klobrien2 (Karen O) Reading Machine in 2013, page 1

Welcome to my thread! It's a brand-new work-in-progress, started on this first day of the new year.

I've been with the 75-bookers for several years now, and I enjoy so much the camaraderie and book talk that happens here. I'm very glad to join with you all again!

The year 2012 was a terrific year for reading. I find myself reading pretty much as the spirit leads, although I participate in the Take It or Leave It project and have a great time doing that.

This is my fifth year participating in the 75 Books Challenge. In 2009, I read 94 books; in 2010, I made it to 148!; 153 in 2011; and 160 in 2012.

I'm also learning from the past, and I don't think I'll set any specific goals as to which books I will read--I have more fun just taking it as it comes. I am, however, trying to accomplish reads for the "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die" project, so that may guide my reading a little. What directs my reading more are my friends here on LT, so keep those recommendations coming!

Here's a ticker to keep track of my 2013 reads :




I am trying to read more books from "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die." Here's a ticker to keep track of my progress there:




Here's where I'll list the books I read, starting with (the number at the end of each line represents the post number where I placed my "review" for the book):

1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Long Way Home (Season 8, Volume 1) by Joss Whedon - 8
2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: No Future for You (Season 8, Volume 2) by Brian Vaughan - 11
3. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Wolves at the Gate (Season 8, Volume 3) by Drew Goddard - 13
4. Candide by Voltaire (Book 169 of 1001) - 16
5. The Tin Woodman of Oz: A Faithful Story of the Astonishing Adventure Undertaken by the Tin Woodman, assisted by Woot the Wanderer, the Scarecrow of Oz, and Polychrome, the Rainbow's Daughter by L. Frank Baum (#12 of 14) - 23
6. The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker - 28
7. The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams (Book 170 of 1001) - 38
8. The Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness - 41
9. The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny - 42
10. My Life and Hard Times by James Thurber - 47
11. Messenger by Lois Lowry (Book 3 of The Giver Quartet) - 53
12. The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera - 54
13. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin - 63
14. On Beauty by Zadie Smith (Book 171 of 1001) - 66
15. The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe's Very First Case by Alexander McCall Smith - 67
16. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Time of Your Life (Season 8, Vol. 4) by Joss Whedon, et al. - 71
17. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Predators and Prey (Season 8, Vol. 5) by Joss Whedon, et al. - 71
18. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Retreat (Season 8, Vol. 6) by Joss Whedon, et al. - 71
19. My Man Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse - 72
20. The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich - 74
21. Sarah Binks by Paul Hiebert (ILL) - 81
22. Morning in the Burned House by Margaret Atwood - 82
23. Once On a Time by A. A. Milne (ILL) - 85
24. The Round House by Louise Erdrich - 88
25. Divergent by Veronica Roth - 98
26. A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin - 101
27. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight Volume 7: Twilight by Brad Meltzer, et al. - 102
28. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight Volume 8: Last Gleaming by Joss Whedon, et al. - 102
29. Doctor Who: The Early Years by Jeremy Bentham (ILL) - 103
30. Very Good, Jeeves! by P. G. Wodehouse (ILL) - 105
31. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan - 110
32. Richard Castle's Storm Season: A Derrick Storm Mystery by Brian Michael Bendis - 111
33. More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow by Stephanie O'Dea - 115
34. My World and Welcome to It by James Thurber - 117
35. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, audio read by Jason Isaacs (ILL) - 118
36. The Importance of Being Seven (44 Scotland Street #6) by Alexander McCall Smith - 120
37. My Brother's Book by Maurice Sendak (ILL) - 121
38. A Family of Poems by Caroline Kennedy, ill. by Jon J. Muth - 122
39. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde - 126
40. The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka - 132
41. The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson - 133
42. Raj the Bookstore Tiger by Kathleen T. Pelley - 139
43. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine Volume 1 - Freefall by Joss Whedon, et al. - 140
44. Morning in the Burned House by Margaret Atwood - 141
45. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse (Book 172 of 1001) - 144
46. Dear Fatty by Dawn French (ILL) - 145
47. The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood - 146
48. Unusual Uses for Olive Oil by Alexander McCall Smith - 149
49. Speaking From Among the Bones by Alan Bradley - 150
50. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood (Book 173 of 1001) - 151
51. The World of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes - 152
52. The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood - 155
53. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 Volume 2 - On Your Own by Joss Whedon, et al. - 156
54. The Open Door: One Hundred Poems, One Hundred Years of Poetry Magazine ed. Don Share - 161
55. The Book of Job: When Bad Things Happened to a Good Person by Harold S. Kushner - 162
56. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (Book 174 of 1001) - 163
57. Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde - 168
58. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - 173
59. Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer - 178
60. 14 Cows for America by Carmen Agra Deedy -179
61. Atomic Ranch: Design Ideas for Stylish Ranch Homes by Michelle Gringeri-Brown - 180
62. The Magic of Oz (#13 of 14) by L. Frank Baum - 181
63. J. B.: A Play in Verse by Archibald MacLeish - 184
64. Fellowship of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien (book 174-1/3 of 1001) - 185
65. Exodus by Leon Uris - 193
66. 365 Penguins by Jean-Luc Fromental - 194
67. Angelopolis by Danielle Trussoni - 197
68. The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schalbe - 198
69. Giving Up the Ghost by Mary Logue - 202
70. The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien (book 174-2/3 of 1001) - 210
71. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls - 213
72. Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver - 214

My 2003 "Books Read" list (casually kept, and probably incomplete): http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2003-reading-list.html
My 2004 "Books Read" list (see above caveats: things get better!):
http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2004-reading-list.html
My 2005 "Books Read" list (most pathetic list yet): http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2005-reading-list.html
My 2006 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2006-reading-list.htm
My 2007 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2007-reading-list.html
My 2008 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2008-reading-list.html
My 2009 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2009-reading-list.html
My 2010 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2010-reading-list.html

Here is a link to my last thread from 2011: http://www.librarything.com/topic/122919

Here is a link to my last thread from 2012: http://www.librarything.com/topic/138897

Good reading to you!

Happy New Year Karen! Impressive number of books read last year - congrats! I hope you are as successful this year!

Thanks! I got a Nook for Christmas, and I think that might be a factor in my reading speed--it's really easy to flip the pages electronically! Oh, but I do like an old-fashioned paper book.

Thanks for stopping by to chat! I will go and make sure that I have your thread starred....

Welcome back! Congrats on the Nook.

Oh, congrats on the e-reader! In my experience it does mean reading more, but you'll never lose your love of print!

Happy New Year Karen! Hope you enjoy your Nook!

Thank you all for stopping by! I've just checked to make sure I have all your threads starred. Good reading to you!

Karen O.

My first read of the year! It's a graphic novel, a complete change of pace from my last read of 2012 -- A Tale of Two Cities.

1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Long Way Home (Volume 8, Number 1)

I'd recently finished re-watching the Buffy television series. I'd always wondered about these graphic novels that were identified as starting with "Season 8"--well, then, where were the earlier seasons?

Then I caught sight of others on LT reading the novels (I think it was MikeBriggs who finally made me sit up and take notice--thanks, Mike!). The graphic novels start with Season 8, because the television show ended with Season 7, and the graphic novels take up the story from that point. Cool!

This first volume was okay--it felt very comforting to have the characters continue on, and very fun to have new storylines. There were a few spots where I was lost as to what exactly was going on, but that's okay. The artwork is very good, and the book captures the humor and sharp wit of the TV series.

I've got two more home from the library, and I'm sure I'll read them, tout-de-suite.

Oh, I don't want to lose this little guy! Let's say I'm celebrating finishing my first book of 2013!

Hi Karen! I like your dancing guy. He makes me want to celebrate you finishing your first book of 2013 too!

2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: No Future for You (Season 8, Volume 2)

Well, I couldn't resist! This set of graphic novels is addictive, but in a good way. I found "No Future For You," the second installment, quite a bit better as far as plot development and...not feeling lost. It is so cool to catch glimpses of characters from the early years of the TV show, and now they're developed and their roles are clarified.

I've started the third volume, and I'm going to bop away from here and request some more from the library.

10: porchreader, isn't he cute?! I almost get hypnotized watching him, though. Must...pull...my eyes...away....

Thanks for stopping to chat!

Karen O.

3. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Wolves at the Gate (Season 8, Volume 3)

And the third volume. I'm hooked. This one featured the return of the "real" character of Dracula from one of the TV episodes. Fun twist on the whole Dracula thing.

Hi Karen, I've come by to drop my star. Those Buffy Graphics look very interesting ...(slips away to see if they are available at my library).

Hi, DeltaQueen! I tell you, I'm kind of hooked on the Buffy graphic novels. I'm trying to request just a few from my library every so often. In my opinion, they seem to capture the humor and fun of the TV series. Hope that you can easily find them, and that you like them as much as I do! Thanks for stopping by (and starring me!)

4. Candide by Voltaire

Voila! My first "real" book of the year. I'm surprised that it's taken me so long.

Candide is nominally the story of young Candide, who sets off on adventure and encounters all sorts of people and events. It reminded me in this superficial way, of Pilgrim's Progress, but Candide has layers--it's a history, a philosophical tract (optimism vs. pessimism), and a comedy. It's got layers upon layers.

If (and I think it's very likely) I read this again, I would want to be better prepared by refreshing my knowledge of the Enlightenment and the mid-18th century.

Here are some of my favorite passages:

They landed at Buenos Ayres. Cunegonde, Captain Candide, and the old woman, waited on the Governor, Don Fernando d'Ibaraa, y Figueora, y Mascarenes, y Lampourdos, y Souza. This nobleman had a stateliness becoming a person who bore so many names. He spoke to men with so noble a disdain, carried his nose so loftily, raised his voice so unmercifully, assumed so imperious an air, and stalked with such intolerable pride, that those who saluted him were strongly inclined to give him a good drubbing.

"Oh, Pangloss!" cried Candide, "thous hadst not guessed at this abomination; it is the end. I must at last renounce thy optimism."

"What is this optimism?" said Cacambo.

"Alas!" said Candide, "it is the madness of maintaining that everything is right when it is wrong."

The supper passed at first like most Parisian suppers, in silence, followed by a noise of words which could not be distinguished, then with pleasantries of which most were insipid, with false news, with bad reasoning, a little politics, and much evil speaking; they also discussed new books.

"Oh, what a superior man," said Candide below his breath. "What a great genius is this Pococurante! Nothing can please him."

Hi Karen -- I found and starred you!

Great review of Candide! I listened to it on audio last year, and it ended up being one of my top books of the year.

Hi, Anne! Yes, I thought it was great, too. I put a collection of Voltaire on my new Nook, so I can revisit the little guy (Candide) any time I want to!

Just stopping by to welcome you to the Nook family :)...I love, love, love it. With the Overdrive app (I have a Color), I can download books directly from the library... Have fun with it.

Hi, lalbro! In my heart, there's nothing better than reading a well-designed, well-made hardcovered book, but I am starting to love my Nook. Last night I put Game of Thrones on it, although I have a beautiful cloth-bound paper copy. It's such a big...chunk...of a book, and the little Nook is practically weightless. My arthritic hands appreciate it so much.

I've used Overdrive to put books on my computer, but haven't downloaded to my Nook yet. I'm looking forward to that!

Thanks for stopping by to chat!

Hey, Karen! Glad to see you back with us again. Congratulations on the Nook!

Hi, Stasia! Glad to see you here! It's the calm before the storm for you, isn't it? Hope you're getting some good relaxation in. Thanks for stopping by! I've got your thread starred, and I am keeping up (pretty much) with the thread reading.

5. The Tin Woodman of Oz by L. Frank Baum (#12 of 14)

I've been working my way through the L. Frank Baum OZ books (not even THINKING about any of the successors), and I'll make it this year, for sure.

The "Books of Wonder" publisher has done a great job of reproducing the originals, and they are a delight to read. This book focuses on the story of Nick Chopper (the Tin Man); he was in love and planning to elope with his sweetheart (who worked for the Wicked Witch--the one who was killed by Dorothy's house), but he got caught in the rain and rusted and couldn't go to her. Now he's trying to discover if it's too late for him and his long-lost love. Multiple adventures and old and new characters met up with along the way. A lovely read.

"I don't like this invisible country," said Woot with a shudder. "We can't tell how many dreadful, invisible beasts are roaming around us, or what danger we'll come to next."

"Quit thinking about danger, please," said the Scarecrow, warningly.

"Why?" asked the boy.

"If you think of some dreadful thing, it's liable to happen, but if you don't think of it, and no one else thinks of it, it just can't happen. Do you see?"

"No," answered Woot. "I won't be able to see much of anything until we escape from this enchantment."

The last one I read was Ozma. Fun stories.

Hi, jadebird! I'm enjoying the series a lot. Baum is a real punster, and the Books of Wonder series is beautiful, a joy to even hold. These are books that would NOT translate well to an electronic format, that's for sure.

Now I'll go check to make sure that I'm reading your thread! (I think I am, but there are a lot of 75-bookers!)

Now don't get me wrong, I love a cloth bound book as well! But I love being able to carry my "stack of books" with me during my walk and metro ride to work! Game of Thrones is a perfect book to put on your Nook!

Yep! That's exactly how I feel, too. Very convenient!

Do I have you starred? I must go and make sure. Thanks for stopping by!

6. The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

Oh my goodness, where to start? I am so glad that I read this book, and I'm thankful to LT members for recommending the book.

The book is, at heart, a "coming-of-age" story of 12-year-old Julia. In this view, it's a well-done story of growing up:

This was middle school, the age of miracles, the time when kids shot up three inches over the summer, when breasts bloomed from nothing, when voices dipped and dove. Our first flaws were emerging, but they were being corrected.

But this is also a story of global catastrophe, and what happens when the earth begins spinning slower and slower. I will never look at sunrise and sunset in the same way, I think!

An excellent combination--a book that makes one feel, and think, at the same time.

Hey Karen. Have I made a post here yet? I guess I've been lurking as usual, sorry! Well, I'm just letting you know that I'm here, stalking the shadows and all that. :)

Hi Karen, you are living up to the name of Reading Machine! I like the variety of books you are reading. Keep up the good work!

(It seems like I'm following Donna around the threads).

The Age of Miracles sounds good, Karen.

What a treat, to stop by my thread and see all of your posts! Hi, Stephen! I still count on your thread for laughs and book recommendations (and zombies!). Donna828 and jadebird, I visit your threads all the time. Glad to see you here!

:)

*waves hello*

Somehow I've missed reviews of The Age of Miracles, but your review is excellent, so onto the wish list it goes. Thanks!

I need to get back to the Oz series one of these days!

Glad to see you enjoyed The Age of Miracles, although I think you liked it a tad better than I did. I cannot wait to see what Walker comes up with next though.

Hello, all!

Part of what I liked about The Age of Miracles is the author's imagining of how people would react to such a catastrophe as the earth slowing in its spin. There were no easy answers (just like real life, I guess).

And, Stasia, yes, it will be interesting to see what she writes next!

jadebird, Dejah_Thoris, Anne, Stasia, WONDERFUL to see your posts here! Now I'm off to visit all of your threads!

7. The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams

The second, very fun installment in the Dirk Gently Detective Agency series. FictFact lists three books total in the series--it's a shame that Adams didn't write more, but with these crazy things, rereading would certainly be a good idea. I think I liked this second novel a little bit more than the first, and I really liked the first.

This book presents a nicely-convoluted plot involving a sad case of the Norse gods of Asgard--can Dirk help them with their problem? A great new character, Kate Schechter, an American journalist living in London, gets pulled into the excitement when she tries to assist a stranded traveler (Thor).

One of my favorite passages:

"You are a driver," he said, "and I use the word in the loosest possible sense, i.e., meaning merely somebody who occupies the driving seat of what I will for the moment call--but I use the term strictly without prejudice--a car while it is proceeding along the road, of stupendous, I would even say verging on the superhuman, lack of skill. Do you catch my drift?"

"No."

"I mean you do not drive well."

Very funny and compelling, but there is plenty to think about here, too. And it's one of The 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. With this read, I'm at 170 books read (the 2006 list). I would love to be at 200 by the end of 2013--I'd better get reading!

Ah, Douglas Adams... the strangest comfort reading of all... haha.

I keep meaning to read the Buffy eighth season graphic novels, but I haven't thought of checking the library for them... *ponders*

Isn't it the truth, dk_phoenix?! I'm seriously considering rereading/reading his other books. I think I've read most of them at some point, but I think I would like them even more at this point in my life (old, but still silly).

Oh, and definitely try your library for the Buffy graphic novels. I don't think I'd fork over money for any graphic novel, but is my kind of deal!

Thanks for chatting!

8. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

I started reading this early last year when it first came out, but it has taken me this long to finish it. I blame my failure to commit to finishing on several factors: (1) I wanted the reading of it to last, (2) the book is kind of a chunkster, (3) the action of the book takes place in several different places and a few different "times" and there is a very large cast of characters.

I adored the first book in the series, A Discovery of Witches, and I can't wait for the next installment (maybe this year? 2014?) I reread the first 500 or so pages of the book that I had previously read before I started on the final 100, and was reminded that it was a very nice read, with lots of great characters and exciting plot development. However, if I do have a problem with the book, it's that maybe if the series were spread out a little more, with more depth and less breadth, it would be easier for the reader to process. I don't know. I'll go see what others have said after I finish this post.

Like I said, lots of good characters, and the relationship of the main characters, Diana the witch and Matthew the vampire, is golden. Their dialogue is so beautiful, romantic in the best sense of the word. I hesitate to use the labels, "witch" and "vampire" because the characters are also scholars; Matthew is a medical doctor; they are as far from stereotypes of the supernatural as they most likely can be. The whole backdrop to the series is that the world is changing, that all types of creatures are changng.

A few passages that I really liked (not Harkness's, but really suited to the novel):

Change is the only reliable thing in the world. (Heraclitus)

Omni fine initium novum ("In every ending there is a new beginning"). (??)

Harkness uses this next quote at the end of the book, to explain the title, I guess. I don't know if it's her original quote, or if she sourced one of the real characters in the book (there were quite a few historical characters). Google is all wonky, so I couldn't use it to determine the source. Anyway:

Black is the badge of true love lost.
The hue of daemons and the Shadow of Night.

9. The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny

I'd started reading Louise Penny a few years ago, but stopped for some reason (too many irons in the fire?) Thanks to the TIOLI challengers who added this book to the heard-about-the-author-here-on-LT challenge. This was a very good read for me; it was hard to pull myself away from it.

The characters in this books are wonderful, many of them returning from the first two books in the Inspector Gamache series. Life in Three Pines seems still wonderfully idyllic, except of course if you are the poor murder victim or committer.

There is a Still Life movie under production, starring Nathaniel Hunter as Gamache. It will be a Canadian TV production--I hope that it won't be difficult to access here in the USA.

I've got some further reading to do, following up on works that were referenced in this book: Sarah Binks by Paul Hiebert, Morning in the Burned House by Margaret Atwood.

I also read Shadows of the Night and found it a bit clunkier than A Discovery of Witches (which I loved). Middle books of trilogies always seem to have a bit too much filler. That doesn't make them less enjoyable, just a bit harder to get through sometimes. Like you, I'm waiting anxiously for Book Three, whenever it's ready.

inge87, well said! I actually enjoyed the skimming that I did to refresh my memory--there was so much information, so many characters, that the reviewing was quite beneficial!

Do you know what the name of the third book is supposed to be? Or when it is expected?

I must go and make sure that I have your thread starred. I'm managing to keep up with thread reading, but it takes constant diligence, I think!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

I've been meaning to get to A Discovery of Witches - at this point, maybe I should just wait for book three!

Hi, Dejah! I'd definitely recommend reading the books in order, although Harkness did provide a little background in the second book. And A Discovery of Witches is so good!

10. My Life and Hard Times by James Thurber

I just love James Thurber! I came across this book on the shelving cart at the library, and it was a tiny little treat of a read.

Here, as in The Wonderful O and The Thirteen Clocks, the writing is funny, sharp, with seemingly no words wasted. Thurber is a master storyteller, and in this book, he tells stories of his boyhood and youth. Thurber adds wonderful drawings to illustrate.

Here are a few of my favorite passages:

My father was sleeping in the front room on the second floor next to that of my brother Roy, who was then about sixteen. Father was usually in bed by nine-thirty and up again by ten-thirty to protest bitterly against a Victrola record we three boys were in the habit of playing over and over again, namely, "No News, or What Killed the Dog," a recitation by Nat Wills. The record had been played so many times that its grooves were deeply cut and the needle often kept revolving in the same groove, repeating over and over the same words. Thus: "ate some burnt hoss flesh, ate some burnt hoss flesh, ate some burnt hoss flesh." It was this reiteration that generally got father out of bed.

(After a trip on a particularly crazy roller-coaster):

That trip, although it ended safely, made a lasting impression on me. It is not too much to say that it has flavored my life. It is the reason I shout in my sleep, refuse to ride on the elevated, keep jerking the emergency brake in cars other people are driving, have the sensation of flying like a bird when I first lie down, and in certain months can't keep anything on my stomach. Ouch!

The next Thurber I'd like to read is My World--And Welcome To It.

47: The next Thurber I'd like to read is My World--And Welcome To It.
I remember the TV show...

Yeah, me too, qebo! I remember that I liked it, though I didn't quite understand it.

Off to the library website to find a copy!

Thanks for stopping by to chat!

>44 klobrien2:, No title or release date yet, unfortunately. According to her website, Harkness knows what is going to happen in book 3, but she hasn't finished writing it yet. She has to finish it before they can set a release date. I image that's when it will get a title too. So more waiting for us, unfortunately.

>50 inge87: She hasn't finished writing it? Oh dear, that indicates a l o n g wait....

I reread the first book when we were waiting for the second, so I guess I could read both books whilst waiting for the third!

They are lovely books. I'm glad that Harkness is taking her time with the third. I know I appreciated that attention to historical detail in the first two books.

Thanks for stopping by, you two!

11. Messenger by Lois Lowry

This is the third book in The Giver Quartet, a series of YA dystopias written by Lois Lowry. The Giver was published in 1993; Gathering Blue, in 2000; Messenger, in 2004; and Son, in 2012.

I've now read the first three and they've made a big impact on me. Each book features a young person with a special gift who finds themself in conflict in their dystopic world. Although each book is set in a different society, one of my favorite things about Messenger is how Lowry tied up the threads of the earlier books; this gives "The Giver" series additional structure and depth.

Time after time while reading Messenger I was struck by how applicable the book is to modern life, with its picture of human greed and selfishness as a kind of sickness, with fear of the stranger and the loss of one's soul as the end result.

But the books aren't despondent--we are left with hope. Messenger shows us characters who remain good, loving, and loyal to themselves and their communities.

This is my favorite of the series (but I have Son yet to read). I think I'll be purchasing the entire series, as I'm sure I'll be rereading them all at some point.

12. The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera

This is a lovely little book, 150 pages long, and it reads very fast (except that the writing is so gemlike, I found myself rereading passages multiple times).

You may remember the movie version of this book, which won the Sundance Audience award in 2003. I adored the movie, and the book is even lovelier. It tells the story of eight-year-old Kahu, a little girl with a big heart and a huge destiny for her Maori people.

Our pet name for our Koro was "Super Maori" because, for us, he was the Maori version of Superman, and even now telephone booths still remind me of him. We used to joke: "If you want a leader for your people, call Super Maori. If you want a man to protest for Maori rights, just dial Whangara 214K. If you want somebody who's not afraid to stand up for Maori land and culture, phone the Maori Man of Steel." He was his own boss. "Right or wrong," Nanny Flowers would add.

Within the fluted ice chambers the herd of whales moved with infinite grace in holy procession. As they did so they offered their own choral harmony to the natural orchestration. Thir movements were languid and lyrical, and belied the physical reality of their sizes; their tail flukes gently stroked the water, maneuvering them ever southward. Around and above them the sea lions, penguins, and other Antarctic denizens darted, circled, and swooped in graceful waltz.

***********************************************************
POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING - AH-OO-GAH! - POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING -

DON'T READ THE NEXT PASSAGE, JUST GO FIND THE BOOK AND READ IT!

************************************************************

Quietly, Kahu began to weep. She wept because she was frightened. She wept because Paka would die if the whale died. She wept because she was lonely. She wept because she loved her baby sister and her father and Ana. She wept because Nanny Flowers wouldn't have anyone to help her in the vegetable garden. She wept because Koro Apirana didn't love her. And she also wept because she didn't know what dying was like.

Then, screwing up her courage, she started to kick the whale as if it were a horse.

"Let us go now," she shrilled.

The whale began to rise in the water.

"Let us return to the sea," she cried.

Hi, Karen. I had to come by and make sure you were starred so I can read your reaction to Once on a Time. I've never read Candide but clearly need to some day. I read the first Dirk Gently book in November, and your review ensures that the second one goes onto my wishlist immediately. And I actually had Shadow of Night from the library, but had to take it back unread (we only get 3 weeks, I couldn't renew it, and I was jammed with books at the time) so now I am back in the Hold line for it. The line is actually much shorter this time--I should be the next person in line for it. Guess I'd better add it to my Fantasy February reads, then, huh?

Hi, ronincats--I think Shadow of Night would be a great Fantasy February read! Hope you like it!

Wonderful review, Karen! (I completely avoided the spoiler -- thanks for the warning:)

I am going to request it. Do you think it would be good for a soon-to-be-14-year old? My daughter is going to New Zealand soon, and is starting to learn songs in Maori.

Edited to add that I have reserved the one copy my library system has, and see that it's a YA title, so I will definitely share it with Callia -- thank you!

I got my copy of The Whale Rider from PaperBackSwap on Friday and read it over the long weekend. I'd never seen the movie, but the book was wonderful. I also appreciated the writing, especially the parts with the whales' story.

>57 AMQS:, The only thing I can think of, in terms of an almost 14-year-old, is that the narrator experiences some pretty graphic racism in Papua New Guinea, which is supposed to be disturbing (I certainly found it so). It's the kind of thing you may want to discuss either ahead of time or after she gets to that part. Other than that, it's a nice coming of age story with a girl power streak that the author wrote after his daughters asked him why female characters can't be heroes.

57, 58> Anne, I couldn't say it any better than inge87 said it. I think it would be an excellent book for your daughter. Inge87, if you get a chance, you might like the movie. I'm glad you liked the book.

I am going to have to see if I can locate any of the author's other books!

Thanks, Jennifer and Karen! I appreciate the advice, and look forward to sharing the book with her.

Thanks for the loud spoiler warning on Whale Rider. I've seen the movie, but the passage you quoted is beautiful. Makes me want to go grab the book.

Hi, cammykitty! And that's why I really wanted to keep track of that quote. I hope you get a chance to read the book and that you like it as much as I did.

13. A Game of Thrones Book 1 of "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R. R. Martin

A wonderfully epic, compelling, exciting read. The author is a master at creating worlds and characters that remind us of our own ancient history, but yet are quite different. I bought an electronic copy for my Nook (to save my wrists and hands--the book is a chunkster). The electronic copy was very nicely done, and if the few drawings that were reproduced weren't quite as legible as on paper, it is a very small quibble.

I've got the second book in the series ready, both in paper and on my Nook. I read the first one mostly on the ebook, with visits to the paper copy every so often.

Some of my favorite passages:

"It was the cold," Gared said with iron certainty. "I saw men freeze last winter, and the one before, when I was half a boy. Everyone talks about snows forty foot deep, and how the ice wind comes howling out of the north, but the real enemy is the cold. It steals up on you quieter than Will, and at first you shiver and your teeth chatter and you stamp your feet and dream of mulled wine and nice hot fires. It burns, it does. Nothing burns like the cold. But only for a while. Then it gets inside you and starts to fill you up, and after a while you don't have the strength to fight it. It's easier just to sit down or go to sleep."

"Let me give you some counsel, bastard," Lannister said. "Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you."

"The common people pray for rain, healthy children, and a summer that never ends, " Ser Jorah told her. "It is no matter to them if the high lords play their game of thrones, so long as they are left in peace." He gave a shrug. "They never are."

They said the words together, as the last light faded in the west and grey day became black night.

"Hear my words, and bear witness to my vow," they recited, their voices filling the twilit grove. "Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the first that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the cleepers, the shield that guards the realms of men. I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch, for this night and all the nights to come."

I haven't posted for a few days, so I'll remedy that.

I had a horrible toothache that made me miserable! I had a root canal this morning, and I am already feeling much, much better. The doctor told me to take it easy for at least a day (oh, darn it! :)) I'm planning on an afternoon of reading and maybe watching old episodes of Upstairs, Downstairs. Nice soft soup for lunch. Let husband Art find us something for supper. Ooh! A nap! I love this plan for the day.

I'm planning to finish up a few books for January -- I'm currently reading On Beauty by Zadie Smith and The Golden Scales by Parker Bilal. On Beauty is a TIOLI read for Madeline's challenge (I always try to have at least one read for the founder's challenge), and The Golden Scales is a shared TIOLI read, so I'd really like to wind both of them up. And both are getting really interesting.

Also, I've just gotten The Round House from the library, and I only have it for a few weeks. I also have A Plague of Doves out, and I want to read that one first, as I believe it is a prequel, or provides background for the other book.

So, I think I have the makings for my own little read-a-thon this afternoon. I'm too mentally fuzzy and wobbly for much else. Cheers!

I'm so sorry about the tooth ache, but I'm glad that the root canal is already providing relief.

Have a wonderful read-a-thon this afternoon - enjoy!

14. On Beauty by Zadie Smith

I'm not sure that I really liked this book much, but I'm glad I read it. It's hard to describe this novel; it's basically a story about a long-married couple whose relationship is endangered by the husband's affair (this isn't a spoiler--we are told this very early in the book).

The book is also about conflicts--between men and women, between races, between classes, between America and England, for heaven's sake. The book gives us insight into the world of a small elite college in New England, and the town that hosts it. The philandering husband is a professor of art history, so we get some little lessons in that discipline.

There's a lot going on here, and nothing is really resolved, threads of narrative are left dangling.

I really liked Smith's writing, however. The author has a real gift for dialogue and physical description. I had intended to include some of my favorite passages here, but, unfortunately, I read the ebook version that I got at my library, and the lending period ran out--rats!

So, yes, I'd recommend this book, with a warning that it might not be everyone's cup of tea.

15. The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe's Very First Case by Alexander McCall Smith

A delightful little book, a juvenile fiction level "prequel" to "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series. This young version of Precious is as sharp and lovable as the adult. Wonderful illustrations (they look a little like woodcuts), a handy set of appendixes, and McCall Smith's simple and profound prose make this a real reading treat for all ages. Can you tell I loved the book? 8)

67> That looks like a cute book!

#66: I have not managed to read anything by Zadie Smith yet. I really need to rectify that fact.

68>thornton, if you are a reader of "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series, I think you'd really like it. But then, I think you'd like it even if you weren't!

69>Stasia, if you give On Beauty a try, I hope you like it. I haven't read anything else by her, so I can't offer any other suggestions.

Thanks to you both for stopping by to chat!

Took a little break from more serious reading with these fun little graphic novels in the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" series. The stories are exciting, the dialogue as sharp as the TV show was, and the drawing is overall very good (I don't read a lot of graphic novels, so please take a little grain of salt with that statement). I really enjoyed the television series, and these books are terrific at bringing in old characters and making them the same as they were, but better.



16. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Time of Your Life by Joss Whedon, et al.



17. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Predators and Prey by Joss Whedon, et al.



18. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Retreat by Jane Espenson, et al.

19. My Man Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse

Another comfort(able) read. I love these collections of Wodehouse stories, especially when I can get them for really cheap on my Nook.

The NYTimes recently had a review of a book about Wodehouse, which kind of kindled my desire to read another of his books. I really enjoy the wordplay and silliness of Wodehouse, but can't read too much at one time for pure enjoyment.

The Nook version had a little essay on Wodehouse, which I thought was a great way to finish up this read.

Sounds like you got some good fluff in! Always a nice break! Have a good Saturday!

20. The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich

I've been meaning to read this book for a long time, both for itself, and because it is a precursor to Erdrich's new book, The Round House. I finally buckled down and got it read!

I think that Erdrich writes beautifully, and her characters and locations come alive with her gifts of description.

A "drought-dry summer": The wind came off the dense-grassed slough, smelling like wet hair, and the hot ditch grass reached for it, butter yellow, its life concentrated in its fiber mat, each stalk so dry it gave off a puff of smoke when snapped. Grasshoppers sprang from each step, tripped off my arms, legs, eyebrows.

The Plague of Doves sometimes seems to be a collection of individual short stories, each written from the point of view of an individual character. In fact, much of the book was published, in pieces, in magazines and anthologies. I am almost positive that I have encountered some of this work before; but this could be because Erdrich writes about people that I feel I know, people of the northern Midwest, and places that I may have seen on road trips around Minnesota and out west to the Dakotas.

And the characters in this book are all bound together by threads of history and common experience. Early on in the book, we are told that, Nothing that happens, nothing, is not connected here by blood. The people of the reservation and those of the nearby off-reservation town are tied up with each other: the book cover blurb states it succinctly: The descendants of Ojibwe and white intermarry, their lives intertwine; only the youngest generation, of mixed blood, remains unaware of the role the past continues to play in their lives.

If you are comfortable with reading and not knowing where you are being led; if you are okay with the individual threads of the individual stories laying loose and then sometimes being caught up with the others, then I think you would like this novel. The metaphor of a tapestry being woven is not very far off from the way that this book is built. I highly recommend The Plague of Doves.

Now, on to The Round House!

I do hope you like The Round House! I read it at the end of 2012 and really liked it. I don't think I've ever read The Plague of Doves though, so I'll need to put that on the TBR pile.

Thanks for your review of Messenger. I just finished The Giver, much to my children's dismay, and really liked it. I am planning to read the quartet, and your review certainly reinforced that plan for me.

And NW is on my to-read list ... not sure if I'll add On Beauty or not.

Hope your tooth is feeling better!

Hi, lalbro! Thanks for the encouragement for The Round House--I don't feel like waiting at the library (there's a LONG list) so I might get a rental copy.

As for The Giver quartet, I'm currently waiting for the last book--Son. There's a sizable list for that book at the lib as well.

My tooth is feeling great! Thanks for your good wishes! AND for stopping by to chat!

The Plague of Doves sounds good. I haven't read Erdrich for a long, long time.

Hi, cammykitty!

I am currently reading Erdrich's The Round House and really liking it. It's a different kind of read--it's more like a detective story right now. A friend of mine who teaches English recommended The Painted Drum also.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I love seeing posts on my thread. I think I have your thread starred, but I'll go make sure!

A few years at Diversicon, we had a prof of Native American studies from the U of MN there that said Erdrich had tried her hand at a Science Fiction/Fantasy novel and her publishers said, no, not this genre from you. !!! I would've liked to have seen it, especially if she's been visiting the mystery genre. I think she can genre-hop all she likes. When you're done with The Round House, you'll have to tell me which one to pick up first.

That's interesting what you say about Erdrich and SFF--one of the main characters in The Round House is a teenage boy, and he and his friends are big fans of Star Trek (but The Next Generation, not the original).

Even though I haven't finished The Round House yet, I would suggest you read The Plague of Doves first--so many of the characters in The Round House we first meet in The Plague of Doves, and the physical setting of the book is established in the first book.

Thanks for stopping by to chat!

21. Sarah Binks by Paul Hiebert

I read Louise Penny's The Cruelest Month in January, and "Sarah Binks" was referenced there in one character's sarcastic putdown of a would-be poetess. I had to track down the original Sarah Binks, and here she is, in Hiebert's classic Canadian "biography" of the fictional "Sweet Songstress of Saskatchewan."

The book is a hoot and a half, poking fun at Saskatchewan, self-satisfied poets, rural life, and academic writing. (Have I missed anything?) I experienced some nice synchronicity reading this book, as I'm currently watching my way through "Corner Gas," a popular comedy Canadian TV show from the early aughts, and that show is set in Saskatchewan.

The humor in Sarah Binks is often blatant, but just as frequently it's a little bit subtler:

It is a long poem for Sarah. As a rule she expresses herself in a few short verses, leaving the rest to the reader's imagination, and herein, as her commentators are fond of pointing out, lies her greatest charm.

Hiebert loves to play with words, especially with names, it seems. For example, you have The Honourable A. E. Windheaver, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Grasshopper Control; Dr. Taj Mahal; Rosalind Drool. Some Saskatchewan town names: Quagmire, Pelvis, Detour, Hitching, Quorum, Baal, Vigil, Eraser, Scandal, Album Junction, and Jitters. Very silly, but pretty darn funny.

I wanted to quote one of her poems in my little report; this is called "Me and My Love and Me":

Over the moor at dusk there fled
The dismal clouds, and we,
Facing the rain, with might and main,
Me and my love and me.

The sea-gull screamed, the reeds were ent,
But hand-in-hand the three,
We hurried on--going against wind,
Me and my love and me.

This is a fun and clever book; it's not very long, and has a great density of giggles.

22. Morning in the Burned House by Margaret Atwood

And, on the completely other hand, is this book of poetry. This book was also referenced in The Cruelest Month, but by a quotation from one of its poems, "Half-Hanged Mary."

Some early stanzas from that poem:

I was hanged for living alone,
for having blue eyes and a sunburned skin,
tattered skirts, few buttons,
a weedy farm in my own name,
and surefire cure for warts;

Oh yes, and breasts,
and a sweet pear hidden in my body.
Whenever there's talk of demons
these come in handy.

Later on in the poem:

...I call
on you as witness I did
no crime I was born I have borne I
bear I will be born this is
a crime I will not
acknowledge leaves and wind
hold on to me
I will not give in

Magnificent.

This is a beautiful book of poetry, and I enjoyed it very much. There are many themes (not just witchcraft!) and one specific series dealing with the last days and death of a parent.

What interesting books you've been reading, Karen! Thanks for the reviews!

Hi, Dejah! Thanks for stopping by!

23. Once On a Time by A. A. Milne

Here I thought I was caught up with Milne, then ronincats is recommending "a delightful quirky little fairy tale type story" called Once on a Time.

I found the book just delightful. Not only was my copy a classic, old-book-smelling and feeling, with beautiful drawings and clever chapter names, but it is a very well-written, funny, lovely book. I gave it five stars, and I need to find a copy for my own, to be read when I ever need a little lift.

Here's a sample:

In any trouble Belvane comforted herself by reading up her diary. She undid the enormous volume, and, idly turning the pages, read some of the more delightful extracts to herself.

"Monday, June 1st," she read. "Became bad."

She gave a sigh of resignation to the necessity of being bad. Roger Scurvilegs is of the opinion that she might have sighed a good many years before. According to him she was born bad.

"Tuesday, June 2nd," she read on. "Realised in the privacy of my heart that I was destined to rule the country. Wednesday, June 3rd. Decided to oust the Princess. Thursday, June 4th. Began ousting."

Here's another passage I just love:

Wiggs looked puzzled. She had been dusting the books in the library; and when you dust books you simply must stop every now and then to take just one little peep inside, and then you look inside another one and another one, and by the time you have finished dusting, your head is so full of things you have seen that you have to be asked questions very slowly indeed.

Thank you so much to ronincats for the recommendation!

Oh, you are VERY welcome! This is a jewel of a tale that is woefully unknown. Thank YOU so much for following up on my suggestion and reading it. I do so love to share it.

ETA when looking for your own copy, be careful. My original 1966 paperback has the illustrations, but when I got a reading copy (because if I read that one any more, it will fall apart), it was a 1988 paperback that has no illustrations.

Oh no! The illustrations add so much to it. Although some of them are a little difficult to decipher (!), they are so beautiful and airy. The copy I read (I had to ILL it, and a label indicated that it was a gift to an academic library from an English Lit professor), had a beautiful colored illustration of Princess Hyacinth at the front of the book. Would that have been hand-colored, do you think?

So thanks for the advice. I'll let you know how I fare.

24. The Round House by Louise Erdrich

I think Ms. Erdrich is my new favorite author. She has such a gift with words, with explaining, with presenting the feelings and thoughts of her characters.

I've now read The Plague of Doves and its successor (not quite a sequel), The Round House. This second book could be read on its own, but the read is made so much richer by knowing the history of the characters that was put forward in the first book.

The Round House is primarily about Geraldine, a woman who is brutally assaulted and escapes near-death. It's about the effect of this crime on her, her young teenage son (the narrator of the book), her husband, and, in fact, the entire reservation on which they live. Erdrich gives us clear pictures of the world of the reservation, of Native culture, of issues surrounding them. There's a wonderful behind-the-scenes description of the local annual pow wow. And there is the story of the narrator, young Joe, and his friends and family.

The motif of the Round House appears throughout the novel. The round house is a place of meeting, a place for ritual and ceremony.

...together they had built the round house, the sleeping woman, the unkillable mother, the old lady buffalo. They'd built that place to keep their people together and to ask for mercy from the Creator, since justice was so sketchily applied on earth.

This was, at times, a difficult book to read. There is tragedy, but there is also hope, even humor. I would definitely consider rereading the book, and there would be more to reharvest and to glean from it. But first I think I will catch up with more of the author's books--I think The Painted Drum is next.

Great review of The Round House. The Plague of Doves is going high up on the WL. & I didn't realize this was going to happen, but one of the classes I assist is about to start reading The Birchbark House. They're 6th graders. Erdrich might be a little difficult for 6th graders, but we'll see. I haven't read it, but I'm sure it's no Little House in the Big Woods.

I've had my eye on The Round House. Your review makes me want to bump it up on the TBR list! The quote is beautiful.

I think I may have to read The Plague of Doves soon so that I can read The Round House. It sounds like my experience will be richer by reading them in order.

Yes! Read both The Plague of Doves and The Round House. Erdrich is one of my favorites.

Karen - thanks for the recommendation for the Atwood book of poems. I haven't read poetry seriously in a long time, but I think I might be ready to start up again.

lalbro, I hope you read this one. It's a little thing, and can be read in big chunks or little bites. You could kind of ease your way back into poetry.

Thanks for stopping by to chat!

I just requested Once on a Time from the library - a copy from 1962, so I hope it has the illustrations. My thanks to both you, Karen and Roni!

I think your 1962 version might be the same as the one I read. I hope you like it as much as we did!

Oh, Dejah, I'm so glad you are going to read it too.

Karen, you can count Once On a Time for Fantasy February if you like!

Ooh, Roni, that's true! I also just finished Divergent, which is Fantasy of a dystopic nature. It's just amazing to me how varied the Fantasy genre is!

And, Dejah, the copy of Once On a Time that I read was the original 1917 version! It seems to be really rare, so I was quite lucky to find a copy on interlibrary loan. I hope the 1962 version is just as good!

25. Divergent by Veronica Roth

I believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.

So runs the oath of the Dauntless faction, the faction that Tris chooses as her own.

This YA dystopia knocked my socks off! The world that Roth describes is so different from ours, yet one can see similarities and even some ominous foreshadowings (partisan politics, anyone?).

I found the book really violent in parts, but stuck with it and I'm glad that I did. I found a lot to think about in this story of a society broken into factions that are seemingly opposed to each other. But how can such a society last?

Can't wait to read the second book in the series - Insurgent. I'm on a kind of lengthy request list at the library.

>97 klobrien2: I'm always surprised when they allow really old books to circulate via ILL - it's great you were able to get it!

Dejah, I am also surprised when they let the books that seem so valuable "out."

When I come across a book like that, I feel like there's a kind of magic there. I imagine that the book is so happy to be out, and to be being read, and it almost feels like a sacred thing to me. I'm sure it sound a little goofy (or a lot!) but I'm more than willing to do my part to refresh the old books.

26. A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin

Wow! I'm loving the read of the A Song of Ice and Fire series. This book is the second of the current five books; another two are planned, I believe.

Mr. Martin weaves another tapestry of fantasy, this time with a little more magic and a lot more military and war. His convention of naming the chapters after individual characters helps to keep the story moving, I think, and reminds the reader that things are happening all over, and that each event impacts many more in turn.

Here are some of the passages that I marked in my reading, that had special meaning to me:

Power resides where men believe it resides. No more and no less.

The seven gods of Westeros are: Maid, Mother, Warrior, Smith, Crone, Father, Stranger.

The oath of fealty: "To Winterfell we pledge the faith of Greywater. Hearth and heart and harvest we yield up to you, my lord. Our swords and spears and arrows are yours to command. Grant mercy to our weak, help to our helpless, and justice to all, and we shall never fail you. I swear it by earth and water. I swear it by bronze and iron. We swear it by ice and fire."

A hymn to the Mother:

Gentle Mother, font of mercy,
save our sons from war, we pray,
stay the swords and stay the arrows,
let them know a better day.

Gentle Mother, strength of women,
help our daughters through this fray,
soothe the wrath and tame the fury,
teach us all a kinder way.

Once I finished A Clash of Kings, I found I had a lot more time to read other books! I'd been dying to read some Buffy graphic novels that I had from the library, but made myself wait until the new month.



27. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight Volume 7: Twilight by Brad Meltzer



28. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight Volume 8: Last Gleaming by Joss Whedon

Such fun storylines and dialogue, and terrific illustrating, as usual! The graphic novels can be much racier than the television show ever was. "Season 8" winds up; there is a Season 9; and I'll be jumping in on that one, too. I may make myself wait until April to read more.

29. Doctor Who: The Early Years by Jeremy Bentham

Husband and I have started a quest to watch the Doctor Who television series, starting from the absolute beginning, and dependent upon whatever DVDs we can find, either at our own library system (a few), or through ILL (the majority).

This wonderfully-illustrated book is such a good companion to the early Doctor Who shows, and was a real treat to read. There are show summaries, lists of casts, insider insights, lots of photos and design drawings--all sure to make an enthusiast happy.

Took a break from housework and reading to watch "Wordplay," the documentary about the world of crossword puzzles. I can't believe I had never seen the movie before, but it's been on my list for a long time.

I solve the NYTimes puzzle every day, and really enjoy it. I follow the "Rex Parker" blog (funny, funny people) on a near daily basis as well. I'm sure that being a voracious reader helps make one a good puzzle solver--it sure doesn't hurt.

In the movie, I noticed that when puzzle people were interviewed in their homes, they were surrounded by, literally, WALLS of books. Not the stylishly stacked and color-coordinated shelves you sometimes see in design magazines, but books of all shapes and sizes crammed onto shelves willy-nilly, to the ceiling. It felt like home!

Good movie!

30. Very Good, Jeeves! by P. G. Wodehouse

Wonderfully fun bunch of short stories, #4 in the series.

Here are a few of my favorite passages:

As Shakespeare says, if you're going to do a thing you might just as well pop right at it and get it over.

He was so crusted with alluvial deposits that one realized how little a mere bath would ever be able to effect. To fit him to take his place once more in polite society, he would certainly have to be sent to the cleaner's. Indeed, it was a moot point whether it wouldn't be simpler just to throw him away.

Hey Karen!

"Wordplay" sounds interesting - I'll check Netflix for it.

I have been meaning to read some P.G. Wodehouse for years. Where would you suggest I begin?

Hi Karen, oh dear, I am very far behind!

I loved your review of the Louise Erdrich books. I have one on my pile -- I think it's The Painted Drum, but I can't think that I've read her before. Several librarians recommend The Birchbark House to students, but I've not read that one, either.

On Beauty did NOT work for me. I read it for my book club, and none of us liked it. Unfortunately because of that book I've never wanted to read anything else by Zadie Smith, which is too bad, for I hear others of hers are good.

I love the sound of the early Precious Ramotswe books. Come to think of it, I bet Callia would like the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books. When you can start to read YA and adult titles, your reading world just opens up!

Divergent is another book that didn't really work for me. Maybe I overdid it on dystopia, but I never had the desire to read Insurgent (though Callia really liked them both). I remember reading a review of it where a reader proposed a title for the third book: Detergent (where Tris can wash that man right outta her hair). Made me giggle.

Hope you're having a good week!

Edited to say that I LOVED Wordplay! One of the very few movies I saw in the theater. I should look for it at the library :)

aack aack aacck book bullets all over the place-- I ducked most of 'em .... but Morning in the Burned House will definitely be in my Atwood in April plans. Thank you for quoting that gorgeous poem.

Hi, Dejah_thoris! I hope you like Wordplay. I watched most of the extra features, too, and thought they were very worthwhile. There are even crosswords that you can print out to solve!

With Wodehouse, I started with Thank You, Jeeves because it was the only Wodehouse listed in 1001 Books. My Man Jeeves is the first book, chronologically. I guess I would recommend reading them chronologically, although the ones that I've read stand on their own, too. This last one was my favorite so far, I think. Very Good, Jeeves was so funny.

Hi, Anne! I'm really enjoying Erdrich's books. Now that I've read some of her later books, I'm going back to the beginning--The Beet Queen is next up for me. I am a big fan of Alexander McCall Smith, and he is VERY prolific. I thought that The Great Cake Mystery was adorable, and I hope that AMS follows up with more books for kids.

Hi, Streamsong! Morning in the Burned House is gorgeous--a perfect fit for Atwood April.

Thank you all for stopping by to chat! Sometimes I feel a little isolated on LT, but you prove that there are people out there! I visit all of your threads and enjoy keeping up with you and what you're reading.

31. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

I loved this book! Its plot is hard to describe, but what fills it is a love for the printed word--from libraries and bookstores, to printing presses, to computers and computer code, to even the fonts used in printing.

It is easy to read, and the author took care with his words--few seem to be wasted.

Cool concept: printing was the internet of its day.

There is no immortality that is not built on friendship and work done with care. All the secrets in the world worth knowing are hiding in plain sight. It takes forty-one seconds to climb a ladder three stories tall. It's not easy to imagine the year 3012, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try. We have new capabilities now--strange powers we're still getting used to. The mountains are a message from Aldrag the Wyrm-Father. Your life must be an open city, with all sorts of ways to wander in.

32. Richard Castle's Storm Season: A Derrick Storm Mystery by Brian Michael Bendis, et al.

Really fun graphic novel (second in the series), based on a fictional character written by a fictional character (Castle) from the television series, "Castle." Derrick Storm is a private detective, who sometimes works with the CIA. The plot is good, and the drawing is great. An added feature shows how the pages are developed from the script, to pencil, to inks, to full color.

I liked Mr. Penumbra too, although perhaps not quite as much as you!

I'm about 80 pages into Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore and I'm really enjoying it. I'm glad you added it to the TIOLI, because it helped motivate me to pick it up!

My Man Jeeves it is - thanks!

I've added "Wordplay" to my netflix queue - I'll probably watch it next week. I'm looking forward to it!

Hey, Dejah, I'm glad you're liking Mr. Penumbra. And I just love getting shared points for TIOLI, so thank you for joining in! Although, as Roni shows by post 112 (Hi, Roni!), everyone has a different take on any particular book. I just happened to be in the perfect mood for a book like this.

I hope you like My Man Jeeves (what's not to like?) and "Wordplay" as much as I did.

Have a good weekend, both of you!

33. More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow by Stephanie O'Dea

This is the author's second cookbook (2010) her first book came out in 2009, but she's been writing a slow-cooker blog for even longer.

I love her style--no nonsense, as far as the recipes are concerned, but she includes little snippets of her private life, and a lot of really funny comments. I normally don't "read" cookbooks, but hers can be read like that.

This book is imminently usable--it's split into sections by cost of making the items ($7 and under, $10 and under, $15 and under). The author includes helpful miscellaneous recipes (e.g., for herbes de Provence, or for taco seasoning). In addition to a great index to the recipes, there is a "Staples" section, with recipes for broths, baby food, etc. AND! her family needs a gluten-free diet, so all of the recipes are written that way, but O'Dea gives alternatives if you don't need gluten-free.

I read a library copy of the book, which has to go back tomorrow, but I'm sure I'll be getting my own copy of this book, to join my copy of the author's first. I'm sure I'll be using the second book as often as I use the first one.

I treat the slow-cooker as an Easy-Bake oven for grown-ups.
(I LOVED my Easy-Bake oven when I was a kid!)

Her "Verdict" on a recipe for Apple-Pecan Bread Pudding (num!):

In a perfect world, little fairies would assemble this in the middle of the night so I could eat it every morning. I'd like them to set up the coffeepot, too.

Alright - I may have to get this cookbook from the library. It sounds like fun!

34. My World and Welcome to It by James Thurber

A secondary title on the cover of this book reads, "A collection of short pieces with drawings by the author." While most of the short pieces are humorous (some really, really funny), some are more essay-like. The book is split into two parts; Part Two deals exclusively with France and Thurber's experiences in that country pre-WWII. Really excellent drawings, done in Thurber's special style, are throughout, and I loved them.

I've been trying to get this book read for a while, since I read a few other Thurber volumes last year. I thoroughly enjoyed Part One of the book, which contains the classic "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty." I mostly enjoyed Part Two, and I understand why it was included here (in homage to France, and in encouragement of happy memories of that country). However, Part Two read pretty much as travel writing, and I worked hard to keep my interest up.

But, in total, a very nice read and I'd give it a strong recommendation.

Here are a few of my favorite passages from this book:

From Part One, a piece called, "Memorial," a beautiful ode to a loved pet (one of the surprising non-jocular bits):

The poodle kept her sight, her hearing, and her figure up to her quiet and dignified end. She knew that the Hand was upon her and she accepted it with a grave and unapprehensive resignation. This, her dark intelligent eyes seemed to be trying to tell me, is simply the closing of full circle, this is the flower that grows out of Beginning; this--not to make it too hard for you, friend--is as natural as eating the raspberries and raising the puppies and riding into the rain.

From Part Two, "You Know How the French Are," a piece that shows how much of a Francophile the author was--he seemed to love everything about the French (the people and the language):

It is interesting to note that mouche, in the sense used here means dog, although it ordinarily means fly. It also has some other meanings, which I thought might interest you: it means speck, beauty spot, a short imperial beard, the button of a foil, the bull's-eye of a target, a river passenger steamer, an advice boat, a spy, a parasite, a dun, an unfortunate person, impatience, anger, and a game of cards also known as loo. No wonder the French get mixed up.

35. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

I read this YA book last year, as a print book with wonderful, fantastical (and a little scary) illustrations. I've just finished listening to the audiobook version, recorded by Jason Isaacs (who played Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies).

I loved the printed book, and I love the audiobook version! I've never been so compelled by an audiobook--they usually put me to sleep. But Isaacs was very, very good at the voices, and has such a wonderful voice to begin with, I could have listened to him all day. The listener doesn't miss out on the illustrations--they are included in the final disc of the set.

I don't remember who it was who recommended the audio version, but thank you very much!

Hi Karen,
I gave Mr. Penumbra to my brother -- hoping it makes its way back to me at some point:)

I love your description of the James Thurber!

36. The Importance of Being Seven by Alexander McCall Smith

The sixth volume in Smith's "44 Scotland Street" series, books written in serial, short chapters, following the everyday (and not so everyday) lives of a lovely set of characters.

I adore the author's writing, and his productivity--it seems like there's always a new book in one of his series to track down. This series centers around young Bertie, who is nearing the age of seven, and who is quite extraordinary and charming. Of course, almost all of the characters we meet in these books are lovable; and the ones who are not, are at least funny.

37. My Brother's Book by Maurice Sendak

A beautiful book, the last from the late Maurice Sendak.

I've read only a few of Sendak's children's books, but I recognized his voice (and his art) right away. As Stephen Greenblatt wrote in the introduction, in Sendak's books, "love often takes the form of menace, and safe havens are reached, if they are reached at all, only after terrifying adventures." That was true about Where the Wild Things Are and it's true about this little jewel of a book. Tony Kushner writes on the back cover, "It's the kind of fairy tale a grieving child tells, a lament, a consolation, and a farewell."

This is a story of separation and of reunion; of loss, and then, gain. The painted illustrations are magnificient, achingly beautiful. The writing is gorgeous, if a little mystifying. It's the kind of book that could be read again and again, and it would offer solace each time.

38. A Family of Poems by Caroline Kennedy, ed.

I recently attended a webinar put on by Booklist and The Poetry Foundation, and this book was mentioned as an example of a poetry anthology for children. I remember reading about the book when it was first published, but had never picked up a copy.

The book is gorgeous! The poetry is wonderful, both the poems I was familiar with, and the ones I wasn't. The poems aren't just for children, but can be enjoyed by adults and children alike.

The illustrations by Jon J. Muth are spectacular; gorgeous, color-soaked paintings that treat the eyes very well.

One of my favorite poems (in the deep midwinter as we are), by Robert Browning, "Pippa's Song":

The year's at the spring
And day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven;
The hillside's dew-pearled;
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn:
God's in his heaven--
All's right with the world!

I'll be finding my own copy of this treasury, to share with my grandkiddos, and to read for my own enjoyment. Can't recommend it enough.

A Family of Poems sounds wonderul - and "Pippa's Song" is one of my favorites. Thanks for the review!

Dejah, I'm just in love with A Family of Poems--I really need to have a copy of my own. I hope you like it as much as I do, if you get the chance to read it.

Thanks for stopping to chat!

I've already requested it from the library, Karen!

39. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

I've been intending to read this book for a LONG time, since friends both here on LT and in real life have recommended it so highly. I finally got to it in time for March TIOLI, and I'm so glad I did.

The book is hilarious, intriguing, thought-provoking. The heroine is Thursday Next, a smart and brave literary detective who battles evil forces in their attempts to disrupt great works of literature.

I loved everything about this book--and it kept me alternately giggling and misting over throughout. Definitely rereadable, and I'm in for the series now!

I'm glad you enjoyed The Eyre Affair! I read it last year and loved it. I almost waited too long between books. I didn't read the second one until a few weeks ago, almost a year later. It's connected to the events in book 1 so it will help if book 1 is still fresh in your mind.

I loved The Eyre Affair, too. I think Carrie's right - don't wait too long between books if can avoid it. I read The Eyre Affair when it was first published and I've reread it several times as others in the series have been published!

Hiya, cbl_tn and Dejah! I am going to take your good advice and get started on the second book ASAP. Thanks!

Like Dejah, I've been reading this series since the first book was published, and usually reread the earlier books when a new one comes out. There are so many hilarious moments scattered throughout the books--and if I were more up on English lit, I'm sure even more than I caught. I'd love an annotated version. But at least I was familiar with Jane Eyre.

Yup, I think familiarity with Jane Eyre was critical in the reading of The Eyre Affair. Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books (maybe my absolute favorite), so I felt like the Fforde book was a continuation of that well-loved story.

Can't wait to read the next book--it's on its way to me at the library.

Thanks for stopping by, roni!

40. The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka

A beautiful, joyful, tearful book. I just finished it, and I'm still thrilled for the insights into this piece of American history, and angry at the cruel and unjustified resettlement activities against the Japanese-Americans of the times.

Haruko left a tiny laughing brass Buddha up high, in a corner of the attic, where is is still laughing to this day.

41. Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World by Steven Johnson

I read this book because the Science, Religion, and History group had picked it as their group read. That group's current thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/146538

I was familiar with the general points of the 1850s cholera epidemic that centered on the Broad Street water pump. But the author of this book has quite a way with words and added so much to my understanding. I really enjoyed the spotlight on the intellectual history that Johnson provides:

But London in 1854 was a Victorian metropolis trying to make do with an Elizabethan infrastructure.

The history of knowledge conventionally focuses on breakthrough ideas and conceptual leaps. But the blind spots on the map, the dark continents of error and prejudice, carry their own mystery as well. How could so many intelligent people be so grievously wrong for such an extended period of time? How could they ignore so much overwhelming evidence that contradicted their most basic theories? These questions, too deserve their own discipline--the sociology of error.

This is how great intellectual breakthroughs usually happen in practice. It is rarely the isolated genius having a eureka moment alone in the lab. Nor is it merely a question of building on precedent, of standing on the shoulders of giants, in Newton's famous phrase. Great breakthroughs are closer to what happens in a flood plain; a dozen separate tributaries converge, and the rising waters lift this genius high enough that he or she can see around the conceptual obstruction of the age.

If I have one quibble with the book, it is that I read along for the first 200 pages, and the topics discussed were just as I expected them to be, although it did seem a little sloggy at the end. But the last forty or so pages found us almost all of a sudden in modern times, and looking at topics like the "city-planet" of the future, terrorism as one of the new threats to populations, cool internet tools to track disease (and they are pretty cool), etc. It seemed to me that the transition was not as smooth as it should have been; actually, that last forty pages seems like the start of a totally separate book--one that I'd really like to read.

Regardless, there was plenty here to think about, and I'll hope to come across other of the author's books in the future.

Wow you've been doing some great reading!
I also loved Mr Penumbra's 24-hour bookstore! You have made me want to run out and find the audio version of A Monster Calls! I hope my library has the same version that you listened to!

ChelleBearss, hi!

I was glad to listen to A Monster Calls - Jason Isaacs was terrific. I hope you can find it, and enjoy it as much as I did.

Thanks for stopping to chat!

133: that last forty pages seems like the start of a totally separate book--one that I'd really like to read.
Some of the same material is included and expanded in Future Perfect.

I'm kind of sad now that I missed the Ghost Map group read... all these reviews made it sound fascinating!

Qebo, thanks! I've got Future Perfect: The Case for Progress in a Networked Age marked TBR now. I wonder if the author had to pump up the page count in The Ghost Map or something.

dk_phoenix, I really enjoyed the read of Ghost Map--I hope you give it a try sometime.

Thanks to you both for stopping by!

I've got some chunky books underway (and some of those are on my Nook, so that's a blessing to my hands and wrists). While I have those going, I thought I'd work through some smaller books. I get nervous when I have more than 20 or so books out from the library (!)



42. Raj the Bookstore Tiger by Kathleen T. Pelley

I read this for a shared read in TIOLI challenge 1 this month (it's too early on a Sunday morning to explain the challenge, but it has something to do with the first three letters of the title, and working through the alphabet in a rolling manner). I always try to read a book for Challenge 1 (the challenge of the founder, SqueakyChu), and this book was a treat of a read. A win-win situation.

It's a kid's picture book, of course, and very well-drawn and told. And it features two beautiful cats, as well. A great story about empathy, and dreams, and being a friend.

43. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Freefall (Season 9, Volume 1) by Joss Whedon

Ooh, these graphic novels are a little addictive. I'm limiting myself to only two per month in an effort to extend the pleasure.

This volume had an okay plot (Buffy is being called to account for something she did that affected the entire world). The drawing was good, but not great, and there were a few drawings that were a little cringe-worthy (one long-shot view of a sticklike Buffy sticks in my minds' eye).

I'm really looking forward to this month's second "Buffy."

44. Morning in the Burned House by Margaret Atwood

I recently read this little book of poetry, and loved it. I joined in a shared read of the volume for this month's TIOLI Challenge 16 (Read a book by Margaret Atwood). I was so glad that I did.

I found my "old" favorites in the book, but I also found new insights and poems that hadn't meant as much to me a few months ago. I had kind of an "aha!" or "doh!" moment--when reading poetry, it's apparently quite important to reread, to revisit, to refocus on the poems. Who'da thunk it?!

With this read, here are a few of the passages that meant the most to me:

From "Red Fox":

Why encourage the notion
of virtuous poverty?
It's only an excuse
for zero charity.
Hunger corrupts, and absolute hunger
corrupts absolutely,
or almost.

From "Sekhmet, the Lion-Headed Goddess of War, Violent Storms, Pestilence, and Recovery from Illness, Contemplates the Desert in Metropolitan Museum of Art" (what a title!):

What did you expect from gods
with animal heads?
Though come to think of it
the ones made later, who were fully human,
were not such good news either.
Favour me and give me riches,
destroy my enemies.
That seems to be the gist.
Oh yes: And save me from death.
In return we're given blood
and bread, flowers and prayer,
and lip service.

And, from "Half-Hanged Mary," my absolute favorite poem last time, and this time, the closing lines. This time through, they struck me as the poet's description of her writing:

The words boil out of me,
coil after coil of sinuous possibility.
The cosmos unravels from my mouth,
all fulness, all vacancy.

Wonderful writing...

Hi Karen

I haven't visited in awhile. Now, I see what I've missed. You read some great books. I've added A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children, The Buddha in the Attic, Raj the Bookstore Tiger and Morning in the Burned House.

Four book bullets for now. I'll be back more often.

Thanks for posting the lovely poems.

Wow, Whisper1! I've been quite successful with the book bullets! I hope you like the books as much as I did.

Thanks for stopping by!

45. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

I read this now because it had shown up on this month's TIOLI, but it is also listed on the "1001 Books" list, and is generally considered a classic. I don't know why I haven't read it before. I thought I had read it in high school, many moons ago, but reading it now triggered no memories of a past read.

I should have read it a long time ago! It was a throughly enjoyable little gem of a read (In an introduction to the book, Tom Robbins calls it "A tough little wind-tossed blossom of a novel"). The book is about Siddhartha's search for wisdom, for meaning, for the perfect "Om" of life. It's also quite funny in spots, and achingly sad in others.

While on his journey of the soul and spirit, Siddhartha lives in the real world and encounters several fascinating characters, even the Gautama Buddha. He is born a son of a Brahmin, a privileged caste. He becomes, at turns, a religious hermit, a wealthy businessman, and a ferryman. He finds love. He fathers a son.

There is in fact--and this I believe--no such thing as what we call 'learning.' There is, my friend, only knowing, and this is everywhere; it is Atman, it is in me and in you and in every creature. And so I am beginning to believe that this knowing has no worse enemy than the desire to know, than learning itself.

Thought and sense were both fine things. Ultimate meaning lay hidden behind them; both should be listened to, played with, neither scorned nor overvalued, for in each of them the secret voice of the innermost core might be discerned.

There is a lot to think about here. I really enjoyed the read, and I will probably revisit this book in the future.

46. Dear Fatty by Dawn French

I really admire Dawn French, and think she's one of the funniest of the British comedians (and that's saying a bit!) However, I almost chucked this book before reading it--I had a little difficulty getting caught up in French's early years. I'm so glad I stuck with it. I almost felt like I had to because I'd requested the book via ILL--that's serious business! I think ILL-ness overrules the Pearl rule.

The book is set up as a series of letters to family, friends, and famous people. I believe the majority of the letters are addressed to her father, who died when French was only 19. But some are also addressed to "Fatty," the nickname of her friend and partner in comedy, Jennifer Lawrence.

I really enjoyed getting a behind-the-scenes look at French's life and career. French is a fine writer, and her letters read like warm, chatty journal entries of a friend.

Lots of pictures, too!

47. The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood

Another terrific Atwood read. There is such variety in her writing, but everything I've read so far shows her finesse with poetry and with subtly showing a culture and characters.

This is the second in the MaddAdam series (the first was Oryx and Crake) and I can.not.wait for the third book, coming out this fall.

There is so much in this book that is so applicable to our world; our trashing of the natural world, the power that corporations have over our lives, our vulnerability to pandemic. Terrifying, but yet there is hope.

Oryx and Crake is the only Atwood that I've read, and your review makes me want to get my hands on The Year of the Flood. With Oryx and Crake, I was amazed at how Atwood could create a dystopian future that was so disturbing, but yet so close to reality.

Oh, by all means, get Year of the Flood. It makes Oryx and Crake make so much more sense, and will set you up to read the third book, MaddAdam.

Atwood is great at building the warnings into her writing, without preaching. Her dystopias seems so likely, and that's probably we find them disturbing.

Thanks for stopping by to chat, porch_reader!

48. Unusual Uses for Olive Oil by Alexander McCall Smith

The latest in the series by the happily prolific author. Elsewhere (on FictFact, for example), the series is called the "2 1/2 Pillars of Wisdom" series; someone must have decided that was a goofy name, because here the series is called "The Portuguese Irregular Verbs" series (the name of the first book in the series).

Anyway, the series revolves around Herr Professor Dr Dr Moritz-Maria von Iglefeld, a German academic specializing in Portuguese philology. He is comic because he is so much an academic, and so out of sync with the rest of the world. And that is why he is also so sad and lonely. He gets so close to finding connection with people, and his behavior brings it to a quick end. There are people who care about him (his co-workers) so hope remains that he will find happiness and love.

The books are funny and sweet, and these give a good look into the Institute and into the European surroundings in which von Iglefeld finds himself.

49. Speaking From Among the Bones by Alan Bradley

Another very nice installment in the Flavia de Luce series. Quite a pleasant cozy mystery, with the ever-spunky young Flavia as our intrepid hero. I'l be sad to see the series end (looks like there are two more books planned), but I think the books would be quite rereadable.

Here are a few of my favorite passages:

It was one of those glorious days in March when the air was so fresh that you worshipped every whiff of it; that each breath of the intoxicating stuff created such new universes in your lungs and brain you were certain you were about to explode with sheer joy; one of those blustery days of scudding clouds and piddling showers and gum boots and wind-blown brollies that made you know you were truly alive.

************************************

I flipped on the switch marked "Shuddering Sobs," but nothing came.

Damnation! I used to be a dab hand at water on demand. What on earth was happening to me? Was I becoming hardened? Was this what being twelve was going to be like?

50. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

Another wonderful Atwood read for "Atwood April." This one has left me quite a little ruffled, and I'm musing about the character of Grace and the world in which she lived. And, for that matter, the world in which I live. Grace's world was a violent one, a repressed one, and there was always the question of what was real, what were people's intentions. I love books that leave you thinking long after you finish them.

Here are some of my favorite passages (I had a lot of them). Atwood is so gifted with language, and I think her skill at poetry is reflected in her skill at prose.

Although from you I far must roam,
Do not be broken hearted,
We two who in the Soul are One
Are never truly parted.

...some called it Eve's curse but she thought that was stupid, and the real curse of Eve was having to put up with the nonsense of Adam, who as soon as there was any trouble, blamed it all on her.

How could he not have noticed that the man had a mouth like a depraved brothel-trotter. A calculating voluptuary.

Behind it is the graveyard, neat and green, the dead kept under firm control. No rambling weeds here, no tattered wreaths, no jumble and confusion; nothing like the baroque efflorescences of Europe. No angels, no Calvaries, no nonsense. Heaven, for the Presbyterians, must resemble a banking establishment, with each soul tagged and docketed, and placed in the appropriate pigeonhole.

The pattern of this quilt is called the Tree of Paradise, and whoever named that pattern said better than she knew, as the Bible does not say Trees. It says there were two different trees, the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge; but I believe there was only the one, and that the Fruit of Life and the Fruit of Good and Evil were the same. And if you ate of it you would die, but if you didn't eat of it you would die also; although if you did eat of it, you would be less bone-ignorant by the time you got around to your death.

51. The World of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes

What a treat this book was! Tons of gorgeous photos and illustrations of the television show (of course), but also historical. The book gives a look inside the production of the show, and also lets us see the real actors who play the parts of the fictional characters, as well as the historical characters who inspired the show's characters.

The writing was crisp and organized, the photographs were fantastic, and the author provided a list of resources for further study.

*waving* at Karen

Hi, Stasia! Great to see you waving at me! I keep checking your thread for visits from you, you elusive scholar, you. Hope you're having a great break from studies.

52. The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

I found this little book (part of the Canongate Myths series) charming and very clever. I've been reading for "Atwood April" in the 75-ers group, and have really enjoyed my reading of Atwood. I'm a new convert to the appreciation of Atwood's many talents, although I've read some of her books in past years. I plan to get caught up on her entire oeuvre (and to use other fancy French words as much as possible!)

This book can be seen as a retelling of the story of Penelope and Odysseus, but from the points of view of Penelope and a Greek Chorus consisting of the Twelve Maids that Odysseus killed upon his return to Ithaca. The Twelve Maids are wonderful--their wit is scathing, and funny, and tragic.

The book ends with an Envoi (which I'm including here--it is no plot spoiler--we've known all along that the Maids will die).

Envoi

we had no voice
we had no name
we had no choice
we had one face
one face the same

we took the blame
it was not fair
but now we're here
we're all here too
the same as you

and now we follow
you, we find you
now, we call
to you to you
too wit too woo

too wit too woo
too woo

The Maids sprout feathers, and fly away as owls.

53. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9, Volume 2: On Your Own

Another fun installment in this graphic novel series. Some really lovely artwork, and the writing stays clever and imaginative, whilst revisiting characters from the television show.

Hi Karen!

Wow, you did really well with Atwood April - I didn't manage to read any this month. For what ever reason I just wasn't up for it, but I applaud you success!

Wasn't the latest Flavia wonderful? It's such a long wait for the next one....

Hi, Dejah!

I had such a great time with Atwood--she is really one of my favorite writers now. My new Nook really helped--I was able to check out Atwood books (some kind of hefty ones) and read them electronically. I'm really excited about catching up with her writing, though, especially a few non-fiction titles that I hadn't been aware of.

Loved Speaking From Among the Bones--that was quite a cliffhanger at the end, wasn't it?!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I'm always thrilled to have visitors, especially nice ones like you!

You are very welcome - I like your thread!

As for the cliffhanger - oh my. There's two ways that could go and I really have no idea which one he's going for. I'm really looking forward to finding out, but I suppose we'll be waiting until sometime in 2014.

Fortunately, there are books coming out every month that I'm excited about. I just need to put Flavia out of my mind and concentrate on the ones that are coming!

#154: I am very much enjoying my break! I know it is going to be too short.

I tend to read a number of books concurrently (well, I take turns in reading a few books at one time). So it often happens that I wind them up at about the same time, and this is what's happened here. I've got three books to report on, this last day of April.



54. The Open Door: One Hundred Poems, One Hundred Years of Poetry Magazine ed. Don Shared and Christian Wiman

I'd heard about this anthology at a webinar I attended, given by Booklist and Poetry Magazine staff. Since April was Poetry Month here in the USA, I felt even more compelled to read this anthology.

It's a great assemblance of poetry, some a little bizarre, some a little too navel-gazey for my liking, but it was good reading. Poems were interspersed with quotes about poetry from famous and not-so-famous poets. There's a great "Contributors" section, which offers a quick biographical sketch of all of the poets.

The book begins with a fine introduction to the anthology, and even to Modernistic poetry in general (and I'm speaking as someone without a huge background in poetry). Here's one of my favorite quotes from the introduction:

Part of the enjoyment of poetry--and enormous part--is letting yourself experience things you do not understand, letting the textures and rhythms of verse take you to places in your consciousness--and unconsciousness--that you could not have accessed otherwise.

The founder of the magazine, Harriet Monroe, began with an idea that the magazine would be an Open Door:

The Open Door will be the policy of this magazine--may the great poet we are looking for never find it shut, or half-shut, against his ample genius! To this end the editors hope to keep free of entangling alliances with any single class or school. They desire to print the best English verse which is being written today, regardless of where, by whom, or under what theory of art it is written.

I really like that approach, and I really enjoyed reading this collection.

Further reading: Ariel by Sylvia Plath; Collected Poems by Wallace Stevens, more poetry by Margaret Atwood.

55. The Book of Job: When Bad Things Happened to a Good Person by Harold S. Kushner

I've been trying to get this book read for months now. Kushner is an excellent writer, and I like his way of thinking, but the book of Job is a little dry for the most part. But I've always been fascinated by Job, and have read a few books about the biblical book.

This was an excellent read. The author is organized and succinct, but does not stint on personal insights and arguments. He has written several books on coping with life's disappointments; the one that I knew of previously was When Bad Things Happen to Good People. Kushner got through my thick skull, and I feel like I understand the book of Job quite a bit better.

A favorite section of the book of Job for me is when God speaks from the whirlwind, and describes his creatures Behemoth and Leviathan. I've heard so many variations on those two creatures, but Kushner's seems to spot-on to me. Kushner believes that Behemoth represents the Primal Life Force, or ambition. Leviathan is an Agent of Chaos, or randomness.

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

The temptation for many a Bible scholar is to assume that the genius who wrote the book believed and thought much as the scholar does.

Job will affirm God's power but challenge His uncompromised goodness.

Here's how the author winds up his analysis:

Having heard God say to Job, It will not be a perfect world, but it will be a world marked by great natural beauty, inspiring human creativity, and astonishing human resilience, and I will be with you in all of those times, I, like Job, respond:

"Em'as v'nihamti al afar v'efer" (Job's final seven words). I repudiate my past accusations, my doubts, even my anger. I have experienced the reality of God. I know that I am not alone, and, vulnerable mortal that I am, I am comforted.

Further reading/viewing for me:

Adam, Eve, and the Serpent by Elaine Pagels
Subversive Sequels in the Bible by Judy Klitsner
When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold S. Kushner
Creation and the Persistence of Evil by Jon Levenson
J. B. by Archibald MacLeish (a play)
A Serious Man (a film, retelling of Job, in modern dress)

56. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

I joined in a read of this book for April's TIOLI challenge, and was glad I did. I had difficulty understanding the ways of the African culture, but the book did tell stories that aren't told too often in the Western world. This is a book about culture conflict, about generational conflict, about gender conflict. This is a sad book; there is a lot of violence and death.

Achebe wrote some beautiful description:

Th night was impenetrably dark. The moon had been rising later and later every night until it was seen only at dawn. And whenever the moon forsook evening and rose at cock-crow the nights were as black as charcoal.

160: Stasia, have a great break! School is a relentless time-hog while one's going through it, but what a great reward at the end. When I got my BA in 2004, I called myself a "28-Year Senior," because it had taken me that long to graduate (with 20-some years in the middle where I was doing other things!) Now I find that I really miss school! I might have to try Coursera or something.

Now I'm going to pop over to your thread. I have you starred, but I am WAY behind on my thread-reading.

Some good reading going on over here!

#162: I have read Kushner's When Bad Things Happen to Good People, but not his book on Job. I will have to see if my local library has a copy. Thanks for the recommendation, Karen!

Hi, there, thornton and stasia! I've been enjoying my reading a lot lately (well, that's kind of like, always!) LT has been such a good source for reading suggestions over these last few years. And for reading companionship.

Stasia, I hope you can get your hands on the Kushner book, and that you like it as much as I did.

Thanks to you both for stopping by!

57. Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde

The second in the Thursday Next series. I just love these books! They are full of such humor and imagination; just when you think you've encountered THE most inventive, clever bit EVER, along comes another episode or phrasing to stake its claim to that rank. This book is full of travel--in time, in place, and in and out of books. Thursday, our heroine, becomes an apprentice to "Jurisfiction," an international assembly of characters, fictional and otherwise, who protect every book ever written, and a lot else.

Thursday's dad is an outlaw time-traveler, and he gives her some advice about traveling in time:

Time is the glue of the cosmos, Thursday, and it has to be eased apart--try to force events and they end up whacking you on the frontal lobes like a cabbage from six paces.

One of my favorite characters in the book is Thursday's grandmother.

"I am cursed to eternal life!"

"Perhaps it just seems like it, Gran."

"Insolent pup," she replied as she returned my serve. "I didn't attain one hundred and eight years on physical fortitude or a statistical quirk alone. Your point."

I served again and missed her return. She paused for a moment.

"I got mixed up with some oddness in my youth, and the long and short of it is that I can't shuffle off this mortal coil until I have read the ten most boring classics."

I looked into her bright eyes. She wasn't kidding.

"How far have you got?" I replied, returning another ball that flew wide.

"Well, that's the trouble, isn't it?" she replied, serving again. "I read what I think is the dullest book on God's own earth, finish the last page, go to sleep with a smile on my face and wake up the following morning feeling better than ever!"

I'm a fan of the Thursday Next series, too. I need to get back to them soon!

And the next two are very, very good! I love Hamlet in Something Rotten! And the Wuthering Heights therapy group...

The Wuthering Heights therapy group is a hoot!

Oh, man, I can't wait!! I must go straight to my library and find the next one! (Wuthering Heights therapy group!)

58. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

I am probably the penultimate person to read this book (I joined in a TIOLI read of this book, and the other person hasn't finished it yet so I'm not THE last). I'm sorry that I waited so long to read it. I found it thoroughly enjoyable in its plot, its framework (letters between characters), and the history that it relates (the island of Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands, during and post- WWII). A comfortable, lovely read. I laughed, I cried, I made notes for further reading--what more could I want?

That's what I love about reading: one tiny thing will interest you in a book, and that tiny thing will lead you onto another book, and another bit there will lead you onto a third book. It's geometrically progressive--all with no end in sight, and for no other reason than sheer enjoyment.

Readng good books ruins you for enjoying bad books.

The two of them together *benasties* the mind. (I love that word!)

Annie Barrows talks about the book:

The membership of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society increases each time the book is read and enjoyed. The wonderful thing about books--and the thing that made them such a refuge for the islanders during the occupation--is that they take us out of our time and place and understanding, and transport us not just into the world of the story, but into the world of our fellow readers, who have stories of their own.

>173 klobrien2: I'm glad you enjoyed that one! It's lovely, isn't it? One of these days I plan to "re-read" the audio version. I think it might work well in that format.

Hi, cbl_tn--I'm sure you're right, "Guernsey Literary" in audio format would be so cool. That one would be fun to read out loud, wouldn't it? Imagining all of the different voices and personalities brought to life with the voice. I might join you in an audio "re-read"!

Randomly perusing 75ers thread and found yours - you seem to read loads of the same stuff as me, so going to shamelessly add you to my lurking stack if that's ok :)

And you've totally spawned a Buffy GN buying spree...I'd gotten somewhat behind. Darn...

Edited to add that I may have lurked you before... this post feels familiar...

Hi, BekkaJo! Thanks for stopping to chat--I'm going right this second to "star" your thread (I don't think I have it starred yet--sorry!).

I'm really enjoying the Buffy graphic novels. By limiting myself to no more than 2 per month, I'm extending the yummy goodness a little.

See you around!

59. Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer

I loved this YA dystopia, the second in The Lunar Chronicles series, a lot, maybe even more than the first, Cinder. The author is a very clever and inventive sort, and the characters are involving and sympathetic. Now, where's the next book??? Hmmm??? (Just checked: FictFact says Cress is due out Jan 1, 2014.)

60. 14 Cows for America by Carmen Agra Deedy, illus. Thomas Gonzalez

A wonderful picture book illustrating a sweet story of compassion and empathy post-911. Gorgeous ilustrations and an inspiring message make this a terrific book for all ages.

61. Atomic Ranch: Design Ideas for Stylish Ranch Homes by Michelle Gringeri-Brown

Read in response to a great TIOLI challenge (read a book in the top 10% of your TBR, using the LT "Average Rating" feature). I enjoyed this book, I live in a rambler that I love, but the "mid-century" look leave me a little cold. It's a very modernistic look, kind of cheesy (in my opinion), but I enjoyed seeing the houses and learning about the times in which they were built (post-war, GI Bill era). I recognized a lot of the design elements (I was a child in the '60s). The average rating for this book was 4.42, based on 55 ratings. I gave the book 3.5 stars.

62. The Magic of Oz by L. Frank Baum

The 13th in Baum's Oz books. The plot in this one moved along very nicely, and many of the old characters were referenced, which brought happy smiles to my face. This volume was published posthumously, as was Baum's final book,Glinda of Oz, which is next up for me.

Many authors carried on the writing of the Oz books after Baum's passing; I haven't decided if I will carry on with them. Maybe I'll see how difficult it might be to locate copies--it was not difficult at all to find the lovely "Books of Wonder" series at my local library.

Wonderful, fun reads!

I keep thinking I should read some Oz... hmmm...

Do you have an e-reader? I think all the Oz book are on Project Gutenberg so free to download. I have a sneaking suspicion that my hubby downloaded about 30 of them the other day.

Yes, BekkaJo, I have a Nook (and I love it). My library has a link to downloadable Project Gutenberg books, so that would be a snap to do. However, part of the joy of reading Baum's Oz books has been their very-much-paper format - the Books of Wonder reproductions. They are just gorgeous. I looked up the next book after Baum's in the series - The Royal Book of Oz - and my library has a Books of Wonder edition. I might be in for the long haul!

And I'd highly recommend the Oz books to you. They are very, very easy reads, lots of fun, lots of wordplay. They have been like balm to my brain when I feel stressed or overtaxed.

Great to see you here--thanks for stopping to chat!

63. J.B.: A Play in Verse by Archibald MacLeish

I was turned onto this play by The Book of Job: When Bad Things Happened to a Good Person; the play is a retelling of the story of the biblical Job. Then when a TIOLI challenge came along to read something that had won or which had been nominated for a Pulitzer, I found my perfect chance to kill two birds with one stone. J.B: A Play in Verse won the Pulitzer for Drama in 1959.

Excellent, excellent read. The framework is lovely, the poetry is heartbreaking. I would love to see this play performed.

I heard upon his dry dung heap
That man cry out who cannot sleep:
"If God is God He is not good,
If God is good He is not God;
Take the even, take the odd,
I would not sleep here if I could
Except for the little green leaves in the wood
And the wind on the water."

64. Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien

I can't believe I've never read the Lord of the Rings volumes, but I'm so glad I finally bit the bullet. Tolkien has created this fantastical universe, established a great and noble quest, and aligned forces of good and evil against each other. To complicate matters, the distinction between "the good" and "the evil" is sometimes weakened.

Here is the oftimes-referenced verse that tells the history of the rings:

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,

One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

As I was reading, I marked passages that really moved me; not surprisingly for this book, many of them had to do with the heroes fighting the perhaps lost cause, but binding together in fellowship to make the attempt.

Be bold, but wary! Keep up your merry hearts, and ride to meet your fortune!

Yet such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world; small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere.

'We must do without hope,' he said. 'At least we may yet be avenged. Let us gird ourselves and weep no more! Come! We have a long road, and much to do.'

This book is listed in "1001 Books," but all three volumes make up the "Book." So, now I'm at 174-1/3 books read out of the 1001 I am aiming to read.

Hi Karen

I'm simply stopping by and waving hello.

I've often wondered if the Oz books were worth the time investment. I haven't tracked any down, but if I see one in passing, I'll pick it up. It's very nice to hear that the storytelling was good even all the way through to the 13th book!

Hey Karen -- I'm glad my Pulitzer challenge prompted you to read J.B.. Now I should read it, too.

Hi Karen, what a lot of terrific reading you've been doing lately! I've noted a favorite (The Guernsey Literary...) and noted some to add to my wish list (The Penelopiad, The Fellowship of the Rings -- this last one we've been wanting to read aloud but we can't find it, so we'll clean the house really well and see if we can unearth it). Happy reading!

What a treat to stop by after being away from LT for a few days, and to see four messages, from four different people! Whisper1, dk_phoenix, Dejah_Thoris, AMQS, thanks you so much for stopping by to chat. I hang out on all of your threads, and simply love the great book advice I find there.

I'm currently racing to finish Exodus by Leon Uris, as well as a few other smaller efforts (Angelopolis by Danielle Trussoni, and Letter from New York by Helen Hanff). And I'm longing to get back to my Lord of the Rings reading (I'm hooked!)

Speaking of Lord of the Rings, Fellowship of the Rings would be great to read aloud--in fact, there are a lot of songs in it that absolutely beg to be read aloud. The elvish could be a little tricky, but the place names and people names should be a blast.

Talk to you soon!

Thrilled that you are enjoying LOTR--I discovered it at the beginning of my senior year in high school and fell in love!

I haven't read any Tolkein in years and years, but every time I read about hoe much someone is enjoying The Hobbit or the trilogy I get tempted to revisit them. Have fun!

65. Exodus by Leon Uris

I'd meant to read this book for years, but couldn't get past the first hundred pages (and this is a LONG book, but that was still a good chunk). The characters and the plot in the first part of the book were not attractive or compelling to me, and, even this time, it took good willpower to continue on. But I was determined.

I'm glad I stuck with it. I actually enjoyed the non-fiction parts dealing with the establishment of the state of Israel. I also really liked the characterizations of several of the book's people, although some feel a little dated to me.

But the writing in the non-fiction parts (which Uris researched in-depth, and carefully retells, I believe), is clear and sometimes inspired. A few examples that I really enjoyed:

"You see, Palestine is the bridge of history here and you are standing on the center of the bridge. Tabor has been a battleground since men made axes out of stone. The Hebrews stood against the Romans here and between the Crusaders and the Arabs it changed hands fifty times."

This next passage brought chills and tears:

They came from the hinterlands of Kurdistan and Iraq and Turkey. A warlike lost tribe of Jews in Hadhramaut in the Eastern Protectorate fought their way to Aden. They poured out of the displaced persons camps in Europe. Jews came to Israel from France and Italy and Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia and Rumania and Bulgaria and Greece and Scandinavia. Across the breadth of northern Africa they arose from mellahs of Algeria and Morocco and Egypt and Tunisia. In South Africa, the wealthy Jewish community and the most ardent Zionists in the world went to Israel. They came from China and India where they had settled three thousand years before. They cam from Australia and Canada and England. They came from the Argentine. Some walked through burning deserts. Some flew on the rickety craft of the airlift. Some came in jam-packed holds of cattle freighters. Some came in deluxe liners. They came from seventy-four nations. The dispersed, the exiles, the unwanted came to that one little corner of the earth where the word Jew was not a slander.

I'm looking forward to watching the movie version, starring Paul Newman.

66. 365 Penguins by Jean-Luc Fromental

Lovely little Easy picture book, with lots of good stuff for kids to be learning (counting, grouping, ecology,...). Lots of cute little penguins throughout.

Let us know after you've seen _Exodus_ - I'll be interested to hear what you think of it! Nice review, btw.

Oh, I did see the movie, this past week. I had to interlibrary-loan it--my library didn't carry it.

I really liked the movie. It followed the plot of the book fairly closely, and I could see why the filmmakers made the changes that they made. Again, it's the story of Israel and its history; I'm sure there is a bias there, but the story is just so exceptional that I'm willing to accept it.

The film was made in 1960, but the filmmakers seemed very protective and respectful of the non-Jewish peoples in Palestine.

And, OMG, Paul Newman! Wow. Eva Marie Saint portrayed Kitty--she did very well, but I didn't like the character of Kitty very much. Her character in the movie was a lot more palatable (less prissy, less judgmental) than in the book. Great cast, beautiful filming, and a theme song that I've humming ever since.

67. Angelopolis by Danielle Trussoni

The second in a series about the angels that walk the earth (and these aren't the cuddly-type angels). Although the plot is a lot of fun to read, and there are some interesting ideas, the plot development seems a little choppy, as if the author had been rushed to complete the book. And, what I consider unforgivable in a published work, there were stupid typos that stuck out like a sore thumb (misspelling of a character's name; a missing word).

I'll stick with the series, because it is so much fun, and hope that the writing improves with the next book.

68. The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe

I've had this book on my radar for a long time, and was able to include it in lindapanzo's June TIOLI challenge, Read a book or author mentioned in The End of Your Life Book Club. I was reading the book anyway, and it seemed to fit in the challenge, in kind of a "mother ship" kind of way.

The story of the author and his mother, who is dying from cancer, is sweet and loving. The mother was presented as a wonderful mother and human being, and I was glad to get a chance to know of her.

We all have a lot more to read than we can read and a lot more to do than we can do. Still, one of the things I learned from Mom is this: Reading isn't the opposite of doing: it's the opposite of dying. I will never be able to read my mother's favorite books without thinking of her--and when I pass them on and recommend them, I'll know that some of what made her goes with them: that some of my mother will live on those readers, readers who may be inspired to love the way she loved and do their own version of what she did in the world.

I also found extremely helpful the description of the progress of the mother's disease and how the family dealt with it and tried to give her a good death. This is important information. I've just added The Etiquette of Illness by Susan Halpern to my list of TBR.

A quote from Anne Lamott's Traveling Mercies: The two best prayers are "Help me, Help me, Help me" and "Thank you, Thank you, Thank you."

As lovely as it was to read about the relationship between the author and his mother, I was also glad to read about the books that they shared or that they referenced. The author provides a very handy list of books, and I printed a copy and had it nearby as I read, and I have many books marked as TBR. I think I'll list them here:

People of the Book Geraldine Brooks
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Roald Dahl
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Ian Fleming
The Etiquette of Illness by Susan Halpern
The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini
A Prayer for Own Meany John Irving
Of Human Bondage W. Somerset Maugham
On Chesil Beach Ian McEwan
Gone With the Wind Margaret Mitchell
Appointment in Samarra John O'Hara
In the Night Kitchen Maurice Sendak
Crossing to Safety Wallace Stegner
Olive Kitteridge Elizabeth Strout
Brat Farrar Josephine Tey
Daily Strength for Daily Needs Mary Tileston
Night Elie Wiesel
Marjorie Morningstar Herman Wouk

I've spent the last several days at my quilt guild's annual show and conference in beautiful Duluth, Minnesota. We've had glorious weather and lots of great quilts and good times.

I'm approaching "almost done" with The Two Towers and loving it. I like this section of Lord of the Rings much more than the first; I think the writing is better, and there's more of the good vs. evil going on.

I purchased a few quilting books at the show (avoided any fabric purchases as I'm swamped with fabric stash at home).

I'll list the books later as my supper just arrived (brought by my dear husband, who drove up for the night).

(Later)



Hot Flashes of Inspiration: Featuring Cool Quilted Projects from Warm Women by Kandi Kelderman & Kim Schissel

One of the quilts in the book features a technique to make these awesome, freeform bird blocks that I fell in love with immediately. I think they are incredibly cute and full of personality. This picture is not the best, but it's the only one I can find. Of course, each quilt made with this technique will be different--that's the beauty of it. Can't wait to try this!





Eye Candy Quilts by Melody Crust

I took a class in this technique from the author; it was incredibly fun and gave almost-immediate gratification. These tiny quilts are 2-1/2" by 3-1/2" and offer a very small canvas on which to adorn with beads, buttons, ribbons,...whatever.

Oh, that last one sounds perfect for a birthday gift for a good friend of mine!

Hi, Roni--I haven't thoroughly read the Eye Candy book yet, but there are lots of beautiful photos and examples. These teeny quilts are so much fun, and very little pressure.

Thanks for stopping by!

69. Giving Up the Ghost by Mary Logue

I'm adding a book to TIOLI Challenge 12 (Two Words Same Letter) that I just finished, Giving Up the Ghost by Mary Logue (touchstone ain't working). One of the local papers, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, is publishing the novel as a serial (I was lacking in patience, so I bought the entire thing as an ebook). So far, I think I'm the only one who has the book on LT!

I've never read Mary Logue before, but I really liked the novel--it's a love story, it's a ghost story, and there are lots of tears and laughs to be had here. I would even go so far as to recommend it for anyone dealing with grief, especially anyone dealing with the death of a spouse or partner. I'm not kidding, there are even tiny little bits of cooking advice, and the world's cutest kitten! There's something for everyone, I think.

Okay, way past time for a picture of our grandson, Reardon, who is as cute and stylin' a dude as you'd ever want to see.

What a handsome little guy!

Handsome, debonair and stylish. Look out ladies, here comes Reardon!

Great review of Giving Up the Ghost, and what a wonderful picture of Reardon. Oh my, he is stylin'!

#203 Cute cute cute!

Hi, cbl_tn, AMQS, and BekkaJo!

Reardon (we call him "Rory," but as it's the same number of syllables, you can't say that we call him that for short; we call him Rory because his Mom and Dad told us to--8>))
is about 17 months now, cute and funny. He is everyone's friend, which is worrying, but we'll just keep an eagle eye on him. He is the first grandkid, on both sides, and we love him like crazy.

Giving Up the Ghost was a real treat; it's not a long book and is very easy to read in short snippets. It's an excellent summer read.

Thank you all for stopping to chat (and to agree with me how cute Rory is). I'm making my rounds of the threads, so I'll be seeing what you're up to. Good reading to you all!

First grandkids get all the perks! I love watching my Dad (who was always over worked and angry when we were kids) with my daughter - she's now 5. She can get away with pretty much ANYTHING with him - it's unbelievable but wonderful :) She's the first grandkid - and much as he now has two grandsons (one from me, one from my sister) to fulfil his manly shooting/fishing-ness (he only has two girls and I think has felt the lack) Cass still has the best place in his heart.

Okay - that was longer than intended and contained far far more parenthesis than intended! Sorry!

70. The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien

This is, of course, volume 2 of The Lord of the Rings "trilogy." I found this volume even more compelling than the first, and I can't wait to read along, even though I've seen the movies, and I'm pretty certain what will happen next. Tolkien has created such a magical world, and such wonderful characters.

Several interesting books on here since I last saw them. I love looking at picture of quilts even though I'm pretty hopeless with needle and thread.

Hi, thornton! I'm with you--I love looking at pictures of quilts, but haven't done much quilting for the last few years. Reading has exerted its prominence, I guess. I am feeling the need to be making things, so I'm sure I'll be back in the quilting saddle soon.

Thanks for stopping to chat!

71. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

I'm glad to have finally read this book, and wish I had read it a long time ago.

What a magnificent book! In this memoir, the author tells us of her family and their early years. Even while relating the neglect and dysfunction that filled the family's life, the author conveys affection towards, and understanding of her parents.

Parts of her reminiscences were painful to read, and I felt so sorry for the children in this troubled family. On the other hand, I felt so proud of them for making their way in life and keeping their sanity.

I gave this book 5 stars, not only because of the strong and vivid storytelling, but because the writing was superb and evocative of the times, the places, and the personalities.

I adore this eloquent paragraph from the Acknowledgments:

I'd like to thank my brother, Brian, for standing by me when we were growing up and while I wrote this. I'm also grateful to my mother for believing in art and truth and for supporting the idea of the book; to my brilliant and talented older sister, Lori, for coming around to it; and to my younger sister, Maureen, whom I will always love. And to my father, Rex S. Walls, for dreaming all those big dreams.

72. Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

A terrific Juvey story about love and loss, friendship, and courage. Some great characters, including a wonderful heroine (Liesl), her friend, a ghost (Po), and lots of living good guys and bad guys.

I loved this quote about the difference between the living world and the "other side":

"When you go swimming and you put your head under the water," Po said, "and everything is strange and underwater-sounding, and strange and underwater-looking, you don't miss the air, do you? You don't miss the above-water sounds and the above-water look, it's just different."

Oliver is a clever writer, one who enjoys words for their own sake. Listen to this:

"I knew it!" the alchemist spat out bitterly. "They are working together to ruin me! They are in cahoots! They are in collaboration! They are in cooperation! They are in collusion!"

"And you will be in solitary confinement if you do not shut up," the Lady Premiere snapped.

One more quote...Oliver's statement of what writing is for her, from the Author's Note:

Liesl & Po is the embodiment of what writing has always been for me at its purest and most basic--not a paycheck, certainly; not an idea, even; and not an escape. Actually, it is the opposite of an escape; it is a way back in, a way to enter and make sense of a world that occasionally seems harsh and terrible and mystifying.