Paul's Books and Stuff in 2013 Part 20

My mother, brother (seated as he's always been taller than I), sister being carried and oneself complete with bell bottoms circa 1978

QUOTE

Since we are having photo's taken like statues then it is appropriate to quote Yorkshire sculptor Barbara Hepworth this thread.

" My works are an imitation of my own past and present."

Barbara Hepworth

2013 Books Read January-June 2013

January
1. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
2. Religion for Atheists by Alain de Botton
3. Promised Land: A Northern Love Story bt Anthony Clavane
4. A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor
5. A Drop of the Hard Stuff by Lawrence Block
6. That Awkward Age by Roger McGough
7. If Morning Ever Comes by Anne Tyler
8. Coffee, Tea or Me? by Trudi Baker
9. Among the Cinders by Maurice Shadbolt
10 Viper's Tangle by Francois Mauriac
11 Phantom by Jo Nesbo
12 When Christ and His Saints Slept by Sharon Penman
13 The In-Between World of Vikram Lall by M.G. Vassanji
14 An Elegy for Easterly by Petina Gappah

February
15 The Shortest History of Europe by John Hirst
16 Accidental Death of an Anarchist by Dario Fo
17 The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers
18 The Green Hat by Michael Arlen
19 V by Tony Harrison
20 The King's Fifth by Scott O'Dell
21 This Sporting Life by David Storey
22 Thirteen Hours by Deon Meyer
23 A Short History of England by Simon Jenkins
24 Back When We Were Grown-ups by Anne Tyler
25 On the Road to Babadag by Andrzej Stasiuk
26 Island in the Centre by Rex Shelley
27 Andris Apse : Odyssey and Images by R.D. Crosby & Andris Apse
28 I Curse the River of Time by Per Petterson
29 50 Amazing Places in China by Dong Huai
30 Greyfriars Bobby by Eleanor Atkinson

March
31 Fallen Angel : The Passion of Fausto Coppi by William Fotheringham
32 Portrait of a Spy by Daniel Silva
33 Birthday Letters by Ted Hughes
34 After Rain by William Trevor
35 Jean de Florette by Marcel Pagnol
36 He (Shey) by Rabindranath Tagore
37 Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

April
38 The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
39 Little Big Man by Thomas Berger
40 Billy Brown, I'll Tell Your Mother by Bill Brown
41 Rhodesia by Nick Carter
42 The Mersey Sound by Adrian Henri, Roger McGough & Brian Patten
43 The Dance of the Seagull by Andrea Camilleri
44 Crimsoned Prairie by SLA Marshall
45 Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope

May
46 The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
47 History of the Second World War by B.H. Liddell-Hart
48 Dance of the Happy Shades by Alice Munro
49 Time and the Conways by J.B. Priestley
50 A Slipping-Down Life by Anne Tyler
51 Manon des Sources by Marcel Pagnol
52 Barabbas by Par Lagerkvist
53 One Hand on the Claret Jug by Norman Dabell
54 A Quiet Flame by Philip Kerr
55 Loving Sabotage by Amelie Nothomb
56 The Possessed: Adventures with Russian Books by Elif Batuman
57 My Michael by Amos Oz
58 Sunset Song by Lewis Grassic Gibbon

June
59 What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank by Nathan Englander
60 East of the West by Miroslav Penkov
61 In the Penny Arcade by Steven Millhauser
62 Drifting House by Krys Lee
63 Ten Sorry Tales by Mick Jackson
64 Stay Awake by Dan Chaon
65 Better Living Through Plastic Explosives by Zsuzsi Gartner
66 Tunneling to the Center of the Earth by Kevin Wilson
67 The Wreck of the Zanzibar by Michael Morpurgo
68 A Wanted Man by Lee Child
69 After Daybreak: The Liberation of Belsen, 1945 by Ben Shephard
70 Tinkers by Paul Harding
71 Ten Little Aliens by Stephen Cole
72 Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
73 The Savage Altar by Asa Larsson
74 The Captain's Verses by Pablo Neruda
75 What a Carve Up! by Jonathan Coe

2013 Books Read July-Dec 2013

76 We Might as Well Win by Johan Bruyneel
77 The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks
78 Redemption aka A Conspiracy of Faith by Jussi Adler-Olsen
79 The Albemarle Book of Modern Verse Volume 2 edited by FES Finn
80 This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz
81 The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Best of 2013

Non-Fiction
1 Promised Land : A Northern Love Story by Anthony Clavane
2. A Short History of England by Simon Jenkins
3. After Daybreak: The Liberation of Belsen, 1945 by Ben Shephard

Fiction
1 The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers
2 The In-Between World of Vikram Lall
3 This Sporting Life by David Storey
4 Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
5 What a Carve Up! by Jonathan Coe

Thrillers
1 Phantom by Jo Nesbo
2 Thirteen Hours by Deon Meyer
3 A Quiet Flame by Philip Kerr

Poetry
1. Birthday Letters by Ted Hughes

July Reading Plan

June was a fairly successful month with 17 books done.

I am going to try and read as many challenges as possible this month
Here would be a full house:

TIOLI 1 : A Blessing on the Moon by Joseph Skibell (black bird/crow)Reading
TIOLI 2 : The Natural by Bernard Malamud (up last month)
TIOLI 3 : This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz (New Yorker) Done
TIOLI 4 : A Conspiracy of Faith by Jussi Adler Olsen Done
TIOLI 5 : Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo (Nov 11)
TIOLI 6 : In Praise of Hatred by Khaled Khalifa (cover)
TIOLI 7 : The Silver Swan by Benjamin Black
TIOLI 8 : The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
TIOLI 9 : On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
TIOLI 10 : Bonjour Tristesse by Francoise Sagan (1950) Reading
TIOLI 11 : Licence Renewed by John Gardner (Fleming's Bond)
TIOLI 12 : Waiting for Anya by Michael Morpurgo
TIOLI 13 : Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively
TIOLI 14 : The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks Done
TIOLI 15 : The Killing of the Tinkers by Ken Bruen (alcoholism)
TIOLI 16 : We Might as Well Win by Johan Bruyneel (228 pages)Done
TIOLI 17 : Charles Dickens by Jane Smiley
TIOLI 18 : The Clock Winder by Anne Tyler (Maryland)Reading
TIOLI 19 : Great Granny Webster by Caroline Blackwood
TIOLI 20 : Albemarle Book of Modern Verse by FES Finn (UK holiday) Done
TIOLI 21 : The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
TIOLI 22 : Salvage by Robert Edric Reading
TIOLI 23 : In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar
TIOLI 24 : The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orzy Reading
TIOLI 25 : Among Others by Jo Walton (Kino Newsletter)
TIOLI 26 : The Grapes of Wrath by John SteinbeckDone
TIOLI 27 : The Birds on the Trees by Nina Bawden (Clara Tilney)

Category Challenge

1 Works Originally in French (4/13)
2 Historical Fiction (5/13)
3 Poetry/Plays (8/13)
4 Works by Anne Tyler (3/13)
5 Books on Sports (5/13)
6 Books on Travel or Places (4/13)
7 Short Story Collections (13/13)
8 Between the Wars (3/13)
9 Scandi (5/13)
10 Old Friends (8/13)
11 Then and Now (7/13)
12 Prize Winners (5/13)
13 Asia Pacific (4/13)

Total Number of Challenges 169

Completed to Date 74

Percentage Complete 43.79%

Books at Start of Year on KL Shelves - 1,676
Added in 2013 - 546
Read in 2013 - 81

Revised TBR Total - 2,141

Pages to read at start of year - 639,135
Pages added in 2013 - 177,101
Read in 2013 - 21,425
Revised Pages to read - 794,811

Current Reading:

MOVIES SEEN AT THE CINEMA IN 2013

1 The Hobbit
2 Jack Reacher
3 Les Miserables
4 Parental Guidance
5 The Life of Pi
6. Flight
7. Lincoln
8. Django
9. Oz, The Great and Powerful
10. Iron Man 3
11. Oblivion
12. The Great Gatsby
13. After Earth
14. Monster University
15. The Lone Rangerhttp

Series List:

Please refer to my page on fict-fact

http://www.fictfact.com/list/PaulCranswick/ALL

NOBEL CHALLENGE (This year's read additions in bold)

NOBEL WINNERS READ WITH FAVOURITE WORK READ SO FAR:
2011 The Half-Finished Heaven by Tomas Transtromer
2010 The Storyteller by Mario Vargas Llosa
2009 The Appointment by Herta Muller
2007 The Good Terrorist by Doris Lessing
2006 Snow by Orhan Pamuk
2005 The Caretaker by Harold Pinter
2003 The Master of Petersburg by J.M.Coetzee
2001 A House for Mr. Biswas by V.S. Naipaul
1998 The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis by Jose Saramago
1997 Accidental Death of an Anarchist by Dario Fo
1995 Station Island by Seamus Heaney
1994 A Quiet Life by Kenzaburo Oe
1991 July's People by Nadine Gordimer
1988 Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz
1987 On Grief and Reason by Joseph Brodsky
1983 Lord of the Flies by William Golding
1982 A Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
1976 Herzog by Saul Bellow
1972 Billiards at Half-Past Nine by Heinrich Boll
1971 The Captain's Verses by Pablo Neruda
1970 Cancer Ward by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
1968 Beauty and Sadness by Yasunari Kawabata
1964 The Age of Reason by Jean-Paul Sartre
1962 Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
1961 Bridge On the Drina by Ivo Andric
1958 Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
1957 The Plague by Albert Camus
1955 The Atom Station by Halldor Laxness
1954 The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemmingway
1953 History of the English Speaking Peoples by Winston Churchill
1952 Knot of Vipers by Francois Mauriac
1951 Barabbas by Par Lagerkvist
1949 The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
1948 The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot
1947 The Counterfeiters by Andre Gide
1946 Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse
1938 The Good Earth by Pearl Buck
1932 A Man of Property by John Galsworthy
1930 Main Street by Sinclair Lewis
1925 Man and Superman by George Bernard Shaw
1923 Collected Poems by W.B. Yeats
1921 And the Gods Will Have Blood by Anatole France
1913 He (Shey) by Rabindranath Tagore
1907 Kim by Rudyard Kipling

UNREAD NOBEL WINNERS ON THE SHELVES

2012 Red Sorghum by Mo Yan
2008 The Interrogation by J.M.G. Le Clezio
2004 The Piano Teacher by Elfriede Jelinek
2002 Fatelessness by Imre Kertesz
2000 Soul Mountain by Gao Xingjian
1999 The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass
1996 Poems New and Collected by Wislawa Szymborska
1993 Jazz by Toni Morrison
1992 Selected Poems by Derek Walcott
1990 The Labyrinth of Solitude by Octavio Paz
1989 The Family of Pascual Duarte by Camilo Jose Cela
1986 Ake: The Years of Childhood by Wole Soyinka
1985 Flanders Road by Claude Simon
1981 Kafka's Other Trial by Elias Canetti
1978 Enemies : A Love Story by Isaac Bashevis Singer
1973 Voss by Patrick White
1969 Molloy by Samuel Beckett
1966 A Book That Was Lost by S.Y. Agnon
1965 And Quiet Flows the Don by Mikhail Sholokhov
1950 A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell
1939 The Maid Silja by F.E. Sillanpaa
1936 A Long Day's Journey into Night by Eugene O'Neill
1934 Six Characters in Search of an Author by Luigi Pirandello
1933 The Village by Ivan Bunin
1929 Doctor Faustus by Thomas Mann
1928 Kristin Lavransdatter : 1 The Wreath by Sigrid Undset
1926 Reeds in the Wind by Grazia Deledda
1920 Hunger by Knut Hamsun
1909 The Saga of Gosta Berling by Selma Lagerlof
1905 Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz

So far read 44 laureates
30 laureates unread on the shelves
36 laureates whose works neither owned not read.

Hej Paul, I don't like drooling kids, so RD gets only half of the sweet.

Hahaha Paul - no book for first place as you already have five coming your way! Next up will get a book if they haven't won yet in 2013.

That's a very 70's looking photo up there ... you will get the ladies excited again !

Alex - You win the prize mate. Please PM me your address and I'll organise a book for you!

*sigh* (i just had coffee break and thought I comment on the RD sweet and had to do that on the new thread, I didn't realize I was first)

and a nice picture you have dug out up there - not just ladies get excited ...

There's a lovely photo on top. Congratulations on your new thread, Paul!

*back to television screen because of Tour-addiction*

Paul - Next year I'm sure you'll get another book!

Diana - Thanks my dear. I am watching along with you. Interesting day ahead I'm sure.

Happy new thread! Love the photo.

How was Monster University? I loved Monsters, Inc.

Hi Paul. Hope the week goes well for you.

Reba - Thanks - I distinctly remember that photo shoot in Wakefield. I think the camera caught my nearest approximation of a smile - a grimace more like it. Hated my photo taken and still don't really enjoy it.

Morphy - Yasmyne picked it knowing that I despise most cartoons as she is still at war with her mother and not pleased that I publicly support her nemesis despite cutting her a little slack when "Adolf" isn't in earshot. Having said that it was enjoyable I suppose.

Karen - Nice to see you back amongs us my dear - my thread isn't the same nowadays without your presence.

Laughing at your Yasmyne and Mother Adolf. Glad we all got past those years, still enjoy each other, and all of us survived, although that last was a bit tricky at times.

Great photo at top.

Paul, you cutie! In my memory family portrait days were not the happiest of our life together - thanks to my father who grouched and grumbled and generally made my mother frenzied. That was not typical, thank goodness.

Happy 20th thread Paul, and happy new week! Cute picture, those 70s collars must have hurt!

Very 70's up there:)

Hope you and yours had a great weekend and that work allows you enough time for reading and a visit to a bookshop (or two)!

I still favor turtlenecks.

Oh Lord, you saw After Earth? My great sympathies.

Nice photo, Paul.

Ah, the seventies! Thank goodness that's behind us!! Happy New Thread, Paul - and congrats on number TWENTY! I hope that Monday was kind to you.

Don't knock the 70s completely. The clothes and haircuts were terrible, but I managed to have a lot of fun!

And the music and movies were great!

Happy new thread! *adds some glitter*

Hi Paul, love the photo to start thread 20.

Hi Paul - like your style - as an echo to what Rebecca said - yes, the 1970s were great for music, films, AND Dutch football...(and even Second Division sides winning the FA Cup - a nice memory for me as the Hammers were the last side to achieve that honour, back in 1980, but one that's probably less fun for you what with Bob Stokoe & co. circa 1973....

Gail - The two of them are entertaining even as they make me wince!

Peggy - My own father as usual is absent from the photo - I checked the photos when I was back in the UK recently and couldn't find a single one with all together. Not surprising I suppose given the eventual abandonment.

Nathalie - Lovely to see you (grabbing a few moments of internet time at the office?) - the collars do look pretty special don't they?

Calm - I expect to make the bookshop this Friday but the working week is exceptionally hectic these days. I also have 12 books outstanding from Book Depo.

RD - SWMBO normally comments that I am without a discernible neck so turtlenecks are not encouraged for myself. The Bell-Bottoms were a fashion item gladly consigned to the scrapheap IMO.

Eris - Mmmm I would say that it is safely the poorest film I have seen this year. As a boy I loved Scooby Doo and Bugs Bunny but was never otherwise keen on cartoons - I suppose my home life was always sufficiently animated. Still Monster University could be seen again but After Earth not.

Nina - My Napoleon syndrome was at work even then. Picked out the photo because my brother who even then was at least three inches taller is seated whilst I, standing, look the more imposing!

Mamie - Monday was busy busy busy. Tuesday and Wednesday will be at least as bad. Thursday and Friday I have high hopes for. x

Rebecca - There was certainly more hair about in those days! Music and film were at their very best in the decade of Watergate and the rise of Mrs. T, the three day week and the oil crisis - politics were probably at their worst.

Es - Thanks for the glitter. Of course Gary Glitter was for reasons unfathomable extremely popular in the seventes too - in this century his life as a paedophile has not helped his record sales. Scumbag.

John - You are a few years my senior and about to slip honourably past a watershed shortly but I still remember that decade of long summers, Sunday league cricket, King Geoffrey, Don Revie, King Billy (then unfortunately for 44 days Brian). I remember card games and wireless and stories by the fire during the three day week and the power cuts, I remember toasted tea-cakes of a Sunday evening after a splendid roast dinner earlier in the day as I saved my roast taties for last soaked and mashed up in the remaining gravy. I remember going down to Elland Road to watch them train and again on a Saturday knowing we'd win. I remember walking through the village to me old grans and brewing up strong Yorkshire tea which she let me drink from the saucer. I remember the bags of boiled sweets she'd bring me off the bus which we'd call spice for reasons unaccountable. I remember trips on the bus into Wakey with me old gran wandering through Woolies and falling in love with 45s and Doctor Who's Target Books and Edge's cowboy adventures. I remember trips to Sharlston and playing on those slag heaps behind the terraces. A great time to grow up!

Paul - Technically not quite right mate as Trevor Brooking's only headed goal was in the 1980 cup final but as a Hammer I guess it needed to be mentioned! That 1973 cup final was felt by many to be the end of the Leeds team but we blitzed the league the following year. Montgomery's double save must be the greatest in any cup final - we were jinxed!

Lovely new thread and picture, although most of the prior message was totally unfathomable to me.

Lovely family photo up there, Paul! Your mother looks very dear.

Paul- Congrats on the Mighty 20! Great family photo! What a nice looking family. What is wrong with your sister? Did you pinch her or something?
You'll have to stop by and see my ALA haul. It might even make you a bit envious and you know that is very hard to do.

Ha - Bell Bottoms are certainly worth condemning the 70s, but seriously, don't we cringe about every past decade eventually? I think it's time to start cringing about the huge huge huge shirts and diagonal belts of the 80s.

Well I got here sort of soonish Paul and wouldn't have wanted to miss that family picture. Aren't you a charming young man? I love it.

Roni - Thank you my dear. My West Yorkshire reminisces of childhood to John will definitely be understood by him but also, I suspect, most of the Brits who grace the group. Bit self-indulgent as all growing up can be but the 1970s meant for me:
Slade
Abba
Paul MacCartney & Wings
Leeds United
Billy Bremner
Long summer days
Geoffrey Boycott
Playing in the fields behind my house
Jon Pertwee & Tom Baker as Doctor Who
Famous Five, Biggles, Edge, the Who books, Alistair MacLean, Hammond Innes, Dame Agatha and, hesitatingly, Charlie D.
Alberto Juanterino and those socks
East German women who ran like men and looked like men
Eddy Merckx
The Miner's on strike
Tony Benn
Rising Damp and Reggie Perrin
Fawlty Towers
James Bond (Moore and Jane Seymour tied together with me wanting to be the rope)
Hammer horror
Kate Bush

Julia - Thanks for mentioning the old dear. She was considered quite glam amongst my friends growing up but considering the look of their own mums I'm not in the least surprised!

Mark - That is as happy as she normally got to look I'm afraid. We used to make her ears burn by rubbing her head very quickly up and down the carpet. Wonder why she grew up mean!

Katie - I'm sure I'll find some photos to send up myself in the 1980s!

Bonnie - It is one of the few photos of the era in existence with my hair somewhat under control and my teeth not exposed for the work in progress they tended to be.

75.

What a Carve Up! by Jonathan Coe

A novel within a novel; a story within a story; a film within a story within a story. Wonderfully complex and witty novel from Jonathan Coe which satirises mainly the era of greed that was Thatcher's Britain, it's hypocrisy in dealing with other states (here mainly Iraq) as well as families, the old post-war Ealing type British black comedies and writing in general. Loved it to bits in fact.

A more disagreeable assortment of individuals could not have been more enjoyably brought to life than in these pages and a nice way to bring up my own milestone for the year.

9/10

I love some of the cultural icons of the 1970s. Fawlty Towers was/is a classic!!
I'm almost done with Cop Hater, Paul and it's been a pleasure to read. McBain knows how to tell a story.

Yay I'm so glad you like What a Carve Up! it was an awesome read for me too when I read it just after Thatcher died. I have another of his books called the Rotters Club to read which is about the seventies I think.

Yay, you liked What a Carve Up!!
I posted from home yesterday, I had taken the afternoon off. Everyone else is away, so I'll try to get at least some 'afternoon-holidays' this week.
But right now I'm at work, so I'd better be off again. :-)

16 > Thanks !

43 > some definite cross overs items were I to publish such a list .....

For the wordsmiths amongst you - here is a Elizabethan curse generator - for a bit of fun!

http://trevorstone.org/curse/

>45 PaulCranswick: well, I think I must read Jonathan Coe then. I have some of his books hanging about and have the general feeling Id like him. Pacifically.....The Closed Circle and The Rain Before it Falls. Can you recommend either?

Happy new thread! And yay for an NZ book winner :)

Congratulations on the 75 Paul.

Ellen - Different times mean different things to different people but most will agree that Basil Fawlty, Manuel et al were a TV highlight for any decade.

Works as literature for me Lisa but without any literary pretensions. Really good novel telling an interesting story(ies).

I most loved some of the black humour in the novel Nathalie. When the arms dealers Lady wife is blown up in his car the grief of the husband.......for the car, is a joy to read and chuckle to. I am quite easy going when it comes to internet usage in the office as it is more a case of results rather than constant big brother monitoring. Often in the evenings the staff let the traffic die down a bit and surf as they do during break time. Keeps them happy and me profitable!

Alex - Oldham is not too far removed from Wakefield culturally especially 30+ years ago. As an "artless shag-eared lewdster" I think I am well away from Elizabethan England!

Megan - I think the timing of thread renewal gives all a chance. If I change always in the morning my time or at night then those with time zones more attuned to my ways will inevitably win-out whilst - I like to mix it up a bit to give chance to all!
I haven't read anything else by Coe, although I do feel another book coming soon to a library near me! The Rotter's Club was amongst those books happily given away by my daughter in the mistaken belief that I had already read them when I was actually sorting out upcoming reads.

Calm - Thank you my dear. I am ahead of last year but, as always, behind my unrealistic targets (this time 200 books).

Congrats on hitting 75!

#37 You'd have to have been somewhat older than you were in that picture, Paul, to have enjoyed many of the enjoyable aspects of the 70s!

Yes, congrats on 75 books read. Whoo hoo!

well done for reaching 75 !!

Jim - Thanks. I will have the Books read and Posting stats up tomorrow and I am amazed at how many of the group are already past the "banner" of 75.

Rebecca - hahaha you are no doubt right and I guess you are not talking about soccer cards and Sunday League Cricket.

Morphy - Thank you. I am days away from congratulating you on passing 200.

Paul - Thank you mate.

Happy 20th, Paul! and woo hoo's for reaching 75 reads! Thanks for the little trip back to the 70's! Your grooviness shines thru on the opening pic.

Got three books delivered from Book Depo today.

Tevye the Dairyman by Sholem Aleichem
The Towers of Trebizond by Rose Macaulay
Novel on Yellow Paper by Stevie Smith

513 added in 2013

Lynda - I'm not sure I really felt groovy that day and I am there about two years away from the spectre of spectacles.

You are right about that, Paul! By the way, I really enjoyed The Towers of Trebizond and although I haven't read that Sholem Aleichem, I loved his Wandering Stars which I read a few years ago.

Congratulations on your 75, Paul. You're certainly on track for 150, at least.

Nina - I ought to be happy with that as I last broke 150 in 2007 but I am still hoping 200!

Good morning, Paul. I need to check out something by Jonathan Coe as he is getting some attention around here lately.
I hope you have a good Tuesday!

Well worth a read Ellen but I would hazard that a commonwealth perspective may assist in appreciating its charms.

WahHoo for you, Paul, on reaching 75!

Hi mate, congrats on reaching 75 books read. I enjoyed your trip down memory lane, they were good times when we were young and carefree. I also remember the pleasure in visiting Woolworths and I loved going into Eagle Press and going up the staircase to see what model plane or tank I wanted to build or to buy another box of soldiers. I remember when traffic went up by the cathedral and the zebra crossing outside Boots. Boots was a mecca for me as I went upstairs to get the latest single or an item of stationary and on the ground floor where Santander is now, that used to be the book shop with lovely dark wood bookcases up to the ceiling with a wooden ladder on rollers that moved around the shelves. I got the complete set of Narnia books there plus Stig of the Dump, The Little Grey Men and The Weirdstone of Brasingamen.

Only three more days in my Forties to go but Fifty doesn't worry me, it's only a number and while I have got books,who cares.

THE TOWERS OF TREBIZOND!!!! Billy Graham on a bus in Turkey!! *still laughing 30 years later*

I should find a way to scan a pic of my father and I. I was wearing a coat that made me think of a giraffe -- fake leather with brown spots on it. Again, very 70s (albeit early 70s). My brother has a pic taken with him wearing a floral shirt...

Congrats on the 75!!

Thanks Mamie.

John - Of course I remember Eagle Press where I used to buy "painting-by-numbers" and Boots which for some reason my Gran didn't care for (my mother loved Boots).

RD - It has been on my hitlist forever but completely unavailable locally.

Suz - Now that would be a photo worth seeing I'm sure. I have a number of floral shirts (Malaysian clothes go a bundle on gaudy you will recall) which garner groans aplenty if I emerge from my room wearing one.

New site design out today. Thoughts anyone? My own would be "if it's not broken, don't fix it!"

The way you add books is still the same, and I'm happy to see that navigating it is still essentially the same. It looks more slick and attractive, which will hopefully drive in new users, causing the website to stay around for a long time. All in all, I'm fine with it!

Hi Paul,
My brain is not tuned for time zones, I have no idea where/when everyone is operating from. Especially now, since my LT has reverted to what I suppose is US time again. Im more of a "if you know what time it is where you are, you are doing OK" kind of operator :)

Congratulations on 75!! And well over 500 books acquired too- your numbers are spectacular.

Oh, and btw, I forgot to mention that I love the family shot, especially as your mum is looking away from the camera, it has so much more atmosphere I reckon.

What about Dorothy's chapter? I think that one was the most disturbing!..... which then contributed to how she died ewww. I found the book quite relevant for today despite having been published in 1990 - not a lot of change since then it seems.

Felicitations on passing the magic number 75, Paul! I like the new site design; it's very clean and pretty. I haven't really delved into re-arranging my "dashboard" yet. I can already see that many countless hours can be usefully wasted on that endeavor!

Wow, 75 reads, 7500 posts and it's just mid-year!!

Eris - I will soon become accustomed to the new look I suppose. Rather like when SWMBO gets her hair cut; it is a shock at first but soon grows on me as it slowly grows on her.

Megan - It is simplified if we think of most things as only being relative to our own time. Between here and North America it is very easy as it is a half day back exactly.

Lisa - The farming section a la Dorothy was a hoot. Without spoiling things, when your best friend is also likely to be one day your supper things are bound to be uncomfortable at some stage.

Julia - I have tried to desist from tinkering thus far but I'm sure that, with a few hours to spare, I will play around a little.

Reba - Hahaha not quite 7500 posts. This post is number 5,613 of 2013 on my thread. x

Congrats on the 75 books read Paul! And in acquiring over 500 books already this year.....when I grow up I want to be like you!

Inquiring minds want to know...are your bell bottoms in the picture atop your thread plaid? That is the true 70s look!

Oh, and I quite like the new format. In spite of nearly having a conniption when I opened up this morning and saw different stuff. I resisted the urge to revert to old formatting!
Its not so different that we have to re-learn, just re-look.

79 > Guessing change are you are not the best of friends - but given time can warm to each other ?

I like the new look at LT, and the new look in your new thread . . . Shiny

Top of the, um, evening to you, Paul! I agree with your opinion of The Captain's Verses, which I rated a generous 3 stars. His later work is much meatier and less juvenile, including The Essential Neruda: Selected Poems, which was published by City Lights nearly a decade ago.

I don't like change. I will stay with the old design until I'm forced into the new. I don't see anything wrong with the old design and think they are changing just for the sake of change. I don't see how it looks "old" at all. I think it looks clean and calm.

A wild guess on my part but I didn't miss by that much.

Congrats on 75 Paul!

Heidi - hahaha I don't want to grow up!

Megan - I am pretty much of the same view. I was first offered the chance to revert to the old layout but resisted the very real temptation.

Alex - I'm not sure about Megan but I am not a lover of drastic change but this one is quite subtle to be fair.

Kath - After a long and quite gruelling day I feel anything but "shiny" but the thought is a nice one indeed.

Thanks Darryl (working shift are you?!) - Neruda was a big disappointment for me but I have started The Wasp Factory today and reacquainting myself with that warped imagination that will be so sorely missed.

Morphy - I was taken a little aback this morning as the change was unexpected and unrequested but I think it is tastefully done.

Reba - And you are closing in on 700 posts too which is pretty nifty to say that it sits alongside a round the world cruise.

Rhian - Thanks. It is nice to be there in June instead of September/October!

Congratulations on reaching your 75th, Paul, and on your 20th thread. Your family portrait brings back memories of a decade that brought me more than just bad fashion and disco music, my first marriage and my first child happened in the 70's as well.

Congrats on an early 75! You all who've passed 75 already terrify me!

Hey, big congratulations on hitting the 75 book mark, Paul.

I have a family picture of us in the 70s--also fairly classic. I should scan it in for you at some point.

Judy - Bad fashion and good memories aplenty.

Bekka - It is the ones who passed 75 in March who leave me in awe - there are a few closing in on 200 posts already which most of us mere mortals cannot conceive of.

Roni - I would love to see that one!

Hi Paul! Nice "new" thread - well, it's new to me..... Love the photo up top, circa 1978. Would it be mean to point out that was the year I was born?

Had a nice visit with my colleague from our KL office - we were plotting ways to justify a trip over there for me. I hope it works out, and you will, of course, be the first to know.

Hope the rest of your week is good and the weekend even better.

Wanted to let you know that Mark and Sue, Ellen, and I had a nice meet-up in Chicago. Mark picked the Haymarket Brewery for the place for us to gather and we had a great time together. I am not sure how everybody did in Chicago with their book hauls, but I am sure as I read through the threads they will let us know of their gathered treasures.

As for me - I shipped home four boxes of books, and will start entering them into LT when they get here. I had a great time in the Windy City and highly recommend it for you and your family. I got to attend and listen to a free concert in the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park and had a great time people watching and listening to the music. I also had a wonderful time people watching at the Chicago "Bean." Every time I see this sculpture it makes me smile. Apparently it does that for thousands of others everyday as well, so I say that the 23 million dollars it cost was money well spent.

Aside from the later afternoon and evening on Monday I really didn't get out to see the city, but I had a great time.

Katie - Not mean at all. A lot of my friends tell me I don't look my age but I realise that the majority of them are not being complimentary! It would be a hoot if you could make it over here as I am sure we would tear a gaping hole in several of the local bookstores between the two of us.

Benita - I did enjoy reading and seeing about your visit and meet-up on Mark and Ellen's threads. Four boxes of books sounds like just my style. Chicago is my number one priority for my trip - Elliot Ness, Mark, Joe, Kerri, Linda et al. Then again Portland and it (ahem) little known bookstore calls to me as does NYC, San Diego, Georgia, Boston, the Twin Cities, Maine, Philadelphia, Texas, DC and everywhere else that our wonderful group thrives.

One more delivery from Book Depo this morning:

The Maid Silja by F.E. Sillanpaa. Who? Nobel winner in 1939 no less and bought to pamper my completist hankerings as I no nothing about him at all.

514 added in 2013

Hi Paul :) Wow 75 books and 20 threads! Good on you!

My goodness. 75 already...

Hello Paul! Thanks for dropping by my thread recently and a big congrats on the 75! Woot woot to you! I'm currently reading - and loving - May we be forgiven. Must check out the Coe - I spent many years in Thatcher's Britain so sounds like a good 'un to me (plus it was recommended by you, so IT MUST BE GOOD.

Chelle - Lovely to see you here; have sorely missed your updates from New Scotland of late.

Es - Don't sound so surprised my dear I do read the occasional book too!

Prue- I bought the AM Homes book recently too and was surprised to note how long it is especially with quite small font. The humour in Coe's book is exquisite and I will definitely look out for his other works.

Today I managed a splurge without spending any money as my SIL added a number of books to my shelves:

1. No One You Know by Michelle Richmond
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (the very first Potty Harry book I have owned)
3. Virgin Earth by Philippa Gregory (Her favourite author)
4. The Street Philosopher by Matthew Plampin
5. The Aviary Gate by Katie Hickman
6. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford by Ron Hansen
7. The Vault of Bones by Pip Vaughan-Hughes
8. The Dante Trap by Arnaud Delalande
9. Havoc, In Its Third Year by Ronan Bennett

Free books Yay!!!

523 added in 2013

Oh, Paul, I thought all you did was make threads and buy books!

I finally made it over here Paul! Lots of interesting reading going on over here as usual. Take care my friend.

Es - hahaha reading gets a look-in from time to time, sports are another love of mine and with Wimbledon and Le Tour I have plenty to keep me interested. I also love my music and I am typing this with tears in my eyes listening to the late, great Luke Kelly singing Scorn Not His Simplicity.

Today I made good on a promise to my key staff (7 of them) much to their probable surprise as I handed them 25% of my company shares to celebrate the imminent start of ramadhan. Couldn't make any money without all of 'em and it is nice to share with them. That's what happens when you put a socialist in a business suit I suppose.

Roberta - Nice to "see" you as always my dear. Life is quite good today I must say.

75! Congratulations already!
And what a great boss you are!!! Congratulations to your staff!!!!

Her Majesty would be proud of you, future Sir Paul de Cranswick.



Carry on!

#90 200??? Holy macaroni!

75! Now that's just showing off.

: P

Congrats on reaching #75 already!!


A big "whoop whoop" from Georgia!

Peggy - I am a lucky guy with the best little group of staff imaginable.

RD - Hahaha is she the one who managed to wear the wrong colour uniform?

Bekka - Yep Suzanne and Morphy are both well into the 190's already.

Charles - In the league of books read I will be overjoyed to finish in the top 40.

Tina - Thank you my dear. I can hear faint noises which sound a little like Southern drawl!

That's what happens when you put a socialist in a business suit I suppose.
You RULE.
Remind me to send you my CV if I ever move to KL ...
:)

I retire in five years. Do you have room on your staff for a retired librarian?

Megan - Resume would be gladly received - you would fit in nicely with the youth club atmosphere we have in the office!

Benita - hahaha.......................maybe not at the office, but then again I have taken to hiding a fair few of my purchases there to avoid spousal recriminations.

I think we could probably start a retirement community for retired librarians and school teachers. And we could dust your books for you.

Congrats on the new acquisitions and the big numbers in reading books.

Karen - One good thing about being Morphy or Suzanne is that the books don't ever get a chance to gather dust!

One more story about the recent library conference. I had finished reading American Green: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Lawn this last month. This book is published by W. W. Norton. I know the library sales representative for this company. She is a member of LT, but doesn't do the threads very much. However, since she is one of my friends on LT she noticed when I put up my review of this book. She said it was a good review. She also said that there is a picture of her father and her brother in that book. It shows a father pushing a real lawn mower and a little boy pushing a toy lawn mower. She said that the author needed a photo to illustrate how men are acculturated into thinking that the lawn is a "mans job" and she knew her family had a photo that would work. The family allowed the photo to be used in the book and there it was. I remembered the photo because it is kinda cute.

Anyway the point of this story is that publishers do pay attention to reader's critics of books, so when you write a review of a book and post it to the books page on LT there is a good chance that publishers will see it. So keep writing those reviews and posting them to the books page here on LT.

OH, dear, now I'm really going to want to watch my ps and qs. Real people with "power" reading my reviews. Oh, my, I'll just have to think about this for a little while.

Maybe a very little while.

OK. Done thinking. I like writing reviews as if I was writing a note to my very best friend. Think I'll just carry on in that manner.

Benita - Interesting story I must say. IMO there are some quite excellent reviews posted, both positive and negative from members of this group. I would single out Bonnie and Rebecca in particular as fine exponents of the art and RDs are a lovely read especially when he didn't enjoy the book! There are 190+ threads with over 60 posts thus far this year and each one will invariably turn up a gem of a review from time to time and set one on a reading course they didn't expect.

Karen - My review style can be a tad pithy sometimes I think but I try to do things in life that are somewhat non-standard and it probably shows in reviews.

Managed to get to the bookstore yesterday after my last Friday in Langkawi and I added:

1. Safe as Houses by Simone Van der Vlugt - no touchstone yet
2. Green Rider by Kirsten Britain
3. Redemption aka A Conspiracy of Faith by Jussi Adler-Olsen
4. How to Outwit Aristotle by Peter Cave
5. The House of Sleep by Jonathan Coe
6. Bad Blood: The Secret Life of the Tour de France by Jeremy White

530 in 2013

76.

We Might as Well Win by Johan Bruyneel

Lance Armstrong doped. I always suspected it and sometimes I believed my own experiences in the saddle told me that even, cycling europhilia aside, he couldn't come back from cancer and win in that manner.

Would he have won 7 tours without the EPO et al? I doubt it.
Would he have won any tours without the EPO et al? Very possibly.

Johan Bruyneel was the Director Sportif of Lance Armstrong's team and the bond between the two is obvious from this part memoir part ode to the methods and mindset of winning. Armstrong and Bruyneel were amazingly driven individuals and, Armstrong, a freakish physical specimen even unaided by illicit pharmaceutical products. Like him or not, and I don't, he would have always been a very, very top cycle racer and was riding in an era when those who doped outnumbered those who didn't.

Bruyneel's rare comments on drugs, and this was written prior to the expose of Armstrong being finally confirmed as true, are as instructive as they are misleading. He acknowledges the damage a positive test would have on the stars reputation without out and out condemning the practice. He states that anyone caught doping via a competition test would be kicked off the team but he does not say that doping did not occur in his team it is merely inferred. His view is that doping is a grey area.

For the two of them winning was everything and some of the lengths they would go to are extreme to say the least. That the boundaries of acceptable behaviour would get blurred with such a win-at-all-costs attitude is perhaps inevitable and I found myself wanting to despise Bruyneel accordingly and being unable to do so. As someone who has ingested caffeine in an orifice that a cup would be difficult to accommodate I understand the pressures of racing. I can say categorically I would not have taken steroids, cortisone or EPO but then again I would never have been a contender to wear the maillot jeune.

Read the book and came away with a little more appreciation of the champion Armstrong as he still possibly remains by the very human face of his trainer despite the chapters left untold.

7/10

>112 maggie1944: I think we could probably start a retirement community for retired librarians and school teachers.
I think it would take a whole community to keep track of Paul's books!

>114 benitastrnad: ...when you write a review of a book and post it to the books page on LT there is a good chance that publishers will see it.
That is probably why I rarely give lower than 2 stars, I feel bad that the author might feel offended at my disliking their book. Silly, but there you go.
Its also pretty cool that reviews are noted. Particularly for the authors of great but under publicised books.

>118 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul,
...and was riding in an era when those who doped outnumbered those who didn't.
That is so sad in itself. It goes some way in helping me understand why he "did it", but then again, if it were me I would hope that I'd quit the sport rather than sink to their level.

Sounds like this author is covering his ass regarding the doping issue.

Thanks for the interesting review of the Johan Bruyneel-book, Paul.

In an interview on Belgian TV not long ago, Bruyneel was excellent in saying nothing, except for some smalltalk about the weather. It was both sad and funny.

#116 Thank you, Paul, for the compliment. I enjoy writing reviews and I'm glad you appreciate them!

That's a lovely picture at the top. Very attractive bunch, your fam.! Golly, 70's clothes were so ghastly weren't they?

Paul, it is very interesting to me to read your comments about racing, and competition, and the drive to win. I've always felt that understanding "sports" was like learning to live in a foreign country for me. I am competitive in many ways but not in physical endeavors because I associate those contests with doing physical harm, and experiencing pain. Never have been able to understand and I expect it is in part because I've never, to my knowledge, experienced that endorphin high people speak of.

The variety in human experience does amaze!

Diana - Not surprisingly given the subject matter I enjoyed the book but especially his comments regarding tactics and the will to win. Speaking of which todays stage to Trois Domaines was a classic and Froome really cut the mustard. Never seen Contador so unable to respond. Charles' pick of Quintana also helped blow the race apart.

Rebecca - only calling it as I see it! A thoughtfully reasoned judgement is alive and well in NYC.

Lucy - hahaha I love the way you pay me a compliment in the first part of your sentence and then take it back in the second!

Karen - I was a half good climber but (surprising considering my present ample girth) too slight to recover day in day out to have any likelihood of challenging in a grand tour. I was never tempted by steroids and such like but Chris Boardman showed that in three weeks of racing clean riders wouldn't beat those who had artificial assistance. He was the classiest rider I have ever had the privilege to meet or ride with and a shoe-in to win the tour ceteris paribus, but he was always blown away by those with less scruples than he.

So unfair. So goes the affairs of men, all the time, eh?

*WAVES*

Man-o-man, how do you find the time to read so much? 'Great selections; I shall try to lurk over here, more often.

Steve

Horrible info coming out of San Francisco today.

Paul, I'll post the photo at the top of my next new thread!

You should be saturating yourself regarding sports this week. Did you make it to your bookstore for your weekly run?

Karen - I love cycle racing and outsiders either don't appreciate or have no sympathy of just how difficult a sport it is. IMO the world's toughest major sport. Some have criticised Bruyneel's ambivalence to doping especially given later news but I understand it. I wouldn't have gone so far but at the time it was a choice to make given what your peers were doing. Dope and compete or stay clean and get left behind. Taking the 7 titles off Armstrong and leaving people like Ulrich, Riis and Pantani as champions is meaningless. Anquetil took amphetamines at least, Fignon took cortisone and I'm sure Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault's diets were vitamin plus but the administration of sport should be about looking forward and not backwards.

Kath - It is not a complete weekend without a wave or two from your loveliness.

Steve - I am like a small boy in a candy store when I manage to get a new visitor! Lovely to see you. I notoriously survive on minimal quantities of sleep.

Lori - You prompted me to look at the news and up to 62 lost in a crash on landing from South Korea is pretty horrifying.

Roni - I am looking forward to it. Picked up my usual 6 books (post #117).

Paul - I did not mean to sound as if I was critical. It is a world I know nothing about and really am just curious and puzzled. I hope my comments did not bother.

Not at all Karen - I didn't interpret any criticism at all. I was referring by "outsiders" to those who didn't race and didn't realise the pressures these guys are under - I certainly wasn't meaning your goodself whose comments are invariably fair and balanced.

>116 PaulCranswick: Thanks for the shout out Paul. I enjoy writing reviews and when I really like a book, the review practically writes itself. I would rather consult and depend on reviews written by LTers than professional reviewers, any day.

I just finished Redemption aka A Conspiracy of Faith and it is the best one yet. I just kept turning the pages to find out how it would turn out but then I would literally stop and laugh out loud with the shenanigans of Carl, Assad and OMGoodness that Rose!

Bonnie; hahaha I just enjoyed your review of a book you didn't enjoy and which is one I am about to finish. Don' fully agree with you on it but I get your point. x

Roberta - It is probably my favourite Scandi series at the moment. Great stuff and I will definitely fast-track reading it.

77.

The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks

More properly titled "The Warped Factory", I would hazard. This first published novel (Banks explains in his preface his previously unsuccessful attempts at publication) announced this talented and much missed writer to his public.

I can fully understand why this novel repels as vigorously as it attracts. The character, Franky, is a grotesque creation whose blithe reconstructions of past deeds of death and destruction are as chilling as they are matter-of-fact.

Franky's brother Eric has escaped from the mental institution and appears to be on his dog burning rampage back to the remote island Franky lives on alone with only his introverted father for something akin to company. Franky ruminates on his past and present as the brother's return is awaited. The denouement is exactly why the "spoilers" idea in the group was borne and I'll not spoil it but it does twist.

An immense but eminently disturbing imagination at play here. Not an enjoyable read by any means for me but one I'll remember a goodly while.

7/10

Paul

I love the opening photo. Your mother is exceptionally beautiful in this picture.

Thanks for the great review of The Wasp Factory. I think I'll skip this one!

Thank you Linda - That is how I remember my mum in truth but not how I remember my sartorial eloquence.

Paul, just tagged you with some interesting news on Facebook. Glad you're well.

Bonnie said, somewhere upthread, that she trusts LT reviews for guidance more than "professional" reviewers. I got to thinking...when's the last time I bothered even to read a "professional" review when I wanted an idea for a book to read?

A long damn time ago. Long.

Paul> They now say that all the missing persons are accounted for. They had 2 die. 10 are in critical condition. I think there were 7 taken to a hospital known as the area's burn center. I'm glad I wasn't flying through San Francisco yesterday. I did see a friend post that he had landed at SFO just minutes before the crash. He said that things got crazy in the airport after that. He, of course, was delayed in the next segment of his flight.

Nice review of The Wasp Factory, Paul. After I read a book about a dislikable character yesterday I think I'll wait for a day or two before I pick this book up.

Sadly, the two dead passengers on Asiana Flight 214 were two 16 year old Chinese girls who were part of a group of teens arriving in the US to attend a summer camp. According to KCBS radio, 49 passengers were seriously injured and 10 passengers remain in critical condition at SF General Hospital, the city's trauma hospital and burn center, but, as Lori said, everyone has now been accounted for. Kudos to the flight crew and passengers for evacuating the plane before the cockpit caught fire.

I've flown into SFO at least two dozen times, and always landed on that runway, or the one parallel to it, in the same direction as Asiana 214. I always look out the window when we approach SFO, due to the beautiful view of the Bay Area. The planes do seem as if they are going to land in the water until a few seconds before the wheels touch down, but they have never come anywhere near as close to the breakwall as that flight did. Weather didn't seem to play a role, as the pictures I saw showed a sunny day with bright blue skies, and I've been on several SFO bound flights that landed without incident in fog so thick that you couldn't see the ground until a few seconds before touch down.

Sorry for the dreaded double post.

That plane crash could have been so much worse. When I first heard about it, I thought there would be a greater loss of life.

>142 kidzdoc: Dude, that is one scary-ass looking kid.

Paul- Good review of The Wasp Factory. I have about 50 pages left. Repellent, indeed but oddly mesmerizing. I'll have to see how Banks wraps this one up.
Hope you are having a good weekend and are able to sneak in some R & R.

I hope your Sunday is great! And then may next week hold more reading and less stress and work. *waving hi*

RD - Who would play Tom Joad in the remake? Di Caprio maybe? Someone a little careworn I suppose.
I did buy the UK's Literary Review when it was available locally but it isn't now so I don't. I bought it to see what is coming up rather than to read the reviews. Could the "pros" beat our Bonnie or Rebecca?......nah I don't think so.

Lori - Isn't it horrendous? Youngsters going over to the land of the free for summer camp and the plane not making a landing.

Darryl - I saw your review of the latest Paul Harding book on your thread, although if I'm not mistaken you call him Paul Tinker! Pretty much my thoughts on the first book echoed by you so I won't be rushing to that one anytime soon.
Hopefully the injured will make full recoveries in SF.
Morphy is right that kid is scary!

Morphy - It does seem inconceivable that a plane could crash land and only two lives be lost although that is scant consolation for those families bereaved.

Mark - Weekend was good but too short. Have a hectic week ahead of me but I'll catch up with you mate before I sleep tonight. The 50 pages are probably the best of the book.

Karen - Thanks for the burst of optimism but I sadly doubt I'll get a lot of respite this month.

Went to Pavilion Mall today for the first time in a couple of months. We caught the new Johnny Depp movie "The Lone Ranger" which was enjoyable, if ridiculous.

Also hit Times bookstore, ahem, because Belle wanted to go. I bought:

1 Nothing Gold Can Stay by Ron Rash
2 The Streets by Anthony Quinn
3 Black Skies by Arnaldur Indridason
4 Botchan by Natsume Soseki
5 Journey of the Dead by Loren D. Estleman
6 Texas Empire by Matt Braun
7 An Inventory of Heaven by Jane Feaver
8 And Still the Earth by Ignacio Brandao
9 Falling Sideways by Thomas E Kennedy
10 Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson

539 books in 2013

I was wondering when you would come by to visit. I do shower regularly, you know? Plus, I am fairly well-mannered.
'50 pages are probably the best of the book." Wow, that is very encouraging to hear.

Hahaha Mark I do get over to yours with a fair amount of regularity buddy. I haven't had the benefit of a public holiday this week to relax and keep up but I'm doin my best!

Just watched Andy Murray run Novak down in the Wimbledon finals; first British male winner in 77 years. High quality match between two brilliant players and it is a testament to the nerve of Murray that he gave up four match points before winning and to the Djoker that he saved four.

I was very happy to see Murray win it, Paul. That's always so much pressure on the British males - I always felt badly for them having to carry the weight of a nation's hopes on their shoulders. Good for Murray to stand and deliver.

Mamie - It was funny because he seemed perfectly composed until he'd won it whereupon he became shell-shocked.

Congrats on the Wimbledon win- but is Murray British or Scottish? Does it make a difference?

Scottish, which makes him a British subject, right?

British refers to anyone from the island of Great Britain, made up of England, Scotland, and Wales. It's a political construct. At least this is what I was taught :-)

So Murray is both Scottish and British. Everyone's a winner!

Good for Murray! He's been working his way to the top for years now. Fred Perry was the last Brit to win it, right? And that's a long time ago indeed. Murray seems like a good guy, too.

Mamie - Unless the Scottish Nationalist Party get their way and there is a referendum next year then yes it is part of Great Britain.

Katie - Your right Great Britain technically is England, Scotland and Wales. In terms of citizenship it is said that we are from the United Kingdom. Look at the passport and the passport say the UK is "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Joe - He often comes across as surly or grumpy but apparently he has a great sense of humour really. 1936 Fred Perry won the last of his three titles.

Hello Paul - I, too, cheered when I heard that Murray won. And what a great boss you are - but then, no surprise, because you are a wonderful guy!

Prue - You'll have me blushing if you're not careful!

Hi Paul, I really liked your review of The Wasp Factory. I read it a couple of years ago and still remember it vividly. You are dead on with your thought that it both repels and attracts, but it certainly left me wanting to read more by this author.

Thanks Judy. It is a book that is easy to be ambivalent about. A child murdering child telling his skewed view of life and those around him with an introvert father and his locked study, his dwarf best friend and his lunatic ecapee brother. Hardly workaday storyline.

Have also started The Albermarle Book of Modern Verse (Volume 2) which I picked up on my travels in the Holmfirth bookstore I featured a few threads ago. This is both for my category challenge and the TIOLI for a book bought on your travels.

It was used as a textbook for English Literature and I am enjoying the format of 109 poets sampled in alphabetical order. (I have finished up to the Ds already which has taken me through Auden, Betjeman, Binyon, Blunden, Campbell and Cummings amongst others).

Here is a little taster:

All lovely things will have an ending,
All lovely things will fade and die,
And youth, that's now so bravely spending,
Will beg a penny by and by

Conrad Aiken from "All Lovely Things"

But all the clocks in the city
Began to whirr and chime:
'O let not Time deceive you,
You cannot conquer Time.

'In the burrows of the Nightmare
Where justice naked is,
Time watches from the shadow
And coughs when you would kiss.

'In headaches and in worry
Vaguely life leaks away,
And Time will have his fancy
Tomorrow or today.

WH Auden from "As I Walked Out One Evening"

Childhood is measured out by sounds and smells
And sights, before the dark of reason grows.

John Betjeman from "Summoned by Bells"

Time has stored all, but keeps his chronicle
In secret, beyond all our probe or gauge.
There flows the human story, vast and full;
And here a muddy trickle smears the page.

Lawrence Binyon from "History"

and finally

Vast is the triumph which at your behest
Will blaze abroad. The sun himself shall stride
With clanging pomp, bronze east to rubied west,
The moon sway wine-flushed after, lion-eyed
Star-companies form, tree-columns of glittering crest
Uphold their rank in blue air, strong and wide
Rivers go wheeling through enormous plains,
Forests assume the purple, harvests roll their rumbling wains.

Edmund Blunden from "Triumph of Autumn"

Nice poetry quotes. You can't go wrong with Auden.

True enough - re auden

I am a bit of a clever one, amn't I?

However I will add - your mother transcends all of that in the timeless turtleneck and is very very pretty indeed.

Thanks Rebecca. Auden is technically another Yorkshireman as he was born in York. There is an efficient flow to his writing that is matchless.

Lucy. I unfortuntely take after my father in the looks department. My old mum is still quite glam these days despite four exacting bouts of pneumonia.

This is one of my mum with my nephew Christian (My sister's son) in 2011.

Indeed, your mum is still quite fetching, Paul!

This morning NPR corrected the record. The last British citizen to win at Wimbledon was Virginia Wade in 1977. Of course, we all know that the women don't count. So Murray really is the first British citizen to win in 77 years. Correct? (And those dates are correct - do the Brits have a thing with 77?)

So Murray won Wimbledon and I missed it! So tired yesterday after travelling that I completely forgot about the tennis. Obviously all that is needed for a British win is for me to go on holiday - same thing happened last year for Bradley Wiggins in the Tour de France.

Thank you Julia.

Benita - Hahaha. To be fair a few ladies won since Perry. Christine Mortimer, Anne Jones and Virginia Wade for three. I did of course in #150 state "first British male winner for 77 years" but some of the media has forgotten the ladies seemingly.

Rhian - Nice to see that you have arrived safely. Langkawi first? Which place are you staying at? PM me nearer the time and we'll be sure to meet up in KL on the Friday. Have a lovely holiday. Your being away gives me confidence that Chris Froome will hold off the pack!

Paul> It's getting too quiet on this thread. I decided that I'd come and stir things up a bit. I always watch as much of Wimbledon as I possibly can. It is nice that a Brit won it for a change. I was quite surprised by some of the ones who were eliminated earlier than I expected they would be. It's nice the American twins won the doubles too.

Paul, I'll never really catch up, but wanted to respond to:
Chicago is my number one priority for my trip

If Chicago is as close as you get to Seattle, I'll buy my plane ticket.

I like your review of The Wasp Factory and look forward to reading it this month (I hope that copy gets to me from the library!).

Ive been trying to sulk for your non-validation of my post in #119, but I shall henceforth gain some composure and return to a non-lurking status.

I see you saw the Lone Ranger....Im not sure I will go there as it seems (as you said) silly. I am saving up my $$$ for the NZ Intl Film Festival in early August. I always salivate over the programme and circle far too many in the first instance, cutting it down to 4 or 5 eventually. And then walk out the door 20 minutes before screening time and state to my lovely other..."but it's the film festival, I may not ever get the chance again to see this- *see ya*"
Poor him, he puts up with a lot.

Your nephew looks delicious!

Lori - hahaha it is rare that I manage such a comment in these parts! A near 500 mile round trip to Johor Bahru and back today for the kick off meeting of one project here does not exactly lend itself to thorough participation on the threads. I am bushed! The tennis seemed fated for Murray but I am so pleased for him to have done justice to the pressure and hopes heaped upon him. The twins rock but I must admit I can't tell one from the other. How would the umpire know if they really take it in turns to serve?!

I will definitely get as far as Portland, Ellen and depending upon time Seattle. I would be loathe to go so far but not meet one of my absolute favourites. How sweet that you'd fly to Chicago for me!

Megan - Yikes! I used to pride myself on not missing a response to any posts but I am slipping. Thousand apologies. I remember reading your post and smiling to myself at the images created therein but was surprised myself to see it had not been responded to.
The Lone Ranger was silly but enjoyable. Not highbrow but I'm glad I saw it.
My nephew is a charmer but a sulky one. He rarely graces the world with a smile but it is worth waiting for. x

Book lists, poetry and family pics...great thread!

And Ellen is not the only LTer watching for your trip stateside. Portland is very close to Seattle, when compared to Chicago.

I hope your work load lightens soon so you can relax and do your real job: reading.

Paul - I agree that it could be easy to mix the twins - but one is left handed, can never remember which though.

That Men's Final had me on the edge of my seat, great game though and it could have easily gone the other way.

Hope work eases up enough for reading and thread browsing. Also that your meet up with Rhian is fun.

I am so excited that you are going to meet-up with a fellow LT'er. Its no secret that I like to meet all the LT people that I can so it is nice to know that others like to do the same thing. It is exciting to think that sitting on the far side of the world from here is somebody I "talk" to everyday. You simply have to let us know how the meet-up with Rhian goes and post a picture or two. I will be waiting to see it.

Kath - Thanks from the listless proprietor about to sleep before 12 for the first time in ages after spending 9 hours driving and 5 hours in meetings today.

Karen - I have still managed about four hours reading somehow but falling behind a tad even so. You are another of my ladies who I cannot conceive of vaulting two continents not to see!

Calm - I will try not to lead Rhian astray in the bookshops of Kuala Lumpur (doesn't have quite the same ring or sting as The Fleshpots of Tangiers does it?!)
You are right about the tennis ~ one of the closest straight sets wins I can remember and I mean that with no touch of irony. Djokovic was a true champion in defeat. Saw a programme on his Foundation for the under privileged children of his homeland today.....top fellow.

Benita - Despite my geographical isolation I have managed to meet up with Caro, Prue, Megan and John already and have narrowly missed meet-ups with Genny, Luci and Katie at different times which I hope to remedy one fine day. Looking forward to meeting Rhian and her family and hope that they are not too exhausted as I get them in the dog-days of their visit here.
I love this group to bits Benita and I have to say I would have difficulty to envision my life without the comfort and joy it brings.

You are also a comfort and joy to us as well, Paul!

Love the poetry quotes - it's been a while since I read any Betjeman, but he's been one of my top 10 poets since my Grandad introduced him to me as a kid. My favourite is still A Subaltern's Love Song :)

Also, Morphy is very right.

Morphy - thank you so much my dear.

Bekka - I also love that poem which is not in that particular collection. I have a few Betjeman books including The Best of Betjeman which contains the poem. It was published originally in his collection New Bats in Old Belfries in 1945 and is now sadly out of print. Quite relevant as well at the moment as I recall that tennis is prominent in its subjects matter:

Miss J Hunter Dunn, Miss J. Hunter Dunn,
Furnish'd and burnish'd by Aldershot sun
What strenuous singles we played after tea
We in the tournament - you against me!

Love-thirty, love-forty, oh! weakness of joy,
The speed of a swallow, the grace of a boy,
With carefullest carelessness gaily you won,
I am weak for your loveliness, Miss Joan Hunter Dunn

Thirding Morphy's comment!!

Also reminding you that Darryl, Mamie and I are all located in Georgia. Just sayin'! ;)

lol @ Tina
Campaigning for a visit? Anyway, I cant talk, I've already been graced....(did someone say show-off?)

Hi Paul- another meetup on the horizon- hooray!
I wont hold a grudge, and I wasn't really sulking and lurking....your thread just keeps getting away on me!

Tina, if I'm not mistaken (which I seem to be often these days!) I did somewhere list Georgia as a destination choice but I do remember distinctly Darryl suggesting an out of State meeting at New Orleans or, in his case, Philly.

Megan - I was more graced than you as I got to meet little Lenny in addition to yourself! One person I would have thought to be free from grudges would be you. x

Paul, you don't want to leave the Southern United States off your itinerary (no matter how much Darryl tries to get you to go to Philly instead). NOLA is a bit far from me. Atlanta is very doable, but so are lots of other Southern cities such as Raleigh, Charlotte, Charleston, Nashville, Knoxville (of course), Asheville, Birmingham, Chattanooga, etc. Of course, I have no idea when you will be in the U.S. and what else could prevent me from showing up, but it would be fun to meet you.

Lori - I think a number of trips Stateside may be required! I am in the process of setting up agencies for my brother's fire-fighting company in Asia - we have taken the Agency for the entire continent! and I am issuing sub-agencies per country.
I have persuaded Peter that he should be aiming for 1 agency per state and this will involve plenty of travel to work out the negotiations for him! I will of course then be able to accommodate LT meet-ups in 50 separate locales!

Today is the first day of Ramadhan and I let the office off an hour and a half early to beat the traffic. We start 30 mins earlier in the day and, of course, have no lunch.

Today is also the start of the Ashes cricket series with the first test at Nottingham. England are batting and making very heavy weather of it too.

Today is also the first Time Trial stage of the Tour de France to the scenic Mont St. Michel. I expect Tony Martin to win and Froome to be second on the stage increasing his overall lead a little in the process.

It's a pity the Netherlands are halfway between Malaysia and the States. If anyone ever thinks it wise to stop halfway, be my guest!

I have a very soft spot for the Netherlands Diana so I could easily take you up on that!

Anytime Paul, I'd love to meet you!

Feeling is likewise Diana. Froome is edging Martin at the first two checks but I still take him to fail by 10-15 secs. Mollema currently 10th and a verygood ride which may see him move 2nd.

Wow, Martin wins. And Mollema still 3th, but only 12 seconds after Valverde!

Wow I called it right. Froome down 12 secs on Martin but increases overall quite handily. Mollema a good ride to stay 3rd. Kwiatovsky is the major mover going from 13th to 7th by my reckoning.

#181 That's the one - and I now have got to go find the whole thing! I think it was the first book of poetry I ever owned - Grandad gave it to me (and worrying probably a pretty early edition which I have since mislaid - bad bad me!). Bless my Grandparents - circling 90 and they still go to U3A poetry each week.

It is a shame that poetry is not much appreciated these days. My kids' facial expressions when I recite something to them is a study in disinterest. Betjeman was such an accessible poet and I do feel the tendency these days for poetry to be devoid of rhyme and bereft of rhythmn is at least partly to blame for the problem. Your Grandparents sound like great fun.

Rap is poetry. Homer was the Ur-rapper.

*shudders off feeling unclean*

I do feel the tendency these days for poetry to be devoid of rhyme and bereft of rhythmn is at least partly to blame for the problem

Oh my gosh, yes! You have hit the nail on the head, Paul. I subscribe to a poem-a-day email, and so many days I delete it without even finishing the poem because what it really is (to my uneducated self) is prose that is broken up into lines and verses that resemble a poem. To me, if it reads like a paragraph in a book, it's not a poem, doggone it. Admittedly, having just finished a glorious year-long odyssey with my buddy Cynara on a complete read of Shakespeare's sonnets has helped me appreciate real poetry — the kind with meter and rhyme — all the more.

RD - mmm s'pose you're right although I must admit to finding most rap music immensely irritating. Some song lyrics are quite poetic - the best of Dylan, Paul Simon, Ewan MacColl et al.

Julia - I do occasionally enjoy poetry without rhyme but there usually needs some rhythmn or meter to it to make it zing for me at the very least. Must take issue with you on the uneducated part - I studied lit but only for my first year of uni but I don't think that that hurts or helps too much your pre-disposition or tastes. And you are certainly not uneducated! x
I like verse and verse is better when it rhymes IMO.

Paul, you do realize that we will be getting into arguments around here to determine which of our many fine cities you grace. As Morphy said, you do provide comfort and joy to this crowd.

Oh, and good book recommendations. :-)

Ellen - I remember Nina last year did some wiki thing so that we could track where all of us reside. That will come in handy in making sure I don't miss anyone out.

Oh yes Paul. Poetry without rhythm or rhyme=Poetry without fans or patrons. I know it's the reason I stopped reading much of what passes today for poetry many years ago. And kids have no appreciation for it today for that reason too.

I love it. What a bunch of nerds we are, and I say that with great affection for the whole bunch. We make wikis for all sorts of things! (well, I have never made a wiki but that is a different story.)

Bonnie - The book I am reading is called a book of "modern verse" and, albeit, it was published 50 years ago, it doesn't feel particularly modern. Some of the wonderful lyricism of poets not now well remembered is a great reminder to me of what I love in poetry.
Take Daniel Day Lewis' dad Cecil for example who became Poet Laureate in 1973 and was well represented here:

Will it be so again
That the brave, gifted are lost from view,
And empty scheming men
Are left in peace their lunatic age to renew?
Will it be so again?

Must it be always so
That the best are chosen to fall and sleep
Like seeds, and we too slow
In claiming the earth they quicken, and the old usurpers reap
What they could not sow?

From "Will it be so again" by Cecil Day-Lewis

Ellen - Well I would I have to admit qualify in the nerd stakes. I have already started a note on my spreadsheet for the posting and book reading leagues regarding residence.

I like that poem from Cecil Day-Lewis, Paul. I should look for more of his work.

Please note that I have not begged you to come visit me in Iowa (though you would surely be more than welcome). It's not because I am not anxious to meet you, friend! I live a mere 4 hours from Chicago and fully intend to inflict myself upon you should you alight in the Windy City for any time at all on your USA junket.

Julia - Chicago is going to be so much fun, but then again NYC, the Big Easy, Portland, Philly............are all going to be.
I really like Cecil Day Lewis' work but it is quite difficult to get hold of nowadays. On Book Depo his Collected Poems are not available and only available on Abe Books in hardback and expensive. He edited Chatto Book of Modern Poetry which I had and loved and read to bits as a boy. He also wrote fine dtective novels under the name of Nicholas Blake which are easier to find and a good read.

On Day Lewis there is an appreciation website which features amongst other things a small selection of his poetry. Some of the poetry is read by his actress widow and is available on the site in audio.

http://www.cday-lewis.co.uk/

Hi Paul,
I am a teensy bit fascinated by Ramadhan. It it something one enjoys? (the dedicated purpose, the restraint etc) Or something people endure. It sounds very tough to me, but then again, I never even gave anything up for Lent, so know nothing of delayed gratification ;)
The few Muslim fellas I knew when I lived in London had fantastic feasts and parties once the sun went down, I remember thinking that part of it was cool!

Megan - Interesting question! I actually enjoy ramadhan thoroughly and it is one of the few strictures I properly embrace but I am not sure whether that is due to any tendency for masochism on my part!
The evening repast is one of lives' joys. We gather together and have a lovely family meal as a matter of course when at other times our busy lives mean that this gets overlooked. Normally we will all have a turn in deciding what we want to eat and quite often we will visit the Bazaar Ramadhan selling foodstuffs of multifarious types from which we will decide our respective menus.
Gathered round one table will be Myself as the (very) titular head, Hani to my left, Belle next to her followed clockwise by Erni, Irlia (SIL 1), Fifi (SIL 2), Yasmyne and Kyran. Our tradition is that Kyran will say "grace" before the meal (as much to hide my stumbling command of arabic as anything else) and then we all tuck in.
After food it is simply delightful to soak up several coffees as the evening wanes but I don't over eat otherwise.
1st day I had sirloin steak with steak frites, sauteed mixed vegetables and a side of pomegranite and mesclun salad.
2nd day I had chicken "korma", different mixed vegetables sauteed with ikan bilis (a salty dried anchovy) and shredded beef with prunes all with rice
Today I have requested Shephard's Pie but let's see.

Wikis, spreadsheets.
What's not to love?

Hola Paolo! Happy Friday to you! Just got back from a very quick trip to the farm, where there was some business to be done as the sale continues to proceed. I must say that you mum has changed surprisingly little - still lovely. Love the poetry snippets too!

Dear Ellen - There are about 190 group members on my database due to the reading and posting leagues and I am now adding all their places of residence.

Ciao Prudenzia! Thanks for your nice received comments about my old mum - she will bevery pleased to hear it as she remains remarkably vain! Your trips to the farm must be quite bittersweet.

I don't know how but I somehow finished up with a double post. I'll use this as a holder while I think on my review of the latest Jussi Adler-Olsen.

78. A Conspiracy of Faith by Jussi Adler-Olsen

I am going back to the bookstore tomorrow to see if I bought a defective detective book. Loved this for 585 pages and on the 586th it let me down by finishing.

I am not only saying this is a great read, I am also essaying my frustration at the ending of sorts presented unless I have bought a dud which I suspect.

Are there end pages missing which will give an otherwise very good, though imperfect tale, the denouement it deserved or did Adler-Olsen get past his deadlines?

My last sentence reads
Then he would go to the outbuilding and get the hammer
Have I been short-changed?

7/10 (Until further notice)

Hi Paul!
That's a mystery! I will be back to see how the ending turns out - lol.

Hi Paul!

I'm trying to get caught up, but it's impossible. Love the photo up at the top of young Cranswick and his devil-may-care facial expression!

#213 - Ha! I'm not sure, but I think you may have been short-changed. I'll probably listen to this one this month. I've heard good things, so I'm really looking forward to it. I loved the first book in the series, but wasn't crazy about the second.

Goodness, Paul, I hope for your sake that you got a defective copy. That sounds like a terrible way to end a book, especially a mystery!

Cee - Lovely to see you.....watch this space as they say.

Kerri - Ah those days of innocence and home produced haircuts. I'm probably smiling because the paper scissors didn't snag my earlobe as my sadist of a father "tidied" up our hair for the camera.
Wasn't perfect number three but still very readable. Sub-plot about Serb gangsters and a surreal introduction of Yrsa sister to Rose doesn't add anything to the story. But the villain is a startlingly chilling creation.

Julia - Let's see. I did notice that Roberta and Suz have already read it so maybe they can help me out/ put me out of my misery.

Saw that Alan Whicker died today. Brits will know him for his globetrotting travel show on TV - Whicker's World which I used to enjoy as a youngster and which probably contributed to my own love of travel. Wish you well Mr. Whicker on your last journey.

Hi Paul! Looks like you are a popular fella that many LT'ers want to visit their home states for a meetup! I think I missed when your trip is planned for?

Chelle - I've had more dates than Liz Taylor's had wedding frocks! It is looking like we might get over next spring all things being well. At some stage I also need to turn my attention to Canada of course with so many pals there too.

Stopping in to catch up and to wish you a weekend full of fabulous, Paul! I am hoping that your latest read was indeed missing some pages.

Hope you get your answer on The Absent One, Paul. I liked the first one in the Dept. Q series (The Keeper of Lost Causes) a lot, and plan to read more.

Thanks Mamie - I believe that I will have a tad more time to get around my favourite threads this weekend and I'll certainly pop over to the Pecan Paradisio at some stage or three.

Joe - It was the third one in the series A Conspiracy of Faith. I will be checking the bookstore tomorrow as I really believe that the very reasonable looking Mr. Adler-Olsen couldn't have been cruel enough to leave such an abrupt ending.

Whew! Caught up on this entire thread before you begin a new one. I don't post a lot here, Paul, but always find the conversations, book-buying sprees, reviews, and pictures to be great fun. I will agree with others that your mum is aging beautifully. I hope her improved health continues for many years.

79.

The Albemarle Book of Modern Verse Volume 2 edited by F.E.S. Finn

This has everything that a general introduction to modern verse should have. I do hasten to add that "modern" in this context is actually referring to poems chosen from between 1930 and 1960 (the anthology was published in 1961) and is of english language poets.

The poets are presented in alphabetical order by surname and there are 109 of them ranging from the familiar; Auden, Betjeman, Frost, Hughes, Larkin, Thomas and Yeats to some poets whom I was less acquainted with and of whom I am the better for now knowing.

Ruth Pitter for example

Our death implicit in our birth,
We cease, or cannot be;
And know when we are laid in earth
We perish utterly.

And equally the spirit knows
The indomitable sense
Of immortality, which goes
Against all evidence.

See faith alone, whose hand unlocks
All mystery at a touch
Embrace the awful paradox
Nor wonder overmuch.

The Paradox.

There is also dear Dylan Thomas the ubiquitous prince of lyricism. Only four of his well polished gems are here including many people's favourite "Do Not Go Gently Into That Good Night". My favourite of his, however, is the rhythmic majesty of:

And death shall have no dominion.
Dead men naked they shall be one
With the man in the wind and the west moon;
When their bones are picked clean and their clean bones gone,
They shall have stars at elbow and foot;
Though they go mad they shall be sane,
Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again;
Though lovers be lost love shall not
And death shall have no dominion.

From "And Death Shall Have No Dominion"

I am still an inverterate sucker for poetry where its quality is timeless as in many of these pages.

8/10

Thank you Donna for your kind comments about my mum. I spoke to her a couple of days ago actually and she was quite chipper in fact. Enjoying warmer weather and also a slight increase in her disability pension on account of an appeal due to changed circumstances I made on her behalf (there is a form for such a thing believe it or not!) when I was last in the UK. She is receiving an extra $100 a week apparently which, may not seem much, but is very much a boost to her as she is able to save it for treats for herself!

No Friday lunchtime splurge today with Ramadhan leading to something of a curtailment but I did receive from Book Depo:

If The Dead Rise Not by Philip Kerr - missing from my Gunther collection for some reason.

540 for 2013

Paul, I am going to look for that poetry anthology. The two you quoted are lovely.

Julia - It is the 2nd volume by Albemarle and I will start hunting down the elusive Volume 1.

Paul- I really enjoyed your thoughts on how your family experiences Ramadhan....thanks for sharing.

Can't wait to hear how your detective novel turns out. I guess we are all now left hanging!

Hej Paul, having a 'short-paged' book is awful, especially when fascinated reading it. Hope you get an update there.

$100 is quite a lot! It all depends on your budget I imagine. That's our entire food budget, for example. Good job on getting your mom that extra.

Thanks Heidi......I didn't get my Shephard's Pie as it was. SWMBO made spaghetti ao'lio with beef bacon instead. Not complainin'.

Paul - I will go back with my book to Kino and pick up some of the other copies to see.

Morphy - She is very happy with it. I took an imaginative view of her situation rather than a strictly literal one to ensure she got a positive review as the previous award had been unduly harsh to her.

Hi Paul, glad your mum has got the right amount of pension that she should be getting. I see that the test is getting very interesting although some of the decisions have been shocking and the ICC needs to act. I am looking forward to the June stats as I think I may be in the top 100 on books read and after our recent jaunt to Salisbury and other nice places nearby my book buying has taken me over the 200 mark, not far off last years figure, ha ha.

Hope everything is ok with you and the family my friend and I must thank you for your birthday wishes and I now have three years to think of some witty ripost for when you reach the half century mark. I am like fine wine, I get better with age, that's my view and i'm sticking to it.

Hi Paul -Sorry to hear about the latest Department Q book. I hope you get that straightened out. It doesn't sound like it's your favorite in the series, despite the truncated version?

John - hahaha mate well at least you haven't been corked! I will get out up to date stats this weekend if at all possible. My weekend should permit it.
The first test is mired a little in controversy with the young lad making 98 on debut from no. 11 but should have been out stumped on 6. Trott and Root IMO wrongly dismissed (Root should have had more sass to force a review) and Broad refusing to walk. The last one is a toughy but I would have walked knowing I'd hit it but on the other hand had the third umpire got the call right with the stumping the game would be all but over.

Mark - No mate it was pretty darn good, probably better than 2 but behind 1.

Now TDF question - did you predict the crazy day we just had with as much accuracy as the time trial .....

nice to see the Ramadhan fasting family ritual - crossing my fingers you get Shepherds pie soon :)

>117 PaulCranswick:: I've spotted a Fantasy book in your purchase list. Do we finally have one book in common?

*faints*

hahaha not at all Alex. I am worried for Froome in the Alps as I feel Moviestar, Belkin and SaxeBank will have the numbers to beat him.
Thanks on the Shephard's Pie. I will certainly get it within this next week.
Monday we have our annual company breaking fast when all staff and families gather to break fast together. Tuesday and Wednesday I am in Langkawi so I might only see my Shephard's Pie on Thursday.

Nina - According to your profile page we share an amazing 19 books! xx
I prefer fantasy to sci-fi I think but the story and writing have to be a little bit convincing.

And, since you mentioned it, the Location Wiki can be found here.

Ha! Nina you are a gem indeed.

Well I was right of course. Went to Kinokuniya this afternoon with my copy of Conspiracy of Faith and got the customer service to open a sellophaned copy off the shelves and voila...................mine was missing 46 pages!!
They have changed it for me and I'm just about to gobble it up.

Also added after missing my Friday dose and to show no hard feelings:

1. Among Others by Jo Walton
2. In the Darkness : Inspector Sejer by Karin Fossum
3. Green is the Colour by Lloyd Fernando
4. I Remember You by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
5. Suddenly, A Knock on the Door by Etgar Keret
6. Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat

546 books in 2103

What Froome himself seems to have forgotten is that Wiggins won last year because of the strength of the team ..... while not the strongest team this year, Froome seems willing to isolate himself - time will tell if this pays off - I doubt it with the strength of Moviestar, and SaxeBank in partucular - SaxeBank showed that hand today ....

Looking forward to the Alps though .....

Alex - Will be a great race this year come what may. Froome is the strongst in the peloton but the odds are stacked against him a little from now on in.

A Conspiracy of Faith by Jussi Adler-Olsen

UPDATED REVIEW

Well I did buy a defective detective book but having received the last 46 pages I am now able to revise my review.

Still think that the first one beats this one but not by too much. The sub-plot was a little too incidental and the Yrsa/Rose storyline failed for me too but the rest of it was superlative.

8/10

80.

This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz

This short story collection by the much vaunted Diaz is ostensibly about the penis. Specifically the latino penis and even more specifically the extremely busy penis of Yunior, the reappearing character throughout these tales.

It is maybe me but I struggled to find too much literature in the inability of young Hispanic boys and girls to hold sufficient moral compass to realise that a communistic attitude to sexual congress is not the road to a happy life.

Yet despite thinking throughout that there should be more to the tales than the trials and tribulations of Yunior's sex-life - those tribulations wrought largely self-inlictedly due to serial infidelities- I could still get a sense that Diaz can write.

Amazed that this was thought worthy of award nomination.

5/10

Paul- 46 pages? Wow! Now, you can find out how it ends. So far, The Absent One is my favorite. Sorry, This is How You Lose Her didn't work for you. It was one of my favorite reads of last year. I found it totally amazing.
Congrats on grabbing Among Others, which I also loved. Hope that one works better for you.

Mark - I do distinctly remember your enjoyment of This is How You Lose Her and I wanted to like it in part because of that as we rarely disagree on books. I enjoyed the first and last stories the most but I believe it was more a paean to infidelity than a celebration of the ways of love. Regulars here will know I am a million miles from prudery and I wasn't bothered per se by the sexual content but more by the unremittedness of it. After four or five stories I think it became a little stereotypical.
Your reading of Among Others was a reminder to me to look it up.

I'll be interested to see what you think of Among Others considering it is a paean to science fiction/fantasy literature.

Morphy - Let's see; I don't go into fantasy/Sci Fi with any predisposition to dislike it - it just sort of sneaks up on me.

Stopping by to try and get caught up with your thread, Paul. Great reviews and wow on the Adler-Olsen book missing 46 pages! Glad to see you were able to exchange the defective book so you could find out how it 'really' ends. ;-) I am looking forward to starting that series so really, really happy to see you rate it so highly. I will happily ignore Diaz's book.

Lori - Diaz's book is most definitely not your cup of tea.

81.

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

This book has accompanied me through most of the year providing wonderment, succour and occasional suffering along the way.

The Joad extended family's journey across America from Oklahoma to the hoped for promised land of California is interminable and my prolonged reading of it somehow apt.

In many ways a difficult novel and some of the turns in the road on Route 66 were almost as tedious to read as they were to endure by the book's protagonists, this was also in all ways a masterpiece.

It was a masterpiece of suffering. It was a masterpiece of an alternative skewed-eyed American dream. It was a masterpiece of the values of community, togetherness and family in the face of greed, selfishness, capitalism, profiteering and cruelty. It was a masterpiece of radicalism. It was a masterpiece of language.

The high points for me were the short chapters taking a birds-eye view of the general situation of those migrants. The travel chapters are written in near flawless prose where Steinbeck captures unerringly the movement across the country in a seamless flow of lyricism.

Brilliant, but unpleasant. Moving but depressing.

9/10

I'll be interested to hear what you think of Among Others. It has certainly been getting lots of attention around here lately.
Nice comments about The Grapes of Wrath. Masterpiece, indeed.

I hope you're having a good weekend, Paul.

>253 PaulCranswick:: Excellent review of The Grapes of Wrath, Paul. It's my favorite Steinbeck. Perhaps because I didn't know what I was getting into, so it was quite moving.

Paul- Congrats on finishing Grapes. Good review! It is my favorite novel. I have read it 2 or 3 times, but not in nearly 2 decades. I'll have to give it a try again just to see how I feel now. Since, I have read several Steinbeck books in the past few years and I am amazed every time, I can only imagine my love will be steady and true.

Thanks Ellen - Weekend spent largely reading and getting the stats up to speed.

Laura - I was wondering to myself a little why I was taking so long with it in truth but it gathered a momentum of its own for the last 200 pages this week.

Mark - At least I was able to balance up after my thumbs down for the Diaz. I find it amazing that his being conferred the Nobel prize was, at the time, a source of controversy. I think he has stood the test of time very well.

getting the stats up to speed

Uh oh....

THREAD POSTING LEAGUE UPDATE

As at the commencement of Bastile Day

1 PaulCranswick (Paul) 5795
2 richardderus (Richard) 4885
3 msf59 (Mark) 4284
4 Crazymamie (Mamie) 3604
5 jnwelch (Joe) 3439
6 Ape (Stephen) 2818
7 EBT 1002 (Ellen) 2737
8 mckait (Kath) 2415
9 ireadthereforiam (Megan) 2397
10 kidzdoc (Darryl) 2068
11 scaifea (Amber) 1814
12 cameling (Caro) 1691
13 brenzi (Bonnie) 1685
14 norabelle414 (Nora) 1668
15 katiekrug (Katie) 1612
16 ronincats (Roni) 1548
17 Whisper1 (Linda) 1507
18 Donna828 (Donna) 1482
19 LizzyD (Peggy) 1388
20 SandDune (Rhian) 1384
21 TinaV95 (Tina) 1383
22 bahzah (Cee) 1363
23 sibyx (Lucy) 1343
24 Morphidae (Morphy) 1330
25 wilkiec (Diana) 1248
26 UnrulySun (Kathy) 1228
27 drachenbraut23 (Bianca) 1219
28 Esquiress (Es) 1192
29 leahbird (Leah) 1189
30 lit_chick (Nancy) 1158
31 Vancouverdeb (Deb) 1142
32 Chatterbox (Suz) 1133
33 DorsVenabili (Kerri) 1091
34 ChelleBearss (Chelle) 1023
35 Maggie1944 (Karen) 972
36 DeltaQueen50 (Judy) 929
37 Dejah_Thoris 928
38 MickyFine (Micky) 899
39 lyzard (Liz) 864
40 tymfos (Terri) 862
41 lindapanzo (Linda) 856
42 susanj67 (Susan) 846
43 rosalita (Julia) 808
44 alcottacre (Stasia) 792
45 The Hibernator(Rachel) 777
46 saraslibrary (Sara) 761
47 cbl_tn (Carrie) 758
48 Carmenere (Lynda) 752
49 thornton37814 (Lori) 747
50 phebj (Pat) 739
51 souloftherose (Heather) 709
52 lauralkeet (Laura) 704
53 AMQS (Anne) 690
54 bohemima (Gail) 672
55 bell7 (Mary) 671
56 BLBera (Beth) 662
57 paulstalder (Paul) 656
58 RebaRelishesReading (Reba) 649
59 Coppers (Joanne) 630
60 Avatiakh (Kerry) 629
61 gennyt (Genny) 629
62 Smiler69 (Ilana) 602
63 labwriter (Becky) 599
64 lkernagh (Lori) 565
65 Humouress (Nina) 564
66 drneutron (Jim) 513
67 luvamystery65 (Roberta) 498
68 Berly (Kim) 493
69 porch_reader (Amy) 459
70 cyderry (Cheli) 451
71 ctpress (Carsten) 444
72 tututhefirst (Tina) 408
73 tloffler (Terri) 387
74 Deern (Nathalie) 385
75 BekkaJo (Bekka) 381
76 PawsforThought (Paws) 378
77 SqueakyChu (Madeline) 371
78 alsvidur (Emilie) 367
79 Calm 365
80 Cobscook (Heidi) 362
81 cushlareads (Cushla) 359
82 Luxx 353
83 Samanthakathy (Samantha) 347
84 dk_phoenix (Faith) 344
85 Foggidawn 342
86 beserene (Sarah) 338
87 banjo123 (Rhonda) 335
88 LauraBrook (Laura) 335
89 ErisofDiscord (Eris) 334
90 fourpawz2 (Charlotte) 334
91 Inge87 (Jennifer) 329
92 qebo (Katherine) 317
93 Nittnut (Jenn) 311
94 cammykitty (Katie) 304
95 tiffin (Tui) 300
96 Swynn (Stephen) 289
97 lovelyluck (Jennifer) 288
98 brenpike (Brenda) 287
99 PersephonesLibrary (Kathy) 285
100 streamsong (Janet) 285
101 kassilem (Melis) 284
102 TadAD (Tad) 266
103 lunacat (Jenny) 262
104 johnsimpson (John) 261
105 laytonwoman3rd (Linda) 258
106 bluesalamanders (Blue) 251
107 weejane (Brit) 251
108 whitewavedarling (Jen) 250
109 karenmarie (Karen) 244
110 rebeccanyc (Rebecca) 242
111 sjmccreary (Sandy) 241
112 fuzzi 228
113 Ursula 226
114 klobrien2 (Karen O) 225
115 NielsenGW (Gerard) 221
116 ffortsa (Judy) 220
117 Mirrordrum (Ellie) 220
118 AnneDC (Anne) 217
119 mstrust (Jennifer) 204
120 Zoe 192
121 RosyLibrarian (Marie) 190
122 Tanglwood (Michelle) 190
123 fairywings (Adrienne) 185
124 Linda92007 (Linda) 183
125 majkia (Jean) 183
126 jdthloue (Jude) 182
127 elliepotten (Ellie) 178
128 Storeetllr (Mary) 177
129 roundballnz (Alex) 175
130 lycomayflower (Laura) 174
131 PrueGallagher (Prue) 170
132 tapestry100 (David) 170
133 HanGerg (Hannah) 164
134 susanna.fraser (Susanna) 151
135 kmartin802 (Kathy) 147
136 SugarCreekRanch (Carol) 146
137 PiyushC (Piyush) 144
138 seasonoflove (Becca) 143
139 Katelism (Katie) 142
140 jadebird (Renee) 141
141 JustJoey4 (Monica) 140
142 lilkim714 (kimberlee) 139
143 scvlad (Steve) 139
144 arubabookwoman (Deborah) 136
145 Emrayfo (Charles) 134
146 Eyejaybee (James) 130
147 Cariola 124
148 crazy4reading (Monica) 122
149 markon (Ardene) 121
150 Mercury57 (Karen) 121
151 plt (Peg) 121
152 jjmcgaffey (Jennifer) 120
153 mskeens (Monica) 120
154 sandykaypax (Sandy) 120
155 Cynara 116
156 RandyMetcalfe 116
157 CDVicarage (Kerry) 115
158 vivians (Vivian) 114
159 aktakukac (Rachel) 110
160 AuntieClio (Stephanie) 107
161 suslyn (Susan) 107
162 torontoc (Cyrel) 106
163 kiwiflowa (Lisa) 103
164 curlysue (Kara) 99
165 aquascum 97
166 BBGirl (Bryony) 93
167 thomasandmary (Regina) 93
168 susiesharp (Susie) 92
169 Beeg (Brenda) 91
170 LibraryLover23 90
171 mmignano11 (Mary Beth) 90
172 yoyogod 90
173 ccookie (Cathy) 87
174 KarenElissa 87
175 Elkiedee (Luci) 85
176 HelenBaker (Helen) 84
177 PensiveCat (Catherine) 84
178 amanda4242 83
179 Oregonreader 83
180 Sanddancer (Justine) 81
181 lalbro (Liz) 78
182 chexmix (Glenn) 77
183 JechtShot (Nick) 76
184 Rbeffa (Ron) 76
185 Helenoel 73
186 tigerlyly (Liliana) 68
187 apachecat (Jess) 67
188 Meanderer (Tony) 67
189 kgodey (Kriti) 66
190 TomKitten (Stephen) 66
191 Mausergem (Gautam) 65
192 Muddy21 (Marilyn) 65
193 sandydog1 (Steve) 64
194 kirconnell 63
195 Oberon 63
196 cal8767 (Carrie) 62
197 HenriMoreaux (Henri) 60

BOOK READING LEAGUE

Usual riders apply due to the fact that some threads are more updated than others and for human (this human) error.

1 Chatterbox (Suz) 210
2 Morphidae (Morphy) 198
3 alsvidur (Emilie) 194
4 kmartin802 (Kathy) 155
5 suslyn (Susan) 151
6 Inge87 (Jennifer) 150
7 Whisper1 (Linda) 142
8 HenriMoreaux (Henri) 139
9 Dejah_Thoris 133
10 NielsenGW (Gerard) 123
11 Elkiedee (Luci) 119
12 kassilem (Melis) 119
13 thornton37814 (Lori) 112
14 amanda4242 103
15 DeltaQueen50 (Judy) 103
16 Avatiakh (Kerry) 102
17 souloftherose (Heather) 100
18 susanj67 (Susan) 99
19 Foggidawn 93
20 ronincats (Roni) 93
21 cbl_tn (Carrie) 91
22 LauraBrook (Laura) 91
23 cameling (Caro) 90
24 Deern (Nathalie) 90
25 Eyejaybee (James) 89
26 aktakukac (Rachel) 88
27 vivians (Vivian) 88
28 msf59 (Mark) 87
29 richardderus (Richard) 87
30 rosalita (Julia) 87
31 CDVicarage (Kerry) 86
32 Crazymamie (Mamie) 86
33 yoyogod 86
34 scaifea (Amber) 85
35 brenpike (Brenda) 84
36 lindapanzo (Linda) 84
37 saraslibrary (Sara) 84
38 Nittnut (Jenn) 83
39 sibyx (Lucy) 83
40 arubabookwoman (Deborah) 81
41 ChelleBearss (Chelle) 81
42 PaulCranswick (Paul) 81
43 lyzard (Liz) 80
44 torontoc (Cyrel) 80
45 jjmcgaffey (Jennifer) 79
46 lilkim714 (kimberlee) 78
47 tloffler (Terri) 77
48 Swynn (Stephen) 76
49 klobrien2 (Karen O) 75
50 paulstalder (Paul) 73
51 AnneDC (Anne) 71
52 bluesalamanders (Blue) 71
53 bell7 (Mary) 70
54 jnwelch (Joe) 70
55 tututhefirst (Tina) 70
56 mckait (Kath) 68
57 KarenElissa 67
58 Smiler69 (Ilana) 67
59 susanna.fraser (Susanna) 67
60 cyderry (Cheli) 64
61 seasonoflove (Becca) 64
62 tymfos (Terri) 64
63 aquascum 63
64 Donna828 (Donna) 63
65 wilkiec (Diana) 63
66 Calm 62
67 Cobscook (Heidi) 62
68 lkernagh (Lori) 62
69 cammykitty (Katie) 61
70 porch_reader (Amy) 61
71 whitewavedarling (Jen) 61
72 mstrust (Jennifer) 60
73 alcottacre (Stasia) 59
74 Storeetllr (Mary) 59
75 susiesharp (Susie) 59
76 UnrulySun (Kathy) 59
77 ireadthereforiam (Megan) 58
78 Sanddancer (Justine) 58
79 BLBera (Beth) 57
80 markon (Ardene) 57
81 Cynara 56
82 drneutron (Jim) 56
83 kidzdoc (Darryl) 56
84 majkia (Jean) 56
85 SandDune (Rhian) 56
86 Luxx 55
87 SugarCreekRanch (Carol) 55
88 banjo123 (Rhonda) 54
89 EBT 1002 (Ellen) 54
90 LibraryLover23 ( 54
91 RandyMetcalfe 53
92 fuzzi 52
93 AuntieClio (Stephanie) 51
94 RebaRelishesReading (Reba) 51
95 Mirrordrum (Ellie) 51
96 rebeccanyc (Rebecca) 51
97 The_Hibernator (Rachel) 51
98 drachenbraut23 (Bianca) 50
99 katiekrug (Katie) 50
100 luvamystery65 (Roberta) 50
101 tapestry100 (David) 50
102 Esquiress (Es) 49
103 karenmarie (Karen) 49
104 Oberon 49
105 RosyLibrarian (Marie) 49
106 Humouress (Nina) 48
107 LizzyD (Peggy) 48
108 lovelyluck (Jennifer) 48
109 mskeens (Monica) 48
110 bohemima (Gail) 47
111 brenzi (Bonnie) 47
112 gennyt (Genny) 47
113 mmignano11 (Mary Beth) 47
114 BekkaJo (Bekka) 46
115 Cariola 46
116 chexmix (Glenn) 46
117 streamsong (Janet) 46
118 thomasandmary (Regina) 46
119 TinaV95 (Tina) 46
120 Ursula 46
121 HelenBaker (Helen) 45
122 Helenoel 45
123 bahzah (Cee) 44
124 Oregonreader 44
125 sandykaypax (Sandy) 44
126 sjmccreary (Sandy) 44
127 kgodey (Kriti) 43
128 kirconnell 43
129 Meanderer (Tony) 43
130 sandydog1 (Steve) 43
131 TomKitten (Stephen) 43
132 MickyFine (Micky) 42
133 johnsimpson (John) 41
134 BBGirl (Bryony) 40
135 curlysue (Kara) 39
136 lit_chick (Nancy) 39
137 norabelle414 (Nora) 39
138 PiyushC (Piyush) 39
139 scvlad (Steve) 39
140 labwriter (Becky) 38
141 laytonwoman3rd (Linda) 38
142 lycomayflower (Laura) 38
143 AMQS (Anne) 37
144 ccookie (Cathy) 37
145 fourpawz2 (Charlotte) 37
146 Coppers (Joanne) 36
147 dk_phoenix (Faith) 36
148 fairywings (Adrienne) 36
149 Rbeffa (Ron) 36
150 TadAD (Tad) 36
151 ctpress (Carsten) 34
152 SqueakyChu (Madeline) 34
153 DorsVenabili (Kerri) 33
154 JechtShot (Nick) 33
155 PensiveCat (Catherine) 33
156 qebo (Katherine) 33
157 Emrayfo (Charles) 32
158 lalbro (Liz) 32
159 Mausergem (Gautam) 32
160 apachecat (Jess) 31
161 Vancouverdeb (Deb) 31
162 jadebird (Renee) 30
163 lauralkeet (Laura) 30
164 leahbird (Leah) 30
165 tiffin (Tui) 30
166 Carmenere (Lynda) 28
167 PersephonesLibrary (Kathy) 28
168 Ape (Stephen) 27
169 Beeg (Brenda) 27
170 beserene (Sarah) 26
171 HanGerg (Hannah) 26
172 Berly (Kim) 25
173 crazy4reading (Monica) 25
174 Linda92007 (Linda) 25
175 roundballnz (Alex) 25
176 cal8767 (Carrie) 24
177 Zoe 24
178 ffortsa (Judy) 23
179 PawsforThought (Paws) 23
180 phebj (Pat) 23
181 Tanglwood (Michelle) 23
182 Muddy21 (Marilyn) 22
183 kiwiflowa (Lisa) 20
184 Samantha_kathy (Samantha) 20
185 weejane (Brit) 20
186 JustJoey4 (Monica) 18
187 Maggie1944 (Karen) 18
188 PrueGallagher (Prue) 18
189 plt (Peg) 16
190 Katelism (Katie) 15
191 Mercury57 (Karen) 15
192 cushlareads (Cushla) 14
193 elliepotten (Ellie) 14
194 ErisofDiscord (Eris) 13
195 tigerlyly (Liliana) 11
196 lunacat (Jenny) 6
197 jdthloue (Jude) 1

Kath - Thanks from the listless proprietor in 176 made me laugh.... I know what you meant but you are the king of LISTS so it made me laugh, especially as I got to the posts just above!

When I learned it was Ramadhan, I thought of you.... rough month ! I admit that I don't understand this sort of thing. To me it seems as if you either are or are not faithful and such things as "giving up" proves nothing, especially since many of those who make such sacrifice could use some direction in living a good life ( which I am sure that YOU do). Just my take. . . no offense meant.

WOW! Those lists boggle the mind, Paul - not sure how you keep up with all those stats, but it sure makes it fun for the rest of us! I am shocked to still be sitting in 4th - I thought for sure Joe and his amazing cafe would have flown past me by now. As always, I stand in awe of the reading list.

Hoping that your Sunday was a happy one and that the coming week is not too hairy.

Kath - Mmmm I ought to have seen that unintentional pun really didn't I?
Ramadhan is meant to be about cleansing, about communing closer to God, about atonement and the seeking of forgiveness for wrongs done intended or otherwise. The abstinence from all sustenance during the hours of daylight are symbolic of that. As most of you will know I am quite secular in my views but I do get a kick from the month, especially the family being centred around mealtime and the chance to have my more favoured attire fit me more comfortably.
I agree that there will be hypocrites making a pretence of fasting just as they make a sham of religion - and all religions and non-beliefs have their share. We are basically all just people trying to find a way to get along.

Paul I'm glad you got the Adler-Olsen book sorted out. 46 pages is missing a lot. I enjoyed it immensely. The mystery plot is secondary to me in this series as I really am enjoying the journey Carl is making with this rag tag band of loonies in his life.

I do understand what it is meant to be.. but it just seems to me that.. well, the deity (theoretically ) really did provide us with all that food, and it seems rather odd to say ..but, you can't have any just to prove that you have value. But then, as most here know, my religious views are not typical. I quite liked the book The Shack where the deity made everyone pancakes.. and Ruby by Mary Summer RAin, where the deity was a homeless woman..sooooo

I can never find a touchstone for Ruby. it annoys me.

Is this what your looking for, Katheen - Ruby: A Novel?

Roberta - It was bizarre really. I have to say that the assistant in the bookstore was lovely and replaced the book without hesitation. Of course when she checked my member card she would have realised that it could have been bad for business to upset me!
I really like Assad and think he adds a lot of value to the stories but I am less sure about Rose/Yrsa whose influence in this episode was frankly a bit silly. It is a great series though and the cuddly fellow pictured with his arm around one of my favourite 75ers doesn't look capable of dreaming up such dastardy.

Kath - A bit of abstinence is healthy; certainly more than the binging that goes on in a number of families after the fast is over.
A deity dispensing pancakes? How civilised. I shouldn't have rushed into my choice of denominations!

Mamie - I must seek that one out as I am a terribly big fan of pancakes.

Paul -I was here earlier, but you missed me. I think we cross-posted! I have not read either of the books that Kath is talking about, but agree that pancakes are good. Very good. Especially pecan pancakes.

Dear Mamie, I am becoming proficient at missing posts - we did of course cross post! What else would go in your pancakes. Reading your post my greedy mind's nose can just about catch that lustful aroma gracing the evening breeze.

Over 100 people have, at this mid-year point, read 50 or more books.

That is a wonderful, wonderful stat. It fills me with happy. Reading and readers rock.

Perhaps even more astounding is that at least a quarter of those recorded have already passed the 75 book target. Readers rock is about right.

On the other list I hazard that you will pass 5,000 posts sometime next week. Mark is outposting both of us nowadays and it will be interesting to see if he comes past us on the home straight.

My wager is, on 31 Dec, it will be Mark, you, Mamie, me.

Thanks Mamie! I can never, ever find it. I loved that book :) I gave away at least half a dozen copies.
I know I still have one here, somewhere. I should read it again.

Yep.. Paul, pancakes. I found it to be...nurturing, you know what I mean?

RD, I doubt looking at the stats that Mamie will pass you unless your computer packs up. Mark ran fifth last year and third for most of this one, I could be wrong but I think you'll hold him off. Now next year is another story and I reckon he'll have both of us beat for sure.

Kath - Pancakes are one of life's pleasures, as are you my dear.

I like being up in the top 10 of the posting league but, of course, I'd really like to see if I can move up a bit higher in the reading list. I can more easily post while a ball game is on the TV than I can read. :-|

275... Agreed Ellen!! :)

Hey Paul, 46 pages is quite a chunk to miss! Glad you pursued that & were able to read the remainder!

Tina is back!!!

Hi Paul, wow, 46 pages missing from your book, that is a lot. I am glad that you solved the mystery of the missing pages and were able to go to finish the book.

As always your stats on thread posting/books read is very interesting. I seem to do better at the reading than the talking! I am a retired person with a lot of time on my hands but what amazes me is the number of people, yourself included, that are over 75 books so far and they also have families to raise and jobs to attend to. I suspect there are a lot of people around here that get very little sleep!

Ellen, actually you have improved your position this year in both leagues. Last year you ran steadily top 20 in posts on your thread whilst this year you have made #7 your home. Your reading is also a tad up on last year unless I'm mistaken.

Tina - You and Ellen have "ball games" to distract you - I am currently bleary eyed from Le Tour and trying to read up a frenzy.

Roberta - Where did Tina go? Nice to see her and you as always.

Judy - I must admit some of the figures on reading and posting do amaze me. As you know I am a little on the talkative side but I can find little expectation as to why this thread has attracted so many posts but I'm eminently grateful nonetheless!
btw I don't sleep over much.

Couple of bits of news over the weekend:

The young actor playing Finn in that irritating TV show Glee passed away in a Vancouver hotel at the age of 31. Not explained but he had recently been in rehab. What a waste. He was scheduled to marry the girl from the show with the big features and the screamy voice.

Tyson Gay has tested positive and is out of the World Athletics Champs. Seems Asafa Powell too. Call me cynical but even rocket fuelled he would have needed a turbo charger fitting to distance the Bolt.

Finally I would encourage pals to visit Es' thread. She has put up a brave but heartbreaking post and it seems she won't be around for a while. A hug or two would probably be welcome. x

Thank you Paul for posting about Es. LT is wonderful community and people like you are a huge part of the reason. I wish the world had more Pauls in it.

Not so sure it would be a great idea Roberta - there'd be a lot less food and decidedly fewer trees!

btw you're right this is a great community.

I was sad to hear about Cory Monteith's passing. He was far too young and it appears that drugs got the best of him.

Thanks for the nudge to visit Es' thread.

The dangers of drugs seems to escalate with premature exposure to fame and fortune. He isn't the first and won't unfortunately be the last I would guess.

From early this year I have been championing Es as "the new Mamie" ostensibly for her meteoric rise in the threads. Last year was one of great upheaval but of a pleasant sort for Mamie with her uprooting from Indiana for pastures newer & pecanised and many of us were charmed as we followed her journey and the families' setting down roots in Georgia.
Es' great upheaval is of a darker but equally of a life defining nature. I have had the pleasure over the last few months of interaction with Es little knowing of the stress and tears so magnificently hidden behind her virtual smiles. I'm sure with God speed she will come through this time of turbulence and hopefully the smiles that she has scattered so liberally amongst us will recommence likewise.

>245 PaulCranswick: Well I did buy a defective detective book but having received the last 46 pages I am now able to revise my review.
*chuckle*
That is a great sentence. One that you may never need to say again. I hope.
Fancy getting short changed on pages? Sheesh.
:)

Thanks for your Ramadan explanation up there (way up there) too, that was a lovely description of your experience of it.

Hi Paul, the "Froomedog" showed them how to ride up Mont Ventoux yesterday after his teammates gave him wonderful support, especially Richie Porte on the final climb.
Yesterday was full of highs and lows before final highs for both England and Team Sky, can this continue and add to that the weather here is fantastic after the past two water filled summers. Love the stats mate but I seem to have fallen in the ratings, must try harder, ha ha.

Megan - The funny thing was inretrospect I didn't see it coming, if you know what I mean! I got all the way to two pages to go before I realised that the ending would be a wee abrupt. Having read the other two in the series I figured there had to be pages missing.

John - I am still worried that his team will crack on the Alpe D'Huez and its double ascent this year as it is more difficult for them to control on multiple climbs as they showed on the second day in the Pyrenees.
As for the cricket I think we made heavy weather of it. They were grumbling about Broad but what about the 180 runs they added after Prior had stumped the last man?

Glad you got to read the end of your defective detective book! Sounds like that series is a winner.

Stats are impressive as always. I am feeling behind on my reading goals for the year but will keep chugging away, reminding myself all the while that this is not a race! Thanks for sharing all your hard work with us!

Heidi - It is probably my favourite Scandi series presently.
I don't know whether the Books read list is meant to inspire or deflate us. As usual the exploits of Suz, Morphy et al is pretty awesome.

Paul, I'm glad you resolved the missing pages mystery. Never heard of such a thing. An outrage!

I am glad to see that you added Among Others to your list of purchases. Don't worry about it being fantasy. It is mostly about Science Fiction and in fact the main character has little, or a lot - depending on your proclivities - about fantasy. If lists aplenty had not already been done for this book I would say you would be a natural to put together list after list connected to this title. For me this book was a unique way to introduce me, and many others, to the wonderful world of Sci/Fi writing. It gently guided me into thinking about this genre in a totally different way.

Two whole days in Langkawi without internet facilities and snowed under. At least I knew that with KLIA Express train journeys x2, LRT Rail journeys x2 and flights to and fro I would get a lot of reading done. The other consultants are all chinese malaysian so I was also left to my own devices after 6 pm. Result reading of Suz and Morphy proportions with 4 books finished this week, more later as I am back in KL just in time for breaking my fast and I am pretty darned hungry.

Donna - I haven't seen that before either but the young lady in the bookstore was lovely and changed the book without any fuss at all even though I hadn't the receipt (but I do have my members card).

Benita - I have seen so many positive reviews recently for Among Others that I could hardly not look for it.

There's a wonderful volume of Gaiman's The Sandman GN about Ramadan called, well, "Ramadan." It's in the collected volume called Fables and Reflections and I highly recommend it, and the entire series.

I must try some more Gaiman soon Amber. I liked bitsof American Gods especally the more "human" parts of it, if you know what I mean