rosalita is back for some no-pressure reading and fun in 2013! Take 4

I'm back for my third year with no promises of anything beyond maintaining a list of books read and chatting with all of the friends I've made here (and hopefully some new ones). Who knows? There may even be a review or two.

A little about myself: My name is Julia, I'm 48, live in Iowa and work at the state university in the study abroad office. I'm the president of our local Friends of the Library group, and the vast majority of books I read in 2012 came from the library. I'd also like to make more of an effort to clear out some unread books from my shelves this year, too, so I've added a ticker to track that goal, too.

I have found good books to read in almost any genre, but most of my choices tend to come from contemporary and classic fiction, mysteries, historical nonfiction and biography.

My rating scale:
★★★★★ - completely enthralling. It enlightened or educated me in some way. I can definitely see myself reading it again. In short, a "keeper" worth buying.
★★★★½ - not quite perfect, but I will actively recommend this book to friends.
★★★★ - really great book with minor flaws, still highly recommended.
★★★½ - better than average but some flaws. Recommended.
★★★ - entertaining but probably forgettable, not worth re-reading. Recommended only for fans of the genre or author.
★★½ - readable but something about the story, characters or writing was not up to standards. Not recommended.
★★ - finished but did not like, and would not recommend.
★½ - some redeeming qualities made me finish it, but nothing to recommend.
★ - finished but disliked enough to actively attempt to dissuade others from reading.
½ - could not finish, possibly destroyed by fire (unless it's a library book)


Books Read ticker


Books Off the Shelf ticker



Acquired in 2013

January

• Black Irish, Stephen Talty (Early Reviewer book, paper)
  
• Married in Haste, Cathy Maxwell (Nook, free ebook)
  
• Sex and the Stewardess, Lawrence Block writing as John Warren Wells (Kindle, free ebook)
  
• Moonlight Blogger: Essays from the Subversive Copy Editor Blog, Carol Fisher Saller (Kindle, ebook)
  
• Just One of the Guys, Kristan Higgins (Nook, free ebook)
  
• A Drop of the Hard Stuff, Lawrence Block (Kindle, ebook)
  
• Bliss, Kathryn Littlewood (Nook, free ebook)
  
• Versatile Ladies, John Warren Wells (Kindle, free ebook)

February

• The Demi-Monde: Winter, Rod Rees (Nook, free ebook)
  
• Boomerang Bride, Fiona Lowe (Nook, free ebook)
  
• The Last Dance, Ed McBain (Kindle, ebook)
  
• Lady Gone Bad, Sabine Starr (Nook, free ebook)
  
• Hit Man, Lawrence Block (Kobo, ebook)
  
• Hit List, Lawrence Block (Kobo, ebook)
  
• Hit Parade, Lawrence Block (Kobo, ebook)
  
• Hit and Run, Lawrence Block (Kobo, ebook)
  
• The Burgess Boys, Elizabeth Strout (Early Reviewer book, paper)

March

• Driftless, David Rhodes (Nook, free ebook)
  
• Mistrial, Mark Geragos (Early Reviewer book, paper)
  
• The Magician's Nephew, C.S. Lewis (Kindle, ebook)
  
• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis (Kindle, ebook)
  
• The Horse and His Boy, C.S. Lewis (Kindle, ebook)
  
• Prince Caspian, C.S. Lewis (Kindle, ebook)
  
• The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, C.S. Lewis (Kindle, ebook)
  
• The Silver Chair, C.S. Lewis (Kindle, ebook)
  
• The Last Battle, C.S. Lewis (Kindle, ebook)
  
• Troubles, J.G. Farrell (Kindle, ebook)
  
• The Hangman's Daughter, Oliver Pötzsch (Kindle, ebook)
  
• The Dark Monk, Oliver Pötzsch (Kindle, ebook)
  
• The Beggar King, Oliver Pötzsch (Kindle, ebook)
  
• The Poisoned Pilgrim, Oliver Pötzsch (Kindle, ebook pre-order)
  
• The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown (Kobo, free ebook)
  
• Lady Maggie's Secret Scandal, Grace Burrowes (Nook, free ebook)

April

• October 1964, David Halberstam (Kindle, ebook)
  
• Summer of '49, David Halberstam (Kindle, ebook)
  
• Five Seasons: A Baseball Companion, Roger Angell (Kindle, ebook)
  
• The Summer Game, Roger Angell (Kindle, ebook)
  
• Season Ticket, Roger Angell (Kindle, ebook)
  
• Can't Anybody Here Play This Game?, Jimmy Breslin (Kindle, ebook)
  
• A Test of Wills, Charles Todd (Nook, free ebook)
  
• If You Can't Stand the Heat, Lawrence Block (Kindle, estory)
  
• The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown (Kobo, free ebook)
  
• The Blackhouse, Peter May (Kobo, ebook)
  
• Hit Me, Lawrence Block (Kobo, ebook)

May

• A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving (Kindle, ebook)
  
• Under the Lake, Stuart Woods (Kindle, ebook)
  
• Saving Hope, Margaret Daley (Nook, free ebook)
  
• Sanctus, Simon Toyne (Nook, free ebook)
  
• Head to Head, Linda Ladd (Nook, free ebook)
  
• The Lost Code, Kevin Emerson (Nook, free ebook)
  

January
1. A Possible Life, Sebastian Faulks. ★★★ (review)
2. Some Buried Caesar, Rex Stout. ★★★★★ (review)
3, The Surgeon, Tess Gerritsen. ★★★ (review)
4. The Apprentice, Tess Gerritsen. ★★★
5. A Drop of the Hard Stuff, Lawrence Block. ★★★★½
6. The Sinner, Tess Gerritsen. ★★★★
7. Body Double, Tess Gerritsen. ★★★½
8. Vanish, Tess Gerritsen. ★★★★
9. The Mephisto Club, Tess Gerritsen. ★★★½
10. The Keepsake, Tess Gerritsen. ★★★★
11. Ice Cold, Tess Gerritsen. ★★★★½
12. Black Orchids, Rex Stout. ★★★★

February
13. The Silent Girl, Tess Gerritsen. ★★★★
14. Last to Die, Tess Gerritsen. ★★★★
15. Cordially Invited to Meet Death, Rex Stout. ★★★
16. Champagne for One, Rex Stout. ★★★
17. E Street Shuffle: The Glory Days of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Clinton Heylin. ★ (review)
18. Black Irish, Stephen Talty. ★★★★ (review)
19. Death Times Three, Rex Stout. ★★★½
20. Sharp Objects, Gillian Flynn. ★★★½ (review)
21. The Innocent, Harlan Coben. ★★★
22. The Age of Grief, Jane Smiley. ★★★½ (review)
23. Deal Breaker, Harlan Coben. ★★★ (review)
24. Hit Man, Lawrence Block. ★★★★ (review)
25. Drop Shot, Harlan Coben. ★★½

March
26. Hit List, Lawrence Block. ★★★★ (review)
27. Hit Parade, Lawrence Block. ★★★★ (review)
28. The Brass Verdict, Michael Connelly. ★★★½ (review)
29. The Scottish Prisoner, Diana Gabaldon. ★★★½ (review)
30. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Mary Ann Shaffer. ★★★★ (review)
31. Fade Away, Harlan Coben. ★★★
32. Hit and Run, Lawrence Block. ★★★★½
33. Arcadia, Lauren Groff ★★★½ (review)
34. Fer-de-Lance, Rex Stout. ★★★★
35. A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows, Diana Gabaldon. ★★★
36. The League of Frightened Men, Rex Stout. ★★★½
37. The Rubber Band, Rex Stout. ★★★
38. Ashfall, Mike Mullin. ★★★½
39. The Red Box, Rex Stout. ★★★
40. Too Many Cooks, Rex Stout. ★★★★½
41. Over My Dead Body, Rex Stout. ★★★½
42. Where There's a Will, Rex Stout. ★★★★

April
43. Ashen Winter, Mike Mullin. ★★★½
44. Too Many Women, Rex Stout. ★★★
45. The Orphan Master's Son, Adam Johnson. ★★
46. The Second Confession, Rex Stout. ★★★½
47. Oryx and Crake, Margaret Atwood. ★★★★
48. The Twelve, Justin Cronin. ★★★½
49. In the Best Families, Rex Stout. ★★★★½
50. Year of the Flood, Margaret Atwood. ★★★★
51. Dog On It, Spencer Quinn. ★★★½
52. Thereby Hangs a Tail, Spencer Quinn. ★★★½
53. The Deep Blue Good-by, John D. MacDonald. ★★★½
54. Nightmare in Pink, John D. MacDonald. ★★★★

May
55. To Fetch a Thief, Spencer Quinn. ★★★½
56. Murder By the Book, Rex Stout. ★★★½
57. Prisoner's Base, Rex Stout. ★★★★
58. A Purple Place for Dying, John D. MacDonald. ★★★★
59. The Golden Spiders, Rex Stout. ★★★★½
60. The Black Mountain, Rex Stout. ★★★★
61. Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, Ben Fountain. ★★★★½
62. Three Men Out, Rex Stout. ★★★
63. Might As Well Be Dead, Rex Stout. ★★★½
64. The Round House, Louis Erdrich. ★★★★½
65. Beautiful Ruins, Jess Walter. ★★★½
66. If Death Ever Slept, Rex Stout. ★★★★★
67. Three for the Chair, Rex Stout. ★★★★
68. The Quick Red Fox, John D. MacDonald. ★★★

June
69. And Four to Go, Rex Stout. ★★★½
70. Plot It Yourself, Rex Stout. ★★★★
71. Too Many Clients, Rex Stout. ★★★½
72. The Final Deduction, Rex Stout. ★★★½
73. A Deadly Shade of Gold, John D. MacDonald. ★★★½
74. Homicide Trinity, Rex Stout. ★★★½
75. Gambit, Rex Stout. ★★★½
76. The Mother Hunt, Rex Stout. ★★★½
77. Trio for Blunt Instruments, Rex Stout. ★★★½
78. A Right to Die, Rex Stout. ★★★★
79. The Doorbell Rang, Rex Stout. ★★★★½
80. Death of a Doxy, Rex Stout. ★★★½
81. The Father Hunt, Rex Stout. ★★★½
82. Death of a Dude, Rex Stout. ★★★★
83. Please Pass the Guilt, Rex Stout. ★★★½
84. A Family Affair, Rex Stout. ★★★★%#189;
85. 4:50 From Paddington, Agatha Christie. ★★★★
86. Bright Orange for the Shroud, John D. MacDonald. ★★★½

July
87. The Famine Plot: England's Role in Ireland's Greatest Tragedy, Tim Pat Coogan. ★★★★★
88. Blackout, Connie Willis. ★★★½
89. All Clear, Connie Willis. ★★★½
90. Carved in Bone, Jefferson Bass. ★★★★
91. Queen Lucia, E.F. Benson. ★★★★★
92. Spoiled, Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan. ★★★½
93. Miss Mapp, E.F. Benson. ★★★★
94. The Great Santini, Pat Conroy. ★★★½

August
95. Flesh and Bone, Jefferson Bass. ★★★½
96. The Art of Fielding, Chad Harbach. ★★★★
97. Darker Than Amber, John D. MacDonald. ★★★★
98. 84, Charing Cross Road, Helene Hanff. ★★★★½
99. Sleeping Murder, Agatha Christie. ★★★★
100. Enough Rope, Lawrence Block. ★★★★
101. One Fearful Yellow Eye, John D. MacDonald. ★★★★
102. Under the Dome, Stephen King. ★★★★
103. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood. ★★★★★
104. The Reversal, Michael Connelly. ★★★★
105. The Devil's Bones, Jefferson Bass. ★★★½
106. Moonlight Blogger: Essays from the Subversive Copy Editor Blog, Carol Fisher Sailer. ★★★★★

September
107. The Warden, Anthony Trollope. ★★★★
108. Bones of Betrayal, Jefferson Bass. ★★★
109. Tilt-a-Whirl, Chris Grabenstein. ★★★½
110. The Bone Thief, Jefferson Bass. ★★★★
111. Mad Mouse, Chris Grabenstein. ★★★★
112. Murder in E Minor, Robert Goldsborough. ★★★
113. Whack a Mole, Chris Grabenstein. ★★★★
114. Lucia in London, E.F. Benson. ★★★★★
115. Never Go Back, Lee Child. ★★★★
116. The Bone Yard, Jefferson Bass. ★★★★
117. Mapp and Lucia, E.F. Benson. ★★★★★
118, The Burgess Boys, Elizabeth Strout. ★★★½
119. Lucia's Progress, E.F. Benson. ★★★★
120. Trouble for Lucia, E.F. Benson. ★★★★½
121. The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Neil Gaiman. ★★★★★

October
122. Pale Gray for Guilt, John D. MacDonald. ★★★★
123. Montana, Gwen Florio. ★★★½
124. Mystic River, Dennis Lehane. ★★★★
125. Transatlantic, Colum McCann. ★★★½
126. Waiting for Spring, R.J. Keller. ★★★
127. The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman. ★★★★★
128. The Girl in the Plain Brown Wrapper, John D. MacDonald. ★★★½
129. Blood of Tyrants, Naomi Novik. ★★★½
130. Sick of Shadows, Sharyn McCrumb. ★★★
131. Among Others, Jo Walton. ★★★½
132. Sister Bernadette's Barking Dog, Kitty Burns Florey. .★.★★½
133. The Waste Lands, Stephen King. ★★★★

  

Ashfall, Mike Mullin.
Ashen Winter, Mike Mullin.

A young adult dystopia series about what happens when the (real) supervolcano under Yellowstone National Park erupts and sends a huge ash cloud drifting eastward. The main character is Iowa teenager Alex, who is home alone when the eruption disruption occurs.

The first book, Ashfall, follows Alex's desperate attempt to travel solo to Illinois to reunite with his parents and sister, who were visiting relatives when the disaster struck. The sequel, Ashen Winter, finds Alex and his mechanically inclined girlfriend, Darla, setting off again on another search-and-rescue mission.

This series illustrates one of the hazards of reading YA fiction when you are no longer YA yourself: Telling the story from a teenager's point of view meant that too many elements that would have truly interested me, like the science of how the ash cloud affected the region's weather, and more mature interpersonal dynamics, were sacrificed in favor of a pretty lame romance that didn't even have the redeeming quality of being spicy.

My main interest in reading these books was for their Iowa setting, since that is where I have lived for lo these many years, but the descriptions never gave me a true sense of place that seemed familiar. Also, while I realize that part of the whole point of YA fiction is to show kids being all smart and savvy without adult supervision or help, the notion that two teenagers would be able to do what Alex and Darla did without getting killed in the first five minutes of any one of their various adventures strained credulity to the breaking point.

Having said all that, there is apparently a third and final book in the series coming out next spring, and I'll probably look for it at the library. If you like dystopias and YA fiction, you may find this series worth your time.

The Orphan Master's Son, Adam Johnson.

I finished this book back in April — yes, April! — and trying to gather my thoughts about it gave me a severe case of writer's block that I'm only now fighting through. I find it impossible to be objective about the quality of this book as a work of art, and I still haven't managed to completely unpack all the reasons I experienced such a visceral dislike for it. I should say right up front that this review will probably be useless to anyone who is wondering if this Pulitzer Prize winner is worth reading. All I can do is analyze my own personal reaction, and attempt to understand why I reacted the way I did. So if that's not of interest to you (and for heaven's sake, why would it be?), please skip forward to the next post.

A brief summation of the book: Set in North Korea, possibly the most isolated and brutally ruled country left on earth, the title character is Jun Do, a man who somehow finds himself falling ever upward through the hierarchy of his country's totalitarian regime. At various stages in his life he finds himself patrolling the tunnels that connect North and South Korea, trolling the coasts of Japan and China to kidnap innocent citizens to bring back to North Korea, monitoring enemy radio transmissions along the coast, serving hard time in a prison labor camp, and impersonating one of the most powerful military men in the entire country. Throughout the book, events happen to Jun Do almost without his knowledge or active participation, leaving him with a subtle air of bewilderment at his various fates. Some of the things that happen are absurdist in nature, but I found it impossible to laugh at any of it because the rest was so hopelessly bleak.

And that's the crux of my reaction, I think: This book, despite the humor and the ways in which Jun Do occasionally manages to thwart the Dear Leader's plans, is relentlessly without hope. A book about a country subjugated to a madman's iron-fisted rule is unpalatable without some hint of revolution, opposition, or hope for the future. And this book has none that I could discern. The elites in Pyongyang live a sort of high life while the ordinary citizens are caught in the grip of a famine so severe even the threat of being sent to one of the dreaded labor camps isn't enough to stop them from committing the capital crime of stealing — to eat! — the flowers from new graves in the city's cemeteries.

It's rare for me to give such a low rating to a book that suffers none of the usual faults of plotting, writing, or characterization. It is a testament to the strength of Johnson's writing that his book had such an effect on me. This has been a rough spring and summer for me in a lot of ways, and perhaps that's why I had such a strong reaction to The Orphan Master's Son. Caught in professional and personal situations with little hope of improvement, I desperately need my fiction to provide a ray of sunshine right now. And that's just what you won't get from this book.

Happy New Thread, Julia! I hope that it will reflect lots of good things happening in RL as well as good reading.
Thank you for your review of The Orphan Master's Son. I think I'll do without that one for now.
Read Angela Thirkell for sunshine, or Georgette Heyer.
(Did I ever read all those Rex Stouts and John D. McDonalds in earlier times!)

Welcome, Peggy! You can generally tell how depressed I am by how many Rex Stout re-reads I have in my reading list. As for the MacDonalds, I had read a couple a long long time ago but decided I wanted to do a systematic read in order this time around. I wouldn't say they are sunny, exactly, but they are diverting and bear no resemblance to real life, which is just about as good as lotsa laughs sometimes.

Whoops, I posted too soon. I meant to add that I have not read any Thirkell or Heyer to my knowledge, but having seen lots of Heyer love, especially, on the threads I think I need to make a point of seeking some of her work out. So thanks for nudging me, Peggy!

Julia- Congrats on the new thread! "I'd also like to make more of an effort to clear out some unread books from my shelves this year". Amen, my friend. I am sure most of us feel that way.
Sorry, Orphan Master didn't work better for you. I was big a big fan of that one, although I agree it's not a fun and uplifting read.

Hi Julia, I haven't yet gotten back to Alex and Darla, but hope to before year end.

Ashfall looks like one I could look into- I have decided (just now) to read more dystopian fiction :)

And looking at your acquired books, it looks like they are all ebooks! (apart from the ER ones). I find that in itself fascinating.

#11 by @msf59> Thanks, Marky-Mark! I'm sorry to report that my unread books remain undisturbed on my bookshelves, doggone it. As we've discussed on your thread, your reading of THREE books about North Korea this year shows either an incredible capacity for bleakness or a touch of masochism; I haven't decided which. :-)

#12 by @DeltaQueen50> Hi Judy! I think you will like the second one. It's very much along the lines of the first.

#13 by @Ireadthereforeiam> Megan, I am a total sucker for dystopian fiction (I guess it's comforting to know that things could always be worse?). As for the book acquisitions — some years ago I put a strict policy in place about buying new books simply because I have no room left in my little apartment. I already sleep on the couch because there is no room in my one bedroom for a bed, what with the 8 bookcases and all. But ebooks — ah, those devious little things take up no physical space at all, so stockpiling them is entirely too easy! I am allergic to actually paying full price for an ebook, but unfortunately there are plenty of bargains and daily deals and freebies to fully satisfy my acquisitive instincts. Ah, well. At least I'm not spending all my money on hookers and blow. :-)

Are there lesbian hookers?

Good question, Morphy! I'm sure there must be, but I've not had occasion to look for them. Perhaps I should have said gigolos instead, or boy toys? That would be more up my alley. :D

Ah, well. Whatever scratches your itch. LOL!

Could also be giggolos I suppose Julia /Morphy. I heard two of my friends ruminating about our several wives and the fact that they seem to spend an inordinate amount of time in each other's company. One of the chaps said to the others "I think they could all be lesbians", the other chap replied "I wouldn't mind in the least so long as they let us watch!" Thought it comical mainly because the know it not to be true.

I see that already your new thread is off to a rollicking start, Julia! I liked your review of The Orphan Master's Son and your permission to skip it: "So if that's not of interest to you (and for heaven's sake, why would it be?)" Why would it be?! Um...because personal reaction to a book is what a review is all about. That's why we come to YOUR thread - to see what YOU think. And the thing is, it's always interesting. You are articulate and funny and insightful. So there.

About Georgette Heyer - I have only read one by her although I have several in the stacks. I read The Grand Sophy, and it was funny and light and diverting.

About dystopian fiction - I have a strange affinity for it, too! And steampunk. I guess I just like a reimagined world.

Always looking for new "comfort reading" authors, so I'll give Rex a try. I think I read one of his a long time ago.

ETA: does the order matter, or can I just pick up any of his titles?

#18 by @PaulCranswick> The fascination of straight men for lesbian frolics is of everlasting amusement to me, particularly since I know virtually no straight women who have the same obsession with regards to male-male frolics. Although I will confess that I watched and enjoyed the British (and later American) TV series "Queer as Folk" so maybe I'm an outlier. :-)

#19 by @Crazymamie> You are so kind, Mamie! I do try to write reviews that give my personal reaction but there is usually some element of objective analysis included as well. With that book, though, all I could write about was how it made me feel. I'm glad it didn't bore you, though!

#20 by @Jim53> Jim, you can read the Stout books in any order at all and it won't matter a bit. The setting changes to be contemporary with the time period the book was written in, but the characters themselves do not age, and Stout never refers to past books/events in a spoilery way. The only caveat I always give is that you should not read the final book, "A Family Affair," until you have read all the others, because it would be a major spoiler for the whole series. I'll look forward to hearing if you like them! As Mamie knows, I am on a mission to get as many people as possible to read about my beloved Archie Goodwin (oh, and the genius Nero Wolfe, too).

Happy new thread Julia! I'm also comfort reading old detective novels at the moment so I say comfort read as much as you like! Heyer's novels are also light and bubbly. I have one book by Angela Thirkell although I haven't read it yet - feel rather wary of trying a new author at the moment.

And the Rex Stout books are definitely on my wishlist now :-)

Three cheers for comfort reading, Heather, and for trying out Rex Stout someday!

#9 - Julia, I think you sum up John D MacDonald's works perfectly. It is because of this that I love them.
Have you considered a try at Ed McBain?

I also completely agree with your assessment of the Travis McGee books, Julia. Pure escapism and there's nothing wrong with that! I like Hiaasen's books for the same reason although they are much goofier, and therefore, more fun.

"my unread books remain undisturbed on my bookshelves." I am with you there. The last 3 or 4 books I've read, were all library books! What?? The wailing ensues...

Hi Julia! I hope you're doing well!

#7 - Wonderful review! Oddly enough, it actually makes me want to read it, hopelessness and all. I've put it on the list.

#24 by @EBT1002> Ellen, I love Ed McBain! I have (very slowly) been re-reading the 87th Precinct series in order, though I keep getting thwarted because the local library doesn't have all of the books. But I like his writing a lot. I've also been on a bit of a Lawrence Block binge lately, who is also fantastic. He has several series: Matthew Scudder, Bernie Rhodenbarr (The Burglar Who ...), Keller (the hit man), and others I can't remember right now. Have you read any of those?

#25 by @coppers> Joanne, you were the one who got me started reading the McGee books again! They are such an interesting glimpse into American life in the 1960s, even as they manage to hit every male fantasy note about hot women and easy sex. I can't decide if they are sexist or proto-feminist; I guess I'll have to keep reading!

#26 by @msf59> Mark, I know, right? Darn those libraries with their readily available, free books! What were they thinking?

#27 by @DorsVenabili> Kerri, I'm so glad you like my review of 'Orphan Master's Son'. I'm especially glad that it didn't deter you from trying the book. I will look forward to reading your reactions to it.

I have a meeting this afternoon with my boss, where I expect him to tell me all the reasons I am not going to get the promotion I was promised earlier this year, and may in fact end up with a demotion, all while being told how wonderful my work is and how valuable I am to the team. The whole thing is so senseless and stupid that I can hardly think straight. So if anyone happens to be reading this around 1:30 CST, send some happy calm thoughts in the general direction of eastern Iowa, please!

I'll just be getting off work around that time so I will think some good thoughts for you! Hope your meeting goes better than you think it's going to go!

Thanks, Chelle! I hope so, too.

I'll be sending warm waves of happy calming thoughts to the west all day. Promise you'll send a few back this way next week.

It's a deal, Jim. Just let me know where and when to send them!

Well that would suck - sending all good thoughts your way!

Me, too! Creating order out of chaos is worth a promotion, I think.

#29 Oh, I hate those sorts of work discussions. Will be thinking of you - hope it goes better than you expect.

Oh, I'll be thinking good thoughts for you. Good luck. Sounds like you will need some Angela Thirkells no matter what the outcome. She's a favorite of mine:)

Geez, Julia, no wonder you've been down in the dumps lately. Sending positive thoughts for a good news outcome from this afternoon's boss talk. I am so glad to be my own boss, though I need to give myself a good talking to about my lack of productivity lately.

Thank you, Joanne, Mamie, Heather, Anne, and Donna for your good thoughts. I was going to say they didn't work, but on the other hand maybe it would have been even worse without them. Anyway, I do appreciate the thought. Right now, I hate my job, my life, myself. I'm not going to be around LT much. I'm crawling into a hole and hope to never come back out.

Sending positive thoughts and a virtual hug your way.

Oh ((((Julia))))! Sometimes crawling into a hole for a while is the best medicine, but do make sure you come out again. We'd miss you!!

#39 Sending hugs Julia. I hope things start to look better soon.

{{{{Julia}}}}

Oh no, my boss whammy didn't work. Please take some comfort reads and a flashlight into the hole with you, Julia. Seriously, is there any way you can transfer to a different area in the university? Maybe a change of scenery - and boss - would make a difference in your outlook. I will be thinking of you. Please don't leave us for too long.

Oh Julia, I came back to check on you, and I am so sorry! Don't stay away too long. I will continue sending good thoughts and hugs.

At least I'm not spending all my money on hookers and blow. :-)
lol
My sister used to say (practically) the same thing. And she meant it. I do believe that buying too many books is not only less bad for you than buying drugs, but it is also WAY BETTER and COOLER. Consider your actions endorsed!

Sorry to hear that RL is not going to well at the moment, Julia. Just know that you are a valuable member of the team around here and I hope you don't stay away too long.

Come back soon, Julia!! We LOVE you around here! Blast your boss! Who needs him? :'(

Julia- I will continue to use the library for audios and graphics but my print books WILL all be all off the shelves, for at least the next few weeks. I have a batch of ALA books, I hope to bookhorn in, among the other neglected.
Hope you had a terrific weekend.

COME OUT OF YOUR HOLE!!!!
Or at least let me come in and bring you a pillow, reading light and a good book!!

Feel better soon!

Julia, I'm also doing an 87th Precinct redux. I have read the first three in the series this month and really enjoyed them.

And I also own The Orphan Master's Son and would like to read it one of these days.

Apparently, you are missing in action. I hope you're okay.

I am missing you, Julia. You matter. I was so sorry to hear about the meeting with your boss. He knows nothing. Nothing. I'll just leave this T shirt outside your hole. Put it on and go back to reading. We'll be waiting whenever you decide to come out.

>51 Crazymamie: Lol.

I'd bet you'd like to wear that shirt to work, Julia...

What do you think of Leonardo Dicaprio as Travis McGee? I have mixed feelings. I like that Dennis Lehane is involved.

((hugs))

#51 - I want that shirt!

Julia - Trust things are improving and that you are almost ready to crawl out of that metaphorical hole you dug yourself and come back to us. I believe that I speak for the many by saying that you are missed by your friends in these parts.

Paul is right - you are missed!

Julia! Come out to play! Julia, come out to pla-ayyyyyy!

#54 What Paul and Katie said. I hope things are starting to get a bit easier.

Just dropping off another prize for you, dear. It's a car tag. We miss you.

Missing Julia around here!! It's just not the same without you!!!

Come back soon?!

I do hope you come back to us Julia! You are missed!

Your boss knows nothing, Jon Snow. Private message me your address, and I'll send a care package into that hole. (Also, I'm hoping it's more like a Hobbit hole; I would love to convalesce in an appropriately-scaled Bag End.)

Hi Julia, just dropping by to say Hi and let you know we're thinking of you.

Well, look who's crawled back out of her hole! I had to come back to thank each and every one of you who sent good work-vibes my way back in July. Apparently you all had them on some kind of time-delay switch; I learned on Friday that thanks to some emphatic advocacy on my behalf by some of my co-workers, my demotion has been reversed. At the moment I am back to status-quo with my job as it existed before all the drama commenced, but supposedly the promotion will be reinstated in the future. However, I am no longer counting chickens before they hatch, so as far as I am concerned the way things are is the way things will be. And while it's not perfect, I am overwhelmed that my co-workers took it upon themselves to speak up for me. In an environment like the one we are currently working in, where keeping your head down and avoiding attention from on high is the smartest move, it took incredible courage and integrity for them to do that, and I am so grateful to them.

So, what'd I miss? :-) That's a rhetorical question; I've been cruising around to all your threads this weekend in an attempt to at least catch up with current events if not everything that's happened since I left. Y'all have been busy little bees!

Julia! It's great to see you back! Here's hoping that things will continue to improve with your situation at work.

Thank you, Carrie! It's been an eventful summer, in all the worst ways, but I hope the worst is over now.

Julia! Lovely to see you and what wonderful co-workers you have! Hope things improve from here on out.

Read any good books in that hole? :-)

I'm glad to hear your news, Julia, and I hope things continue to improve.

Welcome back, Julia. I'm glad your employers have come to their senses! I've missed you and look forward to hearing about what you've been reading in your hideaway!

Julia, I have been thinking about you, and I am so happy to hear that things seem to have turned around for you at work. How wonderful that your colleagues were so willing to advocate for you. It sounds like a very stressful working environment. I am delighted to see you back, and hope that you stay! You deserve some no-pressure reading and fun -- just like your thread title says!

#66 by @katiekrug> Usually when I am unhappy I do lots and lots of comfort reading, which usually means mysteries and re-reads. And there were plenty of those, as you can see up there in Post #5. However, I just looked back at my book list for the end of July and August and I actually managed to read some decent books along the way as well. Maybe I'll do a little wrap-up here:

The Great Santini, Pat Conroy. I am a big Conroy fan but somehow had never read this classic. I don't know what it says about my childhood but frankly after all I've heard about his father's abusive nature I was left thinking "Gee, he didn't seem so bad." Hmmm...
 

The Art of Fielding, Chad Harbach. I've been wanting to read this one for a long time, and finally snagged a bargain ebook a while back. I quite liked it actually. For some reason I kept getting a Prayer for Owen Meany vibe from it, but that's probably just my own weirdness.
 

84, Charing Cross Road, Helene Hanff. Another classic that had eluded me until I found a good used copy recently. It was nice, although I was so disappointed that Helene never made it to London to meet Frank and the rest of the bookstore staff!
 

Under the Dome, Stephen King. I love King but haven't kept up with his more recent output. This one was another bargain ebook and would have been worth paying full price for. It's an epic story from an epic storyteller, and only a little horror/sci-fi to spice things up. This man is a master.
 

The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood. A re-read, and just as good the second time around. It's frightening how much more plausible it seems to me in today's anti-woman, anti-choice, anti-privacy legislative atmosphere.
 

Moonlight Blogger: Essays from the Subversive Copy Editor Blog, Carol Fisher Sailer. In a previous life I was a newspaper copy editor, and even though the book and the blog are geared more toward the copy editors who work on books it's still catnip to a language geek like me.

#67 by @CDVicarage> Thank you, Kerry! I am relieved and a bit shell-shocked still.

#68 by @Donna828> Thank you, Donna! I really missed you and will be catching up on your thread soon!

#69 by @AMQS> Thank you, Anne! It's a blessing both to have gotten a reprieve and also to find out how much my co-workers value my contributions at a time when I had thought no one much cared. And an emphatic yes on the no-pressure reading and fun, please!

Julia, working in academia is fraught with tension, back stabbing and stress!

My first job at Lehigh lasted one year. Before I was able to transfer into another department, I became very ill...in bed for two weeks, simply too exhausted to move.

I'm ever so glad you have co-workers who know and appreciate you. I imagine though that it is very difficult to put one foot in front of the other when you had such a nasty experience.

Hugs to you!

Great to see you back posting, Julia.

Adding to the chorus of good to see you back messages! I'm glad things have worked out.

You've been busy with some good reading, too. Wasn't 84, Charing Cross Road charming? The movie is good, too, nicely understated. Under the Dome was fun and The Handmaid's Tale, well, it should be read by every young woman, imo.

Julia - Lovely to see you back posting. A nice mixed bag of stuff you've read recently too as "comfort". x

#72 by @Whisper1> You are so right, Linda! The stress is just all-consuming sometimes, and makes it impossible to enjoy any other aspect of life, even those like LT that have nothing to do with work (and thank goodness for that). I'm glad to have hopefully come out on the other side.

#73 by @DeltaQueen50> Thank you, Judy! I've missed hanging out on your thread and picking up book recommendations!

#74 by @coppers> Joanne, 'Charing Cross Road' was completely charming. I especially liked learning that Helene wrote for the Ellery Queen television show, which I loved watching. I had a major crush on Timothy Hutton's dad, who played Ellery.

#75 by @PaulCranswick> Thank you, Paul! A mixed bag is a very good description of my reading most of the time, and especially this past month or so. I kind of like it, careening wildly from one genre to the next. ;-)

Hooray for thoughtful co-workers!! SO very excited to see you back on the threads, Julia! We missed you!

Julia's back! Julia's back! Great to see you, my friend. And it's nice to see you haven't abandoned the books.
I still NEED to get to the Conroy, King and 84, Charing Cross Road. I have no idea why I have delayed all three.
Keep cool today, neighbor!

YAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!! I am so glad to see that you are back out of your hole!! We've missed you quite a lot around here! I'm thrilled your co-workers knew enough to value you and your contributions to speak up for you! That's amazing!

So very happy you are back!

Thank you, Tina! I missed being here so much!

>63 rosalita: I am overwhelmed that my co-workers took it upon themselves to speak up for me.
Good on them! I do love seeing people do right by others. Workplaces are crazy- there is usually a financial reason for any workplace "changes" in my experience.
And I am very pleased that you came back to LT :)

>70 rosalita: love all the book covers you have lined up there. I didn't realise Under the Dome was Stephen King novel, the series has started on TV here (or is due to soon?)

Hello, Julia! I'm so glad that you are back and that things are a bit better at work. What a bad situation! If you ever need to escape for a coffee or ice cream or beer (depending on the time of day), I'm right over at the corner of Jefferson and Clinton!

You've done some great reading. I loved 84, Charing Cross Road. Did you know that there is a follow-up - Duchess of Bloomsbury, in which Hanff does go to London? I haven't read it yet, but have heard good things.

^So I wasn't enthusiastic enough for you, up there? Hmmmmmmmm?

Oh my gosh, Mark! That's what I get for skimming my thread on my lunch hour! What a knucklehead I am. I think you would quite like all 3 of those books, my friend, and I will be waiting not-so-impatiently for you to report back on your thread. Today's weather was quite tolerable and tomorrow — tomorrow is supposed to be delightful! Which is good, because it's Friday the 13th and I need all the good luck I can get.

Thank you, Amy! Working in an office located inside a mall has its compensations, like the Cookies & More store located just down the hallway! And the beer of course is just a few steps further at Buffalo Wild Wings, so really no matter what mood I find myself in there is something to soothe me nearby.

I did NOT know there was a sequel to Charing Cross Road! I must find that one; perhaps a trip to the Haunted Bookshop is in order this weekend.

Whew! I thought my pal from Iowa was giving me the bums-rush! I can sleep much better now.

You will always have a special place in my heart, Marky-Mark!

Does it feel good to know how much we missed you Julia??? :)

Honestly, Tina, I'm amazed. I was sure you all would have forgotten me as soon as I left. I don't think of myself as particularly memorable, I guess. I'm so glad to be back!

Trust me, you're memorable. We would never forget about you!

Aw, shucks!

Aw, shucks (Part Deux)!

Julia! I'm late just catching up on threads myself, but nice to see you back. :)

Julia!! Yay! So glad to see you back with us and to hear that things at work have improved. Hooray for your coworkers!

#70 The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street is a follow up to 84, Charing Cross Road where Helene does get to go to London. I see porchreader got there before me!

Thank you, Mary. Good to be back!

Thanks, Heather. I must look for that sequel. Is it also written in an epistolary style? (I had to look up how to spell that word, which I must say does not work its way into my writing very often!)

Hi Julia, delighted to see you back. I'm just getting back into the swing of things myself after a rough month or so at work and with back crap. Both are improving. Sad to report that I was pretty unimpressed with The League of Frightened Gentlemen but others have concurred that it's not one of their faves either so I'll be trying some others before too long.

Jim, glad to hear that you are on the mend. Back crap is among the worst physical crap there is! And work crap among the worst mental crap, so you've had a double whammy. I do hope you'll give Wolfe and Archie another try. The first one I ever read was 'If Death Ever Slept' and it captivated me immediately. If you're wanting to stick closer to the start of the series, 'Some Buried Caesar' is pretty fine itself.

#95 The sequel is a diary format rather than letters - still a lot of fun.

That does sound fun, Heather! I must look for it.

So, tomorrow we have our annual Study Abroad Fair extravaganza, which involves 5 hours of smiling and being nice to about 800 college students whilst trying to coax them into leaving their besties and their honeys behind in Iowa to stretch their minds in another country. This is easier with some than with others, as you might imagine.

Nothing about the day is particularly hard or difficult, but it's exhausting to be nice to so many for so long. Definitely not my natural state!

Hi Julia- Just checking in. Hope you had a good weekend. Good luck at the fair today. Keep smiling!

Thanks, Mark! The weekend was quiet but nice. I hope you have a good day at work today.

WHEW! I'm just now getting back and thrilled and impressed that your co-workers went to bat for you. The other part of me said, "Of course, they did. They would know Julia's real worth."
From way, way, way back and the comments about old Travis McGee - " I can't decide if they are sexist or proto-feminist" - I think that the answer is BOTH. I always thought of him as a man of his time (sexist) who had gotten a clue and was not quite sure what it was or how to deal with it. Bless his heart!
Glad to hear that you had a good weekend. Hope everything is now looking up.....

Thank you, Peggy! I think you are exactly right about ole Travis. He's a perfect example of the ways that views of women were slowly changing in the '60s. I appreciate that there always seems to be some substance to his dalliances, although I do think he pats himself on the back just a little too often for taking the apparently radical step of actually liking women above and beyond their sexual value. I always have to remind myself that back then, that WAS radical.

Oh Julia, five hours of smiling and being nice to people! You have my sympathy, especially for the smiling part. After awhile one's face feels frozen after that kind of ordeal. I hope you managed to convince some students about the worth of studying abroad. Hmmm, I wonder if I'm too old to do that?

I survived, Donna! It was actually a really good fair and we exceeded our goal of 800 students registering, which was great. I was so tired when I got home last night I went to bed at 7:30!

And you are never too old to study abroad! Seriously, we have sent students in their 50s and 60s off to India and other cool places. Come on out and we'll get you set up! :-)

800 students registered??? Goodness!! You talked 800 students into registering to study abroad?!? You must be one GREAT sales person! ;)

HA Tina, not quite! We got 800 students to register as attending the Study Abroad Fair. Not all of them will end up studying abroad, but we hope many will. We had more than 1,350 students study abroad last year, which is about 22% of the student population. At the risk of sounding like a zombie, MORE BRAAAAAAINSSSSSSS!

I am not sleeping tonight. I woke up about 1:30 and didn't fall back asleep until after 2:00. Woke up again at 3:45 and am still awake at 5:15 because I hate falling asleep right before the alarm goes off. I don't feel sleepy right now but check back with me about 2:00 this afternoon. At least it's Friday.

Good luck today, Julia! Drink plenty of coffee. At least it's Friday.

Mark, the worst of it is that I don't drink coffee! The iced tea will be getting heavy play, though, for sure.

#107 I hate days after a bad night's sleep. Hope you get through it ok and sleep better tonight.

Well, I made it through the day but boy am I exhausted. I'm fighting to stay awake until a halfway normal bedtime, though, so I don't repeat the 3am staring-at-the-ceiling routine again.

On the plus side, I finished Mapp and Lucia, the fourth book in the series by E.F. Benson. I just love these books, with their cutthroat English-village social circles of the early 20th century.

Huh, I must have accidentally hit Post instead of Preview. Oh, well. I just wanted to add that I finished 'Mapp and Lucia' while avoiding the library book that will expire soon, Transatlantic. I can't explain why I am dragging my feet reading it; I've read the first vignette about the pilots crossing the Atlantic, and am now on the bit about Frederick Douglass in Ireland, and they both are just fine. I like the writing, the stories are interesting, but the book doesn't claim my attention when I put it down and demand to be picked up again.

Another book like that that I am slowly working my way through is The Burgess Boys. This one has fine writing, which I expected because I loved Olive Kitteridge, but I find the plot almost mind-numblingly boring. I don't hate all the characters but I really don't care what happens to any of them, either. Such a disappointment. But I'm almost done, finally, so at least I can be happy about that.

I had similar feelings about The Burgess Boys. I temporarily abandoned it after 80 or so pages. I had to almost force myself to pick it up until I finally didn't. I, too, loved Olive Kitteridge...

Julia, welcome back. It seems that you did some good reading while you were away. I really want to read The Art of Fielding.

Joanne, I'm glad to hear you felt the same about those Burgess boys. I did finally finish it today, and I'll try to post a brief review to explore why it disappointed me.

Ellen, I really loved 'Fielding'. It is only superficially about baseball, of course, though if you are a baseball fan there is lots of on-field action described. I found it very likable and surprisingly moving. Please give it a try!

I know I've mentioned before that I have a Kobo Touch reader, which I have had for 3 and a half years. It works perfectly fine, better than the day I bought it, and I love it. BUT ... there is a new model which has (supposedly) an even clearer e-ink display, PLUS a backlight for reading in the dark, PLUS a way to access my Pocket account. (Pocket is an app that you can use to save web pages to read later. I use it all the time to bookmark things at work to read at home.) So even though my Kobo Touch is PERFECTLY FINE, I am hankering to buy a new one. This is silly, and I expect all of you to tell me so in no uncertain terms. Please?

The only way I've found to suppress that hankering is to focus on "what will I do with the old one?". Which doesn't work if you have someone - friend or family - you've been wanting to hook on ereading and you think giving them a good reader will do it...but otherwise, it sometimes works. Thinking about the old one sitting around looking at you puppy-eyed because you never pick it up anymore...

That's a good tactic, Jenn, but as you suspect I actually do have someone in mind to "inherit" my beloved Touch. I don't think I could buy another one if I had to look at this one all the time (love the "puppy eyes" analogy!) too. I still have and use every one of the three iPods I acquired over the years (the ancient 64GB one lives in the dock of my clock radio to serve as a home stereo, one is a tiny Shuffle that goes everywhere with me because I don't like being tethered to my phone with headphones, and one is used on long trips through a connector in my car in lieu of CDs). I'm having a harder time figuring out why I would need two e-readers, though, which is why I would need to find a good home for the old dog before the new puppy comes into the house.

/tortured analogy

Julia - My eldest would not go anywhere without her i-pod. I'm not sure whether it is because she loves the things are likes the fact that it drowns the vocals of her eternally grumbling parents.

Have a lovely Sunday.

Morning Julia- I liked the Burgess Boys, but it did not come close to Olive. Have you read any of Strout's other work. I have not, although I have 1 or 2 on shelf.

#116 I'm the same with the new kindle due out shortly; but since my son, who has relatively recently taken up reading for pleasure, has already put in a bid for what would then be my old one, I don't really have a reason not to buy a new one...

#119 by @PaulCranswick> I have a 20-minute commute to work every day, and while timewise it's not bad at all I do it in a carpool of 14 other people. I need the iPod to drown out the chatter, especially at 7:00 a.m. when I am desperately wishing I was still snug in my bed!

#120 by @msf59> Mark, so glad we agree about the Burgess boys book. I have not read any other Strout but I would really like to. I think she is a lovely writer. I guess if you haven't read any of the others you can't recommend one to start with, can you? :-)

#121 by @CDVicarage> I think you have the perfect reason to buy a new one, Kerry! My reason is slightly less perfect, but I fear it will win out. Oh, well. It can be my Christmas present to myself this year. Since I don't generally get presents from anyone else I give myself permission to be a bit self-indulgent.

Puppy dog eyes analogy is priceless!!

Jenn has a way with words, doesn't she, Tina?

Julia- Speaking of Strout, I've heard very good things about Amy and Isabelle, so that would probably be my next book choice by her.

Thanks for the heads-up, Mark! I will look for that one at the library.

123, 124> Thanks!

Long past time for some reviews ....

   

109. Tilt-a-Whirl, Chris Grabenstein.
111. Mad Mouse, Chris Grabenstein.
113. Whack-a-Mole, Chris Grabenstein.

Just what I needed: another series to follow. Sigh. Worst of all, it's a good one, with strong characters, intricate plots, and a good dose of humor along with the fun setting "down the shore" in New Jersey.

The narrator is Danny Boyle, a lifelong resident of Sea Haven, a beach community on the Jersey shore. As Tilt-a-Whirl opens, he's in his early 20s, working part-time as a summer cop in his hometown and largely devoid of ambition. He's paired with John Ceepak, a newcomer to Sea Haven and a military veteran who lives by the West Point honor code: "I will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do." And he means it, which makes him a relative weirdo among his fellow cops. Ceepak's honorable conduct rubs off on Danny, inspiring him to become a cop full-time. Together, the two make a formidable crime-busting duo, with Ceepak's law-enforcement savvy and Danny's local knowledge combining to bring down the bad guys.

Even though there is plenty of humor in the series, the crimes themselves can be surprisingly dark, and not everyone comes out of it with their wisecracks intact. This is what adds an extra layer of depth to an otherwise somewhat "fluffy" series, and makes for some rewarding reads.

     

91. Queen Lucia, E.F. Benson.
93. Miss Mapp, E.F. Benson.
114. Lucia in London, E.F. Benson.
117. Mapp and Lucia, E.F. Benson.
119. Lucia's Progress, E.F. Benson.
120. Trouble for Lucia, E.F. Benson.

This appears to be one of those series that people either love or hate. Set in the early decades of the 20th century, E.F. Benson skewers the frivolous lives of the elite in rural English villages. The heroine is Mrs. Emmeline Lucas, known to all as Lucia (the Italian pronunciation, if you please). Lucia rules the village of Riseholme with an iron fist in a velvet glove, ruthlessly running the social lives of the others in her social class. Despite their occasional resentment and attempts to break free of Lucia's influence, the village invariably finds life gray and boring without their benevolent dictator in residence.

The second book in the series, Miss Mapp, at first appears to be a completely unrelated book, as Lucia does not appear and instead the main character is Elizabeth Mapp, a never-married woman "of a certain age" in the village of Tilling. Like Lucia, she rules her social class with a strong will, although with somewhat less grace than her counterpart in Riseholme. The third book, Lucia in London, leaves Mapp and Tilling behind and returns to focus on Lucia, this time on her adventures during the social season in London.

Finally, in Book Four (Mapp and Lucia), the irresistible force (Lucia) meets the immovable object (Mapp) when Lucia decides to move to Tilling. This town is not big enough for both of them to rule, and the schemes and shenanigans that ensue are delightfully sharp and witty. Their tussles continue in the final two books in the series, Lucia's Progress and Trouble for Lucia.

The lives of the people spotlighted in Riseholme and in Tilling are spectacularly shallow. The biggest intrigues involve who is paired with who at the evening bridge games, and gossip is traded freely during the morning marketing, when anyone who is anyone gathers on the High Street with their baskets and their cutting observations. Scarcely a reference is ever made to world wars or depressions, even though both raged throughout the time period of these books. To read such accounts written in a serious manner would be intolerably smug, but Benson's writing is slyly cutting, as he appears to take all of the plotting with the utmost sincerity even while winking at the reader with his asides.

Readers who prefer their heroes and heroines to be a bit less shallow and a bit more kind will find the Lucia series less than enjoyable, as will those readers neither old enough to remember the early 20th century nor with any interest in life among the middle class (being, in those days and in that country, truly in the middle between the poor and working classes on one end and the aristocracy on the other). Those who, like me, enjoy a sharp bite to their fiction will find themselves alternately rooting for the downfall of Mapp and Lucia and cheering their subsequent rise back to prominence.

Great reading, Julia, and nice reviews!

You got me with the Grabenstein... :)

#111 I love the Mapp and Lucia series - such fun to read!

#112 I'm relieved to hear I'm not the only person who wasn't wowed by TransAtlantic. I'm glad I read it but I never warmed to it as much as I expected.

#129 Loved your review of the Mapp and Lucia series.

"will find themselves alternately rooting for the downfall of Mapp and Lucia and cheering their subsequent rise back to prominence." So true!

I've just started the Mapp and Luca series as well, and certainly loved the first one.

#130 by @katiekrug> Thanks, Katie! Two of my favorite series, so it was fun to write the reviews and hopefully entice other folks to give them a try.

#131 by @drneutron> Yes! I'm just passing on what Joanne and Richard already did to me, Jim.

#132 by @souloftherose> Thank you, Heather. The Mapp and Lucia series is so much fun! I'm a little sad it's over, but I'm sure I'll re-read it again and again. Funnily enough re: Transatlantic, I felt like it finally started picking up some steam and getting more interesting in the second half of the book, as it became more clear how each of the individual segments fitted together. But then the library sucked its ebook out of my Kobo, so I'm back on the waiting list for it to try and finish it off. Hopefully, I won't have lost that fragile, newfound enthusiasm by the time I get it back.

#133 by @SandDune> Rhian, they are just delightful all the way through. I couldn't help thinking on the one hand that it would drive me crazy to be friends with either Mapp or Lucia (especially Mapp, who seems a bit more mean-spirited), but at the same time I love reading about them. And Georgie! I didn't even have a chance to discuss Georgie, Lucia's devoted platonic chevalier. I might have to review them again next year. :-)

Hi Julia- Hope you had a nice weekend. I am about halfway done with Tilt a Whirl and I am finding it a lot of fun. It is perfect on audio and I find myself chuckling on many occasions. Glad to hear that the next 2 books are even better.

Tilt a Whirl is a book I recently purchased. I'll move it up closer to the top of the pile.

Mark, I bet the Ceepak books would be great on audio! I'm glad you're liking it.

Linda, I hope you like it. It's a step above the run-of-the-mill mystery series.

Glad to see you're enjoying the Ceepak books, Julia. I'm looking forward to starting Whack-A-Mole soon. Right now I'm happily back in Three Pines.

Joanne, I'm going to pretend I didn't see that, since Three Pines is one series I have so far managed to avoid starting, despite raves all over LT!

LOL! You know you want to... Actually, I sometimes hesitate to recommend the series because I found the first couple of books to be a little choppy. Penny has really come along, improving with each book, and this newest is excellent. The audio versions, read by Ralph Cosham, are wonderful, too...

Feel free to ignore this post! :)

Stop that right now, Joanne! ;)

I'm always glad to see another Lucia-lover! (If it's any consolation to you, I don't love and adore the 3 Pines series. I've read only 3, and I understand that they get better, but I merely like them.) (Shhh. I know that's heresy.)

Thank you, Peggy! Finally a voice of reason about The Series That Mustn't Be Named. :)

I think the thing I like best about Lucia is how absolutely unafraid she is to get right back up on the horse when someone pushes her off. I mean, she always has it coming, but she never lets it faze her. She's right on to the next scheme. Sometimes I wish I could be more like that.

For my desert island book it's a split between The Diary of a Provincial Lady and Make way for Lucia - I'd have to have the omnibus edition - they are both books/series that I read over and over again. There are some sequels and fill-ins to the Mapp and Lucia books written by Tom Holt and Guy Fraser-Sampson and, although good, do not reach Benson's standard, but you might find them worth a try.

I think the Three Pines series is wonderful but the later volumes are very intense and I'm having to work up my reading strength before I tackle the latest installment.

Kerry, thanks for the information. I've never read 'Provincial Lady' so I'll have to check that one out. I had heard there was a continuation of Mapp & Lucia, but I've not had good experiences with those. Maybe I'll give it a try, though. I know I'm going to miss reading about those two ladies and their various hangers-on.

re: Three Pines, they do indeed get much better. The last three have all been fabulous. My wife and I went to see Louise speak and had a great time. She told a story about when she had just finished writing Still Life, and she said to a bookstore clerk, "You'll never believe it! I've just finished my first book!" So the clerk said, "That's great! Would you like to buy another?"

Thanks (I think) for the Ceepak reviews. I was thinking about them because of Richard's mention, and now it appears I'll have to read them.

Jim, that's a great story from Louise Penny. What a hoot. I suppose I will bow to the inevitable sooner or later. I can only withstand the LT peer pressure for so long, especially when it comes from so many trusted recommenders.

And I'm happy to return the favor to you with the Ceepak series. They really are very good. But remember, if you don't like them, it was Richard who recommended them first.

>129 rosalita: I have a niece called Lucia (not the Italian pronunciation, if you please) and I cant wait to give her all of these books. :)

Megan, I hope she loves them! You might suggest that she use the book Lucia as a model not only for how NOT to pronounce her name, but also how NOT to treat her friends. :-)

121. The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Neil Gaiman.

How does he do it? How does Neil Gaiman, a grown man "of a certain age" manage to so effortlessly recall the inner voice and outer actions of a little boy? This short novel is a delightful mix of coming-of-age and creepy thriller, with a final chapter that made me sigh deeply in satisfaction of how the story ended despite the lack of "happy ever after".

Ocean's story is told through the memories of a middle-aged man looking back at events that happened when he was 7 years old. The grown man is back in his home county in England for a funeral (though we never learn who has died), and he takes the opportunity to revisit his childhood home and that of Lettie Hempstock, the slightly (or greatly, depending on how you look at it) older girl who lives down the lane. Behind her house is what looks like a duck pond to our young narrator, though Lettie insists it is an ocean. As the man sits on a bench next to the pond, he begins to remember what really happened all those years ago.

Gaiman perfectly inhabits the body and voice of his young narrator. Again and again, the boy's reaction to those around him — his pesky little sister, his loving but somewhat absentminded parents, Lettie and her mysterious womenfolk, the horrific nanny who comes to live with him and who cannot be budged — is pitch-perfect. The little boy is shy and quiet, much more comfortable in the company of a book than other boys his age. Even as Lettie takes him on some eerie adventures, and helps him deal with the consequences of those adventures back in the real world, Gaiman makes the reader feel the little boy's inner strength as well as his sheer terror.

The real-world elements have the ring of sincerity about them, and strangely so do the otherworldly elements. One of Gaiman's gifts is that he doesn't try to over-explain the hows and whys of the supernatural elements that appear in his books. They simply are, and the reader believes and struggles to understand even as Gaiman's characters do. We never fully learn where Lettie and her kin came from or when, but in the end it doesn't matter. They exist, clearly, because the little boy sees and feels them and the consequences of what they do. No one watching television for the first time ever demands to know how the picture and sound gets inside that little box before they can enjoy the sensation. There's a time and a place for magic, and no one understands that better than Gaiman.

Great review of The Ocean at the End of the Lane. You really nailed it. I hope to get a copy of this one for my keeper shelves. I also need to get to a couple of his earlier books.
Hope your week is going well.

Thanks, Mark! The only other Gaiman books I've read are American Gods and Anansi Boys which is its kinda-sorta sequel. I liked them both fine, but since my knowledge of classic mythology could fit on the head of a pin I felt like there were lots of undercurrents and subplots that just went clean over my head. This book apparently has some mythology at its heart, too, from what I've read, but it didn't hamper my enjoyment at all.

I hope you're having a light week. It's always tough coming back from vacation to a huge workload.

My mythology knowledge could be smaller than yours, but his books work just fine for me. Try to track down The Graveyard Book. It might still be my favorite.

Yes, I've heard that one's good! I need to look for it next time I am at the library.

Between you & RD, I guess I will *have* to try the Tilt a Whirl series. Peer pressure!! I've already put Still Life on my library list because of intense LT pressure. ;)

Lol

It's so hard to resist, isn't it? But I really think you will like the 'Tilt-a-Whirl' series. Of course, when it comes to starting a new series, "But will I like it?" is secondary to "I DON'T NEED TO START ANY MORE SERIES, THANKYOUVERYMUCH!".

Great review of the Gaiman book, Julia. I have that one waiting on the shelves for when I have an afternoon to devote to it.

ETA: And I second Mark's recommendation of The Graveyard Book. It's fantastic!

Thanks, Katie. I predict you will like it very much when you get to it. And an afternoon is just about right. I love that he didn't feel the need to pad it out with a bunch of repetitive stuff just to make a longer book. It's the perfect size for the story it tells, at least to me.

I am definitely going to have to look for 'Graveyard Book'. This would be the perfect month to read it, too!

Okay, you got me. I already had the Grabenstein books on my radar and had purchased the first one thanks to Judy and Richard, but you got me with the Mapp and Lucia books. And I loved your review of The Ocean at the End of the Lane - such a great story, wasn't it? Thumb from me if you posted that. The only other Gaiman that I have read is Coraline, which the kids and I all liked. I have The Graveyard Book on my list for this month, so I'm happy to see all the positive comments about it here. Here's hoping that you track down a copy for this month, too.

Happy Saturday, Julia! May it be full of fabulous!

Looks like you've been reading some great books while you've been away from us.

Can there ever really be enough series to read?

Have a lovely Sunday Julia.

Julia, you've made a good case for the E. F. Benson books. I see I can get some of them free on Amazon/Kindle. For that price I am willing to see whether or not I like shallow characters. Ha! Lucia sounds like an intriguing "benevolent dictator".

I was also a fan of The Ocean at the End of the Lane. I plan to read some other books by Neil Gaiman. I have The Graveyard Book to give to one of my grandchildren. I read part of it a few years ago when I bought it and decided it was too "scary" for my oldest granddaughter. She does not like cemeteries, even ones where interesting things take place! Maybe I'll read the entire book this year for my Halloween read.

It is wonderful to see you being active once again on LT, Julia. I hope your job situation continues to improve. I'm happy to be a "kept" woman! Lol.

#159 by @Crazymamie> I think you will love Mapp and Lucia, Mamie. They are so over-the-top that it's quite humorous. Thanks for the thumb on 'Ocean' -- it was a good 'un.

#160 by @thornton37814> I have been Lori, thanks for checking in!

#161 by @PaulCranswick> Thank you, dear Paul. I was away from LT pretty much all weekend (and not even to do anything fun, unless you count reading as fun which come to think of it, I guess I do!). Now here it is Monday again. How on earth did that happen?

#162 by @Donna828> Donna, I got the complete set of Mapp & Lucia in a single e-volume for either 99 cents or 1.99, and it's perfect. I don't know if it's still available like that, but if you like the first volume you might look for the complete set. 'Ocean' was really good; not only the creepy story but I thought the main character was just perfectly realized. I'm hoping to read 'The Graveyard Book' this month, too, if I can get it from the library. We'll have to compare notes!

I need to get me a piece of that 'kept woman' thing. Some days it sounds mighty tempting! :-)

Well, I loved Queen Lucia and now you have me whipped into a frenzy to read the next ones. Luckily, I have the next two waiting on my Kindle.

I had Tilt-a-whirl on my bookshelf for years before I finally picked it up earlier this year. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the book and now I have another series to follow!

Judy, I'm glad to hear that you like both Lucia and Ceepak. I count any day in which I convince someone to read a book I love as a good day. :-)

And I'm sure you, like me, were just looking high and low for another series to follow, right? :-D

#150 Well, so far I've successfully avoided adding myself to the library reservations list for The Ocean at the End of the Lane but I think your excellent review just tipped me over the edge. I thought The Graveyard Book was utterly delightful so would recommend looking out for that one.

Heather, I think you will be glad you did once you've read 'Ocean'. And thanks for your recce for 'Graveyard'. I've put myself on the library hold list for that one.

Of course, when it comes to starting a new series, "But will I like it?" is secondary to "I DON'T NEED TO START ANY MORE SERIES, THANKYOUVERYMUCH!". OMG, that is SO true, Julia!!!!!!!!! Made me smile with this comment! :)

Just speaking --- Hi, Julia!
I'm not sure that I'll read the Gaiman anytime soon, but you've upped the probability!

Julia, I've decided to give up worrying about whether a book is the start of a series or not, it seems like every other one is, so be it!

#169 by @LizzieD> I'll keep an eye on your thread just in case you change your mind, Peggy!

#170 by @DeltaQueen50> Now that's a fine, healthy attitude to have, Judy! I shall try to adopt it myself. :-)

Julia - I liked the human elements of American Gods but the other worldy stuff left me nonplussed and cold. Good writer in a genre that rarely tweaks my tail.

Have a great weekend.

Morning Julia- Just checking in to wish you a happy weekend. It looks like it's going to cool off a little but no complaints out of me.

Paul, I'm not sure if "rarely tweaks my tail" means you normally like books in the genre or that you don't. My slang translator appears to have taken the weekend off. :-) I hope you have a great weekend, too.

Thanks, Mark! It's starting out well. It's 58 here in Iowa at 8:00, and only supposed to reach 71. Sounds perfect to me! We may get a little rain, but we need it so I'll allow it. :-D

Julia, terrific review of The Ocean at the End of the Lane. I am on hold for an audio at the library, but I think my daughter actually bought the book. I join others in wholeheartedly recommending The Graveyard Book, which I have read twice (once aloud) and loved.

I am reading The Graveyard Book right now, and really loving it!

Thanks, Anne! I'll keep an eye out for your thoughts once you've read 'Ocean'. Still waiting for my name to float to the top of the library hold list for 'Graveyard Book'.

Another endorsement for 'Graveyard Book' from Mamie! Now I'm even more anxious to read it!

Hi Julia! Good bunch of reviews you've posted recently! The Grabenstein series looks like fun and I've finally gone ahead and ordered Queen Lucia from Amazon, not having been able to get my hands on it around here.

Thanks, Ellen! Glad to hear you're about to board the Lucia train!

I picked up the library copy of 'Graveyard Book' over the weekend, and started reading it on the way to work this morning. I've only read the first chapter but I'm already liking it a lot! Thanks to everybody for recommending it.

The Graveyard Book! The Graveyard Book! Yah! It grabs you immediately, doesn't it? Good luck at work today. I am taking the holiday off.

Holiday? What holiday? It's just a regular old working day for us plebes, Mark! :-D

I have to share here this marvelous op-ed piece by Neil Gaiman in The Guardian newspaper, about the value of reading, libraries, and librarians. There are so many great quotes, but here are a few of my favorites:

The simplest way to make sure that we raise literate children is to teach them to read, and to show them that reading is a pleasurable activity. And that means, at its simplest, finding books that they enjoy, giving them access to those books, and letting them read them.

Fiction can show you a different world. It can take you somewhere you've never been. Once you've visited other worlds, like those who ate fairy fruit, you can never be entirely content with the world that you grew up in. Discontent is a good thing: discontented people can modify and improve their worlds, leave them better, leave them different.

But libraries are about freedom. Freedom to read, freedom of ideas, freedom of communication. They are about education (which is not a process that finishes the day we leave school or university), about entertainment, about making safe spaces, and about access to information. I worry that here in the 21st century people misunderstand what libraries are and the purpose of them. If you perceive a library as a shelf of books, it may seem antiquated or outdated in a world in which most, but not all, books in print exist digitally. But that is to miss the point fundamentally.

— Neil Gaiman, "Why our future depends on libraries, reading, and daydreaming"

Oh, thanks for sharing that, Julia! What great quotes!

123. Montana, Gwen Florio.

Gwen Florio's debut novel follows Lola Wicks, a veteran war correspondent, who comes back from Afghanistan to face the news that her newspaper is closing all its foreign bureaus and her new beat is the suburbs. Her editor deals with her loud displeasure by forcing her to take some paid time off to help her adjust her attitude.

At loose ends in a country where she has few friends anymore after years on the front lines, Lola heads to Montana to visit a former colleague. She's shocked when she arrives in tiny Magpie, MT, to find Mary Alice murdered, possibly because she was on the verge of breaking a huge story. But about what? And who was so threatened by her investigative reporting that they felt the need to silence her permanently?

Lola throws herself into solving the mystery of her friend's death, and all that time spent asking tough questions and being shot at in combat zones comes in surprisingly handy in rural Montana. No one, it seems, wants to talk to her about what might have happened to Mary Alice. But are they just small-town folks closing ranks on a stranger, or is one or more of them hiding something? She's determined to find out, and the search for answers leads her to the nearby Indian reservation and beyond.

The mystery element here is pretty straightforward, with plenty of clues scattered about and a general sense of an author playing fair with her readers. Though the writing seemed a bit pedestrian at times, I found Lola and several of the lesser characters to be well-drawn and engaging. Some scenes early on hinted that Lola returned from Afghanistan the same way many combat soldiers do: with a raging case of post-traumatic stress disorder and a jumpy paranoia. But Florio does a good job of using the PTSD and Lola's combat experiences sparingly, in ways that complemented her main storyline without overwhelming it.

All in all, an enjoyable debut novel. Lola Wicks is a character worth keeping, and I'd happily read more of her journalist/investigator adventures.

Mamie, I'm glad you liked the article!

124. Mystic River, Dennis Lehane.

It's funny. I thought I had read this already, but now I realize that what I mistook for a previous, hazily remembered reading was in fact a pickup of the general plot line from watching bits and pieces of the movie starring Sean Penn, which was based on this book. I'm glad I've actually read it now, as it was an engrossing and heartbreaking tale of three boys, friends as children until something happens to them as 11-year-olds whose reverberations don't finish playing out until long after they are grownups.

Of the three boys we are introduced to at the beginning, Sean Devine seems the most likely to succeed. None of the boys come from money, but Sean's family lives The Point, a slightly more affluent working-class neighborhood, and his parents place a premium on education and making sure that Sean has choices that they didn't have. Jimmy Marcus and Dave Boyle are from the other side of the tracks, a lower-rent district called The Flats. Jimmy is a reckless, fearless kid who thrives on breaking the rules. Dave is that kid who is nobody's friend and nobody's enemy. He tags along after Jimmy wherever he goes, and Jimmy tolerates him without actually seeking out his company. Then Dave is abducted, and when he returns four days later nothing is the same.

When we meet the boys again as grownups, their lives have not gone as we might have predicted. Sean has become a cop, and a good one, but his marriage is a shambles and he's just coming off a suspension. Jimmy has moved past an earlier life of crime and now is a law-abiding owner of a small convenience store with three daughters. Dave continues to drift through life, where even a wife and a son can't anchor him to reality and his childhood horror keeps bubbling to the surface in ways he can't predict or control. It all comes to a head when Jimmy's teenage daughter is murdered, Sean is assigned to investigate, and Dave quickly becomes a suspect. Lehane layers revelation upon revelation, slowly building the story to a climax that dispenses a rough sort of justice that ultimately nobody can take satisfaction in.

I knew Lehane was a fine writer well-versed in grim and twisty subjects. His Kenzie-Gennaro series is a masterful display of dark humor and gruesome tragedy. With Mystic River, he's created another pitch-perfect examination of the ways in which past and future combine to create an uncomfortable present. This book could be the textbook for a master class in how to convey a sense of place and character strictly through dialogue, which carries all the flavor of working-class Boston in every line. Even if you've seen the movie and you think you already know how it ends, you'll enjoy the scenery along the way.

Hi, Julia. I also enjoyed Mystic River and the Kenzie-Gennaro series. Glad we can agree on that! I think you should post your review. There's not one lately of this readable length.

See, I knew that Neil Gaiman was more than a pretty face! What he's saying is so true and I certainly hope the library as a place to visit exists throughout the 21st century.

Peggy, thanks for the kind words! I hesitated to post the review after I looked and saw there were 80-plus already there, but I'm happy to be encouraged to throw it on there. Thanks again!

Judy, the more I read of Gaiman's work and about Gaiman himself, the more I like him. What he says about the importance of being a society that loves to read really resonates with me, as does his passionate advocacy for libraries. I hope he's right, too.

Julia- I am so glad you loved Mystic River. It still remains one of my top crime books, of the past 10-15 years. And the film version, is pretty damn good too.

Thanks, Mark! I'm glad I finally got around to reading it! I need to seek out more Lehane. I think he's a fine writer.

Two great reviews, Julia! Montana sounds worth looking for, and I've meant to read Mystic River since seeing the movie and really liking it.

Thank you, Katie! I've been on a bit of a roll lately with some pretty good books. It's always nice when that happens.

I posted this on Megan (ireadthereforeiam)'s thread, but the University of Iowa employee newsletter spotlighted Eleanor Catton, who just won the Booker Prize. It seems she is a graduate of the illustrious Iowa Writers' Workshop right here in Iowa City. I had no idea! Here's a link to the story: Writer's Workshop alumna Catton wins 2013 Booker Prize

It makes me wonder who is in the Workshop now that we will all be talking about in a few years? I really need to get to more of the author readings that go on in this wonderful town.

I also enjoyed a couple of the Kenzie-Gennaro books. I NEED to go back and read them from the beginning. I did not care for Shutter Island but I did like the Given Day.

>182 rosalita: this marvelous op-ed piece by Neil Gaiman in The Guardian newspaper, about the value of reading, libraries, and librarians
Ya HA! He knows it alright. The best evidence for libraries I have heard is via that UK comedian whose name escapes me....Sarah someone....red hair....late 30s....
She came from a poor background (dirt poor) and she stated that libraries are a great leveller. You can go there, read the latest magazines, the newest books, and everyone is equal there as you dont have to pay to access the material. And it was the one place you could go and be a consumer, without having to have the cash.

I need to read Neil Gaiman. Although I wasn't sold on Coraline, I am still intrigued.

Megan, I thought Gaiman really made an excellent case for why we need libraries even if everyone is reading e-books. As he said, they are not just storage places for books but incubators for ideas.

I've only read a few Gaiman, but I have to say the two I've read this month were by far my favorites. 'Ocean at the End of the Lane' and 'Graveyard Book' are both just delightful, and far more charming than they are scary or creepy (I thought Ocean rated a little higher on the creepy scale). I've not read 'Coraline', so I can't judge whether it's at all like these two, though. If you give him another try, I'll look forward to your judgment!

Very nice writeup of Mystic River! Lehane is one of my favorites.

Thanks, Jim! He's becoming one of my favorites, too.

Oh, dear. I'm getting into one of those situations again where all the books I have on hold through the library are coming in at the same time. Today, Blood of Tyrants, the new Temeraire book, came up, and I've shamelessly shoved it to the front of the queue and started reading it, even though I have two other library books that came in a few days ago and thus will expire sooner: Sick of Shadows by Sharyn McCrumb and Among Others by Jo Walton. And even as I was typing this, the third book in Stephen King's Dark Tower series, The Waste Lands has arrived!

I have 3 more books on hold, and I can only hope they stay there for at least another week or so. I am reading as fast as I can ...

I liked your quote from Gaiman, Julia. My three are probably a little fed up of me banging the "more reading please" drum.
Belle, my youngest, is a voracious reader already. Yasmyne the eldest also likes to read. Kyran my boy less so although he devours mangga with a passion.

Have a lovely weekend.

Oh, BTW, fantasy is not normally my genre in truth but Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton definitely tweaked my tail.

Well, Paul, I think Gaiman would say you just let Kyran go right ahead and read that manga and it quite possibly will lead him into reading more "proper" books someday! It sounds like you've done a good job modeling good reading behavior for all of them!

I still intend to seek out 'Tooth and Claw' one of these days, but I'm making do with 'Among Others', which I believe you thought was the better book anyway.

Weekend half over already; how does that happen, anyway? Best wishes right back at ya, young man.

^ Did you miss me up there? Yes, I am hurt and slightly wounded, but I guess I will get over it and carry on...

Oh, Mark! How did I do that?! I DID miss you. Can you ever forgive me?

If you can, tell me what you didn't like about 'Shuttler Island'? I was thinking of trying that one next.

Young man? What a nice way to start my day with such a valuable ego boost!

Yes, I am a very forgiving person. I read Shutter Island several years ago, so I don't remember every detail. It just felt flat. And I hated the film version, that was a joke.

Paul, you are a youngster to me!

Mark, I haven't seen the movie but did hear it was pretty bad. Hmmm. I will rethink my Lehane reading plan ...

Morning Julia- I never like to talk anyone out of reading something, unless it's James Patterson. Plenty of folks liked Shutter Island, so you make the call. Have a great Sunday.

It will depend mostly on what my library has available, anyway, so don't worry about putting me off! Have a lovely Sunday, Mark!

Julia, thanks for sharing those wonderful words by Neil Gaiman. We can never be reminded too frequently about the joys of reading and the value of libraries. On that note, isn't it funny how all those library reserves come in at once. I was hit pretty hard at the beginning of the month.

Have a great Sunday!

Hi Julia! Just dropping by to see how you are. I loved that Neil Gaiman speech.

Wise words from Mr. Gaiman, indeed, Donna. So glad you like it — and you too, Anne!

Still drowning in library books over here, but at least no new ones have come in today.

#182 Thanks for sharing the Gaiman article, Julia. Those are some great quotes you've highlighted.

#200 Oh dear, that's the danger with library book holds! I hope you manage to read them in time. Among Others was one of my favourite reads last year so I hope you enjoy it :-)

Thanks, Heather! I managed to finish 'Blood of Tyrants', and will tackle 'Sick of Shadows' next as it will expire soonest. I've seen 'Among Others' get lots of love amongst my LT pals, so I'm glad to hear you also give a thumbs-up.

Have a great Monday, everyone!

Library book madness update: I've worked my way through Blood of Tyrants and Sick of Shadows — quite liked the first and found the second disappointingly meh. I'll be working on reviews in due course.

Moving on soon to Among Others, quite highly rated all over LT it seems. So far no more new books have come in, thank goodness.

Among Others! Among Others! What a treat that book was!

Oh, good! Another fan of 'Among Others'! I can't wait to start it tomorrow on my commute.

Keep a pen and paper handy. You will be jotting down plenty of book titles. Guaranteed.

Looking forward to your thoughts on Among Others as I am planning on reading it in November.

Thanks, Judy! I'm a little ways into it, and so far I'm enjoying it.

I'm another fan of Among Others, and you'll zip right through it unless you copy out her lists of books, and thus be able to get to your other library books. Win! Win!

Peggy, I did zip right through 'Among Others', and enjoyed it quite a bit. Strangely I did not feel compelled to make long lists of books, probably because I am not a huge SF fan. And being so unfamiliar with the genre makes me feel I probably lost a bit of appreciation for the book that others have, although I still liked it and I loved the overall concept of how she used books to help her find her way in the world. That was really nice.

Just as I was starting to get caught up with my library books, another one came off the hold list: Those Across the River, which has gotten some buzz here on LT. I'm looking forward to it, but first up is King's The Waste Lands, the third book in the Dark Tower series.

Still no MaddAddam, darn it! Down to No. 19 on the waiting list, though ...

Hi Julia! Trying to catch up on some threads... I'm so terribly behind!

I've not read Shutter Island either, but I just saw some great comments over on Mamie's thread earlier today that have convinced me to add it to my WL. Not to be a book pusher, or anything! ;) It does sound like you have quite a few on your plate right now though!

Hi Julia! I'm late in saying this, but I'm so glad you came back to the group!

#186 - Nice review! I did see the movie, but may seek out this or another of his novels. Thank you.

Thanks, Kerri! I'm glad to see you back, too! I think you would still like 'Mystic River' even if you remember how the movie ended, but the Kenzie-Gennaro series is pretty darn good, too. And I've heard good things about 'Shutter Island' from everyone except Marky-Mark. :-)

Were you gone, Julia? Tee, hee, hee! Boo to Shutter Island. Yah, to Mystic river. And a big Yah, to the History of Love. Where has she been all my life? Wow!

Now listen, Mr. Mark. Don't start with me! I can't help it if everyone else whose thread I've visited has said they loved 'Shutter Island'. I'm just keeping it real, man.

Yes, Ma'am! Backs away slowly...

Ha! You do not want to mess with me after I spent 90 minutes this afternoon in a dentist's chair, my friend. You were just a handy target.

I don't know about all of you, but I am a sucker for pretty much any list of "books you must read before" whatever (...you die, ...you get married, ...you have a baby, ...you retire, whatever). So I was really looking forward to checking out this Mental Floss list of "9 Books to Drop Everything and Read":

The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
The Amateur Cracksman by E.W. Hornung
Tom Sawyer, Detective by Mark Twain
The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
One Thousand and One Nights
Walden, Henry Thoreau

I've only read two of these (P&P and JE), haven't felt a burning need to read several others, and never heard of a couple of others. I guess as a list of books to drop everything for, this one leaves me a little cold. But what do you all think?

Hi Julia,

I saw that list in Mental Floss and even with the explanations, I had no burning desire to drop anything for any of them. I've only read Jane Eyre and I loved it. I know I NEED to read P&P one of these days. I own it and The Moonstone, also unread.

If you go read A Thousand and One Nights, in any translation, read it in small bits - maybe more than one story a day/night (because three-and-a-bit years is a long time to be reading one book!), but don't try to read it all at once. It gets sickening - not that the stories aren't interesting, but the style is very odd. OK, that may be my translation, but still. We had Richard Burton's translations, when I was a kid.

Oh, I don't think you mean to link to the manga version. The Arabian Nights: Tales from A Thousand and One Nights is probably closer - heh, and Richard Burton is the default with that title (there are at least three others). http://www.librarything.com/search.php?search=thousand+and+one+nights&search... is the search I used.

I like Raffles - not sure I've read that one, it was whatever books I came across and I may have missed that first one. I have Walden but I don't think I've ever read it, or at least haven't finished it. And I have both JE and P&P and haven't read them either.

It does seem a very odd list. Adam Smith and Ulysses S Grant? Mix of fiction and non-fiction, very different styles and subjects...yeah, no, I agree it doesn't strike me as a "drop everything and read" list, or even a compelling one.

I've read three of the books listed above, P&P, Jane Eyre and The Moonstone. Don't have any particular desire to read any of the rest.

That is indeed a very odd list. I've read #2, #3, #6 and #7, which I don't imagine will surprise anyone. :)

The Amateur Cracksman was the original title of the first short story collection, Jen, which was later called Raffles, The Amateur Cracksman or just Raffles.

I don't know if it would help motivate you, Joanne, but there's a good chance I'll be doing a tutored read of P&P with Ilana in the New Year.

#232 by @coppers> You do need to read P&P, Joanne! I think you will really like it. And on a side note, I'm so glad you posted. I was just thinking yesterday that I hadn't seen you around much lately, and only just realized I somehow accidentally ignored your thread. I'm heading over soon to catch up with you!

#233 by @jjmcgaffey> Jen, I'll try to get a better touchstone for Arabian Nights. Touchstones are infuriatingly wonky these days! I have heard of the Raffles books but have never read one, I'm pretty sure. I'm glad you also think the list is weird.

#234 by @DeltaQueen50> Well, if you don't, Judy, I won't feel bad that I don't either!

#235 by @lyzard> I have to say, Liz, that when I saw some of those my first thought was "I bet Liz has read most of these!" Ha. As I told Jen, I've at least heard of Raffles, though I've not read it. I think I would like it but I've never heard it mentioned as a "drop everything" sort of book.

I'm really pleased with the Early Reviewers book I won this month: American Work-Sport. It combines two of my favorite subjects: history and sports. Now I really need to get it in gear and get some of my overdue ER reviews written so I can enjoy it guilt-free.

#231 Hmm, there's a couple there I haven't heard of either.

The Moonstone is a favourite of mine. It's not the first detective novel (as Liz will attest) but it's the novel that gets called the first detective novel a lot and there are some really fun characters.

To me, a drop everything and read list would be books that were unputdownable once I'd started reading. Something long like 1,001 nights is not a drop everything and read this book but a put it on your bedside table and read one story a night book (now there's a future reading project!)

now there's a future reading project!

Because we just don't have enough of those! :D

Heather, I need to look for a copy of The Moonstone, it seems. I agree with your proposed criteria of "drop everything and read". I think whoever put together this list was trying a little to hard to find surprising choices.

Liz, you are the queen of the reading projects and an inspiration to many, including me! I love to read about your reading plans.

>235 lyzard: Liz, I may take you up on that, thanks! I'll keep an eye out for the tutored read.

Aw, tutored read matchmaking on my thread. I love it!

>242 rosalita: Lol!

Hi Julia!

#231 - I agree that's kind of an odd list, but I'd like to read The Moonstone as well. I was just considering downloading the audio from Librivox the other day.

231: Julia, I'm another sucker for book lists. I've read The Moonstone, P&P, JE, and Walden. I adore Henry! I would love to live in a cabin a mile away from civilization where my friends could drop by and see me!

My husband and I listened to Shutter Island on a road trip. We were both mystified by the ending. It is not my favorite LeHane.

Kerri, if you listen to 'Moonstone', let me know what you think. It will be a while before I get to it, I think.

Donna, if you go to live in a cabin miles from civilization how will you learn about LT meetups?! I really don't think you've thought this whole thing through. ;-)

Thanks for your thoughts on 'Shutter Island'. I feel like I have to read it just because it has drawn some very different reactions from people whose book opinions I respect. That includes you!

Oh no, Julia, I am only going to live one mile from civilization...and Internet access is a must! I am seriously thinking about attending Booktopia Boulder. I can combine it with a new grandbaby visit as well.

Oh, ONE mile. I totally missed that in your original post. That's OK, then. :-)

I am seriously thinking about attending Booktopia Boulder, and if you're going to be there I'm even more serious about it! And a new grandbaby — how awesome!

The world has moved on, and so has my thread. Join me over here: Take 5

Bonus: New book review!