Esquiress MARCHes on in a third thread

Hi there, and welcome to my third thread here on the 2013 75 Books Challenge. This is my first year in the challenge, and I'm really enjoying myself.

I decided to start out this thread with a few things I feel are important for you to know about me. One is how I star books when I review them.

My Rating System, Explained

5: Awesome read. I loved reading it.
4.5: Really good read. Kept my attention. Had one or two minor things that bugged me.
4: Good read - I liked it. Had some flaws, though.
3.5: Pretty good read, but there were just some things about it that really bugged me.
3: Mediocre read - neither good nor bad.
2.5: Less than mediocre. While there were things I liked, it was hard to finish.
2: Quite flawed. Very hard to finish. Maybe one or two redeeming bits.
1.5: Very flawed. Finished, but just barely.
1: Highly flawed. Dragged self to finish it or just abandoned it. Really didn't like it.

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For a little bit of personal background, I thought I'd share with my thread followers the books that I feel made me who I am today, or at least that had a noticeable impact on my way of thinking.

Here is the list, in as-best-as-I-can-remember chronological order:

Siddhartha - I read this book as a junior in high school. From it, I began to learn tolerance. At first, I refused to read the book because it dealt with Buddhism, and I was a staunch, born-again Christian. My English teacher told me to keep an open mind, and I did. I learned that we are all connected in some way, and that reading something that appears to be counter your beliefs doesn't actually have to force you to change your mind. Plus, you can be surprised at how much you can learn from people of other faiths - it can strengthen your own faith, or it can lead you to question it. To this day, I look with great fondness on the beliefs of Buddhism and attempt to integrate them into my daily life.

Brave New World - This book was the summer reading requirement for my university's honors college. I had never read anything like this, and I was stunned at the message that was being portrayed. It really got me thinking and questioning, and I haven't looked back since.

The Bell Jar - I never knew that others struggled so strongly with mental illness and that I was not alone. The protagonist spoke to me in a way that no other character had ever done.

The Sparrow - I adore this book. I sobbed when I got to the quotation, "But the sparrow still falls." That summed up what I thought about religion at the time. There were a great many other segments of the book that really spoke to me too, as early in college I was struggling with that staunch faith that I mentioned in relation to Siddhartha. It also made me realize how much I enjoy sci-fi.

Stranger in a Strange Land - A friend gave me a paperback copy of this book, and I fell in love with Heinlein's writings. But more than that, I felt that the philosophies and beliefs contained in this book helped lead me to questions and answers I was seeking, already working on, or hadn't realized I needed to ask or know. It was truly an amazing experience.

Sophie's World - Sophie's World forced me to face philosophy head-on, and the ending brought me to a bit of an existential crisis. Having grown up Evangelical, I could not understand the statement that the world was more that a few thousand years old. I had many frustrating, tearful, and enlightening conversations and arguments with my now husband about parts of this book.

To Kill a Mockingbird - I try to treat others with empathy because of this book. I feel it was the most important piece I helped ninth grade students through while I was still teaching. It led me to taking a Literature of the Civil Rights Movement course in my Master's program, and everything I learned in that course made me a better teacher and a better human being. It all stemmed from reading this book.

Seven Types of Ambiguity - First, I had never known how much I liked multiple narrators until I read Seven Types of Ambiguity. But more than that, I learned that everyone has troubles and has to deal with more than it seems any one person should be able to bear. This book spoke to me about inter-connectedness between the people of the world and how much impact one person can have on so many different people. It helped that the book was beautifully written, too; I learned that prose can be gorgeous in a way different from the classics. I felt so enlightened when I was done reading this.

This Is All: The Pillow Book of Cordelia Kenn - This book made me a better teacher and a better person. I aspired to be like the teacher from this book, before I stopped teaching last year. Again, this book has beautiful prose and experiments with format and word choice throughout. It was a tome I could not put down, and once I finally did, I felt smarter and better for having read it.

Pedagogy of the Oppressed - My first introduction to Freire was in a Master's class on critical pedagogy - examining why we teach and how we teach and why we teach what we teach. I could not believe how much information was in this book. I went through a near crisis about my teaching while reading this, because I realized I wasn't critiquing my choices at all, and I was leaving my students to deal with the outside world on their own. From the moment I finished this book and talked about it with my classmates, I set out to change the way I taught. I think it was for the best in the end, even though I don't teach anymore.

Prozac Nation - The subject of depression is not often dealt with in as frank a manner as it should be, and I found a lot of support from reading Prozac Nation. Plus, I learned a ton about medication, its history, and how depression and popular culture are linked.

This post is just a place for me to keep track of some things.

Book Bullets Caught in March:
1. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society
2. Ashfall
3. Train Dreams
4.

Scarves Knitted in March: 2

Books Acquired in 2013:
From PBS - 11
Purchase - 2 (one w/ a gift card, one with credit card points)
Early Reviewer - 3

Books "out the door" in 2013 (via PBS): 16

The books that I have read so far are as follows:

March (participating in several March TIOLI challenges)
23. Nothing Serious - ER
22. Me Talk Pretty One Day - e-book
21. Gertrude and Claudius - BOTS
20. The Round House - e-book
19. The Bean Trees - PBS
18. The Gilded Chamber - BOTS
17. Bimbos of the Death Sun - PBS
16. Approaching the Hunger Games Trilogy: A Literary and Cultural Analysis - ER

February (participated in both Fantasy February and some of the February TIOLI challenges)
15. White Lines - ER
14. The Simultaneous Man - PBS
13. The Woman Who Died a Lot - BOTS
12. The Alloy of Law - BOTS
11. The Knife of Never Letting Go - e-book
10. Graceling - Library
9. Shades of Grey - BOTS

January (was new to the group, so didn't know about TIOLI challenges, or even what TIOLI stood for!)
8. About a Boy - e-book
7. Mania: The Story of the Outraged & Outrageous Lives That Launched a Cultural Revolution - ER
6. Ready Player One - BOTS, SantaThing
5. American Psycho - PBS
4. Eberron Campaign Setting - e-book
3. Complete Arcane - e-book
2. Complete Warrior - e-book
1. The Silver Linings Playbook - e-book

March plans, by TIOLI challenge:

#1 - Read a book which has at least one character whose first name starts with the two-letter combination "Jo"
Job: A Comedy of Justice - Job is not a character
The Round House - read

#2 - Read a book that has the name of part of a plant in its title or author
Approaching the Hunger Games Trilogy (author has "thorn" in his name) - read

#3 - Read a book from the book The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Ultimate Reading List
The Eye of the World - saving for a group read in June
The Gilded Chamber: A Novel of Queen Esther - read

#4 - Read a book in a series you already started
Fire - saving for later
Son of a Witch - The Wicked Years #2 - ran out of time
Requiem - Delirium #3 - I'm trying to be realistic at this point!

#11 - Read a book because you like its title
Bimbos of the Death Sun - read

#17 - Read the 7th book along on a bottom shelf (anywhere)
Gertrude and Claudius - read
The Bean Trees - read

#18 - Read a book which is included in the World Book Night giveaways (in any participating country)
Me Talk Pretty One Day - read

#21 - Read a work by an author who has written in two or more styles or genres
Nothing Serious (fiction/ nonfiction/ humor) - read

#23 - Read a book from Paul's yearly retrospective lists, 1970-1979
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test (1971) - 485 pgs. isn't going to happen this month :)

Currently Reading:

n/a

Ah, an empty thread! I think I'll just settle in and wait for the furnishings to appear.

And they did! Hi, Es.

Hey, Roni! Don't worry, I'll have scarf pictures up within a week :) They're addicting, and you know I have orders to fill now!

Congrats on being first! Here is a little penguin gift for you:

Looking forward to seeing what you read next!

Thanks, Kassilem :) I'm reading The Round House and Approaching the Hunger Games Trilogy right now.

Hey Es - congratulations of the shiny new thread!

I have to tell you that as much as I have always loved Heinlein, Job: A Comedy of Justice is one of the few I've never reread. I read it when it was published - wow, almost thirty years ago - when I was a teenager. I'll look forward to leaning what you think of it - maybe I need to give it another try as an adult.

Hi, Es. Nice new thread! I'm glad you finally got to set it up the way you've been wanting to.

I use my wiki page for my wish-list (which expands weekly, and I'm not making any serious inroads into it).

Was the Lady Susan book bullet mine? Well, I'll pretend it was; I get so many bbs, it's nice to (feel as though I) sent one.

If you want to hold of on The Eye of the World, I'm planning a group read of the whole The Wheel of Time series (see group reads thread) in June. I want to read my own copies, but I can't get hold of them until then.

I'm reading The Birchbark House now. I'm sure it's quite different from The Round House because it is written for kids. It is very safe and benign compared to what I think of as Erdrich's usual style.

Great new thread, Es, and full of some interesting planned reads. Looking forward to following along.

Hi Es. Nice new thread!
I want to read The Round House before too long as I understand it has some character carryover from The Plague of Doves.

eta: sorry about the somewhat insensitive comment on your prior thread re: having time for both knitting and reading. Even as I wrote it, a little voice on my shoulder said "you know, you don't know the particulars...." I should get better at listening to that little voice. I apologize.

Dejah: Thanks! My husband's been bugging me to read Job: A Comedy of Justice for a couple of years now, so I thought I'd give it a try for the TIOLI it fits. I love Heinlein too.

humouress: Thanks, gal :) My wishlist is a collection, but the BB list is an entity of its own. Yes, the Lady Susan BB is yours to claim indeed. I will hold off on Eye of the World until June then. I remembered someone said something about it, but I couldn't remember what it was. Thanks for the reminder.

cammy: I've never read Louise Erdrich before, but I scored an e-book for only like two bucks, so I couldn't help it. Oooh, I guess that goes on my "books acquired" list :) I'm hoping I like The Round House. So far, it's an intense read.

Delta: Thanks. It's great to have devotees like you :) I remember when I was dying to get people to my thread... and here you are!

Ellen: Thanks! I'll be reading The Plague of Doves soon enough, I'm sure.

I finished my first scarf tonight, mostly during a session of D&D. I discovered that I can knit pretty quickly, even when slightly tipsy :)

This yarn is called Waltz, and it has lovely light brown, grey, and white in it with just a hint of sparkle. It's an order from a woman at my mom's work. I'm really pleased with how it came out.

I discovered that I can knit pretty quickly, even when slightly tipsy
:-)

Lovely scarf. It would look awesome with a black shirt, worn to the theater.

>16 EBT1002:: *shared grin*

Oh, it would. Absolutely stunning, if worn right!

Cheers!

I've been seeing your scarves on your thread (and Roni's) for so long; but I'm not sure I ever said : they're really pretty. I love the different colour combinations.

Hellllooooo! :)

Morning Es! Congrats on the new thread! I was hoping to bookhorn The Plague of Doves in this month. If not, next month for sure. Our reading lives are crazy!

Nice thread! Nice scarf! Your March is coming in like a lion, for sure!

Ellen: Thanks for the wine :) I need that!

humouress: Thanks! We can't take credit for the color combos necessarily, because the yarn comes variegated like that already. The companies do create some really cool ones, though!

Stephen: Helloooo, cupcake :) How's my favorite recluse?

Mark: Mornin' (well... afternoon now, but it still feels like morning at 1:30pm US EST... I'm definitely going to read The Plague of Doves if I keep liking The Round House, which I think I will. Crazy indeed!

Rosalita: Thanks! I was hoping that my list of books that changed me might spark some conversations down the line. A lion indeed, at least on here!

Es I am fast becoming an acolyte. Bit disappointed though that Ellen was so stingy with the red wine there should have been enough at least to toast together your lovely new thread.

Have a great weekend. x

>24 PaulCranswick:: Why, I'm honored, Paul! Here's hoping this weekend *is* nice. x

Here's some champagne for us all :) Martini & Rossi Asti Spumante is one of my faves.

Splendid Es I can hear the resounding pop of the cork flying across your living room as I type.

>26 PaulCranswick:: Hey, I'm a master of opening champagne bottles. Don't want to waste a drop with flying corks and overflowing bottles :P

Me? Oh, I've just been very...well...reclusive... *Hides under his bed*

Well, if Stephen's disappeared *quick look around*, I'll have his share, too.

Oh, I don't drink, so you can absolutely have my share. :)

Okay, this time I'm bringing an assorted case to share.

Stephen: Nothing other than reclusiveness to report? :)

humouress: good idea! It's nice of Stephen to share, since he doesn't drink :)

Ellen: Ah, good. Is there some sparkling cider in there so Stephen can join in?

Ellen you are a swell.

Ha! I found you again. I lost you somehow. You must have discontinued your first thread and started over? :p

I'm interested to see what you have to say about The Round House, I've been thinking of reading it. Looks good.

>34 The_Hibernator:: I did abandon my first, because it had my old username in it. I started it in February, and now I've gotten to "continue" in March! I'm so excited you found me again. Sorry about the loss.

I'm liking The Round House so far; I just haven't gotten as far in it as I would prefer.

I finished a second scarf for the month yesterday afternoon. It's the same Aran yarn that I used for one of my mom's scarves last month. It is such a lovely shade with a hint of gold shine to it, and it's oh so soft!



ETA: This one is also for a woman at my mom's work. Now I have just one more to knit for an order there. Woo selling scarves!

>35 Esquiress: No problem. I wasn't very active in February, so I missed a lot of things, I think. Poo happens! But I'm here now. :)

>37 The_Hibernator:: And we are glad you're here :)

Hello Es - just a quick drive by!

I love drive-by hellos, Prue! Glad you were able to swing by.

Dinner tonight was inspired by norabelle's post of a picture of cheesy bread with eggs and avocado on it. I must say, it was very yummy!



Still plugging away at my two books, The Round House and Approaching the Hunger Games Trilogy. I think the latter will be finished first, as I only have about 50 pages left.

That looks delicious too! :D

Ah, you make real poached eggs :-) I have to cheat and use those little floating silicone cups.

>42 Ape:: Thanks, Stephen :)

>43 norabelle414:: Those were more fried than poached, to be honest :/ Ah well!

Lovely new thread, Es!

Your scarves are looking wonderful - I especially like the look of your latest cream colored one.

Recipe for eggs / avocado??

>45 TinaV95:: Thanks, Tina :)

I don't know if Nora has a recipe, but all I did was spread avocado on focaccia and top it with a fried (sort of sunny-side up) egg! It was quite yummy.

Review of Approaching the Hunger Games Trilogy: A Literary and Cultural Analysis:

Approaching the Hunger Games Trilogy is a fascinating analysis of Collins' well-known Hunger Games series. The author, Tom Henthorne, is extremely knowledgeable about the books themselves as well as all of the literary and cultural analysis techniques that can be applied to the books themselves. For this reason, I found all of the essays fascinating to one degree or another.

There were some essays that I enjoyed more than others. I particularly liked "Make of It What You Will: The Hunger Games Trilogy as a Literary Production," which discussed the literary value of YA literature in general and Collins' work in particular. I also found "The Importance of Being Katniss: Identity, Gender, and Transgression" to be quite fascinating. These two essays, the first of the book, were engaging for me because their subject matter matched my interests. All of the essays were well-written and well-researched, however.

The author spared no expense in ensuring that his words were supported by literary critics, blog writers, and newspaper articles. The bibliography is quite extensive and very thorough. A few of his in-text citations seemed a bit inconsistent to me, but I was able to find the referenced works in the bibliography with little problem. The author also included a glossary of terms from the books and a glossary of character names, both of which are very helpful, especially to a reader who may not have read the trilogy more recently.

Henthorne did a fine job of elevating the Hunger Games trilogy to a topic worth discussing in classrooms, lectures, and conferences, which it definitely deserves.

The reading was a bit slow-going, as one might expect from a literary and cultural analysis of a trilogy of books. Even though the content of the book only spanned 155 pages, it took me several days to finish the book because the material required undivided attention, which is hard to come by sometimes.

I feel that this book was a success, but it is certainly not for the easily bored or for those who are not interested in a deep exploration of possible meanings, contexts, and consequences of a book series.

Rating:

TIOLI Challenge: #2 (Read a book that has the name of part of a plant in its title or author - Tom Henthorne)

Book #16

An ER Book

Nice review! And since my three kids have definitely exposed me to all things Hunger, this would be a great add! Thanks.

Es, that one looks promising!

Caught up again! Whew!!!! ;)

Hey friends,
Es is in the hospital right now for a few days and won't have access to a computer. She'll be back, though.
_Her hubby

>51 kcrisell: Oh no!
Thanks for letting us know, I hope everything is alright.

Also want to thank you for letting us know--we do tend to worry when one of our regulars goes silent for a while! Hope she is doing well.

Wow, that's to bad! Thanks for letting us know. Sending positive and healing waves to Es!

Hope it's nothing too bad; or was it something that was scheduled? Either way, hope her / your recovery is swift and pain-free.

Oh Es!!!!! We miss you already! I was going to comment thoughtfully on your Hunger Games review bc it's also siting in my ER pile to be read, but now I'm just worrying about you.

Please get well soon!
I'll be sending prayers up for you tonight. ((Hugs))

Hope you get better soon! I'll be praying for you too. :)

Hope it's nothing serious and that you'll be back soon.

Come back soon, Es!

Feel better soon, Es!

Hope you are hale and hearty and back with us soon, Es.

Winging prayers your way!

More prayers... Just back to check in on you!

Get well!!! & hope you're not too sick to read and knit!

Sending lots of healing thoughts your way, Es. Hope to see you back soon.

*healing hugs* Hope your back with us soon Es.

Es sends her thanks (I shared all your posts with her). She should be home Monday night, and I'm sure she'll be all over her threads then.

_Her Hubby

Thank you so much for the update!

Great to hear! Thanks for keeping us up to date.

*Hugs*

Glad you will be home soon.... hope all is well... big hugs to you!

I hope you are back home by now ES- and feeling tip top again? Let us know how you are if you can.
Take care
(((hugs)))

Hi, all.

First, thanks so much for your well-wishes. It was so encouraging to hear about them over the phone from my husband and to know that you all were thinking of me while I was thinking of you.

I did a bit of reading during my stay on the unit, to help distract me from too many negative thoughts and because I wasn't allowed to have knitting needles and yarn. I finished Bimbos of the Death Sun and The Gilded Chamber while there. I started and put back down Job: A Comedy of Justice - I just wasn't into it, and Job isn't even a character, so it didn't fit the TIOLI I had it listed for! I'm about halfway through Gertrude and Claudius now. I was also reading The Bean Trees, but the copy I received from PBS had a ton of writing all over it, and it distracted me. Now I'm allowed to have my e-reader and am going to work on finishing The Round House. Most of my other March reads are in e-book form too.

I'm going to try to get all over the threads as best I can for now, because I'm so, so behind :)

Thanks again, everyone, and happy reading. I'll try to get to the two reviews soon, but I'm behind on many things from my stay at the hospital, not just LT :)

Much love! Hugs to all!

Welcome back, Es!!

Glad to see you back, Es. I hope your recovery continues without a pause. We'll look forward to your reviews whenever you happen to get them done. No pressure.

Glad you're back! :)

74-76: Thanks for the welcomes! :)

Great to have you back, Es! What, no needles or yarn? What are hospitals coming to these days! At least you can read!

Hey, girl :) Well... it had to do with the kind of hospital I was in that I couldn't have those things or my e-reader.

Welcome back Es!!!! Hopefully it won't take long for you to get caught up with everything you need to.

Stay well :)

I understand the knitting stuff but not the ereader. Ah well, good to see you back with us, Es!

No e-reader! I say.

Good to see you back.

welcome back.... sneaking this in while doing computer work at work... shhh don't tell any one!

E-readers have batteries that can be swallowed. No electronics of any kind were allowed.

Thanks for all the well-wishes... and Lovely, I won't tell anyone :)

Lol at lovely! We all do it!! So hopefully we will all keep the secret!

HEY ES!!! So glad you're back! We've missed your charming posts and scarf pics! (((hugs)))

What about iPads? I've never attempted it (far too lazy), but I don't think you can open them up.

My goodness, Es! I haven't been on the threads so I missed that you were in the hospital entirely! It's great that you're back home - I hope all is well.

I can't wait to hear what you thought of Bimbos of the Death Sun - you adding it to the TIOLI gives me a great excuse to reread it. As for Job, well, as I think I mentioned over on my thread, I don't remember being very fond of it!

Thumbs up from me on the Hunger Games book review - nice job!

HeHe! Glad Bimbos was able to distract you while you were in the hospital! Gertrude and Claudius sounds like it might be interesting - I'm assuming it's the prelude to Hamlet, and perhaps a bit tongue in cheek.

*Hugs*

I'm glad you're back, Es. Tough several days.
I also hope you continue to enjoy The Round House which is, as you know. on my list for reading sometime this year.

Thanks again everyone for all the well-wishing and *hugs* to Stephen and Tina.

I've definitely missed being here, and boy do I have a lot of catching up to do on these posts. My goodness. 6 days in the hospital and LT explodes :)

Nope, no iPads either. No electronics. Boo hiss.

Dejah: Yeah, what I read of Job: A Comedy of Justice kind of sucked :) Oh, and Bimbos of the Death Sun is so worth the quick read - quite funny and geeky.

On my March books:
Bimbos of the Death Sun was an excellent distraction while I was "inside," as they say.
The Gilded Chamber was so good that I gave it to another patient and had her keep it since I was done with it within about a day and a half. If you liked The Red Tent, you'll like this one.
Gertrude and Claudius is putting an interesting spin on the pre-Hamlet story. If only Updike didn't have such drawn-out sentences!
The Round House I'm only about 35 pages in, but I do like it, and since I have my e-reader back, I'll be reading that and Me Talk Pretty One Day and The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test and finishing The Bean Trees electronically because my hard copy bugged me.

Es - lovely to see you back and in great form. By the way and, given the revelatory content of some of my own posts, there is no way I would have given access to SWMBO for the provision of updates!

Es - so glad you are back in LT and the 21st century! I loved Me Talk Pretty One Day - definitely one that will cheer you up!

Excellent reading, Es! It's nice to have you back. I'm looking forward to my Bimbos of the Death Sun reread - I'm saving it for when I need a boost.

Paul: Well, I know that DH reads my threads when he's bored at work anyway, so it doesn't really matter much :D

Prue: Oh, man, am I glad too. Ooh! A pick-me-up book!

DT: Thanks! Bimbos of the Death Sun definitely brought me a boost while in the hospital.

Hmmm, I was thinking of reading Gertrude and Claudius at some point. I'm sort of on a Hamlet kick at the moment. But I've never read an Updike book, so I'm not familiar with his long sentences. :)

Review of Bimbos of the Death Sun

You know, I'm not usually a mystery reader. I approached Bimbos of the Death Sun as more of a fantasy-type book, to be honest, and I wasn't disappointed. The mystery aspect of it wasn't too "mystery-y" for me either.

Since the book takes place at a sci-fi con, I knew I would like it, because I'm into sci-fi and geekdom. Even though a murder is committed in the book and there's a bit of that "whodunnit" aspect, it is not dark at all. McCrumb keeps things light and quite entertaining. It boosted my mood and kind of reminded me of Terry Pratchett in a way.

I loved all of the references to D&D and that the climax takes place during a D&D campaign. I felt right at home with all of that, as a D&D player myself.

This is certainly not an overly esoteric read, but it's fun, funny, and cool. I really enjoyed myself and found no flaws with it.

Rating:

TIOLI Challenge: #11 - Read a book because you like its title

Book #17

A BOTS that I got from PBS

>96 The_Hibernator:: I'm liking the story of Gertrude and Claudius so far. It's really bringing some additional perspective to Hamlet's story. If you're on a Hamlet kick, have you read Hamlet: A Novel or Ophelia?

Review of The Gilded Chamber

As a huge fan of The Red Tent, I was thrilled to find a book that was touted to be a combination of that and Memoirs of a Geisha. I've had it on the shelf for a while, since I'm also big on books about women from the Old Testament; I like the reimagining that most modern authors do for the original stories.

The Gilded Chamber was a surprisingly fast read. I couldn't believe how well the story kept moving and how intriguing it was. I knew some things about Esther from my past - the major items of interest that made it into the Old Testament - but had not studied her in depth. This novel brought me insight on what it would be like to be a harem girl during that time period, as well as what Esther went through as Queen.

Overall, I was very glad to have read it, and I passed it along to an interested friend immediately. By the next day, she had finished a quarter of the book. I think that says it all!

Rating:

TIOLI Challenge: #3 - Read a book from the book The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Ultimate Reading List

Book #18

A BOTS

Es - Nice review of the Kohn novel. I bought Red Tent recently so if Red-Tentian is a recommendation for another book then I'm happy already.

Hi Es- Wow, back to back 5 star reads! Good for you! I am not familiar with either title, although I have heard of McCrumb and had planned to read her at some point. That's a great title too!

Great comments on Bimbos - I was laughing all the way through it too. It was pretty hard to get upset about the murder because you can see it coming from before the guest of honor even appears. It just takes a deliciously long time for any blood to spill.

Paul: The Gilded Chamber is a must-read if you liked The Red Tent.

Mark: I know, I'm generous with my five stars. There needs to be some sort of flaw with the book in order for it to get down in the fours and such. I'm sure there will be some bummers in the future. Already I predict about a four for Gertrude and Claudius, but it's not bad. It *is* a great title, isn't it?!

A while back I was looking for a book about Esther, but the ones I picked up were pretty bad. I'll definitely be giving The Gilded Chamber a try!

ETA: My library branch even has a copy!

Hi Es, just stopping by to wish you a lovely weekend :) Enjoyed your review on The Gilded Chamber, gone straight onto my wishlist as I also have been a great fan of The Red Tent.

I hope you recovered well enough of your hospital stay and that it wasn't anything to serious.

5 star reads!
Im all for them, so congrats on nabbing some for yourself :)

DT: Serendipity! Now you will have a good one on Esther!

drachen: Thanks for the well-wishes. I was glad they were able to discharge me Monday, so I was only in from Wednesday to Monday.

Iread: Indeed, huzzah for good reads!

Hey Es! Great review of The Gilded Chamber! You hit me with that one! I've added it to my WL and I also added a thumbs up for your review!

Thanks so much, Tina! It was a great book.

Howl: A Graphic Novel arrived for me on either Thursday or Friday, which I was pretty excited about.

I also received the ER book Nothing Serious last week, as well as We Don't Live Here Anymore from PBS. My M-I-L told me that she got Requiem in the mail for me as well, which she had pre-ordered at Christmas. I'm doing very well at not buying books so far in 2013 :)

I just finished The Bean Trees, so I'm going to work on my review now.

Isn't it exciting to have some new books ready to read, and you didn't even have to pay for them. :-)

Review of The Bean Trees:

I really liked the literary style of Kingsolver's The Bean Trees, and the story was compelling. I enjoyed the motifs that the author wove through the text, and the symbolism of the bean tree itself was very well executed.

There were a great many quotable moments throughout the text, and Kingsolver touched on family, relationships, love, and life itself.

The story was powerful, and the storytelling was enjoyable.

The only thing that bothered me about the book at first was the copy I originally was reading from had a ton of inane writing in it, but that was rectified after I changed over to an e-book copy.

I will say that the significance of Newt also took quite a while to come through, although it was worth the wait. The epiphanies just kept rolling at the end of the book - it was overwhelming. I did a lot of highlighting on my Nook copy as the book drew to a close.

Rating:

TIOLI Challenge: #17 - Read the 7th book along on a bottom shelf (anywhere)

Book #19

PBS book

Oh, definitely, rosalita! I love free books :)

Status update on my reading for the rest of March:

I'm trying so hard to finish The Round House, but I still have 220 pages left in it. I'm not sure I'll finish it this month, sadly.

I have about 80 pages left in Gertrude and Claudius. I'm going to try to finish that today.

I'm definitely going to get to Me Talk Pretty One Day, especially because it's only 165 pages :)

An ER book I just got fit into challenge #21, and it's only 211.

The last on my priority list is the 273-page Son of a Witch for the series challenge. I'm not sure I'll be able to get to that this month or not.

I think it's been a rough month, though I thought I was doing so well. I need to be less hard on myself :)

ETA: Y'know, finishing all of those books is only reading about 80 pages a day, which is not bad at all. Hmm. Maybe I *can* do it!

80 pages per day is impressive, indeed! I had a year where I averaged that and it was pretty awesome, but I'm lucky to get 30-40 per day anymore.

Hello Es - I love Sharyn McCrumb - although she is not available here at all. I think she might have been responsible for one of my all-time favourite booktitles: 'I still miss my man - but my aim is getting better'. I think I have She Walks these Hills on my shelves somehwere (second hand from Abe Books)

>115 Ape:: Well, 80 pages would usually equal about an hour and a half, depending on the book. The Round House seems so slow going, whereas I feel like Me Talk Pretty One Day will go quickly. What do you get up to that you only get to read about 30-40 per day?

>116 PrueGallagher:: Do you want to read Bimbos of the Death Sun? I could always send it to you if you can't get hold of it. I want my husband and roommate to both read it, but they're a bit slow-going when it comes to books :)

Es, you've got some nice books in the pipeline! Looking forward to reading your thoughts on those when you finish them.

Es- Good review of The Bean Trees. I read and loved it a couple months ago. I love Kingsolver.

>118 rosalita:: Yeah, I keep changing my mind on what I'm going to attempt to finish in the next, like, 12 days :) I'll definitely review all that I've got.

>119 msf59:: Coming from you, Mark, that's quite the compliment. Thank you. I know a lot of people who love Kingsolver, so it seems like I'm going to get hooked now :) I think I might've caught the book bullet from you, actually, if you read The Bean Trees some time this year!

I haven't read any Kingsolver, but I keep meaning to....

>116 PrueGallagher: Pru - My favorite McCrumb title is If I'd Killed Him When I Met Him, which is short for "If I'd killed him when I met him I'd be out of prison now." It's probably the darkest of the Elizabeth McPherson books and the only one I never reread. Still like the title, though.

117: I'm a slow reader. I can read quickly, but I find I miss lots of little things going on whenever I do. I might average 70+ pages per day when reading a page-turner, but then I'll read some dense nonfiction that I'll really like, but maybe I'll only finish 20 pages per day if I'm lucky because it'll be a large book with lots of tiny text crammed onto every page, and it all averages out to a rather slow reading pace at the end of the year. *Shrug*

>122 Ape:: So have you managed the 75 books in a year challenge yet, Stephen? This will be my fourth attempt; my best was last year, when I read about 65 books.

>114 Esquiress:: I know the feeling; I stormed through my first four books for this month, and now it seems to be taking me a while to get through the next one. Not that it's long or hard to read (Jhereg), but I don't seem to be able to find time to sit down and concentrate on reading.

I've finished it every year that I've participated. I read 81 and 87 books my first two years, and after that when my reading speed slowed so much I bolstered my numbers a bit with graphic novels and short books, and managed to finish 81 and exactly 75 books. I've only read 12 this year so far, so it isn't looking good...

>123 humouress: and 124 don't worry it's not the numbers which count but the fun you have got :)

Hi Es, indeed some interesting books in the pipeline. I tried Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible a couple of years ago, but I couldn't quite get into it and put it back into the shelve for another time.

123-125: I agree with Bianca. I try to be less worried about the numbers and just have fun!

I know *cognitively* that the numbers don't matter and that I'm having a blast getting to know all these new people, reading the threads, catching book bullets, makin' pals, etc.

I'm just too hard on myself, methinks. I just have to reframe what I see as "failure" as "a chance to come back to all of these people and try again"!

DT: I recommend The Bean Trees.

Stephen: I think I'll be lucky if I make the 75 this year, even though reading like 70 pages a day isn't too far out of my reach. You're so right, it depends on the book. Congrats on finishing the challenge several times :)

humouress: Sometimes the numbers get so overwhelming, even though I try to stop focusing on it.

Thanks, Bianca and Tina!

Yeah, I know that the numbers don't matter, but I know that you need to read an average of over 6 books per month, so at the end of every month when I see I'm only reading 4 or 5 per month I know I'm getting further and further behind, and then when we reach the half-way point in the middle of the year and I haven't read the 37.5 books required to finish the challenge, I get all panicky and start reading 100-pageres...

You and I are a lot alike, Stephen.

You've been doing some good reading, Es. I'm glad you liked The Bean Trees.
I read a few by Sharyn McCrumb back when I was reading primarily (almost exclusively) mystery novels. I don't think I read Bimbos of the Death Sun but I can see why you read it for the challenge to read a book because you liked the title!

I have a stack of relatively thin volumes on my dresser at home. When I start feeling that panic, I remember that I can read a few of them and it will help me get a bit closer to my first-ever 100-book year (I hope).

I do pretty good with my numbers, but that's only because I listen to audiobooks while I'm working out, driving, cleaning, etc. Even with all the YA books I read, I would NEVER be able to make 75 in a year from "physical" reading.

>131 EBT1002:: Thanks, Ellen. The McCrumb was definitely a title to like :) 100-book year?! Wow...

>132 The_Hibernator:: I haven't really gotten into the audiobooks thing, so I don't listen to them while driving or anything. My husband listens to them at work, though, and he gets through a lot.

Hi, Es. I'm not much for audio books either, I'm afraid. I'm so auditorially distractible! That's my favorite McCrumb, btw.

I am the same as Rachel, if I wouldn't listen to all these audiobooks while driving, walking, gardening etc. I don't think I would ever reach 75 books. What I also do quite often and what I call "tandem reading" is that I listen to a book when doing mentioned activities and carry on reading the physical book, once I am just sitting around :)

I haven't tried audio books, yet; but I do include some of my pre-schooler's books - the ones that he asks for over and over again. Hasn't managed to push me up to 75 yet, though.

Add me to the "I couldn't do it without audiobooks" club.

You and I are a lot alike, Stephen.

Awww, you really shouldn't put yourself down like that... :P

>134 ronincats:: Oh good, I'm not the only one who doesn't do the audiobook thing!

>135 drachenbraut23:: Sometimes I do that "tandem reading" with the physical and electronic copies... does that count? :)

>136 humouress:: I might make it close to 75, so we'll see what happens at the end of the year!

>137 norabelle414:: Wow... Perhaps I should get into audiobooks!

>138 Ape:: I'm not putting myself down. I'm making an observation *phhhhbt*

Es you are definitely not alone on the audio book thing - they don't do much for me, either. Every once in a while I'll use them for a very long drive, but that's about it!

Es, I'm in the club not having experienced either audio books or kindle/e-books. I am a traditional sort of guy who needs the company of a paper friend.

I will also very traditionally bid you a wonderful weekend.

I never really got into audio books in the past - I had tried a couple here and there. And then I started thinking about them again because of those commercials (for what, I don't remember) where the guy was running and running while listening to the Odyssey and Moby Dick. And I was thinking that it didn't seem like something that would really keep me running ... but then I tried it. Since then, I've discovered that I really like audio for nonfiction, but I would prefer to actually read my fiction.

>140 Dejah_Thoris:: I'm definitely a music-while-driving kind of gal.

>141 PaulCranswick:: I do read e-books, because I thought it would help me manage my physical book collection a little more... I love the highlighting features and the glow light on my newest Nook, but I still get a frak-ton of physical books anyway. So now I'm swimming in both forms :D A tradition lovely weekend to you as well. You should see how old-school I am when it comes to grammar... think tight bun in the hair, red pencil, and ruler-slapping!

>142 ursula:: Oh, I remember that commercial from during the Olympics! I too don't remember what it was for, though I think he had an iPhone or something. Audio for nonfiction sounds like an interesting idea.

Es, you are definitely not the only one who doesn't do the audiobook thing. I have given it a try and I do have one novel to which I've been listening since last September. I might get into it when gardening season arrives as listening to a novel goes well with pulling weeds.

I used to be a non-audiobooker. But then I started to look at it as listening to books at times when I *absolutely could not* be reading a real book. (This is also where audiobooks differ from eBooks. Anytime I could read an eBook, I could also read a real book.) Audiobooks are not a substitute for real books, but they are better than not reading at all. I also try to mostly listen to Audiobooks that I might not ever get around to reading as real books.

Very interesting perspectives, ladies. The CD player in my car doesn't work very well. I'm wondering if I can borrow from the library to my iPod.

145. That's my philosophy too. I listen to audiobooks when walking or driving - both activities where I need to keep my eyes out of a book. Thus - audiobooks!

Review of The Round House:

Louise Erdrich came highly recommended, and I was not disappointed with my first foray into her works.

The setting, a reservation, brought a unique dynamic to the story that served to keep me interested in the politics of the reservation and the surrounding and intertwining areas. Erdrich used these politics deftly in her story to show just how unfortunate of a situation those who live on reservations can be in, especially in judicial matters like the rape in this story.

The story was intriguing as well, and I liked Joe as a character too. Normally I'd shy away from a book told from the perspective of a tween, but since the perspective was actually an older Joe looking back on what was going on for him at that time in his life, I didn't mind so much.

There were times when I became bored with the story, because there were lulls or imbalances in the speed of the story progression. For example, I felt that the middle moved very slowly and that the ending felt rushed. Looking back, that may have been purposeful on the author's part, but it was harder for me to read the center section of the book than the beginning and end.

The nice thing about it is that the ending was brought back to the beginning with Joe's discussion of the small trees that were being worked on at the story's opening. The symbolism worked for me, and I liked the way Erdrich packaged that.

Overall, I will read more of Louise Erdrich's books, and The Round House was a good introduction. I'd definitely recommend it, even with the minor flaws I found with it.

Rating:

TIOLI Challenge: #1 - Read a book which has at least one character whose first name starts with the two-letter combination "Jo"

Book #20

>147 PawsforThought:: The more I hear from everyone else, the more I'm leaning towards giving audiobooks a try.

Nice discussion on audio books. I wanted to like them, tried one, and kept dozing off. Granted it was while I was under the influence of mind-bending drugs in the aftermath of foot surgery. But I have ruled them out for now.
I, like a few here, could listen while driving, gardening or walking. But I need to have my ears open for children at this stage in my life. It is inconceivable for me to have an hour of time, in the normal course if my day, when I wouldnt need to be available to hear and respond to the kids.

Plus, Im a traditionalist (like Paul) and I love the cover art too :)

As far as borrowing audio books from the library goes, I borrow them electronically via OverDrive, and many (but not all) audio books allow you to transfer them from your computer to an iPod.

Review of Gertrude and Claudius:

John Updike is a well-respected author, and some of his works I hold in high regard. Gertrude and Claudius is not one of them, unfortunately.

Where to begin? The sentences were confusingly long - so much so that I lost my place within sentences and had to start over, find the subject, and re-read the sentence a few times to get the whole thing. That was really annoying as a reader. I'm sure it was an authorial choice, but there comes a point in my reading when I don't care that the author has a purpose for such ridiculously long sentences. Perhaps as someone with an MA in English, I should've languished in the thrill of those sentences and allowed myself to be drawn into the style... or something. It just didn't work out for me with this book.

I liked the premise of the story, that there was a relationship between Gertrude and Claudius before the opening of Hamlet that helps make sense of Gertrude's seeming heartlessness or husband-jumping. I liked getting to know Geruthe (Gertrude) from the time she was young. But her story bored me after a while. I was getting too much detail without any forward progression, which just didn't suit me right now.

Additionally, I found some of the language jarring. Some of the phrasing about the affair between Fengon (Claudius) and Geruthe was very subtle and inoffensive. However, at times, the author just said things in too plain a fashion right after using an overly flowery metaphor to get at something carnal. The two didn't fit together. You don't describe "fire in her loins" and "throbbing manhood" and then say "balls" in the next sentence. Nope. Just doesn't work.

I'm sure there was a purpose for the bird motif or thread that was pulling throughout the books - something to do with Geruthe's caged nature or something - but I wasn't taken in by it enough to want to find out why the birds were consistently repeated.

Overall, I just didn't like it. I wanted it to be a lot better than it was, and I felt disappointed. I'm glad to be finished with it.

Rating:

TIOLI Challenge: #17 - Read the 7th book along on a bottom shelf (anywhere)

Book #21

HI Es,
interesting review on the Round House. Hm, I have seen quite a few very good reviews now, maybe I should put it onto my wishlist.

> 150 Megan - well, I am a traditionalist as well and I am an absolute cover art nerd. I have some of my books in 2 to 3 or even 4 different editions, because I couldn't resist a stunning cover. However, I also do read e-books on my kindle and I definitely couldn't live without audiobooks.

>150 LovingLit:: I'm loving this discussion as well. It's bringing me a lot of insight. I can see why needing an ear out for kids might cause a problem for audiobook-using!

>151 ursula:: I see that my library system does offer OverDrive, so I'm going to have to give it a try at some point in the near future.

Thanks to everyone for this great discussion. I love hearing what everyone has to say about it.

>153 drachenbraut23:: Thanks, Bianca. It's definitely worth a read (or a listen, since you can't live without audiobooks :D ).

Seriously, life without audiobooks would be my death sentence *nod head*. I used to have sleeping problems due to the fact that I have been doing shift work for over 20 years now and very often I do need a book to be able to go to sleep. You see, I am an audiobook junkie. :D LOL

>156 drachenbraut23:: Hmm. Having never before found audiobooks much worth my time or thought, I think I am beginning to see the light. I would definitely fall asleep and lose my place listening in bed, though!

157. I have done that many, many times. It helps if the audiobook is divided up into shorter "chapters" rather than long ones - you can skip back and forth until you stumble upon something you remember listening to. Longer soundchunks are a pain in the *ss to go through.

> 158 That's true Paws. I hate that when it's longer chunks because it takes so much longer to find your place in the book.

Good to know. It sounds like there's some hope for me, at least. :)

Es- Just checking in! Good review of Round House. I was hoping to get to the Plague of doves next month, but it is now unlikely. I have a jammed April ahead of me. Yikes.

Mark, I have a jammed April too with all of the Atwood I'm going to try to get to in that month :) I feel your pain!

>153 drachenbraut23:: No! No! Don't give me an excuse to buy more than one copy of a book!

I'm playing catch-up on threads. I'm glad to see another fan of Kingsolver's The Bean Trees. She is a great writer.

Add me to the list of folks that couldn't do 75 books without my audio books.

They have truly saved my life. :) Maybe a slight exaggeration, but they have definitely saved my career.

I couldn't do my job with all the travel and traffic jams without them. I found them after a particularly grueling drive where I just couldn't take it any more. My bosses recommended audio books as a way to cope and loaned me Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Been hooked ever since!! :)

>163 humouress:: Uh-oh... are you going to turn into a hoarder on us? :)

>164 thornton37814:: Welcome back! Yes, I definitely enjoyed The Bean Trees. I love that this community allows me to connect with other people who've liked the same books as I have.

>165 TinaV95:: I'm going to start looking into this OverDrive stuff with my library to try to get some audiobooks in later this year. I just own every Atwood books I'm planning to read, so I feel like getting an audio might be redundant, but then again...

Oh, if you have to drive for work, that must be a great stress reliever!

I don't like audiobooks at all. :(

Readings books, for me, is a personal experience. One I read dialogue, I apply inflections and intonations that I think best fits my idea of that character. When someone else reads the words aloud, that aspect of reading is taken away, it's less personal because it is someone else's interpretation of how a line is being spoken.

When I'm in the car, I'm definitely a music listener. I think if I was being read to while driving I'd probably lose concentration and run off the road or something...it doesn't sound good at all. :P

See, now, I can get behind that too, Stephen. I think I'm going to have to try one and see. I can't imagine an audio book read poorly... that would just kill everything.

I listen to music in the car too. I definitely, for one, don't want you running off roads :)

Really interesting discussion on audiobooks.

I do listen to them, but I've found that I don't retain as much listening as reading (whether I fall asleep, zone out or otherwise lose track of the plot), but I very much like listening to them in the car and while I'm knitting. I've found that rereads work well for me - books like Harry Potter, Narnia, and The Lord of the Rings are easier to listen to, because I know the plot and if I zone out for a paragraph, I haven't missed much.

When it's not a reread, it's all down to the reader - I simply find some more engaging and easier to listen to than others. I really enjoyed The Wednesday Wars (read by Joel Johnstone) and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (read by Lynne Thigpen). Something about the reader really brought out an extra nuance to the story, and I could focus well.

But sometimes, for whatever reason, a book doesn't work for me in audio... I'm particular about nonfiction, for example, especially when I really have to follow a thread of thought, and I tried Gilead in audio twice and just couldn't follow it (loved it when I read it, however). When that happens, I just chalk it up to the format and don't worry about it - I make a note that I couldn't follow it in audio and to read the book instead.

>169 bell7: I agree with all of that. I have such trouble with some narrators that now that I've found one I like (Katherine Kellgren), I am hunting down all of her stuff. As terrible as it sounds, I have a lot less trouble with female narrators than male.

>166 Esquiress:: No, don't worry, I'm not going to turn into a hoarder ... because I already am one :0( Sorry!

As for listening in the car, I like to listen to music, and usually have the radio going. My kids too; but as soon as my 9 year old asks me to change it to radio, my 4 year old (and I'm sure it's just to be perverse) yells out "CD. Put it to CD!" Hmm - maybe audio books would solve the problem; keep them both unhappy.

>170 norabelle414:: Maybe your mind-voice is female, norabelle, and that's what you're most comfortable with?

I can *only* do audiobooks in the car, when driving longer than several minutes. I love the radio and music, but on a longer trip I can enjoy a story instead. Nothing too intricate though.

Nina, I think you've got a great idea-- the audiobook might put them to sleep as well. Win win!

Hi E! So sorry about the whole hospital stay...no fun at all! Glad you are back and hopefully fully recovered. Let's you and I make a pack to avoid such places, heh?! Audiobooks are great for long trips when too many books weigh down the suitcase. Otherwise, I like my paper.

170: That sounds reasonable to me, I know I would probably prefer female narrators too...with British accents... *zones out for a minute* Oh! Hmmm, what were we talking about?

>174 Ape: Katherine Kellgren is British.

Mary, Nora... you have interesting points there. There's just so much of interest here in this conversation!

Oh, children and perverseness. Y'know, my students always thought perverse and perverted meant the same thing... it was problematic... like erratic and erotic being pronounced the same...

I think that might be my problem, Unruly. Most of what I want to read is a little more complex than I think I could handle while driving.

Berly, shall we seal the pact the way they do in To Kill a Mockingbird? *spits in hand and extends it*
I use my e-reader for trips, like when I went to Minnesota to see my S-I-L.

Great... is someone going to clean up Stephen's drool over women with British accents, or do I get the honor since it's my thread? :P Heart ya, Stephen :)

Hmm... I wonder if I'm going to get to 200 posts in time for April? I sure hope so. I'm almost done with Me Talk Pretty One Day, folks! I might even be able to squeeze in Nothing Serious and be caught up with all the ER books I have in my possession!

Hi Es, I see the audiobook discussion is still going on LOL. However, there are indeed so many pro's and con's
Of course, the narrator has to be good, otherwise a story will be either an extrem bore or annoying. I had that a couple of times.
I usually don't care if it is a male or female narrator as long they are good at narrating the story :)

However, actually I only wanted to wish you a great Easter Weekend!

Of course, you will get to 200 post by April!

Why, thank you, Bianca :) Do celebrate Easter as well?

I know I wouldn't be able to get past it if a reader regularly mispronounced words. That would really drive me up a wall. My husband's had that problem with a few audiobooks he's listened to.

Nope, I don't! I am on night shift for the whole of Easter and I am not an overly religious person. Although, my son enjoys the idea of Easter - and of course the chocolate.

In regards to mispronounced words - I am not to sure whether I would be able to identify that. I am so used to soo many different types of spoken English - including my own, I am told I have got a very strong German accent. So, I could imagine that I might just would assume it is an accent I am hearing *grin*
However, I could imagine that this could be a problem for a native English speaker.

Wow, nothing but Atwood for April? Very impressive! I have 2 for sure titles with a strong possible third. I normally space my author reads out, so this will be a first for me.

>181 drachenbraut23:: Well, doesn't everyone like chocolate? Mmmm... chocolate rabbits... I can't wait for April 1st to get discounted chocolate!

Interesting point on "accents" and readers. I know that dialects wouldn't bother me... at least I think they wouldn't. But full-on mispronunciation just wouldn't work for me :)

>182 msf59:: Nothing but Atwood in April, indeed. I want to try to finish as much of my Atwood library as possible next month. As soon as I joined PaperBack Swap, I tried to get all of her books that I didn't have already, so I have a fair number of her older books that I haven't read. Plus, The Penelopiad is something I read when I didn't have the understanding I have now about The Odyssey. Now seems the right time to re-read it, then!

Review of Me Talk Pretty One Day:

Me Talk Pretty One Day wasn't exactly what I was expecting when I picked it up to read. I'm not sure what I thought it'd be, but the varying vignettes took me a hair by surprise.

Because of the title, I thought there would be more dealing with Sedaris' speech therapy as a child, but after the first chapter I heard nothing about it, which bothered me a little bit. Sure, the reference to "talking pretty one day" came around later in the French-speaking segments.

I didn't find a lot of connection between many of the vignettes, though, which was probably part of the point, but... while the book was funny, the lack of connectedness bugged me a bit.

I laughed aloud a fair number of times while I was reading, though nothing felt profound enough for me to actually highlight in my e-reader. It was a fun read, and it was hard to put down in order to sleep at night. I enjoyed my first foray into Sedaris, even if I did want the vignettes to connect more solidly. I hate feeling like I missed something as I read.

Rating:

TIOLI Challenge: #18 - Read a book which is included in the World Book Night giveaways (in any participating country)

Book #22

Es, I understand what you are saying about 'Me Talk Pretty One Day', although I did enjoy it quite a bit. It would be hard if you went into it not knowing that the vignettes don't really hook together, because I can imagine you would be reading with one eye toward where it was going to connect with the story before.

I will say, as you contemplate giving audiobooks a try, that my first exposure to David Sedaris was on the radio show This American Life, and even now I cannot read his books without hearing his very distinctive voice in my ear. So if you were inclined to give him another try, you might try an audiobook version of him reading his own work.

>185 rosalita:: What a good idea! I have Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk on my shelves but haven't gotten around to it yet. I'm trying to find things that are available in audio from OverDrive through my library. At the moment, I haven't found much luck, unfortunately.

Well of course you'll make it to 200 post by April. I doubt a bunny takeover party will even be necessary!

Back to the audio book discussion -- I also think the narrator is key. If the narrator doesn't "perform" and it sounds just like reading, it's a huge disaster. I also think it depends on the subject matter of the book too. If the book is enjoyable, light, fun I find it incredibly easy to listen. If it's a harder book, complicated plot, lots of characterization I find it a bit more challenging.

Es: I just started listening to my first Sedaris Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. I'll let you know my impressions after. I've laughed out loud a few times already. :)

I tried a Sedaris a couple years ago, on audio. It was amusing, but not enough for me to continue his other work. I know he has a lot of fans!
AA coming up quick!

Just checking in to see what you've been up to (and to boost your messages to 200 by April 1)!

Oh, we'll get her there!

Hey, folks! Thanks for your support to get me to 200 :) Not that I'm saying a bunny party wouldn't be lovely; however, as Dejah points out, I don't think it'll be necessary over the next two days!

Tina, I'll have to make sure to start out with something light as an audiobook. A list over on Shelfari said that the audios of The Help and The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie are very good... I went to see if OverDrive had either, but nooooo. Maybe I'll send my husband on a mission to find out more, and maybe I'll look into CDs from the library (although I'd have to rip them, to be honest, b/c my car CD player doesn't work anymore...).

Mark, I want to try Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk at least, since I already have it anyway. David Sedaris did have me laughing quite a few times :)

Hey, Roni and Dejah! I'm up to no good as usual. :D I'm trying to finish an ER book by Sunday, which shouldn't be a problem, since I'm less than 100 pages from the end. Then I can at least keep that one on the TIOLI wiki, despite having to take so many others off. I set the bar way too high this month.

If I finish some time tomorrow, I'm going to get a head start on April's Lady Oracle. Hooray for Atwood April!

I gave Me Talk Pretty One Day only 6 out of 10 stars but I wasn't writing reviews at that point so don't remember why I didn't like it more. I doubt I'll try more by Sedaris. There is so much else to read!

I'm impressed that you're going to try audiobooks! I confess when I got stuck in appalling traffic on the way to Atlanta yesterday (45 minutes for 20 miles) I was wishing I had one....

Appreciates the obligatory spit. Shakes E's hand to seal the pact (then discreetly wipes hand off on a towel before continuing to type). ; ) I have MTPOD sitting on a shelf somewhere, and after your review, I am not in a rush to go find it. Shoot. But at least you are almost at 200, so April can have a fresh start. I am on the same quest myself!

>193 Morphidae: and 195: I know there's so much more to read, but I think I'll give David Sedaris one more shot, because I did laugh out loud a few times.

>194 Dejah_Thoris:: I'm glad you're impressed, Dejah :) To impress someone like you feels very good!

Berly, you are so funny. I would wash my hands after the pact, too :) I'll have to drop a post on your thread so that you inch closer to 200 for April!

>196 Esquiress: Good glory, Es! Where did you get the idea that I'm hard to impress? Hmm...I'm not sure I want to know....

At any rate, the discussion about audio books you've generated here has gotten me to thinking about giving them another chance. Only a few minutes ago I was reminding myself to go over to the main library branch next week to take a look at what they've got on the shelves. So thank you, Es!

I recall hearing anything about the audio version of The Help, but I do specifically remember people mentioning how good the audio was for The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. The book is wonderful; I hope you pick in up in one format or the other.

Not a Sedaris fan. I read several stories from When You are Engulfed in Flames and while they were humorous, they didn't engage my attention for long. They seemed pretentious and self-conscious to me.

I agree with the recommendation to pick up the Bradley ASAP. You'll probably be cursing our names soon after though, because you'll be hooked and want to get the other 4 books. You're welcome!

>197 Dejah_Thoris:: Oh, Dejah, it's only my high regard for you that has instilled in me a sense that you are hard to impress :D

I'm glad that a thoughtful conversation came from the audio vs. paper dilemma. I want to see if I can get The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie from the library, even though it's not for April (all Atwood, all the time, that's April).

I picked up a nice paperback of Bradley's book last year, but I just haven't gotten around to it. Maybe audio will help.

So much to think about!

Kathy- I think When You are Engulfed in Flames was also the one I sampled. I think I listened to half of it.

Es- I read/listened to the 1st 2 Flavia de Luce books. They were enjoyable but I thought two was more than enough.

Review of Nothing Serious:

I really enjoyed Daniel Klein's Nothing Serious. I wasn't sure if I would at first, because I thought there was going to be a great deal more emphasis on Digby's pot-smoking habit, or that it would dredge really far into philosophy. However, the book did not place too much emphasis on either, and I was pleased.

It was a very fast read; I read it in under 12 hours, all told, I would say. It moved at a good pace, had enough story, philosophy, and fun to keep me going, and didn't drag anywhere.

I liked Digby's character throughout the book, especially that he was stumbling along with the reader; I didn't reach many conclusions before he did, so I felt a camaraderie with him. He was pleasantly droll and witty too. Digby's smoking bugged me a little bit, because it seemed like a crutch, but it didn't make me hate him.

Some of the characters drifted in and out too quickly for my taste, like Winny, but it was ok that Digby was able to let them into and out of his life.

I'm not sure why the Epilogue was in first person when the rest of the book was in third person. That confused me a bit. However, I did like that Klein allowed a look into other characters' heads through italicized little additions throughout the third person limited narration.

Overall, I was happy with my reading, especially the quick pace the book had. I was glad to be able to read it so quickly, because I had been bogged down in several books throughout the month, and it was a nice change to have something quick-paced. I wouldn't mind recommending this book.

Rating:

TIOLI Challenge: #21 - Read a work by an author who has written in two or more styles or genres

Book #23

>200 msf59:: Oh, good... I might not have to read an entire series :)

Woohoo! We've hit 200 posts for the month! I'll set up April's thread... soon :) I wanted to make sure my last March read got onto this thread before thinking of another one.

Woohoo, Im lucky post #201 #204
:)
See you did get to 200 by April!

I did indeed :)

I doubt I'll have much time to set up a new thread on Easter Sunday, though.

Es, I'm glad you enjoyed The Round House. I look forward to reading it later this year.

Greetings from Kaua'i!!

Wow, E... that picture looks like a postcard! So pretty :)