Chatterbox reads -- and reads, and reads, and reads: Chapter 4

Alfred Lichtenstein was a German poet who wrote the following on the outbreak of war in early August, 1914.

Leaving for the Front

Before I die I must just find this rhyme.
Be quiet my friends, and do not waste my time.

We're marching off in company with death.
I only wish my girl would hold her breath.

There's nothing wrong with me. I'm glad to leave.
Now mother's crying too. There's no reprieve.

And now look how the sun's begun to set.
A nice mass-grave is all that I shall get.

Once more the good old sunset's glowing red.
In thirteen days I'll probably be dead.

In fact, it was seven weeks. Lichtenstein was killed in late September 1914. Perhaps the poem isn't great, but the irony and the horror of the subtext...

From The Penguin Book of First World War Poetry

The beginning of a new month, and the beginning of my second batch of 75 books, which clearly calls for a new thread!

February was a much more productive reading month; have no idea why! Alas, the caliber of the books, on average, isn't what I'd like it to be. I'm trying more new-to-me authors, and they aren't always working out.

Here's what I'm shooting for in aggregate. Ambitious, but wotthehell...




I usually keep tabs on my books one by one as I read them, and probably will finish five separate batches of 75 books over the course of the year. When I wrap 'em up, I'll post a mini-review or other comments here. I'll also post comments on the essays that I read for the categories challenge, but these will NOT be included in the total # of books read (unless I complete an entire book of essays.)

Anyone curious about the essays can follow that thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/161117




I'd like to keep re-reads to about 25% of my total reading, and the target for non-fiction is about the same. So roughly 50% of the books I read this year should be "new to me" books, whether by authors I've never read before or old favorites. I'll mark all re-reads with an asterisk (*), and note whether a book is fiction or non-fiction, and also whether it's an audiobook.

A guide to my highly subjective ratings system. Don't treat it as gospel or anything more than my opinion. I'm not trying to second guess the rest of the world, just chronicle my own experience with a book. With fiction, I value strong and compelling characters, a convincing plot (that doesn't have to move at the speed of light) and what, for want of a better phrase, I can only characterize as unpretentious writing. By which I mean, I have a strong and ever-growing aversion to authors whose primary goal seems to be to demonstrate how clever they are, rather than to write a great and convincing story. Clear and elegant prose trumps convoluted and overly structured Big Themes and Ideas every time.

Genres? Well, I'm an avid mystery fan; I read a reasonable quantity of chick lit, and have taken some baby steps into fantasy, mostly via dystopian lit. I also read a reasonable amount of "classics" and literary fiction, although I tend to take a wary view of the "insta-classic": the novel by a previously unknown writer who is suddenly hailed as the next Salinger/Kafka/Bellow/Thomas Mann/Tolstoy/whoever. The publishing industry has a strong incentive to promote this kind of stuff; I've got an equally strong instinct telling me that about 75% of this stuff will be merely OK reading and only some of it will survive to earn the title of classic in 50 years' time. In the world of non-fiction, I look for a strong narrative arc and a clear, coherent voice and thesis -- and readability, above all. I tend to shun polemical stuff -- there's enough of that flying about elsewhere. I'm somewhat reconsidering my aversion to memoirs, although not the "I had a tough and horrible life event/disease/abuse situation, and I'm writing about it now because memoirs make money" sub-genre, which I loathe with a growing passion. The grief memoir is a prime example of this. At the other end of the spectrum are books about books, history tomes and books that make me look at the world in new ways and via a different prism.

The Ratings!
1.5 or less: A tree gave its life so that this book could be printed and distributed?
1.5 to 2.7: Are you really prepared to give up hours of your life for this?? I wouldn't recommend doing so...
2.8 to 3.3: Do you need something to fill in some time waiting to see the dentist? Either reasonably good within a ho-hum genre (chick lit or thrillers), something that's OK to read when you've nothing else with you, or that you'll find adequate to pass the time and forget later on.
3.4 to 3.8: Want to know what a thumping good read is like, or a book that has a fascinating premise, but doesn't quite deliver? This is where you'll find 'em.
3.9 to 4.4: So, you want a hearty endorsement? These books have what it takes to make me happy I read them.
4.5 to 5: The books that I wish I hadn't read yet, so I could experience the joy of discovering them again for the first time. Sometimes disquieting, sometimes sentimental faves, sometimes dramatic -- they are a highly personal/subjective collection!

The Books! (Being the Second Chapter of Suzanne's 2014 Reading Adventures...)




1. Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch, (4.2) STARTED 2/20/14, FINISHED 2/28/14 (fiction) (audiobook)
2. The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club by Gil McNeil (3.6), READ 2/28/14 (fiction)
3. Needles and Pearls by Gil McNeil (3.4), READ 3/1/14 (fiction)
4. The Wicked Day by Mary Stewart (4.3), STARTED 3/1/14, FINISHED 3/2/14 (fiction)
5. Double Down by Mark Halperin & John Heileman (3.8), STARTED 3/1/14, FINISHED 3/5/14 (non-fiction)
6. Mistress by James Patterson (3), STARTED 2/24/14, FINISHED 3/5/14 (fiction)
7. Dragnet Nation by Julia Ungwin (4.4), STARTED 3/4/14, FINISHED 3/6/14 (non-fiction)
8. *Blood Money by Thomas Perry (3.9), STARTED 3/5/14, FINISHED 3/6/14 (fiction)
9. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley (3.75), STARTED 3/6/14, FINISHED 3/7/14 (fiction)
10. A Spy Among Friends by Ben Macintyre (5), STARTED 3/7/14, FINISHED 3/8/14 (non-fiction)
11. A King's Ransom by Sharon Kay Penman (3.8), STARTED 3/6/14, FINISHED 3/9/14 (fiction)
12. Death of an Elgin Marble by David Dickinson (3.9) STARTED 3/9/14, FINISHED 3/10/14 (fiction)
13. Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty (4.3), STARTED 3/9/14, FINISHED 3/10/14 (fiction)
14. Fear Nothing by Lisa Gardner (3.35) STARTED 3/11/14, FINISHED 3/14/14 (fiction)
15. Still Life with Bread Crumbs by Anna Quindlen (4.2), STARTED 3/14/14, FINISHED 3/15/14 (fiction)
16. The Ides of April by Lindsey Davis (3.4), STARTED 3/10/14, FINISHED 3/15/14 (fiction)
17. Black Out by John Lawton (4.1), STARTED 3/6/14, FINISHED 3/16/14 (fiction)
18. Natchez Burning by Greg Iles (3.6), STARTED 3/14/14, FINISHED 3/18/14 (fiction)
19. The Scribe by Antonio Garrido (2) STARTED 3/13/14, FINISHED 3/18/14 (fiction)
20. Dead Man's Land by Robert Ryan (4.3), STARTED 3/17/14, FINISHED 3/18/14 (fiction)
21. Oathbreaker by Martin Jensen (3.35), STARTED 3/14/14, FINISHED 3/19/14 (fiction)

Some other goals & objectives:

I'm setting myself some sub-challenges here: to read or re-read 20 books with a theme that revolves around World War I, its causes or its aftermath. These can be any kind of fiction or non-fiction. I'm also going to try to read 20 books published by Europa Editions. These are starting to pile up on my TBR mountain and it's a shame as they often are very good and a way to discover new to me writers.

Herewith, the tickers and the place I'll log these in addition to the "main" list. I'll list the books I intend/hope/plan to read, and check 'em off as they are completed. Subject to change!!!

World War I: The Great War, its Causes & Its Aftermath




1. The Beauty and the Sorrow by Peter Englund
2. The Final Whistle by Stephen Cooper FINISHED 1/30/14, 3.8 stars
3. The Cartographer of No Man's Land by P.S. Duffy
4. The Archduke's Assassination by Greg King
5. The Unending Vigil by Philip Longworth
6. The Ways of the World by Robert Goddard FINISHED 1/26/14, 3.75 stars
7. *The Great War and Modern Memory by Paul Fussell
8. *The Missing of the Somme by Geoff Dyer
9. Vimy by Pierre Berton
10. Roses of No Man's Land by Lyn Macdonald
11. Death's Men by Denis Winter
12. Undertones of War by Edmund Blunden
13. Sites of Memory, Sites of Mourning by Jay Winter
14. Peacemakers by Margaret MacMillan
15. *Night Shall Overtake Us by Kate Saunders FINISHED 1/30/14 3.7 stars,
16. The Wars by Timothy Findley
17. The First Casualty by Ben Elton
18. The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West
19. *Regeneration by Pat Barker
20. Rising Above the Ruins in France by Corinna Haven Putnam
21. At Break of Day by Elizabeth Speller
22. Singled Out by Virginia Nicholson
23. Dead Man's Land by Robert Ryan FINISHED 3/18/14 4.35 stars
24. Fallen Soldiers by George Mosse
25. Stella Bain by Anita Shreve
26. The Happy Foreigner by Enid Bagnold
27. The Absolutist by John Boyne
28. Wake by Anna Hope
29. The Forbidden Zone by Mary Borden
30. Gossip From the Forest by Thomas Keneally FINISHED 1/31/14, 4.5 stars
31. Empires of the Dead by David Crane
32. 1914: A Novel by Jean Echenoz FINISHED 1/29/14, 4 stars
33. War Horse by Michael Morpurgo, READ 2/10/14, 3.4 stars
34. Dark Invasion: 1915: Germany's Secret War Against America by Howard Blum, FINISHED 2/11/14 4.5 stars

Europa Editions: Old Friends & New Discoveries




1. The Man in the Wooden Hat by Jane Gardam READ 1/4/14, 4.2 stars
2. Last Friends by Jane Gardam FINISHED 1/20/14 3.8 stars
3. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
4. The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante
5. Zeroville by Steve Erickson
6. Lazarus is Dead by Richard Beard
7. The Have-Nots by Katharina Hacker
8. The Dream Maker by Jean-Christophe Rufin
9. Bound in Venice by Alessandro Marzo Magno
10. Summertime All the Cats Are Bored by Philippe Georget
11. Garlic, Mint and Sweet Basil by Jean-Claude Izzo READ 1/7/14, 3.85 stars
12. Bone China by Roma Tearne
13. The Thursday Night Men by Tonino Benacquista
14. Dispute Over a Very Italian Piglet by Amara Lakhous
15. Last Train to Paris by Michele Zackheim
16. Cecilia by Linda Ferri
17. The Frost on His Shoulders by Lorenzo Mediano
18. Heliopolis by James Scudamore
19. The Nun by Simonetta Agnello
20. Twelve Who Don't Agree by Valery Panyushkin

And another place saved, just in case...

Reposting the final book of the first 75 and the first of the second 75 here!

Final book of the first 75:

75. Crooked House by Agatha Christie is a non-Poirot, non-Marple tome by this author, and thus falls into the category of my preferred kind of Christie books. (I had it when the lead detectives quirks are so exaggerated and so limited, and there's no change or evolution in the character; not at all surprised that Christie grew to hate her protagonist, or at least be very sick of him.) Charles returns from WW2 hoping to marry the woman he met in Cairo and loves -- but her elderly grandfather has been murdered. Cue an improbable set of circumstances: Charles's father is high up at Scotland Yard, so he can discover things quickly that the police can't. It has to be one of the family -- but who? Everyone has a motive, but everyone also seems to not have done it, or to Charles, too sympathetic to have done it. The whodunnit is a great little twist, however, and boosted this to 3.65 stars; there are a few pages at the end, in lieu of the standard drawing room confrontation, that are utterly chilling.

... and first book of the next 75:

76. Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch is the delightful fourth installment of this series of supernatural police detectives running around London. I simply ADORE the audiobook version, as Kobna Holbrook-Smith transforms adequate prose into a real and distinctive voice. It may be the only case where the narrator is almost as good as a movie, and he does a great job of picking up the various London accents and tones, too. The plot? Oh well, it's rather goofy, and you have to have read the three previous books. Peter Grant is a trainee wizard under the supervision of DCI Nightingale, who doesn't look anything LIKE his real age and is the product of a highly unusual form of public school. Their main adversary -- almost like Sherlock Holmes and his nemesis -- is the Faceless Man, who has uncanny and illicit magical powers and has done dreadful things. They're chasing the wizards he trained in hopes of getting their mitts on him, and stumble across a plot that involves monumental residential architecture (think giant tower blocks of flats), wood nymphs and, of course, the spirits of the Thames and his/her tributaries. Really, you have to read this series. Or better yet, listen to it. It's a delight. Finished it last night, but wanted it to be the first in my new series of 75 books -- just because it's that entertaining. 4.25 stars.

I think Crooked House is one of the few Christies I haven't read. I'll guess I'll get to it before too long since I'm in the midst of a long-term project to read all of her works in publication order. I've reached the early 1940s.

>5 Chatterbox: Happy New Thread Suz! That poem may not be the greatest but it certainly expresses the situation of the soldiers well.

Re: Rivers of London, goofy is right, and I agree about the audio being like a movie experience. Holbrook-Smith is very convincing. For some reason, the whole Mamma and Pappa Thames thing bugs me, not sure why. The faceless man wasn't in the first book was he? I mean, I don't remember him being there, but did he have a cameo or a walk-on part?

eta: just wanted to tell you I wrote a long reply to the message you left on my now 'old' thread a couple of days ago: http://www.librarything.com/topic/168638

>6 cbl_tn: Wow, that discipline! I don't think I could read them in order... I have found that a little bit of structure and a lot of flexibility is the best combination for my reading.

>7 Smiler69: Tks, Ilana -- I haven't been thread-visiting all that much for the last two weeks as I have been fighting my way out of my own little black pit of late February doldrums. I think the Faceless Man appears in book #2. But #1 brings in Toby, the dog who turns out to be able to detect vestigia (sp?)

The author also has a very funny website & blog: http://www.the-folly.com/

For instance, in noting the publication of the box set of the first three books, he writes it contains 90% of the recommended daily dose of fantasy and that: "(1) The World Health Organisation's recomended minimum daily fantasy intake for adults is 300 milligandalfs (48.7 microdresdens). Chidren under the age of 14 may well require twice the adult dose to maintain a balanced childhood."

Finished

77. The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club by Gil McNeil was a cute and mildly entertaining chick-lit book, warm & fuzzy enough for me to download the sequel. The heroine's husband decides he wants to divorce, they argue, he hops into the car and is killed in an accident, she ends up moving and running her family's yarn store. All that happens in the first pages; the rest is a chronicle of her attempts to restart her life. Yeah, it sounds banal and trite, but it was surprisingly decently written and engaging, and just what I needed to read yesterday. (Books as therapy? why not?)

Comments to come tomorrow; banal but entertaining. Now off to bed.

Congratulations on reaching 75, Suzanne. Wow, in 2 months!

>6 cbl_tn:, >8 Chatterbox: Well, I'm doing it at a turtle's pace, interspersed with other reading throughout the year. I'm happy if I get through a half dozen in a year. I'm also mostly listening to the audio version this time around. My public library has almost all of Christie's books available as audio downloads from Overdrive.

>5 Chatterbox:. You make me want to grab Broken Homes as my next audiobook.

Happy 75 (!) and Happy New Thread, Suzanne!

Congratulations on finishing off your first 75, Suz! And I love that quote about fantasy--I shall have to check out Aaronovitch's website, since I haven't anymore books to read for a while.

I'm an Aaronvitch fan too....

That is indeed a sad little poem - but with a comic bite somehow, I guess because of the blunt dissonance of the last line. I found myself thinking of Edward Gorey who could have made the perfect illustration for it.

Happy New Thread! Congratulations on the first 75. Does Jim even have the back-patting thread up yet?
I do commend Into the Silence to you at some time during your WWI year. He suggests that the urge to conquer Everest is in part due to the reactions these men had to surviving the war. Almost every time he introduces a new and important character, he writes about some of the battles that person survived.

Yup. Here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/162676

Hello dear, nothing interesting to add.

>1 Chatterbox: We are treading similar ground this year Suz. I have also lead with Lichtenstein on one of my threads this year. Congratulations on your new thread. Your posting figures are way up on last years.

ooooh, visitors...

>12 labwriter:, You should, as long as you've read the three previous books. I just love the narration.

>16 LizzieD:, Peggy, I'll take a look at that sometime, but not until later in the year, perhaps. It's too since reading Tanis Rideout's take on the Mallory expedition, Above All Things, which is why I didn't even request the non-fiction account when it was offered on ER. But I promise to ponder it, and if I don't, prd me.

>9 Mr.Durick:, Robert, you're being incredibly creative with the critters du thread. Warthog? Water buffalo?

78. Needles and Pearls by Gil McNeil is a novel that I can't explain why I downloaded and ordered, except that the first one was so escapist when I read it yesterday -- and most of my other escapist fare is mysteries or historical fiction -- that I just said what the heck. It's what happens next to Jo, the protagonist in the previous book, after her adventures overhauling her yarn shop and her life in an English seaside town. Kinda cute, if very predictable. Don't approach it unless you happen to read chick lit. 3.4 stars.

I've also launched into the fourth book in Mary Stewart's Arthurian legends series, about Mordred -- I've been putting off reading that one for a while since the reviews have been rather "meh" relative to the first books. That said, I'm enjoying it.

On deck: a couple of non-fiction books that will have to go back to the library, and getting started on some of the next crop of Amazon Vine books. Much less oppressive this month: only five to read by the 20th, although three of them are 500 pages plus, and one is a book about finance, which I shouldn't have requested, except I felt I should have a copy on hand and didn't feel like spending money for it. Sigh.

The local birds have taken to tormenting Tigger and Cassie. In the mornings, the area behind the house becomes a bit of a sun trap, and I still have my bedroom A/C in place (long story). So the birds congregate there and chirp away madly. Tigger and (especially Cassie) race to the window and are UTTERLY frustrated at their inability to reach or even intimidate the avian 'trespassers'. So they sit there and glower. It's actually hilarious to watch, albeit annoying now that the sun is rising earlier, at times when I'd like to be snoozing on a weekend.

>19 PaulCranswick:, Reconciling myself to being unable to lead my thread without a poet that you haven't already selected, Paul....

Taking a moment to stop in while your thread is nice and short. I'm getting the idea that the Aaronovitch series may have to make its way into my audio queue.

>21 Chatterbox: OK Suz; next time I'll try to go obscure.

>22 AnneDC: ... and when the risk of book bullets is therefore less acute?? Hmmm. Still, at least I MAY have scored with the Aaronovitch. I do hope so. IMO it's a must read for anyone who enjoys real humor, some mystery and fantasy that doesn't take itself too seriously.

#241 (from the last thread) LOL
I saw that on facebook and read it out loud to my lovely other, which I hardly ever am moved to do. He laughed too. Poor NZ re: the cow 'joke', but I suppose at least we have moved on from being sheep-shaggers.

And congratulations on hitting 75!!!

Hi Suz :-)

I don't have less than or greater than signs on my Nook that I can find, so I can't try the new markup. Re 20: warthog.

Robert

Happy new(ish) thread, Suz!

>1 Chatterbox: Suz, I agree fully. It's not a great poem but knowing that he was killed just a few weeks later, and knowing how many young men went off to war in that exact state of mind and how many of them did, indeed, die..... it's very moving. I'm currently reading The Guns of August (still no touchstones today) and finding myself more and more interested in works with ties to that war. It was all so incredibly stupid and tragic.

I recently bought Last Train to Paris and I'm looking forward to reading it later this month or next.

Congratulations on making 75 already Suz although I would be surprised if you hadn't!

>29 EBT1002: Is this the Michele Zackheim novel, Ellen? Shall look forward to yr comments before I decide what to do about that one.

>27 Mr.Durick: I'm not convinced about this new markup. It just feels like more things that I have to remember, rather than just continuing a conversation in cyber-print. It feels like a very subtle kind of bullying to answer every comment, frankly! Which I don't tend to do, simply because I don't feel an instinct to respond specifically to everything that someone is kind enough to post. I love visitors here, of course, but just as I don't expect every visitor to comment or wave, I don't want to feel obligated to acknowledge every comment. (Sorry, Stephanie/Katie/Paul....)

But now that the feature is here and available, if I DON'T use it, I'm sure people will be prodding me to do so. Sigh. And I have a keyboard that's not particularly easy to use -- even after two years, I can't automatically put my fingers in the right places. (Why do I still use it? Because it's smooth, reasonably quiet, and -- yes, really -- washable and spillproof...) So if I want to use this, I have to stop typing, look down at the keyboard, find the "greater than" sign, hit shift and type. Which is a pain. It may actually lead to my posting LESS. Which may be a good thing?

OK, now that I've stopped being mildly grumpy about that...

79. The Wicked Day by Mary Stewart is the fourth in her Arthurian/Merlin saga, and the one that most readers seem to like least. Actually, I ended up liking it just as much as the first two books and perhaps even more than The Last Enchantment. The focus here is on Mordred -- Merlin is gone from the scene, both as narrator and character, and Ninue makes only one or two appearances, but even then, there's no first-person narrator. We are seeing the world through Mordred's POV, but the narration is third person. So... the story begins when Mordred, the bastard son of Arthur and his half-sister Morgause, is a young boy, and first is taken into Morgause's household and begins to coexist uneasily with the Orkney princes, including Gawain and Gareth. But he still isn't aware of his true parentage: he believes he's a bastard son of Morgause's late husband. Only when the four Orkney boys are summoned along with Morgause and Mordred to Camelot does he realize just how vulnerable he is -- and just how much power he could become heir to. This is a sympathetic and even revisionist view of Mordred, but one that makes sense -- it's a rational narrative, one firmly grounded in the history of this part of the dark ages, after the crumbling Roman empire has splintered and dissolved. A thumping good read: 4.3 stars. Better as a historical novel than as a fantasy book, which make explain some of the relative dissatisfaction.

>31 Chatterbox: definitely the one by Michele Zackheim, Suz. My buddy Nick, the book buyer for the U Bookstore, raved about it. He's not always spot on, as far as I'm concerned, but he is pretty darn close. He is the one who has me reading the second in Elena Ferrante's "Neapolitan Trilogy" aka The Story of a New Name. We shall see.

"...I love visitors here, of course, but just as I don't expect every visitor to comment or wave, I don't want to feel obligated to acknowledge every comment."
Ah, naming the pressure of "keeping up" with LT. I admire your resistance.

IDK, if someone stops by my thread, I at least want to acknowledge that. I don't mind that I didn't get a response from you up-thread, probably because I've met you and feel like I sort-of know you better than I do a lot of people here, but TBH if it were someone else and they didn't at least say hello back to me, it would make me less likely to visit again. Maybe I'm just really needy...

I can't see a warthog without thinking of Cream's Pressed Rat and Warthog song:
Pressed Rat and Warthog have closed down their shop.
They didn't want to, 'twas all they had got.
Selling atonal apples, amplified heat,
And Pressed Rat's collection of dog legs and feet.

That's all I can remember.

>33 katiekrug: Katie, I think that's valid when there's a comment -- when it's a wave hello? Sure, I love knowing that someone delurked for a second, but how do I actually respond to that in any kind of substantive way?? If it's a new visitor, I'll def make an effort to note that, though.

>32 EBT1002: Yes, Ellen, it's part of the keeping up issue. A lot of threads get very long, and I think it's great that there's so much chat. But somehow, I have to keep my work going (8/10 hours a day); I have to keep up with RL friends; I have to sleep, eat, clean, do laundry, do shopping; I have to sleep and I NEED to find time to read! So I do hope folks will understand if I don't acknowledge a hello or passing congrats on a new thread, or answer in an all encompassing "Hello, all!" It's nothing personal. Indeed, it's just that if I don't have anything personal to add, I don't say something for the sake of saying something. If that makes sense. It's just the way I go about it. And hopefully no one will take offense, and certainly none is intended. I'd rather use my limited LT time to visiting other threads than commenting on mine. It's the same reason that I don't post my reviews on the book's page.

Ellen -- tks also for reminding me about the Elena Ferrante books! I now have the first two sitting here and I need/want to read them sooner rather than later. And I'll see if there's a copy of the Zackheim novel at the library here...

ETA:

>34 tiffin: -- Tui -- I had never even HEARD that before -- hilarious! Not a shop that I would care to visit I must say.

Now, back to NPR/BBC to figure out what's happening in Ukraine. V. frustrated by lack of real-time TV news.

Suz, if you can't find the Zackheim, let me know. After I read it, I'd be happy to send it to you. If you can wait until later this month or even April.....

>36 EBT1002: Thanks so much for the offer, Ellen -- I ended up buying it for Kindle. *eyes roll* Hey, it's a Europa. I don't mind giving them my money. They have given me books in the past!

Suzanne, I understand. And I'm still trying to figure out what works for me on threads, what feels "authentic." Last year I stayed to myself and just did my thing. And while I'm still doing my thing, I have more visitors, more threads and am interacting more. Sometimes I don't have anything substantial to add but still feel the need to interact anyway.

So how about this? I'll only delurk if I have something to say and won't expect you to respond unless you have something to say.

;-)

>38 AuntieClio:, it's a deal, Stephanie! Feel free to just wave if you feel like it, though. But while I'll notice, I may not respond... It kind of reminds me of Japanese bowing to each other -- successive bows, each of which must be slightly deeper to acknowledge what has gone before, and endless politenesses. I'm a BIG proponent of civility and good manners, but I don't acknowledge every comment that someone makes on my Facebook page (and nor do my FB friends seem to expect me to). I equate a wave, a "happy new thread", etc., to a Facebook "like", in some ways.

Well, I'm glad you got it and I'll look forward to your comments, Suzanne. I don't have a Kindle but the dead tree version is lovely. As you say, it's a Europa. :-)

>35 Chatterbox: - I don't feel my response really has to be substantive, and when it's someone waving or a mass of people wishing me a happy new thread, I often just do a mass thank you or something. But your point about rather spending your time on LT visiting other people's threads is a good one. And I should amend my comment above to say if it's a new person or someone I have not visited before and they don't respond, I am less likely to return. My "old friends" get much more latitude :)

There is no "wrong" way to LT (yes, I made it a verb); I have certain reservations about keeping track of who has the most posts, who has read the most books, etc. because I think it could be intimidating to new people interested in the group. I was welcomed so warmly when I finally got the courage to interact that I would hate for someone else to have a less than stellar experience or impression.

>41 katiekrug: I suppose that, in some ways, it's not all that different between any kind of small talk and more substantive discussion. I'm not trying to suggest that one is better than the other; simply that I'll always prefer to emphasize the latter rather than the former. I like the ability to chat about things beyond books, but I also like to make books the focus/center of my thread and am less interested in having it become a cocktail party, simply because those are the kinds of threads I find it most difficult to keep up with myself.

I will note that I spent more money late last night to buy a Kindle version of The Red Prince by Timothy Snyder, after reading his NYRB online columns about the situation in the Ukraine.

There are some easy/glib comments out there about this being Cold War II, which seems only partly right. The biggest problem is that this is the borders in this region have been so fluid for centuries, and that the borders have never really reflected the ethnic/demographic makeup. At least in the Cold War years, it was clear when invasions took place, because those borders were widely acknowledged (by nation states, if not peoples) to have some validity, even if nations like Poland, Hungary, etc. didn't enjoy being required to toe the line. Snyder's book is an interesting one, focusing on a Habsburg prince who became a Ukrainian nationalist, and another one who became a Polish nationalist, at the beginning of the 20th century. I'd love to find something about the Tatars, who were the original inhabitants of the Crimea before Stalin ethnically cleansed them.

I confess that I'm extremely anxious about what is happening in Ukraine; more so than I have been (in a global sense) about Syria, Lebanon, etc. Why? I think Putin is waiting for some Ukrainians to snap and do something violent against Russian-leaning Ukrainians so he has a casus belli -- a reason to invade E. Ukraine. And I worry that this could create a new kind of cold war, and bring China and Russia together again. Given W. Europe's dependence on Russian energy supplies, that means that any North American-led bloc would be very weak, relatively speaking. If one thinks through the ramifications of all this, it's unnerving. Not only in terms of actual war, but in the context of long-term global transformation. We have a tendency to view stuff like human rights, the rule of law, etc. as a kind of global standard. But the Chinese, and to some extent, Putin's Russia, don't automatically accept these things as a starting point.

Adding to the cocktail party chatter -- I have a neurologist's appointment! The guy in NYC that I had an appointment to see had a cancellation for tomorrow afternoon, so I'll be on the early morning Megabus.

We have a tendency to view stuff like human rights, the rule of law, etc. as a kind of global standard. But the Chinese, and to some extent, Putin's Russia, don't automatically accept these things as a starting point.

Suz, permaybehaps read a thriller called Red to Black...Putin's Russia doesn't come off so well. I'm afraid your analysis above is the most chilling scenario, and a very likely one to come to pass.

The world is about to change, and (as usual) not in a direction I myownself like. The civil-society repercussions in the US of an alignment like you lay out cause me collywobbles.

>44 richardderus: I did read Red to Black; the ideas behind it were more compelling than the narrative pace itself, alas, and I wasn't interested enough to read the sequel.

Meanwhile: all this stuff going on around the world yesterday and NOWHERE on Cox Cable's lineup could I find a 24 hour news channel discussing it. Lots of sports, lots of Oscar stuff. BBC America showing a Star Trek movie, CNN & CNBC doing stuff on pot-growing in California, Forensic Files and some other recycled content. News, anyone??? Jeesh. Ed Murrow is rotating rapidly in his grave. Nearly 300 channels, and no news.

>42 Chatterbox: - I read a Snyder piece from the NYRB that someone posted in Club Read. Didn't realize there was more than one. It was fascinating.

I've been struggling with my thoughts on the whole thing, as I feel they should be a little more well-informed than my knee-jerk "Putin is bad," but I really can't get too far away from that. And the lack of meaningful options for the West is concerning. I agree that Putin is just waiting for a casus bellii; if he doesn't get a legitimate one, he will just make one up. I think it was the Snyder piece that noted how Yanukovych basically eliminated all political opposition except for the far right so he could claim he was the only alternative to Fascism. And the whole gay conspiracy thing is just mind-blowing. IDK, it's such a mess. I am reading a lot about it but have trouble synthesizing my thoughts so I apologize for my incoherence.

Thank God John Kerry is headed to Kiev. That should solve everything :-/

ETA: SO glad to hear about the neurologist appointment. That must be quite a relief.

ETA2: Cable news is awful. Just awful. Thank goodness for the intertubes.

Remember the Good Old Days when CNN meant "Cable NEWS Network" not "Content Novelty Now"?

I wasn't charmed by the Alex Dryden series' prose, more deeply enmeshed in the story behind it. Considered as prose, ~meh~

>45 Chatterbox:: Suz, even CBC is getting more Faux Newsish than I am comfortable with these days. The Oscars were getting more press than the Ukraine this morning. What mindless dreck. I didn't even know they were on. I'm not thinking cold war, I'm thinking red hot WWIII. Europe feels like a tinderbox to me.

>48 tiffin: Oh, how I hope you're wrong, Tui. Because we'd lose. I've had a debate this morning on a Facebook thread of an old friend, who is comparing this to Sudentenland (incursion in the name of supporting one's ethnic "citizens" who happen to reside in a neighboring country). History doesn't repeat, but there are some eerie parallels.

>46 katiekrug: Well, Katie, Kerry did come up with a kinda sorta fix for the ill-considered US line in the sand re Syria. Of course, he did it by accident...

>49 Chatterbox: - And they all continue to kill each other. Never been a Kerry fan. On a personal level, he's incredibly rude, and I can't abide bad manners. I was an intern for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1999, and he was a pompous jerk. And yes, I do hold grudges :)

>50 katiekrug: I met the Ketchup Lady, his rich wife, in NYC once. Dreadful one-percenter bitch.

I am going to be an optimist here and say I don't see WWIII in the offing.

Reasons: 1) while it is true that Western Europe relies on Russian gas, Russia relies on the money paying for that gas even more. Russia is a petro-economy. Their economic house is already in disorder. If they stop selling gas to Western Europe, Russia will collapse economically - note the more than 9% drop in the Russian market and the decline in the Ruble relative to the dollar
2) Putin isn't dumb. He wants a strong Russia and will do a fair amount to protect key interests such as the fleet in Crimea. That said, he runs the risk of reversing everything he has worked toward over the past 10 years in terms of asserting Russia importance on the international stage. If he can secure the fleet in Crimea I doubt he would gamble everything else to grab more of Ukraine
3) Does Russia really want all of Ukraine? I doubt it - they want it within the sphere of influence and they are willing to put up cash to do that. That said, Ukraine is a basket case economically and Russia can ill afford to bail out another country besides itself. Maybe it can do a bail out if it doesn't end up economically isolated but not if it is hit with major sanctions.
4) China and Russia are not particularly friendly. They weren't that friendly in the Soviet days but our own narrow view resulted in the West largely missing that tension. Plus, China is looking for growing room (take a look at what it has been doing in terms of claims over various island groups). Russia has a large, sparsely populated border with China. China needs the room and the resources on the Russian side of the line. Maybe some kind of alliance if we forced them into it but I think China wants nothing to do with this mess and Russia and China are natural competitors with Russia looking over its shoulder at the Chinese right now.

Prediction: Russia will pull out troops, will not cease Eastern Ukraine, some form of referendum will be forthcoming. Crimea may well join Russia but it will do so be referendum only. No shooting war develops.

Caveat - Putin is playing with fire and things can spiral out of his control quickly. I just think he isn't aiming to militarily annex Ukraine.

>52 Oberon: Erik, I do hope you're right, and I do agree with you on the broad assessment of this.

My concerns are as follows:
-- If Putin were a pragmatist (and conscious of the toll this would take on their energy revenues), would he have risked this? Is pragmatism driving this? Does he view strategic/ideological issues as paramount over economic ones? Did he misgauge the response?
-- What are Putin's thoughts about other nations that have significant Russian minorities, ranging from Belarus and Moldova, to the Baltic states? Clearly, he wants a sphere of influence and has been trying to acquire one for years in these "borderlands", but with relatively limited success. Recent events suggest (to me, anyway) that he is growing impatient. If he succeeds in Crimea, and extending his de facto influence in Crimea, what happens in two to three years, once that's established? Why not push on to Kiev, which is the spiritual home of "Rus", and acquire the industrial and agricultural assets of Ukraine?
-- Ukraine is indeed a basket case, and this is all happening at a very interesting time. Putin has the ability to destabilize the European economy just as it's starting to recover. The "West" can't afford to bail out Ukraine, either, and yet after this, they will not want a poor Ukraine to drift into Putin's orbit, faut de mieux. Putin wouldn't have to do a bailout, in that scenario.
-- Russia and China have been at odds even when they were officially allies back in the 1950s, and of course, post early 79 (that cascade of invasions: Soviet-backed Vietnamese into Cambodia, China into Vietnam and Soviet ships sailing down the Chinese coast...) the relationship deteriorated sharply. I agree that they have little in common EXCEPT for the fact that both have a lot to gain by the relative weakening of the US/Japan/Europe. If Russia can keep everyone on edge in Europe, it gives China more room to pursue its own goals in the Pacific, relative to its territorial interests right down to the South China Sea. Plus, both have a vested interest in changing the global debate: neither nation accepts "Western" ideals of individual liberty, rule of law (for want of a better phrase, Western post-Enlightenment idealogy) for different reasons. To the extent they find common interests at 30,000 feet, that will add to our own internal problems in the West.

My predictions:
-- short term, the world will concede on the de facto seizure of the Crimea
-- medium term: some kind of de facto or de jure split in Ukraine -- a two-state solution.
-- longer term: steady increase in challenges to political governance and systems as they exist in Europe, North America as a kind of globally applicable "optimal" solution. The emergence of a new kind of multilateralism that is about more than geopolitical hard power, to a far greater extent than we see today.

I think it is too early to tell if Putin misjudged. The fact that he and the foreign minister are still talking with the West and not just issuing rhetoric is positive. The fact that shots haven't been fired yet is positive. I do think strategic goals are paramount for Putin - the economy wouldn't be run the way it is if they weren't. Plus, I think you are hard pressed to justify the cost of the Sochi games from an economic perspective. So, I think he sends the message to the other former Soviet satellites that there is a bridge too far with Russia (he did the same with Georgia) and he hangs on to the majority Russian Crimea and undoes Khrushchev's mistake in giving it away to Ukraine. Maybe you would see an extension of this if Russian nationals were at risk in other places but I am not sure where else has this sort of mix (predominantly Russian population in a failing state, adjacent to Russia)

I concur on Europe being weak for a bailout though I think it could be done through the IMF. I suspect that the reality is that Germany and the U.S. just aren't that interested. The IMF tried before with Ukraine and got taken for a ride. Probably financed part of Yanakovich's zoo or something like that.

I am not sure I agree with you China. To me, China's #1, #2, and #3 issues are domestic growth and stability. Nationalistic rhetoric is useful in promoting stability (external threat, all that fun stuff). But, I think that China's leadership understands that they are papering over major issues. A true economic disruption in China runs the risk of fragmenting that country. If I turned on the tv tomorrow and there was a second Tienanmen Square I wouldn't be surprised. People are furious about the corruption, the pollution, bogus banking system, no social welfare net, you name it. And if any protracted civil unrest occurs you will see Tibet, the Uigers, maybe others declare that they are independent. To me, China is a lot more fragile than people believe. Finally, I think China recognizes that as much as they dislike American encirclement, the other options aren't great either. America backs out of the South China Sea, I think you see Japan re-arm. Once that happens South Korea follows suit and everyone from Vietnam, to Australia, to the Philippines start expanding their navies. China may not care for Western ideology but I think they understand what a guarantor the U.S. is in the Pacific.

Perhaps the biggest argument in favor of a good outcome is the extent to which both Russia and China have become part of the global economy over the last quarter century. In contrast to 1985 or so, both have a lot to lose -- and their citizens have a lot to lose -- if there was a rupture of relationships with the West. Which would exacerbate the problems that you point to within China. I've been watching closely over the last decade as China has tried, often in vain, to prod its citizens to become consumers -- and their reluctance to do so because of the inability of the government to be a credible supplier of medical care, pensions, etc. -- the absence of a social security net and distrust of government (especially and notably at the local/regional levels) has been a great reason to continue to save at surreally high levels. Which of course has simply distorted the picture still further.

I suspect that to the extent Japan can afford it, they will be begin re-arming. That's the next logical step that flows from the American military withdrawal from the region (which has been underway for a while). They're maintaining a presence, thanks to N. Korea and to China's constant testing of what is "permissible", but some of the folks I've talked to at Fletcher & other places have argued that on a relative basis, it's underweight relative to how militarized the region is and has become.

The Ukraine/Crimea is such an interesting specific case. On the one hand, Ukrainian nationalism has been such a potent force for so long -- centuries. On the other hand, you've got the historic links (that Kievan Rus thing), and then Stalin's expulsion/ethnic cleansing of the Crimean Tartars that made it possible for the evolution of a Russian majority and a Ukrainian minority as the only two forces...

It's all a geopolitical junkie's dream/nightmare, isn't it?

I'm in the midst of writing two stories right now, one about the implications for US energy policy and the other about "black swans".

I agree wholeheartedly about the importance of the global economy. I think China and Russia both understand that there is a very real risk of internal turmoil with economic consequences that stem from armed conflict.

Good point about Japan being able to afford rearmament. I lean toward the commentators who believe that Japan's economy is in better shape than conventional wisdom holds. I think they could do it and I think China is worried about that prospect. On your point about American withdrawal, I thought it was interesting that the just released budget did not cut an aircraft carrier as many had expected. I wonder if this was a deliberate signal.

And yes, I readily admit that it is geopolitical junkie's dream - I won't say nightmare because the costs are pretty minimal for me but I will acknowledge for the people affected that this is terrifying.

I would think this would be good fodder for an article. I think there is a very interesting issue as U.S. liquefied natural gas starts to come online for export. In a decade, Europe might be able to do without Russian gas with a combination of fracking (assuming domestic politics allows it) and U.S. exports. I at least think it is a possibility while I see zero evidence that Russia is looking beyond being a petro state. Putin's strong Russia is a lot less impressive if Europe stops caring about the export of energy.

Good luck on your articles.

>56 Oberon: the LNG stuff is precisely what I'm writing about, LT. Russian gas would still have a clear cost advantage (esp. since the infrastructure is now in place). But I'd predict this dramatically increases the prospect of new LNG terminal approvals, a big push to expand domestic production, and boosts the odds of a Keystone XL approval.

OK, energy piece filed. Now off to figure out black swans. Oh, and report something about lucite deal toys. Really.

The good news is that I have a neurologist's appointment in NYC. The bad news is that it requires a Megabus trip. Which means I'll be doing Megabus three times this month -- once in each of the next three weeks. Gah.

The better news is that I have FREE BOOKS.
Was approved for four NetGalley titles, and received three ARCs from Amazon today, including Peter Matthiessen's new book, a new historical novel from Sandra Gulland and one by Deborah Lawrenson that I'm taking a flyer on, after ending up liking her last novel on my second attempt to read it.

>42 Chatterbox: Thanks for mentioning Timothy Snyder's The Red Prince. I have been a fan of his NYRB columns for a long time and in fact it was his columns there that led me to snap up Bloodlands. I'm heading off to look for The Red Prince.

ETA Fascinating discussion, overall.

More on the whole Ukraine stuff, this courtesy of a friend of mine who lived there for many years, speaks Russian and has worked as a policy analyst in conjunction with getting her PhD on post-Soviet Russian foreign policy: she posted it on my FB page. (I've known her since were were six or seven, at school in England together; fab to have a friendship stretching back that far!)

"Does he think he can eat a big chunk of western Ukraine and not have someone hit him with the Heimlich?

Although impossible to have imagined even three months ago, today taking eastern Ukraine might not be much of a gamble for Putin…
- Eastern Ukraine is predominantly Russian speaking and Russia-friendly;
- Putin did some big time wooing of the (Ukrainian) Cossacks at the Olympics
- Russia is good at repression for those who aren't happy about the situation
- NATO and the Western world will not intervene militarily.
- Russian would not be economically, militarily or politically isolated by such an act. Russia today has lots of friends around the world who are fed up with the Western world's self-righteous 'moral superiority' and its interference in their 'domestic' issues.

I used to specialized in the energy sector but don't know now how important *relatively speaking* the Ukrainian gaslines are to Putin. Important, but would he be willing to sacrifice them?

The one thing I know for sure is that the West must not back Putin into a corner. If Putin pulls the military out Crimea, he MUST be able to claim victory to his Russian audience and not subservience to Western threats."

Putin is probably not going to like much of the fallout from this intervention. Whatever soft power he gained from a successful Olympics is probably shot. Perhaps more importantly, he has solidified the commitment of the eastern most members of NATO. I have to assume that whatever part of Ukraine comes out of this crisis is going to make joining the EU priority 1 and joining NATO priority 2.

Ugh. I sense a "peace in our time" speech from somewhere important in the near-term future. Wonder if they can find someone named Neville to give it.

Please to linking with articulateness on energy, kind sir or madam.

LITERAL black swans, or metaphorical ones?

I hope I'm wrong too, Suz. Good discussion above. I'll reread it when I'm not so fuddle-headed.

>62 richardderus: financial ones, Richard. AKA, long-tail risks. Go Google it... :-) Somehow, I have to make it all accessible to a general reader. Tee hee.

Aha. Well, there's your story's "in": All black swans belong to the Queen. The literal honk-honk swans.

I listened to a good discussion on NPR's On Point this morning Suzanne, (the best program on NPR if you ask me). Ashbrook had two Russian/Ukrainian experts on but much of what you've concluded was brought up. Bottom line: they felt that Kerry/Obama were making things worse by threatening. There is no way Putin will lose the Crimea where the people consider themselves to be Russian anyway. If he allowed that to happen the Russian people would consider him to be the worst leader Russia has ever had. It's all very scarey though and I hope it doesn't escalate to something that big egos will mismanage.

I'm not convinced about this new markup

It seems like a solution looking for a problem. Change for change's sake is not necessarily good.

> I confess that Ashbrook annoys me a bit, Bonnie; he darts all over the place and sometimes talks over his guests, meaning that the risk a listener ends up without a clear picture of things goes up. The topics he tackles are often fascinating, but he's very fond of his own thoughts and opinions. I know it's a current affairs show, and it's appropriate to prod people, but sometimes I've listened to people I know are coherent IRL (and very articulate) end up trying to follow him around the place, respond to his questions and be coherent, and it's a big mess... I think today he had someone sitting in for him? At any rate, I did manage to catch the first 10 or 15 minutes before my phone started ringing off the hook, which was good. I'm not sure that I have a favorite "long form" current affairs radio show at present. I like Terry Gross's interviewing style -- she's the gold standard, IMHO -- but she doesn't venture beyond the personal interview, which is her expertise. And I love Leonard Lopate on WNYC, although his forte is books -- he casts a wide net, however, in a two hour show, and tackles offbeat issues/topics as well. He's amiable without being a pushover.

Putin won't lose the Crimea; he won't back down and the rest of the world outside the Ukraine doesn't care enough, especially in light of divided opinion (and a referendum pending) in Crimea. The referendum will come in with a massive wave of support for Putin, and that'll be a done deal.

Incidentally, perhaps two years ago (or more?) I read an interesting bio of Putin by one of his critics, Man without a Face. It's not a friendly look, and possibly biased, but immensely readable and probably on target. And it is by a Russian, which helps offset some of the issue about bias -- Masha Gessen is living in Putin's Russia, just as Anna Politkovskaya once did. There's another rather turgid bio by Angus Roxburgh that I keep meaning to read, but the "turgid" part of it has stalled me at about chapter two or three.

I'm now reading Double Down, the followup to Game Change, which was a great book about the 2008 presidential race. I tend not to like books that are about electioneering vs policy, but the authors of this do a good job of blending the two enough. It's unpleasant to realize how celebrity-struck even successful politicians are -- on both sides of the political aisle.

I've landed a great assignment for an online magazine, newish, which is setting out to be the HBO of online journalism (vs the CBS). It's a meaty story, and even better, it's the first reasonable pay I've seen in literally years. Not only north of $1 a word (unheard of) but expenses as well. My jaw not only dropped by rolled so far underneath the desk I'm having trouble retrieving it. Keep yr fingers & toes crossed that all goes smoothly.

crosscreakcross*snap*crosscrunchcross*pantpant*

I've proven my bona fides. Please call a crane operator and an orthopedic surgeon.

>68 richardderus: silly man, you weren't supposed to injure yourself...

Wow that sounds wonderful Suzanne. Congratulations! I'm not surprised as I read and admire just about everything you write.

I read Gessen's book a few months ago after meaning to read it for a year or more after you wrote about it. I loved the book which for me was an eye-opening expose of Putin. I knew very little about him, just what most Americans do I suppose. I did wonder about her bias though. The fact that she was a part (leader?) of the protest she talked about at the end of the book and then wrote about it as a journalist was unorthodox and not something we'd ever see in this country. It just was a bit unsettling.

Ashbrook's style doesn't bother me at all. I love the show. Maybe since your knowledge level about the topics he discusses is so much broader than mine, you pick up on his inconsistent questioning style but for me it doesn't even register and I feel pretty much that I end up with a more informed outlook.

>67 Chatterbox: I've landed a great assignment for an online magazine
Congratulations!

>66 brenzi: It seems like a solution looking for a problem.
That was my initial response too, but I've found that I like it. Easier to see immediately that a post is a series of replies. Easier to connect username and real name.

>70 brenzi: You're very right about the bias issue, Bonnie -- it wouldn't be kosher here. Or at least, she would have to be very up front about her involvement, throughout the book, so that a reader could bear it mind. It's unorthodox, but in this case it didn't bother me, since the narrative as a whole was well reported.

And good for Ashbrook, then, if you come away with that impression. I only listen if there's a guest or issue that I want to listen to; not every topic is something I know about, by any means, but the combination of the handful that I do (energy industry, finance, etc. etc.) and the fact that I question people for a living, too, has piled up over time.

>71 qebo: Yes, I like linking user/real names.

Cats are occupying all available sitting surfaces, which is, I'm sure, a hint I should be going to bed so I can get up v.v. early for the NY bus trip.

Oh Suz, good news about the writing assignment. I hope it leads to even better things. And I agree with you that Putin doesn't give a rat's fart about what the rest of the world says and will do what he wants with the Crimea.

More on Ukraine, from my friend. She's an odd character in that she's a liberal lefty who did her post-doc work at RAND. This from her discussions in the last 24 hours with erstwhile colleagues:

"The big picture for Putin is Russian PRIDE and a powerful PAN-SLAVIC community which has a strong religious and cultural component and is *explicitly* a counterpoint to Western culture and values. As explained by a colleague but fits all the pieces and makes full sense to me.

Stoppage of gas flows through Ukraine would be a huge economic loss for Russia and Russians are certainly concerned about any economic downturn given the poor economy to start with – but the economy and public opinion are not driving Putin's decision-making today.

IF there are violent demonstrations in eastern Ukraine and Yanukovych publicly asks Putin to intervene, he will feel compelled to intervene. How could he not?

This isn't about Soviet era boundaries. Indeed, given the right sequence of events, Putin can avoid going farther into Ukraine which I suspect is his strong preference at the moment. But he keeps Crimea and the warm water port.
My interest is in de-escalation of tensions and ensuring Russia does not go further into Ukraine. No one wants to a replay of Pakistan 1971.

What does NOT help is making Putin feel coerced, disrespected, weak, or cornered.

Yanukovych is the real wild card here as he has nothing to lose by fanning conflict and engaging Russia.

Subject to change …"

Blegurchleflink

I sense a compressed version of 1877-to-1914 PanSlavic Brotherhood disaster in the offing.

http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/140990/ivan-krastev/russian-revisionism

Interesting article. Not sure if I agree with all of it but good read none the less.

Bad news: Megabus migraine.

Good news: I have a new neurologist! V. nice guy affiliated with Mt. Sinai. I'm going to start trying Topamax as a preventative, and have a new prescription for my painkillers. Very pleasant doc who clearly knows lots about these headaches (and has a daughter with them) and who's got a lot of patients dealing with them.

Going to shut down the PC and pop an ice pack on the train home.

Congrats on the new neurologist! I'll be taking notes. Boo to the migraine. Hope it scampers off soon.

>78 Smiler69: Thanks, Ilana! I'll get these filled on Thursday, I think and see how things go.

Head still bad so time for bed... Splurged on the Acela coming home because I felt so crappy I couldn't face the delays of the regular train. I've been home for nearly an hour, and it hasn't even arrived yet. So, off to bed with more icepacks!

>77 Chatterbox: and has a daughter with them
Well that would be motivating. Hope he can help.

Very thought-provoking discussion here about the Ukraine, Suzanne.

I'm so happy to hear the good news about your new neurologist.

I thought this was interesting: http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/03/ukraine-is-this-how-the...

I remember reading Francis Fukuyama's "End of History" in college and thinking, "no, that can't be right!"

Thanks, Katherine & Becky. I'm slightly wary of Topamax. On the one hand, a side effect is weight loss! On the other hand, there are very frequent instances of memory problems/confusion/fatigue etc., including things like tremor. It's an anti-epilepsy drug that's now prescribed for all kinds of things. There's also a risk of depression, which is something I'll need to monitor, clearly. So it's very much a trial balloon. A lot of folks have had success with this, and I've known for a while that I really should try it, so...

>82 katiekrug:, Katie, yes, I spotted that! Intriguing analysis. I've been talking about the Fukuyama hypothesis with a couple of people this week. I remember reading that after the collapse of the wall, or whenever it was that it first came out, and thinking, wow, that is arrogant, in a way. I wonder on how many previous occasions there has seemed to be a calm status quo, with the removal of tensions or ideological challenges to the dominant ethos? I'm sure there have been a few, like (briefly) the British Empire post-Fashoda (and always ignoring those pesky Irish rebels), or at various points in the heart of the Roman Empire. But something ALWAYS happens to disturb that complacency.

I'm going to take some time over the weekend to catch up on some of this geopolitical stuff, I think.

Waving hello to everyone else. The snow has started (again) and I must go do some work (again). Topics du jour include Ken Moelis's plans to take his investment bank public and "deal toys". Yes, I promise to post the link to the latter once it's live.

J has just been practising his German presentation on the Ukranian situation with me. When he picked the topic a few weeks ago he certainly didn't realise that it was going to become such a world event, and I think he's wishing he'd picked something where the situation was a little more stable! At least I know what the. German for the Crimea is now - I'm sure that will be very useful!

>83 Chatterbox: I always feel like a lab rat whenever I try a new medication. Or when I stay on it for a long time too, mind you. Short term side-effects... long term side-effects, I try not to think about it too much because the option of no meds isn't really a possibility for me anymore, having tried it with disastrous consequences in the past. Wish you luck with the Topamax.

Sounds like you got a good one in your new neurologist, Suz. Hope his techniques are effective.

Could you post a link to your latest Guardian article? When your headache has subsided.

Reading this convo about Ukraine/Crimea/Putin with intense fascination.

Hope the new med helps your migraines.

>86 ronincats: The last one was about credit unions and investment advice -- is that of interest? The next one, on black swans, will be out tomorrow morning & I'll post the link then.

>85 Smiler69: No meds is clearly not an option here, either. Some days it would be fine, but I'd end up treating myself as if I were a china ornament, out of fear that I'd end up with ginormous migraine that I couldn't rein in. Which is not a good way to live.

>87 sibylline: Thanks, Lucy!

Bouncing back today.

And now, the book update:

80. Double Down by John Heileman and Mark Halperin is the sequel to the duo's excellent Game Change about the 2008 race for the presidency. The biggest problem with the sequel is that the whole idea just isn't as intriguing any more. The race in 2008 was wide open, with no incumbent and no clear heir apparent, and was a more interesting phenomenon. In contrast, 2012 was about a lackluster bunch of Republican contenders, and a president who dislikes political theater. Which left this feeling like too much gossip and insider political operative chit chat. It certainly isn't going to be readable by anyone who doesn't have a 25-year knowledge and familiarity of various electoral battles in the US; the authors toss too many things in as reference, from Genifer Flowers to Dukakis's tank-top ride, without context or explanation, as well as passing/glancing references to everything from jobless data to policy decisions. It's got a target audience, and I teeter on not being really part of that. I am interested in this, but not obsessed by it. Overall, what it reminded me is of my tremendous distaste for electoral politics -- the way it can attract the egomaniacal and dissuade the qualified, competent and level headed. And that is depressing for what it says about us as a nation. This goes for all the candidates mentioned, from Obama and Romney to Mitch Daniels -- no one looks appealing, both immune to the need to raise money (Obama is quoted as saying someone had better deliver a lot of donations in exchange for O being good enough to show up at an event that was boring or painful) and to the appeal of celebrity (both main party candidates get a charge out of adding celebs to their side -- why should a movie star be a guest of honor at a state dinner?? sigh.) So... It was interesting to revisit the campaign and to be reminded of how the issues were handled (and truth ignored), but at times the authors also tried way too hard to make it lively. Instead of jaws dropping, we have mandibles hitting clavicles. (Could I make that up???) And someone referred to as becoming "hemi-, demi-, semi-famous". Argh, cutesy run amok. The disappointments were the more striking because the original book wasn't just a good, well-written overview of the campaign but a thoughtful and analytical one. This one was good enough, but suffered in comparison. Sometimes, a reprise/revival just isn't a good idea, and this was one of those. 3.8 stars.

81. Mistress by James Patterson was a book I picked up on a whim at the library, read partway through and then put down again, only half-interested. But some of the plot elements kinda made me think about the Ukraine stuff this weekend, so I picked it up and finished it. Suspenseful enough, mediocre writing, over-the-top plot/scenario -- typical Patterson fare. No meat or nutritional content of any kind, but somewhat fun. 3 stars.

I've started reading Dragnet Nation by Julia Angwin, which already has me scared and unnerved and paranoid. Who is reading this, other than LT 75ers? Who is watching me type these words through my desktop's built-in webcam? *shiver*

I'll have to look for some good, mindless, frivolous fiction to offset this. But something better written than the Patterson book.

>88 Chatterbox: Patterson, to me, has always been part of a group of writers I consider as consistent providers of 'airport fiction', a class of books I only ever picked up when I was in an airport and bored for whatever reason with all the reading material I'd already brought along in my carry-on. I could only appreciate that kind of writing in the confinement of an airplane. The bonus being you can leave the book behind on the seat. I read Dan Brown that way, some Crichton and many others, but never never never never never Nora Roberts!

Which is not a good way to live.

Yep, I can confirm that from experience!

Just saying hi. I'm glad that you managed to find a neurologist and hope the new meds are helpful without too many side effects.
I've had a few book bullets from your thread and enjoyed the 'Ukraine talk'. What has given me quite a bit of viewing pleasure these past couple of days has been a dvd I picked up from the library 'In their own words: British Novelists' which is a 3-part look at 20th century writers. ' The story of the modern novel, told by the authors themselves'. Really great dusted off footage from the BBC archives. It includes footage from some of the movies made from the books.

>89 Smiler69: I've read (& continue to read) the chunskter suspense yarns by Nora Roberts, but never the saccharine plain romance mini-series of books. They fall into a similar category for me: catch & release books.

>90 avatiakh: Tks for the suggestion; shall keep an eye out for that! I think there's something slightly wonky with my DVD player, alas. It skipped a lot through two different new DVDs, which doesn't make sense. One flawed DVD, fine. Two? Hmmm. Shall have to do some experiments.

Suzanne, I'll be interested in how the Topamax works for you. I gave it a try a month or so ago, and although my migraines diminished quite a bit (to nearly none), the side effects got to be too much for me. A lot of people seem to do fine on it though, and I hope it does the trick for you. Your migraines seem to be much more severe than mine so even if the medication does bother you, it might still be a good trade off.

>92 Copperskye: Joanne, what were the biggest side effects that you had with this? Feel free to PM me if you don't want to chat publicly about this... I'll get the Rx filled tomorrow and start trying it on Friday. I really have no idea where the balance between having few migraines but problems with other side effects is. I suppose it would hinge on the extent to which Topamax affects my ability to think/reason/function (oh, and read!) If I'm staggering around groggily 1/2 the time, it hardly matters whether I'm migraine free; if I've just swapped one set of debilitating symptoms for another.

As it stands, I lose nearly half a month to migraines, and a chunk more time on trying to avoid them. Not as bad as Ilana, although her current bout reminds me of me in my late 30s/early 40s.

In other news, this made me laugh.

http://putintheritzon.ytmnd.com/

>94 katiekrug: :-D

>94 katiekrug: Oh, if only...

>86 ronincats: Here's the Black Swan piece. Getting a bit of pushback on Twitter, with someone alleging I don't don't know what a black swan event is (sigh: fat tail risk/extreme outlier) and someone else chastising me/the Guardian for peddling Wall Street BS. *Bash head against wall*

http://www.theguardian.com/money/us-money-blog/2014/mar/06/stock-market-drop-bla...

>94 katiekrug:
good one

Ignore those ignorant tweeters - the Black Swan piece is terrific.

>88 Chatterbox: I'm reading Dragnet Nation too! I heard her on WNYC last week and ran right out to get her book. I already switched from Google to another search engine just after hearing her interview.

>100 rebeccanyc: I just finished it, Rebecca! I figure if Julia can do this, then I can too... Or at least some of it. I don't need to protect my sources in the same way that she does, but I'm definitely going to use her suggestions about improving my passwords. I'm more grateful than ever that I don't have a smartphone, and it's not on a plan. So, while it isn't a "burner" phone of the kind she describes, it's about as anonymous as I can get (and isn't going to be telling stores that I've walked in their doors any time soon...) I'm not going to be able to abandon Gmail, but I may use the alternative search engines for some stuff.

Will review it tomorrow, but it's at once a chilling and enlightening book. I like the fact that it does end on a positive note -- that she offers a path forward beyond just freaking out.

Ironically, I've been re-reading a suspense novel by Thomas Perry, Blood Money. His protagonist, Jane Whitefield, relies on it being a NON dragnet nation to help people being pursued by evildoers to escape and create new identities. These books are thumping good reads, but probably sadly out of date now, less than a decade after being written, thanks to what Julia wrote about.

Just received (literally, UPS just showed up at my door) a freebie from the lovely folks at Public Affairs -- The Seven Sins of Wall Street. I'm fairly sure one will be hubris, but I'll report back!

Suz and all your visitors, I just sat here and spent about 10 minutes reading/skimming through the discussion about Putin, the Ukraine, etc. Fascinating and very helpful to someone who gets easily overwhelmed by international politics and events. I feel like I have a better grounding in what is going on, what might go on, and what it all might mean. Lots of conditionals in there, I realize.

I'm thinking of tracking down a copy of Man Without a Face in addition to some of the articles you all have referenced.

>97 Chatterbox: Nice article, Suzanne.

Thanks, Ellen! And I think you've hit the nail on the head -- the whole thing is chock full of conditionals. Anyone who is certain they know what is happening and what will happen next is almost certainly wrong...

I'll just note that the following books have been finished, but come back and fill in comments tomorrow. I have to be up early in order to write the next Guardian column. *heavy sigh*

82. Dragnet Nation by Julia Ungwin is enough to make you paranoid and determined -- determined, that is, to do what it takes to minimize your cyber-footprint. There are things that one can do to limit the extent to which others can extract information about you and make money off it, even though Angwin's own attempts -- some of 'em extreme -- show how tricky this may be. Still, by opting out, there's a chance to at least contain this. I realize that even typing this message on LT I risk giving away more than I should about who I am, where I am, what I buy, what I think, etc. Julia's more interested in the monetization aspect and taking back personal data that is irrelevant, I think. I'm more adamant about wanting to leave a zero footprint. If I don't want people to know who or where I am, I don't want to have to take extreme measures to avoid them knowing. I doubt I'd ever do it, but I'd like the freedom to go off-grid if I wanted. From smartphones to browsers; e-mail to credit reports, this is a salutary reminder of just what people know -- or think they know -- about you. I simultaneously hated and loved it. And I'm very glad that I don't own a smartphone. 4.4 stars.

83. Blood Money by Thomas Perry was an interesting counterpart to the above, as the heroine of this series of suspense novels depends on there NOT being a dragnet nation to help people fleeing from persecutors (organized crime victims, battered women, etc.) flee and establish new identities. I find this series fascinating and suspenseful -- it's like a game of cat and mouse, with Perry's lead character, Jane Whitefield, trying to outwit those chasing her protegees. This time around, she's trying to help a young girl who shows up at her door, even though she has decided to give up this "helping". But the girl is vulnerable, and may already have put Jane at risk. Before she knows it, she's helping Bernie Lupo, whose ability to remember everything he's ever seen has made him invaluable to Mob families in terms of secretly managing their money, but whose memory is now starting to fade... Bernie knows that eventually he'll be more a source of risk than value to the Mafia who have kept him locked up in a Florida compound for decades; when he breaks free and goes on the run, he decides it's time to do something creative with the billions he has squirreled away. Like, give it all to charity, with Jane's help... The second half is most suspenseful. Start at the beginning of this series, though, with Vanishing Act. The final book, Poison Flower is too disturbingly violent, alas, but most of its precursors are v. good, although as the years have gone by and technology has improved, the credulity required on the reader's behalf is a little more pronounced...

Hi, Suz. I've been saving the entries about the situation in the Ukraine - didn't want to just scroll through them. But I've got a more immediate question. Amazon has The House of Morgan in its daily deal today. Do you think it's worth reading?

>105 ffortsa: Well, I downloaded it... It's one of the iconic business history books, definitely.

I downloaded it too on the basis of Chernow's reputation. If it sits there a lump forever on my Kindle, at least it's a lump I have access to.
Many thanks for the Ukraine discussion. I need to reread it when I have more time and brains. I absolutely got the Black Swan business, so thanks for that too.

>105 ffortsa:
>107 LizzieD:

And anyone else who's interested... The other Kindle deal that's interesting is Brandenburg by Glenn Meade. It's a very good suspense/thriller by a too-often overlooked writer in this genre. On of his earlier and better books, and Chatterbox-recommended, for what it's worth.

ETA: Have updated with my reviews of #82 and #83. Now reading the next (so far excellent) book by Ben Macintyre, all about Kim Philby and his network of spies. More about the MI-5/6 spy community than the Cambridge Four/Five/Six, I suspect, but I have yet to find an excellent book on the latter category. This one I got for my UK Kindle since I just DIDN'T WANT TO WAIT. So there.

The Seven Sins of Wall Street is on deck, as is The Ariadne Objective.

As far as fiction goes, I'm halfway through the latest Flavia de Luce book, plodding slowwwly along with The Jewel in the Crown (I'm STILL on the background of Miss Edwina Crane) and starting to nibble on the edges of Sharon Penman's latest historical chunkster.

>108 Chatterbox: Now reading the next (so far excellent) book by Ben Macintyre, all about Kim Philby and his network of spies.

Yep, that's one of the ER offerings I'm looking at. I've only read one of his books but it was excellent and I have two others on my self. The ER offerings are excellent this month. I always just order one and always get it but besides the MacIntyre the new Tom Rachman looks good (I loved The Imperfectionists and Steven Galloway of The Cellist of Sarajevo fame (rightly so, I thought). Too many good ones but it's a nive problem to have:-)

Yes, it's a tough month for ER, Bonnie! I requested the new Emma Campion novel. Was able to pick up The Catch by Taylor Stevens via NetGalley, and the new Phillip Kerr book is a Kindle monthly deal in the UK. I do want the Rachman book, and am intrigued by the Steven Galloway tome. AND there's the new novel by Lisa See... I may try to see what comes up in this month's Amazon Vine list...

RE: a much earlier discussion about Millennials... Thought you might be interested in this latest PEW Research study comparing four generations:

http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/03/07/millennials-in-adulthood/#utm_content=...

67: Good luck on the new gig, Suz.

109: Have liked most of the Ben McIntyre's I've read - wish there was a good book on the Kim Philby mess. Did you ever read Blunt: The Fourth Man

I'm behind here, but just wanted to say Yay! for the nice new doctor and here's hoping the new medications help!

Isn't it always this way? I sometimes just don't request an ER ARC because nothing appeals to me. This month I've requested the Rachman, Kerr, MacIntyre, and the Huck Finn-continued one........ I'd be happy with any of them.

108. Now reading the next (so far excellent) book by Ben Macintyre, all about Kim Philby and his network of spies

Ooh, what's it called? I'm on a bit of a spy high at the moment and I want more titles.

I am eager to hear about The Seven Sins of Wall Street. I hope that is good and that it comes out promptly in paperback.

Robert

It's "A Spy Among Friends". Sorry, no square brackets or greater than signs on the Kindle Fire keyboard for markup...

I saw you're reading Apple Tree Yard on the TIOLI wiki. I'm kind of not really digging it. Not interested in adultery and people's sexual fantasies. Was thinking of asking for my credit back, but I'll hang in for a bit. The press coverage is just so glowing so I expect things should get more interesting.

>111 michigantrumpet: Yes, that's had people buzzing a bit today, both approving and disapproving

>112 magicians_nephew: Nope, haven't heard of that before. The Macintyre book is taking shape as something more Philby-focused than I had expected, so that's good. When finished, I'll mine the bibliography and notes for others.

>113 scaifea: Hi Amber! So far the topamax has give me woolly brain and a daytime dozing hallucination/dream. (I was at a technology fair whose booths were set up inside the Forbidden City, accompanied by Tsarist officials who kept quarreling with each other.)

>114 LizzieD: Peggy, yes, and the last time there were a bunch that I coveted desperately, I got NOTHING. This time, I think I'm requesting (right now) four books -- the Campion, the See, the Rachman and the Galloway. I'll try to prune it down to two by month's end based on whether some are available via Vine, the relative publication dates & Kindle prices, and the number of people requesting them. Oh, and I'll try and get my ER reading up to date...

>116 Mr.Durick: Robert, if not, I should be able to pass along this copy. It's not even out in hardcover yet, so it might take a while. There may even be a second copy waiting at my old home in Brooklyn; I'll check on that.

>118 Smiler69: Ilana, I don't tend to fuss about either of those, and when I start reading it really (as opposed to dipping into the first three pages) I'll be looking at it as a suspense novel. Am not listening to the audiobook.

I was expecting a suspense novel too, and am waiting for that part to kick in. I like the audio version because Juliet Stevenson narrates, and she can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned. In fact, it's the only reason I got the book in the first place, apart from seeing that Hilary Mantel was a fan.

84. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley is the sixth Flavia de Luce novel, and is one of the better ones if only because it suggests that Flavia is finally going to break out of persecuted little girl/precocious scientist mode, pay attention to those around her and grow up. The second half of the book also is more intriguing in its own right. When Harriet de Luce's body is finally found in a Himalayan crevasse and brought home for burial, it's with an entourage of Home Office types, Winston Churchill and a mystery man in a long overcoat who falls (or is pushed?) to his death beneath the train. The whole story takes place over about 2 or 3 days, the pacing is better and the characters more interesting (to me) than the kind of claustrophobic tales in previous books. I will be curious to see how Bradley pushes the series forward after this point, however. 3.75 stars.

>121 Chatterbox: Agreed on all points. Well said.

>119 Chatterbox:/113 Wow! I like that plot. Sounds like a Michael Moorcock-ish time-travel-conspiracy-detective caper in the making.

117. Thanks! Looking forward to the reviews when they start coming in. Looks good, though, and the subject is obviously great.

Hi Suz! I have really benefited from the discussion here on your thread about the situation in Russia/Ukraine. I am particularly interested in the impact of the US LNG industry on the issue as we have a LNG terminal that is in the process of trying to get licensed here in my backyard. I have been dismissing it as 'never going to happen' because it has been billed as an "import" terminal....perhaps I should be worried the developers are really thinking about exporting LNG. Thanks to you and your visitors for the in depth analysis. It gives me lots of food for thought.

Sigh, I had drafted a long long note about the whole LNG/shale oil and gas/fracking stuff. Then my computer died.

The bottom line? We need to be pragmatic. If we're sensible/rational, we can use these new reserves as a bridge to get us to the day, a few decades hence, where green/renewable energy is a viable solution for all (not just those who can afford to retrofit their houses for solar...) We can funnel some of the profits from these cheapish sources into research into new storage and transportation technologies, and into making them ubiquitous and affordable, instead of allowing them all to flow to energy producers and consumers (through cheap gasoline). I don't think we can afford to turn our backs on fracking (and I'm unconvinced after reviewing the credible evidence that we need to -- also, I vividly remember friends setting their tap water on fire in Petrolia Ontario waaay back in 1980/81 -- it's kinda what happens when you build a city atop natural gas reserves, and isn't specific to fracking.) Clearly, we need an effective EPA to enforce tough regulations, and we can't afford to just keep drifting slowly in the direction of renewables. But I don't think we can keep blowing the tops off mountains in W. Virginia for coal, or turn to nuclear power (unless we figure out a way to vaporize waste so that it won't be a problem for our descendants thousands of years from now).

Leading up to...

>124 Cobscook: it's entirely rational that an LNG plant could be built to import LNG to deal with temporary bottlenecks. Right now, the pipeline/storage infrastructure has fallen way behind the production capacity -- and it's not located in the right places for us to get the full benefit of shale oil or gas. It could then be converted to an export facility at a later date. I'd focus on the environmental and safety issues of this: are they state of the art? Who's doing the build? What is their experience? (For my part, I'd also tend to worry more about refineries in my 'hood than LNG terminals, but that's me...)

>123 PawsforThought: A Spy Among Friends is almost unputdownable. I may end up reading all the way through until I've finished; it's likely to become the best non-fiction book of the year for me thus far.

Did you see the article about the fusion reactor that is being built in France? I believe the piece was in the New Yorker.

My hope is that natural gas will allow us to slow carbon emissions long enough for us to make something like fusion work.

>126 Oberon: This is the ITER complex, right? I haven't seen the New Yorker piece, but I've been following the project in general, and fusion more broadly since the late 80s/early 90s. It would be great... if we can have waste-free nuke and renewables... and just use the fossil fuels as a bridge to that end.

Yes, ITER. Found the article http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2014/03/03/140303fa_fact_khatchadourian?curre...

>128 Oberon: Wow -- thanks -- can this guy ever write!! I'm going to enjoy this opus...

85. A Spy Among Friends by Ben Macintyre is, in my opinion, hands down this author's single best book. It's a compelling story focusing on Kim Philby and his split personality and the toll it took not only on those he betrayed through his spying, but through his friendship. Indeed, the story that Macintyre recounts is one that is part that of Philby and partly that of Nicholas Elliott, for decades his closest friend in MI6 and the man who finally confronts him in Beirut to try to get some acknowledgment of what Philby had done. It's at once a fast paced spy yarn and a heartbreaking story of betrayal and misery. My only very minor quibble is that while Maclean and Burgess play a role here, there are only passing references to Blunt and almost none to Cairncross, leaving me to go off and Google some details later. But those are quibbles, and this is a book y'all should rush out and buy whenever you can. I have a UK version, and it's being offered via ER this month; coming out on the US market in the summer. Brace yourselves: it's 5 whole stars.... :-)

The Ben Macintyre book was one of four books I requested from this month's batch when it went live earlier this week. If I don't win it from ER, it will definitely go on my wishlist. Philby died during the time I lived in the London area and there were a lot of in depth media retrospectives following his death.

Oh, jeez, it's THAT good? Well, I'm definitely getting my paws on it now!

Probably, even though it doesn't feel good, the complaints about yr. Black Swan article mean you are being Noticed!

Wow, a five star from you! One to note.

Added to the wishlist!

>131 cbl_tn: I always thought that the timing of Philby's death (1988) was particularly lucky (for him). Although Gorbachev had begun glasnost and perestroika, the Soviet Union and communism had not collapsed. Clearly, he had to indulge in a lot of selective filtering to maintain his belief system once he was living in the Soviet Union and I doubt he remained as devoted to his ideals as he professed (although he was allowed all kinds of luxuries that the ordinary citizens could only imagine) but he still gave up all that made him who he was as a person -- his social network, the country he grew up in, the places he traveled to and loved -- to live year round in Soviet Moscow?? Argh. Had he outlived the Soviet Union, he would have had to recognize the futility of it all. I've always thought that the fate of these men was rather poignant -- they ruined their own lives, in a different way than they ruined the lives of others.

>133 sibylline: I need a thicker skin. Perhaps a layer of swan feathers as insulation??

As a result of reading the Ben Macintyre tome, I've added two more books to my Kindle...

The first is a collection of Alan Bennett plays that includes A Question of Attribution and Englishman Abroad, the first focusing on Blunt and the second on Burgess. The other addition is a novel by John Banville (whose writing I revere) that is a roman a clef focusing on Blunt, The Untouchable. Now I just need to resolve not to let them languish unread atop my TBR.

That said, Amazon Vine day is looming on the horizon a week from Thursday, and I have three very long novels to read between now and then (600 pages plus) and two or three other books.

Thanks for the review of Dragnet Nation. I've been absorbed in a project and haven't had much reading (or LT) time, so I won't finish it until early next week, probably. Also, good to know that A Spy Among Friends is so good; I really liked Agent Zigzag and also liked Operation Mincemeat, so I'll look forward to reading this one too.

>136 Chatterbox:: I'm picturing you in Bjork's swan dress now.

>125 Chatterbox: The LNG terminal is is the preliminary permit stage, so no contractor for build out yet, FERC still has to say yay or nay. The major safety issue is how the tankers will transit through Canadian waters into Passamaquoddy Bay through what is the fourth largest whirlpool in the northern hemisphere. Also, our Canadian neighbors have said they will not allow the tankers to transit the waters under their control so That may be the nail in the coffin of the project. Another consideration is the lack of a pipeline from the proposed site of the terminal to the market area of Boston. We do not have any natural gas infrastructure in my area and with such a low population, I can't see the investment in setting up said infrastructure. My entire county, which is larger than the state of Rhode Island only has about 35,000 people living in it.

And, because eyeballs are required....

http://www.theguardian.com/money/us-money-blog/2014/mar/09/unbearable-lightness-...

The latest. All about options and stuff.

>138 rebeccanyc: I think it's Macintyre's best; perhaps it's because it was a bit less familiar to me than the WW2 tales of derring do?

>139 tiffin: Bwahahahaha. Gulp.

>140 Cobscook: Clearly, if they were to go ahead with the project, they'd twin the application with a FERC application for a pipeline; especially if it's to be an export facility. Imports? Well, you could theoretically truck LNG? I realize I know less than I should about land transportation of LNG, so that's probably something I should look into -- technology, risks, markets, costs -- at some point.

>141 Chatterbox: That's why I liked Agent Zigzag more than Operation Mincemeat, because I was more familiar with the Mincemeat story and knew nothing about the Zigzag one.

>142 rebeccanyc: And I had been itching to read something about the Cambridge Five. Picked up a copy of a book by their handler, Yuri Modin, but it was meh and a DNF. So I was elated to suddenly discover this one! I saw it was coming out the week after I first spotted it, downloaded it on the day of publication and had read it within days. Which is great for me these days -- arch-procrastinator that I am...

Thanks so much for your comments on my latest drawing Suz! I was really touched by what you said on my thread. Certainly those drawings are a labour of love, and it's very special to me that you found something there arresting. I replied to you further over there.

>144 Smiler69: You're most welcome, Ilana!

86. A King's Ransom by Sharon Kay Penman is the latest in the author's very long series of very long historical novels about the Angevin kings of England, (with the earlier ones focusing also on their Welsh challengers) and brings Penman full circle, to the point in history where she began with Here Be Dragons some 27 plus years ago. I've come to the conclusion that the less you know about the history and the characters, the more intriguing and interesting the novels are; the previous one, Lionheart, did little for me, and while this one was more interesting, it still didn't hold a candle, in terms of subject matter, to the books focusing on Stephen and Matilda's civil war, or those focusing on Simon de Montfort and the Llewellyns, the princes of Gwynned. And if I have to think about what it is that distinguishes them, it's my relative degree of knowledge of the periods in question -- the less I knew, the fresher the books felt, because they're really novelized history with warm and fuzzy and endearing characters. Penman has done a lot of research and doesn't romanticize, but she does like her characters a lot (it comes across here, notably with Richard I of England, whom I don't happen to admire quite as much as she does); at least she has given up the slightly twee narrative style she used to employ even if her characters still refer to each other as "lad" or "lass" too often, and really have little to distinguish themselves from each other on the printed page beyond their behavior and what Penman tells us they are thinking. Nothing in the dialog or their voices jumps off that page. That said, these are epics that offer a great introduction to the era and the personalities for those that don't know either well, and if you've been following this all along (three books in the Wales series; five in the Angevin one), well, you won't want to miss 'em. A treat for me were the cameo appearances of Justin de Quincy, Eleanor of Aquitaine's sleuth/spy/investigator who is the main protagonist of her short and sadly short-lived series of historical mysteries, which I CAN recommend enthusiastically (and may indeed need to revisit soon.) Glad to have read it, simply because I'm a historical fiction buff and have been reading these books since oh, 1987 or so; glad I can move on to something else. Which is likely to be something light & frivolous, just for contrast. This is 3.8 stars.

I've had a few books by Ben Macintyre on my wishlist and am adding A Spy Among Friends.

Why can I FIND NOTHING in my home? Aware that I am going to need to use the unsatisfactory newish Windows laptop (purchased last year) I have been on a frantic hunt for the power cord and the software to install. Worryingly, I can find the container for the latter, with the code, but not the disc. (I can't use the most recent version of Word; it is an utter disaster, completely unusable by anyone, and if I can't find this 2011 variant, I am so screwed. Not only will I have to use software that NONE my editors can use, but that I struggle to use, AND I'll have to pay an annual fee for it, rather than just buying it. AND when you need help to get that annual sub working, they send you off to some sketchy outfit (via phone) that wants you to give them credit card info and $250 up front before they'll trouble shoot the problem. Seriously bizarre. But it's either that, or fork over megabucks for another MacBook Pro.)

The last two weeks has seen an abatement in my usually sky-high anxiety levels and moderately high levels of depression. Both seem to be returning. Bah humbug. Hopefully, they will not be accompanied by a reading/productivity funk.

OK, rant over. return to your previously scheduled activities...

I just posted the following on Anne Rice's fan page. Some of you here will remember my run-in with an author about two years ago (Katiekrug will, I know!) and that has shaped some of my thinking about Rice's attempt to whip up support for having all reviews on Amazon publicly labeled with the reviewer's real name. She argues that well, if people don't want their real name attached, they can choose not to give a review (and note, all the fuss is over hostile reviews....) I have little patience with the other side, either, finding many of its members shrill and often just as arrogant as the authors they criticize for behaving badly. But censorship never ends well.

Herewith, my screed:

"I'm an author (non-fiction), and I've had bad reviews online and in print, along with great reviews. I'm sure the bad/lukewarm reviews, some of 'em anonymous, ate into my sales. But three words stuck in my brain: "freedom of speech". Then, a few years ago, the tables turned. I reviewed -- using my real name -- a novel that I disliked intensely. It was a straightforward review, confined to what was in my book, and my response to it, and why I thought the book was not worth reading. There were no personal attacks or comments about the author. The author stalked me, encouraging fans to harass me via her blog. Someone wrote to an editor for whom I work, making libelous accusations. Someone who refused to identify themselves showed up at my front door and told me to watch my back. Someone stuffed dogsh*t in my mailbox. Since those events, I have (on a lawyer's advice) stopped blogging (even though I confined my blog to writing about books that I loved and enjoyed recommending.) I review only those books that I have an obligation, explicit or tacit, to review, and I'm very careful about choosing to request books by new-to-me authors. Given that I am reviewing using my real name, and given what happened as a result of that, I feel that I have the choice between providing an honest opinion and risking another series of encounters with an author who interprets a single bad review of his or her work as a personal attack. I've seen it happen. I've experienced the temptation to respond in just that way, and daily am glad that I haven't. For the record, I have read the article, and the petition. I'm certainly in favor of civility, as well as offering reasons for a negative review beyond "this is trash!" (I'd also be happy to see five-star reviews that go beyond "This is the best novel I've ever read!", but oddly, while equally unhelpful, authors seem uninterested in correcting this information gap...) I've also been following the coverage about the Yelp reviews. I wonder how long it will take until an author decides that a one-star review is responsible for loss of income and sues the reviewer? If a reviewer goes beyond what is fair comment and ventures into libel or threats, there are ways to address that. In this era of blogs and online reviews, the sphere of reviewers has broadened beyond the professional cadre of those writing for a handful of veteran publications -- just as the doors have opened to new indie writers. I see no reason why someone should be compelled to provide their real name, even if I choose to do so. Arguing that they can "choose" whether or not to write reviews or comments if they don't want to be named is disingenuous: it's a step along the logical path that will lead you to the conclusion that if a whistleblower doesn't want to be identified, he/she has the choice not to blow the whistle. It's about being free to say what we think without repercussions -- both as authors and as reviewers."

>148 Chatterbox:
I am always appalled by this sort of behavior. Laurell K. Hamilton lost my readership when she stopped having editors and when she began to harangue those who dared to criticize her. Not that it was difficult for me to give up, the books were becoming bloated and less interesting. There's only so much time I'm willing to devote to reading about blow jobs.

And while I do understand the desire for people to have the courage to stand behind their words, good or bad, why do so when the opportunity for harassment such as yours is ever-present?

Good for you Suzanne!

Suz, great comments about the reviewing. I don't think I knew about the dog poo. Or the person at the front door. Holy moly - it was even worse than I'd realised.

Before I read all that I was just going to say that The Untouchable is one of my most favourite ever ever ever novels. I hope you love it too. And I've added the Ben Macintyre book to my groaning WL.

>148 Chatterbox: Sing it, sister! I think it was Richard who pointed out (maybe on FB and not on LT - clearly I have a bad memory for such details) an article which in turn points out that Rice is stirring this all up just when she's announcing that she's working on a new book... *ahem*

>148 Chatterbox:: Hear, hear! Well said.

>148 Chatterbox: - Ugh, I still shudder when I see that woman's books! And like Cushla, I didn't know how truly awful the response had been. Ick.

Well said to Ms. Rice!

Well, the visit at the door and the "gift" in the mailbox didn't come directly from the author; they were, shall I say, author-inspired and perhaps the author wasn't aware of them, since they occurred after she'd been told by her publishers to stop behaving like a jerk. To be completely clear, I think some of the reviewers in this case also are behaving like jerks -- I have seen some of the reviews that the authors object to, and they are, indeed, objectionable. But civility, not censorship, is the solution. Be very critical of a book, even snarky; don't let it tip over into talking about the author.... And I have NO time for a "reviewer" who says, I haven't read this book but I'm going to give it one star because I don't like the author's behavior. Sorry, not appropriate. That's what the comments section is for. Any review like that I encounter I'm going to turn thumbs down on out of principle.

I'm going to give Anne Rice the benefit of the doubt in one respect. I'll choose to think that she doesn't want a cluster of reviewers who haven't read her new book jumping all over it because of her stance on this issue, or have the issue distract potential buyers from its merits (or lack of 'em). I'd never read Rice, so it's completely academic for me.

>154 Chatterbox: et all

Something is happening to our society and part of it is attributable to the lack of face to face contact in cyberspace - somehow not facing your subject seems to allow a lot more irresponsible behavior. However, I don't think it's only that. I think it's the emphasis of late on 'high self-esteem' as the default opinion of oneself, so that everything that might be less than an accolade feels like a personal attack. The self-esteem movement has a lot to answer for, I believe. Self-esteem, like any other, needs to be earned.

I hope you found your power cord and such.

Found the power cord, but not the the software diskette. Sigh sigh sigh.

>155 ffortsa: Judy, you're right; it's about the demand to be granted respect instead of recognizing that respect is something that is earned. Then, conflating courtesy with deference in the public arena, so that anything that someone interprets as a lack of recognition automatically becomes a lack of courtesy or an insult. There is almost an eagerness to pick quarrels. I don't think it's just confined to the young, though; I see it in many quarters.

87. Death of an Elgin Marble by David Dickinson was a return to what I first enjoyed about this author after a series of mediocre books, to my relief. (That said, the author's style is still to distance himself from his characters, to the point where we never really see inside their heads and only see them interacting with each other relatively formally, so don't expect much from that quarter...) In some ways, this is amusing and mildly satirical -- who owns the art so proudly displayed in great western art collections? In another way, it's a fun mystery, as Lord Francis Powerscourt goes chasing after various statues which may -- or may not -- be the same Caryatid kidnapped from the British Museum. As a mystery, it's OK if not outstanding; it's entertaining, however, and offers an amusing glimpse into pre-WW1 British society and mores. I do wonder what is going to happen to the series with the war looming on the horizon and the eldest son of the household of an age to serve in the trenches... ... although we are given an additional glimpse into his character toward the very end of this book which is interesting. 3.9 stars.

>148 Chatterbox: >150 cushlareads: Holy moly - it was even worse than I'd realised.
Yeah, I was aware of the verbal harassment, but not the incidents physically at your home.

>148 Chatterbox: having all reviews on Amazon publicly labeled with the reviewer's real name
Well, even if she could control one place, she can't control the entire internet. Also, Anne Rice is worried about sales?

>157 qebo: I wanted to de-escalate at the time; it had become so absurd, so I deliberately avoided discussing it all here on LT after a certain point (my first contact with the publishers, I think, which was when she took the stuff off her blog.) Clearly, it wasn't the author who showed up at my home (I would have recognized her from her picture) and I have no idea who it actually was. I told her to go away (not that politely) and she did. Two days later, the "gift" showed up, and I reported that and the home visit to the publisher, and nothing happened after that. It's just that the idea of authors feeling persecuted by a bad review really hit my "annoyed and irked" button!

I wonder about this... Given what is happening with Yelp (the poor woman who has found herself hit with a $3,500 penalty for publishing a negative review http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-12-18/a-company-is-sued-over-its-no-ba...
To what extent will companies/individuals seek to crack down in this way? The more impact a bad review has, the more people may seek to crack down?

I happen to agree that "false reviews" by people who haven't used the product or service (in this case read the book) should be taken down. Including those who say, "I hate what this author has done/said so I'll never buy/read his/her books". How are these useful or helpful or even fair comment? And yes, they are more egregious if people hide behind aliases. I hate reviews that say "the author should roast in the deepest pits of hell for what he did to the English language." They're not remotely insightful. Tell me what the problem was. A good review is one where I am the one to draw that conclusion after reading it and the reviewer doesn't need to say it.

The Double Cross System by John Masterman is the golden source for Agent Zigzag and Agent Garbo and Agent Tricycle.

It's a bit of a dry read but for the history buff fascinating

>159 magicians_nephew: Thanks, Jim, shall bear that in mind! I may seek it out via library one day, but probably not yet. I feel as if I have read or otherwise consumed a tremendous amount about these agents, the whole "Bodyguard of Lies" operation and WW2 espionage of late.

Finished Apple Tree Yard which was quite an explosive read, although (like Gone Girl) it won't be for all readers. I thought it was a thumping good read, and will post comments on it tomorrow. Now I must go do dishes, make dinner and then go to bed. Roughly in that order. The time change is messing with my mind, helped along by the Topamax.

I tried one of the Powerscourt books and it was poorly written, or maybe poorly edited. It was one of the earlier books in the series and it looks like it has improved a bit. Maybe I'll try another sometime.

>161 cbl_tn: There are some stylistic characteristics that won't be for all readers, Carrie... I'm not sure I can find the right words to apply to it, but I'd probably say it's somewhat stilted? Nor am I confident enough to assure you that it has gotten better -- it's just that I didn't find it as annoying this time, which may well have more to do with me than with the prose! I'd def. suggest trying a library copy first...

I put Apple Tree Yard on the wishlist. Looking forward to your review.

I am also adding Apple Tree Yard to my wishlist. And I would also like to compliment you on what you wrote regarding reviews/reviewers.

>162 Chatterbox: My memory was fuzzy about which book I read and what I thought of it so I went back and looked up my review. I read Death and the Jubilee and I rated it 1.5 stars. I almost never rate anything that low, so there was something about it that really bugged me. From what I wrote in my review, it seemed to me that the author didn't have a basic plot outline in mind when he started writing. My expectations could have been too high, though, because it was a book I had been looking forward to reading for a while and it was fairly difficult for me to acquire.

You are doing really well with your reading. I feel like I'm falling further and further behind. Part of it is because I haven't slept well this week so I'm too tired to read. Then I won't let myself take naps (other than a brief 30 minute one) because I'm afraid I won't sleep the next night if I take one.

88. Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty is not for all readers. If you have moral objections to reading about adulterous affairs, even in the pursuit of plot, don't bother. (Although I confess that I wonder whether people would read Madame Bovary and Anna Karenina -- or is OK because they die and are punished in the end? Or perhaps because the books are more than a century old? Or... Well, never mind. Anyway... When the book opens, Yvonne Carmichael is in the dock at the Old Bailey, with a co-defendant, her lover. We learn those facts immediately, although it's a long time before we learn even her lover's name, much less what the charge is or the crime. Instead, we're inside Yvonne's (the narrator's) head, as she almost talks to her lover, retracing the steps that almost inexplicably led to this. How many millions of people worldwide embark on illicit affairs each year? Instead of just bumbling along and then sputtering to an end, however, events overtake Yvonne and her lover, and each decision that they make seem to lead them, without either ever clearly making an active decision, further in the direction of destruction. Let's be clear, none of the characters here is particularly likeable or unlikeable or sympathetic or unsympathetic. Yvonne is exactly my age, so to some extent I could inhabit her skin and imagine what it might be like to be in a decades-old marriage and have someone intriguing suddenly see you as interesting and appealing and respond to that. To not understand that is, I think, a failure of imagination. She cherishes her grown children, but has different issues in her relationships with both. She loves her husband but they have been together for 30 years or more. What interested me about the way Doughty wrote this was the lack of intent on Yvonne's part: she doesn't set out to have an affair, much less to end up in the dock. It is as if at each decision point, she finds herself unconsciously selecting the worst possible option, sometimes without access to all the information. *SPOILER ALERT* Yvonne's life becomes more complicated still, and the book instantly more suspenseful, when she is raped by a third man, neither her husband or her lover. What happens next is at the heart of this, and turns a reasonably OK novel into a thumping good read. The final courtroom scenes raise all kinds of questions of moral ambiguity, of how one can know or trust another human being, and of what represents justice. I felt Doughty did an excellent job at getting into Yvonne's head throughout: she shows how she is aware, even early in the affair, that she is being used and manipulated, and her own struggles with that; she shows Yvonne's engagement in her work and her resentment at the degree to which her husband was oblivious early on in their marriage, that her pleasure in his dream job (eerily akin to her own dream job) might be tempered by resentment and envy as she struggles to raise two young children. Doughty does an uncanny job of showing just how a woman who has been raped reacts, pulling back into herself and combining a heightened sense of threat with a degree of numbness. You don't walk away from this book feeling warm and fuzzy, but that's kind of the point. It's a human tragedy, and instead of putting the reader outside of it and inviting us to go "tsk tsk tsk", Doughty invites us inside, to try and understand -- not sympathize, but if we are going to judge, to judge after hearing, in the same way that Yvonne's jury will do. In our lives and our reading we have the luxury of screening out a lot of stuff we don't like and don't want to exist, of whatever kind, or of choosing to read about unpleasantness that is somehow contained or safely distant from us in time or space, or over which we feel we may be able to exercise some control. We can read about warfare in Sierra Leone, or trench warfare in World War One, and it's either so far distant in time or so far beyond our real lives that we can distance ourselves from it. Or we can read about racism and resolve to address it in our behavior and actions and philanthropic giving, or human rights violations or the aftermath of the tsunami in memoirs and applaud the survivors. Instead of a book like that, this is a book that could be about someone that we know, and I think that's more uncomfortable.

Is this a great novel? Nope. The suspense is slow to build; the first third of it reads like a conventional novel in which a middle aged woman has a stupid affair with a guy who obviously isn't someone she should be trusting all that much; the author leaves plenty of clues scattered around. The suspense part, which kicks in later on -- although it's hinted at throughout -- is reminiscent of the Gone Girl tale, in which you really don't know what is going to happen next. What crime? What charges? What evidence? What outcome? All you know is the question that one of the barristers uses to unsettle Yvonne at the outset: you must be familiar, she says, with a little street called Apple Tree Yard...

4.3 stars.

>164 DeltaQueen50: Judy, thanks.

>165 cbl_tn: Hmm, yes, that doesn't sound that good. I remember reading that one and at least two of the others when I was down with food poisoning in Morocco! I liked them... and was unhappy when I ran out of 'em... and lugged 'em all home with me...

>166 thornton37814: Lori, I'm struggling with sleep issues, too. I think part of it is due to this new migraine med, Topamax. It's giving me cotton wool brain, and causing erratic sleep patterns. Also weird appettite patterns. It's now 11:30 p.m. and I have to leave the house at around 7 a.m. for a train to NYC -- I'm meeting my closest friend from university in Canada & her family & having lunch, going to a theater matinee and then dinner. Haven't seen them in nearly two years, so I have to get some sleep, but I also have to finish cleaning up & organizing the place. Will be staying overnight & then coming home on Thursday.

On trains with chunksters to read. (That should be a book title, shouldn't it?)

So, no more updates for a little while. Off to see "Pippin" this afternoon. Only very slightly headachey, probably due to (another) looming winter storm.

Hi Suz. ^ Yes, that would be a great book title. :-)

I've made note of A Spy Among Friends as a five-star rating is worth noting. Thanks for the tip.

Interesting comments about Apple Tree Yard. I am confused by people refusing to read a book because it contains behavior they don't "like" or "approve of," as if by reading it, they are somehow condoning it. Plus, it's fiction! Anyway, I see it won't be released here until June, but my library has it listed "On Order" and I am now 9th in line for one of 15 copies. Come June, I will probably be trying to remember why I requested it - I'm terrible about remembering who recommends what :-/

Have a wonderful time in NY with your friends. I hope the headache stays at bay so you can really enjoy yourself.

>170 katiekrug:: I can't read anything with cruelty to or killing of animals in it, fiction or not. I get quite ill reading about it and it lingers in me for days. ETA: adultery, piece of cake.

>167 Chatterbox: An excellent review of a book that I doubt I’ll read; at my comparatively sluggish rate of 6 books per month, triage is necessary.

>171 tiffin: Yeah, there are issues where reading sends me spiraling into a pit of memories or distress with no useful result. Though can, in the right frame of mind, be helpful for processing experiences or understanding events. I sometimes read mystery / suspense _because_ I can keep a distance at the level of basic plot while also confronting unpleasantries of the human condition, in a there-but-for-the-grace-of-God way.

>167 Chatterbox: and >170 katiekrug: - I remember people (LT or elsewhere - I can't remember) being terribly offended by The Forgotten Waltz, due to the adultery subject matter. I found the discussion a bit odd. The novel was talked about like it was trashy (?!), when, actually it's quite a well done, honest (and heartbreaking) piece of work. I recently listened to it on audio. Oh well.

Enjoy Pippin! I remember it being one of my first high school pit orchestra experiences. And we would listen to the recording with Ben Vereen and the guy from that cheezy super hero tv show.

Pippin was simply wonderful and my friend's almost-13 daughter -- a big Broadway fan -- was absolutely entranced, on the edge of her seat the whole time. So apparently I have acquired immense cred with Zahra...

I, however, have another migraine. Piffle. Ice packs on the horizon...

>174 Chatterbox: Yes, I don't know if you're experiencing this storm we've had all day, which is still going strong now, but whatever reprieve I had from truly bad headaches this past week in now yesterday's news. Hope you feel better soon.

>175 Smiler69: a rain storm sufficient enough to start a flood sufficient enough, in its turn, to float Noah's Ark, started early this afternoon. I strongly suspect the toxic combination of poor eating habits yesterday (skipping meals), not enough sleep and the weather to be responsible. Really hoping to shake it off by tomorrow morning. It's not the snow that I gather you're getting in Toronto and Montreal, but a different system; still, storms are storms...

>173 DorsVenabili: Yes, I agree with you about The Forgotten Waltz. It's anything but trashy; that's Jackie Collins. Anne Enright's novel is elegant and poignant and moving, whether you sympathize with the characters or not.

Funnily -- I was bumping into this issue, kinda sorta, with Jussi Adler-Olsen's latest Scandicrime novel, The Purity of Vengeance. Here's the thing: the basic mysteries are interesting (if very gritty), but I find detective Carl Morck and his gang eccentric for the sake of being eccentric and thus deeply annoying. I think they got on my last nerve when I read about Carl's nose dripping snot into a special meal his girlfriend had prepared. You know, I didn't need that mental image. It didn't add to the plot, to the mental image of the sloppy detective, etc. It just grossed me out. I then pondered, as the train whisked me southward, well, at least Adler-Olsen hasn't told me what he's doing in the toilets. Sooo... This evening, I pick up the book again. Ten pages later and I run into this: "He plonked himself down o the toilet seat with his pants round his ankles and his forehead resting against his knees." Too. Much. Information. I MAY finish this. But no more.

>176 Chatterbox:
Oh my ... TMI is right.

>158 Chatterbox: the poor woman who has found herself hit with a $3,500 penalty for publishing a negative review
Oh the insanity! I cannot bear it.

>167 Chatterbox: OK, I *just* said on Darryl/kidzdoc's thread that I would not read that book, but I am rethinking that decision now based on your review. Conundrum. I shall resolve the conundrum by at least seeing if my library has it :)

>178 LovingLit: Megan, to add to your conundrum, it's a particularly difficult one to resolve based on the first few chapters, which really is mostly about a woman finding herself caught up in an affair, without ever expecting or setting out for that to happen. There are hints of what is to come, but it's a slow buildup. So if you're "sampling", I'd dip into a few spots throughout the book.

Clearly, not for everyone. It's a genre novel, basically, and a psychological thriller. It's written from a woman's POV, and written as if being told to her lover. If you don't like those genres and stylistic approaches, quite aside from the adultery/rape plot elements, you'll find this unappealing. In the same way that I am going to be able to live quite happily without Department Q, and may even abandon the most recent book in the series. I'll decide on that when my head doesn't ache. But then, I'm not going to suggest that Carl Mork's adventures in detecting are a bad book. They aren't. I just don't want to read about his snot and his stints on the toilet, all of which just scratch the surface of his and his colleagues' personal eccentricities.

Woke up this morning to a freezing cold day (19F) and a persistent headache. A few errands to do and then I'll try to take it easy before heading back to Providence late in the day. Am going to travel WITHOUT a headache.

>176 Chatterbox: Is it just me, or is that image unrealistic? I personally could not put my forehead on my knees. Maybe Carl is very limber and very skinny?

>180 ffortsa: I'm rather limber (though NOT skinny) and just tried it to see (forehead on knees, minus the toilet part) and would have managed it if my knees came out further. Yet another problem when one doesn't have ridiculously long legs: lack of being able to join head to knees when sitting. A real problem, that.

Suz, you are much more forgiving than I am. Visits to the toilet are, as far as I'm concerned a completely taboo subject. But then I'm not all that tolerant to begin with, as we've already established!

>179 Chatterbox: well, my library has quite a few copies and they are all out. So I will leave it on my library WL and eventually stumble across it.

My head does not rest on my knees, toilet or no! But I can get one of my legs behind my head- if that helps :)

No head on my knees either although I think I could have done it once when I didn't have a stomach. So is Carl Mork 19?

Ah, so the litmus test for being limber (and skinny) is being able to rest your head on your knees? I can put my head below my knees. You just...lean forward... And tip your head down. Umm. Am I the only one who can do this? I feel weird now.

You know, I hadn't even thought to try it. (And am immensely amused that all of you have been doing so!)

And so, in front of a few interested onlookers on the Amtrak train back to Providence, I did. And it doesn't work. What did work (at the suggestion of one of the said onlookers) was elbows on knees and face in palms of hands. Incidentally, in the interests of the scientific experiment, three of the Amtrak passengers also tried. One, who gave his height as six foot and looks pretty lean (frankly, I didn't dare ask his weight, since this is ostensibly the quiet car) managed it. Now, according to the book, Carl is a middle aged podgy kinda dude, so...

>181 Smiler69: Well, we do use the toilet, in the same way that we eat and sleep. if any of these are relevant to the plot, bring 'em on, I say...

Hmm, with effort and an uncomfortable abdomen I can get my forehead to touch one knee, but I can’t quite stretch enough to place it between both knees.

>185 Chatterbox: in front of a few interested onlookers on the Amtrak train back to Providence
Well that makes your Amtrak ride today far more entertaining than mine.

My imagination is running wild picturing your fellow passengers on the train! I gave in to curiosity and tried it myself. I can do it, but it's not a comfortable position. I'd never even think to try if it hadn't been suggested.

I've been having a nice giggle reading your thread and picturing everybody trying this strange position. I have too much, ahem, chest to possibly get my face to meet my knees, and even if I did, I would be afraid that my back would lock into position. Best left to my imagination.

>184 PawsforThought: I can put my forehead below my knees. My question was more to see if anyone could curl up tightly enough to touch the knees. Aside from belly interference, I just don't curl up that tightly.

I was not going to say this, but my imagination has been occupied in trying not to think of Megan on the toilet with her leg behind her head. I suspect that's TMI too.

*snerk*

>190 LizzieD: I snorted out loud. In the quiet car on Amtrak.

Thankfully, I'm now home with proper ice packs and utter peace and quiet (oh, and cats, which may negate part of the latter.) The cats did discover a skein of my knitting yarn while I was gone, and joyfully ran with it through both parlours AND the living room.

The good news: My landlord is renewing my lease.

The bad news: The rent is going up. Not all that much, only $50 -- and his taxes have gone up $5k a year -- but still, I had been hoping to keep it flat. Ho hum.

The funny news: We both forgot about it until today (the lease expired at the beginning of the month).

The good news: I like my new landlord, even though he is raising my rent.

OK, crawling back under my duvet again. Headache is vanishing finally, but I'm kinda groggy.

Moderate happy dance combined with migraine-begone *whammy*

I can't believe a year has gone by already, Suz. It just doesn't seem possible!

89. Fear Nothing by Lisa Gardner is another in this author's genre thriller novels -- if you've read 'em, you know what to expect. D.D. Warren, revisiting a murder scene late at night, has suffered a dreadful fall - a whack on the head has left her unable to remember much about the events leading up the injury, while the accident itself has left her in dreadful pain. She ends up seeing a pain therapist who -- cue improbable plot twist -- is capable of feeling no physical pain herself. Adeline Glen (cue improbable plot twist #2) is the younger daughter of a serial killer who killed himself 40 years ago when she was an infant and whose elder sister also is a murderess, and may somehow be connected to D.D.'s latest case. If you've guessed, somehow, that this all relies on your ability to suspend disbelief, you're right! Hey, I did say it's genre. It's also from the library, and it's entertaining enough to read when I'm headachey and stressed. 3.35.

Moving on to other stuff, some of which will be better. I still haven't completely decided whether to abandon the Jussi Adler-Olsen book (of the toilet contortionism), but I have picked up Still Life with Breadcrumbs by Anna Quindlen and am greatly enjoying it in the first 30 pages, and made some headway in my next John Lawton mystery, Black Out, during my travels. I also have to read the ARCs of Natchez Burning and Minister Without Portfolio by Michael Winter, as well as the second book by an author whose first (The Corpse Reader) I didn't get around to reading until after I requested the second, The Scribe. The latter is set at the court of Charlemagne, which still appeals, especially after having seen "Pippin" with my friends on Wednesday.

More of the theater on the weekend, however, when I'm less exhausted & wiped.

>190 LizzieD: yikes! no no no. I have never tried that.
:)
I am sure it would not be conducive to peeing in the pot!

Moving swiftly along.....
I am glad you like your landlord- it helps.

>197 LovingLit: Well, my old landlord (you missed all that drama) would have been screaming at me by now for something I had failed to do or not done properly or... Instead, he laughed that we had both forgotten about the lease's expiry, then said how much he appreciated the fact that I had looked after the yard/garden last summer & taken care of some of the shoveling this winter. My former landlord would have yelled at me had I not done it to his entire satisfaction, or rapidly enough, etc.

I'm happy to hear that the new landlord sounds like a real human being even if he is upping the rent.
Suz, you asked what I thought of A Burnable Book, which I just finished. I gave it 3½ stars for the research and keeping the plot together, but honestly, it never caught me. Somehow the spark of life just wasn't in it.
(>197 LovingLit: I'm sure that you never tried any such thing, Megan....just my abominable imagination at work.)

>199 LizzieD: Thanks for the update, Peggy. That's what I had feared, given my response to the opening chapters. It and I are staring at each other glumly.

Meanwhile, I have completed the following;

90. Still Life With Breadcrumbs by Anna Quindlen was a book that I loved in some ways, but that failed to completely satisfy. Let me try to clarify... It's beautifully, elegantly written, and the character of Rebecca Winter is pitch-perfect: she's an independent-minded photographer who has reached a crossing point of some kind. Her career seems to have stalled, both creatively and financially, and she is forced to abandon the Central Park-facing apartment she adores to tenants and move into a rural hunting cottage to make ends meet, as she pays her mother's nursing home bills. Even so, as she walks the hills with her cameras during the days discovering intriguing new subjects to photograph, she spends her nights worrying about the numbers and making ends meet. What I loved about this novel was the writing and the skill with which Quindlen darted back and forth to reveal Rebecca to us as a character. For instance, in recollecting her early days of her brief marriage to a serially-more-or-less-monogamous-upper-class-Englishman, Rebecca notes that whenever Peter had his name in the New York Times, it was usually the cue for "a long afternoon of inventive sex. It never occurred to Rebecca to wonder how Peter would respond to seeing her name in the Times." new paragraph. "That was later." Or, later, "she had imageined she would have nice long conversations with Peter after they were married, but it had turned out that marriage in the circles in New York where they traveled consisted of men who pontificated publicly, and the women who let their faces go still while they did so ... Between times, in their own living rooms, the men seemed to be resting for the next round of pontificating, and so saved their strength by staying silent." On New York: "The city is unkind to those with overdrafts, although it has long been their ancestral home." So, the problem? The plot is tremendously predictable, almost akin to a Hollywood movie. This could be Diane Keaton in that movie where she ends up inheriting a baby and moves to Vermont and hooks up with Sam Shepherd and starts an organic baby food business. Really. OK, it's not that blatant, but it wouldn't take much to get there. It's a delight to read, but then I started realizing, 2/3 of the way through the book, that Quindlen was moving toward the obvious catharsis/catharses, personal and professional. I'll avoid spoilers, but let's just say if you think you see it coming, you do. So, you end the book feeling good about the world, which is nice and all that, but which also feels like a bit of a waste of all that talent in terms of writing and characterization and observation skills. It's as if the quintessential Manhattanite has said, aha, yes, there's a hollow at the center of our souls, but we can fill it some other way -- now, how might that come about? So, this would get 5 for writing and 3.5 for plot, and I'll give it 4.2. Piffle.

.... and also

91. The Ides of April by Lindsey Davis is one that I've had kicking around since last summer and finally decided to read -- on the Ides of March! I never really got into Davis's series of Falco mysteries, so thought it would be worth trying again with a new series, also set in ancient Rome but featuring Falco's adopted daughter, Flavia Albia. It has kinda sorta worked, in that I can see myself reading the next book, which will be out in a few months' time. Albia is following in Falco's footsteps, working as an investigator, mostly for women: this time, it's a rather unpleasant woman, a business owner, who has hired her to fend off a wrongful death lawsuit and Albia isn't exactly heartbroken when the woman suddenly drops dead. Except that her stepson insists that it's murder, and may be part of a string of murders... If you can get past the fact that the chatty Albia uses turns of phrase that are more vividly modern than 1st century CE, and deal with a few improbable twists and turns in the plot, this is an entertaining enough mystery, one with an occasional nod to its time and era but that never really feels rooted there in the same way as, say, CJ Sansom's Shardlake mysteries do in Tudor England. The final third of the book picks up steam and held my interest far more than the rest, so it came in at about 3.4 stars overall. Not a must read, but lively and amusing. The audiobook is reasonably good, too -- I found myself moving back and forth between them, eventually.

The following is about the bookstore where I worked in the mid-1980s in Toronto after moving there from Japan. It was one of three (and sometimes four) jobs I held (simultaneously) and I worked evening shifts about four nights a week and at least one weekend day, later two, for 18 months. I made a lot of friends, and even picked up some freelance work there. (Michael Rowe, quoted in the article, was a co-worker who suggested I was the write person to write a profile of a "made it in the big city" arts leader for a small Ontario city magazine when such things still existed.) I started on the cash registers, where I encountered an amazing array of people, from celebs to those my mother delicately refers to as "rubby-dubs". Ultimately, I ended up running the fiction and literature department, also known as "One East" (because it occupied the eastern half of the entire ground floor of this massive building), which gave me free reign (mostly) to ORDER books from publishers' catalogs! Oh, and I got a 30% discount. My favorite anecdote was the night of a blinding blizzard, much like the ones we've had this year. A call came in from a seniors' residential complex only a block or two away and was routed to me. A woman was looking for Virginia Woolf's "A Common Reader". I'd ordered it myself and the Hogarth edition (both volumes) had arrived only weeks earlier were in stock. Could we deliver, the woman asked? Well, we could mail them out, I told her. She said that she lived only a block away, but that when the weather was this bad, couldn't get out. So, when my shift ended, I took over the books, and she fed me tea and cookies and we chatted about Woolf's essays in her tiny little "sheltered apartment." In some ways it was a kinder age: she wasn't worried about inviting a stranger into her home, however vulnerable she was; I was quite happy to go out of my way to do this; the store was quite happy to have me walk over the books and bring the money back to the cash register.

http://arts.nationalpost.com/2014/03/14/final-frame-an-oral-history-of-the-world...

I was quite happy to go out of my way to do this; the store was quite happy to have me walk over the books and bring the money back to the cash register.

Of course you were Suzanne. But today, customer service, when it exists at all, is of a pitiful and totally inadequate variety. The closing itself is such a sad commentary on our world today. I realize that there are so many other diversions available to whittle away at any amount of free time that a person may have, but as a book lover, it makes me feel very nervous about the future of books in general. Unfortunately, I've downloaded way too many books not to realize that I'm as much a part of the problem as anybody else. But to think that at some point in the not to distant future we may be without any indie book shops or even chain bookstores is just so sad. It's interesting too that Barnes and Noble is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy not because of their bricks and mortar stores (which pretty much resemble toy stores now), but because their Nook division is performing so poorly. Is Amazon going to be our only choice in days to come?

Was that "The World's Biggest Bookstore" by any chance? Did you know it's closing or might already have closed? Another one gone.

Yes, Tui -- it was the World's Biggest Bookstore -- the National Post story in the link at the bottom of the post takes you to a roundup of thoughts by people whose lives have been involved in it. I think this weekend or next is the final one...

>203 brenzi: Bonnie, it's an interesting conundrum. I certainly value being able to download Woolf's Common Reader essays onto my Kindle whenever I feel like it, for a nominal sum, and being able to hop on here and discuss it. But just as I confess I can be wary of some of the thinly veiled intellectual snobbery of some indie bookstores, I don't want to give my reading life over into the hands of Amazon or Barnes & Noble. I think it's interesting that as I rely less on bricks & mortar bookstores, I'm also relying more on old-fashioned libraries.

oops....hadn't clicked on the link. Caught out!

Wonderful letter Suzanne, on why reviewers should have a choice about using their names or not. You make several excellent points - among them, 'proof' (in how you write about the book) that you actually read the book. I am a STICKLER for that. The TV media seem the worst offenders in that regard. Oprah read every book. A friend of mine Gwen Rubio had her book recommended and did the TV interview/discussion thing and was blown away by how attentive and knowledgeable Oprah was. The other one being that you stick to reviewing the book, not the author.

I have read that people are more 'honest' on-line than a) in person or b) on the phone (people lie the most on the phone, apparently). So - the person who says, I hate this author so I hate this book, maybe be expressing a genuine 'feeling'..... however inappropriate it is (I am firmly against it, mind you). I would say that the burden is on whoever is in charge of the content - whether it be a hugie like Amazon or a single blogger. So - upfront you would state and subscribe to a 'code'. Anyone transgressing it (personal attacks etcetera) would simply be banned forever from the bigger venues and, well, people can just unsubscribe to a blogger who falls apart and rants. I would probably publish my 'Code' at the top of every review.

Your code could also be," Reader Beware: I haven't always read a book I've mentioned here, due to some grudge/bias/whim and I love to rant!"

So how come all those Rotten Tomato people etc. get away with panning movies???

Your thread is always entertaining and engrossing, Suzanne.

I really enjoyed that article about The World's Biggest Bookstore, Suz. I've never been there, but it always makes me sad to hear about bookstores closing down and this one was obviously a major destination for book lovers. I kept expecting to seeing you quoted somewhere in there, but then we get to read your take on things right here as an exclusive, so I can't complain!

>206 tiffin: Well, Tui, it was stuck down at the bottom of a longish post, so....

>207 sibylline: What interested me, Lucy, when I was doing these "radio tours", was that I could always tell whether or not someone had spent some time at least dipping into the book. Their questions instantly sounded more informed and interesting --at least to me! The question, of course, is whether they came across that way to the audience. I'm a bit cynical about readers/listeners looking for what they expect/want to hear, rather than being prepared to have their preconceptions challenged or new ideas presented. What, do you mean to tell me that bankers shouldn't be in jail? Well, point me in the direction of a single law that they actually broke and I'll be the first to lead the charge in that direction...

I think it's tough to struggle with the artist/their art. Caravaggio was a murderer; Wagner a racist. Lots of people were unpleasant human beings and produced tremendous art. Colleen McCullough, as I've discussed recently somewhere, somehow seems to believe that the cases of child rape on Pitcairn Island (in some cases group rape) are simply examples of traditional Polynesian society, where girls are "broken in" at early ages, and has convinced herself of this. I'll never again knowingly contribute to her royalties. I'll still read her ancient Rome books, because they're fascinating, but won't bother with her others, which I dislike. While I despise her for her attitudes, I think it's equally despicable of someone to write a review of even one of her "bad" books saying "This is a one star book because she's an evil human being who shouldn't be allowed to write." WTF? Her books aren't advocating her ideas, directly or indirectly, in any way shape or form. (Indeed, they're considerably less objectionable, content-wise, than lots of other stuff out there.)

I would love to see Amazon, Goodreads, etc. crack down on any non-review review. That would include those that say, "this arrived in good time, and the packaging was secure", to the kind we're discussing, where it's all about the author and his/her behavior. It's one reason I like the LT format, without the comment feature. We can't get bogged down in a lot of sniping (and it's not as high profile as AMZN and Goodreads, either, so attracts less scrutiny.) It doesn't matter whether it has a name on it or not, if it isn't primarily about what's between the book's covers, it's not relevant. Sure, refer to a controversy, but then as a reviewer (IMHO) your responsibility is to bring your own take on it to the table: it another critic justified in saying A, B or C? Obviously, if a novel is a roman a clef, with thinly-veiled characters from the author's real life, things get a wee bit more complicated. But at least then we've got a standard code up top. And a reader who wanted to bloviate based on a personal bias could do whatever he/she wanted on personal and/or group blogs.

>208 labwriter: Merci beaucoup!

>209 Smiler69: Now, Ilana, if there were only a model where I could charge each of you 10 cents a word for read that exclusive, I know all kinds of journalists that would be very, very, very happy indeed!

Temperatures back in the 30s today -- bah humbug. I'm sluggish, which I think is the new meds. No headache, though. Tradeoff?

92. Black Out by John Lawton is the next in this engrossing series of mysteries featuring Frederick Troy, and the final one set in the World War II years. Already, in this, we're moving ahead into the looming East/West confrontation, as Troy's investigation takes him into the world of German communist scientists, found dead (kinda sorta) in the wreckage of a much-bombed London in the early months of 1944. As the clock ticks down to D-Day, Troy finds his leads take him dangerously close to a couple of unpleasantly sadistic and uncomfortably well connected killers -- but the final denouement won't take place until after one war has stopped and another, for control of a postwar Berlin, has begun. I do wish that Lawton had written these chronologically. This was the first he wrote, but then he went back and wrote three or four that precede it chronologically. I opted to read them by time in which they were set rather than as he wrote & published, to avoid spoilers, but bumped into one nonetheless: one of the women Lawton introduces here, he then goes on to "introduce" as a minor character in an earlier novel, so we know roughly who and what she is when Troy doesn't, which is jarring. Sigh. On the other hand, reading the other way around would have been still more so; I'd have known too much about what happened to whom. These are very atmospheric books, and Lawton does a good job of at once taking the reader inside Troy's head to give us his view of events, while at the same time making it clear just how much Troy's lack of engagement with others and lack of affect puzzles those around them. At one point, he spends a Christmas with a happily married couple and notes their mutual contentment and delight in one another, without ever wishing for it himself; the women he meets at one point or another all refer to his lack of engagement. At one point, Lawton has a character describe Troy as someone who cares about the quest for justice, but not the ideal of justice -- he is, she says, "the fifth horseman", emotionless. And yet Lawton still makes us care about him. That enigmatic character is enough of a reason to keep going -- I have three more in the chronological series, and then A Lily of the Field, which seems to span a 30-year period covered by the whole series. 4.1 stars.

Somewhere, yesterday, I made the foolish mistake of commenting that I had largely escaped this winter without suffering much in the way of a cold. Today, my chickens appear to be coming home to roost... or at least, I may be incubating a cold. The fly in the ointment? I'm supposed to be on a bus to NYC tomorrow, in order to be at a bunch of work events on Weds morning and then at book circle Weds night. Sigh. I'll have to see how I feel tonight.

Same thing happened to me yesterday. Not a single cold so far, which is most unusual, but was starting to feel all the signs of one converging on me before leaving home to see a concert (Angela Hewitt playing Beethoven and Bach—lovely). Took mega-doses of vitamin C and feeling better today, but very run down, so we'll see. Hope you manage to escape it.

Suzanne - my mother was telling me that my grandmother used to read a lot of Naomi Jacob's books and I noticed that you have a few in your library. Most info I'm coming across focuses on Jacob herself as she was a bit unconventional. So will the books be too dated or is it worth me tracking down a few, her work hasn't been revived so I'm wondering.

They are pretty dated, Kerry. I like them, but they are sort of sentimental, in an old-fashioned way. The books I enjoy are a series of six featuring the Gollantz family -- the elderly Emmanuel leaves the Austro-Hungarian empire to settle in London as a young man; his son Max becomes more English than the English; the "Young Emanuel" is a bit of a dandy and a romantic and the final books revolve around the conflict between him and the unspeakable cad, his younger brother Julian. I think what is most dated is the way Naomi Jacob (herself Jewish, I suppose, judging by her name) deals with Jewish identity. At the time I first read the books, back in the early 1980s, I was in my late teens/early 20s and it didn't jar as much; now I wonder whether, if I weren't as familiar with them as I were, would they strike me as off-kilter? I suspect that this is probably the reason they haven't been revived. They are out of keeping with the spirit of the time, in the way that Frances Parkinson Keyes, with her Negro servants and American upper class divisions of the 1920s through 1940s, is. They don't "age" well, so unless they are sentimental favorites, they may grate or jar.

I might read a couple of the Gollantz ones though will need to track them down, my library doesn't have them.

>215 Chatterbox: I have that series on the eternal Wishlist. Although people have some issues with it now it was extremely popular at the time of its publication and did help to shift perceptions about Jewish people at a time of growing anti-Semitism in England.

>217 lyzard: I liked the fact that they were set against the backdrop of the art and antiques world at at a time in my life that I was developing an interest in china and ceramics! Also, there was a lot about music. I'll keep my eyes open for copies of the books still in my possession. Some are very battered. I know I obtained some via paperbackswap a few years ago but they were in very very poor condition: the paper so browned it was impossible to touch, and crumbling and flaking away. Yuck!

I can see that they'd address anti-Semitism since they do represent members of a Jewish family as, first and foremost, family. On the other hand, the most sympathetic members are also those portrayed as having eccentricities of one kind or another, so...

Have finally finished Natchez Burning by Greg Iles, and am going to let my thoughts percolate until tomorrow. My basic instinct is that he's trying to do far too much with far too little. Given the material he's working with -- civil rights cold cases of the 1960s -- that's laudable, but the novel still has to be coherent, plausible and readable and I'm not sure he pulls that off.

Off to bed now, to chase away whatever bug is dogging my footsteps.

I never heard that eccentricity was a hindrance to being accepted in England! :)

As long as it's not furrin-style eccentricity, dontcha know?? You know, these continental types...

>217 lyzard: >218 Chatterbox: There's an academic essay about Jacob's work here: http://extra.shu.ac.uk/wpw/thirties/thirties%20tylee.html

Hope you can shake off that cold!

>221 avatiakh: Thanks, Kerry, that was fascinating reading! I hadn't even heard of the novel that made up the bulk of the discussion... although I can understand the appeal of the Gollantz novels, as described in the piece.

>222 sibylline: The cold has me in its grips, Lucy, and isn't letting me go. I just canceled my plans to spend the next two days in NYC -- some work things during the day on Weds, and then book circle on Weds night. I was also going to try to catch a showing of "Monuments Men", which has long since left Providence.

But... After a night's sleep, or what passed for a night's sleep, I had to recognize that it's irrational to even think about going anywhere. Four hours on a bus or train when I feel even mildly to moderately miserable? By the time I arrived, I'd be shivering and quite ill indeed, I suspect. And then I'd infect the friend I stay with, and everybody else I come in contact with. Odds are I'd end up sicker. I'm reminding myself of this now, because I don't feel extremely unwell now. I just now that I'm a bit worse than yesterday, and that if I don't rest, it's going to get worse still. And that a four hour trip isn't a walk to the corner store.

In other words, I'm grumpy about this. So I'm going to go and sulk.

But if you're going to sulk, Suzanne, have a good sulk! (grin) Spring colds are no laughing matter. I hope you're feeling better soon!

>223 Chatterbox: Wise decision indeed, I'm sure you'll be missed, and a happy-healthy-whammy winging northeastward.

Tuck yourself up with blankets, hot drinks, cats and lots of books! Hope you're feeling better soon.

>223 Chatterbox: I came across the article when I was trying to find the order of the Gollanz book series, in the end I had to work it out on abebooks.com. I found it an interesting read as well, she really worked hard to give Jacob credit where others have panned her and her work. My grandmother read mainly nonfiction about archaeology and the Bible Lands so I was interested when my mother mentioned that she'd read quite a few of Jacob's novels.

I'm sorry.... I'm afraid I gave you that cold except that mine isn't a cold, but the power of suggestion is great. Do I remember that this is the second book meeting you've missed? Anyway, I will remind you of the DH's remedy for a stopped up head, and you can be happy that you don't have to take it! Chop up cabbage and a clove of garlic and boil in vinegar. Breathe and eat. YUCK...... (Unfortunately, it works.)

The only "person" who is happy about this cold is a "furr-son" (aka a cat). Cassie is delighted since when I stay in bed, she gets to curl up beside me all. day. long. I'm under no delusions, here. It's not lurve. It's mild affection, and the fact that I'm warm and will scratch her head and her tummy.

This is just a head cold, but I am glad that I didn't get on the bus and am not spreading it to all and sundry in NY. I am tired of straining my host's patience with frequent migraines (he doesn't get to turn up the volume on his TV...) and the cold would be a step too far. I do have to write my Guardian column tomorrow. Still, if I feel able to sulk about it all, I'm just fine, really.

I should really seek out Jacob's books -- see which ones I have, what condition they're in and what gaps I have -- and then re-read them. I glanced at abebooks, and they do seem to be available at reasonable prices -- under $5 plus shipping each -- and while I wouldn't want multiples, I'd be happy to have them in hand, at least the Gollantz saga, for sentimental reasons.

OK, the book update.

93. Natchez Burning by Greg Iles is a thriller that I felt I should give brownie points to for good intentions. The author clearly set out to address a real-life injustice: the fact that so many civil rights murders in the South have gone unpunished, decades later. So his has his fictional characters, Penn Cage and Caitlin Masters (familiar to Iles fans from previous and better books) team up with a weekly newspaper publisher from across the river who has crusaded in vain for decades to do just that, in the face of widespread indifference. (The setting: Natchez, MS, on the border of Louisiana). The case is a past/present kinda thing: Penn's father, a venerable doctor known for his humanity and for treating blacks and whites as equals as long as he has lived in Natchez, is accused of treating his former nurse, Viola Turner, who has returned to Natchez to die after many years in the north. Is it mercy killing or murder? What's the link to some old KKK activists, and some modern-day corrupt Louisiana cops and businessmen? This is a very cluttered book -- far too cluttered, as Iles tries to make 50-year old crimes feel more relevant by pointing out every possible link between past and present. Perhaps he feels, like the newspaper reporters in his book, that readers won't care about old men and their old crimes? But when you throw in post-Katrina corruption, racketeering stuff, meth trafficking -- well, my head began to spin. It was entertaining, sure, but it detracted from the main point of the novel. Sometimes, less is more (and not just in pages: this chunkster weighed in at nearly 800 of 'em.) Iles writes long, but he usually writes in such a way that it doesn't FEEL that long, because the narrative doesn't sprawl as much. The denouement felt as if it had been ripped from a multiplex blood & guts thriller. Oh, and this is the first part of a trilogy. I may read the others, but I certainly won't be committing myself to a review (this was an Amazon Vine book) or paying money for 'em. 3.6 stars. Read The Quiet Game or Mortal Fear if you want a real dose of chills and unease that this author can deliver at his best.

But that was still better than...

94. The Scribe by Antonio Garrido at least helped me reach the conclusion that this is an author I won't waste time on again. The historical setting (Charlemagne's Europe -- Wurzburg, Fulda, etc.) is fascinating and the detail spot on. But the plot and characters? The author and translator never met a plot/character/linguistic cliche that they didn't love and embrace enthusiastically. Physically painful to read and finish. Historically fascinating (a story behind the Donation of Constantine -- go Google it) but as a novel, banal and leaden. I'd think to myself, I bet they do this next, and yup... that's just what would happen. Sigh. It's hard to make this kind of tale boring, but the author did it. 2 stars.

95. Dead Man's Land by Robert Ryan was far more interesting. Imagine, if you will, that Holmes and Watson have had a falling out and that Watson is now on the Western Front, helping to pioneer the use of blood transfusion technology. Suddenly, one of his patients dies, horribly. Watson simply isn't willing to let it drop -- even amidst the carnage of the wholesale murder taking place in the trenches just miles away, he's learned enough from Holmes to realize that something is amiss. And so we follow him as he slowly and painfully unravels the puzzle, with the help of some nurses, Winston Churchill and some others he encounters along the way -- and ultimately with the help of one S. Holmes, Esq., who, for once, takes the supporting role. It's impossible not to cheer Watson on as he doggedly pushes his way to the truth, however improbable. Mixed in here is the tale of a German sniper and some extraordinary glimpses of life in the trenches, on ambulance trains and in no man's land. A thumping good read, but not for anyone who is faint of heart when it comes to war wounds, etc. Really, an excellent mystery set against the backdrop of the conflict. 4.35 stars.

Is read #95 part of a series? Sounds very intriguing.

I also like the look of Dead Man's Land. I'm also going to get some of the Jacob books. I'm so overloaded on my tbr pile here, but a few more won't crack the foundations of the house I hope.

>230 richardderus: Richard, nope; the author has written some others that I've read, some military/SOE type thrillers set against WW2 backdrops, but they got too much boys-derring-do type adventures for me. (Think Guns of Navarrone, or stuff like that.)

^OIC

Well, I won't be looking for the others, then. Cheers! I like the sound of this one.

I think I liked Night Crossing, but then tried After Midnight and The Last Sunrise and didn't like either of them. The descriptions of his other books all sounded like the might be more in that vein, but the combination of Dr. Watson (I've been watching Series 3 of "Sherlock" on DVD) and World War I and a mystery was too good to resist. It resides on my UK Kindle, alas and alack.

Ugh, feeling significantly worse tonight after a very bad night, so am very glad I didn't go to NY. Feverish and chills.

96. The Oathbreaker by Martin Jensen is the second in a moderately entertaining series of translated historical mysteries set in pre-Norman England. The Danes have seized all of England and everyone is trying to work out a modus vivendi among the Angles, Saxons, Danes and Vikings under King Cnut (aka Canute, he of the waves). Halfdan, a dispossessed thane's son, and Winston, a manuscript illuminator, are investigators for Cnut, and find themselves in a monastery where a former nobleman turned monk has been done to death in front of the altar. A predictable procedural, interesting enough, but not enough for me to keep paying for these books. 3.35 stars.

>235 Chatterbox: Sorry to hear your fears have materialized. I hope this episode passes soon.

Just sent you a pm regarding coming into NYC.

I'm sorry to hear you've come down with this nasty stuff. I am sick with it as well but I was not smart like you. Instead I took my trip last weekend even though I was starting to feel poorly and made myself sicker. I also feel like I jinxed myself as I had been inwardly smug that I had not been sick all winter. Silly me! I hope you are feeling better soon.

>235 Chatterbox: I scored the first in the series, The King's Hounds, as a free read on the Kindle. They sound like well-dressed turkeys...the dressings are the best bit.

You poor thing. Colds suck to badly. One comment I saw on Peggy's thread struck me as a truism though; at least with colds you know it's going to end eventually after a week or to (usually) but allergies tend to go on indefinitely. Not that it's much consolation at the moment, I do realize. I'm off to take mega-doses of vitamin C, now you remind me of it. Throat was definitely giving me worrisome signals last night.

Suz, did you get Jim's email with the attachment?

>240 ffortsa: I did, Judy, thanks so much! I haven't had a chance to open it or do anything with it as I've been checking e-mail from bed on my Kindle fire for the last few days. Hoping to catch up with that and other stuff tomorrow.

I've been finding it hard to read, so I've been listening to audiobooks and watching endless episodes of my most recent TV series addiction, the FX series "The Americans". It's about a couple who on the surface are a standard American suburban couple in DC, travel agents, circa 1981, with two kids, but really were "matched" by the KGB and sent into the USA nearly 20 years previously. Think "Homeland" lite.

Today's reasons to stay alert:

1. an upcoming interview about fixed income (yeah, really, but I have to keep writing my columns) at 4 p.m.)
2. the 3 p.m. Amazon Vine list. Amusingly enough, given the weather, the only item on my list that was an automatic "grab it" was an air-conditioner! Now I'll be able to completely cool the place down this summer. By the time the review is due (mid May) hopefully it will be warm enough that I will have had an excuse to turn it on and use it??

There weren't many books on my list that I coveted, so I grabbed a copy of the upcoming book by Steven Galloway, The Confabulist, and a trashy novel set in 16th century Venice from last month's list. This month's list DID include The Orenda, by Joseph Boyden, but I have my cherished signed Canadian first edition hardcover sitting here, waiting for me to break the covers...

97. Minister without Portfolio by Michael Winter is a new novel by a Canadian writer that Boyden has raved about that I couldn't love as much as he did. Yes, the prose awed me at times, but also kept me at a distance too much of the time. It's the tale of Henry, who, after a disastrous tour of duty as a civilian contractor in Afghanistan, returns to Newfoundland and takes refuge in an outport of sorts, rebuilding a house that belonged to a now-dead friend and caring for that friend's girlfriend. It's impressionistic, or perhaps pointillistic: only when you step back do you realize what Winter is doing with his tale of Henry's quest for redemption and for roots. It's beautiful and ultimately it works, but it's not an easy or straightforward read, and that's why I'm keeping this, for now, at a 4.2 star book.

98. The Spoilt City by Olivia Manning is the second book in Manning's Balkan Trilogy, in which life for Guy and Harriet Pringle in early WW2 Bucharest becomes steadily more oppressive and difficult. The tale is told from the perspectives of Harriet and Prince Yakimov, the lazy and feckless freeloader who is an uninvited guest sponging off the Pringles and who may be jeopardizing them through his own carelessness and self-aggrandizement. Power politics means that Roumania is moving within the Axis sphere of influence, and the British are marginalized, making life not just uncomfortable but hazardous, even if, like Guy, you're really nothing more than an English lecturer. I loved Manning's ability to capture character, and if most of these characters are less sympathetically portrayed than in the TV series that I also have come to love, well, they also are painted in much greater detail. I've been alternating between reading and listening, the latter being much easier as I have found it tough to sleep for more than a few hours running and yet don't want to actually turn on the lights and read. Have moved right on to book #3 in the trilogy, Friends and Heroes, which sees the Pringles moving from navigating Great Power politics in Bucharest to office politics in Athens, still with Yakimov in tow. 4.3 stars.

If you think about it, please post a link to your fixed income article when it comes out, Suz. I will take it very personally.

I'll try to remember, Peggy. It will be Sunday, so if you don't see it, please feel free to chivvy me. I should be feeling well enough by then that I won't take offense at a bit of chivvying!

>241 Chatterbox: - I, too, have latched on to The Americans. Am only about 5 episodes in, so far, but I tend not to want to binge in TV series. I like to make them last. I tried to like Homeland, but I found the Claire Danes character just too nutty to bear. A shame because I really like her.

Hope your cold passes quickly Suzanne. I hate it when my head is full of crap. You'd think that would be the perfect time to settle down and read a whole bunch of stuff, but somehow, for me, it just isn't.

I just finished watching the latest episode of The Americans, Suzanne. I think it's about the best thing on TV right now, in many ways better than Homeland, which suffered from some preposterous plot twists since it moved beyond the first season.

+1 on The Americans and agree with Charlotte about Homeland.

I'm watching Prisoners of War at present, it is the Israeli series that Homeland was based on. It is more than excellent. I've only seen a few episodes of Homeland but will be watching the first season when I get through the second season of PoW.

Charlotte, Bonnie, Richard: I just have two more episodes of series one to watch (free) on Amazon Prime. Then I'll need to reach out to my friend who has the ability to get new stuff via file sharing (I ask no questions...) to catch up with Season 2. Otherwise, it would be $1.99 an episode.

It is binge-watching, but that's what I do with a new series that I love. Did it with Spooks/MI-5 (which I still adore watching -- I'll have a 'Spooksfest' every now and then!), with Season 1 of Downton Abbey, and a few other things. Including the first two seasons of Homeland (I don't get HBO, so I waited for season 2 to be out on DVD) and (eventually) the Game of Thrones series. If it's there, and the previous episode was great, it's hard to refrain from hitting "next"!

"Homeland" I have generally liked a great deal, or at least, have found it compulsive watching. Yes, Clare Danes' character has been painful to watch now and again -- and I've found the wife almost too much of a goody-goody as written, or at least fairly predictable. Series 3 was a bit wacky, and slow to get off the ground, and I don't have a lot of confidence that the writers will be taking me somewhere fresh and interesting in season 4, but...

I think the way I described "Homeland" to a few people this time last year was as the best spy novel that I had never read.

oh rats, the cold really happened. *expelliaramus*

>242 Chatterbox: Don't you just love Yakimov? I read The Balkan Trilogy in an omnibus edition, and couldn't put it down.

Hope you feel better SOON!

>251 rebeccanyc: Absolutely! He remains one of my favorite not really likeable but very memorable fictional characters. I'm just past the point where Harriet, Guy and Alan Frewin run into him at the Russian Club at Athens and he is rather offhand with them, because, Manning points out, he was temporarily in funds and didn't need them to pay for his food and drink! But she does it in such a gentle way that it's impossible to loathe Yakimov. He'd be an incredibly exasperating person, but while he'd never exert himself to DO anything about it, you know his heart is in the right place. In a way, he's a rather tragic figure.

99. The Ghost Runner by Parker Bilal is another excellent mystery in this unusual series from a Sudanese literary novelist writing under a nom de plume. The first two are out in the US; this one only in the UK so far, but I HAD to read it ASAP. Makana, the Sudanese cop driven out of his home country by religious fundamentalists a decade before this book opens in 2002, is tormented by ghosts of his own past when a new client comes to him at his Cairo houseboat and asks him to find out who's responsible for the death of a young protegee in a fire. His inquiry takes him to the small town in the Siwa oasis from which both of the girl's parents came -- and more ghosts and ugly secrets, some of which stretch up to the present day. A chilling look at corruption in Mubarak's Egypt, the undercover war on terror, but really a deeply personal look at individuals simply trying to live. Unlike a lot of crime novels set in exotic locales, this doesn't have the feel of one being written by an outsider. Well, it isn't, is it? It's not quite as good as its predecessors, perhaps -- I figured out one of the big twists -- but still impressive. 4.25 stars.

... and something more on Manning, which serves to pique my curiosity. Although what I like most is the comment from Clare Messud, buried deep down here, in which she responds to a question about whether she would like the protagonist of her own latest novel: "If you’re reading to find friends, you’re in deep trouble." The PERFECT riposte to all those readers who say "but I didn't really think this character was all that nice... (viz., Yaki...)

http://www.openlettersmonthly.com/no-trace-of-lipstick/

It did make me more curious about some of Manning's other books, if not, perhaps, The Play Room. And about this biography.

>250 tiffin:, Tui, thanks, I think the spell is starting to lift. Hoping to feel human by tomorrow. And to have some more episodes of "The Americans" by end of day...

I enjoyed Manning's School for Love, very different from the trilogies.

Oh, there's a tremendously kerfuffle out there in the world of journalism. The AP style book has permitted the usage of "over" where once it only allowed "more than", as in "we now allow over one way of expressing a multiplicity of viewpoints" or "there are now over two million Americans unemployed". May I just say that I think this is WRONG and wrong-headed? (At the risk of being doctrinaire and fuddy-duddy?) "Over" is a preposition of place. It doesn't refer to quantity. It simply looks and sounds wrong, and the fact that people have been using it inaccurately with increasing frequency (as with split infinitives and dangling participles) doesn't make it correct.

*clambering back down off my soapbox, huffily*

Here is a fuddy I'll duddy with you. (Split infinitives aren't incorrect to anyone except those whom one should not be expected to actually tolerate.)

How long before that Whore of Babylon, Norma Loquendi, forces the acceptance of "less" in similar circumstances? "I have less than a dozen unread books."

NO. YOU. DON'T. YOU HAVE ***FEWER*** THAN THAT. (I've never had that few in the past 43 years, so the example is safe.)

>256 richardderus: The correct analogy would be "under" -- I have under a dozen books. Which would have me hunting for the place you have stored those books, because your use of the preposition "under" tells me you intended it to refer to a location, not a quantity.

And yes, I'm being pedantic.

>243 LizzieD: Peggy, the Guardian's buggy publishing software decided to push "go" on Sunday's opus today, so it's live already. Here you go:

http://www.theguardian.com/money/us-money-blog/2014/mar/21/bond-market-crash-pff...

>257 Chatterbox: But...but...surely NO ONE would say THAT!! "UNDER a dozen" anythings? But how could anyone...

...wait...

...why am I even posing the question. There is someone out there who thinks any or all of these grammatical solecisms are just peachy keen.

Oh, no. Grammar-slaughter of that kind makes me feel physically ill. How can people even suggest that that is acceptable?

LOL! I am one of those who probably wouldn't notice many of the incorrect usages you name. HOWEVER, "we now allow over one way of expressing a multiplicity of viewpoints", this one leaves me scratching my head. Would anyone really use "over" in this way? Its not that I don't think you all are correct, its just that unless the error is really, really out there, it doesn't catch my attention. In my defense, I will say that I am not a writer and I know many people here on LT including you Suz, and you Richard, are very good writers.

>260 Cobscook: Heidi, that's precisely the kind of style change that the AP Style Book says is now acceptable... It's not mandatory -- I suppose that common sense will continue to prevail in cases like that, where the usage is clearly inaccurate. But not in instances where people have already started using it inaccurately, eg, "I have over a dozen things to do today". AP is rationalizing its decision by saying that increased usage makes it "right". Hornswaggle.

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Uprising-Over-AP-Stylebook-Change-Over-and-...