calm reading 75 and beyond in 2013 - part 2

Welcome to any visitors. I appreciate any comments and recommendations. I must admit to being a great lurker on other people's threads but I do try to say something occasionally. Though I tend to just sit in the corner and read:)



I'm aiming for a double 75 -




I will take part in the 2013 Category Challenge and here's a link to that thread http://www.librarything.com/topic/147418

I will also be tracking number of books read per category here

Crime and Punishment - murder and mysteries (7 of 13)
Around the world - contemporary fiction (say from 1950's onward from anywhere in the world as long as it was written in English) (8 of 13)
Long ago and far away - historical fiction (pre 1600) (7 of 13)
More from the past - historical fiction (1600 - 1950) (6 of 13)
Short and Sweet - short stories or books under 200 pages (6 of 13)
Chills down my spine - ghost stories, gothics and horror (3 of 13)
On and On - series and sequels (3 of 13)
Unlikely things - fantasy (9 of 13)
New friends/Old friends - recommendations, early reviewers, new to me authors, continuing series/authors and re-reads that don't fit anywhere else - basically a pot pourri category. (6 of 13)
To space and beyond - science fiction (6 of 13)
It's Greek to me - books in translation (5 of 13)
Need to know - non-fiction (4 of 13)
Great books I should have read - classics and prizewinners/nominees (7 of 13)




and I can't abandon last year's owl and book worm so here they are


glitter-graphics.com

Books Read in March (10 books/3624 pages)

24) Wolfking by Bridget Wood (post 29) 503 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
25) The Bones of Avalon by Phil Rickman (post 30) 440 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
26) Kissing the Witch by Emma Donoghue (post ?) 211 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
27) The Miracle Man by James Skivington (post ?) 338 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
28) The Library of Shadows by Mikkel Birkegaard (post ?) 430 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
29) The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie (post ?) 452 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
30) Walking the Lions by Stephen Burgen (post ?) 295 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
31) Emotionally Weird by Kate Atkinson (post ?) 357 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
32) My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk (post ?) 417 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
33) The Country Ahead of Us, The Country Behind by David Guterson (post ?) 181 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)

Books Read in April (11 books/4021 pages)

34) The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (post ?) 501 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
35) Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier (post ?) 422 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
36) The Radleys by Matt Haig (post ?) 341 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
37) The Searcher by Ray Dacolias (post ?) 257 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
38) The Gift of a Daughter by Emyr Humphreys (post ?) 240 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
39) The City in the Lake by Rachel Neumeier (post ?) 294 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
40) Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (post ?) 185 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
41) Dark Fire by C J Sansom (post ?) 595 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
42) The Last of the Vostyachs by Diego Marani (post ?) 166 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
43) Passage by Connie Willis (post ?) 780 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
44) Dancing Girls and Other Stories by Margaret Atwood (post ?) 240 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)

Books Read in May (6 books/2417 pages)

45) Witch Child by Celia Rees (post ?) 235 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
46) A Time of Myths by Chris Blamires (post ?) 338 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
47) The Folly of the World by Jesse Bullington (post ?) 502 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
48) Sorceress by Celia Rees (post ?) 302 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
49) Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson (post ?) 918 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
50) Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera (post ?) 122 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)

Books Read in June (11 books/ 4297 pages)

51) Martyr by Rory Clements (post ?) 422 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
52) In Xanadu by William Dalrymple (post ?) 314 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
53) A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (post ?) 909 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
54) Wide Open by Nicola Barker (post ?) 290 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
55) Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths (post ?) 391 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
56) Sunshine by Robin McKinley (post ?) 476 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
57) Walk in a Lost Landscape by Sheila Barrett (post ?) 265 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
58) The King's Witch by Cecelia Holland (post ?) 313 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
59) The Watchers A Secret History of the Reign Elizabeth I by Stephen Alford (post ?) 398 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
60) The Last Magician by Janette Turner Hospital (post ?) 352 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
61) The Gate of Angels by Penelope Fitzgerald (post ?) 167 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)

Books Read in July (7 books/ 2651 pages)

62) Sworn Sword by James Aitchenson (post ?) 419 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
63) The Missing by Tim Gautreaux (post ?) 422 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
64) To the End of the Land by David Grossman (post ?) 577 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
65) Free Live Free by Gene Wolfe (post ?) 399 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
66) The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald (post ?) 118 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
67) The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye : five fairy stories by A. S. Byatt (post ?) 280 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
68) Lyonesse by Jack Vance (post ?) 436 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)

Books Read in August (9 books/ 3487 pages)

69) Red Dragon White Dragon by Gary Dolman - 241 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
70) The Pillow Book of the Flower Samurai by Barbara Lazar - 470 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
71) The Highest Tide by Jim Lynch - 247 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
72) East of the Mountains by David Guterson 279 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
73) Bard The Odyssey of the Irish by Morgan Llywelyn 471 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
74) Among Others by Jo Walton 408 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
75) To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis 510 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
76) India: A History by John Keay 576 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
77) The Land of Spices by Kate O'Brien 285 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)

Total pages read = 29763

Currently Reading

Ten Little Indians by Sherman Alexie
Wool by Hugh Howey

Abandoned in 2013

Orientalism by Edward W Said - don't feel up to reading this at the moment, maybe one day

Books read in previous threads

Part 1 - http://www.librarything.com/topic/147190

Books Read in January (13 books/4801 pages)

1) New Finnish Grammar by Diego Marani (post 73) 187 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
2) Under the Dome by Stephen King (post 109) 880 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
3) Where Time Winds Blow by Robert Holdstock (post 112) 286 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
4) The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes (post 121) 284 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
5) All Passion Spent by Vita Sackville -West (post 132) 297 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
6) The Woman Who Loved an Octopus and other Saints' Tales by Imogen Rhia Herrad (post 158) 150 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
7) Low Town by Daniel Polansky (post 184) 359 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
8) Sunrise in the West by Edith Pargeter (post 185) 195 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
9) Bodily Harm by Margaret Atwood (post 186) 301 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
10) Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimanada Ngozi Adichie (post ?) 453 pages - including additional information (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
11) Galileo's Dream by Kim Stanley Robinson (post ?) 584 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
12) The Invisible Ones by Stef Penney (post 189) 439 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
13) Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson (post ?) 388 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)

Books read in February (10 books/ 4465 pages)

14) Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson (post 205) 656 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
15) Into the Green by Charles de Lint (post ?) 254 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
16) Zoo City by Lauren Beukes (post 207) 381 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
17) The Falcons of Fire and Ice by Karen Maitland (post ?) 500 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
18) Railsea by China Miéville (post ?) 376 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
19) The Granta Book of the African Short Story edited by Helon Habila (post ?) 378 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
20) The Magus by John Fowles (post ?) 656 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
21) Death Comes For the Archbishop by Willa Cather (post ?) 299 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
22) The Kalevala by Elias Lönnrot (post ?) 679 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)
23) Art of the Byzantine Era by David Talbot Rice (post ?) 286 pages (TIOLI; 13 in 13)

Total Pages read = 9266

Books into the house in 2013 - total so far 26 bought + 27 borrowed library + 5 other sources= 58

Onto the Shelves of Shame - total = 26

January (5)

The Stories of Eva Luna by Isabel Allende
The Meaning of Night by Michael Cox
Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier - read
The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
The Magus by John Fowles - read

February (3)

Kissing the Witch by Emma Donoghue - read
Great Political Thinkers : Machiavelli, Hobbes, Mill, Marx by Quentin Skinner; Richard Tuck; William Thomas and Peter Singer
Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson

March (4)

The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie - read
Sunshine by Robin McKinley - read
Walk in a Lost Landscape by Sheila Barrett - read
Revelation by C. J. Sansom

April (2)

The Greener Shore : a novel of the Druids of Hibernia by Morgan Llywelyn
The Windeater = Te kaihau by Keri Hulme

May (1)

Exodus by Leon Uris

June (6)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FOURTH THINGAVERSAY
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye by A. S. Byatt - read
The River King by Alice Hoffman
India: A History by John Keay - read
The Savage Garden by Mark Mills
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon

July (1)

The Robber Bridegroom by Eudora Welty

August (4)

Black Man (AKA Thirteen) by Richard Morgan
Sacred Hunger by Barry Unsworth
The Seduction of Water by Carol Goodman
The Viking Saga by Henry Treece

From the Library - total = 27

January (5)

The Invisible Ones by Stef Penney - read
Low Town The Straight Razor Cure by Daniel Polansky - read
Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson - read
The Kalevala by Elias Lonnrot - read
The Granta Book of the African Short Story edited by Helon Habila - read

February (3)

Zoo City by Lauren Beukes - read
The Falcons of Fire and Ice by Karen Maitland - read
Railsea by China Miéville - read

March (3)

The Bones of Avalon by Phil Rickman - read
The Last of the Vostyachs by Diego Marani - read
My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk - read

April (5)

The Radleys by Matt Haig - read
The Gift of a Daughter by Emyr Humphreys - read
Martyr by Rory Clements - read
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe - read
Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera - read

May (4)

The Folly of the World by Jesse Billington - read
A Memory of Light by Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan - read
Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths - read
The Watchers : a secret history of the reign of Elizabeth I by Stephen Alford - read

June (2)

To the End of the Land by David Grossman - read
The Missing by Tim Gautreaux - read

July (1)

The Pillow Book of the Flower Samurai by Barbara Lazar - read

August (4)

Among Others by Jo Walton - read
To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis - read
Wool by Hugh Howey - reading
Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver

Other sources (free books) - ER/MG/gifts

February (1)

The Miracle Man by James Skivington (MG) - read

March (1)

The Searcher by Ray Dacolias (MG) - read

April (1)

A Time of Myths by Chris Blamires (MG) - read

June (1)

Wide Open by Nicola Barker (gift) - read

July (1)

Red Dragon White Dragon by Gary Dolman - read

Lovely new thread, calm! I really love your cats reading at the top.

Thanks Roni:)

Good to see you back, calm. I hope your hand continues to heal nicely.

Liking the new thread calm, your reading is going well as per usual, hope everything is well with you.

Happy new thread Calm!

Brand spanking new thread! Very nice. I've been awol for awhile but hope alll is well with you.

Good to see you posting again; I hope the hand continues to heal well.

What did you thing of the collection of African short stories? I picked up that bargain e book over Christmas too, but haven't started reading any yet.

Thanks Julia - yes it is healing nicely.

Hi John - things are not too bad here and reading is (nearly) always a pleasure:)

Thanks Chelle - love the new name:)

Lynda - a few people are being quieter than usual, good to see you out and about the threads again:)

Genny - yes I actually hope to manage to say hi to a few people after I start catching up on the book thoughts. Hope all is going well for you.

The collection was variable but interesting. I can't remember details of every story but it was definitely worth reading. That is one of the books I have to write comments for as it is due back at the library on Monday.

Going to read a few threads, might comment (no promises!) and then I better get on with book thoughts for the February library books at least.

Sorry to hear that you had an accident :( it looks like things are healing up if you are able to be back at LT. I have not been good at keeping up this year... sorry :( I don't want to lose track of you....

Thanks Kath. It has been a very busy year both for you and on the threads this year, so no need to apologise it is just great to see you when you have time.

Hi Calm, hope you have had a lovely Saturday.

Hi Calm! I'm just getting ready to open up Into The Green myself - since it looks like you read it in a day, I'm assuming you liked it?!? Glad you are on the mend!

Oh! HERE you are. *settles in*

Hi John - not a bad weekend ... nice to have some sunshine:)

Hi Laura - I really like de Lint:) Into the Green was a quick read and I liked the main character and her story.

Hi Richard - good to see you:)

Morning calm! Ack, what's this about an accident?! Hope it was a wee minor one.

Good morning Lynda - I din't give any details before but it is not a good idea to think I can still do some things safely - I ended up pouring boiling water over my left hand:( It is nearly healed and I don't think there is going to be any permanent scarring - so yes a wee minor one:) I just need to be more careful in the future.

OUCH! That could hamper your typing and page turning skills. Hope it continues to heal quickly.

No worries Lynda:) I'm just taking things easy.

Managed to get to town today so confession time

From the library

The Last of the Vostyachs by Diego Marani

Second hand books

Sunshine by Robin McKinley - I've only read her Spindle's End which I liked but have been on the lookout for more of her books and am pleased to have finally found one

Walk in a Lost Landscape by Sheila Barrett - this was a random pick and there are only five copies on LT, no reviews but there is a single five star rating. I checked out that person's library and they highly rated some books I like so that is promising:)

Apart from that reading is going slowly. I have finished one book in March and hope to get some thoughts down soon and have started three more.

Belatedly making it over to your new thread Calm. Sorry for being snowed under and not making it earlier. Trust that there is a great month ahead for you.

Ooh, Sunshine! Not typical of McKinley, but very good.

Nice to see you Paul.

Nice to see a Sunshine fan here Roni. It has moved onto the shelves of shame and I'm not sure how soon it will be read;)

Hopefully back later with some book comments ... no promises:)

I loved the main character of that one, too. I love all of deLints characters.. sometimes forget they are not really real.

Good to see you, and sorry to be neglecting you...I am just a big old LT fail lately..

Just dropping by to say hello calm. I hope your hand heals soon and that March is a better month for you.

Hi Kath - de Lint is one of my favourite authors, love his characters and the worlds he create fell like they could be real.

Hi Heather - thanks for dropping by, hand is healed. March isn't too bad so far though it has got very cold again:(

I am reading ... slowly ... but it seems like a daunting task to catch up on comments on what I have been reading. I am updating my top posts with books read.

Hopefully soon I will get around to posting something about what I have read.

24) Wolfking by Bridget Wood (27 February - 3 March)

This sounded like my perfect book about post-apocalyptic Ireland and a way to travel back into the mythological past and it was good but didn't grab me the way that I hoped it would.

A brief plot synopsis would be that Joanna Grady expects to be conjoined with Flynn O'Connor but her father has different ideas and matches her with a pig farmer. She runs to Flynn's home and decides to hide in the Glowing Lands, an area that has a reputation for danger, but she finds herself in a very different world. Flynn follows and tries to find her. In ancient Tara the Wolfking, Cormac, has been usurped and Joanna and Flynn become involved with the politics and the threat from the Morrigan; Erl-King and Miller.

There are some good things about this book. I loved the picture of post-apocalyptic Ireland and some of the things that Bridget Wood did with traditional Celtic Mythology but I did find it rather uneven in tone. There are some very dark adult scenes and then there are ones which I suppose she saw as light relief but I found the changes rather jarring. I see that there is a sequel and I might get around to reading it one day.

25) The Bones of Avalon by Phil Rickman (3 - 7 March)

It is 1560 and Elizabeth I has only recently come to the throne; there are already plots against her and Dr John Dee, astrologer and mathematician, is sent to Glastonbury to find the bones of Arthur. While he is there a man is murdered.

I did like this and John Dee is an unusual and likeable protagonist. The picture of medieval Glastonbury after the dissolution of its monastery is very good. The other characters were interesting and I enjoyed the story. But somehow the whole isn't as good as its parts and this wasn't a book that lived up to my expectations. Maybe the fault is with me.

Reviews are mixed on The Bones of Avalon. Sadly, it could be better given the topic.

Just stopping by to say HI. Hope you have a good weekend in store with plenty of sunshine.

Linda - yes it is a while since I read any Rickman and maybe my expectations were too high. I used to like his Merrily Watkins series but can't remember how far I got and I also enjoyed some of his earlier stand-alones. I don't think it was a bad read but it wasn't one that sucked me in and kept me turning the pages.

Hi Lynda - sunshine would be nice but we have gone back to winter here - very cold, a few snow flurries earlier this week and still cold and rainy here:( Roll on spring!

Hopefully back later with more book comments. I would like to try and get as many done as possible before this weekend's readathon.

26) Kissing the Witch by Emma Donoghue (6 - 10 March)

Emma Donoghue retells thirteen fairy tales with a twist. I like the way she took the familiar and gave it a new perspective. I expected to do as I normally do with a short story collection, read one every day or so, but the way Donoghue linked each story to the next had me wanting to turn the pages. A fun and easy read with some thought provoking moments.

Books that I want to read and should be able to read are taking me days to read. I don't know what's wrong with me. Partly, it is being tired.. partly it is ? I guess I just don't know.

Frustrating.....

The Bones of Avalon looks good!

Hi Kath - I've been the same recently:( Hopefully your book funk will pass. Sounds like the clock change and new job (and Dan!) aren't being helpful in letting you have time to rest and read.

Yes maybe if I had read Bones of Avalon at another time I would have enjoyed it more - everything about it sounded right up my street but something was missing and I guess I haven't been too engaged with the books so far this month.

Hello calm, beautiful new thread :) and soo many interesting books. I found Zoo City particular interesting and put it on my wishlist. I am glad to see that you enjoyed Warbreaker as much as I did.

I hope things are better with you? I read on your previous thread that you had an accident and injured your good hand. I trust that your hand is still healing as expected?

I have been in London for almost 2 1/2 weeks and as always work is extremely busy which left me again with almost no reading time. On top of that we had almost 2 weeks no internet and since yesterday we are having on and off AGAIN conection problems :(. However, I am very much looking forward to Saturday, as my mom is bringing Alex for the Easter Hollidays to London. Well, I won't see him that much, because he will stay with his dad and nan but at least he is near :) and we will travel back to Germany together in April.

I am still reading Anna Karenina yep, I am almost done 3/4 now and I still enjoy the story as much as I did when I was in my late teens and after that in my twens :) Although, I obviously few a lot of events with much more mature eyes :)

I wish you a lovely week calm.

I think I have an unread Phil Rickman novel kicking around here somewhere... It's a pity that Bones of Avalon didn't work better for you, as it sounds like an interesting subject. Have you read the Rory Clements mystery series featuring John Shakespeare, brother of you-know-who? Set in late Elizabethan England, and really quite good. I have just ordered the most recent from the UK; they seem to be coming out here only slowly.

Hi calm.... just popping in to say hello and say that I hope all well..

Hello Bianca - good to see you back on the threads; sorry to hear that you still haven't recovered from the bronchitis and that work is so busy. Hope you manage to get some good time with Alex while he is i London and that you can get plenty of rest when you get back to Germany.

Hope you like Zoo city

I do like Brandon Sanderson and am really looking forward to getting to Memory of Light - the last of the Wheel of Time but somebody else snagged it off the library shelf before I could get it:(

I haven't read Anna Karenina, actually I haven't really read any of those Russian Chunksters, maybe one day:)

Suzanne - I agree that the Rickman had potential - I'm really not sure why I didn't like it more. Maybe I am just in a mini reading slump and not getting the best out of the books:( Haven't read any Rory Clements but my local library website shows the first four of the series somewhere in the system so I will give the first a try. Thanks for the recommendation.

Thanks Kath - not too bad.

Right since last time I was here I tried to take part in Deborah's (Cariola) weekend Readathon but first I got an offer of a trip to town and went to the library and picked up My Name is Red a recent Lynda recommendation. After I got home I had a terrible headache (this seems to happen too often after I go out) so not much reading got done:( Also I have been avoiding the computer screen as it is not the best thing when you have a headache.

Then I had arranged to meet up with a couple of friends in town for lunch yesterday but that turned into a pretty horrendous trip as well. First the bus didn't turn up so I ended up waiting at a bus stop for nearly an hour, got into town dead on the time we were supposed to meet up but no one was there. A couple of phone calls later - one person had completely forgotten, the other had been stuck in traffic - we ended up cancelling. Of course I had already done my grocery shop so didn't really have anything else to do in town so I just took a quick look in one second hand shop found a copy of Revelation book 4 of the Shardlake series and came home. Must admit I didn't feel that good by the time I got home though I did manage to read half of David Guterson's The Country Ahead of Us, The Country Behind - a collection of short stories. Not very cheerful but I am liking them.

Have spent some time lurking threads to see what everyone else is up to and the books they are reading. Was so far behind that I haven't been commenting:(

Still way behind on book comments and probably won't get around to writing any today - maybe tomorrow ... but no promises.

Hi calm. Glad you enjoyed Donoghue's Kissing the Witch. I really enjoyed Room and The Sealed Letter so I've been hoping to make my way through her backlist. I think she's also just released a new short story collection called Astray.

Sorry to hear about your headache and the meet-up that didn't happen. I hope you feel better soon.

Hi calm, just stopping by to wish you a wonderful weekend. I was wondering whether you were snowed in as well? The weather report this morning was quite scary about all the snow in the North of England. I know Wales isn't north, but it's still quite high up.

I have started listening to The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson, so far very enjoyable. I am not sure whether you have read that one already, but it is set about 300 years after the Mistborn trilogy and has got some elements of steampunk - railways, the use of guns, technical devices etc.

Hope your head is better today. That is a real pity about your lunch.

Hi calm... what is happening in your little corner?
I had a failed lunch date last week. We rescheduled for tomorrow, but not sure it will happen.

My life is blissfully quiet... with a few darts being dodged, but that's the way it is with life...
Hope you are well :)

Hi calm,
what a cosy new thread! I hope that your headache got better!
I noticed your review of Sanderson's Warbreaker. I might give it a try, as I have just finished my first book by Sanderson (Elantris) and liked it very much.
Oh no, I missed "Fowles in February"... Actually I wanted to reread The collector.
Kissing the witch sounds interesting - I'll have to check my library for that one.

Heather - I haven't read either of those Donoghue's yet. Still unsure about Room but will probably get around to The Sealed Letter one day:) I do like the sound of another short story collection and I would like to read more of her early work.

Bianca - no real snow - just the occasional flurry that hasn't stayed though I did see the white stuff on the mountains in the distance. It has been very cold though, high winds and some heavy rain:(

Alloy of law is another one that I hope to get to someday:)

Roni - the headache cleared up by the cervical spondylosis kicked in so I haven't been able to do much except watch mindless TV:(

Kath - See my reply to Roni ... not much happening here; unable to concentrate on reading:( Hope to get back to the books soon though. Hope you manage to get to that lunch.

Kathy- Thanks - Sanderson is good; interesting magic systems and worlds.

IMO The Collector is worth reading once. I'm not sure if I could do it again though. Kudos to you to want to reread it. Books are patient and I'm sure you will find the right time someday:)

I liked Kissing the Witch and hope your library has it - but it was one of her early works so I'm not sure how available it will be.

Hi Calm--Lovely new thread going here. Kissing the Witch sounds like a good one. Hope the headache and hand heal quickly. : )

Hi Calm, sorry to hear you have headache and the spondylosis and hope it clears up soon so you don't have to watch mindless tv, just finished 15 Seconds by Andrew Gross whilst my bread baked and now i'm waiting for it to cool down. I used a recipe from Jack Sheffield's book Please Sir! and it looks good, just hope it tastes good.

Dropping in to offer pats, hugs, and a headache-away whammy.

Hello calm, hope you are feeling better soon. No fun, if you can't read because of headache's .

Just stopping by to wish you a relaxing Easter Weekend!

Kim - Kissing the Witch was good. Hand is better, headache keeps coming back when I go out:(

John - thanks for stopping by, hope your bread was good.

Richard - thank you.

Bianca - Headache only appears when I go outside but still seem to be unable to concentrate on the books - maybe I should try to find something a bit lighter:) I see that you are working this weekend, hope that you have a light shift and find some time for relaxing yourself.

Yay for the hand, boo for the headache. Is it light induced? Do sunglasses help? Good luck finding some lighter fare for reading.

Calm :) your wishes for a light shift obviously worked. I have not had such a quiet shift in month - psssssst don't let anyone hear :)

I have started listening to Written in Red by Anne Bishop, which is such a fab and entertaining book.

Wish you a relaxing remaining Easter Weekend!

I'm so sorry that you are suffering from multiple health issues! I send gentle hugs and good wishes for a Happy Easter.


glitter-graphics.com

You're brave reading Said - one essay was hard enough

Wishing you a happy Easter, calm.
Hope it is stress-free and headache disappears like the ears of chocolate bunnies :0)

Happy Easter calm. I hope your headache has gone and you have been able to get some good reading done.

Hope you're feeling better... and able to go out a bit. You have had a rough patch lately.

hugs

Kim - Not really I am agoraphobic and get stressed when I have to go out. Recently the reaction when I get home seems to be lasting a bit longer than usual.

Bianca - well done on a lighter shift. Hope that it continues until you get back to Germany.

Thanks Linda:)

Karen - I've kind of stalled on that one - I haven't opened it in a week! I think it was one of the books on the "should" read someday list and I haven't completely given up but I need a bit more concentration than I have been able to manage recently.

Thanks Lynda - no headache - I haven't been out for a few days:) Did pick up some mini Easter chocolate eggs but no bunnies to bite the ears off:)

Heather - reading is still going slow but I managed to finish one late last night (or was it this morning) - darn clock changes:) and I've only got two short stories to go in another book so expect to get that finished later today.

Kath - I don't mind not going out - unfortunately it is necessary sometimes. I must admit that the weather hasn't made the idea any more appealing.

I will be listing my March reads later but off to check out on what else is going on in LT land first.

27) The Miracle Man by James Skivington (7 - 12 March)

28) The Library of Shadows by Mikkel Birkegaard (12 - 14 March)

29) The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie (14 - 18 March)

30) Walking the Lions by Stephen Burgen (18 - 20 March)

31) Emotionally Weird by Kate Atkinson (20 - 22 March)

32) My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk (23 - 31 March)

Kath - I don't mind not going out - unfortunately it is necessary sometimes. I must admit that the weather hasn't made the idea any more appealing.

You know that I totally "get" this. I fight every day. Weirdly, it seems to be easier if I am walking to where I am going, as it is then clearly closer to home base, and more inside my comfort zone. Thre is nothing in the world like that feeeling of closing the door behind me when I am HOME.

But since it is necessary at times, I do hope that you get back to where it is a bit more comfortable for you. That is where I am now.. but each trip beyond my front gate is a battle sometimes small.. sometimes huge..

hugs

Hi Calm! Hope you are having a great Easter weekend

#61 I really love the cover of that book!

Thanks for sharing Kath. I hope that things get a bit easier for you as well.

Thanks Chelle - it is a lovely cover:) Unfortunately after a very promising start I found the end a bit weak but it was still an interesting book.

33) The Country Ahead of Us, The Country Behind by David Guterson (19 - 31 March)

Ooooooo, what did you think of My Name is Red, calm? I won't feel bad if you didn't like it - but I hope you did (even a little bit). Hope your day is going well.

I dare not look at your books.. I have so many to read... and just can't catch up. With anything :P
Take care

Lynda - I liked My Name is Red - interesting format which took a bit of getting used to but I ended up liking its unconventional narrators/chapters. It was a good story and I liked the setting.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by Kath - you are one busy lady so I appreciate your visits:) Feel fee to ignore any blue words:)

Had to go out yesterday and managed to include both a library visit and a look at one of my regular second hand book sources

From the library
The Radleys by Matt Haig (for TIOLI - under appreciated books recommended by Kerry = Avatiakh
The Gift of a Daughter by Emyr Humphreys (for 13 in 13 Award Cat) - can't find touchstone or force it so here's a link http://www.librarything.com/work/book/96578960
Martyr by Rory Clements

Onto the shelves of shame
The Greener Shore : a novel of the Druids of Hibernia by Morgan Llywelyn - I kike her work
The Windeater = Te kaihau by Keri Hulme - loved The Bone People so snagged this short story collection

Calm, just stopping by to wish you a lovely weekend. Just in case I shouldn't make it on LT in the next few days :)

What did you think about The Enchantress of Florence that's one of the books which followed me home from the charity shop.
My name is Red and Snow are still sitting on my TBR pile.

Re message 68--I was disappointed in Library of Shadows because it turned into a stereotypical thriller and I am not a thriller fan.

>72 calm: Onto the shelves of shame

what dark secrets lurk there Calm?? You can't leave us just wondering !

Hi Bianca - I really liked Enchantress of Florence Rushdie is a good writer. Must get around to pulling that copy of The Satanic Verses off the shelf someday - I tried it when I was too young and couldn't get into it. I nearly picked up Snow the other day but didn't fancy it for some reason.

Roni - yes I see what you mean. The opening grabbed me but by the end it was all a bit "meh".

Karen - I think most of them are in my "to read" collection though there are still a few that didn't get there as LT didn't have collections when I first started cataloguing. The actual shelves of shame are in my bedroom so that I can't avoid looking at the overflowing piles every day:)

I've never read any Salman Rushdie, but I like hearing about other people reading him... LOL.

Faith, I think he is worth trying at least once. I haven't read very much Rushdie (yet!) but there is some variety in what I have read so far. I think Enchantress of Florence fitted my usual tastes more than the others so far. I did like Midnight's Children and some of the stories in East West and there are a lot more to get around to ... some day:)

Hi calm, I hope everything is okay where you are? Spring is supposed to finally arrive this weekend in Germany, well, let's wait and see :)

Glad you enjoyed The Enchantress of Flrorence so I have something to look forward to. I have tried The Satanic Verses when they initiallly came out, but couldn't get into them either. However, I still will try to reread that one eventually.

Wishing you a lovely weekend calm!

Thanks Bianca. I've been feeling a bit under the weather:( Not up to posting though I have been lurking:)

It is meant to be getting warmer this weekend but it is grey and damp here so I am really wishing for something more spring-like soon.

Hope you have a great weekend.

Hi there calm, sorry to see you've been under the weather. I think grey, damp days that should be sunny and warmer are real downers and sap all motivation. That's how it's been with me and the way our spring has been going. Rain, grey, chilly, blaaaaaaah. How bout a little of this

# 78 couldn't get that enthused by Midnights Children. Good in parts but just lost interest towards the end

Hope you feel better and get some spring weather soon!
I was so excited that all my snow melted and flowers were starting to pop up and then we got more snow last night :(

I do hope you are still lurking, even if you can't post Calm :).

Spring is finally arriving and I started my gardening yesterday. Hooray :) I cut my roses which I planted last autumn (I hope I did it right - I have never done it before) and started cleaning the flowerbeds. Finally, all the bulbs I planted last year start blooming. If the weather should hold, my flowerbed should be a colourexplosion by the end of the week. :)

I hope your reading is going well :)

Hi calm! Can you see me? That little speck waving a couple thousand miles away. Hope you're doing well.

Lynda - what a beautiful bit of sun, cheers things up beautifully:)

Karen - well different books work for different people. Sorry that it didn't work for you.

Chelle - shame that the new spring growth got snowed on:( Hope that things are defrosting again and that you Nate and the furkids are enjoying warmer days.

Bianca - I'm always lurking:) Wow you have been busy I expect your garden is going to be beautiful. Reading - still not at my usual rate but I am listing the completed reads at the top of the thread.

and Lynda again:) Yes I see you, sorry I didn't reply to your earlier message sooner. Waves back across the miles:)

Hello calm,

just stopping by to wish you a wonderful week :) and thank you for your kind words. They are very much appreciated.

Hi Calm, just passing by and to say thanks once again for the help with putting photos on my thread. Hope you are having a good week my dear and that your reading is going well.

Hi calm! I was just outside checking on my Buddleia and I thought of you. It's getting little green sprigs on it. I didn't prune in the fall and I won't do it till I see which branches are not budding.
Hope you're well, and if you're experiencing pain I hope it soon subsides :0)

Hi everyone - sorry I am being so quiet lately. Not feeling up to LTing that much but hope to get back in the swing sooner or later.

Bianca and John - hope all is going well with you both.

Lynda - hope that Butterfly Bush rewards you with lots of flowers and pretty visitors:)

Hi calm... I hope you are feeling back to yourownself soon. Never good to feel out of sorts...

Thank you for visiting me and feel hugged :)

No worries Kath - I'm basically keeping Talk sorted by my unread posts (and then I also check out some starred threads when I feel up to it) so it isn't quite as daunting as a full talk or group page. So when someone I really want to keep up with starts a new thread I am delurking to get that thread into my posts:) I think a few people have slipped lower on my radar but I do hope to get caught up some day.

I'm also behind on updating my list of completed reads and will get to that later today - hopefully before Paul starts on his April Stat List.

Managed to get into town today though I ended up feeling sick and dizzy, back home now and trying to catch up on some threads and I managed to pick up some books.

From the library - A Memory of Light the conclusion of The Wheel of Time series and The Folly of the World which was my pick of Award Cat over in the 13 Category Challenge Group.

I also managed to snag a second hand copy of Exodus so I have got something to read for Madeline's challenge in this month's TIOLI.

Off to lurk:)

Calm - Hope you are feeling rested and back in the mood for LT - it is not quite the same without the West Wales Chapter. x

Paul - I have always been pretty quiet though I haven't delurked as much as usual lately:) But I must admit that going to the 75 Group page is extremely daunting I think a lot of skimming is in order when I actually try and catch up.

You'll be pleased to know that the list of books completed in April has been updated.

Calm, I really hope that you will feel better soon as well. Dizzy spells don't sound very good, so please take care of yourself. I hope that spring finally arrived in Wales as well and that the warm spring air and son may help to make you feel better as well :)

At least you got some fantastic reading done this month.

wish you a wonderful weekend calm!

I agree the dizzy spells aren't good - probably picked up a bug somewhere but if I don't feel better soon I better visit my GP and see what he says:(

Wales has had some nice days but at the moment it is raining - again! Oh well that is what keeps it nice and green.

Thanks for the weekend wishes and the same for you.

Sorry to hear you've not been feeling well calm. I hope you feel better soon.

I think we have some sunshine forecast for Monday although it's rather grey today. Hopefully you will get some better weather soon as well.

Thanks Heather - I hope so too:)

Haven't checked a forecast today but sunshine would be nice.

Hello Calm, I've been a bit absent too from regular LT posting due to lots going on in real life, but I'm glad to have caught up with your thread. I hope you feel better soon and that the sun comes out again to bring some cheer. I've had both sun and rain already this morning where I am staying in Birmingham.

I wish I could join in with reading Exodus but I don't have a copy and can't really justify getting one at present. But I look forward to seeing what people make of it.

Wishing you a lovely weekend Calm.

I wish I could send you some sunshine, we have been having plenty. I am much more in the mood for rain...hope today is a better day for you . . .

Thanks for stopping by Genny - hope you and Ty are having a great weekend.

Thanks Paul - the same to you and yours.

Message received Kath - the sun came out:)

Stopping by for a visit calm, and sorry to learn that you have not been feeling well. I hope the dizzy spells and whatever else passes soon!

HOpe you feel better soon. And you can send some of your rain our way, if you would!

Hi Calm, just dropping by to say that today.
And to chime in on Salman Rushdie talk from up there....he is a must read author. Even if its just one (like me). I will read more though.

Thanks Lori.

Roni - you are welcome to some rain but it is what makes Wales so lush and green:)

Thanks Megan - Rushde has a daunting reputation in some ways but I have liked what I have read. As always every author doesn't work for every reader but it is worth giving someone a go:)

Hi calm,
just stopping by and checking on you. I hope that you started to feel better.
However, I do wish you a lovely and settled weekend!

Another quick stop.. I have to quit batting my internet and get ready for work.
I hope you are having a lovely Saturday :)

Sorry I haven't been around much - got some personal problems going on at the moment and don't have much energy for keeping up. I am updating the top posts for books read and acquired.

I am still lurking everyday and hope to be more active sometime in the future.

Just thought I would let you all know:)

BTW it was my fourth Thingaversary on June 1 and I did manage to get a lift into town. Didn't feel up to heavy book browsing and only got one book - Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Guess that means I am owed a few more when I am up to it:)

Happy Thingaversary, calm! Sorry to hear things aren't going smoothly, but hope they will get better soon.

Congratulations on your Thingaversary, calm! I hope you are soon in the mood for more book browsing to complete the celebration, and that you get things resolved and your LT engergy back. (I'm barely managing to keep up with my own thread at present, while dealing with life and changes - so I do sympathise).

Thanks Roni and Genny.

I've done all I can personally at the moment and the situation is now in other people's hands - it is hard waiting though and I can't really concentrate on reading for pleasure. Hopefully things will be resolved soon though and I will get my mojo back.

#109 & 112 Sorry to hear things aren't great at the moment calm. I also hope things are resolved soon and you get your mojo back :-) Happy thingaversary!

Calm - Was a little disturbed to see you more than a little down. I trust that whatever bugs there are in your system (so to speak) as corrected soon. Take care. xxx

Dropping in to leave well-wishes and *smooches* galore.

Thank you Heather, Paul and Richard. Your thoughts (and smooches) are appreciated.

Sorry things are rough for you lately. I hope they improve soon. And happy thingaversary to you!

Thanks Kath.

Happy thingaversary Calm and sorry your not feeling too good at the moment, sending best wishes to you my dear.

Happy 4th Thingaversary, Calm! I can not understand why thingaversary is always underlined as a non-word. I think the folks at Merriam-Websters needs to be informed that this is a very real word!

I hope your pain and discomfort diminishes as the days get warmer and sunnier. Are you able to do some gentle yoga poses? I try to do them every morning because I find a good strength does wonders. LOL, Don't try anything like this at the start
:0D

Thanks Lynda - totally agree that Thingaversary should not be spell checked:)

Well - I must say that I don't do as many stretches as I used to but I just tried that one. Result = I can't get my bent leg as high as the ladies in the picture but I can still hold onto my toes:)

#120 That looks very painful!

Hi Heather - well I don't think I was ever as flexible as that but I don't think it is painful:)

I think it looks harder than it actually is. I gave it a go after calm said she tried it. I did it, rather sloppily and with bended knee. But remember these ladies have probably been doing this for years :0)

I need to pick up yoga again. I did it in my 20s and it did wonders for my flexibility. Now that I'm much older and stiffer, I should do it.

My parents have started doing pilates. There's a chair/bench thing that you use as part of it? I don't know much about it, but they like it. Personally, I'd like to start doing Tai Chi again - I did that back in college and really enjoyed it.

Well my thread and exercise discussions were not what I expected:) But I do agree that some form of gentle stretching/balance exercise would probably be a very good thing to do.

My word Calm you made short work of Wide Open. I hope it filled a few hours for you as splendid or at least acceptable company. Have a lovely weekend in wonderful West Wales.

Paul - Thank you for sending me the book:) it was definitely a quirky and unusual read. I liked the way Barker wrote so I will definitely be trying more of her work someday. From what I have been able to gather Darkmans will be right up my street and I also like the look of Burley Cross Postbox Theft and both should be available from my local library.

Just a quick hello... nice to see you popping in! Hope you're feeling better?

Thanks Kath - a little bit better, managed to get my eye problem fixed so am able to read again at least.

Hope that you manage to get rid of the headache and have a good day at work.

Hi Calm, just realized it has been a really long time since I have last stopped by your thread. Sorry to learn that you haven't been feeling well but happy to learn that you are starting to feel better.

I added the Emma Donaghue book to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation!

Thanks Lori - my thread has been pretty quiet ... but then I'm not talking about the books I'm reading:)

Stasia - hope you like it. That's the fairy tale/short story collection. It is am early work and I really liked the way the stories linked into each other. Have to say it feels good to have you back on the threads being hit by BBs:)

I too, realized how I was neglecting you. I have cut back some on LT time to do actual reading. Then I became obsessed with Sookie Stackhouse.. and have spent lots of time reading and watching .. sigh. Crazy... I am now thinking that wile I still want to live in Three Pines, I would like to vacation in Bon Temps .. just for a wee bit of excitement and variety.

Hope all is well there :)

Hope things are getting better for you calm - we miss you!

Thanks Kath - I haven't read either the Sookie or the Three Pines series. Pleased that they are something that you enjoy though:)

Things still not sorted here though - hopefully a visit to town tomorrow will be another step to fixing things.

Heather - sorry to be so absent but most of my energy is being spent on trying to sort out the problem. Not up to much socialising:(

But I did manage to get into town yesterday to meet up with a couple of friends and have a picnic lunch. Lovely summer day - one of the best of the year so far.

As I was out I managed to finally buy my Thingaversary books, haven't got around to cataloguing them yet so I'll just list them here for now.

The first one I already mentioned Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

The other four are

The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye by A. S. Byatt - This short story collection was on my wishlist as I like her writing
The River King by Alice Hoffman - still haven't read anything of hers except The Dovekeepers
India: A History by John Keay - had to get some NF, even if I'm not reading very much this year, and I was looking for a good overview history of India so was pleased to find this one.
The Savage Garden by Mark Mills - I think I've seen some very positive comments about his The Information Officer but the plot of this one seems like something I would enjoy more.

I also went to the library to pick up a couple of books for July's Cat challenges over in the 13 in 13. Somehow I managed to find two that will be Triple Cats!

To the End of the Land by David Grossman
The Missing by Tim Gautreaux

Reading is going well this month and at the moment the list at the top of the thread is up to date:)

Off to see what is happening to other people - I am lurking but posting is still painful. Maybe I should delurk sometimes though:)

#137 No need to apologise at all - I understand how things can be. Glad you had a day out yesterday in some sunshine and got your Thingaversary books! I still haven't read anything by A. S. Byatt but I want to one day, it's just other books seem to find their way to the top of the pile.

hope things will start going better for you... I know what it is like to not have the energy to keep up with stuff. I've been largely absent from others' threads for that reason for the better part of two months, now, simply because every ounce of energy I have is needed to put one foot in front of the other -- and even then it's not enough some days. Last time I took the bus down to NYC for a book circle meeting I ended up with a gargantuan migraine; as I'm planning to do this again tomorrow, I really hope that there isn't a repeat....

feel better soon, and congrats on the Thingaversary. I think I have The Savage Garden around here somewhere, but will wait to hear yr comments.

Thanks Suzanne - I must also thank you for the recommendation for Martyr and also The Watchers: A Secret History of the Reign of Elizabeth I by Stephen Alford. I read them both this month and it was a pretty good pairing. I'm not sure when I'll get to the Savage Garden as the Shelves of Shame are growing:)

Well I am home after delivering a copy of the piece of paper that went astray the first time. Hopefully that means that the problem will be one step closer to being sorted out. Of course a trip to town isn't complete without looking at second hand books in the charity shops and I found a copy of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay for 50p!

Of your new books, I have only read the River King. I read all of her books. I liked it.. it wasn't my fave Hoffman, but I liked it.

Nice to see you are visiting again..

Great Thingaversary gifts to yourself, calm! Sadly, I have not read any of them. :0(
Glad your eye problem is resolved and you're again able to while away the hours with a good book. Your picnic lunch sound fantastic!

Hi Kath - Oh well it looked interesting and I do intend to read some more "typical" Hoffman than The Dovekeepers. What is your favourite Hoffman then?

Still hurts to type but I don't want to disappear completely. So short visits and lots of lurking seem to be the way to go:)

Lynda - Well I wanted to keep up with the LT Thingaversary tradition, not that I ever need an excuse to pick up what look like good books. I haven't read any of them either:)

It is good to be able to focus long enough to read. There is a limit to how much mindless TV watching I can do and the good programmes are few and far between.

The lunch out made a nice change. It was a bring your own savoury and one of my friends brought fresh strawberries straight from her garden for us to share.

After The Dovekeepers, I think I would say The Red Garden....

How do there, calm, happy to see you're feeling well enough to pay the occasional visit! Sending healing thoughts Walesward.

That does look good Kath, I like interconnected short stories, but my local library doesn't have a copy so I'll have to keep my eyes open:)

Thanks Richard. I confess that I lurk on some threads every day but actually saying something is another thing:)

Thanks for the healing thoughts and I appreciate them when you are in so much pain yourself.

Calm it is nice to see your thread ticking along nicely this month together with your reading. I have had a headache of near Suz proportions these last couple of days (maybe twin prop air travel and the constant changing air pressures to blame) and I appreciate how difficult it can be under painful circumstances to whizz through the threads.
Have a lovely Sunday in West Wales.

Hi Calm! Hope you are enjoying your July so far! :)

Hello calm,

I do hope that you are feeling better and that you are able to enjoy this wonderful July weather as much as I do at present.
I slowly started reading again, also very light fare which is good for me.
The LT meet-up yesterday was absolutely lovely. We all got on very well and had a great time together. Aside from visiting a couple of book stores and cafe's we also went to the Victoria and Albert Museum, which I hadn't visited in over a decade. There we split up to pursue our own little interests. Heather and I went together into the European medieval section and had a look at the sculptures and altar pieces of that time. Thereafter we past the jewellery section to go and see the tapestries - again from the middle ages - which were absolutely stunning. Although, I would have been interested to find out a bit more about the techniques they used to create such stunning pieces.

I wish you a lovely week calm!

Hi there calm! your prolonged absence has me concerned. Hope all's well in your little corner of the world.

Just passing through to wave and wish you well :)

Bianca, Lynda and Kath - thanks for stopping by my poor neglected (by me!) thread and for all the well wishes.

I'm still lurking around LT but have not been feeling particularly sociable recently:(

Not reading very much at the moment so nothing interesting to report - not even any book acquisitions!

Hope that I get out of this funk soon ... it has been dragging on for much too long.

No book acquisitions.

This *must* pass soon!!

Hi Calm, just passing by to see how you are my dear. Hope you get out of this "funk" and acquire some books soon.

I dunno. I think that taking a break from books now and then is a good thing, if that is what one wants to do.... or diving into a pile of them is good if that is what one wants to do. A funk of course is a different story... someone suggested to me that I look for something light and YA when I have a funk, to sort of jump start the reading thing again. It has worked for me the times I have tried it...

Take care and enjoy whatever it is that you are doing :)

Richard - well someone has asked if I want to meet up for coffee in town next week so at least I will be somewhere that I might be able to find something. I've went to the local market/car boot sale on Tuesday and didn't see a single book I wanted! There were around 6 or 7 people with at least some books on their stalls. Not good:(

Thanks John - hope everything is going well for you and yours.

Hi Kath - it is most unusual for me not to want to read books and even more unusual not to buy something. Oh well I'm sure it will pass some time.

The thing I am doing is Fallen London - http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/ not sure if anyone else around here plays or not. And I did read this recently http://www.failbettergames.com/?post_type=comic - 6 pages of their first ever comic/graphic story. Don't think I can count it as a book though:)

I used to play, back when it was Echo Bazaar (when did they change the name?). I think a friend of mine still does. I liked it, but as with most online games, it only held my interest for so long. Plus the limited number of turns at a time made my general computer game playing style of ignore-forget-remember-marathon not work so well.

I doubt if you would recognise it then Blue - they have added a lot of stuff. There are players who have been there since it was Echo Bazaar and they still enjoy playing:) But I can see that the way it is set up wouldn't suit all game players.

I quite like the limited actions. It means that I check in a few times a day - not play continuously which would be easy to do and a huge time sink. It does make you think about what is the best thing to do with those actions - to advance the story or your stats. Then there is always making money - one day I will own an Overgoat:)

HI, Calm. I was off the computer for awhile with a feverish cold, and am just getting around to get caught up now. Have you been getting the heat like they have in London? It's the doldrums of summer so it's not surprising if you don't have a lot of get-up-and-go.

It has been hotter here Roni - but I don't think it has been as horrendous as some places. Managed to get into town today and it felt very humid to me:( Not my favourite weather.

I went to the library unfortunately none of the books I have been thinking about reading were in stock so I just picked one up based on the title, cover and the blurb. The Pillow Book of the Flower Samurai. No idea if it going to be any good though and there are no reviews and very few copies on LT.

One bought second hand The Robber Bridegroom by Eudora Welty - one of Richard's featured authors in the weekly "What Are You Reading" threads earlier this year and it is a VMC. I know there are a few people in the group who are very fond of this publisher:)

And, when I got home, my latest ER book had arrived Red Dragon White Dragon by Gary Dolman.

So the book acquisition drought has been broken now I need to get around to doing a bit more reading. We'll see - as usual I am updating the books read list in the top posts but I am almost ashamed to admit that I haven't written any book comments for ages.

That's what I did when I was sick too--added my books to the top but didn't comment. We haven't overlapped too much recently. I found Passage fascinating and strange. I didn't much care for The Library of Shadows--thought it was too much the "thriller" format, which is not my favorite. I do really like Sunshine, though.

Pretty much agree with you there Roni - Passage was interesting, strange is a good description. not quite what I expected though and I did have a few problems with it. I will read more Willis in the future.

I thought the beginning of The Library of Shadows was very good but it definitely went in a thriller direction which wasn't quite what I was looking for but it wasn't a bad book;)

Sunshine was good. It was only my second McKinley - and I'm sure I will read more of her work sometime.

calm, I'm sorry you're still in this reading drought. I surely suffer with you there! The idea of it is uncomfortable for me.

Thanks Richard - I had to up my dose of pain meds which doesn't help with my concentration and I also think it is not fair to read books when I am feeling so meh as it affects my reaction. Even if the opening grabs me by the time I get to the end I am finding myself disappointed more often than not.

I'll get over it sometime I'm sure.

oops - double post.

I understand. It's rough. Medication that's necessary to live life still takes a toll. Heavy, sympathetic sigh.

Red Dragon - White Dragon looks good... I liked Passage...I am not so much in a reading funk as a sort of life funk.. for no good reason, I might add.

Meds. Don't like 'em. Wish no one had to use them...
feel better soonest!

Hi Kath - Red Dragon White Dragon sounded good from the ER blurb so I hope that my funk doesn't taint the read. Need to finish the ones I am reading at the moment first so I need to get my reading brain in gear:)

I hate taking meds as well and I'm not very good at remembering to take them - then I wonder why I am in pain most of the time. oh well I'll do my best to feel better.

Hello calm,
I soooo much sympethize with you in regards to your medication and I can see how that - and how you feel yourself can have an effect on your reading and the way you percieve books. I HATE taking meds with a vengenance, but as I am on quite a few different one's now I also started to loose track - I very often couldn't remember whether I HAD taken them or not. My mom brought me one of those medication thingies - you know, one of those boxes where you can put your medication in for the whole week. Well, I started using it on Sunday and now I am ok LOL.

Well, at least you started to get books again which is great :).

I quite enjoyed The Passage but was incredible dissapointed with the second installment The Twelve. As far as I know there is even a third book planned but I don't think I can be bothered.

Wish you a great week calm :)

Stopping by for a visit, calm and very happy to see you have received your ER copy of Red Dragon White Dragon..... my copy is probably en-route to my house! Here is hoping that your reading drought has come to an end.

Just a fly past to wish you a lovely Sunday in West Wales. Hope you are feeling much better this weekend Calm.

Hi Calm. Sorry to see your pain meds affect your reading. I am also terrible at remembering to take my medications. I usually sort them into a day of the week med box and then leave the box on the table where I am bound to notice it, but most days I walk right by it. I am working on it!

Hi calm. Sorry to hear your pain meds have affected your reading :-( I hope you get your reading mojo back soon.

I did play Fallen London but haven't for a while now - might go back to it at some point.

Just popping in to say hello. I have absolutely noting of interest to share. I have taken to just posting pics of my nephlets so I have SOMETHING to post ... lol

So, hello, and hope that you're well :)

Thanks for stopping by everyone.

Bianca - different Passage, this one is by Connie Willis, though I have read both. Wasn't that keen on the Justin Cronin one and haven't bothered to track down a copy of The Twelve.

Lori - just about to start it as I finally finished the book that took me 10 days to read! Hope your copy arrives soon - I think I noticed on the ER thread that copies have started arriving in the US.

Paul - congrats on your mega reading month. I'm not likely to be able to do anything similar anytime soon.

Chelle - that is part of the problem - I leave them where I think I am going to be reminded about taking the things and then they just become part of the furniture:) I'm fine with morning and bedtime but adding one to the middle of the day has me forgetting more often than not.

Heather - reading not quite though I did finish another book, no where near my usual reading pace though:(
as I said to Blue Fallen London has changed so much since I started playing and it is such a huge world game that it is easy for me to carry on playing.

Kath - loving the nephlet pictures. They are worth posting.

Hi calm! Thanks for the reminder to post my review of The Wasp Factory in the book page. I forgot all about it.

Sending smooches!

No worries Richard - I followed your Twitter links to Goodreads and your Blog then I finally managed to find it on LT and give it a well deserved

>177 calm: Ha! I think you missed the Facebook post. Go do it again. *smooch*

Don't do Facebook but I can only see two Twitter links for Wasp Factory:) *smooch*

Hi Calm - sorry to hear that you're having so many problems around your medication. My husband always takes his medication at meal times, so as he never forgets to eat, he also manages to take his pills.
Hope the reading fug disappates, all I can suggest is short stories, YA fiction or just enjoy some 'coffee table' books.

Just stopping by to say you got me playing Fallen London again :-)

Hi Kerry - reading is improving slightly - I've finished a couple of books ... unfortunately neither was outstanding:(

Hi Heather - hope you like it. Let me know if you want to link up for social actions or need any jewels, rats or second chances ... I'm calm there as well:)

Hi calm, nice to see you popping in. Hope your next book is a good one :)

Hi there, calm. I'm back from two weeks in a jury box so I'm trying to slowly catch up with everyone.
I'm not good at taking medication either. I only remember to take my allergy and OA meds when I sneeze or ache and I'm not sure that's the right way to do it. *shrug*
Otherwise, I hope everything else is ok in your little corner.

Thanks Kath - I lurk LT everyday but I'm not posting:(
Book is The Highest Tide by Jim Lynch - not too bad so far.

Hi Lynda - Never been called for Jury Service and to be honest I hope I never am. Too much responsibility and it is my idea of hell to be in public with a load of strangers.

At least I'm not the only one but I am getting slightly better at taking them, still days when I forget:(

*smooch* for better days for calm

Thanks Richard. *smooch* back:)

Hi Calm, hope you enjoy your book and glad that you are slowly getting better.

Calm - Just stopped by to send you continued good wishes and cheer from these climes.

Thanks guys:)

Reading still going slowly:(

Though I still hope that I will reach the 75 soon as I am at 72 and have 2 on the go at the moment. No chance of reaching my over ambitious full 13 in 13 challenge this year though.

Not a patch on other people but I have managed to add some more books to the to read shelves. Probably will not get to all of them before the end of the month. Oh well.

From the library

To Say Nothing of the Dog : or, How we found the bishop's bird stump at last by Connie Willis - on my wishlist and this is a brand new copy, a SF Masterworks edition (this will fit this month's TIOLI - Dog in the title)

Among Others by Jo. Walton - there have been a lot of positive comments about this one (this will fit this month's TIOLI - Blurry Sky or the alphabet challenge)

Charity shop - Black Man (AKA - Thirteen) by Richard K. Morgan - I'm in a SF mood and that fits in with my neglected 13 in 13 categories. (this will fit this month's TIOLI - Dedicated to the author's mother or the alphabet challenge)

Reaching 75 always makes me want to jump into some rereas, but then there are always more books..!

I look forward to your comments on Among Others, I loved it!

Hi Kath - I think Among Others will probably be number 75 of the year, if I finish my current NF soon:) Sounds like it is right up my street so I just hope that my expectations are not too high.

I think you will like it.. and it would make a really good 75!

Good to hear that Kath.

Well I am being a very bad 75er this year at posting but I did reach the target yesterday with To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis which I loved. Among Others was number 74 as I still haven't finished the non-fiction which I have been reading for nearly 2 months!

Have also bought some more books into the house

Onto the shelves of shame

The Seduction of Water by Carol Goodman - quite like her Lake of Dead Languages so thought I would read another of her books
The Viking Saga by Henry Treece - one of my favourite authors when I was a child so a bit of nostalgia with this one
Sacred Hunger by Barry Unsworth - read 2 of his books so far and liked both.

From the library

Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver - finally managed to snag this one
Wool by Hugh Howey - a lot of buzz about Wool at the moment

Now all I need to do is find some more quality reading time and hope to either think of or find a TIOLI challenge for the library books. Flight Behaviour actually fits in the 13 in 13 Random Cat so maybe someone will still put up a challenge that will cover that as there is an overlap between the two groups.

Congrats!

Oh good! 75!!! *Throws Confetti*

Congrats :)

So glad you loved To Say Nothing of the Dog--I do adore that book! Did you like Among Others? I enjoyed all the reading references.

Congratulations on hitting the big 75 book mark!!

Happy 75th read!!

Congrats on 75!

Thank you Jim, Kath, Roni, Richard and Rhian:)

Roni - Among Others was a tough one for me as a few too many things that happened to her had a connection to things that happened in my life around the same age, not as extreme though. And I guess to say which elements hit too close to home would be spoilers for anyone who hasn't read the book.
But I loved all the book references and the ending was wonderful so it turned out to be a very good read in the end.

To Say Nothing of the Dog was wonderful - just the right book for 75. Not too serious, funny and fast moving - one I didn't want to put down:)

Congrats on 75 books read, calm!

Hi Calm, congrats on reaching 75, I've only got 24 more to join you.

Woo hoos, calm! Congrats on reaching 75!!!!!

Thank you Lori, John and Lynda.

John looks like you are on track to make the 75 before the end of the year.

Yes Calm it looks like I will get there, I have had a good August on the reading front.

Well done Calm - even though you're well down on your normal reading average it is always nice to slip past the group "milestone".
Hope wonder West Wales is treating you splendidly this weekend. x

Pleased to hear it John.

Thanks Paul Yes my reading has really taken a knock this year but it was a relief to hit the magic number:)

West Wales is very nice today, the sun is shining and I am actually doing some reading, thanks to Suz (Chatterbox) organising a Readathon.

I'm behind my usual count of reads, too. Oh well. A Read-a-thon would finish me off. I am so not a "joiner" that something like that would stop me cold in my tracks. I avoid them. I am however, glad that it is working for you :)

Hi Kath - well you are working and dealing with furkids and family, all that construction/road noise ... not exactly the best atmosphere for reading.

I don't know what it is about Readathons but I quite enjoy setting a short term target that is slightly higher than my usual reading rate. The main trouble is that one of my furkids hates me reading during the day ... she is fine if I am in bed but if I am in the living room she insists on getting between me and my book:)

Decided to move to a new home for September and the rest of 2013

http://www.librarything.com/topic/158466

Still setting things up, sorting out touchstones etc but any visitors are welcome:)