committed. (Then I might be really committed!)

Kath, sorry to hear you're subject to these meltdowns too, although from what you relate, you've every reason!

This morning is much better. I felt motion sick on the ride home yesterday, and had developed a mouthful of canker sores, and I know that's all stress. So I'm going to work at being more mindful of what I put myself through. The work will be the same whether I'm anxious about it or not!

All that aside, I am reading Life and Fate, slowly, at my own pace, mostly before going to sleep, and finding it quite vivid. The bunkers on the west side of the Volga, the various officers, the fiddle player in the midst of it all - quite vivid. And it's convenient that Grossman writes such short chapters - I can reach a logical stopping place in a short amount of time.

Today I managed to keep my nerves in check (whew). I'll probably be working Saturday anyway, just catching up. We'll see.

In the meantime, my day started out quite delightfully. I was walking to the PATH (read NY/NJ cross-Hudson subway), and noticed that a woman walking in front of me had really small feet. Shopping for small-sized shoes is an instant bond for any women who have that particular issue, and when I found she was indeed going my way, I introduced myself. We talked about shoes and shopping and commuting to NJ for the whole 20 minutes or so of the trip. Very nice way to start the day, at least if you have small feet!

Life and Fate continues to delight me. Chapter 15, where we meet one of the families that inhabit the book, was particularly lovely, and the chapters that followed were beautiful and heartbreaking. a couple of chapters a day won't get me to the end in time, but the trip is proving to be worth it.

Home on time today, mainly because I was fading fast after an unexpectedly complicated day. I found out yesterday evening that my therapist of 20 years, who had been very ill, died on Monday and the funeral was today. No way I wasn't going, although as it turns out, I was probably the only former patient in attendance. Jim came along, sweet guy. Lots of older people there, of course. He was 78, which somehow does not sound so old to me anymore.

So I got myself into work by 7:30, left at 10:30, got back to work about 1:30, and crashed about 4:30. Came home after missing lunch and ate most of what was in the refrigerator, which luckily was mostly reasonably good food. I've been working very long hours on this project, and while I'm thoroughly involved in it, the hours are beginning to take their toll. I worked for a few hours last Saturday, will work this Saturday and also part of Sunday in support of a deadline that is sufficiently spurious that I don't care how many times we amend the resulting document. It takes as long as it takes, guys.

But I am enjoying being treated as a star at work, to feel like I'm learning new things and knowing what I'm doing, at least more each day. Even the overtime is good. There's an energy in this immersion in a good project that i haven't felt in a long time.

And now I'm going to listen to the Marketplace Money show from bed.

Judy, I'm sorry to hear about your therapist. I'm sure the emotional impact of the funeral took its toll on you too -- no wonder you crashed! But I'm glad you're enjoying the work, even if it's long hours. That's better than working long hours on something tedious.

Having good, meaningful work to do is great! Take care of yourself anyway.
I'm sorry about your therapist too, and no - 78 is not so old at all.

Hey Judy,

Stopping by to say hello and thank you for the note you left on my thread. Here's hoping we can arrange a LT meet-up when life settles down a bit for you!

Ugh. I think I hit 60 hours at work this week. Next day off is Saturday, when I drive down to see my mother. Somehow I don't think I'm going to finish Life and Fate any time soon.

Sorry to hear about you having to work 60-hours a week, Judy! I hope you get a break soon!

Oh. I was wrong. Only 56 hours.

ONLY 56 hours!?!?!?! What are they trying to do to you? Oh. Wait. I used to work that much too, but a good 10 hours of mine would be at home on the weekends grading papers. Nevertheless, it's too much.
As for Life and Fate, I'd truly suggest waiting until things are more balanced.

Judy

I'm so sorry for your loss. And, yes, Jim is a great guy!

I hope you get a breather soon. All those long hour days have a way of wearing one to a frazzle.

Hugs

Back to books. I had to interrupt my marathon read of Life and Fate to rush through Tolstoy's late novel

23. Hadji Murad for one of my f2f groups next week. No comments until the day after.

At least this weekend I had some time to read. Yes, I brought just a bit of work home, and got some of it done, but that was all. Yesterday I got some exercise in,and promptly came home and did a face plant on the bed for a couple of hours before packing up the last of the winter clothes and meeting a friend for what I called a 'hem' party to shorten some new pants. Then some time in the park, and more sleep.

Today we walked up into midtown for brunch, but it was too hot to walk home afterwards. I did my work, stayed near the a/c, finished the Tolstoy.

Tomorrow it's supposed to hit 93. That's as hot as my sister's home of San Antonio. I may have to join Richard in Iceland.

It was a hot day here in NE PA. But, June 2012 was brutal and almost every day was a day like today.

I hope work slows down for you and that you can enjoy the summer. Please tell Jim I said hello.

Hugs to both of you!

One of the nice perks of working in Jersey City is the comparative quiet and openness of the area. A short walk at lunch brings me to the local marina, and this view of Manhattan. Right behind where I'm standing, there is some parkland adjacent to a little 'town square' with benches and even an area of cafe tables under the trees.



No walking today, of course. Today, it was 91 degrees out there at lunchtime. I stayed in the artificially cool office air.

Yow! You're hotter than we are here in southeastern N.C. Man, are we ever going to pay for this!

Thanks for stopping by, Linda. This week will be a rush to finish the first round of our model before my lovely, patient Irish consultant goes off with his wife for a tour of the Pacific Northwest. After that, things might slow down a little. I was able to deliver one big batch of work today, which should keep the programmer types quiet(er) for a while.

I'm getting a lot of praise, which is of course nice, although I don't quite trust it. Sometimes praise is just a setup for the next round of blame - but nice while it lasts. And learning new things is always lovely, especially this late in my career.

Whew. The big push is on pause, and I've taken a day off. Of course, I can't stop thinking about work, but half an hour on email seems to have satisfied the itch for now. I feel people are depending on my work, and that's a hard obligation to ignore.

Now that I'm finished with that miserable Tolstoy, it's back to Life and Fate. Too hot to read in the park, alas. RD and I share a displeasure with hot weather, and this feels like August to me.

Tonight, Jim and I and a friend are going to see a play at Manhattan Theater Club, a farce titled "The Explorer's Club". The cast looks good, with two of our favorite actors (among many), Arnie Burton, who used to be a member of the Pearl Theater, and Lorenzo Pisoni, who does a wonderful one-man show about his life and his father's life in the circus. And, he's gorgeous. So I hope to have a good time. Curiously, the cast as listed has about 7 men and one woman. Hm.

Off to what I should have done before, a little exercise.

If you're in NYC, near NYC or hear of this play touring near you, do NOT miss 'The Explorer's Club'. I haven't laughed so much since 'Noises Off'. And that's the kind of farce it is, with flying cocktails, giggling scientists, one liberated woman, a blue indigenous 'savage', and a tight, howlingly funny script. If someone says 'If so-and-so walked in that door right now....', watch the door!

A silly delight from beginning to end.

I'm definitely going to keep my eye out for 'The Explorer's Club' after that recommendation, Judy. So sorry to hear that you've been having really long work weeks and about your therapist. I hope things ease up a little for you, at least enough so you get to enjoy the summer.

The day off really seemed to help, even though I did log in to check my email and send out some thoughts I couldn't get out of my head. The scary thing about the project and my therapist's demise is that I've been getting rather manic, which hasn't happened for quite a while. I finally caught myself on Wednesday, and worked at settling down, and that awareness has helped me a lot.

We went down to see my mother today, and my brother met us at the nursing home. He can't bear the deficits she exhibits; it makes him very fearful for himself, as we all are, since none of us wants to finish our lives in this way. I thought she was pretty good today, talking the usual mixture of gibberish and English, but following our stories and laughing at the appropriate parts. It had been a long time since I saw her, mainly because of work pressure. I'll have to plan better from now on.

I left a question on your thread. Jim and I will be in Arlington this August as usual, and we hope you're in town.

Work - I was so happy to get this job. But if it continues like this, or if I continue to react to it like this, I may just quit.

I'm stopping by because I've been thinking of you and concerned about your inordinate amount of work load.

I understand the merry go round and round and round and the manic part that the wheels grind faster and faster and faster until you truly believe you are flying off into mid air.

You are such a lovely, wonderful, kind soul. I wish the best for you dear one!!!

Please note the sign...Do NOT get on or off while ride is in motion.

Good advice my dear friend Linda.

Love me that merry go 'round horse. Have to get over to the Central Park Carousel (with Judy) one of these summer days.

"The Explorer's Club" sounds great, Judy. We'll try to get to it, although our timing may be off.

Sorry work is bugging you. Hope it all settles down.

I’m appallingly behind on the threads, all of them. Thanks for visiting mine! Your job sounds at the moment like it needs a touch of moderation – fun to learn new stuff, but not if crowds out everything else in your life.

How right you are. I actually left at 5:30 today! A miracle.

And, helped by an incredibly hot weekend in which I mostly stayed next to the air conditioner, I finished Life and Fate. Review of sorts later.

24. Life and Fate - Vasily Grossman

A wonder. All the life and death and paranoia and hopefulness of people at war. I can't beat Jim's review, so if you want more, go to
magicians_nephew post 26

I've decided that I'm too far behind on registering books, since most of my purchases lately have been on Kindle and I haven't entered them unless I read them immediately. Someone online explained that I could load my Amazon list to Shelfari, and from there to Excel, which I did. Now I will have the joy of entering everything into LT - I might try to upload the spreadsheet after some judicious pruning.

It doesn't make my apartment any neater, but somehow I FEEL like I've done something useful.

Also, I received a box of scanned slides from ScanCafe yesterday - I need to open the box, load the pix and upload them to Shutterfly for my family collection. Step by step, I'm becoming more electronic.

In the meantime, I've started The Spellman Files- funny book, although I can get a little tired of the tone from time to time. I'll report back when finished.

That sounds productive Judy! I might have to look into ScanCafe. My dad has a huge slide collection that I'm assuming ownership of now that my parents live in a retirement community.

They seem very dependable, and although I'd prefer to get them scanned at a domestic service, the quality and the price are better at this place. You can buy the service in bulk. I pre-edited - I.e. tossed a lot of dupes and almost-as-good shots, and then used one of their economy boxes.

If I'm the least disappointed with this batch, I'll let you know this weekend.

There have been several times in my life when I've been so busy with one particular thing that I've stopped looking at my investments, and since they form a large part of my retirement, that has been a problem. After the last debacle, I put my investments in care of a financial manager, with excellent results. But I still retain a little play account.

Once again, it's happening. So far, I"ve been surprised only on the good side. But it's interesting how uninterested I become in such things when work, in this case, absorbs all my attention.

222: It doesn't make my apartment any neater, but somehow I FEEL like I've done something useful.
Electronic organization is great for keeping my eyes off the swirling cat hair. Which is nice for awhile...

I was so tired this weekend that I didn't open the box of scanned slides. Maybe tomorrow. I'd love to take a day off, but that won't be possible just now. Maybe later in August.

I didn't do much reading either. But I did start W.C. Williams' The Doctor Stories with a forward by Robert Coles. The writing style is quite unusual, as is to be expected from this unusual poet.

25. The Doctor Stories by William Carlos Williams, with an introduction by Robert Coles.

This short collection of short stories reveals Williams as a physician to the most needy people. His style is deceptively direct; he rarely uses 'he said' or 'she said', and it makes the reader pay a little closer attention to these very compact stories, deducing the speaker by the writing. I was never confused, but I had to pay attention. I suspect this is Williams's way of teaching us the attention that he as a physician paid to all the little details of his patients, and the stories often point these details out to the reader.

Coles' introduction is very personal, as he knew Williams when he himself was in school and afterward. Equally affecting is Williams' son's afterward, as he described his father's dual life as doctor and poet.

Williams' reward came too late, a Pulitzer after he died. But in a way the writing was the reward of his other profession, offering him the intensity of connection to other people and thus to himself. 4 stars.

Nice review of The Doctor Stories, Judy.

I've long loved WCW, the poet. You almost make me want to read WCW, the short story writer.
Wishing you a core of calm strength as you deal with your job! And thanks for sending me to read Jim's review of Life and Fate.

Are you reading the plays for the next book circle, Judy? Hoping to see you there -- but also hoping for less drama this time. *eyes roll*

hang in there with work... I can empathize. Nothing that I'm doing that earns me $$ is terribly engaging, but at least at the moment it's not overwhelming me. (On the other hand, it's not overwhelmingly lucrative, either, so...)

having spent years eyeing a copy of Life and Fate, I would say that a typo would be entirely appropriate for that chunkster!

Just stopping by to catch up and say hello. Sorry to see that you are still very busy! I hope that slows down soon.. :(

Things are not going well. I have to work tomorrow (most likely from home, at least), and the bathroom ceiling is bulging and flaking and I suspect an upstairs leak. Sigh. I painted the bathroom royal blue a few years ago, so the flaking paint shows the evidence quite clearly. Maybe the super will pay attention before the ceiling caves in.

And my health club (read gym) is closing their pool for 3 months, and doing other assorted major renovations until the first of the year, alternating locker room days for men and women, etc. Of course, I just renewed for two years - but more than that, there are trainers there who probably won't be able to fill their dance cards for six months or more, and that's a real economic hit for them. I might freeze my membership (they have other branches, but none so convenient), and try out the Y on 6th and 14th Streets. Just as close, and I know they have a lovely pool.

I'm not getting much reading done, mostly because of work. I have My Antonia teed up for my August meetup, and Suz, I won't be joining you for the uptown book circle because they meet on the same night. Too bad, as I love both plays and would like reading R&G again. Just too much going on.

Thanks for visiting, Kath. Work would be more fun if everyone weren't so deadline-obsessed - it's thinking and technique I really like doing and like learning about, but as usual, we don't have time to do a really good job on the business analysis. By now I should be used to this, but I've worked with such great teams and managers for the last 15 years, it's hard to go back to seat of the pants project management and ludicrous dates. If I can get through these next two weeks and produce enough to move the project forward, there should be a little breathing time available.

At least I'm not bored! Of course, if I had time to be bored, I'd have time to read.

Oh NO about the pool closing. That is MAJOR.
Courage for the next 2 weeks - when you'll really need a pool to kick off exhaustion and frustration!

Sorry to hear about all these stressful happenings, Judy. I hope you're able to work out the fitness thing. I find exercise often helps relieve work-related stress.

Indeed it does, although I rarely remember in time to actually get it done. Having been a particularly sedentary, unathletic girl, it's taking my my entire life to figure out that exercise makes me feel good.

Work today wasn't so bad, but I anticipate tomorrow will be hairy. Oh well. I'm trying to remember that I'm not expected to hold up the world.

26. My Antonia by Willa Cather

review to come

27. The Spellman Files: Document #1 by Lisa Lutz

A piece of light reading, just what was ordered after this month's-worth of work. The first in a series, this so-called mystery is full of wise-cracks and demented family members who somehow seem perfectly normal when taken as a group. I say 'so-called' because the family is definitely more important to the story than the mystery, which I unravelled almost immediately. But then, it wasn't at all the point. Not quite laugh-out-loud funny, but blithely wacky. I'll probably look for the next one.

How funny. I was reading the comments on the new LT design, and suddenly realized that there were lots of things I wasn't taking advantage of, pages I wasn't seeing, etc. etc. I'm one of those folks who gets onto the home page and then just reads my starred threads. So maybe there are adventures ahead.

I owe a review of My Antonia - Jim teased me that I would refer people to his thread again. But no, I'll say my piece.

We 21st century folks have to slow down for this book. Cather doesn't give us the big dramatic moments many modern novels to; she's more interested in the texture of the life and the land. I was astonished at the easy way she incorporates description into the storyline - the landscape appears in the mind's eye effortlessly, as do the characters.

Some of our fellow book club members thought the characters were too schematic - the woman who stays on the farm, the woman who becomes independent in the city, etc. But I think the story shows the options while giving us real people to embody them.

More than anything, the book provides a portrait of a time already passed, when the country was moving from prairie to farmland to towns, from horseback to buggy to railroads and automobiles, so fast that one lifetime could see it all happen.

My grandfather came to this country from Russia, from a life where your eggs came from your own chickens and salt was delivered in great sacks on the rail cars. Coming to New York City in 1910 or so (we never knew the date), it must have been a great shock to see the subways, the cars, the tall buildings. During his lifetime the whole of the northeast of this country was transformed. Cather shows that from the perspective of Nebraska, when prairie was broken by individuals and farms fed the families that worked them. It's a long time ago now, but good to remember.

Do try the Y -- I think their pools are supposed to be the nicest (and largest) in town. I'm still looking for one here. Seems like ages since I have been able to swim routinely. I got v. frustrated with the tiny little pools that are characteristic of NY -- kept bumping my head. I used to swim in the old Vista, that became the Marriott at the Trade Center, but of course, 9/11 put an end to that (and destroyed my gym clothes & bathing suit in my locker there...)

I loved the Cather, which was my first of her books and made me want to read more. It was especially interesting to go on and read Timothy Egan's book about the Dust Bowl after reading this novel, as there is a clear link between the two. And I wonder what Cather would say about the relationship between man and nature in Nebraska/the plains today.

Suz, I felt an interesting connection too with Louise Erdrich's The Master Butcher's Singing Club, which covers much of the same time and immigrant experience.

Awash in books and not sure what I want to read. I have two scheduled ones - I,Claudius and In the Garden of Beasts, Jim has encouraged me to take a look at From Bauhaus to Our House, and yet I found myself rereading Case Histories, because I have the next two in the series and I don't really remember the first.

Not to mention the TBR, of course. Don't know what's the matter with me.

Sigh. I may have to get a Dr. Siri.

28. Case Histories - Kate Atkinson

Well, this was a pleasure. Atkinson has a nice rhythm of language, with the occasional extra felicity. I didn't remember much of my first read, but just enough to make this a more anticipated event. Sometimes, knowing who did it doesn't detract from a mystery - instead, for me anyway, it makes the trip more leisurely, and I can enjoy the little side trips more.

My only slightly negative feeling about this book is that Atkinson ties everything up just a little too neatly. All quests are resolved, paths cross in interesting ways, and too many resolutions are happy. An odd thing to say of a murder mystery, I suppose. Four stars.

Reading all evening was a reward for finding my glasses. This morning, they were nowhere, and I went to work with my uncomfortable backup pair. On returning, I went through the laundry, lifted the mattress on the platform bed, shone the flashlight behind and under the furniture, checked at the health club (although I can't imagine finding my way home without noticing they weren't on my face!), and finally began to move all the furniture yet again. Voila! I'd looked behind the nightstand before, even pulled it part-way away from the wall, but this time, I really moved it completely. SO RELIEVED. It's amazing how things can get so lost in a one-bedroom apartment.

We're visiting our friends in Boston this weekend and Caro and Edd are coming for a barbecue. It's a beautiful day, and I'm told Caro is bringing cheesecake! Maybe we'll take pictures!

>242 ffortsa: One of life's unfairnesses is that you have to have your good glasses on to be able to see well enough to find your good glasses when they're lost.
Hasn't today been glorious on the east coast!?! Enjoy!
And thanks for good reviews too.

Glorious indeed. My friend Kate and I did a vigorous walk at a neaby park. And we had a barbecue with Caro and Edd. Great day.

Phooey. I was hoping for a nice break from work this weekend, but as it turns out I will be working part of the time - just not sure how much. We have a couple of afternoon visits planned, but not enough downtime for my taste, again. At least next week will be short, as I won't be working on thursday.

Well, that doesn't seem to have worked out as planned. The person who was supposed to be working with me ( or really I with him, since he's the expert) never surfaced. Not surprising, as he's quite the controlling personality. I wouldn't have been miffed except that he was so explicit about working this weekend.

Whether because of that or the weather change or something else, I had the granddaddy of all headaches - at least, in my experience, last night into this morning. I still sense it hovering, but I no longer want to saw off my head just over the ears.

Or it might have been finishing 29. In The Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson. A pretty good read, although I don't agree with Jim that it reads like a novel. It is a troubling look at the rise of Nazi Germany, from the point of view of the U.S. ambassador to Germany William E. Dodd and his daughter Martha. Dodd is not practiced in diplomacy and not FDR's first choice, but no one else wanted the post, and Dodd underestimated both the work load and the gathering storm. His communiques warning of the rising militarism and hatred he saw around him were not of interest to those more concerned with bond repayments, even though these were highly unlikely to occur.

Martha, meanwhile, young and freshly divorced, admired the young men around her and plunged into diplomatic society with varying degrees of naivete.

Larson draws portraits of both the Nazi and other personalities as they jockey for position from the early 1930s until the 'Night of the Long Knives' that solidifies Hitler's control. It is a bleak and frightening time, more so as we know what is to follow.

four stars, for those interested in this era in history.

So you were left hanging?

I wouldn't call it hanging. More like pissed off. I was perfectly willing to learn more about dimensional modeling, and lend him the business details he might be missing. Now, however, if he gets it wrong, it's on his head.

Of course, he still might call tomorrow. This is a guy who said he had to 'go into seclusion' from Friday afternoon until Wednesday evening to work on the models. And he said this in front of management. Here I come to save the day!!!

Ah yes, my expert at work called at 1pm and spent am hour explaining why we wouldn't be done with our work by the due date and blaming it on others. Of course. Now he just has to explain it to management. Tomorrow should be interesting.

In the meantime,I've finished the second Maisie Dobbs mystery. More about that tomorrow.

Hi, Judy. The tales of the dopey expert are intriguing indeed; I'm looking forward to the next installment. I suspect you wouldn't have minded skipping this episode altogether. Sorry you had to work over the weekend.

I agree with you about My Antonia - a book to slow down with. One of my favorites of hers.

I'm so sorry you had to work over the holiday weekend, Judy. Will they give you make up time so you can take the rest of this week off?

Good review of the Larson book. I really liked it too and not for a moment did I think it might have been fictitious writing. That was my first with this author and I can't wait to get to my next planned read, Devil in a White City.

I'm wondering how this time-challenged expert ever managed to become expert in anything. Sounds peculiar to me...... I guess it doesn't stop when people graduate from high school. *humph*

As it happened, I didn't work on the weekend because the 'expert' didn't call until Monday, and then didn't do anything but complain. I would have gotten comp time,and the satisfaction of getting the work done. As it turned out,I ended up suggesting a workaround today, and suspect he's the one in trouble. I wonder if he realizes how others are seeing him, between his bragging and his product.

I wonder if his history is quite as glorious as he states. There are con men in every field.

Sometimes it's trying to live in NYC. Yesterday was a case in point, such a beautiful day, but between the anti-war demonstrations, the construction, the traffic on Second Avenue, the Hari Krishna chanters, the bad guitar players and the couple screaming at each other in Stuyvesant Park, there was not quiet corner to sit and read. Eventually I gave up the glorious September day and went home.

Before that, however, nine of us met uptown for a real LT meetup. So much fun! I finally got to meet Peg (PLT) and I think we will make time to see each other again. She works quite close to my apartment, so there are no excuses! Darry (Kidzdoc), Suzanne (Chatterbox), Jane (JanePriceEstrada, I think), Jim (Magician's Nephew), Katharine (qebo), Zoe and Bob (whose LT handle I forget) spent a pleasant couple of hours over Southern-style breakfasts at a place named 'Jacob's Pickles'. Never heard of the place before, but Peg found it and they took reservations for Sunday brunch! It made my weekend.

30. Birds of a Feather - Jacqueline Winspear

This second book in the Maisie Dobbs series continues the rather gentle investigative story of Maisie, making good on her own after WWI. But it doesn't come to mind right now what the investigation was or what the outcome was. This may be my fault - or maybe the book was less than memorable, although very pleasant to read.

31. The Upside of Irrationality - Dan Ariely

This is another 'second' book, following on Ariely's earlier work, Predictably Irrational. Both involve the sometimes funny ways in which Ariely and his colleagues tested out economic assumptions about our behavior. Along the way he manages to skewer online dating as a really bad market, from the point of view of effort and result. His stories are often personal, and always enlightening about the way our minds work.

255: Aw, I visit New York for such activity, but couldn't take it constantly.

Don't forget the foul mouthed character outside of Book Culture. I was telling Zoë that I always love to visit NYC, but I was ready to move elsewhere after I worked in the city for the four years between university and medical school. Living in Pittsburgh was a peaceful and welcome respite from the constant bustle of Midtown Manhattan.

Bob's LT handle is vpfluke, and Jane's is janepriceestrada.

I'm glad that we got together yesterday, and especially grateful that Peg was able to get a large group reservation at a busy, unique and superb restaurant.

Sounds like you all had a great meet-up. The Pickles place is going on the visit list. Any pictures?

on the meetup thread. I left them to Darryl and Zoe. I look dreadful in Darryl's only picture of me, alas. Or maybe that's what I look like. What a thought.

Some days it's great to be a city dweller, other days not so much. Jim and I came home from a theater event to find a rowdy line of young noisy men waiting for the midnight sale of the newest version of Grand Theft Auto. Sirens and chanting and cheering - I hope the store can handle the traffic quickly at the stroke of twelve.

Not much reading getting done lately. But we have a few days off planned, so there is hope.

Hi Judy--Let's see...Jealous of the meet up ( or any LT meetup!); kudos on the adoration at work; pooh on the long hours; sorry about the loss of your therapist friend; and thanks for stopping by my thread to say Hi! to this slightly absent LTer. Hugs.

Starting tomorrow, I will be offline for about a week. The threads I will return to should boggle my mind.

I'm with Kim. I long for a meet-up! (I've just been reading Nancy Mitford.) Sounds like you had a particularly nice one!
I hope you have a good week without us. Never mind the length of the threads - just jump back in.

We are home! First cruise was a pretty good experience, although it was busier than we had planned, one port per day, and colder, so no real time to lay about on deck in the sunshine (which there was none of) and read. More to come when I upload the pix to the computer.

>265 ffortsa:: I can's wait to hear more! Welcome back, Judy.

265: More to come when I upload the pix to the computer.
Yay!

Welcome back!

Sorry for the delay in the travelogue. I have to get the time to move the pictures from the camera to the computer to LT, etc.

In the meantime, and in spite of the busy-ness of the vacation, I read two more books.
32. The Boy in the Suitcase

Apparently this is the first of a series of Scandi mysteries. At first I was hesitant to continue, as it had once again to do with a child, but luckily no actual abuse. The characters are very vivid, and the almost claustrophobic closeness of the various Baltic states and Scandinavia makes for very interesting reading. Nina Borg is the character that will continue in the series, and she is somehow deeply damaged - her compulsion is to save the world one person at a time, at the expense of her own family.

Once I got past my hesitation, this was a fascinating plot. I was not sure I understood what the motivations were until almost the end of the book, when it made perfect sense in a smashing denoument. 4 stars.

33. The Bostonians by Henry James

James is an author whose style requires close attention, and sometimes I fell asleep not because the story was boring, but because I didn't have the energy to follow his sentences. That said, when I was awake, this was a book slow to start, but with a very dramatic race to the end.

I wish I could say I liked the resolution. James's characters are entirely consistent and very vivid, but the conflict he has set up to resolve strikes me as cruel. Of course, I'm living now with a great deal more equality between the sexes than in the time of this book, but there were times I wanted to reach in and slap one or more of the characters.

Saying any more would be a spoiler. Have patience at the beginning and you will be rewarded. 4 stars, I think.

34. Celebrity in Death by J. D. Robb.

I just finished Innocence in Death, Judy. Entertaining series with enough character development to keep that interesting, and well-crafted mysteries. This one (Innocence) wasn't one of my favorites, but that's mostly because of my personal reaction to whodunnit.

I found this one had some interesting elements, but was otherwise pretty standard for the series.

I know that Stasia is the biggest IN DEATH fan on the planet. I really need to get to them.
I may not be the biggest James fan on the planet, but you can see me there in the 3rd or 4th row.
And I'll still be tickled to look at pictures.....

I'm about to start reading the third in the Nina Borg series, Judy. If you end up continuing with it, I'll lend it to you when you're ready. #2 was from NetGalley and so is only on my Kindle, alas.

Where did the cruise go?? Details & pics, please...

I'm getting instructions for how to handle pictures that come from me versus those available on other websites. And, frankly, to have the time to write the travelogue.

My best friend in the world is in town for the first time in ages, and goes off again at the end of this week, so time goes to her first.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/168249_10101793921474062_...

Judy - for some reason when I try to type an example of how to upload the photos from your computer to your thread it doesn't allow me to.

anyway a right click on "copy image location" and the paste it on your post as I have done with your Philly meet-up photo above.

then the paste and then close the bracket.

to make it smaller and width=and then a number (try 450 first and then adjust it bigger or smaller depending on the size you want.

I have put this wiki link Judy on post three Tad explains how to put the photos on your thread, but for some reason I cannot fathom I cannot type the same instructions as they don't appear?!

http://www.librarything.com/topic/129158

Alternatively Judy, if you put the pictures you want onto your facebook I'll put them onto your thread for you. I did the same thing for Suz last year and she had to e-mail me the photos in the end.

Sounds like it's sorting out, Judy. Thanks for the links, Paul.

Judy, I struggled with how to post pictures I had taken that were not on the web (and I don't do Facebook), until I realized they could be uploaded from my computer to my profile page very easily. Simply go to your member gallery, click add a picture, and use the browse button to find the file in your documents. Once you have uploaded it to your member gallery, you can post it to your thread the same way you would a book cover, as Paul has explained. I know there are other ways if you use things like Flickr, but otherwise, this seems to work.

Thanks, all. I might use photobucket. I also have a photo account elsewhere, which I keep forgetting! So I'll find a place and set up the travelogue this weekend.

35. Manhattan Noir 2: The Classics -ed. by Lawrence Block

A fun collection of classic short stories in and about New York City, each story labeled with the location. The poetry was not as wonderful as the stories. I was particularly taken with a story by Barry N. Mazberg. 'The Interceptor', very, very noir. 3 1/2 starts, downgraded a little because of the poetry, which didn't appeal to me.

Aha! I got my copy of Dallas Noir in the mail yesterday. Just what I'm in the mood for.

36. The Patience of the Spider by Andrea Camilleri

Patience is the word for it. It didn't take me halfway through to know whodoneit this time. Always fun to see Montalbano and company, but really, they were all too stupid for words this time.

Finally, some time to give you all the travelogue of our first cruise. We left from the Brooklyn cruise terminal in Red Hook, which gives a wonderful view of the southern tip of Manhattan in the afternoon. The buildings you see come right down to the edge of the island, and are looming over Governor's Island in the foreground. It was most recently a Coast Guard Station, but was ceded to the city and is now a public park, open on weekends and holidays for about half the year an accessible by free ferry. Quite a wonderland refuge for New Yorkers.



Here's another angle, that shows a little more of the park, with the dock on the Brooklyn side.



Jim and I went up to the first open deck to watch the city slip by. Here's Jim with the East River behind him.



Lady Liberty carefully avoided us.



After exploring the ship, we met our dinner companions at table 91 the first evening, and were very relieved to find them congenial. By the end of the trip, we had thoroughly enjoyed each other and laughed a lot. (no pix, alas)

Unfortunately, this was the best weather we had for most of the trip. Our first stop was Newport, where we toured the local historic district but didn't go on the cliff walk because of the gloom and rain. The weather pursued us to Boston, where we decided to stay aboard (we've seen a lot of Boston, and it would be the only day aside from the last where we would stay aboard.).

The next stop was Bar Harbor, Maine, where we had never been before. We had hoped tutu and her husband would be able to meet us there. Naive of me - she lives 4 1/2 hours away! And they were busy with their own book tour, as I recall. So we joined a tour up to Acadia National Forest, right there above the harbor. We kept hoping the bus driver, who was also the tour guide, would stop talking (not a chance) but we did see some wonderful vistas.





Here's a special tourist place where you can walk down many steps to where the harbor cuts right into the forest. It's called something like 'Howling Hole', because of the deep cut in the rock that can make a booming noise when the tide comes rushing in.







We were there at a pretty mild time, but the surf still exploded up as it rushed into the slot.

Here's evidence of Jim.



Bar Harbor also has a readerly tone. This restaurant wasn't open for lunch:



but this nearby store was open:



Strangely enough, we didn't buy books.

Our next port of call was St. John's, New Brunswick, in the Canadian Maritimes, where the famous Bay of Fundy displays the greatest difference between low tide and high tide in the world. In fact, nearer to the mouth of the narrowing bay, the St. John's River meets the shore in such a way that during low tide it is dominant, higher than the ocean water, and at high tide it is lower, leading to an area in the bay called the Reversing Rapids because, well, they reverse. Jim and I took a tour boat to see these rapids, and the captain got a little closer to the whirlpool than he intended - very exciting for us but embarrassing for him. Here's where the event takes place:



I have about eight seconds of not so spectacular video somewhere or other. If I can find it, I'll post that too.

We were disappointed not to see the upper bay, where the more dramatic tidal changes occur - next visit. Jim did find an excellent book on the bay in the New Brunswick Museum, where an excellent young docent who reminded me of Zoe gave us a tour of the whale exhibit. (That's a whale above her.)



The museum was connected to a lovely indoor mall where we found the local library



Our last port of call was Halifax, south and east of St. John's. Going overland from the east side of the Bay of Fundy might have taken little time, but as we were going by ship, we had to leave the bay, round the penninsula, and turn our watches ahead one hour before we arrived in the morning. In that morning, we visited the Halifax Citadel (not Fort Howe as I originally posted!), a restored colonial fort with some excellent re-enactor guides. It's perched in Halifax proper, with breathtaking views of the harbor which made it worthwhile to the British until longer range cannon made it easier to attack from water, and fortifications were moved to islands out in the harbor. Here are some views of the historic site:

The internal square, where you can see the barracks



Preparing to fire the noonday gun:



Our guide, dressed as the schoolmaster from the late 1800's:



The signal masts, once used with flags and insignia to inform the port of incoming commercial vessels:



And Jim made a new friend before we got back on the ship:



After the trip to the Citadel, Jim and I took a long bus ride to Peggy's Cove, outside the city, a working fishing village of only a handful of people, discovered by artists some years ago for reasons I will try to illustrate. This time, our guide was excellent.

At the very tip of the rocky promontory that makes up Peggy's Cove, the main tourist attraction is the lighthouse:



It's surrounded by huge, bare, rolling rock formations









The village is still home to working fisherfolk, and lobster traps are seen at every house and on every boat.



But the artists who discovered the town had a deep influence, and there are many craft stores, as well as a fabulous bas relief mural carved into the rock, as a tribute to the townspeople.











After Halifax, we had a night and day of sailing home, around the Georges Banks fishery, Cape Cod and Long Island. After sleeping marvelously all trip, Jim and I suddenly woke up at 4:15 AM when the New York harbor pilot must have boarded to take us in. Dawn in the harbor was lovely - I'll find those pictures and add a few later on in the thread.

Edited to correct the fort and the city! It's Halifax, of course.

The place in Maine was called "Thunder Hole".

We also passed the house used in the opening of the old "Dark Shadows" TV show.

and yes! I did buy a book at "Shermans"

Right. Howling Hole sounds more like Harry Potter's world, doesn't it?

37. The Paper Moon by Andrea Camilleri

Another ebook from the library. What a treat. Camilleri's books are like popcorn. This one was better than the last, although still obvious. I was most enchanted by how Montalbano makes sure everyone is protected and rewarded at the end. Clever of him to do that, although I was shouting at him for half the book to feel the clues that were hitting him over the head.

Great photos, Judy (and Jim!). Looks like a fun trip.

Really enjoyed your trip up the coast, Judy.

Thanks for the photos! A nice combination of fun and pretty.

Glad you liked the pictures, and thanks for visiting.

Gee - 39 books to go. I could just read mysteries for the rest of the year. But actually, the next book up is A Clockwork Orange. I have to get my head around the wordplay (there's a glossary in the back of my edition). And Jim says the original manuscript had one more chapter I'll have to sneak a peek at from his updated edition. That for next week. For the week after, we are reading Shosha by I.B. Singer, and I just got a copy from paperbackswap. How many more Camilleris can I shoehorn in this month, I wonder?

291:A nice combination of fun and pretty

Sounds like how I describe Judy :-)

What a great trip! Thank you for letting us follow you a bit. My mother still talks about a similar tour that she took in the 80s.
Good luck with the shoehorn, Judy. I'm off to see how many Camilleris there actually are.

>294 magicians_nephew: Definite bonus points for that one, Jim. :-)

Looks like a great trip. Maybe I missed this, but how many days was the cruise?

Great photos, Judy. I love the one of Jim with the moose. LOL. Looks like a wonderful trip.

Keep up with Camilleri .. I've just finished his latest and if there's a petition out there for his publishers to engage at least 2 translators so we get his books out more quickly, I've got my pen in hand and ready to sign it.

Oh, and by the way, would you be interested in joining us on the X'mas Swap this year? Here's the link : X'Mas Swap 2013

Enjoyed the pictures from your cruise, but kept looking for evidence of Judy!

Ah, well, I was holding the camera.

Actually, we have some professional shots taken while we were at dinner. Just have to scan them in before I post them. We didn't expect to buy them, but these guys really know what they are doing, so we shelled out. Maybe tomorrow.

Well, I guess my thread is not going to last the year!

Here's the latest read:
38: A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

We're discussing it on Wednesday, so I won't put anything down in the way of a review yet. I'll just say that thanks to Jim, I read the entire text, including the last chapter that was cut from both the American edition and the movie.

Fabulous travelogue and photos, Judy! That sounds like a great trip. Thanks for sharing it with us!