Third time’s the charm – 75 for Dejah_Thoris - Act II

A stray cat I adopted turned out to be pregnant - the kittens will be two weeks old on March 3rd. This was taken when they were two days old.

From the first thread:

Welcome, friends!

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

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

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

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

January – February

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

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

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

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

March - April

March

28 works (plus 1 recent reread), 5 nonfiction, 4 plays, 4 older rereads

43. The Shadow Wars: Book Two in the Demi-Monde Saga by Rod Rees (TIOLI #4)
44. Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle (TIOLI #11)
45. The Ladies of Mandrigyn by Barbara Hambly (TIOLI #21, shared, older reread)
46. The Twelfth Enchantment by David Liss (TIOLI #21)
47. Losers in Space by John Barnes (TIOLI #21)
48. Beyond the Camellia Belt: Breeding, Propagating, and Growing Cold-Hardy Camellias by William J. Ackerman (TIOLI #9)
49. Finding Family: My Search for Roots and the Secrets in My DNA by Richard Hill (TIOLI #2)
50. Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs (TIOLI #21)
51. Isn't It Romantic by Wendy Wasserstein (TIOLI #20)
52. Yendi by Steven Brust (TIOLI #21)
53. Lost in Shangri-La: A True Story of Survival, Adventure and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II by Mitchell Zuckoff (TIOLI #21, shared)
54. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie (TIOLI #21, shared, older reread)
55. The Christie Curse by Victoria Abbott (TIOLI #1)
56. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan (TIOLI #16, shared)
-- Bimbos of the Death Sun by Sharyn McCrumb (TIOLI #11, shared, recent reread)
57. Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris (TIOLI #7)
58. Ashfall by Mike Mullin (TIOLI #8, shared)
59. Dissolution by C.J. Sansom (TIOLI #18, shared)
60. The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi (TIOLI #21)
61. Taltos by Steven Brust (TIOLI #21, shared)
62. A Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths (TIOLI #8)
63. Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (TIOLI #3, older reread)
64. Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw (TIOLI #13, shared, older reread)
65. Dam Break in Georgia: Sadness and Joy at Toccoa Falls by K. Neill Foster with Eric Mills (TIOLI #24)
66. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (TIOLI #25)
67. Dark Fire by C. J. Sansom (TIOLI #1)
68. Killing Floor by Lee Child (TIOLI #18, shared)
69. The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman and the members of Tectonic Theater Project (TIOLI #6)
70. In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin (TIOLI #23)

April

71. Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie (TIOLI #9, older reread)
72. The Making of a Marchioness by Frances Hodgson Burnett (TIOLI #9, shared)
73. Death of Yesterday by M. C. Beaton (TIOLI #9)
74. Calculated in Death by J. D. Robb (TIOLI #9)
75. Insubordinate Spirit: A True Story of Life and Loss in Earliest America 1610-1665 by Missy Wolfe (TIOLI #6)
76. A Killer Read by Erika Chase (TIOLI #5, shared)
77. Skios by Michael Frayn (TIOLI #1, shared)
78. A Turn of Light by Julie E. Czerneda (TIOLI #15)
79. Widow's Tears by Susan Wittig Albert (TIOLI #1)
80. Unintended Consequences by Stuart Woods (TIOLI #9)
-- Raj, the Bookstore Tiger by Kathleen T. Pelley and Paige Keriser (TIOLI #1, shared)
81. Her Hesitant Heart by Carla Kelly (TIOLI #9)
82. The Fox on the Fairway by Ken Ludwig (TIOLI #14)
83. The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett (TIOLI 15, shared)
84. Venus in Fur by David Ives (TIOLI #1)

May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December

Century of Reading

1900
1901 The Making of the Marchioness by Frances Hodgson Burnett
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914
1915
1916 Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
1917
1918
1919
1920 The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
1921
1922 The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
1923 Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956 Death in Cyprus by M. M. Kaye (as Death Walks in Cyprus)
1957 The 101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith
1958
1959
1960
1961 The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966 The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977 In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin
1978 Dam Break in Georgia: Sadness and Joy at Toccoa Falls by K. Neill Foster with Eric Mills
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983 Jhereg by Steven Brust
1984 Thursday's Children by Rumer Godden
1985
1986
1987
1988 Bimbos of the Death Sun by Sharym McCrumb
1989 In Search of Lost Roses by Thomas Christopher
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994 Born in Fire by Nora Roberts
1995 Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
1996
1997 Danger Along the Ohio by Patricia Willis
1998
1999 100 Old Garden Roses for the American Garden by Clair G. Martin

And I'll just sit in a corner reading until all the furnishings arrive...

I actually don't have too much in the way of furnishings, Roni, but I am having trouble fitting them in the right places!

Dejah - Congratulations on your new thread. I'll be interested to see how many of the years of the century you manage to fill in this year.

Have a lovely weekend.

Woo! New thread!

Hey, Roni... you do that a lot, sitting in the corner of people's threads while they finish setting up :)

>8 PaulCranswick: Thanks for visiting my new thread, Paul. You are always welcome! I, of course, stole the Century of Reading idea from Heather (souloftherose) back in January. I doubt I'll fill it all in this year unless I start making a real effort to read appropriate books - I'm not certain I'm that disciplined!

>9 Esquiress: Hi Es! It seemed like a good time to start a new thread - I just finished posting the cover image of the last book I read in January. Yes, that's right, I haven't even begun to comment on February's books. *sigh*

>10 Dejah_Thoris:: Hi, DT! Well, you do read an awful lot. I'm sure you sacrifice reviews and stuff in order to read more, and I find that honorable. I could never read as much in a month as you do!

Well thank you, Es! I confess that if it comes down to reading or writing reviews, particularly when I'm really busy, stressed or tired, reading wins hands down. That said, I do enjoy book discussions, so I need to find a better balance. Sometimes I am forced to acknowledge I probably read a little too much!

January and February Analysis:

There are several things I am trying to do with my reading this year.

1. Read more nonfiction. I like nonfiction, but I’m more apt to grab a novel. I’d be thrilled with getting my nonfiction reading up above 25% of my works read.
2. Read a play a week except when I’m in a show, memorizing lines, etc.
3. Spread my reading out over a minimum of 10 TIOLI Challenges each month.
4. Have 25% of my TIOLI books be shared reads.

In January, I read 24 works. Only 3 were nonfiction, so I only managed about 13%. I read 2 plays, but since I was in rehearsal from the second week of the month on, I’m ok there. All of my books counted toward TIOLI Challenges, spread over 11 Challenges. I actually managed 7 shared reads, which is 29% - woohoo! My shared reads were with Chatterbox, Crazymamie, cyderry, lindapanzo, Samantha_kathy, souloftherose, DeltaQueen, lyzard, cbl_tn (2) and drachenbraut23. Obviously several of the shared reads were read by more than two people.

In February, I read 18 works plus one recent reread, which counted toward the TIOLI Challenges, but not toward my 75. 4 were nonfiction, which is 21%, one was a play (but again, I was in rehearsal or performance all month) and I only manage to read for 9 TIOLI Challenges. I had 5 shared reads, with souloftherose (2), bell7, lindapanzo, Crazymamie, inge87 (2), antqueen, humouress, which is 26%.

So during March, I need to focus on a few things. I need to read more nonfiction – I’m close, but not where I want to be. Plays will be optional, as I’m in rehearsal, although I’ll probably read a play or two while the college kids are on Spring Break. I need to spread about my books a little better among the Challenges and keep up the same rate on shared reads. Thanks to all the other readers who make that possible, btw!

#1 Kittens?! *melts* They must be a lot of work though?

#2 That is a very impressive reading list!

#13 And that's a lot of good goals. I'm trying to read more nonfiction this year too but I think 25% would be too much of a stretch for me. I think I'm aiming for at least 2 a month though.

The cats are cute!

I doubt I could do a century of reading; my stats all seem to be concentrated in the 1980s to 2000s.

Too much reading? Never!

>14 souloftherose: At this point, Heather, their mama cat does most of the work - I just need to keep her well fed and petted. Soon they'll be moving around better, which will make things more interesting!

In all honesty, I think 25% is a pretty high goal for nonfiction reading for me, too. At least if I set the goal a little high, I'll be reminded to keep trying. BTW, I notice every month how many shared reads you manage - I'll try to keep up with you this month!

>15 humouress: Kittens are hard to resist! The Century of Reading shouldn't be impossible, but I'm going to have to pay more attention to it if I'm going to do it in one year - although it wouldn't be a big deal to me if I took two years. I read a lot of older mysteries and plays - I just need to be more diligent!

Hi Dejah, those kittens look really cute, what are you planning for them - going to find them new homes?

I, too, find that I enjoy non-fiction alot, and I have set a very simple goal of at least one non-fiction book a month.

Hey Judy --

Actually, I may end up keeping the kittens (they, and their mama cat, will all by spayed or neutered, of course). The local government animal shelter is notorious for putting down large numbers of animals, so I don't want to put these kittens in competition with those in terms of finding homes. The local animal groups are likewise swamped, as I learned recently when trying to locate help with two stray dogs I took in. We'll see what happens.

The key for me with nonfiction is finding books I really want to read - and passing on the ones I think I 'should' read, but don't sincerely interest me. LT has been great for helping locate fascinating nonfiction. I should improve my nonfiction to fiction ratio as the year progresses.

KITTEHS!!! I love the photos! I just want to hug the kittens.

Hey, I've missed stuff here lately--how did Octette Bridge Club go? Betsy is one of most interesting roles, I thought.

Sandy k

Welcome, Sandy!

The other day, someone asked me if the kittens were cute - my answer was along the line of "Duh, they're kittens"!

Octette went really well - better than I expected, actually. Our audiences were larger than we expected and seemed to enjoy the show very much - lots of laughter. The show is, of course, not much of a comedy for Betsy with her troubles, but it was fun for me. The Dance of the Seven Veils bit in the second act ended up being hysterical - the reactions of the sisters, especially the oldest sister, Martha (who was in reality 35 years my senior) made the whole thing work. It's an interesting show (although by no means a great show) and I understand who it makes the community theater rounds - 8 decent women's roles in a single show is hard to come by.

I'm already in rehearsal for my next show - Legacy of Light by Karen Zacarias. It isn't published, so there's no touchstone. It's being produced at a local University and I'm very excited I was cast. The short version is that I showed up at the second night of auditions having missed the first night because the noticed had only been posted on a private FB page (a theater friend called me to let me know). My call for Octette that night was at 6:45 - the auditions were to start at 6:30. I showed up at 6 - the director about 15 minutes later. He and I had met in passing before and he had seen me in Becky's New Car last Fall. I explained the situation, he had me read a page and a half of the part I was the most obvious fit for and I dashed off to the theater! Lo and behold, I got the part. It's already been a lot of fun, but these college kids (I'm the only non student cast) are competitive - I've got to learn my lines fast!

May I say again, Sandy, how glad I am that you're recovering so well? It's wonderful to have you back on LT.

How many kittens, and what sexes? I adore kittens between 3 weeks and 7 weeks--at their cutest! Sit on the floor near them with a book and prepare for kitty fixes--they'l play around and fall asleep in your lap. So much fun.

They are 5 kittens - and while sexing kittens at a young age can be iffy, I'm pretty confident we have 3 boys and 2 girls, a somewhat unusual combination. Their mama cat desperately wants company, so I've been sitting with her and them as much as I can - the babies know me pretty well! It's been years since I had a litter around, but I agree with you; they are adorable between 3 and 7 weeks. Of course, I like them before and after, too!

Cute kittens! I keep thinking that I need to read more non-fiction as well. Last year I read hardly any.

OMG! I love the KITTEHS! I'm addicted to Foster Kitten Cam. I've watched for about a year and four litters now. Right now we've got the Cosmo kitties - Laika the mother then Valentina, Yuri, Boris and Pavel (kittens named after Russian Cosmonauts.)

http://new.livestream.com/FosterKittenCam/TheCosmoFosters

>23 SandDune: Yep - they are darling! As for the nonfiction, I just keep telling myself that it's just a habit - I need to make a point of locating and reading nonfiction in which I'm really interested.

>24 Morphidae: Kittens are wonderful, aren't they? It's been years since I had a litter around! Foster Kitten Cam is a hoot - I love the Cosmo kitten names. My little guy, who are two today (two weeks, that is) haven't told me their names yet. We'll see!

I'll keep posting pictures - I'll probably have thousands in a matter of weeks.

I finally forced my way to the end of my ER book last night - and then promptly read my next book in one sitting! Better Nate Than Ever was a blast! Anyone who ever dabbled in theater and is willing to give a tween book a try have to pick this one up!

Popping in and *waving* at Dejah!

25. The Demi-Monde: Winter by Rod Rees

This science fiction novel with a strong urban fantasy feel was a little slow to get started. The jargon developed as part of the world building takes a while to get used to and the set up presentation takes a while, but give it 75 to 125 pages and you’ll probably be hooked.

The President’s daughter has been lured into a fully realized virtual world designed for military training, and due to some odd constraints the only individual who can be sent in to retrieve her is 18 year old Ella Thomas. While character development is not the strength of this work, it’s easy to like and root for Ella. She meets some fascinating ‘Dupes’ (people in the virtual world) and her adventures are entertaining. I’m looking forward to the next installment, published as The Demi-Monde: Spring in Europe, but appearing in the U.S. as The Shadow Wars: Book Two of the Demi-Monde Saga. Sheesh, what were they thinking?

Hi Roberta! *waves back*

I'm also addicted to the Foster Kittens cam--that's how I safely get my kitten fix!

26. Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 by Stephen Puleo

Dark Tide tells the story of the collapse of a huge storage container full of molasses, resulting in a wave of property destruction, painful injury and deaths. Was it an accident? Negligence? Anarchist bombers? Puleo does a great job of putting the disaster in the context of place and time. Not only does he discuss the building of the tank and the disaster itself, but also the litigation that resulted and its place in the history of U.S. law and Big Business.

It’s a fascinating book. Anyone who likes disaster books or Boston will enjoy this one.

Hi Roni! I must have been the only cat person who didn't know about Foster Kitten Cam! Oh well, at least for the moment I have my own to keep me entertained.

I'm half in love with your kittens, and I've barely met them. Good for you for taking in strays.

Glad you got through your ER book; it actually sounds quite interesting in your review.

Oh yes - The Demi-Monde: Winter sounds pretty good, doesn't it? The trouble is that my ER was the second in the series - and a large part of my annoyance is that the second book is such a let down after the promise of the first.

The kittens are wonderful and getting cuter every day. Here's more evidence:

Hooray for cute kittens! Our city shelter is like that too, unfortunately. It needs to be expanded, but the mayor won't support that because it only kills 1/3 of the animals it receives each month. Lots of people are upset, but we're not a wealthy community, so there's not much to be done.

Lots of people on LT/TIOLI have liked the molasses book. I may just have to get around to it one of these days. I'm reading a lot of interwar-set mysteries right now, and there's nothing like a period conspiracy for a bit of fun.

#34 I want a kitten! Actually that's probably not a very good idea but they just look so adorable. It's only when you see how coarse its mother's hair looks compared to its own hair you realise how tiny it is.

DT, that's a great story about how you got to audition for the show you're currently in!

I will contribute to the kitten love as well :)

BTW, I tend to hold myself to too exacting of standards for my reading, but I'm trying to cut myself more breaks. That's weird, of course, because I should be able to do more with my reading goals while unemployed, but... oh well. I currently have 10 (9 fiction, 1 non-fiction) books on my March list, and I'm pretty sure that's too many for me to manage.

I'm really impressed and inspired by your goals, is really what I'm getting at :)

Hi Dejah, stopping by to congratulate you on your new thread and on the great run your play had!

Love the kitten pics..... they are soooooo adorable!!!! Hugh "Awe" moment this visit has been. I want to just curl up in a corner and watch them tumble around, I can never remember how soon they develop full coordination of their motor skills.

>35 inge87: Welcome to my thread, Jennifer! It's delightful to have kittens - they are getting to be so much fun! Of course, I'm well aware there are too many kittens without homes, so in the normal way of things I wouldn't have a litter in the house. I feel lucky we were able to take their mama cat in!

I didn't do Dark Tide justice in my review. I am so very behind on reviews that I'm trying to keep them very short until I'm caught up. I've found that I prefer natural disaster books to human created ones, but this particular book worked really well for me. I can't believe I lived in Boston for a while and never heard about this!

>36 SandDune: It's hard to look at kittens and not want one, Rhian. Iv'e already got a multi-cat household - what's a few more? I've been taking lots of pictures of them but I think this one came out particularly well. Thanks for mentioning it!

>37 Esquiress: Hi Es! The kittens thank you for the love. Yeah, the whole audition thing was really funny. I'm very glad I got the part, though - I'm having a blast. Now I just have to get those lines down....As for reading, what I'm trying to do with it changes over time. Sometimes all I want to read is escapist fiction - and that's ok. Right now, though, I want to make an effort to stretch a little - but not too much!

>38 lkernagh: Hi Lori - One play down, another coming up! As for the kittens, they're celebrating their 2 week birthday today. They creep around pretty well now, but their back legs often do't want to cooperate with the front ones! I expect they'll all be walking within the week. I actually heard one purring today while nursing (the little black one in the second photo). If I recall correctly, he's ahead of the curve!

Break a leg, Dejah!

>34 Dejah_Thoris:: Oh, so gorgeous! *melts into a small, gooey puddle*

>40 humouress: Hi Nina! I know - they get cuter every day. They sort of walk now - more or less - and I expect they'll be getting into lots of trouble soon!

Rehearsals are going really well. Tonight we'll run Act II and tomorrow night will be our first run through. Then, it's Spring Break. Not for me, obviously, but the kids and director will be off doing whatever for more than a week. I've never been in a show with this kind of break before - we'll see how it goes!

So far in March I finished my lame ER book, read a truly wonderful tween book, Better Nate Than Ever, reread The Ladies of Mandrigyn an old favorite and finished a somewhat disappointing historical fantasy The Twelfth Enchantment by historical novelist David Liss. I also started and bailed on After the Armistice Ball, the first in a historical mystery series. I gave it 137 pages - that was more than enough!

I can highly recommend Better Nate Than Ever and The Ladies of Mandrigyn - one of these months, I'll even write reviews for them....

Oh, you've read it already. Okay, I read Yendi last night; I'll go pick up Ladies of Mandrigyn right now!

And I'm done! That IS my favorite of the Sun Wolf and Starhawk books. I like the others but the next one, as I recall, is awfully bloody for my tastes.

So, what is it you like about The Ladies of Mandrigyn? I think for me it was the attention paid to the development of the characters in the book and their relationships. It's the same thing that has me in love with Dragonsbane and Bujold's Chalion books (and the Vorkosigan ones too) and Pat Wrede's The Raven Ring, among others. You HAVE read The Deed of Paksenarrion, right?

Hello Dejah! I'm skimming through to catch up, but ERMERGERSH KITTEHS! Love them! Want them! So cute!

Ok back to the books-- Demi-Monde looks intriguing, so it's hit my wishlist!
Being in the plays sounds quite fun. You know we'd love to see some pictures of costumes! ;)

ETA: (from your last thread) I lent the first Flavia book to a friend recently, and she gave it back to me half-finished. She said it was "too wordy". Ack! No accounting for taste, right?

Okay, how can a book be too wordy? That's like water being too wet.

#44 I'm guessing you two aren't in book club together? :)

Kittens, plays and books, life doesn't get better does it? I am allergic to cats but if I wasn't there would be one around these parts.

Hi everybody! Wow - the past week or so turned out to be much busier and more stressful than I thought it would be! I'm sorry I've been ignoring my thread - I have been trying to keep up with posting the books I've read. That, after all, doesn't require any real thought!

>42 ronincats:-43 Hey Roni! I wanted a familiar book so I jumped ahead and read LOM. I agree that the character development is key to the success of the book - Bujold, as you mention, does it, too. I particularly like SF & F in which the characters and plot rise above the world that's been created and could stand without the fantastic or futuristic trappings. I am always struck, when reading LOM, how Hambly doesn't hesitate to show her characters' flaws. I also love the ending re: the situation in Mandrigyn. I think as a woman in the early 1980s she was well aware cultural changes and the toll they can take on society.

And of course I've read the first Paks trilogy - many, many times! I'm working my way through the new ones, too. I don't love all of Elizabeth Moon's work, but I love Paks.

>44 UnrulySun: Hi Kathy! The only problem with The Demi-Monde: Winter is that when I get around to writing it, I'm going to pretty much pan the sequel. What a disappointment! Hmmm....we'll see about pictures of me in costume. You're much more likely to get more pictures of kittens.

>44 UnrulySun: - 45 Alright, there are some books where I can sort of understand the description of 'too wordy', but Flavia? Sheesh! I think, Morphy, that I sometimes feel that way about books where the description goes on and on - long past the point where it's useful or interesting. I know sometimes folks complain about books with too much conversation, but I ask again - Flavia? What kind of books does this person normally read, Kathy?

>46 luvamystery65: Welcome, Roberta! Life is lovely when I'm engaged in activities involving one or more of kittens, plays and books! Right now, the kittens are tottering around a pink plastic wading pool that's sitting in the middle of my bedroom floor (they, of course, have blankets, a bed, a heating pad and a small kitten condo). I'm sitting next to them as they play in their play pen (pool?). A wonderful time is being had by all!

46: No, most definitely not! Haha!

We trade books now and then, but we have vastly different tastes. She likes chick-lit and memoirs. I don't typically read those. Every now and then, though, we hit on a good one we both like, such as The Help or Little Bee. She recently loaned me a book she said was so funny she woke her husband up laughing out loud. I couldn't even crack a smile!

Enjoy the kitties while they're babies, Dejah! It's the teen years that try my patience. :D

>45 Morphidae:: I'm reading Gertrude and Claudius, and I keep losing the subject of the sentence because Updike's sentences are so long. I'd count that as wordy.

#16 I think my shared reads have been higher than normal for Jan and Feb - not sure I will be able to keep up with that throughout the year but we'll see :-)

#34 Awww!

>49 UnrulySun: I am having a wonderful time with them, Kathy. I'm severing as a jungle gym these days - their climbing improves by the hour! Even if your friend's reading isn't exactly to your taste, at least she reads. I'm constantly amazed at all these otherwise intelligent people around who read as little as possible!

>50 Esquiress: You've got me intrigued with Gertrude and Claudius, Es - I was in Hamlet years and years ago. I've never been much of an Updike fan, though....

>52 Dejah_Thoris: Hi Heather! I keep trying with shared reads, but I've definitely noticed that you manage quite a few! Shared reads often encourage me to try something new and different, so I think they're good for me!

I've read quite a few books already this month, but I don't expect the very high completion rate to extend beyond this week. I had a lot of hurry up and wait situations this past week or so and I've gotten a lot of reading done. Also, several of the books were quite short - I think my numbers look more impressive than they really are. I have no rehearsals this week, so I'll keep reading in the evenings. We'll see how it goes!

Ok - I've been thread hopping for a couple of hours and I am far from finished - I have to go to bed anyway! I'll keep trying to get caught up...really I will...*yawn*

Kitten pictures demanded!

And guess what's on sale for $1.99 for the Kindle today? Dragonsbane!!!

I just went and bought it, Roni - thanks!

Kitten pictures will be coming up later today. Maybe some camellia pictures, too.

ETA: Everybody should go buy Dragonsbane - it's wonderful!

Dejah - How did I miss an entire new thread? I lost both you and Ellen at the same time I think - I'm blaming it on my iPad. Anyway, I have found you now, and just in time to coo over those adorable kittens you've been enjoying. If we didn't have allergies in the family, I would be begging you for one of those. I WANT one. I miss having a cat. *sigh*

I LOVED The Ladies of Mandrigyn - what a fun read. I already purchased the next book in the series. I also picked up Dragonsbane, which is the Kindle Daily Deal today - have you read that one? I am encouraged by Roni's saying that she loves it. Anyway, thanks so much for mentioning it because I never would have picked it up on my own.

Did I mention that those kittens are adorable?

Okay - too funny! I was posting about Dragonsbane while you and Roni were also posting about it! Now I am feeling VERY good about my purchase!

Being that everyone is posting about Dragonsbane I went to look it up on Amazon. It's £7.43 for the kindle edition in the UK!!!

>56 Crazymamie: Hello Mamie! Yes, you should feel very good about your Dragonsbane purchase. There's so much more to it the the requisite adventure - it's lovely. There are sequels, but I've never read them; like Ender's Game, it is perfect unto itself.

Since you LOVED The Ladies of Mandrigyn, you'll probably enjoy most of her fantasy works, too (in addition to Dragonsbane, of course). I get the impression I'm fonder of more of Hambly's fantasy than Roni is - I'll just recommend them all! Roni and I were planning to move on to The Witches of Wenshar next - it's the second of the Sun Wolf and Starhawk books. I've never cherished the other two as I have LOM, but they're good. Want to join us?

>58 SandDune: Well boo hiss! That seems pretty expensive for a Kindle book - is that what they generally run in the U.K.?

Yes, I do want to join you - were you planning on this month or the next? Just let me know - it makes no difference to me. And I know just what you mean about Ender's Game - that is exactly how I felt about it!

#59 is that what they generally run in the U.K.? a non-discounted paperback has generally got a list price of something like £7.99 and kindle prices for new popular books are usually a bit cheaper than that. Prices for older books are usually considerably cheaper - Amazon UK have got other Barbara Hambly books on kindle for £2.75 so I don't see why this one is so expensive. And the book doesn't even seem to be available in print at all!

>60 Crazymamie: I thought I remembered you feeling that way about Ender's Game! Fabulous book - why ruin it? I don't think we settled on a particular time for The Witches of Wenshar - anytime works for me, although heaven knows I have more books lines up to read this month than I can possibly get to! Actually, I'm a little shocked at how many I've already read.

>61 SandDune: That is odd that Dragonsbane is so much more expensive than the rest of Hambly's back list. But then book pricing, whatever the format, has always been something of a mystery to me....

#62 book pricing, whatever the format, has always been something of a mystery to me.... I noticed today that the kindle edition of Bring up the Bodies on Amazon UK was £9.99, the hardback version was £8.80, the paperback £6.49. Work that one out!

MORE KITTEHS! I am having a cute attack.

Hey, I went back and caught up on your old thread--are we doing I Capture the Castle in May? I'm definitely still in for that.

How are your rehearsals going? Keeping up with those young whippersnappers? ;)

Sandy K

>63 SandDune: That pricing makes no sense. For amusement value I looked up the Bring Up the Bodies pricing in the U.S.: hardcover $15.20, paperback $10.88, kindle $13.89. Amazon notes that the publisher set the e-book price, not amazon. Too funny...

>64 sandykaypax: Hey Sandy! I Capture the Castle in May sounds good - I don't think it was ever stated definitively, so I'm doing it now! All are welcome to join in.

No rehearsals this week - the whippersnappers (and the director, for that matter) are on Spring Break. I was going to be so good about learning my lines and I've been so slack...actually, I'm not that badly off, but I should have devoted more time to it. The show is proving to be great fun. I found out from a friend that the director told her after the audition that I was Olivia (my character), so I obviously matched whatever he'd envisioned in his head!

BTW, you must read Better Nate Than Ever - it's a simply marvelous tween book about a kid who runs off to NYC (for the day, he thinks) to audition for ET: The Musical. It is a hoot - his auditions are priceless. All the kids at your camp should read it, too. I'm going to hop over to your thread and encourage you to read it there, too!

Hi Dejah,

Love the kitten pictures - they are absolutely adorable :).

Too many book bulletts to be found here. I have got the books by Barbara Hambley already for a long time on my wishlist and I am still planning to finish Yendi and Taltos as I very much enjoyed the witt in Jhereg.

Are you doing a GR on I Capture the Castle ? I haven't read that in many years and may will join you.
No rehearsals this week? That sounds great to me. Well, I do believe that you will be fine with your lines.

As I am back in London working I again have very limited reading time :(. I am just working too many hours whilst here. Although, I have read already quite a bit this year. I am still enjoying my reread of Anna Karenina and I am 3/4 through.

Hi Bianca!

It's wonderful to have you on the threads again thanks for coming by!

It looks like we are doing a GR of I Capture the Castle - I'm looking forward to it. Will May work for you?

We're back to rehearsals this week, although I'm off tonight and Wednesday night. Tonight I'm off because they're doing stage fight work and my character doesn't pick up or sword or hit anybody and Wednesday because I'm going to see Elton John in concert. I've never seen him perform and I thought if I wanted to, I should do it sooner rather than later!

I'm sorry your reading time in limited in London. You have already read a lot this year, which I suspect you do every year! I'm a little astonished at how much I've read this month - I think I've already read as many books this month as I did in all of last month. I wallowed in reading over the weekend - I suspect, though, like you I won't have quite so much reading time going forward over the next two weeks or so. We'll see!

Popping in to say hello.

Hi, Dejah--just dropping in for a minute to say hi and thanks!

Hi Dejah, just came by to say that I totally loved Ashfall as well. I can't wait to get the next one and see what happens next. I have been totally glued to this book for last couple of days!

Greetings, all.

I am reading up a storm this month, which is a sure sign that I'm tired and stressed out. I've mostly been reading shorter books (which isn't a bad thing) but I'm shunning certain book for no discernible reason. Oh well, I'll get back on an even keel soon enough.

> 68 Thanks for dropping by, Roberta - sorry I don't have any fascinating reviews on offer! Soon....

>69 ronincats: Hey Roni - You are very welcome. I've been impressed by your cleaning determination!

>70 DeltaQueen50: As I said over on your thread, Judy, thank you so much for pointing me toward Ashfall; it suited my mood perfectly and it was great. I should have Ashen Winter by this weekend and I may not be able to resist diving right in. I also think I may go plant some kale....

#71 I do exactly the same thing with my reading when tired and stressed Dejah. I'm learning to tell myself it's OK to junk all my reading plans and read whatever I want to when that happens. I hope you feel less tired and stressed soon.

How was Elton John? He seems like he would be a great performer to see live.

Actually, I'll be seeing Elton John in a few hours - the concert is tonight! I'm going with some friends and we're meeting for dinner first.

To add to the general air of excitement, the big annual Friends of the Library book sale opens to the public tomorrow at 10am - oddly enough, at the same venue Sir Elton will be performing at tonight (in a different area of the facility, of course)! The book sale is huge - they claim 100,000+ books. A lot of used book vendors attend. I've been trying to keep my purchases down this year, but we'll see how I do!

Enjoy the concert, and the book sale! Elton John has always been a favorite of mine. Probably because I play the piano.

Have fun! You're probably at the concert right now; actually, you've probably got back home.

And of course you can read anything you want. I never plan my reading; at most, it revolves around what's due back at the library that can't be renewed any more.

Sir Elton was great! His voice has held up remarkably well - he skipped the high notes and his back up singers covered, but really, he sounded great. He played/sang for about 2 1/2 hours - it was a blast!

I went to the book sale this morning - what a madhouse. I'm really not a devoted shopper so my tolerance is limited, but I came home with 30 or so works. It's more than I intended to but but most of them are plays and they take up less room, right? I spent $26, including a modest donation to avoid having to deal with change.

This book sale is quite important to the libraries in my county. Most years, the Friends funds make up half the book budget for my branch - this year, more than half. There are counties in my regional system which have a single branch with $1000 book budgets this year - that's it. It's really important for these underfunded areas to be able to get books from our better populated county - and our better funded branches!

I'll be back shortly to post a list of my acquisitions....

I was at an Elton John concert at the beginning of the 70s--he's quite a showman! And sounds like you did well at the book sale too.

I'm jealous - I LOVE Elton John! And I can't wait to see you acquisitions report!!

I had never seen Elton John in concert before and I'm really glad I had the chance - who knows how much longer he'll keep touring? He's got little kids....

As for the book sale, well, I went back. I had seen a bunch of Georgia Historical Society Quarterly copies on the Georgia tables, but hadn't bought them. I thought I remembered that they were available online or on cd, but when I checked after I left I found that they weren't. I decided to go back in the hope that they were still there and they were! I bought 32 issues @ $.50 a piece. Plus I picked up a few other things....

My list will be up shortly.

Since I’m not much of a shopper, I tend to limit the sections of the book sale I look at. I mainly stick to Science Fiction and Fantasy (I frequently by better copies of books I already have), Gardening, History, Drama and the Georgia and Southeast table. So here’s what I picked up:

SF & F:
The original Rhapsody trilogy by Elizabeth Hayden:
Rhapsody, Prophecy and Destiny
Daybreak Zero by John Barnes
Dragon Blood by Patricia Briggs
Fall of the White Ship Avatar by Brian Daley
Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
Relic by Preston and Child
Requiem for a Ruler of Worlds by Brian Daley

Gardening:
Gourds in Your Garden by Ginger Summit
Growing Classic Orchids by Tibbs and Bilton
Orchid Genera Illustrated by Tom and Marion Sheehan

History:
Constitutions and Constitutionalism in the Slaveholding South by Son E. Fehrenbacher
An Elegant Madness: High Society in Regency England by Venetia Murray
Events that Changed America in the Nineteenth Century eds. Findling and Thackeray
Generations and Change: Genealogical Perspectives in Social History by Ralph S. Crandall
The Great Hedge of India: The Search for the Living Barrier that Divided a People by Roy Moxham

Drama:
1940's Radio Hour by Walton Jones
Broadway Bound by Neil Simon
Cloud 9 by Caryl Churchill
Death and the King’s Horseman by Wole Soyinka
Dinner with Friends by Donald Margulies
Do Not Go Gentle by Suzan L. Zeder
Doubt by John Patrick Shanley
Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) by Ann-Marie MacDonald
The Heidi Chronicles by Wendy Wasserstein
The History Boys by Alan Bennett
Inspecting Carol by Daniel Sullivan
The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman
‘night, Mother by Marsha Norman
The Piano Lesson by August Wilson
Real Women Have Curves by Josefina Lopez
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard
Ruined by Lynn Nottage

Georgia and the Southeast:
Dam Break in Georgia: Sadness and Joy at Toccoa Falls by Foster and Mills
Georgia Trivia by Ernie and Jill Couch
Georgia Women: A Celebration ed Barbara B. Reitt
Memories by Johnnie Mack Hatchett (wrong touchstone)
Native Trees of Georgia by G. Norman Bishop
plus 32 issues of the Georgia Historical Society Quarterly…..

Nice haul! I didn't know there was a book about the Toccoa Falls dam break. I remember hearing about it when it happened.

I didn't know it existed, either - I'm not sure how good it's going to be....

I just got The History Boys from PBS not too long ago. Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) has an interesting title... I'd probably read it.

Nice drama list!

Just catching up ... glad you liked Dark Tide. I picked it up last year for a Massachusetts read, and it turned out to be one of the more memorable books of my year. I can still vividly imagine the tank burbling and leaking molasses, and the kids running around its perimeter collecting the stuff in buckets.

Wow that's an impressive book haul. When saying Drama are you talking about plays?

I had to laugh at your comment about picking up better editions of books you own already. Ahem, that's what I do quite often as well. Aside from collecting books with stunning cover art.

I wish you, your hubby and your lovely kittens a wonderful weekend :)

Good evening, all!

>83 Esquiress: I don't know much about The History Boys but I have heard of Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) and am really looking forward to reading it. I was particularly pleased that so many of the play are award winners or nominees - some I had been wanting to read for a while but couldn't get through the library - I hadn't broken down and ordered them yet! I've got my eye on Venus in Fur - it looks fascinating.

>84 swynn: Thanks for dropping by, swynn! Dark Tide was one of the bestr non-natural disaster books I've read. Puleo did such a nice job putting the molasses flood in temporal context - I wish more authors did that!

>85 drachenbraut23: Welcome, Bianca! By Drama I do mean plays - the section header for the book sale was Drama/Theater so that's what I went with. I was pleased to pick up so many interesting books! As far buying copies of books I already own, what's the harm in owning duplicates? You never know when there might be a molasses flood that wipes out part of your library, lol.

BTW, plenty of kittens, but no hubby here. I'm a single cat parent!

Ok, then I wish the single cat parent a wonderful weekend *smile*. I was sure that you have mentioned a hubby somerwhere before. Well, my brain cells are obviously getting a bit old. :)

I liked the Hayden trilogy - I wish she had finished the series - and love Ilona Andrews.

>87 drachenbraut23: No problem, Bianca - who can keep track everybody on LT? I think your brain cells are just fine!

>88 Morphidae: I stopped reading the series after the first three because I was pretty happy with the way things were left - I hesitated to pick up Requiem for the Sun. Now I'm rather glad I never read the next three. I wonder what happened that she was never able to close it out?

I adore Ilona Andrews. I knew I was missing one of the Kate Daniels books, but couldn't remember which one. The copy of Magic Bites was like new so I picked it up. All for a good cause!

All for a good cause? eh, isn't it great what brilliant excuses we booklovers have to justify our passion? I also loved Janet's comment "They followed me home".

I am also a great fan of Ilona Andrews and I loved their Kate Daniels and their Edge books.

Hey Bianca! I do try to not keep adding to my book collection, but I apparently don't try very hard!

I enjoy both Kate and the Edge books - I've read all of them several times. I've had the next Kate Daniels book on pre-order from amazon for months even though it's not out until the end of July!

ETA: It's Magic Rises, btw.

27. Pirate King by Laurie R. King

Long term readers of a series generally keep reading because they come to love the characters. That is certainly true for me with Laurie R. King’s version of Sherlock Homes and her creation Mary Russell. So even though Pirate King is almost goofy compared to most of Mary Russell’s thought provoking adventures, I accepted it as a lighthearted jaunt into Gilbert & Sullivan and early film making. I enjoyed it and think most fans of the series will, as long as they are somewhat flexible in their expectations.

So my review of Pirate King gets me to #27 - not bad, right? The problem is that I've actually read 63 works so far this year - 65 if you add in two recent rereads that don't count toward my 75 totals. ACK!!!! How can I be that far behind? I'm planning to knock out a bunch of reviews that will not do justice to the books in question, but I really want to be caught up so I fell I can discuss the books I'm currently reading.

On a different note, I have to say that there are so many ER books I'm interested in this month! I know, I know - what's a person who's so far behind on reviews doing even thinking about ER books? Well, I do better getting them review than my other reading. Most of the time. There are 8 books I want - one more than the others, but I'm too chicken to just request that one book. Anyone else having this dilemma?

Dejah what a WONDERFUL book haul! I love the library book sales. I missed the last one due to being out of town but I can't wait until the next.

Concerning the ER books, I have requested more for this past month but I am so way back in reviews I dare not request another. Well, maybe just one more. ;)

Yeah, I'm pretty pleased with my book haul, particularly the plays. I really wanted some of them and was going to have to buy them since the library system isn't particularly strong on recent drama. I've already reread Relic and I'll probably get to The Laramie Project and Dam Break in Georgia this week. Woohoo! Now I've really got to get those bookcases put together....

What ER book is tempting you thins month, Roberta? Remember, the request period closes soon!

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

This was a wonderful book. How could I not like it? It combined a plague book and some fascinating London history with GIS (geographic information systems) and data visualization. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

29. Proof of Guilt by Charles Todd

Proof of Guilt, the 15th book in the Ian Rutledge post WWI mystery series was solid, but not great. It felt as though Ian was constantly chasing ephemeral clues all around England and while everything came together in the end, the process felt disjointed. In all honesty, I think I enjoy the Bess Crawford series more than I do this one, now.

30. Jhereg by Steven Brust

Oh what fun! Vlad Taltos is an assassin – and businessman in an organization, shall we say. He has interesting friends and loved ones and gets himself in trouble – pretty regularly, it appears. Many thanks to Roni for pointing me toward this series!

31. India Black and the Shadows of Anarchy by Carol K. Carr

India Black and the Shadows of Anarchy is the third book in Carr’s historical (Victorian London) mystery series and it’s my least favorite so far. India is convinced to infiltrate a group of anarchists and I just didn’t find it as interesting as her previous adventures. It’s still a pretty good book and the series overall is excellent. The best part for me was that India Gets a little further in learning about her background….

32. Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

The first entry into Gail Carriger’s new YA series very entertaining. Fans of her Parasol Protectorate books will almost certainly enjoy this and I would think most teens who try it will be reaching for the adult books too. It’s fun!

Heh, heh, some good reading here! I can't believe how many books you've already read.

33. Born in Fire by Nora Roberts

This was fairly decent romance by Nora Roberts written in the mid 1990s. Set in Ireland, the most interesting thing about it was the heroine’s profession as a glass artist. Read it if you’re a big fan of Nora Roberts’ romances – otherwise, give it a pass.

Hi Roni!

Well of course you think my reading is good - I've read three Steven Brust novels in the last month or so! I'm a little surprised I've read so many works already, too, but quite a few of the were really short. YA, one tween, a bunch of plays - they add up! Even those Steven Brust novels aren't exactly epics. Thanks again, btw, for encouraging me to read them.

ETA: In some ways, the more busy I am (and the more tired), the more likely I am to spend available downtime to read than to engage in other activities. The volume of my reading varies quite a bit throughout the year.

34. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet, Marissa Meyer’s follow up to last year’s Cinder was fun – at times I forgot I was reading YA. While I’ll give the edge to Cinder, this was a nice continuation and I’m looking forward to finding out what happens next. I wonder which fairy tale she’ll tap for the third?

35. At the Altar: Matrimonial Tales by L. M. Montgomery

These are perfectly pleasant and innocuous short stories of love and weddings for the fans of Ann of Green Gables and The Blue Castle. I doubt I’ll ever reread it as I have both of the other books I mentioned, but it was a pleasant diversion.

36. Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendon

Girl from small town Texas comes to NYC to prove herself. Lands lousy job; discovers magic is real. Then learns that having absolutely no magic herself does wonderful things for her employment prospects….

This was almost pretty good. I liked some of the ideas, but the whole thing was too chick lit for me – I would have preferred a little more urban fantasy to paranormal romance. I might continue with the series, but not anytime soon.

37. Hearts West: True Stories of Mail Order Brides on the Frontier by Chris Enss

This short book was something of a disappointment. The title is no entirely accurate as it is not strictly about mail-order brides, whatever the author’s original intentions. It’s a somewhat disjointed collection of stories of matrimony in the U.S. West, some of which came about via letters. There is also information about magazines and advertisements intended to connect lonely men in the West and Single women in the East. Pick this one up only if the movement of women to the West is a topic of special interest to you and even then, don’t expect too much.

Wildfire at Midnight by Mary Stewart (recent reread, so doesn’t count toward my 75)

I have to confess I’ve read Wildfire at Midnight many times – it’s an old favorite. There’s a killer loose amongst the guests (or possibly the staff) at a country hotel on the Isle of Skye. One of the salmon fishers or mountain climbers has a grisly fondness for folklore….

Oh give it a try. It’s classic romantic suspense.

38. Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden

This was an interesting YA novel in which several Australian teens go off on a trekking adventure only to return home to find that their nation has been invaded. They return to the wilderness to come up with a plan to find out what happened to their families – and to decide what their role is in the war.

This was pretty good, although I could have done without some of the teen angst. I think I prefer Ashfall’s natural disaster to the invasion scenario, although I was amused by the 1980s “Red Dawn” flashbacks I kept getting….

39. The Sound of Broken Glass by Deborah Crombie

This is another great, great book (#15) in the excellent Duncan Kincade and Gemma James mystery series by Deborah Crombie. A seedy hotel room in London, musicians, murder, Duncan as a stay at home Dad and Gemma on the job make one entertaining story. If you haven’t started this series, pick it up now!

#109 LOL I was thinking Red Dawn as I read the plot too!

Actually two not one ER books! A Dog Walks into a Nursing Home sounds really sweet and I also requested Silken Prey but am not holding my breath. I'm about a book behind in the Lucas Davenport series, but they are kind of repeating the plot for me so the library queue will work for me on that one.

40. Legacy of Light by Karen Zacarias (unpublished play, no touchstone)

This a wonderful dual timeline play with a touch of science, not unlike Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia. It is, in part, the tale of two physicists. Emilie du Chatelet (a real person) was Voltaire’s lover and a scientist in her own right in France in 1700s. Olivia is a modern day physicist (fictional) who has discovered an embryonic planet. Olivia wants a child; Emilie does not, or at least she didn't plan on one at 42. But as Olivia says, “the baby is coming anyway.”

It’s a lovely play – full of light.

>111 luvamystery65: There's a movie version of Tomorrow, When The War Began - I might get it out of curiosity. Of course, I haven't seen the "Red Dawn" remake yet either...lol.

Only two ER books are calling to you this month? You are being far more restrained (and no doubt, responsible) than I am! I have not tried the Lucas Davenport series - I'll have to check it out. Thanks!

Wow, wow and Wow! for an extraordinary book haul and for seeing my all time favorite entertainer, Elton! I saw him last about 14 years ago when I was pregnant. Little Baby Who must have wondered what all the bouncing and screaming was all about. Finally a wow goes out to the so cute wittle kitties. I love them all. Do you still plan to keep the five of them and mom? Have you bestowed names on them? Three cheers for an excellent reading month as well. You all are putting me to shame :0(

Hey Lynda!

I'm very pleased with my book haul - it's a good thing the sale is only once a year! I'm so glad I went to see Elton - it was marvelous. Does the child in question have a fondness for Sir Elton? And the kittens are still adorable - I should really post some new pictures. At this point I think I'll keep them - they turned five today (five weeks, that is). Their names are (provisionally) Olivia, John Carter (JC), Romeo, Tuscarora (Rory) and Julep.

There are stretches in my life when I've read a lot and stretches where I haven't - it just depends. Honestly, I'm reading too much right now, but it'll balance out. No shame either way. But thank you for the three cheers - I'll take all the cheers I can get!

41. Old Man’s War by John Scalzi

This was a fun military SF novel. I wasn’t too demanding, not a lot of hard science, and it was entertaining. I agree with everybody else that it’s reminiscent of Heinlein’s Starship Troopers, but since that’s a favorite book of mine I can only see that as a compliment. So far, the two Scalzi novels I’ve read (the hysterical Redshirts is the other) have impressed me – I’ll be reading more.

You have been very busy reading!

42. For All the Tea in China: How England Stole the World’s Favorite Drink and Changed History by Sarah Rose

I became interested in Robert Fortune after reading about his importance in brining roses and camellias to England from China and the closest I could come to a biography was For All the Tea in China. It’s the tale of the economics of tea and Empire and how Robert Fortune was paid to steal tea seeds and seedlings as well as tea processing methods from closed China on behalf of the British East India Company. It’s a decent book – not great. But if you’re looking for information on the history of Camellia sinensis (tea) it’s a good choice. If you’re looking for information on Robert Fortune, unless you’re willing to read his purportedly racist memoirs, it may be your only choice.

Dejah> I believe that one is on my wish list. Perhaps I'll get to it one day, but it will probably have to be ordered via ILL.

>117 thornton37814: And really slack about writing reviews!

Hooray! It's time to celebrate! I'm all caught up on reviews - through February, anyway. Yes, it's true. Every book I have reviewed thus far on this thread I read before I actually started this thread. At least the next review I write will be for a book I read in March - but that won't be tonight. I think I've had it.

Now I'm off to finish Pygmalion and to begin Dam Break in Georgia.

Goodnight, all.

>119 thornton37814:

It wasn't bad, Lori, but at times it wasn't as engaging as I thought it would be. Fortunately, I was quite interested in the subject so I kept going. I learned quite a bit.

Allow me to strongly recomment Scalzi's The Android's Dream!

And it wasn't just the Brust books--you had E&E in there too. And if you want a longer Brust, detour to The Phoenix Guards, the Dumas homage and prequel. But probably after Teckla. Maybe.

Doesn't it drive you nuts when you write a post and it disappears? Grrrrr.....

>122 ronincats: I intended to read The Android's Dream a while back, Roni, but didn't for some reason. I'll definitely read it soonish! As for Brust, I'll wait on The Phoenix Guards. I'm supposed to read Dragon next, not Teckla, right? I'll have to double check the Jhereg thread. No hurry, though, I'm still waiting on copies from the library system.

Speaking of my library system, the online catalog for PINES (the nearly statewide system to which my local and regional system belongs) has been down for an upgrade since 6pm Thursday. I took a look at it this morning and it's going to take some getting used to. They added a few good things (like where you are in the hold queue) but made other more basic things, like determining where a copy of a book is (locally vs in the greater system) more difficult. Oh well.

43. The Shadow Wars: Book Two in the Demi-Monde Saga by Rod Rees

I really enjoyed The Demi-Monde: Winter. The virtual reality war ‘game’ ABBA was well conceived and the adventure fast and entertaining. The word play used to make ABBA both familiar and foreign was extremely clever and very fun. There were characters both major and secondary that I liked very much and if character development suffered in comparison to world building, well, that was a tradeoff I was willing to accept. I thought the characters would be more fully developed in the next installment; I was wrong.

The Shadow Wars: Book Two in the Demi-Monde Saga (aka The Demi-Monde: Spring) immediately lets us know (via memo) that there is more going on than was obvious in Winter. As events pick up where Winter left off, I had my first clue I might not be as happy with this book. Ella and company are escaping the Forth-Right in an easily identifiable stolen vehicle which gives them tremendous advantage, but only for a very limited time. So what do these otherwise clever individuals chose to do? They stop for the night. Rees says of this choice only: “It was a bad decision.” No kidding.

Fairly soon, my favorite character is changed beyond all recognition by a personality transplant a la demonic possession. Another important but minor character from Winter, one I did not like, also has a massive and fairly unbelievable personality change as she takes on an expanded role. I can’t help but wonder how many teenage girls the author actually knows. Secondary characters form Winter are sidelined as even more characters are introduced. None of them are particularly well developed; most have little depth. I grant that for all the scattered focus, the novel is not hard to follow, but I found it increasingly less interesting. And finally, the clever and ingenious word play that charmed me in Winter ultimately became annoying. I wish some of the considerable attention paid to the ABBA lingo had been turned to character development.

If you decide to read this series, you must begin with The Demi-Monde: Winter. Of course, you might want to end there, too.

This was an ER book review.

Hooray for getting February finished. Now, can you get March done before we are into April? ;)

BOY! Have you been busy, Dejah! And that book haul?! *swoon* Good work, girl! I am behind on my reviews, too, so I salute you for catching up to the current month. Now about those kitties (love the names by the way) - how about a few new pics?

63 books already this year? And I was proud of my 21! Jeepers :)

Don't worry Es, Dejah will leave us behind in her reading several times until we reach our 75 *grin* and I was proud on my already achieved 31. However, as we mentioned before it's not the quantity but the fun.

Dejah, I hope you are having a great week and well done on posting all the reviews.

Oh, Bianca, fun I'm definitely having :)

>125 DeltaQueen50: Oh sure, Judy. pick on me in my moment of triumph! I may not get completely caught up before April gets here, but I'll give it a try.

>126 Crazymamie: Hey Mamie! I am indeed happy with my book haul, and am pleased I resisted going back on Sunday when everything was marked down 50%. Bookcases, I must put together more bookcases.....

The kitties are happy and healthy - and they are pleased you like their names. I've taken plenty of pics, I just need to get more of them uploaded. Soon!

>127 Esquiress: I've been doing way, way too much reading. I blame part of it on the kittens - they're perfectly happy to climb on me while I read. They're only little a short while, so I've been spending a lot of time with them.

>128 drachenbraut23: Everybody should read more plays! They're short, but I count them. And I agree, it's the fun that matters. My week has been a little uneven so far, but I'm optimistic!

You are so right about the priority of kittens in those few short weeks while they are cuddly and toddlers. Soon they'll be catapulting off the walls at top speed and not be so relaxing any more. But we love them anyway.

Put up a new pic on my thread after your last comment!

I'll pop right over and see, Roni!

44. Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle

Nate is from a small town in Pennsylvania where his love for musicals is rarely understood – not by his folks or by his athletic older brother or by the kids who pick on him (and occasionally beat him up). Fortunately, his best friend Libby shares his obsession and has been training him for his big break and when they hear about auditions for “ET: The Musical,” they know Nate’s time has come. Nate’s plan is to runaway (just for one night and a day) to NYC to audition. Big dreams require big risks, right?

Anyone who has ever auditioned for anything (or just wanted to) should read Nate. His story is wonderful and his auditions are hysterical. I am not a big tween book reader, but Better Nate Than Ever was a pleasure and I know I’ll be reading it again. But you don’t have to take my word for it – Better Nate Than Ever has garnered a slew of glowing reviews and was mentioned in the New York Times twice in a matter of weeks. So get yourself a copy – you won’t regret it.

Looking for those pieced in the NYT? Here’s the book review and an earlier piece about the book and author.

Popping by to wish you a Happy Easter, Dejah. Give your kittens a cuddle or two from me. Looking forward to seeing more pictures of them.

Whizzing through. Know what you mean about kittens; love my 4 year old clambering all over me (good massage, too). Must read Better Nate Than Ever; that's the second enthusiastic mention I've seen.

Hope your head's better.

Got to dash ...

I've been seeing great reviews for Nate. It's made the WL. :)

Greetings, all!

>134 DeltaQueen50: Thanks for taking the time to visit before your trip. I've been slack about posting kitten pictures - I'll be sure to have some Easter pictures up before you're back. Happy Easter to you and yours!

>135 humouress: My head is much better, thank you! The kittens have those tiny little pinprick claws at this age - I have to be certain I'm wearing enough layers when they clamber! I do hope you'll give Better Nate Than Ever a try - I'm a fan! Thanks for taking the time to come by, Nina.

>136 UnrulySun: Hooray for Nate! I hope you get your hands on Nate soon, Kathy.

45. The Ladies of Mandrigyn by Barbara Hambly (TIOLI #21)

The Ladies of Mandrigyn, the first of the Sun Wolf and Starhawk novels by Barbara Hambly is an old favorite of mine. When a mercenary Captain disappears, one of his Lieutenants suspects he’s been kidnapped and she intends to get him back. Accompanied by Sun Wolf’s current mistress, Starhawk begins a long overland journey while Sun Wolf wakes to find himself aboard a ship – and learns he’s been kidnapped by a bunch of determined women….

If you read fantasy at all, try it.

46. The Twelfth Enchantment by David Liss

The Twelfth Enchantment was something of a disappointment. It’s a historical fantasy by written by noted historical fiction author David Liss. While the setting of pseudo-Regency England and the themes of magic and the rise of the Industrial Revolution are great, I never warmed to the heroine. Even so, I’m looking forward to trying one of his other books to see how he does without the fantasy element.

What cute kittens!!! Oh, The Twelfth Enchantment sounds like it was on the right track. What was wrong with the heroine? Whiny? Blah? Didn't do anything on her own?

If you read fantasy at all, try it.

Well, with that kind of endorsement, how can I not? Duly adding it to the ever-growing TBR list. :)

You've read an impressive number of books this year - I'm looking forward to seeing your thoughts on Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. I read it last year and thought it was a lot of fun.

HI Dejah, just whizzing through to wish you a very Happy Easter weekend! I assume you are off work and that you can enjoy a long lazy weekend?
If I wouldn't have Barbara Hambley on my wishlist already, she definitely would go on it now :)

Good morning, all! It's still morning where I am, any way.

First, there's a party over at Fourpawz2’s thread - bunny theme. We're trying to get her to enough posts for the automatic continuation feature to kick in, so come join the fun!

>140 cammykitty: Hey Katie - thanks for dropping by! One of the problems with waiting so long after you read it to write a book review is that these questions get harder to answer! Lucy, the main character just never felt real to me. She was naive, which suited the time but she lacked life somehow. I really wanted to like this book - it has Lord Byron as an important character, there are nods to Austen - but to me it fell flat. There are also a few things I can't discuss because they're spoilers, but some of Liss's choices disappointed me. And yet, I saw enough in his writing that I want to try A Conspiracy of Paper. Quite a few people enjoyed The Twelfth Enchantment more than I did. If you read it, I'd love to hear what you think!

>141 bell7: I think part of my extreme fondness for The Ladies of Mandrigyn comes from the fact that I loved this book when I was a teenager. Mind you, I still think it's great - but then I have a fondness for a lot of 1980s fantasy that not everyone enjoys. I hope you like it, too, Mary - it deserves to be more widely read!

>142 drachenbraut23: And Happy Easter to you too, Bianca! I am off work (more or less) and I have no rehearsals until Monday so things will be peaceful! Well, as peaceful as a household with five kittens can get. And I must finish nailing down the rest of my lines - my personal deadline to be completely off book is Monday. So maybe peaceful is quite the right word....

Pick up Hambly when you can - I think you'll like her stuff!

Wow, Dejah, what a huge number of reviews! Lots of ideas for me in there, including the tea one, and I am envious that you have read Scarlet as I am still waiting for it at the library.

Hi Susan - thanks for visiting!

For All the Tea in China has its moments and I definitely learned quite a bit from it - it's worth reading if the subject interests you.

As for Scarlet, I was lucky in that I knew my branch was buying it so I was watching for it to show up in the system as 'in processing.' I was able to get in the first hold spot for my branch. Unfortunately, I'm not always paying close enough attention to get all the books I want first! And my branch can't afford to buy every book I wish they would....

I think with the tea book I like the subtitle - How England Stole the World's Favourite Drink and Changed History. I like all those sorts of books about English colonial exploits. Have you read Nathaniel's Nutmeg: How One Man's Courage Changed the Course of History ? It is surprisingly interesting about nutmeg, but also about what the various powers were doing in the East Indies at the time, and what piece of land Britain swapped in order to obtain nutmeg supremacy.

>144 Dejah_Thoris:: Yay for a lot of 1980s fantasy!

Break a leg!!

>147 susanj67:: in order to obtain nutmeg supremacy - that's funny. Especially now, when (I assume) nutmeg isn't quite so important.

>147 susanj67: Thanks for the suggestion, Susan. I tend to like commodity books as they tend to tie together so many different bits of history. I've added Nathaniel's Nutmeg to my list!

>148 humouress: Hey! Don't be dissin' nutmeg, Nina!

So there were a whole bunch of ER books that I was interested in, but one I wanted the most. I ended up just requesting the one. Now, as the ER book notices are going out I'm afraid I made a horrible mistake and I won't get anything....

Hooray! I got my ER book: Ancestors of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. I wanted this one because an older cousin used to say were related to Rosalynn Carter but I haven't found the connection (I have to admit that I wasn't looking all that hard). It'll be interesting to see if I find anything.

Great! I'll be watching for your review. I requested that one but I'm getting a different one. I don't think I wanted it as badly as you did. As far as I know I'm not related to anyone in their tree. I do share a common ancestor with the current president and Harry Truman, though.

Now it is my turn to be jealous. I requested that one from ER but I didn't win it. However, I requested more than usual this time. I would have been happy with any of them. I'll be watching your thread closely to see whether you like yours.

>151 cbl_tn: What book did you end up with, Carrie? It's not unreasonable that we might have a connection there - I certainly have enough generations of folks in Georgia. However, it occurs to me that the same cousin once claimed that we were also related to Frances Folsom, Grover Cleveland's second wife. That makes no sense at all, given that all her family was from New England / New York and I have a tough time getting anyone in my tree north of the Mason-Dixon line! It's fascinating that you're related to other Presidents. If I'm related to any, I sure don't know it.

>152 thornton37814: I thought you might have been interested in this one, Lori. I agree - there were a lot of interesting books this month. I'll read it as soon as I get it - I'm not certain qualified I am to review it, though. I've never written a review of a family genealogy, although I've read them, of course.

I ended up getting The King's Jar. The art museum & archaeology angle sound interesting. I guess I'll find out if it's as good as it sounds.

> Hooray, that you got your ER book *smile* and yes, I probably will pick up a Barbara Hambley rather sooner than later.

And another hooray for 1980's fantasy - I like them as well!

>154 cbl_tn: The King's Jar was one of the others I wanted. I've asked my librarian to order it. Really weird touchstone first option....

>155 drachenbraut23: There's something about 1980s fantasy - it's shorter, not as epic. More like urban fantasy is now, just a different setting.

That's true. Most of the books from that time don't go over 300 pages, which is a quite nice number to read.
Well, I think they started to become bigger and more epic in the middle of the 90's.
Now where you mention it, yes they are a bit more like urban fantasy only in a different setting.

Dejah, I actually thought of you. I know that you read plays. I don't.

However, next weekend, I'm going to Lyric Opera for A Streetcar Named Desire, starring renowned opera star, Renee Fleming.

Very eager for this. I may have read this play in high school though I don't recall it.

>157 drachenbraut23: Exactly - there was a real change in fantasy. I remember an author friend (SF) in the very early 90s saying that the trend was for longer books - publishers were pushing for it. Maybe that's why I read a fair amount of urban fantasy. I never thought about it from that perspective before.

>158 lindapanzo: Actually, although I have never seen the opera version of Streetcar (and didn't know one existed, for that matter), I can easily understand why it would be a successful transition. It should be amazing - I understand Renee Fleming is wonderful. That is really very cool, Linda - both that you're going and that you thought of me!

Renee Fleming is the new Artistic Director or some such for Lyric. Mostly, I think it involves input and publicity.

Anyway, she is one of America's leading opera stars so it'll be a treat to see her.

They're trying to do more musical theater. Last year, they did Showboat, which was amazing with more operatic voices. This year, they're doing Oklahoma. I'm taking Mom and Dad to that in May.

I got the ER Crafting Calm. I've had an amazing amount of luck and have gotten an ER book each of the last four months. Now I just need to get them read and reviewed!

I got the ER newly translated New Testament. Beware what you ask for! Guess I'll be reading it with my Comparative Study Bible close at hand.

>160 lindapanzo: Musical theater can be great fun - and it's probably more...hmm...accessible than a lot of opera. Oklahoma isn't my favorite show, but I bet they'll do a spectacular job. I'm looking forward to hearing about Streetcar.

>161 Morphidae: I thought Crafting Calm looked pretty interesting, Morphy. I'll be watching for your review!

>162 ronincats: Oh my, Roni. That'll be tricky to review, LOL!

Over on Nina's thread, Roni convinced me I needed to read Agent of Change. I just found it as a free kindle book on amazon here .

Enjoy!

>163 Dejah_Thoris:: *ears perk up* Did somebody say Streetcar Named Desire? Yum.

Oh, Dejah, you'll appreciate this. I'm going to be working at the PA Renaissance Faire as a pub waitress this summer and fall - in period costume, of course :) Last year, I was actually cast as an actor and had to step down because I was in the hospital when rehearsals started and wouldn't have been able to keep up the pace. I wasn't ready to act this year either, but I'm sort of doing it by working in the pub (plus getting paid! Non-professional actors don't get paid to be part of the cast, boo hiss).

Oh, I want to do that one day. Be involved in a RenFest! That sounds like SO much fun!

Es I agree with Morphy - that does sound like fun! I've always thought that would be a great way to spend a summer. Of course, there have always been so many great ways to spend the summer that that's something I've never even gotten close to trying. Maybe one day.

You know Morphy and I will expect pictures, right?

So funny to hear all the Streetcar Named Desire talk, as I picked that up from the library on a whim and am reading it right now. I listed it in challenge #10 for the April TIOLI if anyone wants to join me. And I won the ER book that I really wanted, too - The Fever Tree! Hope your Saturday is off to a great start, Dejah!

I saw that you'd added it to the TIOLI, Mamie - I may join you! The Fever Tree was one of the other books I was interested in. I'm looking forward to hearing what you think!

I may join you on Streetcar. It'd be a good idea to know the story before I hear the opera next week.

I have not read a play since about 1975. It probably was A Doll's House by Ibsen. It should be interesting.

I can certainly understand why you haven't read anymore plays, Linda - A Doll's House isn't exactly a pleasurable reading experience! I suppose that's not really a fair comment, but Ibsen certainly isn't as accessible as some other playwrights.

A Streetcar Named Desire is certainly a classic. Of course, it's not very cheery, either, but I suppose that makes it good opera and theater. I'm not sure if I have a copy, but there will be no problem getting that one from the library.

>166 Morphidae: and 167: Oh, there will definitely be pictures, and I'm sure I'll have great fun, even though I'm not actually an actor this year. Just being involved (and getting paid for it!) is going to be a great time. I'm hoping my friends come to visit me.

You hear that, anyone near enough to the PA Ren Faire by Hershey, PA? Come visit the pub during Faire season and say "hi"!

I really should try to find a copy of The Ladies of Mandrigyn, it sounds like a fun read.

>172 Esquiress: Getting paid is always good, right? I don't think Hershey, PA is on the agenda anytime soon, Es. In that respect at least, it's too bad I'm not still in NY State!

>173 inge87: I hope you can find a copy - it's very entertaining. And if you like it, Hambly has quite a bit more fantasy she wrote before she switched over to historical mystery. I think she's quite talented.

>174 Dejah_Thoris:: It's ok, Dejah, I forgive you for not making it as far as Hershey, PA :)

I was looking at the Lyric Opera's notes for Streetcar. Renee Fleming is Blanche DuBois. This is a role composed especially for her by Andre Previn. There'll be a full orchestra, right onstage.

Jennifer, if you can't find a copy, I've an extra I can send you. Just let me know.

Happy Easter, Dejah!

Happy Easter to you Dejah

Greetings, all!

To those who celebrate, I'd like to wish you a very joyous Easter!

If you celebrate Passover, I hope your celebrations have been joyous as well.

If you don't celebrate either - go find something to celebrate and enjoy it!

Unfortunately, I've come down with something. I noticed a bit of a sore throat yesterday and hoped it would go away. It hasn't. I don't have to do much for the rest of the day, so I'll probably just read. I doubt I'll make the rounds of the threads, so my apologies.

Take care everyone!

>175 Esquiress: I'm glad I'm forgiven, Es!

>176 lindapanzo: Blanch would have been my guess, Linda - it is the woman's part in Streetcar. I'm sure she'll be brilliant. The whole production sounds wonderful!

>177 ronincats: I should have known you'd have more than one copy, Roni!

>178 Carmenere: That's the perfect graphic for Easter readers. Thanks, Lynda!

.179 Thank you, Roberta. It was very nice of you to drop by and leave Easter greetings!

Hope you feel better soon Dejah! Take some chicken soup with you when you curl up with that book.

Happy Easter Dejah. So sorry to hear you're not feeling well. Rest up and feel better soon!

Agent of Change was free on Amazon UK too! So rare that happens :-)

Hope you feel better soon, Dejah! You have no idea how much I envy you your kittens - they are so sweet. It has been many years since I had a house full of kittens. I'm more than ready for a kitten or two, but Willie will not allow it.

Feel better, sista!

Sorry you aren't feeling well--but at least you have kittens to comfort you!

Oh Dejah, so sorry to hear that you are not feeling well. Hope the yuck goes away quickly.

Dejah, I hope you are going to feel better soon. You may want to try Sage tea with honey, that's something what usually works wonders on myself and Alex.

>177 ronincats:, I may take you up on that. It's over an hour to the nearest bookstore, so sourcing things can get a bit tricky. I have no idea what I'd do without the internet.

>180 Dejah_Thoris:, Hope you feel better soon. It's no fun to be sick on holidays.

Wow - so many kind messages - thank you all!

I've been reading and sleeping. I finished Bruce Chatwin's In Patagonia (for Paul's Challenge) and I fear has not aged well. I'm still working on Murder on the Links which had aged just fine, thank you! I don't know if I'll have it done by midnight - the only reason I'd like to is to get another shared read. Maybe....

>182 cbl_tn: You know I did have some soup today, Carrie, but for some reason I wanted minestrone, which I've never been all that fond of. Go figure!

>183 souloftherose: Thanks for the Easter wishes, Heather. I'll kick this soon enough. I'm delighted you were able to get Agent of Change, too - I'm really looking forward to it!

>184 Fourpawz2: The kittens have been wonderful, Charlotte - they scamper about with great abandon now! It's been years since I had a litter of kittens in the house, too. I'm feeling very lucky that I was able to take their mother in.

>185 Esquiress: Thanks for the encouragement, Es!

>186 ronincats: The kittens are a great comfort, Roni. I think they'd tell you I'm an excellent jungle gym, even when I'm napping....

>187 Crazymamie: I think it may actually be a cold after all - I wasn't sure at first. I'm taking zinc lozenges (Cold-Ease) which taste horrible but really do help to shorten the duration and symptoms of a cold.

>188 drachenbraut23: I've been drinking tea all day, Bianca, but mostly Earl Grey and green tea. I don't think I've ever had sage tea - it sounds wonderful , particularly with honey. I've gotten into the habit of drinking tea unsweetened (cold or hot) but some tea really is better with a little honey. I have to get some - thanks for the suggestion!

>189 inge87: Hi Jenn - we cross posted! Easter was very low key this year, so the timing could have been worse. I'll be fine in no time. As for The Ladies of Mandrigyn I think it's been out of physical print for quite a while. I am very amused (But not surprised) to know that Roni has back up copies....

Sage tea is brilliant with sore throats and in the combination with the honey (at least 1 teaspoon) it is antiflammatory, soothing and antibacterial. My son used to have problems with acute tonsillitis for years (and always got started on antibiotics) and then a friend of mine (who is a herbalist) suggested this tea. Since then Alex never required any antibiotics and the sore throat is usually gone within a couple of days.

I love herbal teas as well, especially during spring and summer when I can collect everything fresh or pick herbs from the garden. :)

I had forgotten that honey had antibacterial properties - and I don't think I ever knew that it was an anti-inflammatory. I will definitely be trying that tomorrow!

I'll look forward to hearing about your garden this summer.

Hope you feel better. Lots of people are sick. At Easter Brunch today, the hostess said that an entire table of 12 people who had reservations came down with the flu since they confirmed on Thursday.

I'm hoping it's just a cold, Linda, even though I have the sore throat. I'm hoping really, really hard....

Good morning, everybody.

I feel really rotten today, so I'm heading back to bed. I was up some during the night and managed to finish Murder on the Links for my first book in April and have made great headway on The Making of a Marchioness by Frances Hodgson Burnett which is very short, but rather charming.

I'll check in on everybody later. I can't believe it's April....

Oh bummer! I was hoping you would be feeling better today, not worse. I will try to squeeze in Murder on the Links for a shared read, as it has been on my list for both February and March and still I did not get to it - just sad really!

Sorry to hear you're feeling worse today :-( I think The Making of a Marchioness is a good book to read when you're I'll. Hope you feel better soon.

I'm so sorry to hear you are feeling worse today, and hope the rest will get you better quickly. I've never read that Burnett, or even heard of it!

Hi Dejah, crossing my fingers that you are feeling better in the next few days. Huddled up in a nice warm bed, hot water bottle, lots of hot drinks AND a good book should help to get you back on your feet in a few days :)

Hey, everybody - thanks for stopping in to check on me.

>197 Crazymamie: Howdy, Mamie. I hope you ca fit Murder on the Links in - you were one of my main shared read partners for March!

>198 souloftherose: Hey Heather. The Making of the Marchioness was mild and pleasant - and as you say, perfect reading for the sick!

>199 ronincats: The Making of the Marchioness is really just novella length, Roni - a sort of Cinderella story, where a nice woman gets rewarded for being cheerful, helpful person in the face of adversity. Nothing spectacular, just nice.

>200 drachenbraut23: The hot water bottle is on my head, Bianca, and the kittens are everywhere. I've already finished my third book for April - Death of Yesterday by M. C. Beaton. Nothing like being sick to encourage reading! At the moment, I've got the Atlanta Braves Opening Day baseball game on. Later I'll read some more, but I have to confess that being ill makes me want to read light and easy stuff....

I've had Death of Yesterday on reserve at the library and am eager to read it. I wish it'd come in.

Glad to see that you're not too sick to miss baseball. I watched the Cubs and parts of 3 or 4 other games. Now I'm try to watch the Blackhawks/Nashville Predators hockey game, while hoping to see parts of the St Louis Cardinals baseball game.

That might be the one thing about being sick (or heat wave) - the excuse to read nothing but un-serious, none brain-taxing stuff and a lot of it.

Hope you are better, Dejah. How did the Braves do? They aren't particularly covered up here in the heart of Red Sox Nation.

Good morning.

>202 lindapanzo: Death of Yesterday is classic Hamish - light and a little goofy. It used to bother me that Hamish's life never seemed to change - 29 books in and I'm pretty reconciled to it.

The Braves game was the only game I managed to watch yesterday - and even then I only managed from the fourth inning on. It was great though. The Braves have the youngest opening day roster of any team in the MLB. It should be an interesting year.

>203 Fourpawz2: I am happy to say the Braves beat the Phils last night. When I lived in NYS, I had to purchase MLB Extra Innings each year to watch the games. No need to do that down here, of course.

Hope you're feeling better, Dejah. Three books read so far is great going!

For 5-6 years, I bought MLB Extra Innings to watch the out of town games, when the Cubs weren't playing.

This year, I'm not getting it. However, I am getting the MLB thingy that lets me watch all the out of town games on my iphone, ipad, and pc.

If the Cubs have a day game, I watch the Cardinals at night, usually. If the Cubs have a night game, I'll usually watch a West Coast game after the Cubs are done. The Vin Scully game, if possible. Love listening to that guy.

Note: The First Place Cubs. I have to say that since it's been years since I could say it, even if only for a day.

>205 susanj67: Right now I'm having trouble settling into another book - I've put down several already. I should probably just go back to sleep anyway. Thanks for the good wishes!

>206 lindapanzo: Hooray for the first place Cubs! When I had the MLB package I had a game on all the time, even if I wasn't watching. It was fun, but virtually every Braves game, home or away, is broadcast on a channel I get, so it seems tough to justify the purchase, even though I kind of miss the it.

Hey everybody -

I'm still in bed today, but I'm hoping I'll be feeling much better tomorrow. No rehearsal tonight, thank goodness.

The new J.D. Robb came into the library for me yesterday and I managed to get my hands on it today. I should have it finished in a few more hours, lol!

BTW, if any new LT members happen to drop by, please know that you are very welcome here!

Oh gosh, baseball on tv makes me sleepy! I do enjoy watching in person though, it's relaxing without making me drowsy. Plus, beer and Dome Dogs.

Well at least your bed-riddance is enjoyable on the book front. But I hope you feel much better soon!

Sounds like you are on the road to recovery, Dejah. Hope you feel much better on the morrow.

Hope you're feeling better, Dejah! I had the Red Sox on last night, and it looks already like this is going to be a better season that last year (but then, what wouldn't be?). I confess, I can't pay attention to a full game unless I keep score, so I do that when I'm in the ballpark and I read in front of the TV most of the year and just look up at the crack of a bat...

Good morning!

I am feeling better today - thank you all for the support Kathy, Roni and Mary.

I really enjoy baseball in person, but most of the time I'm watching it on tv or listening on the radio. I pay more attention to the games on the radio because you can't just look up and figure out what you missed! I do admit to multitasking while I've got baseball on, but I'm usually not reading.

I did finish Calculated in Death last night (after the game, which I'm happy to say the Braves won handily) so it can go back to the library and on to the next patron.

Is it too early for a nap?

Wait - there's such a thing as too early for a nap?!

Good to hear you're feeling better, Dejah.

>213 susanj67: Well, I've never really thought so, but some people are so odd about naps. I've occasionally met folks who seemed to link naps with moral failings....

I love baseball in person. I've never warmed to it on television. The players and coaches are so spread out that the camera doesn't usually focus on the part of the field (or off the field) that I would find most interesting at any given moment in the game.

I am in full support of naps, and advocate taking them as often and as long as one can get away with. Those who link naps to moral failings have obviously never taken a nap. Nap away my friend, NAP AWAY!!

>215 cbl_tn: TV coverage of baseball is flawed and incomplete, I agree - but I enjoy it anyway. If actually had to just sit there and watch the game without distractions, well, except for certain very important games, that would drive me crazy. Of course I 'watch' a whole lot of games each year....

>216 UnrulySun: Hooray for naps! Naps are glorious, especially on dark, rainy days like today. And is it my fault if the kittens are sending out sleepy waves?

I was watching the Cardinals/DBacks game last night. Great game. Lots of offense. Constant lead changes.

Alas, it was a west coast game and it went into extra innings so I went to sleep. At one point, got up to go to the bathroom and saw it was still going on. I think it ended up 2 am central time so it's just as well that I didn't stay up.

I am in full support of naps, and advocate taking them as often and as long as one can get away with. Those who link naps to moral failings have obviously never taken a nap. Nap away my friend, NAP AWAY!!

I agree wholeheartedly!

The best naps I've ever had were as a teen. Came home after a day at the beach. Took a cool shower. Lay down in my bed with the fan click-click-clicking over head. Awoke slowly to the sounds and smells of mom cooking dinner. Divine...

>218 lindapanzo: Those West Coast games can by murder, Linda. Sometimes it's so hard to decide to stay up or not! Just one more inning...and another....and another...

>219 Esquiress: and 220

Es and Morphy I adore naps! That said, I never did get one yesterday - too much work to catch up on. I was beat by the time I got to rehearsal. Who knows, maybe I can sneak one in today!

Morphy, I love the description of your best nap. You painted a completed picture in a few words. Lovely.

Morphy, I love the description of your best nap. You painted a completed picture in a few words. Lovely.

I agree.

I just love naps. I got one yesterday, even though I slept in so didn't really need one. My brain needed it, though. I'm sensing another brain-nap coming up today; I have a bit of the dumb today :)

>221 Dejah_Thoris:, At least your team isn't in the Western Division. One of the main reasons the Astros were forced into the AL West was because the Rangers were sick of all the travel and lost revenue (most folks at home can't watch 9 pm road games) from being in Texas and having rest of the division be on the West Coast. Now at least our misery gets company :)

Dejah, my team plays your team this weekend.

I've enjoyed saying "first place Cubs" but I don't think it's going to last much longer. Hoping to see at least some of tonight's game.

>223 inge87: Yeah, but I remember when the Braves were in the NL West, which made even less sense! You have my sympathy, though.

>224 lindapanzo: I know, Linda! I've got rehearsal tonight (which I'm dreading - I feel worse today than yesterday - I think I did too much) so I'll have to record it/watch when I get home. It should be a good series. And hey - it's baseball. You never know what's going to happen!

I'm a big fan of Mary Anna Evans' Faye Longchamp mysteries. They're a great archaeology / amateur sleuth mix. Faye is multiracial, which is fairly unusual in the mystery world. Most of the books are set in the rural southeast, which is also unusual, as Evans isn't going for laughs.

I mention all this because I just noticed that amazon U.S. has the kindle version of the first in the series, Artifacts, on sale for $2.99 - the others in the series are $4.99. I though some folks might be interested - it's a great series.

Good night!

Another day has gone by and I still haven't posted any reviews. Soon, very soon....

I hope you are feeling better, Dejah. We sure have gotten a lovely weekend to relax and enjoy. It was so nice to see the sun again! I see by your reading log up top that you have reached and passed the 75 mark! Congrats on 75!! And it's only April - I stand in awe of your reading talent!

Congrats!!

Thank you both for the congratulations!

I'd be more inclined to celebrate if my reading hadn't been somewhat accelerated by being sick and if I weren't so behind on reviews!

>228 Crazymamie: Yeah, I'm still sick. It has to be the flu - the symptoms match. I am feeling better than I was, but I'm still really tired. The weather has been gorgeous, hasn't it? I've sat out on the deck a little, but no gardening yet, although I have flowers blooming.

>229 drneutron: How on earth do you manage to keep track of so many threads, Jim? I am endlessly amazed at how welcoming and encouraging you are to all the 75ers. BTW, I'm playing a Physicist in the play for which I'm in rehearsal. I get to lecture the audience on all sorts of topics, including Dark Matter. It's actually pretty fun! For me, anyway. We'll see how the audience feels when we open Friday night....

Well, I don't comment much, plus when I get really behind I skim a bit. :) Plus I've developed the ability to actually use LT on my iPhone in meetings!

Cool! Which play is it?

Excellent re; the iPhone in meetings!

The play is "Legacy of Light" by Karen Zacarias, which is unpublished (so no touchstone) but has been produced a number of times. It has a dual timeline (and a little time bending) with a contemporary physicist (me), "Senior Astrophysicist and Tenured Fellow in the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism at the Isaac Newton Institute" who believes she's found the first evidence of a planet in formation (which I believed actually happened recently). She used to study Dark Matter, "but got tired of trying to know the unknowable." The other storyline centers on Emilie du Chatelet (a real person) who was Voltaire's long term lover, translated Newton's work into French, and was an early proponent of light having no mass. She also proposed energy = mass time velocity squared (along with others, I believe - some German whose name escapes me).

I have two somewhat science dense speeches that I like - I have to work to keep them engaging, though. It's an intriguing play. In case you were wondering, it's being produced by a local university. It helps to have a built in audience - this play wouldn't work well for community theater.

Congratulations on passing the 75 book mark, Dejah!

Dejah, your play sounds really interesting :)

You've hit 75 books already? Wow! Congratulations.

>233 ronincats:, 235 Thank you very much, Roni and Carrie!

>234 Esquiress: I think it's pretty interesting, but you tend to fell that about any play you're in. We'll know what an audience thinks soon enough.

Wow, the play sounds rather weighty but interesting! Break a leg with your science-y bits. :)

Congrats on reaching 75 already!

Congrats on your 75 books!

Feel better soon.

*gasp, choke, pass out and back in* 75 books already! Wow, game over. Dejah, you are the bomb! Congrats, Oh Great Speedy One!

Congrats to a fellow 75 books read reacher!

Looks like we crossed 75 at about the same time. Congratulations!

Congratulations on reaching 75! And I hope you recover from the lurgy soon. I'm just getting it, so you're already better than I am!

I say; so many 75ers already? Congratulations to everyone!

Just back from rehearsal; only 1 month to go! We just put together the song for the finale ("Chatanooga Choo Choo" or our version thereof). The two actors who start off the song play a genie who's a bit of a fairy, and a pantomime dame, and they had the rest of us behind them cracking up. Fortunately (according to current plans), we won't come on stage until a bit later for the actual performance, so we can enjoy the scene in safety.

A great big Monday welcome to all my visitors! I'm feeling much better, thanks, I'm just still really tired. And I appreciate all the congratulations!

>237 UnrulySun: It's actually much lighter than it sounds, Kathy - it's more about the two women than science and is actually very funny in places. The character of Voltaire is a hoot - there's sword fighting (a little) - I end up taking to Voltaire while sitting in a tree - and my longer science speech is to a troop of Senior Girl Scouts (the audience), and is condensed from 90 minutes into 2. I suppose it needs to be seen to be appreciated!

>238 Fourpawz2: Thank you, Charlotte - and Happy Thingaversary to you!

>239 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda, but none of that choking and passing out stuff! I keep telling folks to add plays into their reading mix...they're short!

>240 Morphidae: Woohoo, Morphy - I think you and I are destined to hit at least 250, if not the dreaded 300 this year!

>241 inge87: And that goes for you, too, Jennifer. Do you usually hit 300 books on the year? You're on the pace, too, although Morphy is a little ahead of us.

>242 susanj67: Thank you so much, Susan! I'm feeling better, thanks, and am very happy to be toward the end of this crud rather than the beginning. I hope your recovery is swift, and you get to do lots of reading in the meantime!

>243 humouress: Hey Nina! I hadn't refreshed my page so I missed your post. The 75ers is the place to be, no matter how many books you read! Many thanks for your congratulations.

Your descriptions of your show crack me up! Especially (for some reason) the fact that you're doing the "Chattanooga Choo Choo" in any form! A month to go still - wow. That is a looong rehearsal process, although I know anything with singing and dancing can usually use all the rehearsal time possible. I love the 'panto Dame' idea - I'm quite sure I know a few of those, even without doing panto here. I hope you and your son are still having a wonderful time with it.

Stopping by to get caught up and Wowed by the books you have been reading - both the quantity and the diversity! I keep seeing great reviews for The Ghost Map, and seriously unhappy that my library doesn't have that one! I have both Cinder and Scarlet on the future reading list, so happy to see that this is a fun series to read. I am somewhat sorry to see that The Twelfth Enchantment was a bit of a let down... I haven't read any Liss yet but was kind of hoping that one would be a good book to start with..... I should probably consider one of his other books first, although I will keep in mind the comment you made that others have enjoyed this one.

Sorry to learn that you were under the weather last week. Glad to learn that you are on the mend.

And before I forget.... belated congratulations on reaching 75 books read already this year!

Thanks, Lori! I really liked Ghost Map - if you're interested in the topic, it may be worth going through some effort to get. As for David Liss, I will definitely try one of his historicals. His fantasy just didn't work for me, but maybe I was being too picky!

I am feeling a lot better - thank goodness!

Congrats on reaching 75 already, Dejah. I thought I was doing well, being about halfway to 75.

Congratulations Dejah on reaching your first 75 of the year. Hope you are feeling better this week, whatever that bug is that is making the rounds, it seems to really knock people over for a time. I prescribe continued pampering of yourself until you are sure you are totally back to full health.

>244 Dejah_Thoris:, I'm not sure. This is the first year I've really counted (I've tried before but never gotten past February). But my math tells me that I'll probably come close.

Hi Dejah, congrats to you and everyone else who has reached the mighty 75 already *big smile*

Great that you are enjoying your play, also I agree with Kathy it does sound quite heavy. However, you are the one who has to enjoy that.
In regards to naps. I admire everyone who is able to have them, because I can't. Even if I feel tired in the afternoons I have to overcome this urge to have a nap. Everytime I had a nap and get up afterwards I suffer under incredible headaches :(. The same is when I am on nightshift. Most of my collegues nap during there breaks and I can't because of the resulting headaches.

Ghost Map - will read this month. Two of my friends from work and myself decided to start a book club. That's the first book on discussion in May :)

Wish you and your cats a wonderful weekend!

So glad that you are feeling better, Dejah! Wishing you a weekend full of fabulous!

I am so behind but I will stop in to say Happy Saturday Dejah! I'm glad you are feeling better.

Ghost Map is on my list!

Hi Dejah, I hope that you are feeling better again and that your weekend was a lovely one!

Dejah, just checking in over here. I MISS you!

Hey everybody! Linda Judy, Jennifer, Bianca, Mamie and Roberta - thanks for checking on me!

Sorry I haven't been around much. I am feeling very well, thank you, but once I felt better I was immediately swamped with work catch up - and tech week for my show which opened last Friday night. For the curious, final dress was horrible - I have never had such a bad night before opening! Fortunately, all has gone smoothly since and our audiences are really enjoying the play. It's not heavy at all - I promise!

I haven't had too much time to read, but after this week my schedule will be more flexible. Of course, there will still be baseball. Go Braves, the best team in the MLB!!!!

I'll try to get to the threads over the next few days...I am so behind....

Glad to hear the actual production is going well--no wonder you are busy!

They say, "Bad dress, good show."

>258 Esquiress:: As I was about to say, too.

We're in to the final month of our rehearsals. These two weeks are school holidays, and there are quite a few people missing, which our director isn't happy about. We've started doing run-throughs of the Acts, so we've just realised we need all the cast there for crowd scenes. Unfortunately, being panto, there are a lot of kids in it, and most of them usually get to go home earlier than the adults. Mine gets to hang around because I have to stay on - and getting him out of there when we do finish is hard, because he loves watching the leads do their bits. He quotes parts to me, too! Our director is generally fairly easy going, but he did have a good rant at us on Monday, because there weren't enough people there to block the crowd scenes :0)

Hi Dejah! Glad to hear your opening went well! Thanks for stopping by my thread and checking in on me. That
was so thoughtful of you.

To Humouress--I can totally understand your director's frustration! Maybe he should require the kids to stay later.

Sandy K

>260 sandykaypax:: I know; I can see both sides.

Up till now, on the schedule, the kids' parts were (supposed to be) finished by 9:00 so they could leave - they do have school, too. (My sons' theoretical bedtime is 7:00. Never happens, though.) Now, we have less than a month to go, we do need to tighten up things. Anyway, they've sent round a message, and we'll all be staying on until things are working the way they should.

But generally, it's looking good. And it's so funny!

Congratulations on a great opening, Dejah. How long will the show run for?

I am viewing this baseball season with despair because my Yankees don't have much of a team this year. They really need a stable of new blood.

Congratulations on the successful opening of the new play, Dejah!

Congrats on the play!!! Thank heavens for dress rehearsals.

Hi everybody!

Sorry I've been so absent. The run of the show was excellent. I'm sorry that I did such a poor job of explaining it - I know I made it sound heavy and boring. The show was really very fun - some deeper issues, but they were handled lightly. My monologues (the second ran over three minutes per one friend - I never timed it myself) got a great reception. People loved the show in general - a number of people said it was their favorite show they'd seen at the university and others said it was now their favorite play, period. Stoppard's Arcadia remains my favorite, but this one was fun. I don't know when or if Legacy of Light will be published, but I hope it will be produced more often.

>257 ronincats: Roni, thanks for checking in. As you can see, the show went great!

>258 Esquiress: I know they say that "bad dress" stuff, Es, but as I'd never, never had a bad dress I don't think I believed it. We came through, though.

>259 humouress: Rehearsals with kids can be tough! I didn't audition for the show currently in rehearsal at my 'home' community theater - I'd been in rehearsal or performance since the second week of January and if I'd been cast I would have closed one show and begun rehearsals the next day - but I have a lot of friends in the cast. There are four young girls in the cast and for some wacky reason the director told their parents he'd only need them an hour a week. They're on a short rehearsal schedule and an hour a week isn't going to do it!!!! Oh well. I hope your rehearsals are going splendidly! How many performances will you have?

>260 sandykaypax: It's good to have you visit, Sandy! I hope you're doing well - I'll be visiting your thread to find out what you've been up to.

>262 cameling: Hi Caro - thanks for the congratulations! The show ran for 9 performances plus a preview audience at final dress. The trouble with college and community theater is that by the time you feel you've worked the kinks out and are really in the groove the show closes.

I watching baseball as I type. The Braves have had a great start, but have cooled a little, The Tigers are giving us fits....

>263 lkernagh: Thank you, Lori - the show was a blast. I hope I get to do more shows at the University in the future - very different from community theater.

>264 cammykitty: We needed that dress rehearsal, Katie! The laughs rarely come exactly where you expect them, but this group of actors was really good at pausing so the audience didn't miss any lines. One line in particular always got a big laugh - but some nights more than others. I'm in a tree, talking to Voltaire on the ground. He says his line and the audience erupts with laughter - one night, it went on and on and he wiggled his eyebrows at me. They couldn't really see his face, but mine was fully visible and I almost lost it. He did it again the next night - I wanted to smack him!

Welcome back, Dej, and congrats on a wonderful performance! *throws glitter for Dejah's monologues*

Thank you, thank you, Es! It was fun - I came to love that second monologue. I'll miss it......

That's the worse part about a show ending. The vacancy it leaves :(

Well, I won't be auditioning for a while, but I've agreed to run the light board for the last straight play of the season, Hotel Paradiso and for the summer musical Spamalot. Woohoo! HP should be easy, but I suspect Spam will have many, many cues....

I thought I'd let you know that I found a spot for I Capture the Castle in challenge 3 in the May TIOLIs. It's in the top 10% of my TBR list when sorted by average rating.

Excellent! I'm looking forward to it. I'll go add myself to the wiki.

>270 Dejah_Thoris:: Cool beans. I'd love to do lights or sound for a show, but I don't think I have the learning to be able to do it. I could stage manage the Hades out of something, though :)

>273 Esquiress: Actually, Es, running the light board is pretty easy. Designing the lighting plan, hanging lights, focusing them - that's another issue entirely!

For the most part, I turn the system on and hit the button as the cues come. I prefer to just follow the script and use visual/vocal cues to time it, but some stage managers insist on calling the cues. I'm not certain about the Hotel Paradiso stage manager, but I know I'll have a blast on headset with the Spamalot SM.

I confess I have no desire to stage manage - none. I would not want to deal with actors, particularly in show with lots of kids! I think stage managing would be too stressful. Running the light board is miserable for tech rehearsal and the first few days after - while you're learning the cues you make mistakes which I hate. Once you've got it, though, it's easy. The key is to do it only for shows you like...when we were supposed to do Les Miserable this summer, I flatly refused to have anything to do with it. Three hours a night of misery? No thank you!

Dej, you're such a cool chick!

Hey, Dejah, congratulations on such a successful run! But I hope we're going to see more of you around here now.

Dejah I'm glad your show was fun. Wow you are managing the lighting. How very important. Please make sure mine is very dim, soft and flattering. LOL! Are you doing much reading?

Heya Dejah! Congrats on a great show!

lol

>275 Esquiress: Thanks, Es, but I'm not sure I qualify as a cool chick! Especially since it gets really hot in the light booth.....

>276 ronincats: Thanks, Roni. Life is slowly getting back in order - I'm looking forward to having a little more time for LT.

>277 luvamystery65: Welcome back, Roberta! Honestly - I just push the buttons. Someone else decides the amount of light, alas. All the actors (male and female) always want flattering lighting. Pink gels are the most often requested. They (or should that be we, since I'm an actor, too) never get them because it makes a mess of the costume colors - oh well!

I have to say that the lighting for Legacy of Light was superb. The effect were simply beautiful. My community theater never manages anything that complex. It's easier for the person in the booth, but some of the shows could use better lighting than they get.

I have been reading this month, but not as much as many months. A few of the books I've read this month were long,, but then I have a few short plays still to read before the month is over. I haven't done very well getting the books I intended to read finished (or even started), but some months go that way. And, as always, I am pathetically behind on reviews and threads. I'll get caught up eventually.

Ack!!!!! I just wrote a long post and it disappeared!!!! Grrrrrrrr.......

I'll see if I can reconstruct it.

>275 Esquiress: Es, my dear, I'm not sure I qualify as a cool chick, especially given that the light booth can be sweltering!

>276 ronincats: Thanks, Roni - the show was wonderful, but I'm looking forward to having my life be a little calmer and having more time on LT. And having a little more time to read!

>277 luvamystery65: Welcome back, Roberta! I'm really not that important - somebody else decides how much light goes where, alas. And actors are always asking for favorable lighting - pink gels are popular request. They (or should that be we since I'm an actor, too) never get them because it makes a mess of the costume colors!

The lighting for Legacy of Light was truly spectacular - we never have anything that complex at our community theaters. Less complex means an easier time in the light booth, but some shows deserve and/or could use a more creative light plan.

I have been reading, but just not as much as some months. I haven't done a very good job of reading what I intended for April - hopefully I'll do a better job in May.

>278 UnrulySun: Thank you so much, Kathy! It was wonderful that so many people enjoyed the show - actors are such suckers for favorable reviews....

>279 cruseder4: Welcome to my thread, cruseder4. I see you are new to LT - you're welcome to visit anytime! Be sure to join the 75ers - we're a nice bunch if I do say so myself. Let me know when you have a thread set up and I'll pay you a visit.

You are totally a cool chick, even if your body temperature is high. :D

Welcome back, Dejah! I just finished For All The Tea in China after seeing it here and I learned such a lot! Thanks for your review.

Dejah, I'm shocked! As a sometimes stage manager, I have to say that there is a very good reason why the stage manager needs to call the cues. You probably know that already, though. Especially in a musical. I love to call musicals because there is a definite rhythm to the cue calls. Crew has to follow the chain of command for it to all go smoothly. Otherwise, too many cooks spoil the soup, or show!

Plus, if you trust in your stage manager and let them call the cues, then when mistakes are made during tech or performance, you are not at fault. A good stage manager will never blame their light ops for a missed cue or mistake. But some stage managers are difficult to work with, for sure.

I actually stage managed Les Mis School Edition a few years ago. I loved it. The most difficult show I ever stage managed was Jesus Christ Superstar. I had to have a prompt book for each act, because there were so many cues! At one point, I had to call a standby for two spotlights, light board, stuff to fly in, and projections. All happening at the same time! I had a blast, though.

SAndy K

Hey, forgot to say--sounds like your show was great! congrats!

I love Hotel Paradiso. Have you ever seen the film? It's from the 1950's or 60's.

Sandy K

So glad to have you back, Dejah! We missed you, but it sounds as if your play was a complete success - Congratulations! And I learned something here that i did not know - THE MAY TIOLI IS UP?!! I'm off...

>286 Crazymamie:: Here is where I learned it too :)

Welcome back Dejah and congratulations on a great show!

Hello, all!

>282 Esquiress:, 287 Es, you are a very welcome and entertaining visitor - I'm so glad you drop by my thread!

>283 susanj67: Hi Susan! Thanks for the welcome back. I thought For All the Tea in China was interesting for specific information that I wanted - but maybe not the most engaging book. I'll be over to your thread to read what you thought of it!

>284 sandykaypax:-285 Oh Sandy, we may have to agree to disagree over the SM calling the light cues! At our community theater, the person in the light booth often has a much better view of the stage/actors than the SM. I agree that less experienced light board operators, particularly those who are not also performers, benefit from from someone calling the cues. However, during the last show for which I ran the board, Meet Me in St. Louis there were some visual cues that the SM simply couldn't see - there's no way she could have called them. Also, I'm familiar with the timing of the system - most of our SMs have never run the board I think think for a complicated show, like most musicals, it's easier for me (or whomever) to learn it cold and run the show with the script in from of her every night.

I know this wouldn't work or even be considered at many theaters, but I like it! I like the responsibility and I feel as a performer myself I have a good feel for the best moment to hit the lights. I should also add that not all of our SMs and light board operators are not all equally skilled. I try to be careful who I work with....I bet you're one doozy of a SM!

Les Mis would have been tough and I still have no intention of doing it summer 2014. I'm looking forward to Spam, but I can't imagine how many light and sound cues we'll have. I think there were 156 for Meet Me in St. Louis - but only one sound cue, thank goodness.

I have not seen the film version of HP - I've tries to get a hold of it, but no luck so far. I'm helping several friends with lines and will be on book for Friday night's run though - woohoo!

>286 Crazymamie: Hey Mamie! The show was really fun - even if I was double the age of most of the rest of the cast. I'm still surprised at how very much most people seemed to enjoy it. You and Es need to watch for the TIOLI a little more closely, lol!

>287 Esquiress: Thank you, Lori, for the welcome and the congratulations. I missed being on LT!

I decided that I'd best go ahead a start a new thread tonight - I don't know when else I'd get to it this week.

Please continue on and visit me!