Storeetllr's (Mary) Reading More in Twenty Oh Four!

Here we go again! Hard to believe the year 2013 is almost history! I'm looking forward to the new year in my new home with my family in my new state of Colorado. Planning on doing a lot of exploring, including of sites I've only read about over the years, and of reading a lot of books (again) (though not as many as some LT friends, like Morphy and Paul). Thanks, Jim, for starting up the Group home for 2014!



ETA Well, I'm an idiot. I meant to call this the Reading More in Twenty ONE Four, not Twenty OH Four. *sigh* No way to edit the title, so I'll just have to live with it. Until I can start a second thread. I'll just have to hope a lot of people post here soon so I can start the second thread sooner rather than later. LOL

ETA I'm going to use a different rating system this year, one I stole borrowed from Morphy. Here it is:

10 stars - The book completely enthralled me. Could not put it down. Got something more out of it than just entertainment -- it enlightened or educated me in some way. Can definitely see myself reading it again. Will keep forever and never loan it out.

9 stars - Not quite perfect but almost so. I will actively push this book on my friends and family.

8 stars - A really great book in all respects with perhaps some minor flaws. Highly recommended.

7 stars - Better than average but with some flaws. Recommended.

6 stars - Average. An entertaining read but probably forgettable. Will not reread. Recommended for entertainment value to readers with similar interest.

5 stars - Slightly lower than average. Some aspects of the story, characters or writing troubled me. Probably will not recommend.

4 stars - Finished but did not like. Would not recommend.

3 stars - Had some redeeming qualities or else I couldn't have finished it. Nothing to recommend it though.

2 star - I can't believe I finished this book. What am I? A masochist?

1 star - No book ever gets this rating. If it's a 1, I can't finish it.

Books Read in 2014 (bolded titles are highly recommended)

January

1. Archangel's Legion by Nalini Singh
2. Jim Butcher Dresden Files Storm Front, Vol. 1: The Gathering Storm by Mark Powers/Adrian Syaf
3. Black Sheep by Georgette Heyer
4. A Distant Mirror by Barbara Tuchman
5. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
6. The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn
7. Kitty Rocks the House by Carrie Vaughn.
8. Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neal Gaiman

February

March

April

May

June

July

Currently Reading
Kitty Steals the Show by Carrie Vaughn
The Terror by Dan Simmons (for the January Journeys Challenge)
Kitty Rocks the House by Carrie Vaughn
The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn
A Distant Mirror by Barbara Tuchman
Archangel's Legion by Nalini Singh
Black Sheep by Georgette Heyer
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neal Gaiman

On the TBR Next Pile

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
The Masqueraders by Georgette Heyer
Graveyards of Chicago by Matt Hucke
Princesses Behaving Badly by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie

Borrowed from the Library & Awaiting Placement on the TBR Next Pile

Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
The Borgias: The Hidden History by G.J. Meyer
Kitty in the Underworld by Carrie Vaughn
Spider Woman's Daughter by Anne Hillerman
Colorado Month-To-Month Gardening by Kelli Dolicek

Books Purchased in 2014 (Strikeout = Read)

1) The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (reccied by Morphy)

Books "Acquired" in 2014 (ie. gifts or freebies)

1) Princesses Behaving Badly by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie (LTER)

(Idea stolen from Faith "dk_phoenix")

Welcome back!

Thanks for setting it up, Jim!

Mary. Lovely to see that you hesitated about as long as I did!

Hi Mary! Happy to see you here. Sending hugs!

Haha, Paul ~ I was actually looking around LT earlier today for the 2014 group before Jim set it up. Talk about eager.

Hi, Richard! I'm assuming you're signed up already too. I'll be around to say hi and bookmark you, though your threads go so fast I know I'll be behind before we even get to 2014.

I like your thread title, catchy! :)

Thanks, fuzzi! See you over at yours in a few!

Hi Mary!

Starred for reading in 2014!

Snagging a seat!

Hi, Diana! Welcome! Pull up a comfy chair and sit awhile. Hope you will visit me often.

Hey, Morphy! Thanks for stopping by! I hope you find my thread a little less hectic than, oh, say, RichardDerus's. :)

Hi, Mamie! Make yourself comfy and sit a spell!

Hi Mary! I'm here, too. Looking forward to following your 2014 reading.

Hi, Mary. I pretty much lost track of you last year; I'm determined to do better in 2014.

Ha! Any thread is less hectic than RD's.

Hi, Anne! I'll be over to star your new thread as soon as you set it up!

Hey, Linda! I'm sorry, I lost track of you too. There are just so many of us with such interesting and fun threads that it's hard to keep up. I do my best, but I end up so behind in some of the threads I just give up. But, like you, I'm going to try to do better in the coming year. I hope you'll let me know when you make a new thread so I can star you!

It's here, Mary. And you're behind already! Ain't it awful? Don't get discouraged.

Haha, you're right about that, Morphy! I have trouble keeping up with threads that get 50 posts a day. Richard sometimes gets 50 posts an hour!

I give up, Linda ~ not even 2014 and the 2014 threads are filling up to the point where I'm behind. LOL

I can't keep up with all the threads, so I generally make a point of concentrating on the threads of those who visit MY thread.

Which means more time for reading books, and a little less time reading threads. ;)

Happy New Year, Mary! I'm looking forward to following your reading adventures in 2014.

I hear you, fuzzi! It can be daunting! I try to visit everyone's threads at least once a week, but I don't always comment. Perhaps I should start! :)

Thanks, Julia! Happy New Year to you too! I'm not as organized as you and some others on LT. Instead, I usually pick up whatever catches my fancy, but I always find great reading ideas from other LTers.

My threads are tomb-like compared to Paul Cranswick's post-a-minute specials!

I sense just a teensie-weensie bit of envy here...

And here's a shiny star for you, my bird-sister! (Just don't let Nickel get a hold of it, if she's anything like my Mango, the shiny things seem to have some kind of magnetic force that screams BITE THIS NOW!)

Nickel seems to prefer anything made of wood or paper, like apartment baseboards and books. Oh, yeah, and keyboards. I don't dare leave my laptop unattended anywhere in her vicinity or she'll have all the keys ripped off. But thanks for the star, Faith! I'll put it somewhere she can't get to. :)

>25 fuzzi: Envy? gnashgnash Why, no such of a thing! wailmoanrendingofgarments Pshaw! Faugh! and other such unpronounceable writerly interjections.

No reason for envy, Richard Dear. I stand in awe of you, and not only for the number of posts from others that you get on your threads but for your own pithy, perceptive, prolific, not to mention droll, posts.

Mary! Such talk! You bring the blush to my (withered) cheek.

(28) @richardderus doth protest too much, methinks

I visit every person who posts on my thread at least a couple times when they have new posts. I post on each of their threads at minimum once every two weeks.

That's nice of you, Morphy. :)

Good to see you're up and running with your 2004 2014 thread, Mary. :-) I know the problem - I screwed up the thread title a couple of times last year, and there's no going back. That's one I'd love to see the tech crew fix.

Looking forward to another great LT year.

Oh, good...it was a mistake, that 2004 thing...I thought I was 10 years behind on this thread!

Mary! So glad to see your thread, from your profile we have a lot of reading favorites in common. *waves*

That made me laugh out loud, Linda! No, you're not 10 years behind on this thread. It often seems, however, that I am at least that far behind on others' *cough*RD*cough*PaulC*cough* threads.

fuzzi:
>32 fuzzi: *grin*
>34 fuzzi: Yes, she is!

Hi, Tam! Thanks, I saw that our reading tastes are similar in many ways, though there were a number of writers you read that I haven't (so far). Looking forward to learning about good new authors/series from you.

This year, I want to be as good about posting as you, Morphy! It's a "sort-of" resolution. (Sort-of because I find that any actual resolution I make is usually doomed to failure.)

Joe, I am so embarrassed by that silly mistake! Glad to know I'm not the only one whose trigger finger is a bit too quick on the Post button. Yes, I wish the techs would fix that little issue too ~ give us at least one chance to edit a thread title before it "sticks."

Happy New Year Mary. Best wishes for 2014!!!!

Happy New Year, Mary! I hope you have a wonderful 2004 and an even better 2014! LOL.

Dear Mary - No flashing lights or amazing graphics from little old me; just a heartfelt wish for a wonderful 2014 for you and your loved ones. Thanks for your visits to my thread in 2013 and for being you.

By the way I am in awe of Richard too and I don't mind who knows. It is not just quantity; it is also about quality (I tell this to my wife continually hehehe) and RD's thread beats mine into a cocked hat every time on that score.

Thanks, Tammy! Happy 2014 to you too!

Haha, Mark. I will never live that down, will I? LOL (Thanks for the Happy New Year wishes, and back atcha!)

Thank you, Paul! Happy New Year to you and your lovely family! I love to tease about the "competition" between you and Richard, but I'm in awe of both of you!

Had a fun New Year's Eve ~ dinner with my sister at an Italian restaurant (mussels, salmon and pinot grigio), then some of her home-baked cookies and milk while we watched the DVD of Jack Reacher with Tom Cruise (awful performance; could not see him as Reacher no matter how hard I tried to suspend belief ~ he's so tiny!). My sister's been in bed for about an hour, and I'm now about ready to turn in. Not sure when it happened, but we have both turned into old farts! (To quote King Theoden, "How did it come to this?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdBcsdk8pEY)

Happy New Year from another Old Fart (Tomm and I were asleep by 10!).

I beat that! I was in bed by 9:30pm! MrMorphy decided to stay up to meet the New Year though.

Have a great 2014!

Well, I'm in good company, then! Happy 2014!

Fell asleep listening to Tuchman telling about the "tumultuous 14th century." Love learning about those times, but honestly so glad I live a thousand years later, even if we still endure moments of barbarity.

Happy New Year, Mary!

Happy New Year, Mary! Somehow we stayed up - it helped to be watching the very good Roman Holiday, "introducing" Audrey Hepburn.

Oh! Roman Holiday is one of the great oldies! Thanks, Joe, and Happy New Year wishes to you too!

Happy New Year, Mary!

Thanks, Reba! To you too! Hope you're feeling back to normal.

Happy New Year to you, Mary! I think I have had A Distant Mirror on my shelf since college -- yikes!

Thanks, Anne! I've been meaning to read A Distant Mirror since about the early-80s after I saw it on my in-laws' bookshelf during a visit to Berkeley. It sure isn't Sharon Kay Penman! It's really dense and, I admit, difficult to keep up with ~ so much was going on back then! Listening to it may not have been the best idea. Happy New Year to you too!

Hi Mary - And now I've found you! Sounds like you had a relaxing New Years. We did too, except that we decided to take the light rail into Denver to see the fireworks. The early show, of course! We were home just after 10.

eta: I wouldn't mind if it really was 2004.....

Hi, Joanne! Haha, you noticed my mistake too, huh? *sigh* I hadn't even had a drink when I did it, either, I swear! :) But I am glad it is not 2004: the U.S. had just invaded Iraq the year before, Bush had just been reelected, my daughter and I were having a few relational issues, and I was still working in the salt mines. No, I am very glad it's 2014!

Glad you had a good time on NYE. I saw the fireworks on TV and almost wished we had gone to see them, but we were having a lovely evening at home, where it was nice and warm and cozy, so that was okay.

Mary, I like your laid back New Year's Eve. It was pretty quiet here, too, except when Hope woke up with her hunger pangs. I'm with you, enjoying the beginning days of 2014 and wondering what this year will bring. We can tentatively plan a meet-up for the last week in March, although Anne might be in Kansas for a spring break visit with family. Wishing you a great year of reading and exploring your new state!

1. Archangel's Legion by Nalini Singh. 6/10 stars. Audio. Latest in the Guild Hunters series of urban fantasy. The Archangel of New York and his consort, Guild Hunter Elena, go up against the Archangel of China, a zombie mistress and whacked out nutcase intent on rulling the world so she can suck power from angels, vamps and even archangels to her shriveled black heart's content. A little over the top, but I enjoy these novels. As with much that is billed as romance today (whether romantic thrillers, romantic fantasies, or historical romances), though, there're just too many sex scenes. I mean, once or twice in a 400 page (10 CD) novel is enough. Oh, well, I guess I'm just getting too old to appreciate all that jumping of bones.

So, yesterday it was so warm and sunny, I was able to sit out on the patio with my parrot and get a little sunbathing in.



Today, I woke up to this, and the snow is still coming down.



Colorado!

Wow! That is surreal, Mary!

It is, Mamie! I was warned about Colorado's weird weather, but it's still disconcerting.

We are experiencing the cold in Georgia, too. Just 51 today here. And Tuesday has a forecasted high of 33, which is COLD for down here. I am liking it though, as I have only been here a year, so I am still a midwest girl at heart!

I bet Georgia is gorgeous! One place I considered for retirement was Savannah. How I ended up in Colorado...well, one word: family!

I lived in Boulder for a hot minute in the late 1970s. Such a weird place. Hippies and rednecks and Eurotrash. I'll take New York! Which has the added advantage of being extremely far away from all of my relatives.

Hah! I think perhaps Boulder's changed a bit since then, but it's true, New York has it's own special charms! I think I'd have liked NYC when I was young, or would like it today if I were wealthy, but I can't see myself doing well there at my current age and financial bracket.

2. Jim Butcher Dresden Files Storm Front, Vol. 1: The Gathering Storm by Mark Powers/Adrian Syaf. 6/10 stars. Graphic novel. What a nice surprise, when I stopped by the library to return a couple of books, to find two graphic novels waiting for me on the hold shelves! This is the first volume of the first graphic novel of the Dresden Files series, which I've read up to White Night. While enjoyable, it didn't knock my socks off, perhaps in part because the illustrations of Harry Dresden don't match my mental picture of him (though the cover illustration is just about perfect) and in part because it's only the first of two volumes, so I couldn't "finish" the novel. Since I know how the story ends, though, it's not a huge deal, I guess.

Hippies and rednecks and Eurotrash. I'll take New York! Which has the added advantage of being extremely far away from all of my relatives.

I don't think any place would be dull with the Grousemeister there.

Have a lovely weekend, Mary.

Heh, Paul, I'm sure it wouldn't! I hope you're having a great weekend too, there in your balmy paradise.

3. Black Sheep by Georgette Heyer. 9/10 stars. Any romance novel that is well-written, with sparkling dialogue that makes me chuckle throughout and then smile and feel all warm and snuggly at the end and doesn't have one explicit sex scene is a wonder! In this one, Abby, a spinster living in Bath with her sickly elder sister (think Mrs. Bennet of Pride and Prejudice fame, only with a bit less shrillness), has her hands full with her headstrong niece who fancies herself in love with a fortune-hunting bounder. When said bounder's black sheep Uncle Miles returns from 20 years in India (exiled there due to a youthful indiscretion) and ends up in Bath, things get really interesting. I do love a good Heyer, and this was one of the best!

Belated New Year greetings, Mary. I finally have my thread up and running now I am trying to catch up with everyone. I am hoping to read a little more Georgette Heyer this year, expecially as there is a Georgette Heyer Group Read being planned for June. I haven't read Black Sheep yet so will have to be on the lookout for it.

Three books already! You're on a roll.

Sun's trying to come out at my house. It should stop snowing any minute.

Adding the Georgette Heyer to my list. I have only read one of hers - The Grand Sophy, but I loved it. I do have some of her mysteries on the shelves.

Happy Sunday, Mary!

Hi, Judy! Glad you finally joined us in 2014. ;) I hadn't known there would be a Heyer Reading Group in June. I don't usually join the groups (laziness, mostly, but also forgetfulness), but I may do so for this one. I snagged three Heyer romances a week or so ago for $1.99 each from Amazon; I've already finished two of them. Like eating potato chips.

Any minute now, Joanne. Riiiight! :) Still snowing here. Nothing else for me to do but read. I hope to finish Tuchman's A Distant Mirror today, or tomorrow at the latest, if, that is, I can hold out against the temptation to start The Masqueraders, another Heyer.

Happy Sunday to you too, Mamie! Hope your weather's warmed up a bit. I read only one Heyer mystery Envious Casca, which was okay but not leading me to want to read more of them. That may change when I finish all her romances and start jonesing for more Heyer.

Mary, I hope you found a nice, cozy place to read and look out at the beautiful snow :)

Hi, Reba! Yes, it is a perfect day for lazing under a comforter in front of a fire with a good book and a cup of hot cocoa at hand. Hope your Sunday has been as lovely!

4. A Distant Mirror by Barbara Tuchman. 5/10 stars. Audio. Thank God that's over, is all I can say. It was a huge chunkster, the history of the 14th century in France, with the Black Death, Crusades, insane kings, grasping nobles, venal churchmen, wars, cruelty, depravity, serfdom, and so dense with facts, names (many of them French, correctly pronounced by the reader so that Charles was Sharl and Bourbon was Borbong and many of the historical personages had the same name, thus sometimes confusing as hell), battles, and so on, that it was terribly difficult to keep track. I should have read it in print, but it was so intimidating when I tried that I thought maybe on audio would be more accessible. Nope. Unfortunately, because the 14th century was a fascinating (if bloody) time, the writing was anything but accessible, perhaps in part because the narrator had such an annoying voice, and I did not get as much out of it as I had hoped.

@Storeetllr, have you read any Thomas Costain? His histories are very reader friendly without watering down the subject matter.

I like his works, and Sharon Kay Penman's as well. I never have been bored reading their books about history.

I'm going to vicariously enjoy the Vorkosigan re-reads, Roni. I'm so tempted to join in - maybe I'll pick out a few along the way.

Happy New Year, Mary! Yes, Black Sheep is a good one. But then, so many of hers are.

I was thinking of you while I was in Kansas, wondering how you are adjusting to having a real winter there in Colorado--especially after our 12 inches of snow the day after I got there.

I will have to find the thread for the group read of Heyer, another author I will reread at any time on any excuse. I know there is a read of Frederica planned for next month--it's on the wiki.

Joe??? I'm glad you may join in, but this isn't my thread, you know.

Mary, I recommend Maurice Druon's novels set in the same time period. Fictionalized, yes, but the conflicts and outcomes are all accurate. I found them riveting, and the history presented in a compelling way. Start with The Iron King, if you're still interested in the subject, and see if you like it.

George RR Martin called the series, The Accursed Kings, "the original Game of Thrones."

Hey, fuzzi! Yes, I've read Costain, but only The Silver Chalice, not his medieval novels. I'll have to try one. The trouble with A Distant Mirror was that it read like a textbook, without pictures (at least the audio version). I like a good non-fiction book on history, but I prefer a little more human interest along with the dry dates and names and battles. I guess I was hoping for something more along the lines of a Penman, which was just silly of me, I guess.

I just realized why the names of the characters were unfamiliar, though I'm familiar with that time period. For instance, the French king who destroyed the Knights Templar and was cursed by their leader was called Philippe Le Beau rather than the anglicized Philip the Fair, which is how I know him, so I was not able to parlay all I already knew of that period to help me make sense of what was going on. I think that might have been ameliorated if I'd read it in print rather than listened to it.

Hi, Joe! So many threads, it's easy to get turned around. Roni's thread is that-a-way. *pointing to the right* I've been wanting to read the Vorkosigan books but just haven't gotten around to them yet. Maybe this year?

Roni!!! I was thinking of you too, there in the wilds of Kansas in the snow. It's different from Southern California, that's for darn sure! Bet you're glad to be back in SD, where the average temp is what? 70 degrees pretty much year round? I admit, I miss LA, though Colorado is beautiful. I just "discovered" Heyer a year or so ago and fell in love with her romances, and Frederica was one of my first Heyer's. I'm may have to reread it with the group.

Hi, Richard ~ Yes, keeping up with threads here and following all my friends and family on FB is a full-time job! But it's a lot more fun than the day job I used to have! I never heard of Druon, but The Iron King sounds really good. (Bulls-eye! Yet another BB!)

The Thomas Costain books I've read are

The Conquerors (rereleased as The Conquering Family )
The Magnificent Century
The Three Edwards

and on my TBR
The Last Plantagenets

Those four are a series about the English Kings and Queens, starting with the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Looks good! I love that period in British history. My TBR list is getting longer and longer.

Me too...I guess I could stay away from LT for a few weeks to get the TBR under control...

...not!

Hah! That would be pretty difficult to do, I think. And it wouldn't help, at least not me. I go to the library at least once a week, and you wouldn't believe the number of books that take it into their pages to jump off the shelves into my arms! Not to mention the eBook deals I get in my emailbox every day. Sheesh. I'd have to be a hermit without access to any technology.

I've seen a lot of this meme on the threads and have enjoyed reading everyone's answers. I don't think mine will be quite as amusing as some, but I thought it would be fun to give it a try. So, here goes:

Describe yourself: Worth Any Price

Describe what you feel like: A Hunger Like No Other

Describe where you currently live: Under Heaven

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Whiskey Beach

Your favorite form of transportation: Angel's Flight

Your best friend is: A Quiet Gentleman

You and your friends are: People of the Book

What’s the weather like: The Demon in the Freezer (tied with Kiss of Snow)

You fear: Bad Luck and Trouble

What is the best advice you have to give: Never Go Back

Thought for the day: It Happens in the Dark

How I would like to die: The Hard Way

My soul’s present condition: Splendors and Gloom

Hi Mary- Just checking in. Making sure the week is going fine and your books are treating you well.

(84) Cute, I like that Meme.

I love your answers to the meme, especially the Thought for the Day and How I would Like to Die (the latter being the hardest one for me to find a good answer for - I kept finding ways I really didn't want to die...ha!).

Mary/Amber - You both want to go The Hard Way! You ladies are far tougher than I; would much prefer meeting my maker with more than a thimbleful of the finest single malt keeping warm my no longer beating heart.

Those are great, great recces by Richard and Fuzzi. As if I don't have enough bloody books already.

Paul, just read faster!!!!!

;)

Hey, Mark! All's well, if cold and snowy. But, then, you know all about that, eh?

Thanks, fuzzi! It IS cute! I stole it from others, including Paul C.

Haha, Amber, I know what you mean!

Paul, there is no truly easy way to die, I don't think, although a glass of the finest single malt at the end would make it a bit more tolerable, though it would have to be a lot more than a thimbleful for it to make a difference.

They are good reccies and I can't wait to dig into them (not all at once) (well, maybe simultaneously).

fuzzi :) At my age, I find myself racing to finish books, because there are SO MANY books I want to read, and ya never know when I'll be needing that last glass of single-malt scotch.

I had to laugh about the weather photos. I used to love to post things like that when I was living in Denver. Also things like "Yesterday it was 20 degrees. Today it's 73." I do kinda miss that sort of schizophrenic weather.

We have apparently come back to the bay area in the middle of an unusually warm and rainless winter. I'm not really complaining, after the sub-40 degree and raining days in Belgium we had at the end, but I do know the rain is desperately needed here.

Mary, one of the things I learned from my years in Colorado was to be prepared...for anything. I remember the first time I saw the snow plows out in Colorado Springs clearing the streets after a major hail storm. It felt sort of apocalyptic! Thanks for the beautiful pictures.

Congratulations on your strong reading start this year. I feel the same way. I'm reading as fast as I can to read as much as I can while I can! I hope to see you on my next visit in late March/ early April.

Great idea Fuzzi - If I read at Suz's speed I'll finish my TBR in only fifteen years. My speed about 40 years. A bit sobering so you're right Mary I need a heck of a lot more than a thimblefull of the peaty good stuff. xx

>43 Storeetllr: It an ever evolving process of getting older. I remember in college when I could pull all nighters and stay up till 4 in the morning quite frequently. On the New Year we did stay up until the countdown and about 1:00 am were so sleepy we couldn't keep our eyes open. I frequently have to go to bed around midnight (get up around 8:30). :P
>58 Storeetllr: Beautiful view!

Mary, the weather is one of the best things about Colorado, but it is extreme and unpredictable! Never boring, though:)

re: A Distant Mirror: Thank God that's over, is all I can say. Oh no! Well then, perhaps I'll let it languish on the shelf another 20 years or so:)

The Demon in the Freezer... yes, that's us!

Mary, The Tontine is a largely forgotten Costain novel that I found compelling.

Anne, A Distant Mirror was a double-plus good read for me, just to nudge it slightly closer to the nightstand.

I loved The Tontine. I still have the book club edition that was my mother's back in the day. I also remember gobbling up The Black Rose and The Silver Chalice. I have a copy of The Three Edwards I picked up much more recently, but have not read that one.

Well, I didn't get online all day due to spending most of the morning at the medical center yesterday getting various fun tests (mammo, bone density, blood, etc.) and then later at a birthday celebration for my niece (who turned one year yesterday). Then today I got to babysit for said niece and, though I brought my Kindle and laptop, she kept me too busy to look at either. A wonderful thing happened when her daddy got home and would have taken her so I could leave. She clung to me and refused to go to him. It was the first time she preferred me over anyone! I was all *meltmeltmelt*! Anyway, I'll be popping over to everyone's threads later tonight or tomorrow (though I'm scheduled to babysit tomorrow afternoon too ~ a plethora of good times) to catch up.

Ursula, hi! I heard about the dry weather in Northern California. I used to go up to the Bay Area often when my daughter was growing up as her paternal grandparents lived in Berkeley, and I remember it was often warm and sunny in winter and cold and cloudy in the middle of summer. Made it hard to pack.

Glad you enjoyed the pics, Donna! I wish I could post a pic of the aurora borealis we're supposed to be able to see tonight, but there's cloud cover and so I couldn't see it. There's another chance tomorrow night, though, so come back in a couple of days, just in case we get lucky and have clear skies tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you in, I hope, late March/early April. (Lovely time of year here, I've been told.)

Paul ~ haha!

So true, Tam. I remember staying up all night and managing just fine the next day in my 40s and even 50s, but no more. Of course, the staying-up-all-nights were mostly about finishing some book I was reading, rather than partying, but still.

Hi, Anne! Yes, definitely unpredictable and interesting! My only problem is when it snows or when the snow melts in warm sun and then ices over when it gets colder at night it makes it difficult if not impossible for me to drive my little sports car. If I'd known I was going to end up here, I would have bought an SUV or pickup truck with 4-wheel drive instead!

About A Distant Mirror, listen to Richard and don't let my less-than-perfect experience with it deter you from reading it. I am sure I would have liked it better if I'd read it in print rather than tried to listen to it on audio. It was so dense and packed with information, it required more attention and the ability to go back to review occasionally.

Oh, Richard ~ I've got a copy of The Tontine! I think. I'll have to search the boxes and give it a try. On A Distant Mirror, as I told Anne, I think my problem with it was listening to it rather than reading it. If I ever run across a print copy, I'll pick it up and maybe give it another try. (Does it have pictures? I didn't recall seeing any when I skimmed through it a few decades ago.)

Hi, Linda! Okay, that's it ~ two reccies for The Tontine, and one from someone who loved The Silver Chalice as I did. I'm definitely going to dig it out and give it a shot.

>98 Storeetllr:: That's funny about your niece clinging to you - the same thing happened to me with my niece during our Christmas travels, and yes, it's a really good feeling!

Have a wonderful weekend, Mary!

>98 Storeetllr:, 100 Indeed, yes, Amber. What made it even funnier is that I'm usually on the other end of the equation ~ my trying to take her and her clinging to whomever is holding her. It's the best feeling to have a baby show a preference for you, isn't it!

Hi, Diane! Hope you have a lovely weekend too!

Ahhhh, I think there's a great relationship forming with your niece.

Hi, Reba! As long as her grandma (my sis) or mom (my niece) isn't around, I'm gold with the baby. Unfortunately, today her grandma is here, so it's back to normal and I'm superfluous again. Taking advantage to catch up on LT.

5. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. 10 stars. Audio. This is an amazing book, about not only the history of biomedical research and the cells that became the first "immortal" strain (cells that do not die after a certain number of divisions), but also about the woman from whom the original HeLa cells were harvested; how her death and the publicity surrounding the use to which her cells were put (research in polio, cancer and radiation sickness, to name a few) affected her family; the social culture of the times; the legal and ethical nature of cell research, "ownership" of the cells of people, and its potential commercial value; and so much more. The writing is both scientifically precise and personable, and the great respect the author has for the people involved, whom she portrays unsentimentally yet sympathetically, as well as the science itself shows through clearly. The reader (Cassandra Campbell) does an excellent job. Highly recommended.

Nice review, Mary! I looked at that book several times for my husband, but never picked it up. Then I recently found it in the library and picked it up for him. He was so fascinated with the book -- I feel I don't need to read it anymore, because we talked about it so much. I love it when that happens -- one of the best things about books, I think. Even better: my daughter read it and loved it as well.

Thanks, Anne. I can't stop thinking about it, and I finished it a couple of days ago. (I wanted to wait a day or two before reviewing it to clarify my thoughts and so my emotional reaction didn't color the review.) I may reread it at some point.

I have Henrietta Lacks in my audio library. Sounds like I need to cue it up and start listening to it soon.

Hi, Dana! Yes, I hope you do and that you enjoy it as much as I did!

Mary- I am glad you loved Henrietta Lacks. I was a huge fan too and thought it was excellent on audio.

I am not sure who on LT recommended it, Mark. Could have been you, and, if so, THANK YOU!

>105 Storeetllr:: Oooh, I have that one on my shelves, and it keeps calling to me. Soon, it needs to happen, it seems, as everyone loves it! Glad to see you fit into that group, too.

I gave it a solid 8 out of 10 stars. So a very good read for me, too.

"Excellent book considering that I wasn't particularly interested in the subject matter. The author made it personal and compelling. I especially liked the relationship between Skloot and Deborah, Henrietta's daughter."

Hi Mary! Nice review of the Skloot book - I read that in my pre-LT days and found it very interesting. I had seen a write up about it in a magazine and went looking for it at the library.

And lovely story about the niece! SO delightful to be wanted!!

Wishing for you a weekend full of fabulous.

I don't think you'll be disappointed, Amber! I don't read a lot of nonfiction (though one of my goals this year is to fit in more nonfiction/classics), but this is the kind of nonfiction that makes me want to read more.

Well put, Morphy! I agree, the relationship between author and Deborah was special. I thought Skloot was amazingly sensitive and respectful toward all of Henrietta's relatives. She seems like the kind of person I would like to have for a friend. I think one reason I gave it such a high rating (10/10) was the reader, who did an excellent job!

Thanks, Mamie! Yes, my niece (great-niece, to be precise) has definite preferences. I'm so happy to be 3rd on the list (after Mommy and Grandma). LOL

>84 Storeetllr: Whiskey Beach. Lol.

I'm so glad you are having such a fun time with your little niece! It's so great that you could move out here and be closer.

I read Henrietta Lacks a few years ago and thought it was great, too. Actually, I probably did the audio.

Nice weather we're having, except for the wind. We were supposed to drive up to Granby tomorrow for a couple days but we are postponing until Monday now. And now I'm not sure about Monday's travel conditions but I can't push it back any more. I have my fingers crossed. I won't do Berthoud Pass in a snowstorm. :(

Ten stars for Henrietta Lacks!!!! I thought it good too but not blow me over good.

Non-fiction seems to be in vogue more this year, I am reading Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War and enjoying it at my normally ponderous pace.

Have a lovely weekend, Mary. xx

Oh, yes, Joanne ~ Do hold off on travel tomorrow! It's supposed to snow and be very windy, esp. up in the mountains and foothills. I don't remember what Monday's forecast was, but I think I heard them say that the wind advisory was going to be in effect until Monday.

I was thinking "single-malt scotch whiskey" when I put Whiskey Beach for that answer. :) I've got a bottle of Glenfidditch Special Reserve that someone gave me 20 years ago. I don't know why I've been saving it, except that shortly after that I stopped drinking except for special occasions (alcohol seemed to be a migraine trigger). It's about 3/4 full. I wonder if it's still good. Paul?

I might have only given Henrietta Lacks an 8 or 9, Paul, but the audio was exceptionally good, which got it an extra point. And I cried a number of times. I don't cry often anymore ~ too old, perhaps, and too many tears wasted over my lifetime ~ so when a book or film can move me to tears, it gets an extra point just for that. :)

6. The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn. 5 stars. Audio. Narrated by Rosalyn Landor, this is a romance by an author whose work I usually find delightful. And this one did not disappoint, at least for the first 3/4 of it, where there was a lot of humor and witty dialogue and a love-hate relationship between Sarah and Hugh that turned into friendship and finally love, all while the lovers were being subjected to the slightly tweaked and always hilarious escapades of Sarah's sisters and cousins. Then it sort of fell apart for me, and I could barely finish it. Here's why: (1) suddenly so much sex, (2) Sarah turned into a TSTL drama queen (she'd always been slightly annoyingly self-absorbed, but she seemed to be coming out of it), and (3) a truly unbelievable plot twist that was resolved much too easily. I'll continue to read Quinn when I want lightness and fun, but this was not my favorite of all hers.

(ETA I looked at the other reviews here on LT and find I'm in the minority on this. Most found it wonderful. I think I've been spoiled by Georgette Heyer who so far has not made the least misstep.)

Speaking of whiskey, I saw an article today discussing a book about the mythos of hard-drinking authors, The Trip to Echo Spring, and thought it was pretty interesting. Here's a link to the article.

Read a horror novel last year for the Halloween challenge titled Those Across the River. This kinda reminded me of that novel.



Here's a link to the rest of the pictures.

Creepy! But I wish I lived across the river from that house so I could explore it!!!

Hi Mary. Finally getting around to catching up on your thread. :) Your comments on the Colorado weather - and your lack of an ice scraper - remind me of myself 10 years ago. It's always an adventure. You've been up to some great reading already! Happy New Year.

Mary, I love those pictures of 'The House Across the River'. I would love to go with you to explore that place, we'd probably scare ourselves silly!

Mary, after reading "Those Across the River" last year myself, there is no way I am exploring that house with you! I'll stay on this side of the river with my cell phone in hand while you and Judy check it out, OK?

That sounds like a good plan, Judy and Julia! I know I'd be pretty scared, but I love old houses and so would definitely take the chance.

I think maybe someone should stay with you too, though, Julia, just in case whatever can cross water. LOL

I'll go check it out...I wonder where it is?

fuzzi, NO! Please, wait for us (or someone) to go with you! Going alone would be like going alone into the basement during a thunderstorm when the power's out and there's an axe-wielding serial killer on the loose.

Okay, I'll wait. Going in pairs is more fun.

Well, I would like some company but you have the intrepid Judy and now fuzzi accompanying you, so I'll just wait, watch, and worry. Luckily, those are three of my best traits. :-)

Hi Mary- Sure, I'll take credit for recommending Henrietta Lacks. It's a terrific book. I like those creepy hillbilly pics.

Whew! I was worried there for a minute that you might get in trouble if you went exploring spooky old houses by yourself, fuzzi!

Well, Julia, we will just have to find someone else who wants to guard our backs. I'm a worrier too (obviously) and would be too worried about you being alone out there to enjoy the exploration.

Mark, I know it was you who recommended Those Across the River, so maybe you want to come along and join the exploring party. :)

I can't take credit for Those Across the River. I haven't read it, although it does sound good. Those photos remind me of the film version of Winter's Bone. Have you seen it?

I think it was Stephen (Ape) who recommended Those Across the River on his Halloween thread. I was planning on reading it and never got around to it, but it's very high on the list for next Halloween.

Wow! That shot is perfect for Those Across the River, which was really good, by the way.

I have resisted Those Across the River since I first heard of it on the Halloween thread but I finally succumbed and grabbed an ecopy from the library. Now I just have to find the time to read it.

Mark ~ You're right! I had forgotten that Stephen was the one who recommended it. I had not seen Winter's Bone before. I'll check it out.

Thank you, Judy ~ You're right. I'd forgotten it had been Stephen's reccie on the Halloween thread.

That house is very spooky-looking, Jim, as was Those Across the River. Soon as I saw the photo, I flashed on the book.

Hi, Joanne ~ Was it a coincidence, which would be pretty spooky, or did you order the ecopy after seeing the comments above? anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

I would be happy to wait with Julia and guard your backs. I'm very good with "wait, watch, and worry".

Of course, like all good horror movies, we have to leave about 4:00 pm when we only have an hour or so of daylight left .....

#137> Oh, thank you, Mamie! I will feel better with you there waiting, watching, and worrying along with me.

#138> Absolutely, Judy! And don't forget not to take a flashlight, or not enough matches, and of course you'll leave your cellphones at home just because.

Perfect planning for a trip to a spooky house! But we really should decide to go on a day that is promising a good storm. With lightening and thunder and a driving rain that strands us there when the river floods its banks.

>136 Storeetllr: after I saw the comments above (or that would've been very spooky).

That's a relief, Joanne! :)

So, Colorado. Look what I spotted crossing the fairway just outside my window a few minutes ago!

A fox!

7. Kitty Rocks the House by Carrie Vaughn. 7/10 stars. Audio. These urban fantasies are like the In Death mysteries ~ easy-reading, satisfying, and fun. Anyway, in this one, Kitty faces down a rogue werewolf who is out to take her place as alpha of the Denver (Denver!) pack, while at the same time trying desperately to convince Rick, the Master Vampire of the city, to stay and help her fight Dux Bellorum, the ancient vampire known as Roman whose long game includes the domination of humankind to a cadre of vampire aristos under his rule. I enjoyed this one a lot.

Edited to correct the rating. I forgot I was using the 10-star rating system, not the 5-star rating, so the 4-stars I rated it was incorrect. *Tch. Focus, Mary*

Hey, Diane! Yes, isn't it just amazing?! It's the first one I ever saw outside a zoo before. A bobcat, a vulture, lots of coyotes, but never a fox.

A fox! That's so cool.

I love Carrie Vaughn's other books, but I haven't started the Kitty series yet because it sounds like typical urban fantasy. Is it a really good example of the genre?

Mary, I held my breath as I watched a fox cross our partially frozen lake last week. He made it! I'm glad our chunky Lab wasn't out or he might have been skating on thin ice -- and probably get drenched. The foxes in our Colorado Springs neighborhood would taunt our dogs until they dashed through the invisible fence and gave chase. They are quite playful.

I'm disappointed that the Northern Lights were hiding behind clouds. That would have been an awesome picture I'm sure. Mark is right. The picture of the house across the river could have been Southern Missouri where Winter's Bone was filmed. Good book and movie!

Hi, Kriti, and welcome! I like the Kitty Norville series a lot, in part because she's such a strong woman who also has a vulnerable side. I also enjoy her sense of humor.

Oh, Donna! That's so cool! I didn't sense much playfulness in the fox in the photo. She seemed focused on getting where she wanted to go. Maybe she was a stranger in unfamiliar territory. I went out at midnight and a little later both nights, but no luck seeing the Northern Lights. It was very disappointing. I've got Winter's Bone on my wishlist. (So many books, so little time!)

I just got a notice from the library that the audio of The Ocean at the End of the Lane is available! Woo-hoo! It's going straight to the top of my reading list.

Oh, I loved that one, Mary. I'm sure it's Gaiman reading it, right? That will be a treat. Happy day.

We used to have a fox living in our back yard under the shed, at least until it cleaned out the local rabbit population. It was absolutely beautiful, but not playful at all, at least when we could see it.

Now we have groundhogs. They're nasty buggers. :)

Yes, Joe, definitely read by Neal himself! :) I love listening to him read his own stuff. Did you like The Graveyard Book? It might be my favorite, though Neverwhere comes in a close second, though I know many don't care for that one. I think I might not have liked it as much if I'd read it in print.

Hi, Jim ~ not sure how I'd feel to have a fox living in my shed, if I had a shed. I mean, they're beautiful, but don't they also go after little dogs, in addition to rabbits? I could be wrong. When I have a chance, I'll look it up. But I think I would prefer a fox to groundhogs. Or Opossums, raccoons and rats. *sigh* I've had them all in the garden at one time or another. My mother-in-law, who lived in Berkeley, used to have deer and had to keep a wire fence up around her garden to keep them away from her roses.

>146 kgodey: Out of the 13 Kitty books I've rated, they've averaged 6.85 stars out of 10. Decent but not awesome. For a solidly good urban fantasy series, I recommend the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews. I've given every single one of the six books so far 8 out of 10 stars.

You're hitting on all cylinders with me, Mary. Loved The Graveyard Book, and after reading it, listened to Gaiman do it on audio - great. Neverwhere has been my favorite of his for ages (I know, I'm not sure why some don't like it), but this new one, The Ocean at the End of the Lane gives it a run for the money. Neverwhere originally was a BBC series (before the book); if you can get a hold of the dvd, it's well worth watching. Very well done.

As if that wasn't enough, a local theater group did an excellent production of Neverwhere a couple of years ago. Can you tell I like the story?

Hey, thanks for the Kate Daniels reccie, Morphy! I'm always on the lookout for a good new urban fantasy series. I would probably give the Kitty series around a 7 out of 10 star rating too ~ keeping in mind that some are better than others, so the individual book ratings can fluctuate from 6 to 8. At least as far as the ones I've read so far. I'm interested to see where she's going with the story arc, so even if they aren't stellar, I'm going to continue reading the series.

Joe, you are my kinda man! Well, reader man, I should say. :) I would be interested in seeing the BBC production of it, though I seem to find most adaptations disappointing. Did you read the graphic novel adaptation of Neverwhere? The one I read was complete in one volume, though I'm seeing that Carey did #1-#8, so not sure if there are two graphic novel version or I read a collection of Vols. 1-8. Anyway, it was pretty good too.

ETA a link to my post about the graphic novel, which I read in 2010: http://www.librarything.com/topic/80500#2385257. I gave it 4/5 stars.

Just reserved the audio of Magic Bites from the library, Morphy! The Aurora library is amazing! It's interconnected with a whole bunch of other cities' libraries around the state, so, if a book isn't in the Aurora library system, I can usually get it from another.

>156 Storeetllr: Ha! I'm a completist nerd, Mary. I have indeed read the Mike Carey graphic novel, and liked it. I also had a drawing of Door made at a Comic Con. I think that exhausts my Neverwhere nerdiliness.

Just to be clear, you've already read the adaptation of the BBC series. The series came first. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neverwhere . How about that for a surprise? I didn't know it when I first read Neverwhere.

Haha, Joe, yes, you're right. I should have remembered that the series came first. Still, I bet Gaiman improved on it. ;-b

You had a drawing made of Door at Comic Con? That is so cool, Sir Nerdliness! I admit to being envious. I guess I too am somewhat of a nerd.

>142 Storeetllr: Nice! And you had your camera/phone handy. Double nice!

We still have foxes in our neighborhood but the coyotes have displaced most of them, unfortunately. The foxes are kinda' cute, without being threatening. They used to stay curled up like little fur balls when we'd walk by them napping in a field.

Joanne ~ I was talking on the phone to my doctor's office, and I'd just said to the nurse: "One more question," when I saw the fox. I told her very abruptly that I had to get off the phone right away and take a picture of a fox that was outside my house. She must have thought I was touched in the head. This is a new doctor so they don't know me yet. (When they do get to know me, they will KNOW I am touched in the head.) LOL

Ha, love the fox! We saw them a few times in our neighborhood in Denver. Once, one was doing exactly like in your photo ... just trotting down the sidewalk in broad daylight. The other times, we saw them near dusk or at night.

Bold little critters, aren't they, Ursula! I guess there is a lot of wildlife around, what with all the parks and green spaces in the Denver area, not to mention being so close to the mountains.

I hope you enjoy Magic Bites!

My mini-review: Enjoyable start to a new series for me. Kick-ass heroine and no sex in sight. Okay, I like sex in my books, but sometimes in urban fantasy it gets ridiculous. You can figure out who she's going to end up with, but there is no love at first sight here. Interesting world-building tops it off.

Thanks, Morphy! I'm okay with some sex scenes in books, but honestly! Today, too many novels are filled with them, and too many get in the way of the story. In fact, my sister just recently asked me when I became such a prude. It's not that, really. I just don't like it when, for example, someone is being chased by the monsters (or serial killer or black mage) and then stops to have a tender love scene with someone. Seriously?

I know, I just finished a book that will lose a star just because there were FAR TOO MANY sex scenes. There were six or seven of them. In one book! Now, when I read one of Laurell K. Hamilton books, I *expect* to reading fantasy porn. But I wasn't expecting it from this author. Thankfully each was only two or so pages long so I could skim. But sheesh.

I love them foxes! I am sure you will love the new Gaiman. It's a fantastic audio. He could read the phonebook...

Hello smoochling, nothing interesting to say.

Morphy ~ EXACTLY! When I read romances by most modern writers, or fantasies by, say, Nalini Singh, it's the same thing. I expect it (and usually skim), but even then, I find myself rolling my eyes and wishes we could just get on with the story already!

Yes, he could, Mark! Yes, he could.

Hey, Richard! You? Nothing interesting to say? I beg to differ. I mean, I think your calling me "smoochling" is pretty damn interesting. (I don't think I've ever been called that before.) *smooches back*

Hmmm, foxes. Pretty, yes, but I'm not a fan. Bad blood between us - when I was little, one killed my poor pet ducks. I was devastated!

>169 Storeetllr: Ha! The book I was talking about was by Nalini Singh.

Amber ~ That is so sad. I'd have been devastated too and would have feared and hated foxes to this day.

Morphy ~ Ha! Which of her series? The Guild Hunters or the Psi-Changling? I've read all of the Guild Hunter books but only one or two of the other. I consider both series to be soft porn urban fantasies. :)

***

Well, I was offline all day today. Had to get up early to get an ultrasound after a mammo last week disclosed "something." I didn't sleep well ~ nerves. It all turned out to be nothing but a very small cyst, but I was exhausted by the time I got home and crashed for the entire afternoon. Then when I woke up I started listening to Ocean at the End of the Lane and forgot all about getting online.

Some days I have to remind myself. over and over, "it's good to be a woman, it's good to be a woman."

PHEW! Good news and what a relief. It's good to be a woman... lol

Sorry for the worry but glad the outcome is good. Hope you have a chance to spoil yourself a bit today.

The latest Guild Hunter. Decent book but far too much sex. If it had been a part of the plot, that's one thing. But it was just tacked on here and there. I've only read two of the Psy-Changling books.

Yes, that's how I feel about it, too, Morph.

Thanks, Reba and Jenn! It was a relief!

Today is my niece Lisa's birthday, and for the occasion she and two of her sisters, her boyfriend, and I went shooting at an indoor range in Lakewood (my first time shooting in over 20 years!) (I did pretty well, considering, but they didn't put the targets out very far, so...), then later we're going to a dinner theater in Denver. In between, they are going to a place called Jump City and then bowling, and I am home wrapping her presents: a scarf I knitted for her and a gift card. ETA and playing online. *sigh*

Glad for the good news on the cyst, Mary. Cinnabar, The One O'clock Fox was one of my favorite books when I was a kid, so I've always had a soft spot for foxes.

>170 scaifea: Oh, how sad!

>172 Storeetllr: I had something similar several years ago. It was nerve wracking. Happy for the good news!

I never heard of that childrens' book, Roni. I'm going to look at it, see if it's still available for when my great-niece gets old enough for it. My favorite book when I was really little was a Little Golden Book ~ The Lively Little Rabbit. No foxes in it, but there was one very bad weasel. To this day, I have a fear of weasels lurking under my bed.

Thanks, Joanne. Yes, nerve-wracking does describe it very well.

Edited to fix touchstone.

One thing you should be aware of is that foxes can carry Rabies. Still, I'd rather have a fox in my yard than the raccoons who are wreaking havoc in my trash can at night. I tried putting a large rock on top, but the stinkers managed to roll it off...

Stopping in to catch up and to wish you a weekend full of fabulous, Mary!

Hi, fuzzy. I didn't know they could have rabies, but of course any wild creature can, I suppose. Oh, those raccoons are sly critters! We once had a whole family of them living in a storm drain (like the one in the picture below) on our street in suburban L.A. Nasty tempered little stinkers too.



Hi, Mamie! Thanks!

Foxes in your back garden are a nice reminder for me of growing up in the english countryside when they would be a quite regular spot.

We are far more concerned about avoiding cobras and pythons over here or persuading the monkeys not to spend too much time on our balcony.

Mary - have a wonderful weekend and it is great to see your thread so foxy this year.

Haha, Paul, I think I'll take foxes over cobras and pythons any day, although monkeys...

Thanks so much! You have a lovely weekend too.

Yeah, raccoons live in the storm drains all over the bay area, too. I used to always be amazed that they could squeeze into the openings because they seemed way too big to get in there. But they sure manage!

Hello Mary,

Just starring 'my thread a day'. I saw your name in Ambers thread and liked it, so your thread it is.

It is amazing, Ursula! There were four or five of them squeezed inside that storm drain, their little eyes glowing in the light of the car when I drove past. I had to stop, back up, and check it out ~ I wasn't sure exactly what I'd seen. When I did, they all climbed out and lumbered away, giving me evil looks as they went, as if I'd disturbed them.

Hi, Connie! Welcome to my thread. Thank you for visiting! There are so many really interesting threads here in the 75 group, I'm honored that you starred mine! I'll search for you so we can be LT buddies. :)

And you did find me. Glad you did.

8. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. 10 stars. Audio (read by the author). Okay, where do I begin? I guess I should first say that I am a huge Gaiman fan, though I do find that I enjoy some of his writings more than others. This is one of the best, on a par with The Graveyard Book and Neverwhere (all of which I listened to as audiobooks read by Neil himself, who, as Mark said earlier on this thread, could read a phone book and I'd listen). This is another of his books that rework mythology, featuring a small boy who meets the three Hempstock women grandmother (Old Mrs. Hempstock), mother (Ginnie) and granddaughter (Hettie), quintessential English countrywomen who can make a mean shepherd's pie and weave a spell with about the same sang froid) and gets entangled with a psychotic other-dimensional being that kind of looks like a tattered old circus tent, all pink and grey shreds flapping in the wind. I enjoyed the fantastical very much, but, for me, the best part of this short novel was its take on childhood, with all the "horrors and uncertainty of growing up. The monsters are the trappings of maturity: adult’s fixations with money, sex, and power, and the lies they tell, especially the most important one of all — that adults know and understand the world." (quote from "Excavating and Restitching Myth: On Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane" by Tess Malone)

Highly recommended.

10 of 10! Wow. My lukewarmness about the book is, in actual factual, the equivalent of your 10/10 because I dislike Gaiman's books so much as a rule.

Yeah, I thought of what you might say when I rated it so highly, Richard. I'd have given it a 9/10, but being read to by Gaiman is an automatic extra point. (Subjective, it's all subjective.)

Hi, Connie!

Raccoons are beastly to deal with in the city. I used to volunteer for the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife in Oregon. Anytime they had a raccoon that needed rescuing, they would call in someone with an old pickup truck. Even caged, raccoons were notorious for dismantling people's cars.

But they are always portrayed as such cute, cuddly little creatures in cartoons, Jenn!

So, I was playing online while drinking my morning coffee, and Nickel joined me. Here are a couple of pix I took.



Hey, Mom! Pay attention to me, not the stupid internet!



Nickel loves books, just not for reading. Maybe she's practicing for a job as a shredder.

the phone book is perfect for that! LOL

What are you looking at? It's what I do!

I love Nickel and i'm so glad he lives at your place!

I love those pics of Nickel, Mary. She's a beauty! Did she get her name because of her coloring?

Mmm...my cat has the same talent and inclination toward paper as Nickel does. AND just this morning she questioned the need for an electric machine to shred things when she's so very willing to take on the task herself.

Do you get phone books just for Nickel to shred?

Morning Mary! So glad you loved the latest Gaiman. He sure reads a great audio. Love the photos of Nickel. Hope you had a great weekend.

Hi, Connie, Julia, Linda, Morphy and Mark, and thanks from both me and Nickel, who just finished her breakfast and is enjoying the sun coming through the window by her perch. Right now she's going through her repertoire (she calls herself a "Show Bird" and makes the sounds of an owl, a dog, a yappy puppy, a cat, a werewolf (that one we taught her), a crow, a chicken, a duck; we're now teaching her to do a zombie: "Braaaaiiiins.")

I got Nickel when she was about 7 years old from a woman who could not keep her anymore. An employee of the Lily Sanctuary down in OC, California, a bird rescue place, knew I was looking to adopt an African Grey and set it up. So, her name was already Nickel, and she knew it, and though it wouldn't have been my choice for her name, it wouldn't have been fair to change it.

Whenever we get a new phone book, I give her the old one to shred. She enjoys it more than most of the very expensive toys she has in her cage.

I know cats like to shred cloth, Linda, but I have never known one fond of shredding paper. Maybe we can form a partnership, hire the two of them out to shred documents for people and companies.

Have a great Monday!

Oops, sorry, Jenn ~ I don't know how I missed you. Yes, Nickel loves phone books!

Love the pics of Nickel, Mary, including her helping you online. She sounds like quite a talented bird. Great idea to add zombie to her repertoire.

Heh, such a beauty! I just hope you've taught her to wait until she's given something to shred, instead of freelancing.

LOVE the photos of Nickel! Thanks so much for sharing! And I was so tickled to hear that you are teaching her the zombie lingo - good thinking!

Thanks, Joe! She's talented, yes, and smart. Sometimes too smart as when she immediately picks up things I say that I don't want her to repeat, at least in public. :) I have to tell her things like "Oh, you want to pluck like a chicken?" and "Oh, you want to quack like a duck?"

Oh, Richard, I wish! I don't dare leave her alone with a stack of books or a nice piece of wood furniture. She subscribes to the philosophy articulated by Rudy the Parrot:

You say it looks like a cherished 25-yr-old dresser. I say it looks like a tasty tree that I must shred. WHO IS TO SAY WHICH OF US IS RIGHT?

— Rudy the Parrot (@RudyTheParrot) March 12, 2009

Thanks, Mamie! Yeah, it's pretty funny to hear her do the zombie. We're also teaching her to say, "Twelve steps for you!" whenever we clink glasses and say, "Cheers." That's a hoot too!

Hi Mary! Nickel looks like a handy bird to have around. We are in the process of cleaning out some file cabinets and need a good paper shredder. Can I drop off a trunkful at your apartment on my next trip to CO?

I was a fan of the latest Gaiman book in print. I've never heard him speak but have heard on LT about his marvelous narrations.

That was good news about the cyst scare. I had to wait a month last year for my diagnostic mammogram after something (that turned out to be nothing) showed up in my yearly exam. I was not a happy camper.

Nickel is a beauty! And a handy shredder! And not to mention pretty smart, too.

My cat loves paper, especially window envelopes and anything crinkly (which is how she nearly killed herself last year chewing into a packet of Advil).

Hi Mary, I love the pictures of Nickel, she's a beauty. I have the audio version of The Ocean At the End of the Lane and I am really looking forward to hearing Neil Gaiman's voice.

We often have raccoon visitors and they have been know to strip our plum tree before we get a chance at the fruit. My husband read somewhere that they hate the smell of bleach and so tied bleach soaked rags to the tree. It worked in that they didn't get the fruit that year, but it infuriated them and they went on a rampage in the back yard and tore up the grass and striped the branches of a couple of bushes. So use at your own caution.

Donna ~ Haha, yes, she could come in handy for shredding old documents. If you like audiobooks, I believe you would really enjoy Gaiman reading his own books. Glad your mammo scare turned out well too! (I have Kaiser, which has improved by miles over what it was 20 years ago, though I have always made myself such a pain in the butt that they tended to get info to/appointments for me a lot faster than some.

Hi, Joanne! Nickel thanks you for your compliments. Yes, I've had to be very careful with what Nickel can get ahold of too. So glad your cat's Advil experience turned out okay.

Thanks, Judy! I think she is. She thinks so too. In fact, she tells me so quite frequently! "I'm so cute!" It's a hoot to hear her use the personal pronoun; I don't know how she figured it out, because I know I've never actually said, "I'm so cute" in her hearing or, for that matter, ever.

The more I hear about raccoons, the happier I am that we don't have them in this area (at least not that I've ever seen)!

Bleach deters raccoons? I might try...we've not had ONE fig from our tree for the last three years...they all get eaten while still green. :(

The Group Read for Frederica has been posted: http://www.librarything.com/topic/168682.