Third time’s the charm – 75 for Dejah_Thoris

Welcome, friends!

I’m back on LT, and I plan to be more consistent in my posts this year – reading is never the problem!

For the purposes of this thread, rereads count as long as it's been five or more years since I last read the work. I try to fit most books into the TIOLI Challenges, which I’ll not. I’m also going to take part in the 2013 Category Challenge – I’ll post my thread when I create it.

I've been seduced by Heather's (souloftherose) Century of Reading idea, so I'm stealing it and trying myself. I doubt I'll manage to complete it in one real (I'm too much a self indulgent reader, I suspect) but it should be fun.

My reading is always much more interesting and varied when I'm active on LT - I'm looking forward to a great year!

January – February – March

January
24 works (no recent rereads), 3 nonfiction, 2 plays, 3 older rereads

1. The Alchemist of Souls by Anne Lyle (TIOLI #3, shared)
2. Thursday's Children by Rumer Godden (reread, TIOLI #19, shared)
3. Touch of the Demon by Diana Rowland (TIOLI #11)
4. In Search of Lost Roses by Thomas Christopher (TIOLI #21)
5. The Blood Royal by Barbara Cleverly (TIOLI #9)
6. Collateral Damage by Stuart Woods (TIOLI #11)
7. Death in Cyprus by M. M. Kaye (reread, TIOLI #1, shared)
8. Kings of the North by Elizabeth Moon (TIOLI #12)
9. Dying in the Wool by Frances Brody (TIOLI #7)
10. Extra Credit by Maggie Barbieri (TIOLI #11)
11. The 101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith (TIOLI #17, shared)
12. Love 'em or Leave 'em by Angie Stanton (TIOLI #2)
13. The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman (reread, TIOLI #11)
14. Dream Eyes by Jayne Ann Krentz (TIOLI #11)
15. Ashes of Roses by Mary Jane Auch (TIOLI #14)
16. 100 Old Roses for the American Garden by Clair G. Martin (TIOLI #3)
17. 97 Orchard Street, New York: Stories of Immigrant Life by Linda Granfield and Arlene Alda (TIOLI #17)
18. Maple and Vine by Jordan Harrison (TIOLI #3)
19. The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie (TIOLI #11, shared)
20. The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley (TIOLI #2)
21. Old Money by Wendy Wasserstein (TIOLI #21)
22. Fonduing Fathers by Julie Hyzy (TIOLI #11, shared)
23. Danger Along the Ohio by Patricia Willis (TIOLI #2, shared)
24. Speaking From Among the Bones by Alan Bradley (TIOLI #7)

February
18 works (plus 1 recent reread), 4 nonfiction, 1 play, 0 older rereads

25. The Demi-Monde: Winter by Rod Rees (TIOLI #1)
26. Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 by Stephen Puleo (TIOLI #4, shared)
27. Pirate King by Laurie R. King (TIOLI #4)
28. The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic -- and How It Changed Science, Cities and the Modern World by Steven Johnson (TIOLI #3, shared)
29. Proof of Guilt by Charles Todd (TIOLI #9)
30. Jhereg by Steven Brust (TIOLI #10, shared)
31. India Black and the Shadows of Anarchy by Carol K. Carr (TIOLI #4)
32. Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger (TIOLI #3, shared)
33. Born in Fire by Nora Roberts (TIOLI #4)
34. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (TIOLI #8, shared)
35. At the Altar: Matrimonial Tales by L. M. Montgomery (TIOLI #21, shared)
36. Enchanted, Inc. by Shana Swendon (TIOLI #7)
37. Hearts West: True Stories of Mail-Order Brides on the Frontier by Chris Enss (TIOLI #2)
--- Wildfire at Midnight by Mary Stewart (TIOLI #4, recent reread)
38. Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden (TIOLI #4)
39. The Sound of Broken Glass by Deborah Crombie (TIOLI #5)
40. Legacy of Light (unpublished play, no touchstone) by Karen Zacarias (TIOLI #4)
41. Old Man's War by John Scalzi (TIOLI #4)
42. For All the Tea in China: How England Stole the World's Favorite Drink and Changed History by Sarah Rose (TIOLI #4)

April – May – June

July – August – September - October - November - December

Century of Reading

1900
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914
1915
1916
1917
1918
1919
1920
1921
1922 The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956 Death in Cyprus by M. M. Kaye (as Death Walks in Cyprus)
1957 The 101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966 The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983 Jhereg by Steven Brust
1984 Thursday's Children by Rumer Godden
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989 In Search of Lost Roses by Thomas Christopher
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994 Born in Fire by Nora Roberts
1995
1996
1997 Danger Along the Ohio by Patricia Willis
1998
1999 100 Old Garden Roses for the American Garden by Clair G. Martin

1. The Alchemist of Souls by Anne Lyle

The Alchemist of Souls was an interesting alternate history / alternate universe fantasy. It's set in an Elizabethan England in which Good Queen Bess not only wed, but bore heirs. Travelers to the New World found not only the Native Americans but the Skraylings, an intelligent species human-like in many ways, but definitely not human.

The story focuses on two main characters. One is Mal Catlyn, a former soldier and gentleman’s son without funds to support himself and a Dutch orphan working for part Skraying owned theatrical company. Both have secrets they want desperately to keep.

This book reads rather slowly; so slowly, in fact, that I almost gave up on it around page 200. I’m glad I stuck with it because I ultimately enjoyed it. The sequel, The Merchant of Dreams has already been published and I plan to read it, but just not right away.

Sounds interesting! Welcome back.

Welcome back, Dejah! I have you starred, and I am ready to follow your reading, which I know will be fast paced. We have been missing you and are so very thrilled that you are once again on the threads.

Hi Dejah! It's good to see you back!

Thank you, kind visitors! It's nice to be back, wallowing in all things books.

Actually, my reading this year has gotten off to a slow start, but it'll even out eventually.

Lovely to see the Princess back on her throne so to speak. Have a lovely weekend.

Great to have you back posting Dejah, I've placed my star and I am looking forward to following your reading.

Good to see you back! Wishing you all the very best for 2013! I'm a bit late doing the LT rounds, but Happy New Year!



(Thanks for the pm.)

Good to see you back with us again Dejah :-) The Alchemist of Souls has intrigued me - I do like my alternate history/fantasy books.

Ahhhh...more visitors! Welcome all! Thank you, everyone, for being so kind in the face of my…umm…desertion last year.

Paul – I think I need to acquire a tiara to bolster my position as Princess. A friend got a tattoo of a tiara for New Year’s, but I think I’ll go for the real thing. Perhaps I’ll start a collection – so people can give me something other than cats (live ones) and books….

Judy – I’ve already been hit by a book bullet from you from the Awards CAT and TIOLI – I’m going to giving Double Crossing a try.

Nina – Thanks for finding me! I’m a little late getting going in 2013, too. Good thing they put so many days in the year….

Heather – You’re another LTer who hits me with book bullets. Give The Alchemist of Souls a try. As said, it’s a little slow, but it has many intriguing elements. A good part of the story revolves around Elizabethan theater, which I really enjoyed. I’ll probably read the sequel next month, assuming I can fit it into the TIOLI, of course!

I'm glad you've started your thread for 2013, Dejah.

Your review of Alchemist of Souls has me adding that to my obese wish list. I'd like to read more fantasy this year as it's a genre that was sorely missing from my reading list last year. So thanks for the recommendation.

Hey Caro, thanks for dropping by!

I hope you and Heather do read The Alchemist of Souls - I'd like to know what other people think of it, which is one of the things I like best about LT.

I hope 2013 has started out well for you and yours.

Hi Dejah, welcome back!! Look forward to seeing what you're reading, both here and on the 2013 category challenge.

Hi Linda -

Thanks for the welcome; it's nice to be back! I haven't set up my 2013 Category Challenge yet, but I think I've got it worked out.

I'm looking forward to some mystery shared reads with you - and maybe a baseball book or two.

2. Thursday's Children by Rumer Godden (reread)

I watched Billy Elliot again recently and it made me want to reread the book I think of as the kinder, gentler, Billy Elliot: Rumer Godden’s Thursday’s Children.

Originally published in 1984 as an adult novel, you most often see it suggested for the 10 – 14 cohort, which I think is probably appropriate, although I was older than that when I first read it. It’s the tale of Doone Penny, the youngest child in the family of a London greengrocer, unwanted by his mother and firmly in the shadow of his older sister, Crystal. Their mother wants Crystal to be a dancer; Doone tags along to her lessons. Doone quickly discovers he wants to dance, but will he be given the chance?

Thursday’s Children does a nice job of stressing how much hard work and dedication go into becoming professional ballet dancer and how children who follow that path give up any chance of a regular childhood – willingly.

I enjoy reading this book. If Doone is a little too perfect, well, I’m willing to forgive it; this is a warm, fuzzy read.

BTW, if anyone can think of a TIOLI Challenge this fits into, let me know!

Hello :) *delurking* your review of The Alchemist of Souls sounds very intruiging, excactly what I like. Is already on my wishlist.

Have a nice remaining Sunday!

3. Touch of the Demon by Diana Rowland (TIOLI # 11)

For all that I have issues with Touch of the Demon, I want to begin by saying that I like this series. When I read Mark of the Demon I was excited by the cross of police procedural mystery with demon summoning. As Kara has learned more about herself and others around her, the focus has shifted almost entirely away from her career as a police detective to demons: particularly to Demon Lord politics and her role in them.

If you haven’t read the series yet or haven’t gotten very far, you probably don’t want to keep reading this review – go read the books!

At the end of book four, Sins of the Demon, Kara was whisked away to the demon realms via a hostile summoning; Touch of the Demon picks up immediately. What follows is Kara being held prisoner, being abused, confused and even tortured – for 200 pages. I know that the author wanted to emphasize the difficulties and dangers of her situation and the depths of the betrayals that Kara experiences, but, really, 200 pages? This was not the Kara readers have come to know and I found it an unpleasant slog. The best part of that section was a very entertaining snowball fight – it sounds incongruous, I know, but you find redeeming features where you can.

Happily, the last 200 pages saw Kara back to her normal, kick ass self and I enjoyed them very much. Rowland says that this series will stretch to nine books (already under contract), so we should be seeing a new installment every December. I’m looking forward to finding out what happens to Kara next!

Your Rumer Godden book reminded me of all the joys that I had when I discovered her book The Dolls' House on our teacher's bookshelf back in about the 4th grade. I loved that book. I know I checked it out of our classroom library more than once that year. I need to find a copy of it to see if I still like it.

Maybe you meant to read Thursday's Children last year? (TIOLI #21) One of these days I'm going to read something by Rumer Godden. She's an author I've been wanting to try. I just haven't managed to fit in any of her books yet.

>21 drachenbraut23: Welcome, Bianca - thanks for visiting my thread! Please try The Alchemist of Souls - I'd love to have someone to talk about it with.

>23 thornton37814: Lori, I've never read Godden's The Doll's House - I've never read all of her works, although I like the ones I have. I'd like to know if you do still like it - I'll be watching to see if you find a copy.

>24 cbl_tn: Unfortunately, Carrie, I can't in all honesty say I had any thought of reading Thursday's Children last year - good idea, though. I think my best best is to find someone born in 1984 who has a burning desire to read it...

Uh-oh Dejah, I really can't recommend Double Crossing, I was quite disappointed with it. I am surprised that it won a Spur Award for Best First Novel, but I will be interested in what you have to say about it.

#20: Godden's book In This House of Brede is one of my all-time favorite books. I have not yet read Thursday's Children though. I will have to give it a try. Thanks for the recommendation, Dejah!

Hi Dejah, like Carrie, I have been wanting to read something by Rumer Godden. She was one of my mother's favorite authors. I need a warm, fuzzy read after the most decidedly I fuzzy books I've been reading!

>26 DeltaQueen50: I may give Double Crossing a pass - although I hate to miss the triple CAT opportunity! Sometimes I have to wonder what motivates award panels - perhaps it was a very poor year for first novels? They drew lots? It was the turn for a romance/mystery to win? The only Spur winners that I know I've read were two Carla Kelly short stories that she wrote years ago (before she was a published Regency Romance author), which are available in Here's to the Ladies: Stories of the Frontier Army. Both of those stories I like - and the rest of the stories in the collection, too.

>27 alcottacre: Stasia, I blush to confess that I've never read In This House of Brede. I intended to last year and I am determined to do it this year. I hope you enjoy Thursday's Children!

>28 Donna828: Thanks for dropping in, Donna!
I sometimes feel with Rumer Godden that she writes both uplifting and/or warm fuzzy books and darker, sometimes depressing books. Thursday's Children is definitely on the uplifting, warmer and fuzzier side! Only a few moments are fraught, and you things will work out for Doone. It's not her best writing or work, but it's a comfort read for me - maybe it will be for you, too.

I just started reading Diana Rowland and I'm really liking her writing. Let us know when you go back to do the review? Otherwise I won't see it.

Hey Morphy -

Thanks for finding my thread! I hope to write a review for Touch of the Demon today - I'll be sure to mention it when I get it posted. I like Diana Rowland's work, too, but I have very mixed feelings about parts of this particular book. Have you tried her other series?

I've read My Life as a White Trash Zombie and Mark of the Demon by her and enjoyed them both.

Hello Dejah, looks like I just found some other books to go on my wishlist. I have never read Diana Rowland, but she sounds like someone I would give a try.

>32 Morphidae: I have to admit that to my total shock, I loved My Life as a White Trash Zombie - I don't do zombies, but this series is apparently the exception. As soon as I finish this post I'm going to work on a review of Touch of the Demon - no more thread reading or posting until I get a little caught up on reviews!

>33 drachenbraut23: She's an interesting author - I have my quibbles with her. Neither you nor Morphy should read all of my review because it will give too much away. Hmm, I'll try to insert a warning as to where to stop....

Haha, don't worry about that. I didn't get the impression that you give too much away. I have found you in the 13 category challenge as well and like your categories. Hopefully, we will have a versatile reading year ahaed. I still have got soooooo many good books on my TBR pile *sigh*

Ok - I finally posted my review of Touch of the Demon - it's back up at post #22.

hmm, I am shocked at how fast you guys read and still have a life ;P
But I have to confess ... i probably would keep up if it wasn't for movies and tv shows which give a large part of my free time ;)

Starred your thread and I am looking forward to check it :)... I wish listed The Alchemist of Souls and enjoyed your review a lot :)

Dejah, If I hadn't already had Thursday's Children in my obese wish list, I would have added it after reading your review. Good one. The only Godden book I've read so far is A House with Four Rooms which I thought was absolutely wonderful.

Hi Dejah - I want to join Stasia in recommending In This House of Brede. I read it in 2011 and was very impressed by it.

>37 tigerlyly: Welcome, tigerlyly! Truth be told, I don't watch all that much television - except during baseball season (April - September/October - and a few pre-season games in March). I'm about to have less reading time, though, because the next play I'm in (community theater) begins rehearsals on Monday. I really like my part (in fact, it was the only one I said I'd accept - happily it's what the director wanted me for) but I'm still not all that certain I like the play!

>38 cameling: Thank you, Caro. I hope you find the time for Thursday's Children - I need to work in more Rumer Godden myself, because I haven't read A House with Four Rooms yet!

>39 Fourpawz2: Actually, I fully intended to read In This House of Brede last year - I will definitely get to it this year. Thanks for nudging me on.

I will now attempt to write at least one review before getting back to my book - it may be short....

4. In Search of Lost Roses by Thomas Christopher (TIOLI #21)

I’ve wanted to read Thomas Christopher’s In Search of Lost Roses since I saw it mentioned in Flower Confidential, which was one of my favorite non-fiction books of last year. In Search of Lost Roses is a meandering look at older, historical or heirloom roses which largely fell out of fashion with the development of hybrid teas in the late 1800s. These older garden roses, as they are sometimes called, were already experiencing a resurgence in popularity when this book was written (1989) and are now more widely available. That these roses are available at all is due to many of the people Christopher writes about: individuals searching out, protecting and propagating heritage roses.

In Search of Lost Roses will probably most be enjoyed by those with a specific interest in roses or flower gardening or in history. Christopher, who has a degree in Classics from Brown, touches on a wide range of historical subjects, including the Roman Empire, Empress Josephine, the Opium Wars and the development and evolution of cemeteries. He also touches on the link between genealogy and tracing the history of some roses, which I found interesting.

Flower Confidential has a broader appeal, but In Search of Lost Roses was entertaining, at least for me.

5. The Blood Royal by Barbara Cleverly (TIOLI #9)

The Blood Royal is the ninth of Barbara Cleverly’s Joe Sandilands historical mysteries. I am a big fan of this series – I consider The Last Kashmiri Rose one of the best debut mysteries I’ve ever read. Cleverly doesn’t write this series in strict chronological order, so although this one is ninth, the events place it after the first four books in 1922, just after Joe has returned to London and Scotland Yard after his yearlong stint in India.

Joe actually plays a smaller role in this book than most. Much of the focus is on Lily Wentworth, a Woman Police Constable (WPC) recruited by Joe to assist with the investigation of an assassination and in the protection of a certain dignitary who may be next. To say any more, in my opinion, gives away too much, so you’ll just have to read it to find out what happens.

Any fan of historical mysteries should give this series a try; I think it’s truly excellent.

6. Collateral Damage by Stuart Woods (TIOLI# 11)

I don’t feel the need to write much about Stuart Woods’ Stone Barrington books – you either like them or you don’t. They’re popcorn (air popped, even), but I think they’re fun. If you give them a try don’t start with this one. Begin at the beginning (that’s 20+ books ago, New York Dead) if you want to have a clue who everybody is.

Whoohoo! I'm up to date on reviews! Now I can go read with a clear conscience.

How lovely that those old roses are being protected and grown. I love flowers, but, sadly can't grow any as I have no sun in my yard. (I probably would kill them anyway, so perhaps it is a good thing to have my mini-forest around me. Tossing that one on the Giant Freaking Wishlist anyway though. Maybe reading it will give me the illusion of a garden

Well, rats. My local library does not have either Flower Confidential or In Search of Lost Roses.

>45 Fourpawz2: I haven't grown roses, either - I've been afraid of them. Their reputation for difficulty has been offputting; I don't like using pesticides and fungicides. However, many of the Old Garden Roses are extremely tough and have managed for years without human intervention, so I'm hoping I can find a few options that can handle Georgia humidity. I have plenty of space and sun! If I had only shade, I'd probably manage nothing more than hostas, coleus and elephant ears!

>46 alcottacre: I'm sorry you can't get your hands on either of them - they were both very enjoyable reading - motivating, actually!

Dejah - I'm way behind on that Joe Sandilands series. I need to figure out which one is next and read it this year!

Hi Dejah, some interesting reviews you posted since I last visited. In Search of Roses sounds particular interesting.

Wish you a great weekend! *smile*

Dejah -I am oh so behind on the threads, but I am stopping in here to wish you a weekend full of fabulous! Now I am wondering what the name of the play is that you will be in. I love reading through all of your reviews - seven books already! You are off and running!

Thanks for dropping by, Mamie - you are welcome whenever you visit!

Th play is P.J. Barry's The Octette Bridge Club, about 8 Irish Catholic sisters in Rhode Island who play bridge together twice a month. Act One is set in 1934; Act Two is ten years later. We'll see how it goes!

Hi Dejah, just stopping by to wish you a nice weekend. Feeling like a zombie - due to ongoing lack of sleep - I treated myself to The Alchemist of Souls on my kindle. I am still right in the beginning, so nothing to report as yet.

Hi :)
Hope you are having a great weekend :)... make memories :P

Hi, Dejah; catching up, here. I was going to ask about your play, too. So which was the part you wanted? Not that I know the play, to be honest. Break a leg, as they say.

The Joe Sandilands series looks interesting, and the investigation into roses is fascinating. But what's a garden rose and what's a tea rose?

Omigosh! You're here!!! *starred* I saw your name and thought "well what the what?! there's a name I haven't seen pop up in awhile...". I get it, though... I disappeared last fall for about 4-5 months, so... it happens.

Dejah - I like the look of the Barbara Cleverly books. I have had a quick look and the shops here don't stock them. Book depo again for me!

Have a lovely weekend.

>52 drachenbraut23: Bianca - I'm impressed you're even managing to visit LT in your Zombie-like state! I hope you and Alex both get some calm, restful and uninterrupted sleep this weekend.

I'm glad you're trying The Alchemist of Souls - I'm looking forward to your report. I hope you've already gotten through what I thought was the s l o w beginning. I'll probably try to read the next in the series, The Merchant of Dreams for Fantasy February, although my list of possible books for that has already grown to impossible lengths!

>53 tigerlyly: Greetings, tigerlyly! I am having a wonderful weekend, thank you. I had my third ever voice (singing) lesson this weekend which was very memorable. The weather is beautiful (it's absurdly warm for January - we may reach 78 today) and I have no obligations until this evening. I'm feeling very lucky today.

>54 humouress: Hey Nina - I think I'll write/post a review of The Octette Bridge Club since there isn't one here on LT - but I'll defer that to a day that's not quite so pretty! I'm playing the youngest sister, Betsy, who is the most changed between Acts I and II. I have to admit it's a rather, hmm, showy part in some ways....

The roses have turned out to be fascinating! I'm reading another rose book: 100 Old Roses for the American Garden. I'll attempt to explain the differences between Old Garden Roses (OGRs) and modern Hybrid Teas when I write that review. I actually have a third rose book on the shelf, although one may have to wait for February.

> 55 Welcome, Faith! It's great to see you on my thread! I wish you lived nearer to me - I could really use a Belly Dance instructor. It's good to know that I'm not the only LTer who drops out occasionally. I'll be tracking down your thread shortly!

>56 PaulCranswick:

I used to read more cozy mysteries (still read some) but I find myself turning to historical mysteries more often these days. I hope you enjoy the Joe Sandilands books - thank goodness for the Book Depository!

I hope you've had a lovely weekend, too, Paul.

Hi Dejah. Virago are republishing most of Rumer Godden's novels this year and I'm hoping to have a mini book splurge on them at some point. I'll make sure I include Thursday's Child.

It's good to know that her books are / will be still in print - hooray for Virago! I'll have to pick up a few, too. Thanks, Heather.

glad you had a good weekend.
I grew up in about 3000 sqm of roses. My parents were cultivating them for sale, and after they died I took care of it for couple of years.
Beautiful flowers, and very sturdy, if you do about 3-4 things during the year you have a beautiful plant that keeps giving for tens of years.
My definition of a very good plant to have :)

Afternoon, Dejah! Just checking in over here to see what you're up to!

>62 tigerlyly: How wonderful to have grown up surrounded by so many beautiful flowers! Like any agricultural commodity, I can only imagine how tricky a business that must be to be in, but how glorious!

In past years I've been focusing my garden on plants for butterflies and hummingbirds and to a lesser extent, on native plants. I've been developing specific interests, though, in camellias (which are considered a (or maybe the) classic Southern U.S. garden plant and roses. I do believe that you're right - roses are very good plants to have!

>63 Crazymamie: Hey Mamie -

I'm impressed to see you so cheerful after your loss this weekend. But, as I pointed out on your thread, it's almost baseball season! Rejoice! Ok, so maybe you're not a huge baseball fan - you can become one! Between baseball and football, most of the year is covered!

ETA: Hmm...you seem to be ignoring my baseball comment on your thread. Do you really hate baseball?

It's a warm day in Georgia - but, alas, no rain. My part of the state (the middle) was over 13 inches short on annual rainfall in 2012, and about the same for 2011. I'll take any rain folks can spare from elsewhere. My pond still has water, though, so the wildlife are happy.

I think I'm sorta, kinda, sorta caught up on threads - although I think there are a few folks' threads that I haven't found. Now, of course, I have to catch up on my own. I have two reviews to write - and many books to read - oh, yeah, and work.

Hello, Dejah just stopping by and lurking. So two reviews are to come, well then I will come back later to see if I can snatch something else to read :)
I still have to write 2 reviews as well :)

Well, I'm afraid my reviews of Death in Cyprus and Kings of the North aren't going to get written tonight. I had rehearsal tonight and then grabbed some dinner with a friend of mine from the cast - I wimped out on meeting some other friends for drinks. I'm just beat. Happily, there is nothing preventing me from going to bed early, so good night, all!

good for you... i am thinking the same after 9hrs of sitting in front of the computer, talking about 6 of those with people with such heavy accented English that my head hurts like crazy...

>68 tigerlyly: Oh dear, tigerlyly - that does sound miserable! I hope your headache is better and that as I'm typing this you're getting a wonderful night's sleep.

Busy day today - and so warm again! I saw quite a few azaleas blooming - it's just a little early. Oh well, we'll be chilly again soon enough.

I just realized that the book I'm reading, Dying in the Wool is due back at the library tomorrow. So instead of visiting threads and writing reviews, I am going to read the 175+ pages remaining of my book.

Goodnight!

Reading is always a good plan, and I intended to do more of it tonight, but I've been doing laundry and needed to be close to it so I'm in my "library" next to the laundry room on LibraryThing instead of reading. This load should be done soon though so I'll go read a bit before going to bed.

oh, you already have flowers booming... how grand.
My head still hurts ( washing a mountain of dishes and having another 1,5 hrs on skype did that) but I had two days of very warm weather and this morning I woke up to a chorus of little birds in the trees in front of my balcony.
I live on the 3rd floor in an 9 stories high building, and in front of my balcony there is a wall of trees, all about 30-40 years old, so coming spring will have my little green haven up too (love flowers so I grow them on the balcony).

Well, I went looking for you and couldn't find you, so off to the threadbook, and here I am. I can't believe I didn't have you starred! It was your late start, you know, because I know I looked for you early in the year.

I'm tentatively putting The Alchemist of Souls on my wishlist, and am avidly awaiting your review of Kings of the North.

>70 thornton37814: At least laundry is a chore that allows other activities in between - and LT is an excellent use of your time! I hope you were able to get some real reading done last night.

>71 tigerlyly: This is the second warm winter in a row here in Georgia, which is very pleasant for the humans and animals, but confusing for the plants! There's a big Cherry Blossom Festival here each year (the Pinkest Party on Earth) - last year, many of the cherry trees bloomed early - thankfully, not all.

I've lived in apartments and had balcony gardens, too. How wonderful that you have mature trees so nearby. Perhaps you could post pictures of your balcony garden this summer?

>72 ronincats: The Alchemist of Souls is good, but the slow start is a bit off putting. I'll get to the next book pretty soon, so you could always wait to see what I think of the next book, Roni. Kings of the North was good - three more books in that series - one out, one this summer and one next year. I hate waiting.

Yes, I have the first three. Oh, drat, you are right, the next one isn't until June! She's been coming out with them every February and I was counting on that. Boo hiss! I have it on pre-order but hadn't checked the date lately.

Okay, I'll wait until you read the second one before getting the first, especially since the library doesn't have it.

Roni, I was under the impression I had written a response to you this morning, but apparently not!

I know what you mean - with certain authors you can usually count on a a new book in a series coming out a specific month. It's maddening when the schedule changes!

I'm not sure when I'll get to Merchant of Dreams, the next Anne Lyle book, in part because I don't know when I'll get it from the library. I'd asked my wonderful librarian to order a copy for the branch after I scanned a review of it. I somehow completely missed that it was book two of a series until after I checked it out. It was then I realized that there were no copies of book one in the PINES system (most of Georgia, except for metro Atlanta) so, feeling guilt for having requested it, I bought book one, read it and donated it. I have re-requested book two, but I don't know when my turn will come up again! My librarian will often place books on hold for people if she thinks they'll like them - it's a nice gesture and probably does great things for her circulation numbers, but sometimes I suspect books get checked out and sit on someone's shelf for two weeks without being read, until they move on to the next person. Oh well - I'll get it eventually.

I had a busy day - work, then play rehearsal, then Camellia Society meeting. Tomorrow is work, voice lesson, play rehearsal and a production of Gilbert and Sullivan's Iolanthe at a local university. I have no idea when I'll fit in reading and LT!

Dejah--a short (239 pp) book of quick reading, no brain damage, lots of fun--Jhereg by Steven Brust. Who looks like this.

Roni, you are too funny - I surrender. I just checked the library system and there's a copy in a branch several counties away that it just happens I'll be driving past on Tuesday. I'll pick it up myself; it's faster than requesting it.

Thanks!

Haha, he looks ......... well I am not saying anything. Definately not my type. Just stopping by to let you know if I can get hold of a copy of Jhereg I would like to join you and Nina next month. BTW Mark is hosting Fantasy February, so the book would fit well into that one.

Wish you a brilliant weekend. :)

Nope, I definately don't like mustaches - meh!

Mustaches on ladies are just not de rigueur are they Dejah and not obligatory for nobles of neighbouring planets.

Have a lovely weekend.

>78 drachenbraut23: I think reading Jhereg for Fantasy February is a great idea, Bianca - I have no lack of other short books around. I'll be popping over to your thread shortly to see if you're having a brilliant weekend as well!

>79 PaulCranswick: I concur, Paul, that mustaches on ladies are not de rigueur, but I will concede they are optional. They are not, however, popular on Mars this year (or for that matter, in Macon, GA.) My weekend has been delightful so far; I hope yours is as well!

I can always be lured into a reread of Jhereg. The difficulty for me is stopping with just one.

Excellent, Roni - I'm looking forward both to Jhereg and Fantasy February!

>81 ronincats:: You didn't mention that before, Roni. Hmm - this could throw a spanner in the works of the group read. ;0)

Life has been busy - wonderfully busy, it's a good thing - but there hasn't been much time for LT.

I saw Iolanthe Friday night as planned, and it was great fun. Beautiful voices, lovely costumes and an excellent orchestra - what more can you ask for? Saturday I went to a grafting class sponsored by the local camellia society, of which I'm a member. I brought home a grafted 'Georgia National Fair,' but I won't know for 3-4 months if the graft was successful. Sunday and Monday nights I attended Music Man auditions at a local community theater. I didn't audition myself (I've never auditioned for a musical) but I learned a huge amount - plus it was fun!

And I've had rehearsals each weeknight, and work - it's just been busy! I have managed to read a fair bit in between. As I stated above, I was in the mood for some short books - I found a few. My total number of books read has take a substantial jump, which means I'm further behind than ever. I keep trying to tell myself not to sweat the reviews - none of you are grading me. I'll try and get a little caught up in the next day or two.

And now, back to work. I have to head out in a few hours for a voice lesson....

Sheesh!

Instead of getting straight back to work, I thought I try to make a little progress catching up on the threads. I was at it for 25 minutes and I feel as though I haven't made a dent!

Soon, I'll catch up with everybody soon....

I know exactly how you feel, Dejah!

>83 humouress: Well, some people have picked up The Book of Jhereg which has the first THREE books in the series, so they don't have to stop with just one either. However, I've so many books planned for Fantasy February now that I'm going to have to put sequels on hold until March at least!

Dejah, after being totally out of commission yesterday with stomach flu, I definitely know exactly how you feel as well.

7. Death in Cyprus by M. M. Kaye

I am very fond of M.M. Kaye’s Death in… series. They aren’t the best mysteries or greatest romances, but she does a beautiful job opening a window into the lives of the British in exotic locales as the Empire’s power waned. Her focus is on a young woman, genteel, often with connections to diplomats or military men, which is, of course, exactly what Kaye was herself. The settings are lovingly described, but there is rarely any mention of locals. Read them as books about the British, and you shouldn't be disappointed.

8. Kings of the North by Elizabeth Moon

I loved the original Deed of Paksenarrion trilogy , but wasn’t sure how I felt about Moon revisiting Pak’s world after so many years; I didn’t want to be disappointed. I finally read Oath of Fealty and enjoyed it, but while I liked many of the characters (particularly Dorrin) I was less fond of the multiple storyline approach. Happily, by the end of Kings of the North, the disparate tales areas pulling together and events are moving faster.

I have to say that I was delighted by the reappearance of Arvid Semminson, member (in excellent standing) of the Thieves Guild. I think that what I like best about this projected five book series is the opportunity to learn more about some of the great characters Moon created but (rightly) paid less attention to in the original trilogy. I look forward to more of these characters popping up as I read the remaining three books.

Two additional comments:

* Read the original trilogy before you read this series; everything will make much more sense and you’ll have an easier time keeping track of who’s who.

* Who approved that terrible cover?

9. Dying in the Wool by Frances Brody (TIOLI # 7)

My name’s Kate Shackleton. I’m thirty-one years old, and hanging onto freedom by the skin of my teeth. Because I’m a widow my mother wants me back by her side. But I’ve tasted independence. I’m not about to drown in polite society all over again.

Kate’s a widow – well, probably. Her husband, a doctor serving at the Front in WWI, was listed as Missing, Presumed Dead – which as she was told after persistently asking questions, really meant ‘blown into so many bits we couldn’t identify him.’

Unsuccessful in the search for her own husband, Kate helps other families look for answers about their missing soldiers. It was inevitable that someone would ask her to look into the case of someone not a soldier. Since the person asking is an old acquaintance from Kate’s VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment) service during the War, Kate agrees to try to locate her father, prosperous mill owner, who disappeared near his home while the women were serving together six years earlier.

I thought this was a good debut mystery (it is not the author’s first book). I found the mystery itself quite intriguing and the mill setting unusual. I will happily read the next book in the series, A Medal for Murder, when it’s released in the U.S. next month (February, 2013).

”It’s come between me and Hector, my fiancé,” she confided in a low voice as if the waitress would be listening, ready to spread gossip, which perhaps she would to make up for having to watch everyone else eat egg custards.

I'm getting caught up, I'm getting caught up, I'm getting caught up.....

Dejah - Nice reviews! My husband was just recommending that Dan and I read Deed of Paksenarrion trilogy, so it's so funny that you should be recommending it, too! A sign! His nephew was visiting for the weekend and we got to talking about good fantasy reads, and that is one of the titles that came up. I shall have to make time to get to it this year.

Okay - you hit me with the Brody book. I'm not sure when I'll get to it, but it's on the TBR list now.

>92 Crazymamie: Your husband has excellent taste, Mamie! Of course, we already knew that because he married you....I hope you like Paks whenever you get to her. Actually, she'd fit rather well into Fantasy February - and I know you don't have anything lined up for that.

>93 thornton37814: Oh good, Lori! I seem to be reading more and more historical mysteries and I think this series looks very promising.

Dejah, Dejah, Dejah, I know I'm getting old, but now I can add senility to my every growing list of senior issues. I could swear that I've visited your thread this year but I couldn't find you among my starred threads. So I did a little searching and I discovered that you were not starred at all! ACK! Ok, you are starred now. I like your century of reading idea. I'll look forward as to how you fill it. :0)

Book 9 looks like a good 'un and your number 8 reminds me that I MUST read the second book from the original trilogy. (It's right around here somewhere.) I've had it going on 2 years and it is high time I cracked that one open.

Hoping you have a good weekend, Dejah!

>95 Carmenere: Lynda, you are welcome on my thread whenever you care to visit! The threads have been so crazy I'm certain that I've missed a few, too. As for the Century of Reading, I must confess that I stole that from Heather (souloftherose). We'll see how many I manage in a year....

>96 Fourpawz2: I thought Dying in the Wool would appeal to some other readers on LT - and I suppose that most of us are already reading so many series why not add one more? As for the second Paks book, Divided Allegiance, I have to confess that I skip largish portions when I reread it. It's not that they're boring and they are actually very important to the story (and for that matter to the plot line in the newer series), but I just want to move forward to other parts of the tale. I hope you enjoy it.

10. Extra Credit by Maggie Barbieri (TIOLI #11)

Extra Credit is the seventh entry in Maggie Barbieri’s Murder 101 series about Alison Bergeron, an English Professor at a Catholic college just outside of New York City. Even considering that she is now married to a homicide detective, she has an amazing propensity for stumbling across dead bodies.

I find this series to be inconsistent. Some of the installments I like very much: others, less so. Extra Credit, which revolves around the extended families a person develops by choice (friends), marriage and divorce and juggling obligations to them, just didn't appeal to me. Other books in the series have been very entertaining, however, so I’ll give her next book a try when it’s published, probably in January 2014.

11. The 101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith (TIOLI #17)

Not long ago there lived in London a young married couple of Dalmatian dogs named Pongo and Missis Pongo. (Missis had added Pongo’s name to her own on their marriage, buy was still called Missis by most people.) They were lucky enough to own a young married couple of humans named Mr. and Mrs. Dearly, who were gentle, obedient, and unusually intelligent – almost canine at times….Like many other much-loved humans, they believed that they owned their dogs, instead of realizing that their dogs owned them. Pongo and Missis found this touching and amusing and let their pets think it was true.

If you haven’t read Dodie Smith’s original The 101 Dalmatians, all I can say is that you are missing out on a wonderfully entertaining story that kids and adults with both adore. It’s funny – truly. And, alright, it’s sentimental; I love the old spaniel and his pet. How could you ask for a better villain the Cruella de Vil? Ok, I admit I wish that Missis was a little bit brighter and that the males were a little less condescending, but I can live with it.

Read it – to yourself or to others. This story would be wonderful read aloud or listened to as an audiobook. Take a chance – enjoy!

12. Love ‘em or Leave ‘em by Angie Stanton (TIOLI #2)

This isn’t a book I would normally pick up; it was suggested by an acquaintance. The best thing I can say about it is that it was a quick read.

A young woman does a friend a favor and ends up on a ‘reality’ tv show along the lines of “The Bachelor” (which I’ve never actually seen). While there are some funny moments, they don’t make up for the banality of the romance. I think this one is strictly for devotees of short format contemporary romance.

Oh I love The 101 Dalmations - one of my favourite books as a child.

You didn't get me with Dying in the Wool, but only because it was already on my wish list!

Dejah, thanks for checking up on me while I am under the weather! I'd be delighted to have you join me for any of the books on my list for Fantasy February!

The original 101 Dalmations! I'd definitely like to read that. Dodie Smith's I Capture the Castle was fantastic, but I haven't explored her other works.

>101 SandDune: Thanks for visiting my thread, Rhian! The 101 Dalmatians is just wonderful - I wish I could convince everyone to read it.

>102 cbl_tn: Dying in the Wool is very promising - I think you'll like it, Carrie. Of course, I imagine your wish list is so huge that it may be years before you get to it....

>103 ronincats: Roni, I'm so glad that you're feeling better! You were greatly missed on the thread. I hope you''re having a restful, recuperative weekend. As for Fantasy February, honestly, I don't know what I'm going to read - too many options. Some of your choices looked really good though, and the edge goes to shared read for TIOLI....hmmm - I'm hope there's a TIOLI next month where we can fit in Jhereg....

>104 dk_phoenix: You've got to read it, Faith! It's very little like I Capture the Castle, which I also love, but The 101 Dalmatians is witty, charming and intelligent - entertaining for adults and children alike. I hope you find the time to give it a try.

Okay, fine. I'll add The 101 Dalmatians to my ginormous Mount TBR. Sheesh.

Hooray, Morphy! It's a great book - you won't regret it.

Plus, it has the advantage of being short....

13. The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman (TIOLI #11)

I read this book years ago, but had forgotten virtually all of it. This worked out rather well for my, because I got to be entertained all over again!

The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax is Cold War and espionage light (or should that be ‘lite’?). It’s funny, charming and, yes, a little dated. I’m looking forward to continuing with the series when I need an amusing diversion.

14. Dream Eyes by Jayne Ann Krentz (TIOLI #11)

One thing you can say for Jayne Ann Krentz is that she’s consistent; when you pick up one of her books, you have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Dream Eyes, the second book in her A Dark Legacy trilogy, is no exception.

That said, it’s not a great book. It’s a decent, readable paranormal thriller / romance that requires no major commitment, effort or thought to get through. If you like her other recent books, you should like this one.

I'm glad you enjoyed your re-read of Mrs. Pollifax.

I'd forgotten so much of Mrs. Pollifax it was almost like reading an entirely new book.

Let me recommend another charming but lesser known book by Dorothy Gilman, The Clairvoyant Countess. You would definitely enjoy it!

Roni, I actually remember reading that one! It was fun. It may be the only other Dorothy Gilman book I've ever read.

As always, suggestions are welcome!

Ashes of Roses by Mary Jane Auch (TIOLI #14)

Ashes of Roses is the story of young Rose Nolan whose family immigrates to the U.S. from Ireland in 1911. Life in New York City was not an easy one for new arrivals and the Nolan family faces unanticipated difficulties. Rose is determined to remain in New York, however, and finds employment in a shirtwaist factory, positioning her to witness an infamous tragedy.

I picked thins Young Adult novel up because of its connection to the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, about which I’ve read fairly extensively. Based my prior reading, I think Auch did a very nice job describing the fire and its aftermath – we’ve clearly read several of the same books! As for the Nolan family’s experiences (Rose’s experiences in particular) I think Auch did a nice job trying to present the difficulties of their situations to a YA audience without getting too dark. In reality, however, Rose and her family probably would have had a far more miserable time than that depicted in Ashes of Roses.

I think this book is a nice introduction to the immigrant experience and to an important episode in U.S. labor safety / worker’s rights history.

Adults interested in the Triangle Fire should consider Triangle: the Fire that Changed America by David Von Drehle.

Many years later, Gilman wrote a sequel, Kaleidoscope, although I don't think it is as charming.

Dejah,

I just love the way you're doing all of this. You've given yourself a really cool structure to fit into. Props to you!

-Esquiress/ kcrisell

Adding Ashes of Roses to the BlackHole. I have already read the David Von Drehle book on the fire. Thanks for the recommendation, Dejah!

>115 ronincats: I don't think I've read Kaleidoscope, Roni, but it sounds as though I don't need to rush down to the library to get my hands on it!

>116 Esquiress: Thank you, Esquiress - both for visiting and your kind words! You are welcome here anytime.

>117 alcottacre: Stasia, I hope you like Ashes of Roses. I'm never quite sure about reviewing YA - am I being too harsh, to kind, am I comparing it to what I would expect from an adult book - so I'll look forward to what you think of it whenever it rises to the top of the BlackHole. Do BlackHoles have tops?

One of the Pollifax books is on my TBR Soon pile. I think it's the one you read. I haven't read anything by Gilman. Who does she write similar to?

You know, that's a really good question, Morphy, I'm just not sure how to answer it. I think I've only read two of her books, but the style of both was very light - perhaps along the lines of Charlotte MacLeod?

Roni, if you're reading this, can you come up with a better answer for Morphy?

Just catching up here, Dejah. I am waiting to see what you thought of The Rose Garden. I have that one and two others by Kearsley that I picked up in Kindle deals, but I have not gotten to them yet. Have you read anything else by her?

Yeah, I know - I'm behind on reviews. I get caught up someday.....

Someone here on LT put me onto Kearsley's The Shadowy Horses, which I really enjoyed. I promptly forgot about my intention to read more of her work until I came across The Rose Garden in a library display. I'll get around to my review soon, but I'll say I preferred The Shadowy Horses.

OK - thanks for that. Adding The Shadowy Horses to my library list - I have The Winter Sea which looks good.

The Winter Sea has gotten a lot of praise - so has Mariana. I'll definitely be reading more.

Mariana is the other one that I have.

Stopping by to drop a star after your visit to my thread! Some good reading here. Count me in as another The One Hundred and One Dalmatians fan. I'm interested in the Rumer Godden book--have you ever read her book, Two Under the Indian Sun? I think she co-wrote with her sister. It was a favorite of a dear friend of mine.

I see that you will be performing in The Octette Bridge Club. That one made the rounds of community theatres here in the Cleveland area a few years ago. I haven't seen it, though! I'll put it on my list to read.

Sandy K

Hi Sandy!

Hooray for Dalmatians! Have you read Smith's I Capture the Castle? It's very different, but great.

I have not read Two Under the Indian Sun - I need to make an effort to read all of her books, including her autobiography.

Octette was actually staged by this theater 20 years ago - the anniversary is during our run. Two of the cast members from 20 years ago are in this production (different parts) and another is the costume designer - she played my role. It's a gentle, non-controversial play that allowed the artisitc director to cast women in their 50 - late 70s. I'm in my early forties and am 15 years younger than the next oldest woman! Oh well - I keep reminding myself that it's community theater and it will play well with our somewhat older skewing audience.

Don't be in any hurry to read it....

>127 Dejah_Thoris:.

You do community theater?! That sounds like a great time! I've been wanting to do that for a while, but I haven't managed to get into it quite yet.

I am in a choral society, though, and I feel your pain about being young compared to the rest of the group. I sing tenor, and my friends and I call the men the "grey hair club," as I'm at least 15 years younger than the youngest of them, plus I'm a girl :)

-Esquiress

Community theater can be great fun and you frequently meet wonderful people. Why haven't you given it a try?

I'm just a little concerned that we won't really look like sisters on stage. What we do on the stage is far more important than how we look, but there's no reason to make it tough on the audience....

So you're the odd girl out? You must get tired of the comments! It's very cool that you sing tenor, though.

Dejah,

I just haven't found the right time to audition. A crap reason, I know. I was briefly a part of the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire last year, but I missed the auditions this year, and I've got some things going on that need to be straight before I can re-make that commitment.

True, it might look a little strange, but who knows: lighting and makeup are beautiful things :)

I am indeed the odd girl out. The director's forever saying, "Men," when he really means, "Tenors and Basses"! I've been singing tenor since the last three years of college, actually, and I've found that it's really been good for extending my range. If you have any sort of alto range, give it a try some time!

-Esquiress

I managed to get involved in one of the local musical societies (more for the singing than the acting), and the next production is a pantomime, which I enrolled my son in, as well as myself. I'm not the oldest in the cast (I'm in my early forties, too), but I am one of the oldest. :0)

>130 Esquiress: Esquiress - it not being the right time is not a crap reason for not auditioning! Given that it's more than just the audition (ie if you get the part you have to commit to rehearsals, performances, etc, that can take over your life), timing is in fact one of the best reasons for not auditioning. Besides, it doesn't sounds as if you aren't involved in other artistic activities, what with singing out for the rights women tenors everywhere!

I admit I'm a little jealous that you worked, however briefly, with a RenFaire....

>131 humouress: Nina I think that's wonderful - for both of you! I hope you have an absolute blast and that you've both found a new favorite avocation. And you can sing too, huh? It's a good thing I'm taking voice lessons, everyone can sing but me....

Love this: singing out for the rights women tenors everywhere!

Thank you for the big smile from that!

I'm so glad you mentioned the NF book about the Triangle fire; it's been on my wishlist for a while and I forgot about it. My Library has a copy so I guess I'll be looking for it there...

I sing tenor in our choir at church. I actually have a pretty wide range vocally, but I'm really rock solid on tenor.

>133 Esquiress: You're very welcome, Esquiress! I'm always happy to make someone smile!

>134 Fourpawz2: As I recall, Triangle is one of the newer and better books on the topic. It's a fascinating topic: a disaster the type of which everyone should have seen coming, but no one cared enough about to prevent. The changes in public awareness of sweatshop workers, the move toward enforceable / enforced safety regulations, etc. had long lasting effects. I am reminded of other, more recent tragedies, who have caught the public's attention and prompted wide-ranging discussion and action....

>135 thornton37814: I knew you were very involved with your church choir, Lori, but I didn't know you sang tenor! That is so cool! Are you the only female tenor in your group, too?

Wow, you mean I'm not the only female tenor around?

Oh my goodness - you're one, too, Morphy? Female tenors abound on LT! Who knew?

I'm an alto with limited range - I have vocal issues that we're working with. I've never sung with a choir or in a musical, but I've taught a lot of Girl Scouts and summer camp attendees assorted goofy songs. Hmmm...maybe I can aspire to be a tenor....

In case any one missed it, Alan Bradley's new Flavia de Luce novel, Speaking From Among the Bones was released yesterday. I'm reading it now - I'm not sure if I'll finish in January or February.

I snagged The Shadow Wars: Book Two in the Demi-Monde Saga as my January ER book, which I wanted. I've got the first book The Demi-Monde (which actually has a couple of title variations) sitting on the shelf, so I imagine I'll pick that up next.

I'm looking forward to Fantasy February! I have lots of books piled up for it - more than I'm going to manage to read.

Not only have I read I Capture the Castle, it's one of my favorite books of all time. Maybe I'll do a re-read this year.

You know, I don't think you need to worry about looking too young or not resembling the woman playing your sister--the audience will believe what you tell them most of the time.

Female tenors! That is awesome. I am a soprano. Sopranos are annoying, I know. Especially the ones that think that they are sopranos but they are not. They just want to sing the melody. I've sung second soprano most of the time because I'm willing to do it.

I am fascinated by the Triangle Shirtwaist fire but am leery of reading a book about it because I feel it will be upsetting...

ETA: I have the latest Flavia on hold at the library. Can't wait to read it! Hope it's as fun as the previous books.

Sandy K

I Capture the Castle is marvelous. I may indulge in a reread, too. You don't participate in the Take It Or Leave It Challenges (TIOLI) do you? I was just thinking we could have a shared read - Mamie and a few others might join us.

The Triangle fire really is fascinating - but shocking. I like many disaster books, which is odd, because I often don't like depressing literature.

I'm only a few pages in, but Flavia is holding up very nicely, thank you.

I, too, love disaster books, but don't like sad books.

After reading about the Brazil nightclub fire from the other day, it's amazing how the same problems recur.

Every once in a while I will do a TIOLI. I would be ALL ABOUT doing a shared read for I Capture the Castle!

Sandy K

lindapanzo--I thought about the Triangle Shirtwaist fire, too, when reading about the horrible Brazil nightclub fire. So sad.

Sandy K

I hope to read I Capture the Castle sometime this year. It would be fun to read it when others are reading it. It will be a first reading for me. I'm looking forward to it since it seems to be a favorite book for many LTers.

Other female tenors are around, even here on LT! This is fabulous :)

The good news about my tenor section in Reading Choral Society is that we just got a 21-year-old, so now I am the only girl, BUT I'm not also the youngest "man" anymore!

I loved singing second soprano in college; it was just more fun. Sometimes I miss it.

I have a pretty wide range, but I just prefer to sing tenor these days because it's a challenge every once in a while (not that I don't have the range; it's just nice to sing NOT the melody). I live for the high notes :D

>142 lindapanzo:, 144 The Brazil nightclub fire brought up similar thoughts for me, too. I'd like to say that our safety standards are better in the U.S., but it hasn't been that many years sine that Rhode Island nightclub fire. When will people learn?

>143 sandykaypax:, 145 Sandy and Carrie - I'd love to do a shared / group read of I Capture the Castle. Were you two thinking of an official Group Read? I'm game either way.

>146 Esquiress: It's great that you're no longer the 'baby' of the group - maybe there are more female tenors on the way!

Either an official or unofficial group read is fine with me. How soon do you want to do it? (In other words, do we need to keep our eyes open for a February TIOLI challenge to list it under?)

Actually, I was thinking not February because of Fantasy February - I thought folks might have already have a lot lines up. But then not everyone reads fantasy....

I'm flexible. Other opinions?

I've got plenty on my plate for February and a couple of other group reads in March. Is June too far away to do it then?

I could live with June.

What about you, Sandy?

I could do a June read. April or May would be better, because my schedule gets busy in the summer. But June is better than July. I definitely could not do July.

Sandy K

I will join you ladies - just let me know which month!

I hear June also has a group read for the first Wheel of Time book, which I plan to participate in.

Wow - so many lady tenors! In school choir, I was dumped into sopranos, but it was too high to sing comfortably, so I asked to move down to alto (I was quite shy, so my speaking voice may have sounded high, though to me it doesn't - and asking that took quite a bit of confidence). I was quite intrigued when one of the more experienced girls was asked to sing tenor, as there weren't enough boys; but I thought it'd be too much if I asked again. Though I have sung tenor once or twice as an adult.

I've got a couple of chunksters to read in April and May. I might be able to squeeze it into May's reading but I don't think I could do it in April.

Dejah, I'm glad to see that you added the book about the molasses flood.

I absolutely have to read that before our next Chicagoland meet-up. I want to be able to explain to those LTers what happened.

Dejah, your thread has become a bit of a female tenors support group! LOL! Love it.

Sandy K

I loved 101 Dalmatians and I also really enjoyed the sequel, The Starlight Barking - it's worth checking out although from the reviews on the book page I may have been the only person who enjoyed it.

I was also thinking of rereading I capture the castle this year so would be tempted by a group read. Any time's good for me really.

> 155: I was a soprano II in high school and at my first university; when I transferred, I was an alto II in show choir and a tenor I in chorus :) Good on you for speaking up for your needs in high school!

>158 sandykaypax:: It seems to have, doesn't it? I'm loving it too!

I don't know if I can get my hand on Dark Tide or not this month, but if I can do so, I'll join you all in that one. Even though I sing tenor in the choir, I fill in at other parts on praise teams at church or sing other parts when working with the youth choir. The funniest thing was the Sunday night that I sang bass on the praise team. We had all the other parts so I just went for the left over part. I hardly ever do soprano on praise team, but I do sing it with the youth choir girls fairly regularly. I can't hit above the G above the staff, but that's higher than I could sing a couple of years ago. I do alto parts fairly frequently on the Praise team, and I usually sing 2nd tenor and sometimes even baritone in the choir if the men are divided into 3 or 4 parts on a song. (I used to do baritone all the time until we suddenly had an explosion of new baritones. Now I only do it if the baritone section is down.)

Dejah I just came by to thank you for your TIOLI challenge. I have been able to post all (and then some) of the books I was planning on reading in February and a good deal of them are in your challenge.

Hi Dejah, I found you!

And what a coincidence, I've just started on Speaking From Among the Bones as well. I'm sure you'll have twelve more books read by the time I finish it, but I'll check back to see how you liked it. :)

Goodness, I haven't been on since the 30th and I've had so many visitors - welcome!

I only have a minute right now - I'll be back online to reply to everyone later tonight.

Ok – time to respond to all the very welcome comments on my thread!

Looking over everybody’s responses, it looks to me as though May may be the best month for an I Capture the Castle read. Are there any strong objections? Sandy, Mamie, Esquiress, Carrie and Heather and me – I think that’s all of us….

>155 humouress: It’s so cool, Nina, to find so many women who have sung tenor – I’m impressed! Oh, not just with the tenor part, but with having so many trained singers visiting my thread. I’ve just started voice lessons and I’m still so clueless….
>157 lindapanzo: Linda I’m so glad you’re joining me on Dark Tide – I’m about halfway through and it’s quite interesting. I visited Boston extensively and even lived there for a while, but I’d never heard of this disaster.

>158 sandykaypax: It’s too funny, isn’t it? Now if I could just hear all of you sing….

>159 souloftherose: Heather, I’m glad you’re going to join us in the I Capture the Castle read – it’s such a great book. I know there’s a movie version of it, but I’ve never seen it. Have you? Or has anyone else, for that matter?

>160 kcrisell: Ohhhh – show choir. I didn’t go to a school with show choir, but it sounds like fun!

>161 thornton37814: Lori, I hope you can join me and Linda in reading Dark Tide. I’ve been meaning to read it for ages and I’m glad I finally picked it up. As for your singing, I’m impressed that you have so much versatility (bass!) – my range is so very small at this point it’s hard to find rep that I can sing. Apparently my ‘sweet spot’ vocally is the key of A Major, which probably means more to all you trained singers than it does to me!

>163 UnrulySun: Hi Kathy – thank you for finding my thread!

Speaking From Among the Bones was great, as I expected – I hope you’re enjoying it, too. If you feel like me, though, after that ending it’s going to be a long, long wait for the next book.

>162 DeltaQueen50:

Judy, I am delighted that you like my TIOLI Challenge! I had intended to post a completely different Challenge, but when I came across the very amusing blog post at TOR (which may be found here) I couldn’t resist. It seemed a perfect match for Fantasy February. In truth, it’s worked out even better than I thought.

In case anyone is wondering what we’re talking about, I posted a Take It Or Leave It Challenge to read a book with one or more words from a list of words commonly found in Science Fiction and Fantasy titles.
Here’s a graphic of the list, from the TOR blog liked to above:

It took me over an hour and a half (with minor interruptions) but I think I may be caught up on threads - woohoo!

I know it won't last long and I am appallingly behind on reviews, but you take your pleasures where you find them, right?

>165 Dejah_Thoris:: Hang on, I didn't say I was trained per se ... oh,well; maybe something rubbed off on me over the years. I usually sing in groups / choirs, but I'm planning on taking solo lessons. We'll see if that works out.

Maybe we should organise an LT singers meet-up. :0)

>167 Dejah_Thoris:: I like that graphic. Unfortunately, my first book for Fantasy February was Ella Enchanted. Now if it had been tags instead of titles, then maybe ;0)

I'm not trained either! Not by any means. In fact, I'm rather awful. Also, I had to quit choir after blowing my voice - twice. I'm just not meant to sing either my "talent" or physical ability.

#166 I have seen the film and I thought it was quite good but it's been so long since I watched the film or read the book that I can't remember much about either! May should be fine for me.

>166 Dejah_Thoris:: There were ten of us in show choir - five girls, five guys. And three of the girls had the same first name :) It was pretty awesome!

As for training, I'm willing to bet all of you know more about singing than I do at this point!

>169 humouress: Nina, I have to say I'm really enjoying my voice lessons. I may never be a good singer (as I've mentioned before I have vocal issues - long story, but the end result is scar tissue on my cords) but I'm having a blast trying. As for your read of Ella Enchanted, well, the TOR folks didn't claim every SF&F book would have one of those words in the title, just a lot of them!

>170 Morphidae: Morphy, I sympathize with voice troubles - it was wise of you to stop. We all have talent for something - sometimes (for me at least) it's figuring out a talent for what!

>171 souloftherose: Hopefully May will work as I Capture the Castle month - any more comments? From anybody? Any more opinions on it on if it should be an official group read?

>172 Esquiress: Esquiress - did your show choir compete? Were you at a big high school?

I'm not ambitious enough to do any sort of in depth analysis about my monthly reading. Or maybe I just don't want to think about my selections too much - I might not like what I find! At any rate, there are a few things I want to look at, so here they are.

January:

24 works read (I generally read between 20-30 books a month, usually on the lower side)
3 nonfiction (that number should be double - I'd like to aim for 25% nonfiction)
2 plays (that's ok - I aim for a play a week unless I'm in rehearsal for a show)
0 recent rereads (that's surprising - I reread a lot)

January TIOLI Challenges:

24 works listed (everyone fit!)
7 shared reads
11 Challenges met

I'd like to work toward more shared reads and more Challenges met, but I'm ok with January's results.

16. 100 Old Roses for the American Garden by Clair G. Martin

100 Old Roses for the American Garden isn’t nearly as entertaining as In Search of Lost Roses, which I read earlier in the month. Its advantage, however, is the latter section of the book which contains photos and descriptions of the 100 recommended old garden roses. The photographs are beautiful and the descriptions are very useful for anyone (particularly novices) attempting to choose old garden roses for their yard. I know have a list of varieties that I’m looking for; I hope they’ll do well!

17. 97 Orchard Street, New York: Stories of Immigrant Life by Linda Granfield and Arlene Alda

The short work of nonfiction intended for the YA market does a nice job of presenting the basics of immigrant, tenement life on the Lower East Side of New York City. 97 Orchard Street is the home of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, and many of the photographs and research presented is from their collections / exhibits. I was particularly impressed by the manner in which they linked former residents of the building with modern day, living descendants, which helps make the individuals and family depicted more real to younger readers.

The early history of the Lower East Side, Castle Garden and Ellis Island are all discussed, so this work would be useful for any study of New York City’s history or a preparation for a trip there. Young genealogists with ancestors who spent time in New York City will probably enjoy learning more details of what their lives were like.

It’s a well done book and a good choice for those with an interest in the topic.

18. Maple and Vine by Jordan Harrison

Maple and Vine, a play by Jordan Harrison funny, edgy and though provoking. A couple, suffering from a personal loss, is drawn to a group of 1950s re-enactors. They’ve created an enclave of Ozzie and Harriet want-to-bes in a community where it’s always 1955. And while some may find solace in an idealized culture with clearly defined gender and societal roles, the 50s were not happy for everyone….

This show is probably not community theater fare, but may prove popular with college/university programs and professional theaters. There are some interesting monologues in this play for both men and women.
3 men/2 women (1 male and 1 female play 2 roles each for a total of 7 characters)

Ellen:

One question we get a lot is health concerns.

“Do I have to smoke?”
“Do I have to drink?”
“Do I have to eat hot fudge sundaes?”

Of course, we can’t ask for more commitment than you’re willing to give. But we think that you will get much more out of the experience with total commitment, total authenticity.

What’s a little hypertension if you’re happy.

>173 Dejah_Thoris:: It was actually in college, and we did not compete, though I wish we could have. It was just for fun.

Oh, you should've seen the looks I got from my parents after the five girls did "Don't Tell Mama" from Cabaret. Oh, dear :)

>172 Esquiress:: I've been meaning to ask - is 'show-choir' like Glee? Whatever it is, it sounds like it was fun.

>176 Dejah_Thoris:: We lived in Manhattan for a couple of years, and came across the concept of 'grandfathering' (re rules and regulations for living in a given building.) Your description of the book ("they linked former residents of the building with modern day, living descendants") gives the phrase new meaning. Or maybe that was the origin of the meaning.

>178 Esquiress: Esquiress, that must have been a blast! Particularly "Don't Tell Mama" - I can just imagine what you five got up to! Shocking!

>179 humouress: That's an interesting thought, Nina. I also lived in New York, but remember the phrase from my childhood in the South, so I went and looked it up. The 'Grandfather Clause' actually originated in the South as part of post-Civil War voting legislation: if your grandfather was eligible to vote, than you were eligible to vote, regardless of whether or not you met other eligibility requirements such as literacy. The end result was that poor, illiterate blacks were disenfranchised but their poor, illiterate white neighbors got to vote. And all of this referred only to men, of course.

I think the spirit of the phrase is caught by the idea you mention, though. It also reminds me of inherited rent controlled apartments...people have literally killed for those. Cheery thoughts for a Monday morning!

>179 humouress:: For me, show choir put on productions that included a solo from each cast member, plus a bunch of choreographed group numbers. The "show" part of it came from the dancing, I guess. I'm not too familiar with Glee, tbh, but maybe it is similar. We did stuff like in that recent movie about a capella singing groups... Pitch Perfect? Perfect Pitch? I don't know, I've only seen the trailer :)

>180 Dejah_Thoris:: Oh, we were definitely shocking :) Chair dancing and all!

I am trying hard to get caught up on the threads, Dejah, but I think I might be fighting a losing battle. LOL! May works fine for me for I Capture the Castle. It's February 5th - so exciting! How many books did you acquire today - we had quite a few arrive at our doorstep. Don't you just love that?!

>181 Esquiress: I believe it's Pitch Perfect - several musical theater friends insisted I see it. It wasn't terrible (the musical numbers were fun), but it was definitely intended for a teen audience!

>182 Crazymamie: Oh Mamie, I'm not even caught up on my own thread, much less everyone else's! Actually, I had books arrive yesterday - amazon got my books here early. I received Etiquette & Espionage and House Rules which I had ordered and my ER book The Shadow Wars . The library will be providing me with the other new releases, including Scarlet.

I have so many wonderful options of books to read this month, it's difficult to pick!

My E&E arrived this afternoon!

Woohoo! E&E is everywhere! I've got it posted in Challenge #3 (I think). Jhereg is next on my reading list, so it'll probably be the weekend before I get to it.

I am swamped right now. The rest of this week and weekend are going to be tight as far as reading goes. Rehearsals are running longer and tech is Sunday. Saturday night, I'll be going to see a friend in "The Seagull" at a nearby University - it's the only night I can see it. I knew February was going to be busy....

With all this excitement about E&E, I had a look at the reviews. Though they look good (8 of them), there are no ratings for the book yet.

Question : Though this is the first book in the series, I see this is a prequel to Parasol Protectorate. Do you think I should read that series first? (Provided I can get hold of it, that is)

>186 humouress:

Ohhhh...good question. And I'm not certain what the answer should be. Since I am almost certain to prefer her adult writing, I would tend to encourage you to read the Parasol Protectorate first. Perhaps some other folks can chime in as they read it?

From reviews I've been reading, reading Parasol Protectorate first isn't essential, but there are characters that surface in E&E that you'll get a bit more enjoyment from if you've read about them already.

>183 Dejah_Thoris:: Ugh, movies designed for teens. I'm a bit "off" with teens right now after resigning from a 9th grade teaching job.

Hi Dejah! I began reading The Shadowy Horses last year but I haven't got around to finish it. I purchased The Rose Garden for my Kindle, I think it was the Daily Deal a few days ago or maybe in Amazons Kindle specials for February. I also have Mariana and also The Winter Sea, all unread naturally. Maybe we need to do a Susanna Kearsley September :0}

I've got The Winter Sea as a regular book and The Rose Garden as an audiobook. Have no idea if I'll even like them as I've not read anything of hers.

>188 UnrulySun: Thanks for chiming in, Kathy. Now I'm curious to find out what characters pop up..

>189 Esquiress: I can understand that completely, Esquiress. There's a recurring vomiting bit in Pitch Perfect that was way too juvenile....

>190 Carmenere: Hey Lynda! I will be reading more Susanna Kearsley, I just do't know if I can wait 'til September! Of course I have so many books piled up to read it may be September before I get to Mariana and The Winter Sea!

>191 Fourpawz2: It's interesting to see how many folks have Susanna Kearsley on their personal mount TBR; she must be doing something right! I hope you enjoy them when you find the time, Charlotte.

I had planned to read Jhereg next, but I got Proof of Guilt, the new Charles Todd form the library and in the interests of good book karma, I'm reading it first. I'm certain there are plenty of library patrons waiting eagerly for it - it's an excellent series.

Sadly, I can't figure out how to fit it into a TIOLI Challenge. I'll have to ask for help on the TIOLI thread.

I've already used up my LT time for this morning. Everybody please forgive me for not being caught up on threads!

#192 It's interesting to see how many folks have Susanna Kearsley on their personal mount TBR. I'm one of those as well. I enjoyed The Winter Sea when I read it last year - keep meaning to get around to Mariana.

Dejah, you can put the Charles Todd book in TIOLI #9 - Richard Todd was an actor in the sixties, and he was in quite a bit of stuff.

There's also Michael Todd, one of Elizabeth Taylor's husbands. I don't know if he would count or not since he was a producer and not an actor. However, he did receive an Oscar for Around the World in Eighty Days.

>192 Dejah_Thoris:: Oh, I can't stand when movies rely on juvenile humor. I also find the TV show Family Guy to be overly juvenile.

Guess I'm a bit of a snob :)

>195 Crazymamie: Thank you Mamie. He simply didn't occur to me - even though I'm very fond of "The Hasty Heart." Hooray! It fits!

>196 cbl_tn: You know, Carrie, I thought about using Michael Todd, but wasn't really sure if he would count. I imagine, though, that most movie producers would claim that they entertain millions!

>197 Esquiress: I have to admit to being a little bit of a snob myself - most often about plays / theater. I have to say :Pitch Perfect" wasn't bad overall - not great, but I understand its popularity with the younger musical theater crowd.

And the next question becomes where do we fit in Marissa Meyer's Scarlet....

Hey, Dejah, just stopping in to see what you've been up to! Boo hiss on delaying Jhereg--but as long as you get to it sometime this month, I'll forgive you.

>200 ronincats: Yes, but I only delayed it briefly, Roni - as soon as I close the computer I'll start it!

>>#199 WASHINGTON...if you're quick enough... :)

You know, Liz, I was just looking at that. We just need an O, N, W and an A - and for me to jump in at the right moment! Oh well, I know there are few other people planning to read Scarlet, too, so hopefully they'll be watching as well...

BTW, I crack up every time I look at your Challenge - thinking about all those 'ants' and your picnic!

I started reading the book about the Boston molasses flood last night. Not far into it yet but it's interesting.

I suspect they'd prefer the snow they are getting to the molasses.

>205 thornton37814:: HA! :)

>204 lindapanzo: It's kind of fascinating, isn't it, Linda? The scope of the book (particularly the civil trial to follow) is broader than many disaster books. I hope you like it.

>206 Esquiress: I lived in Boston for a while, Lori, and I can remember walking down the middle of what would normally have been a very busy street living footprints in largely untouched snow. There must have been 10+ inches of the stuff - it was beautiful. But of course, I didn't have to clear it or drive in it!

This storm looks much, much worse. At least they'll have the weekend to clean up. And unlike molasses, the snow will eventually melt....

I think it's a good thing that it happened on the weekend. Most of my friends seem to be enjoying it for the most part. I've had a couple of people say they are without power, but even many of them believe that they will soon receive power again because of the nature of the outages in their area. I've been loving the photos. I'm quite familiar with the Back Bay area where The Weather Channel people are situated, so it's nice to be able to know exactly where they are. I just wish that I could have been snowed in at the NEHGS library there with power so I could operate the microfilm readers, etc. I do know, however, that all my friends that work there were at home because they've been posting photos to Facebook. It would have taken quite a feat to have managed to get snowed in there.

Too funny, Lori!

The fairly short stretch during which I lived in Boston proper I lived in Back Bay - it was wonderful! Truth be told, I enjoyed living in Boston even more than I did New York City. Sadly, I wasn't the least bit interested in genealogical research when I lived in either city - wasted opportunities!

I like snow, but I don't miss dealing with it.

Hey, Dejah - Were you the one with whom I was talking about Pitch Perfect? I just watched it today, and, pardoning the vomiting gag (ha... vomit... gag...), I loved it :) We just bought the soundtrack of the actual music in the movie!

Put me out of my misery, Dejah! I know you've finished it!

Popping in to say hello Dejah

HI Dejah, just stopping by to say hello *wave*. I also finished Jhereg and thought it was a lot of fun. I hope that the other two sequels from the Snow Queen will arrive soon. So, that I can carry on with the series.

I absolutely loved the chaos walking trilogy by Patrick Ness and I just finished listening to The Night Circus just loved, loved, loved it. Have you read that one?

Hi Dejah, just stopped by to snoop around a bit. Done snooping so off I go and read a couple of chapters before I fall asleep. Have a good day tomorrow.

Just dropping by with a Wednesday hello. Hello!

Hi, Dejah. I see you got your 'S' for Scarlet. :)

Hey, Dejah!

Dejah? Hope everything is well and your absence only means you've hit a busy spell in RL.

I'm headed out of town but peeping in to see if all is well.

Just stopping by to say hello Dejah. Hope everything's OK.

Deeeeejjaaahhhh! Where are you? Should I round up a search party?

Anybody check Barsoom?

Yeah, I actually thought I saw her traveling with John!

Hi everybody!

All is well - RL has gotten very busy indeed! Sadly, I have not been off with John Carter of Mars, but I have been busy on stage. The Octette Bridge Club opened Friday night and things have been crazy since last Sunday - the beginning of tech week. We had a matinee this afternoon, and I've got a break until we reopen on Wednesday night. I'm onstage for virtually the entire play, and it's been exhilarating, but exhausting!

I've still managed to read, even if I haven't been on LT much. When I'm busy and tired my reading gets...hmmm...light in content. I'll probably pick up something more complex tomorrow.

Also tomorrow, I'll be back to reply to all my wonderful visitors. I might even manage a book review or two.

Take care!

What a great thing to draw you away from LT - at least it was something awesome and not an extended illness!

I have a few minutes to try to catch up, so here it goes!

>210 Esquiress: Yep, we were talking about “Pitch Perfect’ – and I agree, vomiting aside, it was a fairly cute movie. The singing was great, so I’m sure you’re enjoying the soundtrack, Esquiress!

>211 ronincats: You’re right Roni – I finished Jhereg – and I really, really enjoyed it. Thank you for encouraging me to read it! Fairly early on I thought it was pretty good, but by the end I was totally caught up in it! So which one do I read next?

>212 luvamystery65: Hey Roberta – thanks for dropping by! I’m sorry I haven’t been on LT much late to properly greet you, much less return a visit to your thread. Soon, very soon….

>213 drachenbraut23: It’s so nice to see you out on the threads, Bianca! You must have come back about the time I disappeared. I’m glad you liked the Snow Queen – not all series stick with me, but I’ve always remembered that one very clearly. I’ve not read any Patrick Ness (I’ll have to look him up) and I haven’t yet read The Night Circus although I intend to this month (I’ve got it listed under Challenge #4). I’ll be visiting your thread soon!

>214 Carmenere: Hey Lynda – Thanks for visiting. I’m sorry there wasn’t much of anything to snoop when you came by. I’ll try to do better!

>215 Crazymamie: You’re always welcome to drop by Mamie! I’ll be off to your thread soon – I shudder to think how far behind I must be….

>216 lyzard: I did get Scarlet in the WASHINGTON Challenge, Liz, with a little slight of hand. I’d added the new Deborah Crombie (out tomorrow) The Sound of Broken Glass in an “S” spot, but realized it could fit in the vowel challenge instead. Since it didn’t look like we’d make it around to “S” again I made the switch. Whatever works, right?

>217 Esquiress: Esquiress, it was so kind of you to keep checking on me!

>218 ronincats: And you as well, Roni – thanks for checking on me.

>221 Crazymamie: No search party required, Mamie. I just need to learn to do a better job of keeping up with LT – RL is no excuse!

>222 drneutron: Welcome, Jim! Alas, no Barsoom for me the past week. Instead, I’ve been in Rhode Island in the 1930s and 40s every night for the past few weeks – in full costume including wig, no less. Maybe I’ll post a picture – that will clarify that I’m not really the Princess of Mars!

>223 drachenbraut23: Hmmm…I wonder who you saw running around with John Carter, Bianca. It wasn’t me….

>225 Esquiress: No illness, Esquiress – unless you consider a passion for acting and community theater an ailment. Of course, my character is a little unstable in Act I….Actually, the whole thing is pretty awesome. I’m very fortunate to live in a community with so much local theater. Although around here, everybody prefers to spell it ‘theatre’…I’ll reserve additional comment.

Glad to see everything is ok over here. Wow! onstage for the entire play?! Thats got to be exhausting but just being in a stage production must be an awesome experience. Break a leg.

Thanks, Lynda! It's very much an ensemble play, so I'm not speaking all the time, but I'm out there a lot - more than any other character - I'd guess I'm off for three minutes total. It is fun - and addictive. I gave it up for years when my schedule wouldn't allow it - plays are time consuming, but I'm thrilled that I'm back at it.

My character is, at times, emotionally overwrought - Act I actually makes my head hurt some nights!

Either Yendi, which tells how Vlad and Cawti met, or Taltos which tells how Morrolan and Vlad met and walked the Paths of the Dead. Taltos happens earlier chronologically, but it really doesn't matter which.

Thank you, Roni - I just placed both on hold in my library system. I'm looking forward to them!

Wow - I've spent hours on LT today and I'm still so very far behind - it may take me the rest of the week to get to everybody's threads, much less make any headway on reviews! I do believe that my reviews are going to be very brief until I'm caught up.

I'm going to post a few, and then I'm getting off the computer - enough is enough!

I do love the soundtrack of Pitch Perfect, Dejah :D

Sounds like you're having a grand old time onstage. Break a leg!

19. The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie

The Secret Adversary is the first of Agatha Christie’s Tommy and Tuppence novels – somehow, I’d never read it before. It’s less a mystery than a secret society espionage thriller, of which quite a few were written at the time (Patricia Wentworth, for example, wrote a few with a similar flavor). I enjoyed it – it’s not her best work, but it’s still fun. If you want to read an excellent review, visit Liz’s thread here.

I am having fun, Es! Only four more shows, though, Wednesday through Saturday.

20. The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley

This was a bit of a disappointment. I never really bought into the time travel romance plot; I was more interested in the old roses referenced in the title. The best parts of the book were the expressions of the main character’s grief at the loss of her sister, which appears to have been a reflection of a similar grief experienced by the author. I very much liked Kearsey’s The Shadowy Horses, so maybe I was just in the wrong mood for this book.

Wow, that is gorgeous cover on The Rose Garden!

It is an appealing cover - and it fit so well into my unintended rose theme! I wish I'd liked the book better, though.

21. Old Money by Wendy Wasserstein (TIOLI #21)

Old Money is Wasserstein’s fascinating look at money new and old in two eras: early and late in the 20th century. Eight actors play two roles each – one each timeline. Occasionally, for some characters, the lines between eras blur. Unusually for Wasserstein, although not for the subject matter, the men’s roles are quite strong; men after all, frequently hold the purse strings. Other issues of class and family bonds are examined during the course of the two gatherings.

I really enjoyed this play – I’d love to do it. Wasserstein was frequently accused of being too NYC Upper East Side in her work, which is arguably true of this work as well, but it’s beautiful anyway.

Ok - I managed to post one short and unworthy review today. At least it's progress....

I've got my hands on the new Deborah Crombie The Sound of Broken Glass, officially published today. I'll go read it now. Good night!

Sorry, to see that The Rose Garden was such a bummer. Although, the cover looks stunning, well I do like my covers *grin*.
I hope you are enjoying your new Deborah Crombie book *smile*

Curious me, what is your role in the play?

Glad to know your play is going so well and you're enjoying it. Just dropping by as your thread whizzes past, trying not to fall too far behind.

>242 drachenbraut23: The Rose Garden wasn't terrible - I was just hoping for better. The problem may have more to do with me than the book - who knows?

I actually stayed up and finished the Deborah Crombie last night - I shouldn't have, but oh well. It's an excellent book, if anyone is wondering....

My character in The Octette Bridge Club is Betsy, the youngest of eight Irish Catholic sisters in Rhode Island. Set in 1934 and 1944, my character shows the most change between acts - in large part because she has a mental breakdown and spends five months in a psychiatric hospital just before Act II opens. In Act I she's very fragile and in need of help she not going to get from her sisters. In Act II, she's much more grounded and healthy. That said, this is primarily a comedy - the audience roared with laughter at tonight's performance. Go figure.

>243 humouress: Hi Nina! You're welcome to drop by any time - and I know what you mean about falling behind on the threads. At least things have slowed down some.

Deborah Crombie's latest is a good reason to stay up late! I'm not quite caught up with that series. On purpose. I can't stand the thought of not having the next book in the series waiting for me. I save them for special occasions.

It is a great series - and I think your plan is a good one. When you read the next book in a series the day it's released, it can be a long, long wait until the next on is released! Especially if there's any sort of cliffhanger....

Greetings, all -

The final performance of The Octette Bridge Club was Saturday night - we had a much better run than I expected! Things really came together and we had bigger houses than I (or the director, for that matter) expected. The trouble with short community theater runs is that by the time the run is over, you're just beginning to feel you've hit your stride....

I'm a little stuck on books at the moment. The non-fiction book I'm reading, For All the Tea in China isn't grabbing my interest, which is a bummer because I'd really been looking forward to it. My current fiction book is an ER book - The Shadow Wars: Book Two of the Demi-Monde Saga. I liked the first book, but I'm not thrilled with some choices the author has made so far in the second. The end result is that I'm not sure how many more books I'll get finished this month, even though I have quite a few more planned!

I'll be back later to post some reviews - or at least some book covers with one or two words.

I'm going to admit defeat for tonight. I've been on LT for hours and I'm still not caught up on other people's threads and have done nothing to bring my own up to date!

It's time to go to sleep. Sweet dreams, everybody!

Ha! I've been seeing you jumping around the threads tonight as I've been trying to catch up as well. Congrats on the full houses for the theater--you won't know what to do with all your free time now.

I did post some questions on the Jhereg thread.

Good night! Sleep tight!

Good morning, Roni!

I saw you, too, last night on the threads - we were visiting a lot of the same folks!

As for free time, well, I'm already in rehearsal for my next show. Theater is one of those hobbies where your participation is dependent on others - you can't do it if no one casts you. I knew that a local university was going to be doing Karen Zacarias' "Legacy of Light" (unpublished, no touchstone) and I was very interested in it, even though it would mean back to back shows. I'm not a great fit for my favorite community theater's May show and I'm taking the summer off from theater, so I jumped at the chance for this one! I sometimes wonder if I'm crazy....

BTW, amazon has Barbara Hambly's wonderful The Ladies of Mandrigyn on sale for $1.99 as a Kindle Daily Deal. It's a great book - a long time favorite of mine. Hurry!

Ooooo Dejah, I have Rose Garden on Kindle but I haven't yet finished The Shadowy Horses so it may be awhile before I get to it perhaps, by your review, that may not be so bad

Yeah! for back to back plays!

Morning, Dejah! I just snagged that Kindle deal since you're recommending the book - it does sound good! Congrats on finishing your play - probably a bittersweet moment.

We don't wonder. We KNOW. :D

>251 Carmenere: I'm looking forward to someone else reading The Rose Garden to help me figure our it I was being grumpy and excessively harsh or if it's just not as good as her others! Enjoy The Shadowy Horses.

In many ways LOL (as I've taken to referring to "Legacy of Light") will be easier for me -- I'm not onstage nearly as much and while I haven't counted them up, I'll have fewer lines. The students have Spring Break in the middle of the rehearsal schedule (we open Thursday, April 4th), so there will be a nice break.

>252 Crazymamie: Oh good. Mamie - I'm glad you picked it up! Let me know when you're ready too read it. Years ago I reread it many, many times. It's now been a long time since my last reread, so I'll join you. I still have my original paperback, but it's not in very good shape!

Sometimes it's a relief to be finished with a show - not so much this time. I feel like we could have kept going and improving, but short runs tend to be the reality of community theater! I'm just glad people seemed to enjoy it.

>253 Morphidae: Oh sure, Morphy - pick on the crazy girl! I'm playing a contemporary physicist this time, so I keep thinking I need to read hard science books for March. I wonder if science fiction will do, lol?

Well, you have to remember. It takes one to know one! Bwhahaha.

I already have that one in the original paperback, Dejah. Although it's getting to be about time for a re-read!

I love theater too--was involved all through high school--but it certainly takes a huge time commitment.

>255 Morphidae: Oho! The secret is out.....

>256 ronincats: A reread sounds good to me - just let me know when! Theater is a blast, but it does take a bite out of the day. I'm definitely taking the summer off!

Congratulations on your show, Dejah. I know what you mean about just hitting your stride (from my vast experience of one show).

>258 humouress: When was your show, Nina? You and your son did a pantomime together, right? Did you both have a wonderful time? Will you be doing it again?

Rehearsals for LOL are going very well - really fun. They're just blocking rehearsals, but I can tell this play is going to be so much easier for me. I have to say these college kids are competitive, though. Some of them already have chunks of their lines down, for heaven's sake! The young women in the cast, all of whom are slender and attractive, are apparently doing the INSANITY Workout each night after rehearsal - sheesh! I'm so glad I'm not their age any more.

Actually, our pantomime will be in May, so we're in rehearsals now. It's going quite well; the main cast have got some of their lines down.

Unfortunately, our choreographer has been away, and none of us can remember the dances properly (they do have a tendency to change), so we need to work on those. Our director was getting a bit cranky by the end of last night!

I saw that you listed The Ladies of Mandrigyn in your TIOLI challenge, so I will join you in reading it next month - looking forward to it!

>260 humouress: I though I remembered that your panto was a while off, but I thought I'd gotten confused! Most of my friends who do musicals dread learning the choreography - I'm already hearing whining rumbles from the crowd who just started "The Music Man" rehearsals. It must be difficult to have the choreographer away - I'm not surprised the dances keep changing! As for cranky directors, some braves person should encourage him/her to hop up and show you the dances again if they're so easy!

As for like learning, well, I'm definitely feeling under pressure to get them down - fast. It's not a big problem, I just need to get my act together (pun not intended). Thanks for visiting, Nina!

>261 Crazymamie: Hello Mamie! I'm so glad you'll be reading The Ladies of Mandrigyn, too! I suddenly got really excited about rereading some of Hambly's older work, but The Ladies of Mandrigyn (and potentially a few others) wasn't going to fit any of the challenges - so I added one that would accommodate it. I keep trying to up my shared reads, so thank you for your help.

Enjoy the beautiful day!

If I can find it, I'd love to join in with The Ladies of Mandrigyn.

(I did my first musical in October; maybe that's what you got confused with?). I don't mind the choreography (I managed to learn a tap dance routine last time, not having done tap before; anything else is simple, after that) - if only I could remember the sequence!

Hi Nina --

I hope you can get a hold of The Ladies of Mandrigyn - how long does it take to ship things to from the U.S.?

Ohhh...you tap dance now? I'm impressed! I think it's hard to work on a dance without the choreographer - or at least a video!

22. Fonduing Fathers by Julie Hyzy (TIOLI #11)

This was another entertaining entry into the White House Chef series. Ollie is after the truth about her father’s death and she needs a little help from her friends. I am beginning to find it a little annoying that Ollie constantly puts herself and others in danger – it’s always justifiable, but it occasionally irks me….

23. Danger Along the Ohio by Patricia Willis

This is gently entertaining children’s book about the migration of a small family to the newly opened West along the Ohio River. For a nice review by Carrie (cbl_tn) look here.

24. Speaking From Among the Bones by Alan Bradley

I love the Flavia de Luce books and so do a lot of other people, so there are plenty of wonderful reviews of Speaking From Among the Bones out there, so I feel no guilt at not writing one!

If you haven’t tried this charming mystery series, you must. It has become a favorite of mine, and I can’t wait (although obviously I’ll have to) to find out what will happen to Flavia next.

Oh, no - more bbs!

Oh Nina, if you got hit by any book bullets from the three books I posted, it must have been from other people's reviews - not my lame few words! Well, with the exception of Flavia - it's no effort to praise her to the skies!

I'm so very far behind on reviews that I'm just going to wimp out until I'm caught up.

I do believe it's time to start a new thread - anything to avoid my ER book....