Tamara's (Leperdbunny) 75 in 2014 Chapter 1

Welcome to my 2014 Thread!



For a review of 2013 : 2013 THREAD HERE

5 * star - loved it, breathtaking, keeper, will re-read. Possibly life changing!
4.5 * star - very good, possible keeper
4 * star liked a lot
3.5 * star - very satisfying
3 * star a solid read, nothing extraordinary, worth 1 read
2.5 * star- failed potential but somewhat engaging
2 * star- A mixed bag not worth reading unless desperate
1.5 * star- It was a book
1 * star- Fail ! A bunch of words cobbled together




Read Books 2014:

1)The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman 4.5 Stars
2)The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood 3 Stars
3)O Pioneers! by Willa Cather 4 Stars
4)Love In the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez 3 Stars
5)The Color Purple by Alice Walker 4 Stars
6)In The Woods by Tana French 3.5 Stars
7) Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison 3 Stars
8)Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick



Currently Reading:



(audio)



Dream London and The Circle are being read with Mr. LB so those might be a while. :)

Coming up(no particular order):

Garden Spells Sarah Addison Allen
The Bat Jo Nesbo
Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury
Absalom! Absalom! William Faulkner
History of Love Nicole Krauss
Gargoyle Andrew Davidson
Somewhere in Time Richard Matheson

2014 Book (TENTATIVE) List:

1)Books off the Shelf/Shelf Discovery:

2) Bibliophilic/Books about Books:

• Something Rotten Jasper Ffjorde
• Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society
• Shadow of the Wind Carlos Ruiz Zafon
• The Angel’s Game Carlos Ruiz Zafon
• The Prisoner of Heaven Carlos Ruiz Zafon
• The Rose of Fire Carlos Ruiz Zafon
• The Club Dumas Arturo Perez-Reverte
• The Book Thief Marcus Zusak
• The Man Who Loved Books Too Much Allison Hoover Bartlett
• Jane Austen Book Club Karen Joy Fowler

3)Scandinavian Reading Challenge:

• Girl who Played with Fire Stieg Larsson
• Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest Stieg Larsson
• The Bat Jo Nesbo
• Cockroaches Jo Nesbo
• The Redbreast Jo Nesbo
• Mercy/Keeper of Lost Causes Jussi Adler-Olsen
• Out Stealing Horses Per Petterson
• The Ice Princess Camilla Lackberg
• Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell
• Jar City Arnaldur Indradason

4) YA/Teen /Children’s

• Clockwork Angel Cassandra Clare
• Catching Fire Suzanne Collins
• Legend Marie Lu
• Uglies Scott Westerfield
• A Great and Terrible Beauty Libba Bray
• Catcher In the Rye J.D. Salinger
• Hush Hush Becca Fitzpatrick
• Howl’s Moving Castle Diana Wynne Jones
• Un Lun Dun China Meiville
• The Selection Kiera Cass
• Divergent Veronica Roth
• The Giver Lois Lowry

5) Apocalyptic/Dystopian

• 1984 George Orwell
• Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury
• Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Phillip K. Dick
• Year of the Flood Margaret Atwood
• MaddAddam Margaret Atwood
• Handmaid’s Tale Margaret Atwood
• I am Legend Richard Matheson
• The Circle David Eggers
• The Windup Girl Paolo Bacigalupi
• Nexus Ramez Naam

6) Steampunk

• Infernal Devices K.W. Jeter
• The Alchemy of Stone Ekaterina Sedia
• The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer Neal Stephenson
• The Somnambulist by Johnathan Barnes
• Homunculus James Blaylock
• Time Machine H.G. Wells

7)Police Procedural/Detective Series

• Echo Man Richard Montanari
• Killing Room Richard Montanari
• In The Woods Tana French
• The Likeness Tana French
• Devil’s Peak Deon Meyer
• Cop Hater Ed McBain
• Still Life Louise Penny

8)1800s and 1900s Classics

• Erewhon Samuel Butler
• House of the Seven Gables Nathaniel Hawthorne
•

9) 1001 books You Must Read Before You Die

• Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
• The Hours Michael Cunningham
• The Reader Bernard Schlink
• The Floating Opera John Barth
• The Plague Albert Camus

10) New to me Authors:

• The History of Love Nicole Krauss
• Love in the Time of Cholera Gabriel Garcia Marquez
• Tigana Guy Gavriel Kay
• Olive Kitteridge Elizabeth Strout
• The View from Castle Rock Alice Munro

11) Fantasy & Witches, Vampires, and Werewolves etc oh my!:

• The Ocean at the End of the Lane Neil Gaiman
• The Historian Elizabeth Kostova
• The Witching Hour by Anne Rice
• Forever Odd Dean Koontz
• Prodigal Son Dean Koontz
• Gormenghast Mervyn Peake
• Neverwhere Neil Gaiman
• The Witches Roald Dahl
• Shiver Maggie Stiefvater
• Stardust Neil Gaiman
• The Color of Magic Terry Pratchett
• The Radleys Matt Haig
• Among Others Jo Walton

13) Books about Food & Magical Realism:

• Chocolat Joanne Harris
• The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake Aimee Bender
• How to Eat a Cupcake Meg Donohue
• The Probable Future Alice Hoffman
• Sugar Queen Sarah Addison Allen
• The Peach Keeper Sarah Addison Allen
• Garden Spells Sarah Addison Allen
• The Snow Child Eowyn Ivey
• The House of Spirits Isabel Allende
• The Night Circus Erin Morgenstern

14) Gothic/Southern Gothic

• A Reliable Wife Robert Goolrick
• Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte
• Rebecca Daphne Du Maurier
• The Little Stranger Sarah Waters
• Bellefleur Joyce Carol Oates
• The Monk Matthew Lewis
• Castle of Wolfenbach Eliza Parsons

15) Historical Fiction

• Bellman and Black Diane Setterfield
• Year of Wonders Geraldine Brooks
• House At Riverton Kate Morton
• Light Between Oceans M L Steadman
• Quicksilver Neal Stevenson
• King of Vagabonds Neal Stephenson
• Water for Elephants Sara Gruen
• People of the Book Geraldine Brooks
• Katherine, Called Birdy Karen Cushman (Re-read?)
• An Instance of Fingerpost Ian Pears
• Dream of Scipio Ian Pears
• The Serpent’s Tale Ariana Franklin
• Katherine Anya Seton
• Captain Corelli’s Mandolin Louis De Bernieres

Tis the Season Challenge:
January: Civil Rights, Black History, Martin Luther King Jr., New Beginnings, Self-Reflection

• The Color Purple Alice Walker
• Silver Linings Playbook Matthew Quick
• Song of Solomon Toni Morrison

February: Romance

March: Irish Lore/Literature

• 1916 Morgan Llewelyn
• Christine Falls Benjamin Black

April: WWII; Holocaust

• Briar Rose Jane Yolen
• Boy in the Striped Pyjamas John Boyne

May: Cinco De Mayo, Mexican American Fiction; Central and South American Fiction; WWI and WWII Historical Fiction

• The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Junot Diaz
• Daughter of Fortune Isabelle Allende
• Like Water for Chocolate Laura Esquivel

June: Summer; Vacation Destinations;Traveling;Humor

• Russian Debutante’s Handbook Gary Shteyngart
• One for The Money Janet Evanovich

July: Summer; Vacation Destinations;Traveling; Historical Fiction of American Independence; Colonial Fiction; French Literature

• Fever 1793 Laurie Halse Anderson
• Heretic’s Daughter Kathleen Kent
• Labyrinth Kate Mosse

August: Beach Reads, Chick Lit, Vacation

• A Hundred Summers Beatriz Williams
• The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club: True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life Laurie Notaro

September: Autumn; back to school

• A Wrinkle in Time Madeleine L’Engle
• James and the Giant Peach Roald Dahl

October: Horror; Science Fiction; Halloween

• Cell Stephen King
• We Have always Lived in the Castle Shirley Jackson

November: Thanksgiving

December: Christmas

American Authors Challenge:

January: Willa Cather- O Pioneers!
February: William Faulkner- Absalom,Absalom!
March: Cormac McCarthy- All the Pretty Horses
April: Toni Morrison- Beloved
May: Eudora Welty- Collected Stories
June: Kurt Vonnegut- Slaughterhouse Five
July: Mark Twain- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
August: Philip Roth- The Plot Against America
September: James Baldwin- Go Tell it on the Mountain
October: Edith Wharton- The Age of Innocence
November: John Updike- The Witches of Eastwick
December: Larry Watson- White Crosses

I hope I'm not too presumptious to jump in before you're ready for visitors, Tam.

Great to see you back. Look forward to your hi-energy posting in 2014.

My word I want a reading room like that one!

Hi Paul! You are more than welcome, dearie. :) Pull up a comfy chair and welcome!

I've got you starred, Tamara! We have a lot of books in common that we are hoping to get to this year. You also have a few of my absolute favorites listed up there like Chocolat, Garden Spells, The Redbreast, and In the Woods. Looking forward to sharing your 2014 reading journey.

>7 Crazymamie: Thank you Mamie! I'm looking forward to discussing books with ya. :)

You've got some great plans for 2014 reading there Tamara, and I can see that we've got some crossovers on the American Author Challenge. Starred your thread.

Hi Tamara!

Hi Tam- I am looking forward to following you around in your reading life! Yes, I am a Book Stalker. I hope you are enjoying NOS4A2.

Glad to see everyone posting their AAC lists. Grins, proudly...

I see you are reading The Maze Runner. I've always wanted to try that series. Are you liking it?

(Also, just from your introduction, I want to see your engagement ring! Congrats!)

Oooh that library! YUUUMMM!

Happy 2014 reading! If the planned reads all get done, you get an EXTRA extra book on your Thingaversary. It's the rules.

Welcome back! Nice book porn...

>9 SandDune: Thank you, Rhian! I'll be looking forward to your thread as well.

>10 wilkiec: Hi Diana!

>11 msf59: Marky-Mark! Yes, I am prepared, I already have some of my books lined up for AAC from the Liberrrry.

>12 RosyLibrarian: So far the story is engaging for sure! I am very interested to see where the second book leads. I shall be sure to get a picture posted here soon. :)

>13 richardderus: Muahhhh, Richard. I'd like to think so. :)

>15 leperdbunny: Hi Jim, thank you!

Well, I am off to meet for lunch with a friend so I will be catching up later. :)

Hi, Tam!

Hi, Tamara ~ Bookmarking your thread, though I'll probably just visit occasionally and lurk, but your booklist looks very interresting. Happy New Year!

Tam, I'm happy to see you've got 1916 listed for your Irish month. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. And Happy New Year!

Wow, that is quite the tentative book list you've planned out! I look forward to reading your thoughts on a lot of them.

Oh my! Such planning! Such organization!

I've read a number of those ones so I'm looking forward to hearing what you think of them... so here's a *STAR* for you!

NOS4A2 by Joe Hill

To be honest, I wasn't sure what I was expecting. Never read any Joe Hill and very little Stephen King. I thought it was very well written and pretty scary but for some reason I was thinking it would be like terrifying. I guess I have high scare threshold? My favorite character was Lou Carmody. Why? Because he had a way of talking that reminded us of a character Hurley Reyes from Lost. Practically every time he was talking he just made me smile. :) We actually listened to it, and I felt that Kate Mulgrew did a fantastic job. I can't picture who would play Vic McQueen. I don't know if anyone else does this but I sometimes picture actors I think they would cast. Very creepy to read this right before Christmas. 3.5/5

>16 jnwelch: Hi Joe!!! Welcome. :)

>17 Storeetllr: Hi Mary. Feel free to lurk or delurk to your hearts desire. Happy New Year!

>18 rosalita: Hi Julia! Yep, I'm definitely excited about that book.

>19 Cait86: Hi Cait. Yes, it is quite the list- My goal would be to try to hit at *least* 5 from each category. Some have less than 5 so I would be reading more from other categories unless I find something later on that fits.

>20 dk_phoenix: Hi Faith. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts, too.

Forgot to post about my trip to Oklahoma for Christmas!

First Christmas in a new house of my parents. Lovely house and tree was very pretty. We had friends check on our cats and took the dogs. My mother had this idea in her head that big puppy Java had to be crated at night. I told her I wasn't sure how that would work considering she is very spoiled and wants to sleep with us at night. She does have a crate but she only goes in there to eat and for short periods of time. First night we were there we put her up and she cried and cried and cried. LOUDLY. So, she was let into the bed with us after about 10 minutes. Shows you humans trying to tell a puppy what to do. *Snerks*

I got a lot of lovely jammies this year and one of my favorite gifts was a snuggie-like long robe that has a zip up front. It is a lovely deep purple-y/navy shade. Makes me feel like a wizard. :P

I did bring quite a few books to read but my mom is pretty hard to read around. (Even though she is a book reader herself). My parents watch a lot of t.v. but my dad usually retires to his office to read to escape the noise. Didn't get much reading done but like I said we did listen to NOS4A2 to and from, so that was nice.

I really wish we could have stayed longer just because there were people I really would have liked to have visited with. Maybe next year.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Very interesting premise. I am going to continue the series if nothing else for what the last 40 or so pages revealed. The language was simple and the Lord of the Flies type atmosphere was interesting, too. 3.5/5

I am loving Ocean at the End of the Lane. It is beautiful and dreamy.

Hi, Tamy.

Well, it's almost that time again! Here's wishing you a very Happy New Year, Tam!

.

Hi Tam!

Hi Cindy!

Thank you, Mary! You too!

A very big wave to you, Kath! Glad to see you around these parts!

Hi Tamara! I'm dropping off my star and hoping to get to know you and your reading a bit in 2014.
Happy New Year to you!!

I starred you for 2014 Tamara, since we seem to have some tastes in common and I'm already growing my WL just from your lists above!

There was a young lady some called Tam,
Who got the 2013 75ers out of a jam
She returned to the fold
Before that year got too old
She's back again and so glad I am.

This year you are here from the get-go and I am sure it will be fun.

Have a wonderful 2014, my dear.

>30 EBT1002: Ellen, thank you! I hope you have a wonderful New Year filled with fun and adventure. ;)

>31 UnrulySun: Hi Kathy! I always love new friends. Pull up a comfy chair!

>32 PaulCranswick: A poem. . .for me??!!?? Thank you, Paul. I hope this year will be good for all of us!

That is one heck of a room! I want it!

Happy New Year, Tam! Paul's right - great to have you from the first second in 2014.

A very happy New Year wish to one of my newest LT friends, Tam!

Tam I love your reading list for 2014! We have some shared reads this year. I love your Scandi category. Get to that Department Q as soon as you can. I'm a huge fan of Carl and the gang.

Happy New Year. I hope 2014 is wonderful to you and I look forward to getting to know you.

Roberta

>34 scvlad:, You and me both, Steven!

>35 jnwelch: Thank you, Joe!

>36 rosalita: Thank you, Julia, Happy New Year!

>37 luvamystery65: Thanks, Roberta. I am rather excited about that category. The Scandinavians know how to do their murder/mystery/thrillers. Happy New Year! Thank you for stopping by!

Wow. You got a poem. That is pretty special. :-)

Ellen - I do dispense them from time to time. RD, Megan, Ilana, Peggy and several more have been the dubious recipients in the past but since it is dashed straight from brain to keyboard to thread to post to person I never keep a copy or write them down. The written down stuff may get aired one fine day.

*Drive-by smooches*

Hi Tamara. I am new round these parts, but really like the look of many of the books you plan to read - Dystopias and Steampunky things are always a hit with me! I'm really intrigued about the Food AND magical realism category! Is that a thing? If so, how come I've never heard about it before? Two of my favourite things combined into one, it's got to be a winner!

>24 leperdbunny:: I found that the rest of the series just got better and better. It was those final 40 pages or so in The Maze Runner that pulled me into wanting to read more too!

>39 EBT1002:/40 I know Ellen?!? Isn't Paul a sweetie!

>41 Ape: *waves*

>42 HanGerg: I don't know why, but a lot of magical realism I have read involves food. Yep, mine too! Welcome to my thread, Hannah. :)

>43 dk_phoenix: Oh, that's good news, Faith. I's excited!

glitter-graphics.com

>45 Whisper1: Thank you dear!

Pray for me guys, I think I have to brave the snow and the cold. I am *dreading* it. Ugh.

Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman



What a beautiful story. I can't put my finger on it, but I think it was the Gaiman magic and coming of age beauty. I also found a beautiful quote in the story:

"A flash of resentment. It's hard enough being alive, trying to survive in the world and find your place in it, to do the things you need to do to get by, without wondering if the thing you just did, whatever it was, was worth someone having...if not died, then having given up her life. It wasn't fair. "Life's not fair," said Ginnie, as if I had spoken aloud. "

It is definitely a short read, so be prepared to finish it in an afternoon or stop and savor it as needed. :)
4.5 Stars

Yep, that was a good 'un, Tam! I love the quote you pulled out.

Yay! I loved that one. Glad you had a good time with it, Tam.

>48 rosalita:/49 Yep, I was excited!

It is supposed to be -4 F tonight and snow totals around 5 inches. Glad I have a warm house, fluffy warm blankets & some portable heaters (dogs/cats), hot tea, and a book to read.



Do you ever get strange reactions from people when you talk about book stuff a la geeking out? I was telling a friend of mine about NOS4A2 in audio format and how Joe Hill had an epilogue/mini pod cast about sort of his inspiration and random stuff about the process of writing the book. Her response "Sounds nap inducing." This coming from a supposed book reader. . . Kind of irritating, actually. Something about that comment bothers me and I don't know how to articulate why it irritates me.

47: That book really knocked me out for a week. I kept thinking about it. It was sort of magical and eerie at the same time.

Glad you enjoyed Gaiman's latest. And that you are warm and toasty!

Goodness. I was studiously avoiding The Ocean at the End of the Lane for some unspecified/biased reasons of my own. Now you and Caro have both sung its praises so convincingly. I think I will resist purchasing, however, and put it on hold at the library.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, Tamara!

Hi Tam- It looks like I haven't been by in a few days. What the heck happened? I guess I have my bad side. I am so glad you loved the Gaiman. He's a treasure. He did a great job on the audio too!
Are you reading Year of the Flood? If so, very cool.

>52 RosyLibrarian: Yeah Marie, me too. I can definitely see myself re-reading it.

>53 michigantrumpet: Me too, Marianne! Hope you are staying toasty as well!

>54 EBT1002: Ellen, it is a dreamy read, but short I am sad to say. Thank you, I hope you have a great one as well.

>55 msf59: Yes Mark, I am through the first 100 pages of Year of the Flood, it is very enjoyable and very strange. Not sure where the story is going as of yet.

Oy vey I am tired, I don't know if I can keep my eyes open much longer.

Ooooh I can't wait for my copy of The Ocean at the End of the Lane to arrive on Monday... :D

Ocean at the End of the Lane was one of my favorites last year :) I loved it, too!

The book Maximum City looks great in the photo but the drink looks better still. Have a great weekend Tam and I do hope you are able to stay warm and dry. xx

>57 dk_phoenix: I hope you enjoy it. :)

>58 mckait:, It was such a fun read, Kath.

Omg, last night. . We went to dinner and this family . .Two youngish children (maybe 6 & 7) and two very young children like 2 &3. The younger two kept alternately crying at the top of their lungs and it was a very crowded restaurant. At one point as soon as the family got their table one child cried for literally like 30 minutes straight. It was getting to me. All the tables around that area seemed to be getting visibly upset as well along with us, so I know it wasn't just me. Normally I am pretty patient with that stuff. All the children seemed visibly irritated from the beginning, as if they hadn't had naps.It was one of those "wait for 45 min for a table" type places. I know parents want a nice night out and I know how hard it is to be a parent, but I just didn't think the parents were being very responsible and definitely not courteous to other customers. Waiting for 45 min for a table when you are little, tired, and hungry is just a recipe for disaster. Bah!

This is why, like dogs, children should be banned from public places, unless they are specifically "child friendly" with signs warning the rest of us to stay away. ;)

I agree though, it must be terribly difficult having kids and going out, I don't envy them at all.

>61 Ape: lol, yep don't envy them at all. Grant and I already made a pact years ago to have a plan in place if our future children are being disruptive (unless the place is specifically for children).

Oy! Crying babies in restaurants (or any enclosed place) is so off-putting! I used to take my kid outside if she acted up in a restaurant, church, store. Even now, when we go out to eat with my niece and her baby, if she (the baby, not the mom) starts to fuss, one of us (usually me, because I eat fastest) takes her outside and walks around until she settles down.

ETA so excited to be almost up for a library hold of Ocean at the End of the Lane on audio, read by Gaiman!

Interestingly enough, I was just at the movies and the people behind me brought a baby. Yes, a baby. To the movies. Fortunately the distraction was minimal.

I should note that I don't have any problem with children themselves, and, like dogs, can actually find them quite delightful. Just not in public, is all. :P

>59 PaulCranswick: You have a good eye, sir!

>63 Storeetllr: Bless you! The parents didn't seem to understand this concept at all. The mom was the only one who was doing anything and the dad could have cared less. Oooh! You'll have to let me know how it goes.

>64 Ape: Our theater in Oklahoma had crying rooms wherein you could still see the movie. I wish all theaters had that!

Okay, as a mother of four, can I just say that the children were not at fault there. The parents were not parenting. Children have to be taught how to behave in public. And you are so on the money when you point out that taking tired and irritable children to a restaurant with a long wait time is just asking for trouble. I LOVE children, but I never understand why parents don't get that choosing to have children means that sometimes you have to give up having other stuff that you might want - like dinner out in a crowded popular eating establishment. It boggles the mind.

*steps down off soapbox*

Tam, I really liked Ocean at the End of the Lane, too. It made my top ten from last year!

>66 Crazymamie: I agree wholeheartedly! Parents are required to be the adults in the situation.

I pulled a muscle somehow at some point today. Oy vey! We had to go to three different stores today to get everything we needed. The weather had our usual store cleaned out.

That's just exactly it, Tam. Parents have to...um...parent.

Sorry about the pulled muscle - that's no good. SO are you home now safe and sound, and you don't have to go out anymore?

>68 Crazymamie: Safe and sound at home, Grant is making chicken and dumplings, and we will ride out the weather tomorrow. I also made a stop at the library so I don't run out of stuff to read. As if that is really a problem. LOL

Oh, good. Chicken and dumplings sounds good - I love comfort food! Glad you can just sit back and relax now.

Sorry to hear about the pulled muscle! :(

Chicken and dumplings... *Drools*

>70 Crazymamie: Thanks, unless Grant has a movie he wants to watch, looks like it will be books and LT tonight ;)

>71 Ape: I know, I have no idea what I did! You are welcome to come over any time. ;)

It is the Martha Stewart recipe, and surprisingly easy. :)

I would totally come over if you didn't have to live so far away. Sheesh. :P

Blech-- I work in a restaurant and I can tell you I've seen my fair share of that, Tamara. It does not engender fuzzy feelings from anyone. Don't get me started! :p

I'll be needing a bowl of those dumplings to make me feel better. Hope Grant made plenty.

Chiming in on the children in public bit: I have total Bad Child Acting Up in Public fear (although I have to say that Charlie is an amazingly well-behaved child, so the fear is essentially wasted on me), so we just don't do 'nice' restaurants or movie theaters and the like and haven't for 5 years (Charlie's 5). Absolutely agree with Mamie that when you chose to have a child, you should realize that certain things that you used to do just can't be done at least for a couple of years. The excellent things that come with being a parent totally outweigh the loss of those few outings. One the one occasion that we had to go to a 'fancy' restaurant (because Tomm's family insisted that we come, with Charlie, who was 2 at the time), naturally Charlie was tired and cranky and started crying. Tomm immediately got up, picked up Charlie and went to the car - we had worked out a system before entering the restaurant that if that happened, one of us would go to the car while the other quickly ate, at which point the latter would go to the car and relieve the former to go enjoy his/her meal. Worked out just fine - by the time I got to the car, Charlie was asleep in his car seat.
We're now starting to venture out with him to select places, because, as I said, he is a great kid and now that he's 5 he's even more reliably so. Plus, I have my mother's "Oh you're so getting it when we get home!" look down pat, and he's old enough to realize what it means if he gets that look in public. Ha!

>73 Ape: Lol

>74 UnrulySun: Kathy, we have plenty. :)



>75 scaifea: Yeah, I don't understand why they didn't have a system like that.

I agree with Mamie on the parenting bit of course. Those that have watched the video I put up on my thread will realise the parents are normally the ones to be blamed!
In all honesty my kids, from being very young, have always behaved impeccably out of doors - in restaurants, the cinema, etc. In this instance they are a reflection of the mother who they know would not tolerate any funny stuff. The other factor is that every week we will go to different restaurants to eat as a family (at least 2 or 3 times) and probably 20-30 times a year go to the cinema so it is quite a normal environment for the kids. I would add that the restaurants and cinema here will be more affordable perhaps than in Europe of North America but it is exposure to such things that make the kids normal.

In my LT meet-ups apart from myself two of my meet-ups brought kids. In CChurch we met Lenny with Megan and he was delightful even though with a headcold. In KL I met Rhian and Alan and their son, J. J is similar in age to my elder two and I have to say they all behaved at least as well as the adults.

I agree Paul-- frequent exposure is the way to go. Kids need hands-on practice!

>77 PaulCranswick:/78 yep, definitely.

Just to chime in on the kids-in-restaurants thing, there's a big difference in my tolerance level for little bitty kids who are tired and cranky, and older kids who are flat-out misbehaving. Of course, the parents should be proactive in both cases, but I can handle even a screaming baby much better than I can a 6-year-old kid kicking the back of my booth seat for 45 minutes straight with absolutely no reaction from his mother and father!

Chiming in regarding children and adults behaving badly. Will and I are attached to two hearing impaired girls, one four, the other six.

Gradually we are noticing that six year old wants to steal the show and manipulate. It was her sister's bd party and Ashlee decided she was going to have hurt feelings because some child laughed (not at her) but she insisted this was the case. Stomping throughout the house, long face, she demanded an apology from all children. One little guy turned himself inside out stating he was sorry if her feelings were hurt, but he did not mean to do that. She refused to accept apologies. Still acting out, it was time for her little sister's birthday cake. Whereupon four year old is waiting to blow out the candles, all adults round the table and smattering of children and no Ashlee. She is still upset and refusing to come downstairs. And rather than ignore bad behavior, heck at that point I might have even resorted to a small swat on the behind....the parents went upstairs to try to negotiate, at which point in time, I shook my head in disbelief.

I would have closed the bedroom door and let Ms. Ashlee be alone. If she didn't want to attend the function, let all other children ignore her and focus on Kayla ... It was Kayla's day, not Ashlee's.

When I overheard Ashlee tell a child that he needed to be rude to someone else and then she would feel better, I couldn't be quiet. I simply told her that as long as she acted this way she would not be allowed in our house. We would not tolerate her nastiness.

And, while we miss the previous Ashlee, the monster who has taken over, needs parenting.

I'm old fashioned. Parents do NOT negotiate and be held hostage. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Last week when the parents asked a fishing type of question regarding Kayla's birthday, I told them exactly what I observed. Too old for dancing around, they wanted an answer and I told them what I thought.

Increasingly I observe kids out of control and parents not using good judgment. I agree...Do NOT bring them to any place when they are tired and others are paying money for a night out. I am worried that this generation is creating bad, bad situations down the line.

Ok, I'm getting off the soap box now.

I think I have a slightly different view to eating out in restaurants with children. I had a very low tolerance for my son upsetting other diners and would always have taken him outside if he fussed but I would have also fought tooth and nail for our right as a family to eat out in places other than 'family friendly' (aka places where food is awful) restaurants. When we were on holiday in France when my son was two we had this down to a fine art: a really long walk in the morning to get him tired and hungry so that he would sit down quietly and eat for quite a long time. We managed a four course lunch on this basis once. Of course it helped that J was always very food focused, but quite often it seems to me that the children who misbehave in restaurants do so because it is an unusual event for them and also because they aren't used to sitting down at the dining table for a family meal at home.

>66 Crazymamie: / 60 What Mamie said. Absolutely. In that and many other situations, you simply have to make different choices.

I once was out to lunch with my sister, and we sat in a glass enclosed porch with a lovely view. The next table? A pregnant mom and two kids ages 4-6? Those kids sat on the ledge behind my chair banging on the window for about 15 minutes, screamed and ran.. RAN around the place. IT was designed so that you could make a complete circle. They ran it a few dozen times.. threw food on the floor... etc. They language they uses to their mom was.. interesting. When we left, after having had our own ( and surely other patrons ) lunch ruined...I stopped and told the mom that she certainly had beautiful children, and that they were clearly very clever. She preened, until I added ... too bad you don't have a clue about parenting.. I wish the new one luck...

Over the top? Maybe so. But when you have a chance to go out to a nice place once in a blue moon, and it is spoiled by spoiled brats... well I was angry. I took my 4 many places, family places, off hours and yet.., they all knew how to behave. They knew that loud voices, singing and running around was not acceptable at any dinner table, not at home not out.

Sadly... although my nephlet does ( as far as I know ) stay at the table when they are out, his behavior at home does not bode well. He never just sits and eats.. it is a huge game of how many times can I get out of my chair ( a lot when his gram is there to help) and he sings and shouts and tantrums and ... whew! It makes me very sad. He is a smart boy who has been allowed, perhaps encouraged, to get out of control, by being so very spoiled. I am sincerely afraid that he is going to be booted from his fancy private kindergarten next year.

I love chicken and dumplings, too!

Kath

I know you love the neplet's. So sorry that you are observing some not so great behavior. I'm sure it is difficult for you.

>80 rosalita: so true!

>81 Whisper1: Wow, I am so with you on that, I would have just sent Ashlee to her room and be done with it.

>82 SandDune: I agree with you though. I mean you had a plan in place to make the best of dining out. I feel like this family didn't make any attempt to do anything.

>83 mckait:/84 Running gets to me, too. I mean, it is annoying and hurts my ears for a kid to be screaming but running creates a hazard for everyone. If a child trips someone else and injury occurs. . that's not good at all. Many times the restaurant can be held liable. I do not hesitate to ask children to walk and not run. We were at Wendy's yesterday when this was happening- not only that but since it was snowy there was lots of water on the floor and one child was running. Ugh.
Poor Nephew, I hope they get a clue.

It takes strength to deal with some high-strung children ~ I know, having been single parent to a drama queen who threw tantrums often from age 1 to around 5 ~ but to allow that sort of behavior to occur without disciplining them is a huge disservice to them and to society. BTW, my daughter has channeled her propensity for drama and now works as an actress in musical theater on the East Coast.

>86 Storeetllr: Good for channeling. :D

Not getting much reading done today. Had a migraine that just won't go away fully. Took a nap and medicine and still here. Blah!

Migraines! Ugh! Hope it goes away soon!

Okay, so I now have full blown body aches, I think my body is trying to fight off something. I tried to lay down for a couple hours and I couldn't fall asleep. Also was nauseated. Mr. gave me some cold medicine and it helped. Ugh, I am so miserable. I hate complaining but body aches make me feel so bad.

Oh, Tam, I'm so sorry you're sick. There certainly seems to be some nasty stuff going around these days. Take care of yourself, and I hope you feel better very soon.

88/90 Thank you, ladies. :)

Tamara, back up to #51...I know what stuck in my craw about what your friend said: It's dismissive. When someone says a similar type of thing to me, I wonder, "why'm I bothering to tell you anything at all if your response is to be snortingly uninterested? Clearly I found something interesting here, so your lack of interest feels personal."

Nothing new to add to the restaurant convo, and I didn't like The Ocean at the End of the Lane very much at all. Like all Gaiman I've read, nice writing and no ending.

I wish more people felt like that, Richard! I'm snortingly uninterested in just about everything anyone ever tries to tell me but that still doesn't seem to keep them from talking. *Grumbles*

I'm sorry you aren't feeling well, Tammers! *Hugs* I hope you start feeling better soon.

>92 richardderus:, agreed. That hits the nail on the head.

>93 Ape: HA! Thanks for the well wishes. :)

No crazy body aches this morning but still had headache above my left eye when I woke up. Got around to doing stuff and felt hot and sweaty in a sick way like I was going to throw up so I had to sit down. I guess I still need to take it easy.

Hello there Tam -- Seems between us, we have a theme going re: parenting. Thanks for posting on my thread. On my end, we were talking about colleges and helicopter parents, culminating in a a young lawyer's father actually calling a hiring partner to negotaite salary on his son's behalf. Not the impression the young man should want to make!

Kids' meltdowns in public are unavoidable. Everyone should recognize this and understand. The parents' response is where it gets interesting.

You posted an interesting question on my thread about whether it is a generational vs. class construct.

Any conclusions?

Hiya! No idea, actually. It seems to me that this generation of parents has the extreme parenting, either helicopters or complete disinterest. . but who knows? That could be observational bias.

Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood

This story takes place concurrently with the first story but from the perspective of two females, Ren and Toby. They are both members of a cult-like religious sect called The Gardeners. The Gardeners main religious tenet is that there will be a "floodless flood" in which they believe all human life will be destroyed except for a few, much like The Ark and Noah. The Gardeners believe in the God-like Spirit in all creatures and thus, they eat a vegetarian diet and treat all creatures with respect. The story was interesting, although, I was interested to see what would happen to Jimmy from the first book but the ending of this book basically met up with the ending of the last book. Alas, hopefully the third book will? The third book is named MaddAddam so I think it might be from the perspective of one of the members of the militant environmental group, MaddAddam, but we'll have to see. I am sympathetic to The Gardeners and I can truly see how our society could be heading into this dystopian future in the next 50 or so years, which is scary. Atwood creates a very plausible society. Enjoyable read. 3/5 stars

Nice review of "Year of the Flood, Tam. All I'll say about MaddAddam is that Jimmy plays a pretty big part. :-)

I'm so looking forward to MaddAddam! My library has it but it's still in the New Releases section, which only allows for 7-day checkouts, so I'll wait until it gets put with the rest of the books before checking it out.

> 98/99 I am excited about the third book, too!

Nice review! I loved the MaddAddam trilogy. They are some of my favorite books. MaddAddam really brings the whole thing together.

>101 RosyLibrarian: Good to hear, Marie. I want Ren and Jimmy to get back together.

Nice review, Tam. I just read Oryx and Crake last year for Atwood April, so I am planning to do Year of the Flood this year.

>103 Crazymamie: Ooh, I hope you enjoy!

Hi Tam- It looks like we will be putting the Polar Vortex behind us for awhile. Good riddance. Glad you liked Year of the Flood and I hope you like MaddAddam even better.

102: I won't spoil anything, but it is interesting how these two very messed up people find each other again.

>105 msf59: Thanks and yes, polar vortex can hit the curb. :P

>106 RosyLibrarian: So excited! And yes, I think they are very messed up.

O Pioneers by Willa Cather



Beautiful, just beautiful. I ended up enjoying this way more than I thought I would. Apparently there is a 90s movie version of this with Jessica Lange, which I had no idea. In my mind I was picturing sort of dramatic, 40s black and white version. Anyways, I think I'll ask Grant if we can find it on dvd or rent it. 4/5 stars

Hi Tamara! Just dropping in and saying Hi! I have seen plenty of brattish behaviour in my role as a sometime primary school teacher/teaching assistant etc. In every case, pretty much without exception, you need look no further than the parenting strategies of the parents if you want to get to the root of the child's behaviour. Generational or class is an interesting question. I think parenting is harder these days in some ways - people live in more isolated communities - away from their wider family and sometimes friends too, so there is not always an on hand store of knowledge or support, plus kids' attention spans are much shorter these days, with the constant multiple distractions of TV, internet and all the rest. What I see a lot these days, and I'm really not that comfortable with, is parents that take kids out with them, but just stick them in front of an iPad or similar to watch a cartoon/play a game to keep them occupied. Ok, so no howling/ running child at the restaurant, but a child that now thinks their entertainment can come from outside of interacting with the family. Having said that, when I used to have to endure the boring (for my young self) ritual of a drink at a cafe before dinner on family holidays, I always used to take along a book to read...

Have a wonderful weekend, Tamara!

>110 HanGerg: Hiya Hannah! Yeah, I agree for sure. As someone with concentration issues, it makes me wonder if the multiple distractions make things worse. For long car rides (14 hrs) I can kind of understand dvd players etc. But I see more and more dvd players/tv in vehicles for small children which is crazy.

>111 wilkiec: Thank you Diana!

I think I may have repulled that same muscle I was having trouble with a few days back. It feels like I threw out my back. icky!

Hope everyone is having a lovely start to the weekend. :)

Happy Friday, Tam! I'm glad you had such a good time with O Pioneers. Me, too.

Happy Friday, Joe!

Oh I am sooooo so so so upset right now it is not even funny. I've been going stir crazy at home, I haven't left the house since Sunday. . .I texted Mr. LB to tell him he should come home a little early if he wants because I could use the company. He texts back that I should venture out and I'm thinking how? But, to humor him I get ready to venture out. Mr. plowed the driveway but not the side part where you guessed it, my car is parked. We have a one car garage and condition on us buying the house was that Mr. would keep my car cleaned off so I could come and go and he could have the garage. I'm upset because I tried to clear off the car as best as I could, with no scraper tool (it magically disappeared), then since the snow is KNEE high or more around my car, there isn't any way I can get the car out without it being plowed. Believe me. I tried to tell him this earlier in the week and this is why I haven't ventured out because I knew this wouldn't work. So so so upset. I'm trying to calm down because I don't want to throttle him as soon as he comes home.

I'm sorry to hear that, Tam! The snow can definitely be a nuisance when there is that much of it! Try not to throttle him though, won't you? You won't be able to post on LT from prison. :(

>116 Ape: I am happy to report I did not throttle him. I was very nice, I just needed about an hour to calm down. He was very fortunate not to have come home when this first happened. ;P

I am very much enjoying Love In The Time of Cholera but I think I am reading it really slowly.

Hope your back is soon mended Tam.

Love in the Time of Cholera has been on my "to do" list for ages so it is interesting to see you savouring it.

Have a lovely weekend. xx

Morning Tam- Sorry to hear about you being snowbound. How frustrating. I am glad you didn't throttle Mr. LB. We would miss you while you were away.
I hope you enjoy the Marquez. I read and loved it earlier last year and it was my first Marquez.

>118 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul. It seems to be doing better today. I will be volunteering next week at the animal shelter, so I hope it is better soon.

>119 msf59: Me, too. He's useful for a lot of household stuff to keep around. ;P It is beautiful. The way he talks about characters and events it is like gently rolling waves or something. He's talking about about a character and 10 pages have gone by.

I am curious as to everyone's thoughts on whether they consider themselves introverted or extroverted especially in "real life". I was just wondering if it is average for both groups or if there is more of one type than the other.

I am definitely introverted.

All caught up here - so sorry to read about your back pain. A pilled muscle is no fun and then to re-pull it. YIKES! It always seems like it takes muscles in the back forever to heal. And also sorry to hear about your driveway woes - so thankful that I don't have to deal with snow and ice anymore. Hoping that you escape the house soon.

I read Love in the Time of Cholera last year, and I liked it but did not love it. The writing was beautiful and lyrical, but I just didn't love the story. I would like to try something else by him, but NOT One Hundred Years of Solitude. I made it halfway through that one before setting it aside. Have you read anything else by him?

Mamie, I haven't read anything else by him, so I have nothing to compare it to. Hopefully I will hit one more book of his this year. What was the problem with One Hundred Years of Solitude?

I was trained to be an extrovert because my parents felt that being a good host was a high calling, akin to priesthood. BY nature I'm a solitary hermit-like curmudgeon.

Well, I love magical realism, so it wasn't that. It just moved so slowly and it was confusing with so many names being the same through the generations. And the paragraphs that went on for pages. Just not my cuppa, although the writing was so beautiful in places - in others it was just too much. I tried it in my pre-LT days, but I am not interested in trying it again at this point. Maybe somewhere down the road...

>124 richardderus: You have an interesting mix of socialite and curmudgeon, indeed.

>125 Crazymamie: I find myself stopping and looking up references that Marquez makes to Spanish and Hispanic culture, so it is a challenging read in that respect. I just dropped by Darryl's (kidzdoc) page and he was talking about a book he was reading with Spanish culture/history. I think it definitely helps to have a good understanding of Spanish history and culture. I was just telling Mr. LB that I feel like I am going really slow because it is just sooo dense. In one page of reading there is just so much to absorb.

I am very much an introvert among people I don't know, to the point of probably seeming arrogant or aloof. Heaven help you once I get to know you, though! I can be quite extroverted with individuals or in small groups of people I know well.

>127 rosalita:, aww, that's good though, Julia. :) That is quite how Mr. LB is with people he develops friendships with. They are often shocked at how social he can become.

Another introvert here (stop laughing it is true). I have forced myself over the years to be more outgoing and now basically do all my companies' business development myself. I am happiest in my reading room with my books and my music.

>129 PaulCranswick: *taps lie detector machine and skims paper readout* hmmmm. . . I guess you are telling the truth.

I would put myself somewhere between an introvert and extrovert with more leanings towards introvert. My parents are both introverts but I would say my mom can have extrovert leanings at times. Mr. LB is definitely an introvert. I think if I weren't with Mr. LB I would be more extroverted just because I'd simply be forced to socialize more.

Hi Tamara!

I'm raising a skeptical eyebrow at Paul... but I suppose that's the magic of the innerwebs: we can all be more or less social than we are IRL.

I'd say I'm a lot like Julia said above-- introverted to the extreme around strangers (in fact I avoid most social events on purpose and I'm very much a hermity homebody) but once I've gotten to know someone it's much better. I am FAR more outgoing online than in person. Even when I meet an online friend IRL, one that online I'd be all chatty and chipper with... in person it's all awkward silences and sweaty palms and rumbling intestines. So as you can see, I don't do well face to face! lol

Paul, you and I are very much alike. As a child I was painfully shy. I walked the earth feeling like a throbbing toothache.

Interesting that now as an adult, I tend to operate as I did when a child, by listening and paying attention to body language and trusting my intuition. I've learned that when my gut feels that there is something incongruent between what is said and what my intuition is noting, I'll go with my intuition!

Professionally, I have to force myself to be extroverted. I need to speak in the context of a large number of students and also present at conferences. The rule of thumb is to be over prepared.

Most would think of me as extroverted, but like you, a book and quiet is my solace. I hate being in the presence of large noisy groups of people. And, increasingly, as I grow older, the list of those with whom I enjoy their company is getting smaller and smaller. Loud mouth know it all people make me cringe.

------------------

Tamara, there are quite a number of people in this group who suffer from wicked migraines, and I am one of them. As you may know, they run their course. Usually, I can tell when one is in the making. Have you seen a neurologist? There are some wonderful meds that help.

I hope you feel better. And, kudos to you for keeping emotion in check regarding your car buried under so much snow and the comments about getting out....
You deserve a lot of credit. I fear I would have yelped quite a bit.

I am, like many others here, it seems, an introvert in groups of people and more outgoing one-on-one or amongst friends. With one exception: put me in front of a classroom and all shyness goes right out the window. It's the only time that I don't absolutely hate being in the spotlight (and in fact love it). Otherwise, well, *shudder*. I was miserable at our wedding, being the center of attention like that. Yuck.

Charlie seems to be the same - very quiet and reserved in a group, especially of new people or adults - but opens right up once he gets to know them. He's a bit more extreme than me, though (and I think, in fact he takes after Tomm in this), in that he starts to get visibly troubled, uncomfortable and sad in big crowds. I'm glad that Tomm is like-minded with me in this area; we absolutely do not push him to be more social in those situations (or in any situations) and try to teach him that it's perfectly okay to be reserved and a bit shy. I don't like it when people try to force shy children to be more outgoing. It's unnatural and even cruel.

I think I am somewhere in the middle of being an intro/extrovert. I still have my shy moments but if you get me in the right company, I won't shut up. And start talking books, Oh Lord!

>131 UnrulySun: Hi Kathy! I wonder if we are all a little better online just because you have time to think about what you want to say.

>132 Whisper1: Hi Linda. . timing was everything, if Mr. had come home right when it happened I think he would have gotten an earful. But, it was Friday and I didn't want to jump all over him on Friday afternoon since his stress level was low as it was the beginning of the weekend. Re Migraines, there are so many things I'd like to go to the doctor for but I'm unemployed and we are broke. I just put in for medicaid to see if I am eligible, but I'm hoping I'll find a job soon anyway. I also need to go for my yearly check up for lady stuff and I'd like to get my teeth cleaned and well, the list goes on. I hate the healthcare situation in this country. Ugh. Grant used to have a script as well for it but I don't know if it expired or what. (not that I would use his).

>133 scaifea: Amber, that actually reminds me of Mr. LB. He has toyed with the idea of being a teacher and seems quite comfy with being in front of a group like that. Sometimes I get weird in crowds when my anxiety level goes up I get anxious and feel I need to go home, but it is vague in that I usually don't know why.

>134 msf59: Hehe, I know that all too well. You were just the belle of the ball when we visited.

Yesterday we went to a movie theater we've never been to before and I must say I was not impressed. They had a wonderful digital menu and lots of treats so I thought I would get a flavored pretzel. . oh wait they didn't actually have any anymore and weren't carrying pretzels anymore. Then we went to our theater and it was teeth chattering cold. I think the air conditioner shorted and was running full blast and everyone in the theater was bundling up in their coats. (Seriously, it was running as if it was dead heat of summer.) We went to complain and they said they were aware. . why couldn't they have told that to us up front? Bah! I know service people have it hard so I try not to be a pill, but come on.

I am curious as to everyone's thoughts on whether they consider themselves introverted or extroverted especially in "real life".

Interesting question. According to the Briggs-Myers testing our office went through last year, I am classified as an introvert,but I take those kinds of tests with a grain of salt they deserve. Compared to strong extroverts, I would consider myself to be an introvert but I love communicating in the online world and have no problem engaging in in-person conversations with total strangers or people around me, but I do like my personal space and time. That is really important to me, and I don't mind long stretches of silence and solitary work. In group settings, I tend to spend more time observing the behaviors of others than being an active participant but this may be due more to my psychology background and my fascination with group dynamics than any blatant introversion on my part, so I like to think I am on the cusp - sometimes introverted and other times extroverted - in nature.

>136 lkernagh: Interesting, Lori. My mom has a sociology background and my dad a psychology background which is why I find this stuff fascinating. Sounds like we're a lot alike. I'm finding a lot of people who think of themselves as inbetweenies which is good because I used to think I was weird because I didn't fit neatly in one category or the other.

Extrovert checking in to say, with enthusiasm, "hey y'all!!"

Still, need my alone time.

Skeptical of Paul's claim to introversion, but generally a believer in people knowing themselves best.

Seem to have eschewed pronouns for this post. Must be getting on toward bedtime.

Just a stop in to say hello, and to keep you on my radar.
Hope all is well :)

Extroverted introvert coming through with a drive-by wave!!! :)

I'm the kind of introvert who gets horrible social anxiety and would really just prefer to hide under a table with a blanket most of the time (like most people here, it seems!). If I can stay at home and send El Husbando out, even for something like mailing a letter ("I'd have to talk to someone?! I can't do it!!!"). And it's just getting worse as I get older. However, my genetics have given me a "showbiz" personality (along with everyone on my father's side), which means as long as we're in "performance mode" we seem outrageously extroverted! Public speaking, performances, teaching, etc., are no problem. But put us in a room full of strangers without a purpose or defined role for being there, and we just want to crawl until a chair and disappear. It takes me a lot of "alone time" to recover from interactions with most extroverts!

why couldn't they have told that to us up front? Bah! I know service people have it hard so I try not to be a pill, but come on.

Because then you wouldn't have given them any money! ;)

Sorry your moviegoing experience was a bummer. Was the movie good anyway?

Ellen, you must need to get to bed young lady. ;P

Hi Kath!! Pop in any old time. :)

Aww, Faith, that is a strange problem to have indeed. I feel ya on the needing to get out and talk to someone and then it makes you anxious.

Kathy, it was good. We saw "Her" with Joaquin Phoenix. Strange ending though.

This introvert/extrovert question is fascinating. Like a lot of responders, I'm a weird mix of both. I can be terrible in social situations; parties can be a particular trial. I made a real fool of myself recently, when I saw someone at a wedding that I was sure I knew, although I couldn't remember where from, but because I was in slight "social defensive" mood, I didn't go and say hello. Later it emerged that I used to teach her and her mother English. Granted, it was about ten years ago, but I must have looked like such a sociopath. (and not in high functioning, Sherlock way.)
On the other hand, get me into a classroom scenario, as teacher or student, and I become the most terrible show off, and you can't shut me up. I actually have to give myself a talking to and tell myself I should let other people talk.
Generally, I'm OK with friends but not great with strangers. But then, if a stranger strikes up a conversation with me, I'll always chat happily, for a few minutes at least. Then I normally want to get back to my book ; )

A full fledged, card carryin', dyed in the wool extrovert checking in for duty! Not one of my 'real life' friends or family would cuntenance for a second any claims for shyness. I tried once, and was met with hoots of laughter...

A completely social animal. I would posit it is impressive I manage to get any reading done -- We're always out and about.

I'm with Ellen -- I do value some alone time. There are some extroverts who are afraid to be be alone. Not me. By myself, with a large group of people, a few friends ... It's all good.

I'm an introvert definitely. I get along OK socially as long as I know the rules, so professionally or in a 1:1 social situation or a small defined group I'm fine. Where I have problems is where I'm confronted with large groups and I'm expected to mingle.

Yes! "Knowing the rules". That's definitely what it is! I'm more nervous when I'm in social interactions when it's up to me how much I engage. Not very much is my usual solution to that conundrum!

>143 HanGerg: LOL Hannah

>144 michigantrumpet: Same here, either out and about or Mr. wants to watch a show . .

>145 SandDune:/146 Rhian Yeah, I understand how that is.

Checking in and a review!

Love In the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

I had mixed feelings about this novel. I loved the love story that spanned a lifetime. Loved all the imagery and magical realism. I also loved all of the cultural references to the Hispanic/Spanish/Caribbean culture. I was not thrilled with Fermina Daza's character and didn't really feel like I got a good sense of why she initially rejected Florentino. It is a classic love triangle story, though. Also, there is something that happens later on in the book that I was grossed out about but perhaps it was a cultural issue so I'll leave it be. The middle-ish part of the book dragged because I wasn't sure where the story was going and As I said earlier, it is a VERY dense read, so be forewarned.

3/5 stars

I had to go to the Employment office today to go to a job fair. . I think that I did well so I hope to have a real interview soon. I had to wait for 4 hours, so I am SO glad I brought my next book The Color Purple which has grabbed my attention. I would love to finish it tonight or perhaps tomorrow.

I see the introvert/extrovert is still pounding along at this great resort and there is skepticism as to my claims of shyness.

Well I have met Caro, Megan, Prue, Rhian and Alan and John from the group and, though they may say otherwise, I don't think I was exactly stuck for words. There is a difference though in that these are all people I was desperately keen to meet and who I know have at least some shared interests so it's easy. Before my first meet-up with Caro I was worried as to whether we would have anything in common or whether our time would be filled with awkward silences. I can say with a little confidence (as we have met up on several subsequent occasions) that we got along like old friends and the time whizzed by.

At work I am necessarily vocal since I couldn't run a few companies in silence.

Still a bit shy and certainly soft-spoken but comfortable with friends.

Tam love your thread. Have a great weekend.

Paul, I have found that with book readers there is always things to talk about since we love to learn/experience life. :) I'm sure you have loads of interesting things to chat about. :)

Definitely a problem:

That does sound horrifying! Fortunately I am so buried in books that I generally don't have to worry about that...much...

Abibliophobia -- what a wonderful and completely useful word! I'm definitely borrowing this!

Morning, Tam! I liked your review of Love in the Time of Cholera. I read that one last year, and while I rated it a bit higher (mainly for the lovely writing), I agree with everything you said. And I am SO with you on the part of the book that grossed you out - know exactly what you are referring to. Have you read anything else by him? I would like to give him another try, but have been hesitant to dip my toes in the water. As I mentioned before, One Hundred Years of Solitude was a miss for me, so not that.

Hoping that your weekend is full of fabulous!

>152 Ape: I am used to a slight panicked feeling even though I know deep down I have plenty to read. Hah!

>153 michigantrumpet: Borrow away! :)

>154 Crazymamie: Nope, haven't tried anything else but I will be looking forward to trying another. *waves*

Best of luck with the 'real' interviews that I hope will be pouring in soon!

Thanks, Amber!

Ha! Yes! Except replace the coffee with tea. :)

I am fine when in a position of being not me, as in at work or even when speaking in public on a subject where I am knowledgable. At those times, I am not really me, you see? But a gathering of people I know is hard, and a gathering of those I know with some that I don't is nearly impossible. I like being alone with my furkids most of the time. I guess that makes me an introvert!

>158 leperdbunny: Love tea, too!

>160 mckait: I love being with my furkids too just because pets seem to be much more understanding and kind. :)

Hi Tamara, hope your week ahead is a good one filled with exciting reads!

>162 richardderus: Thank you, Richard. You too!

Review time!

The Color Purple by Alice Walker



The author wastes no time in the first pages of the book slamming the reader with the horrors that the main character is subject to. Celie is very much abused at the hands of her father sexually and mentally (and physically). It continues with her husband (whom she is forced to marry). The book takes the epistolary style in which she recalls what is happening in her life to God and then to her sister. This dialogue and story continues and switches between her and her sister writing back and forth.Her sister took a different path but talks about her days as a missionary in Africa. This speaks to the horrors of civilized society commits on native 3rd world peoples. I was very surprised at the frankness of the sexuality, feminism, and even LGBT themes in the book even though I had assumed it was just about race equality ( but definitely refreshing!). I forget sometimes as a woman how far we've come in less than 100 year to not be subject to daily beatings for just being a woman. There are positive female role models in the story who do very much object to the misogyny and racism even though they are fraught with their own perils. A thoroughly enjoyable read. A lot of themes to pack in one book but Walker does a good job.

4/5 Stars

Hi Tam- I am also a big fan of The Color Purple. I read it way back in the mid-80s before the film came out. The film is not quite as edgy but still a terrific movie, with a fine cast.
So, you think you can make the Chicago Meet-Up in April?

That's encouraging to hear from you and Mark, Tam. The Color Purple is coming up for me in a couple of months in the AAC. I'd seen the movie which, as Mark says, is very good, but thought I should read the book. Glad to hear it was a thoroughly enjoyable read for you.

So glad that you liked The Color Purple - that is one of my favorites! I read it first as a library book, but I loved it so much that I bought my own copy.

Hope that Monday is being kind to you!

>166 msf59: Mark, yes I loved it. Yes, I think I can make it barring any unforeseen circumstances. What date in April are we thinking?

>167 jnwelch: I hope you love it, Joe. Celie is definitely a character I related to.

>168 Crazymamie: Thank you, Miss Mamie! I hope you are having a wonderful start to the week. :)

Saturday April 19th. Probably around 2ish! Let's make a date.

>170 msf59: Mark, sounds good! Did we want to meet somewhere or are we doing a get together at your lovely abode? You'll have to PM me your address again.

LOVING Tana French's In The Woods:

I never think about those years and cannot remember them with any clarity. I made no friends; to me my detachment from the whole process felt involuntary and inevitable, like the side effect of a sedative drug, but the other cops read it as deliberate superciliousness, a studied sneer at their solid rural backgrounds and solid rural ambitions. Possibly it was. I recently found a diary entry from college in which I described my classmates as "a herd of mouth-breathing fucktard yokels who wade around in a miasma of cliché so thick you can practically smell the bacon and cabbage and cow shite and altar candles."

I laughed out loud.

Also, Happy Martin Luther King Day everybody!

I'm so glad you enjoyed The Color Purple, Tamara. It has been eons since I read it but it's one I frequently think would be worth a re-read.

Also, I am in the "I should read something by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and I never "get around to" taking it on. Your review hasn't shifted that inclination. Whew.

#172: That is hilarious! Now I have that song (blast from the past) in my head. :-)

>173 EBT1002: Glad I could make you smile! ;P

I've recommitted myself to learning Swedish. I checked out my favorite Swedish language book again. :)

Word of the day: hälsosam adj. meaning healthy

What we all need! I hear a lot of people are getting sick with the flu and icky nasties. Ugh!

Morning, Tam! I really loved In the Woods when I read it last year. I need to get back to that series. LOVE that quote you chose!

>176 Crazymamie: There are SOO many quotes I just love in this book. It is totally redonk. *waves*

Brrrr. I am not mentally ready for all this cold AGAIN. Sitting here with In The Woods and a hot mug of earl grey. Blanket, check. Cuddle companion, check. :)

Yay, I found you! :) Sorry I'm so behind. Btw, I'm glad you liked The Ocean at the End of the Lane. I'm still trying to finish it, but I've been a little busy lately. Soon, though, soon! :)

*waves* Hi Sarah! I hope you'll like The Ocean.

I've still never read The Color Purple! Must remedy that soonish...

*Love* the Rick Astley bit - *snork!*

Hi Tamara,
Good luck with the Swedish!

Amber, I bet you would love it! Me, too! Made me laugh.

Ellen, hiya! And thank you!

. . And a mini review!

In The Woods by Tana French



Very good murder mystery. . was wondering if Ms. French might pick up on the main character's storyline in another book. . I'd like to know what happenned! I was very, very impressed with Ms. French eloquence with language. I hope she has a long career ahead of her. I will be continuing with the series.
3.5 stars

With Ken Bruen, Benjamin Black (John Banville in disguise) and Colin Bateman, Ireland, the land of my fathers is well served by crime writers - I can see that Tana French is a great addition to that bunch.

Have a wonderful weekend, Tam.

Morning Tam- I am glad you enjoyed In the Woods. I love this series and have read the first 4. Each one has a different feel and a different cast of characters, although Cassie is the main focus in the 2nd book.

Tam, I liked In the Woods also and was hoping we'd get more of Rob in the next book but it isn't meant to be. I hope knowing that in advance will temper your expectations so you aren't like me. I was so disappointed in that fact it took me a while to warm up to The Likeness, which is a fine book on its own merits, just not what I was hoping for.

>183 PaulCranswick:, yep I agree!

>184 msf59: Hiya Mark! Nice to know Cassie will still be around. .although Sam seems like a good guy, so know I feel badly for him, if it will end badly that is.

>185 rosalita: No Rob? I thought he would be the main character of the books. . 0_o

Oh my. When it rains, it pours. I was so proud of myself today getting all the mopping done and put up a bunch of junk away out of the kitchen. Mr. LB got home and had him take off his shoes because everything was freshly mopped. Girls (dogs) wanted to go out, so out they went. . Came back in and smelled like poop. . Sugar had an upset stomach and she's long haired. Before we realized what happenned she was trying to wipe her hiney all over my kitchen floor. Mad dash to the bathroom to bath her and had to of course bleach the bathtub. Then had to go all over the kitchen again with Lysol wipes. I imagine this is what it will be like to have kids when they are little. LOL

It is, Tam. Good thing they're worth it.

Ha! I love the picture, Tam, even as I sympathize with the trouble they caused. They do look a little bit sorry, so I suppose that's some consolation, eh?

What adorable faces on your puppies! I bet it's hard to be mad at them for longer than a few seconds...

#187: Problematic, yes, but adorable, too. :-)

>188 jnwelch: I bet Joe. I can't wait to have kids! Doesn't help that my biological clock is going crazy.

>189 rosalita: LOL, yep, a little sorry. :P

>190 Dianekeenoy: Actually Diane, this is a picture I found on the internet that made me laugh. I will post some pictures again of my pups soon. The funny thing is, I love Dachshunds and I want one for my next furbaby. Maybe someday. :P

>191 EBT1002: Yes adorable is right!

Hello Tam! Have been 'off-the-grid' for a while and slowly making my way back onto the threads. Things are moving along nicely here! Loving your reviews. I remember reading The Color Purple years ago and liking it. I also enjoyed the movie but recall thinking it was not as searing or mystical as the book.

Hah! Cute pic. You with your dogs, me with my parrot. Poop everywhere. Guess you might as well get used to it (poop, other kinds of messes, less than perfect house) for when you have a baby, though they are so worth it!

>193 michigantrumpet: Marianne, oh good to know. I am backed up on my books made into movies queue. Hopefully I'll get to that soon.

>194 Storeetllr: Mary, I've come to this conclusion that it is definitely worth it for the fun pets and babies give. :D I'll just keep a steady supply of Lysol/Clorox wipes around. Also, as much as I love carpet, it is not worth it. Hardwood floors for the win!

Oh, I love wood floors. Even now that I'm living in Colorado, I prefer them to carpets. I mean, area rugs over wood are so lovely!

I'm also a fan of hardwood floors. Love them. For reasons of pets and just eye candy.

>196 Storeetllr: Yes, floor rugs are great, especially in winter.

>197 EBT1002: Yep, eye candy for sure!

And a mini review . .

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison



Well written and some interesting/beautiful characters. I can see why it was considered Magical Realism although not as strongly as I've read in other works/authors. However, the main story line of Milkman wasn't that interesting or compelling in my opinion, and Milkman isn't a terribly like-able character (which I believe the author made him selfish and immature on purpose which drives his self discovery and the story). I did find Pilate's story line much more compelling. Morrison does do a good job at relating the story of an African American family in dealing with becoming ex slaves especially dealing with abundant racism among themselves and from white people. As with The Color Purple there is a connection drawn between racism and the oppression suffered from black women being doubly burdened by their circumstances. It wasn't terribly long, and Toni Morrison seems like a good author, so I think I'm going to take a peek at her other works at some point.

3/5 Stars

*phew* Dodged a few book bullets there. Hope you have a lovely day!

Morning Tam! Good review of "Song". I read and loved it many years ago. I am looking forward to revisiting her, for AAC. Hope you are keeping snug in the Midwest.

Tam you are reading some really good books. I read In the Woods and The Likeness last year. I was mixed on the first. I liked the story but Rob really got on my nerves and I can't believe the police department wouldn't know who he really was with basic finger printing around for a long time. I really liked Cassie in the first book and for me, her story did not disappoint at all. The third book is about someone else entirely who I was not a fan of but I'm told you get to see his back story.

I have three dogs. Some days I feel like this

>201 luvamystery65: Haha, substitute "bird" for "dogs," and that's exactly how it is at my house. In fact, I'm sure my one little (relatively) parrot is more than a match in the messy department than your three dogs! :)

I haven't read French yet and don't really plan to, though you never know. Morrison is one of those authors I've always meant to read but haven't gotten around to. Maybe I'll join Mark and read her for AAC this year.

Ha! I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but laugh at you dog story! So been there, many times, with both dog and child. Sigh.

>199 dk_phoenix: Faith, yeah, good thing!

>200 msf59: Mark, top o' the morning to ya. Yep, snug and warm INSIDE. I think the dogs and I are going a little stir crazy though.

>201 luvamystery65: Yeah, it makes me wonder why they hadn't caught on. *snork* Totally love that.

>202 Storeetllr: Yeah, I seriously have been warming up to birds lately but I do hear they are very messy. The fact that they are much like toddlers mentally doesn't help any. Cereal bath anyone? :P

>203 scaifea: Yes, that was why I thought it was so funny afterward. Can't help but be amused otherwise you'll just go crazy.

*gleeful chortle* at dog story

Thanks, RD. I live to tell funny stories. :P

I hate anxiety, bah humbug! I can't get rid of it, today.

#198> I have a whole bunch of Toni Morrison books that I got years ago from one of those book-of-the-month clubs. I need to choose one for Mark's American Author Challenge; maybe it will be Song of Solomon?

Julia, It is definitely an easy read, but I haven't read anything else by her but I would think you would enjoy it if you like magical realism.

Good to get your thoughts on Song of Solomon, Tam. I thought Beloved was very good, and want to read more of hers.

>210 jnwelch: Thanks Joe!

>201 luvamystery65: or cats and yes!

Oh heck ya! My cat thinks any surface is deserving of his presence regardless of status of other items on said surface. Result is many broken items and changed television stations.